Work Text:
Street loved that 20 Squad liked to decompress together once or twice a week. It was a common pattern he had gotten accustomed to in the six months since joining the team. They switched off between a couple bars, and tonight's plan was to go Parker's bar- a little hole in the wall that apparently SWAT helped the owner of before Street joined the team. Everyone swore they would tell him the story of the op that brought them to Parker's, but it always ended up being forgotten.
As the first to arrive, Street parked his bike, ordered a pitcher of beer, and sat down at one of the tall tables in the corner. While taking his first, frothy sip of beer, he saw her- Chris. She was always easy to spot, at least for him, like his eyes were magnetically pulled to her in any room, but it never bothered him. What DID bother him was that she always looked beautiful. It was UNFAIR that a simple hoodie and jeans could look ordinary on anyone else, but it always made his breathing stop for a moment.
"Hey, is it just you?" Chris asked when she took her seat beside him, her knee gently bumping into his.
"Yeah, I thought Tan would beat me here, since he left first," Street answered.
She poured herself a glass from the pitcher of beer and looked to the door, expecting to see a teammate or two entering.
"I'll text 'em," he said, picking up his phone and automatically navigating to their team group chat.
"I know today was tough for you...wanna talk about it?" She nudged. They ended up searching for an abducted kid, and kids were always a sensitive subject for him. In truth, she was emotionally and physically drained after the rescue, and she had every intention of just going home, but she knew Street needed a friend to either talk about the feelings today's op had stirred up or provide a distraction if he wasn't ready to share.
"We found Grant and reunited him with his mom. That's that."
She dared to put a hand on his forearm, just to provide a soothing touch. "You can talk to me," her voice came out quiet, and her eyebrows were knit together in concern.
He took a deep breath and met her gaze. It was always hard to put into words how he felt when a case hit close to home, but one look in her eyes made it easy. "This dude was a psycho and took his kid away from his mother. I had a crazy dad, too, and if he ever tried to take me away from my mom...I don't think I would have been as lucky as the kid we helped today."
"You can't think like that, Street. Your dad is gone. He never kidnapped you."
"I know. I know...you're right."
"I usually am."
"And humble as hell," he chuckled a little.
"That's what you like about me," she joked with a huge smile on her face.
He gave one in return and stared at the way her eyes lit up- it was breathtaking, but he didn't care to remind himself to breathe. He just wanted to get lost in her eyes, so everything else fell away. Unsure how long they just looked at each other, their eye contact was broken by phone chimes.
"Looks like Deacon had to go home, Luca has a last minute date, Tan is with his mom, and Hondo has plans. Guess it's just you and me tonight," he explained as he read through the texts he had been too distracted to read before.
"More drinks for us," she joked and topped off Street's glass.
"Should we be worried about Hondo? He has 'plans' pretty often."
Chris suspected that their team leader had a girlfriend, and for whatever reason, he wasn't interested to tell the team about it. Unwilling to pry or theorize with her coworkers, she kept her thoughts on the matter to herself. "Hondo's just Hondo. I wouldn't be too worried about it...but look at you caring about the team. You're really getting the hang of the whole 'SWAT family' mentality."
"Someone great has shown me the ropes," he tilted his head in her direction, earning a snicker.
The most aggravating part about Street was the way he always made her smile and laugh. Her cheeks would end up hurting after hanging out with Street for long enough- something she had never experienced before. How could he effect her SO much? To stop from thinking about how unique her connection was with him, a thought she always tried to stop herself from dwelling on too often, she changed the subject.
"We've never told you the story about how we helped Parker and started coming to this place, have we?" She asked.
"NO! I've only been asking for months."
"Alright, I'll tell you," she smirked.
"Wait, maybe we shouldn't talk about work," he stopped her.
"Why not?"
"It's just you and me, so I don't want this to feel like a 20 Squad thing."
"But, it's supposed to be a team hangout."
"That everyone else canceled on, and you didn't want to leave," he countered and quirked an eyebrow.
She gave him a confused look.
"You can tell me the truth, Chris. Is this a date?"
"We've been OVER this! I'm never going on a date with you, so if you're gonna be weird, I'll leave," her voice sounded a little frustrated, but she hoped she wouldn't have to follow through with her threat to leave- she didn't want to go.
"Fine, fine! Tell me the story of Parker," he surrendered.
With a sigh, she started to explain the case from years ago, but the conversation moved well beyond work as it always did. It had been TWO HOURS of easy conversation, lots of laughs, and loaded eye contact, and Chris yawned from exhaustion.
"I'm beat, too," he commented, noting the way her eyes drooped a little.
"Guess we should head home and rest up."
"Yeah," he responded quietly- always hating this part. The goodbye.
"See you tomorrow," she stood up from her stool and gave him a little smile.
"See you tomorrow...and I had fun on our NOT date," he added.
She rolled her eyes and left the bar without another word.
+++++++++++++++++
Chris checked the clock on her phone. Kira got them concert tickets and had to bail last minute. When she complained on shift about going solo, Street volunteered WAY too quickly to join her, and she was WAY too happy to go with him. It was just always so easy to be around Street.
