Mark Hoffman
The sun was streaming through the blinds, hitting his eyes and beckoning his consciousness from pleasant dreams. He stirred in his bed, spreading his limbs to stretch when he contacted a familiar mound of warm, soft flesh beside him.
Hello. He smiled as he wrapped his arm around Will, pulling her close into his chest and taking a deep breath of her shampoo. Flowers and candy. He had gotten used to that scent, finding it lingering on his bedsheets and towels these days, a pleasant reminder of the past months of bliss.
He had everything he wanted. All he could ever ask for.
These months had been paradise.
She was softly snoring as he held her firmly, making him chuckle.
"...Mhm what?" She awoke with sluggish words and a tired tone, exhausted from the long week. Though his personal life was perfect, work had been hell.
The city was on fire as the latest plague of gang wars ravaged the streets.
The fucking yakuza was moving in and taking out the smaller factions. All vultures wanted a taste of the carcass left by Rosello's absence.
Tapp and Sing were currently taking on the chaos westside, after one of K2K's old booby traps detonated in the middle of a crime scene. To complicate things, Kerry and Matthews had been forced to sever their partnership after Matthews' wife had raised hell over their relationship.
Thoughts like that made Hoffman know he had to be careful. They had to be careful. Even Grissom had taken him aside the day before, right before his weekend.
"Level with me, Hoffman. You and Maddox. I'm not going to hear any problems like with Kerry and Matthews, am I?"
"No, sir. Neither of us are married. And Maddox' psycho ex-husband hasn't been around."
"You know what I mean, smartass. Damnit. I don't hear any denying of you two screwing. God. Damnit. You just couldn't keep your dick in your pants. Just made my life a hundred times more difficult."
"We still work well. No issues."
"Doesn't fucking matter. It's against the rules. I kept a blind eye for too damn long. Now the commissioner expects me to crack down on interwork relationships. You've only just turned your career around." Grissom had taken his glasses off to rub his eyes. "I'll give you the weekend to break the news to her. Starting Monday, your partnership is done. You're going to be reassigned to take Matthews. Kerry will be with Maddox. And don't give me that look, Hoffman. It's for your own good. And hers. What do you think Kerry's going through right now, dealing with the shit slinging right now? You want Maddox suffering through that too?"
"Morning," Will turned to face him, amber orbs radiating back the sunlight, her cheeks rounded as she grinned. "You look intense. What's up?"
He blinked. He didn't want to ruin this. Telling her now, he knew she wouldn't take it well. Her job was important to her and this uprooting would complicate things.
He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to enjoy this for just one more day. He brushed some stray copper curls from her forehead, strands of rose gold in the sun. "Just admiring the view."
He liked when her cheeks got so pink when she was embarrassed. She covered her face with the blanket and he pulled it away, teasing.
"Stop!" She yowled as he kissed her, tasting her morning breath and loving every moment of it.
They rolled under the covers, the sound of laughter blending with the tremor of traffic and sirens.
Eric Matthews
Being put on patrol was a slap to the face.
After everything he had done. Everything he accomplished. They fucking put him to patrol the streets.
He walked in his wrinkled uniform, lighting his cigarette while pacing. Everywhere he looked, made him want to punch the nearest wall. The homeless bum on the street, shaking his change cup like it was a maraca. The hooker that had winked at him a third time that night. The blatant drug dealer at the corner, unafraid of his police presence - some punk kid. And he was locking eyes with him as if he wanted a fight.
He didn't like the way he looked at him. Like he was unafraid. Like he was better than him.
"Problem?" He approached the man. Looked only in his late teens, early twenties. Hispanic. Scrawny.
"Nope." The boy sniffed and wiped his nose. The kid spat, the glob of mucus landing just inches from his shoe. "Just minding my business, pig."
Matthews was in a bad mood. And this fucker gave him the perfect excuse.
"Turn around. Hands on the wall."
"Excuse me?" The kid was incredulous. "I don't have to do nothing' asshole."
This made him smile. He had no fucking idea just how wrong he was. He grabbed the guy by the shoulder and forced him to turn around. "Fucking spread 'em."
The kid planted his palms on the bricks while Matthews patted him down. When he found nothing, his heart sped up. He was furious. This shitstain was clean.
"Yeah? You done fondling my balls, officer?" The kid smirked back.
Matthews swore he had seen the kid deal just earlier. Maybe he somehow tossed his stash. Yeah. That's what it was.
And he was about to just walk, as if he wasn't guilty.
He wasn't going to fucking let it happen. He was guilty. He knew it.
