Third Watch, 12 Days of Christmas: Day 7: All I Want (2/2)
Bosco walked into the locker room, and peaked around the lockers to see if anyone was inside. He bent over to see if anyone was in the bathroom stalls. Relieved to find the room empty he hurried over to Faith's locker, and pulled a poorly wrapped gift out of his duffel bag. Looking around once more to make sure the coast was clear he set the gift on the bench in front of her locker.
Faith walked in a few moments later, not even noticing the gift at first. The gift she'd bought for Bosco was tucked safely in her bag, but one glance across the room confirmed that he'd beat here there for the second day in a row. If he kept it up, it was gonna be really difficult to leave him anymore Secret Santa gifts. "Early again? I'm impressed," she said lightly.
He looked up from where he sat in front of his locker, dressed in his uniform pants and wife beater. "As you should be," he informed her as he pulled his vest on over his head.
She chuckled and set her bag down, the wrapped package on the bench catching her eyes. She looked around again, then sat down on the bench, picking up the gift. Her name was on the tag, but this time there was an envelope attached. She pulled it off and opened it, reading the words.
He cautiously glanced her way before reaching into his locker for his turtleneck.
Faith didn't even notice him looking at her. "Faith--For your crib. From, your Secret Santa," she murmured.
Bosco stood up so he could tuck in his shirt. "Anything good?"
"I don't know." She grinned at the wrap job. "My Secret Santa's gotta be a guy, though."
"Why do you say that?"
"Cause it's a proven fact that women wrap presents better than men." She smirked as she started to open her gift.
"Oh, so someone did a study on it," he asked with a raised eyebrow.
She looked over at him. "Ask anyone." She winked, then finished tearing the paper off, her eyes widening a little as she looked down at the double picture frame. It was a wooden one with an adorable puppy dog figure at the bottom looking up at the glass. The letters at the top spelled out, "My Kids."
Bosco raised his eyebrows. "So what'd you get?"
She held the picture frame up for him to see. "Isn't it great? I've been tryin' to find a frame I liked for Em and Charlie's school picture this year. This is perfect."
He squinted as he looked over at the frame. "Yeah, but...you don't have a dog."
She rolled her eyes. "So? It's adorable."
Shrugging he then reached for his gunbelt. "Whatever you say."
She shook her head and carefully placed the frame in her locker before changing into her uniform. "I wonder who it is."
He put on his belt, and then moved over to the sink area. After getting his hands wet he tried to smooth down his hair. "Probably some dope like Sullivan."
"First of all, Sully's not a dope. And secondly, whoever got me this frame isn't either." There was the slightest hint of defensiveness to her tone.
Bosco bit his lip, and lowered his head so she couldn't see him in the mirror, so she couldn't see him smiling. "Whatever you say, Faith."
* * *
Faith hadn't been able to wipe the smile off her face during the entire shift so far. Between the thoughtful gift from her Secret Santa and her date with DK later, she was in a good mood. She didn't even mind that it was snowing again. Wasn't bothered by all the people rushing around to do their Christmas shopping, yelling and sniping at one another.
Bosco slouched in the driver's seat. "Pretty boring shift, huh?"
"Oh, I don't know. I think it's nice," she said cheerfully.
His eyes narrowed, and he rolled his head to the side to look at her. "What's with you?"
She glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
"Hello Mary Sunshine."
Faith raised her eyebrows. "So I'm in a good mood. Your point?"
"No point."
She shrugged slightly. "I just think it's been a good day so far."
"For you maybe," he mumbled softly.
Her smile slipped a little. "What's wrong?"
"Nothin'. I'm just bored I guess."
"Sorry I'm not entertaining enough for you," she said, slightly hurt by his tone. She looked out the window.
Bosco let out a breath. "I didn't mean that you were boring me."
She was quiet for a moment. "So have you thought anymore about callin' Nicole?" Her voice was soft.