He offered to drive them on his motorcycle, which would make parking easier, and she loved taking his bike, but things had shifted lately. He just rejoined 20 Squad, and she was starting to see Kira and considering joining her throuple. Everything felt complicated...except for when she was with Street, like a silence fell over the rest of the world, and it could be just the two of them.
That's what made her nervous about spending the evening just the two of them.
Just as she saw the time, she saw a text pop up from Street letting her know he was downstairs waiting.
After grabbing her leather jacket, she met him downstairs and was greeted by a big smile on his face.
"Hey, Street," she said happily.
"Hi! Ready to go?" Street asked and did EVERYTHING he could to stop looking at how gorgeous she was. An almost impossible task, but he was doing his best.
"Yeah, we gotta get moving! I want a good spot."
"Okay, well, first..." he began and took out his spare helmet. In a fluid motion, he put it on her head, receiving a small radiant smile from her, and continued, "now we can go."
She chuckled, and he immediately regretted that he was standing so close to her. Just grateful that the helmet would make it impossible for him to kiss her...because YES that urge was becoming unbearable at times like this.
"Are you okay?" She asked when she saw the way he kept staring at her.
"Of course...just have to ask. It's just the two of us going to this concert, right?"
"So?"
"So...is this a date?"
"Seriously? You know I'm seeing Kira, right?"
He shrugged. "It's not exactly an exclusive relationship, and you didn't answer my question."
"No, Street, it is NOT a date. You're back on the team, which means we're teammates, and I told you I'm not dating a teammate."
"Are you telling me I missed my chance? Had I known, I wouldn't have fought so hard to come back," he grinned, but he was being honest.
"You're on 20 Squad now, so it doesn't matter, now can we please get a move on?" She asked to deflect, feeling even more nervous.
He rolled his eyes, but mounted the motorcycle, expecting her to join him.
She took a deep breath to steel herself before being in such close contact with him, and then climbed onto the bike behind him. Slowly, she wound her arms around Street and felt a sense of calm wash over her that made her eyes slip closed.
"Hold on tight," he said gladly, because he couldn't contain his joy that she was with him right now. Even if it wasn't a date.
+++++++++++++++++
A movie theater was playing "The Goonies", and Street wanted to go. Sheepishly, he invited Chris to join him, and she happily accepted. It was a risk to ask her, but he was hoping she would say "yes".
Apparently, Molly thought the movie was "stupid" and refused to go, and Chris had to admit it wasn't one of her favorite movies, but she knew how much Street loved it and how he lit up the same way every time he watched certain scenes, and she was eager to see his facial expressions again. Things got serious between Street and Molly a little too quickly for Chris' taste, and it meant that there wasn't a lot of time for Chris and Street to hang out...she MISSED him. Even though she saw him practically every day.
He arrived first and waited in the lobby for her to arrive. The second he saw her, he held up two tickets with a grin on his face.
"You didn't have to pay for my ticket," she said and took the second ticket out of his hand- one of her fingers gently brushed his hand, and it sent a spark through her arm at the contact. She had to find a way to stop her body from reacting to him, but it proved to be more difficult than she expected.
Side by side, they walked over to the snack counter. Street ordered the largest size popcorn and drinks. Then, he pulled out his wallet.
She put a hand on his forearm, which resulted in a buzzy feeling in her fingertips, and insisted, "You paid for the tickets. I'll cover the snacks."
He shook her hand away and handed his credit card over to the woman behind the counter. "No, it's my treat." Chris flashed him one of those appreciative looks as he paid and carried the drinks.
They filed into seats with a few minutes to spare before the movie commenced. In tandem, they both reached into the container of popcorn, and their hands touched, causing heat to bloom in their chests. Their fingers didn't move as they looked up into each other's eyes. Even in the dark theater, they could see confusion and desire written on each other's faces. Whether verbalized or not, they KNEW something was mutual in their attraction for one another- not the first time for this kind of unspoken confirmation, but definitely the most INTENSE moment...other than their drunken kiss under the stars that had happened months ago, the one they could both still easily recall.
Maybe that should have scared Street, considering his relationship with another woman, but he felt relieved that his growing feelings for Chris- the ones that he couldn't shake despite every attempt- weren't completely unrequited even now. Their hands lingered for a minute, and then Chris cleared her throat.
"Just to be clear, this isn't a date," Street found himself explaining, because it felt like a date. The type of perfectly comfortable and wonderful evening that he would (under any other circumstances) classify as a date. Not that this was the first time they hung out and it felt like a date.
"I know, Street," she replied, successfully hiding the yearning in her voice. She shouldn't want to be on a date with a man who has a girlfriend...but she did.
He nodded and chewed on his bottom lip. Worried she could tell that a part of him wished their circumstances were different; he wanted to put his arm across her shoulders and hold her close while the movie started, feeling her laugh vibrate against him at their favorite part and tangle their hands together on purpose just because.
Non-dates were complicated.
