Chapter Text
The bar was loud in a comfortable kind of way.
Not chaotic. Not overwhelming. Just alive.
Music hummed softly beneath overlapping conversations, glasses clinked somewhere behind the counter, and the warm amber lightning softened the edges of another exhausting day finally coming to an end.
The corner booth had become unofficially theirs over the last months – the placed they ended up after hard cases, near misses, and victories that never quiet felt as triumphant as television made them look.
Tonight, though, felt lighter.
They had solved the case. Nobody got hurt. The paperwork was done.
That alone felt worth celebrating.
“You know,” Oz said, leaning back with a grin as he pointed toward Morgan, “I still think the suspect confessed because you scared psychologically.”
Morgan gasped dramatically. “Excuse you. I used rapport-building techniques. I’ve learned from the best.”
She smirked into Karadec’s direction.
“You told him his haircut made him look like a lost magician,” Oz continued.
“It did.”
Daphne nearly spit out her drink laughing while Soto shook her head into hers.
Across from Morgan, Karadec watched her with that familiar restrained amusement he always tried to hide. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards despite himself.
Morgan immediately caught it.
“Oh my God,” she said, pointing at him. “There it is.”
“What?’
“The smile. Rare sighting. Somebody document this.”
“I smile all the time.”
The entire table burst into laughter.
Wagner deadpanned, “No, you threaten people all the time. Different facial expression.”
Even Karadec huffed a reluctant laugh at that, shaking his head while Morgan looked entirely too pleased with herself.
And then it happened again. One of those moments.
Tiny. Fleeting.
Morgan looked at him across the table while everyone else talked over each other, and for just a second her expression softened. Less teasing. Less performance.
Just warm.
Karadec held her gaze a beat too long before looking down at his glass.
Daphne noticed. Of course, she noticed.
She noticed the way Morgan unconsciously leaned toward him whenever he spoke. The way Karadec’s attention tracked Morgan even in crowded rooms like instinct. The way both of them looked away too quickly whenever someone almost caught them.
It would’ve been funny if it wasn’t becoming painful to watch.
Wagner stood, collecting empty glasses.
“Alright. Next round’s on me.”
“Wait.” Morgan immediately said, sliding out of the booth. “I’ll help.”
Karadec’s head lifted before he could stop himself. Something inside his chest tightened.
It was stupid.
Completely stupid.
Morgan liked people. Morgan flirted with everyone. Morgan laughed easily and brightly and made strangers feel like old friends within minutes.
He knew that. It was one of the things he lov—No, he couldn’t let his mind go there.
But watching her fall into step beside Wagner – shoulder brushing his as they made their way to the bar – scraped against something raw under his ribs.
Soto kept talking about the case, Oz interrupting every thirty seconds with exaggerated reenactments, but Karadec barley head any of it.
Because Morgan was laughing.
Not the polite laugh she used with witnesses.
Not the sharp sarcastic laugh she used with him.
This one was softer. Genuine.
She had one elbow resting against the bar as Wagner said something to her, head tilted back slightly as she smiled. And Wagner smiled back.
Karadec looked away.
Then immediately looked back.
Like an idiot.
Daphne watched him over the rim of her drink. There it is, she thought.
The jealousy had stopped being subtle weeks ago.
Karadec leaned back hard against the booth like he could physically force himself to relax, jaw tight.
At the bar, Morgan shoved Wagner lightly with her shoulder after something he said. Wagner laughed.
Then Morgan grinned – bright and mischievous – and said something back that made him laugh harder.
Karadec’s stomach twisted unpleasantly.
“Adam.”
Daphne’s voice cut gently through the noise.
He looked at her.
She didn’t say anything else. Just raised one eyebrow knowingly.
Karadec immediately looked away again. “Don’t.”
Oz and Soto were still completely oblivious and focused on their conversation.
Daphne took another sip of her drink. “You know, for a detective and for someone as smart as her, you two are really terrible at hiding things.”
Karadec exhaled sharply through his nose.
At the bar, Morgan glanced toward the table automatically.
Toward him.
Their eyes met instantly.
And there it was again – that split-second shift in her expression. Like she’d been looking for him specifically.
