"WHAT'S THIS?"

"A Christmas card" Abigail Hobbs replied, as Will Graham's large hands held carefully the small colorful card, where inside many dog paws were drawn. "It's for you."

"For me?" His eyes lightened up, Will wasn't one to receive gifts often, especially handmade ones. And the idea that Abigail Hobbs was warming up to him enough to give him one, made his frozen heart melt a bit.

"Do you like it?" She asked a bit insecure, hence he couldn't stop staring at the paper.

Will's lips curled up and he chuckled softly, looking back at the girl. "I do, a lot." He said sweetly, tracing the drawings with his finger on the paper. "Thanks, Abigail." She nodded in return as he looked back at her. "May I ask how did you know I'm a dog lover?" He laughed.

"Agent Brooks told me." The girl confessed, and he widened his eyes. "She was the one who gave me the idea to make these cards..and when I asked what you liked, she said dogs."

"Did she?" He asked a bit surprised, and the girl confirmed with her head.

Lips a bit parted in surprise, imagining the scene of the two drawing and creating cards together. His imagination for once made him smile, and he almost subtly wished he could've been there to witness that moment.

"Did she...uh..."He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Say anything else about me?"

"Like what?" Abigail asked innocently.

"Uh...anything. Did she?"

The girl thought for a moment. "No, not at all. Why?"

"Nothing, it's...not important." He shrugged his shoulders lying.

▫️

"Who's this?"

"Are you serious?" Will furrowed his eyebrows as he walked through the FBI's hallways while speaking on his phone. "You still haven't added my number?"

"Was I supposed to?" Teresa spoke across the speaker.

Will groaned while the coworkers stared at him weirdly. "Of course you were." He complained. "Why didn't you add my number?"

"I don't even know who you are-"

"It's Will!" He almost yelled annoyed.

There was a long pause in silence before any of them could pronounce something.

"Which Will?" Teresa asked numbly.

"What do you mean which Will?" He overreacted. "Do you know other Will's?" A hint of jealousy could be spread across the phone line.

"Judging by the short temper you must be the Graham one." She finally guessed.

"Yeah, it's me." He sighed. "Jack gave you my number when you arrived, why didn't you add it?"

"Again, why would I?"

"Work emergency maybe?" He sounded offended.

"Are you calling because of a work emergency?"

"No."

"Then your number is useless."

Will audibly sighed across the line and Teresa held a laugh, there was something about annoying that was priceless.

"Look, I'm just calling because I didn't see you in the office, Jack said it was your day off." He spoke, observing her desk from where he was standing. "Is that a Keanu Reeves calendar?"

"What are you doing on my desk?" She snapped back. "Get out."

"Calm down, I just came to drop by something Abigail said you forgot with her," Will said with a tiny smile as he looked through her decorations on the desk. "How many highlighters do you have?" He raised his eyebrows at the large collection.

"Stop looking through my drawers!" She growled. "Just leave whatever you came to leave and go!" By now, Will Graham tried to open one of the locked drawers, unable to tell the passcode of the locker. "What did you bring anyway?"

Will Graham gave up on trying to open the drawer, and then looked at the small content he brought from Abigail's room.

"I don't know...some sort of uh... narrowed, long cylinder?" He suggested.

"What?"

Will tried to open it, revealing a dark liquid inside and brushes. "It has kind of a pitch in it and this weird toothbrush."

Teresa stopped talking and wondered for a moment so she could understand what he could be talking about.

"You mean...a mascara?" She realized.

"Is that what it's called?" He looked attentive at the makeup tool. "What do you use this for?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Oh god, you are that type of man" She laughed out loud.

"What do you mean?"

"The type that doesn't understand makeup 'cause they are too 'manly' "She mocked.

"Not true, I just never heard of that."

Teresa couldn't stop giggling "It's used on the eyes, actually on the eyelashes to make them bigger and darker." There was a moment of silence across the line. "You're trying to apply it, aren't you?"

"...No...?" He lied with a dark smudged eye.

Teresa tried not to chuckle even more. "Let my stuff alone and I might show you how to use it next time. Maybe we can do a full makeup on you." She smiled already imagining the scene.

"No, thanks." Will rolled his eyes, resting the mascara back on her desk. "Anyway, I did my job, now im hanging up the phone."

"Finally."

"You know you're really-" he suddenly heard the sounds dissipate across the line, followed by the steady beep of a disconnected call. "...rude." he groaned.

