The heavens had opened again as Alex and Gene ran through the village towards the guesthouse. Pushing open the simple door, they piled into the quiet lobby absolutely soaking wet and still bloody handcuffed.

At the sounds of commotion, a woman in her fifties began to walk down the corridor. Thinking fast, Gene hastily grabbed Alex and pulled their connected hands behind their backs to appear as if they had their arms around each other.

"Gene!" Alex squeaked in shock. "Get your hand off my arse!"

"Oh shut up yer daft tart, and look like yer bloody want ter be here," Gene hissed at her as the woman made her way round the front desk.

"All right, my loves?" the woman beamed in a light cockney accent. "What can I do for you?"

"We'd like a room, please," Gene said, putting on a fake cheery voice, "you got any left?"

"We certainly have," the woman nodded, "my name's Mrs Jones, dears. I can give you a double room on the first floor. Little bathroom and everything. Cheap too. We can sort out payments tomorrow."

Alex opened her mouth to protest when Mrs Jones mentioned the double bed, but Gene pinched her arse lightly resulting in a squeal coming out instead.

"Excuse the missus," Gene winked, "gets excited, yer see."

Mrs Jones laughed good-naturedly. "Who wouldn't," she sniggered, eyeing Gene up. "Right my dears, if you could just sign here that would be brilliant. I'll send someone upstairs to sort you out a room."

"Cheers love," Gene said appreciatively. He looked at Alex. "Come on, Bolls, yer need to sign."

"Why don't you do it, smartarse?" Alex hissed as Mrs Jones made a phone call to one of the maids.

Gene lowered his mouth so it was inches from Alex's ear. "Am I left-handed, DI Drake? I don't think so. Sign the bloody form."

Alex sighed dramatically as she grabbed the pen. Frowning, she turned back to Gene. "Who do I sign as? If the thugs come looking for us…"

"Oh for God's sake, put Alex Hunt if yer worried about bein' traced."

"Alex Hunt? I'm not married to you!"

"Thank bloody God."

Alex scowled at him and signed the form reluctantly. But she couldn't stop her heart leaping when she read the words back…Alex Hunt…it did have a ring to it…

"Right my lovelies," Mrs Jones grinned as she took the form off Alex, "I'll show you up. You look freezing, the pair of you! Went for a dip in the lake before coming, did ya?"

"Something like that," Gene muttered as they followed Mrs Jones up the stairs, "and er…bit of a favour, love. If anyone wants ter know, you haven't seen us come here. Don't want any interruptions, if yer get my drift."

"Of course," Mrs Jones chuckled as Alex glared at Gene in disgust. Opening the door to their little room, Mrs Jones gestured for Gene and Alex to go in ahead of her. They did so, concealing their handcuffs.

The room had a big double bed in the centre and a small dressing table to the far side. Through the door was a satisfactory bathroom.

"Should suit ya just for the night," Mrs Jones said kindly, "if you need anything, just give me a bell."

Gene and Alex sat side by side on the foot of the double bed, as Mrs Jones made to exit. Suddenly turning back, she smiled at Alex.

"I'd get your wet clothes off if I were you, sweetie," Mrs Jones advised as Gene shook with silent laughter, "you're shivering, bless your little heart."

The door clicked shut and Alex turned to Gene thunderously.

"What have you gotten us into, Hunt?" she growled angrily. "I am not sleeping in here with you. No way."

"Oh shut up, Bolly," Gene sighed in frustration, "you go on more than any bird I've ever known. Come on, then," Gene waggled his eyebrows, "get yer clothes off."

Alex snarled at him. "In your dreams."

"Didn't realise you knew about them, Bolls," Gene shot back with a wink, causing Alex to blush involuntarily. She was then brought back down to Earth when Gene shuffled about, beginning to undress himself.

"Gene!" Alex squealed in shock. "What are you doing?"

Gene tutted. "Relax, you bloody woman. I'm not sleeping in soaking wet clothes."

"Sleeping?" Alex spluttered. "I am not sleeping with you!"

"Well we're paying for the night 'ere, Lady Bolls. Might as well go ter sleep in the bloody bed and I'm not lying in me wet shirt and trousers. Lucky for you, you're handcuffed ter me so you're staying in the bed whether you're under the covers in the warm or shivering on the top. Your choice."

Gene took off his shirt and trousers swiftly using his left hand, causing Alex to stare at him, taking in the sight. Gene did have lovely long legs and a firm chest…

Stop it, Alex, Alex warned herself, you are not fantasising about your boss…

Gene smirked at her. "Enjoying the view, Bolls?"

"Oh shut up," Alex muttered, turning away. She sighed. "Maybe I'll take my stockings off."

Gene raised his eyebrows in appreciation as Alex kicked off her heels and drew her left leg up. Using both hands to detach the suspenders, this meant Gene's right hand was dangerously close to her thigh. Alex began to trail the stockings down her long, toned legs, only to notice that Gene's hand was stroking down her leg appreciatively.

Alex froze as she peeled the last bit of the stockings off and chucked them on the floor. Alex then moved onto her right leg, causing Gene's hand to lightly brush her stomach and send an electric shock through Alex's body as his fingers lightly rested on the inside of her thigh. Alex swore she heard a stifled moan come from Gene's lips, sending her racing pulse rate higher.

When she had successfully removed both stockings, Alex moved Gene's hand back onto his own territory.

"Now you've had a good grope of my legs," Alex snapped, "perhaps we could go to bed?"

Gene raised his eyebrows at her tone. He knew she liked it. If she didn't, she could have said no. Shaking off the dig with his usual persona, Gene winked at her. "Thought you'd never ask, Bolly."

Gene tried to pull Alex under the covers with him as he tucked himself up, but Alex was having none of it.

"There is no way I'm sleeping with you, Gene," she said worriedly.

