Because You Keep Me From Falling Apart

Alex picked up the remote from the couch cushion beside her as a knock sounded on her door. She quickly wiped her eyes, frowning at the late hour of whoever it was that was at the door. She paused the movie and laid the remote on her coffee table before getting up to answer the door.

"Who is it?" She had one hand on the chain that held her door secure and the other on the deadbolt lock.

"Flower delivery," a voice called through the door.

As she lifted herself to peer through the peephole, she saw a bouquet of roses. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly, trying to see the delivery person.

The flowers were lowered and the beaming smile from Bobby could be seen. He took one look at her slightly bloodshot eyes and frowned. "Eames? Alex, what's the matter?" He moved into her apartment, forgetting all about the roses between them.

Alex rolled her eyes, gesturing toward the television. "Stupid Netflix. Just watching an old movie..." She reached for the bouquet and brought the roses to her nose to smell them.

He watched her, tilting his head in order to gauge if that was all there was to it, and decided that she'd tell him if there was anymore to it than that.

She turned toward the kitchen. "Let me get these in water. Would you like a drink? I don't have anything harder than a six-pack in the fridge, but you're welcome to it."

He followed her to the kitchen, taking in the changes since he'd last been to the city. "I'm good. Thanks."

She searched beneath the kitchen sink for a vase and found the perfect one. It happened to be one made by Nathan that he'd given her on her birthday several years ago. After filling it with water, she arranged the roses in the vase and smelled them again.

She turned to him then, hugging him warmly. Her head rested against his chest and shoulder as she remained in his embrace once he hadn't moved to let her go. She smiled up at him. "I didn't know you were in the city."

In fact, their last text messages to one another had been only a couple of days before, and he hadn't mentioned a trip to the city then so she was curious and decided not to hide it. "Not that it isn't great to see you, Bobby."

He smiled as he hugged her again, slightly burying his nose in her honey-colored locks. He breathed her in and sighed softly. "Can't a guy just miss his best friend?"

She chuckled softly, moving out of his arms and reaching to stroke one of the petals on the nearest rose. "Doesn't usually result in you bringing me flowers."

"It's Valentine's Day, Alex." He knew it wasn't as simple as that, but it was what he was going with for the time being. He moved his hands into his pockets and gave a slight shrug. "Every girl deserves flowers on Valentine's Day."

She turned her head toward him as a smile lit up her entire face. She moved to him again, wrapping her arms around his neck in another hug. "Thank you, Bobby."

As she started to pull away, she felt his hands come to rest against her hips. Their noses were almost touching as she was on her tip toes. She felt her heart skip a beat as his mouth closed over hers in a delicate kiss.

They pulled away slowly, eyes locked on one another. He squeezed her hips gently and whispered, "Besides I've really missed you."

Truth was that he'd been lonely for awhile now. Nothing had been the same since he'd officially retired from the NYPD. Sure, they had kept in touch, but it wasn't the same as seeing her everyday at work.

Then there was the worry that he had to trust someone else with having her back. That had been the hardest part for him. He hadn't ever admitted that to her though because it was wrong to not want her to do the job that made her who she was because he'd thrown in the towel.

Writing his book had kept him busy for the most part and helped to keep his mind off of things, but now the book was in the editing phase, and it wasn't able to keep his attention like it once had.

So here he was standing in her kitchen, kissing her.

"I've missed you, too." Her voice was soft, almost inaudible over the beating of her heart. She still had her arms around his neck, pressing her top half against him. "I'm glad you came tonight."

He smiled down at her as he bent slightly to kiss her again. Their lips met again as their heads tilted slightly in opposite directions to deepen the kiss. His hands moved slowly from her hips to her back where he slowly turned her so that she was against the counter's edge.

He bent slightly and lifted her onto the countertop and moved between her legs. He smirked when their lips parted. He felt her hand in his hair as she toyed gently with the hair that he had let get slightly longer than he normally kept it.

She wrinkled her nose as she took in her new vantage point. "So what, you come here bringing me flowers on Valentine's Day and think you'll get in pants, Bobby?" she teased.

He let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. "Oh please! You know me better than that, Lieutenant." He kissed her again, sucking at her bottom lip slightly before sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips.

She opened her mouth to him, kissing him like she had imagined it on several occasions and finding it better than any daydream ever could be. Her other hand moved beneath his arm so she could grip his shirt in her fist. A whimper slipped from her throat as they parted once again.

"Please don't stop."

Neither were sure which one of them spoke; it was possible that it had been both of them. All they knew was that their mouths had found one another once again.

- -

Tangled blankets wrapped around their entwined legs. Her head lay on his chest as he stroked her bare shoulder, eyes closed as she enjoyed his touch. She let her lips press against his skin right over his heart.

He couldn't stop the lazy smile as it spread over his lips. "Really, Alex. I didn't come here expecting anything more than to spend time with my best friend. Not that I'm complaining. Quite the opposite in fact. I'm enjoying the latest development. Immensely."

She lifted her head, propping herself up on her elbow and smirked at him. "Just think, you could have retired years ago, and maybe this wouldn't have taken so long." She moved her hand to his cheek, letting the stubble of his beard tickle her palm. "But I think everything fell into place exactly when it was supposed to."

He turned his head slowly, kissing her palm gently. "Exactly what I was just laying her thinking." He eased himself up and managed to tuck his arm beneath her as he rolled her onto her back. He loomed over her, drinking her after sex glow. His mouth fell against hers in a teasing kiss that ended with him nipping playfully at her bottom lip. "I'm glad I came over tonight."

//the end