You hadn’t expected anyone to be waiting outside, much less Connor. By this time, he’d usually already left with Lieutenant Anderson. But no. He was waiting for you. “You coming with me?” you asked.

—“I am.”—He answered immediately, opened his umbrella.—“I deemed it appropriate to accompany you.”

It wasn’t necessary, but you didn’t decline. You both started walking together under the umbrella, while you tried to figure out what exactly Connor was doing there. Maybe he noticed your confusion, because he spoke right away.

—“I’m simply returning the favor.”—He said, as if reading your mind.—“You defended my physical integrity when Officer Gavin attempted to pour hot coffee on me.”

You raised an eyebrow, recalling the incident. You’d stepped in more out of instinct than anything else. Gavin was an asshole, and Connor… well, there was no reason to let him take that kind of abuse.

—“I waited outside for one hour, twenty-two minutes, and thirty-four seconds to ensure you didn’t leave alone in the rain. I deemed it an appropriate display of good faith from one fellow officer to another.”

He said it just like that. No hesitation. No hint of embarrassment. Like standing perfectly still in the rain while calculating the wait time down to the second was the most logical thing in the world.