(1937-10-30) Partners
Details for Partners
Summary: A nearly recovered Gideon expresses his frustration with his professional partner, while solidifying bonds with his romantic partner.
Date: October 30, 1937
Location: MacDiarmarda Apothecary
Related: After the Knife, One More Into the Fray
Characters
NiamhGideon

One of those times when the stew that seems to be ever present simply won't do for stomach issues.. and Nia's 'reduced' to take out. Mind, it's take out from the Cauldron, which is one of the only other places she'll go if she doesn't cook for herself. So, come late afternoon, Niamh's got the shop briefly closed and she takes the stairs with the bag. It is lighter fare; ploughman's lunch before it's invention — cheese, bread, tomato, chutney.. and filling. Closing the door behind her once past the landing, she looks to the sitting room, "Adamantus?"

Gideon isn't in the sitting room, nor visible at all. But a light sound of sloshing water announces a presence, and he pokes his head out of the loo, his face lathered up with shaving cream, straight razor in hand. "I'm here, Niamh."

A relieved breath comes, followed by a smile to see the face- all lathered up? Crossing to the sitting area to put the food down, Niamh turns about and puts a hand on the back of a chair. "Shaving? All that fine beard ye've grown?" She's teasing, of course.. mostly. She much prefers her brother clean-shaven, but she's so used to seeing Gideon with the perpetual five o'clock shadow that it'll seem.. odd without it. "I've brought some food that I think ye will be able t'handle. Cheese, bread, tomato.. an' some chutney to go with." Beat. "Have ye had your tea yet?"

Gideon nods, sending a bit of shaving cream splattering to the floor. "I have. Thank you. Let me just finish up, I'll be out in a moment." The (still) shirtless man disappears back into the W.C. to continue removing his scruffy beard (it'll be back in a day or two, blasted thing).

Okay, no need for tea, then.. and Niamh removes her jacket before she sits down on the couch, leaning over to pull the contents from the bag. "Okay, good." She'll keep the rest of the questions for when he emerges again, and she busies herself with the setting of the food. No questions, but she does offer statements.. "Inspector Lovegood was in the shop today, an' a nice gent who gave me two tickets to a Shakespeare show in the West End." She looks in the direction of the WC and smiles at the bare back.. and watches the play of muscles. "I'd like t'go.."

Gideon winces at the mention of Lovegood, "Damn it." He touches his neck and looks down at his finger. Blood. The nick stops bleeding quickly enough, but still earns an irritated sigh. "Shakespeare, hm? Of course you should go." Silence, then he appears in the doorway again. "You mean with me?"

Twisting about, Niamh smiles warmly, her gaze.. appreciative. "Aye, with ye.. not with Inspector Lovegood.. or with Keen." Or Sloan. "I suppose I could ask Lindy, but I'm giving ye first refusal?" She rises from her spot on the couch at the nick, realizing what it is now.. and she runs the risk of jumping at every injury, real or perceived until she can truly calm down. "Are ye okay?"

Gideon waves it off, "I'm fine. Just a nick." He drifts back to the mirror, now that she's right there, to finish shaving. "So, Shakespeare." It isn't the most enthusiastic tone. But he shrugs and nods, "Sure. I've never been. We should go together."

"They were free tickets," is given in explanation. "A customer came in for nausea potions, an' we were havin' a nice chat." Niamh leans against the door-sill, watching his motions. She's not seen a man shave often, and while it seems an easy exercise, with the straight razor, she'd be a little nervous if she had to do it herself. "An' Inspector Lovegood had heard, obviously, 'bout the body an' wanted to check up on us.. you an' I. He offered to look into things, even though he knew that the Auror's office would have the lead in it." She reaches to put a hand on those shoulders, those back muscles, "He was concerned."

Gideon cleans the razor off, somehow managing to make the sloshing sound irate. "Oh, he's concerned now, is he? I'd rather gotten the impression he'd prefer to leave me dangling in the wind. It's certainly been his M.O. so far." The scowl on his face can be seen clearly in the mirror. Goodness, that look alone could probably remove his whiskers. No need for the razor!

