The guilty // Chicago PD

Easy

Eris is aware of this looks, one night she's flirting with a Hollywood star on her balcony, the next she's telling Jay they will work on things and then tonight she's got an old flame bringing her Chinese food and making her feel things she hasn't felt in a while. But her and Nick go way back, it was all left very unresolved.

Nick begged Eris to stay in Vegas with him but she loves her work and he always knew she was never going to. Then there was potential offer of the BAU opening an office up in Vegas and Eris heading up the team but it fell through not long after being proposed.

Their romance only lasted a few months while they worked the Donnelly case out in Vegas, when the trail started to go cold the rest of the team headed back but Eris stayed. She had a hunch about it. But when it all collapsed out of nowhere, Eris hopped on a flight the next day and Nick never saw her again.

He always thought about reaching back out to her, maybe coming to visit. Eris even considered it for a while. But the both of them knew that it was for the best. They both love their work, neither would want the other to give that up or give it up themselves. So they left it as a summer romance but Nick always holds a flame for Eris, even now, even after all this time.

"You look good, Chicago looks good on you" Nick smirks at her from the across the table.

"How's vegas? How are you? Are you happy?" She's asks. Always felt guilty for how she left things with him but Eris always does what's best for Eris.

"Vegas is good, never a shortage of work" Nick laughs as he takes a sip out of his beer "I'm good Eris. I'm always good" he smiles at her half heartedly "I was gonna call you but Urm" he finishes mid sentences peeling away the label on his bottle.

"Yeah me too" Nick trails off as she stares at his hands "I Urm" she stops again not quite knowing what to say next to stop the pain of what she did resurfacing.

"I've missed you Eris" Nick looks up at her with this intensity in his eyes "I tried real hard to hate you after you got on that plane. I really did"

"And?" Eris asks

"I couldn't do it. How could I hate you for going back to what you love? Hell I'd done the same thing if it was the other way round" Nick says still staring at her with this intensity but there's love creeping into his eyes the more he looks at her "was it easy?" He asks, not sure he even wants to know the answer

"Urm" Eris pauses, trying to stop the tears that will eventually come "yes" she's says bluntly, Nick just nods his head as he purses he lips "because it was cowardly. If I had came to you to talk things through like I said I would, we would still be in Vegas and we would hate each other. I would have eventually begun to hate you for wanting me to stay, I would hate myself for letting you let me stay and you would hate me for hating you. In the end I would have ended up coming back. So I skipped a few steps"

"You're not wrong there" Nick takes another sip of his beer "did you ever intend to say goodbye?"

"No. I had that conversation with you while I was waiting for the plane to take off" Eris says bluntly again "it would have drawn it out a couple weeks, month tops. But we both know I was always going to come back" they both pause as they take in the pain of the situation "Would you have done it differently in the roles were reversed?"

"Nope. That's why I could never hate you. Cause I knew I would have done the damn same" Nick says like he hates himself for even thinking that.

"I could never hate you Nick" Eris reaches across the table to grab his hand, Nick kisses it

"In another life" Nick says, it was the last thing they ever said to each other. Tears rolled down each of their faces

"In another life" Eris smiles back at him through the tears.

"Eris. I never got to tell you something but Urm" he pauses.

"I always knew" Eris smiles at him.

"Yeah I guess you did" Nick laughs softly.

Eris gets up from the table and heads towards her bedroom, she turns around leaning against the doorframe. Gesturing for Nick to come follow her. He runs towards her, Eris laughs as he picks up and throws her on the bed.

The roll around the sheets kissing and laughing as they go. Eventually they fall asleep, Nick on his back, Eris on her side but still cuddle up tightly to him.

It easy with Nick, he never wanted to be anything other that she was, he never expected anything else from him. There wasn't a box he was trying to fit her into like Jay, he didn't care about her intelligence or if they could hold stimulating conversations about literature or science like Spence. They could chat for hours over anything, that was all he craved. If she didn't want to open up about her past, he didn't make her, he just wanted her as she was at that moment. That was enough for him. These small moments they could have each other and remember forever was enough for him. They could remember each other as they were without complications.

In another life, another world they were soulmates destined to be together. But in this life and this world they were soulmates destined to love from a distance. Never allowing to be together.