"I was thinkin' I might call her when we're on meal," he told her, his voice just as soft as he gazed out the windshield.
Faith glanced over at him, unsure of what to say.
He closed his eyes. "So...lookin' forward to your date?"
"Yeah, I guess so. It's kinda weird."
"What is," he asked as he turned to look at her.
"Me. Dating. It's weird."
"Yeah, it kinda is."
A lopsided smile formed on her lips. "Gee, Boz. Thanks."
"Well, it is," he told her softly. "It's usually me talkin' about my dates, and you tryin' to keep track of who I'm talking about. Now it's the other way around."
"I haven't even had one date yet."
"You had lunch with DK the other day," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but it wasn't like a real date. I paid for my lunch, he paid for his. It was just like...two people havin' lunch. Like you and me every day."
"Sure, but it's not like you and DK were great friends before that."
Her eyebrows furrowed at the edge to his voice. He almost sounded annoyed. "I thought you liked DK."
"I do like DK. I never said I didn't."
"Okay, now you're gettin' defensive."
"No I'm not. I'm just sayin'..."
"That I've agreed to dates with two different guys in a week and am therefore a slut?"
"Whoa!" He shook his head. "I -never- said that!"
She looked out the passenger side window. "This was a bad idea."
Bosco stared down at the steering wheel. "I never said you were a slut," he whispered. "It's just...weird, like you said." He paused for a moment. "I'm happy for you Faith, really."
"Fred's getting married." Her voice was quiet.
He turned to look at her. "What?"
She let out a slow breath. "He's getting remarried. In February."
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Is there somethin' wrong with me?" Faith shifted her gaze to look at him, uncertainty in her eyes.
He gave her a confused look. "Whadda ya mean?"
"I mean...we've been divorced..not even a whole year yet and Fred's ready to get hitched again, and me...I'm so nervous about goin' out with DK for a drink tonight I feel like I could puke."
Bosco gave her a small smile. "There's nothing wrong with you, Faith," he told her softly. "It can't be easy to start dating again after what you went through."
"Well, apparently it wasn't hard for Fred." She looked out her window.
"Hey, look at me."
She drew in a breath and shifted her gaze to his once more, remaining silent.
"He's the one who hurt you," he whispered. "It was gonna take time to heal from that."
She managed a small smile. "Thanks, Boz. I don't know what I'd do without ya."
"And this date tonight...just be yourself, and you'll be fine."
Faith's eyes were full of warmth. "Who'd have thought you'd end up my dating coach, huh?"
"Weird, huh?"
"Very. But I couldn't ask for a better coach." She winked.
"Well, I was pretty big on the dating scene for a while," he told her with a small grin.
"For awhile? Please. Any single woman within a thirty mile radius is naturally drawn to your stunning good looks and charm."
"You tryin' to inflate my ego?"
"Is it workin'?"
He nodded his head. "Absolutely."
She grinned. "Then my job is done."
"Sorry 'bout before."
"Don't worry about it."
"So...you and DK, you're goin' for drinks?"
"Yeah. Haggerty's."
"Well I hope you guys have a good time."
For a second, she was almost sure she saw a hint of sadness in her eyes, but it disappeared quickly and she dismissed the idea. "Thanks." She shifted her gaze to the window again. "I can't wait to find out who my Secret Santa is."
"You got any ideas who it is?"
"No, not really. But I figure it's gotta be somebody I've talked to at least a few times if they know I got two kids. And that scarf matches my coat perfectly."
"Maybe it's Gusler," he suggested.
"Gusler?" She almost laughed. "Yeah, right."
"Why not?" He looked at her. "You know he likes you. Considers you a friend and all."
"No...he just doesn't seem the type." She tilted her head to the side a little, thinking.
He shrugged. "I don't see Sully puttin' that much thought into gifts. Maybe it's Davis. He's got pretty good taste."
She looked thoughtful. "Yeah, maybe." A small smile touched her lips and she had to look away.
"I really gotta go shopping."
