Title: So Much To Say
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Carl Hickman/Louis Daniel
Fandom: Crossing Lines
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 480
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Carl Hickman or Louis Daniel, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Carl looked up from his book with a frown, watching Louis.

He knew that there was something wrong when his boyfriend was this quiet. Something was bothering Louis, and he wanted to know what it was.

There had been a stillness about him all day long, as though he wanted to say something, but held himself back from uttering the words. Once or twice, Carl had thought that he was going to open up, but then Louis had seemed to change his mind about speaking.

Well, they would have to talk about whatever it was sooner or later, Carl told himself. He just hoped that this issue wasn't something that would make them argue.

He hated fighting with Louis. Fortunately, they rarely argued.

The only things that really made them raise their voices to each other always involved the team and their work. Often, they had differing opinions.

In the end, Carl usually gave in -- a lot of the time, he felt that he had no choice, as Louis was the leader of the team. What he said was the final word, and even though Carl would always try to put his two cents in, they always went with Louis' instincts.

After all, Louis did have the most experience in dealing with the international cases they worked on. Carl knew that it was best to defer to that experience.

Still, this silence boded ill, and he wanted to know what was causing it. The only thing to do was to jump right in and ask Louis about it.

"Louis, what's eating at you?" he asked, finally putting down the book he'd been pretending to read, sighing as he looked directly into his lover's face when Louis lifted his head from his own book. "You've been quiet all night. I know that means there's trouble."

Louis smiled slightly, shaking his head. "There is no trouble, Carl. I simply have a lot on my mind. And yes, before you ask, it does involve the team, and the case."

"I thought so," Carl said with another sigh. "Care to tell me what's bugging you?"

Louis' sigh mirrored his own; he put down the book he'd been reading, looking directly at Carl, not flinching or looking away as he spoke.

"I will be the one to go undercover on this case, Carl. Yes, I know that you don't want me to take that risk, but I cannot, in good conscience, let Tommy or Sebastian do something that I would not be willing to take on myself. And they don't have the experience that I do."

Carl could only stare at him, open-mouthed, not knowing what to say. This time, the silence was coming from him -- and he had no idea what to say to break it.

There was so much that he wanted to say, but he didn't know where to begin.

***