Title: Reaching From Nowhere
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Don Flack/Jordan Hester
Fandom: CSI: NY/Person of Interest
Rating: PG-13
Table: 1, stories_a_z
Prompt: R
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Don Flack or Jordan Hester, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Don breathed a sigh of relief as he slid into a comfortable chair, glad that they had taken a table in the back of the place. He didn't mind being seen, but he didn't want to be bothered today; he wanted to be able to focus on Jordan and not have his attention distracted.

He wanted to have all of his attention focused on this man, to look at Jordan and drink him in. And he wanted more than anything else to find out if it was possible that the spark he'd felt between them outside on the pavement before they'd come in had any merit.

His heart felt as though it was pounding in his chest, galloping along like a stampede of wild horses. He was more nervous than he'd been since he was a kid asking someone out on a first date; his palms were sweaty, and he had no idea what he should say first.

Calm down, Flack, he told himself sternly. Neither one of you is a little kid. You're both adults, and you've obviously both had some experience in the dating game. Nothing you say is going to make this man get up and just walk away from you.

Well, that wasn't entirely true, he told himself wryly. Jordan might not even be interested in men; for all he knew, he was sitting here with a completely straight man and considering asking him out on a date -- and much more than that. But he had no way of knowing until he asked.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward across the table, focusing his gaze on Jordan .The other man looked back at him unblinkingly, meeting his eyes with a candid expression that made his heart race even faster. He could swear there was speculation in that direct gaze.

Don felt as though he was reaching from nowhere, trying to get a handle on his own feelings -- and on Jordan's as well. He was groping in the darkness, searching for the right thing to say, trying to think of words that wouldn't seem intrusive or prying.

"Did you ask me out for coffee just to be friendly, or are you trying to find out more about me?" Jordan asked, those dark eyes focused intently on Don's face. "Because if you want to know more, all you have to do is ask. You're a cop. I feel like I can trust you."

"You can," Don managed to say, taken aback by Jordan's words. He hadn't expected to be asked such a direct question; he'd thought that Jordan would pull back if he asked anything that seemed as though he was searching for a way into the other man's life.

"Okay, then here's the basics. I'm twenty-nine, I'm gay, I'm not in a relationship right now, and yes, I'm looking for one." Jordan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, his gaze still on Don. "I think that might cover whatever questions you were going to ask."

"H-how did you know?" The words were out before Don could hold them back; his eyes widened, a slight gasp coming from his throat before he could stop it. Was Jordan some kind of mind-reader -- or had he unknowingly made his intentions that obvious?

"I didn't," Jordan said softly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile. "But I figured it'd be easier to cut to the chase, instead of dancing around each other forever and trying to find out where you're coming from. I was halfway expecting you to get up and walk out in a huff."

"I was wondering if you were even interested in guys," Don said, his relief evident in his tone. "I thought you'd be the one to get up and walk out of here mad if you weren't. Was it that easy for you to tell that I'm interested in you? I thought I was keeping it hidden pretty well."

Jordan laughed softly, shaking his head and reaching across the table to rest his hand on Don's for just a moment before picking up a packet of sugar and toying with it. "No, it wasn't that easy to tell. I was just going out on a limb and taking a chance. But I'm glad I did."

"So am I," Don said softly, wanting to take Jordan's hand in his and not let go. What was it about this man that he found so attractive? It wasn't just the fact that Jordan was physically the most beautiful man he'd ever laid eyes on. It went deeper than mere physical attraction.

There was something in Jordan's eyes, in his demeanor, the way he carried himself, that drew Don to him like a moth to a flame. Those eyes held such a keen intelligence -- and also a kindness and decency that Don didn't often see in his line of work.

Jordan was a good man. Don had known that from the first moment he'd seen Jordan take the stand in court, speaking in his soft, cultured voice. His heart had gone out to this soft-spoken, unassuming man, for all that he'd been through in the past months.

He'd wanted nothing more than to put the woman who had stolen Jordan's identity behind bars, and that had been done. Now, they both had to put that incident behind them, and Jordan had to move on with his life and put the pieces back together. Don wanted to help him do that.

He desperately wanted to be a part of Jordan's life -- as more than just a friend or an acquaintance. He'd never wanted anything so much as he wanted to reach out and take Jordan into his arms, to place his lips on the other man's and kiss him, right here in front of the world.

