The Siege of Kermit's Heart

Peter softly smiled as he watched his prey walk into the station.

For the past two weeks, Peter had been laying the groundwork for his plan to win Kermit's heart.

First, he had begun by finding out what it was that Kermit needed and liked. It was not surprising to Peter that the list wasn't that long nor that hard to check off.

When it came to music, his future love liked listening to soft jazz, classical, and Pink Floyd.

So, during the past two weeks, certain CDs of Kermit's favorite music began to appear on his desk, signed with the mysterious 'your secret admirer.'

Then, as the old saying goes, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach," Peter began placing some of Kermit's favorite desserts on his desk. They ranged from old-fashioned apple pie to some Asian delicacies.

Then, mysterious bottles of wine of a very good vintage began to appear, along with some of Kermit's favorite cheeses.

Peter smiled when he started to hear the rumors around the department, and they were all saying the same thing. Someone was trying to win Kermit's heart.

Well, Peter didn't make it too hard for his love to figure out who was his secret admirer. He left many hints with his presents as to who was sending the mysterious packages.

However, he knew the time had come for him to pull out all of the stops when an e-mail arrived on his computer.

"Tonight. 8 p.m. Your place. This has to stop. K."

Peter smiled as he read the note. He quickly deleted it and made some excuse so he could leave early.

Kermit looked up from his computer as he watched the handsome young man leave the station.

He had known who his secret admirer was as soon as he had opened his first gift. Peter was trying to get his attention.

'Why now?' That was one of the many questions that Kermit had been asking himself for the two weeks since the gifts had started appearing.

'Why was a young, handsome man like Peter Caine suddenly interested in an old, retired mercenary?' Kermit again asked himself as he finished up his work before heading out to meet with Peter.

'There's no way that he could love me. Not when there are all of those beautiful women out there that he could date.

'Besides, I'm too old,' he angrily thought once more as he ran a frustrated hand through his dark, graying hair.

He let out a weary sigh as he rested the back of his head against his chair. 'When did my life get so complicated?' he asked himself as he folded his arms across his chest and looked up at the ceiling.

He let out another sigh as he remembered when this had all started: he and Peter had gone on stakeout to a warehouse. Peter had begun looking at him differently after that night. He had begun paying more attention to his actions and what he was saying then he had before. Soon after, the gifts had started to appear on his desk. Now Kermit had to put an end to it.

Not that he minded the gifts or the attention that he was receiving from his young suitor. If he was really honest with himself, he loved it. However, all of the attention that he was receiving from the younger man was making it extremely difficult for him to fight his true feelings towards Peter.

Hell, if he was going to be really honest with himself, then he would just admit that he was in love with the younger man.

"Shit!" he exclaimed as he caught sight of the time and realized that he was going to be late meeting with Peter.

As he grabbed his leather jacket, he remembered the first time that he realized that he was in love with the younger man. It was last year, when he was lying in that hospital room suffering from a gunshot wound in his shoulder.

He remembered that when he had woken up for the first time after the operation, he had turned and Peter had been sitting next to his bed, holding his hand. He had softly snored, unaware, during the night.

It was then that Kermit realized, as he had watched the younger man sleeping, how fiercely he had fallen in love with him.

His love was so deep that he was willing to sacrifice his happiness with Peter by setting him straight about his feelings toward him.

He was going to point out all of his faults to him. Hell, he would even go as far as telling Peter that he wasn't worth his time.

All to make sure that Peter would leave him and have the kind of life that he should. The kind with a beautiful young wife, two kids, and a perfect house with a white picket fence.

With that thought in mind, Kermit grabbed his keys, put on his jacket, and walked out of the station to face the most crucial battle of his life: making Peter fall out of love with him.

Kermit stood outside of Peter's apartment door as he tried to gather up the courage to knock on the door.

Once more, he paused in his knocking, as he turned and started to pace the floor and began talking to himself.

