#cooprey

Dale Cooper/Audrey Horne | rated m | 3.2k

Cooper separates his life into two columns: What he wants, and what he needs. It's a good way to keep his life orderly and contained, and not let himself slip off the edge into unnecessary desires. All of that crumbles when he finds Audrey Horne naked in his hotel bed. A sorta scene-rewrite to beginning of 01x07!! This is such a sweet scene to me and I really love their friendship, but I also desperately need them to be in a relationship and this is how I see that taking off!!

Sitting as far on the edge of the bed as he could without slipping off, Cooper’s skin was ablaze. The heat radiating off Audrey’s skin was almost too much to handle. It made him want to rip off the stupid FBI jacket wrapped around his body, but it weighed as heavily as the guilt pressing down on his chest and shoulders. It was a painful sensation that left him struggling to breathe, his world grew dizzy and his muscles pulled with exhaustion. 

Audrey was an undeniably sweet girl, but he wanted her to be deniable. He wanted the excuses to fly from his lips for why they couldn’t be together, and he wanted to believe them. Yet, the smallest sliver of the girl in his peripheral assured him those words were as hollow as a cave.

“So you want me to leave, or what?” 

Her words stung. To hurt her in such a way, leave her so empty and devastated, left him… well, devastated. He didn’t want to do that to her — he couldn’t do that to her. 

He sighed, head hanging down and fingers gripping into the comforter. Could she see how tormented he was? How that glossy sheen covering her eyes was making his heart stop? 

“What I want and what I need are two different things, Audrey.” Her name slipped from his tongue, coming out so easily there had been no point in fighting against it. 

What he wanted. What he wanted so dearly was to remove his shoes, remove his jacket, maybe even change into his sleepwear, and climb into the covers of his hotel bed, right next to Audrey Horne. He wanted to spend the night with her and wake up to get them both breakfast before she woke up. Cooper wanted many things in his life, and this was just another one where he needed to let it go. 

He couldn’t fully process it at first, his brain short-circuiting, but with a quick rustle behind him and Audrey Horne was now pressing her chest against his back. Despite the layer of clothes between them, the pressure of her chest made him believe there was almost no barrier at all. 

Her arms draped over his shoulders, holding onto him tightly whilst her head lay atop his. Cooper couldn’t believe it, not even in his wildest fantasies with this girl was this ever an outcome. Her skin was so soft and smooth, her hair basically the same. 

The longer they stayed in that position, Cooper wondered if she would soon be consumed by him and the pair would become one? If that was the case, he wouldn’t ever have to worry about morals or ‘certain values’ held by the bureau. If he and Audrey were just one unit, they could forever be together in a way no one else could understand. 

“Can’t they just be the same thing?” 

It struck him hard and sharp. Why couldn’t they just be the same thing? Maybe in the back of his head, they had been this whole time. 

Audrey was wearing that perfume he had complimented off handedly, it was now enveloping all around him, consuming him through and through. Perhaps it was the chemicals of her perfume that made him make the change — that made dig his heels into the ground and declare what he really wanted — what he needed. 

He did not just want Audrey Horne; he truly needed her. 

“Audrey…” Her grip around him tightened. She was afraid — he could feel the quick pace of her heartbeat. It pained him in delirious ways to know that he was causing her such stress. 

“Audrey, if we were to… pursue something —” She loosened up against him. “— I’ll have to ask that we go slow and steady with it.” The path his brain was going made him huff out a laugh in disbelief. “I would not want this to be our first time.” 

Audrey made a small noise, something from the back of her throat, and she pulled away from him. It seemed a little pathetic of him how much he desired to press back, to once again feel the heat of her body against his. 

“How did you…” Her words died on her tongue, but the implication of them rang throughout the hotel room. 

Cooper’s heart quickened, his body going stiff. Dear God, what was he getting himself into? Cooper shouldn’t have made assumptions — assumptions make a bad detective — yet he couldn’t help his mind with Audrey. It had been incredibly wrong of him to assume the opposite of her, but he truly was not expecting that. 

Despite his rather ‘disappointed’ sigh, the corners of his lips were curling up. Audrey and her impishness, Audrey and her mischievous nature, Audrey. 

