Time to take a ✨oneshot✨

diary?

The scent of hot melted cheese and pepperoni seeped into his nose and Jonathan grinned in satisfaction as Jackson popped the top open.

Caught in his excitement, Groff leaned over, reaching for a slice, wetting his lips. He froze, fingers hovering slightly over one when another person's hand covered his own, having gone for the same slice. He looked to his right and Miranda was bent over, just as tense, if not more so. He was always so high strung, on edge. Jonathan was curious as to why that was- sure he was a murderer but anyone could see that didn't faze him, if it ever did. In fact, he did it by choice, when he felt like it, so he said.

So he wasn't so surprised to see him so shocked, eye twitching, probably without him realizing it. And Jonathan was in one of those moods.

He grabbed the slice by the crust, dragging it slowly onto his plate. He kept eye contact with Lin as he dragged a finger across the top of it and brought it up to his lips, sucking off the grease. All Miranda could do was gape, face heating up. Jonathan smirked in satisfaction, reaching to caress his burning cheek with tender fingers, lifting his chin and brought him in for a kiss. When he pulled away, he returned focus to his pizza.

Chris pretended he wasn't watching. He never understood how they had no shame but on the other hand, it was refreshing that they'd found someone who could get Miranda to surrender- and so easily too. He didn't get it and from the look on Lin's frustratingly flustered face well- every time it happened, he didn't either. The tilt of his head, the tensing of his fingers. Knowing Miranda, Jackson imagined it kept him up at night.

He exchanged a glance with Ramos but as usual he was equally baffled.

Catching up with time, the four men dug in before the food got cold, table noisy with silence. It was always silent while they ate, no one ever had anything to say.

While they were eating, Jonathan's mind was going. It'd been on his mind for days, that notebook. Lin was so keen on it being hidden, out of his and everyone else's sight. There had to be something important in there. Something he didn't know about him- if that was possible.

Ramos was the first to disappear into his room. Miranda had been ravenous, devouring half the pizza. He was the second, stretching his arms and yawning before slumping to his and Jonathan's bedroom. And now Jonathan was left with Jackson.

Unlike earlier, they were fully capable of making small talk, easy conversation. He'd learned to understand Jackson, and though Chris knew to be wary of Jonathan, he was learning to understand him too, somehow.

Chris didn't talk much around Miranda, unless he was spoken to. It was one of their silent rules. Ramos, on the other hand was now terrified of pissing off both Lin and Jonathan so that kept him quiet. But with both Miranda and Anthony gone, they were fine.

And now that they were alone, Jonathan's thoughts had been building up and he had to bring it up.

"I sure have to bail out Ramos a lot," he started, resting his face in one hand, elbow on the table.

Jackson cocked an eyebrow, letting out a light chuckle, "I don't doubt it."

Groff ran a hand through his hair, "Well, there was one time in particular that was- I don't know, pretty strange. Like...." he wet his lips, "He reacted differently."

"Towards Ramos?"

"No. Towards me- afterwards."

"Well what happened?" he asked, taking another bite of his pizza.

"Well," he exhaled, "when I walked in, there was the usual situation, Anthony in pain or fear- or both- and Miranda yelling at him." He waved a hand around, "Only this time it wasn't because of Lin's guns or a phone or anything like that. It was.... A notebook. It was just a notebook and there's gotta be something in there," he looked up to make eye contact, tilting his head, "Lin was scared. When I tried to look at it, he flinched."

He waited as Chris opened his mouth to talk and closed it again, processing. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Jonathan nodded sharply, "Yeah. Positive." He spaced out for a second and then, "Did you know about it? The notebook? You've been here much longer than I have, have you- seen it before?"

Jackson took a deep breath, flattening his hands out on the table, tapping his index finger and staring down in- shame? "I did once," He said finally, "I really didn't mean to, and I knocked first I swear." Jonathan nodded to go on so Chris continued, "He must've not heard me. I opened the door and there he was. Standing at his desk, lost in his own world when he noticed me and," he huffed, "he slammed the book shut, looking as if he'd been caught in the center of a murder trial and yelled, what the fuck did I tell you about knocking? He didn't even have to finish his sentence before I was outta there and I haven't seen it since."

Jon simply nodded. Had it been months ago, he might've felt sorry for him that Lin yelled. Now he knew Miranda, he knew Chris and most of all he knew getting worked up wasn't worth a dime.

Suddenly he was feeling full so he stood up. He nodded goodnight to Chris and walked back to Lin and his room.

When he closed the door behind himself and turned around, he found Lin sitting up against the headboard, hands in his lap. Lin looked up at the sound.

"Thirty minutes," he said, point-blank.

Jonathan cocked an eyebrow, "Pardon?"

Miranda rolled his eyes, "It took you thirty minutes to finish your food after I left? Really?" his arms were crossed, eyes suspecting.

Jonathan smirked, teasing, "What? Did you miss me?" Miranda's arms tensed, clinging harder against his own chest.

"What were you doing?" He gritted.

Jon shrugged, "Talking to Chris."

"About?"

"It doesn't concern you." He stated, pulling back the covers and over his chest as he slid under them.

Miranda looked down at him from the top of the headboard. He squinted down at Jon's wide, seemingly innocent, blue eyes.

"You're lying."

Jonathan sighed, turning to face away, arms pulled in. "What was it this time," he asked.

"You know I'm not telling."

"Was worth a shot." He didn't say anything else and Miranda rolled his eyes. Jonathan hadn't turned back to face him.

Lin sunk his fingers into Groff's hair, running through, combing it. He tightened his grip and pulled until Jonathan's face was in view, eyes locked with his own, annoyed. "Are you gonna elaborate?" He warned.

Jonathan scoffed, body now fully turned to face him, right palm ghosting up Lin's chest. Miranda inhaled low between his teeth at the caress. Jon smirked, "Just laughing about how much of an idiot you are, nothing new," he shrugged. He pulled at his shoulder, "Now get down here, idiot."

Lin sighed explosively, running a hand over his face as he hunkered down the mattress, resting his head on a pillow.

Sleep wasn't easy for either of them that night. Groff couldn't stop thinking about that notebook, what was in it. Lin, for his usual reasons: hate, anger, impatience and deep down inside where he kept it buried, fear.