Self assurance is a funny thing.

For years, it was the one constant in Gail Peck's life. Well, that and her mother's regard for all things ruled and regulated. Mothers aside, Gail knew who she was and what she stood for, through and through. She was a police officer. A model citizen. A friend, a daughter, and a sister.

Labels worked for a reason and Gail was content to keep them, as long as they fit.

But now…how things had changed.

It was almost laughable really how easily Holly had swooped in with her field kit, glasses, and dopey rain boots and just left Gail in a confused muddle. Gail's composure morphed into jello, a somewhat undefinable state of being.

Two days ago she'd woken up, asleep on her front with Holly practically lying on top of her. Gail had a brief chortle when she thought of how Holly always had the need to top but that was quickly replaced with a shiver as she remembered exactly how good the brunette was at topping. To be fair though, Holly wasn't bad at anything, in or outside the bedroom.

"Stop thinking so loudly." Holly had mumbled from behind her. Gail turned her head slightly in surprise. How long had she been awake?

"Um, good morning?"

"Try afternoon. It's past noon." Holly said sleepily but still refused to budge from her spot atop Gail.

"WHAT! I'm going to be late!" Gail shot out of bed and Holly was launched up into the air before flopping back onto the mattress, her long locks cascading around her.

"So much for your bedside manner." Holly chuckled but the smile was short-lived. This moment, right now, was probably the hardest moment of her life. Harder than when she had to present her thesis to get her PHD, harder than when she came out to her family, and even harder still then it was to resist the initial pull to Gail, whom she thought was straight.

"I can't be late Holly. I'm covering for Dov. He's still in the hospital with Chloe." Gail said, completely oblivious as Holly pulled the sheet up around her in an almost protective manner.

"Right. Sorry. I'll drive you."

"Great, thanks." Gail rushed out as she ran into the bathroom and tried to make herself presentable and not so obvious that she'd probably just had the best sex of her life.

Oh.

Peaking around the corner of the bathroom door, Gail felt guilt build up inside her as she took in Holly's subdued demeanor. That usual glow that followed the brunette had dimmed and Gail swallowed her pride, took a deep breath, and stepped back into the bedroom.

"I'm sorry."

Holly's head shot up in surprise but she didn't falter. She needed to hear this as much as Gail needed to say it.

"For?"

"Holly I- it wasn't a mistake. Please don't think I'm going to take it back. But, I just need to time to sort it out all out." Gail said and felt about two seconds from passing out as she confessed her muddled feelings and her insecurities. Holly may have been naked but Gail was the one who felt exposed.

"Hey," Holly said and she walked over and tipped Gail's chin up so their eyes could meet, "It's fine. I can wait. This is worth it. You are worth it."

Despite that minor hiccup, Gail and Holly had managed to get through the next two days with ease. The teasing texts were still there, the nicknames and softened barbs were still exchanged.

And the kisses?

They were better than ever before.

After two straight days without seeing each other, Gail finally made it down to Holly's lab with some actual evidence that needed processing.

"Hey." Gail said softly as she leaned against the doorframe to Holly's lab. The brunette looked up and smiled as her eyes ran over the blonde.

"Hey. Presents?" Holly asked as she motioned for Gail to come to her side of the lab as she pealed off her gloves.

"I hope you're talking about me and not whatever creepy crawlies are all over these."

"Always." Holly replied as she put the packages down, pealed off her gloves, and brushed away some of Gail's loose hair.

A beat - and then - home.

It always started this way. Gentle kisses. Sometimes they were just meant to say hello, other times good-bye. But these kisses, these were Gail's favorite. These were kisses that spoke of unvoiced feelings, the kind that you can just sink into. Despite Holly's penchant for intellectual jargon and Gail's cutting replies to the rest of humanity, this was their common meeting ground. Lips and tongues involved but only in silent agreement for each other. Only each other.

When Holly pulled back from her lengthy greeting, Gail blinked lazily, her mind clouded and smile crossing her face before she could even help it.

"I like how we say 'Hello'", Gail mumbled, her lips still tingling.

"Don't say I never gave you nuthin'." Holly quipped with a smile. Gail could only roll her eyes because despite their amorous exchanges, it was these little teasing battles that still kept things light between them. Their relationship had started with an exchange of barbs and now that they were - well this- Gail wasn't about to mess with a good thing.

"So what're we doing later?" Gail asked as she propped herself up on Holly's desk. The brunette poked at Gail's hip to get her to get off the report she'd been working on for the last three hours.

"I have to finish this." Holly said and pointed at the looming pile of work on her desk. Gail pouted and refused to move. Holly tried to fight the grin that was forming on her lips. If there was ever a word used to describe Gail Peck, adorable would not be it. Pretenses aside though, it was the only word going through Holly's mind as the gorgeous blonde continued to pout and even huff in frustration when all Holly did was grin at her.

"Ugh, what? Stop smiling at me. I'm mad at you." Gail said and even crossed her arms for good measure.

"Well, I could be convinced otherwise. If you had something I wanted." Holly answered as she got up from her chair and went back to her examination table where some bloody clothes had been lain out.

Gail continued to stew but her eyes darkened as she watched Holly bend over in just the right way. Flashes from the other night began to creep into her mind.

Softness. Holly was so soft. And smooth. Except her stomach, that was flat and hard. Gail knew this because she had spent nearly an hour paying homage to it as she contemplated how someone who spent so much time in a lab could have abs like that.

"Got something to say there Peck?" Holly said without even looking up from her work but the devious smile on her face spoke volumes.

