"Go ahead. Impress me."

It had been a long time since he’d talked to another human being, hearing his voice out loud. It was somewhat surprising to him that the man knew and remembered how. Silence, was indeed, a person’s best weapon out here. “Quite a few months, ah’reckon, if ah’had t’guess… It’s gonna be gettin’ cold soon. Was still warm ‘nough fer t-shirts an’ sandals when ah’left…” He could see everyone’s faces now, when he left. Rick’s look of confusion and almost betrayal, never to realize – unless Lori told him – how it had been between himself and Lori, and how it had all fallen apart when he’d ended up alive. He’d wanted to change it, to make it all okay again; but he couldn’t. He couldn’t find his way clear to making up for it, for everything. Every time he tried…he’d just made it worse. He’d seen the looks of Lori and Dale and even Andrea, knowing only what they knew or what they thought they knew. How happy the first two had been! Andrea hurt, a bruised ego from being left behind with the people who couldn’t stand her anymore either. And the kids, and Carol and Glenn, who didn’t know why and never would. They had wanted him to stay, to help, he was sure. But if he was going to stay sane in an insane world, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

"So they're still alive out there somewhere?" she asked softly, not wanting to upset him any further than the topic in and of itself already had. She swallowed back the lump that formed in her throat. She reached out, giving his arm a slight squeeze.

For a while, all he was able to do was watching her and listening to her voice. Alex moved to settle herself between his legs, then her face was right in front of his own, and her hands were on his lap. He felt like he was in love with her forever or at least since day one, but that wasn’t true. At first, they were just partners. Bobby remembered the trial when he learned that Eames had been very close to changing the partner, his… unconventionality almost scared her away. But she withdrew the letter, and maybe that was the first brick in the wall of their friendship, and that friendship grew closer and closer. They came through a lot, and a big part of it was his fault, but she didn’t leave. And there they were, closer than they have ever been before.

Her lips touched his, she knew what he was doing. Damn, he thought, he was waiting for this and she was actually preparing herself. Before he said yes to her question (and that was with no doubt a yes) Alex kissed him one more time and he felt the tip of her tongue on his bottom lip. That was the moment when he unfroze. He leaned forward, his hands rested on her shoulders and his mouth covered hers properly in a kiss he dreamed to share with her who knows how long. Nothing mattered except this kiss but in the back of his mind he heard his own voice questioning, “Is it too late?… A man of my age…” When their lips finally parted he met her eyes and nodded, “A date.” 

Alex felt her heart hammering harder against her ribcage. It hammered so hard that she was afraid that her ribs would crack from the force and tempo alone. She whimpered softly as he deepened the kiss and kept her close. Her eyes fluttered open, needing to see him as he kissed her. It was all overwhelming, causing her to close them shut tightly again.

It was then that the kiss ended. He slowly pulled his mouth from hers, but her body remained where it was between his legs, pressed against his chest, hoping for another kiss. As he confirmed that it would indeed be a date, a soft smile graced her lips. She leaned forward, rubbing her nose against his. "Always knew you were a smart man."

She winked at him as she got to her feet, forgetting all about the pizza and beer and settled herself beside him on the couch. She snuggled into his side, sighing softly. Now that the ice had been broken, she knew there would be more kisses. Right now, she wanted to experience being close to him with no boundaries, and unwritten department rules, to stop them.

Get to know me meme -> [4/5] Relationships

Bobby Goren / Alex Eames (Law & Order: Criminal Intent)

Credit: Poetfades2black

Textless icons are not bases; do not alter.

Bobby loved to watch her, and it doesn’t really matter what she was doing, eating, thinking, investigating, interviewing a suspect or falling asleep in the surveillance vehicle. He just loved to look at her, he noticed this long before he noticed and acknowledged his own developing feelings. Alexandra Eames was a beautiful woman, with that beauty that shines from the inside and sips through the mimic, gestures, speech patterns and choices. And because of this, she was one of the most beautiful people he knew, if not the most beautiful.

“Obviously,“ he smiled nodding. Not that he never actually tasted Grappa in his life but that one, from the motherland of the unfortunate murderer, slipped away from him forever. He didn’t even remember the exact name of the label, only the smell. After finishing with his second slice he wiped his mouth and reached for the bottle to take a big fresh gulp. When he was setting the bottle back on the table, Alex’s hand rested on his knee.

His cheekbones felt hotter than they were a moment ago but it probably was just a beer. “Surely I can,” he answered, “Just pick up the day.” His stare followed the crust and returned to her face again, “Disappoint me?” His brows moved up with the genuine surprise and he shook his head, “Have this ever happened? I can’t remember. But thank you for a… compliment?” Bobby grinned and laughed softly, then covered her hand with his. It was soft and warm and hid under his palm completely. “Adorable?” tips of his fingers rubbed gently against her skin, “I like that.”

Alex's breath caught in her throat when his hand covered hers. She ached to turn her hand just a little and link their fingers together, but all the thought left her head completely as his fingertips started to move against her skin. She felt the goosebumps as they started to erupt on her arm. She felt the slight shiver as it skated along her spine. She shifted onto her knees between his legs. Her hand was still on his knee, not wanting his touch to stop. She met his eyes as she lifted herself up so that she is looking into his eyes.

"There are more times that you're adorable, too, you know?" Her hands moved up his thighs, digging her nails into the fabrics of his pants just a little. Her heart hammered in her chest. "Like right now," she teased. "You're absolutely adorable."

He knew it wasn’t exactly true but didn’t say anything else, just nodded. If there was something actually wrong she would tell him, right? Eames needed to prove, and first of all to herself, that she could function after what had happened to her and she didn’t need anyone, especially him, to babysit her. Bobby understood that, he understood her, he wished he could understand himself as clear.

“Okay,“ he assured almost soundlessly and walked outside letting her sign out the car without him looking over her shoulder. He paced a bit back and forth along the bottom step of the stairs that led to the grand entrance of 1PP waiting for her to drive out, climbed into the SUV and buckled up. “It’s fine, Eames,“ he said, “And I’m not going to pester you anymore. Just know that I’m here for talking or not talking.“

He let the silence fill the car and just looked at the streets before them, then glanced down at the folder that lied on his lap. “So what do you think? Can he be our guy? I mean, yeah, he’s an ex con and must hold a lot of anger, but something doesn’t click for me. This murder is not just out of anger, it’s… it must be very personal or the absolute opposite of personal. Whoever did this enjoyed beating the victim to death. All this just over the lost share of the business?” Bobby left the question hanging in the air. Maybe everything was simple. Just for once it could be.

Alex concentrated on driving. She cracked the window to keep the car from feeling completely closed in. Subconsciously, she knew she needed to work on her fear of closed-in spaces, and she knew if she asked him that he'd help her. She was scared of seeming weak, even where Bobby was concerned. She held her breath for a long moment as the light turned yellow and she made it under it before it turned to red. Her lips were a thin straight line as she tried to keep her focus on the case at hand and not her personal baggage. She liked to check that at the door.

She glanced at him as she heard him start to speak. She was used to him spitballing ideas on their way to talk to potential suspects or witnesses. She would give him her input when it was necessary. She nodded in agreement. The murder was professionally done. Some ex-cons were smart, smarter than most gave them credit for, but the prior history on this guy didn't scream smart to her.

"He kept his nose clean in prison, kept to himself, and never got timeout for bad behavior. I can't see him harboring this much resentment with anyone to get out and screw up again." She gripped the wheel a bit tighter. "If he's not our guy, I still think he knows more than he initially told the officers on the scene."