Title: Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off

Author: GageWhitney

Rating: T

Pairing: Nathan/Audrey

Disclaimer: Very much not mine.

Summary: "Don't let me drink tequila again. I am no good at drinking tequila. I should have remembered that."

Note: For cold_queen_5's prompt in the comment fic post at the havenmaine LJ community. (Also, bonus points to whoever can tell me the show I reference here…)

"Hey, it's Duke. You need to get down to the Gull, like, ASAP."

Nathan sighs heavily and tosses his pen onto the desk. He feels the headache coming on already. "Why?"

"Because your partner's like half a margarita away from getting on a table and dancing to 'Boogie Shoes,'" Duke says, and there's an amused edge to his voice.

Well. That, he wasn't expecting. "You calling me to pick her up or come watch?"

"A little of both, I guess," Duke says with a chuckle. "Just get down here."

It's not hard to spot her. She's at the corner table with Julia and both women are laughing raucously, leaning on each other for support and drawing the attention of those around them.

"Nathan!" she yells when she sees him approaching the table.

He grins at her. "Hey, Audrey. Julia."

Her hair is loose and curly, and he notices that, despite the temperature outside, she's down to a camisole with thin little straps. There's a pile of her stuff in the middle of the table, consisting of her t-shirt, sweater, small hoop earrings and watch.

"Julia and I are doing girl's night out," she says a little too loudly. "I've never done girl's night out! It's fun!"

"Yeah it is!" Julia says, and they clink glasses.

He nods. "What are you girls drinking?"

"Well, first we had margaritas with little umbrellas in them," Julia tells him. "Now we're doing tequila shots."

"Ah." He turns and gives Duke an accusatory look across the room.

"I just got here!" Duke yells. "It's Scotty's fault!"

"Check this out, Nathan!" Audrey says. She grabs his wrist and licks it, and he thinks his knees might give out. Then she shakes salt on the spot, licks it off, downs her shot and shoves a slice of lime in her mouth.

Julia high-fives her, and they start laughing again.

"Okay." He gently snatches Audrey's shot glass and places it on the table. "I think girl's night is just about done. Why don't you come with me, Parker? I'll take you home."

He takes her hand and pulls her out of the chair and she crashes into him, giggling. "Ooh, really, Nathan? What took you so long? I thought you'd never ask."

She grabs his face and roughly pulls him down to her level before kissing him square on the lips. She runs her fingers through his hair and sticks her tongue in his mouth, and as good as it feels, Nathan gently pries her off of him. He licks his lips and tastes tequila and salt and lime.

"Okay," he says shakily. "Thank you for that. But not now, all right?"

"Boo!" calls Julia, watching intently from her seat. She gives him a thumbs down.

"Oh, fine, Nathan," Audrey sing-songs. She plays with the buttons in his jacket and strokes his sweater. "Want to dance instead?"

"Not tonight, drunky. Come on," he says. He gathers up her clothes and accessories, dumping them in her bag. "Where's your coat?"

She shrugs. "Don't know. I like this song."

"Yep. Me too." He's trying to hold onto her and look for her coat, and he has no idea what song is playing.

He finds the coat slung on the back of someone else's chair and helps her into it, then slides an arm around her waist to steady her. Her purse is dangling from his other arm. He works extra hard to focus on the task at hand so his senses don't go into overload.

"All right. Ready? Let's go home, Parker."

"Okay. Bye, Julia!" she calls behind her, and Julia waves and takes another sip.

"I've got her," Duke says, breezing past them to the table.

Audrey walks clumsily next to him, giggling at her own self, and takes the opportunity to squeeze him tightly in a one-armed hug. "Thank you for being my friend," she says, and then she giggles. "Like the Golden Girls!"

"Uh huh," Nathan says. "That's us. Just like the Golden Girls."

"You're so funny," she giggles. "And hot!"

"Thank you."

They're almost out the door when the Chief walks in and surveys the scene. "I heard there was a little bit of a disturbance down here."

"Chief!" she crows.

"I've got it handled," Nathan says. Audrey chooses that moment to pinch his butt, and he jumps.

"I can see that. Nice purse." Nathan turns a little red, and the Chief's lips twitch as he tries not to laugh. "Get her home, son."

"Yes, sir." Then, to Audrey, "Come on, let's go."

She gets herself untangled from him and throws her arms around her boss. "See you Monday, Chief!" She plants a big smooch on his cheek, then grabs Nathan's hand and tugs him toward the door. "Take me home, Wournos!"

Duke walks by with Julia under his arm, and the Chief shakes his head. "Jesus Christ, Crocker."

The next morning, after Audrey finds Nathan mysteriously sleeping on her couch, he makes her pancakes while she downs aspirin and water and gives her the rundown of her first ever girl's night out (at least, the parts that he saw).

"I did what?"

"Oh, yeah," he says, taking a sip of orange juice. "A big, wet one. Right on the cheek."

"Oh my God," she groans. She covers her eyes with her hands. "Don't let me drink tequila again. I am no good at drinking tequila. I should have remembered that."

"Noted."

"Did I do anything else untoward?"

He grins. "Um…"