![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
justanothercopTitle: None yet
Fandom: Inspector Morse and Lewis
Spoilers: YES - all the series at present
Pairing: Lewis/Hobson
Rating: PG-13
It was with no small amount of butterflies that Detective Inspector Robert 'Robbie' Lewis approached Dr. Laura Hobson's house. This was unfamiliar territory he was entering. Well, perhaps not unfamiliar but it was territory he had not seen in a very, very long time. He was going over to a woman's place to eat. Of course, he had gone to women's places to eat several times since Val died but this time was different. This time he felt nervous - giddy - in a way only one other woman had made him feel. As he rang the bell to Laura's place he was keenly aware that tonight might be when he would have to make a decision about how much further he wanted to go with what he and Laura had. The weight of the bottle of wine in his hand reminded him that this was not just a casual dinner between friends.
Frankly, Robbie didn't understand Laura's interest in him. She was a beautiful, vibrant, highly-educated woman. He? He was damaged goods and not much on looks in his humble view. Still, when she opened the door, dressed smartly in dark jeans and a tailored shirt he felt like a teenager again.
"Hello, Robbie! Come in!"
Her happiness at seeing him made his heart skip a beat. "Hello, Laura." He held up the bottle. "As promised."
"Fantastic." She led the way back into the house. "You can hang your coat up in the hall closet."
Robbie did as he was told, taking time to also leave his shoes by the front door, and then made his way toward the kitchen. "Sorry for being a little late. Had some last minute bits that needed finishing before I could leave work."
"It's alright. Gave me time to get dinner started. Nice bottle of wine, by the way. Any ways, we should be able to eat soon."
Robbie nodded, shrugging out of his suit jacket and hanging it over the back of a chair. "I take it dinner doesn't have a dress code, right?" he joked as he pulled off his tie.
Laura barely managed to hide a smirk, uncorking the wine. "Oh, yes. Very strict. No clothes whatsoever."
Robbie was halfway through rolling up his shirt sleeves when what she said sank in. His eyes went wide and his head snapped up. Thankfully, her back was to him and she didn't catch that look of momentary panic. It was a natural reaction for him - he hadn't been with a woman since Val died and the mental image of how lovely Laura had to look naked was now taking up a great deal of this thinking.
Laura never would want to cause Robbie any undue discomfort. If she knew what his reaction had been she would have felt awful but Robbie didn't draw attention to it or mention it. The truth was after the moment of shock an urge had welled up in his chest - desire. It was another one of those emotions he thought he would never feel again. He could hear her talking - something about work - but he his mind couldn't work out words. Within him there was a sudden battle between his mind and his heart - he really liked Laura. She had a wonderful personalty. She was kind, she made him laugh, and she was brilliant - but now he felt like he was seeing her, physically, for only the first time. She was gorgeous. There was a sudden realization there - that he was not only attracted to her intellectually but physically as well.
While all this was going on, Laura was busy pouring the wine and checking the oven. She had no idea the impact her passing joke had had on the man behind her. When she finally did turn around Robbie had composed himself and was looking, in her opinion, rather roguish with his open collar, rolled up sleeves, and slightly mussed hair. She had long ago come to terms with the fact that she had fallen for Robbie but she had never known if he would ever be ready for someone new in his life.
Laura knew how much Robbie had loved his deceased wife, Val. She could remember how he would go on about her and his kids - how animated he would get talking about them. At the time it had been endearing - drew her to him as a friend - but now it was something more. It was still endearing but it had also been one of the reasons she had fallen in love with him - she knew how big his heart was, how much he loved life and people before Val was so cruelly taken from him. She never wanted to take Val's place but she wanted him to be happy again - she wanted him to laugh and enjoy life again.
The moment she realized just how much she cared about Robbie's happiness - about Robbie in general - was the moment she realized she had unwittingly fallen in love with him. Of course, she had never told him how she felt. She berated herself sometimes for caring about a man who would never return her feelings completely. And then things changed - Val's killer was finally caught and convicted. Robbie could finally let go of that burden - the need to find out who took Val from him. His demeanor seemed to lighten and, eventually, he asked her out for a drink.
And now, here they were alone in her house. There were no distractions here - no other patrons to fill in awkward moments or help them avoid certain subjects. Momentarily, Laura felt the need to bolt from the kitchen. Under her happy exterior she was terrified. When she had asked Robbie over it had been on a lark. She had been so caught up in the moment - so determined to finally have Robbie to herself - that she hadn't thought of the long-term impact this could have on their relationship. Of course, if she had thought of those things she probably wouldn't have asked him over. She would have chickened out for fear of spoiling their friendship and their work relationship.
Still, as she handed a glass of wine to Robbie she kept her nerves hidden. She knew he had to be anxious. It wouldn't do for both of them to act like teenagers on their first date ever. The fear and anxiety they were both feeling, Laura mused, was probably a reflection of how much they liked each other.
"So," she asked, leaning against the counter, "how's your week been?"
Robbie took a grateful sip from his glass. A little liquid courage would, at the very least, relax him some. "Lyn called the other night."
"Yeah? How's she? That baby of hers giving her trouble yet?"
Robbie chuckled. "Not yet but it will only be a matter of time. She and Tim are working on names. Lyn wants to name the baby after her mum if it's a girl."
"That's wonderful." The timer behind her rang and she turned back to the stove. "All ready."
