Chapter Text
She couldn’t stop looking at them, mesmerised by the colours as the slow wave of the lights changed from red to blue, to green to yellow. The lights of her beautiful new Christmas tree casting a colourful rainbow across the patio through the glass behind it. Honestly, she’d never really been one for coloured Christmas lights before, usually she preferred the softness of the white lights, but now, with her world looking suddenly so much brighter, the myriad of colour seemed so very fitting.
Her smile felt just as bright, sitting at the dining table she twisted the stem of the wine glass absently, her head rested in her hand as she turned to move her gaze from the tree to the kitchen.
Or more accurately, to the man moving around her kitchen as though he had always been there.
True to his word, Bobby had picked her up earlier that day to begin their quest for a Christmas tree. After her conversation with Hen the previous day, Athena had spent hours thinking, and overthinking, just what it was that she was going to say to him. As it happened, it had been futile, all thoroughly planned speeches and declarations had left her mind the very moment she laid eyes on him, deliciously handsome in dark jeans and a maroon shirt. In that moment she had decided to simply let the day unfold, to enjoy the opportunity to spend time with him, alone, and should an opportunity present itself then, well she promised herself she would take it.
Unsurprisingly it had been easy to be alone with him, conversation flowed as it usually did but the air between them had shifted. Bobby may have been joking when he’d called this a date but if she were honest, it had been the best non-date, date she’d ever had.
The gentle flirting had been there from the outset, but what had really changed the trajectory had come when they’d reached the tree farm. He’d helped her out of the truck, ever the gentleman, but as they’d made the short walk to the entrance, Bobby had slipped his hand into her’s as though it was the most natural thing in the world. When his fingers intertwined with hers and he squeezed them just ever so slightly Athena would have sworn her heart had stopped entirely. She hadn’t been able to look at him then, not for a long moment, too busy willing herself to just breathe, her mind screaming at her to register that this was actually happening. He must have sensed her reaction, whether he could feel her trembling or just sensed it she hadn’t been sure but she had certainly felt the gentle stroke of his thumb against her skin and it calmed her instantly.
Neither had addressed the new intimacy, not verbally anyway, a small, somewhat shy smile had been exchanged after Athena had regained control of her mind and emotions and together they had continued with the task at hand.
Finding the perfect tree.
A task it seemed, was easier said than done. It had taken almost two hours for her to settle on the chosen tree, though Bobby had not complained once, in fact he seemed just as invested in the selection process as Athena had been. More than once she had been struck by his patience, his obvious desire to make sure that she got just what she had wanted. Nothing more nothing less than perfection. Michael had always hated tree shopping with her, annoyed at her indecisiveness, for the last few years he had simply waited in the car, not even attempting to help.
Athena had realised then, as she watched Bobby wrestle the eight foot fir, that it wasn’t so much that she didn’t have any holiday cheer, she just needed someone to share it with. She wanted to share it with him.
With the tree purchased and secured in the back of Bobby’s truck the afternoon had continued. To anyone else it would have looked entirely every-day, unremarkable even, but it was everything Athena had needed. On the way home they had stopped by the farmer’s market, Bobby’s favourite and she had smiled at the happiness that radiated from him as he browsed the produce, talking non stop about various recipes that he was simply dying to try. Honestly, she could listen to him talk all day long and never tire of it, as he spoke with such passion it filled her very soul with light and the calmness settled around her like a blanket of peace.
He really was her safe place.
Somewhere along the way Athena had asked him to cook one of these recipes for her, to which he had agreed instantly. Which is how he came to be in her kitchen, cleaning up after a truly delicious dinner. She had of course offered to clean up, but Bobby would not hear of it, arguing that the day had been intended to help her relax and his intention was to ensure that she would be waited on hand and foot.
She wanted to protest that she was already plenty relaxed but in truth she was enjoying simply watching him. For an unknown kitchen he certainly had her system figured out. And there was something truly captivating about seeing Bobby in a kitchen. Sure, as Captain Nash, out in the field he was a sight to behold, but Bobby in a kitchen was a scene that really sent her heart racing.
