AN: Hi guys! Well, this is my first Law and Order multi-chapter story but this is not my first time dabbling in fanfiction, so I'm not exactly a newbie. However, I'm fairly new to the L&O fandom. Like most L&O fans, I like Mike and Connie together, but I'm also a Connie/Lupo shipper. Anyway, enough rambling: on with the story!

Once every couple weeks, after work, Lupo, Bernard, and Connie would stop at a bar for drinks and they would sit in a booth together. Mike never came along. They would discuss their latest case or talk about the news. Sometimes they debated. No one ever got very drunk, and around nine or ten, one of them would stand up and say it was getting late and it was time to leave.

They would all walk out of the bar together and depart in separate cabs. It wouldn't be until a few weeks later that they'd meet in a bar again for drinks after work.

Lupo and Bernard were dealing with a tough case. They were speculating about the latest developments, and they were on the verge of arguing. Connie was trying to listen, but she was pretty sure her eyes were glazing over. It had been a long day; she was exhausted.

"Connie? What do you think?"

She realized Bernard was talking to her. He wanted her opinion. Did she have one? No, because she wasn't listening.

"Sorry…I…I kind of zoned out there. I'm pretty tired. In fact, I'm going to go home. Today was grueling."

"Mike's riding you pretty hard, huh?" Lupo said.

"We had a lot of paperwork to finish," Connie said. She was surprised at her defensive tone. But then again, Mike wasn't a horrible boss.

"What's it like working for him?" Lupo asked. "It must be pretty difficult."

The way he said that bugged Connie. Lupo didn't sound rude or malicious, but there was a trace of curiosity in his question. Was he trying to get her to complain about Mike? Well, she knew Mike had his faults – his unpredictability, his insensitivity, his recklessness – but he certainly had his strengths too. He was smart, persistent, and quick on his feet. In fact, his strengths probably outnumbered his faults.

"It's not that difficult," Connie said, brushing off the question quickly.

Bernard yawned, apparently bored of talking about Mike, and checked his watch. "It's pretty late," he said. "We should all leave."

They all paid for their drinks and left the bar together. Outside, it was raining. Bernard stepped forward to hail a taxi, and when it pulled up, he paused. "Want it?" he asked Connie.

"You go ahead," she replied. "I'll take the next one."

Bernard was gone in a second. Now it was just Lupo and Connie on the sidewalk, waiting for a cab. As they waited, Connie debated back and forth with herself whether to bring up Mike again. She didn't know why, but Lupo's comments about him were annoying her. She knew Mike and Lupo didn't like each other – that was pretty obvious – but sometimes she wanted to tell both of them to can it.

Now Connie was angry at Mike and he wasn't even here. Well, that's his problem, isn't it? He wanted to stay at the office instead of going out with his co-workers for drinks. He was always like that. He never made an effort.

"What are you thinking about?" Lupo asked her.

"Getting home," she lied. "I hope it doesn't take too long to get a cab."

Lupo was silent again. "The stuff I said about Mike…I didn't mean to offend you."

"Well, yeah. It's fine."

"For a second there, I almost thought…you know. That you liked him."

Connie stared at Lupo. He stared back. She opened her mouth, ready to put him in his place, but all that came out was a gush of air. She couldn't think of anything to say to that because she knew if she denied it, she'd be lying. At the same time, lying to Lupo was probably going to be the better decision in the long run, but it was too late. The silence between them was growing bigger and bigger, and if she said anything now he'd see right through her.

"Connie?"

"You're drunk," she said. "I need to go home." She held out her arm and stepped off the sidewalk. She was done with the conversation. She was done with Lupo.

"I'm not drunk." Lupo grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "At least, not that much."

"I don't like Mike," she said.

"Okay." He didn't believe her. Or did he? His voice sounded flat. Calm. Lupo was always calm. She liked that about him.

She hoped he wouldn't bring up Mike again.

They both looked down, where Lupo's hand rested on her arm. Neither of them said anything.

"He likes you," he said, putting his hand back in his pocket.

He was also persistent. She did not like that about him.

"Mike does not like me," Connie said, even though she knew that wasn't particularly true. "Mike and I are just colleagues. We work together." Why did he have to use that word, "like"? As if they were seventh-graders instead of adults.

Lupo just stared at her. He looked amused. "Good to hear," he said.

Connie held out her hand for the second time. She wanted to go home. She wanted to roll up on the couch in her pajamas and watch TV. It was lonely and depressing, but at least she'd forget about Lupo and Mike for a while.

"Good night, Cyrus," she said to him as a taxi pulled up to the curb.

Lupo apprehended her once again. This time, instead of grabbing her arm, he pulled on her wrist. She turned around, surprised, and he kissed her. It was a short kiss, but it wasn't so short as to be accidental.

Lupo let go of her. Connie stood on the sidewalk, too dazed to say anything. She wondered how long he'd thought about doing that. She wondered if he'd even thought about it all. They looked into each other's eyes. Lupo's were dark brown, and she could see her reflection in them. She couldn't see anything else.

Connie was the one who kissed him this time. She didn't know she would until she was doing it – almost as if some invisible force pushed her closer to him, pushed her into his arms. The kiss wasn't short this time. It was serious. It was long. She felt unusually calm, and the only thought that ran through her mind was, He smells good.

The taxi driver honked.

Connie pulled away, suddenly aware of everything – drops of rainwater on her skin, Lupo's arm around her waist, the whine of an ambulance in the distance. She took a step back, feeling dizzier than ever. The taxi driver honked again. He was getting impatient. Connie didn't want to lose her ride, so she flung open the car door and practically fell inside. She landed on the black leather seat, suddenly realizing she was soaking wet. With every movement she made there was a squelching sound.

Her mind was racing. Her thoughts were all over the place; she could not slow down to contemplate what just happened. Questions began popping up, questions she could not answer. Like, What does Lupo think of me now? What was he thinking when he did that? Why did I kiss him back? Why didn't I stop him? Do I like him? Does he like me?

She'd always prided herself on being a rational thinker. A person of reason. She was Mike's opposite – levelheaded, practical, reliable. Thinking about Mike made her stomach lurch a little. More questions filled her mind. What would Mike think? What if he finds out? Will he think less of me?

Of course he would. Mike thought Lupo was a wannabe, a nuisance who always tried to play lawyer.

But if Mike didn't know, he wouldn't judge her. She didn't want him to give her the stony stare he usually reserved for criminals. So she wouldn't tell him. And Connie knew Lupo wouldn't tell Mike either.

Why did she even care if Mike knew?

Connie told herself to calm down. She could get too emotional sometimes. A kiss was just a kiss. She closed her eyes and quickly rewinded the scene outside the bar, going over every detail she remembered. She opened her eyes, realizing she didn't even say goodbye to Lupo when she left.

Now Connie felt really bad. She'd kissed him and abandoned him.

But as her mind began to clear and the rain ceased, Connie realized how much she'd enjoyed it. For once, she didn't stop to think about the consequences; she just went ahead and did it. It was completely unlike her. It was liberating. Not to mention Lupo wasn't a bad kisser. He wasn't bad at all.

She told herself as soon as she saw Lupo tomorrow; she would tell him the kiss was an act of impulsivity. It meant nothing. She would tell him they had to be professional and not let anything happen between them. Even if she did want something to happen. Even if she did really have feelings for Lupo.