"Knox, wake up."

Ronald groaned and rolled over on his couch, swatting in the general direction of the familiar voice. "'M sleepin', Eric-senpai."

"I can see tha'," replied the Scotsman, "an' it's a good thing I came half an hour early. Get yer arse up an' get ready fer work, kid."

Ronald opened his eyes and blinked, his face mere inches from the cushions on the back of the couch. "Ugh…that's right; it's only Wednesday."

"Aye. I brought ya some coffee. Go get an' get changed, Ronnie. I warned yeh I'd drag ya out o' bed mahself if I had tae."

"I'm goin', I'm goin'," mumbled the sleepy blond, sitting up reluctantly. He peered around for his glasses, and he found them on his cluttered up coffee table. Yawning and stretching, he scratched his side and he looked at his friend as Eric had a seat in the armchair by the couch. "Didn't sleep all that well," he excused. "You're lookin' kind of tired too."

Eric smirked and he sipped on the cup of coffee he'd picked up for himself on the way over. "Had tae get up early an' make sure you got movin'."

"Sorry," sighed Ronald. "I'll try t' pick up a good alarm clock today after work, so ya don't have to keep doing this."

Eric shrugged. "Just go get ready an' dun' worry 'bout it." He nodded at the additional cup on the table. "There's yer coffee."

"I'll drink it when I come out of the bathroom," informed Ron. "Thanks, Eric."

He went into the little bathroom to have a quick shower and change into his uniform for the day. He'd have to do laundry, soon. He only had two good suits right now, so he was going to have to settle for his old blazer and slacks for today. First he brushed his teeth and then he hopped in the shower, turning the temperature down low to help wake him up. Ronald was shivering by the time he stepped out, but the chilly water did help wake him up a bit and it shrunk his morning wood effectively.

Some fifteen minutes later, he came out wearing his uniform, with his hair freshly washed, blowdried and styled. "That's a bit better," he said as he sat back down on the couch and reached for the coffee Eric had brought him. "Where's Alan?"

"I let him sleep in 'till his alarm goes off," answered Eric. "We'll go in separate cars today."

Ronald nodded. "That's cool." He sipped his coffee carefully, reminded of the time he gulped some down while it was still too hot and ended up scalding his esophagus. "Hey Eric, can I ask ya something? I mean about dating."

Eric shrugged and checked his watch. "Sure. We've go' a little time before we have tae leave. Wha's on yer mind?"

"Do y' think it'd be wrong for someone in management to date someone in a lower department? Like a subordinate?"

"I'd better no'," said the Scotsman with a chuckle. "I'd have tae be a hypocrite if I did. Al was lower rank than me when we started dating."

"But ya weren't…like…his boss."

Eric shook his head. "No' exactly, no. I waited 'till he graduated from bein' my apprentice before I let anything happen between us." He frowned at Ronald. "Something goin' on, kid?"

"I was just wondering," said Ronald hastily. "There's no sexual harassment goin' on, if that's what you're worried about. I just wanted t' know for future reference whether it's okay or not."

"Hmm. It could be messy if things went sour, but there's no policy against it in Dispatch. Long as tha higher rankin' one isnae holdin' tha other's job o'er their heads tae force 'em intae anything, it's probably fine. Go' someone in mind, Ronnie?"

"Nah," lied the blond. "Just covering my bases. Ya know how I am. Might find a cute lady in upper management some day and want t' ask her out. I wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble, though."

Eric looked vaguely suspicious for a moment longer, but then he shrugged. "At least yer willing tae check first. Cannae say I ever thought tae do tha', back in my dating days."


It wasn't until they went into work together and Eric noticed the way Ronald got flustered as soon as he saw William that he realized what was really going on. It honestly did surprise him, even though he'd already agreed with Alan's assessment that Ronald might be at least bi. Seeing as he swung both ways himself, the notion didn't shock him. Finding out that the object of his same-gender interest happened to be Spears was a bit disconcerting, though. Maybe he'd misread him, though. He probably wouldn't have even thought anything of it, if Knox hadn't brought up the subject of management dating subordinates before work.

"Al, I think Ronnie might have a thing fer tha boss," he informed his lover as they had their lunch together later on in the office they shared. He looked at the brunet expectantly, prepared for him to scoff or stare in shock. Instead, Alan just nodded and stirred his noodle bowl.

"Yes, I know."