“Our first time, Audrey, our.” By now her name sounded less like a title to her, and rather a sweet secret between the two of them. “Especially now with that information, I think your first time ought to be something special.” 

Perhaps he should’ve expected the sight in front of him when he turned around to face the girl. She had been undressed when he walked into the room, and between the time when he sat on the bed and she wrapped herself around him there had been absolutely no time for her to get dressed. 

Despite that logic, his body still went a little hot at the sight of her uncovered chest. She was a little flushed all over and had a light dusting of freckles in places that would be forever memorialized in his brain. Words fluttered in his head, a memory of her indulging in him, how often she got flustered — Cooper wondered if now was one of those moments. 

Nevertheless, she seemed calm, considerably calmer than she had been originally when the warm lamp light was clicked on. Perhaps because he was no longer pointing a gun at her, but that was only a hunch. 

She must’ve noticed some kind of twitch in his eye, or perhaps the enlargement of his pupils because her hands slowly gravitated towards the sheets which were crumbled at her lap. 

Cooper wanted to object, not because of his desire, but because under no circumstances would he want this girl in front of him to feel ashamed. He’d feel euphoric — feel the most accomplished — if he could have Audrey strip down to her bare skin and bones and be utterly vulnerable with him. 

He’d strip down in a millisecond if it meant making her feel more comfortable. 

His hand inched towards her, the tips of his fingers barely grazing the outline of her leg under the covers. Cooper’s whole body shook at the possibility of actually touching her, of feeling her beneath his palms… feeling her beneath his lips. 

Her face was flushed, but there were two distinctive lines of her pale skin poking through the pink — tear tracks that broke his heart. 

 He snatched his hand away to dig into one of his pockets, a handkerchief. “Audrey, I am going to get us two malts and some fries, alright?” 

She took it with a small smile, dabbing at her eyes and face whilst he spoke. 

“Then,” he took on a more stern approach, making sure she heard him loud and clear. “You are going to tell me all your troubles.” 

Her patting stopped, her hands and face fell with disappointment. “That could take all night.” Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout that Cooper just wanted to kiss away. 

He patted the bed reassuringly, pointing a finger at her while standing up — the force to push himself away from the girl felt too great ‌a challenge. “The night is young. Now, I'm going to get the food, and you’re going to get dressed.” 

A smile pulled at her lips, her bright red lips. “I can’t tell you all my secrets.” Her teeth were so white it blinded Cooper in a way which he wished he could never see again. 

His body pulled towards her center of gravity again. “Secrets are dangerous things, Audrey.” 

Her head tilted curiously, her eyes big with wonder. Cooper knew that visibly she was a young girl, but the bright sparkle in her eyes showed her age better than any physical marker. “Do you have any?” 

Cooper squinted his eyes at the girl. “No.” 

It was a lie, as simple as that, but there lay no malice beneath his words. Audrey just didn’t need to know of his past at the moment — this sweet girl full of wonder didn’t need to know how he had lost his wonder many years ago. 

Her smile didn’t falter. “Laura had a lot of secrets.” 

“Well, finding those out is my job.” 

Audrey was still smiling brightly when the door closed between them. Cooper’s own smile lasted so long it was pinching painfully at his cheeks. The pain was quickly combated with a feathery lightness. Thinking of Audrey’s bright, red-lipped smile was enough to cure any wounds. 

His jittery fingers and vibrating heart gave a fairly hefty tip to the kitchen staff once receiving his food. He couldn’t help himself. If he didn’t want to have some kind of good public reputation, he would’ve skipped through the halls of the Great Northern all the way back to his room. 

Returning to his room, Audrey was indeed dressed as he had requested of her — a small tug of disappointment weighed at his heart, urging to see that rebellious nature of Audrey’s, but a spark flew out of his heart filled with pride at the sight of her patiently waiting with her clothes on. 

Heeling off his shoes and stripping away his jacket finally felt like shedding a layer of professionalism that was separating the girl criss-cross applesauce on his bed from him. 

