Third Watch, 12 Days of Christmas 2004: Day 8: Christmas Time in the City (1/1)
Title: The 12 Days of Christmas, 2004. Story 8: Christmas Time in the City
Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian
Emails: mauriceboscorelli@yahoo.com and faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not ours.
Spoilers: Some of season 6
Category: Fluff...total fluff
Pairing: B/F of course
Rating: PG
Bosco knocked on Faith's door then took a step back, and blew into his hands before rubbing them together to try and restore some warmth. He'd walked from his apartment and it had started to snow when he was halfway to her place. He didn't mind the cold though, not anymore. Now he welcomed the feel of the cold and then the return of the warmth to his body.
She had been almost asleep on the sofa when she'd heard the knock on her door. Groaning, she opened her eyes, looking at the clock. It wasn't even eight. She'd simply collapsed after work and hadn't gotten up. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly convinced herself to stand up, and practically dragged herself to the door. Not bothering to check and see who it was first, she unlocked it and pulled it open.
There was a wide smile on his face. "Hey," he greeted her cheerfully.
She squinted. "Bosco?"
"Did I wake you?"
She shrugged. "I was just dozing."
He blew on his hands once more and sniffled a little as his face grew warmer from being inside. "I was just on my way by. Thought I'd stop in and see if you wanted to join me for a walk."
Faith yawned and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sure. Let me change real quick. Come on in."
"Thanks." He pulled off his stocking cap as he stepped inside. "Is Emily here?"
"No, she's spendin' the evenin' with Fred and Charlie."
"Oh." He sighed. "I was gonna ask her what she wanted for Christmas. You two are the only ones I haven't managed to get anything for yet."
"You don't need to worry about us. We're good." She headed down the hall. "Make yourself comfortable."
"I like getting you guys gifts," he said as he moved toward the sofa, making sure he spoke loud enough so she could hear. "Besides, this year...this year I wanna get you guys somethin' real special, ya know?"
"That's sweet, but it's really not necessary." Her voice was quiet as she headed into her bedroom.
"You realize it doesn't matter what you say, I'm still gettin' you somethin'."
A smile tugged at her lips. "I figured."
He sat down on the sofa and unzipped his jacket as he leaned back against the cushions. "It's snowin' out," he informed her. "You might wanna dress appropriately. I think it's gettin' colder."
"Really? It's snowin'? I didn't think it was supposed to snow til next week." She pulled a fuzzy red sweater over her head.
"Yeah, well you know how accurate the weatherman on channel two is."
She chuckled. "Jelly could predict the weather better."
Bosco grinned. "Once I get used to the different aches and pains I think I'm gonna be able to predict it pretty well. My joints were pretty stiff late last night and then when I woke up this morning."
Faith was silent for a moment as she finished getting dressed, then moved down the hall. She gazed at him from the doorway of the living room.
"Hey, you haven't put the star on top of your tree yet," he observed.
"No," she said softly. "I haven't."
He looked over at her. "Tree looks good, but it needs a star."
She managed a faint smile. "You wanna put it up?"
"Sure." He stood up and headed over to the tree. Before picking up the star he turned to look at her again, biting his lip. "Or uh...was there a reason it wasn't up yet? I mean if you didn't want it up..."
"No, I just...hadn't gotten around to it."
"Are you sure it's okay if I put it up?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Bosco shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't wanna mess up any tradition you and Emily might be startin'."
"No, not at all," she said softly.
He smiled at her then picked up the large star. Pulling a chair over toward the tree he stepped up on it and stretched to put the star on top of the tree.
"So, how ya doin', Bosco?"
"I'm doin' good," he told her quietly. "I'm lookin' forward to the holidays."
"Good, that's good to hear." She gazed at him, her eyes soft.
"I feel pretty good, Faith," he said very softly as he met her gaze.
Nodding slightly, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She watched him place the star on the top of her tree, then climb down off the chair.
After moving the chair back where he got it he looked at the tree. "There. That's better don't you think?"
"Yeah, much." She wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze still on him.
With a satisfied smile on his face he nodded his head. "It almost looks like a whole different tree."
She smiled, this time a real smile. "Thanks."
He looked over at her. "No problem."
Faith held his gaze for a moment. "So...we goin' for a walk?"
"Yup. As long as you can handle it," he said with a smirk.
She smirked back. "If I can handle you, I can handle anything."
"Oh really," he chuckled, his eyes bright.
"That's right."
"Get your jacket," he told her, pointing toward the closet. "Then we'll see if you can really handle goin' for a walk with me."
Rolling her eyes, she moved to the closet, grabbed her coat and shrugged into it. "You sure that coat's enough for you?"
"Yeah, it's fine." He zipped up his coat. "I kinda like feelin' a little cold."
A chuckle escaped her. "Since when?"
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Oh you know, just...just lately."
The smile left her face and she chided herself internally. "Right...sorry."
"Don't apologize," he told her softly. "It's okay."