▫️

"Buy groceries, Teresa, she says...You need to eat healthily, she says...but no one warns me about the increased price tags, why the fuck is a milk box so expensive nowadays?" Her shopping cart got stuck in the middle of the frozen products alley, the small wheel didn't move forward, only backward, and she started to get annoyed with it. "Come on, little shit." She pulled it forward but nothing worked. "Very disappointing, little shit."

Teresa sighed, while a lightened hallway filled with refrigerators lit up a path in the middle of the weak lightbulbs on the ceiling. She wasn't one to shop at night, but nowadays she seemed so busy that her fridge was cold and empty, earning many scoldings from her Aunt Delilah in her last visit.

"Do you even live here? How do you receive people in your house?" Her aunt used to say, unaware that Teresa's only last visit was her one-night stand coworker a month ago.

Teresa was about to move her stuff from one cart to another when a large hand took the leads from her cart. The veiny hand pulled the small vehicle back, moving to the right and left, to only pull forward once again, now freeing the wheel.

"Just a bad position." Hannibal Lecter muttered with that low, serene tone. "Give it a few precisive movements and it shall behave the way you desire to." He smiled slightly, looking into her eyes.

Teresa looked at him as if she saw a ghost. "Dr.Lecter...hey.."She greeted awkwardly. "Thanks...for the help and the tip."

"No issue at all." He said softly. "Although that's still a rusty wheel if you'd like, we can share my cart, I'm not carrying too many products."

Teresa looked at the man's cart, some sauces, and vegetables, no meat...maybe he was a vegetarian? Although Hannibal seemed...awfully kind, she wouldn't simply hop into that opportunity.

"No, it's okay, I can deal with the wheel now." She responded instead.

But Hannibal's eyes continued to observe her instead, attentive as the hoodie-dressed, now vulnerable Teresa Brooks moved her cart next to a yogurt session.

"This one." Hannibal grabbed one of the products with a green label, and showed it to her. "Low in sugar and calories, has many nutrients." He had that friendly tone of his.

Teresa gazed upon the product and then back at him, making a face. "What's the fun in that?"

"Fun?" Hannibal raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I mean, I want something sweet, full of sugar, not some boring bland yogurt." She responded and put the Yogurt back on the fridge, exchanging it for one with a colorful packaging.

Hannibal analyzed her attitude slyly, in a silent yet calming stance as the two walked with their carts side by side.

"Never took you as a candy tooth type of woman." He commented.

"Let me guess, I'm usually acid with others."

"I would rather say you are more...mature, I expected you to have a more refined taste." Hannibal established instead, although he could see that woman would choose beer over wine any time of the day. "At least that's what I idealized from what I've heard about you from Abigail."

Teresa paused, observing a higher shelf she couldn't reach. She stretched her arm far enough but still wasn't able to reach the cereal box on the top.

Hannibal glanced over the childish cereal, wondering how she could digest something so artificial. Took a step closer, arm stretching high enough to reach the box with no effort as he gave it to her, fingers brushing softly.

"I was gonna get it, but thanks..."She muttered not willing to sound so grateful, as Hanninal only nodded. "How much exactly did Abigail say about me?"

The doctor smirked. Finally, a bait she would bite. "Well...she told me you were kind, funny...oh, and let's not forget about the snacks you sneak in your purse."

Teresa widened her eyes, she was screwed. "I was just-"

"But of course, I don't know about that last part." He winked charmingly and she exhaled relieved. "Oh, and next time I'm having dinner with Abigail, please feel welcome to join us."

"Thanks, but it seemed like something personal between you both so-"

"I insist," Hannibal said gently as her cart got stuck. "Silly little thing" He muttered lowly as his veiny hands wrapped around the direction of the cart and he pulled it fiercely, assuring anyone nearby of his strength. He pushed it back and forth once, twice, then three times until it returned to normal. "There you go, just like that." He returned the cart to Teresa, who felt some heat on her cheeks. "Are you done with your shopping today, Ms.Brooks?"

Just then she snapped back to reality... "Um...Yeah, yeah, I am. Thanks for the help...I'm gonna head to the cashier now...See you at work, doctor."

"Don't mention it."He said softly as she watched her silhouette head to the cashier. " Miss Brooks?" She turned around to face his friendly yet intimidating smile. "I'd love to have you for dinner at my residence someday, let's arrange a date soon, yes?"

Her eyes widened a bit at the suggestion. Where did his friendliness come from? What exactly did Abigail tell him? Teresa only nodded, not willing to give any hints or confirm anything.

