A.N I have started a facebook account to keep you updated on where I am with my stories, give snippits of upcoming chapters, to share ideas and any suggestions or questions you guys want to ask. Its also for everyone to geek out. If you want to add me, please do, I am Destiny Slay, I have set it up as a personal account rather than a fan page.

They had a strange relationship, everyone knew it, they knew it. Robbie could see people looking at him and James when they were together, he knew the others around the station talked about them, asked questions about their relationship and their partnership. Jean had even made a few pointed questions over the years.

Half the questions Robbie asked himself. James was ready to become inspector, he had been for almost a year, maybe longer, but he showed no sign of wanting to shift anywhere besides being his sergeant and bagman. He had considered the idea of leaving the police, when he reached that point where everything built up and he wasn't sure that he wanted to see any more pain and hate and anger, any more death and loss. But he had not shown any sign of wanting to leave Robbie.

They relied on each other, Robbie had come to realise how much he needed James there, he had somehow along the way become the person that was always there. Yes they were Inspector and Sergeant and with the nature of their job they were always going to spend a lot of time together, but it was more than that. It started with drinks together, then meals now and then that gradually become more and more common until most of the nights they ate together. Their days off started being spent together here and there, something would be on and they would invite each other, then it just became natural to meet up during weekends at each other's flats – his much more than James's – spend the day together, and then that became most weekends spending nearly whole days together.

Robbie was a lot of things, and sometimes his age showed in his understanding of some things, but not in this. He saw the way James reacted when women flirted with him, he saw the sharpness and masked disdain that James treated some of the women who flirted with him. And he knew his own feelings when people looked with interest at James, the boiling in his blood, the roar in his ears.

But still the two of them didn't make that last step, for some reason, something was holding them back, something was stopping them and Robbie really didn't know what it was. Every time he thought to close that last gap between them, every time Robbie went to close it, every time he went to make a move there would be something stopping him in James's eyes, a reluctance, a fear, a uncertainty and Robbie would stop himself, would pull back a little, and they would just carry on.

This night however they were sitting on the sofa, pressed against each other, Robbie was partially turned on the sofa so that James was sitting in a way that he could almost imagine they were cuddling. And he knew, he was becoming tired with this, he was becoming tired of hovering on the edge of whatever this was and he suddenly knew that it had to move one way or the other. He was too old to waste time playing silly games.

James blinked when the film they had been watching almost absently was suddenly turned off by Robbie, looking up questioningly he found his inspector looking at him seriously, an expression on his face that he couldn't quite read.

"Sir?" Robbie had to smile a little. No matter how close they got and how much their…whatever the hell it was…developed James always called him Sir.

"I'm about to kiss you Sergeant, if you don't want me to I suggest that you say so now," Robbie said firmly before cupping James's face. When James just sat there opening and closing his mouth, apparently shocked Robbie took that as all the permission he needed.

He realised how long this had been growing between them, tense and tight hovering in the corners of all their interactions when instead of the gentle, testing kiss that he had imagined he slammed his lips down over James's and kissed him for a hunger and desperation that shocked even himself, and if the shocked noise James made into his mouth was anything to go by it shocked him as well.

James tasted musky, a little of the damned cigarettes that he wouldn't give up, a little of the red wine that he preferred when they were eating in the flat and that Robbie now kept a good stock of and a little of the pizza they had ate for supper.

James kissed him back as hungrily, his hands reaching up to grab Robbie's shirt and the other gripping onto his hair. Robbie wasn't even aware of them shifting until he realised that he was feeding hungrily from James's mouth while pressing him down into his sofa, thrusting lazily while his hands stroked every inch that they could reach without compromising keeping their groins and lips pressed tightly together.

Robbie let out a shocked huff of air when James suddenly thrashed underneath him, his bony knees catching Robbie in his stomach knocking the wind out of him and making him pull back. Trying to pull his hazy thoughts together he looked down at the younger man, finding him panting, lips swollen, eyes wide and uncertainty and hurt written so clearly across his face that all Robbie's arousal fled and was replaced with concern.

"James…" he breathed out questioningly, his eyes frantically searching the face he knew so well and loved so much.

"We can't, no, we can't," James shook his head a little frantically suddenly making a move to try and get out from underneath Robbie. But this time, after managing to take that step Robbie was not about to let him pull away now. Placing his hands on either side of James on the sofa he hemmed him in, using his lower half to pin James to the sofa.

"No, oh no, I know you enjoyed that, that is fairly clear," Robbie shifted his hips pointedly, the effect of their kiss still obvious in both of them. "So tell me, what is it? Why can't we?" Robbie asked a little desperately.

"Laura, you love her and she loves you and its just a matter of time before you get together and then I'll be just sh…why are you laughing!" James's indignant huff had Robbie laughing even more, shaking his head he dipped in a kissed James deeply but quickly before pulling back.

James made a startled noise when Robbie shifted, gripping his leg and tugging it up in one smooth move so that his knee was resting in the crook of Robbie's elbow, the angle allowing Robbie's next hard, firm thrust to be felt stronger than any of their others.