Quite some time later, after a lovely dinner with excellent conversation and the better part of the bottle of wine, Robbie found himself sitting on the couch in Laura's living room, telling her stories about Morse and laughing as he had not done in years. What was even better, though, was that she was laughing, too. There were tears in her eyes several times as she would get laughing so hard at some of the ridiculous things he and Morse had been through together.
"How you put up with Morse for so long I will never know, Robbie," she chuckled, softly, wiping her eyes.
"Ah, well - ya do that sort of thing for yer mates, right?"
Laura's smile broadened but not from the story. Between the wine and the conversation Robbie had loosened up and more of his Northern accent was coming out and Laura, for lack of a more dignified way to describe her feelings on the matter, thought it was cute.
"You cared about Morse so much, Robbie. You were a good friend to him."
Robbie nodded and then drained his glass. "Yeah. He was very special to me."
"And you to him from what I heard."
"Eh?"
"He picked you to be his sergeant. You were never assigned to him. He fought to keep you at his side and he fought to see that you were promoted. And - he was willing to give his life to save yours." She paused, remembering that day in the woods when Robbie had gone off on his own to confront a suspect in a murder only to realize that while he had the right family he had the wrong member - it was the wife who was the murderer and not the husband.
The wife killed her husband and then ordered Robbie to help her dispose of the body. She was about to murder Robbie as well when Morse burst on the scene having figured out what Robbie had with the one detail change of which family member. Morse had been about to take the bullet meant for Robbie but Robbie couldn't let him and charged forward with the shovel he had been using to dig the grave and distracted the wife long enough to toss Morse the shovel and for Morse to hit her with the shovel, killing her.
Morse had been willing to give his life for Robbie and, in turn, Robbie had risked his life to save Morse. It had been a powerful turning point for the two men.
Robbie nodded. "Yeah. That he did. Morse could be a right bastard but for some reason he always wanted me around."
The doctor gave the inspector an amused smile. "You still don't see it, do you?"
"See what?"
The wine making her more bold, Laura moved in close to Robbie. He was surprised but he didn't stop her so she took it one more step and laid her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating - more like pounding now with her against him - and knew her own heart must have sounded the same. Despite how much they had flirted this was the closest they had ever been to one another.
"Robbie, Morse saw something special in you. I think he saw a lot of himself. Maybe you didn't like crosswords or opera but you had and have a drive - to learn and improve yourself. And you had and have a big heart capable of caring deeply for others - feeling compassion for others. Most people don't have either of those anymore. And..." She stopped, closing her eyes and willing herself on because now she was going to lay her cards on the table. "You're a hopeless romantic, you're incredibly brave when the need arises, and when you love someone you love them with every bit of yourself. Those are rare gifts and despite how much people might have mocked you for caring so much about others you've always been true to yourself."
Robbie knew that she wasn't talking just about why Morse picked him. He was quiet for a long time, unsure how to reply. Finally, he took a deep breath and just said the first things that came to mind. "Laura..." She sat up slightly, her eyes level with his. "You could have anyone you want. Why...?"
Her eyes never wavered from his, intense and alive with how deeply she felt the emotions she held for him. "I don't want 'anyone'. I want you, Robbie."
Blue eyes searched Laura's, looking for her to flinch or go back on her statement but she did neither. She wasn't backing down or running away from her feelings anymore. Her breathing was a little shaky as she waited for some sort of response from Robbie - scared of being rejected after confessing her feelings for him, at last, aloud.
When he at last started to move a little Laura was afraid it was to push her away but instead he leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn't just a quick peck either. Robbie held the kiss for a long time, seeming to savor the moment and the warmth it spread through his body. When he finally pulled away both were more than a little breathless.
Robbie looked Laura in the eye again - they were a little wide from surprise but also something else. There was desire in her eyes - a longing just to be close to him and to be like this. Still, he felt a little wrong-footed having acted on impulse as he had.
"Sorry," he murmured, his chest rising and falling much faster than before and not because he had done anything to exert himself - yet.
"I'm not," she replied, softly, and leaned in and kissed him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders so she could take the kiss further than before.
She could feel strong arms encircle her waist and pull her closer. Any doubts she had about whether or not Robbie was ready for this disappeared as he took the initiative to deepen the kiss and pull her back down on the couch so that she was on top of him. Were this any other man there was no way they would have gotten this far this quickly but Robbie was different. Robbie had always been different. She trusted him completely and knew he would never hurt her. He was a rare find and he was hers now.
Robbie unconsciously smiled against Laura's lips. He was almost overwhelmed with emotion - with how good she made him feel. With a happy sigh, he finally pull away slightly, fingers running through her hair. Laura gazed down at him and expression on his face was pure bliss. She stole another kiss before pulling away again.
"Robbie?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you doing anything tomorrow?"
"Nope, not that I'm aware of," he replied, gently twirling a piece of her hair between his fingers. He had no clue what Laura was getting at - he was still processing how good he felt with her like this against him, kissing him.
She took a deep breath, knowing this might be going to far but she just had to ask. "Would you like to stay the night?"
Robbie's hand immediately stilled and the dreamy look on his face disappeared. He wasn't upset, just brought back to reality - the seriousness of what they were doing, even this little bit.
