Work Text:
The Question
by Python
Dietrich came back up to the squad room to find everyone gone for the night except for Dorsey. He glanced at Harris's desk, shook his head, and then shifted his attention to the new detective. The other man was sitting hunched at his desk.
Dietrich tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey."
Dorsey sat up and looked at Dietrich, "Hey."
"Did they all check out already?"
Dorsey nodded, "Yeah, a few minutes ago."
"Ok," Dietrich answered and stepped over to the coat rack, "How long are you planning to work for free?"
Dorsey laughed at himself and got up. Dietrich passed him on the way to the assignment board and he said, "I'm sorry about earlier."
"It's all right. But you know better now right?" Dietrich asked.
"Yeah...Hey you wanna get a bite?"
Dietrich almost said no but couldn't bring himself to. He knew that it was never easy being the new guy. At least Dorsey was making an effort, "Ok." He wished some other people he knew would be willing to make some kind of effort.
Dorsey grinned, "And maybe you can explain to me how things work here."
"Why did you agree to eat with me? None of the others did?" Dorsey asked.
Dietrich wasn't surprised that the rest of the squad left Dorsey hanging. The new detective hadn't made the best impression, "I didn't have any other plans...And I told you before. I know how you feel but don't worry. They'll get used to you. Just don't accuse us of taking bribes anymore."
"I won't," Dorsey said and shook his head, "I didn't mean to blow it my first day."
"What made you think that in the first place?"
Dorsey didn't answer. Dietrich sat back, deciding not to press the issue.Dorsey broke the silence, "My girlfriend is gonna laugh at me when she hears about today."
"What's her name?"
"Donna," Dorsey answered and took out his wallet. He opened it and showed Dietrich a picture of a beautiful blonde.
"She's pretty."
"Thanks. You gotta a girlfriend?"
Dietrich tensed for a split second, "No."
"That's too bad."
"Yeah," Dietrich murmured. The truth was he hadn't had a girlfriend in a long time. The last person he'd been involved with had been Harris.
"It's good to have someone to go home to."
"I'm happy for you," Dietrich replied.
"I'm sorry if I brought up some painful memories," Dorsey said after hearing the tone of Dietrich's voice.
"You didn't," Dietrich answered with a small grin.
Dorsey looked at his watch, "I'd better be getting home. Thanks for the advice. I'll see ya tomorrow."
"Ok," Dietrich said. He watched Dorsey disappear and sat back, reflecting on his relationship with Harris. It had been so heated and he knew that it wouldn't last. Then the day came when Harris said that they should start seeing other people. Harris had been doing a lot of that. The latest one being their homocide photographer. But Dietrich hadn't done any of that. He'd had plenty of opportunities but couldn't bring himself to do anything with those women.
Dietrich walked home and saw a light coming from under his door. He cautiously opened it and stepped inside. He stopped short when he saw who was sitting on his couch, "I've really gotta move."
Harris threw the magazine he was reading on the coffeetable, "It's about time. Do you know how long I've been waiting here?"
"I went out for dinner with the new guy. But if I'd known that you were here, I would've been sure to take a lot longer," Dietrich answered, closing the door and leaning against it.
Harris stood up, "That's not a very nice thing to say Arthur."
"I know."
Harris walked over to Dietrich and stopped, leaving only inches between them, "Aren't you gonna ask me why I'm here."
"No because you're not gonna be here much longer," Dietrich answered. He fought to keep his breathing under control.
"You sure about that?" Harris asked. He caressed Dietrich's cheek and grinned when the other man closed his eyes.
Dietrich couldn't deny that he loved the feeling of Harris's body so close to him and Harris's hands touching him but there had to be more to a relationship than that. He couldn't let himself get involved again with someone who didn't understand that. He opened his eyes, "I'm sure." Then he pushed past Harris and took a couple steps into the middle of the room to get some air.
"Why?" Harris asked sincerely.
"Will you please just leave. Besides, I thought you'd have another new woman waiting for you. You don't have any trouble in that department."
"Is that what this is all about? You're jealous."
Dietrich turned around to face Harris, "You're right. That's part of it but there's so much more."
"Like what?"
"You really don't know do you," Dietrich said.
Harris shook his head and his grin disappeared. He realized that this wasn't a game and that Dietrich really had a problem with him.
Dietrich wasn't sure that he wanted to try and explain this to Harris. He didn't know if the other man would understand but Harris's eyes were pleading with him, "I can't do this anymore...It was your idea to see other people in the first place and I agreed. I didn't want to try and hold you only to have you hate me."
"Arthur..."
"Let me finish," Dietrich said sharply, "So you moved on but you keep coming back to me when you're bored. I'm tired of that. I can't keep on giving myself to you one day and then the next day, you expect things to be the way they were before. It's never gonna be."
"I'm sorry. I never realized you felt that way."
"I know."
"Do you think there could be any way that we could get past this?" Harris asked, scaring himself with the question. Did he want the kind of relationship Dietrich was talking about?
"Do you really want to?" Dietrich answered.
"What kind of question is that?" Harris said defensively. He didn't like being asked questions of that nature, especially when he didn't have an answer.
"The one that needs to be answered. You come back to me because you're comfortable and we have a lot of fun...but when it gets to a deeper level, we both run away."
"Do you want that kind of relationship?"
"I'm not sure. I guess we're both a little confused," Dietrich answered.
"You got that right," Harris said. He opened the door and turned to Dietrich, "See ya tomorrow."
"Ok."
end