Faith swallowed hard, nodding as she turned to head for the door. "Come on."
"Hey," he called after her as he followed. "It's no big deal, Faith. I mean...it is kinda strange."
She paused in her steps. "It's just...I remember when you used to bitch about havin' to get outta the squad cause the car was nice and warm." Her voice was very soft.
"Yeah." There was a smile on his face. "I remember that too, but now..." He took a breath. "Well like just a little while ago. I was cold and then I came inside and I got warm. I guess I just like feeling that. Knowing that everything still works or something."
Tears threatened to fall and she quickly turned and wrapped her arms around him wordlessly.
He returned the embrace, and rubbed her back gently. "It's good feelin' this too," he whispered.
"Yeah," she whispered back, closing her eyes. It definitely was.
"Come on. Let's go feel the cold together."
Nodding in agreement, she slowly pulled away from him.
Bosco gave her a soft smile, and touched her cheek gently.
She held his gaze for a moment. "I'm so glad you're okay, Bosco."
"And I'm glad you're okay, and that we're gettin' a chance to kinda put our lives back together," he said softly.
Faith kissed his cheek. "Come on," she whispered, taking his hand.
He slid his fingers through hers and held her hand tight. "So I was thinkin' we could walk to Central Park."
"Sure, that's fine with me." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, leading him out the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bosco thanked the young lady behind the counter and turned back to Faith holding two large cups of hot chocolate, the steam rising off of them. "Here," he said softly, smiling at her. "Thought you might need somethin' to warm your insides."
Her eyes were bright as she took the cup from him. "Thank you. I don't even remember the last time I had hot chocolate."
"Me either." He took a sip of the hot liquid. "I remember when I was a kid ma used to make it for me and Mikey all the time, but then I grew up and it wasn't sophisticated enough or somethin' for me. So I'd only drink coffee."
She smiled faintly. "I used to make it for the kids every time it snowed."
He took hold of her hand as they started to walk again. "Things goin' okay with the kids?"
"Yeah, mostly. Emily seems like she's adjusting pretty well."
"And Charlie?"
She drew in a breath. "Doesn't like Caroline. At all."
He chuckled. "Well I don't either, so he's not alone."
"Bosco, you haven't met her," she said with a faint smile.
He turned to look at her. "I don't need to meet the woman to know that I don't like her."
She met his gaze, a sad expression in her eyes. "She actually seemed nice."
"Nice women don't steal other women's husbands," he mumbled.
Faith fell silent for a moment. "Yeah. I know."
"But I think what you said in the hospital was right."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What did I say?"
"That you were probably better off without him," he said softly. "I think that's true. He's not able to hold you back anymore. You can be who you wanna be. Start over, ya know?"
She gazed at him. "Yeah." She gave his hand a light squeeze and let out a breath.
"Not that startin' over is easy."
"Definitely not."
"Though I'll tell ya somethin'," he whispered. "You really learn to appreciate things more."
She took a sip of her hot chocolate. "That you do." Her voice was just as quiet.
He lifted their joined hands and pointed ahead of them. "Hey, that looks like it could be fun."
She looked up to see a beautiful brown horse pulling a carriage with three people inside. The carriage itself was beautiful--silver and white, like something out of a fairytale. "I used to beg my parents to let me go on a carriage ride when I was little." She smiled.
"They ever take you on one?"
"No. We either didn't have enough money, or enough time."
"How 'bout I take you on a carriage ride?" He asked softly.
She gazed at the carriage for a moment, her eyes soft yet hopeful. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "It'll be a lot easier to appreciate such a beautiful day if we're sittin' down and have time to look around."
A smile spread across her face. "I'd love to."
"Great." Bosco held her hand a little tighter as he led her over to the curb where there was a sign indicating that was where the rides started.
Her smile widened into a full-fledge grin as a giddiness spread through her she hadn't felt for years.
Taking a drink of his hot chocolate he looked at her over the rim of the cup. His eyes were bright as he gazed at her. It felt like it had been forever since he'd seen her this excited about something. In fact it had been so long that he wasn't even sure if he had seen her this excited.
She had to restrain herself from squealing as one of the horse-and-carriages approached them. She remembered wishing so many times when she was a kid to go for a ride in Central Park in one of the carriages. She had never been much of a 'girly girl,' but this had been the one thing she'd wanted to do more than anything as far as fairy-tale things went.
"You'd think I just told you that you won the lottery," he teased as he smiled at her.
She grinned a little wider. "It was kind of a...big deal when I was a kid. You know, one of those things you never got to do but always wanted to."
"Wish I woulda known before," he told her softly. "I'da done this for you a long time ago, just to see you smile like that."
Her eyes softened a little as she gazed at him.
"You folks like a carriage ride tonight?" The man asked.
It took a moment for Bosco to pull his gaze away from Faith. "Yeah," he answered the man. "We would."
"Fifty for a half hour, or seventy-five for an hour?"
"We'll take an hour," he answered without hesitation.
