Title: Libations with a Side of Exhibition

Author: Fallenbelle

Rating: Teen for naughty behavior

Summary: It was a beautiful late spring afternoon and Julia had convinced him to accompany her to the Junction, a neighborhood where no one knew them (save for Miss James), and they were largely free to behave (or misbehave as the case may be) however they wanted.

Warnings: Spoilers for 09x06 The Local Option

Notes: This stems from some private message conversations with some of you about how William seems to be something of an exhibitionist, and how we already knew Julia loves to shock society. I'm not completely satisfied with this, but it's been sitting on my hard drive for over a week. Need to move it off and get on with other things. Unbeta'd, all mistakes mine alone.

"Just one drink," Julia had cajoled, and as usual, had gotten her way. She knew William could never deny her anything, and this was no exception. It was a beautiful late spring afternoon and Julia had convinced him to accompany her to the Junction, a neighborhood where no one knew them (save for Miss James), and they were largely free to behave (or misbehave as the case may be) however they wanted. Stepping into the dark bar from the bright, sunny day was quite a contrast, and the raucous atmosphere inside was just as disorienting as the sudden change in lighting. The bar was crowded, yet she quickly and expertly found two seats at the counter, and she didn't bat an eyelash as she approached the grouping of men who were just as unaccustomed as William at seeing a gentlewoman confidently take her seat at the bar.

This was not Julia's first time at such a place.

For the briefest of moments one of the men may have leered at Julia and may have possibly entertained thoughts of propositioning her as though she were a doxy, but one cold as steel look from William and the man decided against approaching her.

To further strengthen his position, William opted not to take the other seat as he helped Julia onto the stool, instead standing right behind her so as to dissuade other would-be suitors. Further indicating his unease, William quickly abandoned his desire for a spruce beer and instead opted for a whiskey, copying Julia's order.

Sensing that William was not relaxed (which was definitely not part of her plan), Julia took note of their surroundings in a bar in a strange part of town where no one knew them or even knew their positions. They were relatively anonymous here, and were free to comport themselves in a more relaxed manner here, something neither one would ever think of doing in their usual neighborhood. Reminding herself of the promises that such details held, Julia decided to take charge and make this an opportunity to engage in her desire to behave scandalously and also allow William to have an opportunity to indulge his deeply subverted longing to engage in romantic behaviors in public or semi-public locations.

However, this was never going to happen if he were continuously nervous, and Julia knew she needed to defuse the situation by starting with an attempt to cajole him into taking the empty seat next to her and let him know she didn't mind the attention at all-she actually enjoyed it.

"You know, William, if you don't take this seat, some other gentleman may feel emboldened into taking his chances with me," she casually teased him, hoping he'd take the bait. It would be easier to have a bit of fun if he was actually with her as opposed to watching over her. As thoughtful as William's gentlemanly action to protect her was, it wasn't necessary or even wanted on this occasion.

Her invitation worked, as William promptly sat down, still nervous appearing as he fiddled with the brim of his hat. Their drinks were promptly served, always the mark of a good bar, and William quickly downed his, immediately signaling for another. Julia blanched, knowing she needed to act quickly before William had too much to drink, quickly ruining her plans for the evening.

Deciding her next step of action, she managed to nudge her bar stool inappropriately close to his and leaned into him, further behaving improperly by slipping her hand high onto his upper thigh, just barely touching his groin, hoping he'd take the bait. William's eyes widened at her action, but after a brief moment he began to relax, even leaning into the touch, seemingly enjoying it.

She noted that he was sipping his second drink as opposed to gulping it, and as this was a sure sign that he was relaxing, Julia smiled at her forethought of heading off a potentially disastrous evening. Her smile grew as his own hand found its way to her thighs, casually placing his hand at their apex in a most intimate and possessive gesture. Even as the tension visibly left William's body, Julia knew that the bartender as well as the other men at the bar were witnessing their scandalous actions, and made it a point to covertly watch her to see what she might do next. Julia laughed at the freedom of behaving so boldly and decided to fully embrace the experience.

Who cared if anyone thought her a prostitute, stating her claim on a client; whoever thought as much wouldn't be entirely wrong, as she had every intention of engaging in sexual acts with the man later in the privacy of their hotel suite. Looking down at her smart suit and tie she wore to work, she laughed that anyone even possibly considered her a prostitute given her proper, businesslike attire.

William for his part, did nothing to dissuade her, by this point recognizing that she was reveling in an all-to-rare opportunity these days to shock those around her, and Julia for her part, knew William's keen desire for scandalous semi-public inappropriate behavior. Strange men and women in a different part of town made for a safe audience and locale in which to let their hair down.

As they finished their second drinks and William ordered a third, Julia knew that the time to leave was soon, as William wasn't used to liquor, and wasn't capable of handling large quantities as the Inspector could, and the last thing Julia wanted was her husband incapacitated for the evening's further activities. Knowing that he was enjoying their exhibitions as much as she, Julia knew she needed to convince him to leave with her soon so that the fun could be continued.

Leaning into his side and quickly nipping his ear before she began, she whispered about a fantasy wherein he had his way with her in a carriage while the driver and passing townspeople were completely oblivious to their actions. William said nothing in reply, but gulped and set his drink down.

Abandoning his unfinished drink, he pushed his barstool back, abruptly stood up and settled their tab. Grabbing her arm, he hailed the first available carriage and after giving directions to the driver, proceeded to have his way with her just as she had described. Given that there was the typical late afternoon/ early evening traffic and they were at least 30 minutes from their suite at the hotel, there was no need to hurry. So they didn't, and they reveled in the outrageousness. Together.