Stand Beside You • •

[Devon Olivia Walker]

Devon thought that she had made a mistake when she asked Bryce out. This was only something she realised as she stared into her wardrobe as her hair dripped water onto her shoulders and down her back. The petite blonde had finally taken the leap and asked the handsome CSI if he fancied grabbing drinks and maybe dinner on the day they had both managed to land off, away from the hustle and bustle of their careers. She had done it quickly a few days earlier, letting the words roll off her tongue as her lunch break had rolled to a close, and since then had been feeling pretty excited about the casual date. It was only as she stared at the mass of colour and designs that her small wardrobe held that she wondered if maybe she had made it sound too casual. They had been out together before, grabbing a beer after work, sometimes ordering food when cooking just didn’t seem all that great an idea. What if he thought this was just another one of those times?

She wanted to hit her head repeatedly against the wall for her mistake, but there was nothing she could do about it now without making the situation ridiculously awkward. The best she could do was show up and try to play it subtle to see how Bryce reacted. Mumbling insults at herself while she searched through her clothes, Devon kept letting the plethora of scenarios race through her head. Fallon’s words had been echoing in her head since their night of cocktails and ink, but when she had finally acted upon them she had been impulsive and rushed through it all. She could already hear Fallon’s laughter now if she called her friend to tell her of this little dilemma. Instead, Devon just grabbed an outfit that was a little more flirty and playful than the clothes she wore day to day, and then set about drying her hair. If Bryce questioned it then she could always say that she just wanted to enjoy the weather and maybe venture out to another bar or club later. She just hoped that it wouldn’t come to that, or else she might be returning home with her heels in her hand and feeling a little disheartened.

With Atticus already walked and now asleep on Devon’s bed, she checked the time and then flopped down at her vanity for a few minutes. She had never been an expert on romance, but she felt as though she ought to have realised this possible screw up sooner than she had done. Letting out a sigh, she pushed herself back to her feet and grabbed her bag. She had told Bryce that she’d meet him at Hard Rock Café, rather than one of the other places they usually went to after work some evenings. Devon figured the change in venue would give them a better chance of avoiding their colleagues and the, hopefully, date wouldn’t turn into a group outing. Grabbing a cab outside her apartment building, Devon made it to their rendezvous point only five minutes late. Getting caught in traffic was part of New York life and something the blonde officer was used to. Raking her fingers through the tousled blonde waves, she glanced around as she stepped inside, her blue eyes coming to rest on the familiar form of Bryce by the bar. With her usual happy smile in place, and nervous butterflies in her gut, she strolled on over and bumped her shoulder against his by way of a greeting. “So, how long have you been propping up the bar?”

[/color] She teased, hoping he hadn’t been standing around too long. The bartender came over to serve them their drinks, Devon choosing something fruitier than a bottle of beer.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bryce! <3
WORDS! 636!
OUTFIT! Flirty Fun!
LYRICS! Some People - - - LeAnn Rimes
NOTES! <3

[Bryson Kyle Pierce]

If anyone would have told him Devon would be asking him out, Bryce would have scoffed at them and said “yeah, when hell freezes over” but he would have been swallowing his words. He liked Devon, she intrigued the CSI. But they were friends and as flirty as Bryce was towards the petite blonde officer, he never thought she would agree to go out with him or especially that she would ask him! It was kind of funny really, and something he ran past his brother and sister-in-law when he went to pick his nephew up for their weekly game of hoops. Tatiana and Patrick thought the pretty blonde cop would be good for Bryce. In their eyes, Bryce was too dangerous for his own good. He wasn’t about to go on some sort of murdering rampage but he was bound to get himself in trouble with the ladies sooner rather than later.

What his family didn’t see were the long hours he put in at the crime lab, running prints, DNA and everything else he did. What they did see were the free nights he had that he spent out with friends having a beer or two before finding his way back home to take his dog for a walk and then collapsing onto his bed, too often to count without even changing out of his clothes. He acted like a flirty womaniser but he hardly fell under the category in reality. With all they thought about him, it was truly a wonder why they let their only son spend so much time with his favourite uncle. He was still young and able to do as he pleased without the responsibility of a family waiting on him to come home at a decent hour. He was twenty-six and he was going to do what he pleased until he really couldn’t any longer. And that meant agreeing to go out with Devon because he’d been wanting to do that for a while but hadn’t been able to tell if she would be interested or not. Fallon always said he would never know if he didn’t do something about it. And she seemed to be the police officers best friend, so she would know, right?

