I am still setting this up.

You are the clumsiest human being I have ever met. How did you even become a cop, again?" Mike said in mock disbelief.

You glared at him, failing to find a response. You had just returned from washing your lip after accidentally busting it on a door you had opened. What was worse, it happened as you had been exiting the room while bragging about a lead you just found in the case.

"Jeez," Mike said as he looked down at your lip. "Sit down. I'll get the first aid kit." He shook his head as he left the room.

The slight embarrassment you felt did not diminish the high you were riding from making a break in the case. You planted yourself on the couch.

Mike returned quickly, first aid kit in hand. You threw your hands up for him to toss it to you. Instead, he plopped himself onto the couch next to you and started to open it up.

"I can handle it-"

"Oh, please. You can't even open the door." He grabbed your chin to get a better look at your wound.

You squeezed the couch cushion, desperate for something to focus on besides your attractive partner staring at your lips

"Well, you cleaned it well enough." He took an antiseptic cream and dabbed it gently on the wound. His brow furrowing with focus.

"Ow." You winced.

"Keep still." He grabbed a gauze pad and pressed it to the wound. Softly, he said, "It's still bleeding a little. Keep it here for a bit."

He moved his eyes up from your lip to your eyes. You grabbed the gauze. He lingered a moment.

All of a sudden, he stood up. He cleared his throat, "I know keeping your trap shut is hard for you."

This man was trying to shake you from his tail. You laughed a little despite the pain.

It was the calm before the storm. A perfect day to do some paperwork before the next case rolled in. Detective Y/N was working diligently. Detective Munch was spinning in his chair.

"Anything new in your life?" he asked, still spinning.

"Paperwork."

He sighed and rolled over to his partner's desk. "You know that's not what I meant. I meant gossip, new lovers, anything."

Detective Y/N rested both her elbows onto her desk.

"I'm trying to work, Munch."

"See, I'm trying, specifically, not to do that." He propped his own elbows on the desk and leaned forward to meet her eyes.

"What do you want from me, John?"

"Your attention."

Detective Y/N was careful to not let him notice the heat radiating from her cheeks and moved back in her chair.

"Fine. You have ten minutes. If Cragen comes out and tells us off, I am kicking your butt."

"Yes!" He scooted his chair, slightly, back to his own desk. Just but the way he was sitting and the intense eye contact, she knew he was excited about something and was about to embark on a signature John Munch rant.

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."