CSI:NY fic: Coffee Break (Flack/Angell, PG)
Title: Coffee Break
Fandom: CSI:NY
Pairing: Flack/Angell
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Word count: 1,505
fanfic100 prompt: #60. Drink. My prompt table
Summary: Don Flack rescues Jess Angell from a pile of paperwork.
Author's Note: Written for zeldaophelia in the hetfic Valentine's ficathon. Many, many thanks to astrum_presul for pointing this thing in a good direction! Also many thanks to spacefiend for the read-through.
"Hey, Jess."
Detective Jessica Angell looked up from her paperwork, smiling for the first time in what felt like days. "Hey, Don."
He leaned against her desk, smiling down at her. "You off anytime soon?"
She was tired, her body ached, her hand was cramping, and Don Flack was leaning on her desk, looking as fine as he always did in that suit, clearly about to ask her to dinner. "I wish," she said with feeling. She dropped her pen on the desk and leaned back in her chair, sighing. "I'm working on the report for the Perelli case."
Don's forehead creased. "Liquor store, right? Double homicide?"
"That's the one. You helped me interview witnesses."
"Right." There was a definite frown on his handsome face. "I thought you wrapped that up a while ago."
"I did. But then we got called out on that arson case, and I had fifty other cases I was working on..."
"And the paperwork slipped through the cracks." Don nodded, adding with a shrug, "It happens."
"Yeah, but now I have to get it done."
His look was sympathetic. "How much do you have left?"
"Not a lot, but..." She grimaced, rubbing her forehead.
"But?" he prompted gently.
She glanced back up at him. "At this point, my memory's pretty sketchy on the whole thing," she admitted, lowering her voice. "I've got my notes, but my eyes are so crossed from doing three straight doubles that I can barely read my own handwriting."
"That's not good, Jess." His eyes were serious. "Mistakes in reports can cost us cases."
"You think I don't know that?"
He held up his hands, palm out. "All I'm saying is that if you're tired and you're getting things confused, maybe you should stop for the night. Come back fresh in the morning."
"I'd love to. But I have to have it turned in before I go home for the night, or I'm gonna catch hell."
"You'll catch more hell if it's not right."
Her temper frayed. "I'll get it right, Don. It's just taking me a while because I'm double- and triple-checking everything I write down. I'm tired, not sloppy."
He winced. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply... Sorry."
She grimaced, glancing away. "I'm cranky," she told him by way of apology.
He was silent for a moment. Finally he said, "You need to get out of here."
She gave him a bewildered look. "Didn't we just have this conversation?"
"Temporarily." He waved a hand towards the door. "Go for a walk. Grab some coffee. Clear your head."
It was tempting. God, it was tempting. She looked down at the paperwork on her desk. Glanced at the clock. Damn, it was nearly 7:00 already. "I really just want to get this done," she told him reluctantly.
"You'll get it done faster if you get away from it for a few minutes." He actually reached down and took her pen. She watched, bemused, as he pocketed it. "Half an hour, tops. And the coffee's on me." He nodded to the door. "Shall we?"
"Not that you're giving me much choice..." She gave him a smile, standing. There were other pens in her desk, but she wasn't about to pass up free coffee. Besides which, he had a point.
They gathered their coats and headed out. Bundling up should have been a clue, but she'd honestly nearly forgotten how cold it was outside. The January air was a shock to her system the moment they stepped out into it. From the glance Don gave her, she must have given away her dismay. "Something wrong?"
"I'm not a big fan of the cold," she admitted, pulling her scarf closer to her face.
"Wakes you up, though, right?" He waved an arm as they headed down the sidewalk. "Stimulates the senses, gets the blood flowing..."
"It makes me want to hibernate."
He laughed. "I can picture that."
She gave him a look. "Me hibernating?"
"Yeah. Tucked up in bed under about ten layers of covers, growling at anyone who came too close." He grinned at her.
She shrugged, smile tugging at her lips. "I wouldn't growl at everyone who came close..."
"That's good to know." He bumped her elbow with his, giving her a look that dispelled some of the winter chill.
She smiled back, shoving her hands deeper into her pockets. "This was a good idea, despite the cold."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Getting away from the desk. Getting away from the paperwork." She rolled her shoulders, trying to get rid of some of the tension that had built up there.
"The bane of a cop's existence."
"Yeah."
His eyes darkened, his expression turning reflective. "Though it's far from the worst part of the job..."
She thought about telling someone they'd lost a loved one. Thought about the cops injured and killed in the line of duty. She'd take a week of writing reports over a dead cop. She took a breath, trying to dispel the suddenly somber mood. "Might be the most annoying, though."
The glance Don gave her was grateful. "I don't know. Some of the punks we have to deal with?"
"Yeah, but at least then we're doing something."
He snorted. "Oh yeah. Where by "something" you mean chasing some moron into a dead-end alley --"
"Gets the blood pumping."
He shot her an amused look and went on. "Getting insulted by junkies...?"
"Hey, that can be interesting. Junkies can be pretty creative. What did that guy call you the other day?"
He chuckled. "A goat-loving son of a cow."
