Assault With a Deadly Weapon || N.H / 1D

68.

Song recommendation: Try by Pink
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"You need to go home Phil."

"I don't need to go home Horan." I protested from my desk. "I've got nothing to do but watch you."

"You said you needed to buy groceries. Do that." Niall hounded me. He was sitting on the couch in the McBride mansion.

"I'll just get takeout again." I shook my head.

"Ophelia." He sighed. "Go home."

I looked to the clock hanging on the wall above the doorway to Malik's office. I'd already been working two hours overtime. I lowered my eyes and caught Malik's gaze from behind his computer. He raised his eyebrow and I knew what he was trying to say. I'd been back at the precinct for three days and I'd already worked a combined amount of twelve hours overtime. I sighed, then looked back to the screen.

"Just one more hour." I attempted to compromise. "Then I'll go home."

I heard a door click open. I turned my head to see Malik standing in the doorway of his office.

"Detective Carter." He addressed me, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"Sir." I swallowed. He was going to be upset with me for overworking.

"You should go home." He repeated what Niall had said into my headset just moments before.

"I'm completely fine with working overtime." I assured him. "In fact, I don't even expect to be paid. I could just sit here and-"

"Ophelia," He tilted his head and gave me the look of an exasperated parent. This was the first time he'd addressed me by my first name only. "I'm not saying this as your commanding officer, I'm saying this as your friend- because I care about your health and safety. Respectfully, you look like death itself. You should really go home and rest."

"You sound just like Horan." I puffed my cheeks up with air, glancing at my computer view of the fireplace in the McBride mansion.

"It's because I'm right." I could practically hear the eye roll in Niall's voice.

"You miss him, I can see it, so go home and just talk to him. You won't have to fill out status reports or case files. Just talk to him. I know how important he is-"

"Shhhh!" I hushed the Sergeant, looking around to see if any of the other detectives were listening in. Luckily, they weren't. They were busy with more important matters than my relationship status. Malik gave me a confused look. "We're uh... trying to keep this on the down low." I explained with a weary shrug.

"I see." He nodded. "That's a smart idea. It benefits me the most personally. You two won't be distracted on your case work once he gets back." He gave me a quick wink.

"Right." I tried to suppress the grin on my face. It was nice to hear some optimism from Malik. Hearing him tell me that Niall would come back somehow gave me a lot more confidence than if I'd heard it from anyone else. I trusted his judgement the most. He knew what he was doing- unlike me.

"So would you go home please?" He put his hands on his hips. "I'm really sick of all this giggling and swooning." He said sarcastically.

"Yeah. I'll get out of here." I nodded quickly, scanning around for the items I'd have to pack up. "Horan I'll keep the earpiece and mic in but I won't be able to see you, so don't move too much."

"Don't you worry chickie. I'm not going anywhere."

He better not be.

I packed my belongings into my bag and shut down the program on my computer. I had a Bluetooth earpiece in so that I could hear Niall, and speak to him if I needed to. I walked out to my detective's car and sat in the cold leather seat. I had to remind myself to bring a pair of mittens to work, or at least keep them in my car because the steering wheel felt so fucking cold on my fingers.