It felt a little odd sitting next to the girl now. He was very aware she was covered — a cozy sweater wrapped around her loosely — but he couldn’t stop imagining her without it. He knew now what lay beneath those blouses and sweaters she wore, and it was making his neck hot. 

They sat there for what felt like hours. Cooper had never been so at peace sitting in a bed and doing nothing. Especially considering moments before he believed someone had broken into his room, and he hoped it was one of the Icelandics so he’d have an excuse to shoot one of their mouths off. Audrey was so great at talking, she picked each and every word with a specific particular nature. Cooper was desperately waiting at the edge of her every word the more she opened herself up to him. 

It was exceptionally beautiful, while being a little casual with the chocolate malts and fries. Yet, if all Cooper needed to do to get Audrey to crack open her chest and let him examine her beating heart was to wrinkle his undershirt with abandon, and allow the gel in his hair to fade with the oils of his hands running through it — he’d be the most disheveled detective in the FBI.

It felt a little wrong in the beginning to listen to her spout off every grievance she had experienced whilst he just sat there, stuffing fries into his mouth and washing them down with the nice, rich, chocolaty flavor of his malt. After her 3rd rant that Cooper vigorously listened to, he deemed it necessary that with every piece of information she indulged, he would give something in return. 

She’d talk about her father, he’d give a little something about his. Her mother? His. They went back and forth until it was like breathing air — until it felt unnatural that his voice wouldn’t come after hers ended — until they were talking so much they were saying things only their subconscious would let out. 

The more they talked, the farther they sank into the mattress, their bodies indented into the plush for years to come. The heat of them combined was warming up the otherwise cold room — it was quite a pleasant change from the stillness that left him shivering under several layers of comforters. Cooper certainly wouldn’t mind if Audrey were to continue to keep him company, for the benefits of keeping warm of course, and not for the reasons of Cooper being able to stare into Audrey’s eyes while she spilled out her life to him. 

All around them, silence rang out and bounced against the walls. They were the only two awake in that entire hotel — the entire world even. Animals froze still, birds kept their songs to themselves, and the wind didn’t even dare run its fingers through the hard pines of the Douglas firs. 

Exhaustion was piling onto both of them, but it was much easier to admire the sleep in Audrey’s eyes and face than his own. Her words were coming out slower, and gradually, the silence outside was infiltrating their tight-knit bubble. 

There was a sickening feeling that was festering in his stomach and curling throughout his veins, and despite the gut-punching urge to bury it deep within his subconscious… Cooper couldn’t help but feel the desire to kiss the girl sitting by his side. 

“Audrey…” He was addicted to the fleeting feeling the sound of her name gave his tongue. He wondered how many times he could say it, mutter it underneath his breath, before she noticed. 

His tongue went dry at the sight of her soft smile and upturned brows when she lolled her head over to face him. Her curiosity for the world was such a captivating thing, Cooper didn’t ever want the world to take that away from her. 

“Audrey… I can’t shake this urge that I have and so… I have to ask…” Would he be able to get it out? His body fought against him, but was that really a bad thing? His hand hovered next to her face, begging and pleading to press against it. To feel his palm against her cheek would stain his hand forever; a permanent red that he’d never want to wash off. 

“Audrey, may I—” 

“Yes.” She cut him off with ‌fervor, her cheeks blossomed with a faded red color. Her smile twitched, a hint of uncertainty trembling beneath her wide eyes. “Yes, you may.” 

Cooper’s nerves stuttered at the shock. How could she have even known what he was asking? How could she have predicted the words that refused to fall from his lips? 

His hand finally fell against her cheek. Her skin was exceptionally warm — almost hot. A small noise escaped her, a gasp? A whimper? He couldn’t place it, but then again his heartbeat was drumming so loud in his ears it was difficult to hear anything. 

Her lips parted on their own when his hand traveled down to her chin, holding it between his thumb and pointer finger and pulling down ever so slightly, opening her lips to him even more. It was the sight of his deepest fantasies, a sight only ever possible in his late-night dreams.

Her face was flushed red, and she was as light as a feather when he brought her over to him. His stomach twisted and turned, and without a second more of delay, they connected. 

Immediately, she was acting like an overeager, untrained puppy — nipping and licking at his face like at any point he was going to disappear from her forever. 