"Laura, it's been a long time since I -"
"I-I know," she interrupted so he couldn't launch too far into an assault on his sexual prowess, "I know. But," she soldiered on, fingers lovingly stroking Robbie's soft, brown hair - something she had wanted to do for a very long time, "I've wanted to be with you for a long time. That's all I want out of it - you. Unless..." She visibly cringed, squeezing her eyes shut, cursing how stupid she had been. "Unless you don't feel ready for it or up for it - I'm sorry, Robbie. That was a really insensitive thing to ask or even suggest. I -"
A hand came up and cupped the side of her face reassuringly. "Laura, it's okay. You've done nothing wrong. I'm not upset." Idly, his thumb stroked her cheek. "I just never thought - see the thing - Laura... the only woman I've ever been with and ever wanted to be with was Val -"
Laura's face fell and she turned away, trying to hide both her shame and her disappointment. "Oh. Yes. Right." The hand on her cheek nudged her back to face him.
"You didn't let me finish. Val is the only woman I've been with and the only one I ever wanted to be with until now."
Laura's eyes widened as Robbie's words sunk in. When they finally had she brought her lips down to his again, kissing him intently. When she eventually pulled away she not only moved her head but also pushed herself up from the couch and offered a hand to Robbie. He looked at her hand and then his gaze found hers. Without hesitation, Robbie reached up and took her hand, getting to his feet. His hair was sticking up in odd directions due to their time on the couch and Laura could help laughing softly.
"What?"
She smiled at him and urged him to follow her. "You really have no idea how attractive you are, do you?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Laura shook her head, chuckling, as they entered to bedroom. "Let me put it to you this way, Robbie," she whispered as she pulled him down onto the bed with her, "most women find humility in a man to be a very big turn-on and this woman is included in that group."
He more or less landed on top of Laura - he hadn't really meant to do that but he had and she wasn't complaining so he didn't bother to move. "Yeah?" He couldn't manage much else after that because of how she felt under him - all that contact all at once had gotten his body's attention in more ways than one and there was little doubt that Laura knew of at least one way now.
"Yes. We are turned on by a very select group of characteristics and..." Her voice trailed off their eyes met. Several long moments passed, her breathing becoming heavier. "I love you." The words were barely audible but they were there having escaped her mouth without thought.
There was no delay in her reply, no hesitation. "I love you, too." Robbie had never planned on saying that to her but he had never been any good at holding back the truth. And as he laid there with her he realized he really did love her - probably had for a long time - but he'd never allowed those feelings to take root until recently and once they had done so they had grown. He wouldn't be where he was right then if he wasn't in love with Laura.
Laura's expression was one of shock. She had never, in a million years, thought he would reply in kind to her words - her feelings. She could only stare up at him, unable to think.
A gentle smile tugged at Robbie's mouth and he finally brought his lips back to hers, arms moving and hugging her close to him. Laura sighed, contentedly, into the kiss, hands wandering over his back. She hooked a leg over Robbie's so she could more effectively push herself up against - Laura had never been one of subtly and, dammit, she had waited a long time for this. She could hear Robbie's response to her movement - a groan muffled against her mouth - but she could also feel it and she flushed at it.
Suddenly, she was feeling very warm and very constricted by her clothes. Blessedly, it seemed like Robbie was feeling same way as he was now working at the buttons of her blouse. She helped him with that and sat up slightly once the last button was loosed to toss the shirt aside. When she turned back to Robbie she caught him staring, not able to hide how much he enjoyed the view. Laura's skin flushed a deeper hue still - it was flattering to be looked at in such a way even though she wasn't some little 20-something girl. But then Robbie had never been a skirt chaser so those rules - the rules of most of the men she had dated - didn't apply.
With a coy smile, Laura reached back and unclasped her bra, letting it slide down before tossing it in the same general direction as her blouse. Her eyes found Robbie's and she saw something there that made her gasp softly. The gasp wasn't from fear but from excitement. What she saw in his eyes was something she had never seen before - desire and unabashed appreciation, even reverence, for what she was allowing him to see. Laura froze - unable to think or move. It was Robbie who got them moving again, gently urging her to lie back down on the bed and let him settle back on top of her.
Even more driven now that Robbie had not only looked at her as he had done but had also moved things along Laura's fingers found the front of Robbie's shirt and began to fuss at the buttons. Much as she had done, Robbie helped her with his shirt, all the while making an effort to not stop kissing her. Eventually, he was finally free of the shirt, tossing it aside and quickly following it with the undershirt he had been wearing. Now, it was skin against skin and any lingering doubts Robbie had about his libido went sailing out the window with the contact.
Laura gave a muffled cry of pleasure when Robbie rolled his hips against hers, burying her fingers in his hair. It all felt so damn good - it felt right, it felt perfect. The little noise of disappointment was enough to tell Robbie exactly how Laura felt as he pulled his mouth from hers at last. The soft, surprised gasps he was rewarded with as he kissed along her jaw and to her ear and finally to her neck made him shiver. He was enjoying this and, moreover, she was enjoying this. The hands in his hair firmed their touch and Laura's leg once again hitched over his.
Robbie was making to remove the last bits of clothing which separated them when the distinct ring of his cellphone called to him from the kitchen where he had left his suit jacket earlier. For the briefest of moments, Laura held his head, silently cursing everything and everyone she could think of, before letting him go. If he was getting a call at this time of night it meant nothing good - he had to go answer it. With a sigh, Robbie pushed himself up.
"I'm sorry," he said, softly.
"It's okay." This was the curse of dating a cop or a medical examiner - one or the other could be called out at anytime.
