I apologize for the wait; Christmas caught up with me and I haven't had any time or willpower to upload anything. Only the epilogue after this. Thank you to Dr. Callian, Kathinka and princesspooka for reviewing. Reviews are really, really loved. Really.
I.
They sit one day, after a tough case, on the roof. Shoulder to shoulder, the silence comfortable. Gillian examines the ice in her glass while he rubs the knots out of her back.
"Well, one thing's for certain, love," he says after a while, leaning back, placing his palms flat against the concrete.
"What's that?" She asks, glancing at him as she downs the rest of her drink.
"You'll always be the better person." He brushes a hair out of her face and looks into her eyes searchingly.
"Better than who? Better than you?" She laughs, like the idea never occurred to her. "Better or worse isn't the question, Cal," she says, staring out at the setting sun. "I try to be a good person, but so do you in your own way. Look at all the people you help. What matters is that we both let each other be who we're supposed to be. We don't try to change each other consciously, but subconsciously we do make each other better."
"Says the psychologist."
"Haha. All I'm saying is, if I'm the better person, it's only because that's who you're letting me be."
She turns back to him. The sun is behind her, setting her silhouette on fire. Her eyes light up and they look so blue and he is this close to breaking the line, to saying what he has wanted to say for so damn long…
The words are in his throat when she stands, brushing off her pants and picking up her glass. "I've got to get going," she says.
The moment broken, he nods and clears his throat. (It seems their whole life is built on broken moments) "Right, yeah."
She brushes the top of his head lightly with her lips. His eyes slide shut at her touch. "See you tomorrow."
He doesn't open his eyes for while, and when he does she is gone.