"You even leavin' presents for whoever you're playing Secret Santa for?"
He shook his head. "Haven't gotten around to gettin' anything yet. I'm thinking I'm gonna end up just gettin' 'em something big on the last day."
"Who'd you draw anyway?" she asked curiously.
Bosco turned to look at her. "Aren't you the one who said it was supposed to be a secret?"
"Yeah, yeah. You're right. Guess I was just curious."
"You really want me to tell you?"
A smile quirked her lips. "If you want to. No pressure."
"Kowalsky," he mumbled unenthusiastically.
A small chuckle escaped her lips. "Oh, lucky you."
"Yeah tell me about it. What the hell do you get a guy like that?"
She shrugged. "I have no idea."
"Exactly." He leaned his head back. "I'll probably just end up gettin' him one of those big Christmas tins with the three different kinds of popcorn in it."
"Well, that's better than a Pez dispenser," she said pointedly.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Hey, it was a snowman Pez dispenser."
Faith chuckled. "Boz, it didn't even have -candy- in it!"
"I didn't know that until -after- I bought it."
"I still say you ate the Pez before you made it to the precinct."
"Oh come on," he chuckled. "I'm not -that- bad." He noticed the look she gave him. "Okay, maybe I am sometimes."
She grinned. "Well, that's okay. I love ya anyway." She winked at him, then turned to look out her window.
Bosco gazed at her for a moment, his eyes soft.
"So what do you think about gettin' somethin' to eat? I'm starving."
He nodded his head. "Yeah, that sounds good. Where you wanna go?"
"Hmm...what about that deli over on Center Street? We haven't been there for awhile."
"Sure." He turned the headlights on, put the car in gear, and pulled out into the street when the lane was clear. "I could go for one of their meatball subs."
Faith smiled and glanced over at him. Grateful for his steady, unwavering presence in her life. She hoped one day she would be able to actually tell him how much he meant to her.
* * *
Faith stepped out from behind the row of lockers, glancing down at her attire uncertainly. She was wearing a soft, fuzzy red sweater and a pair of nice dress slacks. Her hair fell to her shoulders, framing her face gently. "I feel overdressed. What do you think, Boz?"
He looked at her as he fastened his jeans. His eyes moved from her head down to her toes, and then back up. "You look fine."
"Just fine?" She frowned slightly, then shook her head, forcing herself to take a deep breath.
"Well no. I mean...you look -great-."
She glanced over at him with uncertainty that disappeared when she met his eyes. She smiled. "Thanks." She shifted her eyes to the floor by his locker. "Hey, looks like someone's been good this year." She nodded toward the small gift-wrapped package.
His eyebrows furrowed as he looked down. "How the hell did I not see that before?"
She almost chuckled. "Because you're going blind?" she teased.
"Maybe." He sat down on the bench, and bent over to pick up the gift. "Merry Christmas, Boscorelli," he read from the tag.
Faith smiled faintly before turning back to her locker and pulling her jacket out.
Bosco stared at the package for a moment before carefully pulling the wrapping paper off the box, and setting it aside. He opened the lid, and pulled out a blue Knicks hat. Immediately he put the box down, and went to work bending the bill of the hat just right before putting it on. "Hey Faith, check this out."
She glanced over, grinning as she saw him wearing the hat. "You look very cute."
"Cute, huh?"
"Yeah." Her cheeks flushed slightly. "It's a nice hat."
He took the hat off, and looked at it. "Yeah, it is."
She smiled. "See ya tomorrow?"
Bosco pressed his lips together, and nodded his head. "Have a good time tonight."
"Thanks. Take it easy." Her hand rested on his shoulder momentarily before she turned and left the locker room.
He watched her leave, a somber expression on his face. Sighing softly he put his new hat back on before grabbing his jacket, and heading for the door.
* * *
Faith took a sip of her strawberry wine cooler and glanced across the small table at DK. They'd been at Haggerty's for nearly forty-five minutes, and while they were getting along great, she just wasn't feeling any chemistry between them.
