Aint No Sunshine When She's Gone (David/Claudia, PG-13)
Title: Aint No Sunshine When She's Gone
Characters/Pairings: David Sinclair/Claudia Gomez; mention of Colby, FBI team
Rating: PG-13 (implied adult situations; hint of scenes in a morgue)
Word Count: 1598
Summary: He wished this birthday could be like the last, but wishes on candles only leave smoke... don't they?
Spoilers: 5.06 - Magic Man and technically 4.01 - Trust Metric
Notes/Warnings: This is a follow up to the fic I wrote for 2007's October n3_challenge: In the Still of the Night. What's David been going through since Claudia left? And where the hell did she go? Will David get his birthday wish? A fic that, while not my best, has been four months in the making. Whew. A million thanks and shirtless, smiling Donnie to my beta julietm who read the versions and heard me bitch about this thing for four months. Betas are ♥. Have you hugged yours today?
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
David had to admit. He finally understood why Granger hadn’t really dated much since moving to LA. Of course he loved teasing his crime fighting partner about high standards and low social skills, but he realized the actual problem was that all the women in this town had lost their god damned minds.
His last date had been going pretty great, he thought. They had laughed over drinks, and then took in a magic show… her idea. Why not? He’d asked himself. He’d never been on a date at a magic show before and after all, cloaks and daggers required darkness - the perfect place for a little playful misbehavior.
And then he’d found it was all just a scam, and he was just another player in the game.
Times like those, he missed her more than most.
He’d wanted to talk to Colby about her, particularly when they had been stuck in a car for over six hours on a stake out and they’d run out of things to talk about anyway. Naturally, as soon as he’d worked up the nerve to mention her, a strange car circled the block for the fourth time. He and Colby both knew they’d found the suspect they’d waited for all night.
Instead of talking about her, he ended up talking about the other women he’d dated since she left. Granger didn’t really seem to want to hear about it and David couldn’t blame the guy. He mostly enjoyed talking about his dates just to rub it in his partner’s face that he’d been dateless for the past two years. Given that whole secret life as a spy, which David tried not to think about too often, he was sure Colby had his reasons. His reasons weren’t going to keep David from giving his best friend a hard time about a blank dating card though.
All teasing aside, the truth was that it didn’t matter who David went out with or who he slept with. None of the women… were her.
He missed her. He could admit that to himself at least. He couldn’t form the words to confess to his best friend; not yet. He was sure that Colby would understand and that he’d not use the admission as fuel for the usual banter between them but he still couldn’t bring himself to say it. Yes, he missed her. She’d left without really letting him say goodbye. She actually wouldn’t let him say goodbye. She’d merely shown up at his door, she’d kissed him, she’d made love to him, and when he reached for her in the morning - she was gone. A letter, still smelling of her subtle perfume, was all that remained.
She’d been transferred to DC. Why? David could never be sure. All he knew was she’d been sent to the other side of the country. He thought about trying to call her, but he knew the story: they’d play phone tag, they’d share awkward conversation, and then she’d disappear out of thought and time. No, it was much better to remember the way it was… the night before she left. That way he could just pretend she was out working and that she’d come back to him some day…
She’d not come back, not in four months, and he decided it was time to move on. That first date after Claudia had been with a beautiful and charming woman - an architect he’d met in his favorite comic book store. The shared interest had started the conversation, but the imaginative way that she viewed the world kept him engaged. He found himself wanting only for her to keep talking… to help him see the world through her enchanting dark brown eyes.
It had been a perfect evening, and yet… at the end of the night, she still wasn’t Claudia.
She had read him like a book as he stood with her outside her apartment. “What’s her name?” she’d asked, leaning against her door frame with her hand on the door knob as she smiled.
He remembered being distracted by the question. He had thoroughly enjoyed the evening and he’d spent a lot of his energy trying not to think about his time with Claudia… but Lexi had sensed his distance.
She’d prodded him, still smiling as she asked her question again and for reasons he still didn’t understand, he had answered. With a nod of her head, she had invited him in. They’d shared a bottle of wine and a long conversation. After, she’d told him he was a good man before she kissed his cheek and she’d been his friend ever since.
There were others after her… not nearly as interesting and certainly no closer to replacing Claudia. It seemed no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t get her out of his veins.
She just got him. She understood. There was a softness to her that he craved… that he needed to remember what it was like to be a man, not just an FBI agent.
Today of all days, he remembered her. It was his birthday and he remembered that just a year ago, he’d been missing her in his bed. He’d visited her at night where she worked. He’d taken her against the cold, steel lockers in the morgue and she’d whispered to him. She had whispered softly in Spanish, a language he understood but never truly appreciated until he heard it from her lips - shaking him to his core.
He remembered holding her for long moments after the tryst and then sharing a laugh, knowing that neither of them had ever done anything like that before that night. He’d kissed her sweetly and helped her dress all while she smiled at him through dark thick lashes… her deep brown eyes melting his heart. They had ordered take out and then sat together on her desk - talking for hours about every thing and nothing, sometimes not even needing to say a word.
