ugh, you again??

You wake to the soft rustle of fabric and the quiet clink of cufflinks. It’s still dark, mostly. The curtains are drawn against the creeping light of a too-early morning, and the bedside clock tells you it’s not quite 6:00. But he’s already dressed: suit jacket slung over the back of the chair, shirt half-buttoned, tie draped around his neck like a scarf in progress.

He hasn’t noticed you yet. He’s moving with that deliberate quiet he always reserves for mornings like this when he’s trying not to wake you, trying to slip out into the city before the baby stirs or the world starts demanding things from him again.

You blink, push your cheek deeper into the pillow.

“Rafa.”

He turns at once; not startled, but caught. His expression softens when he sees you, hair mussed, eyes still heavy with sleep.

“Go back to sleep, cariño,” he says gently, stepping closer to the edge of the bed. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

You stretch your hand toward him.

“I don’t want to miss you.”

He sighs like that undoes him a little. Like every time you say things like that, simple and honest, something inside him still flinches with disbelief. He leans down, pressing a kiss to your forehead first, then your lips, warm and slow.

But just before he pulls back, something shifts and you feel it. His breath stills, just slightly; his hand lingers a second longer on your jaw and his eyes flick down to your mouth, then up again, like he’s thinking something. Like it’s already on the tip of his tongue.

You whisper, “What?”

He hesitates. You know that look, that Barba look. The one he wears in court before saying something that will change everything. But this time, he doesn’t speak.

Instead, he smiles small, tired, a little sad, but still anchored in you. He brushes your hair back from your face, thumb resting behind your ear.

“You remember the day we met?” he asks quietly.

That catches you off guard and you blink up at him.

“Of course,” you murmur. “You were arguing with a vending machine.”

He huffs a soft laugh, straightens slightly. “It stole my dollar.”

“It ate two. You were pacing and muttering about economic injustice and lack of municipal oversight.”

“You laughed at me.”

“You called me a witness to corruption and asked if I wanted to co-author a complaint to the State Comptroller.”

He grins at that, an actual grin, fleeting but real.

“I remember thinking you had the most ridiculous, unstoppable mouth,” you say, your voice quiet. “And that I was in trouble.”

He gazes at you like you’ve just handed him a case he wasn’t prepared to win.

“I didn’t think you’d give me the time of day,” he admits, adjusting his watch absently.

“You told me I’d regret it if I didn’t and I believed you.”

He leans down again, his forehead brushing yours. “I’m still trying to earn it.”

“You already have.”

The moment stretches, warm and slow. He closes his eyes, breathing you in like a reprieve. Outside, the city starts to come alive; the sound of a bus rumbling by, a distant car horn, the low whine of wind between buildings. But here, in this room, it’s just you.

You kiss his knuckles before he pulls away.

“Don’t forget your coffee,” you whisper.

“Don’t forget I love you,” he says.

And this time, it’s the thing he doesn’t hesitate to say.

Suspended for two weeks. Apparently, one could get in trouble for assaulting a handcuffed child predator. Had it not been seen by civilians, it may have just been shoved under the rug. Though, it was only one punch to the face, Detective Y/N was surprised she hadn't been dealt a harsher punishment because of the visual. However, even the public knew and loathed what that man had done.

Before the incident the detective had made a break in a cold case she had been looking into. Thumbing through dusty files she ran across a case with similar MO from the same year.

She was fine staying home for a while but, man, those files being left on her desk for longer than they already had gnawed at her conscience.

'Most of the team should be out by now. It would hurt nobody if I grabbed those files to peruse during the rest of my suspension,' she thought to herself before making her way to the precinct.

This was in the bag. She had made it to the right floor and hadn't seen anyone from the team.

"You're not supposed to be here," spoke a voice from behind her.

Wincing, she whipped around. "Barba! I forgot some of my things."

"Uh-huh." The ADA smirked, with his hands in his pockets, and rocked heel to toe with each syllable.

"So, is Olivia in?" Her ears, face, and neck all beamed red. Lying was one thing when she was trying to get at a perp. Lying to Rafael was something else, knowing he could see right through her.

"She should be back any minute. Shall I go get her for you?"

"No! No. Im good," she uttered with great struggle to maintain composure.

"Let's go get your cold case files," he laughed.

"How did you know?" Her face portrayed both amusement and astonishment.

"I know everything."

Having known the ADA for a while, that statement didnt always seem too far from the truth.

Oh no. Footsteps and laughter could be heard from around the corner.

"Olivia," announced the detective, shooting her arm out and stopping Barba. Her eyes shot around her, searching for a hideout. Found one.

Before any other thought she shoved the unsuspecting ADA into the very small storage closet. Backing herself into the room with him, she shut the door.

Barba hit the shelves behind him, "Ow, hey!"

She shuffled herself around to face him and covered his mouth. "Olivia is here!" she whispered.

Rolling his eyes, he tapped her hand for her to remove it.

"Why did you stuff me in here?"

"Because Oliv- oh." She had, without a thought stuffed the handsome ADA into a very cramped space with her. "Whoops." That man had no reason to have to hide from Olivia.

"Yeah. So, I'm going to go."

"No!" She grabbed his hand, stopping him from reaching the door handle. "You can't leave now. If she sees you come out, then she will see me."

He sighed. "Fine. Just know that I can argue this as kidnapping."

"Objection. You just agreed. Also, do you really want to be seen leaving this very small space with me?"

After a small moment's pause, "Fair point."

The laughter and the voices neared them. Random words and Olivia's voice could be deciphered. They were not leaving the area.

"Well, if I'm stuck in here because of you, we are switching positions." He grabbed Y/N's waist and squeezed them tighter together, moving her towards the shelves and him with his back to the door.

The detective's breath hitched and, once more, a blush creeped across her features.

"I've seen you blush twice today, Y/N. I have to say, I think I'm enjoying this time more than the last."

Oh, goodness. "Please, stop talking or I will snap your suspenders so hard they will embed into your skin."

"No good. Too loud. Risky."

"Fine," she grumbled.

He smells good. Cologne wasn't usually something the detective would take note of but whatever he was wearing was nice.

"Hey," Rafael said, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Do you use a lavender shampoo?"

"Um, yes."

"It smells good."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Her heart raced, not that it was particularly slow to begin with.

"Rafa?"

"Yep."

"You do realize you're still grabbing my waist, right?"

"Whoops" He let go. She immediately regretted having mentioned it.

"You smell good too, by the way." She cleared her throat. "Your cologne."

"Oh, thanks. I just got a new one. Trying it out."

"It's nice." Her eyes moved down from his and glanced at his lips, ever briefly. He smiled and she looked away to break eye contact.

"Alright, see you later!" Olivia announced. A pair of footsteps could be heard walking away.

"Do you think the coast is clear?" asked Barba.

"No. I only heard one pair of footst-"

Before her sentence was finished, Olivia swung the door open and Rafael stumbled out and pulled you along.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our trusted ADA and suspended detective in the storage, together. Isn't that cozy," Olivia laughed.

"Oh, we weren't-" Rafael gestured between himself and Detective Y/N.

"I'm sure. But you, detective, are supposed to be at home."

"Captain, I am so s-"

"I saw nothing. Including whatever you are here to grab. Just, do me a favor, dont let me catch you again"

With that, the detective rushed to her desk, grabbed the files and turned to leave.

Was it getting caught or Barba that was causing her to still feel as if her heart was beating out of her chest?

"Detective Y/N," Barba called to her again.

She stopped and faced him.

Grinning, he said, "You owe me."