DISCLAIMER: Law & Order: Trial By Jury and all characters are property of NBC and Dick Wolf.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Raindrops
By Cj
Standing on the roof of her building, Kelly could faintly see the false starlight from the nearby skyscrapers. The heavens were obscured by the approaching storm, the clouds causing even more shadows to form about the surrounding structures. She sank into the darkness, drowning her thoughts with the last bottle of whiskey from her apartment.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Kelly sucked in a breath, unsure if she had imagined the statement, but then she felt the tremor that always came with the other woman's presence. She closed her eyes at the intrusion.
"What are you doing here?" Kelly asked, her tone breaking around the edges. She cursed herself for her weakness.
"One minute we're at the office, having what I thought was a normal conversation, and then the next thing I know a silence is followed by your running out on me." Kelly could hear the shrug in Tracey's voice. "You wanna tell me what happened?"
Kelly opened her eyes and turned toward her uninvited guest but didn't look at her boss. Instead, she reclined against the railing and folded her arms over her chest.
"No," she sighed and added, "I can't."
Tracey made her way slowly to lean against the banister, close but not touching Kelly. The older woman looked out over the city, the warm breeze blowing her hair into her face, and took comfort in Kelly's breathing. Although she had never been accused of being patient, she knew she had to give Kelly time.
"Why do you flirt with me?"
The shock settled on Tracey's face immediately but was quickly replaced with a smirk.
"Because it's fun," the brunette answered honestly, "..and because you flirt with me."
The sharpness of their exchange was mirrored in Kelly's stance when she twisted to gaze at her partner.
"Is it just a diversion to you? A game?"
"I play enough dangerous games in my job, Kelly. I try to avoid them in my personal life." Tracey glanced at the blonde. "And as for you being a diversion, yes, you can be. I find myself thinking about you when I should be thinking of other things."
If Tracey found the admission difficult, she made no indication. Her ease both unnerved and soothed the younger woman. Softly, with the care of a condemned person, Kelly began speaking. Even in the dim lighting, Tracey could see the grays and blues of Kelly's eyes, each color a different emotion.
"What happened tonight...when we were talking...I don't know what got into me, but you were standing there, so close, and suddenly there were no more words."
Tracey turned so that she was facing Kelly, taking a step to put herself within the other woman's personal space. An unexpected hit of thunder caused both women to jump, and a cool blast of air carried the reminder of the approaching storm. Tracey looked to the sky and laughed.
"Actions are usually louder than words, Kel." Kelly smiled, a shyness settling over her features that captivated Tracey. "Can I kiss you now?" she whispered, her hand tangling in wind-blown tresses.
Looking over the city below from their perch 30 stories up and feeling the skin of Tracey's wrist brushing across her neck, Kelly knew she was at the top of the world despite the antennas and chimneys dotting her view.
"I have nowhere else to run," Kelly answered before meeting Tracey's lips.
Kelly tasted dark, like a strong drink and bitter coffee, nothing like her personality. Tracey sighed into her mouth, craving becoming an addiction. The impending rain finally began falling, the salty tang mixing with the sweetness of the moment.
Kelly broke the kiss with a smile.
"Do you think we should go inside?"
"I don't know," Tracey replied, her customary smirk returning. "I've always wanted to play in the rain."
The End