Mansell's POV
Something's. Going. On.
Kent and the boss are very, VERY angry at each other for an unexplained reason. One day they were happy, then the next they were fucking hurricanes of hatred! And not one word was said as to why!
But Mansell is a detective, and a detective's job is to investigate mysteries. And this is certainly a bloody big mystery!
That is why he's currently sitting at his desk, staring at Chandler in his office, as he has been for the past ten minutes, observing his actions.
"You do know that stalking is a crime, right?" Riley commented.
"My head is going to explode if I don't get an answer!" Mansell replied, banging his head on the desk repeatedly.
Miles walked over to them. "Why don't you just do what we did, and make it up? It makes it far more interesting."
"Yeah. Could be a lover's tiff?"
"Kent could have spilt crapaccino on a cream carpet?"
"A work argument?"
"Take your pick. Stop fretting over something you'll never get an answer to."
Mansell sighed, before nodding slowly. "Guess your right."
"When are we ever wrong?" Miles asked, smugly.
/
They were at a crime scene. A young woman had been murdered in her flat. The scene was a mess of blood and glass. He and Kent were looking upstairs, Chandler was downstairs and Miles, Riley and Buchan were at the station. Forensics left a while ago. Mansell decided that it was the perfect time to talk to Kent.
"So... Erm... What's going on with you and the boss?"
Kent stilled at the words. "What do you mean?!" He replied, a hint of anger in his voice.
"Well, you-"
At perfect timing, Chandler came upstairs.
"Kent, could you come downstairs, please?"
Kent looked down at what he was doing, then back at Chandler. "But, I'm-"
"CAN YOU JUST-" He snapped. He took a deep breath. "Just do it please?" He turned away and went back downstairs.
Kent dropped what he was doing and followed, but muttered a 'for fuck's sake' before doing so.
When he left the room, Mansell sighed. "I'm nowhere near getting an answer.
After a while of searching, he heard Kent and Chandler shout "MANSELL!" in unison, both sounding really pissed off.
When he came downstairs, the boss explained "We've got to go." He walked out of the house, but Kent didn't move. Once Chandler was gone, he mutteredn "prick", then left. Mansell followed.
/
They solved the case. It was pretty straight forward. A house burgulary gone wrong.
They were packing up to go home. Riley was getting her coat, as was Skip. Mansell was turning his computer off, but Kent was still working. Always was.
Chandler came out of his office to say goodnight. Riley and Miles left, but, lucky for him, Mansell was still there to hear Kent and Chandler's exchange.
"Working late again?"
"Yeah. Unless you want half-completed paperwork? Sir!"
"Just hurry up, okay?!" Chandler stormed back into his office. Mansell quickly put his coat on and left the incident room. He was near the exit, thinking of more answers to the everlasting question, when he realised that he had forgotten his phone. He turned back to go and get it, but when he reached the door to the incident room, he heard two people talking. Voices he recognised.
He had an answer.
/
Kent's POV
He's not entirely sure how it happened. One minute they were talking, the next he was in bed with Joseph Chandler. Not that he was complaining.
But then it started to become a regular gig. It started to get more intimate, and more romantic and more... relationship-y. He couldn't remember the last time he was at his flat. More of his clothes were at Chandler's. Most of his things were at Chandler's. It was almost unbelievable.
It eventually got to the point where they sat down and discussed the basis of their relationship. Thye both agreed that it was in fact that - a relationship - and they also agreed that they would hide it for a short while. Just until they felt more comfortable to come out about it. And what's the best way to hide it?
To pretend to hate each other! If you act like it;s never going to happen, people will think that it's never going to happen!... He knew it was stupid, but it's worked so far.
They were all in the incident room. Kent was pretending to look busy as there was no work to do. Miles was reading the newspaper, and Riley was watching Mansell, who seemed to be staring at Chandler. And Kent thought he knew why.
Of course someone would start to question their hatred of one another. It was only natural. But it wa quite amusing listening to the speculations.