The phone persisted as Robbie went to answer it. "Alright, alright." It took some fumbling but he finally dug it out of the pocket of his jacket. "Lewis."
The unmistakable voice of Detective Sergeant James Hathaway immediately began to speak. "Sir, a body has been found by some fine, upstanding young men who were out graffiti-ing."
Hathaway continued on to give Robbie the details of where to meet them and such and Robbie jotted it all down on a bit of paper. "Right. Right." Behind Robbie Laura appeared now wearing a robe. She leaned against the door frame and waited for him to finish talking on the phone.
"Alright, Sergeant. I'll be there in a few. I need to get dressed," he yawned.
"Very good, Sir. Oh - and could you tell Dr. Hobson we need her down here as well. Saves me the call."
"Yeah, I'll - HEY!"
Of course, Hathaway had already hung up and left Robbie glaring at the phone. He turned to see Laura, her eyebrow raised. "Troubles from your dashing young sergeant?"
"The cheek!" Robbie huffed as he put the phone back in the jacket pocket.
"What did he say?" Laura asked, a smile evident in her tone.
Robbie gave Laura a sheepish look. "He, um, tricked me. I told him I needed time to get dressed."
"Yeah, I heard that."
"And he said that was fine. And then he asked me to tell you you're wanted at the crime scene as well so as to save him the phone call and then he hung up."
Laura cringed slightly, putting a hand over her eyes to try and hide the fact that she was about to start laughing. There was only one answer as to why Robbie had to get dressed and why he could tell Laura she was needed at the scene as well - Robbie was getting his leg over or was about to do such. She didn't care if Hathaway knew but she knew how private Robbie was about, well, everything.
"If it's any consolation, Robbie, I'm pretty sure Hathaway isn't much for telling tales," she commented heading back to her bedroom to get dressed.
Robbie followed her, obviously grumpy, but, overall, not as bad off as he would be if it had been anyone else on the phone. Laura was right - James didn't gossip. When he re-entered the bedroom Laura was busy putting on a clean bra and shirt. Robbie paused a moment to watch her before giving a heavy sigh and snatching up his shirt and undershirt from the floor. Laura glanced over at him as she was buttoning her shirt and favored him with an understanding smile. The fact that he was genuinely disappointed they had been interrupted made her even more sure that her feelings and actions were proper - she had not misread any signals.
"It's not fair in any respect, Robbie," she commented, quickly running a brush through her hair before turning to face him fully.
"Bloody inconvenient is more like it," the inspector grumbled before he cringed. "Terrible way to talk given some poor bloke has been murdered. Sorry."
Laura was glaring at him for his words but the expression softened at his apology. She knew that time had made Robbie a little callous when it came to murders but she had made an effort not to become as such and he seemed to respect that. With a nod she led the way out of her bedroom and into the kitchen where she picked up Robbie's tie. "Here."
"Thanks." Robbie proceeded to attempt to put it on while talking. "Um... I'm disappointed we got, ya know, interrupted."
He was doing a crap job of getting his tie on correctly - nerves - and Laura shook her head, taking hold of both ends and setting to work on it. "I would be lying if I didn't say the feeling was very mutual. There. Perfect."
Robbie felt the knot and smiled. "How come women are always better at tying ties than men?"
"We get lots of practice between boyfriends and husbands. Most us prefer that our men do not go out looking shabby."
A silence fell between them. Laura's choice of words - our men - had weight she had not intended but it was there none the less. It was Robbie who finally broke the tension.
"A man who has a woman in his life who takes the time to worry and fuss and care about him is a lucky man."
Laura blushed and tried to hide that and the fact that a grin had spread across her face. She hated to admit it but his words made her feel giddy. She was a grown woman - a professional, highly-educated grown woman. She wasn't supposed to feel so light-headed and excited over a man - not at this point in her life.
The man in front of her could relate to her. Robbie felt shy - awkward - like a teenager experiencing love for the first time. Everything felt brand new again. There was color rising in his face as well and it took only a quick glance at Laura's face to confirm that they were both feeling sheepish but, at the same time, excited.
She caught his eye and shook her head, still grinning, as she walked over to the chair and plucked up his jacket. "Com'on. We've got work to do."
To Robbie's surprise, Laura held out the jacket so she could help him on with it. He accepted her gesture and felt her hands smooth out the back - and it wasn't just to smooth out fabric as her hands lingered there longer than necessary. He closed his eyes and took a moment to savor it, having someone make a fuss over him, touching him so affectionately.
When she had finished he turned to face her. "If things don't run too late into the night... would it be alright if I stopped by after?"
Laura pushed herself up on her toes and placed a tender kiss on his lips. "I would love it if you did, Robbie."
Only the knowledge that Hathaway and the rest of his team would be waiting on them was enough to get him to finally pull away from her with a sigh. "Right then. How do you want to..." Robbie pointed to her and then back at himself.
Laura smirked. "Unlike some women, Robbie, I don't particularly like carrying on about my personal life for no reason. Just - "
"What?"
"For the love of God don't let Innocent catch wind of this. She's been hovering around and making a fuss for as long as I can remember. The last thing I want is to have a "girl's chat"."
"Don't worry. I wasn't planning on bringing it up at the next division meeting."
She shook her head. "Good to know."
Neither was ashamed or embarrassed about what they had started but they were both private people. If others found out, fine, but there was no need to actively tell people. They still had to work together and be professional but time away from the office was their own to spend as they wished.
