Not for one minute

"What are you doing now Finlay?" Riley called across the incident room, her voice exasperated and tired. The DC looked up from his place at Kent's computer, a look of horror crossing his expression before he realised who had caught him. It then morphed rapidly into a mischievous grin that Riley did not like the look of.

"Come here." A jerk of his head.

Riley rolled her eyes and made her way over to the desk of their youngest, briefly noticing how immaculate it was, before sitting on the edge and leaning towards the computer screen, absently cradling her hand against her body protectively.

A frown creased her forehead as she recognised the window open as Kent's work e-mail, various correspondences with work colleagues listed down one side, and a new e-mail currently in progress monopolising the rest of the screen.

"What are you doing on Emerson's work e-mail?"

Mansell's smile widened as he looked from Riley and back to the screen.

"Emailing the boss." He replied simply, adding Chandler's e-mail address to the recipients address box.

Her frown deepened. "I can see that. Why?"

"We have all noticed Kent's crush on Chandler, well everyone but the boss himself. I'm just adding a little bit of fun to the incident room." He continued to type. "The DI is going to get a bit of a surprise when he checks his e-mails. A heartfelt confession of love from Kent, so detailed in what he wants to do to Chandler that he will run out of that Tiger Balm stuff of his before he gets to the end!" Mansell laughed, still typing away, his fingers flying over the keys.

Riley gasped. "You can't do that! You can't mess with people's feelings. Do you have any idea the trouble that will cause?"

"Do you have any idea how funny it will be, and it's just a joke."

"No Finlay, you can't do that!" Riley moved forward to snatch the mouse away from Mansell's hand and close the browser, but in that split second the other DC pressed the send button, the e-mail immediately flying into cyberspace, out of her reach. It had probably arrived at Chandler's Inbox a second later.

"It's already done." Mansell smirked, turning the chair to face the clearly enraged woman.

"You Prat! You will clean up the inevitable mess and tell them both the truth when it comes out." Riley warned, clipping the man over the back of the head, before shaking her head and walking to her own desk, grabbing her coat to go home.

"The fun begins." Mansell muttered under his breath, closing down Kent's e-mail, still smirking.

Later that same evening Chandler, Miles and Kent returned to the incident room from their unsuccessful outing. The time spent out in the community looking for witnesses had been a waste, as nothing had been found to help the investigation. Each man returned to their own desk, Miles and Kent beginning to pack away for the night (Kent automatically picking up the bin), while the DI sat down at his desk and booted up his computer.

Miles' version of tidying was a much quicker one than Kent's so the DS was finished after only a minute or two, his exit a quick one with a brief goodbye to the remaining team members, leaving Kent and Chandler alone.

The DC continued to tidy the incident room, his attention only briefly flying to the seated DI in his office. Maybe one day he would build up the courage to invite his DI out for a drink, but for now he would tidy the office and send furtive smiles in Chandler's direction.

Joe opened up his e-mails as he did every evening at the end of a shift, just to check if there was anything pressing that needed to be dealt with. A few greeted him, his eyes scanning down the list; one from a PC requesting a reference, one updating him on the progress of the electrician and the plumber concerning the malfunctioning lights and water issues, another from commander Anderson asking him how everything was going and the final one from – Kent.

Chandler frowned and glanced from his screen to the DC, currently tidying up the office, not even looking in his direction. Why would Kent send him an e-mail?

He looked at the Subject. "FAO DI Chandler – Urgent."

The DI internally shrugged and clicked on the e-mail, opening it.

"Sir?"

He looked up to see the DC standing in the door to his office.

"I'm going home now, don't work too late sir."

Joe didn't even have a chance to reply before the dark haired man gave a quick (charming) smile and turned, beginning to gather his belongings to go home.

He turned back to the email:

"Sir,

I have wanted to say this to you since we met, but never had the courage. I love you. I have always loved you. To see you every day, watching you, wanting you and not being able to tell you how I feel has been hell. I want to touch you, kiss you and be with you in every way. Please give me a chance, give us a chance, sir. We could be so happy together. If it's a yes, wear your red tie.

Love

Emerson

X"

Chandler stared at the screen, stunned. He heard the incident room door close with a slam and looked up to see the young man in question walking out, wearing his leather jacket and the helmet of his Vespa tucked under his arm.

Kent loved him? Kent wanted him?

Oh God!

What was he going to do? How could he handle this situation?

Chandler took a deep breath and reached clumsily for his tiger balm, shakily unscrewing the lid and pushing his finger so hard into the balm that he made a hole right in the centre. Throwing the container back onto the desk he rubbed the tips of his fingers into his temples, eyes still fixed on the email, the words still there, a heart wrenching confession of his youngest DC's feelings for him.

Closing his eyes Joe took a few deep breaths to steady his racing heart. What should he do? Should he pull Kent to the side and have a private word? Should he send an e-mail back? Report it- No! He wouldn't report Kent, He could handle this.

Should he grant Emerson his request and give the young man a chance?

No, he couldn't do that, it is unprofessional, wrong and once Kent found out what it was like to put up with Chandler all of the time he wouldn't be so keen. Although he had already seen Chandler at his worst, experienced him at his worst and had that behaviour aimed at him directly and still remained loyal and diligent and in love…with him?

