Bianca Gabor

As Bianca went into detail about her encounter with Sven, Felix picked a spot on the table to stare through and sighed. “You know, I’m disappointed, but not entirely surprised.” At this point he was considering putting Sven back through training, with an added emphasis on keeping to contracts and receiving payment. “Oh, do you usually get Bernard for that kind of thing? How’s he doing, anyway? I’m assuming just about as stressed as you are.”

~

“I usually get Bernard for pretty much anything,” Bianca replied automatically, the statement and the sentiment behind it so natural to her that it slipped out without her thinking about it. Of course, the fact that it was so natural to her was the entire root of her problem. Shifting in her seat, she silently cursed her empty wine glass before her prayers were answered by the waiter fortuitously showing up just in time with a new one. “He’s fine, but stressed. Or I mean... We haven’t really talked that much outside of work for a while... Or really spent that much time together, so... I don’t actually know how he is. You probably know better than I do.”

Aesthetic: Bianca Gabor + Bernard Newhart (Part II)

“He might be the love of my life, but you are my soul mate.”

“What’s a soulmate? Well, it's like a best friend, but more. It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else. It's someone who makes you a better person. Actually, they don't make you a better person, you do that yourself because they inspire you. A soul mate is someone who you carry with you forever. It's the one person who knew you and accepted you and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would. And no matter what happens, you'll always love her. Nothing can ever change that.”

[Part I]

detectivenewhart​:

It wasn’t like he’d never kissed anyone before, he was 32 not dead. But he’d never kissed anyone after so much tension and built up. It felt a bit like whiplash with how drastically the feeling in the room had changed. Kissing her felt like adding color to his world, made him realize just how complacent he’d become. Sure he was happy and satisfied with his life, but this, this made him feel over the moon. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to laugh or kick himself for not realizing just how deep his feelings for her ran.

He could face flush more glancing down sheepishly. “You’re,” licking his lips he wondered how any man managed to actually flirt with her when she looked at them like that, “Now you’re just being a tease.” Eyes flickering back up to her face he felt his smile widen, “I’m glad, I enjoy making you happy. I prefer it when you’re smiling.”

~

It was such an endearing contrast, the difference between the Bernard who only moments earlier had been assertively and confidently claiming that he loved her so much that he would quit his job for her, and the Bernard who stood in front of her now furiously blushing and struggling to find the right words to say. It only made her smile wider, and Bianca could have sworn that her heart was about to leap out of her chest when his gaze flickered back up to her. She couldn’t remember the last time that she had been so genuinely and stupidly happy about something. She couldn’t remember if she had ever been so genuinely and stupidly happy about something.

“Now you know how I've felt for four years,” she retorted with a teasing grin, her hands slipping from behind his neck to rest against his chest, grabbing a fistful of his shirt as if to keep him close. To be honest, Bianca was so overwhelmed with everything that was happening that she didn’t really know where to go from here, and a part of her was worried that if she moved too fast she would wake up and realise it had all been a dream. “But it’s getting late, and we should probably get some rest. As much as I don't want to.”

detectivenewhart​:

Liquid courage was a hell of a motivator, that and being so confused for a minute you said everything that came to mind made him seem more confident than usual. While he’d meant every word he’d said, it had been all said less eloquent than he usually would. A lot faster as well, without his usual overthinking to hold him back. He could feel his face redden as what exactly was happening between them fully registered.

For a minute he almost pulled away just to have a break to collect himself, but then he was kissing her and the buzzing in his head stopped. His heart was racing and he wrapped his arm fully around her waist. For a minute he had a bit of deja vu when tasting gin on her lips, but the small bit of fear faded when she pulled herself even closer to him. Reluctantly he pulled away, lips hovering over hers and trying to regain his breath. “Well that’s…a lot better than New Year’s,” he said face flushed and a giddy smile on his face.

~

Bianca had had so many thoughts and feelings about everything, both leading up to a during their conversation, that losing herself in this kiss stood in such stark contrast to how she had felt only moments ago---her brain no longer overcrowded by ‘what ifs’ and trains of thought that tumbled into each other until they no longer made sense. She didn’t want to pull away, but she could acknowledge on some level that oxygen was a thing that they both needed.