Gene sighed and turned over to face her, still lying down. "I never said yer had to, sweetheart. Come on. Get under and get warm."

Gene tugged Alex with the handcuffs, pulling her closer to him. He pulled the covers from underneath her and threw them over her, awkwardly trying to find a comfortable position for them both with the handcuffs.

Alex's heart was racing. But she had to admit…it was nice…being close to Gene like this…

Gene was in bliss. Alex was inches away from him and their cuffed hands kept lightly touching. It wasn't long before the two of them drifted off to sleep…

----

Alex woke up in the early hours of the dark morning absolutely freezing cold. Gene's hand was flung possessively over her stomach along with her own but she was still shivering. There was nothing else for it. She was going to have to undress, but mostly using her right hand. She couldn't wake Gene; he would only suggestively offer to help her and then she would have that awful conflict between the right thing and what she wanted.

Alex unclipped and wriggled out of her wet skirt fairly easily. She managed not to shake the bed too much as she slipped out of it and chucked it to the floor, but her blouse was going to be much more of a problem. Alex slowly unbuttoned it so it was hanging loose, leaving her in bed with Gene Hunt in simply knickers, a bra and an open blouse. Not the best position to find herself in, especially as he was only in boxers.

Alex realised too late that she was not going to get the blouse off, and forgetting the handcuffs, she jerked both hands to try and wriggle out of it, causing Gene to jump awake and thump Alex's left breast hard.

"Ow!" Alex cried in pain, bringing both hands in to comfort her chest and subsequently causing Gene's right hand to fly in and grab it again. "For God's sake, Hunt, can't you keep your bloody hands to yourself?"

"Well excuse me, Miss Moody," Gene snapped back, yawning and sitting up, "but we are still handcuffed, yer know."

Alex let their connected hands drop as she looked down, small tears threatening to spill as the pain didn't subside.

Gene swallowed, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Bolls. I didn't mean ter punch yer in yer…well, you know. You all right?"

Alex nodded.

"Need me to take a look for yer?"

Alex glared at him, causing the realisation of what that sounded like to dawn on Gene.

"I didn't mean it like that, Bolls. I wasn't…I wasn't tryin' ter cop a feel or a look at your tits. Just wanted to make sure you were all right. Sorry." Gene looked down self-consciously as Alex stared at him.

"I'm fine," Alex said softly, moving her hand to cup Gene's chin and tilt his head up, "thank you, Gene. Thank you for trying to keep me safe. And for looking out for me."

Gene almost smiled back. "S'no problem, Bolls."

There was a beautiful silence. They held eye-contact until they both were subconsciously looking at each other's lips. Suddenly breaking the moment, Alex wriggled back down under the covers, giving up on her blouse. "I'm cold, Gene," she sighed, "can we…can we go back to bed?"

"Course love," Gene nodded, tucking himself back under. They lay facing each other awkwardly, but then Gene noticed Alex was gradually shuffling towards him, a pleading look in her huge eyes.

Gene opened his arm to her like he had done in the Edge Hampton Vault, and despite the uncomfortable positioning due to the handcuffs, Alex relaxed in Gene's embrace and snuggled up to him. Their bodies were so close that they could feel each other's heartbeats.

Alex flung her arm over Gene's chest and he kissed her hair lightly. The room was peaceful as they listened to each other breathe, and finally, they drifted off once again.

----

Alex and Gene awoke in each other's arms with very stiff limbs the next morning. Climbing out of bed, Gene looked Alex up and down appreciatively.

"Bloody hell, Bolls," he gawped, "when did you get yer kit off then? Couldn't you 'ave done it before I fell asleep?"

Alex slapped him lightly as she gathered up her clothes, pulling Gene along. "This is going to be difficult," Alex blushed.

"What is?" Gene asked.

Alex swallowed. "Dressing. With handcuffs. Of all the bloody things…"

Gene waggled his eyebrows, chuckling to himself. But as the pottered about the room still connected trying to retrieve everything, Gene began to feel uncomfortable.

"Shit," he muttered.

"What?" Alex frowned, fiddling with her stockings.

"Need a piss."

The colour visibly drained from Alex's face. "No! No, no, and no. You can hold it, Gene Hunt. I am not going with you to the toilet!"

"Yer don't have to," Gene mumbled, knowing she was going to be furious.

"What do you mean?" Alex inquired. "We're handcuffed together, Gene!"

Gene walked over to his trousers, leading Alex by the handcuffs. He then reached into his pockets and pulled out a tiny, gold key.

"Swiped it from the bastards when they weren't looking in the car," Gene grinned sheepishly, gently unlocking the handcuffs and watching as with a click they fell to the floor.

Alex's eyes widened in comprehension and her jaw dropped. Gene bloody Hunt had had the keys from the very beginning.

Gene winced; Alex looked like she was going to hit him. "Bolls? Bolls…I'm sorry…"

But suddenly, Alex's anger turned into a light chuckle. Then, before Gene knew it, Alex was laughing uncontrollably, sitting down on the bed and causing a smile to form on Gene's face.

"You are absolutely impossible!" Alex cried, not knowing whether she should be angry or not.

"Bloody hell, Bolls, never know where I am wi' you," Gene said in surprise, "I think you'll like somethin' and yer bloody hate it, and when I think you'll be mad you're bloody laughing. Women."

Alex stood up and walked towards Gene. "It's never boring with you, Gene Hunt," she smiled. Looking down at his lips, she made her decision and pressed her lips to his. He responded eagerly and lovingly, moving one hand to cup her head and sliding the other down to her arse.

"Well Bolly," Gene sighed in satisfaction, "I think this guesthouse bed will be proving useful after all!"

A/N: Heehee, hoped you liked it! Please review (: love Roxannaaaax