Nick Wagner x female detective
Nick Wagner x female high potential fanfic where he is the new captain of the precinct and her new boss, starts as them butting heads and arguing then slowly both start stealing glances and falling for each other
The precinct had survived serial killers, hostage situations, and Morgan Gillory’s caffeine-fueled theories at three in the morning.
What it apparently could not survive was Captain Nick Wagner.
The words came the second you stepped into the bullpen. You froze mid-stride, coffee in one hand and case files in the other.
Nick Wagner stood near Morgan’s desk, arms crossed over a dark button-up, expression carved from granite. He looked every bit the new captain—tall, controlled, and annoyingly composed.
You glanced at the clock. “By forty-three seconds.”
“Forty-three seconds is still late.” He stated crossing his arms over his chest.
Morgan made a tiny choking sound behind her, clearly trying not to laugh. You set your coffee down a little harder than necessary.
“Good morning to you too, Captain.”
“Briefing was at eight.”
“And I’m here at eight-oh-forty-three.”
His jaw tightened. Your lips twitched. This was going to be a disaster.
Three weeks earlier, when the department announced a new captain was taking over the Major Crimes division, you’d expected someone nearing retirement.
Instead, Nick Wagner had walked in.
Young enough to still work the field. Sharp enough to notice every mistake. And apparently determined to restructure the entire precinct.
Which meant he’d started questioning your methods almost immediately.
“You improvise too much.”
“You ignore procedure.”
“You make decisions before consulting command.”
Your personal favorite: “You’re impossible to supervise.”
To which you had replied: “Then stop trying.” The look he’d given you afterward could have melted steel.
Now the bullpen buzzed with uncomfortable anticipation as Nick moved to the whiteboard.
“Victim was found at 5:12 this morning,” he began. “Female, thirty-two, no signs of forced entry.”
You leaned against a desk, studying the photos.
“She knew the killer,” you said.
Nick didn’t even look at you. “That’s one possibility.”
“No defensive wounds, apartment intact, and she opened the door willingly.” Morgan nodded along agreeing.
“Still doesn’t confirm—”
“It confirms enough to prioritize people in her inner circle.” You cut him off.
His eyes finally met yours. For a second, the room went oddly quiet. Not because he disagreed, you could see the reluctant acknowledgment there, but because he was looking at you with an intensity that made your stomach tighten.
Then he turned back to the board. “We’ll start with family and known associates.”
Morgan’s grin was practically audible. You shot her a warning look.
“You undermined me in front of the team.” A voice broke your concentration.
You looked up from your desk. “I solved your timeline issue.”
Nick sat on your desk “That’s not the point.”
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “The point is that there’s a chain of command.”
You stood, matching his height as best you could. “And the point of being a detective is catching the right suspect before they disappear.”
“You think rules don’t apply to you.”
“I think results matter.”
“Results don’t excuse recklessness.”
“And procedure doesn’t excuse wasting time.” You quipped back. The air between you crackled. Neither of you moved. Neither of you looked away. Nick’s gaze dropped, just briefly, to your mouth
His eyes snapped back up so fast you almost thought you imagined it.
“Be ready to interview the victim’s ex at four,” he said, voice suddenly rougher. Then he turned and left before you could answer.
Morgan appeared beside your desk two seconds later. “So…”
“Don’t.” You shut it down faster than possible.
“I was going to ask if the temperature dropped in there or if that was just the sexual tension.”
You glared at her, Daphne laughed from her spot at the desk, you glared at her.
“Oz get your partner in line, she’s imagining things” you say noting how Oz and Daphne slyly bump their knuckles together.
Oz grinned. “Oh it’s definitely the second one.” He, Daphne and Morgan laughed at his statement causing you to huff and turn back to your work ignoring their remarks. At least Karadec stays out of it you think, noting how he’s intensely looking at the evidence board.
Across the room, Nick was speaking with Soto. As if sensing your stare, he looked up.
