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1.
The first time he saw her, he was struck by how attractive she was. She glanced at him briefly as she walked down the corridor, their eyes meeting acknowledging each other politely. He waited until he was sure she couldn't see him and he gave in, looking at her, truthfully he couldn't tear his eyes off her.
He saw her struggling with the door and he was moving before he knew what he was doing.
“You alright?” he asked as he reached her "DS Arnott" he introduced shaking her hand briefly. She was even more breathtaking up close.
"Can I help you?" She replied
"Uh, we're here to see DCI Gates," he glanced down at her ID "Kate" it suited her, he thought.
She smiled at him, amused "Okay," she said "have you been posted?"
"You could say that." He wasn't sure how he was supposed to introduce himself, were people supposed to know he was AC12? People tended to clam up around him as soon as they found out where he worked and he certainly didn't want her to. He wanted to know every little thing about her.
"Well, welcome to the LMA." She turned back to the pad on the wall swiping her card again.
"Thank you very much"
She let out a frustrated breath "They said they were getting this fixed"
"Sorry about that, Steve." Hastings said as he swiped his card, opening the door for the trio.
"Oh, no problem." Steve said, and it really was no problem, if Hastings hadn't stepped out to take that call he would never have met Kate, and he was very much hoping he'd get to know her very well indeed.
"Are you with AC12?" Kate asked, drawing Steve's attention back to her.
"Yeah" he said.
"Oh" was all she said. There it was, he thought sadly, as soon as AC12 gets dropped people change, she gestured for him to go ahead of her through the door, can't wait to get away. He walked through holding it for her, before following dutifully behind Hastings.
A few minutes later and Kate was there again, showing Gates into the room, she looked at Steve, and he smiled at her.
As usual, knowing he was AC12 her whole demeanour towards him had changed. She looked at him with what could only be described as thinly veiled disgust as she shut the door.
He sighed, he hoped he'd be able to show her that there was more to him than his AC12 posting.
He hoped he'd be able to show her a lot more than that.
2.
He was woken up abruptly, his phone vibrating loudly on the table behind him,
“DS Arnott,” he answered groggily,
"Sir, we've had a call regarding a disturbance at DC Fleming's residence"
“What?"
"Its DC Fleming, she's refusing to move on"
"I’m on my way.”
Pulling up to the scene he did a quick assessment, two uniforms one standing in front of the doorstep of the house another stood on the drive the lights on their liveried car flashing. They could have turned those off, he thought, annoyed. Nothing quite like flashing police lights to draw the attention of the neighbours of a detective.
“Cheers mate, thanks for the call,” he said to the uniformed officer by the car.
“Kate, let's go” he said reaching her side
“The bastard has changed the locks!” She fumed at him “I bloody live here.”
“Let's get you out of here mate” He said, reaching out to lead her to his car when she wrenched her arm out of his hand, he frowned.
“The last thing I need right now is you,” she said with venom turning back towards the house. Steve frowned, there was more going on here than meets the eye, he thought.
He moved forwards again undeterred. "These two uniforms are doing you a favour, and so am I."
"I live here, Steve." She repeated.
"Kate," he said firmly looking her dead in the eye "move."
Finally listening, she turned and walked down the driveway towards his car, he watched her go for a second before following her.
"Alright?" The uniform asked, obviously relieved that she looked to be finally moving.
"I've got her mate, thanks." Steve said dismissing them.
His gaze turned back to Kate, watching her closely as she walked to his car. She looked broken, he thought, he would be lying if he said it didn't break his heart. She was always so strong, or as she tried to pretend, but everyone has a breaking point.
"What's going on?" He asked
"I just wanted to see my son" she said, turning to him, tears in her eyes and her voice breaking.
"You will alright, just not in the middle of the night."
"Well I haven't got anywhere else to go" she confessed, and Steve's heart shattered in his chest. Oh god, it all became clear now, how had he missed this?
"Where've you been staying?" He asked, why hadn't she told him? Why hadn't she asked for help? "Kate?" He reached for her hand again, this time she allowed it, if only briefly.
"I was undercover on Denton and I blew it, and now we're blowing the whole case, I need to close this Steve, or I've got nothing!"
"Listen-" he started, ready to tell her everything, there were enough secrets between the two of them, and their secrets had had her sleeping god knows where. No more.
"And you were shagging the nurse, and now you're shagging the prime suspect!"
"I'm not!" He protested suddenly desperate for her to know the truth. He wasn't sleeping with Denton, and it was imperative at this moment that she believe him. He didn't want to examine exactly why it was so important to him that she knew.
"I saw you together!"
"Your undercover failed because we underestimated Lindsey, mines succeeding 'cause she underestimates me just as much as you do!" He burst out angrily, she honestly believed he would be so stupid.
