"Hey there,"
"Hiya," Harry said with a smile as Christine came through the door of his chambers.
Shutting the door behind her, she strode over to Harry sitting at his desk, grabbing his face and leaning down to kiss him before he'd had a chance to stand up.
When she pulled back, Harry found himself laughing. "You don't usually kiss me like that at work."
"Sorry." She laughed along with him, instinctively looking behind her to make sure no one had walked in.
"Don't be," he said with a smile.
"I missed you yesterday. I figured you'd have called."
"You were with Tony," he said, leaning back in his seat, but maintaining a loose hold on her waist.
"You always call to say goodnight. Well, lately. If we aren't already doing something together."
"I didn't know what you guys had planned. I didn't want to interrupt. I've felt guilty about the whole thing."
"Is that why you left so abruptly on Saturday?" she asked with a knowing expression.
"I guess so."
Harry sighed. "It's not just feeling bad about Tony. It's also what it means for us. Having to face things like that, it hit me. We both know that conversation with him means that we are going to have to start figuring things out for ourselves."
Christine had no choice but to agree. "I guess it's better that we have our story straight before my father comes to visit."
Letting go of her, Harry pushed his seat back and stood, wandering away from the desk. "About that..."
She gave him a few seconds, but when he didn't go on, she questioned, "What?"
"This isn't me trying to get out of any conversations we need to have, but have you been planning on telling him about us?"
She had to think. "I guess I don't really know... I mean, I suppose a part of me has been. I guess I figured you'd still be coming around. He'd probably figure it out. He wasn't thrilled about the divorce. He'll be all over me about finding someone else when he's not questioning every aspect of my failed relationship with Tony. I've been envisioning you being there as support, but now that you say it, I guess the answer is no. I somehow figured he wouldn't ask questions, just accept that you're around."
"He's never been too keen on me," he reminded her.
She scoffed. "That's an understatement."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "What else has he said about me?"
"That's not important... you're right. So long as there's still a chance anything between us isn't going to be permanent, there's no point in telling him. It's only going to stress all of us out. Besides, he's going to be here for a week. You know he's going to follow me to work. He'll reconnect with Dan. If we tell him, we may as well tell everyone else. He can't keep a secret. He wouldn't. He'd be too invested in interrogating everyone about us."
"So, that pretty much leaves me out of the picture then."
"I suppose it has to."
"It's not that I don't want to be there for support."
"I know."
"And if you decide to tell him, you know I'll stand by you."
"I know that, too," she smiled.
"But if that does wind up to be the case, that brings us back to having to figure out what exactly we're announcing."
"I wish I knew. If not for work..."
"Everything would be simpler," he sympathized.
She took a few seconds, finding her feet going forward in his direction and not stopping until he'd wrapped his arms around her. "I've liked how things have been, Harry. I can only speak for myself, but I haven't felt like my feelings for you are a passing infatuation. I look forward to seeing you every day. Even yesterday, your not being around felt foreign. And all of this is from comparatively little romance involved. I mean, I don't just mean physically, but it's not like we've sat ourselves down for a candlelit dinner or anything, but that's almost had more of a profound impact. I like the day to day stuff. I like falling asleep on the couch together while we're watching a movie, or you helping me out with Charlie during his fussy days. Those little things."
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, he nodded. "I've liked all that stuff, too. And I've felt the same way. The more time we spend together, the more I want to spend. I'm invested in our relationship. I want to say without hesitation that I want to keep going and see this through. Yet, whenever I find myself thinking about a future with you, I can't shake the voice warning me not to get too attached, that if we do make this serious, we're going to have to make some changes in our professional life and tread thin ice. That part is overwhelming."
"For me, too," she said. "Because I know your hands are tied. I'm going to have to be the one to transfer. It will be easier and quieter if we're trying not to draw attention to ourselves. But I'm also aware that if people find out about our relationship and take issue with it, I'm going to be the one people focus on. I'm afraid that any cases I've won will be questioned, and we'll both be investigated. It's not a given, but it's a distinct possibility."
"It's not impossible, us being together, but you're right. If we decided that these are risks we're willing to take, it's in our best interest to distance ourselves professionally sooner than later."
"But how do we do that without explaining the situation to our friends?"
"Honestly?" he asked.
Her brow furrowed. "Yes?"
"I think they already suspect something."
"They've suspected something before there was anything to suspect."
"Mac has been pretty aware for years now that I like you."
"Likewise with Roz," she chuckled.
"It just seems... riskier, to admit it aloud. It's not that I don't trust them-"
"Oh, I know."
Harry twisted his lips. "So, where does that leave us?"
"Right where we started. Us being too scared to risk any more change and turmoil in our lives right now. Desperately wanting to hang on to the sanity we've created."
Kissing her forehead, he said, "Then I say for now, we just focus on getting through your father's visit. That will more than likely determine what our next step is."
"You're right."
Stepping back, he looked her square in the eye. "What I can say in certainty is that I don't want to lose you. I do want to try and figure out a way to make this work, even if there are risks involved. I just need more time to figure those things out and process them so we can figure out a way to minimize the scandal."
"I agree."
Their gaze lingered, neither eager to part and commence their workweek. Without prior thought or consideration, Harry found himself saying aloud, "I love you, Christine."
Her eyes widened. The sentiment itself wasn't so much a surprise, rather, the timing, their surroundings, and the unrestrained way in which he'd said those words. But, of course, she wholeheartedly replied, "I love you, too, Harry."
Harry pulled her closer to him and kissed her again. If they were going to have to start getting used to taking risks, he decided this was a good place to start. There was no way he was going to wait until after Jack's visit to try and recapture the significance of this moment.