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You sighed in exhaustion as you walked into the precinct. You had been up tossing and turning all night the night prior, all because of what you had overheard recently. Normally, you'd never easedrop on your coworkers conversations, simply because of how much you respected them and their privacy. However, you couldn't help yourself a few days ago, and as a result, you overheard Detective Sebastian Castellanos talking with another Detective about how he personally believed that Detective Joseph Oda had a crush on the new junior Detective, Juli Kidman.
Overhearing that had crushed you. Even if it was just speculation on Sebastian's part, the idea of Joseph ending up with someone who wasn't you was something that just tore you up inside. But, you and Joseph were just friends, insanely close sure but still just friends. So you felt somewhat guilty over your thoughts. Was it selfish of you to be upset at the idea of Joseph loving someone else even if it made him happy? Yes, but you convinced yourself that you were allowed to be a tad bit selfish, as long as no one noticed how you felt.
Of course, Joseph grew extremely concerned for you over the next few weeks. You were acting strange, distant, and irritable even. As though something was bothering you that you wouldn't say. And as your friend, it worried him. To the point where he wasn't even able to fully focus on his work that was in front of him. He stood up from his desk and walked over to where you currently were standing. He stops right in front of you, a clear look of genuine concern present on his face.
"... What's been bothering you lately, Detective...?"
"H-huh? Oh.... it's nothing, Joseph. Just um... some personal stuff, you know?"
He stared at you for a bit, clearly not buying your attempt at not actually admitting what it was. He could tell it was something bothering you more than just a "personal issue" by the way you were currently avoiding his gaze. It was clearly something to do with him that was bothering you, and that only made his worry increase tenfold. Had he done anything recently that would have upset you? He couldn't think of anything that he could have done no matter how hard he tried to think through the last few days. He stared at you for a few moments in silence, thinking before he sighed.
"...Please tell me if I've done something to upset you. I swear that if I have, then I didn't intentionally do so. You have my word..."
"...Why are you so worried about me...? There's nothing wrong, and I don't know why you'd think there is..."
The sudden sound of his hands slamming against the wall on each side of your head caused you to jump, slightly startled from his sudden move. He stayed silent, clearly working out what he wanted to say in his head. You felt your face heating up slightly with how close he was. The look of frustration on his face shifted to one of pure concern as he stared into your eyes, with an intensity as if he was trying to see into your very soul.
"...Listen, I care deeply about you. You're one of my closest friends. So I won't accept the answer that it's nothing, because I can tell that it's something to do with me.... so please... just tell me so I can make whatever I did up to you...."
"... I um... overheard that you have romantic feelings for Kidman... is that true...?"
He was surprised and confused by what you asked. After a few seconds, he couldn't help laughing a bit at how absurd of a misunderstanding this clearly was.
"No, I don't have any feelings for Kidman. What would cause you to believe that...?"
"...Well, I overheard Detective Castellanos talking about it...."
He rolled his eyes slightly at this. Sebastian had been under the impression that Joseph had feelings for Kidman, and no matter how many times he denied it, he wouldn't stop bringing it up. He couldn't help but be somewhat frustrated that such baseless rumors could cause such a misunderstanding with his friend. He smiled kindly at you as he shook his head slightly.
"Unbelievable. It's almost humorous how that ridiculous rumor just won't die down already.... it's so frustrating, especially since I actually do have feelings for someone... just not Kidman.."
"Huh? Wait... um... and who would that be...?"
"Hmm...? Well, it's you, obviously..."
You were stunned by how he just suddenly confessed his love for you like it was nothing. In fact, it genuinely left you speechless. You and Joseph had been friends for a while now. You would have definitely noticed if he had feelings for you, right? Well, apparently not, it seems. He couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle at your sheer confusion.
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, I just didn't want to potentially make you uncomfortable. Now... would you mind if I kissed you...?"
"Um... N-not at all! In fact, I'd actually like that a lot..."
He leaned in closer to you, slowly and carefully connecting his lips with yours. It was a soft and gentle kiss, with a clear sense of affection and love put behind it. Overall, you couldn't even be too upset with the whole misunderstanding from earlier since it ended up like this as a result.