What I Need- a Hank Voight Chicago PD fanfiction

Dismissing

Voight took the stairs up to Intelligence, didn't bother switching on the light as he walked through the quiet office. Light from a barely risen sun had begun to slant through the windows, stretching out along the floor. He passed Lana's desk, and paused. Her bag was on top of it. Either she had forgotten it yesterday or Milani was already here.

His office was almost completely dark, the window at the back not facing the sun, and he flicked his light on. There was a couple of things he could get a jump on, sort out what his team would need for their day so they could hit the ground running.

But instead, Voight flicked the light off again.

He took the stairs back down through the precinct and entered the gym at the end of the hall.

A couple officers had claimed some of the treadmills, one leaving shift and one just coming on. The syncopated rhythm of their footsteps echoed slightly in the large room.

Milani wasn't on any of the equipment, and he stood, questioning what he was even doing here. There was work to do upstairs. He was wasting time.

The rhythmic thump of someone hitting the heavy bag reached him just as he had convinced himself to walk away.

She was at the back, around the corner next to the sparring area. She was moving, left and right jabs more quick than powerful, working on her cardio. From what he could see, she wasn't favoring her right hand at all. A damp tanktop clung to the curve of her back, dull grey leggings hugging her calves.

Her rapid fire punches barely stuttered when she spotted him. 

She wasn't on the clock, if he needed her for something, he could wait. There wasn't much she was willing to let interrupt a good work out.

Finishing up her final set, Lana stepped back, chest expanding with heavy breaths. Hair had fallen free of her pony tail, slick with sweat against her neck, her cheeks high with color.

"You look good," Voight's voice rumbled with its usual gravel, and Lana's eyes shot to his as she unwrapped her hands. "Your form," he continued an intentional moment later, and she caught the slight smirk.

"Thanks," she acknowledged his comment just enough, and took a drag from her water bottle.

"This what you do every morning?" Voight asked, nodding to the bag as Lana gathered her stuff.

"No," she slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder, "Sometimes I just run. But I guess I felt like hitting something today." There was a smile as she said it, but it didn't fully take the edge off.

Maybe he should find ways to get her out of the office more. She was a good officer, and could probably use the break.

"You hit the gym like this at your old precinct?"

She hummed around her drink as she took another sip. "Sometimes, usually I just ran the shore."

"We don't have much of that around here," Voight answered dryly. "You miss it?"

She seemed to really consider his question. "You know, I didn't at first. I was prepared for it all to be so different I guess I didn't even think about missing that kind of stuff. But I've been thinking about it lately, yeah."

Her smile was softer now, thoughtful. A fondness to it that he didn't often get to see.

"Ah, thought I'd find you here." They both looked up sharply as Platt found them, and the woman spared Voight a look, "Although you're a bit of a surprise. Now, Milani," she faced Lana down squarely, "I got of group of girls coming in today for a self defense class. Part of a community outreach initiative. I need a teacher."