You were having lunch with Jim after an exhausting first half of your day, your whole body was tired and you wanted nothing more than to go home but you couldn't bring that attitude to work, and certainly not to Jim. He was always looking after you and you learned so much about being a defective because of him. You couldn't have asked for a better mentor and you were eternally grateful that he was your partner.
"I'm really proud of you, Y/N, you've been an incredible addition to our team. Keep up the good work." he congratulated you with a soft smile. You chewed on your sandwich before returning the smile.
"That really means a lot, and I just want to thank you for having so much patience with me and believing in me." you looked back at him earnestly.
"Not a problem, you're a fast learner. I should be the one thanking you, it's a pleasure working with you." he said, that warm smile forming on his face again.
"Wow, I'm getting so many compliments from Detective Gordon, it must be my lucky day." you joked and he replied with a chuckle.
You took another bite from your sandwich and then a loud buzz came from your pocket abruptly. You grabbed your phone and once you saw who it was from, your eyes widened. Jim noticed this immediately and he asked with his eyes if it was urgent. You waved it off quickly, acting like it wasn't a big deal after all. You excused yourself and got up from the chair, stepping away somewhere far from Jim.
"Jerome, what is it? I have to return to work soon." you asked in a loud whisper.
"I need to see you now. It''s urgent, so stop wasting your time with Gordon and end your precious little sandwich date with him and get over here." he urged, and you could hear him grunting to himself, it was low but you still made it out on the phone.
"Okay okay, where are you?" you questioned and he quickly informed you where he was, hanging up a few seconds later.
You bit your lip anxiously, it sounded like an emergency so you couldn't waste time like he said. You ran back to Jim and he could instantly tell that it was bad news.
"I'm really sorry Jim, but I have to go. Something important came up. I'll be back soon I promise!" you waved and you left so swiftly that he wasn't able to respond but you could sense his disappointed face as you ran. You hurried into your car and started the engine without a second thought. You started driving to the street Jerome said he was at, and it didn't take you long to get there because it was close by.
Once you arrived there, you removed yourself from the car seat and left the car immediately. You found Jerome in an alleyway with his back against the wall and his knee bent with a bright red spot on his pants, he was applying pressure to it, and you instantly frowned upon the sight.
"Oh God, Jerome! You're bleeding an awful lot. Are you alright?" you gasped, biting your lower lip as you looked down at it.
"One of those damned cops shot me before I was able to escape. Ask questions later, just get me the hell out of here." he said in a raspy tone.
You grabbed him close and let his arm dangle over your shoulder. You assisted him to the backseat of the car and you put his seat belt on for him. You hopped back into the driver's seat and began driving to your place. He didn't say much during the ride there which was a little unexpected, and it only made you worry more. You knew that every second counted and you were grateful that your house wasn't far away.
When you arrived safely at your place, you helped him out of the car and brought him to the house. You took him to the sofa and allowed him to rest there while you went to go fetch your first aid kit. You came back with it and pulled out a pair of tweezers.
"This is probably going to hurt but I'll be fast, so just try to relax and think happy thoughts okay?" you told him reassuringly.
"I can't promise that, just hurry the hell up and get it over with." he hissed.
You leaned down and tugged at the fragment of the bullet with the tweezers, it was in there a little deeper than you expected. Once you had a firm hold, you yanked it out.
"Fuck!" he yelled out and leaned back into the soft cushions of the sofa.
"I'm not finished yet, but I'm getting there, just stay still." you advised, you spilled some of the running alcohol onto the wound and he cried out again but he was trying his best to hold it back, clenching his teeth. You rubbed the wound gently, making sure that it was clean and there wasn't any more pieces left in it. Once you finished, you wrapped a bandage around his knee securely.
"Done. You handled that better than I thought you would. Do you want a cookie for being so well behaved?" you teased with a soft smile.
"Heh, real funny. I could have done it myself but I figured why not make up an excuse to see you? It's been a little while." he looked at you fixedly with a mischievous smirk on his face.
"Yeah about that. Jim is going to catch on, and when he does, I won't be able to keep my job. I'll be in a lot of trouble, so it's best if we just stay out of each other's business." you suggested, chewing on your lower lip as you spoke.
