Archive of Our Own

As morning was making its way towards lunch time, William felt quite energetic. The absence of a certain sergeant that day resulted in a quieter work environment, free from her usual chaos. He was actually fairly satisfied with the work he’d done so far that day; he’d managed to work down his pile of paperwork quite well. When Kym was around, he would always get distracted by her antics, and he knew he wasn’t as effective as he was now. Ugh, that woman would be his downfall.

“Missing Kym already?”

Lauren’s voice came from her desk, and when William turned his head, he was greeted with a smirk slapped on her face.

“I was actually thinking about how calmer the precinct was in her absence.”

“Right. For someone definitely not missing her, you sure look at her desk a lot, Lieutenant.”

“I think you should get back to work, Sinclair, before I start to think you decided to replace her in the role of annoying me in her absence. There is a lot of paperwork waiting on her desk. I'm sure she’d be delighted to pass some of it to you.”

“Alright, alright. Keep daydreaming about your favourite sergeant in peace, I’ll stop bothering you.”

William shot her a annoyed glare. At what point in his life had he become the punching bag of these women?

Likely sensing from his glare that he was pissed, Lauren jumped out of her chair and started to leave. Always the brave one, she stammered a weak excuse before fleeding hastily back towards the archives. William still caught the small chuckle that left her mouth as she hurried away from him.

He repressed a fond sigh. In the past few weeks, Lauren had started to fail at being discreet when sneaking into the archive room. Good thing Hermann wasn’t paying too much attention, because he’d really be furious if he came to learn about all the time she spent there. She may well have been granted back her right to go there, it wasn’t for her to go frolic there with her secret boyfriend. Though, William thought with a soft smile, all that frolicking lately had seemed to improve her mood greatly.

Going back to the file he was working on, he didn’t notice the stranger entering the room. He never paid too much attention to people coming and going into the patrol unit, as it was often officers on patrol or people having a meeting with Hermann or March. But this time, his ears were called to attention when he heard the secretary’s gentle voice pronouncing the familiar name he had barely just managed to get out of his mind.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Sergeant Ladell isn’t here this morning. Maybe I can take a message for her?”

He raised his head to look at the person standing in front of Lila’s desk. He could only see her back, but he was quite certain he had never seen this woman before.

“Oh crikey! How unlucky I am… I suppose you can’t give me a phone number or an address so that I can contact her?”

William raised an eyebrow. Who was she? Why would an outsider look specifically for Kym for some police business? Unless it was personal? But he didn't recognise her as a friend of Kym’s–not that he knew everyone in her life, but close. None of them had many friends outside of the precinct.

She was a tall, blond woman, and didn’t look like she could be related to her either. Moreover, he was quite intrigued by the slight accent that seemed to transpire through the few words the woman had uttered.

Lila gave her an apologetic smile.

“I’m afraid you’re right, I cannot disclose any personal information about our staff. You can leave her a note if you want, though. I’m sure she’ll contact you.”

The woman sighed and nodded. Lila waved at a counter next to her desk, where a pile of blank paper and a stack of pens were lying around. The mysterious woman took a seat on a high chair and started writing begrudgingly. William couldn’t hold back his curiosity and headed towards her.

“Erm. Hi, Madam. I am Lieutenant Hawkes. I work closely with Sergeant Ladell. Could I maybe help you?”

She doesn’t move her gaze from the paper.

“No. I thank you, Lieutenant, but you couldn’t.”

“May I ask if you’re here for personal or work-related business, Miss…?”

She sighed conspicuously, put the pen down and raised her face towards him. Her eyes were cold as stone, and it was not only due to the icy blue in her pupils. She was pissed. How was she pissed when he’d barely even spoken?

“Detective Lemont. Personal business. Any more questions, Lieutenant? I’d be delighted to tell you all about my private life, since you seem so interested in it.”

William didn’t need Lauren’s ability to pick up the sarcasm in her answer.

“I apologise, I didn’t mean to pry. I’ll tell Sergeant Ladell you came to see her, and make sure she sees your note.”

He nodded a polite goodbye and came back to his desk. Though he tried not to pay too much attention to her, he saw in the corner of his eyes the woman folding her note and giving it to Lila with a polite smile. Oh, so she could smile. She asked Lila to give her note to Kym and made her way to the exit, after throwing an annoyed glare at William.

Well. That had been… disquieting. What did that standoffish woman want with Kym? He couldn’t imagine they were friends. He couldn’t picture Kym being able to stand someone this cold, borderline rude even.

He was put out of his train of thought by Lauren’s head peeking inside the room. Seeing that she’d caught his eye, she invited him to join her and Kym for lunch, as it was already getting late.

“Oh, Lauren, if you’re meeting Kym, could you please give her this? Someone came looking for her just now,” asked Lila with her usual charming smile, handing Lauren the piece of paper.

Lauren took it with a puzzled look and waited for William before heading outside to join Kym at their usual lunch place.

⁛  ⁛  ⁛

“You have no idea how long it has been since I last slept in. I feel recharged for months now! I hope the precinct wasn’t too boring without me this morning!”

Kym seemed in an energetic mood. Maybe catching up on a couple hours of sleep actually did her some good. Despite how much William bugged her about her work, he was aware of how dedicated she was and how she never counted the hours she spent at the precinct. Hopefully, she got to spend some quality time with her family, or to simply rest and recharge.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. Lauren got us covered in your absence,” he sighed, yet with an amused smile. After a quite calm morning, getting back to Kym’s liveliness was actually nice. Though he would never admit it to her, that would only unleash utter chaos.

“Seems like things actually happened when I was not there, though. Apparently, someone came to see you, Kym, and they left a note for you.” She handed the piece of paper to Kym, who immediately unfolded it and started to read it.

“Oh, right, I forgot to mention. A certain Miss…no, Detective Lemont, I believe? Does that ring a bell?”

Lauren’s eyes widened as Kym’s hands stiffened on the paper.

“Did you say Lemont? As in, Selena Lemont? The Selena Lemont?” asked Lauren with a smile slowly but surely appearing on her face. “Oh, Gods, why do interesting things always happen when I’m not around?”

“You literally ran into your boyfriend’s arms to escape my wrath. If you’re missing stuff, that’s on you.”

William chuckled at his friend, who was blushing slightly at his teasing. Lauren’s reactions when it came to her relationship with White were something he’d never seen in her before. She was usually so composed, and he couldn’t help but find those reactions pretty entertaining and endearing.

Kym, still frozen in place, was furiously blinking. Slowly, a smile appeared on her lips, transforming into a grin when she snapped out of her daze and skittered to Lauren, showing her the paper.

“So it is Selena!”

“Yup,” answered Kym, popping the “p” more loudly than she usually did. “Yupyupyup.’

With a small blush spreading to her ears, she was acting slightly off, and apparently she actually did know that woman?

“When did you see her for the last time?” Lauren was grinning, visibly in on the situation. Now William was just feeling frustrated and out of the look.

“I-I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her since she left, so… something like three years ago?”

“Wait, Will, did you see her? What was she like?” Lauren just looked… overexcited. Who was that woman?

“We exchanged a few words, yes. She was… I don’t know. I may have made quite a bad first impression; she didn’t seem to like me very much, to be honest.”