Laughing softly, she opened her eyes to look at him, pulling back just far enough so that she could see the giddy smile on Bernard's face. “You look cute,” she teased, even though she knew that her cheeks were probably flushed too, and that an equally goofy smile was playing on her lips. “You always look cute, but you look extra cute when you smile like that. It makes me happy.”

detectivenewhart​:

God he’d missed her, just being around her already had improved his mood. Even when it was awkward it was still better than not seeing her at all. There was no one else who kept him guessing and pushed him the way she did.

He felt like a weight was off his shoulder as he could feel her relax in his arms. Wrinkling his nose he rolled his eyes in amusement st her antics feelings his face flush. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been affectionate before but now that he had more time to process, the new added layer to their relationship was flustering him now. When her lips brushed his he held his breath eyes widening. He barely managed to keep from making a noise of disappointment. “Work will be interesting,” he said eyes flickering down to her lips. Leaning forward he kissed her bringing a hand up to cup her cheek as he did so.

Until now, Bernard had been so decisive and sure of himself that she was starting to wonder if he would ever seem as giddy and nervous about this as she felt---which was a strange feeling in and of itself, because while she was used to Bernard being more confident than he was when she first met him, she wasn’t used to him being more confident than her. But then she caught the flush on his cheeks, and it sent the butterflies in her stomach into a flurry of activity that was wild and wholly unfamiliar to her. She’d never felt this way about someone before. And she couldn’t imagine feeling this way about anyone else.

“Yeah, it’ll definitely be... Something...” She trailed off, parting her lips slightly as he leaned in to kiss her, her heart practically beating out of her chest as she buried her her hand in his hair and pulled herself closer to him. It was like any residual panicked thoughts or hesitations that she might have had melted away when she felt his lips move against hers and she found herself wondering how she had gone so long without doing this. It wasn’t like they hadn’t kissed before, several times, but this was different. It was affectionate and passionate and filled with four years worth of unsaid emotion and anticipation.

detectivenewhart​:

“You know I’m starting to understand why you had mistletoe in your apartment,” he said a goofy grin spreading on his face. Chuckling he rolled his eyes, “It’s new years everyone’s lingering after a few drinks.” Speaking of he felt his smile start to slip a bit, “For the record I’m not..I’m not drunk, I mean I’m not totally sober either but…I love you. I’m still going to want and love you tomorrow and…do this.”

There was a bit of fear that come tomorrow, without the liquid courage they’d be back at square one. It wasn’t like they didn’t say I love you but this, this was different. He was in love with her and wanted more than friendship with her. “I know you’re worried, but I trust you. So where do you want us to go from here?”

Bianca rolled her eyes in return, and there was something oddly comforting about that. She knew that she’d missed him, of course, but she hadn’t realised exactly how much she’d missed how they normally were around each other---sass and teasing and eye rolls and all. But then his tone shifted again, reassuring her of something that deep down she had been worried about since this conversation started, and she found herself smiling at him in relief.

“I trust you too," she responded, and just saying the words made her feel increasingly grounded in their decision and what was happening between them. Her mind might have been all over the place, and her gut instinct might have decided to go AWOL for now, but Bernard was here and he wasn’t going anywhere. And she trusted him. “I don’t... I don’t know where we go from here, to be honest. But I’m less worried about it somehow. Because...” Pulling herself a little closer, Bianca bumped her nose against his playfully, before letting her lips brush over his in the faintest of touches. “Because I know that no matter what happens next, I’ll have my partner by my side.”

detectivenewhart​:

When she moved closer he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around her. He pulled her closer to his chest slowly giving her the option to stop him at any moment. “Good, payback for how you’ve kept me on my toes during this whole partnership,” he quipped a small smile on his face.

His heart felt like it was trying to beat out of his chest, but looking at her he felt that familiar calm that always came from being around her. Leaning his forehead against her he let out a soft sigh as he looked at her. “I don’t know how you…how you managed for four years but I don’t think I can do another four minutes of this. I want you Bianca Gabor, you said we make a good team, and I want to see this through with you.”

Bianca didn’t stop him, and she didn’t want to stop him either. On some level, she knew that she’d had her reasons for thinking the way that she did when they started this conversation, but that smile on his face and the warm feeling that spread through her chest made it difficult for her to remember what those reasons were. Maybe Bernard was right, and all of those other things didn’t matter. Maybe the only thing that mattered was how they felt about each other.

