Chapter Text
Julia strolled into the station house for two reasons. Firstly she planned to ask William to lunch, as she knew things weren't too busy for either of them at work, and also on a somewhat delicate mission. It was truly plaguing her what Detective Watts had asked her and despite her feelings about the nature of what he requested, she felt even worse for not being able to help the man. She had a plan though, she wanted to introduce Watts to a person she worked with at the asylum when she worked there studying psychiatry. There was a patient named Frances Allen who Julia thought would be a wonderful companion for Watts in his time of loneliness and frustration.
She smiled at her husband as he approached her, hat and coat in hand. "I just wanted to speak to Detective Watts for a moment, I'll meet you outside" She placed a chaste kiss on William's cheek before approaching the other detective's desk. Luckily since things had been slow the station house was fairly empty, which gave them some breathing room for a rather sensitive conversation.
"Detective Watts" Julia greeted in a friendly manner. He looked up from a book he was practically devouring with a polite but curt nod. "Dr. Ogden, what can I help you with?"
"Well, I've been thinking about your, therapy, and I feel that perhaps some camaraderie would be helpful in, coping" she fidgeted slightly "and well I wanted to introduce you to a patient of mine from when I was working at the women's asylum, an author, really very charming, a great intellectual and well.." Julia found herself unsure of herself, now that the words started to flow.
"I appreciate the offer Dr. Ogden but I'm afraid no amount of rousing intellectual debate will be able to cure me of what ails me" he glanced back down to his book, a forlorn and frustrated expression crossing his brow.
"Oh Dective he's a transsexual" Julia blurted out, with a lot less tact than she would have preferred but it did make Watts’ face shift from frustration to curiosity.
"I helped this patient come to terms with some things and well, she or rather he, committed himself to living as the opposite sex in private and I mentioned, in broad strokes, what you were going through and he agreed to meet you" Julia proffered up a slip of paper with a neatly scrawled name, address and telephone number written on top, Frankie Allen.
"I see... I don't know if our experiences would necessarily be related but...I suppose if you think it's worth something I'll consider it." He took the paper, holding it gently between his fingers as if it were something precious and perplexing all at once. "Thank you, Doctor, now please, go enjoy your lunch" he gestured to Murdoch who was standing a bit impatiently a few feet from them. Julia nodded and smiled, gently patting his arm as she departed, "take care Llywelyn."
This gave the detective a lot to think about, mind swirling curiously about the prospect, of befriending a transsexual, it couldn't be so different then his experience, perhaps they could be confidants.
Later on, he placed a discreet call to the number Julia had given him, he was surprised when a raspy voice answered the phone, he couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, perhaps this was Frankie. "Hello, this is Llywlen Watts, a friend of Dr. Julia Ogden, she mentioned you, and well, I'm calling you"
"That you are Mr. Watts, did Julia share what might be of interest to you about me?" The voice sounded bemused and made Watts fidget slightly.
"Yes, and if I'm being honest I'm quite curious to meet you, if you'd be amiable to the idea.." Watts attempted to speak evenly, flustered by the awkward circumstances. Nothing quite prepares a man for being set up by a doctor who aims to cure you of your homosexuality.
"Of course Mr.Watts, why don't you come to my home for dinner tonight? If you're not otherwise engaged"
"No! I mean, no I don't have any current plans, I would very much like to dine with you.." there was a soft chuckle from the other end.
"Alright then, I'll see you at my home around 7 o'clock, I trust Julia gave you my address?"
"Yes, well, then I'll see you then, Frankie"
"Llywelyn." Soft click then Watts found himself sinking back into reality. He was going to have dinner with a transexual with a rather nice laugh. Perhaps he was in a little deeper than he expected.
By the time 7 rolled around Llywelyn was rather jittery about the whole situation. He stopped by his home to pick up a nice bottle of red wine and freshen himself up a bit. He called for a handsome cab and provided the driver with the address Julia had given him.
Once he arrived he thanked his driver and stalked up to the modest but rather elegant home. He didn't realize his dinner company was of such means. When he answered the door he came face to face with a butler.