Lauren snorted. “That would be a first.”

Kym chuckled. “That’s Selena for you. She can be a bit… closed-off. It takes a second for her to warm up to others, especially handsome men,” she added with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

William almost choked on his sandwich bite. Lauren couldn’t hold her laughter, but quickly took a dead serious look and turned to Kym.

“So? Are you going to see her? Why is she here?”

Kym was now blushing right and all over her face. She threw a betrayed look at Lauren, as if she was angry at all the questions. William sure was starting to have plenty of his own.

“She- she didn’t say why. She left a telephone number at the Dahlia Hotel.”

“So? Are you going to call her?”

“I don’t know. No. Yes? Yes.” Lauren looked about to tease her some more, but was interrupted by Kym jumping out of her chair. “I- I need to go to the bathroom.”

She left them in a hurry. William was completely lost. Lauren seemed to know who that woman was, and Kym looked troubled. He felt quite annoyed at the feeling of being the only one in the dark here. He elbowed Lauren, whose chest was still shaking with laughter, and gave her an interrogative look.

“Care to give me some context? I’d be sad to be left out of the fun.”

“What, you’ve never heard of Selena?”

“Can’t say that I have. Who’s she?”

Lauren took a second before answering.

“She was Kym’s mate when she was at the Police Academy. She… Well, I’ll let Kym tell you more about this. What I know is that she moved to Borhealis before graduating.”

William nodded at her, silently inviting her to continue, but she turned to him with eager eyes.

“I need you to tell me all about her. What did she look like? What was she wearing? I’ll trade each piece of information you give me for one file I’ll take care of for you.” She gave him an overly dramatic pleading glare. “Please, oh dear William.”

He laughed softly and humoured her.

⁛  ⁛  ⁛

The next morning reminded William how peaceful the precinct once had been, before Kym burst into the office with a box full of watermelon-shaped cookies to share with everyone. Not only did they look more like green-ish blobs of batter that were overcooked, but they didn’t taste remotely close to watermelon- well, watermelons didn’t have that much taste after all. However, Kym was overexcited by the offering she’d taken time to make on her day off. William noted to himself to be more sparse when it came to giving her days off, since she seemed to occupy them to restock on chaotic energy.

As usual, it took a lot of mental focus from William to get anything done, but thanks to his deal with Lauren the day before, his workload was significantly lighter that day. He pricked up his ears when the phone rang, as he was waiting for a report from the investigation unit.

“Ardhalis Police Department, 11th district’s precinct. What can I do for you today?” rang the sweet voice of Lila in the room.

“Oh yes, I remember you! [...] Very well, thank you, and you? [...] Oh yes, please, wait while I enquire about it.” She lowered the phone and asked Kym:

“Sergeant, are you available for a phone call? Detective Lemont would like to speak with you if you can.”

Kym, who was very much not at her desk working but bothering Lukas with her cookies, was startled. William noticed how her usually so white skin was getting pinker.

“YES ABSOLUTELY.” She ran towards her desk, while Lila transferred the call to her.

“Hel- hello? This is Kym Ladell.” She looked so befuddled.

William tried with all his strength to focus back on his work, but his mind couldn’t seem to agree with it, and he found his attention drawn despite himself to Kym’s conversation on the phone.

“Thank you for calling me back. [...] Oh, er great a- and you? [...] Y- yes, I’m free. [...] Around 1 PM. [...] S- sure you can! Alright, see you later.”

William had never seen Kym stutter her words like that. She was usually more of the I-talk-too-much-and-my-mouth-spits-words-before-my-mind-can-think-about-it kind of girl, but this time, it seemed like she was actually struggling to talk. This was quite fascinating.

She stayed still on her chair for a few seconds, hand still on the phone receiver, face all flushed. Lauren let a cackle out of her mouth.

William furrowed his brows.

“Sergeant Ladell, need I remind you that you’re not supposed to make personal phone calls on duty?”

Kym snapped back to herself, throwing him a scornful glare.

“It was actually a colleague from Borhealis, surely it must qualify as a professional call?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know the patrol unit from a district in Ardhalis was working on a special case with our colleagues in Borhealis, literally separated from here by an ocean. Please, Sergeant, enlighten me about this case.”

Kym answered only by sticking her tongue out.

“Now, if you’re finished, I’d like you to get back to work. Real work this time, not bothering your colleagues by force-feeding them your cookies, please”

Kym grimaced, but still opened a new file to work on. Maybe they would have some peace in the precinct for a bit after that. At least until she got distracted or excited by something else.

⁛  ⁛  ⁛

The next day, when the church bells started to sound in the distance, William tore himself off from his paperwork, surprised. With all the work piling on his desk and the flow seemingly never stopping, he hadn’t seen the morning fly by, and was taken aback to see the clock hit noon.

At her desk nearby, Kym didn’t seem to be able to stay still in her chair. Admittedly, she hardly ever could, but at this moment, it felt even worse than usual. Her eyes kept drifting towards the entrance door every 30 seconds and she was running her fingers through her hair again and again.

Nervous about her lunch with her friend? She still had a whole hour to wait before her break.

He knew Detective Lemont entered the room, high on her heels and in her blue coat, her long hair gathered in a high ponytail that swung from left to right as she walked in, when a sharp gasp came from Kym on his left.

“Selena!”

Jumping out of her chair, she made her way to the entryway, her legs looking a little wobbly, as if she was restraining herself from running to Lila’s desk. From the distance, William couldn’t see her face, but he’d guess Lemont’s beaming smile was being returned as the two friends greeted each other in a warm hug.

So they are quite close.

Lauren, who was coming back into the office from the archives, stopped dead in her steps when she took in the newcomer. Her eyes meeting with Williams, she stalked towards him, her eyes wide.

“Good Lords, Will, you didn’t oversell how beautiful she is,” she said, returning her gaze to Kym and Selena, still embracing. This hug has lasted long enough, wouldn’t you think?

He heard Lauren chuckle softly beside him. “Don’t gape like that, friend, you’ll catch flies,” she teased, her voice low enough to only be heard by him.

William gave her a roll of his eyes, not even bothering to grace her with a reply. He was curious, so what? This was the first time he saw Kym being so physically affectionate with someone. Even with Lauren, when they were such close friends, they would hug regularly, but always something quick, nothing like this. This, however, felt different. Intimate.

“By the Gods! Kym! You haven’t changed a bit!”

Selena finally released Kym from her embrace to look at her more closely. Kym’s blush on her ears could be seen from William’s vantage point.

“You haven’t either, Sel. Except for this scar on your cheek, this one is new!” She brushed the single strand of hair that had escaped her friend’s neat ponytail off her cheek. “I bet this one has an interesting story!”

Lauren slowly made her way towards them. Curious. She shyly came closer, extending her hand towards Selena.

“Hi there! You must be Selena? I heard a lot about you. It’s so nice to meet you at last! I’m Lauren.”

Kym’s eyes widened when she noticed her best friend (or so William thought she was until mere seconds ago) had come closer.

“YES! So this is my friend, Lauren Sinclair,” she put her arm around Lauren’s shoulder a bit too fiercely to be casual. “She’s our best detective. Don’t you dare ever lie to her, or she’ll expose all your darkest secrets.”

