All Bets Are Off (Ian/Nikki, Colby, David, R)
Posted for the ian_nikki October Challenge: Long Distance...
Title: All Bets Are Off
Pairing/Characters: Ian/Nikki, Colby, David
Rating: R (adult situations, implied and otherwise)
Word Count: 1894
Summary: She was woman enough to admit this was completely her fault. After all, the bet was her idea.
Spoilers: 5.23 Angels & Devils, 6.02 Friendly Fire
Notes/Warnings: This is an alternate ending to a scene from 6.02 Friendly Fire and was inspired by the episode discussion at savecolby. I can't say much more than that without giving spoilers. Please see Author's Comments for more information. :)
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
She was woman enough to admit this was completely her fault. After all, the bet was her idea. She’d not been able to resist giving David a hard time about not having a girlfriend. From there, the conversation went downhill… fast. She just couldn’t let it slide when Granger commented that she could only get a date inside the LA office of the FBI. Oh, no. She just had to open her big mouth and suggest that tonight, she and Colby and David meet for dinner - bringing the best date they had to offer. Whoever showed up solo, paid.
Now, Nikki sat alone at a table for six - absently rubbing her hands together more from impatience than from nerves. She’d had a date for the night, and since technically, he was on assignment likely in some foreign and distant part of the world - that counted as finding someone outside the FBI office. Unfortunately for her, however, he had to cancel.
That was part of the job and she understood, even if it did leave her dateless for the evening. She’d shown up anyway, and she would face David and Colby. Knowing those two, they were going to show up sans date and no one would have proven anything. Well, that’s what she hoped.
She looked up to see the pair of them walking in together, each without a lady at his side. She would have been encouraged by this had it not been for the smugness across Granger’s features. When he looked like that, she knew he was up to something… and no good could come of that.
Oh, Lord. she thought. This is going to be misery.
“Betancourt, I don’t suppose your date’s in the bathroom is he?” Colby quipped as he and David rounded the table.
“He couldn’t make it,” she agreed, her chin held high. Whatever he was up to, she was not going to be ashamed. The shared look of sympathy that passed between the two men across from her wasn’t making that any easier.
The shared look of sympathy gave way to one of victory as Colby pulled David’s chair out for him, forcing Nikki to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. “Looks like we’re going Dutch tonight,” she remarked, trying to figure out exactly what these boys had planned.
“I’m going to have to disagree,” Colby answered, smoothing his tie down over his shirt as he took the seat next to David. The smile on his face was all she needed to understand that his deviousness was about to be revealed in all its glory. “I’d like you to meet my date, Agent David Sinclair,” he continued, his smugness never waning. “Very good resume, very professional. He was just promoted to supervisor in fact.”
“Cabernet please, and he’ll have a Chardonnay,” David ordered, glancing at the menu as though Colby had said nothing out of the ordinary.
“You’re such a gentleman,” Colby cooed to his partner beside him.
“Thank you so much,” was David’s natural reply.
Nikki could only roll her eyes. “I can’t believe this,” she breathed, her lips crooked to the side. She’d shown up tonight without her date, trying to be the bigger man - for lack of a better phrase - and these two showed up as each other’s?
She was still shaking her head as she took her seat, listening while David and Colby kept up the charade.
“I am VERY hungry. You?” Colby asked David, examining his own menu.
“Absolutely starving. The surf and turf looks delicious.”
“Shell fish will upset your stomach though, remember.”
Nikki couldn’t fight the incredulous smile across her lips. No matter how insulting it was to lose the bet like this, at least the night wouldn’t be a total waste. She could think of less entertaining company than the two jokers across the table.
“That’s a good point,” David answered, agreeing with Granger’s shell fish comment. “We’ll have the filet,” he spoke, handing his menu to the lovely server beside him.
Go ahead. Order the most expensive thing on the menu. Just remember this is black mail material at its finest, Nikki mused before ordering. “I’ll have a vodka and soda with a twist. Actually, you know what, hold the soda… yo, hold the twist, just bring the bottle,” she added as an after thought. The boys might be amusing, but alcohol would dull the pain - not just the sting of being outdone by her co-workers, but the ache in her heart. The truth was, she’d wanted her date to show up tonight because she missed him. He’d been part of the reason for the bet and as such, she could have asked someone else to join her tonight. But, she hadn’t wanted to. She wanted him.
She handed her menu over and watched as David and Colby clinked their water glasses together in victory. She shook her head again, starting to turn away before she noticed Granger’s smugness fading as he took a drink from his glass. In fact, if she was reading him correctly, the smugness was being replaced by shock as he gazed somewhere behind her.
She didn’t have a chance to turn around before she felt strong and familiar hands on her shoulders. The man behind her leaned down to brush his lips against her cheek, drawing back to whisper into her ear in a tone that sent shivers down her spine. “Sorry I’m late,” he rasped, kissing at her ear lobe.