Your eyes met. And instead of immediately looking away this time, he held your gaze for one long, dangerous second.
Then two. Something unreadable flickered across his expression. Your pulse skipped.
Morgan leaned closer. “Oh, you are both in trouble.”
You tore your eyes away. “He’s my boss.”
“And he drives me insane.”
“Also true.” Morgan’s smile turned knowing. “Those two facts are not as unrelated as you think.”
For the first time since Nick Wagner arrived at the precinct, you weren’t entirely sure she was wrong.
By Friday morning, you had successfully avoided being alone with Captain Nick Wagner for almost two days.
Which, considering the size of the precinct, was practically a miracle. Unfortunately, miracles had a habit of running out.
“Detective.” You looked up from your desk. Nick stood beside it, a manila file tucked under one arm. “We’ve got a lead.”
You accepted the file. “Okay.”
“The victim’s ex has been avoiding us.”
“So we’ll pick him up.”
“He won’t talk to police, Oz and Daphne tried talking with him and Morgan and Karadec previously searched his apartment.”
You looked at him. He looked back.
Then your stomach sank. “No.”
“We are not going undercover together.”
“It’s the fastest way to get close to him, he doesn’t know us.”
Oz, who had been pretending to organize paperwork two desks away, slowly lowered the folder in his hands.
“Oh, this is going to be fun.”
An hour later, you stood outside an upscale wine bar, tugging at the hemline of your dark green dress.
“This is ridiculous.”
Nick adjusted the cuff of his navy blazer. “It’ll work.”
“It’ll get us laughed out of here.” You say moving your curled hair out of your face.
“You clean up well.” The words slipped out before he seemed to realize he’d said them.
You blinked. He blinked. For the first time since becoming captain, Nick Wagner actually looked flustered.
“I…” he cleared his throat. “You look, you know, professional.”
A slow smile tugged at your lips “Professional?”
“You know what I meant.”
“I really don’t.” You push back smirking up at him
A faint flush crept up his neck. Morgan, who was listening through your earpiece from the surveillance van, nearly choked “Captain’s blushing.” Followed by what you assume was Daphne laughing.
You bit the inside of your cheek, suppressing the smiling threatening to sneak out.
“I’m turning my earpiece off,” Nick muttered.
“Coward,” Morgan replied.
Inside, the suspect barely glanced your way before smiling politely, wiping down the bar.
“You a couple or first date?”
“Couple.” Nick’s response was immediate.
Natural. Effortless. Your head whipped toward him. His hand settled lightly against the small of your back. It was supposed to sell the act. It shouldn’t have affected you.
Heat spread up your spine where his hand rested. He didn’t move it. You found yourself leaning into the touch before catching yourself.
The suspect smiled knowingly. “How long have you been dating?”
Nick answered again. “About a year.”
You shot him a look. He didn’t even glance your way.
“A year?” you echoed, playing along.
He finally looked at you. There was something almost amused in his eyes.
“You don’t remember our anniversary?”
“I remember you forgot.” You laughed, trying to push Nick’s buttons.
The suspect laughed. “You two argue like you’re married.”
Nick’s lips twitched. “So we’ve been told.”
The interview went surprisingly smoothly. The suspect admitted he’d seen the victim two nights before her death, giving you exactly the timeline you’d been missing.
As soon as he disappeared toward the restroom, you rounded on Nick.
“A year?” You questioned raising your left eyebrow.
He shrugged. “It sounded believable.”
“You made up an entire relationship.”
“You were convincing.”
“You are impossible.”
“So I’ve heard.” He smiled.
Not the polite smile he gave city officials. Not the tight smile he used during briefings.
A real one. It transformed him completely. You stared a second longer than you should have. His smile slowly faded as he noticed. Neither of you looked away.
“You’ve got a little…” he gestured vaguely toward your face.
Without thinking, he reached out.
