* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 .

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀𝘚𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘔𝘌 𝘍𝘙𝘖𝘔 𝙈𝙔𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙁 .

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

https://t.co/2EuS3MlM5t

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀i haven't asked santa for anything since i was five .
⠀

[‍ ‍ ‍ 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘋𝘐𝘎𝘈𝘓 ‍‍ ‍ ᴿᴱᵀᵁᴿᴺᴱᴰ ‍ @supersitis]

why, what'd you ask 'im for?

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀maybe you should write a letter .
⠀not sure he'll get in time though .
⠀

[‍ ‍ ‍ 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘋𝘐𝘎𝘈𝘓 ‍‍ ‍ ᴿᴱᵀᵁᴿᴺᴱᴰ ‍ @supersitis]

hey, he owes me. never came t'my box when i was livin' rough— s'real discrimination, that.

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀my face is just fine .
⠀it's yours that makes the guy wanna skip houses .
⠀

[‍ ‍ ‍ 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘋𝘐𝘎𝘈𝘓 ‍‍ ‍ ᴿᴱᵀᵁᴿᴺᴱᴰ ‍ @supersitis]

you seen your face, big guy?

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀now what'd make you say that ?
⠀

[‍ ‍ ‍ 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘋𝘐𝘎𝘈𝘓 ‍‍ ‍ ᴿᴱᵀᵁᴿᴺᴱᴰ ‍ @supersitis]

can't imagine santa's gonna be good t'anyone 'round here.

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀air , gaze focused now on his own steps .

⠀' feels like we've all got chains tying us
⠀down . spend day in and day out trying to
⠀break 'em . you know ? ' he muses , a bit
⠀quieter of a tone now as he exhales .
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀if there was , he does a good job of hiding
⠀it . such a facade came with years of faking
⠀a smile , covering for a clandestine hobby
⠀of vicious proportions . it'd gotten easier .

⠀he glances in her direction , teeth sunk a

⠀( + )
⠀

[𖦹 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝖽 𖦹 @adetectivemind]

- human for a bit, and this conversation indulged into that craving… to some extent.

“really, now?” she replies, brows raising with a rather surprised look.

“something pulling you down? I mean, you do look… 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘥.”

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀bit into a bottom lip as if to keep a smile
⠀at bay whilst he thought of an answer .

⠀' we work at the same place and you're
⠀asking me if something's pulling me
⠀down ? you must not be paying attention , '
⠀he teases as warm breath wafts into cool

⠀( + )
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀want them to go . but this . . . their banter
⠀felt good to engage in , even if to some
⠀extent it was all a facade , perhaps even
⠀on both their ends . it was different .

⠀' so don't worry . your secret's safe . '
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀now amusement floods into his own
⠀expression , and he carefully turns on his
⠀heel to walk side by side instead . his gaze
⠀turns upon the concrete sidewalk briefly .

⠀' been doing that a lot lately myself , ' he
⠀admits with a small , inward sigh .

⠀( + )
⠀

[𖦹 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝖽 𖦹 @adetectivemind]

- relax… clear my head, you know?”

this isn’t the actual reason, but he doesn’t need to know that.

“now come on,
let’s go!”

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀' been caught a few times but , a round
⠀of drinks usually gets me out of it , ' he
⠀adds with a shoulder shrug , licking his
⠀lips to mask a fleeting chuckle .

⠀inside , his guard was always up . never
⠀one to let anyone in where he didn't

⠀( + )
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀' and here i thought somebody like you
⠀would never run out of shit to do . a day
⠀off ? ' he gives her a suspicious look , his
⠀hands shoved away into his pockets .

⠀he 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 got a free day . from either job .
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀her gaze , the blue of it , was nothing like
⠀his own . there was no trace of the same
⠀sort of darkness that engulfed his own .

⠀' any drink sounds good to me , ' he says
⠀as he takes a half step past her , then
⠀turns , slowly trekking backwards a bit .

⠀( + )
⠀

[𖦹 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝖽 𖦹 @adetectivemind]

- moment.

“I’d love to. got no work tonight. it’d be nice to catch up. local bar down the street sound alright to you?”

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀' so what you're saying is , i'm worth every
⠀minute of your time ? ' he asks , serious
⠀tone a mere facade as amusement briefly
⠀flashes in his dark eyes , head tilting .

⠀' i'm touched , really . means the world . '
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀his hand drops back to his side once the
⠀cigarette is taken , and slides into pocket .
⠀a flash of feigned realization crosses his
⠀expression and he turns , leaning instead
⠀with his shoulder against the rough wall ,
⠀now facing the assassin entirely .

⠀( + )
⠀

[— 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑨𝑺𝑺𝑨𝑺𝑺𝑰𝑵. (parody.) @DEATHSTORlES]

dressed in all black . her silhouette not easily seen in the dark night . not if she doesn’t want anyone to .

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀i think my busy schedule might allow for
⠀that , ' he says amidst an exaggerated
⠀little sigh , feigning importance , shooting
⠀a sideways glance . then he shrugs .

⠀' i mean , unless you've got better things
⠀to do . 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 . ' his turn to taunt .
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀he had a habit of doing that . his dark
⠀eyes were notoriously difficult to read ,
⠀and it made his lingering gaze studious .

⠀' i work whatever shift they tell me i have
⠀to . lately it feels more like i'm on call . '

⠀( + )
⠀

[𖦹 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝖽 𖦹 @adetectivemind]

- lying if she said his gaze didn’t make her nervous. it was like he was… analyzing her.

or maybe..
perhaps..
she’s overthinking?

“you work at nypd? I usually do night shifts, probably why I haven’t seen you.”

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀now , she , along with a handful of others ,
⠀had not escaped his radar . he knew her
⠀relentless interest in . . . certain cases .
⠀his gaze flickers over her features briefly .

⠀' we could always grab a drink , though .

⠀( + )
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀was prepared to let on just yet .

⠀' same here . sergeant , actually , ' he says ,
⠀his head tilting the opposite way as he
⠀speaks . his gaze watches her like a hawk .

⠀' had a few decent footholds , i guess . '
⠀

[* 𝙃𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙈𝘼𝙉 . @susfiIius]

⠀
⠀her laughter brings a tinge of a smile to
⠀his own face , more out of necessity than
⠀genuine endearment , hands stuffed into
⠀his pockets . truthfully , he kept a close
⠀eye on everyone in his vicinity , notably
⠀the detectives . he knew more than he

⠀( + )
⠀

[𖦹 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝖽 𖦹 @adetectivemind]

- joking… somewhat.

“I’m with the nypd now. detective. what about you? how are you doing?”