Fandom: Inspector Morse and Lewis
Spoilers: YES - all the series at present
Pairing: Lewis/Hobson
Rating: PG-13
It was with no small amount of butterflies that Detective Inspector Robert 'Robbie' Lewis approached Dr. Laura Hobson's house. This was unfamiliar territory he was entering. Well, perhaps not unfamiliar but it was territory he had not seen in a very, very long time. He was going over to a woman's place to eat. Of course, he had gone to women's places to eat several times since Val died but this time was different. This time he felt nervous - giddy - in a way only one other woman had made him feel. As he rang the bell to Laura's place he was keenly aware that tonight might be when he would have to make a decision about how much further he wanted to go with what he and Laura had. The weight of the bottle of wine in his hand reminded him that this was not just a casual dinner between friends.
Frankly, Robbie didn't understand Laura's interest in him. She was a beautiful, vibrant, highly-educated woman. He? He was damaged goods and not much on looks in his humble view. Still, when she opened the door, dressed smartly in dark jeans and a tailored shirt he felt like a teenager again.
"Hello, Robbie! Come in!"
Her happiness at seeing him made his heart skip a beat. "Hello, Laura." He held up the bottle. "As promised."
"Fantastic." She led the way back into the house. "You can hang your coat up in the hall closet."
Robbie did as he was told, taking time to also leave his shoes by the front door, and then made his way toward the kitchen. "Sorry for being a little late. Had some last minute bits that needed finishing before I could leave work."
"It's alright. Gave me time to get dinner started. Nice bottle of wine, by the way. Any ways, we should be able to eat soon."
Robbie nodded, shrugging out of his suit jacket and hanging it over the back of a chair. "I take it dinner doesn't have a dress code, right?" he joked as he pulled off his tie.
Laura barely managed to hide a smirk, uncorking the wine. "Oh, yes. Very strict. No clothes whatsoever."
Robbie was halfway through rolling up his shirt sleeves when what she said sank in. His eyes went wide and his head snapped up. Thankfully, her back was to him and she didn't catch that look of momentary panic. It was a natural reaction for him - he hadn't been with a woman since Val died and the mental image of how lovely Laura had to look naked was now taking up a great deal of this thinking.
Laura never would want to cause Robbie any undue discomfort. If she knew what his reaction had been she would have felt awful but Robbie didn't draw attention to it or mention it. The truth was after the moment of shock an urge had welled up in his chest - desire. It was another one of those emotions he thought he would never feel again. He could hear her talking - something about work - but he his mind couldn't work out words. Within him there was a sudden battle between his mind and his heart - he really liked Laura. She had a wonderful personalty. She was kind, she made him laugh, and she was brilliant - but now he felt like he was seeing her, physically, for only the first time. She was gorgeous. There was a sudden realization there - that he was not only attracted to her intellectually but physically as well.
While all this was going on, Laura was busy pouring the wine and checking the oven. She had no idea the impact her passing joke had had on the man behind her. When she finally did turn around Robbie had composed himself and was looking, in her opinion, rather roguish with his open collar, rolled up sleeves, and slightly mussed hair. She had long ago come to terms with the fact that she had fallen for Robbie but she had never known if he would ever be ready for someone new in his life.
Laura knew how much Robbie had loved his deceased wife, Val. She could remember how he would go on about her and his kids - how animated he would get talking about them. At the time it had been endearing - drew her to him as a friend - but now it was something more. It was still endearing but it had also been one of the reasons she had fallen in love with him - she knew how big his heart was, how much he loved life and people before Val was so cruelly taken from him. She never wanted to take Val's place but she wanted him to be happy again - she wanted him to laugh and enjoy life again.
The moment she realized just how much she cared about Robbie's happiness - about Robbie in general - was the moment she realized she had unwittingly fallen in love with him. Of course, she had never told him how she felt. She berated herself sometimes for caring about a man who would never return her feelings completely. And then things changed - Val's killer was finally caught and convicted. Robbie could finally let go of that burden - the need to find out who took Val from him. His demeanor seemed to lighten and, eventually, he asked her out for a drink.
And now, here they were alone in her house. There were no distractions here - no other patrons to fill in awkward moments or help them avoid certain subjects. Momentarily, Laura felt the need to bolt from the kitchen. Under her happy exterior she was terrified. When she had asked Robbie over it had been on a lark. She had been so caught up in the moment - so determined to finally have Robbie to herself - that she hadn't thought of the long-term impact this could have on their relationship. Of course, if she had thought of those things she probably wouldn't have asked him over. She would have chickened out for fear of spoiling their friendship and their work relationship.
Still, as she handed a glass of wine to Robbie she kept her nerves hidden. She knew he had to be anxious. It wouldn't do for both of them to act like teenagers on their first date ever. The fear and anxiety they were both feeling, Laura mused, was probably a reflection of how much they liked each other.
"So," she asked, leaning against the counter, "how's your week been?"
Robbie took a grateful sip from his glass. A little liquid courage would, at the very least, relax him some. "Lyn called the other night."
"Yeah? How's she? That baby of hers giving her trouble yet?"
Robbie chuckled. "Not yet but it will only be a matter of time. She and Tim are working on names. Lyn wants to name the baby after her mum if it's a girl."
"That's wonderful." The timer behind her rang and she turned back to the stove. "All ready."
