The music was pounding through him as if it was alive. Nothing helped him to relax as much as losing himself in the noise and the sweating mass of bodies around him. A woman ran her hand appreciatively over his chest while a guy was grinding into him from behind, his hands on Kent's hips. He looked vaguely familiar with a head full of unruly curls and amazing bright eyes. Kent pushed back against him to the beat of the music, turning in his grip so they were plastered front to front. He leaned in slowly, giving the guy enough time to pull away if he decided he wasn't after this. But the guy met him halfway, his grip on Kent's hips tightening when their lips touched. It was the sort of alcohol-soaked, sloppy, passionate kiss that set Kent's blood on fire. He wrapped his arms around the other guy to pull him closer until there was nothing between their bodies but two layers of clothing and those didn't hide anything.
They broke away for air and Kent dimly thought that he should tell the other guy his name and ask for his in return but then the guy smiled at him so shyly and sweetly that Kent just had to kiss him again.
Their hands were crawling all over each other's bodies, finding patches of skin where a t-shirt had ridden up or sneaking under the waistband of jeans. Kent's mouth left the guy's lips to travel south, nipping at his jaw and trailing down his neck, licking and sucking at his pulse point. Even over the music he could hear his moan.
The rest of the night was just as exciting. They left the club soon enough and actually managed to exchange names on the way to Tom's place.
/
He woke up in Tom's bed, just early enough to make to work. He probably shouldn't have gone out on a Thursday night but he had needed it.
"Morning", Tom said when Kent walked into the kitchen where he was making coffee. Now in the bright morning light Tom looked eerily familiar but Kent couldn't place him.
"Have we met before?" Kent asked and Tom gave him another of his sweet, bashful smiles.
"Last year…when the Emery's were murdered? I was the guy who climbed out of his window naked."
"Sorry I didn't recognise you."
"Don't worry. I guess you interview a lot of people."
"Still, I should – "But Tom kissed him rather than to listen to his excuses.
The coffee was cold by the time they were finished and Kent would be late for work but it was so worth it.
/
"Thanks you dropping me off", Kent said.
"No problem", Tom smiled.
Kent drew him into a kiss. "I'll call you."
"I'm counting on it."
Another kiss and then Tom left with another smile over his shoulder before the doors closed behind him.
"Was that Tom Knight?" Chandler asked as Kent walked up the stairs. "From the Emery's murder last year?"
"Yeah", Kent replied without thinking about it.
"How long have you been seeing him?"
Kent was about to answer but then he changed his mind. "That's none of your business, sir."
"Having any kind of personal relationship with a witness, even after the closure of the case, is highly unprofessional. I expected more of you."
"And Morgan?" Kent asked coldly.
Chandler felt his anger grow from a spark to a fire. "Don't you dare – "He gritted out between his teeth.
"Why not? Because it was you? Listen to what you preach before you have a go at me." Chandler had never seen Kent like this before: cold and cruel and standing his ground.
"I'm trying to help you – "
"Help me?" Kent snorted derisively.
" – to avoid repeating my mistakes", Chandler finished.
"Tom was only ever a witness, never a suspect, not for a second."
"Morgan wasn't – "
"Oi! Do I have to send you to different corners?" Miles asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Course not, skip", Kent said and slipped away into the office, leaving Chandler and Miles in the hallway.
"You two are bloody idiots", Miles said after the door had closed behind Kent.
"I don't see how Kent's lack of professionalism makes me an idiot", Chandler said stiffly.
"You're jealous because Kent has found someone else worthy of his attention."
"Don't be ridiculous", but Chandler couldn't quite meet Miles' eyes.
Miles let out a long-suffering sigh. "The boy fancies you. And going by your reaction you do too but are too bloody stubborn to do anything about it."
"Kent is my subordinate. I –"
"I don't doubt that you have a long list of reasons for everything you do", Miles interrupted him. "But sometimes doing what's best for you means bending the rules." He took a look at Chandler's face. "It'd be the best for Kent, too if that helps."
/
"I was out of line. I'm sorry."
Kent looked as if he hadn't expected an apology, much less so soon. "Me, too", he said, meeting Chandler's eyes fleetingly before looking away. "I shouldn't have mentioned Morgan."
"What you do in your private life is none of my business."
"It could be", Kent said so quietly that Chandler probably hadn't heard him. Kent certainly didn't want him to have heard it.
But the expression on Chandler's face, mouth slightly open in surprise, told him that he had heard.
"You know, if you want", Kent said, looking everywhere but at Chandler. He needed to get out of this room soon before he ruined everything between them. And maybe murder Miles because his advice to push Chandler a little had just horribly backfired.
Chandler closed his mouth and swallowed. Forget stepping in front of an armed madman, this was the bravest thing he had ever done. "I do", he said.
Now it was Kent's turn to stare at him in surprise.
"And I'd like to kiss you if you'd allow me."
Kent nodded jerkily, still unable to speak. Chandler rested his hand on the side of Kent's neck and slowly leaned in until their lips met in the most chaste, most breath-taking kiss Kent had ever had.
"Was that okay?" Chandler asked, sounding hoarse and worried.
Instead of replying, Kent wrapped his arms around Chandler's neck and pulled him into a kiss full of lips and tongue and teeth. It was the sort of spine-curling, downright dirty kiss that shouldn't be shared at work but Kent backed Chandler against the wall, unwilling to let it end just yet.
"You're off the clock in 30 minutes. Can you wait until then before you start to behave like teenagers?" Miles asked and Kent wished the ground would open up and swallow him. From the look on Chandler's face so did he.
"Sorry, skip", Kent muttered without looking at him. He was blushing badly enough as it was.
Miles rolled his eyes. "Get out of here. I got some bets to collect from the rest of the team."
"Bets?" Chandler asked.
"Whether or not you would manage to get your heads out of your arses and look at what's right in front of you. Now shoo, find a nice couch to make out on, I'm going to heave if I have to watch another love-sick look from either of you."
For a moment Chandler looked completely shocked, staring after Miles but then his lips quirked and he grinned at Kent. "Shall we go?"
