Title: Blind Date
Author: Lesley-Ann
Fandom: Diagnosis Murder
Pairing: Steve/Jesse
Rating: G
Archive: mine (just ask if interested)
Status: Complete
Series: Possibly
Disclaimers: Nothing and nobody is mine.
Summary: both Steve and Jesse are sublimating. Only planned to make it a short PWP but now I'm finished this one, I am looking to write a sequel straight onto the back of it!!
***

Blind Date
by Lesley-Ann

Single....Male....Fit....loves sports.....

//Wow this guy is perfect!//

Jesse Travis couldn't believe his luck, cruising throught the gay singles ads he had found the perfect date. By all descriptions this seemed like the perfect man to help him get over his fixation with his best friend.

Not long after meeting Steve Sloan he had come to the conclusion that he was attracted to the other man, in a BIG way!!!

Knowing his friend to be 100% hetrosexual he had pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind with avengeance. But by now this was becoming impossible for the young doctor, since becoming business partners and spending even more of their spare time in each other's company had only served to strengthen the attraction.

An attraction which had stopped being purely sexual long ago, if he was being completely honest with himself here.

//Face it Travis, your in love with the man. That's why your 'perfect' relationship with Susan never succeeded!! You were sublimating your feelings for Steve onto Susan and it backfired hurting both of you in the process.//

Shaking himself from the dark thoughts of his broken romance with Nurse Susan Hilliard he picked up the phone and dialled the number next to the ad.

***

Steve Sloan nervously twiddled with his tie and frowned at his reflection in the mirror once more. Watching from the doorway his father, Dr Mark Sloan, shook his head ruefully as he took in the spectacle his son provided.

"Son you know I hate to interfere.."

"I know Dad!! You think I'm making a mistake going through with this, but I have to do something and this is all I could think of. I'm at the end of my endurance."

"I know, I hate to see you go through this Steve. If only you'd talk to ..."

Steve cut him off with a single look causing the doctor to close his mouth before he finished the sentence. In silence he watched his son finished his primping looking more like he was going to his own execution rather than out on a date.

***

The restuarant was crowded as Jesse entered and he once again considered turning tail and leaving.

//There had to be another way!//

Just as he was about to heed that internal warning the manager returned to his post and noticed him and he found himself being led into the darkened restuarant.

Taking a deep breath he waited for the man to move from his line of vision and let him see the man awaiting him at the table.

Then he did ...

Both men gasped as they finally caught sight of each other for the first time. Simultaneously they spoke.

"Steve!"

"Jesse!"

"What are ...."

"...doing here?"

Dumb struck Jesse allowed himself to be guided into the chair opposite Steve without a murmur.

After their food was placed in front of the men they finally began to relax and become more vocal. Feeling the need to break the ice Steve spoke first.

"Jesse I never knew you were.."

"I'm bi. It's part of the reason Susan and I y'know."

"But answering singles ads. I never thought you would do that."

"Me neither Steve but I did."

"Do you realise how dangerous that can be Jess."

"Oh about as dangerous as say ... placing ads would be." suddenly a chilling thought occurred to the younger man, "Steve your not undercover are you?"

"No Jess. You can relax I'm not undercover. I'm here as me."

"I think we really need to talk Jess."

"About why your really answering single ads, and gay ones at that."

"I told you I'm bi and it's a way to meet men."

"There are other ways. I doubt you ever had to revert to ads for women, so I assume you don't need to for men either."

"Alright you fitted the description of someone I like. A lot."

"Who? Apart from me who do you know who fits my sort of description, I was honest in that ad."

"Yes you were which leads me to ask you. Why ads? And why someone who fits my description to a tee?"

For a moment both men stared at each other before the hilarity of their situation hit both men.

When calm once again reigned at the table Steve slowly extended his left hand towards the young man sitting opposite him and awaited his next move.

Taking a deep breath Jesse lifted his right hand off the table and placed it inside Steve's larger palm where it was swallowed firmly.

Holding hands both men talked lowly admitting what until tonight neither had been brave enough to verbalise to the other.

As the exited the restuarant after finally getting around to eating their meal both men walked slowly towards their vehicles.

Grasping the smaller man's shoulder Steve stopped Jesse as he was about to walk past his car to his own.

"This is real right Jess?"

Placing a comforting hand on top of the detective's Jesse replied gently.

"It had better be, after all we've been through."

"Good."

This was all the detective needed to hear as he dragged the other man against him hugging him hard as if to stop the dream from ending.

Drawing back from the hug Jesse waited until the detective looked him in the eye before he asked with a twinkle evident in his eye.

"Night Cap?"

Seeing the taller man's answering nod Jesse headed for his car and waiting till Steve's car was behind him before heading out of the car park towards his home.

The End.