Eric blinked at him. "Ya know? How long have ya known? I was hoping ye'd say I was imagining things."

Alan smiled gently at him, and he sighed. "I've known for a good while, Eric…or at least suspected it. If you're noticing it too, then I must have been right."

Eric stared at his meatball sub without really seeing it. He didn't know what to think or feel about it. It wasn't as though he had a right to start playing the role of the protective Da now, after being absent from Ronnie's life up until adulthood. "What gave ya tha first clue?" he asked, wanting to compare notes.

"Seeing him looking at William the same way I looked at you, when I was his age and trying to sort my own feelings out. I've been where he is." Alan smirked. "Though I'm sure I still look at you like that. At least now it's not just a hopeless crush."

Eric sighed. "It was righ' in front of m' face an' I ne'er even noticed it."

"Well, Ronald has been good about keeping it subtle enough that it could pass for a sense of intimidation or admiration for a superior," excused Alan. "That's why I never said anything. My gut feeling said otherwise, but I'm no mind reader."

"Then maybe tha's all it is," said Eric hopefully, finally taking a bite of his sub.

Alan looked at him curiously. "What if it's not, Eric? You aren't going to get irate about it, are you?"

The Scotsman hesitated. He chewed and swallowed the bite in his mouth, and he sighed, speaking his earlier thoughts out loud. "Wha' right do I have? I jus' told him this morning tha' it's no' such a bad thing fer a higher authority tae date someone under 'em in rank. I'd be a hypocrite if I said o'er wise, wouldn't I?"

Alan shrugged. "More or less."

"I jus' dun' want tae see him ruin his career or get hurt," debated Eric. "Say somethin' happens between him an' Spears…wha' then? If they split up, how's it gonna effect his work?"

"That's a risk," agreed Alan, "but we took it, and we're just fine."

"Aye, but tha's no guarantee tha same would be true fer him." Eric put his food down and grimaced. "Och, I've go' tae stop thinkin' about it. There's no bloody point, 'till somethin' actually happens. I've still got tae figure out if I'm goin' tae call his mother an' what I'll even say tae her if I do."

"Then don't worry about it, right now," suggested Alan. "If we're right about this, Ronald's nowhere near ready to approach the supervisor romantically, and I honestly couldn't tell you if Spears is even attracted to men. Worry about what's happening right now, Eric. What you need to worry about at the moment is how you are going to settle this parentage situation."

Eric gave him a rueful smirk. "Lucky I've go' yeh tae keep me grounded. I s'pose I ought tae work out what I'm gonna say tae Beatrice, before I even try tae call."

Alan nodded and gave a pointed glance to Eric's barely touched lunch. "You shouldn't think on an empty stomach. Now I get to remind you to feed yourself."

The older reaper chuckled and picked up his sandwich. "Enjoying tha', eh?"


He was going to do it. He was going to finally tell William how he felt, and throw his chips on the table to fall where they may. He had to, because he couldn't bear another night of fantasizing over what could be, never to have closure. Even if he got rejected, at least he would finally get confirmation that it was never going to happen, and he could try to move on and forget the whole thing.

Ronald walked into his superior's office to hand in his reports, and he froze as he looked at him. So bloody handsome, and so suave. He himself might dress stylishly, but he knew he would never match William T. Spears' effortless, masculine grace and poise.

"Yes?" William said without looking up from his paperwork.

Ronald cleared his throat, trying to remember to speak more properly and use less slang. William liked formal speech. "Boss, I'm here to hand in my reports for the day…and to tell you that I would love it if you bent me over that desk of yours and fucked my brains out, right here and right now."

Well, maybe not too proper.

William's hand jerked, and whatever he was writing on the top document ended up with a long, scrawling line. He slowly lifted his head to stare at him. "I'm sorry; could you repeat that?"

Ronald shrugged, flushing. "Sure. I said I want you to bend me over your desk and fuck my brains out, sir."

"That's…what I thought you said."

William stood up, and Ronald nervously held his ground as he crossed the room. The taller reaper stood silently before him for a few moments, before speaking again in a low purr. "You are a filthy degenerate, Ronald Knox. I fear I must teach you some manners."

Ronald swallowed. "Whatever you think is best, sir."

With a smirk, William slid his hand under the blond's tie and pulled the tail of it loose from the vest it was tucked into. "Indeed."