"Bosco, no...that's way too much money," she whispered, shaking her head.
He leaned a little closer to her. "Some things are worth it," he whispered.
"Not for seventy-five dollars," she whispered back. "Come on, we'll just...walk."
"No." He shook his head. "We're gonna do this."
Faith bit her lip.
"Would you believe me if I said I was tired and I need to sit down?" He asked, smiling softly.
"No." She smiled back faintly.
"Okay, then I'll go with the truth."
Her eyes were questioning.
"I'd rather see you smile for an hour than just half an hour." He let go of her hand and pulled out his wallet.
Tears prickled at her eyes at his words. "Bosco," she whispered.
"I missed a lot when I was in the hospital," he whispered back. "And I wanna make up for all that lost time, and I wanna see you happy. So if this..." He motioned toward the carriage. "If this'll make you smile..."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You make me smile."
"Will you let me do this for you?"
Realizing he truly wanted to do this, she nodded slightly, her eyes bright.
He handed the man money for the ride then took Faith's cup of hot chocolate so she could climb into the carriage.
Drawing in an excited breath, she hoisted herself up, then took her cup back from Bosco, carefully setting it in the seat, then reaching for his hand.
Without hesitation he placed his hand in hers and let her help him up into the seat. He settled himself right next to her so that their legs were touching.
Faith smiled at him, cradling her cup of hot chocolate in her hands.
There was a blanket folded up next to Bosco and he took hold of it with his free hand and managed to cover their legs. "This'll be fun."
"Thank you," she said softly, pulling the blanket up around them a little more.
He nodded his head. "So now I really don't have to get you anything for Christmas, huh?" He said lightly.
"That's right." She smiled.
"I'm still gettin' you somethin'."
"Bosco, you just spent seventy-five bucks on me. You're not gettin' me anything else."
"Actually I just spent seventy-five bucks on us," he corrected her.
"Because I wanted to go on a carriage ride."
"And I wanted to see you smile," he reminded her.
She sighed softly. "I'm not winnin' this argument, am I?"
Looking at her he grinned. "No, but just so you know...it's not gonna be something huge and expensive. It's just...it's just gonna be somethin' that you'll see five, maybe ten years from now and go 'Oh yeah, Bosco bought me that for Christmas. It was just a month or so after he came outta that coma.' And then you'll think about how much better things have been since then."
Her eyes were soft as she gazed at him. She touched his cheek with her free hand. "You have no idea...how much better things have been since you woke up," she whispered.
"Things feel better...between us I mean."
"Oh, Boz. They are." She kissed his cheek, her lips lingering for a moment longer than necessary.
"We're a lot closer now than we were before." He put his arm around her shoulders. "Did you think that was even possible?"
"No," she admitted softly, leaning against him and feeling comfortable doing so.
"Yeah, me either." He rested his head against hers and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "You warm enough?"
A smile touched her lips. "Yeah, I'm good...are you?"
"Mmhmm."
They were silent for a few moments as the horse-drawn carriage led them through Central Park, light snowflakes tumbling down on them.
"It's interesting isn't it? How all these little snowflakes can pile up and be such a royal pain in the ass. But individually..." He held out his hand to catch a flake. "They aren't really even strong enough to survive."
"They're beautiful. So small and intricate." Her voice was soft.
"I never took the time before to see any beauty in it. Whenever it snowed before all I could think was how I shouldn't answer the phone because I was probably gonna get called into work early."
She smiled. "Been there, done that."
"But now..." He pointed off to Faith's left. "Look at how amazing that is. How the Christmas lights in the tree reflect off the snow."
Faith looked in the direction he was pointing, her eyes bright as she gazed at the twinkling lights surrounded by the swirling snow. "That's incredible."
"Yeah, it really is somethin'." He glanced over at her.
After a moment, she turned her head to meet his gaze, smiling.
"There's that smile," he whispered.
Unable to resist the urge, she kissed him softly on the lips. "Thank you."
The fact that she kissed him on the lips surprised him, but it didn't bother him. "What'd I do?"
She was silent for a moment. "Saved my life. Woke up. Brought me this." She waved her hand around.
"I was scared, Faith," he told her, his voice barely audible. "I was so afraid you were gonna get hurt."
"But I didn't. You saved me," she whispered.
"I'd do it again. I'd go through all of it again if I had to."
"I know you would." She touched his cheek.
He lifted his hand to cover hers. "What are you doin' on Christmas?"
"Not sure yet. The kids are gonna be with Fred," she said softly.
"How 'bout you spend the day with me?"
"Aren't you gonna be at your mom's?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "But I'd like you to come with."
"Are you sure? I don't wanna intrude."
"Faith, I'm inviting you. I want you to go with me."
She gazed at him for a few seconds. "Yeah. I'd love to."
A soft sigh of relief escaped him. "Good. I know ma will be happy to see you, and it'll be nice spending Christmas with you."
