Lewis: Supper and Sympathy (Lewis/Hobson)
Title: Supper and Sympathy
Fandom: Lewis
Characters/Pairing: Robbie Lewis/Laura Hobson (in a pre-het sort of way)
Word Count: 1088
Rating: K
Summary: “Looking for someone to buy a tired old woman a drink.”
Author's Notes: No spoilers, but I can see this happening during the third season.
Dedication: For nakeisha. I have to thank her for the beta and the kind words after an upsetting experience.
“Didn’t Morse teach you anything?”
Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis looked up from his paperwork and threw a questioning smile at the blonde leaning against his office door.
“The reason you have a DS is for him to do the donkey work, not you, Robbie.” Dr. Laura Hobson pushed herself away from the door with her shoulder and moved to drop tiredly into the chair across from him.
Lewis sighed. “Hathaway had band practice and I’ve always excelled at donkey work.”
Laura just shook her head before letting it fall onto the back of the chair.
“What you doing here at this hour?”
Her voice was suddenly rough. “Looking for someone to buy a tired old woman a drink.”
“Well,” Lewis closed the folder in front of him, “I don’t know any tired old women, but I know you. How about I buy you a drink?”
Laura sniffled once. “Nicely done, there.”
“I try. Come on, you don’t look up for the pub, but I’ve got wine at my place and we can stop for a take away.” Lewis quickly sorted the files on his desk into slightly less messy piles. Rounding the desk, he held a hand out to Laura and helped her up from the chair. "Awful day?"
Sliding her hand up to the crook of his arm, she sighed, “You could say.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not yet.” She dropped her head to his shoulder as they walked in silence out of the station.
The silence remained as they walked back to his flat. It was a comfortable silence; a warm woollen blanket draped over both their shoulders keeping the cold of the night and the evil of day away. Even the stop for Thai food was done with minimal words and silent deference to each others preferences.
Finally arriving at the tiny flat, they worked easily and familiarly with one another. As Lewis opened the wine and put glasses and place settings on the small table, Laura divided the Pad Thai and drunken noodle chicken onto two plates. Sitting across from each other, they slowly and silently ate.
“Now do you want to talk about it,” Lewis asked when they were nearly finished with the meal.
Laura took a large mouthful of the white wine before replying, “I don’t think I can... yet.”
“Okay,” Lewis ran his fingertips along the back of her hand, “when you can.”
“Thanks,” Laura turned her hand over to catch his fingers in hers.
Lewis nodded. Their fingers remained intertwined as they finished the last of the food and wine. Finally, Lewis stood and started to clear the dishes just as his mobile began to ring.
“Work?” Laura asked, taking the dishes from him so that he could retrieve the device from his discarded jacket’s pocket.
Staring at the display, Lewis shook his head, “No, Lyn.”
“Then you’d better get it.”
“Sure?”
“Of course. Give her my love.” She began filling the sink with soap and water.
Lewis moved to the large picture window, but leant against it watching Laura as he pressed the phone to his ear, “Hello, pet. … No, you didn’t wake me. Laura and I were just finishing dinner. She sends her love by the way. … I’ll tell her. … ”
Listening to the one-sided conversation, Laura let the sound of Lewis’s voice and monotony of doing the washing up spread through her, releasing the tension of the day.
She didn’t feel the tears begin to fall until she felt Lewis’s strong hands on her shoulders. The dish she was holding slipped back into the soapy water as she spun to face him. Instantly soapy hands clung to the back of his shirt and her tear streaked face was buried in his chest. She felt rather than heard his whispered words of comfort as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
Slowly and carefully, Lewis eased them out of the kitchenette, keeping his arms firmly around her as he settled them both on the settee. Stroking her back and pressing his lips to her head, he rocked gently trying to calm her frantic sobs. As the sobs finally subsided to a few hiccupped tears, Lewis gently encouraged her to speak.
Sighing, Laura pressed her cheek to his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat calm her as she spoke. "I had to perform an autopsy on a three month old little girl today."
Instantly, Lewis tightened his arms around her.
"She had huge, blue eyes and these tiny, wispy, strawberry blonde curls. She was so little, even my smallest instruments seemed huge working on her," she paused, shuddering at the memories of the day.
"What happened," Lewis whispered into her hair.
Laura looked up at him. "There's the tragedy of it all. It was an undiagnosed heart condition, something that could have been easily repaired, but the doctor missed it. And to compound everything, one of your lot dragged the poor young mother in for questioning, because they thought that she had smothered her daughter in the market of all places. She was a wreck by the time I finished and contacted the DI."
"I'm sorry," Lewis pushed down his desire to defend his colleague who had responded in what seemed to be a frankly appropriate manner.
"Thank you," Laura smoothed her hand across his chest. "I got your shirt all wet."
"It'll wash. Besides, I ruined my share of your shirts back when..." he trailed off with a sigh.
She put her head on his chest again and made a murmuring sound of agreement. Lewis adjusted his arms around her and let his head drop to the back of the settee. He hoped that his presence, his arms were as comforting to her as the warm weight of her body was to him. In the silence of the flat, he could hear their breathing shift to match each other as it became slowly deeper. His back would regret it in the morning and when Hathaway came to pick him up there would be awkward questions, but neither thing concerned him as slowly as one they shifted to lay arms and legs entangled on the soft leather settee. Lewis felt a kiss drop sleepily on his neck and responded by gently raising her chin and softly kissing her lips.
"Laura, I..." his words seemed stuck.
She laid a soft hand on his cheek, "I know, Robbie. Tonight we sleep."
