Author's Note:

A double update today again. I'm taking advantage of my days off ;) This is part 1 out of 2. Hope you enjoy!

K. xx

***

He laughed and rose to get her more water.

"Let's get you a drink first," he said.

Tina drank another glass and cleared her throat.

"What did you just say?" she croaked.

"I asked you if you'd like to go out with me." He looked her over down his long nose. "Didn't expect you'd react that way."

"You surprised me," Tina muttered and stretched the hand with the glass to him. "Thank you."

He put it in the sink and looked at her expectantly.

"Right." Tina gave out another little cough. "Go out as in–"

"A date," he said. Tina's right eye twitched, and she pressed her hand over it. He chuckled. "Are you being a pirate?"

"We can't– go out," she said. "We're isolating. And everything is closed anyroad, and– Wait, a date?! You don't date!"

He sat at the table across from her.

"I do. I haven't recently, but I do in theory," he answered and smirked. "And I reckon, we'd just have to go for a walk. And when the restrictions are lifted, we can go out properly."

Now, her left eye had joined in, and she lifted the second hand and pressed the heel into her eyeball.

"Just give me a mo, please," she said in a small voice, "I'm processing. It's just I had a completely different idea of what we–" She dropped both hands and stared at him. "I thought we're just shagging."

"I don't suggest we stop," he said sardonically. "You said it feels nice to go on dates. You aren't going out with that mycologist anymore. I thought I'd offer my candidacy."

Just like that?! I mean, he's literally quoting their prior conversation– but what?!

Tina slowly blinked, and then shook her head.

"Nope. Still not getting it." She exhaled sharply. "At what point did you go from 'I'm here for a non-committed hanky-panky because I'm conveniently in your bed' to 'I'd like to take you on a date?'"

"Some time around The Third Man," he said offhandedly and picked up his spoon again.

"What?! Wait– What? That was days ago!"

He shrugged and started eating.

What?! But– but–

"That was before Edwin!" she voiced out a sudden realisation.

"What does Dr. Mount of Joy have to do with it?" He gave her a sincerely confused look.

"Clearly nothing whatsoever in your mind," she mumbled. "And that was before you knew who I was!"

"I know who you are, Clementine," he said and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Like I said, it took just a couple of days to figure out I was wrong about you at the launch."

"You're endlessly self-assured, you know that?" she muttered.

"You haven't said 'no' so far," he said with another of his shrugs. "Are you going to finish the soup?"

Tina shook her head, and he rose to put away their plates. While he was taking out the pies, Tina was digesting the new data. He arranged the pies and the side salad on two plates, put them on the table, and started tea - when she finally spoke up, "How is it even going to work, in your mind?"

He gave her a look clearly expecting her to elaborate, and popped a piece of tomato in his mouth.

"You do realise we're only getting along so well because we're stuck together," she said. "Once real life starts, we'll run in lashings of aggro. For example, on December twenty-seventh, are you planning to go back to London?"

"I usually stay with Di until January the second, but yes, after that I'm going back to London," he said and chewed pensively. "Would you like me to stay longer, or you're going with me?"

This. This is what Tina's talking about. This is why she'd almost died of soup induced suffocation a few minutes ago. Because it wasn't that simple in her head!

"But– but–" She made a few more squawking noises, while he ate and watched her patiently, and then she got up jerkily, and for some reason he rose too. Ah, right, the posh upbringing of his. "I need a moment to myself," she announced hastily and marched out of the kitchen.

She walked into her study, softly closed the door behind her, grabbed handfuls of her hair, and pulled.

What the bloody hell is happening in this man's mind?! How self-confident can one be?! What could've possibly made him like that?! Years of the societally accepted forms of success, heterosexuality, attractive looks, and innate temperament, she answered herself.

But it wasn't that simple in her head!

Or was it?

Say, after the isolation, he'd go back to London and then he'd come to visit from time to time? The core of their relationship - shagging like rabbits and being surprisingly comfortable around each other - wouldn't change. To think of it, them going out meant absolutely zero. It was just a label. Everything in Tina's life would be just the same except there would be sex and cuddles and better sleep! Cheeri-o!

Tina returned to the kitchen, mannerly sat down, and picked up her fork. She felt his attentive gaze on her.

"Yes, I would love to go out with you," she said firmly, and he smiled.

"Excellent," he said. "Would you like to go for a walk tomorrow?"

"I think we should go skating," Tina said and sank her teeth into her pie.

Everything was coming along nicely, wasn't it?

***

Day 12

There was nothing particularly interesting about their Day 12.

There was a breakfast.

Then a shower, which he pointed out they should share to conserve water.

Then Tina required a nap.

Then she wrote for two hours, while he cooked.

And then they had lunch and watched a film. Then they took a break from watching a film - and Tina almost needed another nap after all this 'exertion.'

They had tea with the remaining biscuits and went skating.

Then they tumbled back into the cottage, snogging and grabbing each other and laughing. They had no energy left for another round of their rabbity activities, so they just copped off on the sofa like a pair of teens.

Then they cooked dinner together. Well, he did. He made pizza, she ogled him and nicked pieces of toppings.

Then they started watching a film, and Tina fell asleep on top of him on the sofa. He probably carried her to bed. She remembered nothing.

***

Day 13

Tina opened her eyes, yawned, and stretched with gusto. It was still dark outside, and she looked at the man sleeping near her. He was for once dressed, in a navy blue tee and tartan bottoms, one fist tucked under his cheek. Tina felt a wave of mushy adoration, moved a coffee coloured curl off his cheekbone, and smiled.

After the usual morning affairs, she went to her study with a mug of coffee and turned on her computer. She kept pondering which of her grandma's recipes she should make to impress Holyoake, and she clicked on a file without thinking. Her thoughts still revolving around pudding - and 'pudding' - she ran her eyes through the paragraph she'd written last - and she started typing.

'DCI Griffiths entered the dark, stuffy room, and–'

Her fingers hovered above the keyboard. She'd just opened the file containing the next chapter of Evelyn Cox's book!

And she started writing!

And she knew what was happening next!

Tina sucked in her breath - and slowly lowered her hands on the Mac.

The text poured from under her fingers, the steady flow of narrative throbbing in her brain. Just as before. Just as always.

She was back!

Evelyn Cox was bloody back!

Two hours later she exhaled and fell back in her chair. The chapter was done. The plan and the notes for the next one were in place. The clear picture of what was happening next was in her noggin. 

No anxiety, no noise.

She folded her hands in front of her mouth.

God, this feels good.

Doesn't this feel good, Clementine? And now go get your pudding.

***

She jumped on the bed onto her knees and started bouncing in glee.

"John! John! John!!!"

She grabbed his shoulder and gave him a shake. He grumbled something from under the duvet.

"John! I can write again! John!!!"

"Very good," he muttered, trying to roll away from her. "Five more minutes, Clemmie."

"John!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening," he muttered, and then his long arm snaked from under the duvet and he dragged her under it, into a warm bubble of his body heat and his cologne.

Tina didn't object to this one bit.

"Hm, love," he rumbled and opened one eye. "Are you hinting on something?"

"No," she said, pushing her hand deeper into his bottoms. "I'm not hinting. I'm asking directly. If you're in the mood."

He barked a throaty laugh and pulled her into him.

"Love me a direct woman," he said and kissed her.

They snogged for a few seconds, and she was all heated up, when his eyes flew open.

"Did you just say you're writing again?"

"Later! We'll talk about it later," she said and pushed her knickers off. "Focus, John."

"Yes, ma'am."