"What?" She asked, very obviously confused.
"I think you're right about her, okay?" he confessed and her head dropped down as she let out a huge sigh of relief taking his words in "I think she done it."
The relief was coming off her in waves and all of his anger dissipated in an instant. She shook her head minutely, her hand resting on the bonnet of his car. He wanted nothing more in this moment than to scoop her up and fix every terrible thing that had hurt her. Seeing her cry was utterly heartbreaking.
"You okay?" He asked, watching her as she processed his question.
She shook her head looking back at her house "No," she said honestly and it was too much for him to ignore.
"Come here," he said, opening his arms to her, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back and buried her face into his neck as he whispered to her rubbing her back comfortingly. They held each other tightly as Kate cried into him, every sob broke his heart just a little bit more.
Eventually, the tears stopped and she pulled back, though she didn't get very far. Steve held her at an arm's length, his hands firm on her shoulders, looking at her carefully.
"Come on," he said "you're staying with me."
"No, I-"
"I won't hear it Kate, get in." He nodded to the passenger side of his car, she didn't protest again.
"We'll come and get your car in the morning." He said as they pulled away, he looked over to her looking dejectedly out of the window, and he vowed in that moment that he would do everything in his power to make sure she never looked so heartbroken again.
He refused to acknowledge why.
3.
They were sitting together in his flat, the takeaway containers strewn on his coffee table, a documentary playing quietly on the TV.
It had been a long day, hell, it had been a long week and Steve was beyond happy that it was finally all behind them. Kate had quite literally single handedly saved the day. Not only had she given chase through half the city and taken down three members of the OCG, but she had also exonerated him, saving his career, and, if he were honest with himself, probably his life.
He didn't think she knew how much she had done for him, not really. He watched her out of the corner of his eye and saw her shift uncomfortably, he snapped his head to her.
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked. She had told him what had happened as they ate, and he still wasn't sure she didn't need to be in hospital.
She looked at him and nodded, tired, "I'm okay, just aches that's all." Her eyes drifted closed before blinking back open. She was shattered, he thought. There was no way he was letting her drive home like this. He still had the spare room set up for her, she had stayed with him for a few months after Steve had discovered she had been sleeping in her car, and he hadn't had the heart to change a thing about the room once she had left.
"Mate, come on you don't want to fall asleep here." Steve said gently. She nodded and moved to get her coat and her car keys. "Not a chance." He said and she looked at him quizzically.
"You can barely keep your eyes open, your room is still all set up."
She sighed gratefully closing her eyes again. "Come on, bed." He stood and reached down to pull her to her feet, her eyebrows knitting together against the pain radiating down her side where the car had struck her.
She shuffled into the room slowly and fell gracelessly onto the bed. Steve had followed her and stood in the doorway for a moment before heading in behind her.
She was already dead asleep, and he grabbed a blanket out of the cupboard draping it over her carefully, he paused just watching her fondly. He was so grateful to have her in his life, and it was only after he thought that she had believed the worst of him did he truly realise how much her friendship meant to him.
He swept her hair out of her eyes, leaving his hand in her hair watching her sleeping with a smile before he caught himself. Drawing back quickly he took a step away from her, though his eyes were still drawn to her.
Another minute later and he was at the door, glancing back at her.
"Night Kate," he whispered, stepping out finally.
Falling into his own bed in the next room he closed his eyes, her face coming unbidden in his mind, smiling at him.
He pushed the image away. Maybe one secret.
4.
He was sitting in the dark offices at AC12 late into the night, he had left the pub and retreated back to go over the files again.
He knew she was undercover, had to keep her cover, and he tried very hard to remember that as her voice drifted over to him as she called him a wanker. It was all for show he reminded himself yet again, but the gnawing at the pit of his stomach just wouldn't go away.
He was looking at Michael Farmer's file again, and didn't notice she had arrived until she heard her voice.
"You alright?" She said lightly, he looked up at her, and the gnawing increased tenfold.
"Alright" he said flatly, looking back at the file.
"Roz didn't come for the curry so I did an early swerve." He looked back at her, he knew what she was doing. She was very subtly, in her very Kate way, reminding him that she was only there acting that way and saying those things to keep her cover, and he would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate it.
"Got your favourite though, lamb madras" she held up the bag triumphantly. She tapped her ID against the pad pushing through the low dividers "I'll get the plates" he watched her walk over to the kitchen, and the gnawing was gone, replaced by a radiating warmth. He couldn't keep the smile off his face, she was still here, still with him despite it all. That secret was getting bigger.
She returned to him, two plates in her hands and passed one to him and settled onto her desk. "Come on then," she said with a smile, her eyes warm, "catch me up"
His stomach flipped and he knew he couldn't ignore this anymore.
