Bass heard his phone and grabbed it out of his pocket. His body was flu free. And now, a couple of days later, he had decided his stomach could handle whiskey again. He was sitting next to Miles in his car and they were having a boys night, which meant a lot of whiskey and bullshit stories at their favourite bar.

That also meant it had been a couple of days since he had seen her. After waking up to a sleeping and clearly exhausted Charlie, he had shifted just a little bit closer and they had slept for hours, a weird sense of being comfortable and warm in his bed together.

When he woke up again later that day, she was not at his side anymore, and not long after that Miles had been there again. Meaning his time alone with Charlie was over. She had said goodbye with a quick kiss on his scruff when Miles had been out of the room and with that he had to look at her swinging her hips and delicious ass marching out of his bedroom.

She was the first that ever made it to his bed with all her clothes still on. Hell, she had been the first woman in a very long time he had just fallen asleep next to. Not that he did not wanted more. He wanted so much fucking more from her. And he was so very damn sure, she wanted it to. But she was not some kind of girl he would take home for a quick and anonymous screw. She was Charlie and he would take things slow with her.

The phone now in his hand, he touched the screen with his thumb.

One new message.

One new message from her. Charlie.

So, funny story. Miles told me you left his New Years bash early to be with some kind of woman. If you are not seeing her tomorrow night, maybe you and I could try and eat some real soup that did not came out of can in a restaurant?

He bit his tongue. Fuck, he was so busted. He bit his tongue a little bit harder to not grin so close to Miles.

Of course, he failed. Big time. But that was another advantage of being a know womanizer. Miles did not ask any questions when his thumbs started to roam over the screen of his phone.

Would really like that Charlie, you pick out a place and I will be there. Will you wear those bunny socks again?

It did not take long for her to answer.

The French bistro, 8 o clock, down town. Won't wear those bunny socks. Will wear something else. I am sure you will like it. Probably will forget to wear some other things too.

He almost chocked next to Miles. Holly hell. God, he liked this about Charlie. She was smart, fun, edgy but she knew how to play with personal space in more ways than one. He grinned again. If he had not been sure that what he had started to feel for her was not just one-sided, he knew now for sure.

Fuck, he liked this wild side of her. His pants started to grind against his groin, while he had started to become hard when he thought of what exactly Charlie would forgot to wear when she would be sitting across from him at the table at that restaurant.

Before he could answer her, he received one more message.

Oh and Bass? That woman you left the party early for? How is she?

Fuck it, he was screwed already. He might go all in now.

I like her. A lot. See you tomorrow Charlie.

'You are disgusting, you know that right?' Miles said as he kept his eyes on the road.

Bass just grinned at him. 'Says the man who is seeing Nora for the third time this week later this night.'

It turned out, he would not be sitting across from her at the small but down to earth restaurant she chose. She would sit down next to him in the small booth.

Holy hell, when she had walked towards him, he had not been able to believe his fucking eyes. She was wearing a long black coat that followed her body. Trained legs, high heels, her hair down, full red lips and under the coat he could see a simple but very effective black dress.

He stood in front of her, and smiled at her in the cold Philly night air. He moved his head towards her ear. 'You look amazing, Charlie.' He felt her shiver when his breath touched her neck. And then he pressed a kiss on her cheek. Fuck, forget dinner, he wanted to take her home. Now. But he knew better than to come between Charlie and her food. Slow the hell down, he told himself.

'Thanks, 'she said with a smile in her eyes as she touched the scruff of his beard for a second with her nose, their faces still close, when her hand was on his black leather jacket. This time her voice was lower and softer. 'Really like that.'

'The beard?' he teased her in a low voice, 'or the jacket?'

'Both,' Charlie said, while she rolled her eyes at the easy smugness that was so much Bass..

After she had left his place, after a week that seemed to exist of only Bass, chicken soup and flu, she knew she could not fight what she was feeling any longer. Something had changed between her and Bass since New Years' Eve, something that had been set in motion that day in the forest on that hike, when they were walking back towards her family and a heated argument had them both in each others personal space, blue firing into blue.