Then Wagner handed her two drinks, saying something else that made her laugh again, and whatever ugly thing had been building in Karadec’s chest finally tipped over the edge.
Because she looked happy.
Because Wagner was easy.
Because Wagner wasn’t emotionally constipated and impossible and damaged in every way Karadec was.
Because Morgan deserved someone who didn’t freeze every time things became real.
Morgan and Wagner returned to the table carrying drinks.
“Careful,” Morgan announced dramatically while settling them down. “The captain nearly dropped all of these because apparently old age affects motor skills.”
“I’m forty -eight.”
“Exactly.”
Wagner pointed at her. “Harassment.”
“Truth.”
Everyone laughed again.
Everyone except Karadec.
Morgan noticed immediately.
Her smile faded just slightly as she slid back into the booth beside him.
“You okay?”
“Fine.”
Too fast. Too clipped.
Morgan frowned.
For a few minutes he managed it. Barley.
He answered when spoke to. Took a sip of his drink. Pretended not to notice Wagner and Morgan continuing their easy conversation across the table.
Then Morgan leaned toward Wagner again, smiling as she said quietly, “You know, if this whole captain thing doesn’t work out for you, you’d make a decent bartender.”
Wagner laughed. “Decent?”
“I was being generous.”
“You flirt with everyone this aggressively?”
Morgan grinned.
Karadec stood so abruptly his chair scraped harshly against the floor.
The table went quiet.
“You leaving?” Oz asked.
“Yeah.”
Morgan stared. “What. Why?”
“I’ve got at early morning.”
“That’s a lie,” Morgan said immediately. “You literally told me this morning you-“
“I said I’m leaving.”
The sharpness in his voice hit the table like shattered glass.
Morgan’s expression changed instantly.
Confusion first. Then concern.
Karadec grabbed his jacket.
Wagner frowned slightly. “Karadec-“
“I am fine.”
Which, to everyone sounded exactly like he was not fine at all.
Then he walked out.
Morgan stared after him for maybe two seconds before shoving out of the booth.
“Excuse me.”
She was already gone before anyone answered.
--
Outside, the night air as colder than she expected.
The noise from the bar muffled itself behind the heavy door as she pushed out onto the sidewalk, scanning the street until she spotted him near the curb.
Karadec wasn’t walking anymore. He was just standing there. Rigid.
One hand braced against the roof of his car like he needed something soldi to hold onto.
“Adam.”
He closed his eyes briefly at the sound of her voice.
Morgan approached slower this time, cautious now. The anger she’s felt inside the bar had already started dissolving into concern.
“You scared me.”
He laughed under his breath, humorless. “Wasn’t my intention.”
“Then what was your intention?”
No answer.
Morgan stopped a few feet away from him, folding her arms tightly against the cold. Or maybe against herself.
“You don’t get to shut me out every time something gets difficult.”
Karadec kept staring down at the pavement.
“I am not shutting you out.”
Morgan blinked at him incredulously. “Are you serious right now?”
Still nothing.
That silence of his. God, she hated it sometimes.
Not because it was cruel.
Because it wasn’t.
Because she could feel how hard he was fighting himself every time he went quiet.
Like every emotion had to pass through layers of concrete before it could reach the surface.
Morgan took another step closer.
“You were fine all night…”
“I wasn’t.”
The answer came so quietly it almost startled her.
Finally he looked at her.
At there it was.
Not anger.
Not annoyance.
Something much worse.
Jealousy looked ugly on Adam Karadec because he tried so hard to bury it. It leaked out sideways – in clipped answers and tense shoulders and eyes that stayed on her too long before darting away again.
“Oh.”
Karadec looked away the second she understood. A muscle moved sharply in his jaw.
“Morgan, just leave it alone.”
“No.”
His eyes closed briefly again.
“No?”
“No.” Her voice gentled, but only slightly. “You don’t get to act like I imagined this.”
“I didn’t say you imagined anything.”
“You practically sprinted out of the bar because I laughed at something Wagner said.”
“You were flirting.”
“And?”
That hit him harder than she intended.
Morgan saw it instantly.
Saw the way his face changed for half a second before he pulled himself back together.
And suddenly she was tired too.
Tired of the almosts.
Tired of trying to decode him.
Tired of pretending the tension between them wasn’t becoming unbearable.