“I don’t know how you didn’t notice,” she retorted with a soft chuckle, resting her arms on his shoulders and crossing her wrists behind his neck. “Honestly, there were times when I was scared that I was being really obvious about it and that you were going to figure it out. Like that New Year’s Eve when we kissed at midnight and I lingered just a little too long.” Or a few weeks ago, when she had literally told him that she was in love with him. “I tried to get over it, but I just... I couldn’t. I don’t think I’m ever going to stop feeling like this. I love you, Bernard Newhart.”

“I’d be more than happy to have some help, especially right now.” Felix sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Both Bjorgmans have abandoned me - there was a family emergency so it’s understandable that they’re both gone, but that’s half my handyman workforce!” He leaned his head against his hand before lightly chuckling to himself. “You do seem like someone who would pick that kind of thing up quickly, you’d probably do well.” It was fun to fantasize about, but he couldn’t make himself steal Bianca away and prioritize his own stress over Bernard’s.

“Ah, yes, I heard about that,” Bianca replied with a soft, sympathetic chuckle, thinking back to her evening of wining and whining with Anita. A family emergency made more sense, but practically ghosting one of her best friends in the process was less cool. Perhaps that was why she wasn’t quite as concerned about making the joke that she made next. “Personally, I believe that I’d make an excellent substitute Bjorgman. The first time I met Sven at the store I ended up coaching him on what I was looking for rather than the other way around. And I fixed my own kitchen sink. I didn’t even have to call Bernard.”

Penny beamed at that. Bianca’s pride and trust meant the world to her, almost as much as Cody’s did. Actually, they might be on the same level, with Bernard just slightly behind. But that was just because Bernard was Cody’s favorite, and Bianca’s was hers, so she was sure Bernard would forgive her.

“I have a few others in mind, those that I know were hit badly at the festival,” she added, thinking of Chip. “But I’d really appreciate any names you come across. Oh! And if you see a cat that looks like this, could you call me?” She handed Bianca the flyer that Alice had given her. “It’s for a new case I’m working on.”

To be honest, Bianca was not quite expecting to jump from a conversation about supporting traumatised kids to accepting a flyer about a missing cat, but it also didn’t entirely surprise her coming from Penny. Besides, she could definitely be the same way sometimes. She couldn’t count the amount of times that she had asked Bernard about something related to a case in the same sentence that she asked him what he wanted to order for dinner.

Looking up after skimming the contents of the flyer, she nodded in agreement before carefully folding it in half and sticking it in her back pocket. “Of course, I’ll direct any and all leads to you,” she confirmed with a smile. “And as always, feel free to reach out if you want a second opinion on anything. Take care of yourself, Penny.”

Jake didn’t know whether to gain or lose hope during Bianca’s contemplative silence, but her response determined that for him. Damn, the 98% won out. That was more open than she usually left their conversations, though. “There’s gonna be a next time, then?” He smirked, but a genuine shred of hopefulness shone through.

Bianca couldn’t help the small smile that played on her lips as she gathered her files together. She didn’t know whether to find Jake’s optimism more amusing or infuriating but at least this time it was relatively warranted. She hadn’t said yes, but she hadn’t exactly said no, either. “There’s always a next time,” she quipped back, standing up from her seat and slowly making her way toward the exit, stopping a few steps away from the table to look at him over her shoulder. “At least if past experience is anything to go by.”

Bianca’s comments earned a relieved smile from Wendy. “Thank you,” the phrase exuding gratitude as Wendy psychically shook off the day. Her shoulders shimmying while she waited for Bianca to join her in the hall. “I know I should know that? And not need the validation but…” her hand briefly pressed against her forehead, “the validation really helps.”

She fell into step with the older woman, Wendy’s own, albeit smaller, heels clicking along with Bianca’s. The intern quickly taken up wearing them after her supervisor’s explanation. While aware that everyone had flaws, in Wendy’s eyes Bianca was the practically perfect example of everything she desired to become. It made sense, considering the detective was her first true female role model. Wendy adored her mother, but she submitted to her father, to male domination, in a way Wendy rebelled against.. Always told to be sweet and agreeable and caring, meeting apologetically in charge Detective Gabor had validated Wendy in a way she could never quite explain.