Don didn't care what anyone else might happen to think about that; at the moment, all he could think of was how much he wanted Jordan. The man sitting across the table from him filled his senses; he felt giddy, unable to speak or even breathe for a few moments.

If he reached across the table to take the other man's hand, to twine their fingers together and squeeze gently, he was sure that Jordan wouldn't stop him. Judging from the look in Jordan's eyes, he wanted that touch as much as Don did.

What would Jordan say if he told him what was in his mind at the moment? Would he be insulted by the thought that Don wanted to take him home and make love to him for the rest of the day -- and on into the night? Somehow, Don didn't think that would be the case.

He was sure that if he voiced what he wanted out loud to Jordan, the other man would agree with him, and that they would get up and walk out of this café, go to either his place or Jordan's, get naked and have sex for the rest of the day and night.

But was that really what he wanted? No, Don told himself firmly. He wanted to get to know Jordan as e person first and foremost. The intimacy could come later -- he had no doubt that it would, and there was no reason to hurry it along just yet.

He no longer felt that he was reaching for Jordan out of nowhere, groping in the darkness and trying to find some solid ground that they could connect on. He might not know this man well yet, but that would come, in time. And he was perfectly willing to take things slowly.

Though he had to admit that it was hard not to think about having Jordan naked under him when he looked into those dark eyes and read the promise written there. Don swallowed hard, resisting the urge to lean across the table and press a long, satisfying kiss to those softly parted lips.

"What are you thinking right now?" Jordan asked, his voice soft, a hint of something more underneath those innocent words. He was looking at Don from under slightly lowered lashes, that glance more seductive than anything Don had ever seen before in his entire life.

His breath caught in his throat as a mental image of Jordan under him in bed hit him with the strength of a steamroller. To hell with taking things slowly -- he wanted this man, and he wanted him now. There was no reason for them to wait, not if they both wanted the same thing.

"I'm thinking that I want to skip this part and go right to taking you home," Don murmured, hoping that no one was close enough to hear what he was saying. "I feel like if that doesn't happen soon, I'll be dragging you into the bathroom here, because I won't be able to wait."

"I feel the same way," Jordan told him, his own voice very soft and a little breathless. "I know it's kind of quick, but I want to be with you. And before you get the wrong impression, I'm not looking for a one-night stand. I'm looking for something that's going to last."

"So am I," Don answered, his heart soaring as he said the words. So far, it seemed like the two of them were on the same page -- and that they wanted the same thing. He'd never had a connection like this with anyone, not even people he'd known for years.

He no longer felt that he was groping through the darkness, trying to find something that would secure him to Jordan. He didn't need to look for that kind of a connection; the two of them were already standing close, and all he had to do was to reach out for what he wanted.

"Do you really want to waste our time sitting here and pretending that we don't want to be in bed?" he asked abruptly, hoping that Jordan would agree with him and not take offense at his words. "All I want to do right now is get out of here and kiss you senseless."

"That sounds like a plan to me." Jordan slid his chair back and got to his feet, looking at Don with raised brows. "So, is it your place or mine? I don't live too far from here -- thank goodness I managed to get a decent place once that woman was arrested and my good name was cleared."

Don got to his feet slowly, wanting to take Jordan's hand, but feeling that it still might be too soon to do so. He almost wanted to pinch himself; this still felt like a dream, one that he was terrified he would wake up from and find that none of it was real.

This was real, he told himself as he followed Jordan to the door of the café, then paused to hold it open for the other man to walk through first. And judging from what Jordan had said, this was going to end in exactly the place he'd wanted it to go.

When they were outside on the pavement, Jordan reached for Don's hand with a soft smile, turning to him as their fingers automatically twined together. "I didn't drive -- I took a cab. So we can take one back to my place, unless your car is somewhere around here."

Don returned the smile, any trepidation he might have felt melting away in the warmth of Jordan's smile. How could he feel nervous when this beautiful man was giving him an opening to move their relationship in exactly the direction he had hoped it would be heading in?

"My car's in the courthouse parking lot," he said, squeezing Jordan's hand as the two of them headed back in that direction, falling into step as though they'd been walking beside each other for all of their lives. With every step, Don's heart seemed to thump louder and harder.

This was where his loneliness would end, and the two of them would begin. He no longer felt that he was reaching towards Jordan from nowhere, trying to find his way through darkness. He might not know exactly where they were going -- but he knew that they would find their way together.

***