And she was not the person to walk away from that, and neither was she the person who would sit on her ass waiting for a guy to make a move. So, she had grabbed her phone yesterday night, a glass of wine in her hands after a day at work. She had expected some flirting, but she had not expecting for him to lay his cards on the table like he had done in his message.

I like her. A lot.

She liked Bass. A lot.

They had both walked into the restaurant and Bass had taken her coat. There was something about him, he had charm but it wasn't that forced charm that so many guys had, that had always rubbed Charlie the wrong way. It was a charm that came to Bass naturally.

When they arrived at their table and the first drinks arrived, it had been the start of a great diner, when she chose to sit close to Bass in a cosy corner of the restaurant. The lights were soft and she found a place on a wooden bench with comfortable pillows on them right next to him. Sitting across from him felt too formal and she liked him close, just like they would always eat when they were together. No need to change that now.

The food was simple and tasteful, including the soup they had ordered. Conversation came easily and Bass could not take his eyes away from her. The way her hair flowed around her shoulders, the way her dress showed just enough of her amazing breasts. The way he was able to make her laugh.

It was hard for Charlie to focus on the food in front of her and the story she was telling when all of sudden Bass moved his arm over her shoulder and he started to slowly move the top of his fingers over the exposed skin right above her collarbone. His movements were slow and gentle, and she could take in his spicy aftershave. He was tall beside her and she sat close in the hollow of his body.

Under the table her leg had been resting against his for a long time now.

Bass let her talk, but he did not stop caressing the skin of her neck. When their drinks were refreshed his hand was casually on her back and when Charlie took another sip from her wine, his hand was going from her back to the locks of her hair against the fabric of her dress on her back. With every touch, Bass woke her body up even more and she felt a blush on her face for a moment.

'Want to skip desert?' Bass whispered in his ear, clear lust in his words. When Charlie finally looked at him, he could see that same lust he felt for her in her eyes. Her lips were parted a little when she looked at him and nodded yes.

When they walked out of the restaurant, Bass arm was around her shoulder. She felt the want for Bass between her legs, her core warm and aching for him. her body was screaming for him in a way she never felt for anybody else.

She never felt like this, she never felt so at ease with a man who at the same time, woke this want inside of her that she had never experienced before. One nod from her and Bass walked her out of the restaurant, his hand never leaving her lower back as he was tall and right beside her as they walked outside.

In his dark hallway she found herself close to Bass again, like she had that day in the woods. Bass looked at Charlie and remembered that moment too. He had also remembered what he had wanted to with her at that moment.

Her eyes locked with his. His eyes burned into her. They both knew they would cross a line this night, in his apartment. A line they had only crossed in their minds. Their eyes told each other they both wanted this.

Bass waited, waited until she moved. Charlie moved in closer while Bass wrapped an arm around her, and he moved his mouth over hers for a warm gentle kiss. Then he moved his lips away from hers and looked at her again. Her eyes were closed.

Slowly Charlie opened her eyes again, tasting Bass on her lips, warm, whiskey, the scruff of his beard had set her on fire. When she looked at him again, he was there. Close. Bass. This time, she moved her mouth over his, and when their lips met, their second kiss was long, deep. Tongues met, and when Charlie gave in to him, she let out a deep moan that made Bass only press her more into his tall muscled body. Charlie felt his hardness, and it was hot. So hot. Without thinking she pressed her core against his hardness, wanting to rub herself harder and all over his hardness against her smoother curves. It was the only way her body wanted to act towards what she was feeling now. Him. Closer. Inside.

'I want you Charlie,' his voice was hoarse, when he broke away for a moment, his eyes meeting hers again.

'I want you, Bass,' Charlie kissed him again.

They both knew they were not talking about what would happen next. She wanted him. All of him. He wanted her. All of her.