Little did she know the peak of his interest was only an aspect of the darkness that surrounded that mystery called Hannibal Lecter.

▫️

"Veronica don't go in there" She spoke as the popcorn filled her mouth and her feet escaped the blanket. "Bitch, don't go in there!" She muffled again, as her body trembled with tension.

The sounds of the screen continued as the Brazilian female lead entered a lonely area where her adversaries awaited her. The lights of Teresa's apartment were dark and everything seemed fine on that typical Tuesday night. After that strange meeting at the supermarket, she needed some time to relax although a suspenseful show wasn't the best way to do it.

The atmosphere of the scenario where the main character wandered through turned darker and darker until a light was seen at the ending until she faced the unseen. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Teresa screamed almost dropping the popcorn as she heard her phone ringing consequently.

The FBI agent groaned at the interruption, paused the show, and grabbed the phone, recognizing the "Mentally Ill Agent" ID on the screen.

"What do you want now?" Teresa complained.

"Hello? This is from Virginia's Police Department, we are calling because we found the owner of this phone sleepwalking through the forest area." A distinct voice suddenly made her alert. "We dialed the first number on his call registers, are you familiar with this man?"

"Yeah, yeah...wait is he dead?" She asked feeling a sudden pointy feeling in her guts.

"No, miss. We just need to take him home, but he can barely form a sentence, do you think you could tell us where his address is?"

Teresa recalled how Will suddenly disassociated at the crime scenes before, then sighed. "Yeah, yeah I can...actually, I'm heading over right now, hold him up."

▫️

The quietness of the woods surrounded the cozy cabin as the dogs' tails wiggled to its' owner, who sat still on the sofa, with a blanket above his shoulders.

Will Graham barely muttered a word when Teresa Brooks arrived and took him from the cops, and neither complained when she took him back to his home.

His head was still pacing back and forth, his shirt was still humid with sweat, and he could still remember the feel of the pavement against his bare feet when he wandered through those woods.

The dogs seemed to like her though, didn't even bark when she came in, and Winston instantly recognized her figure happily, as she brought Will inside, arm wrapped around as she made him sit down.

"Hey."She said fiercely, trying to make him look back at her. "Graham, wake up." She called him, but he shook and looked into the pure void of his essence, unable to recover from that condition. "Will."She touched his shoulder, and just then he gazed at her.

Her eyes were a dark shade of caramel in a dead opaque night, some sort of warm sparkle that almost resembled the end of a tunnel, capturing all his focus in that mere instant.

"You're okay." She reassured him slowly, almost as if she had already practiced in that sort of comfort. "You're here. You're okay. I'm here"

But he gazed back at her still chilly, a little confused, as some puppy who was lost in a storm and brought in by a stranger.

"Why are you here?"A whisper escaped his cold lips.

Teresa sighed like that was a stupid question. "Cops called me. It wouldn't look good if I refused to help." Just then as she finished speaking he shut his eyes again, lips curling almost in pain as his body trembled. "Hey." She said now a bit more concerned. "Will, come on, snap out of it." She pulled him to face her, both hands on his shoulders, gripping hard on them. "Will!" she shouted, shaking him slightly.

But the voices, the darkness, the ace, and the wendigo could never leave his consciousness, it was taking over him, gradually, completely.

"Will!" She shouted now more aggressively, hence internally the panic over the scene consumed her. It reminded her of a past she didn't want to live through, of a person she did not wish to remember. "Damnit, wake the fuck up!" Her palm slapped harshly his face, and just then he looked back at her. A small silence took over them, he shivered against her hands as his eyes met her, almost desperate, like a flashlight seemed to have turned against them.

His large hands suddenly gripped on her face, as all the strength of his body was gathered to lean forward. The last thing that occurred to her was the feeling of his lips crashing against hers, almost as thunder. A touch so starving, so desperate and overwhelming that could make anyone melt into it. It was almost aggressive, life-taking, dependent, as if everything was about to crash and burn at that instant.

And his tongue invaded her mouth accompanied by his heavy breath, as the trembling of his body seemed to ease the more her warmth was shared with him.

Teresa almost gave in, almost.

She pushed him, trying to gather her thoughts, about to complain, maybe scream at him.

"No, please...!" Will whispered instead, as he repeated the act, clinging to the last string of reality he could tangle into his brain.

Her words were muffled against his mouth, her knuckles turned white while holding his shirt, the whole world seemed to stop and their heads spun into that miraculously insane fever dream. "What are you doing-" She tried to speak.

