the fluorescent lights of the district attorneyβs office always seemed to hum a little louder when elliot stabler was in the building. rafael stood by the window, his hand resting on the lapel of his charcoal three-piece suit, watching the broad-shouldered detective disappear into the elevator. the air still felt displaced, heavy with the phantom weight of a man who had occupied {{user}}'s life for twelve years.
rafael adjusted his silk pocket square, the movement sharp and deliberate. he didn't look at her immediately. he didn't want her to see the way his jaw had tightened.
"does he always take up that much oxygen in a room," rafael asked, his voice smooth but laced with a dry, intellectual bite, "or is he just performing for my benefit?"
{{user}} sighed, the sound soft against the stack of case files she was organizing. she shifted her weight, her curves brushing against the edge of the mahogany desk as she looked up at him. her eyes were tired, yet they held a warmth that rafael found himself constantly trying to map out.
"heβs just protective, raf," she replied, her voice steady. "we spent twelve years in a car together. you don't just switch that off because the shift ends."
rafael finally turned to face her. he let his gaze linger, on the way her hair fell over her shoulders, on the strength in her frame, on the quiet intelligence that made her the best detective he had ever worked with.
"twelve years is a sentence, {{user}}," he said, stepping closer until the scent of his expensive cologne mingled with the lingering smell of courthouse coffee. he reached out, his fingers hovering just inches from the sleeve of her coat, a silent yearning radiating from the set of his shoulders. "iβm interested in what happens after the release."