Niamh looks.. surprised at the outburst. "What?" She cants her head and comes up fully behind him, her hands both now upon his shoulders, his back, her cheek pressed against the spot in the middle of his shoulder blades before she presses a kiss there. "He'd considered, I think, checking up on ye, but he didn't want to get ye mad.. any more than ye already were because of all this." She steps back again, her eyes searching his face, even as a reflection in the mirror. "What happened? Leave ye dangling?"

Gideon's last few strokes of the razor are quicker than they need to be, but he manages not to cut himself again. As he cleans up after himself, he explains. "First, he called me out in front of a suspect." He lifts his gaze to meet her reflection, trying to impart the seriousness of his words. "A Hit Wizard never does that to his partner. Then the bloody git literally walked away as I was making the arrest." He shakes his head, his lips set into a determined frown. "I'll waste no more time on that bastard. Twice now he's done this to me. We had an understanding, and he violated that. To Hades with him." He's in a rage. It's not a fuming, loud, violent fit, but a rage nonetheless.

If she looked surprised before, she certainly has upped the expression, her brows rising, her mouth opening slightly quizzically. "He did what?" Niamh doesn't need it repeated, obviously, and she closes her mouth again, pressing her lips into a tight line, shaking her head. "I can't see.." but obviously, it was done, or Gideon wouldn't be in such a rage about it. She takes a deep breath; the mention of it has undoubtedly put a damper on things (again!), and she's trying to push through the unpleasantness of it all. Why can't she just keep her mouth shut? "Okay.. are ye goin' to talk to your chief Inspector an' make it official on the morrow?"

Gideon wipes down his now smooth face of any stray shaving cream and turns to face her. "No need. No point, really. It was the Commissioner that assigned Lovegood to me. He wanted to keep his two 'problem children' in one basket. To Hades with him, too. I worked just fine without a partner for six years. I dinnae care what the official paperwork says. I'll nae be relying on Elijah to watch my back again. At least this way I'll know what the score is, and nae turn around to find him gone again."

Niamh reaches out to touch that now smooth face, her fingers light upon his cheek, and she nods, dropping her hand once again. "Aye.." and taking a step back for him to clear the WC, she continues, "It's easier t'go alone because all ye need do is rely upon yourself." She's not arguing.. and she'll not argue on Eli's behalf. "I don't know why he did what it was. All I know is that he was concerned, an' he's willing to work on the case." Which is outside his jurisdiction, as she's led to believe. "An' he's still my .. client. I'll not give up on him for that."

Gideon shakes his head, gently rubbing her back as he steps out. "I'd never ask you to give up a client on my behalf. But I'm not thrilled about him working this case. I will nae be counting on him. I'm doing this on my own, and with the Aurors if need be." He's moving a lot better now. He's been able to eat some, and perhaps this bit of aggravation has actually stimulated him a bit.

There was something that Eli'd said.. that Gideon shouldn't work on the case because it's too close, too personal. She opens her mouth to speak again, but closes it soon after. For Niamh, there's a feeling of safety and comfort knowing that those who can do.. are doing. Keen and his healing, her and her potions, and Gideon and his.. investigating. She smiles at the touch, and turns back around, her gaze studying his face again. "I think I like ye clean shaven, Adamantus. There's naught to tickle or scratch.." and she raises her hand again to feel his cheek without the scruff. "But if ye want to be able to show yourself back at the pub, ye may have to grow it back.. or they'll not only accuse me o'taking their mate, but also makin' him shave to suit me."

That's enough to bring a chuckle. "Oh, aye. Dinnae worry about that. It'll be back before you know it." Gideon shrugs helplessly, cleary a slave to his facial hair. "But for now, you can enjoy it." He grins impishly, and suddenly lunges to kiss her neck, rubbing his smooth cheek against her soft skin.

