Chapter Text
Robbie heard the door of his flat open again, not 30 seconds after James had left to go out for a cigarette.
"That was quick!" He called over his shoulder towards the hallway.
"It's turned Arctic out there, I need a coat." There was a soft rustle of fabric followed by the door clicking shut again.
Monty jumped onto the sofa to curl up in the warm spot that James had vacated, and Robbie stroked his head idly. It wasn't until a few long moments had passed that Robbie, slouched low on the sofa and lost in his thoughts, remembered James hadn't been wearing a coat when he'd shown up at the flat that afternoon. Which meant he must have pinched Robbie’s own from the hook by the door. He frowned down at the sad inch of beer left in the bottom of his glass, picturing James leant on the wall outside, swallowed up in Robbie’s coat. Like a hug by proxy. He groaned at the ridiculous sentimentality of that thought and tried not to let them wander to further (inappropriate) places. James was still his sergeant, and they’d manage to carve out a strange friendship despite their many differences. It was too much to hope for something more. He sighed and rested his head against the back of the sofa. His gut ached.
After another sigh and a mumbled admonishment to himself, he made himself get up and put the kettle on. By the time he’d returned to the sofa with two mugs of tea in hand, the front door opened and swiftly clicked shut once more. He heard the clink of keys on the hall table, and more rustling. He pictured James shrugging off his coat and replacing it on the hook.
James returned to his spot next to Robbie, in the corner of the sofa, gently dislodging Monty who stalked off in a huff. His knee gently bumped Robbie's as he settled back in, and accepted the tea passed to him. Robbie felt James’ cold fingers brush over his on the mug as he took it, and watched him wrap both hands around it to savour the warmth. James looked over at Robbie as he blew on the tea, cheeks rosy and eyes sparkling with something that made Robbie’s stomach flip. He looked away, at the frozen image on the telly, worried suddenly that James could read his thoughts. He wouldn’t put it past him.
“Thank you.” James said, slightly gravely and more sincerely than Robbie thought his very mediocre cuppa warranted. Robbie hummed something dismissive and hit play on the remote. When he looked again James was smiling softly into his mug.
They watched the rest of the movie in silence, but Robbie couldn't concentrate. His gaze constantly slipped against his will to James. He watched out of the corner of his eye, as the flush in his cheeks faded and he relaxed into the back of the sofa, the now empty mug cradled in his lap. As the credits rolled James pushed up off the sofa with some effort, gathered up their dishes from dinner and empty mugs, and carried them into the kitchen.
Robbie didn’t know what to do with himself, and before he could decide if he was getting up or not James had returned.
"I'm going to head off, see you in the morning."
Robbie turned to see him hovering awkwardly in the doorway, like he was waiting for something.
Oh, that’s right, he thought.
"Take my spare coat, if you like, it’ll be even colder out now."
A brief inscrutable expression flitted across James' face, gone before Robbie could hope to guess what it meant.
"I'll be alright once I'm in the car, I managed to park close so I'll just make a run for it. Thanks though."
James gave a small, hesitant smile and disappeared out of sight. Robbie couldn’t help but listen for the door as it closed for the final time that night.
-
The next morning Robbie grabbed his coat as he left for work, shooing away half remembered thoughts of James’ cold fingers against his.
As he put it on at the door he could smell the lingering traces of cigarette smoke and whatever cologne James was currently favouring.
“Bloody hell.” He said out loud to himself, and pressed his face into his hands for a moment.
Overwhelmed with fond exasperation, and trying desperately to ignore the heat pooling in his stomach, he took a deep breath (a mistake he realised immediately), grabbed his keys and headed out.
He had a feeling it was going to be a long week.