Work Text:
The rain had started sometime around midnight.
Not a gentle drizzle. A real Los Angeles storm—the kind that turned the streets into rivers of reflected neon and sent most sane people running for cover.
Morgan Gillory wasn't most sane people.
She stood outside the precinct, arms crossed against the cold, staring out at the parking lot while droplets soaked through her jacket.
The case was closed.
The suspect was in custody.
Everything should have felt satisfying.
Instead, her chest felt painfully tight.
The station door opened behind her.
"You know normal people use umbrellas."
Karadec's voice carried over the rain.
Morgan smiled despite herself.
"Normal people don't voluntarily become homicide detectives."
He stepped beside her beneath the awning. For a moment neither of them spoke.
That was unusual.
Morgan talked when she was nervous.
Karadec got grumpy when he was nervous.
Tonight they were both silent.
The storm filled the space between them.
"You almost got yourself killed today," he finally said.
"There it is."
"There what is?"
"The lecture."
"I'm serious, Morgan."
She looked over at him.
His jaw was tight.
His shoulders were tense.
And suddenly she realized something.
This wasn't anger.
This was fear.
For her.
The realization hit harder than she expected.
"I was fine."
"No, you weren't."
His voice was sharper now.
"You ran into a building that was literally collapsing."
"I had a lead."
"You had no backup."
"I had instincts."
"I don't care about your instincts."
Morgan blinked.
Karadec immediately looked like he wished he could take the words back.
But it was too late.
She'd heard them.
The truth underneath them.
"I don't care about your instincts."
Because he cared about her.
Rain hammered against the pavement.
Morgan swallowed.
"Karadec..."
He looked away.
"I thought..." He exhaled heavily. "For about thirty seconds I thought I was going to lose you."
The words landed between them.
Raw.
Honest.
Dangerously vulnerable.
Morgan's heart stumbled.
For months they'd danced around this thing.
The lingering glances.
The accidental touches.
The concern disguised as irritation.
The jealousy neither one would admit.
Every step forward followed by two steps back.
But now there was nowhere left to hide.
Karadec met her eyes.
"You drive me insane."
Morgan laughed softly.
"That's not exactly romantic."
"I'm not trying to be romantic."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Because you're terrible at it."
A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"There she is."
The smile faded again.
Neither looked away.
The rain seemed louder now.
Closer.
Morgan felt her pulse racing.
"Why haven't we done this yet?" she asked quietly.
Karadec frowned.
"Done what?"
She took a step closer.
"This."
His breath caught.
The space between them disappeared.
For once Morgan couldn't think of a clever observation.
Couldn't solve the situation.
Couldn't outrun what she felt.
All she could do was tell the truth.
"I've been falling for you for a while."
The confession hung in the air.
Karadec stared at her.
As if he'd spent months hoping to hear those words and still couldn't quite believe them.
"Morgan..."
"You don't have to say it back."
"I do."
Her heart nearly stopped.
He reached up, brushing a wet strand of hair away from her face.
The gesture was impossibly gentle.
"I've been trying not to fall for you."
Morgan's breath caught.
"How's that working out?"
A laugh escaped him.
Soft.
Warm.
Completely unguarded.
"Terribly."
The answer made her grin.
And suddenly neither of them could pretend anymore.
Karadec's hand lingered against her cheek.
Morgan leaned into it.
Rain soaked them both.
Neither cared.
His eyes dropped briefly to her lips.
Then back to her eyes.
Giving her the chance to stop him.
She didn't.
Not even close.
When he kissed her, it felt like the ending of a hundred unfinished conversations.
Slow at first.
Careful.
As though both of them were making sure it was real.
Then Morgan grabbed the front of his jacket and kissed him back.
Harder.
Certain.
The rain poured around them.
Cold water.
Warm hands.
Months of tension dissolving all at once.
When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless.
Morgan rested her forehead against his.
"So," she said.
"So?"
"You realize this is going to make work incredibly awkward."
Karadec groaned.
"I knew you'd say that."
She laughed.
The sound was bright and happy and completely impossible to hide.
For the first time in a long time, neither of them needed to.
Karadec kissed her again.
The storm raged around them.
But for once, neither of them was running from it.
And neither was running from the other.