The light that rises in Gideon's eyes, on his face when the chuckle sounds lifts a thousand pounds off Niamh's shoulders, and her own smile is in direct response. "Oh no.. it won't.. because if it will, Keen will argue for his own, an'-" and she doesn't get the rest of the sentence off before Gideon leaps forward to kiss her neck, rubbing his cheek against her. She squeals in laughed alarm, and offers, "Oooh.. ye.." before, "I like that.." and she dips her head to take a breath of him, kissing the fresh cheek. "No scratching.." she murmurs. "An' I bet it's not the least bit itchy.."

Still nestled in the curve of her neck, Gideon walks Niamh toward the couch, pulling her down onto his lap. "Not at all…hey, I keep my beard clean," he protests as he kisses his way up to her chin. "I thought you liked my beard." It's idle banter. He's much more concerned with the little reactions his physical attentions are getting from her.

She's loving the little attentions, and as they walk towards the couch, she's kissing that freshly cleaned cheek. "I like the beard, an' I like this fresh face look. Now, I get to decide which it is I like more.." Niamh's smile brightens as he nuzzles; idle banter is good.. and it feels right. Away from the stress of the last day, day and a half. "Comparing.. it's not so bad. Unless ye don't want me to try the good again as is, an' would rather I wait for the whiskers t'return?" She's happily on his lap now, her hand stroking his cheek as her own head rolls back for the caresses, the attentions, her throat laid bare for him.

Gideon chuckles. "Best get used to both. They come and they go." He tugs at her blouse, sliding it up to bare her stomach, which becomes the next recipient of his kisses. "Such a fine woman," he murmurs.

Her breathing hitches as he pulls her blouse up, her back arching a little as she exhales in a soft, chuffed breath. "Do I get my say in the choices of beard?" Niamh squirms a little in his arms, her need for him beginning to truly rise in the teasing touches. "I'll get used t'both.. as long as ye continue t'scrape your cheek against me." She'll not complain! Her hands move from his cheek to wrap about behind him. "An' ye are a good man.." Her man.

Gideon smiles up at her as his kisses rise. "Nae. I wear one kind of beard." Well, that's that, it seems. He pulls her blouse free, setting it aside. His fingers, their strength regained, grip her back, pulling her into his affection.

That's that is right! Niamh doesn't look too disappointed, however, and she takes a deep breath again as his lips move higher. Her breath brings her chest to rise, encouragingly. She draws her arms around him, pressing herself against him, her own lips searching out flesh to kiss him, her hands moving now against the warm flesh. "I was afraid t'other night that ye'd not want me again.." Ever again.. and it truly terrified her.

Gideon lifts his gaze to meet hers, suddenly quite serious. He pulls her hips closer in a possessive move. "Niamh, what would ever make you think that?"

"I'd thought I'd lost ye.." she whispers, and moves easily against him, closer to him, happily encouraging his possessiveness. Niamh takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, "Because there are times when I think I must be dreamin', ye sleeping beside me." She kisses him again, her tones a soft purr. "Ye are too good to me," for me, and she smiles as she looks into his eyes again, "When I look into those eyes, Adamantus.. I see such things.."

"Love." No one ever accused Adamantus Gideon of being too subtle a man. "You see love, and it's something I hold very dear, and I would gladly fight and die for. I love you, Niamh, and I'll not let one disagreement harm what we have. I know I'm not always the easiest man to get along with. But if you can accept my love, then know that it means I'm in this for the long haul."

Her eyes widen at the word, and her breath catches in her throat, and she looks as if she's about to cry at the emotion. She's happy; happier than she's been, and she raises a hand to cup his jaw, her eyes searching his again. Niamh laughs, the sound a relief as she then throws her arms about him madly, "It would've been death to lose a man I love.." she whispers. "Oh, Adamantus.. there's not enough ways t'say how much I love ye, adore ye.. an' smile at the very thought of your eyes on me.." She nods, kissing his neck, that spot just below his ear, "I can.. an' wouldn't turn ye away for aught. I'm not the easiest either, but ye are so patient with me."

Gideon groans desirously. Doesn't she know what kissing him there does to him? Of course she does. "Aye," he breathes, "Then it's a good think we're both stubborn mules. Nae goin' to give up on anything easily…especially nae each other."

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