Robbie's eyes and ears drank in the cry of pleasure that fell from James's lips, his husky voice making it go straight to his own cock as he had expected it to. James's head thrown back in pleasure, exposing that long throat that Robbie couldn't resist leaning down to nip and then suck a love mark into the flesh where his shoulder and neck met, knowing James's shirts would cover it at work but equally knowing that it would be there, underneath while his sergeant stood and worked beside him.

"S…sir!" James's pleaded, though for what Robbie seriously doubted either of them knew.

"Firstly Sergeant I am very disappointed with your investigation skills in this matter," Robbie shifted so that his mouth was pressed to Hathaway's ear, the younger man whimpering, fucking whimpering, underneath him at the sound of Robbie's arousal roughed voice. "Laura is a friend and a friend only, she knows this as much as I do, just as she knows exactly how I feel for you,"

"Feel for me?" James's blue eyes were hopeful, so hopeful that it nearly broke Robbie's damned heart as he saw the uncertainty and doubt mixed in there as well.

"I'm in love with you pet, seriously madly, head over heels cant live without you in love," Robbie smiled, it felt so good to say those words out loud finally.

"You…but…oh," James blinked up at him, that brilliant mind fitting all the puzzle pieces together into the right places now that he had this information and getting the right picture. A picture Robbie seriously hoped added up to the both of them naked, preferably in a bed for the rest of their weekend off.

"With me now?" Robbie grinned.

"Most definitely Sir,"

"You can stop calling me sir you know,"

"Of course Sir, except I have my suspicions that you quite like it…Sir," James smirked.

"Cocky bugger,"

"Only for you Sir," Robbie rolled his eyes before he dived back in to swallow James' lips in a devouring kiss.

James' mind was a blur, a rush, and it was finding it hard to believe that this was happening. He gasped when Robbie pushed him down onto the bed, somehow they had stumbled and tripped their way there, he was fairly sure that had broken a lap along the way. Robbie reached down and opened James' belt, tugging his trousers and boxers off, but leaving those ridiculous bright purple socks on.

He gripped James' hands when he went to take off his own top, instead he kissed both his wrist and pressed them down either side of his head. He gazed wide eyed up at the man he loved, the man that he was sure he could never have. He was embarrassed by how much he was trembling, by how much he was shaking under Robbie's touch.

He sucked in a shaky breath when lips brushed over his calf and up his thigh, skirting over his bare, sharp hipbone, and over his flat stomach. As a skilled tongue swept over his stomach followed by lips to kiss and caress his pale skin. As they crept up his chest before getting sidetracked by the dusky nipples he found.

James gasped huskily and arched into his boss' touch as one nipple was assaulted with his lips and the other his fingers. Sparks of pleasure and mind spinning heat went through him right to his hard cock, which he pressed desperately against Robbie's stomach. He arched and thrust, muttering and pleading as the hand left his nipples and instead dropped to encircle his hard need.

"Sir, please, no, please, want to come with you, too close," James managed to string together.

"Oh don't worry, sergeant, we are not finished at one," Robbie promised. Just as James was coming to the understand what he meant Robbie gave one strong pull and twisted his palm over the head of his cock. And he was spilling all over himself and the older man's hand.

When he came to he found himself lying on his stomach, and he groaned when he felt lips pressing over his thighs and then to the cheeks of his arse. He jerked with a gasp when Robbie actually nipped one of his arse cheeks, before his tongue licked at the skin there, and settled to suck a hickie into the pale flesh there.

"Robbie!" James gasped.

"Shush pet, I have had a long time to dream about what I want to do with you, I plan on taking my time and enjoying this," Robbie said huskily as he brushed his lips over James' pale skin.

His fingers and lips danced over James' skin, teasing and playing, touching and caressing, driving James higher and higher to pleasure as he was pulled back to hardness. He gasped and arched when Robbie's thick, sure fingers pressed inside of him, slick with lube and searching out his prostate.

When Robbie pressed into him for the first time, it was amazing, they both felt the physical connection between the two of them cementing the emotional connection that they had patiently built over the years. James gripped hold of Robbie's shoulders, pressing himself against him as closely as possible, not wanting even an inch between them.

Robbie felt exactly the same, his lips were constantly pressed against James' skin, his teeth nipping, his tongue tasting even as he thrust and pressed as deep into the blonde's body as possible, his hunger for James was fed by the noises that the other made, the deep husky groans and mewls, the hoarse cries and mutters of his name drove him on even more.

James was thrusting himself down onto Robbie, as hungry and desperate at the older man was. They were clinging tightly to each other, and they both knew that there would be bruises and marks leaving proof of their first time together. Robbie grit his teeth as he fault himself being pulled closer to the edge and managed to fumble a hand between them to grip hold of James' hard and weeping cock.

