Disclaimer: I do not own or make any profit from FAKE or any of the music mentioned in this fictional story.
Pairings: Berkeley Rose/Dee Laytner; Ryo McClean/Dee Laytner
Rating: M (For possible sexual; & otherwise, adult related themes in later chapters)
A/N: Title & theme of story is based on the cover of "Wicked Game" performed by Stone Sour. Just to put it out there, I am an advent fan of Dee and Ryo...but Dee is just too damn beautiful to be ignored by anyone, especially Berkeley^-~
There will be plenty of angst in this story; and this time, Dee will be the one who will have some hard choices to make. Well, I hope you enjoy the story and the heartbreaks to come. Now, on to the story...
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The World Was On Fire, And No One Could Save Me But You
Prologue
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Dee Laytner sighed for the thousandth time that day. The lag between cases has been dragging slower than usual, leaving him stuck behind his desk and hidden behind a large pile of paperwork. It crossed his mind plenty of times that maybe he was just too damn good at his job. His green eyes kept glancing up at the clock hanging above the office door, willing the little hands to move quicker. Just one more long and tedious hour, then he can go home and make way for the 1st shift. He wished more than once that Ryo were still around to finish up the paperwork. At this point, he would've been home hours ago. He gave a bitter laugh. Ryo.
He can't believe its been over a year since Ryo called it quits on them. He gave everything he had: physically, emotionally, and mentally...just to have Ryo walk away. Ryo's excuse? He needed time for himself. He felt that Dee was smothering him and he needed a chance to breath. Hearing those words coming out of the man he loved, so cold and unemotional, shattered his heart. He loved being with Ryo every waking moment. Their job took them away so much from any personal and intimate moments that he cherished any chance they got to spend together. He truly believed Ryo felt the same way about him. He felt like a fool. Next thing he knew, Ryo packed all of his belongings and walked out. Just like that. No "I'm sorry". Not even a "goodbye".
Only after Ryo walked out the door did he crumple to the floor onto his knees and let out an anguished sob. He wrapped his arms around himself and bent towards the ground, his forehead touching the cool wood floors. He couldn't move, couldn't breath. He felt like his whole world just shattered around him. No longer able to hold himself up, he fell onto his side and curled in on himself, sobs still racking his body. That night, he cried himself to sleep on that very same spot a few feet from his apartment door. He called in the following morning and requested a weeks worth of sick leave. He was surprised the old Badger understood. Seems the Chief already knew this was coming before he did. He wondered how long Ryo had been planning this...
He couldn't bare to stay alone in the place he once shared with the man he gave his whole heart to. Not now. He decided to stay in the one place he always felt safe. As soon as she opened the door and saw the anguished pain in his eyes, she pulled him into her arms. In Mother's arms, he always found warmth, comfort, and unconditional love. She was the only person in the world he knew would never abandon him. As much as he wanted to stay in Pigeon's protective embrace, he knew that he couldn't stay hidden from the world. With encouraging words from her, he eventually forced himself to return to work, hoping to drown his sorrows in his current cases. He went into the Precinct, not surprised to learn that Ryo had also transferred out of the 27th and out of his life.
The weeks that followed, he was like a zombie. He did his job, caught the bad guys, and went home. He hadn't realized that in that moment in time, he started taking himself into a downward spiral. He was being more reckless, more impulsive. He was acting a little too cocky and a bit more bold in the face of his enemies. His friends and fellow colleagues tried to intervene: Drake, JJ, Ted...but how could he listen to anything they had to say when he was in complete denial of his actions? Then the moment of truth came when his careless ways almost cost the life of someone he never thought would risk anything for him...Berkeley Rose.
Berkeley shoved him out of the way and took the bullet of a deranged sniper. That bullet was supposed to be meant for him. He laid in shock under the limp form of the Commissioner as JJ took the psychotic sniper out. Rose's face was buried in his neck, but he didn't feel any puff's of breath against his skin. He reached up a shaking hand to Rose's throat and felt for a pulse. He found one, but it was very weak. When he pulled his hand back, he felt sickened to find it covered in blood. He cried for help, his voice graveled by fear for Rose's life as he attempted to communicate with the man. He cupped Rose's face gently in his hands and carefully lifted his head towards his own. He called his name softly, hoping to see some sign of life, and was relieved when honey-brown eyes opened slightly to meet his emerald ones.
The words that weakly slipped through Berkeley's lips with such relief took his breath away...
"Thank God you're alright."
Dee felt tears well up in his eyes before Rose fell back into unconsciousness...
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