numb3rsflashfic | Taking That Last Step by Jestana, Challenge #1: Last

Title: Taking That Last Step
Pairing/Characters: Megan Reeves, Larry Fleinhardt; LF/MR (Finally!)
Rating/Category: G for lots of loverly fluff
Word Count: 1,184
Spoilers: None that I can think of
Summary: Megan and Larry take that last step into being a couple
Notes/Warnings: Takes place between Toxin and Christmas. Other fics.

Taking That Last Step
It was a cool, crisp Saturday night in southern California. Dr. Larry Fleinhardt and Agent Megan Reeves walked along arm-in-arm, ostensibly to ward off the chill in the evening air. At the moment, they walked in companionable silence, each musing on how well their dinner together had gone. They'd been dating, as it were, for a couple months now. Once he stopped stuttering every few words and sentences, conversation flowed easily between the two and they found they had a great deal to talk about, ranging from popular music to the meaning of life as stated by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Even so, they didn't always feel a need to talk. Sometimes, it was nice to simply enjoy each other's company. As with any silence, however, it was soon broken, this time by Megan, "Larry, would you mind if I asked you a personal question?"

"That would depend on what you mean by a personal question," he replied, his free hand waving around as he talked, almost as if he was trying to swat a bug of some sort. "I mean, my definition of a personal question could differ significantly from your definition."

Megan smiled bemusedly. Some people would find his habit of changing the topic at hand to an entirely different topic frustrating. She found it endearing, part of who he was. "Would you mind if I asked a question that I consider personal?"

"Why don't you ask me the question and I'll tell you if I mind?" he suggested mildly, tucking his hand into his pocket to keep it warm.

She nodded, still smiling. "All right, that sounds like a good compromise." She cleared her throat. "Are you bothered by the fact that I'm taller than you are?"

"I haven't actually considered that, to tell the truth," he answered thoughtfully. "Height is such a relative term."

She considered that for a few moments. "If you were taller, say six foot, would you have the same opinion?"

"If I were taller, I would not have been picked on so much in school," he answered ruefully, scratching his head. "Which is why height is relative. If you're taller, bullies won't pick on you. When you're smaller, you're a prime target."

She sighed, nodding. "Yes, most unfortunately, that is very true. Bullies tend to pick on people smaller than they are because they will be the ones least likely to try to fight back."

"Is there a reason you asked the question?" he suddenly asked after they had walked for several moments in silence, simply pondering what they'd discussed. "Are you bothered by the fact that you're taller than myself?"

She shook her head, swift to reassure him. "No, no, I'm not. I have met men, however, who refuse to date a woman taller than they are, which could limit their choices, depending, of course, on the height of the man in question."

"Exactly." Larry nodded his agreement, gesticulating expansively as he expounded on the topic. "If I chose to do so, I would eliminate a number of my female acquaintances as women I might date simply because they happen to be taller than myself." He held up a finger to emphasize his next point. "However, choosing a possible mate based on how tall she is does not take into account the woman herself: her personality, her intelligence, even her career choices." Stuffing his hand in his pocket once more, he shrugged as he concluded, "It simply eliminates a woman based on, more often than not, how long or short her legs are."

"By the same token, there are some women who refuse to date men shorter than themselves," Megan added in response, squeezing his elbow reassuringly. "In my opinion, women and men who make their choices based on such a physical quality are missing what it is that makes us human, why we are supposedly at the top of the food chain: our intelligence."

He chuckled, a wry sound that she found quite pleasant to listen to. "Yes, well, there are some people out there who make me wonder how they've managed to survive and even thrive in our society."

"Perhaps they found a book called Surviving in Modern Society for Dummies," Megan commented with an ironic smile.

Larry considered that seriously for several moments, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You know, I would not be surprised if there is such a book."

"If there isn't, I'm sure someone will eventually think to write it," Megan countered with a laugh. A thought struck her and she added, "Maybe you should write it, Larry. You know a lot about life."

He shook his head, taking her jest seriously. "Only from an academic perspective. The sort of book you're suggesting would be more suitable if written from an empirical perspective, by someone with experience of life on the streets. Someone who would know the challenges a person would face."

"Are you suggesting that I write the book?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise and curiosity.

He nodded, glancing at her with a smile. "Well, yes. You've seen the worst humanity has to offer, but you still have faith in humanity as a whole."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she countered wryly, very amused.

He shrugged, and then nodded, once again gesturing expansively as he talked. "Yes, I suppose it could be considered one. Or it could just mean that I find you hopelessly naïve."

"That's not exactly reassuring." She shook her head, rather bemused by the direction their conversation had taken. She could always count on Larry to look at something from a completely different angle.

She could hear the utter sincerity in his voice as he made his response. "I think you are one of the strongest women I have ever met. You spend your time dealing with some of the worst criminals humanity has ever produced, but you are still compassionate and kind. Your job does not prevent you from feeling for your fellow human beings."

"That was beautiful, Larry." She moved to kiss his cheek in thanks for the compliment, but he chose that moment to turn his head to respond to her comment. Consequently, her kiss didn't land on his cheek as she'd intended, but on his lips. They were warm, moist, and softer than she'd expected. Though she'd intended the kiss to be swift, she couldn't help lingering, her free hand coming up to cup his cheek. It was the need for air that prompted her to end the kiss, her hand still cupping his cheek.

He stared up at her, hazel eyes wide and dazed. He leaned his cheek into her palm as his eyes cleared and focused on her. "Well, that was quite pleasant."

"Thanks for the favorable assessment of my kissing skills," she answered with an amused smile.

He gazed thoughtfully up at her, a gleam appearing in his eyes. "You know, a proper assessment would require several tests of the...skill being assessed."

"We certainly must have a proper assessment," she agreed, lowering her head to kiss him once more.

End