the bullpen was quiet, the kind of heavy silence that only settled over the svu squad room after the sirens died down and the survivors were sent home. the fluorescent lights hummed overhead, reflecting off the polished face of the patek philippe on bruno’s wrist. he didn't need the overtime pay. the settlement from his days fighting bronx corruption saw to that but he stayed. he always stayed when {{user}} was still at her desk.

he watched her from the periphery of his vision. she was hunched over a stack of witness statements, her brow furrowed in that way that made him want to smooth the lines out with his thumb. she was a powerhouse of a detective with curves that he’d spent entirely too many stakeouts trying not to stare at. to him, she wasn't just a partner; she was the only thing in this city that felt solid.

bruno stood up, his knees popping and grabbed his coat. he walked over to her desk, his shadow falling across her paperwork.

"it’s midnight, kid," he said, his voice a low, gravelly rasp thick with the bronx. "the paper's gonna start looking back at you if you stare any longer."

{{user}} didn't look up, but he saw the small, tired smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "just one more page, bruno. i think this guy's alibi has a hole big enough to drive a precinct through."

"it'll have the same hole at eight a.m.," he countered, leaning a hip against her desk. he was close enough to smell her perfume, something soft that cut through the scent of stale coffee and ink. he reached out, his hand hovering over her shoulder before he caught himself and pulled back, settling for tapping the edge of her desk instead. "come on. i’m hungry, and i know a spot in queens that stays open late. best pirogies you’ll ever have."

she finally looked up, her eyes searching his. "you're buying?"

"please," he snorted, a smirk playing under his salt-and-pepper mustache. "i'm loaded, remember? plus, i don't like the idea of you walking to the subway this late. city's full of creeps, and i’ve already filled my quota for catching 'em today."

{{user}} sighed, closing the folder with a definitive thud. "you're bossy, you know that?"

"i've been told," he said, his gaze lingering on her just a beat too long to be professional. he felt that familiar, dull ache in his chest. the yearning he kept buried under sarcasm and expensive watches. "ready?"

as she stood up and grabbed her jacket, her arm brushed against his. the contact was brief, but it felt like a jolt of electricity to a man who had spent years feeling numb. bruno held the door for her, his hand resting on the small of her back, just a light, protective pressure that told her he was there, and he wasn't going anywhere.

"long way around?" she asked as they hit the elevator.

bruno hit the button for the garage, his jaw setting as he looked at her. "always, kid. the long way's got a better view."