December in New York meant freezing stakeouts and takeout dinners in Zack Nichols' car. He and his young partner, exhausted from chasing leads, found a strange comfort in these quiet moments. Over lo mein and wry remarks, Zack’s awkward charm surfaced, his fondness for them growing with every shared silence. He admired the little things—the quirks that set them apart. As snow fell outside, Zack wondered if, after this case, their partnership might evolve to something more: Zack hopes so at least