And they fell into a sleep deeper and sweeter than either had known in many years.
Fandom: Lewis
Characters/Pairing: Robbie Lewis/Laura Hobson (in a pre-het sort of way)
Word Count: 1088
Rating: K
Summary: “Looking for someone to buy a tired old woman a drink.”
Author's Notes: No spoilers, but I can see this happening during the third season.
Dedication: For nakeisha. I have to thank her for the beta and the kind words after an upsetting experience.
“Didn’t Morse teach you anything?”
Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis looked up from his paperwork and threw a questioning smile at the blonde leaning against his office door.
“The reason you have a DS is for him to do the donkey work, not you, Robbie.” Dr. Laura Hobson pushed herself away from the door with her shoulder and moved to drop tiredly into the chair across from him.
Lewis sighed. “Hathaway had band practice and I’ve always excelled at donkey work.”
Laura just shook her head before letting it fall onto the back of the chair.
“What you doing here at this hour?”
Her voice was suddenly rough. “Looking for someone to buy a tired old woman a drink.”
“Well,” Lewis closed the folder in front of him, “I don’t know any tired old women, but I know you. How about I buy you a drink?”
Laura sniffled once. “Nicely done, there.”
“I try. Come on, you don’t look up for the pub, but I’ve got wine at my place and we can stop for a take away.” Lewis quickly sorted the files on his desk into slightly less messy piles. Rounding the desk, he held a hand out to Laura and helped her up from the chair. "Awful day?"
Sliding her hand up to the crook of his arm, she sighed, “You could say.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not yet.” She dropped her head to his shoulder as they walked in silence out of the station.
The silence remained as they walked back to his flat. It was a comfortable silence; a warm woollen blanket draped over both their shoulders keeping the cold of the night and the evil of day away. Even the stop for Thai food was done with minimal words and silent deference to each others preferences.
Finally arriving at the tiny flat, they worked easily and familiarly with one another. As Lewis opened the wine and put glasses and place settings on the small table, Laura divided the Pad Thai and drunken noodle chicken onto two plates. Sitting across from each other, they slowly and silently ate.
“Now do you want to talk about it,” Lewis asked when they were nearly finished with the meal.
Laura took a large mouthful of the white wine before replying, “I don’t think I can... yet.”
“Okay,” Lewis ran his fingertips along the back of her hand, “when you can.”
“Thanks,” Laura turned her hand over to catch his fingers in hers.
Lewis nodded. Their fingers remained intertwined as they finished the last of the food and wine. Finally, Lewis stood and started to clear the dishes just as his mobile began to ring.
“Work?” Laura asked, taking the dishes from him so that he could retrieve the device from his discarded jacket’s pocket.
Staring at the display, Lewis shook his head, “No, Lyn.”
“Then you’d better get it.”
“Sure?”
“Of course. Give her my love.” She began filling the sink with soap and water.
Lewis moved to the large picture window, but leant against it watching Laura as he pressed the phone to his ear, “Hello, pet. … No, you didn’t wake me. Laura and I were just finishing dinner. She sends her love by the way. … I’ll tell her. … ”
Listening to the one-sided conversation, Laura let the sound of Lewis’s voice and monotony of doing the washing up spread through her, releasing the tension of the day.
She didn’t feel the tears begin to fall until she felt Lewis’s strong hands on her shoulders. The dish she was holding slipped back into the soapy water as she spun to face him. Instantly soapy hands clung to the back of his shirt and her tear streaked face was buried in his chest. She felt rather than heard his whispered words of comfort as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
Slowly and carefully, Lewis eased them out of the kitchenette, keeping his arms firmly around her as he settled them both on the settee. Stroking her back and pressing his lips to her head, he rocked gently trying to calm her frantic sobs. As the sobs finally subsided to a few hiccupped tears, Lewis gently encouraged her to speak.
Sighing, Laura pressed her cheek to his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat calm her as she spoke. "I had to perform an autopsy on a three month old little girl today."
Instantly, Lewis tightened his arms around her.
"She had huge, blue eyes and these tiny, wispy, strawberry blonde curls. She was so little, even my smallest instruments seemed huge working on her," she paused, shuddering at the memories of the day.
"What happened," Lewis whispered into her hair.
Laura looked up at him. "There's the tragedy of it all. It was an undiagnosed heart condition, something that could have been easily repaired, but the doctor missed it. And to compound everything, one of your lot dragged the poor young mother in for questioning, because they thought that she had smothered her daughter in the market of all places. She was a wreck by the time I finished and contacted the DI."
"I'm sorry," Lewis pushed down his desire to defend his colleague who had responded in what seemed to be a frankly appropriate manner.
"Thank you," Laura smoothed her hand across his chest. "I got your shirt all wet."
"It'll wash. Besides, I ruined my share of your shirts back when..." he trailed off with a sigh.
She put her head on his chest again and made a murmuring sound of agreement. Lewis adjusted his arms around her and let his head drop to the back of the settee. He hoped that his presence, his arms were as comforting to her as the warm weight of her body was to him. In the silence of the flat, he could hear their breathing shift to match each other as it became slowly deeper. His back would regret it in the morning and when Hathaway came to pick him up there would be awkward questions, but neither thing concerned him as slowly as one they shifted to lay arms and legs entangled on the soft leather settee. Lewis felt a kiss drop sleepily on his neck and responded by gently raising her chin and softly kissing her lips.
"Laura, I..." his words seemed stuck.
She laid a soft hand on his cheek, "I know, Robbie. Tonight we sleep."
And they fell into a sleep deeper and sweeter than either had known in many years.