Lauren rolled her eyes at that. “She’s exaggerating,” she said with a shy chuckle, a humble smile on her face. “And I’m not a detective, just an officer,” she added, her smile dimming a little.

“Still quite a high praise coming from this one,” Selena answered as she took Lauren’s hand and shook it, a cheerful grin on her face. “I shall watch my tongue around you, then, Lauren.”

“And this,” Kym then turned towards the desk at the entrance, “is Lila Desrose, our charming secretary.”

“Oh yes, we met yesterday, actually. How are you, Lila?” Selena said while offering her hand to her.

“Oh, wonderful, it’s nice to see you again, Miss Lemont.”

“Oh, Lila, it’s actually Sergeant Lemont,” Kym corrected her. “She’s an officer at the Borhealis Police."

“Well, not exactly. Not anymore, darling.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re not up to date. I’ve been promoted a year ago, actually, it’s Detective Lemont, now.”

Kym jumped up and down.

“Sel’! That’s wonderful news! I’m so happy for you!”

She put her hands on Selena’s arms, but removed them quickly. Wiping the small wince that barely appeared off her face, she found Lukas muttering something between his teeth.

“This grumpy cat over there is Lukas Randall. He can sometimes be good company, when he doesn’t want to kill us”

“And I have a bullet with your name on it, Ladell, if you really want to test my patience.”

An amused chuckle shook Selena, but her eyes drifted quickly to the only remaining person Kym hadn’t introduced her to yet, as William had approached the group as well. Following her gaze, Kym turned and seemingly remembered William existed at all.

“Oh, yes, and this is William Hawkes. Though I believe you saw him yesterday as well.”

“Indeed, we’ve met.”

William had made his way towards the three women and decided to make a better impression this time. He extended his hand to Selena.

“Pleasure to formally meet you, Detective. I’m surprised I seem to be the only one Kym never told about you.”

Kym threw an outraged glare at him, which he ignored. After hesitating a second as to how to react, Selena accepted his hand and shook it briefly.

“The pleasure is shared. And, please, let’s not be so formal. Selena will suffice.”

She gave him a brief and polite smile that still filled William with relief. For some unknown reason, he really didn’t want this woman to dislike him. Lauren elbowed him with a smirk.

“Look at you going up in Selena’s favour,” she laughed as they both walked back to their desks. He ignored her. He already knew she was going to be insufferable during however long Selena was planning to stay. Hopefully, not too long.

Kym ran to her desk to fetch her key. “Ok, lemme grab my coat and scarf, and I’m all yours for lunch. Sorry, guys, I’m having a lunch date today, you’ll have to make do without me.”

William didn’t understand where the pain in his chest came from at that moment, but was thankfully distracted by Lauren grabbing his arm in response to Kym.

“Well, we’ll have a lunch date of our own then. Enjoy ladies. I hope to see you more if you stick around, Selena!”

Selena and Kym made their way out of the precinct, and the silence Kym’s absence left was deafening to William's ears.

William caught Lauren looking at him with pity. He really didn’t need that. But, when she called him to the locker room to leave for lunch, he followed with a sigh, ducking to avoid the hat she threw at him at his arrival.

“I have an offer for you, Will. If you take back some of my files, I’ll trade them for info about Selena and Kym. What do you say?”

She did not wait for his answer and grabbed him as we had put on his coat to pull him outside.

At first, William wasn’t sure what to ask Lauren or if he even wanted to ask, though he was boiling with curiosity. It was only when they sat at their usual table that he gathered the courage to ask the questions that had been burning his mind for hours.

“So. Kym and Selena. They used to date, right?”

He hoped his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt, but at least he knew Lauren wouldn’t tease him too much this time. He still couldn’t look her in the eyes and focused on his hands on the table.

Lauren visibly softened.

“Yes, they did. They went out with each other for a few months when they were at the police academy.”

“And, er… Do you know why they broke up?”

“They ended things when Selena moved to Borhealis. Kym didn’t want to follow her, and they didn’t want to do long-distance. I guess they lost contact pretty immediately after Selena left.”

“Oh. Ok. I suppose they care a lot for each other. I didn’t know Kym dated anyone. I shouldn’t be surprised, though.”

“I guess you guys don’t talk too much about that sort of thing.”

“I guess so…” He trailed off. Why was there disappointment in his voice?

The waiter brought them their sandwiches, and they started to eat silently. William was still lost in his thoughts. Lauren pulled him out of them.

“I know they broke up because of the distance, and that broke Kym’s heart at the time, but she never pined for her. I don’t think they still have feelings for each other. Or at least, Kym doesn’t. I think she feels something closer to… admiration? Deference?”

William scoffed softly. “Seems like feelings if you ask me.”

“I mean, they had no contact for at least 3 years. They don’t know each other anymore. Whatever remains of awe from Kym is only projected to a fading image of someone who wasn’t even an adult yet at the time. They both grew apart, and even if I don’t doubt they are still very fond of each other, it’s all there is.”

She observed William. He knew was fidgeting with his sandwich, poorly masking how uncomfortable he was with this conversation.

“So, tell me, what did you think of Selena? Did she make a better impression on you today?”

“What do you mean by 'better'?”

“Oh come on! You were trying so hard to stay polite yesterday, but you hated her! Did you change your mind today?”

“Ok, I’ll admit I thought she was a bit obnoxious. She seemed way nicer today, her eyes brightened when she saw Kym.”

Lauren smirked. “Hm. She sure is the only one Kym has this effect on.”

Will shrugged. He was plenty aware of what Lauren was implying there. However, she was way over her head, but he knew picking up on this wouldn’t be of any use.

“That being said, we’ve literally exchanged 3 sentences, I feel like it’s too little conversation to make an accurate assessment on what I think of her.” He took the last bite of his sandwich as he finished talking.

“I’m sure we’ll get to see her more. Kym told me she’s spending the week in Ardhalis, we should get the opportunity to get to know her better, I’m sure.” Lauren gave him a beaming smile. “From what I hear from Kym about her, I’m sure you’ll get along perfectly with her! She’s supposed to be loads of fun through her mask of seriousness.”

William chuckled. “Oh, well, I’m curious to discover that part of her.”

Once the two friends had finished their sandwiches, they ordered coffee to go and went back to the precinct. That lunch had appeased William a whole deal; he realised how tense he’d been since Selena had come to the precinct. He did not fully understand why and how this woman he didn’t know could impact his mood that much. Sure, she looked intimidating, especially with her cold demeanour, but he’d dealt with plenty of people like that in his life without a breeze. This felt quite odd to him.

Lauren and he took their time before getting back to their desks. They had been quick with their lunch and took advantage of their coffee to lean against the sunny window in the office. If Lauren noticed the furtive glances William kept throwing at the Precinct’s entrance downstairs through the window, she didn’t address it. Maybe she was having mercy on him, at last.

A short time before 2 PM, Kym and Selena reappeared in front of the precinct. From the window of their second-floor office, William could still see the genuine smile stuck on Kym’s lips. She looked so happy to spend time with Selena, and he was glad for her.

They stayed for a couple of minutes downstairs, talking about something William somewhat regretted he couldn’t hear, but he could have sworn he heard Kym’s laugh from where he was, though on this cold February day all windows were closed. They finally separated, not before they hugged once more, and Selena planted a kiss on Kym’s cheek.