She turned her gaze toward the newcomer, her eyes wide with surprise and delight as she watched Agent Ian Edgerton slip into the chair beside her. The surprise was for his very presence but the delight was for the first glance she had of him. He’d not only shown up tonight, but he’d obviously gone all out for the occasion. She was fairly certain that no one at this table had ever seen him in a suit, least of all this well-tailored black jacket and slacks and a crisp white shirt that brought out every ounce of warmth from the sniper’s inviting tawny skin. He was even wearing a tie, the same violet silk tie she’d given him his last trip into town. She knew it was the only tie he owned, and she’d given it to him for reasons completely different than to wear around his neck. He looked more delicious than ever and if the restaurant hadn’t been so crowded, his appearance would have left her no choice but to crawl onto his chair, straddle his lap, and devour the taste of his lips until neither of them could breathe.
“Granger, Sinclair. It’s not polite to stare,” Ian nodded, acknowledging the now gaping mouths sitting across from him as he looked over his menu.
“I… I thought you couldn’t make it,” Nikki choked out the only words she could seem to form. She couldn’t pull her eyes away, oblivious to the way Colby and David also stared at Ian - sharing the sentiment of her statement.
Ian’s characteristic crooked smile graced his lips as he reached for her.
“Change in plans,” he breathed against her skin, looking up at her through his lashes while he gently kissed the top of the hand he held.
The look she gave him sent the appropriate message. You’ll be properly rewarded for this later. His eyes let her know the message was received.
Her body still tingling with his touch, Nikki remembered herself then and turned her smile to the two forgotten agents. “Fellas, I’d like you to meet my date for the evening. Agent Ian Edgerton, best looking man at this table and the third best sniper in the world.”
“Ah, ah,” Ian shook his head. “Second best,” he grinned.
“Oh, sorry darling,” she cooed, her tone imitating the one Colby had used earlier when speaking to David. “Second best. I think that trumps your supervisor, Granger,” she beamed.
“Excuse me, miss? Is it too late to change our order to the soup?” David called to the server, realizing now that he and Colby would be paying - not just for dinner tonight, but for a long time to come.
Nikki watched as Ian raised a curious eyebrow in Colby’s direction. He cast a glance from Colby to David and then back to the junior male agent at the table. “Wait. He’s your date?”
“Hey! He’s a very good catch,” Colby defended, going for unashamed though the redness in his cheeks betrayed him.
“Thank you. Thank you very much,” David answered, nodding his appreciation. “So are you.”
“Much obliged,” Colby responded, once more smoothing his tie down his shirt.
Ian turned to Nikki, his look similar to the one he’d first given her when he met her at the FBI office. Rather than saying who the hell are you, he was now saying are they for real?
Nikki shrugged in answer, continuing to stare with enchanted disbelief at the man beside her. The smile across her lips only widened when he smiled back at her and she found herself absently reaching for him, her fingers snaking from the back of his neck into his hair.
Completely oblivious to the present company, she anchored herself by winding her fingers into his thick, dark locks and leaned herself closer to him. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered, her lips near his.
“Me too,” he answered, instantly closing the gap between them - meeting her in a kiss that defied sensible decorum for such a public place which left Colby and David in stunned silence.
The first taste of him she’d had in over a month made her crave more, deepening the exchange as she fought against her overwhelming urge to place herself into his lap even as she inched herself closer and closer to him.
He kissed her in return, giving her every thing she gave to him. And though she had his complete attention, his sniper skills still detected the movement from the gentlemen across the table. Instantly, he snapped his fingers and pointed down - signaling for Colby and David to sit their asses back in their seats as Ian slowly eased himself away from Nikki’s kiss. He tasted her again, softly this time, giving them each a moment to catch their breath before they turned to face the rest of the dinner party.
“Surely you boys weren’t thinking of leaving,” Nikki chirped, an eye brow raised as she licked her lips - savoring the taste of Ian that lingered there.
“Surely not,” Ian echoed. “Because the way I understand it, the best date wins the bet… and since, I’m obviously the best, you boys will be paying tonight,” he smirked, his playful arrogance dancing through his eyes.
“Looks that way,” Colby sighed resignedly, still trying to shake from his mind the image of Nikki and Ian making out in front of him.
As the server came to take his order, Ian smiled. “I’d like the best bottle of wine you have.”
Nikki would have smiled in victory if Ian’s hand sliding up her thigh under the table hadn’t put a completely different kind of smile across her lips. Those skilled and talented fingers were tracing unidentifiable shapes against her skin and suddenly, the bet didn’t seem to matter. Ian was back in town. He’d come back for her and her alone. He was hers.