He smiled against her, paying back all her zealous nature with nips and licks of his own. His teeth pulled at her bottom lip, and the noise that released from him made his stomach lurch and his abdomen burn. 

Audrey quickly climbed atop ‌him, straddling his hips and grinding into him. 

He groaned at the pressure, the kindling fire in his abdomen burning brighter and hotter with every dig of her hips. It was becoming very apparent to Cooper that the night would not go the way he wanted if Audrey continued. 

Despite how beautiful she felt against him, plush lips, and warm skin, he pulled away from her — more so he held her face in his hands and dragged her away from him. 

Audrey whined and pushed her bottom lip out, pouting big and sad. 

“Audrey.” His voice was a lot more breathless than what he intended to come out. The woman atop him seemed to make his entire body stiff, even his vocal cords. “You don’t need to rush into everything, dear.” 

Her hands splayed across his chest, pressing her digits into his pectorals in a way that made it feel she was going to push right through the skin and touch his heart. 

Well, she had already touched his heart days ago when she had first sauntered into his field of vision. 

“I just… I want you.” She was so small that her voice was barely above a mouse's . 

Cooper profoundly wanted to take this girl across this bed and make her feel the best she had in ages — but he couldn’t. Not because of any moral obligation, or values the bureau made him hold, but because Audrey had so many pre-conceived notions of how her first night was supposed to go, and Cooper wanted to teach her how to go about things the right way. 

He brought her into his arms, wrapping them around her and bringing her head down to lay upon his chest. His heart was beating against his chest, he could hear it in his own head and he wondered how it sounded to Audrey — to the only person he wanted to actually listen to it. 

“We need to go slow with this…” He whispered against her curly black hair. It was ruffled and sticking up in places, but it was just as soft. “I don’t… I don’t want to mess anything up.” 

Audrey lifted her head, pushing against his hand — it made his heart skip a beat how large his palm was in comparison to her skull. 

Her pupils were large and dilated, burning with desire. And, in stark contrast to the fervid way she pounced on him before, she delicately leaned in and grazed her lips against his. 

He licked open an entry on her lips and she gracefully replied. Without all the biting and licking, Cooper could feel every bump and indent that made the girl’s lips so personal to her. It was a beautiful feeling. 

Even though she wasn’t grinding deep into him anymore, she was still pressing deep into her body — but it was counterbalanced with the pressure that Cooper was pushing onto her. 

His hands traveled across every surface of her body. His hands shook and itched with the urge to touch every part of her, and the way Audrey was fumbling and fidgeting with the buttons of his undershirt told Cooper that she felt the same. 

But they had to go slow; fantasies could happen at any time. 

Audrey pulled away, for the first time in what felt like forever. The pushing and pulling of their lips had become so synchronous it was like breathing for the pair. So Cooper sat there, lips agape with the taste of her fleeting from his tongue, he was choking. 

“Cooper… could I— ” 

“Yes.” There was an inkling in his head, a little sparkle in her eyes that told Cooper all he needed to know about what she was going to ask.  

She smiled, dropping her head against his, nose bumping into one another. 

Forbidden desire, fearful lust, but the ax never falls, the bottom never drops out from under you, the dam never breaks. Or it does, and all the overwhelming torrent of unwise attraction floods, but it just keeps passing, passing through your whole tense taut body and never washes you away.

She wants to be sexy, wanted, to feel the influence of her body, to be seen as desirable despite all common sense- but the sense still holds. The denial of love makes it all the more desirable, when it comes to a young woman chasing glances from an older man with a kind word for her. The unattainable is all the more desireable, for being- keeping- out of reach. A man proving his worth, proving the safety of wanting him, by refusing to act on his attraction.

Danger and safety were already smeared, clotted and bleeding together. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ That was your first experience of sexual desire, of being desired. An object to overwhelm and a victim to ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎a little girl who was ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ .

So, you want a man to look at you with the same ravenous hunger- you choose to dangle your piece of meat in front of that dog- and for him to refuse. To wrap you up and take you to safety. Because he loves you more than he desires you. Because he loves you and will not eat you no matter how much you tempt him. Because he is a good man.