DK ran his thumb over the label on his beer bottle as he gazed at Faith. "You want somethin' to eat," he asked softly.
"No, but thanks." She smiled faintly at him. She shifted her gaze to the bar where she and Bosco had sat a couple nights before. She wondered what he was up to.
"You wanna go for a walk? Check out some of the Christmas lights in the park?"
What she really wanted was to go check up on her partner. She was quiet for a moment. "Can I get a raincheck on that?" Her voice was soft. "My daughter was sick last night and I'd like to go see how she's doin'."
"Oh, yeah of course. Sorry to hear she was sick." DK stood up, and walked around to Faith's side of the table.
Faith managed another faint smile, feeling guilty for lying to him. She stood up. "Thanks for the drink. It was nice to hang out with you."
DK smiled, and leaned in to kiss her.
She was completely caught off guard by the gesture, but she closed her eyes for a second as their lips met. Then she pulled away.
He sighed softly. "Sorry," he whispered.
There was a sad smile on her face. "I like you. You're a really great guy, and I hope we can hang out sometime. But..." Her voice trailed off.
"I know." He nodded his head, and then placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "You need a ride?"
"No. But thank you. I really did have a nice time tonight."
"Me too. We'll definitely have to do this again some time."
She smiled. "I'd like that. Take care, DK." She kissed his cheek and headed for the door.
DK smiled as she walked away. Faith really was a great woman. It was too bad it didn't work out between them.
* * *
Faith shifted the sacks of food from Maluchi's to her right hand and reached up to knock on the door softly. No way would he be asleep yet. She knew her partner and he was a night owl.
Bosco set down the remote control, but not his beer as he got off the sofa. He walked over to the door, slowly unlocked it, then pulled it open.
She smiled at him. "Hey."
He quickly shifted to the right, setting his beer down on the bookshelf near the door. Not wanting her to see it, but not sure why. "Hi. What's up?"
"I come bearing food. You hungry?" She held up the sacks, still smiling.
"Oh, Maluchi's." He pulled the door open wider so she could come in.
Faith stepped inside and set the bags down on his table.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "So uh, your date end early?"
"You could say that."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Did somethin' happen?"
She shook her head as she started unloading the bags of food. "I got lasagna, fettuccini alfredo, and ravioli."
"That sounds great. Let me just uh...clean up a little, and then I'll get some plates."
"Sounds like a plan." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before pulling out one of the kitchen chairs and sitting down, leaning back in it and propping her feet up on the seat across from her.
Bosco went into the living room, and picked up the beer cans that were on the coffee table. He then grabbed the one he'd just put on the bookshelf. "You want something to drink," he asked as he walked past.
"Got any Sprite?"
"Yeah, I think so." He dumped the empty beer cans in the garbage before going over to the refrigerator.
She'd barely had eye contact with him, but she could sense that his depressed mood had returned once more. She bit her lip, worried.
He pulled out a can of Sprite for Faith, and a Pepsi for himself. After setting them on the table he went to get forks and plates. "Here you go," he said softly as he reached over her, setting a plate in front of her before moving to the other side of the table.
She gazed at him after murmuring a thank you.
"So was the date okay?"
Faith offered him a half-smile. "Well. Yeah, I guess. DK's a nice guy, but...there wasn't anything there."
He nodded his head as he grabbed one of the containers covered in aluminum foil. "That's too bad," he said softly. "But you've got that date with Dan comin' up."
"Yeah. I think I might cancel it."
"What?" He looked up at her. "Why?"
She shrugged and dished out some fettuccini on her plate. "Cause apparently I'm only drawn to either jerks like Fred, or guys who are unattainable like--" She stopped abruptly before the word 'you' came out of her mouth.
"Come on, Faith. No man is unattainable for someone like you." He stood up, and went to get a knife to cut the lasagna.
