Chapter Text
Neil’s never had a lot of luck making friends. Not that he has no friends - he just doesn’t have a lot, and it’s always taken him a long time to make them. He has a few, long standing friends - three friends from school, two from college (a couple, which maybe counts as one), and one who started as a PC same day as him - he’s a gay brown man in the Midlands who likes dressing well and not football, so it’s not like he’s super popular. He likes Wells, she’s a good DC, but her husband’s a right bellend, so that’s not going to help them transition from workmates to actual mates.
His sister, who loves repeating apt little statements she’s read in magazines, once told him that when you’re past thirty it is extremely hard to meet new people.
He’s past forty now, and the only place he meets new people is crime scenes.
He meets Daniel Clement at a crime scene.
When he first heard that the body had been found by a vicar in his church, Neil had imagined some doddering old grey haired gent who remembered when India was legally part of the British Empire. Instead, he’d met: Caucasian male, mid-thirties, six foot, slightly curly brown hair, eyes hazel (actually hazel, like looking at the fresh grey-green blooming in the spring), sardonic while somehow also kind, a bit odd, smart, smart and interesting and interested and kind, so, so kind. Almost naive, but also - smart. Full of mercy, even for those who would kill, who would hate, who would threaten him.
Neil feels like he’s hit the jackpot. If he never meets any new people at all, ever again, he’s fine with it, because he sort of only wants to spend time with Daniel. He wants to make as many excuses as possible to spend time with Daniel: dropping by, filling him in, picking him up, buying him a drink. He’d take him home if he could.
He wants to be friends with this man.
It actually takes him a few weeks to realise he also wants to kiss him.
In his defense, he’s basically not dated or even fucked since he made DC.
He wants to be good at his job! His job requires a lot of time! He doesn’t have spare time to go on dates! Or cruise!
Not that he ever cruised, anyway. Not really his scene. Too risky.
Being busy with work kind of killed his sex drive anyway.
So it’s a bit of a surprise when he’s lying in bed, thinking over the day, thinking over his conversation with Daniel, thinking over his tipped lips and crooked brows, a face rumpled with amusement and humility. An untidy sort of a face, but in the most inviting sense possible - like a comfortable couch, or a bed still warm from your body - bugger, his dick is jumping. He wants to kiss that face, he realises, and touches himself. He wants to fuck that preist. He fists his cock, squeezes. God help him, he’s even sort of into the collar.
If hell exists, he’s probably going to it. Does Daniel believe in hell? Must do, probably comes with the job. Is Daniel gay? Maybe. No conclusive evidence either way. Too much reasonable doubt. He’s a detective, not a mind reader.
He almost wants to ask. Imagine, Canon Clement, have you ever wanted to shag a man?
Daniel may be straight. May be waiting to marry some perfect, charming, rector’s wife. It may be that he entered the church specifically for an excuse to dress up in frocks and get to talk about loving a bloke (Jesus).
He’s not going to ask.
Instead, he invites himself in, listens to Audrey, nods politely, steals Daniel away, watches Daniel expand into himself with the weight of his mother off his shoulders - he clearly loves her, while also loathing her - and he spends time with Daniel.
Listens to him talk - about his community, about the people he takes care of, about the people he travels to take care of, the protests he’s taken part in - listens to the simple, understated, goodness in him. He’s beautiful: physically, mentally - spiritually?
Neil really likes him. As a friend - as literally anything. It’s mad.
He wonders if he could keep private a sexual relationship with such a public person as a priest. Seems impossible, to be honest.
But the very existence of Daniel Clement seems impossible. Someone as dear as him? Must be a miracle. If miracles exist. Does Daniel believe in miracles? Must do.