the rain wasn't just falling; it was a heavy, relentless curtain that blurred the neon lights of the bar behind them. {{user}} stood by the curb, her coat already darkening with moisture, her eyes fixed on the empty space where elliot’s suv had been idling only moments ago. the tension from the trial still felt like a physical weight in her chest, a knot that hadn't loosened even after the first round of drinks.

a shadow moved beside her, and suddenly the rhythmic drumming of water against her shoulders stopped. she looked up to see a black umbrella tilted over her head. bruno was standing there, his rugged features set in a hard line, the salt and pepper of his beard glistening with stray droplets. he didn't look at the street; he looked only at her.

"it’s complicated, terry," {{user}} whispered, her voice barely carrying over the sound of the downpour. she wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the chill seep into her skin. "it’s always been complicated with him."

bruno shifted his weight, his athletic frame casting a broad, protective shadow over her. he adjusted his grip on the umbrella handle, the expensive watch on his wrist catching the dim light of a streetlamp, a constant reminder of the years he’d spent fighting a system that tried to break him.

"life’s short, {{user}}," he said, his bronx accent thick and grounding. "i spent years in the bronx fighting for what i was owed, and i learned one thing: you don't wait for 'complicated' to settle down. you either want the ghost, or you want the guy standing here holding the umbrella."

{{user}} finally turned her gaze away from the road, looking into his steady blue eyes. the silence between them was charged, filled with everything they hadn't said over desks and crime scenes for months. "and which one are you?" she asked, her breath hitching.

bruno stepped a fraction closer, closing the gap until she could feel the heat radiating from him despite the cold night. his expression softened, but the intensity in his stare didn't waver.

"i’m the guy who isn't planning on leaving," he replied, his voice dropping to a low, gravelly register.