the_bigshow 2.1 Section H.1 - Surprises
When was the last time that someone truly surprised you? How did they do that?
(OOC: Flack in this prompt is det_don_flack and is used with his mun's permission.)
It wasn't so much that this was a truly surprising thing, it's just that she wasn't expecting it at this point in her relationship. She was involved with a rather stoic, seemingly unromantic/unattached man, and she was sure this wasn't very serious to him. Okay, so he'd promised to come talk to her if things didn't blow over, but she figured that Messer and Flack are both men, they'd punch each other in the shoulder and act like everything was alright, and he wouldn't show up.
Apparently things hadn't blown over. It could've been a particularly jarring case. Or it had been one of those days where nothing went right and he didn't want to be alone. In any case, it's not like she wasn't happy to see him. It's just that it was two in the morning and it was the first night in months that she hadn't needed pills or Flack in bed next to her to get any sleep.
"Don?" She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Flack, who was standing in her doorway looking rather disheveled. "What're you doin here?" She yawned a little, leaning against the door frame in a black tank top and pair of black mesh shorts, her long brown locks falling messily down around her shoulders.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah, uh yeah." She stepped aside and let him inside before closing the door behind her and locking it. "It's late, are you okay?" She yawned again and rubbed her arms, feeling cold.
"Sorry if I woke ya."
Anna frowned, stepping in close to Flack and reaching up to cup his cheek in her hand. "Don... what's wrong?"
"I just finished up some paperwork on a case. Guy suffocated his three kids because he couldn't stand to listen to them cryin' anymore." He shrugged and looked down at her, frowning a little at the look on her face. That, he learned, was the expression Anna wore when she tried not to get upset.
"Booked him, I take it." She slid her hand down to help him out of his coat, tossing it on the chair.
He watched Anna and nodded slowly, his voice low and quiet. "Didn't feel like bein' alone."
Pausing, she blinked and turned to look up at Flack. Of course he had to be here for a reason, she just didn't expect it to be that reason. She half-expected this to be relevant to some case at the 2-7, and he was here to talk business. But no. She was blind-sided with a much different answer and she remained frozen for a few seconds while her brain caught up.
"Anna?"
She snapped back to the present, nodding. "You know you're always welcome here." Anna smiled softly, reaching up to brush a thumb over Flack's cheek.
He turned his face a little to kiss her hand and toed off his shoes.
"Bed's big enough for two."
Flack smiled a little and nodded when Anna grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hall and into her bedroom. He shed his suitcoat and took his tie off, tossing them into their usual spot on Anna's chair in the corner of the bedroom.
"Need anythin' Don?" She asked softly as she stepped in close to him, helping him with his shirt. She was gentle, every touch comforting as she pulled his shirt and undershirt off, laying them out on the chair while he took his pants off and looked down at her, watching her move.
"No. I'm fine."
Anna once again wasn't surprised by his answer as she ran a hand through her hair and turned to face him. She blinked when Flack leaned in and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her against him as he stole a kiss. She smiled softly and returned the kiss, resting her forehead against his. "You must be tired, let's lay down."
He nodded, grateful that she didn't say anything more. She seemed to start to understand that it was a bad day, he didn't want to talk about it, and that all he wanted was to spend some time with her. Flack slid into bed after Anna pulled the covers back, rolling onto his side. The familiar scent of lavender and cherry blossoms filled his senses and he felt himself relax immediately. Anna always smelled good, and something about her soothed some part of him he couldn't quite identify.
"What time do you have to work?" She asked as she slipped into bed next to him, her back to him as she set her alarm.
"Mac told me to take the day off." He reached out to finger some of her hair gently, fingers lightly brushing over her shoulder.
She nodded and laid down on her side, back still to him and pulled the covers up over them, exhaustion setting in once again. "Stay as long as you like." She said softly.
Flack shifted closer to her and draped an arm over her waist, pulling her back against his body tightly. When he felt Anna's hand resting over his, he buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Maybe later he'd think about how she seemed to fit perfectly against him, in spite of the six-inch height difference, or how nice it was to have an unspoken (albeit still developing) understanding with a woman who he didn't work with every day.
"Missed knowing you'd be here when I wake up..." She mumbled as she drifted off to sleep, shifting in his arms to roll over and bury her face in his neck, sighing happily. "Not alone." Her hand fell against his chest as she slipped into dream land.
Flack held her close and nuzzled her forehead before kissing it softly and closing his eyes to join her in sleep. He wouldn't admit it - emotional things were a big no for him - but he returned the feeling. It had been a while since he'd had someone to go home to, and he really liked that thought. He had somewhere to go when it got rough, or he got lonely.
In the morning, he'd wake up with two curious cats where Anna had slept, and a note on the dresser waiting for him.
Bello (Handsome),
Sorry you had to wake up alone after the day you had yesterday, but I had to be up at six for work and I didn't want to wake you. I run on a lot less sleep than most cops. There's cinnamon rolls in the microwave and a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen. The coffee cup is right next to the pot, and the sugar's in the little black thingy next to the blender. Don't mind the cats, they're not used to having anyone around. There's some of my mama's lasagna leftover in the fridge - the best you'll ever have, mind you - so help yourself to whatever you need. Don't worry about dishes or the bed, and stay as long as you like. I'll be home by five, and the remote for the television is buried under a few of the magazines on my coffee table. If you can't find it, ask Varese. He's the short-haired cat and an expert remote tracker. I hope you slept well, if there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to call.
Yours truly,
Anna
She'd been caught entirely off-guard that night, and this was one surprise she would welcome time and time again.
