Why did he have to say that? Six stupid months. That's how long I'm going to have to wait to talk to him. Stupid FBI, stupid Enuchi, stupid Peralta…
*** six months ***
"Peralta, welcome back." Captain Holt announced with as much emotion as normal when Jake walked through the door after six months of absence. Seeing him, despite his battered appearance, lifted an elephant off her chest.
"Thanks Cappy." He strode over to Holt and patted him affectionately on the shoulder.
"That's still Captain Holt to you Peralta, despite your detour with the FBI."
"Alrighty then." Jake turned around. Though as soon as Jake turned around, Holt gave a tiny hint of a smile; more emotion than I'd ever seen him openly display in the precinct.
Jake didn't have to do any more than turn around when everyone gathered together and was hugging him, congratulating him and high-fiving where appropriate. I got up, anxious to see him, talk to him, hug him…anything, just to check that he was here and okay.
"Jakey! YOU'RE BACK!" Boyle jumped up and down over and over and over again, hugging his friend with more enthusiasm than probably necessary, tears in his eyes.
"You got it buddy, Peralta is back baby!" He thrust his fist in the air and hugged Boyle. "And Rosa, you almost look happy to see me."
"Don't push it Jake. I might smile." She hesitated, then smiled and gave Jake a hug. A rare Rosa hug. Wow, she must have been really scared for him. The last time Rosa hugged anyone was when Boyle took a bullet for her. In fact, that might have been the first time she hugged someone ever…
"Oh crap! Sergeant, any chance you'll put me down?"
Sergeant Jeffords had picked up Jake by the waist and was hugging him, and with his muscles, it was highly likely that Jake could lose his legs.
"Jake, you're back! My little girls will be so happy! They even made you welcome back cards!"
Terry pulled out two crumpled cards out of his back pocket.
"Oh, wow, Serge, you really didn't have to…"
Terry smiled. "Well, you know, they wanted to make sure their Uncle Peralta got back okay!"
Peralta turned to Boyle and mouthed: 'What uncle?!'.
"Well thanks Serge. Could ya, you know, let me down now? I'm losing feeling in my feet."
"Of course, Jake. I'm so glad you're back."
Jake rubbed his legs as he stumbled over to the nearest desk, trying to regain feeling in his legs.
"You need me to massage your legs, Jakey?"
"No thanks, Boyle," Jake replied, a little too quickly, "just pins and needles."
He turned slightly and saw a large, smiling face staring at him from the desk he was leaning on. Or rather, two large, smiling faces.
"Hitchcock, Scully, my buds! How've you both been? Still scrubbing each other's' feet? Yep, sounds about right… No, no, Hitchcock, please keep your shirt on! It's not that kind of a celebration!"
"Oh, sorry, I thought we were all-"
"No, it's just you Hitchcock. Put it back on. You make me feel frowny face with arrowheads for eyes."
"And Gina, you're looking as you ever do."
"I have been happy face with a wide mouth whilst you've been away."
"Thanks Gina."
Jake caught my eye. A brief hesitation, then he walked over to me.
"And Santiago. How are you?"
"Good, good. How was the case?" Keep it cool, keep it calm.
"Yeah, pretty wild, Peralta style." Style.
"I wish something could've happened between us…romantic styles…"
I winced involuntarily. Shit. Recover, recover…
"Sounds like you had fun. It's good to have you back though. I'm glad it's over."
"I'm glad it's over, name of Santiago's sex tape!" Boyle cheered with the usual enthusiasm and I rolled my eyes. Still teasing me.
"Nice. Very classy Peralta."
"That's me! I like to think I bring some class to this burger joint." He patted me on the shoulder, then wandered over to Holt's office. Probably searching for new cases already.
"Hey, Ja…Peralta!"
Jake turned around slowly. He saw this coming, he shouldn't have appeared so surprised.
"Can I talk to you for a sec?"
He walked over quickly to our desks.
"Oh, a second's up, time to go." He spun around ago.
"Oh come on Peralta." I grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room as he shouted 'Help me! Santiago's nails are carving their cleanliness into my sweater!', whilst Boyle leapt up and then got pushed back down by Terry.
We got outside, and I let him go and straightened my sleeves. Jake stood there, looking awkward for the first time I'd seen in a long while.
"Jake, listen, I-"
"Santiago, I know what you're gonna say. And I'm just here to tell you that I said that in the parking lot 'cause I wasn't sure if I was coming back. Now I am back, please, just forget it."
"How can I forget it Peralta? You basically said you liked me, then walked out of my life for six months! You stupid cop!"
I could feel the heat rising to my face.
"I-"
"Don't give me any 'I didn't mean it' crap. I know that's not true. You don't tell people a lie like that right before your disappear."
"Santiago, I just mean that forget it because I don't want to do anything about it. I know you've got Teddy, and as much as I want to punch that guy in the face, he's good for you."
"How do you know I'm still dating Teddy?"
"Santiago, my dear, I am something called a police officer. This means that, even when undercover, I can keep an eye on my friends."
He winked and made for the door.
"No, Peralta, wait."
His hand dropped from the push bar.
"Please, can we just talk about this?"
Jake turned around and strode quickly back to me.
"No, we can't, Santiago. I'm happy as I am, and I know you are where you are. Let's just agree to stay friends, okay? Truth it, the FBI case sucked without you…and Boyle and Rosa and Serge and Holt…there. I told you that this job sucked a little less without you, and I meant it. I don't want to screw that up with something else, 'kay?"
"Yeah, fine. But you're a Class A asshole for saying that and leaving me with that information."
"I promised you all my open cases!" He smiled and I almost, almost smiled too.
"You're such an idiot, Peralta."
He chuckled and started to turn away, when he caught sight of my jacket.
"Aw man, Santiago, you changed your collar?"
I glanced down at my collar, now tucked out instead of in.
"Yeah, what, you don't think it looks smarter?"
"No. You look like a dork whatever you do." He tucked my collar back in and walked through the door.
Dammit, Peralta, I thought as I untucked my collar.