His thumb brushed gently across your skin, wiping away the faint smear of lipstick left from your drink on the corner of your mouth. The touch lasted barely a second.
You watched his expression soften in a way you’d never seen before. For one impossible moment, it felt as though the entire bar had disappeared.
Then his phone rang. Both of you stepped back immediately.
Nick answered, his voice returning to its usual calm professionalism. “Wagner.”
You looked away first, trying to ignore the way your heart was pounding.
Back at the precinct, Morgan was waiting by your desk with an infuriating grin.
“I haven’t even asked anything.” She defended raising her hands in defence. “You don’t have to actually we heard the whole thing.”
“You called each other pet names.”
“We did not.” You huff throwing yourself down on the chair.
“You let him keep his hand on your back.”
“That was for the undercover operation.”
Morgan caught it instantly “Oh.” She gasped.
“You liked the smile.”
You busied yourself with the case file. “I have work to do.”
Morgan leaned closer, lowering her voice.
“You know what I think?”
“I really don’t.” You groan out.
“I think Captain Wagner walked into today expecting to solve a case.”
She glanced across the bullpen. Nick was standing in his office, looking through the glass walls toward the detectives.
“I think,” Morgan continued, “he accidentally found a much bigger problem.”
You followed her gaze. Nick looked away the instant your eyes met. But not before you caught the faintest hint of a smile.
And for the first time, you wondered if the feeling that had been growing between the two of you wasn’t as one-sided as you’d been trying to convince yourself
You were halfway through reading the overnight reports when Captain Wagner’s office door opened.
You didn’t even look up.
“What have I done now?” You sighed
A few snickers rippled through the bullpen.
“I need you in my office.”
Morgan quietly whispered to Daphne, “Five bucks says they argue before the door closes.”
“I give it two minutes” Oz stated joining in.
“Bet!” Morgan laughs back.
Nick shut the office door behind you.
“Yes?” You fold your arms arose your chest.
He slid a folder across the desk. “I’m assigning you as lead on the Mitchell homicide.”
“You were right about the victim knowing her killer.”
You looked at him, surprised.
“I checked your notes again over the weekend.” There was the briefest pause “You were right.”
The words sounded as though they’d been physically painful to say. A grin spread across your face. “Was that an apology?”
“You admitted I was right.”
“I acknowledged a fact.”
You laughed, a genuine laugh that filled the room. Nick found himself smiling before he could stop it.
“You know,” you said, “you’re much less intimidating when you smile.”
His smile vanished instantly.
“I wasn’t trying to intimidate you.”
“No?” You questioned back, the corners of your mouth lifting slightly. You laughed again.
Nick couldn’t remember the last time someone had laughed in his office. It was nice. Dangerously nice.
The team executed a search warrant on an abandoned warehouse connected to the case. Nick insisted on going.
You rolled your eyes. “You know captains usually stay behind the yellow tape.”
“So why are you here?”
“Or because you don’t trust us?”
“I trust the team.” He starts looking around at forensics dusting for prints.
“You didn’t answer the question.”
He gave you a look. “You ask too many questions.”
“I solve murders by asking questions.
You turned smiling to yourself, you’d finally won an argument against Nick.
Inside the warehouse, everything was eerily quiet.
Morgan and Karadec searched the upstairs offices while Oz and Daphne photographed evidence.
You wandered toward a row of rusted storage shelves, hearing clinking metal sounds.
“Captain?” You question. No answer. You turned the corner. Then heard it again. A metallic snap.
“Move!” Nick’s voice echoed through the building.
Before you could react, someone slammed into you. Strong arms wrapped around your waist. The world spun. You hit the concrete hard, but not nearly as hard as you expected.
Nick had twisted at the last second, taking the full impact himself. A stack of unsecured metal shelving crashed exactly where you’d been standing.
Dust filled the air. Silence followed. Your eyes fluttered open.
Nick was above you, one forearm braced beside your head, the other protectively around your shoulders.
His breathing was uneven.
