Summary: River and Y/n are sworn to hate eachother, however y/n starts to question her real feelings for her rival when Lamb suggests what could be the deep-rooted problem between them.
Short Note: Those of you who know Slow Horses know the way Lamb speaks. For me personally, I'm not a fan or swearing, so I won't be adding it in my writing. Just wanted to mention this incase you slow horses fans thought I'd written Lamb inaccurately
"How could you! How ... just....JUST HOW!?"
Lamb yelled whilst he marched round the carpet of his deteriorating office, laced with the not so faint stench of cigarettes and alcohol.
"I JUST...." He spoke with an exasperated tone, running his hand through the mess that he called hair.
"Look we're sorry alight." Cartwright spoke trying to reason with the hysterical man.
"You don't need to apologies for me, I'm not a baby." Y/n rolled her eyes at the agent that stood by her.
"Well you acted like a baby on the mission didn't you." Cartwright scoffed in response.
"Are you serious right now?! You were the one who was acting like a baby!"
"It was MY mission, therefore I got the gun!"
"Your can't shoot to save your life! I should have had that gun! It's just incredible how STUPID you are!"
"YOU BLOODY ALMOST SHOT ME! WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU CALL THAT?!"
"IF I'M STUPID THEN YOU MUST BE-"
"THATS IT!" Lamb shouted slamming his fist against his desk grabbing the attention if the two bickering intensely.
"First of all, you screw up a mission, a mission that was quite important for our reputation I might add, my reputation to be more direct. Second of all, the only decent reason you can give for this royal screw up is that you both "don't like eachother" .What are you a pair of children?! Thirdly, you both make my life a living hell! I mean..I mean what is it? I just don't get it?!" Lamb spoke in a state of confusion as he sat down staring at the two who both looked to floor ashamed.
"I mean I just don't get it, I....wait...oh bloody hell I should have seen this before." Lamb huffed leaning back in his chair rubbing his head.
"Seen what ?" River spoke as him and y/n looked at eachother confused but still with great hate.
"It's been staring me in the face this entire time!" Lamb rambled on. "Just so obvious!"
"What's obvious?!" Y/n asked curiously.
"Well, that you fancy eachother!"
"WE WHAT!?" Y/n and River exclaimed, almost falling to the floor with shock.
"Well clearly, there seems to be alot of...tension between you both sooo maybe you too both just need to f-"
"Don't finish that sentence!" River interrupted making Lamb chuckle.
"This is ridiculous, me!? With him?! " y/n scoffed pointing at River.
"Oh excuse me but what is exactly wrong with me?" River turned his rival putting his hands to his hips.
"Oh let me see, uhhh always seeking approval from others, self centred , can't do your job properly, that hair-"
"Wait, what? My hair , what's wrong with my hair!" River exclaimed looking from Lamb to Y/n.
"I mean where to begin." Y/n laughed whilst going to touch it only to have Rive slap her hand away.
"He just assaulted me." She spoke folding her arms turning to Lamb.
"Aleight alright alright I've had enough of this, both of you just do what you want but don't come crying to me like a bunch of babies when the other annoyes you, right! Now y/n get out whilst I talk to River."
"Look I'm in no mood to argue, just go." Lamb waved his hand at y/n.
"Fine." She spoke glaring at River who stood there smirking as she slammed the door.
"Well that seemed intense." Louisa commented to y/n as she stormed out of the office.
"Yea well what's new with Cartwright." She mumbled siting down.
"So who one this round then?"
"Not actually sure, I mean Cartwrights the one still in the office and I don't hear shouting so...."
"Yea sounds like Lambs favours him this time." Louisa commented sitting next to y/n as they both began filing and sorting through old documents that Catherine asked them to look at.
"I don't know why, he was CLEARLY in the wrong."
"I don't even know why Lamb puts you on missions together, we all know it'll end up going wrong cause of a disagreement." Shirly spoke joining in the conversation.
"I think he enjoys it." Laughed y/n "You know he basically said me and Cartwright has sexual tension, I mean can you imagine."
Louisa and Shirly just glanced at eachother smirking.
"What! Guys come on! Me and Cartwright, that's crazy." Y/n shook her head in disgust.
"Well I see the way he looks at you and I just wonder." Louisa spoke whilst shirly nodded in agreement m
"He looks at me with hate, hello ? Has everyone lost there mind!"
"Oh I don't think he looks at you with hate exactly." Shirly chuckled.
"Fine, be like that but I swear that nothings going on between me and that stupid man."
Just as y/n spoke River stepped out from Lambs office glancing at her in the process, clearly hearing that last comment.
"Shut up." Y/n hissed back as River walked up to them.
"What did Lamb want?" Shirly asked him.
"Uh another mission." He grumbled in response "He also says that he wants the filling done ready for tomorrow."
