@lowkeymulti ⟶ ‘ if it’s all in my head, tell me now. ’ juliet…👀✨
FOLKLORE + EVERMORE, accepting.
the words catch him off guard, brow furrows as carlton can feel his heart-rate increase. this isn’t something he’d accounted for, it’s not a possibility that’s crossed his mind... not really. it’s never been a legitimate option. they’re partners — juliet’s the best partner he’s ever had, and ruining that is a terrifying prospect.
no, no, he’s lying. he’s kidding himself. it’s crossed his mind more times than he can count. he’s become an expert at dismissing the idea that he might... have feelings... for juliet. it isn’t as if it’d gone well the first time he’d fallen for a partner, is it? juliet has caught on, and that complicates things.
in a split second, though, the possibility opens itself, and he finds it difficult to process. damn it. this is an ultimatum... or it feels like one, at the very least, and he’s never done well with ultimatums. they prompt aggression, and the fact that this one isn’t happens to be as jarring as anything.
he sits in silence, heart in his throat, as carlton struggles for words. they’ve never been his strong suit, he’s never been the kind of person who’s been able to think things through before the words leave his mouth, but now? now he feels the weight of the importance of saying the right thing. it rests heavily on his shoulders, and after a while, he blinks and takes a deep breath, finally opening his mouth to speak.
“o’hara — juliet... i... uh, i’m not great with words.” the words are quiet, far softer than his typical tone, and he swallows hard then clears his throat awkwardly ❪ why does it feel like the words are stuck? like they’re refusing to leave his lips as he finds himself gripped by a fear that he wishes would just leave already ❫.
in one last attempt to make it easier to speak, carlton loosens his tie before continuing, “you know that. i’m not spencer, i can’t... spin nonsense off the top of my head. i’m no alleged psychic, i’m just a detective... just a man with a well-stocked emergency bunker and incredibly impressive skill as a marksman.” in the most subtle of movements, carlton finds himself glancing down, then right back up, expression serious as he allows a smile to briefly flicker across his lips, “but you’re not crazy, it’s not in your head. i, uh, i really care about you, and not always in a way that’s strictly professional. you’re a remarkable woman, juliet, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t feel the same, it really just feels... it feels good to get this off my chest,”