She almost laughed at the irony of his statement. Instead she shook her head. "So Christmas is only a couple days away. What are you doin'?"
He shrugged. "Not sure yet. Probably goin' to ma's for dinner."
"Oh." Her voice was soft as she nodded. "Well, that'll be fun."
"Yeah," he whispered. Bosco sat back down, and worked on cutting himself a piece of lasagna. "What are you doin'?"
"I'm actually thinkin' about signin' up to work."
His eyebrows furrowed. "Why would you do that?"
She didn't look at him. "Fred's takin' the kids to Jersey to spend the holiday with his new fiancee' and his parents, so..." She shrugged, taking a sip of her Sprite. "Not like I have a family to spend it with anyway. Might as well be makin' money, right?"
Bosco let out a breath. "I guess."
They fell silent as they ate. She only took a few bites of her fettuccini before pushing the plate aside. "You can keep the rest of the food. I think I'm gonna head home."
He looked up at her. "But...you just got here."
"Yeah, well...you should probably get some sleep. You look tired, Boz."
"I do?"
"Yeah." She nodded slightly, feeling a tug of sadness at her heart. "Catch ya tomorrow?"
He closed his eyes, and nodded his head. "Of course."
She rose to her feet and headed for the door, grabbing her jacket off the coat rack. "Have a good night, Boz." Her voice was soft.
He watched her walk toward the door. "Hey, you wanna spend the night?"
Faith paused in her steps, then turned around to face him. "What?"
"I was just wondering if you wanted to stay here tonight." He paused, trying to figure out what would be a good reason for her to stay. "It's uh...kinda late."
She glanced at her watch. It was just after 12:30. Not really all that late considering the hours they generally kept at work. But she didn't feel like going home to her cold, empty apartment and spending the night by herself. She didn't feel like being alone. "Yeah, I guess it is kinda late."
He smiled softly. "You can take my room. I'll sleep on the couch."
She remembered the warmth, the comfort she'd felt when she'd woken with his arm draped around her. She wanted to feel that way again. "What? I have cooties all of a sudden?" Her voice was light.
Bosco smiled softly, and shook his head. "No," he chuckled. "It's just...my bed's not as big as yours."
She shrugged, smiling faintly. "Doesn't bother me. I don't wanna kick you outta your own bed."
He bit his lip, contemplating whether he should give in right away or be stubborn, and offer to sleep on the couch again.
Faith shifted uncomfortably, wondering if she'd pushed too much. She should have just volunteered to take the sofa.
"You don't mind sharin' again?"
"I don't mind if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all." He cringed slightly, hoping he didn't sound too eager.
Faith smiled, relaxing. "Uh...I don't have anything to sleep in."
"That's no problem. You can borrow some of my sweats or somethin'."
"That'd be great, Boz. Thanks."
"Are you tired?"
"A little."
"I'll find you somethin' to wear." He pushed his chair away from the table, and stood up.
She nodded and followed him down the hallway, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Bosco pulled open his top drawer, and found a pair of flannel pajama bottoms as well as a pair of sweats. He turned around, and held them both up for her to decide.
"Flannel is good." She smiled.
He tossed them over to her softly before turning and shoving the the sweats back in his dresser. Bosco then pulled open the second drawer. "T-shirt or sweatshirt?"
"Um...t-shirt." She turned the other way as she started to change into the flannel pajama bottoms.
After finding a t-shirt he shut the drawer, and turned toward her. "Oh shoot, sorry. I didn't know you were..."
"Oh, it's okay." She shrugged it off. "It's not like I haven't changed in front of you like a billion times." She pulled the pants on.
"Yeah. I know it's just...well you aren't usually changing in my bedroom."
Faith paused at his words. "Yeah, you've got a point there. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable." Her voice was soft, apologetic.
"No, it's okay. I'm not uncomfortable."
She gazed at him for a moment, then grabbed the t-shirt off his bed. "I'll...go into the bathroom." She offered him a small smile.
