Title: We Need to Talk

Summary: The four most dreaded words in a relationship.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own /scorpion. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit and no infringement of copyrights is intended.

Author's Note - This is a very short chapter, and my plan for this is that most chapters will be pretty short. This is just a bit of sometimes angsty-fluff to explore how Walter and Paige might deal with the first few months of their new relationship. And get me through the summer hiatus. I hope you enjoy it with me!

Chapter 1

"We need to talk."

Walter looked up from his tablet. "We… we are talking. We talk all the time. You were just telling me that you were thinking of sending Ralph to ah… to summer camp… for ah… for a couple of weeks. Was there something I missed?"

Paige sighed. She knew that Walter was perfectly capable of dividing his attention between what she was saying and his tablet. She was used to it. She knew that with his incredible memory he could quote back to her exactly what she said, word for word, as well as give a synopsis of the key points of the scientific paper he was reading. But it still bugged her a little bit. If he was working on a project, he would be too engrossed and she would have to pull him away. When he was just reading, as he was now, it didn't require his full focus. Still, she would prefer his undivided attention. She got it when they were intimate, of course. But she sometimes wondered if that was just because his hands were otherwise occupied so that he couldn't hold a tablet. She preferred not to think about what else might be going on in his brain in those moments.

She hadn't mentioned it to him. There were so many things Walter had to learn about being in a relationship. He was so eager to do this right, and he really was trying. It didn't seem fair to bombard him with every little thing that bothered her.

At the moment, though, there was something she wanted to discuss with the whole Walter. Time for a lesson in Relationship 101.

"Walter," she continued, sitting down next to him. "When one person in a relationship says to the other 'We need to talk', it usually means they have something important to discuss. They want the other person's undivided attention."

"Oh," Walter replied. "I see." Then his eyebrows shot up and he closed the tablet and set it on the table. "I see," he repeated. "Have I… have I done something?"

Paige shook her head. She was tempted to take his hand, to reassure him that everything was okay. But he was wearing just his robe, and she wasn't entirely sure if he had anything on underneath. It was Saturday afternoon and Ralph was on a day trip with his Forestry Braves troop. Naturally, any time they had alone usually included lovemaking. In the weeks since they returned from the island, she and Walter didn't get too many such opportunities, so they made good use of it when they did. Touching Walter so soon after making love might have an effect that she couldn't allow if she was going to finish this talk and pick Ralph up on time.

"No, Walter. You haven't done anything wrong. Everything's… everything's fine." She clasped her hands in her lap. She had taken a quick shower, but her body was still singing from the aftermath of three truly excellent orgasms and the urge to touch him was overwhelming. "I just… it… it feels like we're sneaking around whenever we want to… well… have time to ourselves."

"I'm not sure I understand."

June 3, 2017