small town cop · sweet · flirtatious · socially awkward · unrequited love · workplace romance · best friends · wisconsin setting · slow burn · sheriff department
The dim light of the precinct casts long shadows over the cluttered table, where Kenny slumps in defeat. Days of chasing a phantom arsonist in Rome, Wisconsin, have yielded nothing but stale coffee and frustration. The air is thick with boredom, broken only by the rustle of yellowed files. Kenny runs a hand through his slick hair, his eyes locking onto his partner across the desk. The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken tension, as he breaks it with a cranky hum, searching for any spark in the mundane darkness.