Work Text:
There’s something reassuring about mornings before work.
More often than not, Street wake up to his legs tangled with Chris’, her breath warming his collarbone.
He’ll nudge her awake, and she’ll protest half heartedly; he’ll blow soft puffs of air across her eyelids, and she’ll prod him in the side even as a smile threatens to turn the corner of her lips up.
Eventually, he’ll coax her out of bed, pull a shirt over her head, more for his benefit than hers, and together they’ll make their way into the bathroom.
He’ll watch as she brushes her teeth in the mirror, marvelling at the fact that after so long he’s finally got his own toothbrush next to hers.
She’ll spit into the sink, he’ll follow and then she’ll turn to him.
He’ll rub away the sleep from the corners of her eyes and she’ll smile at him, all minty breath and ruffled hair.
Street’s unsure how that tradition started.
He likes the domesticity of the routine.
After a quick breakfast, they’ll bicker about whose ride they’re taking.
They take the bike.
-
Chris thinks maybe she’s receiving less judgement at work.
Everyday, she comes in and one more officer will nod their head in greeting and relief will run through her veins.
Logically, she knows that being in a relationship doesn’t make her less of a police officer, but the sidelong looks are grating at her nerves in a way that puts her on edge.
She changes out of her clothes into her uniform, tugs on the regulation boots, and takes a second to breathe. Chris hate this, hates being unsure in her standing.
But Chris also hates having to temper her feelings, hates having to pretend she isn’t all-consumingly in love with her teammate.
And to her, one seems a lot harder than the other.
She likes the place her relationship is at with Street, likes the way she can tease him, touch him, no more of that push and pull as they dance around the depth of their feelings.
She knows that he’s been keeping it tame at work, letting her take the lead on their relationship, and gratitude rises in her throat.
Chris turns and walks out into the bullpen.
-
Street stands in front of the screens, fingers moving across the tablet as he compiles the information that Hondo wants on the house of the criminal they’re about to serve a sealed warrant to.
He smiles as he smells rather than sees Chris come up behind him.
They’ve sat beside each other in Black Betty so often that he’s pretty sure that he’d recognise the scent of her shampoo in a burning building.
For a split second he wonders if she’d find that weird.
But the thought is gone as soon as it crosses his mind; suddenly her hand is on his forearm and the only thing in his mind is static.
He looks down at her hand, back up to her face, then back down again. She laughs at his reaction.
“Jesus Street, it’s not like I’ve flashed you, calm down.”
He smiles at her joke.
“I just…didn’t expect it.”
Chris laughs again.
“I didn’t know it was a crime to touch my boyfriend.”
Street feels a shot of adrenaline run through his veins at that. He’s not sure what’s happening; Chris is never affectionate in public, even less so in the S.W.A.T. building. He’s almost certain he can see Tan and Luca chatting and he knows that Hondo is coming back soon to check his research. So why is Chris touching him?
She senses his confusion, and moves her fingers down his forearm to the pulse point of his wrist.
He knows she can feel the fast flutter of his heartbeat, knows that she’s aware of her effect.
“You’re - we’re not something I want to hide. I love you.” Chris bites her lip as she watches him, searching for something. She seems to find it.
Street wants to soothe her lip with his thumb.
He opens his mouth to reply but she cuts him off.
“We will, however, be leaving the kissing to be done behind pillars.”
A bubble of laughter escaped his chest involuntarily.
“I’m good with that girlfriend .”
She rolls her eyes.
“That is not grammatically correct whatsoever.”
“Whatever you say, girlfriend .”
She slaps his chest lightly before walking away, leaving him grinning like an idiot in her wake.
-
Street notices that she touches him in public more often now.
It starts in the back of Black Betty on the way to serve the sealed warrant he had been researching.
She reaches over to tighten the straps on his vest, and he watches with raised eyebrows.
The whole team is cramped in the vehicle and there is no way they missed that. Luca’s grin can be seen in the rearview mirror.
Chris says nothing so he remains quiet as well, content to let the moment stay hanging in the vehicle. She doesn’t, however, stop there.
Her hand creeps across the bench between them until her pinky just touches his. It’s so innocent, so casual, that Street feels affection settle in his chest, warm.
He wonders how he ever lived without this.
-
Street notices it again when they’re sat with the team eating lunch at the table in the break room.
He grabs a protein shake for himself l, then Chris, before taking a seat next to her at the table.
She seems pretty focused on the Guatemalan food Luca has brought in for the team, so when her ankle hooks around his the fork stops short of his mouth in surprise.
A piece of chicken falls from the fork, and the team snickers. He flips them off, but out of the corner of his eye he’s watching Chris’ reaction. There’s a smirk lingering on her lips even as she eats.
He pokes her in the side before returning to his food.
-
They’re on their way back to HQ after the second assignment of the shift and the tiredness is palpable.
There’d been a shoot out and, while everyone was unharmed, it had taken a lot longer than they thought to contain the threat.
Hicks had given permission for them to end the shift early, and Street was already looking forward to a shower before crashing.
His eyes travel the distance to look at Chris. Her eyes are already falling shut so he’s not as surprised as he might have been when her head falls to rest on his shoulder.
He hears her let out a small sigh as he lets his own cheek fall to rest on her hair.
-
Street is fairly certain that Chris is enjoying throwing him for a loop more so than she’ll ever care to admit.
He’s noticed her watching his face for a reaction, the victorious smirk when she gets one.
He wonders what he looks like to her.
So one day when they’re counting bullets in the armoury he lets his arm drape across her shoulders.
It isn’t quite public, but not quite private either, so Street hopes he’ll still be able to get a reaction.
Her body freezes, just for a moment, before relaxing, lets their sides press together. Her face seems to relax, releasing the tension of the day.
Street falls in love with her all over again.