Fic: Heritage White Love (1/1)
Title: Heritage White Love
Fandom: Murder Call
Characters: Tessa Vance, Steve Hayden
Prompt: 019. White
Word Count: 1053
Rating: G (K)
Summary: Another tag to "Heartstopper". Steve comes back from the hospital and discovers...paint tins?
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to Jennifer Rowe, Hal McElroy and Southern Star. I make no profit out of this.
"You didn't have to take me home," Steve said dryly as Tessa pulled the car door open for him and stood expectantly, almost nervously, as if she was considering whether he wanted her to lend a hand in getting out. With a grimace, he swung his legs out and stood up, noticing how her hand half shot out to grab him and then curled tensely in withdrawal.
She'd been like that for a while now. Ever since he'd woken up at the hospital after surgery and seen her pacing restlessly at the end of the bed. Steve didn't quite know what to make of it yet, or feel about it. His mind had been somewhat preoccupied lately.
"I could've taken a cab," Steve continued, taking the car door in hand and closing it behind him.
"No, no, it's no bother." Tessa waved her hand hurriedly, her eyes not quite meeting his, her smile just a little bit short of being a full true smile. "Not like there's much to do at the office. Been a dull period."
"Figures." Rolling his eyes, Steve found his keys and made his way up the steps to the front door. "Maybe I should've gotten shot earlier. We'd be cruising in the Bahamas by now."
Tessa snorted, following him inside after Steve had opened the door. He flicked on the light switch and threw the keys on the kitchen table, then headed towards the sink for a glass of water.
He stopped once he got there, though. Lined up on the countertop were empty tins standing on old newspapers, containing an assortment of paint brushes both new and old. All were distinctly clean. Frowning, Steve turned back and saw Tessa stand next to a stack of paint tins that hadn't been there before, shifting on her feet nervously.
"Heritage White, right?" Tessa pulled her lower lip between her teeth and gave a hesitant smile, gesturing obviously to the tins. "Dino's Hardware called while I dropped by last week to get your things. They told me you'd been looking at it and I remember you saying you wanted it to look nice..."
Steve didn't know what to say. He kept frowning, noticing there were other signs of change as well. Sawdust had been swept up, the cushions on the couch seemed fluffed up, the bed was made, and there was an air of freshness Steve only associated with his mother's spring cleaning extravaganza.
Tessa got a little frantic. "Um, I didn't know how much you needed, so...I might've overdone it." She chuckled nervously. "Uh, I've got the receipt, though." She started ruffling through her pockets, drawing up a long strip of paper, and smiled again. "Here. Um. I'll just put it here." Taking a few careful steps, she laid the receipt down next to his keys on the kitchen table.
"You bought me paint?" Steve's eyebrows knitted deeper together, still hung up on that single fact when it was clear she'd done so much else as well. There'd hardly been a day in hospital without her popping by to check on him.
"Uh...yep." Tessa looked away, hands at her back as she shifted on her feet again. The bottom lip had found its way into her mouth again. After a moment's pause, she met his eyes and smiled a little. "Consider it a Get Well or Welcome Home present. Didn't have time to write a card."
"Thanks," Steve said and finally grinned, feeling a comfortable warmth spread throughout his body as the shock passed. "I think I do need to get shot at more often."
"Well, I hope not," Tessa said, rolling her eyes, smirking slightly as she pointed to the paint tins. "That cost me a fortune."
Steve forgot about his aching wound as he continued to smile. "I'm sorry, I'll pay you back. Promise."
"Yeah, yeah." Tessa waved her hand dismissively, some of her tense nervousness clearly gone now. Her shoulders relaxed a little and her smile felt more real and happier than before. "Just get better and maybe next time, you'll call me if you're gonna chase down leads on your own?"
"I just took a leaf outta your book, Tess," Steve teased and chuckled when she rolled her eyes again. Approaching her, he noticed how she tensed up slightly, but pushed the observation to the back of his head as he leaned down in front of the paint tins and confirmed the name on the labels.
"So which wall's the lucky one?" Tessa asked.
Steve gestured around them. "Whole room. Gonna look great once it's up." He rose to his feet, wincing slightly as the pain flared at movement, then met Tessa's eyes, which had clearly observed the wince and was now worried. "It'll have to wait, though. Not a whole lot of energy right now."
"Maybe you should get some rest," Tessa suggested, her expression soft. "I'll get out of your hair. Thorne's probably waiting for me back at the office."
"Hey, Tess?" Steve held her back before she could leave. He smiled at her, touched by all she'd done for him so far, especially given how badly he'd treated her during the Glen Weekes case. "Thank you. I mean it."
"You're welcome," Tessa said gently, her smile brightening up the room. "And let me know once you get started on those walls. I'm not that good with a paint brush, but at least I can clean them for you."
"I will, thanks." Steve let his hand linger on her arm a second longer, then became aware of it and withdrew, still smiling. "Drive safe."
"Okay."
Steve waved her off with another smile, then let it drop after the door closed and he was left in his living room, alone once more.
A slight tint of colour had risen in Tessa's cheeks when he'd removed his hand. She'd looked beautiful.
Steve sighed and walked to his bed and sat down. From here, he could see all the little touches she'd done to freshen up his home and make it inviting to return to, but all of them faded to the background as he stared at the Heritage White paint tins she'd bought him.
As he lay down to rest, that's all he was able to think about.