"Don't be so dramatic. No one is going to find out, we are always careful. And if he does or anyone in that police department, I'll just get rid of them." he shrugged confidently and grinned back at you.
"Secrets come out, and I'm pretty sure helping a deranged ginger is a felony." you replied in a blunt tone. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side.
"Deranged? Is that really how you see me?" he asked, his eyes not leaving yours, even for a second.
"No, but that's how the world sees you. You've killed several people and continue to terrorize the city, yet I still help you at your beck and call." you ran a hand through your hair, feeling conflicted that you were helping both sides, it just didn't sit right with you. He leaned in close to you, inches away from your face with his warm breath clinging to your lips.
"You're feeling conflicted, you don't want to lose your job but you also don't want to lose me. You shouldn't worry so much, worrying will only wrinkle your gorgeous face. Live in the moment more, I mean you no harm. I like being your dirty secret, anyhow. Besides, if Jimbo found out, he wouldn't be very proud of his goody two shoes detective anymore now would he?" he jested, chuckling softly as he locked his eyes on yours.
"You're not funny. You're such a loose cannon, and you put yourself first above anyone else so sorry if I don't fully trust everything you say." you explained, your cheeks became heated because he was so close. You couldn't help having feelings for him even though he was nothing but trouble, his charm was bewitching, and it drove you crazy that he wasn't yours because that's what you wanted more than anything.
"I won't say a word, my lips are sealed, and that's a promise. But you have to do me a favor, don't fret so much. Even if things go south, you have me." he reassured with that smirk still plastered on his face. He only moved closer as your breath hitched and your heart was thumping like crazy. You knew he noticed this, but he enjoyed teasing you. You were distracted and you couldn't pay attention to anything else but his lips and the way they curved into his signature expression.
"I-I have to head back to work now." you said, almost in a whisper.
"Why the rush? I still didn't get to properly say thank you." he replied in a quiet yet suggestive tone. He grasped your hand suddenly in his and pulled you on top of his body so that you were pressed up against him on the sofa. His eyes didn't leave yours, you attempted to do the same but the way he looked at you made your heart flutter so you turned away in embarrassment.
"Don't be so coy, Y/N. I'll play nice, for you." he uttered in a soft whisper. He inched closer to you, his warm breath caressing your face. Your heartbeat sped up even more as he removed a strand of hair from your face, and in an instant his lips were on yours. His lips were warm and smooth as they brushed against your own. You felt yourself stiffen up but you returned the kiss. You had been waiting for this moment, it was something you had always wanted so when it finally came, it felt so surreal. At first it was gentle, but once you grew more comfortable, his lips suddenly became more demanding and eager. You felt his tongue across your bottom lip and you opened your mouth with hesitation. He ran his fingers through your hair and pulled you closer, sliding his tongue around every inch of your mouth before pulling away. He waited for you to open your eyes and when you did, your cheeks heated up even further, looking back at the gorgeous ginger before you. You brushed your lips with the tips of your fingers, taken aback by the kiss and how he was so quick to leave you breathless. You couldn't help but start to feel selfish, because it was so short and the second he pulled away, you missed the taste of his lips. You were speechless, you weren't sure what was the right thing to say in a moment like this or if it was better to be silent about it.
"Ah, look at the time, shouldn't you be heading back now? Don't wanna be late." he traced his tongue around his lips slowly before a grin crept on his face.
"Right. I'll be seeing you. Make sure to get some rest, Jerome." you carefully removed yourself from his body, still feeling stunned from the kiss. Silence was better than making a fool out of yourself, which is what you kept telling yourself. You didn't know what you and Jerome had, but it was something you wanted to hold onto, and that's all you knew. You cared about him and you believed he cared about you as well, to some extent. You were aware of the consequences if anyone found out about what you had with him, but he was worth the risk.
You walked towards the door and turned around to look back at him when you knew he wasn't looking. You smiled softly when you found him examining his knee. You opened the door and right before you closed it, you heard him yell out, "Have a good day! But don't have too much fun without me!"
And your smile only grew bigger as you walked back to your car.