"It's like this Peter, I'm an older man and you're a younger man. A young man who deserves better. A man who needs to find himself a nice wife so he can settle down with her, have a nice white house with two little kids and a picket fence."

Soft laughter filled the hallway causing Kermit to pause in his practiced speech to look at Peter's doorway.

There standing before him was Peter, smiling at him as he leaned against the door.

Kermit slightly blushed as he ran a nervous hand through his dark, graying hair and turned to watch as Peter raised an inquiring brow up at him.

"I w..wa.. was," Kermit nervously stuttered and then frowned as he pushed his shades back up his nose and spoke more firmly. "Never mind, I don't have to explain anything to you." He said as he walked through Peter's doorway ignoring the soft chuckles coming from Peter.

Peter shook his head at the man he had fallen hopelessly in love with as he reentered his apartment. He almost tripped over the man who now stood stunned in silence.

Peter softly laughed because for once in his life he was able to surprise Kermit.

"I did this for you," Peter whispered softly against Kermit's ear. He indicated the darken room lit with only two candles on the table and soft romantic jazz playing in the background. He let a smug smile cross his face as he felt the other man shiver under the feel of his voice as he walked over to the table and pulled a chair out for him.

'Soon, Kermit. Soon you will let down your walls and surrender your heart to me,' Peter thought as he watched the man nervously sit down at the table.

Peter turned his back and walked into the kitchen. It was as he entered the kitchen that he heard Kermit clear his throat and start to speak again.

"Listen, Peter, I offered to come over here tonight to talk things over. We need to have an understanding." He paused as he watched Peter walk out of the kitchen and place his favorite foods in front of him.

He lost his train of thought at the aroma coming from the food in front of him.

Peter hid a pleased smile as he poured Kermit's favorite wine. He placed the bottle of wine on the table and leaned closer to Kermit's ear as he seductively whispered, "No shades at the table, love." He removed Kermit's shades from his face to reveal his lovely brown eyes. "There, that's a much better view," he said as he smiled and sat down across from a very stunned Kermit.

"So, now what were you talking about?" Peter ever so non-innocently asked.

Kermit swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat as he watch the candle light pick up the different color flicks in Peter's hair, making him look more handsome than Kermit ever thought.

"What?" Kermit, barely whispered as he looked into Peter's handsome face. "What did you call me?"

Peter shyly smiled up at his now and forever love as he answered, "Love, Kermit. I called you Love. I can't really call you babe, darling or sweetheart because they just don't seem to fit you. But calling you Love feels right some how. I hope you don't mind?" he asked as he shyly looked down at his plate and began to toy with his food.

Kermit swallowed a second lump that formed in his throat as he took a sip of his wine.

"Listen, Peter, I think it's time that we had a talk. This... This," Kermit started with a frustrated move of his hand between them.

"Love," Peter happily supplied for Kermit.

"Yeah, Love.. Wait, who said love?" Kermit asked.

Peter teasingly smiled at his love, "I believe that you did, Kermit"

"Right., Well listen, Peter, this love that you think you feel for me just can't be. I mean, you're young and good looking."

"You think that I'm good looking?" Peter asked as he sat up and looked at Kermit.

"Well, yeah!" Kermit replied with out even thinking. "As I was saying, you're young, good looking and well, let's face it, any woman would have to be out of her mind not to want you. So, here's what you're going to do. You are going to forget about being in love with me and go on with your life, marry and have two point seven kids."

Kermit frowned when he saw Peter shaking his head no. "What? What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong?" Peter asked as he got up from his chair and walked over to Kermit, placing his hands on Kermit's face as he looked into the frightened eyes of his love.

"What wrong, Kermit," Peter spoke softly as he placed a kiss on Kermit's cheek. "Is that I love you. I love you so much that I can't think anymore. I've loved you since the first day that I met you, I knew that you were my other half. I love you, Kermit."

With that Peter leaned down and kissed him.