Fic: Gaining You (1/1)
Title: Gaining You
Fandom: Murder Call
Characters: Tessa Vance, Steve Hayden
Prompt: 083. And
Word Count: 1841
Rating: G (K)
Summary: After the events of “Dead Offerings” and Tessa's revelation, Steve gathers a bit of courage to say what’s on his mind. Sequel to Losing You.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to Jennifer Rowe, Hal McElroy and Southern Star. I make no profit out of this.
Gaining You
“Steve! What’re you doing here?” she exclaimed, her beautiful blue eyes wide and large in surprise.
He was strangely startled to see her out of the standard sober trouser suit, dressed in comfortable loose khakis and an oversized T-shirt, her mass of curls tangled as if she had just gotten out of bed. Which she very might well have; it was nearly midnight.
The time had hardly been on his mind, however, when Steve had twisted in bed for the umpteenth time, wide awake and unable to rid his mind of the various thoughts running through it after the night at the pub.
Impulsively, he had decided to take a shot. A pretty wide shot but certainly worth the try, he had reasoned. There was simply no chance of getting a decent night’s sleep in the state he currently was - a state caused by his best friend’s heart-spoken revelations earlier this evening. So he had taken one glance at the clock, chancing Tessa had still not gone to bed, and dressed in a rush, practically running out of the door before his head caught up with his heart and forced him back on track.
And now he was here, standing outside her apartment door, chest heaving from exertion as if he’d run ten miles back and forth, hands clenching as he tried profoundly to find his courage. She had been so brave this night and he had yet to repay the sentiment. She deserved the truth. They both did. And fast - with her big, inquiring eyes directed at him Steve was quickly losing whatever nerve he’d jumped on.
“I didn’t wake you?” he heard himself ask shakily, inwardly groaning at the lame worry in his voice. Bad thing to say. Now he was certainly bound to ruin it; that’s what always happened when a sliver of his logical mind managed to up the wishes of his heart. Needless to say the two were fighting a constant battle whenever in the presence of his partner.
Tessa looked even more worried, starting to bite her lower lip before answering. “No. I couldn’t sleep.” It seemed like she wanted to add something, but lost the courage and instead opened the door further. “You coming in or staying on my doorstep all night?” There was humour, an attempt to lighten the mood her intuitive mind was surely breaking down and analysing until it reached the proper conclusion. They were similar in that way.
“Sure,” Steve breathed, stepping through the open doorway and into Tessa’s darkened apartment. Only the light above the aquarium was on, bathing the living room/kitchenette in a neon-blue light. Tessa turned on a lamp by the sofa and sat down, drawing her bare feet up beneath her as she once more looked up at where he stood rooted to the floor.
She didn’t say anything, just staring up at him beneath darkened lashes, her pale face lacking any of the make-up she normally wore. He found himself unable to draw his eyes away from her, transfixed by the picture she portrayed in front of him.
The continued silence where the aquarium’s tiny clucking was the only sound besides the blood Steve felt was roaring in his ears made him realise he was once more stalling and Tessa was quite prepared to wait it out. She had already asked the purpose of his visit. Normally it wouldn’t be strange - they always hung out together at the oddest time of the day - but the pub night’s revelations were still glaringly crystal clear inside his mind and Tessa knew it. He could see it on her face. Worry for his self-imposed silence, anticipation of what he would say once he managed to get a word out.
“Did you really mean it?” Steve thought he sounded oddly distant, estranged, as if it wasn’t really him that spoke the question. And yet he knew it was all him, if not a part that was never permitted to rear its head, quelled down and locked away into a corner of his mind by the systematic logic that said such notions were unreasonable nonsense.
It was written on her features that the question discomforted her and Tessa was slowly wrapping her arms around herself unconsciously. It was like another slap to his already fractured mind, but Steve forced himself around the bruised part. He needed to know. He really did.
“Yes,” Tessa replied hesitantly, looking away, voice soft and just barely above a mutter.
Steve felt his pulse quicken and his breath left him momentarily. That answered one of his questions at least. Just a couple more to, if agreeable, return sleep to him again.
He shifted on his feet, deciding against moving over to the sofa and settling beside her, sure the action would scare her even more than his current presence did. The blush on Tessa’s cheek gave away her vulnerability and shame that she didn’t have more control over the situation. Steve took a deep breath before continuing.
“Am I your best friend?” Steve asked slowly, half unable to look at her in case she said no, the other completely immersed in the way her blonde curls fell forward to hide half her face, barely touching the naked nape of her neck. How he wanted...