"Don't" He demanded in a guttural sigh taking over his lungs, his hand traveled to her waist, pulling her closer, almost a shield to cover his madness. "Just...just a bit longer, please..."

Teress could only look into his eyes for a moment, the same eyes that seemed to beg in an unspoken language before closing tight by the kiss. When she realized he had laid her down on the sofa, bodies touching, fervently, as his hands traveled down her waist, on the edge of her jeans, while hers were tangled in his curls.

Until he finally pulled back, face flushed into an intimate warm blush, hair messed almost covering his eyes, breathing harshly while staring down at the goddess beneath him, who had that same wanderlust in her eyes, amused yet lost in the haze they shared.

"...I'm sorry..." He could only mumble.

Her chest moved up and down, still trying to process what just happened as he got off the sofa and ran his hands through his face in an exhausted gesture.

Teresa was there still, staring back at the ceiling, trying to calm down the boiling hormones and all the sensitivity he caused that tingled inside her body only so he could say "I'm sorry."

She held the urge to ask him what happened when he suddenly spoke first "Shouldn't have done that, sorry." She sat down, unable to speak, as she could only spot the same lips that so fiercely used hers as his own.

"Why did-"

"Thanks for bringing me home."That was all he said. "You should return to your apartment, it's late." He pushed her away once again.

She looked back at him puzzled, still in shock. "Are you going to be okay?"

It took him a bit longer to respond. "I'm fine." He said coldly. "It's not like you care about it anyway." He pulled away a curly strand from his face "Just...don't tell Jack about what happened to me, okay? That's all I ask."

Teresa got up, taking her coat and the purse in her hands, and deep inside a silent rage screamed inside her. How could he just act like that after what he did? Without any explanation?

"Don't you think he deserves to know about your condition?" She asked. "What's happening to you is dange-"

"That's between me and Jack." He hissed, suddenly cutting her off, making her eyes widen in offense. "Just stay off it."

And with just those words He turned his back to her, the dogs following him as Teresa stood there, alone, paralyzed into the moment, unable to even gather a proper comeback to her broken ego.

All she did was cross the door and challenge herself not to look back.

▫️

"I think I've hurt someone." His voice entered the doctor's eyes in such an entrancing, almost bewitching way that gathered all Hannibal's curiosity.

"Have you?" Hannibal crossed his legs elegantly while staring back at his favorite patient. "Well, that is perfectly normal, humans tend to hurt and contempt others on a quite usual daily basis."

The same grey walls and curtains adorned the dark yet mysterious aurea of Lecter's office. Will Graham seemed to notice more of those details that day, as he avoided eye contact with the man, almost as if his mind traveled elsewhere far away from anyone's perspective.

"Would you like to speak about it?" Hannibal asked as he noticed the larger pause in silence between them now.

"No," Will responded coldly instead.

"Well...by mentioning it, you subconsciously wish to do." Hannibal tried to get into his mind once again. "This is a safe space, Will, no one will judge you."

"I'm already judging myself."

Hannibal nodded subtly, as Will adjusted his lazy posture on the armchair across him. The doctor could tell his discomfort on the subject, and that only made him wish to know more.

"I've been having... blackouts, hallucinations."He confessed. "Reality twists, I wake up screaming, covered in sweat." Hannibal only listened in silence. "And recently I found this...well i just saw a light and held onto it."

"A light?"

Will agreed. "More like...a clutch."He curved his lip. "I realized that when using it, everything goes away."

"As a drug," Hannibal concluded.

"Addicting and harmful as one," Will responded. "But while using it, I'm using someone just so my head stops."

"Have you told this person about this?"

"No...it's not like...it's not like we have this intimacy to speak about it. And I don't want this person to have this intimacy with me."

"May I ask why is that?"

Will gulped, almost as if all his thoughts collected in his brain explaining each detail of his problem. "I don't need to share this burden with anyone else."

"So you care about this person."Hannibal tilted his head, giving a half smile.

"No. I just don't want to curse them as I am cursed already." He snapped back. "It's nothing personal just...ethical."

Hannibal could only find the gesture adorable. "You are a good person Will." He responded. "Even acknowledging that what you did was helping you, but you don't wish to repeat it only so this person can be somehow...safe. It is noble."

"It is the bare minimum." Will sighed, fingers tapping against the armchair.

Hannibal analyzed the situation for a moment, watching as the layers of Will Graham developed and fell beneath his eyes, wondering what exactly he could do with them, or just how far he could push them.

