Work Text:
* 1995 *
Carlton was fairly new to the station, but there was no one he looked up to more than Detective Spencer and it felt like he was picked by god himself when the detective chose him to watch his grand theft auto arrest for the night.
"He shouldn't be that much trouble," Detective Spencer told Carlton. Carlton was awestruck that the detective was trusting him, and a little distracted by the unusually attractive felon. "His pockets are empty, so he shouldn't be able to pick the lock."
"Absolutely Detective!" Carlton smiled, he felt like he was on top of the world as Detective Spencer turned to walk out of holding.
"HEY! You're just gonna leave me here with Officer Dumbass?" The felon shouted, causing Detective Spencer to stop dead in his tracks. "He fumbled with his cuffs when we got here!"
"Enough Shawn!" Detective Spencer snapped, turning to face them. "You are going to stay here, overnight, and I will be back in the morning! Got it?"
The Felon- Shawn's face weakened slightly, Carlton watched as Shawn bit his lip and nodded, he had never seen the fight in someone dissipate so fast.
"Good." Detective Spencer's voice was thick with emotions as he turned once again, walking up the stairs muttering. "Where did I go wrong?"
Carlton sat at the desk at the other side of the hall where Shawn was being held. He looked over as the younger man sat in on the disgusting cot inside of the cell, glaring holes into him.
'Shit!' Carlton thought to himself, his eyes widening at the realization. 'I need to call Victoria!'
Carlton quickly walked down the hall to the payphone by the stairs, sliding in a few quarters before dialing the numbers to his house.
"Lassiter residence?" Victoria's soft voice came through the receiver, Carlton smiled softly hearing his wife's voice.
"Hey Vicky!" Carlton started only to be cut off
"Darling!" Relief flooded Victoria's voice then immediately filled with concern. "You were supposed to be home an hour ago! Where are you?"
"I'm still at the station," Carlton told her, he felt bad leaving her at home all alone, but he was going to make it up to her! "And, unfortunately, I'm gonna be here all night. Detective Spencer wants me to watch someone in holding and make sure they don't go missing."
Carlton could hear his wife sigh before she spoke again.
"This is the second time this week Carlton-" Victoria protested.
"I know Vicky! I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine Carlton," Victoria let out a soft yawn. "I love you dear."
"I love you too Vicky, I'll see you in the morning." Carlton said before hanging the phone on the hook and walking back down the hall to watch Shawn the rest of the night.
The two of them sat in a comfortable silence until Shawn decided to open his mouth again.
"That was your wife wasn't it?" Shawn said, Carlton wasn't aware that he could hear the phone call from his cell. "Unless she's a stripper, I'm gonna assume her name is Victoria?"
"Don't talk about my wife like-"
"You love her, don't you?" Shawn continued to probe, ignoring Carlton's defense of his wife. "Well I mean of course you do! You married her after all. Or, that's what you're making yourself think."
"What are you getting at kid?"
"What I'm getting at is that you love her," Shawn chuckled lightly. "Just not in the way you think you do."
Carlton felt as if an ice cold spear was thrown though his heart, deep in his soul, he knew Shawn was right in his hypothesis.
"You are hiding something from her AND from yourself," Shawn continued, the cop sat in shock and anger as the younger man read him like an open book. "But you're too closed minded and afraid to accept it."
"How dare you accuse me of lying to my wife?" Carlton asked lowly to keep his voice from cracking, fear rising in his throat.
"Who was he Officer Dumbass?" Shawn smiled as both of them got up and stalked to the cell door. "Was he a college fling? A last hoorah before your wedding day? Maybe some friendly competition in the police academy?"
The last question struck Carlton deep, causing him to grab Shawn by the collar of his shirt, dragging him flush against the bars and against his body.
"He is NONE of your business!" Carlton snapped quietly, he hoped no one walked down the stairs to see what was happening.
"I predict that Victoria is going to leave you and find out your secret in the next ten years," Shawn smiled deviously, Noticing that the officer was staring at his lips and not in his eyes, he licked his lips and pouted slightly. "I sure do hope you own up to your secret before she figures it out on her own, she seems like a smart woman."
Shawn put his hands over Carlton's, stroking over his knuckles softly with his thumbs, and cleared his throat. Carlton's heart fluttered when he looked into the Shawn's beautiful hazel eyes.
"You want to kiss me so bad, it makes you look stupid." Shawn chuckled, snaking a hand behind Carlton's hair and sealing their lips together.
Carlton felt more in this one kiss than he did in all the kisses he had with Victoria, he melted into the kiss, bringing his hands to hold the back of Shawn's head. His grip in Shawn's hair tightened, pulling a small gasp out of the younger man as Carlton slipped his tongue into his mouth.
Carlton's breath was shaky when the two men finally pulled apart, both of their cheeks tinged pink with lust. This was so wrong, in his wonderful make out session with Shawn, he actively betrayed his duty as a police officer and betrayed his vows to Victoria.
"You're a really good kisser." Shawn said absentmindedly, resting his head on the bars, watching as Carlton slunk back to the other side of the hall and slid down the cool brick.
"And I'm a horrible husband." Carlton said, guilty that he could still taste Shawn on his swollen lips, guilty about his lies to Victoria and himself.
"I can't agree, nor disagree, with that statement Officer Dumbass," the younger man sighed. "But you obviously liked that kiss... And that's okay-"
"No, it's not okay!" Carlton snapped, dropping his head to look at the floor. "I have a loving wife at home and a career that I am building! One mistake and I am finished!"
Shawn was silent after those words left his mouth and he remained silent until Detective Spencer returned to release both of them in the morning. As Carlton drove home that morning, he couldn't get rid of the warm fuzzy feeling in his chest when he thought of Shawn.
"Good morning darling," Victoria smiled as he walked through their front door, she seemed to be gearing up to leave for her own work. "How was your night with the troublemaker?"
Carlton sighed and shook his head. "It was a long night Vicky," Carlton smiled weakly sitting down at the dining room table.
"Well darling," she started, pouring her husband a mug of coffee before setting in front of his tired form. "I think you should try to get some sleep before your next shift starts, maybe shower before you stink up our bed sheets perhaps?"
Carlton nodded before taking a sip from the mug. "Ugh, I think I'm in love Vicky." Carlton said weakly as he tried to bury the guilt plaguing his soul, he looked up at his wife to see her smiling happily.
"Of course you are dear," she said sweetly before kissing him on the cheek. "We're married silly."
'That's not what I mean,' Carlton wanted to say as he watched Victoria make her way out of the door. 'I have fallen head over heels in love with that troublemaker.'