A/N: A quick response to one scene from the episode "Twenty-Five Acts" for the slashthedrabble challenge "excuse". Characters property of NBC/Dick Wolf. This story was written purely for fun and not for profit.
"Why'd you lie to the rest of the squad?" Fin asked.
"Lie about what?" John answered, pretending all innocence. Given the pleasant July weather they'd decided to walk to Cain's studio to question him instead of driving uptown. John was happy to stretch his legs beyond the precinct walls and more than that, it felt good to be working as actual partners again with Fin at the SVU—just as they were partners in everything else.
"About reading that kinky sex book to your mom at the retirement home. Your mother lives in Florida! I know you didn't fly all the way down there just to read some sicko bondage porn to her and her old lady friends." Fin shook his head. "Seriously, that's a mental image I don't want to contemplate, even knowing it ain't the truth."
"So I might enjoy a little light erotic reading when not being a dedicated student of the classics."
"Or the latest damn book rehashing everything you already know about the Kennedy assassination?"
"One day the truth shall set you free, my love."
"Yeah, if I'm not locked up in a pair of fuzzy handcuffs."
Halted at the corner waiting for the traffic light to change, John stepped in front of Fin to shoot him a wink. "Act Seventeen."
John enjoyed watching realization bloom across Fin's face. "You got that from Jocelyn's book?"
"And you loved every second of it last weekend, don't you dare deny it. Hey, after thirteen years, one of us has to put some effort into keeping the spark alive in this relationship."
"Light's green. Move it."
They rejoined the flow of traffic up busy Madison Avenue. "Wait until we get to Act Twenty-Two," John promised.
"Guess I'd better borrow Rollins' copy of the book, huh?"
"That's my man."