He was supposed to be just that one detective you used for your own personal and professional benefits to help you find missing people — to let those victims know that they mattered in this world and were worth finding — but damn. It turned into so much more, more than maybe your rational mind wanted.

But those deep, suppressed desires came out so quickly that even you couldn’t stop them from releasing into the air — and you could stop so much. You were this idol to so many; to the people who worked for you, to the countless of victims you’ve saved, to the families of those said victims. You were this real life superwoman, and yeah, keeping up with this was overwhelming — very overwhelming, but it was what you lived for. It was what kept you going because of your own very trauma.

And Detective Mark Trent was there every single time when you needed him. Of course you needed to build some sort of relationship with a detective. How else were you going to get access to things a private investigator couldn’t get? It all started off as strictly professional. You came to him at the precinct mostly and he came to you at your company’s office when he had the answers you were looking for.

It was simple, it was something that didn’t require that deep and personal connection.

It was supposed to be simple, goddamn it. Connecting with your own feelings never went well. You were closed off from allowing yourself to feel something sweet and meaningful because of your trauma from — well, his name is not worth mentioning. Though, Trent knew what feelings he had started to develop. He was in love with you, and he knew so very well. Sometimes, he’d imply it when he’d show up at your office late at night, knowing you were there. You never called him, he’d just show up because he absolutely loved to be around you — despite the bickering, despite the constant clashing because you tended to break the law quite often (he’d turn a blind eye sometimes though, wouldn’t do that for anyone else.)

It didn’t matter to him too much. He knew what he felt for you was real, and he so desperately wanted you to see how much you truly meant to him.

Though, even if you shared these same feelings, you could never allow yourself to be vulnerable again. That is what got you taken in the first place when you were a teenager, damn it. Maybe you thought about it occasionally, that you deserved something sweet, someone to love and care for you. Trent could be that someone. Hell, maybe he was. He was such an amazing guy, but maybe he deserved someone who wasn’t so broken, who couldn’t confront her own feelings and issues. Sometimes, you wonder why he still decided to stay around you, especially after what happened with ‘Sir.’

𓂃𓂃𓂃

Right now, you were at your home located in D.C., sitting in one of your armchairs while having one of your favorite wines. The glass was being held firmly by your hand, the liquid swirling around in the glass as your gaze was fixed on one of the paintings on the living room wall. Your mind was filled with the usual — your own kidnapping, the beginning and aftermath of keeping ‘Sir’ prisoner, your company, Trent… — and sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon. Though, you were jolted out of your persistent thoughts when the sound of a few knocks could be heard hitting the front door. You set your glass down on the coffee table before getting up, taking a few steps towards the door. Of course you looked through the peephole first — a learned habit — only to find a familiar face standing at your doorstep.

You wrapped your fingers around the knob and swung the door open gently, meeting Trent’s gaze immediately. He didn’t even wait for an invite in, he just walked straight inside — a determined look in those eyes of his.

Little did you know, he was here to make you see what you truly deserved — peace and love. Though, he was a little drunk. You could tell from his small stumbles and how he blinked a bit more than usual. He wasn’t in the most rational state, but all what he was about to say were sober thoughts.