"Yeah. It will be nice. Should I bring somethin'?"
"Just your smile," he whispered.
The breath caught in her throat. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had been so sweet to her. Or the last time anyone had looked at her the way he was right then, for that matter.
He swallowed hard. "I've been meaning to thank you."
"Thank me?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "You've been with me every step of the way since the shooting. I know I wasn't the best patient all the time and I'm sure it was tiring for you, but it...it really meant a lot to have someone on my side."
"I wanted to be there," she said softly.
"When somethin' like this happens...when you're that close to death it forces you to look at what's around you. It forces you to really take a hard look at things."
Faith held her breath, willing herself not to cry. "I know," she whispered, keeping her hand against his cheek.
"I see all the little things that I always missed before, and I realize just how many things I took for granted, expecting them to always be there." He was quiet for a moment. "I take at least one walk every day," he told her softly.
Pressing her lips to his cheek, she closed her eyes, sliding her arms around him.
"You know what I see on those walks?" He asked quietly.
"What?"
"Aside from everything else...I always see your apartment building."
She shook her head slightly, confused. "What do you mean?"
"No matter what direction I start walking in I always end up at the same place. Everyday Faith. Everyday I'm drawn to your building. I didn't know why before, but I do now."
Her eyes were full of questions. "Why?" she whispered.
"Because you're one of the things I took for granted. All those years I was so used to seeing you everyday. I always thought it was a given. Wake up. Go to work. See Faith. That's how it worked." He let out a breath. "So now, as I'm walking around, taking the time to notice so many things that I never paid attention to before, I find myself standing outside your building at least once every day. If it's night time I look to see if there's a light on. If it's during the day I just make sure the building's still there. I guess I'm afraid that one day if I don't check, if I don't stop by..."
"Bosco," she whispered. She leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes.
"I don't wanna live like that. I don't wanna worry about you not bein' there, ya know?"
"I know. I know, Boz." She tightened her arms around him a little.
Holding her tight he shifted a little and pressed his cheek against hers.
"I don't wanna live like that either," she whispered.
"I want you to know that I'm always gonna be there. Always."
"Me too." She grazed her lips against his cheek once more.
"Hey, Faith," he whispered.
"Yeah?"
He pulled back so he could look at her. "I love you," he murmured.
The breath caught in her throat once more and she couldn't speak as she gazed at him with wide eyes.
"I've realized just how important you are to me, and how much I need you."
She swallowed hard, unable to tear her gaze away from him. "I love you, too," she whispered very softly.
A soft smile touched his lips.
"I always have." She leaned her head against his once more.
"I'm not afraid to tell you anymore," he whispered. "I'm not afraid to show it."
Her heart beating a little quicker than normal, she lifted her gaze to his. "Show me," she whispered.
Lifting a hand to her cheek he kissed her softly for a moment then nibbled gently on her bottom lip.
She shifted closer to him instinctively, winding her arms around his neck, melting against his gentle touch.
He deepened the kiss slowly, his thumb moving back and forth over the soft skin of her cheek.
Faith's eyes drifted shut as she allowed him to deepen the kiss, rubbing his back lightly. A soft sigh escaped her as she kissed him back.
After a few moments he reluctantly pulled away to breath. "We're missin' the scenery," he whispered.
She slowly opened her eyes to look at him again. There was a soft smile on her face as she curled up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Maybe sometime when we're not in public I could show you a little more," he told her softly as he rested his head against hers.
"I'd like that," she said just as softly, sliding her fingers through his.
He kissed her temple. "Thanks for takin' this walk with me."
"Thanks for askin' me."
"Just so you know...you're always invited."
"And just so you know...you don't have to stand outside my building," she whispered.
"I have a feeling I'm gonna be at your place a lot."
"That's okay with me."
"Good," he murmured. "Cause I don't mind the cold, but I'd rather be warm."
"You're welcome anytime. In fact if..."
He gave her hand a squeeze as he waited for her to continue.
"If you want...you can stay the night whenever you want."
His eyes widened slightly. "Yeah?"
She nodded, lifting her head to look at him. "Yeah."
"What do you think Emily's gonna say about that?" He asked softly.
"Emily loves you." Her voice was just as soft. "And...we've actually talked about this."
"You...have?"
"Yeah. She knows how close we've gotten."
"And she's okay with it?"
"Yeah...in fact I think…she's relieved."
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"That it's you I'm getting close to," she whispered.
He smiled softly. "Well I'm glad she approves, and I'll do my best to behave when we're around her."
She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thank you...for everything you've done. And for not pushin' me away."
"I should be sayin' that to you," he whispered against her lips.
"How 'bout we say it to each other?"
Bosco nodded slightly. "That works."
"I love you, Boz." She touched his cheek.
"Love you." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
Her eyes were bright as their kiss ended, snowflakes falling down on them lightly as the horse pulled their carriage along.
"I know it's early and I'm not actually giving you anything, but...Merry Christmas, Faith," he whispered.
