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1. Kiss in the snow.
Nancy pushed forward and into Frank, her mouth settling hard against his.
Just like that, she was kissing someone other than her boyfriend. She was kissing Frank. Frank. Her friend and sometimes partner. Frank who had a girlfriend and who wasn't Ned. But that was a meltdown for later, when Frank's lips weren't on hers and they weren't trapped in a snow-logged cabin waiting to die. Because in Frank's taste, sharp and hot and tinged with adrenaline from the avalanche, exploded into her mouth because she reacted. She moved into him, pushing her tongue into his mouth and just took.
His hand sank into her hair, pulling her in tight, and it was all she could do to not sink completely into the kiss. It was wet and dirty and everything she wanted in the moment. They were alive. They'd survived an avalanche, and he was warm and real and his hair really, really was as soft as she imagined it. And that, absolutely, was not something she should have ever known.
Because Ned was less than ten miles from them, and Frank loved Callie just as much as Nancy loved Ned. Nancy knew herself pretty well, being in life-threatening situations meant that you had to know who you were and what your choices and actions would be. And until two minutes ago, Nancy would have sworn that she wasn't the kind of person who would ever cheat on someone she loved. Neither was Frank.
Apparently, she was the kind of person who did this. Worse, that realization wasn't enough to make her pull away.
2. Kiss on a case.
“All right, everybody!” Joe’s voice bounced loudly in the small room where Nancy, Bess, and Frank were all paging through the short bios provided to them by The Gray Man. Included were the falsified documents that proclaiming she and Frank man and wife. It was no surprise that Joe’s enthusiastic cry startled her.
“What, Joe?” Frank’s dry tone and eye-roll were much more suited to Nancy’s mood than Joe’s gregarious body language.
“Frank, you are such a killjoy.” Smiling, Joe threw an arm around Bess’s shoulder, giving her a solid squeeze. “We’re supposed to be honeymooners! No one will buy our cover if you keep being such a sourpuss.”
“I’m not a killjoy, Joe. I’m just worried that we’re not really being given a whole lot of information about this case.”
Nancy nodded her head while crossing her arms. “There isn’t a whole lot in these bios about all the players. A cruise down the Nile is pretty cut off from the rest of civilization. And that we’re going in with fake passports? If things go wrong, we’re in real trouble here.”
“Guys.” Bess spoke up for the first time. She’d slipped an arm behind Joe’s back and was leaning into him; the picture of a young bride, comfortable in her husband’s presence. Basically everything Nancy wasn’t sure she could pull off. Even if this case hung on her being married to Frank Hardy. “I get that you’re concerned, but this will be fine. We’ve done stuff like this before, undercover work, and this won’t be that bad. Just a bit of cuddling in public and lots of secret sneaking.”
Bess gave Joe’s side a pat before reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. “Besides. We’re all friends here.”
Nancy shot Frank a resigned look. It wasn’t really any use. They’d already agreed to take this assignment on. And Bess was right. Still. She and Ned were still sorting things out after their reunion. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was still feeling the ramifications of the kiss they’d shared up at Mt. Mirage.
“You’re right.” Frank returned Nancy’s look and sent her a tired smile in return. It was obvious from someone who knew him like she did that his thoughts had been going in the same direction as hers. But they had to do what they had to do. “We’ve done this before. And this is really important.”
Nancy gave a long mental sigh before nodding and putting on a smile. They had miles to go before this was over. Might as well get things started. “My new husband’s one hundred percent correct. Let’s get this started.”
And if she hesitated, just a bit, before reaching up and giving Frank a hard, quick kiss on the cheek, no one said anything.
3. Kiss to grieve.
Later, when she's coming down from the roller coaster that was this case, she won't remember quite how it happened.
Yes, it had been a particularly hard case. She'd lost a friend. Someone had died because she and Frank and Joe had missed a simple clue to a stalker's identity. A family was grieving for a son because all of her and her friends' experience and expertise hadn't caught a simple loop in a note.
They had caught the killer. Not in time for Allan. Never in time for Allan. But they had caught him.
But none of that explained how she ended up on top of Frank Hardy, kissing his brains out, on a couch in her guest room. She remembered crying on his shoulder and asking if he minded staying with her while Joe sorted out the minute details with the local police. She even remembered him walking her into the Walkers' living room and having a quiet word with Jeanie about what had happened that night.
What she had zero recollection of was – apparently – dragging him into her room, pushing him onto the couch and just kissing him.
She knew she was crying. She could taste the salt as she pushed herself up against him, rubbing in ways that blanked her mind, just a little. She even knew this was stupid and a reaction. But somehow, Frank Hardy had become a safe space for her. Someone she could count on, no matter what. Even if it wasn't always smart or healthy for her or either of their relationships.
She couldn't trust herself around him because he was so safe. But damn if she didn't trust him.
Later, when she's wracking her brain and beating herself up trying to remember and interrogating herself and her motives, she'll remember that her instincts - her stupid, stupid instincts – were right. He was the one who pulled away.
