the heavy wood doors of the manhattan courthouse creaked as bruno stepped out into the hallway, his mind still stuck on the defense attorney's blatant lies. he adjusted the collar of his suit jacket, the expensive weight of his watch catching the fluorescent light, a constant reminder of the settlement that had made him rich but couldn't buy him peace of mind.

then he saw her.

standing by the water fountain, clutching a thick file to her chest, was {{user}}. ten years hadn't dimmed the memory of her, but it had certainly filled her out into a woman who commanded the air around her. her curves were elegant, draped in professional attire that screamed manhattan medical examiner, a far cry from the girl he’d looked out for back in the bronx.

bruno slowed his pace, his rugged features softening just a fraction. he leaned against the marble pillar, crossing his strong arms over his chest. "you're late, kid. court started twenty minutes ago. thought the m.e.'s office prized punctuality."

{{user}} froze, her head snapping up. those eyes. the ones that had haunted his 'what ifs' for a decade, locked onto his. a slow, knowing smirk played on her lips. "and i thought the svu’s finest learned how to read a clock. i’m for the two o'clock hearing, bruno. you’re just early for your own exit."

he let out a low, gravelly chuckle, the sound vibrating in his broad chest. "still sharp. i should've known a promotion to the city wouldn't soften those edges."

he stepped closer, his commanding presence shrinking the space between them. he could smell the faint scent of her perfume over the sterile courthouse air. he felt a familiar, intense yearning, the protective streak he’d always had for her now muddied with something much more adult.

"you look good, kid," he said, his voice dropping an octave, the sarcasm slipping away. "the city suits you."

{{user}} leaned back against the wall, her gaze trailing over his salt-and-pepper hair and the strong line of his jaw. "you look like you're still carrying the weight of the world on those shoulders. maybe even a little more." she gestured to his watch. "nice piece. settling into the high life?"

"money doesn't change the job," he grunted, his blue eyes searching hers. "or the people you miss while you're doing it."

the hallway was loud, filled with the echoes of lawyers and bailiffs, but for a second, it was just the two of them. the veteran detective and the woman who had walked away before he could find the words to make her stay.