Tonight, however, there had been no Claudia... no softly spoken Spanish endearments or shared take out over open case files. His team, those he considered his extended family so far from home, had taken him out for dinner and courtside seats at a preseason match up between the LA Lakers and his New York Knicks - a rare event. All proceeds benefited The Boys and Girls Club of America, specifically in New York and LA. They had eaten, laughed, supported a cause, and shared a great time together away from the office… but David had still gone home - alone and wishing, despite the near perfect evening, that Claudia had been there to share it with him.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her as he made his way toward his bedroom. It had been a good day, but a long one and he was ready for some sleep and a chance to dream about the one he loved. Maybe he’d get to spend the night with her after all, if he were lucky. Maybe, just maybe.
He was smiling while he walked closer to his bed, but before he could climb underneath the sheets, there was a knock on his door.
His smile immediately faded as he instinctively reached for his side arm before remembering he was standing in his room in only his boxers. He knit his brows into a scowl, looking at the clock and taking note of the unusual hour just as another knock sounded.
Never in a million years would he know why he didn’t look through the door to see who was there before opening it; but, he did only to find himself staring blankly at the person on the other side - mouth agape, eyes unblinking out of fear he was dreaming.
“Are you going to invite me in?” Claudia smiled through full painted lips. He barely registered the question, letting his eyes slowly slide down over her where she stood. She looked just the same as she had when she left… almost exactly as he remembered her. Her hair was a little shorter, but still fell softly about her shoulders. She was leaning against the door frame, a black overcoat slightly open to reveal just enough of whatever red silk treat she wore underneath, and she was looking back at him through those same dark lashes with those eyes that could see straight to his soul.
Absently he reached for her, his hand nearly dwarfing her face as he tenderly brushed her cheek. The warmth of her skin moving into his touch finally brought the realization to light: he wasn’t dreaming. She was there.
Without another thought, he had her in his arms - relishing the way her smaller frame fit so perfectly into his body before he dove in and kissed her, pressing her back against the door he’d just closed.
Every thing was as it had been then, as though no time or space had separated them. And when he pulled back, both were breathless.
“How long can you stay?” he asked the only question he could think of while he stood there with his eyes closed - savoring the taste, the feel, the scent of her.
“How long would you like?” she nearly purred, her hands now running up over his shaved head… sending shivers through him just as it always had.
“I’m not sure you’ve got that kind of time,” was his answer, pulling back to look at her and softly smiling.
Her eyes twinkled when she grinned. “Try me.”
The smile on his face let her know he had every intention of doing just that.
Characters/Pairings: David Sinclair/Claudia Gomez; mention of Colby, FBI team
Rating: PG-13 (implied adult situations; hint of scenes in a morgue)
Word Count: 1598
Summary: He wished this birthday could be like the last, but wishes on candles only leave smoke... don't they?
Spoilers: 5.06 - Magic Man and technically 4.01 - Trust Metric
Notes/Warnings: This is a follow up to the fic I wrote for 2007's October n3_challenge: In the Still of the Night. What's David been going through since Claudia left? And where the hell did she go? Will David get his birthday wish? A fic that, while not my best, has been four months in the making. Whew. A million thanks and shirtless, smiling Donnie to my beta julietm who read the versions and heard me bitch about this thing for four months. Betas are ♥. Have you hugged yours today?
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
David had to admit. He finally understood why Granger hadn’t really dated much since moving to LA. Of course he loved teasing his crime fighting partner about high standards and low social skills, but he realized the actual problem was that all the women in this town had lost their god damned minds.
His last date had been going pretty great, he thought. They had laughed over drinks, and then took in a magic show… her idea. Why not? He’d asked himself. He’d never been on a date at a magic show before and after all, cloaks and daggers required darkness - the perfect place for a little playful misbehavior.
And then he’d found it was all just a scam, and he was just another player in the game.
Times like those, he missed her more than most.
He’d wanted to talk to Colby about her, particularly when they had been stuck in a car for over six hours on a stake out and they’d run out of things to talk about anyway. Naturally, as soon as he’d worked up the nerve to mention her, a strange car circled the block for the fourth time. He and Colby both knew they’d found the suspect they’d waited for all night.
Instead of talking about her, he ended up talking about the other women he’d dated since she left. Granger didn’t really seem to want to hear about it and David couldn’t blame the guy. He mostly enjoyed talking about his dates just to rub it in his partner’s face that he’d been dateless for the past two years. Given that whole secret life as a spy, which David tried not to think about too often, he was sure Colby had his reasons. His reasons weren’t going to keep David from giving his best friend a hard time about a blank dating card though.
All teasing aside, the truth was that it didn’t matter who David went out with or who he slept with. None of the women… were her.
He missed her. He could admit that to himself at least. He couldn’t form the words to confess to his best friend; not yet. He was sure that Colby would understand and that he’d not use the admission as fuel for the usual banter between them but he still couldn’t bring himself to say it. Yes, he missed her. She’d left without really letting him say goodbye. She actually wouldn’t let him say goodbye. She’d merely shown up at his door, she’d kissed him, she’d made love to him, and when he reached for her in the morning - she was gone. A letter, still smelling of her subtle perfume, was all that remained.
