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rsadelleSummary: Linden rubs her hand over his chest, over his heart. "You've got all my secrets."
Notes: Spoilers all the way through season 4. Title from Mumford & Sons' "After the Storm."
Story on AO3
"She's hard to get to know," Jessica says. She's the mother of one of Kalia's friends and they're at a birthday party for another one, kids and adults spread out over a living room and backyard.
"Who?" Stephen asks. "Linden?"
"Yes," Jessica says.
"Naw," Stephen says. "Linden is easy."
Jessica looks at him like something to be pitied. "You don't even use her first name."
"Now that don't mean no thing," Stephen says.
He doesn't tell Jessica about all the things he knows. That he still has to remind Linden to eat. That he doesn't worry about fighting with her now because she pulled a gun on him once. That she slept on the couch the whole first week after she decided to stay.
Stephen woke up that night, no definable reason, but awake, middle of the night, walked out into the living room to Linden staring into the dark.
He crouched down next to her, meeting her eyes, and said, "All right, mamacita. You been out here. You proved you're still independent. Now it's time for you to come to bed."
"Holder," she said. "I don't sleep well. I have nightmares sometimes, about the things I've done."
"Linden, I know what's in your nightmares. I was there for all those things you've done." He touched her then, hand to her elbow. "Come to bed."
He didn't kiss her for three more days after that, and when he did, it was a light press of his lips to hers before he left for work. It was another week after that before they had sex, Linden surprisingly ravenous in bed, all her reserve falling away.
Stephen doesn't tell Jessica any of that, says instead, "Naw, we alright," and takes a slice of cake over to Linden, stands close and makes sure she eats at least a couple of bites, that slight smile on her face as she does that says she knows what he's doing and doesn't mind.
*
The thing about Linden is that she can do the whole small talk thing. Doesn't talk a mile a minute like he can, but can ask about people's day and their jobs, comment on the weather, and barely give anything away about herself.
"You know," Stephen says one night, the two of them in bed, his fingers tracing meaningless patterns over the pale expanse of skin that lives under her sweaters, "you don't always gotta be so need to know."
"Need to know?" Linden asks with a laugh.
"Yeah, you know," Stephen says, "all don't get too personal with the suspect. You gonna stay with me, I'm gonna teach you to open up to people."
"I open up to you."
"Naw," Stephen says. "You and me, we just got one of those connections, can read each other real good. Don't got that with other people, gotta open up, let 'em see inside a little." He runs his hand down her side, smoothing away the sudden tension there. "Just a little, mamacita. I ain't sayin' you gotta go spillin' all your secrets or nothing."
Linden rubs her hand over his chest, over his heart. "You've got all my secrets."
Stephen grins at her, bright. "That's right, I do," he says, and he rolls over onto her.
*
Little Man comes to visit over his spring break, and he ain't so little anymore, really is almost as tall as Stephen, says he doesn't mind sleeping on the couch anyway.
Stephen doesn't ask what they talk about, Linden and Jack, while he's at work and they're at the apartment or wandering around the city, doesn't ask if it's easier for them now.
"You know, Little Man," he does say one morning when Linden's still asleep and he and Jack are up, "you don't got to worry so much about your moms. She's tougher than you think."
Jack's quiet for a moment, looking Stephen in the eye before he says, "She's more vulnerable too."
"Well, shit," Stephen says with a grin, "look at you being all grown up and wise." He drops the grin when Jack keeps looking at him steadily. "Don't you worry, Little Man. I know all about Linden's vulnerabilities." Sometimes he wishes he still smoked, so he'd have something to do with his hands. "Only fair," he says with a shrug, "since she knows all of mine too."
"Look at you being all grown up and wise," Jack says with a smile.
Stephen laughs. "Yeah, look at me." He ruffles Jack's hair. "Don't you worry. Your moms and me, we're good."
*
Linden traces her fingers over his tattoos, a Saturday morning in bed, early, before he goes to pick up Kalia. It's a firm touch, no hesitation.
"You've got a lot of things on your body," she says.
"Mmhmm, that I do. All kinds of important things written on me."
"All kinds of identifying marks," she says with a sly smile.
Stephen laughs. "Yeah, if you ever need to identify me, I got plenty of those."
Lindens smiles, and then runs her fingers over the tattoo for Kalia, lifts his arm to press her lips against the inside of her wrist.
"Don't got nothing on me for you," Stephen says. He laughs softly at the way it makes her tense all over. "Don't you worry none, mamacita. I know you got commitment issues." He finds her hand, links his fingers through hers. "I know you."
