Is he?

Joe knocked on Miles' door around the time his DS said to arrive. He waited nervously, rubbed his fingers under his collar, and swallowed. He never did this. Never went round for one of his team's birthdays. However, since he had arrived in Whitechapel, everything had changed. He almost felt like one of the team, they were all taking him seriously. Doing what he asked. Not laughing at him.

The door opened and light hit him. He half smiled at miles. "Joe lovely. Come in.," he said, standing to one side.

He stepped into the hallway as Miles closed the door behind him.

Miles asked if he wanted to bring someone. Of course, he would not.

"I'm not gay." He felt the words rush out of his mouth before he could stop them. Now it would be harder to come out to his work colleagues.

He felt Miles' hand on his back. "Thank you for the fish food. Very thoughtful."

He always did find it hard buying for people, especially when it was their birthdays. However, since Miles had opened up and told him about the fish he owns, it was a perfect get out clause for Joe. However, since that day, when Miles had told him about the rest of the team, he was getting to know them all better. He was feeling like he was part of the family.

He walked into the small living room. His eyes involuntarily falling on the youngest member of the team. Kent.

He smiled and said his greetings and accepted a beer off Miles. It might help him to loosen up a little, relax, and lose the façade and the bravado.

Soon enough they were playing a board game miles got from his birthday from one of the team. He was sat next to kent. He could feel his movements and the heat radiating off his body. He would never admit that kent was handsome and that he found him very attractive.

"Your turn boss." He heard kent say.

"It's not boss." He said, looking at kent and then at the rest of the team who were eyeing him nervously. "Or sir." He added and shook the dice. "It's Joe."

Miles laughed and raised his beer. "Here's to our DI lads he's finally accepted that he's one of us."

Joe watched in amusement as the rest of the team clinked their beers. He turned his head and blushed a little at the sight of kent sitting so close to him.

The next half an hour passed without incident and he excused himself to get some fresh air in the garden.

He closed his eyes and inhaled, the fresh air removing the mugginess in his brain. He closed the door and went to sit down on the bench near to miles' fishpond. Staring down at them, he felt as if he knew where he belonged now.

He heard the door open and close gently and the soft patter of feet and knew instantly that it was kent.

"Joe?"

He smiled, trying to keep his feelings and emotions at bay. "kent." He said as his youngest DC stepped forward. "Is everything alright?"

Kent smiled and took a seat next to him. "Everything's fine." He said, locking at him and holding his gaze. "And it's Emerson."

Joe smiled broadly. "Emerson." He said.

"I just wanted to make sure you are alright…Joe."

Joe sat back, letting his gaze linger on kent. "I'm alright I promise."

A comfortable silence settled between them. Until Joe felt Kent's fingers brush against his. He fell his heart rate increase as he gently locked his fingers with Kent's and held his hand.

"I…I heard you and DS miles talking when you arrived." Kent whispered.

Joe squeezed his hand. "And?" he asked gently.

"You said you weren't gay…" kent locked their gaze together and he licked his lips nervously. " did…did you mean it?"

Joe exhaled softly and reached over and clasped Kent is other hand in his. "No. I did not mean it." He said firmly.

They sat in a comfortable silence; he was absent mindidly rubbing his thumb over the back of Kent's hand. He heard their breathing relax and become almost in harmony with each other. He gazed up at the sky and smiled at the stars. Ray's house was situated in a more rural part of the city. He envied him, his family, and his house. He did not get a nice surrounding. There was so much noise and air pollution and light that he was unable to see anything at night really. He heard more. Trains, cars, and people. Even though he lived in a high rise flat, he still could not get away from the city of London.

"What are you thinking about?" kent asked quietly, one of his hands resting on his chest.

Joe pulled his hand away from Kent's and put his arm around his DC, who willingly fell against him. "Just the city. It is not very often I get chance to sit and look at the stars. I have forgotten how much I have misses it."

Kent raised his head and smiled. "I do a bit of stargazing myself you are welcome to come round. I don't really live that far from here…" kent trailed off, a smile playing on his lips.

"I might take you up on that offer…"

"…you don't have to come round tonight, if you don't want-"

"-why not tonight?"

Kent smiled. A proper, boyish, embarrassed smile. "Just as friends…?"

Joe tilted his head to one side, thinking. He looked back as his DC. "I think I would like more."

Kent sat forward. "Me too, i-I have known since you came to Whitechapel. In that expensive tuxedo, you looked so out of place. You deserve to be up at headquarters, not down here, slogging it with the rest of us."

"I guess we will see, if we ever do catch the copycat Ripper." He said and pulled kent close once again.

They sat again in silence. Until Joe finally built up the courage and sat forward a little, his eyes fixed on kent. "Can i…?" he did not know how to finish the question. There was a part of his saying just does it. Lean it and kiss him. Do it. Forget about etiquette and be spontaneous. Live a little. Kiss him!

Kent straightened his collar and Joe felt himself blush at the contact. "Ask me-"

Joe leaned down and pressed his lips to Kent's, who kissed him back, threading his fingers through Joe's hair and pulling him down further.

It was a while before they parted, the kiss was getting more and more intense, and Joe had never felt so much sexual tension in a kiss before. He wanted more than a kiss. He needed a lot more.

They were both panting, Kent's fingers still wound in his hair.

"Back to yours after-?"

"-oh god yes." Kent said his voice a little thick from kissing and his lips red. Joe bent his head and kissed him again.

"Well we have finally solved the case of Joe Chandler. He is gay."

McCormack looked at him and took another sip of his beer. "Aye. Well as long as he and kent are both happy. I don't really care." He said, still locking out of the window.

"Yeah, it will be exciting to have an office romance. It might make Joe become a little freer. He'll have someone to go home to now."

Miles took a sip of his beer and smiled.

"It's getting a little bit weird now." McCormack said, turning away from the window and back to the rest of the group. "Come one skip, leave the lovebirds to it. I'm sure they will come in when they are hungry."

Miles smiled again and turned away from the window, walking back to the group and resumed his seat. Finally, Joe would be happy. Maybe he would not stay so late at the office now. He rolled the dice and waited for the grand entrance of the pair, he could not wait to see their faces.

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