A grimace was her answer. “Divorced parents. Their fourteen year old got caught selling drugs at school. They completely disagree on how to handle the situation.” Cue a sobbing teenager as grown adults shouted over his head; Wendy had done everything to direct their ire away from the child, but… “Have you ever felt intimated by a suspect or their lawyer?” her gaze briefly fell to the floor. It was difficult, for her, admitting rough patches. “The father, well over six foot, started doing that towering thing men do. And I just retreated.”

Bianca nodded solemnly and understandingly in response to Wendy’s explanation of the case. Cases involving minors were tough in and of themselves (as evidenced by how personally she took them herself even when she knew that she shouldn’t), but they were made infinitely worse emotionally and more difficult to handle in general when the adults in the picture couldn’t pull themselves together enough to not be a part of the problem. She had half a mind to suggest to the parents in question that perhaps their antagonistic and toxic relationship was one of the reasons their son was acting out in the first place.

Reaching the break room, she made a beeline for the coffee machine and started pouring them each a large, much needed, and well-deserved cup of coffee. “Of course I have,” she admitted, looking down at the kitchen counter before looking back up at Wendy with a small, reassuring smile. “People can be intimidating sometimes. I’m not immune to it. Nobody is.” Picking up both cups, she handed one over to Wendy before making her way to an empty table, grateful that the break room was largely devoid of other people. Not that she thought that what they were talking about was embarrassing, by any means, but because she recognised that it wasn’t always easy to admit to struggling with certain challenges at work. Especially as a young woman who often had to work twice as hard to prove herself half as valuable in comparison to her male colleagues.

“Retreating from someone who is being physically imposing or even threatening does not make you weak,” Bianca continued, wrapping her hands around the cup as she looked at her mentee from across the table. “It makes you smart. Nobody here expects you to square up against someone twice your size by yourself. Least of all me.”

anitadearlys​:

it was a rarity when anita didn’t see bianca ( @detectivegabor​ ) for a couple of days. almost unheard of that they hadn’t seen each other for two weeks, but with busy schedules, interviews that led nowhere and other things grabbing both of the girl’s attention their friendship had to sit on the back-burner. only a few texts to check if the other was alright passing between them. always checking in, never being too overbearing, but being close enough to ensure that the other was fine. which is also why, the girls had swapped keys ( just in case, to check in on each other ) and with a text earlier, anita knew that bianca would be home and  bianca in turn knew that anita was coming over. so instead of knocking on the door, anita opened with her key, a bottle of chateauneuf du pape in hand ( her favourite ) and entered bianca’s apartment. closing the door with a loud thud. “ it’s me and i’ve got red wine, ” she called down the hallway as she moved towards the kitchen, her louboutins clicking against the floor as she moved. “ and once this bottle is finished, i expect you to have gin because you owe me at least that. ” filling up the glasses with the wine and propping the bottle under her arm as she stepped into the living room she met bianca’s gaze. a nod in acknowledgement as she put the glasses and wine down, and shimmed out of her burberry trenchcoat before she settle down on the sofa. “ because, you know, you keep telling me to go for men who prove themselves to be utter knobs. honestly, do you have something against me ? ”

Bianca was sitting in one of her living room windows, trying (and mostly pretending) to read a book while absentmindedly petting her cat, when she heard Anita unlocking the door and stepping into the apartment. It had been a while since the two of them had spent quality time together, but with busy lives and busy schedules, it was understandable that it happened from time to time---especially when new variables got introduced. In this case, the new variable in question was one Sven Bjorgman, whom she had recently found out from her friend had left town for an unspecified amount of time for what appeared to be a mostly unspecified reason. And yes, it had dawned on her since then that perhaps the person who hadn’t even told the man that she was in love with how she felt about him when she saw him every single day should not be playing matchmaker for other people.

“It’s not intentional, I promise,” Bianca insisted, closing her book and sliding off the window sill as Anita came into view. Dropping the book on the coffee table, she replaced it with one of the wine glasses as she made herself comfortable in the sofa. “So, tell me what happened. I’d like to know how enraged I should be the next time I see him.”

detectivenewhart​:

Whatever alcohol had been in him, Bernard had slowly been sobering up during all this. Was he be rational, no, but he meant everything he was saying. He kept  clenching and uncleching his hands, wanting so badly to hold onto her but he wasn’t sure he could handle her pulling away again.