"You've given me more than you know," she whispered back. "Merry Christmas, Boz."
Authors: NYPDBosco and X_tremeroswellian
Emails: mauriceboscorelli@yahoo.com and faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not ours.
Spoilers: Some of season 6
Category: Fluff...total fluff
Pairing: B/F of course
Rating: PG
Bosco knocked on Faith's door then took a step back, and blew into his hands before rubbing them together to try and restore some warmth. He'd walked from his apartment and it had started to snow when he was halfway to her place. He didn't mind the cold though, not anymore. Now he welcomed the feel of the cold and then the return of the warmth to his body.
She had been almost asleep on the sofa when she'd heard the knock on her door. Groaning, she opened her eyes, looking at the clock. It wasn't even eight. She'd simply collapsed after work and hadn't gotten up. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly convinced herself to stand up, and practically dragged herself to the door. Not bothering to check and see who it was first, she unlocked it and pulled it open.
There was a wide smile on his face. "Hey," he greeted her cheerfully.
She squinted. "Bosco?"
"Did I wake you?"
She shrugged. "I was just dozing."
He blew on his hands once more and sniffled a little as his face grew warmer from being inside. "I was just on my way by. Thought I'd stop in and see if you wanted to join me for a walk."
Faith yawned and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sure. Let me change real quick. Come on in."
"Thanks." He pulled off his stocking cap as he stepped inside. "Is Emily here?"
"No, she's spendin' the evenin' with Fred and Charlie."
"Oh." He sighed. "I was gonna ask her what she wanted for Christmas. You two are the only ones I haven't managed to get anything for yet."
"You don't need to worry about us. We're good." She headed down the hall. "Make yourself comfortable."
"I like getting you guys gifts," he said as he moved toward the sofa, making sure he spoke loud enough so she could hear. "Besides, this year...this year I wanna get you guys somethin' real special, ya know?"
"That's sweet, but it's really not necessary." Her voice was quiet as she headed into her bedroom.
"You realize it doesn't matter what you say, I'm still gettin' you somethin'."
A smile tugged at her lips. "I figured."
He sat down on the sofa and unzipped his jacket as he leaned back against the cushions. "It's snowin' out," he informed her. "You might wanna dress appropriately. I think it's gettin' colder."
"Really? It's snowin'? I didn't think it was supposed to snow til next week." She pulled a fuzzy red sweater over her head.
"Yeah, well you know how accurate the weatherman on channel two is."
She chuckled. "Jelly could predict the weather better."
Bosco grinned. "Once I get used to the different aches and pains I think I'm gonna be able to predict it pretty well. My joints were pretty stiff late last night and then when I woke up this morning."
Faith was silent for a moment as she finished getting dressed, then moved down the hall. She gazed at him from the doorway of the living room.
"Hey, you haven't put the star on top of your tree yet," he observed.
"No," she said softly. "I haven't."
He looked over at her. "Tree looks good, but it needs a star."
She managed a faint smile. "You wanna put it up?"
"Sure." He stood up and headed over to the tree. Before picking up the star he turned to look at her again, biting his lip. "Or uh...was there a reason it wasn't up yet? I mean if you didn't want it up..."
"No, I just...hadn't gotten around to it."
"Are you sure it's okay if I put it up?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Bosco shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't wanna mess up any tradition you and Emily might be startin'."
"No, not at all," she said softly.
He smiled at her then picked up the large star. Pulling a chair over toward the tree he stepped up on it and stretched to put the star on top of the tree.
"So, how ya doin', Bosco?"
"I'm doin' good," he told her quietly. "I'm lookin' forward to the holidays."
"Good, that's good to hear." She gazed at him, her eyes soft.
"I feel pretty good, Faith," he said very softly as he met her gaze.
Nodding slightly, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She watched him place the star on the top of her tree, then climb down off the chair.
After moving the chair back where he got it he looked at the tree. "There. That's better don't you think?"
"Yeah, much." She wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze still on him.
With a satisfied smile on his face he nodded his head. "It almost looks like a whole different tree."
She smiled, this time a real smile. "Thanks."
He looked over at her. "No problem."
Faith held his gaze for a moment. "So...we goin' for a walk?"
"Yup. As long as you can handle it," he said with a smirk.
She smirked back. "If I can handle you, I can handle anything."
"Oh really," he chuckled, his eyes bright.
"That's right."
"Get your jacket," he told her, pointing toward the closet. "Then we'll see if you can really handle goin' for a walk with me."
Rolling her eyes, she moved to the closet, grabbed her coat and shrugged into it. "You sure that coat's enough for you?"
"Yeah, it's fine." He zipped up his coat. "I kinda like feelin' a little cold."
A chuckle escaped her. "Since when?"
He stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Oh you know, just...just lately."
The smile left her face and she chided herself internally. "Right...sorry."
"Don't apologize," he told her softly. "It's okay."
Faith swallowed hard, nodding as she turned to head for the door. "Come on."