"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" Hannibal muttered as Will stopped tapping. "Your clutch." The agent nodded.

"It's not like I can get it off my head so easily." He complained.

"Some war veterans use clutches not for injuries, but for status, emotional dependency even." Hannibal pondered. "Perhaps, you like to use your clutch just as them, Will?"

Will Graham looked back into the doctor's eyes, as Hannibal captured a sparkle in his eyes. "Perphaps I like it more than I should."

▫️

Teresa Brooks was more unfriendly than normal. As the team arrived at the "angel bodies" crime scene, she ignored Will Graham's presence the whole event, even when he was doing that trick she found so strange as always.

"What's with that face?" Jack whispered to his agent as she helped the team take pictures of the raw flesh taken from those victims' backs and shaped as wings.

"What face?"She pretended to sound numb as she continuously walked through the crime scene.

In a brief moment, her eyes met a pair of fragile ones across the room, the trance he was involved in had just ended and the atmosphere became suffocating again, but for a moment, just in a short moment while looking at her hazel eyes the world seemed to stabilize. That is until she turned her head in the opposite direction not to stare at him again.

"I meant that."Jack pointed as she turned her head to ignore Will Graham. "I know you hate each other, but can't you wait until we finish here?"

Katz showed a sample to Brooks, and after she analyzed it, turned again to Jack, almost as a way to shut him up. "Need to get these to the lab, excuse me."

The eldest agent curved his mouth in disapproval, and in a swift command, he turned to Will, now isolated as a corner after giving all his feedback on his point of view to the agents.

"Will."Jack turned to him. "Need you back at the lab, Brooks is gonna run some analysis with Katz, help them out."

He blinked once, twice even, realizing he'd be stuck with the person he mostly tried to avoid at the moment. "But we haven't finished here-"

"Well but I think we did. Now stop being a child with her and make amends."He responded grumpy. "I'm not a nanny to keep telling you both what to do. Solve it."

...

"Can you hold that up for me please?"

"Sure"

It was strange to run an analysis in a lab with two people who couldn't stand one another, forcing them to work as a team, while a third persona wouldn't understand shit of what had happened.

Those wore the three points of view between Teresa, Beverly, and Will.

Teresa helped here and there, taking evidence and labeling them as Beverly took pictures, while Will would assist when necessary.

But of course, Teresa always avoided asking him for help.

"Will can you take that shred of skin next tp Teresa and put it on the microscope, please?" Beverly said, as she tried to collect something from another skin fabric.

He only nodded, still in silence, as he moved on next to her, the woman he sincerely wished to never face again after what happened. She already could feel the essence of woods in his aftershave as he now stood closer, and feel the taste of his hot breath as he mumbled "Excuse me"

Shoulders slightly brushed within the heavy atmosphere surrounding them, as now they only pretending nothing has ever happened.

...

Her desk was the same. The same calendar, the locked drawers full of markers, and there she would be, relied lazily on the chair, pretending to be busy on her phone until he'd leave.

But of course that wouldn't happen since he would be there, standing just right in front of her, as a shadow blocking the sun.

"What do you want?" Was all Teresa muttered without taking her eyes from the screen.

"...Can we talk?" Will tried to say.

A tired breath escaped her lings before she rest the device on her hands on the table  and she crossed her arms, a clear vision of annoyance in her chesfnut brown eyes.

"Now you want to talk?" She raised an eyebrow.

"About...that night." He took a pause.

"Elaborate."

Will audibly groaned, she always managed to get to his nerves, it didn't matter how. He took in a deep breath.

"The kiss." Was his answer.

"Oh right."She rolled her eyes skeptically. "The one you said you wanted to forget."

"Yeah, but you don't let me bury it, don't you?" He interjected as he rest one of his large palms above the table, leg flexed into a subtle pose that alnost made her chuckle.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't act dumb, just ask Jack and the others, you keep going around pissed at me and everyone knows it."

"Well, what do you expect me to do? to smile and clap hands when I see you?" The idea made him think for a solid moment about it. "You're hot then you're cold, sorry if I can't keep up with your tempo, psycho."

"There she goes with the sour comments, great. Everything's a joke to you, isn't it, Brooks?" Will clicked his tongue, feeling the blood in his veins pump faster. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation for once, if you'd just let me-"

"You literally kissed me midsentence and now act like I'm not the reasonable one here. Fucking twisted behavior." She got up from her desk, slapping her hand on the surface and leaning forward, now that they both stared into each other's eyes. "If you think I'll just set up for this type of-"

"Can't you just shut up for once and listen to me?"He hissed clenching his jaw, hands tightening controlling hidden impulses.