He had been working up the courage to be turned down by Devon when she asked him and shocked but grinning, he’d agreed to go. Since every time he had a day off, he took a couple hours to hang out with Tristan, talk to the teenager about what was on his mind and give him advice. He didn’t change his routine but he did move it up a bit so he wouldn’t be walking into his apartment at the time he should be walking out of it for this date. And for a part of their time together, Bryce ran the idea past his nephew because the opinion of the fifteen year old mattered to the CSI. And after they had lunch and said their goodbyes, Bryce raced home with Scotty, did the light house cleaning that he had put off until now and hopped in the shower. As he’d timed it well enough, he was out and dressed, ready to go with just enough time that he should get to the restaurant on time.

Bryce grabbed his keys and his phone, just in case there was an emergency of some kind and locked up his apartment. He didn’t want to be late, but New York traffic demanded everyone was. He thought he gave himself enough extra time to get to the restaurant a little bit early to get them a table but he showed up exactly on time and the bar was going to be his only option until Devon arrived. “An hour at least,” Bryce teased, looking over at the pretty blonde officer. He ordered himself a rum and Pepsi to go along with Devon’s girly drink. “You look good, Dev,” Bryce said, realising he was actually nervous about this night!

Tag || Devon! <3
Words || 668
Clothes || Superhero in Disguise
Music || Mine All Mine - -Chuck Wicks
Notes || <3

[Devon Olivia Walker]

Devon hadn’t been on a date in the longest of times. The few friends she still had from high school often brought it up when she did have time in her schedule for lunch. They would remind her that she was only twenty-three and that she ought to be having fun and making mistakes rather than burying herself in her career. They might have had a point, but ever since her break-up with her college sweetheart Devon hadn’t thought about dating again. Then Bryce came along and slowly she had opened up to the idea and the nerves and fears that came with it. He brought her flirtatious side out and had her laughing after a tough day. It was something Devon hadn’t had in a while and something she hadn’t realised she needed so much.

She hadn’t told anyone about her plans for this evening. She had no idea how the night might turn out and if she had confided in Fallon then she suspected her fellow blonde would be calling her tomorrow morning or hammering her door down by lunchtime. Devon was nervous and in true Devon fashion she had kept it all to herself, at least for the time being. It meant she probably had more butterflies and worries than she ought to have, but there was no breaking the tiny blonde officer out of this habit. Although she did have to admit that it felt good to be dressing up a bit. Usually she had to have Fallon nagging at her to get her dressed up in any way. Tonight her best friend was far from her mind though, and all thoughts were on the handsome CSI instead.

Seeing Bryce both calmed her nerves and made them worse, all at the same time. She just hoped she could do a good job at hiding them. A light blush hit her cheeks at his simple compliment and a smile tugged at her lips. “Thanks. I thought I’d change it up from jeans and Converse.”

[/color] She joked, knowing that most of the time they were her go-to choices. “You’re looking pretty good yourself, Batman.”[/color] Teasing him, she snatched his hat and dropped it on her own head, playfully grinning up at him. Devon was feeling those nerves, but fooling about helped distract her from them, even if it was only a temporary solution. Paying for the drinks when they came, she wasted no time in taking a large gulp of her cocktail. Her throat felt dry and if she hadn’t been in check of herself Devon wouldn’t have been all that surprised if she’d knocked the whole thing back as though it were nothing more than a shot. “Shall we have these and then grab a table, or are you starving already?”[/color] Devon had no idea how to play this anymore. Asking Bryce had been the big hurdle and once she was over it, amazed that he had even said yes, she had forgotten about finer details. Now she just had several reasons to kick herself. “By the way, I’m glad you said yes…about tonight, I mean.”[/color] She chuckled as she explained herself, not knowing if it was necessary or not. Devon was confident in front of a crowd and in most general situations, but place her in front of Bryce on a date and it seemed that she was bumbling as though she was still an embarrassed teenager!
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• • •

TAGGED! Bryce! <3
WORDS! 575!
OUTFIT! Flirty Fun!
LYRICS! Some People - - - LeAnn Rimes
NOTES! <3

[Bryson Kyle Pierce]

As much as Bryce’s reputation rivaled that of Myles’, he wasn’t some sort of club junkie man slut. He was quite the opposite actually. He was usually too busy when he wasn’t at work to be hitting up the clubs and bring random ladies home with him night in and night out. And though he knew Myles wasn’t totally like that, the guy also didn’t try to deny any sort of activities. Bryce hadn’t had a date in too long to count, which all things considered was a little depressing. But when he wasn’t at work, he was with his nephew. And he usually only went out when Fallon called and told him where they were going to be and he should tag along. But he rarely brought anyone home with him on those nights out and he was okay with that. He wasn’t overly fond of those one night stands; the casual flings weren’t his style.