When Kym entered the room, her face was still flushed, probably by the cold breeze that was blowing on Ardhalis that day. She’d left so quickly she seemed to have forgotten to take her scarf with her. Well, if she got sick, that would serve her right for always having her head in the clouds.

“2:05 PM, Ladell,” he scolded her, “do you ever plan on being on time for one of your shifts?”

William ignored the snort coming from Lauren, who’d already gone back to her desk.

Kym sighed heavily and looked at him with unbothered eyes. She sat in her chair and started filling paperwork, making the most noise she could possibly make doing so. Well, at least she was not talking and was actually doing some work.

⁛  ⁛  ⁛

When William arrived at the precinct the next day, he was surprised to find Kym already there, working at her desk. That made him raise an eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything and just started his day. At least, she was focused and calm. He hated to admit, but she actually was very good at paperwork, whenever she set herself to do it seriously. Which was rare, of course.

Lauren arrived slightly late that morning, looking tired as if she’d spent another night outside. William shook his head. He never knew if she was spending her nights with White or doing her Lune shenanigans. She didn’t share much about her activities, but he hoped she stayed safe and would keep her promise to let them know if anything important came up. He trusted her, but that didn’t prevent him from worrying for her.

When lunch time closed in, William was stirred out of his focus by a small pat on his shoulder. He turned to discover Kym, fidgeting a paper bag in her hands. There was something different with her, and it wasn’t only her nervosity. At that moment, with the winter glow lightening her skin, she looked even more beautiful than usual. Not that he’d particularly stare at her usually, though. No more than anyone anyway.

“I’m meeting Serena again today. I'll be back at 2pm sharp this time, promise.”

He smiled softly. Maybe he’d been harsh on her yesterday.

“It’s fine, Kym. Enjoy your lunch.”

Kym hesitated a moment, and handed him the paper bag she was holding.

“You didn’t eat any cookies yesterday. I saved you a couple. Though they’re probably stale by now, so maybe you’ll just choke on them.”

William didn’t have time to reply before Selena showed up in the room. Surprised by her arrival, Kym and Will jerked away from each other, both greeting her with a nervous smile.

“Good morning everyone!” Selena’s voice was low and musical and William bet she was a great singer. “You’re ready, Kym?”

“Yes!”

Kym timidly took the arm Selena was offering, and they started walking out. However, before they were completely out of the room, Selena turned back.

“Oh, before I forget, Lauren, William, are you available tonight? I was thinking we could all dine together and share our most embarrassing Kym stories.”

Lauren groaned from her desk.

“Ugh, I’m sorry, Selena, I can’t, I already have plans. Please let’s have a catch-up session soon!”

Kym gave a smirk to Lauren.

“Oh that’s a shame. Well, we'll definitely tell you everything. What about you, William? Are you free?”

“Sure, I’m free.”

He’d answered without thinking. Selena looked like a woman you couldn’t say no to, and he felt himself compelled to agree to dinner.

“Great! Just the three of us then. See you tonight then. Let’s meet at 7pm, near The Blue cafe next door. I have heard of a great place nearby.”

Holding onto each other’s arm, Selena and Kym turned to leave the room, Kym bumping into a grumpy Lukas in a very bad mood. He growled at her, and as soon as they were out the door, he turned to the rest of his officemates.

“What the fuck? Was Ladell wearing make-up?”

⁛  ⁛  ⁛

William was the first to arrive near the cafe and waited for the ladies. He felt very curious to know more about Selena. He felt somewhat amazed at her ability to fluster Kym, he’d never seen her behave the way she had for the past couple days. Spending the evening with them would at least be entertaining. He couldn’t shake that uneasy feeling though, whatever that was.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sight of a set of long legs getting out of a cab in front of him, and a wave of golden locks quickly following. Selena was a stunning woman in the daylight, but she’d clearly dressed up for their diner and she was emanating confidence. That’s the woman Kym had once been in love with. William felt his throat dry suddenly.

“Good evening, William. I hope you have not been waiting for long, though I believe I am right on time.”

She was, down to the minute actually.

“Not at all, Selena. And my years of friendship with Kym have taught me to never arrive too early when I’m supposed to meet with her.”

Did he have to emphasise the “years of friendship with Kym” that much? Why did he feel this nervous around this woman?

Her face softened a bit and she let out a chuckle.

“I take punctuality isn’t a trait she developed over the years, then. She used to always get scolded by our instructors back in school.”

“Well, I suppose I am the one scolding her for it now.”

“Poor man, I wouldn’t trade places with you for the world.”

They shared a polite laugh, though Will felt like the ice was slowly breaking and that conversation was actually not that hard between them. They did have a lot to share about their common friend.

“I apologise for being distant the day we met, William. I wasn’t aware you were Kym’s close friend and I took you for another pushy gentleman.”

“It’s okay, it’s all forgotten.”

“No, really, even Kym told me about it. I was exhausted by my travel, but that’s no excuse for talking to you the way I have. I am glad you’re here tonight and that we’ll be able to get to know each other.”

Will gave her a reassuring smile.

“The pleasure is shared, Selena. And to be perfectly honest, I am extremely curious to know how was-”

“YOU GUYS!!”

He was interrupted by Kym, running towards them and shouting at them from a block away. She was wearing a beaming smile on her face.

“Wow, Kym, I am actually surprised, you’re only 5 minutes late! I was about to offer William here to wait inside the cafe for you to show up.”

“I was traumatised by a certain Lieutenant, the man never stops piling paperwork on my desk to punish me for arriving ALMOST ON TIME, so now I try to be better.”

Selena laughed good-heartedly at this and quickly showed them the way to the restaurant she had booked a table in. It was a fine-dining restaurant, quite refined and tastefully decorated. William had already come there once with one of his blind dates arranged by his father. He wasn’t too keen on this place but remembered their food to be quite good. Once settled around a table, he looked around them. There weren’t many people eating, only a couple of tables were set and the atmosphere was quiet enough he could hear the faint piano track playing on the gramophone. This was the environment he’d been raised in, he knew how to blend in. Which wasn’t the case for Kym, who was wiggling on her chair and fidgeting with the silverware. She really didn’t seem comfortable here.

“I’m sorry, I heard a lot of praise for this place but I hadn’t realised it was so uptight.” Selena apologised, laying sorry eyes on Kym.

She gave her a shy smile and straightened her back.

“It’s ok, Sel. I can behave.” She flashed a wink at her, but Will could see she still was uneasy. She tried to divert the attention. “So? What were you guys talking about while you were waiting for me? I hope Wil-lame here didn’t bore you to death.”

Selena chuckled softly. “Wil-lame, eh? Funny how that reminds me of the time you were calling me Selen-ass.” Will raised his eyebrows at her, shaking his head with disbelief. “But absolutely not, William was perfect company.”

She gave him a warm smile and he followed up.

“As for what we were talking about, I was just about to ask her about how you two met before you interrupted.”

Kym’s cheeks reddened as she stuttered. “Oh, I- I mean, that’s- I don’t think that it’s such an entertaining story.”

Selena interrupted her.

“Are you joking, Kym? This is one of the funniest stories, I would love to tell you all about it, William.”

William leaned over the table, a smirk on his lips at seeing Kum so panicked.