She’d been transferred to DC. Why? David could never be sure. All he knew was she’d been sent to the other side of the country. He thought about trying to call her, but he knew the story: they’d play phone tag, they’d share awkward conversation, and then she’d disappear out of thought and time. No, it was much better to remember the way it was… the night before she left. That way he could just pretend she was out working and that she’d come back to him some day…
She’d not come back, not in four months, and he decided it was time to move on. That first date after Claudia had been with a beautiful and charming woman - an architect he’d met in his favorite comic book store. The shared interest had started the conversation, but the imaginative way that she viewed the world kept him engaged. He found himself wanting only for her to keep talking… to help him see the world through her enchanting dark brown eyes.
It had been a perfect evening, and yet… at the end of the night, she still wasn’t Claudia.
She had read him like a book as he stood with her outside her apartment. “What’s her name?” she’d asked, leaning against her door frame with her hand on the door knob as she smiled.
He remembered being distracted by the question. He had thoroughly enjoyed the evening and he’d spent a lot of his energy trying not to think about his time with Claudia… but Lexi had sensed his distance.
She’d prodded him, still smiling as she asked her question again and for reasons he still didn’t understand, he had answered. With a nod of her head, she had invited him in. They’d shared a bottle of wine and a long conversation. After, she’d told him he was a good man before she kissed his cheek and she’d been his friend ever since.
There were others after her… not nearly as interesting and certainly no closer to replacing Claudia. It seemed no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t get her out of his veins.
She just got him. She understood. There was a softness to her that he craved… that he needed to remember what it was like to be a man, not just an FBI agent.
Today of all days, he remembered her. It was his birthday and he remembered that just a year ago, he’d been missing her in his bed. He’d visited her at night where she worked. He’d taken her against the cold, steel lockers in the morgue and she’d whispered to him. She had whispered softly in Spanish, a language he understood but never truly appreciated until he heard it from her lips - shaking him to his core.
He remembered holding her for long moments after the tryst and then sharing a laugh, knowing that neither of them had ever done anything like that before that night. He’d kissed her sweetly and helped her dress all while she smiled at him through dark thick lashes… her deep brown eyes melting his heart. They had ordered take out and then sat together on her desk - talking for hours about every thing and nothing, sometimes not even needing to say a word.
Tonight, however, there had been no Claudia... no softly spoken Spanish endearments or shared take out over open case files. His team, those he considered his extended family so far from home, had taken him out for dinner and courtside seats at a preseason match up between the LA Lakers and his New York Knicks - a rare event. All proceeds benefited The Boys and Girls Club of America, specifically in New York and LA. They had eaten, laughed, supported a cause, and shared a great time together away from the office… but David had still gone home - alone and wishing, despite the near perfect evening, that Claudia had been there to share it with him.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her as he made his way toward his bedroom. It had been a good day, but a long one and he was ready for some sleep and a chance to dream about the one he loved. Maybe he’d get to spend the night with her after all, if he were lucky. Maybe, just maybe.
He was smiling while he walked closer to his bed, but before he could climb underneath the sheets, there was a knock on his door.
His smile immediately faded as he instinctively reached for his side arm before remembering he was standing in his room in only his boxers. He knit his brows into a scowl, looking at the clock and taking note of the unusual hour just as another knock sounded.
Never in a million years would he know why he didn’t look through the door to see who was there before opening it; but, he did only to find himself staring blankly at the person on the other side - mouth agape, eyes unblinking out of fear he was dreaming.
“Are you going to invite me in?” Claudia smiled through full painted lips. He barely registered the question, letting his eyes slowly slide down over her where she stood. She looked just the same as she had when she left… almost exactly as he remembered her. Her hair was a little shorter, but still fell softly about her shoulders. She was leaning against the door frame, a black overcoat slightly open to reveal just enough of whatever red silk treat she wore underneath, and she was looking back at him through those same dark lashes with those eyes that could see straight to his soul.
Absently he reached for her, his hand nearly dwarfing her face as he tenderly brushed her cheek. The warmth of her skin moving into his touch finally brought the realization to light: he wasn’t dreaming. She was there.
Without another thought, he had her in his arms - relishing the way her smaller frame fit so perfectly into his body before he dove in and kissed her, pressing her back against the door he’d just closed.
Every thing was as it had been then, as though no time or space had separated them. And when he pulled back, both were breathless.
“How long can you stay?” he asked the only question he could think of while he stood there with his eyes closed - savoring the taste, the feel, the scent of her.
“How long would you like?” she nearly purred, her hands now running up over his shaved head… sending shivers through him just as it always had.
“I’m not sure you’ve got that kind of time,” was his answer, pulling back to look at her and softly smiling.
Her eyes twinkled when she grinned. “Try me.”
The smile on his face let her know he had every intention of doing just that.