“Hi” you whispered. “This is one way to win an argument.”
His forehead dropped for half a second as a breathless laugh escaped him. “You almost got yourself killed.”
“You absolutely did not.”
“You landed on me.” You deadpanned.
Neither of you moved. You suddenly became very aware of how close he was. Close enough to feel every breath. Close enough to notice the tiny scar near his jaw. Close enough to see concern lingering in his eyes.
“You okay?” he asked quietly breaking the silence.
Your voice came out softer than intended. “I think so.”
His hand, still resting against your side, tightened almost imperceptibly.
“Captain!” Karadec’s voice broke through the moment. Nick immediately pushed himself to his feet before offering you a hand. You took it.
His grip lingered just a second longer than necessary.
Morgan rounded the corner and froze. She looked at the overturned shelves. Then at you. Then at Nick. Then back at the way neither of you had let go.
Her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.“Oh…”
You and Nick released each other’s hands so quickly it was almost comical.
“We’re fine,” you said far too quickly.
Morgan looked unconvinced. “Mhmm.”
Nick straightened his jacket. “The shelves collapsed.”
Morgan nodded slowly. “Right.”
“You have something to report, Detective?”
Karadec shook his head “No, Captain.”
Morgan glanced at you. “Not about the case.” She stated walking away laughing.
That evening, after everyone else had gone home, Nick remained in his office, staring out through the glass walls at the empty bullpen.
He couldn’t stop replaying the moment he’d seen the shelving begin to fall. He hadn’t thought. He’d simply moved. The realization unsettled him.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. You stood there, now in your raincoat, keys in hand.
“I just wanted to” You hesitated. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
“You would’ve done the same.”
“No, I definitely wouldn’t. Not for you at least.” You grin smugly.
“I know you would have.” He laughed.
Silence settled between you.
“You’ve only been my captain for a month,” you continued, “and we spend half our time arguing.”
A faint smile touched his lips. “More than half.”
“Probably.” You looked at him for a long moment before saying quietly, “I don’t want to make a habit of you saving me, men can be damsels in destress too”
His eyes met yours. “Noted.” He snickered.
Neither of you spoke. The air between you felt charged, as though one wrong move might change everything.
Your lips parted, as if to respond. Then both of your phones buzzed simultaneously with a case update, shattering the moment.
You both looked down at your screens. When you looked back up, the opportunity had passed.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” you asked.
Nick nodded. “Tomorrow, have a good night.”
As you walked away, he watched until the elevator doors closed. Only then did he let out a slow breath.
Across the hall, Morgan stepped out of the break room holding a vending machine snack.
She had clearly seen the last thirty seconds.
“You two are going to be the death of me,” she muttered to herself, before taking a bite and grinning. “But this is way more entertaining than watching Karadec do paperwork.”
The precinct was unusually quiet Tuesday morning. That should have been your first warning.
You’d barely set your coffee on your desk before Daphne appeared beside you with an expression that was far too innocent.“So, anything new happening”
“My back?” You question confused.
“From Captain Wagner throwing himself on top of you yesterday.”
You nearly inhaled your coffee. Across the bullpen, Oz looked up from his computer. “I told you she’d deny.”
“You told them?” you asked, glaring at Morgan.
“I told everyone.” She said waving her hands around.
“You what?” You gasped out.
“I told everyone the shelves collapsed.”
You narrowed your eyes. “And?”
“And that Captain Wagner practically dove across the warehouse to save you.”
You opened your mouth. Closed it again.“That is an exaggeration.”
Morgan tilted her head. “Is it?”
Soto crossed her arms suddenly interested in causing your demise. “I know people who worked with Nick for years.”
You blinked. “You have?”
She nodded. “They’ve never seen him lose his composure.” Her gaze softened.
“Yesterday, he looked terrified.” Daphne said softly.
You look towards his office starting at him as he sit down and starts writing in a case file.
Maybe he isn’t so bad at all