"Thats ridiculous, it'll take forever." Louisa spoke stunned as the rest looked on.
"I don't really think he cares." River responded trying to be sympathetic. "Anyway I'll see you guys tomorrow." He gave a small wave to the group, to only be ignored by none other than y/n.
"He looked sad that you ignored him." Shirly teased once River had left.
"OK enough, this is not a high school rom com, let's get it together people." Y/n stated strictly, trying to focus on the files though her mind kept going back to River, always River.
"Uh this is torture, even Lambs left." Shirly huffed putting her hands in head.
"Yea I was meant to be meeting up with some family tonight." Sighed Louisa still working through files
"And I had a party, we've all got problem." Shirly grumbled from her buried head.
After a minuet of thinking y/n spoke up .
"Look you both have plans for night and I don't have nothing better to do, so why don't you guys head out and I'll try and do my best with these files."
"Y/n you don't have to do that." Said Louisa
"Yea coudnt Catherine deal with it tomorrow." Spoke shirly.
"Oh no she's been of sick today, I don't want to have a bunch of work for her tomorrow. Honestly guys it's fine you go."
"Well only if your sure?"
"Thanks bye!" Shirly exclaimed jumping up ,grabbing her coat and running out to the door.
"Well she woke up quickly." Y/n laughed as Louisa collected her stuff ready to head out.
"Hey y/n, thanks again." She called before heading out the door.
"Right then." Y/n said to herself as she looked at the remaining stack of papers. "Let's get this done."
As time went by y/n manged to work her way the the piles of papers, one file at a time. Though she coudnt help but think about what Lamb and the others had said and implied. Why did they all think she and River liked eachother, everything he did irritated her and probably the other way around aswell, but still, maybe there was something there? No she thought to herself, your being stupid y/n.
Suddenly whilst she was lost in the landscape of her own daydreaming a huge bang came from downstairs makeing her jump out of her chair.
"Wait what time is it." She mumbled looking at the clock , maybe it was Louise and she forgot something?
3 in the morning! That's not louisa. The worry continued as crashing noises continued and the sound of a person walking up the stairs became clearer. Not knowing what to do and not being equipped with any weapon she quickly grabbed an empty bottle of whiskey from Lambs office and hid behind the door.
She couldn't help but shake as the steps came closer and closer. Soon the door that she hid behind opened and figure that seemed to limp appeared.
Not knowing exactly how to handle the current situation y/n did what she usually did best . Throw a blind fit of rage.
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT!" She screamed jumping out from her hiding place, going to hit the stranger with the bottle.
"What the hell!" A familiar voice retaliated in shock.
"River?!' Y/n exclaimed confused, dropping the bottle. "Is that you?!"
"Yes it's me! Why's it so dark !,# why are you even still here?!"
"Well I thought you were a some thug so I turned of the lights to hide and I'm still going through the files, what are you doing here!?" She spoke going to find the lights switch.
"Doesn't matter." He grumbled turning away from her as the light turned on.
"What's wrong." Y/n spoke with suspicion as she watches him from behind. "Your limping."
"Uh no, you can barely stand on your leg and-"
"Hurt it? Hurt it how?" She carried on pushing
"Does it really matter y/n." River spoke, not angrily, no attitude infact y/n sensed a tone of tiredness and exhaustion in his voice.
"You gonna turn around to face me then." She crossed her arms determined to find out what was exactly going on with him.
For a moment he didn't do anything, just sighed.
Y/n walked up and gently put a hand to his shoulder.
"Please Cartwright, I know there's something wrong."
"Fine." He huffed tuning to face her.
"Oh my gosh cartwright!" Y/n exclaimed at the sight of him, face all beaten and bruised, cloths partially ripped and covered in blood.
"Happy?" He muttered, clearly in pain.
"What happened!?" She still coudnt get over the state he was in.
"I..." He began and looked down, tears began to form in his eyes. "I can't get into all this now, it's to much, everything just hurts." He tried his best to pull himself together but wasn't a success as soon the tears ran down his bloodied face uncontrollable.
Y/n had no clue what to do. She had never seen river cry, upset or even vulnerable, not like this.
"Do you have anyone who can take care of you, family maybe?" She asked softly still not sure what to exactly do.
He just shook his head "I dont want to cause my grandad any upset and um, there's no one else. That's why I came here, there's first aid kits and it's safe ."
"Oh right." Y/n repleid and the two just stood there.
"You can just carry on working if you want. I'll take care of myself." River stated and went to go and find a first aid kit , hobbling about the room, wincing every now and then.
"For goodness sake Cartwirght sit down." Y/n chuckled seeing the man trying to reach for the first aid kit on a high self.
"Just sit down, I'll get that."
Once she got the kit and river was sat down as comfortably in the chair as he could y/n places the kit on the desk and began to seacgr through it for everything that was needed.