Luckily it only took a few pulls before James was once again spilling himself, he was close enough to the edge that the amazing tightening of his lover around him quickly had him pressing deep and spilling inside of James. His hips thrust deep as he carried on spilling himself, James' fingers were digging into his shoulders as he came down from his high, the sound of the joint panting breaths and the sound of his own heartbeat soothing him down.

He was half asleep when he felt Robbie pull out of him and get off of the bed, he grumbled slightly and reached out, his hand quickly caught and lifted for his gruff DI to press a kiss to, before he felt a damp, warm cloth cleaning him up. He was embarrassed by how much he had been wiped out, and could barely move his arm to wrap it back around Robbie when he got into bed and pulled him close.

All he could think as he went to sleep was that this was right, it felt so right to be here, in Robbie's arms, in Robbie's bed.

"Hello?" Robbie had to clear his throat to get rid of the huskiness of sleep as he blinked into the darkness, James snuggled further into his chest fighting off the pull of wakenfullness.

"Robbie? Hathaway nodded off at yours again then did he?" Jean Innocent's voice came down the line confusing him slightly until he realised the ring tone had been James's and not his. Oops. "I tried your phone but couldn't get through,"

"Its in the living room mame," Robbie answered before wincing as he could practically hear the wheels turning on the other end of the line. James's blue eyes peered up at him in the early morning light, clearly having picked up on the slip as well.

"Then why is James's phone in your bedroo… Oh god dammit!" Jean's sudden loud swearing and quite inventive cursing had both men jumping while Robbie pulled the phone from his ear to try and save his hearing.

"Mame?"

"…mit Robbie! Three more months could you! You've danced around each other for long enough you couldn't have waited three more months, now I owe Laura £100!"

"You bet on us…" Robbie couldn't finish the sentence as he gawped at James who was blinking back at him tired and confused by the one sided conversation.

"Never mind I'll find someone else to take the case, enjoy your weekend off…in fact take Monday as well, its taken long enough," Jean sighed before hanging up leaving Robbie and James blinking at each other shocked.

"Good morning Sir." James said after a few beats stretching his ridiculously long body luxuriously against Robbie's sheets, smelling the man himself, the lingering scent of sex and his own scent mingling amazingly together.

"Certainly is," Robbie eyed the sight in front of him as James's phone was unceremoniously shoved onto the bedside.

James smiled as he was pulled against Robbie's body, shuffling a little he rested his head over Robbie's heart and closed his eyes as he soaked up the warmth of his body, and the fluttering sound of his heartbeat.

He had not felt so relaxed and content in a long time, and he pressed close soaking up the feeling of Robbie and the sun making its way through the curtains.

But as ever his brain wouldn't shut off now he was awake, and it started ticking over again. Everything that Robbie had said last night, everything that they had done had been amazing, but he couldn't stop himself from picturing Laura and Robbie, over and over, all those little moments and little looks, the gentle way Robbie was with her, the many evenings in the pub that they two of them had shared together. He couldn't stop his brain from raising the questions of what if.

"I can hear your brain ticking over, whatever it is, stop now," Robbie said gently.

"Sorry," James said softly pressing closer to the body under his.

"Your brain is an amazing thing, but it gives you things that would never happen as well. What was going through it?" James purred contently as those strong fingers ran through his blonde hair.

"I'm sorry, I promise that I am not going to obsess over this, but Laura..."

"You are the only person that I want, James, no one else, and now that I have had a chance to have you, I will not be letting you go. Trust me, trust us, everything that we have built together over the last five years has been leading to this, and from here it will only get better," Robbie tugged gently on the blonde hair before carrying on. "We're going to argue lad, we will have our spats, we have proven that over the years, but I love you, and that will always be enough,"

"I love you too," James felt like fireworks were going off in his chest as he turned and pressed their lips together. Yes they had a fiery relationship to go along with the fact that they slotted together like two pieces of a puzzle, and had from the very start. But that was them, and they always made their way through it and came out stronger.

"Besides, she is the one that Innocent owes £100 to," Robbie laughed.

"She..."

"Yup," Robbie grinned.

"Think we can convince the good doctor that she owes us a night in the pub?" James smirked.

"I think we could. But only after we spend a little more time here," Robbie responded as his hand swept down under the blanket to cup James' arse.

"Oh? How much time are you planning?" James asked innocently.

"Oh I don't know, all day? And maybe a little of tomorrow?"

"What about work?" James blinked confused.

"We have been given the weekend and Monday off, baring any massive emergency of course," Robbie sighed contently as he pulled James closer.

"Well sir, I think we do have a case to be getting on with," James smirked. That smirk he gave when he was about to come up with something he thought would be funny.

"Oh yes and what is that?"

"Working on our partnership, and ensuring we are...fully comfortable with our 'working' relationship," James smirked before he ducked under the covers and skimmed down Robbie's body until he reached his goal.

Robbie closed his eyes as he arched into the warmth surrounding him. He was soaking up every second of this, and he always would.

"James, lad," He sighed.

Yes they would be fine. And they would carry on stronger than ever, with everything in front of them.