"Hello, I'm here to-"
"My employer has been expecting you"
"Ah good" Watts followed the butler in, admiring the rather eclectic decor of the home, ornate oddities and paintings lining every inch of the walls.
He arrived in a cluttered and fascinating sitting room, with a rather short but shapely man standing by a large bookshelf, back to the door as he rooted through the shelves.
"Your guest has arrived" the butler stated smoothly then he left swiftly, leaving Watts feeling a little unmoored. "Mr. Watts, Frankie Allen, pleased to meet you" The man offered a hand for Llywelyn to shake. "I'm glad you've found your way here" Frankie shot Llywlen a rather charming smile, a book clutched between rather delicate fingers.
"Yes, well it was a rather short ride from my rented room, I live by my work, the station house, so, not far at all"
"The station house? Are you a policeman?" His host, who now, to Watts appeared more rounded around the edges, softer in the chest and face, but no less domineering and attractive.
"I'm a detective with the constabulary, yes" he meandered to a Chaz lounge, sitting down somewhat sheepishly, mirroring his host as he took a seat across from him in a rather ornate armchair.
"Ah, intriguing, Julia was rather vague about her dear friend" the other man smiled slyly, "she certainly didn't describe how handsome her friend was"
"Yes well" Watts coughed uncomfortably
"Don't worry Mr Watts, while I'm a deviant and a transexual I'm not interested in taking advantage"
Watts eyed his host, his face red and his mind turning over the words. A deviant. Like him. Perhaps he was in good company, this dinner could be very rewarding indeed.
"Of course, well I'm rather an open book if you're so inclined to ask"
"I'm glad you're comfortable in yourself, that's a rare thing these days"
"I suppose there's a lot of reasons to be fearful.." Llywelyn tugged on the hem of his jacket, taking note of the slightly frayed edges where he repeated the habit frequently. "Dr.Ogden mentioned you're an author?"
"Yes, ah" Frankie offered over a book he was holding, a story titled "Seven Sisters" by F.Allen. "this is my first published work, rather childish now that I look back on it but I thought it may interest you, to see what I write about that is"
Watts took the book, paging through it thoughtfully. The book seemed to follow the youngest of 7 sisters and her explorations through girlhood.
"I see, I think I may have heard of your work Mr. Allen" Frankie chuckled at that
"You would've heard of Miss Allen's work, I'm not sure what Julia would've told you but my life outside my home is one of a young woman, I'm only Mr. Allen to those closest to me"
"Why?" Llywelyn asked bluntly, although he realized the question could've come off as quite rude, so he quickly attempted to backtrack track "I mean, you seem so comfortable as you are right now, I just can't imagine why you wouldn't just go the route I've heard transexuals going and falsify your public life as well"
"There is nothing false about who I am at home Mr.Watts, but to answer your question, I find that my life is quite comfortable as it is. Those closest to me, my sisters, my friends, know me deeply and truly, I can't fathom why I should bother trying to teach the rest of the world, especially when it can be so dangerous." His host rose from his seat, "now, I imagine dinner will be ready quite soon"
Llywelyn followed as they left the parlor for the dining room. The rest of the house followed the ornate, eclectic look of the first few rooms and Watts found himself entranced in exploring the artworks lining the walls.
Once they settled for dinner, the butler returned with the wine Watts had brought as well as a serving cart with their meals.
"Ah yes, this was meant as a gift, I'm not sure of your preferences but this a particularly good year, a Pinot Noir, a great pair for most meals, although doesn't go great with Greek food I've found, too earthy I think"
Frankie laughed, a melodic sound that had Watts smiling as well. "You know your wine and you have a worldly palette? My dear Julia was keeping a treasure from me all this time"
Watts found himself smug at that, despite putting his foot in his mouth earlier it seemed they were off in a good direction with their friendship.
As they dined they discussed politics, history, philosophy, and modern medicine, apparently a new interest of Frankie as he was exploring the new gender-affirming options for transexuals.
"I noticed you admiring my paintings, are you an art lover?" Frankie asked over his glass of wine, the meal all but finished and the tone in the room slowing down somewhat.
"I like to consider myself savvy in many things, art has always drawn in me, and the way of the artist has intrigued me, to say the least."
