Numb3rs fic: "Tonight" (Terry, Don, could be read D/T. PG)
Title: Tonight
Characters/Pairing: Terry, Don (can be read as Don/Terry), OMC
Rating: PG
Summary: He tells her on a Sunday.
Word Count: 725
Spoilers: none
Prompt: 22 at the numb3rswom3n fic challenge: "Life kissed her however it could." - Vanna Bonta
Notes/Warnings: Unbetaed, technically speaking, but thanks to elysium1996 for reading through the first draft. Some religious content, because I've always been intrigued by the cross Terry wore. Title and cut tag from Not Alone by Patty Griffin.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor do I profit from their use here. This is only for fun.
He tells her on a Sunday. Takes her out for lunch so he can do it in public, the coward, and she's tempted to hit him anyway.
"I just think it's for the best," he says. She asks if he wants to split the check. He shakes his head. Looks sad.
That night she goes to church for the first time in a long time. She sits in the back, dark and private, until she has to stand in line under the lights and God and everybody. She takes the wafer amen dips it in the wine amen puts it on her tongue and crosses herself. Brings her hand to her lips, presses a kiss to her fingers. Automatic.
She thinks she was supposed to go to confession first, but it's been awhile. She can't remember.
**
At work on Monday her co-worker LaShonda asks if she's sick. She shrugs. "I don't think so," she tells her.
"You look miserable," LaShonda says. She's not really a very good people person, Terry's noticed.
That afternoon their boss announces that he's transferring across the country. He's been promoted. She congratulates him while they get coffee together.
"You should come with me," he says, grinning. "You're a hell of an agent, Lake. I could make some arrangements."
She knows he's joking, but she considers it for a minute. "Really?" she asks.
"Yeah," he says. A pause. "Are you okay?"
**
She calls Don on Friday, a week after she's moved into her new apartment. "Hey," she says.
"Terry!" he says. He sounds happy. "How are you?"
"Ah," she says. "I'm great. How are you?"
"I'm... Are you sure you're okay?" Concerned now, and she wonders if she really was even trying to fool him.
"I'm in San Francisco," she tells him.
"Business or pleasure?" he asks, his voice dropping into a more comfortable, teasing tone.
"Well. I transferred here, so business, I guess?" She's half-finished decorating her place, and she has a little notepad next to the phone. She doodles a flower.
"You mean you moved? To San Francisco?" He's surprised.
"Right," she says. She draws a stem. Little triangles for thorns. Don sounds like he's thinking, and he sounds hesitant when he speaks again.
"With Steve?"
Her pencil slashes through the picture and she scribbles it out. Starts a new one. "No," she says. "By myself."
"I'm sorry, Terry."
She wants to say, "It's okay," but she can't so she just says, "Yeah." Then adds, "Thanks."
"So why San Francisco? You pick that?"
She fills in a Little Dipper of stars above her flowers. "My supervisor was transferring. He asked me to come along." She laughs. "Any other week I would have said no."
"I'm sorry," he says again. They breathe together for a few moments while she draws a woman's face.
"So, I was thinking of visiting sometime, now that I'm in the state. Maybe not for awhile, you know, because I need to put in some time here before I'll get a vacation, but... In a couple of months."
"Actually." He clears his throat and her heart speeds up. He wouldn't say no, would he? He wouldn't. "I'm flying to Sacramento in two weeks. I could rent a car and drive down, fly home out of SFO."
Her pencil stops. "Really? I mean, only if you want to, I didn't mean to--"
"Of course," he laughs. "Of course I want to. Here, give me your address."
**
He comes on a Saturday. He's gotten a haircut, she notices. A few more lines around his eyes. They crinkle when he grins at her, and then she can't see because he's pulled her into a hug, her face pressed against his shirt. She breathes him in. Tries not to cry.
"Hey, Terry," he murmurs. After a minute he pulls back, holds her shoulders while he stares down at her. Studying. "You look good."
"Thanks," she says. "You too."
He grins, leans down. Kisses her lightly.
**
Sunday morning she comes home from church to find him still laid out asleep on her couch. He wakes up when she perches on the edge. Pulls her down to lie down next to him, wraps an arm around her waist. She turns on the TV. Watches the sideways picture while his breaths even out against her hair.
