A/N: there's some fairly heavy smut ahead in this chapter, so I guess if that's not your cup of tea... don't read it. I was going to post this as two separate chapters so that the smut could be self-contained but that would have meant two very short chapters. There should be a third chapter at some point but I'm going to be very busy over the next few weeks, and I have to prioritise updating MFTS instead at this point. Thank you for all your feedback! Also I just had to sneak some Casey and Amanda friendship into here - I really wish we'd have seen them interact more cos I think they'd have a lot in common.
She's a little late getting to Joe's, her court appointment running over, the queue at Blue's taking longer than she'd expected, and then the paper work, and phone calls, and the walk over… so Alex is practically running up the street, heels click-clacking against the sidewalk. Not that it matters that she's late, it's just….irrational really. But it's 9.40 before she pushes open the heavy door to the bar and scans the place for familiar faces. She's still skeptical that they'll have even managed to get Casey to leave the office in time to be here.
But, as Alex rounds a corner, there she is, sitting between Rollins and Benson in a corner booth, the boys lined up on the other side, her cheeks flushed, hair mussed, laughing about something or other, two pitchers of beer - one half-full, one empty - in front of them, and Alex softens immediately. She walks casually over to them, shrugging out of her jacket and perching on the cushioned seat next to Liv, John immediately pushing a full glass of beer in her direction.
"Sorry I'm late," Alex says, gratefully taking the proffered beer (though she's more of a wine drinker) and beaming at the assortment of people she loves, "cheers."
They clank glasses, Amaro excuses himself to use the bathroom. Casey leans across Liv to offer Alex a warm smile, and Alex can tell from the look in her eyes that she's already had more than her fair share of beer. She looks the happiest Alex thinks she's ever seen her though.
"We were just reminiscing over the time during which we thought you were dead," John says, his eyes glittering in the dark light of the bar.
"Okay, that's not how it was," Olivia steps in, patting Alex's hand where it rests next to her drink, "we were just sharing some of our favourite baby Casey stories."
"May I remind you, I was 25, not 2," Casey chimes in, looking embarrassed, running her fingers through the front of her hair, "and for the record, I thought you all hated me for the first six months at least."
"Oh, me too, when I first arrived," adds Amanda, smiling, "y'all are more intimidating than a bunch o' high school seniors to a middle schooler."
"We didn't hate you," Olivia tells Casey, "we just…"
"It was complicated," Munch agrees.
"…we disagreed on a lot of things…"
"Plus, we'd just lost Cabot…"
"Yeah, and Alex was like family to us."
Casey screws her face up, squeezing her eyes closed, "okay okay alright I don't need to hear anymore. I know I was freaking awful, alright? Can we just agree that we've all improved with age?"
"Except for Alex," Fin says, grinning.
"Oh yeah, Alex was always perfect," Olivia agrees, winking at her, her hip butting into hers.
"Hey, it's my birthday! Surely I should get to come out from the shadow of the great Alexandra Cabot for this one day?"
Alex feels her cheeks going redder and redder with every passing moment, hiding her face in her hands, groaning. Maybe embarrassment is something she's just going to have to start getting used to.
Olivia throws an arm over her shoulders, pulls her close, "we love you both and we're very lucky to have both of you," she says, ever the diplomatic one.
"I'll drink to that," Casey agrees, raising her glass.
Waiting for her round of drinks, Alex perches on a stool at the bar. The night's beginning to wind down - Amaro's already gone, Munch following not far behind - the bar emptying out bit by bit. It's been a surprisingly nice evening, drinking with friends, reminiscing, getting to know the new members of the squad. Lately, she's been so wrapped up in work, she hasn't made an effort to do much outside of the office. This is a reminder of everything she's been missing. She'd vowed - first when she'd come back from witness protection, and again after the Congo - to spend more time with the people she loves, to not let herself get back into that routine. But she hasn't stuck to her word.
Alex drums her fingers on the bar-top, watching the bartender pour their drinks. She barely notices someone slink into the stool beside hers, until they're leaning against her, warm body pressed against hers.
