Work Text:
Flip.
Flip.
Shuffle.
For the past hour, the noise had been distracting to John, and had caught his attention within the first five minutes of it occurring. He took a glance away from his desktop computer, first looking at Jamie across from him, but the sergeant was quietly eating from a tupperware jar while typing up a report. Then he looked at the workstations to his left.
Aiden was frantically looking through a thick manual and some self-made flashcards, his desk worse for wear compared to most days. DC Gou had a sergeant’s exam to write the next day, and despite being the one who was awfully prepared for everything, John noticed his constable was practically a mess- as if he had been turned back into a typical university student trying to cram last-minute for exams.
The DC was initially just anxious about the exam content, but the shift of attention soon became how the day would be set up. John discovered that Aiden also had the habit of wanting to ask about all sorts of details for events, specifically for detailed information so that he could mentally prepare himself to not be a mess, socially. It eventually reached the point that Jamie stepped in, getting DI Jones to give a call to DC Gou; Jones was the only acquaintance of Aiden who actually wrote his sergeant’s exam in Midsomer, so he had some recollection of building layouts and directions.
“Sorry for prying, Gou, but why do you feel the need to know the exact details of the building that you’re going to write your exam in?”
“Uh…”
“He hates approaching people, sir. And confrontation.” Jamie shot a glance at Aiden.
John merely nodded and left it at that. Winter’s obvious stare at DC Gou told Barnaby that the constable and his sergeant were on terms close enough for DS Winter to know things about Aiden, and it was mildly surprising for the DCI.
Time flew at a light-speed. It only felt like yesterday, when John had been startled by the arrival of the new detective and Winter had a very awkward relationship with the third man of their trio, yet last week marked exactly one year since Gou’s transfer. The DC had flown right past John’s expectations in terms of doing his job, and it prompted the DCI to convince the man to try the sergeant’s exam.
Well, it was technically Sarah and Ben who were pushy about it. Jones had come over for a visit a few months ago, before the onset of a very difficult case and trial. While the intention was to apparently visit Winter, a relationship that he actually somehow saw coming, John didn’t hesitate to invite his current and former sergeants over for an evening at his home. Of course, he included the new detective in this gathering, which became the catalyst for DI Jones to ramble about how Aiden was ready for his sergeant’s exam.
~~~~~
Everyone was playing a game of chutes and ladders, though some people had other thoughts on their mind while Aiden and Jamie played competitively against each other. Whenever DC Gou was distracted with taking a turn, playfully taking jabs at his colleague, or singing Chinese playground songs to Betty, the older three of the group were in an...intense...discussion about promotions.
“Come on, John, let him try it.” Sarah whispered from her spot beside him at the dining table.
Ben chimed in with a low voice, from Barnaby’s left. “Sir, he’s a bright kid.”
The three of them subtly glanced at the DC. He looked caught up with entertaining Betty while Winter was taking his turn at the board game.
Ben turned back to John. “Should’ve seen his scores for the detective constable exam. He’s technically an ace at it, by department standards.”
DCI Barnaby recognized the excellence in Aiden’s critical thinking, though he didn’t know if it was time yet.
“I can imagine, Jones. But do you think he’s capable of undertaking the pressure of the exam, this soon after moving to the county?”
“Sir?”
“Social anxiety, Jones. I’m just worried that he’ll be frightened by the thought of having to impress Winter and I, that he has to show he’s capable of passing the exam. Plus, he’s probably scared of a new environment that needs to be adjusted to.”
“Right,” the DI made a small grimace. “There’s probably a few other concerning factors too. Maybe slowly talk him into it.”
“Or get Jamie to do it,” Sarah suggested. “They’re pretty close outside of work, aren’t they?”
“Attached at the hip,” Jones joked. “Sometimes I’m scared Jamie will leave me for him.”
“Absolutely not! You idiot. You’re all mine. And besides, Aiden has his two pet goldfish to pour his heart and soul into.”
John, Sarah, and Ben were caught off guard by Jamie’s sudden comment, but soon realized, from Aiden’s following laughter, that the two young men had been eavesdropping on the conversation- though at which point, Barnaby had no idea. At the time of realization, Jamie had walked over to their side of the table, bending over slightly behind the DI to rest his chin on Ben’s head as he hugged Jones from behind.
“Anyways,” Winter declared, “I think you should go for it, the sergeant’s exam, I mean.”
“Really? Do you think I’m-”
“It’s been a few years of being a DC, Aiden,” Jones remarked. “You’re well capable of it, and if you study enough in advance, I think you’ll pass quite easily.”
John added to the DI’s encouragement. “You’re a very smart man, Gou. Try it, maybe you’ll be surprised by your own abilities.”
“And we’ll be proud of you regardless of the outcome,” Sarah smiled.
~~~~~
So that was how DC Gou found himself studying at a decent pace nearly every day, maybe obsessed with passing, from what John saw. Sometimes he had to remind his constable to slow down and take some breaks to avoid burnout, even resorting to forcing Winter to do something about it.
