Chapter Text
Of all the inspectors that graced Kembleford with their presence Inspector Sullivan was Sid's favorite and the one he fought with the most. Inspector Sullivan threw Sid in jail multiple times without thought or question but it only made their tension amplify. During one of these instances they were fighting loudly in Sid's cell.
“You have no right to keep me here!” Sid howled.
“No right? No right? We caught you red handed trying to steal that watch!” Sullivan was almost red in the face and his patience was already immeasurably thin.
“It was mine, that bastard stole it from me and I was taking my own property back!”
“Why not just report to the police that it had been stolen?”
“Would you have believed me? Oh inspector Sullivan, a man stole a solid silver watch made in Germany from me.” Sid was pretending to be some kind of damsel in distress. “I bet if I had you would have laughed at me.” Sid of course was right but Inspector Sullivan did want to admit it especially in his rage.
“Get out.” Sid brushed past him in the cell, bumping into Sullivan's shoulder. Something in the inspector snapped and he turned and pushed Sid down onto the bench, hard.
“Oi, what's your problem?” Sullivan wanted to scream.
“My problem is you. You won’t keep yourself out of trouble for one second and I have to go chasing after you and then you get angry with me for doing my job.” Sid only grinned at Sullivans angry heaving breaths.
“I think maybe you like chasing after me.” Sid's sly eyes crawled up Sullivans body to meet his eyes. “Gives you something to look forward to.” The man said hardly above a whisper. Sid licked his lips.
Sullivan lunged forward at the man sitting on the bench pulling him up by the collar of his shirt to slam their lips together. This kiss was not sweet or kind but very hard and desperate. Sid could feel it in the way Sullivans hands shook on his collar that he had been thinking about this for awhile. Sullivan plopped down, straddling Sid's lap and biting down in a very ungentle way on Sid's lower lip. Sid dropped his head back and groaned.
“God City Boy, didn’t know you could do that.” Sid said while they panted in each other's air. Sullivan ground his hips down on Sids and the man slapped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from crying out.
“Learned a lot of things before I left the city.” Sullivan took this opportunity to start biting and sucking at Sid's newly exposed neck, leaving bright red marks in his wake. Sid was helpless to this man and this situation, he knew this was an opportunity that was unlikely to be repeated and so planned on letting it sprawl out in whatever direction it wanted.
Sullivan mercifully left Sid’s neck for a moment only for Sid to take the man by the back of the neck into another smouldering kiss. Sid licked the inspectors bottom lip, asking for the man to open his mouth. Sullivan swiftly complied and moaned as Sid ground his hips up into Sullivan.
They stayed locked in this embrace for several minutes until the polite and concerned Sergeant Goodfellow who was listening to the shouting and then silence, called out,
“Sir, is everything alright sir?” as he walked towards the cell. With a gasp Sullivan leaped off Sid's lap and quickly tried to straighten his wayward hair and his slightly skewed clothes, courtesy of Sid's curious hands.
“Yes Sergeant, everything alright, I’ll be out in just a moment.” Sullivan took a moment, inhaling a few deep but not steadying breaths. He glanced back at Sid with a small smile before disappearing. Sid on the other hand was leaned back against the wall with a large satisfied smile on his face, his clothes and hair also ruffled. If this was the only time Sullivan would let himself stoop this low it was at least a good one and surely something that Sid would remember the rest of his life. Lady Felicia would get a kick hearing about this.
Thankfully that was not the only time Inspector Sullivan showed his fiery attraction to Sid. They collide together on several more occasions, much to Sid's delight. Sid also notices even though he doesn’t really want to acknowledge it, a fondness developing for this inspector. Which Sid supposes is what you get after making out with, having sex with, and cuddling this man.
Everything was fine up until the inspector's unfortunate encounter with the illuminati. Sid was stricken when he first heard that the inspector had murdered someone. Surely he was not capable of such a thing, the upright and strict inspector that he was. The last time Sid had been with Sullivan was a week or so ago and at that moment Sid thought the last thing he was capable of was murder. Sid couldn’t believe it. He didn’t sleep very well that night. In two days Sullivan had escaped from prison and requested the help of Father Brown who turned to his acquaintances. When Sullivan shot down the help from Father Brown's acquaintances Sid felt as if he had been kicked. He wanted to help Sullivan, it was the least he could do.
