Work Text:
Floating on a high, and I feel ya
Got an ache inside, and I need ya
Ooh, I desperately wanna be lost with you
‘Til all of our energy crosses
_______
They slept together. Once. Two weeks ago. Rather impulsively at a work conference.
And Amelia knows it was more than just an impulsive move, or a soon-to-be repressed mistake. God, she doesn’t see it as a mistake.
She’s been thinking about it basically 24/7 since she returned back to Seattle. She doesn’t remember finally being able to fall asleep that night, but she does remember waking up the next morning with a start.
Because something was different. Good different.
She had sat up in the hotel bed, instantly reaching for her own lips, running her fingertips over them, as if she’d actually feel proof of what happened.
And then she had registered that distinct taste on her lips and vaguely in the back of her throat. Kind of like the burning sensation of a kiss you’ll never not think of. It was a bold presence in her morning. And it was so refreshing.
Her heart had clenched as she let the hazy memories resurface.
If asked whether she anticipated sleeping with Atticus Lincoln on that night, she would’ve burst out into stunned laughter. Because, no. Of course not. Right?
She’d just ended a long-term relationship. She’d been in a bit of a weird place lately. Not totally herself. And probably not ready. So, this definitely wasn’t going to become anything serious.
But somehow, something had changed that night. And in that moment, after a brief argument that had surprisingly ended in a dinner invite, looking into a pair of pleading blue eyes that she wished didn’t mirror her own, she knew what her next move was.
And it was the way he had gazed back at her, that finally pushed her over the edge. Deciding dinner wasn’t truly what she wanted in that moment, she murmured a quick ‘no’ before stepping forward and capturing his soft lips in her own.
She remembers the way he had instantly kissed her back, and the way his breath felt against her own. Her hands went to the buttons on his shirt, and the noise that she had made in the back of her throat, a mix between a whine and a full-fledged moan. As if to say, finally.
She likes to think it was Link who took control then, slipping his tongue into her mouth and pulling his own shirt the rest of the way off. Pushing her toward the bed and lifting her onto it. Pushing down a wall she’d had up for some time now. Making her feel.
Alternative pain relief.
Finally. Feeling.
_______
Two weeks later and Amelia’s still feeling. A lot.
But her mind is clouded mostly with confusion. Because she hasn’t heard anything from Link since that night. And she hopes to god that he doesn’t regret it. But she’d totally understand if he did. She’s the one in a weird place. The one who needs alternative pain relief.
Part of her feels guilty. The inexplicable doubt weighs on her, the fact that she’s basically using him. Just because she needs it, doesn’t mean he does, too. And so Amelia suppresses any urge she has to bring it up; suppresses any urge she has to just jump his bones right then and there, when the two of them are hopping on a private plane to New York for a surgery. Basically forced into each other’s company.
She’ll act cool, calm, collected….all of it.
She’ll disregard the fact that she’s been ‘in a weird place these days,’ because she’s just grateful that she’s feeling, again.
_______
Amelia steps onto the small plane and all of her anxieties about seeing Link again wash away as soon as she locks eyes with him.
He turns to her, from where he has already taken his seat, and awkwardly kind of shrugs, with a sheepish smile on his face.
“Hey, stranger,” she mumbles, in a mock-serious tone, before she realizes she can’t keep up the facade. And she starts laughing. “Long time, no see.”
Link laughs in agreement, and it looks like his shoulders relax a little. Amelia takes her seat across from him, smirking the whole time.
_______
It happens again.
Amelia doesn’t mean for it to happen again, but it does.
And now she’s slipping out of Link’s bed and pulling on his shirt in one swift movement. Her ‘no sleepovers’ policy at the forefront of her mind as she makes her way to the door between their adjoining hotel rooms.
“Wait, how about we order pizza?”
Amelia glances at Link incredulously. “We have a very important surgery early tomorrow. Sleep time.”
“Or room service?” He continues, persistent. “Room service in bed and then we sleep?”
“No,” Amelia laughs. “No sleepovers, remember?”
Link pouts at her, collapsing back against the bed dramatically. “Let’s forget the rules for a night. I’m hungry.”
“Nope!” Amelia states matter-of-factly. “No complications. We both agreed. My life is already complicated enough.” She laughs.