"You have the right to remain silent." He smacked cuffs on the kid's wrists and squeezed his bony shoulder tight. He'd figure out the technicalities at the station. There'd be some old coke from the evidence locker. Just enough to keep a conviction.
"What?!" The boy looked gobsmacked. "I ain't carrying anything."
"Never trust a drug dealer," Matthews twisted the boy around and shoved him towards his car. "All they'll do is lie to save their own skin." I'm just saving time. I'll get everything I deserve back. By cleaning up this shit city so fast it'll make Grissom's head spin.
Wilhelmina Maddox
She stared at her new - no, old - desk, a box holding the few items she had. She had avoided her partner - no, old partner - when he broke the news to her the night before after he had gotten her nice and drunk over an old western.
She hadn't said a word to him since.
"Will." He was leaning against his desk, impatience burning at the edge of his voice. "Nothing's changed."
She bit her lip, holding back a tear. She knew she was being childish. It wasn't just his fault. She had happily tangoed in their mutual fraternization. This was just the consequence.
She had been furious at him for not telling her sooner. When she stole a glance at Mark, there was no ill intent in the discomfort of his frown. He looked like a wounded puppy dog that wanted her forgiveness. Big blue eyes and a pout.
She couldn't be mad at him forever. She forced a smile. "Yeah. Nothing's changed. Except you're about to have to do all your paperwork now."
Realization shined on his face; hope mixed with the fear. She would roll with it - for his sake - and try to let go of this frustration. She watched as relief relaxed his mouth as he muttered, "Matthews sure as hell won't."
She laughed and went to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull his face down to hers, standing on her tiptoes as she pressed her mouth to his.
So they weren't partners anymore, in the professional sense. They wouldn't see each other as much at work, but they had long surpassed a working relationship. I've seen every inch of him, far deeper than a professional relationship ever would allow.
She suppressed a sigh, chasing the regret away. Things were good. She wanted to enjoy it. And yet.
"I know you're still upset." Mark watched her closely, always aware of her mood as if he could read her mind. "Means a lot, you trying to act like it's not."
"I'm just embarrassed. Getting reassigned partners isn't a good look."
"If anyone judges you for it, and starts running their mouth, I'll take care of it."
She pulled back and tried to smirk. "Still, not exactly my proudest moment. Even if they don't say it to my face, I've got a black eye now."
"Never thought you cared about what other people think. And it's not like you haven't shown up to the office with a literal one." His grip on her tightened, his face dark. She felt his hand on her cheek, his thumb just under her left eye, tracing the delicate skin underneath as if wiping away a stray lash. Or a bad memory.
"I don't care. Not what the people think here. But. Just thinking of what my dad would say." She felt her face flush and quickly withdrew. "Anyways, I better head across the hall. Dinner after work?"
He seemed unwilling to let it go but finally nodded. He looked curious and concerned, but knew better than to bring it up. "Yeah."
When she opened the door, Matthews appeared with a sneer as plumes of smoke gusted over her face. She resisted the urge to cough. "Mad Max."
"Eric. Take care of him," she pretended she didn't see that cold fish glaze in his stare as she avoided shoulder grazing him to exit the office.
"And you do the same for Ally." She jumped when she felt his grip on her arm. "Call us if you need some backup in the future."
"Yeah, will do." She didn't like how wild he looked, as if he had been to the ninth circle of hell and somehow returned to this plane of existence, just for a smoke break.
"Hoffman, got some cases I want to tackle -," Matthews' voice was cut off with the close of the door.
When Will reached the other end of the floor and entered her new office, Allison sat up. "How are you feeling about a trip to Quantico? Linds just called. A serial killer's targeting young women in Virginia and they want us over there. Grissom already gave the green light. Once travel's set, we can go first thing next Monday."
She blinked, surprised that the first emotion was not enthusiasm but dread. Mark's face and the likely reaction he'd have of her absence washed over her thoughts.
Allison, on the other hand, looked thrilled. Positively glowing. Will knew work had become hostile for her, with the cops all casting disapproving leers and not-so-quiet whispers wherever Allison walked.
Her friend - and partner - needed to get away. And she wasn't about to let her go alone on an invitational investigation.
Peter Strahm's face was a distant memory, buried with so many others. Sand over a beached bottle. But already, a tide was gently wiping the grains off the glass, coming into the light for her to remember what it looked like.
So much had been left unsaid. And now, that ship has sailed. Despite her conviction, Will swallowed, knowing Mark would not be thrilled when he'd get the news of her next assignment.
