Really lovely. And while there are lots of things I could quote, this has to be my favorite part:
**Francesca bends his ear as she sits on his desk, swinging her legs back and forth. “I mean, it’d be fine if Ray -- Ray Kowalski -- kissed Benton. It worked with my brother, stopped them fighting so much - well, stopped them punching each other.”
He’s not getting involved. “But surely your brother-”
“My brother needs to kiss Benton, too.”
He nods. That makes sense - oh, Christ. Now he’s thinking like her. “No.”
She frowns. “No to what?”
“We are not playing matchmakers, Miss Vecchio.”
She snorts. “Those three don’t need matchmakers. Give it a week,” she tells him, patting his shoulder, then breezing out. He’s...accustomed to her, now. While he doesn’t seek out her face in the bullpen, he notices when it isn’t there. It’s familiarity more than fondness, the comfort of sometime conspiracy, of mutual understanding, and leaving some things unsaid. He would miss her if she wasn’t there.**
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-09-01 01:25 pm (UTC)**Francesca bends his ear as she sits on his desk, swinging her legs back and forth. “I mean, it’d be fine if Ray -- Ray Kowalski -- kissed Benton. It worked with my brother, stopped them fighting so much - well, stopped them punching each other.”
He’s not getting involved. “But surely your brother-”
“My brother needs to kiss Benton, too.”
He nods. That makes sense - oh, Christ. Now he’s thinking like her. “No.”
She frowns. “No to what?”
“We are not playing matchmakers, Miss Vecchio.”
She snorts. “Those three don’t need matchmakers. Give it a week,” she tells him, patting his shoulder, then breezing out. He’s...accustomed to her, now. While he doesn’t seek out her face in the bullpen, he notices when it isn’t there. It’s familiarity more than fondness, the comfort of sometime conspiracy, of mutual understanding, and leaving some things unsaid. He would miss her if she wasn’t there.**
I just loved this whole section to bits.