Tessa’s grip on her arms tightened and she looked pointedly away, causing more curls to bob forth and hide her eyes from view. If it hadn’t been for her soft-spoken, “Yes”, Steve would have stridden over and brushed the locks away so he could see her beautiful blue eyes again.
‘…She actually said yes.’ his mind noted in surprise, freezing his muscles as his heart gave a big lurch against his ribcage.
Now the air was tense in anticipation and a sense of fear. Both realised exactly where they stood, what had been exchanged between them, and what was left unspoken. Steve knew it was his call. Tessa had done her part; she had laid herself bare on his feet and revealed a secret that had the power to destroy her, and him. She had never expected honesty from him, had known what kind of man he was - a stickler for rules that was hard pressed to stick his neck out if the threat was professional suicide - and yet she had surprised him yet again, making him wonder how many layers Tessa Vance possessed. The partner, the best friend, the woman... She was each and everything. And Steve knew now, after hours of silent internal battle since the revelations, that he had carried the same worry as her: Was he missing his life’s opportunity sticking to his Golden Rule?
It was time to put things right, to shed the barrier between them; to surprise her like she turned his head so many times in sheer wonder..
Steve went over to the sofa, sitting down precariously on the edge of the coffee table, and reached out to brush the curls that had fascinated him for so many years away from her striking eyes.
Tessa’s eyes widened in alarm and she squirmed in an attempt to resist, but Steve cupped her cheek and held her face steady. Seated so close to her, he could feel the tension building up and knew this had to be resolved before Tessa got some misunderstood notion about his reason for doing this. The rumours and grapevine - yes, he’d heard it all over the years - spoke great tales of his female escapades, of his virility, but what he wanted wasn’t just the physical satisfaction. He needed the mental stability that had sorely lacked ever since he met the phenomenon Tessa Vance and knew there was only one who could offer it.
“I can’t help thinking I’m missing my life’s opportunity either,” Steve spoke softly, gently, but firmly. He wouldn’t let her misunderstand; he knew how hastily she could jump to conclusions occasionally when she felt out of her depth, like now.
Tessa’s eyes widened even further and Steve smiled quickly, stroking her soft cheek, all the while fighting the urge to push forward and capture her delicious lips before his courage dispersed. It wasn’t the physical Steve Hayden he wanted her to show, but the man behind the mask, the one that didn’t want to listen to reason and was locked away for the sake of his career and their friendship.
“I-I don’t...” Tessa breathed, swallowing before biting her lip again nervously. “I’m not sure...”
“I don’t think we should hold back, Tess,” Steve interrupted softly in a mutter, leaning just a tiny bit closer to give her an idea of what he wanted and at the same time offering her the opportunity to pull away. His heart hoped she wouldn’t. He wasn’t used to exposing himself like this; he doubted he would take it well if Tessa rejected him.
Steve hesitated when she didn’t speak, just staring at him in shock, lower lip stuck between her teeth. Had he done what she was mortified of doing? Ruining everything they had? There was no way back from this, no return to the normal routines and superficial sentiments they knew so well. They had taken a tentative step forward but had yet to put the foot down, still drenched in uncertainties, frozen in time and space. Was it a mistake? He didn’t know.
But the blonde curls teasing the back of his hand and the soft skin beneath his fingertips were reeling him in like a fish caught on the hook, pulling him forward until their noses were barely touching. He met her big blue eyes head on, willing the emotions clenching his stomach to shine through to her, to make her see he was completely honest with her. This wasn’t a sick joke or Steve’s need to satisfy his primal needs.
To make sure there would be no misunderstanding, Steve spoke up: “You’re not the only one falling for your best friends.”
That shook her and Tessa stared at him with uncertainty, her breathing hot and heavy, sending a shiver down his spine and groin as it met his skin.
“Am I your best friend?” she repeated the same question he had flung on her earlier slowly and hesitatingly, fear flashing across her features. Fear of his rejection? Possibly.
Steve couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “The best.”
And Tessa’s breath hitched, the heat intensifying between them until Steve could barely hold on to his control any longer, but then her now sore red lip escaped her teeth’s captivity and a tentative smile grazed her lips.
It broke his control.
Steve pushed forward and did what he had wanted to do for the past three years: capturing his partner and best friend’s delicious full lips, delighted when Tessa only hesitated for a second before melding into him, hands snaking around his neck and bringing him close enough to feel she wasn’t wearing a bra under that oversized T-shirt.
When Tessa pulled him roughly down on top of her, Steve was all too willing.