And with those words, Bass started to explore Charlie's body. His hands roamed over her back, her side, her legs and slowly back to her ass. Charlie held her breath for a moment when she could feel the rougher skin of his fingers going over her ass.

Bass let out a deep grunt when he realised that Charlie had not been teasing him with her messages. He finally got the answer to the question that had been making him hard just sitting next to her in that restaurant. He grabbed her ass with his fingers, realising she was not wearing panties. Damn it, he could feel his cock throb inside of his pants.

He let out another deep grunt and Charlie was dizzy, realising she was making him feel this way. He was hungry for her. His fingers were close to her entrance when they cupped her ass again.

Not much later, Charlie's dress was on the floor in the hallway, Bass jeans and shirt were on the floor close to his bed. Her bra was keeping his boxers company not far away from his shirt.

He had pulled her closer, when they were both naked, skin on skin, lost in deep kisses and Charlie loved the weight of his body on hers. Their hands were teasing each other, and she never felt this reaction inside of her. Bass eyes, Bass' movements, his body. It was almost too much.

And when he added a second finger deep inside of her while he had been giving her so much pleasure already, after he had been driving her crazy with his first, she let out a deep moan.

Bass watched her come, and he felt a twitch in his cock when she closed her eyes and moaned his name when he could feel her come with his fingers' buried deep inside of her.

After she came, she found his cock and wrapped her fingers around it.

'Fuck, Charlie...'

He had to close his eyes at the contact, before he opened them again, wanting to see her fingers around his dick. He loved her fingers but needed to be inside of her more.

He moved them both, so he would cover her body with his. He kissed her, he held her head in his hands. He placed himself before her and slowly pushed himself inside of her, watching her face, watching her reaction.

When Charlie looked at Bass, feeling how good he felt deep inside of her, there was this intensity of raw want in his eyes that made her breath stop again for a moment. She wanted him. She wanted to pull him in even closer, feel his thrusts inside of her. But he was so much at that moment, and this feeling, it was waiting to get out, but it was raw, and overwhelming and new.

Bass saw it in her eyes and kept his body still.

'Let go, baby, it's okay...let go...' His voice was deep, his breath hot against her lips. Fuck, he wanted her badly, but he wanted her to know she was safe with him, that she could let go, that she was simply stunning and he needed her so very much.

He could see the beautiful surrender in her eyes when he started to thrust inside of her. She moaned his name, encouraging him to go faster. She was covered in sweat, dizzy from the lust between them and her breathing was out of control. But she did not care anymore.

She let go in his arms, trusting him, getting to know her body in new way.

She would moan his name again. He would groan hers, when he felt how he could not burry himself in her any deeper. Warm. Wet. And so fucking beautiful.

Charlie let go again, when she came for the second time. Her arms were wrapped around Bass, and her name a low grunt from his throat, when he came inside of wit a wild low growl that was rumbling through his chest, right after she let go in his arms..

When Charlie woke up the morning, her body felt heavy in a fantastic relaxed and sated way. Her head was tucked under his chin, her body was under his arm, her cheek against his chest.

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in his scent of their lovemaking, sleep and warmth under the blankets.

When Bass woke up that morning Charlie was soft and curvy against his body. He took in the scent of her hair and pressed a lazy kiss in her hair. A grin spread on his face at what happened between them.

'Goodmorning,' his voice had that morning hoarseness that made Charlie open her eyes and shift in his arms.

She met morning blue with hers.

'Goodmorning,' she said, still sleepy but with a mischievous look in her eyes.

Bass saw that look in her eyes, but before he could react, he felt how Charlie kissed him on his lips. Then on his scruff, on the skin of his neck, chest and stomach. And when she did not stop there, he cursed something in silence, when he felt her warm mouth and lips on that one spot under the blankets.

He let his hands go through her hair. He entangled her hair with his fingers, just like he had thought about doing, when she was not even with him. It had made him come hard, but it was nothing compared to how hard he would come to the touch of her mouth around him now she was actually here.