There was a moment of silence where her soft yet dangerous eyes would linger through the rough yet unique details of his face, even still at his lips, causing chills down his spine.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do." She whispered back, and that was sending him to the edge by now.

"I'm not telling you what to do."

"Oh yeah? And then what is this?"

"This..." His left hand finally gripped her chin, pulling their faces only inches apart. "...is only a conversation." He whispered, now breaking any limit establishing between them. "A conversation between coworkers." His velvet tone matched with his humgry gaze at her lips. He craved for another taste. "That's it."

"So that's it" She whispered back, now also involved in the trance they were put on.

"Yeah...that's it."He let the sentence hang in the air for a few minutes, eyelashes fluttering as he looked back at his nemesis once again, the mermaid who shook ghe sea of emotions in his being that he could not ignore.

And when Will Graham realized, he had abruptely pulled his coworker into a kiss again, almost as a fight where they both battled for dominance, while he managed to finally make her sit on the desk, legs wrapped around his waist, office lights almost out.

"This is not professional" She mumbled while tangling her hands within his curly hair.

"As if we've ever been professional in the first place" He muttered, letting his tomgue travel through her mouth and his lips later kiss her jaw into sloapy, messy snd aggressive acts. Now he was already wondering how long would it take to unbotton the lilac shirt she wore.

"Wait."She suddenly pushed him away, both breathless, messed up and warm by the passion. "We need to clear this out."

He suppressed a groan, things were getting good and he was already feeling the effects on his body, did she really have to stop it now? So he only nodded.

"You're..not in love with me...are you?"She asked with a bit of hesitation.

Love? Was he even capable of doing that? Who in hell would be able to even be with someone like him? A man who murdered in his mind, and that would soon, if he wasn't controlled enough, kill in real life.

No, no one would ever be able to love someone as him. So it would be foolish for him to love anyone else.

"What? No, no, I don't." He shook his hrad frantically. "You're...not having feelings for me, right?"

Teresa Brooks had many plans in her life and goals set in her heart, but love was not one of them, no matter where would it tilt towards.

"No, no I'm not."She responded certain.

The two exhaled a deep breath, now able to be in the same page.

"So I guess we got that solved out..." She nodded slowly. "Still doesn't answer as to why you kissed me that night... or now."

He made a face. Wasn't it obvious by now? "Look, it's not like there is a...reason." He wouldn't tell her about hid vulnerability, no one in this world would understand his damn fucked up mind. "But we know there is...uh...some tension between us."

Teresa almost smiled at the embarrassment in his face, he could look tough but deep down he appeared a little nerd boy trying to speak about his feelings.

"So I make you hard." Was her answer that made him immediatly blush.

"Always so poetic and polite to speak." He rolled his eyes. "But yeah, summing up. And don't pretend to be a saint cause you feel the same, it takes two to have sex twice."

"That and alchohool."

"It was consensual, fuck off."

She chuckled finally, breaking the awkward atmosphere, and that relieved him.

"So what do we do now?" Teresa pondered. "Keep fighting and fucking out of nowhere?"

That snapped an idea in his brain. Maybe he could find a solution for both their problems. "Well...we can make a deal."

Teresa raised an eyebrow. "Tell me more."

"Ever heard of friends with benefits?" He crossed his arms.

"Yeah, except that we are not friends."

"Even better, no messy feelings or relationships." He responded. "We just...uh...do what we do and done."

"What about people at work?"

"Well they don't need to know if we don't tell them, do they?"

That sounded almost too tempting to refuse.

"Didn't expect someone like you to suggest something like this." Teresa mocked, hiding the fact that she was truly intrigued by his offer.

"Well, I didn't either. But you know what they say, urgent matters recall urgent measures, or something like that." He smirked through the raw beard. "So? What do you say? Or are you a too good girl now for it?"

"Fuck off" She laughed pushing his shoulder. Something about his shoulder involuntairly made him smile."Just one thing." She added. "No commitment and we can break it off whenever we want."

"Wouldn't want it any other way." He offered his hand to shake hers. "Deal?"

Tereda gazed at his large veiny hand then at the twinkle of mischief in his eyes, she was in for a ride.

"You're lucky to be a cute devil to make deals with." She shook his hand. "When do we mark the beginning of our deal?"

And the grin he let out was just as devilish as his offer. "Pull those documents aside and we can start it just now"