“So, there was this instructor who was teaching about criminal procedure. His lectures were terribly boring, and never seemed to end, we all hated it.”

William nodded. “Ah, administrative work and bureaucracy. Kym's absolute favourite,” she shot with a chuckle when he glanced at Kym's disgruntled expression.

“Shut up, Hawkes.”

Selena bit her lip, seemingly holding a laugh of her own. “Honestly, it wasn’t mine either. But from time to time, he asked trainees to get him something out of the school archives, and I volunteered that day, thinking I would be able to steal a few minutes.”

William hummed. Selena wore a mischievous look on her face. He wouldn't have imagined her being like this when he first met her.

“You see, one thing that is rather known, is that our school’s archives doors were assembled the wrong way. Meaning that the panic doors open from the outside, but if the door closes behind you, you’re locked in until someone comes to open for you.”

“That sounds…”

“Like a complete safety issue? Absolutely. But all trainees are used to it, so we had a small wedge to put under it to keep it open. It was a makeshift solution, but it worked nonetheless.”

“Okay. So you went to the archives, forgot to put it and Kym saved you?”

Not really mortifying, really. If anything, Kym would be the saviour in this story.

Selena snorted, to Kym’s utter embarrassment.

“Not quite,” she said. “Actually, someone thought it would be a good idea to go check up on me, since I was taking sooo long. Or, more likely, to hide in there with me.”

“I was so mad you’d volunteered before I did,” Kym whines. “I think he was nearing dementia, really. He just blabbered nonsense all day long.”

“That's what you told me two days ago,” William shot at her. “You just have the attention span of a squirrel when you’re not interested in something.”

“Yup, that's our Kym,” Selena laughed. “Well, in her excitement of joining me to hide, she hit the door on the way in, and accidentally kicked the wedge away. Locked us both inside.”

William brought his hand to his head, massaging his temples with a small chuckle. “Of course.”

“In my defense,” Kym started, her entire face flushed bright red, “it was accidental. This door should've been repaired ages before. We could have died if a fire had started.”

“Well, we didn't,” Selena grinned. “But we had to wait for a while until someone freed us. I tried to study a little bit, see what the archives could teach, but this one,” she pointed at Kym who was now slowly sliding down her chair to hide under the table, “was so anxious that she couldn't stop chattering and chattering.”

William raised an eyebrow at Kym. “I didn't know you were claustrophobic.”

“I’m not,” Kym shook her head. “I was stressing out because I was locked in with the girl of my dreams, without finding the nerve to strike up a conversation ever before.”

“Since when are you anxious about talking to people?”

Kym rolled her eyes with a scoff. “Will, my dear William. Not people. I was anxious about talking to a pretty girl I had a crush on. That’s a whole different thing. Try to follow, here.”

William let out a small scoff before turning back to Selena. “And so? How did you guys get out of there?”

“Oh, it didn’t even last that long. Some trainees came in a little while later to check out some files. I ended up buying her coffee to celebrate our freedom.”

Dinner was, overall, delightful. The food was amazing, Selena turned out to be a fascinating storyteller, telling all kinds of anecdotes of her time with Kym back when they were trainees. Kym, on the other hand, seemed antsy for the most part of the night. She kept flushing at any story Selena would recount, looking like she’d rather be anywhere but with them. It was particularly endearing to see her so out of her element. William wondered if Selena being someone she’s been intimately tied to at some point in her life was the reason for her odd behaviour. In any case, William took a wicked pleasure in watching his friend unravel under her ex’s (overall charming) stories.

When they were all finished with dessert and the waiter was leading them to the cloakroom, Selena put a gentle hand on both William’s and Kym’s shoulders.

“I’m only staying around for a couple of days,” she started with a pout. “I want to make the best of the little time I have here. Shall we meet again for lunch tomorrow? Do you guys have any time to spare an old or new friend?”

Kym looked genuinely dejected when she answered, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to join,” she said. “I’m accompanying my mother to a doctor appointment – nothing serious, don’t worry,” she added when William’s eyebrows raised in worry. “I might even have to skip lunch altogether actually, depending on how much time it will take.”

William frowned. “You shouldn’t miss lunch, Kym.”

“She won’t because we’ll bring her something to eat, right, William?” Selena asked him with a grin.

“Oh, yes, that one sandwich with the delicious blue-cheese from Mr Adley!” Kym exclaimed excitedly.

“Good Lords. You’ll be stinking up the whole precinct with that,” William complained.

“Come on, Lieutenant, I’m sure for your sergeant who’s missing lunch for a family matter, allowing her to have her favourite sandwich is a small price to pay for her good work on a full stomach?”

William hid his chuckle in a grunt. “I suppose.”

“Perfect, so it’s settled! William and I will be having lunch together and he’ll bring you your beloved sandwich, so do not worry about missing lunch, darling.”

They paid their bill and gathered on the sidewalk, lingering in front of the restaurant for a short moment before parting. With a soft smile, Selena bid them both goodbye, hugging Kym briefly before giving a polite (but warm, now) nod to William. Her hotel being in the opposite direction, they looked at her leave under the snowflakes.

As the sound of Selena’s heels weakened with the distance, William and Kym slowly turned to make their way towards the more residential part of the 11th district. They fell into a companionable silence, or at least on William’s end, until he noticed how fidgety Kym was next to him.

“She’s a lot, right?” she commented, her voice almost shy.

William chuckled. “And you’re not?”

He watched Kym’s cheeks paint themselves a lovely shade of pink as she fixed her gaze on her feet. How odd and unfamiliar it was to see loud, carefree and proud Kym Ladell suddenly be so… timid. No matter how endearing it was, William couldn’t help but miss her exuberant side, now. He softly nudged her side, a smile on his lips. “You two together must have been a two-human-shaped tornado in your school,” he said light-heartedly. “Must’ve been a nightmare for your instructors. But if she’s as good at her job as you are, I’m guessing you two would get away with anything anyways.”

It didn’t seem to work as intended. If anything, the tension in Kym’s shoulder seemed to tighten even more.

“She’s the best at her job. You’d love working with her, I’m sure,” she said, her voice low. For someone complimenting a loved one, Kym sure was looking dejected. “She’s tidy and organised. Efficient at everything she does.”

William hummed non-committally. To be honest, he didn’t care much about Selena’s work. He was much more interested in who she was as a person. Although, he could definitely imagine how Kym would have driven her crazy in group projects in school. A small part of him wishes he could have witnessed that.

They walked alongside each other for a couple minutes in comfortable silence, before they had to part ways to go home. As William waved Kym goodbye, he couldn’t shake the impression that she was uncomfortable, but without really being able to decipher why.

⁛  ⁛  ⁛

The next day, William was finishing a report on an ongoing investigation for Captain Hermann, focused on making sure there wasn’t any mistake in his observations, when he was startled by the laughs of Lauren and Kym, echoing from the main hallway as they came back from their morning patrol.

Bracing himself for their arrival, he looked up to watch his two friends appear in the office, smiles still lingering on their faces.

Lauren had an oversized scarf wrapped all around her neck, something he’d never seen on her before, and that was absolutely not a part of her uniform. He however held back from telling her off for now, as he watched her shiver from the cold. The temperatures had been dropping day by day lately, and he was well aware their uniforms could only do so much against them.