That night in the presbytery it was Sullivan who snuck into Sid’s room and slipped under his covers into the warmth Sid could provide. It was Sid though who couldn’t help but wrap his arms around the inspector, nuzzling his face into the back of the man's neck.
“I’m so glad you’re alright darlin’” Sid murmured into the dark. Sullivan smiled weakly for no one to see and pressed as close to Sidney as he could. Sullivan didn’t notice when Sid left early that morning but was shocked when he woke up and went to the kitchen to find out about all the investigating and plans that had been made while he slept.
Sid cringed inwardly when Sullivan mentioned his pending case. That was why they hadn’t seen one another in a week. Sullivan was angry at Sid for this one, it was a little bit too much trouble for Sid. But thankfully they were able to pull off getting the evidence without too much of a hitch and they both thanked God when Sergeant Goodfellow covered for them. Sullivan happened to be shaking in his boots as they sat against the desk. When they turned to look at one another after the Sergeant gave the all clear, a wave of relief washed over them both.
Unfortunately that relief didn’t last long. Sullivan wanted to go after the briefcase. Everyone else would have appreciated a bit more time to plan after they realized what it was and maybe then everyone would have been on board but Sullivan was insistent.
“Whatever's in that briefcase could prove my innocence.” Father Brown cast a glance at Sullivan and Sid. Sid knew he would do anything to help and so would the Father but Sullivan wanted answers now. They didn’t want Sullivan to do anything brash and the waters were already incredibly mirky.
“I just need more time to think.” Father Brown uttered weakly.
“Have you forgotten which one of us is a police officer? I’ll find Alberts killer with or without your help.” He turned on his heels and stormed out and Sid, as if tugged on an invisible string, went to go chase after him.
“Sit down! Sid.” Father Brown exclaimed and the string was snapped and Sid could only gaze at Father Brown in wonderment. The Father hardly if ever raised his voice and certainly not like that. Why wouldn’t the inspector just wait, let them formulate and plan and then let them help him get out of this mess?
Father Brown called Inspector Truman.
“What did you do that for? Now surely he’s gonna get arrested.” Sid said standing in the doorway of the study. Father Brown turned to look at Sid. Sid was so confused and so upset.
“I can’t tell you because the more any of you are involved the more dangerous it will be. But I promise you Sid, I will prove that he’s innocent.” Sid's eyes prickled.
“Father, I'm just scared for him, he needs help. I’ve never seen him that frantic before.”
“Oh Sid.” Father Brown let Sid fall into his arms. Father Brown rubbed Sid's back as Sid's tears soaked into his cassock.
“Everything will be alright Sid.”
Father Brown left soon after, not telling them where he was going and when he was going to be back. Sid paced in that tiny kitchen, his mind racing. Lady Felicia and Mrs McCarthy watched him over their cups of tea, exchanging worried looks.
“Sidney sit down and have some tea.” Lady Felicia implored.
“If I am going to drink anything it's going to be much stronger than tea.”
“Oh Sidney,” Mrs McCarthy sighed. “The Father will get him out of this mess, you just need to have some patience.”
“I find it hard to have patience when two people I care about are in grave danger right now.” Sid said exasperated.
“Two people?” Lady Felicia asked with arched eyebrows.
“I’m gonna go have a smoke!” Sid yelled. The room was too small, there wasn’t enough air and he couldn’t stand them watching him anymore. Sid puffed on his cigarette, his hands were shaking as he brought it away from his lips and the ash trembled off by itself. He thought about running away. He wanted to help, he wanted to find them, he at least wanted to know that they were both safe and he instead had nothing. He smoked about four cigarettes before he went back inside and promptly passed out in the doorway.
When he woke up Mrs McCarthy was dabbing at him with a cool cloth and he felt awful in the position he was in. He realized that they had only been able to lay him on the small cramped sofa in the study. He was scrunched up like a shrimp.