Quite some time later, after a lovely dinner with excellent conversation and the better part of the bottle of wine, Robbie found himself sitting on the couch in Laura's living room, telling her stories about Morse and laughing as he had not done in years. What was even better, though, was that she was laughing, too. There were tears in her eyes several times as she would get laughing so hard at some of the ridiculous things he and Morse had been through together.
"How you put up with Morse for so long I will never know, Robbie," she chuckled, softly, wiping her eyes.
"Ah, well - ya do that sort of thing for yer mates, right?"
Laura's smile broadened but not from the story. Between the wine and the conversation Robbie had loosened up and more of his Northern accent was coming out and Laura, for lack of a more dignified way to describe her feelings on the matter, thought it was cute.
"You cared about Morse so much, Robbie. You were a good friend to him."
Robbie nodded and then drained his glass. "Yeah. He was very special to me."
"And you to him from what I heard."
"Eh?"
"He picked you to be his sergeant. You were never assigned to him. He fought to keep you at his side and he fought to see that you were promoted. And - he was willing to give his life to save yours." She paused, remembering that day in the woods when Robbie had gone off on his own to confront a suspect in a murder only to realize that while he had the right family he had the wrong member - it was the wife who was the murderer and not the husband.
The wife killed her husband and then ordered Robbie to help her dispose of the body. She was about to murder Robbie as well when Morse burst on the scene having figured out what Robbie had with the one detail change of which family member. Morse had been about to take the bullet meant for Robbie but Robbie couldn't let him and charged forward with the shovel he had been using to dig the grave and distracted the wife long enough to toss Morse the shovel and for Morse to hit her with the shovel, killing her.
Morse had been willing to give his life for Robbie and, in turn, Robbie had risked his life to save Morse. It had been a powerful turning point for the two men.
Robbie nodded. "Yeah. That he did. Morse could be a right bastard but for some reason he always wanted me around."
The doctor gave the inspector an amused smile. "You still don't see it, do you?"
"See what?"
The wine making her more bold, Laura moved in close to Robbie. He was surprised but he didn't stop her so she took it one more step and laid her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating - more like pounding now with her against him - and knew her own heart must have sounded the same. Despite how much they had flirted this was the closest they had ever been to one another.
"Robbie, Morse saw something special in you. I think he saw a lot of himself. Maybe you didn't like crosswords or opera but you had and have a drive - to learn and improve yourself. And you had and have a big heart capable of caring deeply for others - feeling compassion for others. Most people don't have either of those anymore. And..." She stopped, closing her eyes and willing herself on because now she was going to lay her cards on the table. "You're a hopeless romantic, you're incredibly brave when the need arises, and when you love someone you love them with every bit of yourself. Those are rare gifts and despite how much people might have mocked you for caring so much about others you've always been true to yourself."
Robbie knew that she wasn't talking just about why Morse picked him. He was quiet for a long time, unsure how to reply. Finally, he took a deep breath and just said the first things that came to mind. "Laura..." She sat up slightly, her eyes level with his. "You could have anyone you want. Why...?"
Her eyes never wavered from his, intense and alive with how deeply she felt the emotions she held for him. "I don't want 'anyone'. I want you, Robbie."
Blue eyes searched Laura's, looking for her to flinch or go back on her statement but she did neither. She wasn't backing down or running away from her feelings anymore. Her breathing was a little shaky as she waited for some sort of response from Robbie - scared of being rejected after confessing her feelings for him, at last, aloud.
When he at last started to move a little Laura was afraid it was to push her away but instead he leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn't just a quick peck either. Robbie held the kiss for a long time, seeming to savor the moment and the warmth it spread through his body. When he finally pulled away both were more than a little breathless.
Robbie looked Laura in the eye again - they were a little wide from surprise but also something else. There was desire in her eyes - a longing just to be close to him and to be like this. Still, he felt a little wrong-footed having acted on impulse as he had.
"Sorry," he murmured, his chest rising and falling much faster than before and not because he had done anything to exert himself - yet.
"I'm not," she replied, softly, and leaned in and kissed him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders so she could take the kiss further than before.
She could feel strong arms encircle her waist and pull her closer. Any doubts she had about whether or not Robbie was ready for this disappeared as he took the initiative to deepen the kiss and pull her back down on the couch so that she was on top of him. Were this any other man there was no way they would have gotten this far this quickly but Robbie was different. Robbie had always been different. She trusted him completely and knew he would never hurt her. He was a rare find and he was hers now.
Robbie unconsciously smiled against Laura's lips. He was almost overwhelmed with emotion - with how good she made him feel. With a happy sigh, he finally pull away slightly, fingers running through her hair. Laura gazed down at him and expression on his face was pure bliss. She stole another kiss before pulling away again.
"Robbie?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you doing anything tomorrow?"
"Nope, not that I'm aware of," he replied, gently twirling a piece of her hair between his fingers. He had no clue what Laura was getting at - he was still processing how good he felt with her like this against him, kissing him.
She took a deep breath, knowing this might be going to far but she just had to ask. "Would you like to stay the night?"
Robbie's hand immediately stilled and the dreamy look on his face disappeared. He wasn't upset, just brought back to reality - the seriousness of what they were doing, even this little bit.