END
Fandom: Murder Call
Characters: Tessa Vance, Steve Hayden
Prompt: 083. And
Word Count: 1841
Rating: G (K)
Summary: After the events of “Dead Offerings” and Tessa's revelation, Steve gathers a bit of courage to say what’s on his mind. Sequel to Losing You.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to Jennifer Rowe, Hal McElroy and Southern Star. I make no profit out of this.
Gaining You
“Steve! What’re you doing here?” she exclaimed, her beautiful blue eyes wide and large in surprise.
He was strangely startled to see her out of the standard sober trouser suit, dressed in comfortable loose khakis and an oversized T-shirt, her mass of curls tangled as if she had just gotten out of bed. Which she very might well have; it was nearly midnight.
The time had hardly been on his mind, however, when Steve had twisted in bed for the umpteenth time, wide awake and unable to rid his mind of the various thoughts running through it after the night at the pub.
Impulsively, he had decided to take a shot. A pretty wide shot but certainly worth the try, he had reasoned. There was simply no chance of getting a decent night’s sleep in the state he currently was - a state caused by his best friend’s heart-spoken revelations earlier this evening. So he had taken one glance at the clock, chancing Tessa had still not gone to bed, and dressed in a rush, practically running out of the door before his head caught up with his heart and forced him back on track.
And now he was here, standing outside her apartment door, chest heaving from exertion as if he’d run ten miles back and forth, hands clenching as he tried profoundly to find his courage. She had been so brave this night and he had yet to repay the sentiment. She deserved the truth. They both did. And fast - with her big, inquiring eyes directed at him Steve was quickly losing whatever nerve he’d jumped on.
“I didn’t wake you?” he heard himself ask shakily, inwardly groaning at the lame worry in his voice. Bad thing to say. Now he was certainly bound to ruin it; that’s what always happened when a sliver of his logical mind managed to up the wishes of his heart. Needless to say the two were fighting a constant battle whenever in the presence of his partner.
Tessa looked even more worried, starting to bite her lower lip before answering. “No. I couldn’t sleep.” It seemed like she wanted to add something, but lost the courage and instead opened the door further. “You coming in or staying on my doorstep all night?” There was humour, an attempt to lighten the mood her intuitive mind was surely breaking down and analysing until it reached the proper conclusion. They were similar in that way.
“Sure,” Steve breathed, stepping through the open doorway and into Tessa’s darkened apartment. Only the light above the aquarium was on, bathing the living room/kitchenette in a neon-blue light. Tessa turned on a lamp by the sofa and sat down, drawing her bare feet up beneath her as she once more looked up at where he stood rooted to the floor.
She didn’t say anything, just staring up at him beneath darkened lashes, her pale face lacking any of the make-up she normally wore. He found himself unable to draw his eyes away from her, transfixed by the picture she portrayed in front of him.
The continued silence where the aquarium’s tiny clucking was the only sound besides the blood Steve felt was roaring in his ears made him realise he was once more stalling and Tessa was quite prepared to wait it out. She had already asked the purpose of his visit. Normally it wouldn’t be strange - they always hung out together at the oddest time of the day - but the pub night’s revelations were still glaringly crystal clear inside his mind and Tessa knew it. He could see it on her face. Worry for his self-imposed silence, anticipation of what he would say once he managed to get a word out.
“Did you really mean it?” Steve thought he sounded oddly distant, estranged, as if it wasn’t really him that spoke the question. And yet he knew it was all him, if not a part that was never permitted to rear its head, quelled down and locked away into a corner of his mind by the systematic logic that said such notions were unreasonable nonsense.
It was written on her features that the question discomforted her and Tessa was slowly wrapping her arms around herself unconsciously. It was like another slap to his already fractured mind, but Steve forced himself around the bruised part. He needed to know. He really did.
“Yes,” Tessa replied hesitantly, looking away, voice soft and just barely above a mutter.
Steve felt his pulse quicken and his breath left him momentarily. That answered one of his questions at least. Just a couple more to, if agreeable, return sleep to him again.
He shifted on his feet, deciding against moving over to the sofa and settling beside her, sure the action would scare her even more than his current presence did. The blush on Tessa’s cheek gave away her vulnerability and shame that she didn’t have more control over the situation. Steve took a deep breath before continuing.
“Am I your best friend?” Steve asked slowly, half unable to look at her in case she said no, the other completely immersed in the way her blonde curls fell forward to hide half her face, barely touching the naked nape of her neck. How he wanted...
