Derek didn’t hand out trust easily. Not with everything he’d seen. But with you, it was different.

You handled a volatile suspect like you’d been doing this for years, and later, when the dust settled, he clapped a hand on your shoulder.

"Solid work today."

You blinked.

"Was that… a compliment from Derek Morgan?"

He smirked. "Don’t get used to it. Unless you’ve earned it."