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The music was thumping loudly around them, colourful lights floating over the walls and the crowd. It was still relatively early in the night, but the club was already humid and warm from the number of bodies in the dingy building.
This wasn’t the sort of outing the UNIT team typically had, but after a particularly stressful week, Shirley had convinced them that the perfect way to blow off steam was alcohol and dancing.
Chris would usually have agreed with this method; however, he was not having a good time at all. He was perched on a chair, glaring out into the crowd. To anyone glancing his way, he just looked like he was zoned out, but Shirley could read him well enough to recognise his frosty exterior.
“What’s up with you, soldier boy? Would have thought this would have been your scene,” Shirley asked, raising her voice so he could hear her over the music.
“I’m just not in the mood today.” He waved her off, eye still not leaving what was bothering him.
Shirley followed his line of sight and smirked. “So, it’s got nothing to do with that guy grinding up against Kate?”
“How did—” Chris snapped his head towards Shirley. “Am I that obvious?”
“Only to me, Colonel, relax. Why don’t you go over there?” She suggested, patting his arm.
“She wouldn’t be interested,” Chris said sulkily.
“You’ve been watching her all this time and haven’t noticed how her eyes keep flicking over to you?” She raised an eyebrow, wanting to bang her head on the table at how oblivious the pair of them were. “She’s not interested in that guy. She keeps shifting away from him. Put that jealousy to good use and go rescue her.”
It was by pure luck that Kate glanced at them when Chris looked back over to her. Thankfully, it was enough—mixed with the alcohol—to boost his confidence, and he stood up from the chair. He nodded at Shirley before turning and walking towards Kate and Mel.
Mel noticed his approach and couldn’t help the grin that formed. She leaned over to Kate, alerting her that she was getting a drink, but she’d be in good hands. Kate just looked at her confusedly until she saw Chris enter her field of vision. Seeing the realisation, Mel took her leave, squeezing Chris’ arm as she passed him.
As Chris stepped in front of Kate, he placed his hands on her waist. She immediately stepped towards him, reaching out to slip her arms around his neck. He glared at the man behind her while murmuring a greeting against her ear.
“Thanks. It was getting to the point I was considering kissing Mel to get him to leave me alone,” Kate huffed, rolling her eyes as she watched the man walk away.
“If you’re kissing anyone tonight, it should be me. I love you too much to watch you kiss someone else,” Chris stated, his tone possessive. His eyes widened as he realised what he’d just let slip; his brain-to-mouth filter not working fast enough with the number of drinks he’d had.
Kate froze in his arms, her eyes not leaving his, clearly searching for something. “Okay,” she murmured, reaching a decision.
“Okay?” Chris double-checked.
She nodded, lips twitching into a smile. "I love you t—"
Chris swooped forward, head dipping so his lips met hers. Kate was taken aback by how tenderly he was kissing her. After his clear display of jealousy, she was expecting things to immediately get heated between them, but he took his time.
It was Kate who ended up getting impatient, tongue pushing into his mouth as she yanked him closer. His body pressed against hers, causing a delicious friction between them. A groan left his lips as she rolled her hips against him.
The pair were oblivious to their friends watching and sniggering from the nearby table. Shirley had hoped that with enough alcohol, they would finally succumb to their poorly hidden feelings. She’d expected them to both need a push; Chris getting jealous enough to confront Kate had been a welcome surprise. She clued Mel into what her plan was and was glad that the older woman had seen the same spark between them that she had. Both women were pleased for their friends but still planned to tease them, especially after seeing them practically going at it on the dancefloor.