#Ajak is his training officer and he's glad he got someone so nice

[softquietsteadylove]

Hey! I just started watching the rookie, and I couldn’t help but think of Thena and Gil! Is it possible that we could have an AU based of the rookie? Lots of love! (Your account is the only thing keeping me alive through exam season 😭🙏)

"You're doing well, Rookie."

Gil's back straightened, looking up from his notes. "Uh, y-you think so?"

Ajak smiled at him, though. "Look, I know the guys like busting your balls about being older than them."

Gil made a face. Both of those were understatements; they loved giving him hell for it, and it was because he was more than a few odd years older than them. "Well, they've stopped calling me 'Grandpa', I guess."

Ajak laughed faintly, nudging his shoulder. "And within your first year? That's pretty good."

He sighed a little heavier, allowing himself the more casual talk with one of his superior officers. "I thought I would see more improvement in myself, y'know?"

"Hey," Ajak took a seat on the other side of the table from him. "You're doing great. That speech about how few people even get through basic training isn't just bullshit."

He chuckled with her, pulling at the collar of his uniform. "The academy exams weren't so tough. Somehow facing the public during a traffic jam is much worse."

Ajak laughed louder at that, encouraging him to do so too. The briefing room still felt a little sacred to him, but Ajak always had such a natural charisma, it was hard to feel up-tight around her. "The people are always gonna be the hardest part of any job. But you're good with them."

"I am?" he asked as she leaned back in her seat, toying with the ends of her long, dark ponytail.

"You need some self-awareness, Gil," Ajak poked his arm. "You're the talk of the town. Even the captain thinks there's some promise in you. The detectives, too."

Gil blushed. "W-Well, they were really nice when we worked that case last month together. But they're professionals, after all."

"So are you?" Ajak suggested, which honestly had him stumped for a moment. "I'm pretty sure Thena even brought up how well you did."

His blush worsened.

And it definitely didn't escape Ajak's notice. She raised an eyebrow at him. "You liked working with her, right?"

Gil cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. "She's, uh, yeah--she's really different from...everyone."

He wasn't doing himself any favors.

"I mean she doesn't talk much," he rushed to elaborate on his sole statement so as not to seem totally and completely weird. "But everything she did was right on the money. Obviously she was smart enough to make detective, but she's really observant."

"Mm-hm," Ajak gave him a smirk that made him sit up straighter. "Thena's like that. She notices things about everyone around her. She has incredible instincts when it comes to people--always has. That's how she made detective so fast."

Gil nodded. Everyone kept telling him it was an option for him beyond being just a rookie in training. He still wasn't sure if it was for him, but it had some tempting sounding perks. Better pay, better benefits, wearing what he wanted instead of the standard blue uniform.

Thena always wore white, professional looking clothing. And how she kept it so spotless was beyond him.

"And she's not very easily impressed," Ajak continued in a tone of voice that made him feel like he was talking about a girl at school with his mom.

"Well," Gil shrugged. "I don't know what I would have done to impress her. I just followed procedure."

"Gil," Ajak insisted. "I've worked with Thena for a long time. She's not exactly a people-person. But she appreciates it when people are genuine. And you approach things...honestly."

He just stared at the woman now his friend, and technically still his TO. "Honestly?"

She gave him a sweet smile. "You have a good heart. It's easy to see, especially to someone like Thena. That's why she let you into the interrogation."

Gil's eyes shifted. "I thought she let me talk to him because I was the one who made the arrest."

Now Ajak made a face. People kept telling him he was funny; maybe they were right. "No one at that level cares who made the arrest, big guy. Most of the other shields wouldn't have given you the time of day for bringing that up."

Thus, bringing up the question; why did Thena?

"But she could see that you cared about finding out the truth, not getting the case on your record," Ajak shook her head, leaning forward in her seat. "Did she suggest you play bad cop?"

"No." And he was relieved, because everyone else did, and he really didn't like it. He didn't play it well, in his own opinion.

"Because it doesn't suit you," Ajak gave his arm a little touch to drive the point home. "And she could tell. Plus, she played a hell of a bad cop after you were very sweet in there."

"She was pretty effective," he had to admit. He'd had his reservations when she had suggested it herself, too. Sure, she was quiet, but he didn't think that would inspire fear in anyone for such a reason.

He'd briefly imagined that maybe her beauty would simply stun the perp into confessing.

"She is pretty, isn't she?"

"Huh?" he looked up at Ajak again, because surely he didn't hear that right. But she just pursed her lips as if she hadn't said anything at all. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you trying to get me fired so you don't have sign off on my training hours?"

"Are you kidding? The last rookie I got had such an irritable bowl I drove around with the windows down all winter. You're a breath of fresh air, sweetheart."

He chuckled; Ajak was funny too.

"Ajak--Gil?"

Gil rushed to stand in greeting, which he immediately realized was way too much, because it was just them and they were off hours anyway. He blushed (again). "Ma'am."

"Don't," she scolded him, but at least it was with a smile. She moved from leaning against the doorway to leaning against the table ahead of theirs to face Ajak. "Done?"

"All set," Ajak grinned up at her, an all new glee coming over her face. "And absolutely dying to get into some proper shoes."

Gil looked down at the standard issue shoes on his own feet. "I think they're not bad."

"They're not good," Ajak corrected him, standing from her seat as well and grasping Thena's sleeve. "And more importantly, they're hideous. I need something light and breathable for happy hour."

"How did you end up in this line of work?" Gil shook his head faintly as he trailed behind them and out of the briefing room and bullpen all together.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it," Ajak patted Gil's arm, again with that motherly smile despite being close to his age and probably half a foot shorter than him.

Thena let Ajak somewhat pull her along towards the locker rooms. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Nice job, wrapping up the identity theft."

"Thank you," Gil just barely dashed his eyes over to her. "I wouldn't have been able to without you putting in a good word for me, so-"

"You're too modest." She certainly didn't soften any blows, the detective. But even as she turned around again he heard her say, "you're good, for a rookie."

He would take that as a compliment. He was about to split off from them to gather his own things, but Ajak and Thena shared a look and then looked back at him. He blinked.

"Gil," Ajak broached, already beaming with excitement. "You should come with us to happy hour!"

"Oh!" he hadn't expected that. He looked at Thena, expecting her to be the most opposed to it. But she seemed almost amused by watching him be fawned over by their mutual friend. "I wouldn't want to intrude! You're-"

"Thena doesn't mind," Ajak held out her hand to Thena, who looked passive at best, to him. But the blonde nodded her permission. "See?--come have a drink with us!"

"Don't give him a reason to go to HR," Thena pulled Ajak along again. "If he has plans, it's none of our business."

"Oh," Ajak looked at him, "hot date?"

"No!"

"Ajak," Thena laughed. Maybe she did have a sense of humour, but only if it was the woman she was now trying to drag down the hall. "Now you're really harassing him."

"Fine," he huffed at her. And Ajak stuck her nose up in the air in satisfaction. He rolled his eyes at her with the utmost affection before going to retrieve his bag. Although, if they were going straight there, maybe it would be better for him to change here.

"I know you wanted to know if he had a date," he could hear Ajak 'whispering' - extremely loudly - to Thena.

"We are both his bosses, you are asking for trouble," the blonde attempted to dissuade her friend's fun.

"You said he was cute."

"I'm a detective, Ajak. It's my job to state the facts."