Link sighs again dramatically, accepting defeat.
“Goodnight, Link.” She smirks at him as he lays back against the bed. “See you tomorrow.”
There’s brief silence as she turns around in her doorway, beginning to push the door shut.
“Goodnight, Amelia.”
_______
The following evening, after a successful surgery, Amelia and Link return to their hotel. As they enter the lobby, the receptionist at the front desk waves in their direction. Amelia simply waves back before she realizes that the receptionist is trying to wave her over.
“I’ll go see what’s up. Hold the elevator for me.” Amelia mumbles.
Link presses the button to call the elevator down and watches from across the lobby as Amelia chats briefly with the staff. A minute later, Amelia returns with a weird look on her face.
“What was that about?” Link asks.
“There’s a problem with the rooms,” she explains. She looks riddled with uncertainty. “Well, with my room.”
“Huh?”
“Apparently my hotel room is reserved for another guest starting early tomorrow. They offered to upgrade me starting tonight.”
Link frowns.
“I didn’t want to have to move all my luggage to another floor so….” She pauses briefly as they step onto the elevator. The next sentence comes out in a nervous mumble. “I said we only needed one room.”
Link slowly breaks out into a smile. “We can work with that,” He says calmly. “Good idea to not have to move your stuff.”
The elevator door opens to their floor and Amelia just stands there for a second, watching Link exit.
She swears she can hear him laughing at her sudden awkwardness as he makes his way down the hallway.
Once Amelia gets all of her luggage settled into Link’s room, she returns to the lobby briefly to return the key card to her previous room.
She re-enters their now shared hotel room and watches as Link sighs tiredly, leaning toward the bed before dramatically sprawling out on it.
Amelia laughs loudly at his action. “You were great today.” She sits on the chair in the corner to remove her ankle boots and jacket. “In surgery I mean.”
“As were you.” Link responds, picking his head up to glance at her. “Very few people in this world can do what you did today.”
Amelia smiles sheepishly at the wholeheartedness of his words, then suddenly stands up.
“I’m gonna shower.” She states, “I’ll just be a few.”
Link tries not to pass out on top of the covers before she returns. He can hear her humming slightly to herself from inside the bathroom, and Link stifles the urge to mock her in any way.
Link changes into some sweatpants and a t-shirt before he hears the water turn off.
“Ah, shit,” he hears Amelia hiss through the thin walls.
“Amelia?” he calls, almost too quickly, cursing himself for being too attentive.
There’s a moment of silence.
“Uh, yeah? Yeah, Hi. Everything’s cool in here. Yep. Don’t worry.” And then she laughs.
“Uhhhh,” he draws out his response. “You sure you’re alright?”
“Yeah, I’m just…..clumsy. Dammit.” She laughs again breathlessly. “I, uh. I cut my shin…. shaving….I thought it stopped bleeding, but…”
Silence falls between them again and Amelia can’t help but laugh at the situation she’s gotten herself in.
“Do you need my help?”
“Uh, no. I don’t think so.” She knows she doesn’t sound convincing.
“…Amelia?”
“Actually, do you have a bandaid? …..Or like six?”
There’s another pause before Amelia can hear some shuffling around in the other room.
“There’s got to be a first aid kit in here somewhere.” Link responds, making his way to the closet “Got it!”
He walks over to the bathroom but pauses with his hand on the door knob. “Should I come in?”
“Yeah, yeah. Please.” Comes a muffled reply.
Link opens the door and is met with an unexpected sight. Not entirely sure what to expect, but Amelia, wrapped up in a white towel, sitting on the lid of the closed toilet seat, leg propped up on the edge of the bathtub, was not it.
He bursts out laughing.
“This is not funny!” But she’s laughing, too. And rolling her eyes at him. “I need those bandages!”
“Wait, no. Amelia. You can’t just put a bandaid on there. You’re bleeding, like, a lot.” He kneels down next to her, and Amelia instinctively pulls her towel tighter underneath her arms. Link gives her a look, as if to say, 'It’s not like I haven’t seen it all before. Now please let me assess your injury.’
And Amelia just relaxes her shoulders, nodding to herself and to him.