“So what if I was?” she asked quietly.
Karadec stared at her and Morgan’s throat tightened.
“There it is,” she whispered. “That look.”
“What look?”
“The one you get every time another man talks to me too long.”
“That’s not-“
“It is.”
He pushed away from the car abruptly, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Morgan-“
“No, because I need to understand something.” Her voice shook slightly now despite her effort to steady it.
“What exactly do you want from me?”
Karadec froze.
The question hung between them.
Raw.
Dangerous.
Morgan stepped closer again.
“What am I supposed to do here, Karadec?”
He looked trapped now. Actually trapped.
“I am not asking you to do anything.”
“That’s the problem. You never ask.”
He swallowed hard.
“Morgan…”
“You look at me like you want to say something every single day.”
Each word landed carefully. Painfully.
“And then the second I get close, you pull away.”
Karadec’s breathing had gone shallow.
Because she was right.
God, she was right.
Morgan laughed softly then, but there was heartbreak in it now.
“Do you know how confusing that is?”
“I never meant to confuse you.”
“Well, congratulations.”
That finally made him flinch.
Morgan immediately regretted it.
Her anger vanished as quickly as it came, leaving only exhaustion behind.
She looked at him for a long moment before speaking again, quieter this time.
“Tell me not to wait for you.”
Karadec went completely still.
Morgan’s eyes searched his face desperately now.
“Just tell me.”
He opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
Because he couldn’t do it.
Couldn’t tell her to move on.
Couldn’t tell her to stay.
So instead he stood there silently destroying both of them.
Morgan nodded slowly like she understood anyway. And somehow that was worse.
“You know what the saddest part is?” she whispered.
Karadec looked at her helplessly.
“I think you do feel something for me.”
His face cracked. Just slightly.
But enough.
Morgan saw it.
Saw all the fear he hid under the control. All the want he refused to touch.
And for one terrible second, she thought maybe this was it. Maybe he was finally going to say it.
He took a step toward her.
Morgan’s breath caught.
But then he stopped himself.
Actually stopped himself.
Like loving her was something dangerous he needed to survive.
The look on Morgan’s face after that nearly killed him.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Just hurt.
Deep quiet hurt.
“Oh my God,” she said softly.
Karadec looked away immediately.
“I can’t.”
Morgan laughed once in disbelief, tears finally gathering in her eyes. “You can’t what?”
“I cannot be what you need.”
“You don’t get to decide that for me.”
“Yes, I do.”
The firmness in his voice startled both of them.
Karadec’s expression hardened – not because he felt nothing, but because he felt too much.
“You think this ends well?” he asked quietly. “You think I don’t know what happened when people get close to me?”
Morgan stared at him.
“That’s what this is about?”
“It is about reality.”
“No,” she said immediately. “It’s about fear.”
His jaw tightened.
“Morgan-“
“You are so scared of this meaning something that you’d rather lose me completely than risk being honest for five seconds.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No?” Tears slipped down her cheeks now, and she angrily wiped them away. “Then tell me I am wrong.”
Karadec looked at her.
Really looked at her.
At the tears she clearly hated showing him.
At the hope she was still trying not to lose.
And that was exactly why he stepped back again.
Morgan’s face fell apart the second she realized.
“No…”
“I am sorry.”
The words were barely audible.
Morgan shook her head immediately. “Don’t do that. Don’t say sorry like this is already over.”
Karadec looked devasted now. But he still reached for the car door.
Morgan’s voice broke completely.
“Adam, please.”
His hand stopped on the handle and for one impossible second, she thought he might turn around.
Instead he said quietly, without looking at her—
“If I stay, I will not be able to walk away from you.”
Morgan stopped breathing. And before she could answer, before she could tell him that maybe she didn’t want him to…
He got into the car.
The door shut between them with a horrible final sound.
Morgan stood frozen on the sidewalk as the engine started.
Karadec gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles whitened, staring straight ahead because he knew if he looked at her once more time, he’s break.
Morgan took one small step toward the car anyway. Like maybe he’s still change his mind.
He didn’t.
The car pulled away slowly, disappearing down the street while she stood there in the cold, arms wrapped around herself, trying to hold together something he’d never even let her have.