"Yeah, Holder," she says. "You do."
Notes: Spoilers all the way through season 4. Title from Mumford & Sons' "After the Storm."
Story on AO3
"She's hard to get to know," Jessica says. She's the mother of one of Kalia's friends and they're at a birthday party for another one, kids and adults spread out over a living room and backyard.
"Who?" Stephen asks. "Linden?"
"Yes," Jessica says.
"Naw," Stephen says. "Linden is easy."
Jessica looks at him like something to be pitied. "You don't even use her first name."
"Now that don't mean no thing," Stephen says.
He doesn't tell Jessica about all the things he knows. That he still has to remind Linden to eat. That he doesn't worry about fighting with her now because she pulled a gun on him once. That she slept on the couch the whole first week after she decided to stay.
Stephen woke up that night, no definable reason, but awake, middle of the night, walked out into the living room to Linden staring into the dark.
He crouched down next to her, meeting her eyes, and said, "All right, mamacita. You been out here. You proved you're still independent. Now it's time for you to come to bed."
"Holder," she said. "I don't sleep well. I have nightmares sometimes, about the things I've done."
"Linden, I know what's in your nightmares. I was there for all those things you've done." He touched her then, hand to her elbow. "Come to bed."
He didn't kiss her for three more days after that, and when he did, it was a light press of his lips to hers before he left for work. It was another week after that before they had sex, Linden surprisingly ravenous in bed, all her reserve falling away.
Stephen doesn't tell Jessica any of that, says instead, "Naw, we alright," and takes a slice of cake over to Linden, stands close and makes sure she eats at least a couple of bites, that slight smile on her face as she does that says she knows what he's doing and doesn't mind.
*
The thing about Linden is that she can do the whole small talk thing. Doesn't talk a mile a minute like he can, but can ask about people's day and their jobs, comment on the weather, and barely give anything away about herself.
"You know," Stephen says one night, the two of them in bed, his fingers tracing meaningless patterns over the pale expanse of skin that lives under her sweaters, "you don't always gotta be so need to know."
"Need to know?" Linden asks with a laugh.
"Yeah, you know," Stephen says, "all don't get too personal with the suspect. You gonna stay with me, I'm gonna teach you to open up to people."
"I open up to you."
"Naw," Stephen says. "You and me, we just got one of those connections, can read each other real good. Don't got that with other people, gotta open up, let 'em see inside a little." He runs his hand down her side, smoothing away the sudden tension there. "Just a little, mamacita. I ain't sayin' you gotta go spillin' all your secrets or nothing."
Linden rubs her hand over his chest, over his heart. "You've got all my secrets."
Stephen grins at her, bright. "That's right, I do," he says, and he rolls over onto her.
*
Little Man comes to visit over his spring break, and he ain't so little anymore, really is almost as tall as Stephen, says he doesn't mind sleeping on the couch anyway.
Stephen doesn't ask what they talk about, Linden and Jack, while he's at work and they're at the apartment or wandering around the city, doesn't ask if it's easier for them now.
"You know, Little Man," he does say one morning when Linden's still asleep and he and Jack are up, "you don't got to worry so much about your moms. She's tougher than you think."
Jack's quiet for a moment, looking Stephen in the eye before he says, "She's more vulnerable too."
"Well, shit," Stephen says with a grin, "look at you being all grown up and wise." He drops the grin when Jack keeps looking at him steadily. "Don't you worry, Little Man. I know all about Linden's vulnerabilities." Sometimes he wishes he still smoked, so he'd have something to do with his hands. "Only fair," he says with a shrug, "since she knows all of mine too."
"Look at you being all grown up and wise," Jack says with a smile.
Stephen laughs. "Yeah, look at me." He ruffles Jack's hair. "Don't you worry. Your moms and me, we're good."
*
Linden traces her fingers over his tattoos, a Saturday morning in bed, early, before he goes to pick up Kalia. It's a firm touch, no hesitation.
"You've got a lot of things on your body," she says.
"Mmhmm, that I do. All kinds of important things written on me."
"All kinds of identifying marks," she says with a sly smile.
Stephen laughs. "Yeah, if you ever need to identify me, I got plenty of those."
Lindens smiles, and then runs her fingers over the tattoo for Kalia, lifts his arm to press her lips against the inside of her wrist.
"Don't got nothing on me for you," Stephen says. He laughs softly at the way it makes her tense all over. "Don't you worry none, mamacita. I know you got commitment issues." He finds her hand, links his fingers through hers. "I know you."
"Yeah, Holder," she says. "You do."