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fembuckTitle: Last Night
Author: Janine
Fandom: The Nine
Pairing: Kathryn/Lizzie
Rating: PG
Words: 2, 358
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, I just like watching and writing about them.
Kathryn’s head dipped down, a few wisps of brown hair falling across her fine features as she shook her head and smiled at something Franny was saying before gesturing gracefully at the Latina woman causing Franny to smile as well and nod her head in agreement.
Lizzie watched as Kathryn then reached out in front of her to delicately pick up her wine glass which she took a small, measured sip from.
Everything about Kathryn was elegant, measured, poised, and graceful. Her hands slim and refined, yet with a deceptive strength, just like Kathryn herself. Willowy, and small-boned, with sharp aristocratic features, yet passionate and steely in her resolve, calm and collected on the surface, though her eyes swam with the emotions she kept buried underneath.
“No, stay put,” Lizzie said tearing her gaze away from Kathryn, glad for the distraction. “You’ve done so much already, I’ll get it,” she continued smiling at Malcolm’s wife.
“Do you need a hand?” Kathryn had felt Lizzie’s eyes on her but had ignored it because there was nothing she could say to the younger woman while everyone was crowded around them. Lizzie’s offer to get the cheese plate from the kitchen however could give them a few moments alone together to talk, and she did need to talk to her.
Lizzie stiffened slightly at the sound of Kathryn’s voice, but recovered quickly and turned around smiling, hoping that it wasn’t obviously strained. “Sure,” she said holding the lawyer’s gaze for a moment before turning back around and taking a deep breath before heading into the kitchen.
“I wanted to,” Kathryn began as they entered the kitchen, taking a quick look behind her. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday,” she continued straightening her back, unconsciously bringing forth her courtroom persona. “I shouldn’t have …”
“It’s not your fault,” Lizzie interrupted turning around to face Kathryn for the first time since they’d entered the kitchen. “I mean, I get it,” she went on looking away from the other woman, her eyes drifting over to the magnets on Malcolm’s fridge. “I shouldn’t have … done that. I don’t know what I was,” she continued awkwardly glancing over at Kathryn before biting her lip and looking away again. “I shouldn’t have …”
“It’s okay,” Kathryn interjected, taking a small step towards Lizzie but stopping almost immediately, uncertain exactly what to do with herself.
Lizzie watched as Kathryn stopped in her tracks, looking at her uncertainly, clearly at a loss as to what to say or do.
“It’s not,” Lizzie said before letting out a dark chuckle and looking away. “I shouldn’t have put you in that position. I didn’t mean to … put you on the spot like that. And now, things are awkward and …”
“Lizzie,” Kathryn said before the other woman could chastise herself anymore, taking a few steps towards her closing the distance between them. “Really,” she continued softly once she was standing in front of the younger woman.
They stood like that for a moment, watching each other uncertainly before Kathryn exhaled deeply and lifted her hand to Lizzie’s cheek, brushing the backs of her fingers gently over Lizzie’s smooth skin.
“It’s okay,” Kathryn whispered softly before leaning forward and brushing her lips against Lizzie’s.
24 Hours earlier …
She was aware of what she was doing, though she couldn’t exactly say that she knew why she was doing it. But as Lizzie leaned forward, closing the distance between her lips and Kathryn’s she was fully aware of the fact that she was about to kiss the woman who in a few short months had become her best friend, confidant, and guardian barrister.
Kathryn inhaled sharply as Lizzie’s lips softly brushed against her own. She had seen the younger woman begin to lead towards her, but she hadn’t really believed that Lizzie was going to do what she thought she was going to do.
She was wrong.
But before she could process that piece of information and determine how she felt about the turn of events and react accordingly, she felt herself responding to the light pressure on her mouth, parting her lips slightly as she leaned into Lizzie’s touch, the hand to she automatically dropped to cover the one Lizzie rested on her thigh squeezing Lizzie’s hand instead of removing it.
Lizzie pulled back slowly, licking her lips as she pulled away from Kathryn’s, the full ramifications of what she had just done registering with her causing a considerable amount of anxiety inside of her as she slowly lifted her eyes to look at the woman who’s lap she had practically maneuvered herself into while they kissed.