Kym, on the other hand, didn’t have any forbidden clothing on her and was dusting snow off her hat by the door when their eyes met. For an unknown reason that hurt his heart a little, Kym’s pretty smile dampened immediately, and she averted her gaze to focus on putting her coat up on the coat rail, next to Lauren’s.

With a sigh, William tried to focus back on his work. He didn’t know what was going on lately with Kym, and maybe Selena’s presence was unsettling her. He didn’t have the time to be distracted by her anyways.

However, Kym Ladell, in all her glory, had apparently something to say about that, and not even a minute after William had effectively redirected his focus on his work, an ever so familiar sound of steps getting closer sneaked its way to his ears, and a shadow appeared on his table. Even without looking up, he knew it was Kym, which should be alarming, to be honest.

Refusing this time to peel his eyes from his work, Will asked, with yet another sigh, “What do you want?”

It was the absence of an immediate answer that made him look up. He’d expected some snarky remark on how much of a bore he was, or an excited retelling of something she saw during the patrol. Even maybe an offhanded apology for a mistake she did, something that would explain her strange behaviour when they got back. He hadn’t expected just… silence. He didn’t even know she could stand still and silent for so long.

When he finally straightened up to look at her, she was fidgeting with the buttons of her shirt. Nervous. She was still avoiding his eyes. Softening, he turned his chair to face her fully.

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked gently.

“Nothing it’s just-” Kym scratched her neck before finally meeting his eyes. “Are you really gonna go on that lunch with Selena?”

William frowned with surprise. “Well, yes? I don’t see a reason why not? Why do you ask?”

“Isn’t it gonna be awkward? You don’t know each other, and you didn’t seem to like her much the other day, so…” Kym winced at her words, as if she thought they weren’t right.

“I regularly eat with people I have never met before, Kym. Quirks of being a Hawkes and being shoved into diplomatic dinners by my father more often that I’d like. This is, I reckon, a much nicer setting. Plus, we’re not total strangers anymore!”

“Still, what are you even going to talk about?”

William chuckled. Was that really what Kym was worried about?

“Well, I believe we have plenty in common. Starting with work, but also, I think to recall we’re both rather close to a certain person. I’m sure Selena will have a lot of stories to tell,” he teases. “As will I,” he added with a wiggle of his eyebrows, to Kym’s dismay.

“Come on, are you really gonna make friends with someone you don’t know, and who’s only staying for a couple of days before leaving and probably never seeing her again?”

William frowned. Did Kym… not want Selena and William to get along well?

“I mean, it doesn’t hurt to be agreeable and welcoming to a colleague who’s also a friend of yours,” he said, observing how upset Kym looked. “But, I guess, I don’t know, if that makes you uncomfortable, maybe I can-”

“No!” Kym stopped him, blushing all over. “Don’t worry about it. Have fun on your lunch.”

And then, she spun around and almost ran back to her desk, leaving William at a loss for words. Really, the longer Selena was around, the stranger Kym was acting. What was all that about?

Shrugging away his confusion, William decided to take a break. The time to meet with Selena was nearing anyways, and there was no hope to focus back on his work now that Kym had thrown him off.

Making his way to the locker room, he almost jumped out of his skin when he found White leaning against the door, seemingly waiting for him. The archivist threw him a smirk before turning his gaze towards the main office where Lauren and Kym have sat back to their respective desks.

“I see someone’s jealous,” he commented with a chuckle.

“Jealous?” William frowned. What on earth was White talking about?

The archivist merely hummed before amused azure eyes met William’s. “Don’t mind me, Lieutenant. I’m just enjoying the show.”

When William raised his eyebrows in confusion, White chuckled.

“It’s rather unusual to see our agent Ladell so agitated,” he commented, his eyes drifting back towards Kym and Lauren. “I wonder why she would be so fidgety, as if she was unnerved by the idea of you having lunch with her old friend. Any idea, Hawkes?”

William followed his gaze, finding the two women chatting as they were settling back to their respective desks. Kym’s eyes caught his for a second, but she averted them immediately.

“I don’t know, White,” William sighed, half irritated by the air of faux-mystery around the archivist, as if the answer was so obvious his question was only rhetorical.

He brushed past Kieran’s shoulder to get inside the locker room and retrieve his jacket, and didn’t have time to put it on before he heard Lila’s jovial voice, greeting Selena.

“How are you today, Detective,” she asked as William hurried back into the office.

Selena was wearing a long, checkered wool coat, falling right above her high heels.

“I’m amazing, thank you Lila,” she answered, before she turned to William and gave him a warm and wide smile, as if they’d been friends for years. Maybe she actually got warmer quickly once she met people.

“I’m quite excited by our lunch together, dear William,” she added with a wink, which took William aback there. Much warmer, apparently.

“So am I,” he answered, slightly awkward as he watched Selena turn towards Kym and Lauren to greet them quickly.

Kym’s eyes were wide as saucers, her mouth agape staring at them, and she barely even reacted at Selena’s little wave. So at least, it seemed that William wasn’t the only one surprised here.

“Are you ready to go?” Selena asked then, hooking her arm with William’s.

As William nodded, she pulled them towards the exit before calling behind her, “say ‘hi’ to your mom for me, Kym, will you? We’ll be back with your lunch!”

“S-sure. Have fun…” Kym answered, sounding unsure.

“We will~” Selena laughed, finally pulling William with her out of the precinct.

She stayed attached to William's side until they’d walked a couple streets away, before stepping away as they approached the restaurant with a sheepish smile.

“I’m sorry, William,” she said with a small chuckle. “I couldn’t help but have a little fun with Kym. It’s fun to see her get jealous like that, I’m not used to that side of her.”

Jealous, that word again.

William cleared his throat, feeling very flustered all of a sudden. “It’s quite alright,” he reassured her. “I was just surprised.”

So Kym would be jealous that Selena and him would go have lunch together? Did she still have feelings for her ex? Surely, she had to know this was purely amicable, nothing else. Plus, entertaining any sort of romantic attachment with someone living on the other side of the country would seem a little bit much.

Sure, Selena was a bright, clever woman, she had a whole lot of charm, with her icy blue gaze and kind smile. He could honestly see all that, and he could understand why Kym would fall for someone like her. But not him.

It took a lot more than a couple meetings for William to grow attached to someone. It’s not exactly that he kept people at an arm’s length–he felt like he was a rather welcoming and warm person–but the people he truly cared for were the ones he was around often and has formed friendships with through months or years. He certainly enjoyed chatting with Selena the couple times he saw her, but at this point, she’s an acquaintance, at best. But maybe it was Selena’s interest that Kym feared. How odd.

“Are you feeling quite well, William?” asked Selena, effectively pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Pardon?”

“You haven’t said a word for the past five minutes, merely nodding along to whatever I said,” she explained. They had found a seat by the window, bathed in the winter sun pouring inside and warming them. “Is everything alright?”

She sounded genuinely worried.

“I apologise,” he scratched the back of his neck, feeling quite embarrassed. “Just lost in my thoughts.”

“Would you like to share them with me?” she asked.

She looked genuinely interested, her expression open, but ready to drop the subject if William wanted so. Somehow, it made William want to confide in her.

