Quick Summary:
This is the brain child of a small group of us who ship Stella Gibson (The Fall) and Sam Hodiak (Aquarius). They are fascinating characters and really would make a dynamic duo.
Stella woke to an empty bed and the living room light filtered through the bottom of the closed bedroom door. She reached for her phone and squinted her eyes to focus on the illuminated numbers: 3 am.
She rose out of bed, grabbed her pale pink silk robe and headed toward the bedroom door.
"Hey," she said walking in to the kitchen.
"Did I wake you?"
"No. I always wake up at three am to have tea," Stella said flatly.
Sam let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm sorry. I don't know Stell, I've combed over this case file front to back and I still can't figure out the victimology."
He leaned back against the couch, shoulders slouched.
She walked over and joined him with two mugs of steeping hot tea in hand.
"Here," she said, handing Sam a pink ceramic mug.
"Nice," he said. "And it's my favorite color too." A chuckle escaped his mouth and he instantly looked more at ease.
Stella glanced over the files thrown over the coffee table. While she wasn't working on his case, she knew it well. Sam had shared the details of the case every night in bed for the past several weeks.
A relationship hazard only she could understand.
She blew on her tea before taking a sip and Sam rested his arm on the top ledge of the couch. It was Stella's cue, and she shifted her body into his side, tucking her legs up on the couch.
Stella warmed her hands on the mug, before blowing on the hot liquid. She took a sip, settling comfortably against him.
They sat in silence for several minutes lost in their own thoughts (another relationship hazard). There was never enough hours in the day for the amount of thinking their line of work required.
"Can I be of any help?" She asked, disrupting the stillness.
Sam must have been far off in his mind, because his response was delayed. He put his tea down on top of one of the open case files.
"You're the smartest person I know. I am always open to suggestions from you," Sam said, while he slowly caressed her arm.
Any other man and Stella would have discounted the compliment as a form of empty flattery. She would have rebuffed it, scoffed even. But not Sam. She knew he meant it.
"Hmhm," she said, pushing off his sturdy frame to face him. "I could say the same of you. But I don't mean help on the case, you'll figure that out soon enough."
Sam raised an eyebrow at her innuendo.
"Ahhhh, I see."
Stella stood up and placed her mug down next to his on the table. She extended her hand, "Let's go Detective. I'm only going to extend this courtesy one time…" Sam interrupted, still sitting on the couch-his arms outstretched wide, "One time huh?"
Stella smirked, "Okay, one time tonight." She corrected herself.
Sam chuckled, "that's what I thought."
He took her hand and she led him toward the bedroom.
"Don't get cocky."
"Oh, that's exactly what I intend to do," Sam said, squeezing Stella's hand as he closed the bedroom door behind them.