After that, Charlie stayed. Nobody went home this time, with a simple kiss and unsatisfied hunger in their eyes at their goodbyes. This time she stayed and both of them stayed the whole day in bed.

And this time, not because they had the flu, but because the simply could not get enough of each other and they explored each other in every meaning of the world, just the two of them.

They eventually had to tell Miles. It was a late night at the start of summer, and Miles had a glass of whiskey in his hands. His reaction had been not what they hoped for, but exactly what Bass had expected. His best friend had put his glass on the table, had gotten up from his chair and had put his fist right in Bass' face. Bass let him. He understood. He would do the same for Charlie when he would be in Miles' position.

But when they moved in later that year on a pale winter day, it was Miles that carried the last of Charlie's boxes from the elevator to their apartment. Bass' apartment that had now become their home.

The box was full, so full that Charlie had not been able to close it like she wanted to. Out of the box peeked a pair of white bunny ears. Charlie grinned at the sight of her uncle carrying in that box.

'Where do you want me to put this crap?' Miles asked.

'Living room would be fine for now,' Charlie said, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

Miles had come around slowly. And Charlie was glad. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause anything that would come between both him and Bass. With a last death treat towards Bass, something about a knife and his balls, Miles had finally let it go.

Bass moved behind Charlie. 'Welcome home, baby.' He pressed a kiss in her neck.

She looked behind her, her eyes meeting his.

'Thanks Bass,' her eyes went softer, her voice too. 'Love you, babe.' Charlie smiled at him.

'And I love you and your bunny ears, Charlie.' He teased her, her eyes falling on the box with her socks on the other side of the room.

It earned him a poke in his ribs from her.

'And I really need whiskey.' Miles sighed in while he disappeared into the kitchen.

Bass and Charlie looked outside the window, the city around them, the sun slowly fading for the day while little lights appeared around the skyline. Bass pulled her arms around her. Soon, it would be New years Eve again, a new year waiting for them. This year he would take Charlie to Miles New years Eve bash, and he was looking forward to it.

'When that idiots ever goes home, I am taking you to bed, baby.'

'Promise?' Charlie said, fire already burning in her blue eyes.

He answered her with a long deep kiss. 'Promise.' A whisper against her lips, before they joined Miles into the kitchen for that drink.

Right before they walked into that kitchen Bass grabbed her arm, spun her around and tilted her head towards him, her chin between his fingers. 'I'm never letting you go, Charlie. You're mine.'

His voice was serious, his eyes deep and gentle. Charlie moved her hand over his scruff.

'I'm yours Bass.' She kissed him but then she raised her eyebrow and her voice became all Charlie Matheson strenght. 'And you're mine.' Bass chuckeld as she kissed him again.

Chicken soup and bunny eared socks had turned into a first step to something new. It had turned into passion. That passion had turned into caring. Caring had turned into love.

Life ahead for both Charlie and Bass would not always be easy.

Life can be hard, and impossible and grey and cold, just like a long day in January, when the Christmas lights get taken down and a new year begins in the middle of winter.

But sometimes life is chicken soup, a leather jacket and blue eyes at the front door and his chest and strong arm around you when you are sick at home on new year's eve.

Sometimes life is bunny eared socks on the feet of the woman you will love like you never loved anybody before.

When Bass would propose to her a year later, on a simple Tuesday night in front of the fireplace of their home, he would do it over a bowl of warm chicken noodle soup.

And when their daughter would find old grey bunny eared socks in a box stuffed in the attic of their home, Bass would smile at Charlie, both of them remembering where things had started for them.

The End

This was the last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you all for your support and kind review! Bass texting Charlie on his phone in this chapter is a little reference to him with Miles in Miles' car at the very start of season 1. I just wanted him now to text Charlie, and have a little fun with that scene where Revolution started that episode..

I wish you a happy new year...and a lot of chicken noodle soup, bunny eared socks and love when you are having a bad day! Love from Love