AU: Oakville, Texas; for Gene Hunt.

[ikissdhimbck]

**NOTE: This is part of a plot arc that was meant to occur in Milliways over the Spring/Summer of 2011 in Bar Time. It has since become an AU, and should be treated as a standalone plot not associated with any game, and not fitting into Kate's continuity.**



It's still dark outside when Kate wakes. The room is bathed in warm lamplight from the oil that was left burning overnight, but through the window she can see the first hint of dawn.

It's not the first thing she sees. She finds herself pressed to a warm body, naked and masculine, and feels totally disoriented. For the briefest, cruelest second she believes she's with Doc, his scarred arms wrapped around her middle; and then the heat of the room registers, thick and heavy, and she's brought back to Texas.

Back to Gene.

She blinks slowly, butterfly kisses against his breast, watching the rise and fall of his chest. Her mind is trapped in a haze of sticky dreams and clutching memories, unable to shake them even as the wheels start going. She tips her head back, and watches him sleep.



It seems like hours later, but really it's only a matter of minutes when she shifts away from him. She's taking care not to wake him at first, but the moment she moves her legs — good god, is she sore.

How she manages to get out of bed without waking him is a mystery. How she manages to quietly get dressed when every inch of her feels like it's been crushed by a boulder is another honest mystery. At least he's a heavy sleeper, and by the time she's snuffed out the lamp and rid the room of every last trace of her, light is starting to turn yellow while he slumbers on.

She gets to her room without anybody noticing, but doesn't stay long. She's in desperate need of a long, hot bath. She changes clothes, uses the basin and a small chunk of soap to try and mask the smell of sex, tidies her hair and goes downstairs to see the innkeeper.

Comments

[the_gene_genie]

He wakes about four hours later, when the room gets too hot to allow for comfortable sleep any more. He turns over, on to his back, the sheets sticking to his legs, and takes a brief inventory.

Alive? Yes. Breathing? Yes. Fag? No. ....yes. (That's better.) Arms, legs, head? Yes.

Right. Good.

Kate?

...no.


He's disappointed by the discovery. Or the lack of discovery, if he's going to be pedantic in his mind. There's nothing in the room that says she was here at all. If he didn't stink like a brothel, he'd wonder if it was all just a glorious wet dream.

But he does, and it wasn't. And he's awake now, so the thing is to clean up a bit, go and have a bath, and then find her. Knowing his luck, she'll have freaked out again, but she didn't seem like she was going to last night, so he'll hope for the best.

Same as her a few hours before, he does the best he can with the basin and soap, before heading downstairs. He doesn't get as far as the landlord though - Kate's there in the main room, and he's not about to ignore her, even if he does still feel a bit manky.

'Mornin'.'

[ikissdhimbck]

She glances up from nothing in particular. Her thoughts have been wandering all morning, though she feels marginally better after soaking the aches out of her muscles. She smiles, and then it falters as her eyes dart around to see who else is in the room.



"Good mornin'."

Her face molds into something a touch more politely reserved.

"Sleep well?"

(Never mind that spark of laughter dancing in her eyes.)

[the_gene_genie]

'Eventually.'

The corner of his mouth is just slightly turned up, as he sits down opposite her.

'You? Restful night?'

Heh.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Slept like a rock."

There's something just this side of wrong about the way her tongue forms the word 'rock'.

She absently stirs her coffee. She has already eaten in the time between her bath and now, but tea just wasn't cutting it this morning.

[the_gene_genie]

'Good for you.'

The barmaid comes over with a coffee for him. He winks his thanks, and she gives him a smile in return. He watches her all be way back to the bar. He knows she knows he's watching.

When she's back in her place, he looks back at Kate and says, quietly,

'Could of woke me.'

[ikissdhimbck]

She watches the exchange quietly, following his gaze to the young woman and back again. She looks away when his attention swings back her way, dropping her eyes to her coffee.

"It was early."

She shrugs, and sips at the hot drink. In her effort to be nonchalant, looking everywhere but his face, she can't help but glance to the barmaid once more. It's really no concern of hers whose inkwell he dips his pen in. She was prepared to say as much the day they got here, when she walked in on a muted conversation between the two of them. She just wasn't expecting he'd be flirting with her the very morning after they...


It's just sex, Kate. Remember?

Right. Kate's really nothing that special in the grand scheme of things. Let him do what he likes.

[the_gene_genie]

'Oi,' he says, quietly, when he sees her eyes moving to the barmaid.

'Cover.'

Because he's pretty sure that their small smiles and studied nonchalance around each other made it pretty obvious what they've been doing. Better to openly flirt with some random to deflect, isn't it?

'You walkin' straight this mornin'?'

Annnnd, the smug is back. Just a little.

[ikissdhimbck]

"Right."

She lifts a shoulder, half-shaking her head and half shrugging. It very clearly doesn't matter either way.

Even if he made it a point to explain.


She eyes him again, hiding behind her coffee.

"I had t'break a bronco yesterday. Wasn't easy, but I got 'im subdued."

[the_gene_genie]

He pulls back just slightly. He doesn't want it not to matter.

'Really?'

He lights up, and lounges back in his chair.

'Nice an' tame now, is he? Better ride him every day if you wan' him t'stay that way.'

[ikissdhimbck]

"Mm, he could still use some work, but I know how t'handle him."

Her cup makes a soft sound as she places it on the table and leans forward a touch. Her eyes have gone sharp and proud.

"When I want your advice, I'll ask. Seein' as you were quite indisposed yesterday after what I assume was whole night of carousin', given the smell."

Beat.