"Then I have something to show you" his host gave a conspiratorial smile and took Watts' hand as he exited the dining room. The two made their way down the hall, into a smaller study, lined with even more books and ephemera. There was also an easel and painting supplies, a large canvas taking center stage.
"You paint?" Watts’ mind was turning, a very interesting person indeed, an author, painter, scholar, what a cultured man.
"This is my latest work, still very much in progress mind you" Frankie moved to slide the sheet covering the canvas away. The picture beneath it was one of sensual beauty. A woman, with supple curves and a soft smile lay reclined on a picnic blanket. She was completely nude and her skin looked almost kissed by the sun, auburn hair strewn about her head, and a satisfied smile on her lips.
"Your lover?" Watts all of a sudden became very cold. He supposed it made sense, why would someone like Frankie, who was working so hard to be the opposite sex then be interested in men? It was much easier to just concede to the life of a heterosexual woman but to work so hard to be a man, of course, he would be interested in women. He was foolish for thinking otherwise, for falling into the daydream of a bright, cultured man flirting with him through dinner and perhaps taking him to bed. No, Frankie clearly had a lover, this woman so beautiful and the subject of his artistic passion.
"Oh goodness no" Frankie laughed with humor, shaking his head with an amused smile. "Once, yes, Liza and I, we tried it. Found our inclinations incompatible"
"In what way?" Watts drew his attention from the painting to his host, he felt very tied up and confused at the moment.
"Well I was too much of a man for her, and well, she wasn't enough" he laughed with amusement in his eyes. "No Mr.Watts, I haven't had a lover in some time, but Liza makes a good model and she trusts me enough to disrobe for my more scandalous paintings" Frankie made his way over to a liquor cabinet and began pouring himself a scotch, offering over a glass to Llywelyn as well.
"Is your abstinence by choice or by circumstance?" Perhaps it was the Heartbreak still aching in his chest or the wine that went right to his head but Llywelyn felt bold and he assumed this was as good a time as any to be bold.
"By circumstance unfortunately, not many men with our inclinations want to go to bed with a transexual" Watts grimaced at that, although the idea perplexed him, and made him wonder if he wasn't adverse to the prospect. He wondered why others might feel differently.
"How about yourself? You seem too fine a man to be single" Frankie gave him a small smirk over his scotch glass, eyes soft in the dim light.
"Well, I've been a recent victim of heartbreak. The man I was seeing recently married, and well, his family seems to come first"
"How tragic" Frankie placed a soft hand on Llywelyn's arm, their bodies close and the air warm with unspoken words. "I can't say I'm unhappy about that though"
Watts leaned ever closer, the words swirling in his drink-addled mind. "You'd celebrate my misfortune? How cruel"
"I only mean, I'm glad I've been given the chance to snatch you up for myself." The shorter man got closer, inching up into Watt's space. "You've charmed me Detective Watts, and I'd quite like to keep seeing you if you're amiable to the idea"
"I think I would be, Mr.Allen" For the briefest moment Llywelyn found himself hesitating. What if something reckless and romantic led to the same melancholy he suffered with Jack, but then Frankie's lips were on his and the world melted away?
They stood like that for many moments, Frankie steadying himself with a hand on Llywelyn's arm and the taller man hunched down to join lips. The moment only ended because the clock struck 10 and the two jumped from the sudden noise.
"I should be going, I work early in the morning" Llywelyn could barely tear himself away from the other man, but a tiredness set in slowly and he found himself realizing the long day had caught up with him.
"Of course, wouldn't want to deprive Toronto's best of a restful night's sleep" Frankie took a moment to straighten Llywelyn's collar, hands lingering for a moment near the detective's neck.
The pair began walking to the door, shoulders close, a tenderness in the slow moments, as if neither wanted to break the spell. "I would like to see you again, soon" Llywelyn spoke with a slight rasp in his voice, holding onto the quietness in the past few moments.
"Dinner tomorrow, we can go out, my treat"
"It's a date" Watts grinned down at Frankie, who took the opportunity to place a kiss on the detective's cheek. "Goodnight Llywelyn, until tomorrow"
Watts parted from the Allen home with a smile and a warmness in his chest he hadn't felt in a while.