“Um,” Lizzie said as Kathryn stared at her, blinking far more than was usual. She had wanted to say something meaningful; something that would easily diffuse the tension that now hung heavy between them, but ‘um’ was all she was able to get out.
Kathryn twitched, her eyes closing for a long moment before she opened them again.
Her cell phone was ringing.
“I have to …” Kathryn said reaching for her purse which was resting beside the end of the couch.
Lizzie watched as she opened the bag and took the ringing and vibrating object out of her bag and brought it to her ear. Kathryn’s back straightened as soon as she had it to her ear and her gaze focused and her voice strong and crisp as she spoke into the receiver. Lizzie almost smiled as she saw the transformation from surprised molested friend, to superstar district attorney.
“I have to … there’s a case … they need a warrant, I have to …” Kathryn said a few moments later turning to face Lizzie as she slipped her phone back into her bag.
“Go?” Lizzie supplied forcing a smile onto her face.
“Yeah,” Kathryn said standing up. “We’ll talk,” she said looking down at Lizzie once she was standing, her purse clutched tightly in her right hand. “Okay.”
And with that she was gone.
Lizzie brought her hand around Kathryn’s waist and parted her lips allowing the lawyer to deepen the kiss. Kathryn tasted as good as she remembered from the night before, but this kiss was firmer, more confident, and more passionate than the other one had been. Lizzie suspected that it had something to do with the fact that both of them knew exactly what they were doing this time, but she didn’t dwell on the thought, preferring to concentrate on the feel of Kathryn’s tongue in her mouth, and her slim, elegant, graceful hands and her hips.
Emboldened, Lizzie slowly moved her hands, sliding them over Kathryn’s hips and down over her ass, feeling a sharp throb of desire as Kathryn moaned into her mouth at the touch, encouraging Lizzie to lean further into her.
“Uh …”
Lizzie felt Kathryn immediately pull away from her as the utterance from the doorway reached them, and turned her head in time with Kathryn to see Franny standing there staring at them.
“…I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Franny continued a second later, breaking the silence that had descend over the room, a hesitant smile coming to her lips as they continued to stare at each other. “Everyone, you know just really wants some cheese.”
“Yeah,” Lizzie breathed out softly blinking at Franny. “Yeah, I was … its right here, I was going to …”
“Um hmm,” Franny interrupted, her small smile growing a little. “I can see that you got a little distracted,” she continued stepping further into the room. “I’ll just,” she went on gesturing towards the cheese platter before taking a few more quick steps towards the counter and picking it up. “So you two can … yeah,” she continued looking between them biting down on her bottom lip to stop from smiling though her mirth was still quite evident in her positively twinkling eyes. “Just a warning,” Franny added as she headed towards the door. “Someone’s likely to be coming in for drinks in a few minutes,” and with that she disappeared through the doorway.
Once Franny was out of the room, Lizzie allowed her gaze to turn towards Kathryn who was still staring at the vacated doorway looking slightly frazzled.
Feeling Lizzie’s eyes on her Kathryn turned away from the doorway to look at the other woman, and they stood there in silence for a long moment before a smile started to tug at the corners of Lizzie’s mouth, and then at Kathryn’s and they were smiling and laughing awkwardly.
“I’ll talk to Franny,” Lizzie said a moment later when they had both sobered somewhat. “If … there’s anything to talk about?” she continued looking over into Kathryn’s eyes questioningly.
20 hours earlier …
Kathryn sighed deeply allowing her eyes to snap open.
She had been tossing and turning for - she turned to glance at her alarm clock - close to an hour and a half and was no closer to falling asleep than she had been when she had climbed into bed.
Securing the warrant had barely required any of her brain power, and she had spent most of the drive over the Judge Valera’s house, much of the conversation with Judge Valera, and the drive over the precinct and then home thinking about what had happened after dinner with Lizzie.
