Butterfly
AUTHOR: Lucky.
DISCLAIMER: Except for the creations of the author, all characters, characterizations, situations, and locations described in this unsolicited and not-for-profit work of fiction are the property of ABC Television, Capitol Cities, Inc., Steven Bochco Productions, the many talented people who created the world of NYPD Blue, and the actors who have made that world such a lively place. The author would also like to extend her personal gratitude to Mr. Scott Cohen for his light, his vitality, his inspiration, and for being such a compelling muse. Thank you, sir.
FEEDBACK: To Lucky
Posey's eyes came open, first in a slow, comfortable flutter as she woke to the feeling of being draped in relaxed, rhythmic warmth, then in a quick snap as she realized that it was daylight.
"Oh, damn."
A soft, masculine sigh followed by a sleepy grumble answered her, and she could feel the word slide into the fold of her fleecy robe and over her skin. "'Morning."
She put the hand that had been resting on his back up to her forehead, pushing her messy hair back. "The sun is up."
Harry gave her a little snuggle, enjoying the feel of her robe on his hands and face. "I'll call the Times later. Go back to sleep."
Posey was still talking to herself. "Why is the sun up?"
She felt his fingertip draw little circles on her shoulder as he spoke. "The planet has this annoying habit of spinning. We just can't talk her out of it." His voice was still soft, but coming more clear as he reluctantly woke up.
She looked down her body at the sleepy mess of raven curls and licks resting in the cleft of her breast. "Harry?"
He turned his face into the fluffy folds of her robe and gave a little laughing snort. "Thank you for remembering."
"Did we..?"
He blew another sigh into her robe. "We tried. As soon as we made it to the bed, we kind of ran out of day on each other." He lifted his head with a groan to regard her with sleepy, blinking eyes. "A good night's sleep..." Harry gave a little 'hmph'. "I didn't think I was ever gonna get another one of those."
Posey smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, just barely remembering the softness of his mouth on her skin and the hardness of his shoulders under her hands. He laid his head back down in her bosom, trying to distract her by stretching out against her and sliding his hands under her shoulders while he buried his nose beneath the fabric of her robe and against her skin. Posey just rolled her eyes and stroked his hair, turning her head a little to look out her window at the silver gray morning sky.
After a few long minutes of untouched, enveloping silence and the flutter of his breath and eyelashes on her skin, Posey realized that his body had relaxed completely, moving only with his deep, full breaths.
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no... I have a job to keep, here." She pressed at his shoulders, jostling him a little. "Get up, Harry."
He gave a whiny groan and dug his fingers into her back a little. "Five more minutes. Just stay with me for five more minutes."
"Do I look like a snooze alarm to you? Get off me."
He groaned again and complied, pushing himself up and into a sitting position, wincing a little as his body snapped and bitched at him for moving. She pushed back her giggle and sat up without all the noise.
"Exactly how old are you, here?"
He yawned and rubbed at his forehead, putting his hand back through his hair. "A million," he grumbled. "A damn million." He eyed her and for a moment she thought he was going to put her on her back again, but he just looked, making no move toward her.
She reached out and plucked at the open ends of his shirt, remembering that she had been the one to open it. "You'll go back to being thirty six after a few pots of coffee." She leaned forward and placed a little good morning kiss on his mouth.
Before she could get out of the bed, his arms came around her and pulled her back. Posey couldn't even pretend to fight him off as he kissed her good morning, her body vibrating with the sounds he made, feeling his tongue call hers to dance. In the split second before she decided to just turn around and toss him back down on the pillow, he pulled away.
"Coffee, hell. As far as I can tell, I'm about seventeen right now," he murmured gently, teasing her mouth with his.
Posey wound her arms around his neck, smiling as he rubbed his cheek against one of the soft, fluffy sleeves of her robe. "It's Friday, you know."
"Mm-hm."
"I can't imagine that a guy like you doesn't have some plans for the evening."
"I do."
Posey dropped a beat, trying to cover for her disappointment. "Oh..."
"They all involve you."
Her whole body lit up as her smile came back singing. "Oh..."
His eyes came open, sparkling as he spoke. "What? You think I just run randomly around the city using women in cuddly bathrobes for body pillows when I can't get to sleep or something?" His eyes scattered for a moment. "Wait a minute... I might actually be on to something, there."
"Harry!" She laughed and messed up his hair. He chuckled and dropped his head onto her shoulder, running his hands over her back. After a few seconds of petting and being petted, he lifted his head again.
"I have to go."
Posey nodded, smiling. "Go..." She slid a hand over his peppered jaw. "Go home first. Shave or something."
He gave her a bright grin. "I'll think about it." He pulled away from her and stood up, buttoning his shirt. When he was returned to some semblance of propriety, Posey came up on her knees and wobbled over to the edge of the bed where he stood. He watched her for a moment, running his fingertips over her face, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I'll see you at the house."
"That you will, Detective."
His hand slid down her arm and linked with her fingers as he walked away, pulling just a little before he had to let go. Posey sat back on her heels and listened as he fetched his jacket and put it on, hearing the quick metallic zip as he closed it. Then his voice came from her living room.
"Mariposa?"
"Yes?"
She heard the bolts come undone on her door. "Good guys don't always finish last, and bad guys don't always finish first, but..." The door opened and Posey waited for a few seconds, finally prompting him to complete his thought.
"But what?"
"A guy like me always finishes what he starts. Remember that."
She heard the door close, and he was gone.
Continued in Part 5.
