A/N: Here's the last chapter of 'Future Days'! As usual I hope you'll enjoy it and understand it (sorry again for my bad English…). Have fun!
Disclaimers: I don't own them!
Finally, after a whole day spent working closed up in a conference room, Saturday night arrived. It was already half past six, and Alex Eames wasn't ready yet. She was wandering in her small apartment looking for something to wear.
'God… Blouse and jeans but tight-fitting jeans or slacks? Silk or linen shirt? Maybe I should wear a dress after all, and why am I so excited?! As if I've never dined with my 12 years partner. This is ridiculous… Admit it Alex you never dined with him hoping for a happy ending evening… God… Blouse and jeans but tight-fitting jeans or slacks? Silk or linen shirt? Maybe I should wear a dress after all, and why am I so excited?! As if I…'
Eames kept repeating to herself this mantra for a good fifteen minutes while standing in front of her closet until she finally opted for a dress, a white linen summer dress with small blue forget-me-nots printed and kept in place by a thin blue leather belt right under her breasts
'It's been a while since I wore this, does it still fit me? God… Blouse and jeans but tight-fitting jeans or slacks? Silk or…'
The doorbell rang startling her up, abruptly interrupting her litany
'That man should learn that being late just once in a while is not considered a deadly sin…' she thought walking to her door and fighting against a rebel strand of hair that would not stay in place. When she reached her door, she adjusted her dress one last time and let him in.
"Hi Bobby"
He stood at her doorway tall, in one of his finest black suits and a dark gray cotton shirt
"Hi Eames, you ready to go?"
"Yep, let me just grab my purse. Come in."
He stepped into her house and she hurried across her hallway, in her bedroom, to retrieve her small bag
"Would you like something to drink?"
"No, no I'm fine, thanks."
When she emerged from her room, he allowed himself to drink in her while she walked back into the living room.
"Ok, now I'm ready. Let's go!"
The car drive to the restaurant was quiet partly because they were both lost in their own thoughts. 'She's beautiful tonight… No, she is more than beautiful, she's amazing, astonishing, she's… I don't even know if English has a proper word to describe her… Is this an awkward situation? I mean, none of us is talking. I don't feel this silence as uncomfortable but maybe a compliment is an appropriate ice-breaker…'
"You look good tonight Eames"
"What?"
'Great, of all the words in all the foreign languages I know "good" was it really my first choice? Make it up!'
"I mean… uhm… I was actually looking for a more proper word but I couldn't find any."
"I see. By the way, you look pretty good yourself as well and thank you."
In the dark interior of his car, she clearly saw him blushing…
'He's not used to compliments. I wonder if he's ever received any as a kid…'
He cleared his throat before answering
"Thank you Alex…"
'Am I hallucinating or he just called me Alex? Twice in two weeks, it's a personal Goren record! I like it. His voice changes tone when he says it. It's… softer…Wait! Hasn't he said something similar during one of our last cases? Yes! The Kizmate case, he said Danielle's tone of voice changed while she was talking about Thomas; he said that that meant she was in love with him… '
"Why Alex?"
He was stunned at her tone of voice; it came out wrong from her mouth and sounded more like an accusation than an innocent question
'Oh no!' they both thought
"S-sorry?"
"Well, I-I mean you usually never call me by my first name, and now I heard it twice in two weeks. I like it; you should do that more often."
The disappointed and sad look that appeared on Bobby's face at the beginning of her statement vanished and eventually turned into a more relaxed expression.
"I usually call you 'Eames' as a matter of respect; I respect you and calling you Eames is a way to keep our professionalism on the job…"
"And I understand that Bobby, I really do, but now we're off the clock having fun, there's no reason to be professional. Besides I always call you 'Bobby' even at work, I hope you don't mind…"
"No Eames, you can call me whatever you want."
"Be careful what you wish for Goren! I might as well find a stupid fancy nickname that suits you mocking your antics…"
"If it comes from you I know it's never going to be disrespectful."
"How can you be so sure?"
Bobby stopped the car to a red light, turned in his seat and looked at his partner in the eyes
"Because I trust you Eames…"
Alex was a little taken aback by his statement, she turned to look outside the passenger window only to switch again position when he put the car in motion.