"Hey," he called after her as he followed. "It's no big deal, Faith. I mean...it is kinda strange."
She paused in her steps. "It's just...I remember when you used to bitch about havin' to get outta the squad cause the car was nice and warm." Her voice was very soft.
"Yeah." There was a smile on his face. "I remember that too, but now..." He took a breath. "Well like just a little while ago. I was cold and then I came inside and I got warm. I guess I just like feeling that. Knowing that everything still works or something."
Tears threatened to fall and she quickly turned and wrapped her arms around him wordlessly.
He returned the embrace, and rubbed her back gently. "It's good feelin' this too," he whispered.
"Yeah," she whispered back, closing her eyes. It definitely was.
"Come on. Let's go feel the cold together."
Nodding in agreement, she slowly pulled away from him.
Bosco gave her a soft smile, and touched her cheek gently.
She held his gaze for a moment. "I'm so glad you're okay, Bosco."
"And I'm glad you're okay, and that we're gettin' a chance to kinda put our lives back together," he said softly.
Faith kissed his cheek. "Come on," she whispered, taking his hand.
He slid his fingers through hers and held her hand tight. "So I was thinkin' we could walk to Central Park."
"Sure, that's fine with me." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, leading him out the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bosco thanked the young lady behind the counter and turned back to Faith holding two large cups of hot chocolate, the steam rising off of them. "Here," he said softly, smiling at her. "Thought you might need somethin' to warm your insides."
Her eyes were bright as she took the cup from him. "Thank you. I don't even remember the last time I had hot chocolate."
"Me either." He took a sip of the hot liquid. "I remember when I was a kid ma used to make it for me and Mikey all the time, but then I grew up and it wasn't sophisticated enough or somethin' for me. So I'd only drink coffee."
She smiled faintly. "I used to make it for the kids every time it snowed."
He took hold of her hand as they started to walk again. "Things goin' okay with the kids?"
"Yeah, mostly. Emily seems like she's adjusting pretty well."
"And Charlie?"
She drew in a breath. "Doesn't like Caroline. At all."
He chuckled. "Well I don't either, so he's not alone."
"Bosco, you haven't met her," she said with a faint smile.
He turned to look at her. "I don't need to meet the woman to know that I don't like her."
She met his gaze, a sad expression in her eyes. "She actually seemed nice."
"Nice women don't steal other women's husbands," he mumbled.
Faith fell silent for a moment. "Yeah. I know."
"But I think what you said in the hospital was right."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "What did I say?"
"That you were probably better off without him," he said softly. "I think that's true. He's not able to hold you back anymore. You can be who you wanna be. Start over, ya know?"
She gazed at him. "Yeah." She gave his hand a light squeeze and let out a breath.
"Not that startin' over is easy."
"Definitely not."
"Though I'll tell ya somethin'," he whispered. "You really learn to appreciate things more."
She took a sip of her hot chocolate. "That you do." Her voice was just as quiet.
He lifted their joined hands and pointed ahead of them. "Hey, that looks like it could be fun."
She looked up to see a beautiful brown horse pulling a carriage with three people inside. The carriage itself was beautiful--silver and white, like something out of a fairytale. "I used to beg my parents to let me go on a carriage ride when I was little." She smiled.
"They ever take you on one?"
"No. We either didn't have enough money, or enough time."
"How 'bout I take you on a carriage ride?" He asked softly.
She gazed at the carriage for a moment, her eyes soft yet hopeful. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "It'll be a lot easier to appreciate such a beautiful day if we're sittin' down and have time to look around."
A smile spread across her face. "I'd love to."
"Great." Bosco held her hand a little tighter as he led her over to the curb where there was a sign indicating that was where the rides started.
Her smile widened into a full-fledge grin as a giddiness spread through her she hadn't felt for years.
Taking a drink of his hot chocolate he looked at her over the rim of the cup. His eyes were bright as he gazed at her. It felt like it had been forever since he'd seen her this excited about something. In fact it had been so long that he wasn't even sure if he had seen her this excited.
She had to restrain herself from squealing as one of the horse-and-carriages approached them. She remembered wishing so many times when she was a kid to go for a ride in Central Park in one of the carriages. She had never been much of a 'girly girl,' but this had been the one thing she'd wanted to do more than anything as far as fairy-tale things went.
"You'd think I just told you that you won the lottery," he teased as he smiled at her.
She grinned a little wider. "It was kind of a...big deal when I was a kid. You know, one of those things you never got to do but always wanted to."
"Wish I woulda known before," he told her softly. "I'da done this for you a long time ago, just to see you smile like that."
Her eyes softened a little as she gazed at him.
"You folks like a carriage ride tonight?" The man asked.
It took a moment for Bosco to pull his gaze away from Faith. "Yeah," he answered the man. "We would."
"Fifty for a half hour, or seventy-five for an hour?"
"We'll take an hour," he answered without hesitation.
"Bosco, no...that's way too much money," she whispered, shaking her head.
