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“Okay.”

Except Harrison didn’t talk. His breathing was too quick. Shoulders rigid beneath the suit. Even his hands looked as though he didn’t quite know what to do with them. Whatever had brought him here at one in the morning, it wasn’t nothing.

Jake squeezed his arm. “You alright?”

Harrison looked at him.

Then down.

“Are you naked under there?”

Jake huffed a laugh and let go of Harrison’s arm to rub the back of his neck beneath his hair. “Aye. It’s a billion degrees in here and it’s…” He glanced at the clock. “One in the morning. Don’t usually get visitors this time a night.”

Harrison swallowed. “Right. Course.”

“Don’t mind you turning up, though.”

Harrison met his gaze.

And something in the way Harrison looked at him made the joke die before Jake could reach for another one. Maybe Harrison hadn’t come here intending anything other than talking. Jake wasn’t entirely sure Harrison knew what he’d come here for at all.

So he nodded to the wardrobe. Gave Harrison an out. “I can put summat on.”

“No.”

Jake stilled. That one word came out sharp. Immediate. Same as he’d taught Deacon earlier. Pure DI Black, except the look on Harrison’s face was anything but professional.

Jake lowered his hand, clutching the sheet. “Alright.”

Then before Jake had time to say anything else, Harrison crossed the space between them, gripped the back of his neck and kissed him.

Hard.

Jake startled, the sheet slipping loose and it dropped to the floor to pool at his feet. But Harrison didn’t stop. He pressed in, solid and warm, breath breaking against his mouth. So Jake matched him, sliding one hand up his spine, gripping the damp cotton of his shirt. He could feel how tightly he’d been holding himself. How much of it was pouring out in this. Wrung out. Wired. Running on nothing but adrenaline and whatever had pushed him through the door.

Then Harrison broke the kiss, breathing hard, and glanced down. “Fuck.”

Jake followed his gaze.

Ah.

Right. That.

His cock had obviously decided subtlety was no longer required. He was hard between them, painfully so, which wasn’t exactly surprising considering he hadn’t done anything about it for a while. And Harrison was here, now, looking at him like that.

So he gave an embarrassed huff of laughter. “That’s been happening a lot lately. Specially around you.”

“Christ.” Harrison closed his eyes.

And that stopped Jake finding another joke.

Because this was Harrison. Three years since his husband had died. Three years of grief and guilt and apparently convincing himself this part of his life had gone with him. Jake knew Harrison wanted him. He’d known that for weeks. But wanting and actually allowing himself to have were two very different things.

“Hey.” Jake brushed his thumb along Harrison’s jaw. “You don’t have to do owt.”

Harrison opened his eyes.

“Seriously.” Jake tried for a shrug, though it felt strangely difficult standing there stark bollock naked with his cock between them. “You can just look if you want. Wouldn’t be my first choice, obviously, but I can work with an appreciative audience.”