Fucking technology. The computer keyboard was Leo’s least favorite place to work. He much preferred being on location, framing shots and figuring out how to meter the exposure according to current weather conditions.

Actually getting back to the office, transferring his photos, and editing them was his least favorite job.

Leo sighed as he waited for his computer to process four images he’d taken with different exposures.

The program was automatically combining them so that all parts of the photo were visible—the knife lying in the shadows under the truck, but also the license plate and the driveway surrounding the crime scene, to show that they weren’t hiding anything.

“Much rather be doing it in a darkroom,” he muttered. His part of the office was a little quieter on weekends, but not by much. Crime didn’t have a nine-to-five schedule, and he’d been called in on a Saturday to document the attempted vehicle theft at one in the morning.

The homeowner had scared the guy off, and he had no doubt they were gonna get great prints off the knife, but they’d had to wait for him to document it before collecting it for processing.

Which brought his focus back to the person he’d been trying not to think about: Dustin. He wondered if Dustin was working that weekend or not. It was a small office, so it was just a quick walk around the corner to the forensics lab.

A little glance inside couldn’t hurt.

After hauling himself out of his chair and stretching away the ache of lying on the concrete for many minutes in awkward positions, Leo headed over there.

“Knock knock,” he said, poking his head around the doorway.

His heart sank. The lab tech on duty was Jared—a nice enough guy, but not Dustin.

Jared smiled. “What’s up? Got anything for me?”

“Not yet. I’m combining exposures, but nothing exciting. They found the knife, but I think they dusted the truck handles for prints, too.”

“Yeah, I’ve dealt with that already. Ran them for matches.”

“Great. Sorry I couldn’t liven up your day,” Leo told him and jerked his chin in a quick goodbye before heading back to his computer.

The photo was finished, and it was exciting: clear as day. If he got called to the court to testify, he couldn’t see anything that needed explanation. Knife, truck, empty driveway. Easy as that.

His photos printed and job done, he clocked out, his mind already on the groceries he’d been about to buy. Thankfully he hadn’t yet gone and bought milk, though come to think of it, the temperature in his car was probably similar to a fridge.

Leo sighed when his phone rang before he’d even left the staff room. It wasn’t his boss, though. He didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”

“Um, hi. Leo, right?”

The voice was familiar, but it took him a second. “Oh! Dustin. Hi.”

“I got… I’m assuming it was your card. I really hope so.”

Leo’s heart soared. He’d almost forgotten about his errand yesterday. By the time he’d gotten to Dustin’s place, there had been no answer. Scribbling a note on the notepad he luckily kept in his car for taking notes on short-notice calls, he’d at least been able to leave it for him to find.

“Right! Yeah. That was me. Did you treat yourself?”

Dustin laughed softly, and the sound was captivating. Musical. Uplifting.

Knock it off, Leo told himself. He had to reel the guy in slowly… assuming he even knew what to do with him.

“Yeah. I’m just glad it’s not some random stalker.”

Leo held his breath for a second. “Shit. I didn’t sign it, did I?”

“No.” Dustin’s laugh was even richer this time, and Leo burst out laughing, too.

“Oh, man. Sorry. That was dumb. I’m glad you knew it was me, though.” Because that means you don’t have other random admirers I don’t know about. “Um, and that you treated yourself. Good. I thought you deserved something nice.” Leo cleared his throat, suddenly aware that he was walking through the office to the parking lot. His end of the conversation was very audible.

“Thanks,” Dustin said. “It was… it was sweet of you. I thought it was my brothers, because nobody… I mean. I don’t… I’ve never gotten random gifts.” He laughed, sounding self-conscious.

Leo wanted to jump in and save him from it. “Me neither. But I think it’s nice to be on the other end. Golden rule and all that.”

“I must give great head.” Dustin hummed thoughtfully.

Leo burst out laughing, his cheeks flushing. Thank God he was in the parking lot now, in case his downstairs brain decided to take that memory and run with it. And so that he could say this. “Uh, yeah. But I also wondered if you wanted to hang out again sometime. Like you said, friends or fun…”

“Friends and fun?” Dustin suggested.

“Yeah! Yeah, I’d like that.” Leo felt the weight of pressure lift off his shoulders.

“Or are you talking a date?”

Boom. It was back, and Leo couldn’t breathe for a moment. An actual date? God, what was wrong with him? He’d had dates before. This was no different.

Except that he’d gone on dates with women which had been incredibly awkward and hadn’t led to anything more than a chaste kiss.

But he’d been balls-deep inside Dustin already, he’d kissed him and held him close and still wanted more. It was intoxicating and exhilarating and utterly new.

What if I act like an idiot and he figures out I’m like, the rookie on this team? Dustin had loved it when he took over. He wanted a man to be confident and in control and steady, surely. Not fumbling around trying to figure out how to circumvent his gag reflex at important moments.

“I’m talking a date.” Fears be damned. Leo hadn’t let them stop him before; he wasn’t about to start now.

“Cool. I’d like that,” Dustin said quickly. “When?”

“Does tonight work? I’m off-call this evening and onward,” Leo told him. “Just in case.”

“Tonight’s good,” Dustin agreed, then giggled quietly. “Right. In case of unforeseen events that extend into tomorrow, you mean.”

“Yeah, those ones,” Leo laughed. “The very unforeseen ones.”

“Tonight at…?”

“I can pick you up at, uh, six?” Leo offered.

He could hear Dustin’s smile in the way he enthused, “Great. Cool. Can’t wait. Six. I’ll be ready.”

“I’ll be there.”

Leo hung up and struggled to unlock his car door. He was suddenly clumsy, his mind on everything he had to do before six o’clock: groceries, laundry, pick out a nice outfit, shower and shave, find his barely-used cologne, polish his shoes…

But his chest was warm with the kind of positive excitement and adrenaline he hadn’t felt in so damn long.

Whatever the hell was going on, he liked it, and he wanted so much more.