"You see? You don't get that kind of thing when you're stuck at a desk writing reports. Well," she corrected herself, "unless a junkie who's been brought in decides to insult you while you're minding your own business. Somehow that's not quite the same, though."
"Not really, no."
"So. Most annoying part?"
He nodded, gracefully conceding the point.
They reached the Starbucks and went in. The warmth inside was heaven. Jess sighed in relief, earning her a look and a chuckle from her companion. With a glance at him, she gathered her dignity and headed for the line. It took pushing past some crowded tables to get there. "Busy place," she commented over her shoulder to Don.
"Other people taking shelter from the cold?" He grinned as they joined the line.
There really wasn't much room. When the girl sitting behind Don stood up, he had to move forward. He murmured an apology as he stepped into Jess' personal space. She caught the glint in his eye, though, and his hand came up to rest on the small of her back. It was warm, even through her coat. She shared a smile with him, briefly leaning against his shoulder. Then the press eased and they moved apart again.
It took a while, but they eventually got their drinks: two grande black coffees. Don had an odd look on his face as they headed for the door. She glanced at him, amused. "What?"
He shrugged a little. "I like that you stick with regular coffee. None of that fancy stuff."
"Hey, I've been known to enjoy the occasional tall soy cinnamon dolce latte with sugar free syrup and light whipped cream." She grinned at his expression.
"How do you even remember all of that?"
"I guess it's a girl thing." She pushed open the door, grimacing once more at the cold. She wrapped her gloved hands around the coffee cup and took a long drink. The hot coffee burned all the way down. "This," she told Don, "is much more satisfying on a day like this."
"I'll drink to that."
Neither of them was in a hurry to get back to the station, so despite the temperature, they took it slow. They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked, sipping their drinks. They didn't exactly walk hand-in-hand, but they stayed close, arms and shoulders bumping.
Disappointment flickered as they approached the station doors, but she pushed it aside. Instead she turned to Don, giving him a warm smile. "Thank you for this. It was a good idea."
"I'm glad." He smiled back. He was standing closer to her than he probably should that close to where they worked, but she didn't quite care.
"You gonna head home now?" she asked.
He lifted a shoulder. "Actually, I was going to ask if there was anything I could do to help you get that report done."
She raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Really?"
"Why not?" He shrugged it off. "I know talking out the details can help. Plus, I can try to read your notes, since you said you were having so much trouble." He grinned impishly, making her roll her eyes.
"You think you can read my handwriting better than I can?"
"I have skills," he informed her gravely, eyes dancing.
She regarded him for a moment, a smile stealing across her lips. "Thanks," she said quietly.
He just smiled back and opened the door. "After you."
Fandom: CSI:NY
Pairing: Flack/Angell
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Word count: 1,505
fanfic100 prompt: #60. Drink. My prompt table
Summary: Don Flack rescues Jess Angell from a pile of paperwork.
Author's Note: Written for zeldaophelia in the hetfic Valentine's ficathon. Many, many thanks to astrum_presul for pointing this thing in a good direction! Also many thanks to spacefiend for the read-through.
"Hey, Jess."
Detective Jessica Angell looked up from her paperwork, smiling for the first time in what felt like days. "Hey, Don."
He leaned against her desk, smiling down at her. "You off anytime soon?"
She was tired, her body ached, her hand was cramping, and Don Flack was leaning on her desk, looking as fine as he always did in that suit, clearly about to ask her to dinner. "I wish," she said with feeling. She dropped her pen on the desk and leaned back in her chair, sighing. "I'm working on the report for the Perelli case."
Don's forehead creased. "Liquor store, right? Double homicide?"
"That's the one. You helped me interview witnesses."
"Right." There was a definite frown on his handsome face. "I thought you wrapped that up a while ago."
"I did. But then we got called out on that arson case, and I had fifty other cases I was working on..."
"And the paperwork slipped through the cracks." Don nodded, adding with a shrug, "It happens."
"Yeah, but now I have to get it done."
His look was sympathetic. "How much do you have left?"
"Not a lot, but..." She grimaced, rubbing her forehead.
"But?" he prompted gently.
She glanced back up at him. "At this point, my memory's pretty sketchy on the whole thing," she admitted, lowering her voice. "I've got my notes, but my eyes are so crossed from doing three straight doubles that I can barely read my own handwriting."
"That's not good, Jess." His eyes were serious. "Mistakes in reports can cost us cases."
"You think I don't know that?"
He held up his hands, palm out. "All I'm saying is that if you're tired and you're getting things confused, maybe you should stop for the night. Come back fresh in the morning."
"I'd love to. But I have to have it turned in before I go home for the night, or I'm gonna catch hell."
"You'll catch more hell if it's not right."
Her temper frayed. "I'll get it right, Don. It's just taking me a while because I'm double- and triple-checking everything I write down. I'm tired, not sloppy."
He winced. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply... Sorry."
She grimaced, glancing away. "I'm cranky," she told him by way of apology.
He was silent for a moment. Finally he said, "You need to get out of here."
She gave him a bewildered look. "Didn't we just have this conversation?"
"Temporarily." He waved a hand towards the door. "Go for a walk. Grab some coffee. Clear your head."