Besides none of those girls ever grabbed his attention long enough to learn anything more than their names. Things were different with Devon. She tugged at his heartstrings when there was a frown on her pretty face. He hated seeing her sad and did everything he could to make her smile. He had hoped this night would be inevitable but he hadn’t been holding his breath that she would agree when he got up the courage to ask her out. And then Fate turned him on his head when she approached him. He couldn’t say anything but yes. If anything though, he should have put a little more effort into deciding what he was going to wear. Though the sad part was, he did put some thought into what he picked out for the night. He had wanted to be cheeky and clever and chose the Batman shirt because of that. He was going for a more subtle meaning but the obvious one would do as well.

Bryce chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I took that roll for the night. It’s a good thing I changed my mind, too! I had that exact outfit picked out.” He didn’t know about Devon but his nerves were in overdrive and he needed a little humour to calm them down a little. Seeing Devon all dolled up didn’t help much in that department either; which he already knew from her undercover job a couple months back. “Looks even better on you.” He grinned, flicking the brim of his hat playfully. With his head free of the accessory, Bryce took a moment to run his fingers through his hair, not sure how messy it was now. “I’m in no hurry, are you? Is your Captain already calling you back?” He teased the blonde off-duty officer. Grinning behind his tumbler glass, Bryce took a sip before setting the glass back on the bar top and leaning against the tall bar. Bryce lifted a loose curl from Devon’s shoulder as he leaned in. “I wouldn’t have said no. And,” he started leaning back. “I was going to ask you. You just beat me to it.” Playfully, he tugged on the curl still in his hand before letting it fall from his fingers.

Tag || Devon! <3
Words || 553
Clothes || Superhero in Disguise
Music || Mine All Mine - -Chuck Wicks
Notes || <3

[Devon Olivia Walker]

The common joke that Devon heard from her colleagues was that she would one day be married to the job. She was dedicated, too much at times, to her career and if it wasn’t for friends like Fallon she would probably never experience the New York nightlife at all; and she was a full blooded New Yorker! Even when she was out in the clubs Devon never turned into some wild child. In fact, that whole phase seemed to have skipped her aside from the first tattoo she had done at the age of eighteen. Usually, at the end of those nights out, she was closer to sober than wasted and almost always went home alone. The exception was if Fallon was crashing at hers or vice versa. Charming a drink or two was one thing, but Devon didn’t believe for a moment that she’d find a real romance under the strobe lighting of The Marquee. Plus, she had found that most guys either turned creepy or were slightly unnerved by her choice in career. She didn’t mind and often found it funny to see them scamper into the crowd again, leaving the blonde with a drink and the giggles.

The rest of the time, Devon barely noticed the people around her and their reactions to her. Her mind was often on a thousand other things that she thought were more important. With Bryce, she knew enough about herself to know that she was ridiculous around him most of the time. The flirtation was undeniable and she was forever leaving their meet-ups, be them planned or coincidental, with a grin tugging at her lips. Sometimes it was just what she needed to get through the rest of the day, too. “Now that would be embarrassing, but I think you could rock this pretty well.”

[/color] She glanced back down at her outfit as though she was checking it over and comparing it to him once more. “Although I do think you make a better superhero.”[/color] She concluded, acting almost like this was a serious discussion. The foolish banter was just another thing that she adored about the CSI though. Grinning, she adjusted the hat so she could actually see better and not have to tilt her head back so much. “And who exactly are you trying to charm?”[/color] She teased with a soft laugh, lifting the hat off and handing the hat back to its owner, while smoothing down her hair with her free hand.

“Actually, I think he was a little bit shocked when I didn’t request the extra shift today or ask if they could do with an extra uniform around.”[/color] She admitted, recalling the slight falter in her Captain’s step when he heard her saying her goodbyes until the next time she was officially due in. “So no rush here. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me tonight.”[/color] She said, smirking as she raised her glass to her lips for another short sip. Her breath caught slightly when Bryce leaned in for that brief moment, her grip tightened on her glass and she blinked before she found herself again. The man barely had to do anything for it to have an effect on her! “What can I say? I got impatient.”[/color] With a smirk and a shrug, Devon lifted her gaze to his, a flirtatious and mischievous twinkle in her light eyes.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bryce! <3
WORDS! 569!
OUTFIT! Flirty Fun!
LYRICS! Some People - - - LeAnn Rimes
NOTES! <3

[Bryson Kyle Pierce]

Bryce had known since he was young that he wanted to carry a badge and put the bad guys away. It wasn’t until high school that he realised how exactly he wanted to do that. He wasn’t a huge fan of be a lawyer, he saw what his brother went through to pass the bar and Bryce just wasn’t interested in that. Plus, he was really good at science so he figured going through the crime labs would be an excellent way to put all his knowledge to good use as well do what he wanted to do. For him it was a win-win. And with all the work he put in at the lab, it was amazing he wasn’t teased by his co-workers for his lack of a social life. But he made sure to get out and relax. He needed balance somehow and all that work would just make him go insane; especially those cases he couldn’t close because there just wasn’t sufficient evidence. Those particular cases killed him. It didn’t hurt that he had the badge and carried a gun most days of the week. For whatever reason, Bryce had never quite understood exactly why, women got all excited about a man in uniform; even if technically he didn’t wear one.

