Faceless Instincts

The Precinct

After a while Nikolai and I were sitting on the balcony with wine in our hands, "only if I didn't have to turn up for work tomorrow I would have finished this bottle, no matter you like it or not." Nikolai said swirling the wine.

"That good?"

"Too good."

I laughed and a soft silence fell between us as we watched the snowfall slowly.

"Soon this town will turn white" he added.

"You don't like snow?"

"Meh" he shrugged, "I love it when I am like this" he took a sip, "but when you have to wander in an area while it's snowing, the temperature is down to -3, patrolling empty streets, that's not as fun."

I smirked, "you can always change your job"

A smile curved on his lips, "I don't think so"

"You love being in the police force?"

"I do" he glanced at me

"Any special reason?"

"I didn't have the best childhood." He drained his flute, "my family was falsified and you know how that goes" he paused to glance at me again, "I had to mature a lot early, and seeing around how my family had clashed and how no one extended a helping hand" he sighed, "I just wanted to protect people because I was unable to protect my own"

I extended my palm and he looked at it and smiled sadly, "that's why I admire how much you are bending over to help someone even when you are not fully aware of them." he spoke as he took my hand.

After a while, our conversation shifted towards Tanner and Olivia, "how are things with them?" He inquired.

"Scarred" I replied, "I mean, I don't hate them, I just would have appreciated a little more transparency, you know"

He patted my hand, "I know."

"How long have you known them?"

His grip on my hand twitched involuntarily, "not long" he spoke softly, "about 5 to 6 months now"

"That's not long"

"Relatively new, I know" he dropped my hand and walked up to the railings, "I met Tanner by chance."

I walked up to stand beside him, "well, at least that led us to our meeting"

He looked down at me, for the first time I analyzed Nikolai's expression, his body language, he was casually leaning over the handrails, but his face showed signs of watchfulness, his jaw was clenched and brows tightly knit together, although his eyes were glassy, they seemed sad; too sad, "I am glad too," his voice was low and husky, yet guarded, "I am glad  that I met them-that I met you"

The moment passed as quickly as it came when Nikolai's phone chimed, he looked up at me and then walked back into the living room to talk, I stood there catching cold wind on my skin, Dorian was clouding my mind and I couldn't wait to find him. I knew it was a long shot, I didn't even know if he wanted to be found, or helped. Wembley's words echoed in the back of my mind, "you can not help someone who doesn't want to be helped"

Nikolai rushed back, "hey" he called from the doorway.

I followed up to him as he walked back into the living room, he quickly put on his jacket, "I need to leave."

"Is everything okay?" I questioned.

He collected his car keys from the coffee table, "no-" he shook his head, "I mean there's been some sort of mishap in the old neighbourhood, I have to go"