a/n; I almost didn't upload this one to mostly because it came out a little more shippy than I wanted (which is a-ok with me but I know a lot of people don't like it) but after the good reception on tumblr I decided I wouldn't keep it from you guys. c:
There were some days when Dredd cursed ever passing that goddamn rookie. Today was one of them. He was a street Judge, not some errand boy for strange recon missions. He needed to be on the back of his Lawmaster on patrol, not holed up here in this shithole waiting for things to happen. Dredd was pacing back and forth across a dingy hotel room, although whether from impatience or nervousness he couldn't quite tell. He felt unsettled waiting around for something to go wrong. That was the only reason he had been dragged along after all… a safety net for the psychic Judge.
He cursed under his breath at the memory. The Chief Judge had asked her who she wanted along on this mission for backup, and the first name she had blurted out (and quickly, he recalled) had been his. He knew it was the memory of Peach Trees last year that hung in her mind that had put him at the top of her list, because he could be downright awful to her most days when she was on patrol with him (he knew she could take it). He worked better alone, and he was beginning to suspect the Chief Judge was doing this to him on purpose.
The door swung open and closed again, and Anderson appeared with her back pressed against it. The civilian clothing she was wearing was a far cry from her street gear he was so used to seeing her in; she looked even smaller than usual. His eyes narrowed behind his visor as she tried to catch her breath.
"We've got trouble." She was scrambling across the room even as she spoke. "I got the intel we came for, but the perps caught on when I tried to get out of there." As she passed him he caught a glimpse of what was turning into an angry bruise along her jaw, a growl building in his throat.
"Did they tail you back here?"
An uncomfortable pause filled the air for a moment. Anderson was rifling through her pack on the floor in search of a weapon. "I think so. I couldn't lose them on the street and they were closing in too fast." A string of curses came out under her breath and she gave him a helpless look. "Have you seen my Lawgiver?"
"In the drawer." He was listening next to the door now, and the sound of shouts from the floor below were just audible. Doors were opening and closing. They couldn't stay here. "We need to blend in until they move on to another building, Anderson. There are too many innocents in here to start shooting."
She nodded, and grabbed a sweatshirt out of her bag, hastily pulling it over her head to hide what she had been wearing. Dredd hesitated in thought for a moment, finally yanking his helmet off (he cursed missions like this again) and peeling his flak vest from his body. At least like this it would take more than a quick glance to discern he was a Judge. The pair slipped from the room and down the hall, sliding into an offshooting hallway when voices carried in their direction. They were trapped there, Anderson's face scrunched in focus as she sought out what exactly they should expect.
"Five," she whispered. Dredd cursed. They had entered the main hallway now and the pair of Judges were quickly running out of time to disappear. Anderson weighed her options, glanced between the direction the voices were coming from and the man next to her, and let out a few choice obscenities.
"Just go with it," she hissed suddenly. She practically leapt at him to close the distance, slipping between him and the wall. Dredd instinctively tried to pull away as he realized what was about to happen, but she already had one hand against the back of his neck, fingers curled into his hair. She yanked him down to her level and ignored his growl of protest, inching herself as close to him as he would allow. "Dredd, we can't take them without risking the safety of the civilians… you're going to have to trust me on this." Her voice was barely a whisper and although his mind was bristled in annoyance she felt it falter as he weighed the options internally. He huffed at her, but finally caved. He shifted his footing, shoulders relaxing, and leaned into her.
"This does not go on the report." he grunted against her ear, shooting her an unamused glare. He had his thumb against the bruise that had swelled along her jaw. She shivered at the touch and nodded silently, eyes flickering to the end of the hall.
Just as their pursuers came across the hallway the pair of Judges flung their plan into motion. Anderson took a sharp breath and pulled him into her, mouth locking against his. He settled, stifling a growl against her skin and setting a slower pace that allowed them to keep a wary eye at the end of the hall. This was the last time he would let her drag him along on an undercover mission, that was for sure. He was trying to shut out the smell of her shampoo in his nose and the gentle give of her skin, and desperately ignoring the warm feeling that pooled in the pit of his stomach. Goddamn biology. He should not enjoy this as much as he was. She was more responsive than he had anticipated, a soft sigh escaping her lips. This was more dangerous territory than anything he'd gotten into on the streets.
A loud wolf-whistle came from the end of the hall, and Dredd tore himself away to cast an angry glare at the offending party. As Anderson had predicted it was the party looking for her, if the weapons in their hands were any indication. The group of five laughed, sharing some joke between themselves, and moved on to continue their search elsewhere.
Anderson let out a soft breath of relief (or perhaps something else, but there was no way he was going to dissect what that might mean) and finally released her hold on him when she sensed they were far enough out of the way. He untangled himself from her and ran his fingers through his hair, doing his best to look at anything but her. A stolen glance revealed her face was flushed out of he hoped was embarassment… mostly for his sake. He only had so much control.
"Let's get back," he started. He almost cursed out loud as his voice cracked unexpectedly, although if Anderson had noticed she didn't let on. She trailed after him in a half daze, and when they reached the room a half-smirk had curled across her face.
"You know, they'll want to know how we avoided a firefight in here," she said, voice brimming with amusement, "I'm sure they'll ask." Dredd rounded on her, one hand gripping her arm and the other leaned in the door frame.
"Anderson," he voice was dangerously low, but she didn't feel that same angry sensation from him in her mind. That was different. "If that goes on a report so help me you're going to regret the day you decided to drag me along into this mess."
Dredd returned to packing up their equipment, shoving his helmet on and pulling his flak vest back where it belonged. He'd never say it out loud (god help him if he ever did), but she got under his skin in a way that he wasn't completely comfortable with. It was unsettling, and although not exactly unpleasant… he didn't want to go there. It wasn't something he was accustomed to feeling. It wasn't something he should be feeling.
"Mm, I suppose I can leave that bit out," she continued. The look he shot her was worth it. The change in how his mind felt back there had her intrigued, and although she had promised him she wouldn't dig into his head it was certainly tempting. She'd figure him out yet. For now she could settle for a stolen (oh so stolen) kiss.
"Good," he grunted. He crossed the room to her and dumped her pack into her arms. She stepped out of his way and did a quick sweep of the room to ensure nothing was left behind, aware that his eyes were watching her from the door. When she had finished her task she straightened, meeting his gaze. He broke first and slipped into the hallway. His voice trailed back in to her, and despite his previous tone the words felt much more relaxed now that they were heading out.
"Try to keep up."