4. Kiss to end.
"Congratulations!" Bess squealed, running full tilt at Frank, her arms open to catch him in a bone crushing hug. Nancy smiled quietly as her friends slammed into each other and Frank's laugh boomed across the SUNY – Albany's campus's green. They'd been a bit lost in the crowd, trying to spot Frank in the sea of fellow graduates.
She and Bess had been a bit late to the ceremony, Bess having bungled a few of the directions that Nancy had meticulously written out to get them there from the airport. Luckily, they hadn't been tardy enough to miss Frank's walk across stage. Summa Cum Laude in Forensic Sciences was a big deal, especially given the rigorous nature of SUNY – Albany's program. They hadn't, however, managed to get there early enough to be seated with Fenton and Laura, and had been wandering, trying to find them, since the end of the ceremony. Luckily, Bess' Hardy radar was working nearly as well as her fashion radar, and she'd spotted the graduate and his brother.
Nancy ambled slowly up to the hugging pair, exchanging waves with Joe, Fenton, and Laura who were chatting with a set of parents some feet away.
"Hey, Frank." She smiled at him, trying to find a balance between warm and neutral. They were friends and it was perfectly acceptable that she was at his graduation ceremony.
"Nancy! I'm so glad you two could make it. Sorry about George." Frank's smile was similar. But it was more than a little telling that he kept an arm around Bess and made no move towards her. It hurt more than a little, but Nancy shoved that down and a way. Their decision to be just friends was a mutual one. Frank and Callie might be a thing of the past, but she and Ned were giving it another try. She was in love, and her feelings for Frank had caused problems in the past. So, even if it meant awkwardness and distance, it was the price they had to pay for now.
"She was devastated about not being able to make it." Bess chattered, giving Frank a quick squeeze before pulling away. "But her last final got rescheduled due to a snow day in February. I have a gift from her in my suitcase, but that's not important now! How does it feel, Mister future FBI?"
Frank grinned and shrugged a shoulder. "I have to say pretty good. I can't believe the offer from Quantico came in so quickly."
"Stop being modest." Bess rolled her eyes and punched him on the arm. "It's not cute when it's false, bucko."
Nancy laughed. "I'll bet you an entire one of Hannah's blue ribbon lemon pies that you had at least three offers from different agencies."
"Caught me!" Frank laughed and stepped forward. He put a hand on Bess's shoulder, urging her closer to Nancy, seemingly starting to herd them towards his family. "But the FBI felt right, you know? It's a good organization and the recruiters were pretty amazing."
"No doubt." Bess bubbled, quickly catching Joe's eye and waving. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a younger Hardy to harass and malign. That jerk still owes me twenty bucks from when we were in Connecticut."
And just like that they were mostly alone in a sea of people.
"So." Nancy gave him a tentative smile and moved to walk with him. It always surprised her how easily they fell into step with each other. It shamed her, a little, that she'd let the strangeness of their newly agreed upon status interfere with that. Frank was, after all, one of her best friends. One of the only ones who really understood the thrill of the case. "When are you off to Virginia?"
"I'm due in a week from Thursday. Training starts the following Monday. It looks pretty tough, but I'm looking forward to it."
Nancy believed him. He just looked so happy and settled. It was wonderful to see. If anyone deserved that kind of excitement and joy, it was Frank.
"Hey." Nancy put a hand on his arm, stopping them just a bit away from his family and their friend. She whispered softly. "I am really proud of you."
"Thank you." A warm hand covered hers, and for the first time in months the look Frank shot her was wholly present. "That means a lot."
Nerves fluttering in her stomach, she reached up and kissed him softly on the cheek closest to her. She could feel the prickle of his cheek, lightly scratchy from growing stubble, and did her best to squash it down. He started a bit, beneath her lips, but she was already settling back on the ground.
"You'll be amazing." She said and walked over to Bess.
She didn't look back.
5. Kiss to begin.
“…and that’s how we ended up getting rescued by the Lake Michigan coast guard.”
Nancy leaned heavily onto Frank’s shoulder, bracing herself so she could finish her laugh. She’d been giggling for so long and hard that tears were leaking from the edges of her eyes, and she was starting to hyperventilate slightly.
“Oh, man.” She dragged in a deep breath, grinning up into Frank’s amused expression. “I can’t believe Joe did that.”
“Oh, believe it.” Frank’s voice was dry as the Sahara. “Since he started freelancing, my life has been considerably less exciting.”
Nancy snorted, finally able to stand under her own power. The heels that went with her outfit were extremely cute, but not very helpful after a few drinks and Frank Hardy telling tales. He kept his arm looped around her, and Nancy really couldn’t find it in herself to object.
“I’m sure that’s not entirely true.” Nancy retorted. She raised an eyebrow. “With or without Joe, your job isn’t exactly boring. Special Agent Hardy, isn’t it?”