Cracking jokes was Bryce’s way of dealing with things, all things whenever he got nervous about anything. Comedy was his usual escape when life got just a little too tough. “Not as well as you but close, very close.” He said seriously though his dark eyes were alight with humour. Bryce posed with the usual Superhero pose, hands on his hips before letting his arms fall after only a second or two. “Why thank you! I’m still working out the uniform and colours but I think it’ll be sharp!” He said sounding so proud of a project he’d made up on the spot. “The stunning blonde officer I work with occasionally. She’s stubborn and won’t admit to falling for my charms and my dazzling smile but I’m not going to quit.” He stated with a wicked grin spread across his lips.

“Next he’ll be thinking the apocalypse is coming and we’ll be into a world like Walking Dead or something.” Bryce said with a chuckle. He could imagine the conversation that took place in her Captain’s office. If it wasn’t a heart attack that felled him after that, it would be the fear of the oncoming end of days. “Good. You can’t have a decent conversation in a rush.” He said, grinning. He knew Devon well enough that it was easy to have a decent conversation with her but the excuse helped his point so he was going to use it. “I’m glad you did.” He said quietly, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a small sip of the cool drink. If Devon knew what she did to him, he knew she wouldn’t let him live it down.

Tag || Devon! <3
Words || 494
Clothes || Superhero in Disguise
Music || Mine All Mine - -Chuck Wicks
Notes || <3

[Devon Olivia Walker]

Devon knew that she had made the right choice when she chose the uniform over her initial dreams of DC. People doubted it, but she felt it and while she was still pretty low down the justice hierarchy Devon was determined to climb that ladder. Sure the job got to her more than politics probably would have done, but she was making more of a difference in her uniform than she was behind a desk. People had a very different reaction to her now than they had three years ago, but three years ago she had been a different person with different ambitions and a less darkened view on reality. Her friends kept her from drowning though, and the ones who worked with her like Bryce could see better than anyone when a scene really bothered her, no matter how many smiles and “I’m fines” she threw at them. She was too stubborn to admit to it, but she needed them to break through to her sometimes. Devon wasn’t as strong as she liked to pretend the uniform made her.

Grinning, Devon couldn’t help herself. “I’d like to see you in the shorts.”

[/color] She tried to keep her voice as serious as his had been, but laughter got the better of her. She couldn’t quite tell if she really was amused or if it was just a small eruption of nerves though. His superhero pose brought more laughter from her and eased any knots of nerves that she had been feeling earlier that day. “Well, just remember that capes are more hassle than they are worth and underwear is better on the inside of the costume.”[/color] She said, as though her advice was serious and actually going to be taken. Biting back a smile, Devon sipped at her drink and slowly nodded her head. “She sounds like quite the handful.”[/color] Feeling a moment of boldness coming on, Devon slid a little closer to Bryce, her fingers skimming his forearm as she looked up at him through her lashes. “But, I think despite what she might say, you might have already charmed her.”[/color] She whispered flirtatiously, biting her lip before sipping at her drink again to stop herself saying anything else. As comfortable as she was around Bryce, she still felt totally rusty when it came to dates and flirting quite so obviously.

“I’m so glad the idea that I’d willingly take some time away from work is as terrifying as the end of days.”[/color] Devon said, shooting Bryce a playful look before rolling her eyes. She knew how rare it was that she left the precinct when she was supposed to and taking her days off without reluctance was usually even rarer. “Or enjoy a decent dinner for that matter.”[/color] She added with a soft smile. Just eating something that wasn’t in a take-out container was rare for Devon. “Me, too.”[/color] Devon said sincerely, flicking her blonde hair out of her eyes. “I’m actually a little nervous.”[/color] She admitted in a whisper, turning shy suddenly. Devon sometimes did odd things when nerves got the better of her, so by offering that up now she felt as though she might be preparing him for any disaster or awkward moment she might create.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bryce! <3
WORDS! 549!
OUTFIT! Flirty Fun!
LYRICS! Some People - - - LeAnn Rimes
NOTES! <3