Her eyes tracked his movements as he put the last of the dishes away, leaning back against the counter as he dried off his hands. With his shirt sleeves rolled up she could see the ripple of the muscles in his forearms and her gaze lingered there for a long moment. When her eyes finally lifted to meet his she found him watching her, a smug smile on his face which pulled the eye roll from her automatically.
“Penny for your thoughts?” He asked quietly, rounding the kitchen island to join her at the table.
“I was thinking about you actually.” Her courage was back, it seemed, as she sat back in her chair, her eyes still watching him.
“Uh oh!”
“Bobby!” Shaking her head she took a sip of wine, smiling against the glass as he laughed, the sound alone sending a warmth through her body. “Thank you for today, it was exactly what I needed.”
“You’re welcome.” Bobby nodded, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table as he watched her closely. “You do seem to be less tense, and the smile is reaching your eyes again so I’d say it was pretty much mission accomplished.”
“Mission accomplished huh?” She raised an eyebrow as he shrugged in reply.
“Well, you’re not exactly singing a chorus of Jingle Bell Rock just yet but you did get through the day without tasering any elves so I’ll take the win.”
“Oh come on! Those elves were far too cheery even for you!”
“True, I will give you that but I’m still proud of you anyway.”
He was watching her intently now, his gaze fixed on her and she felt her heart rate increase rapidly. When his eyes dipped to the cut of her new red blouse, specifically purchased with him in mind, not for the first time today, she saw the unmistakable flash of desire cross his gaze and the flush of heat rushed up her neck and across her cheeks. The minutes ticked by as they simply looked at each other, both trying to read the other until he finally broke the deadlock.
“Do we need to talk about this?”
“About what?” Her voice broke as she looked away from him, suddenly focused intently on her fingertips as they twisted the wine glass.
“Thena, we both know what I’m talking about.” His voice was quiet, soft, as he slowly slid one hand across the table to cover one of her’s. “You feel it too, I know you do.”
“Bobby, I,” though she still wasn’t looking at him, her hand turned in his to lace their fingers together. “Yeah, I think we do need to talk about it. I want to talk about it.” Her heart was racing again, though her mind was suddenly completely blank, wanting to talk and being able to seemed to be two completely different things.
Luckily for Athena, Bobby seemed quite happy to take the lead.
“Me too. I hadn’t wanted to rush you, with the divorce and everything but I like you Athena, a lot more than just a friend, I guess I have for a long time I just wasn’t sure if you felt the same way but lately, well lately I’m getting the impression that you just might?”
Athena couldn’t help the smile as she finally looked at him. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him this nervous, as far as she was concerned he had nothing to be nervous about and it took every ounce of restraint she had not to kiss his adorable face right then and there.
“Bobby,” He wasn’t looking at her now, his gaze fixed on their joined hands, it took a gentle tug of his hand to finally coax him to meet her eyes. “Bobby you don’t have to look so anxious, you’re right, I do feel it too, I have for a very long time.”
“Really?”
Athena couldn’t help the laugh that escaped at the sight of his smile as it widened more than she’d ever seen it before. His eyes bright with the love that she had seen reflected there so many times. It seemed so silly all of a sudden, all this anxiety and nervousness, they were grown adults for heaven sakes.
“Oh I think the day you dropped a rooster into my arms might just have started it Captain!”
“Sergeant Grant! You were a married woman!” They were both laughing now, hands still joined together as Athena shrugged in reply and took another sip of her wine.
“Didn’t stop you flirting with me at every opportunity though did it?”
“I was not, I was simply being friendly!” Bobby had the good grace to look sheepish for a brief second before her single raised eyebrow prompted the truth, “Yeah ok I was flirting. Admit it though you’ve been flirting too!”
“I do not flirt Captain.”
“You’re doing it right now you know.”
Athena opened her mouth to protest but the words would not form, he was right, but it just felt so easy with him, like it never had with anyone else before him. They could banter back and forth all day and it would still be just as much fun. It struck her then that this was actually what she wanted for her life. Fun, laughter, and love. With him. This was the chance she had been waiting for, the opportunity she had promised herself just that morning she would take. And she was going to grasp it with both hands.
“Ok, flirting aside, Bobby Nash, I’ll cut to the chase.” Leaning forward so that she was resting against the dining table, their faces just inches apart. “Wanna go out with me?”