FIN
Fandom: Murder Call
Characters: Tessa Vance, Steve Hayden
Prompt: 019. White
Word Count: 1053
Rating: G (K)
Summary: Another tag to "Heartstopper". Steve comes back from the hospital and discovers...paint tins?
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They belong to Jennifer Rowe, Hal McElroy and Southern Star. I make no profit out of this.
"You didn't have to take me home," Steve said dryly as Tessa pulled the car door open for him and stood expectantly, almost nervously, as if she was considering whether he wanted her to lend a hand in getting out. With a grimace, he swung his legs out and stood up, noticing how her hand half shot out to grab him and then curled tensely in withdrawal.
She'd been like that for a while now. Ever since he'd woken up at the hospital after surgery and seen her pacing restlessly at the end of the bed. Steve didn't quite know what to make of it yet, or feel about it. His mind had been somewhat preoccupied lately.
"I could've taken a cab," Steve continued, taking the car door in hand and closing it behind him.
"No, no, it's no bother." Tessa waved her hand hurriedly, her eyes not quite meeting his, her smile just a little bit short of being a full true smile. "Not like there's much to do at the office. Been a dull period."
"Figures." Rolling his eyes, Steve found his keys and made his way up the steps to the front door. "Maybe I should've gotten shot earlier. We'd be cruising in the Bahamas by now."
Tessa snorted, following him inside after Steve had opened the door. He flicked on the light switch and threw the keys on the kitchen table, then headed towards the sink for a glass of water.
He stopped once he got there, though. Lined up on the countertop were empty tins standing on old newspapers, containing an assortment of paint brushes both new and old. All were distinctly clean. Frowning, Steve turned back and saw Tessa stand next to a stack of paint tins that hadn't been there before, shifting on her feet nervously.
"Heritage White, right?" Tessa pulled her lower lip between her teeth and gave a hesitant smile, gesturing obviously to the tins. "Dino's Hardware called while I dropped by last week to get your things. They told me you'd been looking at it and I remember you saying you wanted it to look nice..."
Steve didn't know what to say. He kept frowning, noticing there were other signs of change as well. Sawdust had been swept up, the cushions on the couch seemed fluffed up, the bed was made, and there was an air of freshness Steve only associated with his mother's spring cleaning extravaganza.
Tessa got a little frantic. "Um, I didn't know how much you needed, so...I might've overdone it." She chuckled nervously. "Uh, I've got the receipt, though." She started ruffling through her pockets, drawing up a long strip of paper, and smiled again. "Here. Um. I'll just put it here." Taking a few careful steps, she laid the receipt down next to his keys on the kitchen table.
"You bought me paint?" Steve's eyebrows knitted deeper together, still hung up on that single fact when it was clear she'd done so much else as well. There'd hardly been a day in hospital without her popping by to check on him.
"Uh...yep." Tessa looked away, hands at her back as she shifted on her feet again. The bottom lip had found its way into her mouth again. After a moment's pause, she met his eyes and smiled a little. "Consider it a Get Well or Welcome Home present. Didn't have time to write a card."
"Thanks," Steve said and finally grinned, feeling a comfortable warmth spread throughout his body as the shock passed. "I think I do need to get shot at more often."
"Well, I hope not," Tessa said, rolling her eyes, smirking slightly as she pointed to the paint tins. "That cost me a fortune."
Steve forgot about his aching wound as he continued to smile. "I'm sorry, I'll pay you back. Promise."
"Yeah, yeah." Tessa waved her hand dismissively, some of her tense nervousness clearly gone now. Her shoulders relaxed a little and her smile felt more real and happier than before. "Just get better and maybe next time, you'll call me if you're gonna chase down leads on your own?"
"I just took a leaf outta your book, Tess," Steve teased and chuckled when she rolled her eyes again. Approaching her, he noticed how she tensed up slightly, but pushed the observation to the back of his head as he leaned down in front of the paint tins and confirmed the name on the labels.
"So which wall's the lucky one?" Tessa asked.
Steve gestured around them. "Whole room. Gonna look great once it's up." He rose to his feet, wincing slightly as the pain flared at movement, then met Tessa's eyes, which had clearly observed the wince and was now worried. "It'll have to wait, though. Not a whole lot of energy right now."
"Maybe you should get some rest," Tessa suggested, her expression soft. "I'll get out of your hair. Thorne's probably waiting for me back at the office."
"Hey, Tess?" Steve held her back before she could leave. He smiled at her, touched by all she'd done for him so far, especially given how badly he'd treated her during the Glen Weekes case. "Thank you. I mean it."
"You're welcome," Tessa said gently, her smile brightening up the room. "And let me know once you get started on those walls. I'm not that good with a paint brush, but at least I can clean them for you."
"I will, thanks." Steve let his hand linger on her arm a second longer, then became aware of it and withdrew, still smiling. "Drive safe."
"Okay."
Steve waved her off with another smile, then let it drop after the door closed and he was left in his living room, alone once more.
A slight tint of colour had risen in Tessa's cheeks when he'd removed his hand. She'd looked beautiful.
Steve sighed and walked to his bed and sat down. From here, he could see all the little touches she'd done to freshen up his home and make it inviting to return to, but all of them faded to the background as he stared at the Heritage White paint tins she'd bought him.
As he lay down to rest, that's all he was able to think about.
FIN