Chandler shook his head. No, he wouldn't even entertain the idea of accepting Kent's request, even if he wanted to.

After a few minutes Chandler re-read the e-mail more than once, his heart starting to race again. With a guilty look out to the incident room he guided the mouse to the print button, and clenched his jaw as the printer by Kent's desk whirled into life.

He then pressed delete and watched as the e-mail disappeared, the only evidence of its existence sitting on the printer.

He would have to speak to Emerson tomorrow.

The next morning before work Chandler stood in front of his mirrored wardrobe, buttoning his white shirt. Reaching into the open wardrobe he pulled out his blue and white tie and expertly tied the knot, the tie falling to just below his belly button. He then grabbed his waist coat, but something caught his eye, causing him to pause.

It was his red tie.

"If it's a yes, wear your red tie…"

He reached out and ran his fingers down the silken material, sighing quietly. The printout of the e-mail sat on his bedside cabinet, next to his phone and watch, the words ringing in his head. Strangely he could hear the confession in Kent's voice, his soft, hesitant voice.

Shaking his head Joe dropped the red tie and carried on dressing, but didn't forget to slip the piece of paper with Kent's words into his pocket.

When Chandler arrived at the office Mansell watched him like a hawk, his eyes hardly leaving the DI. He wasn't wearing a red tie, so either it was a no, or he hadn't yet seen the e-mail. Mansell was practically bouncing in his seat waiting for something to happen, while Riley glared daggers at the back of his head.

Kent was acting normally, as expected. He had no idea what his colleague had done or of the words that Chandler had read believing they were his. He worked as normal, making calls and enquiry's, filing and writing on the board, blissfully oblivious.

Chandler however was sitting in his office, his thoughts in turmoil. He didn't know what to do, or how to cope with this situation. He's been watching Kent all morning, almost as closely as Mansell had been watching him (although he was unaware of this). Kent did not seem nervous or embarrassed; in fact he was acting the same as he always had, even though Chandler hadn't worn the red tie as requested. He would have thought that Kent would have shown some form of emotion at the lack of red tie.

Looking at Kent Joe was beginning to see him in a whole new light, his behaviour and his little actions were becoming so clear. Not to mention the words of Kent's e-mail now floated constantly through Chandler's head, "Touching, kissing, wanting…" he could imagine it, clearly in his mind and it filled him with anticipation and yearning. Not dread.

He pulled out the e-mail from his pocket and re-read it, his thumb caressing the name "Emerson."

Maybe…

It was half past seven (and nearly time to go home by Mansell's watch) when THE moment occurred. Chandler returned from the toilet, adjusting a red silk tie. Mansell felt like jumping around the incident room and dancing, but help his mirth in, waiting to see what unfolded.

He watched as Chandler returned to his office and gathered up his belongings, his badge, watch, phone and tiger balm, as well as his coat, before turning and making his way to Kent's desk. Mansell felt like he was watching the most suspenseful film in existence, there should be popcorn, but his crappy sandwich would have to do.

"Kent?"

The young man looked up from his computer at his superior, giving a small, slightly bashful smile.

"Sir?"

Chandler nervously, but pointedly adjusted his tie, drawing the DC's attention to it, but Kent appeared to only glance at the tie, before he continued to wait for Chandler to speak.

"Did you want something Sir?"

The DI nervously shuffled his weight from one foot to the other, why was Kent feigning ignorance. Maybe he wanted Chandler to be more direct.

"Yes I do. I wish to give it a chance."

Kent frowned, glancing around, confused, before clearing his throat and looking back to his DI.

"Give what a chance? What are you talking about Sir?"

"Oh, this is bloody brilliant!" Mansell hissed to Riley, who didn't smile back, her expression thunderous.

"Your e-mail, you asked me to give us a chance and that we could be-"He paused and lowered his voice. "…Happy." He whispered, the bottom of his stomach falling to somewhere in the vicinity of his shoes. "I wore the red tie, like you asked." He ran his fingers down the material for emphasis.

"What e-mail? Sir, I didn't send you an e-mail." Kent stuttered, his voice slightly panicky.

Chandler took half a step back, as if physically pushed back by the force of The DC's words. After only a seconds hesitation he thrust his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out the perfectly folded sheet of paper, holding it out to Kent, who looked at it as if it was a bomb for a minute, before taking it.

Kent unfolded it carefully, his expression immediately turning to horrified, his cheeks flushing red and his ears turning pink at the words in front of him.

"I…" He looked back and forth from Chandler to the paper in his hand. "I..I didn't do this Sir, I didn't send this to you."

Chandler seemed almost lost for words, his expression as horrified as Kent's.

"It's from your e-mail address." The DI insisted.

"I know, but I didn't write it sir." The two men stood in silence, neither knowing exactly what had happened or what to do. "Who, -who would write this?"

"It was Mansell!" Riley cried suddenly, unable to watch the utterly lost expression on the two men's face. "He emailed you from Emerson's computer."

"Oh you've ruined it, why did you do that?!" Mansell fired back, frustrated that he had been ratted out by Riley.