If she thought she’d already seen his brightest smile it had nothing on the one he wore now.
“Yes, please.”
When his words finally registered in her brain it took a moment for it to fully sink in, she’d imagined this conversation a hundred times before but never really expected it to become a reality and yet, here they were, in her kitchen, admitting their feelings to each other.
“Funny isn’t it, all week we’ve been coincidentally plagued by mistletoe, and yet the moment we could really use some…” Athena laughed as she looked from his eyes to his lips and back again. God she wanted to kiss him, to finally know what it felt like to be in his arms.
“Hold that thought.”
Athena’s eyes narrowed as Bobby stood from the table, instantly feeling the loss of his hand in her’s. A moment later however her confusion made way for a whole other emotion.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he reached into his front jeans pocket and pulled out a single, rather rumpled, sprig of mistletoe.
“It’s a bit squashed but, I suppose the sentiment remains the same.”
He was looking nervous again, oh this sweet, sweet man that was now all her’s.
“Have you been carrying that in your pocket all day?”
Bobby shrugged at her question, his fingers trying in vain to straighten the crisp green leaf for a long moment until he looked at her again. “I was hoping an opportunity might present itself and I wanted to be prepared.”
The realisation that he’d wanted to kiss her all day, had actively prepared for such a moment, caused her head to spin in the best way possible. And she couldn’t wait a moment longer.
Taking the hand that he was now offering Athena rose from her chair to stand before him, laughing quietly as she watched him lift the mistletoe above their heads.
Despite her heart hammering a frantic beat in her chest she wasn’t nervous, there was no single ounce of apprehension as Bobby’s hand left her’s to move around her waist, pulling her body flush against his. She knew, by his contented sigh that he was thinking exactly the same as she was. They fit, perfectly together like two pieces of a puzzle, and she knew that this was exactly where she was supposed to be.
When his lips met her’s, finally, and began their first slow exploration of each other it was both everything and nothing like she had imagined it to be. Knowing him as she did it came as no surprise that he was a perfectionist in the kissing department too. The gentle softness made her heart ache, only for his passion to take the lead a second later and steal her breath away. God what she wouldn’t give to have this for the rest of her life.
In his arms she felt safe, treasured, as he kissed her breathless she felt her entire world had righted itself, the ground beneath her feet finally feeling steady for the first time in too long. Ironic really, given that his kiss was driving her clear out of her mind. For how long they stood there, in the arms of the other, kissing as though the world would end they had no idea, breathing was irrelevant, something neither seemed overly concerned with. All that mattered was this, finally, the walls between them had not just been lowered, in the space of one day they had been completely obliterated.
Where once she had wondered if she’d ever find her Christmas cheer, Athena knew without a shadow of doubt it was definitely back to being her very favourite time of year.
And she’d never look at mistletoe the same way again.
Speaking of the mistletoe, when she felt, more than saw him lower his hand, dropping the sprig to the table so that he could wrap both arms around her waist, Athena broke the kiss. Both breathless, they simply stared at each other, the magnitude of what had transpired between them today felt so beautifully heavy around them, like a warm blanket.
“What are you doing with that?” She asked quietly, her voice uneven as she continued to regulate her breathing.
“I don’t think we need it anymore do you?” Bobby’s reply came on a playful whisper, his lips barely millimetres from her’s as he nudged his nose against her’s drawing a soft laugh from her well kissed mouth.
“We may not need it, Captain, but I’d rather like to keep it.” Pulling back from him just enough to turn in his arms, leaning back into his chest as she picked up the still rumpled sprig.
“Keep it?”
“Yeah, for now at least. In fact, I think I’d actually like to hang it. Wanna help?”
She couldn’t help but smile as she stepped out of his arms and walked a few paces away from him, when she turned to look at him she could see her own desire reflected in his eyes as his hands reached out to regain their contact with any part of her they could.
“Hang it where?”
Walking slowly backwards through the living room, her eyes still watching him as he followed her pace, like a delicious predator stalking his prey, Athena knew this was exactly what she wanted, him, them, forever. It was cliche but she finally believed that old saying, ‘when you know, you know’. And she knew they could be so wonderful together, and it starts with right now.
“I have a perfect spot in mind actually. Right above my headboard.”