"You don't have to. It's okay."
"So now you want me to undress in front of you?" she teased.
Bosco's face flushed slightly.
"Relax, Boz. I was kidding."
"Right." He nodded his head. "I know."
She smiled. "You know, you're really cute when you're flustered," she said lightly as she headed to the bathroom.
"Who said I was flustered?"
Faith chuckled as she changed out of her sweater and into his New York Knicks t-shirt. "Just a hunch." She ran her fingers through her hair as she glanced in the mirror, her gaze dropping to the bottom of the shirt. It left nearly two inches of her skin exposed and she shook her head in amusement. "Hey, Boz? You didn't by any chance throw this shirt in the dryer, did ya?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. Why?"
"Uh...cause it's cotton. Cotton shrinks in the dryer." She stepped out of the bathroom and walked back into his room.
His eyes widened slightly as he took in her appearance. "Oh."
She chuckled at the expression on his face. "Are you ready for bed?"
"Um, sure. In a minute. I'm just gonna go clean up the kitchen a little."
"Okay. Well, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go ahead, and..." She motioned to the bed.
"Oh, no problem. Make yourself at home." He smiled softly.
She returned his smile before climbing into his bed and slipping under the covers.
Bosco headed into the kitchen to clean up the food. There was a smile on his face as he was feeling much better than he had been earlier. It was amazing how Faith being around could lift his spirits.
She lay awake gazing out his bedroom window, feeling more relaxed than she had been since...well, the night before when he'd slept over at her apartment. A few minutes later she heard his soft footsteps coming down the hallway and a smile touched her lips.
He tiptoed into the room. "You still awake," he asked in a whisper.
"Yep." She turned over in bed so she was facing him.
Bosco started to take off his belt. "Thanks for coming over," he said softly.
"Thanks for askin' me to stay."
He pulled off his belt, then started on his jeans. "I like havin' you here," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
She gazed at him in the semi-darkness of the room, touched by his soft confession. "Boz?"
"Yeah?"
She was quiet for a moment. "Are you really goin' to your mom's for Christmas?"
"I'll probably be there for dinner. Why?"
"Well, I was just thinkin' since techinically neither of us has to work Christmas Eve or Christmas Day..." Her voice trailed off and she suddenly felt stupid for even thinking what she was thinking.
He stepped a little closer to the bed, his jeans hanging off his hips. "What were you thinking?"
"Nothing."
"Faith."
She sighed softly. "I thought...I don't know...maybe we could spend it together."
"That's great idea."
"No, it's not." She smiled faintly. "You have family, Boz. You should spend it with them."
"Well you can come with me to ma's. She'd love to have you. She always makes plenty of food."
"No, I don't wanna impose like that. That's your time with your mother."
"Okay, so we could at least spend Christmas Eve together," he suggested.
"Yeah. Sure." She closed her eyes, tucking her hand under the pillow beneath her head.
Bosco pulled off his shirt, and tossed it in the corner. "Was that a 'it sounds great yeah' or a 'fine whatever yeah'," he asked, unable to read her expression in the dimly lit room.
"The first one." Her voice was soft.
"Okay. I was just checkin'. We'll have a good time." He sat down on the edge of the bed to take his pants off.
Faith opened her eyes, gazing at him wordlessly.
He kicked his jeans toward the corner, and turned to crawl into bed when he stopped. Thinking about all the beer he'd been drinking before she came over he wondered if he needed to shower before going to bed.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, I was just thinking I probably need to shower," he told her softly.
"Oh."
He swallowed hard, and looked down. "I was drinking tonight," he whispered.
"So was I."
"Yeah, but...I think I hit it a little harder than you."
She looked at him. "What's got you so sad these days, Boz?" Her voice was very soft.
Bosco sighed heavily. "Faith...I think I'm..."
"What?" She propped herself up on her elbows to look at him better, worried.
"I'm lonely," he whispered nearly inaudibly, not looking at her.
