The Mean Streets of Fandom, Sunday Afternoon

[gunslingerpose]

So, last night Katherine brought food from the restaurant downstairs up to Nick's office, knocking lightly on the door. She hadn't seen him downstairs at all, had figured he was working on her case, and had figured food would be helpful. Nick had eaten the thickest, juiciest steak he'd eaten in his whole damn life last night, served with creamy mashed potatoes and crisp, buttery green beans.

While he ate, she went through his notes. After he finished eating, they kept talking, just spent hours bumping gums about whatever came to mind. Nick was surprised to find that she had a sense of humor. He was less surprised to hear things that suggested her father was up to some shady stuff in NYC, even if she seemed pretty sheltered from it herself. She convinced him to let her try a little bit of his whiskey and it knocked her on her adorable little bottom and they wound up dancing a bit in his office until she went and fell asleep on him. Like, right there on him. Girl couldn't handle her whiskey. But he settled her down on a couch that had seen better days, the one he normally slept on, and got back to work.

A few hours later, she woke up and shocked the hell out of him. Kissed him on the cheek thinking he'd fallen asleep at his desk (he was just closing his eyes, damn it), whispered good night, and tiptoed out of the room, leaving him there to come to terms with the fact that, damn, he'd only been on the case a day, and already he was halfway dizzy over the dame.

No, he corrected himself as he walked his beat down Fandom's streets, following one of his leads. Not a dame. Katherine was a lady.

Of course, it was right about then that he came across that very same lady, crumpled in a heap, soaked through with rain and sobbing her eyes out on the side of the road.

"Katherine? Jesus, Katherine, what happened?"

[For the dame lady, who also happened to write most of this post!]

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[gunslingerpose]

"That so?"

Well, shit. Now Nick had to ask.

"Was there anything you figured you absolutely had to experience before then? There's not much time to do it all, not if I crack this case quickly, anyway."

[spin_kick_snap]

There was a significant pause before Katherine answered. The kind of pause that suggested a lot of thinking going on in just a few seconds.

"Oh, nothing specific," she said, her voice a little higher-pitched than normal and her cadence faster. "Nothing at all! I'm enjoying whatever comes my way. Dancing was nice. So was the drink, even though I fell asleep right after. Just being with someone who sees me and not my father and his money is excitement all on its own."

[gunslingerpose]

"See, and that's one thing that shouldn't have to be a novelty," Nick noted, his voice dropping a little, something a little slower and more deliberate, acting in almost perfect contrast to her own quickened tone. "A lady like you? You're smart, funny... gorgeous. Somethin' special, baby."

Right, Bartamian. Don't be an idiot. She was a hundred miles out of your league, here.

[spin_kick_snap]

The shower turned off and Katherine peeked out of the curtain at him, showing off her collarbone and one smooth shoulder. "Really?" she asked, looking surprised. "I...thank you."

She ducked her head and slid her arm out, the upper swell of a breast just barely visible. "Might I get that towel please?"

[gunslingerpose]

So help him, Nick couldn't help but lick his lips as he eyed her, actually reaching for the towel again a moment later. Damn, this dame was distracting.

"Of course, baby. Feeling better, I hope? Little less cold?"

He held the towel out for her, trying desperately to get a handle on his thoughts. Difficult to do when his thoughts were informing him that she was very, very nice to look at.

[spin_kick_snap]

"Much better, thank you," Katherine said, pinking a little. Look, she was in a strange man's shower, it was hard not to blush. "Though I have another favor to ask of you, for all that I've racked up a bunch."

She blushed harder, managing to do it quite prettily. "May I borrow something to wear? Mine are still soaked."

[gunslingerpose]

Goddamn. This dame was clearly trying to kill him, here.

"I'm sure I've got something floating around that won't hang off you too badly," he replied, clearing his throat a little. "You, uh, just give me a minute, Katherine, and I'll figure something out."

[spin_kick_snap]

Her fingers brushed lightly against his as she reached for the towel. That caused another blush and she ducked back behind the curtain. "I'd be grateful," she called. "This towel is much appreciated but rather, err, short?"

There was a mental picture to help send you on your way to get that shirt, Nikolai.

[gunslingerpose]

Nick was just never going to breathe normally again, was he? He stared for a moment longer, and then turned to duck back out of the room, to rummage through his own clothes for something that she could wear without drowning in it.

"Right. Right, baby, I'll be right back in."

A button-down shirt. A pair of slacks. Suspenders, because even the smallest notches on his belts would be laughably huge on her.

He didn't grab any underwear. He was pretty sure she'd rather he not. Which just got his mind on the fact that she'd be wearing his clothing without anything underneath. Which wasn't helping the state he was in as he brought the things he'd grabbed back into the bathroom.

