Stuck on You

Day One

Three days.

It would happen in three days.

He felt his skin itch with an antsy anticipation that came for him every month. But this time was a little different. This time there was something more, something that made him really look forward to the day.

He glanced at his watch and sighed. Time couldn't move fast enough.

He knew, of course, that no matter how many times he looked at the clock he couldn't will it forward.

"Damned laws of time and space," he muttered to himself. Someone behind him chuckled.

"I didn't think you were the type to talk to yourself," a familiar voice said.

He turned, his chair spinning a little too much, making him spin around a full circle before he finally stopped.

"Maybe you need to reevaluate how you see me then. Haven't you heard that geniuses talk to themselves?" He asked with a grin.

Irene laughed, "Are you saying you're a genius now?"

"Hey, not just now. I've always been a genius," he joked, getting another laugh out of her. "I'm offended that you haven't recognized me for who I truly am."

"Alright, genius, why don't you tell me how that case is going?"

"Not great," he shook his head and spun back around to his computer. It took him no time to pull up the files he needed.

"Our agents are pretty certain that the recent murders are all tied to werewolves, but..."

"But what?" Irene leaned over his shoulder to look at his screen. She frowned as her eyes scanned the report.

"Yeah, it's not great," he nodded when she sighed. "Nothing to point us to where this werewolf is. Or who it might be."

"And with the full moon happening in a few days, someone's likely to die again... Unless we can catch this wolf before then," Irene sighed. The frown she now wore seemed almost etched into her brow.

"Maybe we should go out there and have a look ourselves?" He suggested, spinning around again to face her. "I'm not saying our agents are incompetent, but maybe some fresh eyes will help?"

Irene was silent. Her frown turned more thoughtful before she nodded. "Maybe. Can't hurt to try if we have nothing else. I'll talk to the captain about it, see if she'll let us go."

"If anyone can convince her, it's you," he grinned at her. Her skills were quite legendary around the department, after all.

She rolled her eyes at him, but the smile gave her away. Irene gave him a little mock bow and waved her hand with a flourish. "Thank you for your faith in me, good sir. I shall do my best to not disappoint you."

As Irene walked off to the captain's office, he turned back to his computer. But despite appearances, he didn't go back to work. He discreetly looked over his computer screen into the captain's office where Irene was trying to convince the woman to let them go ahead.

Whatever the captain said, it made Irene glance back through the window at him. His heart jumped to his throat when their eyes met. Even from this distance, he could feel the intensity in her eyes.

She grinned ever so slightly at him, giving him a discreet thumbs up. Irene did it again it seemed. He wasn't surprised.

It might sound like the most cliche thing in the whole fucking world, but Irene was unlike anyone else. At least in his eyes.

For as long as he could remember, there was never anyone who could capture his attention for very long.

But then Irene happened. She came into his life like a lightning strike and left such a deep and permanent impression that made it impossible to forget her.

When it came to her, he felt so greedy. Greedier than he ever thought possible. He wanted her all to himself. He wanted her to only look at him.

And he would make it happen.

"The captain gave us the go ahead," Irene said out of nowhere, making him jump. He looked up to see her grinning down at him from above the monitor.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Oh, totally. I saw you spacing out so I had no choice," she admitted. The grin on her face was anything but apologetic.

"Right," he snorted. "By the ancient rules of conduct, you had to go and startle me."

"Yes! I'm so glad you're aware of these ancient traditions," Irene snickered. She walked around his desk and grabbed an empty chair on the way and took a seat next to him.

"So anyway, the captain said that we can go," she said. "The forensics team made several sweeps and agents had a thorough look, so she said not to expect too much."

"I'm never sure if that means she has faith in our abilities or not," he mumbled, glancing over to the glass-walled office.

"I like to think she trusts that we'll get results when we think we're onto something."

"But we don't actually have anything?"

"Details, my dear friend. Details," Irene patted him on the back with a grin. "We just have to go over there and do our thing."

"And not be disappointed when we don't find anything," he added.

"If, if we don't find anything. I'm not trying to be unrealistic and blindly positive here, but let's not be negative about it either," Irene said, smiling softly. Even when they first met she was like this. No matter what life threw at her, at her core, Irene always remained Irene.

"As you wish, Detective," he snickered, earning himself a little smack on the shoulder.

"Come on, we need to get ready to leave if we want to actually get to investigating before the full moon," she said and stood up. She pushed the chair she had borrowed, making it wheel backwards like a spinning menace until it came to a stop about three desks down.

"I'll see you down in the garage, don't be late or you're getting me coffee again." Irene walked off, laughing to herself.

"Same to you!" He shouted after her, but he knew already how it would end. Their coffee score was wildly uneven, with it leaning heavily in Irene's favor.

It wasn't like he minded it, though.

Three days, he thought. Just three days and it would be over.