It was tempting. God, it was tempting. She looked down at the paperwork on her desk. Glanced at the clock. Damn, it was nearly 7:00 already. "I really just want to get this done," she told him reluctantly.
"You'll get it done faster if you get away from it for a few minutes." He actually reached down and took her pen. She watched, bemused, as he pocketed it. "Half an hour, tops. And the coffee's on me." He nodded to the door. "Shall we?"
"Not that you're giving me much choice..." She gave him a smile, standing. There were other pens in her desk, but she wasn't about to pass up free coffee. Besides which, he had a point.
They gathered their coats and headed out. Bundling up should have been a clue, but she'd honestly nearly forgotten how cold it was outside. The January air was a shock to her system the moment they stepped out into it. From the glance Don gave her, she must have given away her dismay. "Something wrong?"
"I'm not a big fan of the cold," she admitted, pulling her scarf closer to her face.
"Wakes you up, though, right?" He waved an arm as they headed down the sidewalk. "Stimulates the senses, gets the blood flowing..."
"It makes me want to hibernate."
He laughed. "I can picture that."
She gave him a look. "Me hibernating?"
"Yeah. Tucked up in bed under about ten layers of covers, growling at anyone who came too close." He grinned at her.
She shrugged, smile tugging at her lips. "I wouldn't growl at everyone who came close..."
"That's good to know." He bumped her elbow with his, giving her a look that dispelled some of the winter chill.
She smiled back, shoving her hands deeper into her pockets. "This was a good idea, despite the cold."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Getting away from the desk. Getting away from the paperwork." She rolled her shoulders, trying to get rid of some of the tension that had built up there.
"The bane of a cop's existence."
"Yeah."
His eyes darkened, his expression turning reflective. "Though it's far from the worst part of the job..."
She thought about telling someone they'd lost a loved one. Thought about the cops injured and killed in the line of duty. She'd take a week of writing reports over a dead cop. She took a breath, trying to dispel the suddenly somber mood. "Might be the most annoying, though."
The glance Don gave her was grateful. "I don't know. Some of the punks we have to deal with?"
"Yeah, but at least then we're doing something."
He snorted. "Oh yeah. Where by "something" you mean chasing some moron into a dead-end alley --"
"Gets the blood pumping."
He shot her an amused look and went on. "Getting insulted by junkies...?"
"Hey, that can be interesting. Junkies can be pretty creative. What did that guy call you the other day?"
He chuckled. "A goat-loving son of a cow."
"You see? You don't get that kind of thing when you're stuck at a desk writing reports. Well," she corrected herself, "unless a junkie who's been brought in decides to insult you while you're minding your own business. Somehow that's not quite the same, though."
"Not really, no."
"So. Most annoying part?"
He nodded, gracefully conceding the point.
They reached the Starbucks and went in. The warmth inside was heaven. Jess sighed in relief, earning her a look and a chuckle from her companion. With a glance at him, she gathered her dignity and headed for the line. It took pushing past some crowded tables to get there. "Busy place," she commented over her shoulder to Don.
"Other people taking shelter from the cold?" He grinned as they joined the line.
There really wasn't much room. When the girl sitting behind Don stood up, he had to move forward. He murmured an apology as he stepped into Jess' personal space. She caught the glint in his eye, though, and his hand came up to rest on the small of her back. It was warm, even through her coat. She shared a smile with him, briefly leaning against his shoulder. Then the press eased and they moved apart again.
It took a while, but they eventually got their drinks: two grande black coffees. Don had an odd look on his face as they headed for the door. She glanced at him, amused. "What?"
He shrugged a little. "I like that you stick with regular coffee. None of that fancy stuff."
"Hey, I've been known to enjoy the occasional tall soy cinnamon dolce latte with sugar free syrup and light whipped cream." She grinned at his expression.
"How do you even remember all of that?"
"I guess it's a girl thing." She pushed open the door, grimacing once more at the cold. She wrapped her gloved hands around the coffee cup and took a long drink. The hot coffee burned all the way down. "This," she told Don, "is much more satisfying on a day like this."
"I'll drink to that."
Neither of them was in a hurry to get back to the station, so despite the temperature, they took it slow. They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked, sipping their drinks. They didn't exactly walk hand-in-hand, but they stayed close, arms and shoulders bumping.
Disappointment flickered as they approached the station doors, but she pushed it aside. Instead she turned to Don, giving him a warm smile. "Thank you for this. It was a good idea."
"I'm glad." He smiled back. He was standing closer to her than he probably should that close to where they worked, but she didn't quite care.
"You gonna head home now?" she asked.
He lifted a shoulder. "Actually, I was going to ask if there was anything I could do to help you get that report done."
She raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Really?"
"Why not?" He shrugged it off. "I know talking out the details can help. Plus, I can try to read your notes, since you said you were having so much trouble." He grinned impishly, making her roll her eyes.
"You think you can read my handwriting better than I can?"
"I have skills," he informed her gravely, eyes dancing.
She regarded him for a moment, a smile stealing across her lips. "Thanks," she said quietly.
He just smiled back and opened the door. "After you."