Bet or no bet, she won.
Title: All Bets Are Off
Pairing/Characters: Ian/Nikki, Colby, David
Rating: R (adult situations, implied and otherwise)
Word Count: 1894
Summary: She was woman enough to admit this was completely her fault. After all, the bet was her idea.
Spoilers: 5.23 Angels & Devils, 6.02 Friendly Fire
Notes/Warnings: This is an alternate ending to a scene from 6.02 Friendly Fire and was inspired by the episode discussion at savecolby. I can't say much more than that without giving spoilers. Please see Author's Comments for more information. :)
Disclaimer: If you recognize it, regrettably - it's not mine.
She was woman enough to admit this was completely her fault. After all, the bet was her idea. She’d not been able to resist giving David a hard time about not having a girlfriend. From there, the conversation went downhill… fast. She just couldn’t let it slide when Granger commented that she could only get a date inside the LA office of the FBI. Oh, no. She just had to open her big mouth and suggest that tonight, she and Colby and David meet for dinner - bringing the best date they had to offer. Whoever showed up solo, paid.
Now, Nikki sat alone at a table for six - absently rubbing her hands together more from impatience than from nerves. She’d had a date for the night, and since technically, he was on assignment likely in some foreign and distant part of the world - that counted as finding someone outside the FBI office. Unfortunately for her, however, he had to cancel.
That was part of the job and she understood, even if it did leave her dateless for the evening. She’d shown up anyway, and she would face David and Colby. Knowing those two, they were going to show up sans date and no one would have proven anything. Well, that’s what she hoped.
She looked up to see the pair of them walking in together, each without a lady at his side. She would have been encouraged by this had it not been for the smugness across Granger’s features. When he looked like that, she knew he was up to something… and no good could come of that.
Oh, Lord. she thought. This is going to be misery.
“Betancourt, I don’t suppose your date’s in the bathroom is he?” Colby quipped as he and David rounded the table.
“He couldn’t make it,” she agreed, her chin held high. Whatever he was up to, she was not going to be ashamed. The shared look of sympathy that passed between the two men across from her wasn’t making that any easier.
The shared look of sympathy gave way to one of victory as Colby pulled David’s chair out for him, forcing Nikki to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. “Looks like we’re going Dutch tonight,” she remarked, trying to figure out exactly what these boys had planned.
“I’m going to have to disagree,” Colby answered, smoothing his tie down over his shirt as he took the seat next to David. The smile on his face was all she needed to understand that his deviousness was about to be revealed in all its glory. “I’d like you to meet my date, Agent David Sinclair,” he continued, his smugness never waning. “Very good resume, very professional. He was just promoted to supervisor in fact.”
“Cabernet please, and he’ll have a Chardonnay,” David ordered, glancing at the menu as though Colby had said nothing out of the ordinary.
“You’re such a gentleman,” Colby cooed to his partner beside him.
“Thank you so much,” was David’s natural reply.
Nikki could only roll her eyes. “I can’t believe this,” she breathed, her lips crooked to the side. She’d shown up tonight without her date, trying to be the bigger man - for lack of a better phrase - and these two showed up as each other’s?
She was still shaking her head as she took her seat, listening while David and Colby kept up the charade.
“I am VERY hungry. You?” Colby asked David, examining his own menu.
“Absolutely starving. The surf and turf looks delicious.”
“Shell fish will upset your stomach though, remember.”
Nikki couldn’t fight the incredulous smile across her lips. No matter how insulting it was to lose the bet like this, at least the night wouldn’t be a total waste. She could think of less entertaining company than the two jokers across the table.
“That’s a good point,” David answered, agreeing with Granger’s shell fish comment. “We’ll have the filet,” he spoke, handing his menu to the lovely server beside him.
Go ahead. Order the most expensive thing on the menu. Just remember this is black mail material at its finest, Nikki mused before ordering. “I’ll have a vodka and soda with a twist. Actually, you know what, hold the soda… yo, hold the twist, just bring the bottle,” she added as an after thought. The boys might be amusing, but alcohol would dull the pain - not just the sting of being outdone by her co-workers, but the ache in her heart. The truth was, she’d wanted her date to show up tonight because she missed him. He’d been part of the reason for the bet and as such, she could have asked someone else to join her tonight. But, she hadn’t wanted to. She wanted him.
She handed her menu over and watched as David and Colby clinked their water glasses together in victory. She shook her head again, starting to turn away before she noticed Granger’s smugness fading as he took a drink from his glass. In fact, if she was reading him correctly, the smugness was being replaced by shock as he gazed somewhere behind her.
She didn’t have a chance to turn around before she felt strong and familiar hands on her shoulders. The man behind her leaned down to brush his lips against her cheek, drawing back to whisper into her ear in a tone that sent shivers down her spine. “Sorry I’m late,” he rasped, kissing at her ear lobe.
