Chapter Text
Strike is humming as he makes his way up the stairs to the office after tailing a mark for a new client. Lately he can’t help but be in a good mood. A part of him attributes it to the agency running smoothly and his knee aching less. The other part of him, the part he still never lets out too often knows for a fact that his good mood is directly due to Robin.
They’ve been doing the whole talking thing. He’s been making an effort. Although it’s not hard with Robin is it? They go out at least once a week for drinks that turn into a cheap dinner after work and They’ve even been obliging Ilsa and gone to a number of what he refers to as ‘double dates’ together with Nick and Ilsa. While they haven’t taken a huge leap forward since their birthdays they’ve been.. different he thinks. Closer..best mates and all and he was confident they’ll get there…he wanted to get there…eventually.
As he opens the office door he is greeted to the sight and sounds of Barclay’s playful arguing with Pat about the state of his receipts. “They’re aw thare A e'en double checkit for ye” he hears Barclay say. “That may be”, says Pat, “But did you have to trample over them before bringing them in” she grumbled. Strike greets them with a chuckle and says “keep em honest, Pat” as he proceeds to the inner office.
It’s a warm late spring day so he starts to roll up the sleeves of his shirt as he greets Robin, “alright Robin?” “Oh yeah Hiya” she looks up at him startled. She quickly puts her phone down and starts working at her computer as her blush spreads across his face. He stands there rolling up his other sleeve looking from Robin’s phone to her face. That was a little odd, he thinks. He moves to his side of the desk, grunts as he sits and stretches out his legs. Robin finally looks up at him again, smiles and asks “how was your day?” This he thinks, this is his favorite time of day, time with Robin. He leans back and stretches his arms above his head, “oh you know.. another day another suspected cheating spouse” she playfully rolls her eyes and he smirks at her. “So” he says while leaning forward forearms on his desk. “What say we go to that new ice cream shop before we head for a pint tonight?” Robin takes a sharp intake of breath “Strike I uh..” he interrupts “okay fine, it doesn’t have to be before drinks you rule follower we can get it after then.”
Robin bites her lip and starts talking rather fast “I thought I had told you I’m going to that thing tonight?” She knows she didn’t and she curses her blush for starting to heat up her skin. Strike looks at her, taking in her blushing skin. “Oh yeah..” he says a little deflated. “What was it again?” He tries to ask as nonchalantly as he can. Robin contemplates what to say, “Ah it’s just.. this Met party type thing” he squints his eyes at her and says “ What? Why are you going?” She takes a deep breath and says quickly “Well I’m going because Van set me up with a blind date type thing…I guess the guy has fancied me since Van started talking about me..” she trails off. Strikes eyebrows shoot to his hairline “Oh” he says. “Uh right, yeah”. They sit there staring at each other. Robin looks like she wants to say something but stops. She stands up, gathers her belongings and walks towards the door “Well I’m off… Gotta get ready..” she chances one last look at Strike who is just sitting staring at where Robin had set seconds earlier.
She opens and closes the door gently. Strike hears her wish Pat a good weekend. Strike sits, still frozen and mutters “What the fu” Pat barges in “If you don’t need anything I’m off too” Strike doesn’t recall what if anything he said to Pat but hears her mumble something about grumpy and tosser while she closes the outer door and walks down the steps.