“Which is why I’d do it,” he replied calmly. His tone was soft and firm, he needed her to be able to see him and see how he felt about her. “I don’t want a life without you Bianca, I don’t want..I don’t want us four years from now regretting what we already lost out on. I want you, I want us.”   His hands had slowly come up hovering near her waist still unsure if he could touch her. “You know when my OCD gets bad and I…I can’t think straight and I’m at home trying not to panic over forgetting a check. You’re what I think about, your voice and just..you being there with me and it’s like I can think again. Like the fog clears up and I can actually breath again.”

Bianca was scared. She was scared, and confused, and completely out of her depth, and so stupidly and madly in love with the man in front of her that she didn’t know what to do with herself anymore. Especially when he was saying all of these things that made her heart ache with affection for him even though she scarcely wanted to believe that they were true. But he sounded so sure of himself, and there was nothing or nobody that she trusted more in the world than Bernard when he sounded sure of himself.

“I feel the same way,” she said softly, before quickly backtracking in order to clarify. “I mean, it’s not nearly the same thing, but you’re... You’re what I think about when things are difficult and I need to remind myself of what’s good in this world. And you’re the first person I want to talk to when I get good news and I want to share it with someone. And you’re... You’re the only person I’ve ever met who can just... Completely...” Moving closer, Bianca stepped into the space that he had created with his hands around her waist, a small smile tugging at her lips. “... Catch me off guard.”

detectivenewhart​:

Was it selfish to admit he’d save her over anyone else, maybe but he was only human. He’d do his best to save everyone but when it came down to it he knew what his choice would be.

“Yes…yes I really do,” he replied looking at her. Maybe he should have thought this through but for once he was going on pure instinct. He took a step towards her, “And yes you’re right, I did work for it for a while but,” running a hand through his hair again he sighed before chuckling. “Meeting you was probably the best day of my life at the job, but,” he had taken another step to be in front of her again, “I can get a new job, I can find another one and be just as happy. I love you as my partner but if I can have more with you then I’d give it up.” His hands twitched wanting to pull her towards him, “I love you, if that means turning in my badge then I’ll hand it in tomorrow.”

Bernard wasn’t thinking this through. Clearly, he wasn’t thinking this through. He was only saying all of this because he was tipsy, and running high on emotions, and trying to prove a point, and it was all coming out in completely insane statements that terrified Bianca and made her extremely worried about him, but also made her want to... To...

“But I would never ask you to do that,” she replied firmly, shaking her head at him for what must surely have been the fiftieth time that evening. He was standing right in front of her again, but she couldn’t find it in herself to take a step back. She didn’t want to take a step back. “I don’t want you to do that. I love my job, but I only love my job as much as I do because I get to do it with you. I don’t want to do it without you. I don’t want to do any of this without you.”

detectivenewhart​:

“Would that even change if we weren’t in a  relationship?” He knew how it sounded and what it meant. “You think I’m not terrified about losing you? That you charging head first doesn’t terrify me? You’re my partner Bianca, you’re my best friend. Platonic or romantic it’s you, it’s always you. You’re the one I’d save.” Running a hand through his hair he couldn’t hide his own frustration. Licking his lips he was trying to think through what to say but whatever logical mind he had was failing him.

He thought about his job and what it meant to him, before looking up at her. He hated seeing her so panicked, it hurt something deep in him to see her like this. “Fuck the job,” he blurted out without thinking. It caught him off guard how much he meant it when it slipped out but he pushed forward, “If it’s between you and the job, then it’s you, it’s always you Bianca.” He felt like it should have scared him how confident he was in that answer. But once he said he knew it was true and it was as easy to admit as saying the sky was blue.

He was right, of course. As loathe as she was to admit it, he had a tendency to be right most of the time. And as much as Bianca liked to joke about the fact that she was always right, when push came to shove, when shit got serious and it really mattered, she didn’t just trust Bernard’s opinion as much as she trusted her own---sometimes she trusted it more. Because he was her partner. They were partners in crime solving and in life, and that was what they had always been to each other, no matter what form that took or what label they put on it.