"Laura, it's been a long time since I -"
"I-I know," she interrupted so he couldn't launch too far into an assault on his sexual prowess, "I know. But," she soldiered on, fingers lovingly stroking Robbie's soft, brown hair - something she had wanted to do for a very long time, "I've wanted to be with you for a long time. That's all I want out of it - you. Unless..." She visibly cringed, squeezing her eyes shut, cursing how stupid she had been. "Unless you don't feel ready for it or up for it - I'm sorry, Robbie. That was a really insensitive thing to ask or even suggest. I -"
A hand came up and cupped the side of her face reassuringly. "Laura, it's okay. You've done nothing wrong. I'm not upset." Idly, his thumb stroked her cheek. "I just never thought - see the thing - Laura... the only woman I've ever been with and ever wanted to be with was Val -"
Laura's face fell and she turned away, trying to hide both her shame and her disappointment. "Oh. Yes. Right." The hand on her cheek nudged her back to face him.
"You didn't let me finish. Val is the only woman I've been with and the only one I ever wanted to be with until now."
Laura's eyes widened as Robbie's words sunk in. When they finally had she brought her lips down to his again, kissing him intently. When she eventually pulled away she not only moved her head but also pushed herself up from the couch and offered a hand to Robbie. He looked at her hand and then his gaze found hers. Without hesitation, Robbie reached up and took her hand, getting to his feet. His hair was sticking up in odd directions due to their time on the couch and Laura could help laughing softly.
"What?"
She smiled at him and urged him to follow her. "You really have no idea how attractive you are, do you?"
"Me?"
"Yes, you." Laura shook her head, chuckling, as they entered to bedroom. "Let me put it to you this way, Robbie," she whispered as she pulled him down onto the bed with her, "most women find humility in a man to be a very big turn-on and this woman is included in that group."
He more or less landed on top of Laura - he hadn't really meant to do that but he had and she wasn't complaining so he didn't bother to move. "Yeah?" He couldn't manage much else after that because of how she felt under him - all that contact all at once had gotten his body's attention in more ways than one and there was little doubt that Laura knew of at least one way now.
"Yes. We are turned on by a very select group of characteristics and..." Her voice trailed off their eyes met. Several long moments passed, her breathing becoming heavier. "I love you." The words were barely audible but they were there having escaped her mouth without thought.
There was no delay in her reply, no hesitation. "I love you, too." Robbie had never planned on saying that to her but he had never been any good at holding back the truth. And as he laid there with her he realized he really did love her - probably had for a long time - but he'd never allowed those feelings to take root until recently and once they had done so they had grown. He wouldn't be where he was right then if he wasn't in love with Laura.
Laura's expression was one of shock. She had never, in a million years, thought he would reply in kind to her words - her feelings. She could only stare up at him, unable to think.
A gentle smile tugged at Robbie's mouth and he finally brought his lips back to hers, arms moving and hugging her close to him. Laura sighed, contentedly, into the kiss, hands wandering over his back. She hooked a leg over Robbie's so she could more effectively push herself up against - Laura had never been one of subtly and, dammit, she had waited a long time for this. She could hear Robbie's response to her movement - a groan muffled against her mouth - but she could also feel it and she flushed at it.
Suddenly, she was feeling very warm and very constricted by her clothes. Blessedly, it seemed like Robbie was feeling same way as he was now working at the buttons of her blouse. She helped him with that and sat up slightly once the last button was loosed to toss the shirt aside. When she turned back to Robbie she caught him staring, not able to hide how much he enjoyed the view. Laura's skin flushed a deeper hue still - it was flattering to be looked at in such a way even though she wasn't some little 20-something girl. But then Robbie had never been a skirt chaser so those rules - the rules of most of the men she had dated - didn't apply.
With a coy smile, Laura reached back and unclasped her bra, letting it slide down before tossing it in the same general direction as her blouse. Her eyes found Robbie's and she saw something there that made her gasp softly. The gasp wasn't from fear but from excitement. What she saw in his eyes was something she had never seen before - desire and unabashed appreciation, even reverence, for what she was allowing him to see. Laura froze - unable to think or move. It was Robbie who got them moving again, gently urging her to lie back down on the bed and let him settle back on top of her.
Even more driven now that Robbie had not only looked at her as he had done but had also moved things along Laura's fingers found the front of Robbie's shirt and began to fuss at the buttons. Much as she had done, Robbie helped her with his shirt, all the while making an effort to not stop kissing her. Eventually, he was finally free of the shirt, tossing it aside and quickly following it with the undershirt he had been wearing. Now, it was skin against skin and any lingering doubts Robbie had about his libido went sailing out the window with the contact.
Laura gave a muffled cry of pleasure when Robbie rolled his hips against hers, burying her fingers in his hair. It all felt so damn good - it felt right, it felt perfect. The little noise of disappointment was enough to tell Robbie exactly how Laura felt as he pulled his mouth from hers at last. The soft, surprised gasps he was rewarded with as he kissed along her jaw and to her ear and finally to her neck made him shiver. He was enjoying this and, moreover, she was enjoying this. The hands in his hair firmed their touch and Laura's leg once again hitched over his.
Robbie was making to remove the last bits of clothing which separated them when the distinct ring of his cellphone called to him from the kitchen where he had left his suit jacket earlier. For the briefest of moments, Laura held his head, silently cursing everything and everyone she could think of, before letting him go. If he was getting a call at this time of night it meant nothing good - he had to go answer it. With a sigh, Robbie pushed himself up.
"I'm sorry," he said, softly.
"It's okay." This was the curse of dating a cop or a medical examiner - one or the other could be called out at anytime.