“Father Brown called a few minutes ago. They are back at the police station now and everyone is alright. Inspector Sullivan is alright Sidney and they have proven him innocent.” Sid was so exhausted and relieved that more tears trickled down his face.
“Oh Sidney.” Mrs McCarthy pulled Sidney into her arms and he heaved in air for a few minutes. “Inspector Sullivan is a good, good man and certainly a worthy . . . partner for you.”
Sidney found himself much more composed when they went to Albert's funeral a few days later. When the inspector declared that they had lost the evidence from Sid's case his jaw almost dropped to the ground. The inspector visited the presbytery later that day.
“I just wanted to come by and thank everyone for their help.” He said his eyes flitting over everyone at the table. He and Sid locked eyes for a moment before Mrs McCarthy said,
“Well why don’t you sit down and have a cup of tea?” She poured and put a cup down in front of him. It was the chair next to Sid and before he could sit down Sid dragged the chair closer to him. Sullivan sat down letting Sid lean against him in a casual way but they all knew Sid would rather have dragged him into his lap. They thanked God he didn’t. Sid tangled their hands together under the table. A little smile crept over Sullivans face as he brought his tea cup to his lips.
“I’m sorry for the way I acted. You all helped me so much and I should have been more grateful at the time.”
“It's alright Inspector Sullivan, we all knew how much distress you were in.” Father Brown said. Sid squeezed his hand.
They persuaded him to stay over for dinner and Sid persuaded him to stay the night in his bed. Sid couldn’t stop kissing him, Sullivans lips were bright red by the time Sid broke away. Sullivans hands were in Sid's hair tugging on it in the way that made Sid moan.
“Good Lord man, do you want me to suffocate?”
“I’m sorry, I’m just happy to have you back and I got to make sure you’re alright.” Sid said as a smirk grew on his face, he tucked his head into the inspector's neck and started nibbling at the man's neck. Sullivan blush spread but he was smiling like a coyote too. After a few minutes of leaving violent red marks on the respectable inspectors neck Sid laid down, his head resting on the inspectors chest. The inspector played with Sid’s hair and Sid fell asleep like a tired cat.
A week or so later the inspector got a call from London informing him of his promotion. It broke his heart when he told Sid about it even though Sid was excited for him and took it so well. Sid knew there was no solution to this. The inspector was going to go, he was destined for great things and becoming a better police officer.
“Why don’t you come with me?” The inspector asked quietly, rubbing Sid’s knuckles with his thumbs.
“Darlin’ if I could I would. But I can’t. If you think I get in trouble now you wouldn’t be ready for the kind of trouble I can get in in London.”
“But I’ll be there with you, I can keep you out of trouble.” Sullivan was desperate.
“Ed I’m not . . . I couldn’t handle being in London. And what are those uppity copers gonna think of your roughian boyfriend?”
“I don’t care what they think. Sidney, I want you to come with me. And I know that you can’t.” Sullivans eyes were blurry with tears and he leaned over on Sid. Sid kissed his temple putting a hand on the back of his neck and wrapping his other arm around him.
At the train station a few days later, Sid drove them all there. He helped Sullivan get his things out of the trunk but before they went in the station Sid swept the inspector up into his arms kissing him until he couldn’t breath.
“I love you and I know you are going to do amazing things in London.” The inspector was clutching Sid's shirt with a sad smile on his face.
“I love you too Sidney Carter.” They hugged each other hard enough to break ribs.
“Come on Inspector Sullivan, we’ve still got to get you on that train.” They chuckled, wiping the tears off one another's faces.
The train pulled off, and they all waved as the inspector hung out the window smiling at them. Lady Felicia and Mrs McCarthy were both squeezing either of Sids arms gazing at him sadly. Father Brown had a hand resting on his shoulder.
“You all are holding onto me like I’m a jack rabbit, I ain’t going to run away.” Sid said.
“We know Sid.” Murmured the Father.
Sidney had a wonderful, beautiful relationship with the inspector and was glad it happened even though it had to end. Besides, there were bigger, better, and brighter people in Sid's future.