"Thank you Bobby, what you said means a lot to me. But remember, it's 'Alex' tonight, ok?"
"Ok."
"And now rephrase your statement."
Bobby heartily laughed and covered his mouth with one of his hands "Is that an order?!"
"Yep, an order from your senior partner; now say it detective!"
"Weren't we supposed to forget our professionalism tonight Eames?"
Alex smacked him playfully on his arm and he couldn't help but laugh again and put on his best 'lost puppy' look in order to look offended, but the smile in his eyes betrayed his farce
"Ok, fine, you won Goren; I'll politely ask you as a friend now…" Alex cleared her throat and assumed a serious tone "Robert Goren would you please rephrase your previous statement switching my last name with my first name?"
"Ok, you sounded convincing. Alex I trust you…"
"That's better."
"… With my life…"
"Even better…"
The car moved slowly through the city streets, the only noise that its occupants were able to hear was the muffled roam of the engine, just because they couldn't hear what their minds sang in unison: 'Keep calm and have fun, keep calm and have a great night, keep calm and enjoy your partner, keep calm we're almost there, keep calm and open up, keep calm and…'
A while later they reached the restaurant he chose for this particular occasion, it was a small and nice bistro' with tables outside in a private garden. The waiter took their reservation and accompanied them to their small, round, metal table.
"Do you like it?" Bobby asked sitting in his chair
"I love it, how did you find this place?"
"A friend's advice…"
"I have to admit I feared you would took me to one of those dandy's clubs of yours or to an over-elegant restaurant with no prices on the menu, but here… here is perfect; it's not chaotic nor sophisticated. There's more privacy."
"Glad you like it. I was a bit skeptical you know, I've never been here before; but you're right, the atmosphere is very relaxing and… comfortable."
On their table stood a single candle in a glass, which provided enough light to allow them to see clearly each other's faces and the dishes in front of them but the rest of the surroundings were blurred by the weak sparkles of the flame a by the dim lights scattered here and there around the local.
The dinner went on without problems; even avoiding the topic "work" Goren and Eames found easy having a 'normal' conversation. Obviously, it wasn't a typical first date conversation, they both didn't need it, because after almost twelve years of working together at least ten hours per day, you should know pretty much everything about your colleague.
So, here they were, sharing tales about high-school, friends and the academy… Bobby as usual did not talk a lot but listened carefully everything she told him; occasionally cutting in with a smile, a laugh, a remark or a joke that usually amused Alex.
Once dinner was over Alex suggested to take a walk before heading home and thus ending the evening…
"Sure, where do you wanna go?"
"Oh, everywhere is fine…"
They started wandering around the block, not following a specific path. During the evening the warmth of the summer day turned into a chilly breeze, pleasant for those who, like Bobby, were wearing at least a shirt; but definitely too cold for who, like Alex, were wearing a simple light dress. She tried to keep her arms warm by folding them or rubbing her hands on the forearms, but her bare shoulders dissipated all the little heat she managed to create. She was not able to suppress a shiver running through her back and Goren couldn't help but notice.
"Are you cold?"
"No… Well, yes. It's just…. It wasn't this cold when I picked up this dress this evening…"
"I see. Maybe we should just get back to the car and I'll take you at home…"
"No please Bobby."
Bobby stopped walking and turned toward Alex, his puzzled look mirrored his surprise at the urgency in her voice.
"I-I mean I don't wanna go home, I'm having fun and it's a beautiful night, it'd be a shame to waste it… Unless you of course are tired and want to go or…"
"Alex I'm really having a great time too but you're shivering." Goren looked down at her for a moment thinking, "Let me, let me just…"
"Bobby what are you doing?"
He fought a moment with his suit coat. Then, when he finally managed to take it off his shoulders, he draped it over hers.
"Here. If you don't wanna go home yet it's fine to me, but don't catch a cold because of me…"
Alex looked a little stunned by his chivalrous gesture
"Thank you. And I don't mean just for the jacket. Thanks for tonight."
