The next day at work Ace and Graham arrive together like usual, but now they are almost holding hands. "Your first day back."
"It is, though I am still on desk duty, Kate doesn't want to risk anything, so be warned you may be paired up with Tegan, Yaz or Ryan," Graham informs the woman by his side.
"I am warned. Here's hoping that I don't have anything until after lunch."
"Want lunch together?"
"I do."
"My god you two," Yaz starts up, "I thought you two getting together would slow down the flirting."
"We can't help it."
"I have a feeling I know what may help the flirting slow down," Tegan with a devious smile adds.
"Tegan, what are you planning?"
"Nothing."
"Everyone, remember this is a place of work not playing matchmaker." Kate reminds everyone.
Ace thinks for a second, "none of us are in Fiddler on the Roof."
"You sure about that Ace?"
"I am," Ace walks to her desk and Graham goes to his desk.
Kate walks up to Tegan, "I know you have a plan for something in that head of yours."
"Didn't you just say this place is for work?"
"It's for those two," she gestures over to Ace and Graham who just shared a smile, "isn't it."
"They haven't kissed on the lips yet. I want to change that."
"Let me guess, you are planning something akin to 7 minutes in heaven."
"In a cupboard, yes."
"Tegan, they are both over 50 years old, need I remind you."
"You do not. I just know how happy Ace is, and I saw her flush when Graham kissed her on the cheek last night after she did that same."
"You should know we have an HR department, so don't do it while on the clock. Speaking about HR, I need to go talk to both of them." Kate walks up to them, "I am going to have to talk to the two of you later today?"
"Why?"
"HR." Ace and Graham both now know what it is about.
"Can we do it now," Ace wants to get it over with.
"Sure, Graham?"
"It's fine with me." The three of them go to Kate's office.
"I know we all are adults here, but with you two entering a romantic relationship, HR is going to have you sign some forms."
Ace and Graham look at each other, "we know.''
"There are also some rules, now the both of you will not get promoted over the other."
"I am fine with that, I am technically retired anyway."
"I am also fine with that, I like splitting my time between here and my charity."
"Good."
"Now if you break up, I know you are going to say that isn't going to happen, and I don't see it either, you are to remain professional, same calls for while you two are together. It has to remain professional while on the clock unless called for an assignment."
"Are we still going to be teamed up together, once I am off desk duty?"
"You are, the two of you make a great team and have fast closure rates." Kate smiles at them and slides them the paperwork. I along with everyone else saw this coming not long after the two of you met." Kate leaves the office while Ace and Graham sign the paperwork.
After Ace and Graham leave the office, "so."
"So?" They look at each other, "are you ok with making everything work official, Graham?"
"You know what, I am. I have never been one to date around."
"Neither have I." They share a smile, "you know Tegan is probably formatting a plan for us to share our first kiss."
"She is?"
"Yeah, I can tell you more about it during lunch."
"Ok." They go back to their desks and share a smile. A few hours later Ace feels a tap on her shoulder.
"Yes?"
"Ready for lunch."
Ace looks at the time, "I am," Ace gets up and they walk to the lunchroom and sit at a table alone.
"You said you will tell me that Tegan may be formulating a plan to get us to share a first kiss."
"Correct, she saw how we each kissed each other on the cheek, and thinks that we should kiss on the lips."
"I don't want the first time I kiss you in front of others."
"Have you thought about it?"
"I have, before I asked you out, I may have had a few dreams. That is what convinced me I was ready."
"You dream about me?"
"Is that weird?"
"No, I have had dreams about you?"
"Can I hear about them?"
"Some of them are not appropriate for where we are." Graham starts to choke on his drink. "Are you ok?"
"Yes, you have those kinds of dreams?"
"A wide variety of dreams, some involve us fighting aliens, some watching a movie, just spending time together. Then I have had a few that involve a certain activity." Ace wiggles her eyebrows. "What kind do you have?"
"Well, I kissed you after you destroyed a Dalek eyestalk."
With a laugh, "I can see that happening, we met when Daleks were around, and the next time we met those creatures, it made me start to admit my feelings for you."
"Don't forget that was the first time our friends grew tired of our flirting."
"Probably not the first time, but when they finally had the guts to say something." They get back to eating, Ace touches her feet with his.
"Ace?"
"Shh," she starts to run her feet along Graham's calf and he retaliates. They continue eating and start playing footsie.
"Those two look like they are having a lot of fun," Yaz tells Tegan.
"We need to figure out a way to get them to kiss, and I mean one on the lips, not the top of the hand or a cheek."
"You mean after their dates they haven't kissed yet. Ryan told me that they spent the whole day together yesterday."
"They did, and each went home with a prize of some sort."
"They are too cute. I have a feeling that it will happen soon."
"Makes you say that Yaz."
"I just do, and we are too invested in their relationship as it is."
"Nyssa said the same thing?"
"I think we should leave them alone for the next week, to see if their love can blossom even more."
"I can do that," they look over at the new couple again to see them get up and hands almost reach for the other's but they put back at their own sides, look at each other and smile.
They all go on with their work day and week, while on the clock Ace and Graham act professional, but during lunch they act like a couple falling in love.