Of course he would save her. And she would save him. Always.

“You don’t---you don’t mean that,” Bianca replied, not even half as confident in her own tone as Bernard had been in his. But that couldn’t be true, right? It didn’t make sense, but he sounded so sure of himself that it made her honestly wonder how she had been so wildly wrong about how he would feel about all of this. “You’ve worked toward this job your entire life. You’ve earned it. You can’t just... You can’t just say that I’m more important. That can’t be true.”

detectivenewhart​:

His arms dropped down to his side and he couldn’t stop the flinch when she pulled away. Part of him wanted to pull her back but the other part kept him in place unsure of what do to. His hands clenched and uncleched as he looked at her. “You decided,” he repeated voice hollow. 

 "So the cons outweighed any pros,“ he said eyes flickering to the ground. Swallowing thickly he nodded because of course he didn’t measure up. "So that’s it then? You get to decide without even talking to me?” Glaring at a random spot at the ground he shrugged before glancing up at her face blank, “So level with me what part of me was too much of a con? What part of us was so bad we can’t even try?”

Bianca hadn’t realised what she was saying until she said it, and she definitely hadn’t realised how much it was going to hurt until she looked at him and saw his entire demeanour change. He didn’t push back, and solely based on past experiences of disagreements between them, that should have felt like a victory. But it didn’t. It just left her feeling sad and empty and confused about where to go from here. She had been so sure of herself, and now she didn’t even know if she wanted to continue down this path. But she also had no idea how to turn back now.

All she knew was that the man that she loved, that she admired and respected and thought the world of, was standing in front of her asking what part of him was the problem. As if he could ever be the problem in this situation. “Bernard...” Bianca wanted to take a step forward, wanted to reassure him, comfort him, just be close to him, but she found herself glued to the spot. “It’s not... It’s not you. It’s not us. It’s... It’s everything else. I can’t just pretend that we don’t work together and that our jobs aren’t dangerous and that us giving this a chance wouldn’t change things. It’s already bad enough that I care more about your safety than I do about anyone else’s out there. What do you think’s going to happen if we’re together and I have to choose between saving you and saving someone else? If I’m with you, who do you think I’ll choose, Bernard?”

detectivenewhart​:

The tension was thick enough that it could be cut with a knife. With everything out in the open he realized what the pull she had on him really was. His thumb was stroking her cheek needing to have some type of connection to her. He wasn’t the type to go with gut instinct, he was logical and thought things out. But this, it felt right, this made sense even if he hadn’t had the chance to completely think things through. The idea of losing what they had was terrifying, but the feeling that they could have something even more was stronger than his fear.

“How does it work then?” He asked eyes flickering down again before back to her eyes. Wrapping his free arm around her waist he kept it there, letting her pull away if it was what she wanted. As much as he wanted to pull her closer, he wasn’t that bold and he really wanted them to be on the same page. “I love you, I’m in love with you Bianca and I…I want you…and you want me, so why can’t we? What are you afraid of?”

Nothing that Bernard was doing was making this any easier for her. It wasn’t that he was doing anything wrong, but rather the exact opposite---he was doing literally everything exactly right. He was being Bernard, the same caring, considerate, incredibly patient and stupidly thoughtful and wonderful Bernard that she had fallen in love with four years ago, and had stayed in love with since then. And the fact that she couldn’t think straight when he was standing right in front of her and stroking her cheek and wrapping his arm around her waist had her going down a panic spiral that she didn’t know how to get out of.

She had thought about this moment before. Of course she had thought about this moment before. She had daydreamed about it, looking over at him from her desk and allowing herself to imagine what it would feel like to have him feel the same way that she did, to stand in front of him and hear him say that he loved her and wanted her too. But that was only a fantasy, a silly little game that she played with herself from time to time, safe in the knowledge that it could never happen. It wasn’t actually supposed to be real life.

His questions were valid. They were extremely valid, but that didn’t meant that she had answers to them. And even if she did, that didn’t mean that she knew how to verbalise them. “We can’t, because I decided,” Bianca blurted out almost in a panic, pulling away from him and shaking her head repeatedly. “I thought about this, and I weighed the pros and cons, and I was reasonable and rational and responsible and I decided. I decided that we can’t do this.”