The phone persisted as Robbie went to answer it. "Alright, alright." It took some fumbling but he finally dug it out of the pocket of his jacket. "Lewis."
The unmistakable voice of Detective Sergeant James Hathaway immediately began to speak. "Sir, a body has been found by some fine, upstanding young men who were out graffiti-ing."
Hathaway continued on to give Robbie the details of where to meet them and such and Robbie jotted it all down on a bit of paper. "Right. Right." Behind Robbie Laura appeared now wearing a robe. She leaned against the door frame and waited for him to finish talking on the phone.
"Alright, Sergeant. I'll be there in a few. I need to get dressed," he yawned.
"Very good, Sir. Oh - and could you tell Dr. Hobson we need her down here as well. Saves me the call."
"Yeah, I'll - HEY!"
Of course, Hathaway had already hung up and left Robbie glaring at the phone. He turned to see Laura, her eyebrow raised. "Troubles from your dashing young sergeant?"
"The cheek!" Robbie huffed as he put the phone back in the jacket pocket.
"What did he say?" Laura asked, a smile evident in her tone.
Robbie gave Laura a sheepish look. "He, um, tricked me. I told him I needed time to get dressed."
"Yeah, I heard that."
"And he said that was fine. And then he asked me to tell you you're wanted at the crime scene as well so as to save him the phone call and then he hung up."
Laura cringed slightly, putting a hand over her eyes to try and hide the fact that she was about to start laughing. There was only one answer as to why Robbie had to get dressed and why he could tell Laura she was needed at the scene as well - Robbie was getting his leg over or was about to do such. She didn't care if Hathaway knew but she knew how private Robbie was about, well, everything.
"If it's any consolation, Robbie, I'm pretty sure Hathaway isn't much for telling tales," she commented heading back to her bedroom to get dressed.
Robbie followed her, obviously grumpy, but, overall, not as bad off as he would be if it had been anyone else on the phone. Laura was right - James didn't gossip. When he re-entered the bedroom Laura was busy putting on a clean bra and shirt. Robbie paused a moment to watch her before giving a heavy sigh and snatching up his shirt and undershirt from the floor. Laura glanced over at him as she was buttoning her shirt and favored him with an understanding smile. The fact that he was genuinely disappointed they had been interrupted made her even more sure that her feelings and actions were proper - she had not misread any signals.
"It's not fair in any respect, Robbie," she commented, quickly running a brush through her hair before turning to face him fully.
"Bloody inconvenient is more like it," the inspector grumbled before he cringed. "Terrible way to talk given some poor bloke has been murdered. Sorry."
Laura was glaring at him for his words but the expression softened at his apology. She knew that time had made Robbie a little callous when it came to murders but she had made an effort not to become as such and he seemed to respect that. With a nod she led the way out of her bedroom and into the kitchen where she picked up Robbie's tie. "Here."
"Thanks." Robbie proceeded to attempt to put it on while talking. "Um... I'm disappointed we got, ya know, interrupted."
He was doing a crap job of getting his tie on correctly - nerves - and Laura shook her head, taking hold of both ends and setting to work on it. "I would be lying if I didn't say the feeling was very mutual. There. Perfect."
Robbie felt the knot and smiled. "How come women are always better at tying ties than men?"
"We get lots of practice between boyfriends and husbands. Most us prefer that our men do not go out looking shabby."
A silence fell between them. Laura's choice of words - our men - had weight she had not intended but it was there none the less. It was Robbie who finally broke the tension.
"A man who has a woman in his life who takes the time to worry and fuss and care about him is a lucky man."
Laura blushed and tried to hide that and the fact that a grin had spread across her face. She hated to admit it but his words made her feel giddy. She was a grown woman - a professional, highly-educated grown woman. She wasn't supposed to feel so light-headed and excited over a man - not at this point in her life.
The man in front of her could relate to her. Robbie felt shy - awkward - like a teenager experiencing love for the first time. Everything felt brand new again. There was color rising in his face as well and it took only a quick glance at Laura's face to confirm that they were both feeling sheepish but, at the same time, excited.
She caught his eye and shook her head, still grinning, as she walked over to the chair and plucked up his jacket. "Com'on. We've got work to do."
To Robbie's surprise, Laura held out the jacket so she could help him on with it. He accepted her gesture and felt her hands smooth out the back - and it wasn't just to smooth out fabric as her hands lingered there longer than necessary. He closed his eyes and took a moment to savor it, having someone make a fuss over him, touching him so affectionately.
When she had finished he turned to face her. "If things don't run too late into the night... would it be alright if I stopped by after?"
Laura pushed herself up on her toes and placed a tender kiss on his lips. "I would love it if you did, Robbie."
Only the knowledge that Hathaway and the rest of his team would be waiting on them was enough to get him to finally pull away from her with a sigh. "Right then. How do you want to..." Robbie pointed to her and then back at himself.
Laura smirked. "Unlike some women, Robbie, I don't particularly like carrying on about my personal life for no reason. Just - "
"What?"
"For the love of God don't let Innocent catch wind of this. She's been hovering around and making a fuss for as long as I can remember. The last thing I want is to have a "girl's chat"."
"Don't worry. I wasn't planning on bringing it up at the next division meeting."
She shook her head. "Good to know."
Neither was ashamed or embarrassed about what they had started but they were both private people. If others found out, fine, but there was no need to actively tell people. They still had to work together and be professional but time away from the office was their own to spend as they wished.