"Last night too, apparently."

[the_gene_genie]

His eyebrows raise slowly.

'Oh yeah, it's not like I know anythin' abou' subduing wild animals.'

Beat.

'An' yeah, I had a great nigh', now you come t'mention it. Seein' as my time's my own when I'm not workin', I don' have to answer t'you on it. Or your disapproval.'

He catches the barmaid's eye again.

'Can I get some breakfast please, luv? An' a bath as well, seein' as the boss 'ere reckons I need a wash.'

[ikissdhimbck]

Her lips twitch.

"You do when you don't bother showin' up the next mornin'. I honestly don't know what I pay you for."

She drains the rest of her coffee and lays down enough money to cover the expense.

"But enjoy your breakfast, by all means. Luxuriate. I'll only be handlin' the business."

She sounds so much the part of an irritated employer that she nearly convinces herself. She scoots her chair out, and shoots one more meaningful look his way.

"And when you're quite finished ... I was thinkin' about seein' that bronco again."

[the_gene_genie]

His hand pauses on its way to his mug, and his gaze flicks up to meet hers.

'Oh, yeah?' he says, nothing but casual, but when he eyes her over the rim of his mug, there's nothing but amusement there.

'Well, if you think he needs some more work, I'm only too happy t'help. Where'll you be?'

[ikissdhimbck]

"Handlin' the books. My room."

If looks could kill.

"Come an' fetch me when you're done."

[the_gene_genie]

He gives a mock-salute, all sarcasm.

'Yes, boss.'

The barmaid sets his breakfast down in front of him them, giving him a look of sympathy and looking a little flinty towards Kate. He largely ignores her, save for a 'ta, luv,' - he's too busy matching Kate's expression with one of surly detachment.

They do a remarkably good impression of having a difficult working relationship. Funny, that.

[ikissdhimbck]

Hilarious, even.

She doesn't say anything when the young woman approaches. She just turns on her heel, smoothing her fine business attire into place, and heads for the stairs.

It gets hotter the higher she goes. The fault of the kitchen downstairs and the humidity in the air, no doubt. Once she reaches her room she immediately goes for the window, parting the lace curtains to get a breeze going. There's little breeze to speak of, but the simple action alone makes Kate feel cooler.

[the_gene_genie]

He doesn't exactly wolf his breakfast down. He's not going to ruin the effect by looking like he's dying to get through it and back to 'work'. So he's efficient with it, chatting to the girl between her other jobs, downing another large coffee and a couple more fags. He's got to wait for the bath water anyway.

Couldn't be said he lingers either, though. And he's got a built-in excuse not to linger. So he heads off to get cleaned up, and it's maybe half an hour before he's knocking quietly on her door, unshaven, and hair still damp.

'Reportin' for duty.'

Because this is all business, obviously.

[ikissdhimbck]

"C'mon in."

Kate is, actually, filling in some notes and numbers, bent over her bureau with her back to the door. She looks over her shoulder just to be sure he's alone when he enters.

There's murmuring outside her window; people are getting thick in the streets as the hour approaches noon. A sudden breeze rustles the pages of her tablet and steals her attention back. She's quick to keep the papers in place so she can finish her scribbling.

"Better?"

[the_gene_genie]

'Cleaner, anyway.'

He walks up behind her, and slides his arms around her waist.

'What're you doin'? Apart from puttin' me in my place every chance you get.'

[ikissdhimbck]

She grins.

"Tell me y'don't like it."

She's daring you, Gene.

"Jus' figurin' out what we'll need by way of supplies, how much t'settle with the stable master an' innkeeper ... Oh. I found a tanner who took that alligator hide."

One of her arms — her left, as she's still writing with her right — slides over his, her hand coming to rest on top of his knuckles. She pulls in a deep breath.

"Y'do smell better."

[the_gene_genie]

'Gives me the horn.'

Truly. And there's not many he'd really admit that to.

He's also reading the numbers over her shoulder. If his mouth should accidentally find her neck from time to time, well, what of it?

'You've been busy. Should've woke me up, I'd have come with you.'

Beat.

'After, like.'

[ikissdhimbck]

Her fine cursive hand gets a little sloppier each time his lips brush over her skin, but she's determined to finish this line. Just ... one last line.

Her eyes slip shut, and she knows all is lost.

"Mm, I did all that yesterday, if we're bein' honest," she whispers, canting her head to the side. "Haven't been up t'much this mornin'."

Just one of the longest soaks in a tub she's indulged in since ... well, for a long time.

[the_gene_genie]

His hands roam up her front to cup her breasts, as much as he can through her layers, anyway. And he's close along her back, easing her against him and keeping her close.

'We could've been up t'stuff, if you'd woke me,' he murmurs against her neck.

He's already far less tentative than he was last night, she'll probably notice.

'Please tell me that comment down there abou' another go wasn' just t'wind me up.'

[ikissdhimbck]

She tosses her pencil away, letting it land in the crease of her ledger with a soft thud. She eases her back against him at his prompting, looping one of her arms up behind her so she can slip her fingers into his hair.

"Yes, your first two subtle hints escaped me entirely," she whispers, her voice a Saharan wind.

Bells are ringing outside. Is it noon already? What a perfectly good day gone to waste.

"An' what if I was jus' tryin' t'wind you up?"

[the_gene_genie]

He curls around her so he can kiss her lips, his fingers finding the buttons of her blouse.

'Well then,' he murmurs, watching her from half-lidded eyes, 'I'd be very upset. You'd have t'think of ways t'make it up t'me later.'

He would never think of this as a waste of a day. Quite the opposite, actually.