(OOC: Flack in this prompt is det_don_flack and is used with his mun's permission.)
It wasn't so much that this was a truly surprising thing, it's just that she wasn't expecting it at this point in her relationship. She was involved with a rather stoic, seemingly unromantic/unattached man, and she was sure this wasn't very serious to him. Okay, so he'd promised to come talk to her if things didn't blow over, but she figured that Messer and Flack are both men, they'd punch each other in the shoulder and act like everything was alright, and he wouldn't show up.
Apparently things hadn't blown over. It could've been a particularly jarring case. Or it had been one of those days where nothing went right and he didn't want to be alone. In any case, it's not like she wasn't happy to see him. It's just that it was two in the morning and it was the first night in months that she hadn't needed pills or Flack in bed next to her to get any sleep.
"Don?" She rubbed her eyes and looked up at Flack, who was standing in her doorway looking rather disheveled. "What're you doin here?" She yawned a little, leaning against the door frame in a black tank top and pair of black mesh shorts, her long brown locks falling messily down around her shoulders.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah, uh yeah." She stepped aside and let him inside before closing the door behind her and locking it. "It's late, are you okay?" She yawned again and rubbed her arms, feeling cold.
"Sorry if I woke ya."
Anna frowned, stepping in close to Flack and reaching up to cup his cheek in her hand. "Don... what's wrong?"
"I just finished up some paperwork on a case. Guy suffocated his three kids because he couldn't stand to listen to them cryin' anymore." He shrugged and looked down at her, frowning a little at the look on her face. That, he learned, was the expression Anna wore when she tried not to get upset.
"Booked him, I take it." She slid her hand down to help him out of his coat, tossing it on the chair.
He watched Anna and nodded slowly, his voice low and quiet. "Didn't feel like bein' alone."
Pausing, she blinked and turned to look up at Flack. Of course he had to be here for a reason, she just didn't expect it to be that reason. She half-expected this to be relevant to some case at the 2-7, and he was here to talk business. But no. She was blind-sided with a much different answer and she remained frozen for a few seconds while her brain caught up.
"Anna?"
She snapped back to the present, nodding. "You know you're always welcome here." Anna smiled softly, reaching up to brush a thumb over Flack's cheek.
He turned his face a little to kiss her hand and toed off his shoes.
"Bed's big enough for two."
Flack smiled a little and nodded when Anna grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hall and into her bedroom. He shed his suitcoat and took his tie off, tossing them into their usual spot on Anna's chair in the corner of the bedroom.
"Need anythin' Don?" She asked softly as she stepped in close to him, helping him with his shirt. She was gentle, every touch comforting as she pulled his shirt and undershirt off, laying them out on the chair while he took his pants off and looked down at her, watching her move.
"No. I'm fine."
Anna once again wasn't surprised by his answer as she ran a hand through her hair and turned to face him. She blinked when Flack leaned in and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her against him as he stole a kiss. She smiled softly and returned the kiss, resting her forehead against his. "You must be tired, let's lay down."
He nodded, grateful that she didn't say anything more. She seemed to start to understand that it was a bad day, he didn't want to talk about it, and that all he wanted was to spend some time with her. Flack slid into bed after Anna pulled the covers back, rolling onto his side. The familiar scent of lavender and cherry blossoms filled his senses and he felt himself relax immediately. Anna always smelled good, and something about her soothed some part of him he couldn't quite identify.
"What time do you have to work?" She asked as she slipped into bed next to him, her back to him as she set her alarm.
"Mac told me to take the day off." He reached out to finger some of her hair gently, fingers lightly brushing over her shoulder.
She nodded and laid down on her side, back still to him and pulled the covers up over them, exhaustion setting in once again. "Stay as long as you like." She said softly.
Flack shifted closer to her and draped an arm over her waist, pulling her back against his body tightly. When he felt Anna's hand resting over his, he buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Maybe later he'd think about how she seemed to fit perfectly against him, in spite of the six-inch height difference, or how nice it was to have an unspoken (albeit still developing) understanding with a woman who he didn't work with every day.
"Missed knowing you'd be here when I wake up..." She mumbled as she drifted off to sleep, shifting in his arms to roll over and bury her face in his neck, sighing happily. "Not alone." Her hand fell against his chest as she slipped into dream land.
Flack held her close and nuzzled her forehead before kissing it softly and closing his eyes to join her in sleep. He wouldn't admit it - emotional things were a big no for him - but he returned the feeling. It had been a while since he'd had someone to go home to, and he really liked that thought. He had somewhere to go when it got rough, or he got lonely.
In the morning, he'd wake up with two curious cats where Anna had slept, and a note on the dresser waiting for him.
Bello (Handsome),
Sorry you had to wake up alone after the day you had yesterday, but I had to be up at six for work and I didn't want to wake you. I run on a lot less sleep than most cops. There's cinnamon rolls in the microwave and a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen. The coffee cup is right next to the pot, and the sugar's in the little black thingy next to the blender. Don't mind the cats, they're not used to having anyone around. There's some of my mama's lasagna leftover in the fridge - the best you'll ever have, mind you - so help yourself to whatever you need. Don't worry about dishes or the bed, and stay as long as you like. I'll be home by five, and the remote for the television is buried under a few of the magazines on my coffee table. If you can't find it, ask Varese. He's the short-haired cat and an expert remote tracker. I hope you slept well, if there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to call.
Yours truly,
Anna
She'd been caught entirely off-guard that night, and this was one surprise she would welcome time and time again.