He was screwed.
5.
"You don't realise what you've got until it's gone." She had said watching his reaction carefully. He had listened, really listened to her, and his heart leapt in his chest.
"Likewise" he said, smiling back at her, their gazes holding for a long pregnant moment. Could she…? She broke eye contact and he shook himself, focusing back on the conversation lifting his beer to take another drink.
"So… do you want to talk about stuff?" She asked, obviously nervous of his reaction. "You don't have to, just when you're ready."
"I've been seeing the M.O." he confessed after a long moment. He was grateful for the out that she had given him, but he wanted to tell her, he thought, she deserved to know. No more secrets.
"About the painkillers?" She asked just making sure.
"Yeah"
"I had no idea mate" she said quietly, she almost looked guilty though what she had to feel guilty about, he had no idea. He had brought this all on himself.
"I should have told you," he said "but if people knew I might have been taken off active duty." He paused, "Still might."
"I'm sorry," she said simply. Steve took a fortifying drink when she spoke again, "You just gonna stick to the one drink?"
"Why'd you ask?" He asked, confused. Why would it matter?
"Still early enough to drive up to Liverpool."
"I'm not sure it's a good idea to keep seeing Steph"
"But you want to" she pushed
"Yeah," he confessed "but what chance has it got?" No secrets, he reminded himself, and while he likes Steph he had to be honest with himself and having Kate back in his life in the way that she was offering meant he knew, deep down, that whatever might have developed with Steph didn't stand a chance against his feelings for Kate.
"You wanna be careful mate, you're gonna end up on your own." He looked at her, surprised, she honestly didn't know.
"I'm not on my own," he said, finally feeling brave enough to voice what he had felt since they had started working together again "I've got you mate" he said, smiling at her and this time he wouldn't push his feelings down. Refused to.
He had spotted something in her tonight and it's given him a glimmer of hope that she might feel the same way about him, and he was going to hold onto that hope until his last dying breath.
+1.
He had let herself into her flat late one night, he had left the station early to attend his session with Michael and he hadn't been able to get hold of her since.
He had tried not to worry too much, she was a DI, she was the best copper he knew, she was fine. But after the fifth call went unanswered he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, so here he was.
"Kate?" He called frowning at her dark flat "Mate, you here?"
He was about to really start panicking when he registered the sound of her shower running, he let out a breath. She was okay.
He contemplated just leaving; all he wanted was to make sure she was okay and her humming in the shower was proof of it. And yet, he couldn't make himself walk out of the door.
The shower stopped and a minute later she was stepping out of the steamy bathroom into the living room. She had a towel wrapped around her torso, finishing at her mid thigh, and was rubbing another towel through her hair, covering her eyes. Steve swallowed.
Ever the officer, she sensed someone unexpected in her space and stopped, going on high alert, pulling the towel away from her eyes quickly before she spotted him standing by her door.
"Christ Steve!" She exclaimed, her other hand flying to cover her heart. "What are you doing here?"
Steve hesitated, unsure how to explain "I, uh, I was worried. I couldn't get hold of you so I…" he trailed off shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Oh, sorry mate I must have left my phone in the car." She glanced around as though her phone would suddenly appear in front of her. "Let me just get changed and I'll be with you." She said turning to head to her bedroom, and his mouth opened before he could add a filter.
"Don't change on my account." His eyes widened, she turned back to him, she looked at him steadily.
"Steve?"
"Kate, I-" he cut himself off, steeling himself, his secret on the tip of his tongue. This was it. Now or never. He licked his lips nervously and stepped towards her.
She moved towards him, dropping the towel she was using to dry her hair with. They met halfway, inches apart.
"Steve." She whispered, looking up slightly to meet his eyes. Their gazes met and held, the atmosphere charged. Then, he surged forwards and kissed her, his hands on either side of her face, fingers dipping into her damp hair. Her hands were pulling him into her, just one shade shy of desperate. One hand on his shoulder, the other on the back of his neck.
He moaned low in his throat at the feeling of her against him, and he crowded her back against the wall, "Kate." He whispered against her lips taking a breath before diving back in again.
She put her hand on his chest gently and he pulled back immediately, his eyes closed, breathing heavily.
He opened his eyes after a second and was surprised to see her staring at him, her pupils blown wide. He smiled, dropping his head to rest on her shoulder. Kate pushed on him very very slightly and Steve took a step back. She followed stepping back into his space, still watching him carefully and then, very deliberately, she let the towel drop.
Steve let out what could only be described as a feral growl and he tackled her again, she laughed against his lips and pulled him with her into her bedroom heedless of the towels scattered over her living room floor, and the whirring of the extractor fan in the bathroom.
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