So on that day before the exam, John let Aiden leave work early for the sake of allowing the man to prepare for the sergeant exam in the empty and quiet confines of his flat. Winter did nothing to hide the jealousy, but Barnaby could see that he understood why the DC had been allowed to leave earlier than normal.
Obviously, Aiden never showed up at the start of the next day. Not even a text to Winter. John couldn’t blame him though, DC Gou had a known tendency to fall silent whenever he was overwhelmed, and the plentiful factors that would be contributing to a potential onset of social anxiety were more than enough for Aiden to follow that tendency. Despite those thoughts, Barnaby was met with a very relieved looking detective constable when he and Winter were called out for a homicide late in the afternoon, passing Gou at the station’s front door when they were heading out.
Nothing was exchanged between them though. John and his sergeant went to the crime scene and were later joined by their third man, who wasted no time in coming out to the mansion where the murder occurred once he had placed his things at the office.
“How was it?” John quietly asked Aiden, DS Winter not too far in front of them while walking to the light blue cluster of forensic investigators.
“Pretty tricky, like Jamie said.”
“I also meant how the circumstances were.”
“Oh. Erm...not too bad. Thanks to DI Jones and my medication.”
Barnaby nodded. “No need to dwell on it now, Constable. I’ll let you know when your results come in.”
Aiden bowed his head and thanked John before the two caught up to Winter at the crime scene.
~~~~~
A few weeks passed, and then the waiting game was over. On one of Aiden’s days off, his exam results had been sent in. There were two copies: one sitting in an envelope on Gou’s tidy desk, and one that was in John’s hands. He looked at Winter, his sergeant looking back at him, then at the envelope in the DCI's grasp. Barnaby opened the letter, removing and unfolding a piece of paper slowly. His expression changed from nervous to delightful as his eyes trailed down the paper.
“Sir?” Jamie asked after a long moment of silence. John looked up, seeing his sergeant standing slightly on his toes to look over the desks to see what was on the paper, even though he couldn’t even read upside down. He pointed at the paper in Barnaby’s hands. “Did he…”
John nodded with a grin. “Don’t tell him on the spot though. Let Gou find out for himself.”
Winter beamed mischievously with a nod. Oh boy, the DCI chuckled. He has something planned.
~~~~~
Gou was back at work, but completely unaware of the news as he hung up his trench coat. He greeted his superiors and they reciprocated it with a total lack of engagement, eyes glued to their work, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. Aiden’s calm composure lingered, until he saw the envelope sitting patiently on his desk, then muttering a panicked profanity under his breath in Chinese after presumably reading the name and address on the letter. John and Jamie glanced at each other for a brief moment, on the brink of cracking up. After working with this man for a year, they learned about some of the phrases the detective would utter in his second language, getting most of the rough translations from Fleur. That woman was full of surprises.
After the small string of Chinese expletives, John found the empty space to the left of his desk quietly occupied by Aiden. It nearly scared him, despite getting used to this habit for over a year, but John pretended that he was totally unbothered.
“S…sir. Is this...”
“Yes, it is.”
“May I go outside and open it?”
Barnaby remembered that about the man. Sometimes, just a moment alone was needed for DC Gou, like allowing him to react privately to ease the underlying feeling of being judged by others around him. He could normally hold his own and react to most situations in the open, but stressful situations often caused more tension within the man— tear-jerking crime scenes, unexpected interactions with people; things that could elicit emotions that Aiden felt was too much to handle in front of other people.
His voice struck into Barnaby’s thoughts as he suddenly realized that he never gave actual permission for Aiden to leave the room.
“Sir?”
“Oh, right. Yes, you can-
“-hurry up and open it already, Sergeant,” Jamie interrupted.
John caught Winter smirking after that interference, but Aiden didn’t even bother reacting to the sergeant’s expression. Sergeant. That was the word that had Gou’s attention. He slowly clamped a hand over his mouth and sank down into his chair, somehow opening his mail calmly.
“Holy shi-”
Jamie cut him off again. “Watch your language, Sarge.”
John couldn’t hold it in. He began to laugh, which confused Aiden for a brief moment. He eventually realized what had transpired in the previous thirty seconds, though, after learning of his promotion to the next rank. Always count on Winter for a bit of trolling.
“坏蛋...you guys could’ve spared me the suspense,” Aiden scoffed, with a chain of various Chinese profanities following behind. It was likely that he was in the middle of scolding Jamie and even John himself. However, the newly-promoted sergeant was abruptly cut off by the sudden ringing of the phone on his desk.
“DC- sorry, DS Gou.”
John almost let out a chuckle at the small slip-up.
“…mmhmm, okay. We’ll be right over there, thanks.” Gou turned to his colleagues. “Uh...a body’s been found in Lower Crosby, sir.”
Typical.
“Right, let’s go then.”
Winter was the first to grab his coat and leave the office, but as the remaining two men began to walk out, John stopped Aiden at the doorway, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Sir?” DS Gou looked back at the DCI.
“I almost forgot something,” John said, a glint in his eyes.
“Congratulations, Sergeant.”