Disclaimer: Dick Wolf and NBC own "Law and Order". I don't.
A/N: This is for June. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I'm also dedicating it to Alana de la Garza because she really made me care about Connie as a character. Alana's portrayal is part of why I'm such a huge Connie fan. There's that and the fact that Connie is just a badass. C-:
And a note on the song lyrics—penguins only ever take one mate in their lifetimes. It's really sweet. So they're pretty much a true love symbol.
No Words Needed
Love like this
Is all I want
Baby, we're fate
Love like this
May come once
Like a soulmate
You're my penguin
Baby, we're fate, baby it's fate
Not luck
-Christina Perri, "Penguin"
"That means the two of you will have to work together day and night," said Jack, looking from Mike to Connie. "That won't be a problem, will it?"
A pang of nervousness hit Mike. Woll had made a mess of everything. She had to know how he felt about her. There was no way it was still a secret. Everything was ruined between them, he was sure of it. Or was it? He desperately hoped not. But she was the only one with the right to decide the status of their relationship. He looked at her to let her know this.
She looked back at him and smiled.
Mike's heart started beating faster, as it always did whenever she smiled. He felt a rush of hope. She wasn't angry at him—not at all. Maybe Woll had only taunted him and not her. Maybe everything was okay because she had no idea he was in love with her.
Or maybe…No, he didn't dare hope that the reason she didn't mind continuing to work with him, despite this whole humiliating and awkward ordeal, was because she was in love with him, too. She was probably just unaware because Woll had probably only tried to deride him. Most likely, she was simply showing that she was proud of them both for taking Woll down and that there were no hard feelings.
They worked together in Mike's office for a bit. It was dead quiet.
Then Connie suddenly broke the silence.
"Mike?"
Mike looked up at her. There was a look in her eyes that he couldn't quite identify. Or perhaps he could, but he didn't dare because he was too afraid of being wrong.
Before he knew it, they were standing face-to-face.
Mike stood stock still, having absolutely no idea what to expect.
Connie suddenly stepped closer to him and pulled him into a tight embrace, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. Mike held her close, completely unable to believe this was happening. He wanted to say something, but he knew that, at that moment, words were not needed.