Tessa’s grip on her arms tightened and she looked pointedly away, causing more curls to bob forth and hide her eyes from view. If it hadn’t been for her soft-spoken, “Yes”, Steve would have stridden over and brushed the locks away so he could see her beautiful blue eyes again.
‘…She actually said yes.’ his mind noted in surprise, freezing his muscles as his heart gave a big lurch against his ribcage.
Now the air was tense in anticipation and a sense of fear. Both realised exactly where they stood, what had been exchanged between them, and what was left unspoken. Steve knew it was his call. Tessa had done her part; she had laid herself bare on his feet and revealed a secret that had the power to destroy her, and him. She had never expected honesty from him, had known what kind of man he was - a stickler for rules that was hard pressed to stick his neck out if the threat was professional suicide - and yet she had surprised him yet again, making him wonder how many layers Tessa Vance possessed. The partner, the best friend, the woman... She was each and everything. And Steve knew now, after hours of silent internal battle since the revelations, that he had carried the same worry as her: Was he missing his life’s opportunity sticking to his Golden Rule?
It was time to put things right, to shed the barrier between them; to surprise her like she turned his head so many times in sheer wonder..
Steve went over to the sofa, sitting down precariously on the edge of the coffee table, and reached out to brush the curls that had fascinated him for so many years away from her striking eyes.
Tessa’s eyes widened in alarm and she squirmed in an attempt to resist, but Steve cupped her cheek and held her face steady. Seated so close to her, he could feel the tension building up and knew this had to be resolved before Tessa got some misunderstood notion about his reason for doing this. The rumours and grapevine - yes, he’d heard it all over the years - spoke great tales of his female escapades, of his virility, but what he wanted wasn’t just the physical satisfaction. He needed the mental stability that had sorely lacked ever since he met the phenomenon Tessa Vance and knew there was only one who could offer it.
“I can’t help thinking I’m missing my life’s opportunity either,” Steve spoke softly, gently, but firmly. He wouldn’t let her misunderstand; he knew how hastily she could jump to conclusions occasionally when she felt out of her depth, like now.
Tessa’s eyes widened even further and Steve smiled quickly, stroking her soft cheek, all the while fighting the urge to push forward and capture her delicious lips before his courage dispersed. It wasn’t the physical Steve Hayden he wanted her to show, but the man behind the mask, the one that didn’t want to listen to reason and was locked away for the sake of his career and their friendship.
“I-I don’t...” Tessa breathed, swallowing before biting her lip again nervously. “I’m not sure...”
“I don’t think we should hold back, Tess,” Steve interrupted softly in a mutter, leaning just a tiny bit closer to give her an idea of what he wanted and at the same time offering her the opportunity to pull away. His heart hoped she wouldn’t. He wasn’t used to exposing himself like this; he doubted he would take it well if Tessa rejected him.
Steve hesitated when she didn’t speak, just staring at him in shock, lower lip stuck between her teeth. Had he done what she was mortified of doing? Ruining everything they had? There was no way back from this, no return to the normal routines and superficial sentiments they knew so well. They had taken a tentative step forward but had yet to put the foot down, still drenched in uncertainties, frozen in time and space. Was it a mistake? He didn’t know.
But the blonde curls teasing the back of his hand and the soft skin beneath his fingertips were reeling him in like a fish caught on the hook, pulling him forward until their noses were barely touching. He met her big blue eyes head on, willing the emotions clenching his stomach to shine through to her, to make her see he was completely honest with her. This wasn’t a sick joke or Steve’s need to satisfy his primal needs.
To make sure there would be no misunderstanding, Steve spoke up: “You’re not the only one falling for your best friends.”
That shook her and Tessa stared at him with uncertainty, her breathing hot and heavy, sending a shiver down his spine and groin as it met his skin.
“Am I your best friend?” she repeated the same question he had flung on her earlier slowly and hesitatingly, fear flashing across her features. Fear of his rejection? Possibly.
Steve couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “The best.”
And Tessa’s breath hitched, the heat intensifying between them until Steve could barely hold on to his control any longer, but then her now sore red lip escaped her teeth’s captivity and a tentative smile grazed her lips.
It broke his control.
Steve pushed forward and did what he had wanted to do for the past three years: capturing his partner and best friend’s delicious full lips, delighted when Tessa only hesitated for a second before melding into him, hands snaking around his neck and bringing him close enough to feel she wasn’t wearing a bra under that oversized T-shirt.
When Tessa pulled him roughly down on top of her, Steve was all too willing.
END