+++++++++++++++++
The air between Chris and Street had felt CHARGED since Street so casually said "You mean like pretending your feelings for me don't exist doesn't make them go away either?"
He wanted an excuse to see her one-on-one; he was single, she was single, and after Erika passed, he gained a different perspective on life- one that made him want to stop wasting time when it came to Chris. Any moment without her felt like a moment squandered. Overt methods were unsuccessful, so he decided to find a casual excuse to see her, and it came to him in the form of his bathroom sink.
It had started to leak; it was an old house, he wasn't surprised, but he was overjoyed that it was the perfect opportunity to ask Chris for help.
She assessed the sink, noted a piece needed to be replaced, and they drove to the hardware store together. Maybe Street wasn't exactly paying attention when she explained what repairs needed to be made, but it was good to see a little glint in her eye that he hadn't seen in a while.
They walked through the aisles unhurried, despite the fact that Chris knew exactly where she needed to go. It was nice. She liked moving beside him, always perfectly in step, and just feeling his presence.
A couple was spotted holding hands strolling past them, and he wished it could be like that with the woman beside him.
"Before we head back to your place, wanna get lunch?" She asked.
"Sure! Whatever you want."
There was silence for a moment.
"It sounds like a date...is this a date?" He asked.
She knocked her shoulder into his playfully and fought a smile from forming. "We're just running errands."
"Right," he smirked at her.
Maybe today wasn't a date, but he thought it would happen soon...at least he hoped it would.
+++++++++++++++++
LIMBO was the only word he could use to describe their current situation. Chris kissed him goodbye before leaving for Germany. Then, they agreed to give their relationship a real shot when she returned, but the team reassignments ended up falling through, and so did their plans to start anything.
Yet, they always found themselves drawn to each other. Shift wasn't enough time to be together, so they fell into this rhythm of hanging out after most days- even if it was just Chris driving him to Luca's house.
After a particularly tense night shift, regardless of how tired she was, she wanted to be with Street. NEEDED to be with him. She suggested getting breakfast tacos, which he eagerly agreed to.
They drove together to one of their favorite food trucks, which had such a long line this morning.
"Do you wanna go somewhere else?" he asked.
"No way! These are the best in town! I don't mind waiting."
"You look exhausted. Are you sure?"
"You're so sweet," she replied sarcastically.
"I just mean...it's been a tough day, and you probably need sleep."
"Street, I need you," the words spilled out of her mouth without thinking, exhaustion the likely cause of her mistake.
There were a million things he wanted to respond with. He chose to say something simple: "Yeah, I need this, too."
What could she say? Feeling lightheaded, she chose to talk about something else entirely, and he didn't push back about the subject change- he tended not to force them into having discussions about feelings lately. She suspected it was because he knew they were stuck.
After buying their food and finding a table, their conversation continued, dancing around the only topic both of them were too afraid to breach- their future together that was seeming less and less likely. Still, Chris had a great time enjoying his company and the easy laughter. With their tacos finished and the sun shining high in the mid-morning sky, it was time to leave.
She took his motorcycle out of the back of her Jeep, preparing to go their separate ways.
Before he could wear his helmet, he shoved his hand in his pocket and leaned in a little to look at her, but words failed him.
"Me too," she whispered, knowing what he meant.
"I didn't say anything," he sounded innocent.
"Doesn't mean I don't know what you were gonna say."
"And what exactly was I about to say?" He prodded.
"That you wish things were different. That you wish this was a date."
"Chris...I...I'm too tired to have this conversation again, so I'm just gonna go."
She nodded in understanding.
With her hand on her car door, she looked back at him with a tight smile that he matched. There was nothing left to be said, so he drove away, and Chris whacked her steering wheel in frustration. This was becoming torture.
+++++++++++++++++
Chris enjoyed a lazy Saturday until the evening crept up on her. She opened her apartment door when she heard a knock. Without even crossing the threshold, Street reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"Wanna talk about it?" She asked against his shoulder.
"Not really. I'm all better now," he admitted and finally released his hold on her.
"If you're not up to it, we don't have to go out for dinner. We can just stay in and order something."
"Are you sure you wouldn't mind staying in?"
"Not at all. Take a seat," she ushered him to her couch and quickly looked on her phone for some comfort food that Street would enjoy.
"Thanks," he sounded appreciative.
"Okay, Italian has been ordered and should be here in thirty minutes."
"Sounds perfect." He gave her a questioning look, and she didn't understand why, so she raised an eyebrow in response.
"Is this a date?" He finally asked.
"Will you stop asking me that?" She snickered and threw her hands around his neck while settling in closer to him. "We're together now. You don't have to ask."
"Just making sure," he chuckled.
"Shut up," she replied affectionately and moved in close to kiss him gently at first, but he drew her into his lap to turn up the heat and passion. Then, she took it a step further and pushed his back down against the couch seat for her to climb on top of him.
Breathless from their kiss, he whispered against her lips, "Best date ever."
She smiled and whispered back, "You say that everyday."
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and grinned, "And I always mean it."