"Cartwright I did nurses training, so can you put your pride aside and let me just help you, it looks like it just trust to move." She spoke sternly to which he nodded in response.
Sitting on the desk opposite him she began to gently rub the blood from his face.
"Thank you y/n." He spoke looking up to her as she took care of a cut on the side of his head.
"Thats ok" She smiled down at him and continued to work. "So was this to do with the mission Lamb sent you on?"
"Yea." River responded "I had to retrieve something from the park but I uh had a run in with Duffy ." He tried to brush it of.
"Wait Duffy did this to you!?"
"Yes this is all his fine work."
"I can't...I can't believe he did this to you."
"Well he does hate me." He chuckled in response as y/n got up to get him some water.
"I hate you but I'd never do this to you." She responded sadly. "I hate seeing you like this River."
"Wow." He laughed slightly taking the glass from her and watched as she sat opposite him.
"I don't think I've ever heard you call me by my first name before."
"Don't worry I'll get back to cartwright. " She chuckled awkwardly realising what she had done aswell.
"Oh.....it's just I preferred it when you called me River." He spoke avoiding eye contact with her.
"You do?" She asked with a slight smile with river responding with a polite nod.
"Well then ......River, how are you feeling now."
"Just terrific." He chuckled
"Seriously River, you've had some very nasty injuries, I'm surprised you don't have concusion."
"Well then maybe we should test that.." the pair chuckled and y/n helped River stand on his feet , carefully holding onto him. She coudnt help but blush as they stood so close together. Maybe Lamb was right? No stop thinking that ! Y/n thought pushing his words aside.
"Can you stand ok?" She asked as he clucthed onto her arm,keeping her close to him. There faces close, only parted by height.
"I think I can." River spoke almost in a whisper a line of nervs laced in his voice. Y/n was sure she caught his eyes dart from hers to her lips then bach but she to her eyes. No. Lamb couldn't be right.
"Shall I let go so you can stand on your own then." She went to pulll away from him only for River to hold her tighter to him , staring down at her with a longing in his eyes.
"River I -" Before she could finish she felt his beaten and bruised hand gently cup her cheek , lifting her head slightly so that they were gazing into eachothers eyes.
"Can I ask you something?" He whispeed closely to her lips gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb.
"Yes." She spoke nervously.
"You don't actually think I'm stupid do you?" He asked sounding embarrassed. Y/n coudnt help but chuckle with how concerned he seemed about it.
"No River of course I don't, I was just angry."
"Oh that's good then." He smiled nervously inching closer.
"And you know." Y/n smirked looking up at him , you have pretty great hair aswell."
"Yea I do." She smiled, gently running her fingers through the golden hair, causing his cheeks to flush as she did so.
Suddenly and without thinking through anything y/n leant up on her tip toes and gently placed a soft and delicate kiss to Rivers lips.
She could feel the man's shock depsite how they'd been obviously moving closer and closer to eachother by the minute.
However River swiflty got over the initial suprise of y/ns bold move and leaned into the kiss, softy but not lacking in any passion as he moved his lips against hers.
Soon his hands trailed down to her waist trying to pull her as close to him as possible.
As the kiss became more intense with River backing y/n up against the desk, the realisation suddenly struck her overwhelmingly.
"Wait River wait." She mumbled against his lips beginning to pull away as he lightly bit down on her bottom lip.
"What..whats wrong, did I do something worng. " He whispered nervously afraid he'd messed up.
"Well let's carry on then." He chuckled going in for another kiss only to be gently pushed back again.
"River we can't." She spoke looking down.
"But why? You kissed me !"
"You seemed like you very much enjoyed kissing me!"
"You said you liked my hair!"
"Then what's the problem!?" He began raising his voice.
"If we happen , then he'd be right!"
"Wait, just wait a minute , you clearly like me and I REALLY like you ...alot! We'd be great together, you know we'd be great together but your just to proud to admit that Lamb was right!"
"River he'd never let it go, we'd get comments everyday! By everyone, not just Lamb!"
"Oh so our relationship would be an inconvenience to you! Or maybe an embarrassment!"
"We're not even in a relationship Cartwright!"
"Yea youve got one thing right." He scoffed and began for the door. "And don't call me River again!" He yelled slamming the door on his way out.
"FINE BY ME! ITS A STUPID NAME ANYWAY!" Y/n screamed back tears in her eyes. "I MEAN OBVIOUSLY YOUR MUM NEVER CARED ABOUT YOU, TO GIVE HER SON A STUPID NAME LIKE THAT!"
Y/n thought she heard him stop on the steps, was he coming back up. Maybe she took it to far. No wait, he's leaving.
She liked him, she knew she liked him alot, but once again they ended up in a fight.
Well that was it now, there was no coming back from what was said.
Hope you all enjoyed thus darlings!
Shall I consider a Part 2😏💕?
