I'm not scared that I will tire of her

She takes me out into the beautiful love

I'm not sure just what it means

From a whisper to a scream

Starsailor - Whisper to a Scream

Stubbornness was a trait they shared. Pig-headed, dogged, obstinate, tenacious; regardless of the word used it amounted to the same thing - two people who liked to be right.

As a result, they frequently clashed. Arguments were trivial; when he poured the last of the milk into their coffee and returned the empty carton to the fridge or when she left flattening irons switched on so he scalded himself when he moved them to reach the toothpaste; ending as quickly as they began with any residual tension worked out in the bedroom

Although on the surface he complained about her strong will, it was a quality he greatly respected. He adored the way she stood up for herself and wasn't afraid to rock the boat.

Sometimes he deliberately started to fight with her; it wasn't so much that he wanted to argue with her, just that he enjoyed when she put him in his place. It turned him on.

Usually she just raised her voice a little and threw a few sharp words his way but when she was really riled, she switched to yelling in French. Where everyday French drove him crazy, testy loud French pushed him over the edge.

o-o-o

Brandishing a wad of files, her hand hovered over his desk as she debated where to drop the papers, "You know Flack? If you wrote legibly then paperwork would take a hell of lot less time". Shrugging irritably he snatched them from her grip, dropping them ungracefully onto a precarious stack in the corner. "I'm leaving in twenty minutes", she jabbed at her watch, as if to emphasis the timeframe, "Twenty minutes Flack. If you're coming with me then you need to be ready".

He continued to scrawl, ignoring her frustrated loitering as she waited for a response.

"For pity's sake, sometimes I wonder why I bother..." she muttered through clenched teeth. Exhaling loudly, she continued more audibly "If you're coming, parking lot in twenty", before striding away.

He deliberately took longer than the allotted time, enjoying riling her by sauntering across the dark lot a full ten minutes later than the time she'd given him. He watched her lean against the car, arms folded and eyes narrow. Smiling sweetly, his voice dripped with mock apology, "Sorry I'm late babe, got held up". He laughed a little inside, awarding himself a few extra points as he knew how much she hated 'babe'.

"...don't know why I bother with you". He only caught the end of her grouse but noted it was the second time she'd used the phrase in less than an hour. The words stung.

He knew the Cabbie Killer had driven her mad, that she'd wanted him off the streets as much as he did. He knew she was exhausted and that for the past week she'd pretty much replaced sleep with calories. He knew that she just wanted to get home; to shower, to eat something that didn't come from a vending machine or a take-out shop and to sleep. He knew that she ached from the tumble she'd taken pushing him from the path of the cab. He knew that she'd been there for him when he'd pulled her into a deserted office, hungrily seeking solace. He knew that he'd taken his frustrations of the case out on her; that he'd grumbled and shouted and deliberately passed extra paperwork onto her stack.

While he usually fought with her for fun, this time he'd just been a bastard.

The car moved swiftly through the night city, the streets unusually deserted. She'd turned on the radio, loudly, as soon as the engine turned over and the rhythmic beat pounded at his already aching head. Bent over the wheel, her eyes fought sleep and lacked their usual sparkle. His lips curled into a wistful smile, he didn't want to fight want her; he wanted to take home and put her to bed, wrap her in her his arms and hold her as she slept.

"Jess..."

She took her eyes from the road to glare at him, before moving her hand to the radio to increase the volume and focusing back ahead.

"Jess..."

Her eyes slid to glare at him again, "Fuck off Flack".

Shaking his head and sighing, he leant back against the headrest, closing his eyes and allowing the motion of the car rock him into a dreamless sleep. He woke as she slid into a parking space, clambering from the driver's seat and slamming the door.

He had to jog a little to catch the entrance door, following her into the lobby. Where she usually walked up the four flights of stairs, she slumped against the wall waiting for the elevator. The air in the elevator cab was thick; she stood tall, arms folded with a menacing look and he hunched in the corner, hands shoved deep into his pockets.

She strode into the apartment, dropping her bag unceremoniously onto the countertop and sloshing water into a glass.

"Jess..." he started again.

She took a mouthful before banging the glass down, "You've been a real idiot this week Don".

Nodding humbly, he mumbled, "I know. Listen..."

The anger in her eyes was momentarily replaced with a flash of compassion but it was short lived, striding away she sniped, "Asshole".

He knew he deserved more than the 'idiot' and 'asshole' she threw at him. It incensed him though, the way she stuck to her guns and berated him. But it made him adore her just a little bit more too. As she passed him he grabbed her wrist, "For fuck sake, for once would you just do as you're told Jess? Just shut up and listen!"

For a moment he thought he'd gone too far; although he said the words with no real malice or volume, they stopped her dead. She stared at him for a second before fighting to free her wrist. Loosening his grasp he caught her glare again, "I'm trying to apologize...I've been a bastard and I'm sorry". She held his stare until her dropped her wrist, before stalking away.

She was suspiciously quiet; usually there was a slam of a door, or a few cross words mumbled but there was just silence.

Following her to the bedroom, he paused at the door. She hadn't bothered to switch on the light, instead relying on the illumination from the street lights and adjacent bathroom; already undressed she was sorting redundant clothes into the laundry hamper. Stealing into the room he slid an arm around her waist, scooping aside her hair and brushing his lips to the nape of her neck.

"Don, don't" she sighed wearily, her head involuntarily dropping forward to allow him better access.

Trailing his lips across her shoulder and letting his hand roam, he breathed "Don't what?"

She leant into him, gasping at his touch, "You've been an ass".

"I know" he murmured against her hair, his tongue tracing along her carotid artery.

Her hands slid down his thighs, gripping tightly, "You can't fix everything this way".

He dipped his hand, tightening his hold around her waist as she moaned. "I know Jess, I'm sorry. Tomorrow will be better though, I promise".