Title: Lost and Found
Author: Claddagh
Rating: PG
Pairing: Chandler/Kent (vague)
Summary: Kent has found something
Disclaimer: Do not own…sigh…
Kent walked back to his desk after making himself a cup of tea, the mug held securely in his cold hands. The warmth from the hot drink was extremely welcome and the tips of his fingers tingled at the sudden change in temperature. It was winter once again and the office was permanently chilled, forcing most of the detectives to wear an extra layer under their smart shirts. Kent was no exception.
Just as the young man placed the mug on the desk and went to sit down his foot kicked something. It made a quiet clang as it slid under his chair. He frowned and bent down to pick it up. His fingers closed around the small object, which was about the size of a large pebble. He stood up and opened his fist.
The object was very familiar and one which Kent had seen many times in the past year. It was a small pot, with a gold lid and a picture of a tiger on the label.
It was Detective Inspector Chandlers Tiger Balm.
The young man turned the small container around in his fingers before his eyes automatically went to the separated office at the end of the room. The glass door was closed and Kent could see the DI sitting at the desk looking through a huge pile of reports and files.
Chandler didn't seem agitated or stressed, so Kent could only assume that he didn't know he's lost it. It must have fallen out of the older man's pocket without him noticing.
The DC knew that he should go and return the Tiger Balm, as it was something that Chandler used frequently, and no doubt he would have a headache later today, but as the glass doors were closed he obviously didn't want to be disturbed. He would return it later when Chandler emerged, the young man decided, pocketing the Tiger Balm and sitting down at his desk, resuming his work and sipping his tea.
When the DI finally emerged from his office it was nearly 3pm and Kent had almost forgotten about the small weight of the object in his jacket pocket. He was about to go up to Chandler and return the lost Tiger Balm, but much to his frustration the older man had a quick word with Miles and walked out of the incident room entirely!
Kent rolled his eyes and sighed. He would just have to put the Tiger Balm on the DI's desk, which was a bit of a shame because then he wouldn't know who returned it. He inwardly shrugged and looked around the room to see if anyone was watching.
When he was sure no one was, the young man got up from his desk, his hand in his pocket, fingers closed around the Tiger Balm, and walked casually into Chandler's office.
He had to smile at how all items on the desk was perpendicular to everything else and how even the mass of files were piled up neatly in the upper right hand corner of the table. Kent looked back out to the outer office for a second before pulling the small pot out of his pocket and placing it right in the centre of the desk where Chandler was sure to spot it.
He then turned and quickly exited the office, making his way back to his own desk.
Mere seconds after Kent was seated once more Chandler returned from the toilet and prepared to start working once more. Before he could sit down he spotted the small pot strategically placed on his desk. He frowned and picked it up.
It was indeed his lost Tiger Balm. He was sure he would have to buy another pot as this one had disappeared earlier today. Obviously someone had found and returned it.
He noticed when he picked it up that the plastic of the pot and the lid were both warm as if it had been clasped in someone's hands recently. It obviously hadn't been sitting on his desk for long. He sat down, the Tiger Balm still in his fingers, and quickly looked up into the outer office, looking at each person in turn, wondering which one had found it.
His eyes soon fell on Kent, whose own eyes were already focused on Chandler. After a few seconds the young man's lips curled into a small shy smile, letting him know exactly who had found and returned his Tiger Balm.
Joe gave Kent a smile of his own in thanks, then looked down at the small object still in his hand before pocketing it, much like DC had done previously.
Both men then once again began to work, the reason for both of their tiny smiles unknown to everyone in the office but each other.
