Rookie Blue doesn't belong to me
Falling
Steve Peck threw the file on his desk and stood up. He needed a fresh cup of coffee. Instead of going to the third floor as he usually did, he decided to go to a nearby café. He didn't need to see Traci Nash, not today, especially not now, feeling as he did.
When had this happened, when had Steve Peck developed such intense feelings for Traci Nash? He honestly could understand how it had happened. One moment he was sitting across from her as she talked about how much she missed Jerry, the next they were eating and laughing together at Frank and Noelle's wedding and somewhere in those weeks, she had started taking up a lot …too much… of his thoughts.
He thought of her all the time. Who was he kidding? Steve Peck was in danger of falling seriously in love with Traci Nash and all with her not having done a thing to encourage him. She had politely, and pointedly, told him that she was not interested in dating anyone right now, and he could understand where she was coming from, she had lost the man she loved a few months ago, and as far as he could tell, she was finally putting her life together, learning to live without Jerry. She obviously wasn't ready to date anyone but Steve couldn't help himself.
She was fascinating.
She was definitely the most fascinating woman he'd known in a long time. And the best thing about it was that she didn't even try.
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Steve looked at the caller ID on his phone in shock. Traci was calling him. They were both on duty – don't ask how he knew that – so obviously it was work-related but she had finally called him.
She could have called any of the other detectives in Guns and Gangs but the fact she had called him in to help with the operation meant a lot to him. She obviously trusted his judgment and knew that he had her back. That was something, surely.
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Just keep walking, Steve told himself, keeping walking until you get out of the building. Even as Steve repeated that mantra, he found himself walking towards Traci's office. I'll just ask her if they broke the record, and then I'll walk out and go home, I won't ask her out again or even call her tonight. I'll just say goodnight.
He couldn't believe that Traci had actually asked him out.
"Yes," he told her, "yes is my answer."
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Traci Nash couldn't believe it. Somehow, Steve Peck was starting to invade her thoughts. She wasn't sure when that had happened but she wasn't ready for another relationship. She was finally on track with her life; she was managing to live with the gap that Jerry's death had caused, she and Leo were finally in a good place. So she didn't need another man in her life and certainly not Steve Peck.
So why couldn't she stop thinking about him?
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She had told him to his face that she wasn't interested in dating anyone now, Traci didn't like to be pretend, she liked things to clear and out in the open, especially since she had Leo to think about.
She had no space in her life for a man, not even one she liked as much as she did Steve Peck.
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Traci couldn't believe Swarek had even refused to pick her calls. Surely whatever crisis McNally was going through couldn't justify his bailing on her and refusing even to take her calls and help her.
She looked at her phone even as an idea formed in her mind; she made the call quickly before she talked herself out of it.
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Traci kept reliving the moment over and over. Surely she must have misheard. He hadn't said what she thought he had and she didn't want to ask him about it. Not that she had the time to do it with the arrest and booking of the gang members, and debriefing Frank about the operation.
Still…
He hadn't said what she thought he heard, she told herself finally, it was just wishful thinking. Okay, she would find him and have a celebratory drink with him; after all, he was one of the reasons that she had had the victory she'd had today. That's all, nothing more.
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"That's interesting," Steve said. Traci looked at him in surprise. He couldn't be serious. As he continued to point out that he had pursued her for a while and was wondering about the implications of her only agreeing to a date after they'd nabbed a dangerous criminal, Traci could only smile, his wicked sense of humour was one of the many reasons Steve was taking up a lot of her thoughts.
"Short answers are good," she told him finally.
"Yes," Steve said. "Yes, is my answer."
Traci sighed in relief, while she hadn't really thought that Steve would say no, but it was good to hear him say yes.
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"So are you thinking Loki or Lex Luthor?" Before Traci could reply Steve continued. "No, don't tell me, not good enough."
Traci laughed and without thinking about took his hand in hers and they walked towards the bar.
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