Bobby didn't respond with words but with a shy smile more turned to the curb than to her face directly, that conveyed all the affection he felt for this small woman, and then started walking again.
They found themselves walking in a small park around the corner
"Bobby, have you noticed that somehow in these days we always end up in a park?"
"Yeah, there's something about parks, you know… I like them. Depending on what you're looking for here you can find both the quietness of the nature and the chaotic company of human beings."
"Once you told you like to watch, is that what you do? Sit on a bench or on the grass and watch the others running or chatting like we're doing now?"
"Something like that…"
Goren and Eames sat on an old iron bench watching the last late evening runners and young couples walking hand in hand occasionally whispering no-sense love promises in each other ears. It was the first time during the evening that between the two detectives sat an uncomfortable silence.
"Can I ask you something?"
He did not wait for her approval to carry on
"I don't want to annoy you or bother you, it just… it came out in my therapy with Gyson last week and I'd like to talk about it with you. Of, of course if you don't want to and this is just ruining the evening I'll drop it…"
"Bobby, Bobby please…" Eames saw the discomfort in her partner's eyes and quickly put a hand on his right forearm in order to encourage him to continue his speech "I know that therapy is hard, I've been there too, remember? If there's anything I can do to help you I'll do it, just ask ok? C'mon, what do you want to talk about?"
"Well, uhm, during my last session among the other things we talked about my dismissal from MCS and, ah… It's kinda hard asking but… why did you left? I guess you had your own good reasons but we never really discussed about it… I hoped we could do that now."
"Bobby, they made me fire you in exchange for a captain position and…"
"Captain of Major Case, a position of great prestige…"
"I'm not done yet, let me finish this."
"S-sorry, you're right…"
"Well, however captain of MCS? Really?! Think about this: Deakins was forced to resign and Ross was murdered, two of the best captains of Major Case ended their careers miserably; and then I'd have to report directly to Moran. On the top of that, I'd had to fire my partner and friend of ten years to obtain all this crap. I'm sorry Goren, but it looks like a lame bargain to me…"
Eames looked in the depths of his eyes for a long while before continuing…
"I accepted to fire you just because I didn't want you to stand a hearing, a hearing we both already know the response… I know how much you love your job and I hate the idea of Moran taking it away from you. He's a jerk and you didn't deserve to be dismissed by him, I wanted to give you the dignity you deserved; I know that firing someone is always ugly and it's hard to find dignity in it but still…"
"Alex…"
"I know sometimes doesn't look like it but I care for you, I really do."
Her hand still lingering on his forearm draw a path down his arm until it reached and enveloped his hand, he was staring at the grey gravel beneath his feet.
"I hope to have fulfilled all your doubts, and I hope you're no longer mad at me."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why should I be mad at you? I have no reason…"
"Because I fired you last year and I'm giving you this lame explanation now…"
For the first time in a long time, he saw the sadness crawl back on her no longer young but still beautiful features and couldn't stand it, it always bothered him seeing her distressed, sad or angry…
"No, never! I've never been mad at you and I'll never will. Please understand that if sometimes… Well, most of the times actually, I was cold and detached was because of… Well, everything else in my life but never because of you. If I gave you the impression to be bothered by the whole thing was because yeah, I was mad; but mad at the brass and the position they put you into. I know it was hard for you and I'm sorry; I've been the cause of your discomfort… Again…"
"It wasn't your fault Bobby, we both know it. By the way did it helped talking about it?"
"Yes, it really helped. Thanks. I know you care for me, I've never doubted that."
His eyes fell for the first time on their entwined fingers resting on her lap 'This is the moment…'
"I-I care for you too, you know…You, our friendship, our partnership mean a lot to me; I have a lot to be sorry for and I often ask myself why you're still here with me and… I never found an answer."
"Funny, I asked myself the same question more than once… But I've developed a theory; I believe we have 'something' that keeps us together through thick and thin and if we're apart this 'something' makes us dysfunction…"
"Does this 'something' have a name?"
"Nope, not yet… Now I simply call it a 'link'; I haven't found a proper name yet."
"Maybe you're right, maybe we should never break our link… I've been thinking a lot about this but… What if we enforce our link taking it on a… ah…d-different level?"
