and it hurts like heaven

[Leo Cunningham]

"Henry McTaggart's tox report," Leo announced as he strode back into their shared office and found Becki, as ever, sat working diligently at her desk. He came to stand beside where she was sat, leaning casually over her desk as he placed the papers on the surface and gently nudged them sideways over to her, "It's... unusual to say the least. High levels of various narcotics in his system mere hours before his death, the bloke cooked himself up a little drug cocktail, but... something is wrong with this picture, I just don't think that is what necessarily killed him in the end, we're missing something," he explained with a slight sigh of frustration at not yet being able to piece together what had happened to this man. "God, it is so good to be back here saying things like that. There really is some truth in the 'you don't know what you've got til it's gone' mantra. Not that spending my time blankly staring at paperwork with mindless daytime television on in the background wasn't just... thrilling whilst on... ahem 'compassionate leave'," he murmured, a hint of distaste in his tone when he spoke of the idea of 'compassionate leave'. "Though I think the Prof appreciated how much monotonous administration work I got through while I was 'off' for all intents and purposes. I think the change of environment had something to do with that... did I ever properly say thank you for letting me crash on your sofa for far longer than I ought to have?" he asked in a light manner though the genuine gratefulness he felt towards her was expressed in his gaze then as he turned it to her. Only then did he truly realise how close they now were to each other, their faces level as she turned her head to look at him and respond to his words.

Becki and Leo hadn't actually been alone in a non-public place since Leo had stayed at her place whilst temporarily homeless. Sure they had been in the same room alone in the Edmond Locard Centre numerous times and had went for a drink occasionally after a particularly trying day at work but all of these instances had involved the opportunity for other people to observe them or even join them both at a moment's notice. And when they had been in close proximity whilst at work Leo had felt... something, a tension that had perhaps always been bubbling under the surface but now seemed permanently at the forefront of their interactions, as though it refused to back down until they addressed it head-on. It wasn't a wholly unpleasant tension, mind, but it was growing, he reckoned, with each day that they refused to address it. Leo just wasn't sure if Becki felt it too... perhaps he was just being paranoid. However, something simply had to give and it was more a matter of when Leo would finally crack and address the matter than if he ever would.

((ooc: Hope what I said about the two of them and their interactions is alright with you. I'll bring Helena in at the worst possible moment for the two of them haha (maybe when they're having an almost-moment? idk) sometime later.))

[Becki Addison]

Becki sat typing away, her fingers flying over the keyboard and she tried furiously to finish her report by lunch time. She watched from her peripheral vision as Leo rounded the desk and leaned over her, not saying a work or taking her eyes away from her computer. A slow smile curved her lips at his statement. “Have you checked the oxidation in the eyes at time of death? Perhaps there was fowl play? A man like that doesn’t seem like he would just take a whole lot of drugs without a reason, or the means of getting them.” She said of the businessman who appeared as neat and tidy as his nuclear family, aside from the drugs in his system.

“Yes, Richard can actually have a life this weekend thanks to you.” Becki finished up her report and began printing it. Rising from her seat she went round to the printer and neatly filed them into a colour coded binder with the name Beatrice Lynch, an elderly woman who had died of natural causes. “No, I don’t believe you have, but if this is you properly thanking me, then you’re welcome,” she said turning around. They were inches apart. The binder fell by her side as she dropped her arm, it had been the only thing separating them.

“Leo,” she smiled at him, pausing for a moment. “You’re in my way,” she told him, gesturing towards her chair which he was standing in front of.

((ooc: Obviously I am just saying words, I was trying to imply that maybe the man was suffocated because the drugs didn’t do it, maybe with a pillow or something so that there were no strangulation marks or an appearance of a struggle? The idea came from Othello. Awww Harry and Nikki, I want to cry!))

