Author Note: These stories are all a little short and maybe even a little incomplete.

They're only meant to be small glimpses or snapshots in to their relationship.

The first chapter's purpose is only to establish a foundation for which the rest can be written.

I hope you enjoy them!

-F

"Tell me it's nothing, try to convince me...

That I'm not drowning

Oh, let me tell you I am."

She shifted from one foot to the next, tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear but her effort was futile. It fell forward again almost immediately, defiantly - a little like her. She pushed a nervous breath out past her teeth and then bit her lip. She wondered if this was a mistake, if she should turn around and go home. But it seemed a little late for that now, and she wasn't one to give up so easily, so she raised her hand and she knocked.

"Please be home..." she thought.

The sight of her standing in his doorway was unexpected to say the least. He watched her eyes widen slightly as they quickly flitted down and then back up, her mouth doing the same.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

"What are you doing here?" he replied back a little more roughly than he intended, Joe's phone call still pulsing in the back of his mind.

"I was concerned...how is your friend?" She asked, earnestly.

"He's okay. It's going to take some time...but he'll be fine."

"You can't just disappear...Ryan" she breathed out, staring at him with wide brown eyes, hoping that she was getting through.

For a few seconds he felt guilty, to think that he could just walk away and no one would be affected by it. He tilted his head, eyes moving down towards the ground as he backed up slightly signaling that she could come in.

She moved forward.

"Please put on some pants..."

He smirked and closed the door.

...

He placed a warm cup of coffee in to her hands and then brought his up to his lips. It was hot, and bitter.

"You an alcoholic or just a problem drinker?" she questioned, not sure which answer would be better.

"Yes," he replied, halting his movement.

"That' can't be good for your heart..." she deplored.

"It's not."

...

"Look, I'm not good at bonding...healthy relationships are not my thing, I..I got trust issues..." she faltered and he interrupted her.

"Your point?" He asked, walking past her towards the light of the window. He didn't want to dismiss her but he wasn't sure he had the energy to let anyone else in, even as a friend.

She felt a little foolish. She should have known this wouldn't be easy. When was anything ever easy for her? She pushed forward nonetheless.

"My point? I don't have a point." she breathed out turning around towards him. "I...I'm trying here, but I mean, I look around this place and...I don't know the person who lives here. It's certainly not the guy I've been working with for the past couple weeks, and I know that you don't want any of Joe Carroll or this case but...I think you may need it." she rushed out and he breathed in, eyes slipping shut.

"And I kinda need you..." the words slipped out of her mouth and hung in the air and for a moment she wished she could grab them and pull them back in. But that was what she had been working her way up to this whole time. She needed him.

I kinda need you, floated around in his brain as he processed everything she had just said. His chest tightened and he set his coffee cup down on the ledge of the window and turned back around to face her. He watched tiny dust particles float down between them in rays as the light filtered in from his window illuminating strands of her hair that framed her face.

"That's as sappy as I get, I'm done." she forced out. He watched her eyes dart around nervously as she waited for his answer, hopeful that it was enough to keep him working with her.

He watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, disrupting the dust particles, sending them swirling around her like fireflies.

And just like that, he was done hiding.