Casey's a little drunk - her eyes are glassy, a soft, dopey smile on her face - but Alex is glad she's enjoying herself. She thinks they all deserve to let their hair down, but perhaps Casey most of all. She's been so tense since returning to the ADA's office, as if she's just waiting to mess up again. It's good to see her relax.
"Thought you might need help carrying," she says, leaning forward on her forearms.
"You might need carrying home, you keep going," Alex teases.
Casey chuckles, low and throaty, and leans in close to her, "you offering?"
The hairs on the back of Alex's neck stand on end, and as she gazes into Casey's eyes, pupils dark and wide as saucers, she thinks they might, for once, be on the same page.
But then the redhead laughs, and leans away, and Alex thinks she must have imagined it.
Amanda saunters over to them, also looking a little wobbly on her feet, and grins at Casey, looping an arm around her shoulders. It's an innocent gesture, but it makes Alex's jaw clench, something bitter rising in her throat.
"Guess we're missin' that mornin' run tomorrow, counsellor," Amanda laughs, squeezing the redhead's shoulders.
"Mmm, maybe a rain check," Casey agrees, and despite never being one for personal contact, she doesn't flinch away from the detective's grip, just chuckles when Amanda makes a big deal of shrugging her shoulders animatedly, before heading off in the direction of the bar's facilities.
The bartender sets out their tray of drinks, but Alex's attention is elsewhere.
"Didn't realise you and Detective Rollins were such good friends," she finds herself blurting, sounding more than a little aggrieved, her usual cool, calm persona completely removed by alcohol.
Casey's lips twitch into a smirk, her eyes scanning Alex's briefly, before she shrugs her shoulders, reaching for one of the drinks they've just been served, "we have a lot in common," she says, simply, sucking on the straw of the drink, and then adding, flirtatiously: "why? Are you jealous?"
Swallowing thickly, Alex shakes her head. She can feel the fuzz of alcohol clouding her usually rational brain, despite having not drunk as much as Casey, or Amanda. If she'd deducted that she was imagining things before, now she's certain she has to be. There's no way Casey is actually flirting with her. But all the signs are there… the way she is smiling against her straw, leaning forward on her elbows like that, the mischievous glint in her eyes. Her language. Even inebriated, it's purposeful. She is a lawyer, after all.
"So what if I am?" Alex says, slowly.
Casey places her drink down on a cardboard coaster at the bar, and leans across until her breath is warm and sweet against Alex's ear, "you needn't be."
The taxi-ride from the bar to Alex's apartment is a blur. She doesn't even remember leaving, or saying goodbye (did they say goodbye? She hopes so), just spilling into a cab with Casey giggling against her, and then Casey's hand on her knee, and that perfect mouth of hers against the line of Alex's jaw, her cheek, her ear, her throat. She's barely able to get her key to slot into the front door lock, her hands are shaking so much, and once they're inside, she's barely got the door closed before she's pressing Casey against it, hands finding their way into her hair, lips crashing into each other. It's like a wild-fire spreads between them, flames licking away hungrily as they tear each other's clothes away, hands desperate to make purchase on any available area of skin they can find.
When Alex slides her hand to the clasp of Casey's bra, undoing it with practiced ease, Casey laughs against her mouth, and she pulls away, frowning.
"You did that so easily," Casey says, huskily, "you've done this before."
Haven't you? she wants to ask, but stops herself.
As she leads Casey through to the bedroom, the motion-activated lights flick on, illuminating first her sitting area, and then the large master bedroom with its beautiful view of the city. Casey giggles - Alex is only just getting used to the concept of Casey Novak giggling, and now she's witnessed it twice - watching the lights and wrinkling her nose.
"Let me guess, your TV is voice activated," she murmurs, leaning in close to Alex.
Alex doesn't answer, instead nudging her towards the bed, nipping at her earlobe, moving down to her collarbone as Casey sinks into the mattress, one hand looping into blonde hair, the other gripping tightly onto Alex's waist. Alex kisses her left breast, cautiously, gently, and then again, grazing her teeth over her nipple, a fresh pool of arousal building between her legs as Casey sighs against her. Alex pushes her further up the bed, crawling over her on her hands and knees, and leaning down to capture her lips in another feverish kiss. God, she wants this, so much more than she'd even realised.
