This is my first finished drabble after a few years of not writing anything and I hope it gets me to start writing longer stories eventually. I wrote this fic after 2x05. I prefer the official story of events from 2x06 but posting this anyway. The title is from "The Wolves (Act I and II)" by Bon Iver.
Her eyes soften when she enters the room and sees him. There are faint, pink blotches on her cheeks and her eyes are red because of the tears she has shed - tears that she chooses to hide now when she is with him. Instead of crying, she smiles.
He feels vulnerable. There is no need for him to act the part of a victim because he is a victim. He has lost control of the situation and this is something he detests. It angers him but instead of red hot rage the anger is like a deep black pool of icy liquid inside of him feeding into his veins. He lost control of the situation but he knows he can gain it back by using the incident as an armor and a weapon.
She caresses his hand and wrist, only millimeters away from the pure white bandages wrapped around his arms. Her eyes turn dark when Will Graham is mentioned.
She is one of the smartest women he knows yet she is only a human. It is easy to know which strings to pull with her. She has her faults like anyone, faults that can easily be taken advantage of. He has always kept her at an arm's length and taken extra precautions not to get her tangled into his webs. He does not know why exactly - perhaps he respects her too much or perhaps he actually cares about her. This time he pushes his feelings aside. He has too much to lose, he cannot afford to protect her any more.
Her eyelashes flutter softly when he reaches over and gently strokes her cheek. A small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth and she reaches to cover his hand with her own and then moves his hand to her lips and kisses his palm.
She is an attractive woman, beautiful and intelligent, and he doesn't oppose the idea of having an affair with her. Quite the contrary. He knows he doesn't need to work too hard to sway her. There has always been mutual attraction between them and he also knows that she wants to distance herself from Will Graham and to banish him from her heart. It is almost too easy to seduce her and it almost pains him to know that he is going to destroy her.
"This may sound grim but I am grateful for what he did. Incidents like this make you re-prioritize everything in your life and take notice in the things you have taken for granted," he confesses. His every word is thoughtfully calculated.
She leans over and presses a light, feathery kiss on his cheek when she gets up to leave. She squeezes his hand and her fingers linger on his knuckles for a few seconds longer than necessary.
He knows she will be back tomorrow.