'I hope he's really saying what I think he's saying or all this will end in nothing…'
Bobby was waiting for her response silently, occasionally shifting his gaze between their hands and her eyes. Perceiving her hesitation he freed his hand from hers and, moving his other arm, he enveloped both of her hands in his warm and soft paws cuddling them tenderly. After what seemed like an eternity Eames finally opened her mouth to speak…
"I think…I think we can try. It won't hurt trying, will it?"
"It's going to hurt both if us if it'll break our link; I told you, what we have is the most important thing in my life right now; if developing it into something else could be the end of us then I'm not willing to take the risk. I-I could stand a rejection but not the end of our friendship. Please, you have to be sure Alex before giving me an answer…"
"Bobby, I know you're scared. I am too, but I'll always be your friend…"
"Eames please don't…"
"Don't what?"
"Don't make promises you can't keep, you don't know if, if you'll…"
"Shut up Goren! Don't you trust me?!"
"Damnit! Of-of course I trust you! I told you...I…"
"Then you'll have to trust me partner. I'm sure, I know what I want. And you? Are you sure about this?"
"I've never been surer about anything else Alex…"
"Good, me too…"
"Then what if I'd ask you out again? I mean, I had a lot of fun tonight and I'd like to repeat the experience…" His voice became suddenly very husky and sexy, leaning closer Bobby began to play with the same strand of rebel hair with which Alex kept fighting at home and during the whole evening. His newfound self-assurance and flirtation were becoming too much for her to bear, she couldn't resist this man any longer, so she decided to cover the small distance left between their bodies and gently pressed her lips to his.
She was very unsure at the beginning, but all her doubts about his intentions faded quickly the moment he placed his right hand on her waist and lifted up his left once to cup her cheek. His touch, very tentative yet spontaneous, gave her chills; but the apogee of the situation was reached when he responded the kiss opening his mouth. His soft tongue accepted her and together danced a mysterious and sensual ballad unknown to ordinary mortals.
Minutes flew by… Were they really minutes? It could have been seconds or hours as well, they could not care less about the time, it was their time, their "magical mystery" moment and none but the two of them could interrupt it.
They broke the kiss, both panting as if they run a marathon, Alex encircled the arms around Bobby's neck and rested her head on his chest and his embrace tightened around her small frame
"You know bobby I'm really glad."
"Mmh? 'bout what?"
"Tonight, us…"
"Me too Alex, me too…"
That said he kissed her again on the forehead this time but then descended with his lips leaving butterfly kisses all along her small nose, her cheeks, her jaw… He reached her lips as well but decided against lingering there, instead he preferred to concentrate himself on her neck making her whisper and moan softly.
Alex on her part gave up to her own temptation and run her small hands in his short hair
"Alex… I think I should take you home…"
Eames snuggled deeper in Bobby's embrace
"Mmh… don't want to…"
"I know, I don't wanna go either, but it's late and we both need some sleep after the week we had."
"Umphf you're right… You know what Goren I'm sick and tired of you being right all the time…"
"I guess I'll have to make it up for this."
"Damn straight Bobby."
"Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow?"
"Are you going to cook?"
"That was the plan, if you want me to…"
He stood up from the bench offering her help standing up
"Of course I'm coming!"
"Good. Around seven? I've got an appointment in the afternoon…"
"Gyson?"
"Yep…"
"Ok, seven is perfect."
"Shall we go now?"
Alex took her partner's hand in her and together they walked outside the park, toward the car and, thus, toward the end of their night. None of them had still pronounced the 'L-word' but it was better this way, they were not ready to say it or hear it yet; and, after all, there will be plenty of times to do that. For the moment Goren and Eames were happy as they were, holding each other's hands and imagining what tomorrow is going to give them.
FINE
A/N2: It's the end I guess… I'm not planning on continuing this story, I have other ideas in mind, but if any of you wants to take it and develop it be my guest. Liked it or hated it leave a review or a PM and let me know. Are they too much OOC?
Thanks to everybody who read and/or reviewed my first ff, you've been a precious help.
PS: Does anyone listened to this PJ's song?