Casey reaches up for her, a hand loosely cupping Alex's breast through the lace of her bra, and Alex gasps, dragging her hips down over Casey's. Even through their underwear, the contact makes them both shiver, Alex barely biting back a moan. Casey's thumb has found the hardened nub of her nipple, through her bra, and is rubbing in soft circles, driving her insane. She needs more. Alex kneels upright, reaching behind herself and unhooking her bra, before tossing it aside. Sitting up, Casey inches closer to her, pressing a soft kiss to the skin just bellow her breast, and then gazing up at her, her eyes wild and dark.
Taking the lead, Alex slides a hand under Casey's underwear, at first just gently brushing over her, continuing to kiss the swell of her breasts, the valley between them, and then meeting Casey's eyes. The redhead is already trembling under her, silently begging, and Alex keeps her eyes locked on her face as she slips a digit into her. They moan practically in unison, and Casey's hips buck against her, warmth quickly enveloping her hand. She adds a second finger, bracing Casey against her, one hand firm against the small of her back. They move in time with each other, quickly building a rhythm. Alex can feel Casey's nails digging into the soft flesh of her side, but she finds she doesn't mind, almost enjoys the slight tinge of pain. Then she shifts, moving so that her hand is cupping the weight of Alex's breast, kneading, rough, finger nails scraping over the tender skin there instead, and Alex hisses. Yes, pain is definitely good.
Keeping up the rhythm of her fingers, Alex kisses down her body, Casey's stomach muscles trembling and contracting under her attention, scraping her teeth over a prominent hipbone, and then soothing it with a kiss. Casey's practically begging her, mumbling softly, cursing as Alex's fingers curl inside her. Putting all her weight onto her knees, stilling her hand, Alex tugs at Casey's underwear. It's awkward, but when Casey lifts her hips, she manages to pull them down, the lacy fabric hooked around Alex's arm. She pushes back inside, watching Casey's face intently, holding her gaze before the redhead's eyes slip closed. Steadying herself with one hand digging into the mattress, she dips her head, pressing an open mouthed, hot kiss just above where her fingers disappear into soft flesh. Casey gasps, lifting her hips off the bed.
"Al—-ex," she grinds out, and Alex can't help but smirk, moving her mouth higher, kissing the soft swell at the base of her belly. Casey makes a whining sound, the hand in Alex's hair tightening its grip, "please."
Alex withdraws completely, ignoring Casey's sigh of frustration, and removing her underwear fully. The first swipe of her tongue is gentle, teasing, and Casey all but yanks her head closer, forcing more contact. The unexpected rough movement sends a ripple of heat through Alex, the knot of arousal between her legs becoming almost unbearable, but she ignores it, dipping her tongue more fully into Casey's wet heat. She has to swallow a moan of her own as she continues, Casey's fingers curling in her hair, growing impossibly tighter as Alex's mouth moves to where she most wants her. The guttural, low noise Casey makes, combined with the feeling of her, the taste of her… it's almost enough to send Alex over the edge without even being touched. She presses her tongue flat inside her, lapping at the same rhythm her fingers had previously been pumping out, and grazing her teeth over Casey's clit.
"Fuck… oh… fuck…"
The curse word has never sounded more beautiful to Alex's ears, and she can't help but smirk against Casey. She drags her tongue through her folds one last time, before capturing the sensitive bundle of nerves between her lips, and sucking gently. Casey's hips buck off the mattress, just as Alex slides her fingers back inside, hard, licking and sucking and nibbling as she does so. On the third stroke of her fingers, she curls against Casey, and the redhead comes crumbling down around her, gasping and muttering unintelligibly, Alex still slowly moving her fingers, coaxing her down, watching her face now, intently.
As soon as Casey's eyes drift open, Alex lets her tongue run over her one more time, enjoying the way Casey's hips twitch and spasm underneath her.
"You have to… be the best at… everything, don't you?" Casey pants out, chest heaving, and Alex can't help but laugh, pressing her face against Casey's knee, kissing the soft flesh of her thigh, before crawling back up her body.
"Why don't we test that theory?" she asks, smiling wickedly, just as Casey loops her arms around her neck, drawing her closer.
"Okay" Casey mumbles against her lips.