"Because it's not right! You can't mess with people's feelings like that!" Riley countered, looking at the two men. Kent was still staring at the piece of paper clutched in his fingers, while Chandler's gaze was fixed on the floor, a look of pure embarrassment and devastation on his face.

"It was just a joke, got a little excited there sir at the idea of Kent being hot for you?" Mansell knew the second it came out of his mouth he shouldn't have said it. Kent couldn't have looked more embarrassed, while Chandler quickly schooled his expression into a hardened mask to protect himself.

"Get back to work, all of you!" He barked, harshly, sparing one last look at Kent before storming out of the incident room, already ripping the tie from around his neck, throwing it on the coffee desk.

"You wanker!" Miles spat at Mansell, who now looked appropriately ashamed at what he had done, his head bowed and his eyes avoiding Riley and Miles'.

Kent continued to stare after Chandler, his eyes and expression wide and open, a suspicious collection of water caught in his eyelashes.

Suddenly he stood determinedly, tucking the piece of paper into his pocket and almost marched in Chandler's footsteps, only stopping to pick up the expensive red tie from the coffee table, straightening the kinks out of the material and running the pads of his fingers reverently across it.

Then he was gone, leaving Mansell alone with the remaining, and glaring members of the team.

He lent his entire weight over the taps, his head bowed and his knuckles white.

How could he have been so stupid?! How could he have believed that the e-mail was real and that Kent would actually write those words to him, feel those things for him? He was an idiot! He should have just deleted the e-mail as soon as he had finished reading it. Now he had made an embarrassment of himself and of Kent. The look on Kent's face had mortified him; the young man had been so confused and humiliated at the attention. Chandler would never take a leap of faith again, each time he thought he had a chance at a real relationship it was harshly ripped away.

"Sir? Joe?"

Chandler spun around at the voice, only to come face to face with Kent, the last person he wanted to see at this moment. The young man stood with a straight back that spoke of his nervousness, but his voice was steady.

"I'm sorry Kent. I misjudged the situation, this should never have happened. I didn't intend for you to be put in that position. I am sorry." Joe apologised refusing to meet Kent's gaze in the mirror.

"Don't be. It was Mansell." Came the curt reply.

"I shouldn't have let it influence my behaviour. I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologising." Kent stated, the force in his voice startling Chandler into silence. A few seconds passed where no one moved and no one spoke. The only noise was the constant drip, drip, drip of the tap.

"If…if I had sent the e-mail, would you really have given us a chance?" The young man's voice had now turned hesitant and quiet, his fingers wringing each other in front of his waist, his eyes fixed intently on Chandler.

The DI sighed, reluctantly pushing off of the sink to face his Constable.

"Yes. I would have." He whispered into the gloom of the men's bathroom, a headache insistently pulsing behind his eyes.

Kent took a few seconds to digest his words, slowly nodding his head, before walking towards Chandler, each step feeling like a mile, stopping just a few inches away from the DI.

Wordlessly, and cautiously Kent reached both hands out and curled them under the other man's collar, pulling it up. Chandler frowned at the young man's actions, his body tense, but he remained still, curious as to what Kent was doing.

With a tiny smile the DC reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the silken, blood red tie, before putting it over Chandler's head and confidently re-doing the tie perfectly, gently tightening it to be comfortable for the older man. Chandler held his breath as his skin was occasionally brushed by Kent's, his heart pounding against his ribcage. Finally he folded the white shirt collar down and smoothed down the tie, his gaze slowly rising to meet the confused one of his DI.

"I think…I think Mansell has done me a favour." Chandler frowned. "He's wrote and sent to you what I didn't have the courage to. Just because I didn't write the e-mail, it doesn't mean that everything in it isn't true."

Chandler's look of surprise was evident, but Kent ploughed on, not wanting to lose his nerve.

"Everything is true, I do want you, and I do lo-" Kent paused, catching his words, not wanting to scare Chandler off. "-think I could love you, but I never imagined you would even consider it, so I never said anything."

Chandler stared at Kent, his respirations slightly elevated, his heart still pounding. He licked his lips.

"I'm wearing the red tie."

Kent dared to let his lips curve into a smile.

"So, it's a yes?"

Chandler smiled.

Kent smiled back.

It was a few seconds before Kent gathered his courage enough to reach out a hand, his fingers curling around the end of what was rapidly becoming his favourite tie, and gently pulled Chandler to him, their lips meeting in a chaste, but firm kiss.

When they separated Kent stared up at Chandler, his head tilted back slightly, lips parted and pupils dilated.

"Mansell Is a twat, but he's done something right." Kent whispered against chandler's lips, causing them both to chuckle.

"I think you dodged a bullet Finlay, if those two hadn't gotten together I reckon you would have ended up in bloody uniform!" Riley admonished, shaking her head.

"I know, it's brilliant isn't it?!" Mansell laughed, clapping his hands. "Next thing you know they'll be holding hands and saving each other's lives during stand-off's with murderers!"

"Did it ever occur to you that your little prank would get them together?" Miles asked, just happily relieved that the team was still fully intact after Mansell's spell of idiocy.

"Not for one minute!"