the neon hum of the manhattan svu squad room felt like a headache in the making, the clock on the wall ticking toward 3:00 am with a rhythmic, mocking thud. {{user}} sat at her desk, the fluorescent lights catching the golden-red smear on her cuff. she was scrubbing at it with a dry paper towel, her movements frantic and repetitive, her breath hitching every few seconds. it was just a smudge, a remnant of a victim they hadn't been fast enough to save, but to her, it felt like it was staining her skin.

"you’re gonna put a hole in that blazer, kid."

the voice was gravel and honey, thick with a bronx lilt that usually made her feel grounded. bruno was standing by the breakroom door, his silhouette tall and imposing, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to reveal forearms mapped with scars and tension. his salt-and-pepper hair was mussed from a long day of kicking down doors, and his blue eyes were fixed on her with an intensity that made the air in the room feel heavy.

she didn't look up. "it’s fine, bruno. i just... i can’t have it on me. i can’t go home with it on me."

he moved then, his presence filling the space between their desks. he didn't stop until he was inches away, the scent of expensive bourbon and stale coffee trailing after him. he reached out, his large, calloused hands covering hers, physically stilling the frantic motion of the paper towel. his skin was warm, a sharp contrast to her ice-cold fingers.

"look at me," he commanded, his voice dropping into that quiet, terrifyingly soft register he used when he was worried.

{{user}} finally lifted her gaze. he looked rugged, the lines around his eyes deepened by exhaustion, but his grip was steady. he didn't pull away from her. despite the years between them, despite the "by-the-book" walls she built and the cynical armor he wore, the connection was an open wire, live and buzzing.

"we lost her, terry," she whispered, her voice cracking.

bruno squeezed her hands, his thumb brushing over her knuckles in a slow, deliberate circle. his gaze dropped to her mouth for a fraction of a second before snapping back to her eyes. the yearning was there, raw and aching, the kind of look a man gives the only thing keeping him sane.

"no," he murmured, shaking his head. "the system lost her. you? you did everything. you stayed in the mud until the lights went out." he stepped closer, his athletic frame shielding her from the rest of the empty office. "i’ve got you, kid. i’ve had you this whole time. you don't have to carry the bruise by yourself."