She turned her gaze toward the newcomer, her eyes wide with surprise and delight as she watched Agent Ian Edgerton slip into the chair beside her. The surprise was for his very presence but the delight was for the first glance she had of him. He’d not only shown up tonight, but he’d obviously gone all out for the occasion. She was fairly certain that no one at this table had ever seen him in a suit, least of all this well-tailored black jacket and slacks and a crisp white shirt that brought out every ounce of warmth from the sniper’s inviting tawny skin. He was even wearing a tie, the same violet silk tie she’d given him his last trip into town. She knew it was the only tie he owned, and she’d given it to him for reasons completely different than to wear around his neck. He looked more delicious than ever and if the restaurant hadn’t been so crowded, his appearance would have left her no choice but to crawl onto his chair, straddle his lap, and devour the taste of his lips until neither of them could breathe.
“Granger, Sinclair. It’s not polite to stare,” Ian nodded, acknowledging the now gaping mouths sitting across from him as he looked over his menu.
“I… I thought you couldn’t make it,” Nikki choked out the only words she could seem to form. She couldn’t pull her eyes away, oblivious to the way Colby and David also stared at Ian - sharing the sentiment of her statement.
Ian’s characteristic crooked smile graced his lips as he reached for her.
“Change in plans,” he breathed against her skin, looking up at her through his lashes while he gently kissed the top of the hand he held.
The look she gave him sent the appropriate message. You’ll be properly rewarded for this later. His eyes let her know the message was received.
Her body still tingling with his touch, Nikki remembered herself then and turned her smile to the two forgotten agents. “Fellas, I’d like you to meet my date for the evening. Agent Ian Edgerton, best looking man at this table and the third best sniper in the world.”
“Ah, ah,” Ian shook his head. “Second best,” he grinned.
“Oh, sorry darling,” she cooed, her tone imitating the one Colby had used earlier when speaking to David. “Second best. I think that trumps your supervisor, Granger,” she beamed.
“Excuse me, miss? Is it too late to change our order to the soup?” David called to the server, realizing now that he and Colby would be paying - not just for dinner tonight, but for a long time to come.
Nikki watched as Ian raised a curious eyebrow in Colby’s direction. He cast a glance from Colby to David and then back to the junior male agent at the table. “Wait. He’s your date?”
“Hey! He’s a very good catch,” Colby defended, going for unashamed though the redness in his cheeks betrayed him.
“Thank you. Thank you very much,” David answered, nodding his appreciation. “So are you.”
“Much obliged,” Colby responded, once more smoothing his tie down his shirt.
Ian turned to Nikki, his look similar to the one he’d first given her when he met her at the FBI office. Rather than saying who the hell are you, he was now saying are they for real?
Nikki shrugged in answer, continuing to stare with enchanted disbelief at the man beside her. The smile across her lips only widened when he smiled back at her and she found herself absently reaching for him, her fingers snaking from the back of his neck into his hair.
Completely oblivious to the present company, she anchored herself by winding her fingers into his thick, dark locks and leaned herself closer to him. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered, her lips near his.
“Me too,” he answered, instantly closing the gap between them - meeting her in a kiss that defied sensible decorum for such a public place which left Colby and David in stunned silence.
The first taste of him she’d had in over a month made her crave more, deepening the exchange as she fought against her overwhelming urge to place herself into his lap even as she inched herself closer and closer to him.
He kissed her in return, giving her every thing she gave to him. And though she had his complete attention, his sniper skills still detected the movement from the gentlemen across the table. Instantly, he snapped his fingers and pointed down - signaling for Colby and David to sit their asses back in their seats as Ian slowly eased himself away from Nikki’s kiss. He tasted her again, softly this time, giving them each a moment to catch their breath before they turned to face the rest of the dinner party.
“Surely you boys weren’t thinking of leaving,” Nikki chirped, an eye brow raised as she licked her lips - savoring the taste of Ian that lingered there.
“Surely not,” Ian echoed. “Because the way I understand it, the best date wins the bet… and since, I’m obviously the best, you boys will be paying tonight,” he smirked, his playful arrogance dancing through his eyes.
“Looks that way,” Colby sighed resignedly, still trying to shake from his mind the image of Nikki and Ian making out in front of him.
As the server came to take his order, Ian smiled. “I’d like the best bottle of wine you have.”
Nikki would have smiled in victory if Ian’s hand sliding up her thigh under the table hadn’t put a completely different kind of smile across her lips. Those skilled and talented fingers were tracing unidentifiable shapes against her skin and suddenly, the bet didn’t seem to matter. Ian was back in town. He’d come back for her and her alone. He was hers.
Bet or no bet, she won.