"Nope. Just going to go somewhere where my talents, are respected." Gail said and jumped off the desk with a flourish and made her way out of the lab. If she was going to be stuck with salacious thoughts of Holly in her lab coat and nothing else, then she'd be damned if Holly wasn't stuck with her own share of distracting memories too.

The ensuing groan from behind her only served to make Gail smile.

Two could play at this game.

After a somewhat boring patrol, Gail had decided to hit the gun range, if for nothing else than to work off her frustrations over her lousy day. First Holly working her up and not following through, and then no action on patrol, Gail needed something to take the edge off.

As she loaded a clip, Gail snorted to herself. There once was a time when this was therapeutic to an extent. But now with Holly, there was only one cathartic release she wanted to experience and it involved some sort of hard surface and a tall brunette at her mercy.

"Slow down Peck. We still need some ammo left over for everyone else too." Chris said as he took in his friend's rigid stance and her rapid fire dismissal of three consecutive clips.

"Shut it, Diaz. I'm busy." Gail responded as she unloaded yet another round into her target that was beyond mangled at this point.

"Want to talk about it?" Chris responded as he ignored Gail's icy tone.

"No, I don't want to talk about it."

"Trouble with the Mrs?" Chris asked and internally high-fived himself when he noticed Gail clench her teeth. Bingo.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Gail said indifferently but at least she'd put the gun down.

"OK, but Gail?" Chris said as the blonde checked her weapon back into its holster.

"Yeah?"

"Just go for it. You've never let anything get in your way before, don't start now." Chris said gently.

Gail said nothing but the slight nod she gave Chris was all the thanks he needed.

It's weird what a relationship can do to someone's mind. Gail prided herself on her forethought, her emotional control was nothing if not impeccable. This, however, was beyond her realm of scope. Never in her life had Gail been confronted with this.

"Why can't we just go out to dinner like normal people?" Gail whined as Holly began to chop up vegetables for a stir fry in her fancy kitchen.

"Because I'm not made of money." Holly responded easily. Gail rolled her eyes. This apartment proved otherwise.

"Tell that to your couch."

"I'm not sure if I should be offended that you don't want to eat my cooking, or happy that you want to show me off." Holly said and watched as Gail's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She silently cursed herself for causing Gail to fear their evolving relationship. Gail though, ever the survivalist, flipped the tables on the brunette.

"I'd rather eat something else."

Point, Peck.

"Well, I'm all for new experiences," Holly responded as she abandoned her kitchen and put her arms around Gail's waist.

"And here I thought you were going to show me your culinary prowess." Gail replied in an amused tone. Clearly she wasn't the only one with a one-track mind these days.

"I want to show you the world Gail."

"I swear, if you start singing that song from Aladdin-" Gail was cut off when Holly threw her head back and laughed. Gail felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment. Well, there went her tightly-guarded Disney secret. God, what was it about Holly that just made her so...open.

"You can stop now." Gail said dryly as Holly continued to stifle her giggles.

"I'm sorry, you're just so cute." Holly said as she smiled softly at Gail.

Damn that look and damn Holly for knowing just how to use it.

"Take it back." It was the only response that Gail could come up with in that moment.

"It's not a bad thing, you know," Holly said as she slowly approached Gail and slid her hands around her hips. Gail stood her ground but she could feel Holly's warmth radiating towards her. "I like seeing you like this." Holly continued but in a lower register, slowly stroking Gail's hipbones, something that she'd discovered reduced the blonde to mush. The other night had been full of discoveries in the science of Gail Peck and Holly had filed away every moan, every gasp, and every groan for future use. Luckily for her, the appropriate moment had presented itself a lot faster than she'd anticipated.

Before Holly's thoughts could continue, Gail's sharp intake of breath brought her back to the present moment where she had a delicious looking Gail Peck in her arms.

"You're not playing fair." Gail managed to get out as Holly's strokes became harder, more insistent.

"I'm not playing at all." Holly let out, slightly astonished at her own quick admission. Gail's eyes flew open once the words registered in her lust-addled mind.

"Is it supposed to feel this way?" Gail asked, trembling slightly.

"I don't know," Holly responded as she bent her lips to reach Gail's ear. "But, you make me feel."

Gail swallowed. Hard. She just knew her eyes were blown at this point, wide with want just like Holly's were right now. This was intimacy, real and true intimacy. They were straddling the line between love and desire and Gail wanted to fall into both.

"M-me too." Gail managed to stutter out. Having Holly hovering around her ear was all sorts of distracting.

"Yea?" Holly asked as she once again kissed Gail's spot behind her ear. "Like right here?"

"Yes", Gail gasped out.

"And here?" Holly continued to her collarbone.

"Fuck, yes."

"And here?" Holly asked boldly as she slid her hand into Gail's trousers. Her fingers met silky, slick heat.

"Oh my god." Gail grabbed onto Holly's shirt for support. Her harsh breathes were the only sound in the room as Holly continued her slow exploration.

"I want you to feel what I feel Gail." Holly whispered against the blonde's lips as she finally dipped into Gail, fully.

Deep. Slow. Tender.

It was the only thing Gail could feel and it was building slowly in her stomach, that burning, aching need.

"Don't stop."

"Never."

Gail clenched her eyes and her whole body convulsed. Shaking. She was shaking with the powerful aftershocks. Slowly, Holly removed her hand but kept Gail in her embrace.

Finally, Holly broke their peaceful world with two poignant words.

"And here?" Holly asked as she slowly moved her right hand over Gail's heart. Gail fought the urge to say no, to deny her feelings. It would be so easy with anyone else but no, not Holly. This was real, whatever it was. So she did the only thing she could do in that moment.

Gail Peck sealed it with a kiss.