He shrugged the shoulder of the arm not wrapped around her. For a second, she saw the afterimage of the teenage boy she used to know superimposed over his thirty-two year old face. It had shocked her earlier in the evening when she realized that she’d known him longer than she hadn’t. And that was definitely part of the reason she’d agreed when he’d asked her out for dinner and drinks.
Not all of the reason though. No, most of the reason was the expression on his face when he’d asked. Confident. Interested. Sure.
And damn if that hadn’t been a giant turn on.
“Why-” They’d made it to the door of her hotel room. Frank stopped and let her turn into the doorway so she could face him while still keeping a hand on her shoulder. It was surprisingly suave for a man who’d had her snorting giggles on the way down the corridor. Gently, he reached over and tucked a piece of hair that'd fallen from her updo behind her ear. “Why do I get the feeling that you really like my title?"
His voice deepened on the last word, his pupils blowing slightly as she bit her lip, and oh did she feel that in her toes.
Frank Hardy, her Frank Hardy, was pulling some pretty intense moves after an interesting and fun dinner. Moreover, she was single. He was single. Neither had just gotten out of a relationship. They weren't on a case, neither had anywhere specific to be until Monday – it was Saturday – and damn if she didn't want this with basically everything in her.
"Well." Nancy smiled, feeling twelve kinds of wicked and confident in her sudden decision. She dragged the nails of her free hand across the loose fabric of Frank's suit jacket, scratching a little across his shirt before finding his tie. "I think..." She tugged it a little, biting her lip as she leaned into him closer. "…that you…" She ran her tongue over the area she'd bitten, triumph flooding her mind as his pupils dilated further and he started a slow lean into her. "…are correct. Special Agent Hardy."
On his last name, she pulled the tie hard, dragging him and his ridiculously handsome face and stupidly kissable lips down to meet her own.
+ 1. Kiss just because.
Frank's hand grazed her shoulder, giving her a few seconds of warning as he moved in beside her. With practiced ease, he pulled her into the curve of his body before gently tilting her head back and leaning in to lay a warm, sweet kiss on her lips. She could taste the leftovers of the vanilla cake George had chosen for her wedding reception and started laughing as she pulled away. He gave her a mock glare before tickling her side gently and settling her back to his chest so they could continue her prior activity of dance-floor observation.
"I'm so happy for George." And she was. The wedding had been amazing. George had glowed through the entire day, starting nearly at dawn when she'd dragged Nancy and Bess from their beds for early morning grooming and girl time. For as unconventional as George could be when it came to challenging gender norms in her daily life, it was surprising how conventional her wedding had ended up. Especially compared to girly-girl Bess'.
"It shows. It was a great ceremony, and she and Tyler haven't stopped grinning since they clapped eyes on each other."
Nancy sighed happily and leaned back into her partner's arms. "I'm just so glad that everything worked out the way it was supposed to. This thing was so much work! And everything was so touch and go with that last case-"
Frank chuckled and gave her a quick squeeze before settling his chin on her shoulder. "Only you three could catch a jewel thief while planning and executing a wedding this complicated and this big."
Nancy gave a deep sigh and nodded heartily. "And I'm officially never doing that again. If we ever decide to get married, can we do it Bess's way? I mean, I'll always be grateful to Tyler's mother for calling to confirm the linens and distracting Carlson from shooting me, but wow a commitment ceremony on a catamaran near Thailand sounds like a lot less work."
Frank's laugh was loud enough to startle a pair of society women chatting at a table nearby. They shot him curious stares that quickly melted into smiles before turning back to their conversation. For his part, Frank tilted sideways so he could look her in the eye without letting her go.
"Drew." He said, his eyes sparkling. "If we ever decide to get married – and for the record, I fully expect you to go down on one knee to ask for my hand in marriage, thank you – I promise it won't be any more complicated than a trip to the courthouse followed by a reception lunch with our nearest and dearest at a restaurant to be determined. Deal?"
Nancy's heart gave a hard, happy thump at his words. Because while his smile was all levity, the sentiment behind it was genuine. She knew they had a long way to go before they were ready to make that commitment to each other. Them as a couple was still too new to take that jump. But they had time. They were on the same page with what they wanted and where they wanted this to go.
More than anything, that was the best feeling in the world.
So it was with all sincerity that Nancy nodded her head and agreed. "Deal."
Frank's responding smile was devastating. He lifted a hand and ran a thumb along the curve of her jaw, giving her an intense look of love. It was one that had become increasingly familiar in the last six months they'd been together. One that, when she'd finally recognized what it meant, made everything in her tingle in the best of ways. It was also one that she returned whole-heartedly.
"Hey." He said.
"Hmm?" She licked her top lip.
"I love you." And god, the sincerity in his eyes and every single line of his body.
"I love you, too." Nancy whispered, grinning with her whole face as he leaned in and kissed her again. Around them the music and laughter of the reception carried on, but Nancy was perfectly content to let that take care of itself. She had more important things to do.
-fin-