CSI:New York : Who Are You? (Don Flack/OFC fanfic)

Rockefeller

'Y'know, I'm thinking this is not the best idea.'

Flack eyed the sprawling five hundred or so square feet of solid ice that was the rink below the Rockefeller Center like it were a fate worse than death. He felt his feet start to slip out from under him, his arms swinging wildly. Any second now he was going to fall flat on his ass.

Again.

Olivia effortlessly skated up behind him, hooking an arm through his and kept him upright before he fell on his backside. Again. 'Didn't you tell me something about playing hockey in high school?'

'Roller hockey. On wheels. In the street.' His face was grim, he was trying really hard to concentrate on not falling over.

'You've lived in New York City your whole life and you've never been skating in Rockefeller Center?' she said with an air of disbelief about her words.

'That's right. Pure and simple, I don't see what's fun about whizzing around a sheet of ice wearing boots that look like razor blades.'

'Where's your sense of fun, Flack?'

He eyed her. 'Do I need to remind you of the oyster extravaganza?'

'Hardly an extravaganza, you ate one,' she reminded.

'What was so bad about the movies, anyway? We could've grabbed some popcorn, couple sodas...'

'I didn't feel like being inside. I've spent the entire day cooped up in the lab, picking my way through people's trash and God knows what, I thought some fresh air would do us both some good.'

'I wouldn't call this air fresh, we're directly opposite East 48th. You got the traffic fumes and - Whoa! What are you doing?' She was now facing him and taking both his hands in hers.

'Shutting you up.'

'There are other more enjoyable ways for you to do that.'

'Later,' she promised with a smile. 'Enjoy the experience.' Now she was leaning back, hair billowing in the breeze as she pulled him with her.

Flack tried to protest, but found his mouth wasn't working any better than his legs. He tried to stop himself from moving forward but the ice wasn't working in his favor. He just kept on sliding. 'Olivia, uh, I'm serious, this is really not the best idea.' Keeping a firm eye on his feet, he added, 'How'd you talk me into this, anyhow?'

'Like I always do,' she grinned. 'Although I think, Detective Flack, you've played all your free cards for now,' she added with a wink.

He smiled at her. How could he do anything other than that? There was something about this woman, she had this way of making him experience things he would never in a million years even contemplate. But she had a way of doing it without making it seem like he was being forced. Oysters, ice-skating...he wondered what was coming next. He surprised himself by looking forward to whatever it was.

'See,' she said, the breeze was now whipping her dark red curls around her face, 'you're doing really well.'

She's beautiful, so perfect.

But Flack didn't want to get too carried away with his feelings - which were steadily growing by the day - he had to keep his head. And the irony of that would have made him smile, except he had to keep his balance. He directed his gaze once again to his feet. 'I'm upright,' he said, 'that's enough for me. Where'd you learn to skate anyway?'

'My dad taught me. I was about six I think.'

She offered a gentle smile and he realized it was the first time she had willingly given information about her family without any bad aftermath. Flack wanted to delve deeper, he wanted to ask questions, but knew he should just be grateful with the offering he had received.

'He taught me a lot of things,' she added her tone growing softer.

'Good dad, huh?'

'The best. Fancy trying a triple-eight?'

The moment had passed. The distant look he had seen in her eyes only moments before had been replaced by an almost mischievous twinkle. It never failed to amaze him how quickly her many masks fell into place. She could be devastated one moment, and the next act like nothing had happened. Flack supposed it had taken years for her to master. The thought saddened him; it made her seem more vulnerable. He wanted to delve deeper, to get to know the real Olivia Cordukes. But until she completely opened herself up to him, he never would.

'I can show you how to do one without twisting your ankle,' she added, throwing a devilish grin his way.

Smiling, he eyed her. 'Great. Twisting an ankle wasn't high on my to-do list, anyway.'

'Neither was ice-skating,' she teased.

'Got that right. You're killing me, Olivia, y'know that?'

Laughing, she skated them over to a barricade and they slowed to a stop, her back bumping up against the metal barrier behind, as she pulled Flack with her.

'Are we done?' he asked, feeling a little out of breath, but not certain if it was the cold air that was making him feel that way or if it was just her.

'For now. I wouldn't want to overwhelm you or anything.'

'Little late for that,' he said, meeting her eyes. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and when she smiled at him he actually felt his heart somersault inside his chest. He was pressed up against her and felt brave enough to let go of her hands, placing them either side of her on the barricade while he enjoyed the heat of her body seeping into his. She slid her arms around his waist and for a long moment they just smiled at one another.

'Now this,' Flack decided, 'is my kind of skating.'

'We're not skating.'

'Exactly.' He dipped his head and kissed her, meaning it to be brief but like always, as soon as his mouth touched hers he lost himself in her taste. He brought up a hand, cupping the back of her head and deepened the kiss. Her hands found their way under his jacket and inside his shirt and she felt his stomach flutter when her hands moved over him. 'Jesus, cold hands!' he gasped, shivering.

She laughed. 'You looking forward to tomorrow?' she said, rubbing her cold nose against his.

He eased back and gave her a worried look. 'That depends...'

'I thought we could try a bungee-jump from the Brooklyn Bridge or maybe that skydive from the Chrysler building,' she grinned.

'Uh, y'know, I think oysters and ice-skating is about my limit.'

Laughing, she took his hand. 'I had a feeling you'd say that. C'mon,' she said, 'let's get outta here. I've been jonesin' for your meatballs all day long.' She skated them both towards the gate out.

'A remark like that can get a girl in a lot of trouble.'

Catching his grin she grinned back. 'You got a dirty mind, Detective Flack,' she said as they reached the gate.

'Yeah, and it's gotten worse since I met you, Detective Cordukes.'

'Hmm, seems like since you met me your world's just opened on up,' she teased.

Truth of it was she was right. Flack couldn't remember a time when he had felt more alive. She was everything he could ever want, ever need and he couldn't imagine being without her now. The casual affair had become something a whole lot more. For him at least.

He was in it up to his neck.

And he knew with each passing day he spent with her, he was getting deeper and deeper.

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