"I'll just set 'em down on the counter here, then."

[spin_kick_snap]

Before Nick had a chance to leave, Katherine opened the curtain to step out, the towel utterly ill-prepared for the task she'd put it to. Short enough to only brush the tops of her thighs and not able to completely close, she stood in front of him almost nude.

"Oh!" she gasped, hand going up to cover her face. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize!"

She was stumbling backwards--and then falling.

[gunslingerpose]

Nick had been stunned to see her step out of the damn tub before he even had a chance to put the clothing down. Not too stunned to practically dive in after her in an effort to catch her before she hit her head on something. And, hey, bonus points to the guy with the hitch in his step for the amazing catch. Not so many for acing the landing.

So. Hey. Now he was crouched over his client, with only a slip of a towel between him and - he wasn't going to check, he wasn't going to check, he was going to be a goddamn gentleman and not check - her left shoulder. He snapped his eyes shut before she could catch him staring and drooling like a damn dog.

"Jesus. You okay?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Sorry!" Katherine yelped. "Sorry! Yes, I'm fine. I thought you'd gone. It's all my fault. Oh my gosh, please tell me you're all right?"

She was trying to get up, but was only managing to squirm around in his arms a little bit.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" She sounded concerned for him.

[gunslingerpose]

"What, me? I'm fine. I had something soft to land on."

He was going to... grope around - not at her - for something to get a handhold on so that he could pull himself up to his feet again.

Any minute, he'd actually find something, too. It was just difficult with his eyes closed like that.

"You, doll? You're the one that took the topple, here. You could've cracked your head open."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Oh no," Katherine said, her voice warm. "You caught be before I could land. I'm pretty sure this is where I swoon a little and call you my hero. Again."

Her hand brushed over his cheek, whisper-soft and gone in an instant. "Thank you."

[gunslingerpose]

"Picking you up and bringing you inside hardly makes me a hero," Nick pointed out, but he didn't duck his head until he realized it was her hand there on his face.

He opened his eyes and stared down at her, into hers.

"But, uh, you're welcome."

Damn, this dame.

[spin_kick_snap]

Katherine smiled up into his for another long moment. "Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's not polite to argue with a lady?" she chided. "If I say you're a hero, then you're a hero."

Her eyes drifted away from his to focus on his mouth, tongue darting out unconsciously to lick her lips. "My hero."

[gunslingerpose]

Well, shit. Nick couldn't just let that go without comment. God, look at the look on her face. The way she was looking at him. He'd have to be dead to not react.

"You know, the hero usually gets a reward for rescuin' the princess in all the stories, baby."

Smooth.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I guess they do," Katherine said, flicking her eyes back up to his. "That is, if you want one... I mean, it wouldn't do to let you think I wasn't properly grateful for all the things you've done for me today."

[gunslingerpose]

"And I might start to worry, you know, if you didn't," Nick held her eyes with his, grinned down at her, leaned forward just a little. "You going to keep me worrying, baby?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"No, I don't think I will," Katherine's said, licking her lips once again, this time deliberately, and raised her face to his.

It was a soft kiss, one that practically screamed 'inexperienced', just the pressure of her lips on his. It was almost chaste in its own way, save for the hand that wound its way around Nick's tie and refused to let go. That gave more insight to Katherine's state of mind than her kiss possibly could.

[gunslingerpose]

Damn, damn, she was so new. Nick almost felt guilty just asking for the kiss. But then her hand wrapped around his tie, and there wasn't any more room for guilt. He leaned back just slightly, just enough to grin down at her when that kiss was through.

"Ah, but I saved you twice, didn't I?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"You did," Katherine said with a coy smile. "And it would be rude not to thank you quite thoroughly."

This time when she kissed him, her other hand came up to cup his cheek. Which meant that they had about ten seconds of kissing before her towel fell open completely. Katherine, however, didn't seem to notice.

[gunslingerpose]

And at this point, Nick was far more invested in the kiss than whatever her towel was up to. Maybe once this kiss was over, which was going to have to happen after he leaned in, kissing her a little more aggressively, a little more thoroughly. A peck on the lips was a nice starter, but if she was going to grab his tie and put her hand on his cheek?

Kiss number two, Nick had decided, was going to be a good kiss.

[spin_kick_snap]

And what a good kiss it was! Katherine gasped in surprise at how good a kiss it was--which had the excellent consequence of opening her mouth to his. The hand resting against his cheek moved up into his hair, circling round to the back of his head and keeping his face close to hers.

[gunslingerpose]

Oh, well, if she was going to gasp like that, and open her mouth like that, what else was there for Nick to do but see exactly what the inside of her mouth tasted like? He'd been wondering, he realized, and now was a golden opportunity to find out.

Part of his reward, maybe...