He leaned a little closer to her. "Some things are worth it," he whispered.
"Not for seventy-five dollars," she whispered back. "Come on, we'll just...walk."
"No." He shook his head. "We're gonna do this."
Faith bit her lip.
"Would you believe me if I said I was tired and I need to sit down?" He asked, smiling softly.
"No." She smiled back faintly.
"Okay, then I'll go with the truth."
Her eyes were questioning.
"I'd rather see you smile for an hour than just half an hour." He let go of her hand and pulled out his wallet.
Tears prickled at her eyes at his words. "Bosco," she whispered.
"I missed a lot when I was in the hospital," he whispered back. "And I wanna make up for all that lost time, and I wanna see you happy. So if this..." He motioned toward the carriage. "If this'll make you smile..."
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You make me smile."
"Will you let me do this for you?"
Realizing he truly wanted to do this, she nodded slightly, her eyes bright.
He handed the man money for the ride then took Faith's cup of hot chocolate so she could climb into the carriage.
Drawing in an excited breath, she hoisted herself up, then took her cup back from Bosco, carefully setting it in the seat, then reaching for his hand.
Without hesitation he placed his hand in hers and let her help him up into the seat. He settled himself right next to her so that their legs were touching.
Faith smiled at him, cradling her cup of hot chocolate in her hands.
There was a blanket folded up next to Bosco and he took hold of it with his free hand and managed to cover their legs. "This'll be fun."
"Thank you," she said softly, pulling the blanket up around them a little more.
He nodded his head. "So now I really don't have to get you anything for Christmas, huh?" He said lightly.
"That's right." She smiled.
"I'm still gettin' you somethin'."
"Bosco, you just spent seventy-five bucks on me. You're not gettin' me anything else."
"Actually I just spent seventy-five bucks on us," he corrected her.
"Because I wanted to go on a carriage ride."
"And I wanted to see you smile," he reminded her.
She sighed softly. "I'm not winnin' this argument, am I?"
Looking at her he grinned. "No, but just so you know...it's not gonna be something huge and expensive. It's just...it's just gonna be somethin' that you'll see five, maybe ten years from now and go 'Oh yeah, Bosco bought me that for Christmas. It was just a month or so after he came outta that coma.' And then you'll think about how much better things have been since then."
Her eyes were soft as she gazed at him. She touched his cheek with her free hand. "You have no idea...how much better things have been since you woke up," she whispered.
"Things feel better...between us I mean."
"Oh, Boz. They are." She kissed his cheek, her lips lingering for a moment longer than necessary.
"We're a lot closer now than we were before." He put his arm around her shoulders. "Did you think that was even possible?"
"No," she admitted softly, leaning against him and feeling comfortable doing so.
"Yeah, me either." He rested his head against hers and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "You warm enough?"
A smile touched her lips. "Yeah, I'm good...are you?"
"Mmhmm."
They were silent for a few moments as the horse-drawn carriage led them through Central Park, light snowflakes tumbling down on them.
"It's interesting isn't it? How all these little snowflakes can pile up and be such a royal pain in the ass. But individually..." He held out his hand to catch a flake. "They aren't really even strong enough to survive."
"They're beautiful. So small and intricate." Her voice was soft.
"I never took the time before to see any beauty in it. Whenever it snowed before all I could think was how I shouldn't answer the phone because I was probably gonna get called into work early."
She smiled. "Been there, done that."
"But now..." He pointed off to Faith's left. "Look at how amazing that is. How the Christmas lights in the tree reflect off the snow."
Faith looked in the direction he was pointing, her eyes bright as she gazed at the twinkling lights surrounded by the swirling snow. "That's incredible."
"Yeah, it really is somethin'." He glanced over at her.
After a moment, she turned her head to meet his gaze, smiling.
"There's that smile," he whispered.
Unable to resist the urge, she kissed him softly on the lips. "Thank you."
The fact that she kissed him on the lips surprised him, but it didn't bother him. "What'd I do?"
She was silent for a moment. "Saved my life. Woke up. Brought me this." She waved her hand around.
"I was scared, Faith," he told her, his voice barely audible. "I was so afraid you were gonna get hurt."
"But I didn't. You saved me," she whispered.
"I'd do it again. I'd go through all of it again if I had to."
"I know you would." She touched his cheek.
He lifted his hand to cover hers. "What are you doin' on Christmas?"
"Not sure yet. The kids are gonna be with Fred," she said softly.
"How 'bout you spend the day with me?"
"Aren't you gonna be at your mom's?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "But I'd like you to come with."
"Are you sure? I don't wanna intrude."
"Faith, I'm inviting you. I want you to go with me."
She gazed at him for a few seconds. "Yeah. I'd love to."
A soft sigh of relief escaped him. "Good. I know ma will be happy to see you, and it'll be nice spending Christmas with you."
"Yeah. It will be nice. Should I bring somethin'?"
"Just your smile," he whispered.