[Leo Cunningham]

"The oxidation in the eyes? Yes but I didn't notice anything particularly untoward-" Leo countered but then trailed off as he read the next line of the tox report, "Oh. Now that is odd," he agreed, his natural interest piqued and it showing in the way he said 'odd', his brow furrowing in concentration and his attention entirely distracted by the file in front of him as he perused the rest of the report. "Mmm, pardon?" he murmured distractedly as she talked of Richard having a life, still leaning over her desk many moments after she'd left it to retrieve her work from the printer. He straightened, shuffling the papers back into the brown paper file, and turned to face Becki as she spoke of his gratitude, "Well now I feel terrible for not properly thanking you before now. Really, I don't know what I would have done, everything that could go wrong seemed to be piled into the start of one week and... thanks for... well thank you coming along to the funeral, it helped me more than I could ever say." He looked uncharacteristically shy for a moment then after this but he managed to brave a smile anyway, "And hey, how about supper sometime? As a formal thank you I mean? I'll cook you a meal, anytime, anything you want on the menu and I promise it'll be great."

Looking down at her as she turned around he froze entirely, noting now that she'd dropped the binder to her side that they were literally a few inches apart. Becki's voice, pointing out very matter-of-factly that he was in her way, barely registered as his gaze was locked onto hers and it was only the sound of clicking heels approaching and then stopping nearby that actually made him snap out of it. "Oh the number of times in my life I've heard that! If only I had a Galleon for every time someone pointed out my obstructive nature!" he exclaimed in a joking lament as he flashed her a quick, very tight, grin and sidestepped smoothly out of the way, gesturing with his arm in a fancy flourish that she should pass.

"My, my, now that was... interesting," a voice spoke up from the doorway and Leo looked up to find the most haughty, elegantly stylish woman whom he least expected to see at his workplace, or in his life in any way, leaning against the doorframe regarding the two of them with a look of dark amusement.

[Becki Addison]

“You’re welcome,” Becki smiled at him in a caring manner as Leo thanked her for coming to the funeral with him. “Alright, how about Thursday?” she suggested.

Standing a few inches apart Becki couldn’t manage to take her eyes off his. She gulped and for a moment was frozen there until he sidestepped and someone entered their office. Becki moved past Leo towards the printer as she addressed the woman who had entered, “Hello Helena,” Becki didn’t particularly like the woman, which was saying something because Becki liked everyone. Helena had a tendency to be a bit rude and insensitive towards Leo, it was something she didn’t like in the least.

((ooc: Hope that was alright, I figured Becki wouldn’t really like Helena.))

[Helena Armitage]

Helena Armitage bustled into the Edmond Locard Centre, her eyes roving critically over every surface in the building as she passed. Her entirely inappropriate black heels clicked against the smooth floor as she made her way down the corridor, having been told the direction of her brother's office by the receptionist at the same time as being urged to wear the visitor's badge which she now idly let drape between her fingers. Her pace slowed when she saw Leo's name plate on the door along with another's - Dr Becki Addison. Hmmm. Now this was surely the woman who Leo had attended their father's funeral with, he'd mentioned Becki was a colleague as she'd cornered him just as he was about to leave. They hadn't actually been introduced face-to-face, Becki had been waiting patiently aside whilst Leo had randomly family members clap him on the shoulder in a gesture of sympathy, but Helena had always been curious about the woman.

She hesitated in the doorway, watching as the admittedly rather attractive blonde woman turned away from the printer and then found herself in very close proximity to Leo. Watching their little 'moment' play out she cleared her throat suddenly and spoke up, "My, my, now that was... interesting," she noted with a darkly amused smirk playing at her features, "Yes, good morning to you Dr Addison. And Leonardo, darling, how are you?" she asked as she crossed over to him, uninvited, and dared to peck him on the cheek in what would be a show of sisterly affection were it not for the fact that they pretty much hated each other. "Now, come on children, do tell me what I wandered into because I was just about to chastise Leonardo here but I would rather do that when his mind isn't on... well... you, Becki, so if I've wandered into unresolved sexual tension for the love of Merlin please just tell me and I'll walk right back out so you my brother may continue with his little attempt at flirting." She said all this perfectly coolly, even glancing disinterestedly down at her manicured nails, before she looked between the two of them expectantly, clearly waiting for a substantial answer to her rather nosy question.