They fall asleep like that.
Characters/Pairing: Terry, Don (can be read as Don/Terry), OMC
Rating: PG
Summary: He tells her on a Sunday.
Word Count: 725
Spoilers: none
Prompt: 22 at the numb3rswom3n fic challenge: "Life kissed her however it could." - Vanna Bonta
Notes/Warnings: Unbetaed, technically speaking, but thanks to elysium1996 for reading through the first draft. Some religious content, because I've always been intrigued by the cross Terry wore. Title and cut tag from Not Alone by Patty Griffin.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor do I profit from their use here. This is only for fun.
He tells her on a Sunday. Takes her out for lunch so he can do it in public, the coward, and she's tempted to hit him anyway.
"I just think it's for the best," he says. She asks if he wants to split the check. He shakes his head. Looks sad.
That night she goes to church for the first time in a long time. She sits in the back, dark and private, until she has to stand in line under the lights and God and everybody. She takes the wafer amen dips it in the wine amen puts it on her tongue and crosses herself. Brings her hand to her lips, presses a kiss to her fingers. Automatic.
She thinks she was supposed to go to confession first, but it's been awhile. She can't remember.
**
At work on Monday her co-worker LaShonda asks if she's sick. She shrugs. "I don't think so," she tells her.
"You look miserable," LaShonda says. She's not really a very good people person, Terry's noticed.
That afternoon their boss announces that he's transferring across the country. He's been promoted. She congratulates him while they get coffee together.
"You should come with me," he says, grinning. "You're a hell of an agent, Lake. I could make some arrangements."
She knows he's joking, but she considers it for a minute. "Really?" she asks.
"Yeah," he says. A pause. "Are you okay?"
**
She calls Don on Friday, a week after she's moved into her new apartment. "Hey," she says.
"Terry!" he says. He sounds happy. "How are you?"
"Ah," she says. "I'm great. How are you?"
"I'm... Are you sure you're okay?" Concerned now, and she wonders if she really was even trying to fool him.
"I'm in San Francisco," she tells him.
"Business or pleasure?" he asks, his voice dropping into a more comfortable, teasing tone.
"Well. I transferred here, so business, I guess?" She's half-finished decorating her place, and she has a little notepad next to the phone. She doodles a flower.
"You mean you moved? To San Francisco?" He's surprised.
"Right," she says. She draws a stem. Little triangles for thorns. Don sounds like he's thinking, and he sounds hesitant when he speaks again.
"With Steve?"
Her pencil slashes through the picture and she scribbles it out. Starts a new one. "No," she says. "By myself."
"I'm sorry, Terry."
She wants to say, "It's okay," but she can't so she just says, "Yeah." Then adds, "Thanks."
"So why San Francisco? You pick that?"
She fills in a Little Dipper of stars above her flowers. "My supervisor was transferring. He asked me to come along." She laughs. "Any other week I would have said no."
"I'm sorry," he says again. They breathe together for a few moments while she draws a woman's face.
"So, I was thinking of visiting sometime, now that I'm in the state. Maybe not for awhile, you know, because I need to put in some time here before I'll get a vacation, but... In a couple of months."
"Actually." He clears his throat and her heart speeds up. He wouldn't say no, would he? He wouldn't. "I'm flying to Sacramento in two weeks. I could rent a car and drive down, fly home out of SFO."
Her pencil stops. "Really? I mean, only if you want to, I didn't mean to--"
"Of course," he laughs. "Of course I want to. Here, give me your address."
**
He comes on a Saturday. He's gotten a haircut, she notices. A few more lines around his eyes. They crinkle when he grins at her, and then she can't see because he's pulled her into a hug, her face pressed against his shirt. She breathes him in. Tries not to cry.
"Hey, Terry," he murmurs. After a minute he pulls back, holds her shoulders while he stares down at her. Studying. "You look good."
"Thanks," she says. "You too."
He grins, leans down. Kisses her lightly.
**
Sunday morning she comes home from church to find him still laid out asleep on her couch. He wakes up when she perches on the edge. Pulls her down to lie down next to him, wraps an arm around her waist. She turns on the TV. Watches the sideways picture while his breaths even out against her hair.
They fall asleep like that.