“What did you mean, earlier? About Kym getting jealous?”

A sheepish smile appeared on Selena’s face. “I’m sorry, I was out of line.”

“No, really, it’s alright. I’m just wondering- She’s been acting rather odd lately.”

“Has she, now?” Selena laughed, looking fond. “Do tell me, in what way do you find her acting odd?”

“I think it started when you arrived. Thinking about it, I think you might be right, she might act a little jealous here.”

Selena’s eyes widened at this. “I thought you’d fight me on this.”

“No, I think you’re right.” He looked away, towards the snowflakes slowly falling on the passerbys. “She might have preferred to replace me today for this lunch date with you.”

Selena let out a small snort, pulling a small chuckle out of William. This wasn’t quite proper of the very neat woman he had sitting in front of him. “Well, allow me to tell you that I think you are mistaken, my dear William.”

“What else would she be jealous for then?”

“Well, William, may I ask you a personal question first?”

“Er, sure?”

“How long have you been in love with Kym?”

William spluttered his mouthful of water with surprise. What on Earth? “Excuse me?”

“Oh, am I mistaken?”

She sat back against her chair, raising an eyebrow in defiance, daring him to refute her.

In love with Kym? This seemed like a delusional idea. Sure, he cared deeply for Kym. She was one of his closest friends, alongside Lauren. Although, Lauren was kind of a special case, since they’d been friends for so long, he held some kind of brotherly affection for her. Sure, he cared for Kym in a different way. She had burst into his life one day and had carved herself a place deep within his heart, somehow, alongside learning how to push all his buttons and get under his skin. And sure, he couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her. Of course. She was an attractive woman, anyone would be. That was beside the point.

Kym could be infuriating, but she always was bringing life and joy in the lives of people around her. He loved the sound of her laugh when she joked around with Kieran, how it echoed all the way from the archives to the office, or the way her eyes crinkled with mischief when she tried to get away from paperwork. He couldn’t imagine his life without the sprinkle of salt she brought to it, and remembered how desperately worried he’d been when she got poisoned at the theatre. At least, Lauren had had Kieran to lean on when they were crumbling under the dread, while William had almost lost her. Well, they all almost did. But it was different. It really had felt like his whole world was falling apart. As if it was about to be deprived of all joy, all love.

Well. Maybe that was the right word after all. Love. It did feel quite fitting. Neyra had hinted at it before. He had brushed the thought aside, deeming it absurd.

“Good lords, are you only having an epiphany now?” Selena asked, looking thoroughly amused by William’s breakdown in front of her eyes.

William looked at her, wordless, only able to blink in confusion. Was he so easy to read that a near stranger had been able to see through his feelings without even him realising them? If so, was it so obvious to everyone around him?

“What-” he tried. “What does it even have to do with her being jealous?” he managed to ask.

“I felt like maybe that would explain why you would be so blind to how smitten she is with you.”

“Smitten with me? Are we talking about Kym Ladell here?”

Selena barked out a laugh, digging into her plate–when had they even ordered? “Who else? Surely you’ve seen how anxious she looked before we left.”

“She has been acting rather strange lately,” William admitted. “But that has nothing to do with me.”

“Hmm,” Selena pondered. “Why not?”

“Well, it only started when you arrived. She never behaved that way before.”

Selena took a second to think while she chewed on her steak. She had to see how wrong her reasoning was. If Kym was harbouring any kind of feeling towards William–and even the idea felt completely foreign to him–she would have acted strange before Selena’s arrival.

“Well, maybe you never gave her reasons to really feel possessive over you before.”

William couldn’t help but let a small chuckle at that. “Right.”

But Selena wasn’t laughing. She was looking at him with a seriousness that caught him off-guard.

“Is that so hard to believe?” she asked, cocking her head to the side with curiosity.

“I mean,” he tried to make sense of all of it. “How would you know you’re not the one she’s feeling possessive over?”

That, at least, made Selena bark out a laugh. “Oh, trust me, I’m not.”

“How are you so sure?” he asked.

“Oh my gods, William, how are you so oblivious and insecure?” she exclaimed, shaking her head. “Can you really not tell? For someone in the police force, you sure are not very observant.”

William sat back in his chair with a frown, miffed that she looked at him with pity and teasing.

When he didn’t answer, she sighed as her face softened. “Trust me, William. I once upon a time have been the recipient of her pining. I can assure you, I know how it looks, and I’m not anymore.”

She peered at attentively, observing for a moment without a word. William forced himself not to shrink under such scrutiny–it usually wouldn’t be an issue for him, but there was something about Selena that, somehow, made him feel exposed. After a few seconds, she leaned towards him, her voice kind.

“You know how Kym and I met, but I’m guessing you don’t know how we got together.”

William shook his head as he chewed on his steak.

“Kym is one very oblivious woman. On the one hand, it was so clear that she liked me, back then, but she was doing her best to hide it, for fear of spooking me.”

“I wager you’re not very easy to spook,” William chuckled.

“I’m not. And I was quite infatuated with her pretty much from the get go, but no matter how many hints I gave her, she wouldn’t pick up on it. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t read into yours either, although you wouldn’t have given them knowingly,” she added with a smirk.

William choked on his own spit, feeling warmth invading his face. “I guess not,” he mumbled.

“Well, let me tell you, even if you had, she would probably have not picked up on it anyways. For weeks, as we got to know each other, she was adorably trying to get my attention, while not realising she had it all already.”

“How so?” William laughed, dubious.

“Oh, well, for one, she made a personal mission to find any opportunity to get under my skin. She found the right bottoms to push, learnt my tells and what made me crack, and used them abundantly to tease me. She knew about my morning coffee addiction and made fun of me for it, but still showed up at school with a to-go cup from the nearby stall for me. She teased me for being too much of a suck-up to some of our teachers, but didn’t even hesitate when one of them said something unfair to me.”

“That does sound like her.”

“I’m sure, to you, it does.”

“I mean, that’s how she is with her friends. I agree that we’re close, but she isn’t really behaving differently than she does with, say, Lauren.”

“Does she, though? Really?”

Of course. That’s who Kym was. A little devil dressed as a beautiful woman, someone who loved to annoy the people she cared about, because it was indeed her way of showing her affection. She still was someone attentive, and behind the mask of a quirky, buoyant girl, she always took note of the little things. Nothing to do with him specifically.

“To be honest,” she continued, knowing he likely wouldn’t answer her rhetorical question, “I’m quite baffled that you can’t tell. She’s never been subtle when it comes to her feelings. She tends to feel intensely, and, above all, loudly. I’m sure you already know that.”

William chuckled softly. “Well, that’s putting it lightly.”

“So how did you not notice? Because let me tell you, I’ve been here for two days, and I’ve seen it everywhere. In the ways she talks to you, teases you. In the way she steals glances at you–have you never caught those? In the way she flusters so easily when any topic becomes about you. It’s very amusing to watch, really.”

William could barely hear her through the beating of his heart. He’d never even envision Kym to be attracted to someone, let alone himself. He couldn’t allow himself to believe him, to imagine what it would–what it could mean. He wouldn’t dare.

“I really don’t see the point in discussing all this,” he said, a bit dejected. “And why do you care so much about it anyways?”