“And you’re soaking wet, no bandaid is gonna stay on your skin like this,” he mutters, pushing the ropes of her wet hair back past her shoulders, in hopes that it would help her dry faster.
He grabs a roll of toilet paper from under the sink and goes to work at stopping the bleeding, holding it there for a while until he thinks it’s okay to wrap up.
“Now six bandaids seems a little excessive there, Amelia. How about two?”
“I think I deserve at least four,” she bargains, endearing smirk on her face.
“Fine,” Link gives in, gently placing each bandaid on her shin one at a time. “There. Good as new,” he smiles, patting her leg.
Amelia rolls her eyes, blushing. “Thanks.”
And then Link stands, not sure what to do with himself now.
“I’m going to change now,” Amelia laughs.
And now Link’s blushing. “Yeah, yep. I’ll get out of your way,” he mumbles, exiting the tiny bathroom.
_______
When Amelia enters the room a few minutes later in an oversized t-shirt, which is what she normally wears to bed, she swears she sees Link do a double take. He’s now dressed in sweats standing near his open luggage in the opposite corner of the room. His stare lingers for a second too long and Amelia looks down at herself. She doesn’t understand the sudden awkwardness between them. But the air feels different.
“I know. Sorry, this is all I have,” she mumbles. “And I thought I’d have my own room tonight so-”
“What? No, you’re fine,” Link responds quickly.
She grins at him, clearly amused by him.
Link shakes his head at himself and turns to grab a couple pillows off of the bed, tossing them on to the floor.
“What are you doing?” Amelia interrupts him.
“Making a bed for myself on the floor?” It comes out as a question. “No sleepovers, remember?” He laughs, knowingly.
Amelia looks stunned, but only for a moment.
“No you’re not,” Amelia laughs. “Just get in here,” she adds, as she crawls under the covers on one side of the bed.
Link gratefully tosses the pillows back, getting into bed beside Amelia, sitting against the headboard as he pulls on the covers.
He reaches across and switches off the light on his bedside table, and the whole room goes dark. Amelia rolls onto her side and listens to Link shuffle around until he gets comfortable.
“Goodnight, Link. Thanks again for today,” Amelia whispers in his general direction, not really sure of his current position.
“'Night, Amelia.” Amelia is surprised by the vicinity of his voice, closer than she expected.
A couple minutes later and Amelia needs to readjust herself. She gasps when her face collides with something surprisingly hard. She reaches out her hand and quickly realizes she’s touching Link’s chest, now with her hand, and leaning against him with her face pressed up to it.
“Oops,” she mutters, and Link laughs under his breath.
But she doesn’t move away.
And Link takes the initiative of pulling her in closer at her hips, and then keeping his hands there, squeezing at her waist.
“Amelia, I-”
“Link-”
They both pause. And Link squeezes at her waist again, encouraging her to talk first.
She clears her throat. “Link, I-” She pauses again, working herself up to what she wants to say.
Their eyes are adjusting to the light it seems, and Amelia can just make out Link’s eyes, staring intently back at her. Maybe he can sense her worry.
“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Link offers.
Amelia nods. “Right,” she mumbles quietly.
Their faces are just inches apart. And Amelia knows she wants to kiss him. She wants to have him again. She wants to keep feeling. Keep falling.
Maybe she wants the complications.
Maybe she just wants to kiss him.
So she does. And Link shivers as her lips gently brush his. Amelia feels Link move one of his hands up in response, so that it’s cupping her cheek, while the other remains on her hip.
Link leans forwards and presses his lips against Amelia’s. He opens his mouth to her and Amelia does the same, catching his top lip between hers. It’s slow, and it’s lovely. And this time it’s not impulsive.
But it still feels so right.
They pull apart, smiling through the darkness. And Amelia rolls over so that her back lines up against Link’s front. His arm goes possessively around her waist, pulling her in closer than they’ve ever been.
Amelia can feel her breath start to even out, as well as hear Link’s. Both on the verge of sleep. She just barely whispers into the quiet of the room, “I kind of like sleepovers.“
_______
And I want you all to myself
Just keep me caught in your spell
You stop my breathing, but keep my heart breathing
You’re bringing me outta hell
Oh, I want you all to myself