The breath caught in her throat. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had been so sweet to her. Or the last time anyone had looked at her the way he was right then, for that matter.
He swallowed hard. "I've been meaning to thank you."
"Thank me?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "You've been with me every step of the way since the shooting. I know I wasn't the best patient all the time and I'm sure it was tiring for you, but it...it really meant a lot to have someone on my side."
"I wanted to be there," she said softly.
"When somethin' like this happens...when you're that close to death it forces you to look at what's around you. It forces you to really take a hard look at things."
Faith held her breath, willing herself not to cry. "I know," she whispered, keeping her hand against his cheek.
"I see all the little things that I always missed before, and I realize just how many things I took for granted, expecting them to always be there." He was quiet for a moment. "I take at least one walk every day," he told her softly.
Pressing her lips to his cheek, she closed her eyes, sliding her arms around him.
"You know what I see on those walks?" He asked quietly.
"What?"
"Aside from everything else...I always see your apartment building."
She shook her head slightly, confused. "What do you mean?"
"No matter what direction I start walking in I always end up at the same place. Everyday Faith. Everyday I'm drawn to your building. I didn't know why before, but I do now."
Her eyes were full of questions. "Why?" she whispered.
"Because you're one of the things I took for granted. All those years I was so used to seeing you everyday. I always thought it was a given. Wake up. Go to work. See Faith. That's how it worked." He let out a breath. "So now, as I'm walking around, taking the time to notice so many things that I never paid attention to before, I find myself standing outside your building at least once every day. If it's night time I look to see if there's a light on. If it's during the day I just make sure the building's still there. I guess I'm afraid that one day if I don't check, if I don't stop by..."
"Bosco," she whispered. She leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes.
"I don't wanna live like that. I don't wanna worry about you not bein' there, ya know?"
"I know. I know, Boz." She tightened her arms around him a little.
Holding her tight he shifted a little and pressed his cheek against hers.
"I don't wanna live like that either," she whispered.
"I want you to know that I'm always gonna be there. Always."
"Me too." She grazed her lips against his cheek once more.
"Hey, Faith," he whispered.
"Yeah?"
He pulled back so he could look at her. "I love you," he murmured.
The breath caught in her throat once more and she couldn't speak as she gazed at him with wide eyes.
"I've realized just how important you are to me, and how much I need you."
She swallowed hard, unable to tear her gaze away from him. "I love you, too," she whispered very softly.
A soft smile touched his lips.
"I always have." She leaned her head against his once more.
"I'm not afraid to tell you anymore," he whispered. "I'm not afraid to show it."
Her heart beating a little quicker than normal, she lifted her gaze to his. "Show me," she whispered.
Lifting a hand to her cheek he kissed her softly for a moment then nibbled gently on her bottom lip.
She shifted closer to him instinctively, winding her arms around his neck, melting against his gentle touch.
He deepened the kiss slowly, his thumb moving back and forth over the soft skin of her cheek.
Faith's eyes drifted shut as she allowed him to deepen the kiss, rubbing his back lightly. A soft sigh escaped her as she kissed him back.
After a few moments he reluctantly pulled away to breath. "We're missin' the scenery," he whispered.
She slowly opened her eyes to look at him again. There was a soft smile on her face as she curled up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Maybe sometime when we're not in public I could show you a little more," he told her softly as he rested his head against hers.
"I'd like that," she said just as softly, sliding her fingers through his.
He kissed her temple. "Thanks for takin' this walk with me."
"Thanks for askin' me."
"Just so you know...you're always invited."
"And just so you know...you don't have to stand outside my building," she whispered.
"I have a feeling I'm gonna be at your place a lot."
"That's okay with me."
"Good," he murmured. "Cause I don't mind the cold, but I'd rather be warm."
"You're welcome anytime. In fact if..."
He gave her hand a squeeze as he waited for her to continue.
"If you want...you can stay the night whenever you want."
His eyes widened slightly. "Yeah?"
She nodded, lifting her head to look at him. "Yeah."
"What do you think Emily's gonna say about that?" He asked softly.
"Emily loves you." Her voice was just as soft. "And...we've actually talked about this."
"You...have?"
"Yeah. She knows how close we've gotten."
"And she's okay with it?"
"Yeah...in fact I think…she's relieved."
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"That it's you I'm getting close to," she whispered.
He smiled softly. "Well I'm glad she approves, and I'll do my best to behave when we're around her."
She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thank you...for everything you've done. And for not pushin' me away."
"I should be sayin' that to you," he whispered against her lips.
"How 'bout we say it to each other?"
Bosco nodded slightly. "That works."
"I love you, Boz." She touched his cheek.
"Love you." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
Her eyes were bright as their kiss ended, snowflakes falling down on them lightly as the horse pulled their carriage along.
"I know it's early and I'm not actually giving you anything, but...Merry Christmas, Faith," he whispered.
"You've given me more than you know," she whispered back. "Merry Christmas, Boz."