/
They were called to a murder scene of a young woman. She was killed in her flat, which looked quite similar to wear Kent lives. Used to live. Whatever the situation was right now.
He was looking upstairs with Mansell, when, out of the blue, he asked "So... Erm... What going on with you and the boss?"
Kent stopped dead in his tracks. Which part was he refering to? He decided to keep up the act. "What do you mean?!" He tried to sound frustrated as he spoke.
"Well, you-"
Luckily, Chandler came upstairs, interrupting the conversation.
"Kent, could you come downstairs, please?"
He looked at what he was doing, trying to act angry, before looking back up. "But, I'm-"
"CAN YOU JUST-" He snapped. Kent was always surprised at his acting. "Just do it, please?" Then he went downstairs.
Kent put the stuff he was holding down, then stormed after him, muttering a 'for fuck's sake' loud enough for Mansell to hear.
When he got downstairs, he realised that forensics had already left. Chandler put his arm over his shoulder as they walked into the living room.
"I want you to tell me what happened here." It was silent for a second.
"Are you accusing me of murder?" Kent joked.
"No, I just want your opinion of what happened in here. We have the points of attack, but we need to put the events into order."
Kent surveyed the room, before suggesting "Well, I think he would have entered through the back door-"
"Why the back? The front door was unlocked."
"As was the back door, and I don't think the killer would want to draw attention to himself." Chandler nodded for him to continue. "I think he then went into the kitchen, seeing the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind the victim. He grabbed her, then pulled her over the back of the sofa, messing the up the pillows doing so. He started hitting her head off the doorframe, leaving blood there, then she dropped to the floor, leaving a pool of blood. He held her against that wall, punching her, which caused the bruises. He swiped her across the wall, making a trail of blood behind her, then she fell near the front door. She tried to crawl to get out, but he got to her first, and pushed her against the door, knocking over the pictures whilst doing so. That's when he picked up the piece of glass, stabbed her, then left through the front door."
Chandler was lost for words. "I can only speculate." Kent added.
"Good job." was all Chandler could say.
"Thanks."
They looked into each others eyes, edging closer. They were centimeters apart, then - Chandler's phone started ringing. He got it out of his pocket and answered.
"Yes... Yeah... Okay, we'll be there." He hung up. "Miles is wondering where we are."
"We should go." They walked towards the door, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. They both shouted "MANSELL!" angrily.
When Mansell came downstairs, Chandler explained "We've got to go." He left, but Kent stayed behind, muttering the word "prick" before leaving, Mansell in toll.
/
The case was solved, and everyone was getting ready to go home. Everyone except Kent and Chandler, that is. They always find excuses to stay behind.
Chandler came out of his office to say goodnight. Riley and Skip were out of the door, but Mansell was still getting ready.
"Working late again?" Chandler asked him, agitation in his voice.
"Yeah. Unless you want half-completed paperwork? SIr!"
"Just hurry up, okay?!" Then he stormed back into his office. Mansell left after that. When he was out of sight, Kent to 10, then Chandler came back out of his office. "Is everyone gone?"
"Well, everyone except Buchan, but he's down in the archives." Kent got up and sat on the edge of his desk, Chandler walking over to stand in front of him.
"Congratulations on solving the case."
"Well, I could only speculate... Congratulations on bring one in alive."
"Finally." He laughed. Chandler looked down at the younger man, who was looking back up at him.
"What?" Kent asked.
"Nothing." He leaned in closer, bringing their lips together. The kiss was slow and loving, rather than fast and heated. They savoured every moment, just getting lost in the moment. That was until a sound broke them apart.
Whistling.
They both turned their heads to see Mansell strolling into the incident room, whistling.
"Forgot my phone." He clarified, a smile on his face. He picked it up from the desk, turned around, then walked back towards the door. When he got there, he turned back and took a photo, before saying "Bye", then left again.
The two dumbfounded men glanced at each other in silence, before Chandler whispered a small.
"Shit."