"Come here," she whispered back, just barely hearing his words.
He shook his head. "It's okay. I'm fine."
"Boz, please."
He let out a breath, and laid down beside her.
She slid an arm around him, shifting close to him. She rested her cheek against his, closing her eyes.
"I don't know what's goin' on with me...why this is happening."
She kissed his cheek lightly, rubbing his back. It felt good to be so close to him. She could feel the warmth radiating from his skin. "It's okay," she whispered.
Bosco closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths.
"It's okay, Boz," she murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth lightly, not even thinking about her actions.
"I used to like bein' alone, ya know?"
She nodded against him, lifting a hand to touch his cheek, pulling away a little so she could gaze at him.
"It was always easier," he whispered. "But for some reason, now...especially with Christmas and stuff..."
"You're not alone," she whispered, gently moving her thumb over his skin.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Thanks."
Faith leaned forward, pressed a soft kiss to his forehead as her hand lingered against his cheek. She gazed at him again, their faces only inches apart. "Anytime," she whispered.
He reached out, and rested his hand on her hip. "You always know what I need."
"Well, we been best friends a long time," she said softly, swallowing hard as his fingers brushed against her bare skin.
"Yeah." He nodded against the pillow. "Best friends."
She fell silent, simply gazing at him in the semi-darkness.
Bosco gave her a small smile as he gazed back at her. He always hated sharing his feelings, and talking about the things that were bothering him. But he had to remember that Faith was always there to talk to. She was always willing to help.
Faith kissed the corner of his mouth again gently, closing her eyes.
"What are you doin'," he asked very softly, sliding his arm around her waist.
"I don't know," she said just as softly, shifting a little closer to him.
"You're not doin' this just cause I was a little upset are you?"
"No. It feels good to...be this close to you." Her voice was nearly inaudible and part of her hoped he hadn't heard her.
"You do," he asked in a whisper, more than a little surprised.
She nodded wordlessly, leaning her head against his as she exhaled slowly.
"I like this, too."
"Bosco?"
"Hmmm?"
"Will you kiss me?" she whispered.
Instead of answering with words he tilted his head a little so he could place a soft kiss on her lips.
Faith returned the gentle pressure without hesitation, her hand still resting against his cheek.
He pulled away a moment later, and gazed at her. There was a mixture of surprise, and uncertainty on his face.
She opened her eyes and gazed back at him, their eyes meeting instantly.
"We uh...we just kissed."
"Yeah. We did." Her voice was soft.
"So, what happens now," he asked in a whisper.
She was quiet for a moment. "I have a confession to make," she whispered back.
"What is it?"
A small smile tugged at her lips. "You know your Secret Santa?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"You're lookin' at her."
"Funny Faith."
"I'm serious."
He gazed at her for a moment, studying her face. "Really?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah, really."
"You figured out who yours is yet?"
"No, I..." She stared at him. "No way."
Bosco smiled. "Way."
Her mouth dropped open. "Are you kiddin' me?"
"Do you think I'd kid about something as sacred as the Secret Santa gift exchange?"
A chuckle escaped her lips. "You mean out of everybody in the -entire- 55th precinct...we drew each other's names?"
"Yeah." He began to slowly rub her back. "I think it worked out pretty good for us."
Her eyes softened as she gazed at him. "Do you remember a few days ago when we were on our break and you asked me what I was lookin' for and I said I didn't know?"
"You mean when you were lookin' in the store windows?"
"Yeah."
He nodded his head, a questioning look on his face.
"I was lookin' in the wrong place," she whispered. She touched his cheek again. "I'm not anymore."
"You mean..."
Faith brushed her lips over his, answering his question silently as her eyes drifted shut.
As they kissed he carefully shifted a little closer to her.
"Haven't you figured it out yet, Boz?" Her voice was very soft as she kissed the corner of his mouth.
"Figured what out?"
She smiled softly. "All I want for Christmas is you."