It had been a surprise. It really had been. She hadn’t picked up on any signals from Lizzie before that, though they had gotten increasingly close over the past few months. The thought of their relationship becoming anything more than friendship hadn’t entered her mind, but now …
The kiss kept replaying through her mind, the feel of Lizzie’s lips, the way she tasted, the way she smelled, the warmth of her body so close to hers and so enticing. She hadn’t thought about it before the kiss, but since … she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
It was nice. Lizzie was nice. Lizzie was sweet, and caring, and didn’t get annoyed when she answered her cell phone when they were out for coffee or at dinner. She could relax around Lizzie, she didn’t feel like she had to constantly be on her game around the younger woman, there was no move-counter move with Lizzie, just them as they were hanging out, talking, being friends, enjoying each others company.
She like Lizzie, and now she like Lizzie’s lips.
Kathryn turned on to her side, bunching her covers up around her, throwing her arm over them like a lover’s body and closed her eyes once again.
She had to get some sleep. She had a big morning ahead of her. Sleep, she had to sleep.
Fifteen minutes later Kathryn opened her eyes once again, an image of Lizzie fading slowly as her eyes adjusted to the dark of her room.
She lifted one of her arms from its resting place on top of her blanket and slipped it underneath her covers with a sigh.
She needed to sleep.
Kathryn watched Lizzie, saw the question in her eyes. She knew that the younger woman was asking if this was a one time event or if they were going to see where these unexpected, but pleasant feelings would take them.
Kathryn opened her mouth as if to speak, but then pressed her lips back together without saying anything though she did nod her head, and then reached out for Lizzie’s hand, taking it gently into her own holding it for a moment before she found her voice.
“I think there is,” Kathryn said softly. At one time she would have denied her feelings, pushed them down, ignored them because they were inconvenient. She had political aspirations, ambitions, she was a rising star, and she had to consider her image, be impeccable, beyond reproach. She couldn’t have any skeletons in her closet. Only she didn’t care about those things any more. Yes, she still had aspirations and ambition, but she wouldn’t let them run her life anymore, she wouldn’t let stop her from doing the things her heart knew was right as she had in the past. What she had been through, what they had all been through had changed her priorities, given her a new outlook. She didn’t have another ten years to carefully plot her way towards the ideal life. She had today, all they ever had was the moment, and that moment could end at any time. She was going to follow her heart, she was going to do what she felt was right, because if her moment came to an end, she wanted to be happy, with no more regrets weighing down her soul. “I … want there to be,” she added softly.
Lizzie nodded her head minutely a couple of times in response before smiling, and then looking away towards the door slightly embarrassed by her reaction. “I want that too,” she said softly squeezing Kathryn’s hand though her gaze was still on the doorway. “We should probably …” she went on a moment later nodding towards the doorway.
“Yeah,” Kathryn said glancing over her shoulder before turning back to Lizzie. She didn’t really want to go back out there, she wanted to leave with Lizzie, go somewhere and talk where they could be alone or as good as. But she knew that wasn’t really an option, not for a few more hours at least.
Kathryn leaned forward, Lizzie’s hand still firmly in her own, intending to bring their lips together when she heard a voice coming towards the kitchen. Sighing irritably she stepped back from Lizzie focusing in on the fruit bowl on the counter as Egan entered the kitchen greeting them cheerfully.
“Wine, they are rioting for more wine,” Egan declared as he entered the kitchen oblivious to anything that had been going on before his arrival.
“Red or white?” Lizzie asked having spotted a couple bottles when she first entered the kitchen.
“At this point I don’t think it matters much,” Egan replied grinning. “Ah, many thanks,” he added as Lizzie cocked her thumb in the direction of the bottles she had seen earlier, her gaze drifting over to Kathryn who was smiling slightly as Egan procured the bottles. “Ladies first,” Egan declared once he had a bottle in hand, sweeping his hand in front of him gentlemanly.
Holding Kathryn’s gaze for a second more, Lizzie then turned to Egan saying ‘thank you’ before heading towards the doorway, Kathryn falling in step behind her, a soft smile touching her lips as she felt Kathryn’s hand brush against her lower back before they entered the living room once again and took their seats.
Lizzie soon found herself watching Kathryn once more. Only this time she had no desire to stop.
The End