“Look,” she said, an empathetic smile on her face. “I really care for Kym. She’s an amazing person, and I can only hope she finds happiness in her life.”

William hummed in agreement. Of course Kym deserved to be happy and thrive in her life. He could just hope he could bring her half as much joy as she brought in his life. Even though…

“I think, as long as we’ll readily find watermelon stands at the market, she’ll always be the happiest,” he said with a small laugh.

“Ugh,” Selena whined loudly. “Don’t mention it. Is she still obsessed with watermelon? I thought she’d grow out of this!”

“Oh trust me, I feel like her love for watermelon is getting stronger by the day.”

“You know what, I didn’t think it’d be possible, but I believe you,” Selena guffawed. “Hopefully she can one day love you as much as she loves it.”

“Hardly think so,” he chuckled.

“Worth a try,” Selena winked at him.

And, well, maybe it was.

⁛  ⁛  ⁛

They finished their lunch in an easier mood. Now that Selena had pushed William into realising his feelings, he felt lighter, more at ease. They shared more anecdotes about their common friend, about work and life in general. Selena was, after all, a fun and delightful woman. Maybe he’d felt slightly jealous of her too. But that’s between him and his conscience.

Selena walked him back to the precinct, stepping in the office for a few minutes to chat with Lauren and Lila. She didn’t linger, though, stating that she still had a lot to do before leaving the next day.

Kym got back a little later, looking tense. William didn’t mention her tardiness, knowing her mother’s appointment might have stressed her out.

“How’s your mom doing,” he asked instead.

“Good, her exams came out fine so we’re relieved,” she answered with a quick glance at him before sitting at her desk. “Sorry for being late.”

“No worries. Your lunch waits for you in the break room.”

“Okay, thanks,” she said as she rose from her chair. But instead of going to the break room, she lingered by William’s desk.

“So, er, how was your lunch?” she asked. William noticed how she wrung her hands nervously.

“It was fine. We had a good time,” he answered simply, biting a smile.

She nodded. “That’s- that’s good. What did you talk about?” she asked again, a light flush dusting her cheeks. She really looked so shy. Did she look like that often and had he not noticed, or was it new?

“Oh, you know, this and that,” he said to remain vague, relishing in how flustered she looked. “You know, sharing about common interests.”

She snorted, but it felt slightly off. A bit forced. “Oh so you talked about paperwork and coffee. How fascinating this must have been!” she tried to tease.

It failed dramatically. William felt his chest squeeze with endearment.

“Fascinating indeed,” he just said with raised eyebrows, before turning back to his work.

“O-okay.” she just said before fleeing to the break room.

William watched her go and stared at the door closing behind her for a few seconds, unable to hold a small chuckle.

“You’re a mean, cruel man, William Hawkes,” Lauren said from her own desk with a laugh. “Please carry on,” she added with a grin, waving her eyebrows at him.

This lunch date with Selena left William with a lot to think about. There was much to look back at. As he sat at his desk, he found himself unable to focus on his work, the words on his paperwork blending together, blurred by the images of reminders of Kym acting odd all throughout their years of friendship. Of all the times her gaze had lingered a second too long, when he’d thought then she was planning her next trick to annoy him. Of all the times she’d shown surprising care, when he had expected her to jump on a moment of vulnerability to mock him. Of all the moments she’d laughed at a bad pun, punched on his shoulder, and walked away as if he was the funniest man alive.

Maybe Selena was right. He couldn’t stop his heart from starting to believe–hope–that he’d indeed been blind all these years.

But what now? Could he even allow himself to hope? And what could he actually hope for?

Pursuing something with Kym wasn’t really something he should do. They were colleagues, that was bound to be messy. Yet again, he could see how fond of each other Lauren and Kieran were, and yet they were still focused and serious about their jobs. Although Kym was not as serious-minded as their friends, he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was one of the most reliable people he knew. He’d entrust his own life in her hands in the blink of an eye, hell, he’d done so so many times already. He knew a relationship between them wouldn’t change that.

Good lords.

He felt himself blushing and tucked his chin in, in the hopes no one would notice. In no world would he have ever imagined he’s currently considering a relationship with Kym.

He’d pretty much resigned from a young age that he’d have to one day marry someone his father would have chosen for him. When Neyra came into the picture, although his heart couldn’t help but yearn for something else, at least he’d been relieved to see the young woman he was promised to was brilliant and fun. He knew he’d lucked out when his father had chosen her, and yet, when she confided she had no intention to marry him, without knowing why, he’d felt as if a terrible weight was slightly lifted off his shoulders.

As he watched Kym come back to her desk from the corner of his eye, likely just finished with her lunch, he could tell now why.

And maybe, after all these years, it was time he changed the way he envisioned his life.

⁛  ⁛  ⁛

The next morning, Selena came by the precinct, a small travel bag hanging on her shoulder, to say her goodbyes.

“I wish I could stay longer,” she complained to Kym, “I feel like we barely had time to see each other.”

Kym gave her a wet grin. “You’ll have to come back, then. Or I’ll come visit Borhealis. Either way, we should stay in touch.”

Selena had yet to turn to the others, all gathering around her by Lila’s desk. Well, except for Lukas, who’d fled at the first hint of emotion displayed on Kym’s face. When she finally acknowledged everyone’s presence, she kept Kym’s hand in hers.

“I’m glad that I got to meet all of you,’ she said. “I’m happy to know my Kym is surrounded by kind people like you. She and Ardhalis are in good hands!”

Lauren waved her hand with a chuckle. “She’s the one protecting us.”

White stepped closer to her, his arm snaking around her waist. For some reason, it seemed to startle Lauren who turned to him with a surprised expression. “She’s precious to us too,” he said. Then, extending his hand to Serena to shake it, he added, “It was a real pleasure to meet you too Detective, although I didn’t get to spend much time with you, my duties in the archives sometimes being surprisingly busy with these messy officers.”

Selena had a small laugh before setting her eyes on William. She detached from Kym’s grip on her hand to step closer.

“I had a very entertaining time here with you all,” she started, before pulling William in a loose embrace. “I can’t wait to see what you’ll do,” she added, her voice dropping for him only to hear. “You’ll do something, right?”

“I think so,” he replied. “Thanks for the little push, I think I needed that.”

She released him but didn’t step away, giving him a quick wink. “With pleasure, dearest,” she said. William saw Kym, standing behind her, blink several times in astonishment.

With a last hug to Kym, Selena then left them. William and Kym watched hail a taxi passing by to bring her to the train station from the window in the office.

“So you ended up getting along after all,” Kym noted, her eyebrows raised inquisitively. “I wonder what happened at lunch yesterday for you two to be so… chummy with each other.”

“Well, I guess we had a lot to talk about.”

“Hmm.”

She didn’t look satisfied with his answer. William bit his cheeks to repress a small laugh.

“I could tell you some of it tonight if you’d like? Over some diner, maybe?” he offered.

“What? Willame, are you asking me on a date or something?” she laughed, her voice too loud to just be teasing.

William gave her a small smile, his heart rabbitting in his chest. This was it.

“Sure,” he answered. “Let’s call it that.”

And from the way her ears suddenly turned red, her gaze fell to her feet and her lips stretched into a shy smile, maybe it all would be okay, and would turn into something. Something good.