He grasped the tie and pulled Ronald roughly towards him, his mouth descending to his in a punishing, bruising kiss. Ronald gasped and moaned into his mouth, accepting his dominating tongue eagerly as he twined his arms around his neck. Oh yeah…this was what he wanted…what he craved. He didn't resist as his boss tugged on the tie insistently, guiding him back toward his desk without breaking the kiss. He finally released his lips after turning him around to push him against the desk, his hand clamping down on the back of his neck.

"Ronald…"

The blond closed his eyes. "Will…I've wanted this so bad."

"Ronald Knox, are you listening to me?"

Ronald blinked, shaken out of his daydream by the supervisor's faintly annoyed voice. He flushed in mortification over yet another lapse. "Y-yes sir? Sorry, I uh…didn't catch that. What'd ya say?"

William sighed, his lips compressing briefly. "I said that we are in for a busy week," he said with carefully controlled patience. "Your retrieval numbers are impressive, but you must be prepared to work even harder. The death rates have been climbing of late. In addition to the usual cases of people being killed by robbers, in street brawls or dying of illness, we seem to have a serial killer adding to the numbers. The prostitute that you and Sutcliff collected yesterday was not the only victim. Two others have been found in a similar state."

Ronald shrugged, trying to will his cheeks to cool down. "Prostitutes get killed all th' time, boss. It's one of th' hazards of their occupation, innit?" He winced at his own crude dialog when William's brow twitched. "Sorry…I'll try to tone it down."

William chose not to address his manner of speaking. "It's true that the ladies of the night live under dangerous conditions," he admitted with an elegant nod of his head, "but what usually occurs is stabbing, throttling or bludgeoning to death—often by their own pimps. These three cases have been unique, however. The killer used surgical precision and each victim was missing certain parts belonging only to females; such as the one you collected whose womb was removed."

"What other bits went missing?" Ronald grimaced, wishing he hadn't asked that question but morbidly curious, all the same.

"Being a gentleman, I loathe describing it." William pondered for a moment, and then tapped his gloved fingers on the surface of his desk. "However, as a manager of this division, it falls upon me to ensure my agents are as prepared as possible. One was missing a breast. The second was relieved of her labia and clitoris."

Ronald's thighs tightened in sympathy. He was not expert in anatomy, but he imagined that would be like having his junk chopped off. "Ouch. I sure hope they were already dead when it happened."

"Regrettably not," answered William. "According to reports of their records viewed by the agents collecting them, these females were quite alive when it happened. The killer waited to slit their throats until after he'd committed these horrendous acts. Scotland Yard is only aware of one death, so far. The other bodies weren't discovered by authorities, and they were a couple of days old before our agents found them. Yours was the most recent victim."

"Sounds like someone really hates women," reasoned Knox with a frown. "That's awful. I know I'm not s'posed t' care as a reaper, and I know most people think o' working girls as trash anyway, but still…it's awful."

William smirked without humor. "We are to be neutral in the matter of ferrying souls, Mr. Knox. There is no shame in finding the manner of their deaths appalling. The brutality of these attacks offends even me. It is vulgar, merciless…but not crazed. There is a method to the madness behind all this, and the responsible party is clearly learned enough to understand anatomy. The most dangerous criminal is the intelligent one."

"Yeah, dangerous to mortals, anyhow." Ron shrugged. "We're reapers though, so we aren't likely t' be in any danger from this creep when we're out picking up after him."

William's fingers ceased their drumming on the desk. "We aren't certain that the killer is even human, Knox."

Ronald's eyes widened. "Oh. Ya mean like it could be a demon?"

William shook his head. "The souls were intact. You and the other agents would have arrived to find an empty shell, with no reels left to gather, if the culprit were a demon. To quote a masterful bard; 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio'. It could be any number of things, from a were-creature to a witch."

Ronald's brows furrowed. "But ain't witches human?"

"Human, yes," agreed the older reaper, "but they are not classified as entirely mortal. Their dealings with the otherworld, spirits and magic make them quite possibly the most dangerous humans one could encounter. Fascinating creatures, really. They live between worlds, with one foot in the afterlife and one foot in the material plane. I daresay a witch could give any non-human supernatural a run for their money—including reapers. Has no-one schooled you on witches, Mr. Knox?"

Ronald shook his head. "Can't say they have, sir. I've never met one. Are they all withered and warty?"

"Only the very old or aesthetically unfortunate. Witches appear as any other human—until one looks at their aura. That can be quite the light show."

Ronald smirked. "Sounds like you've got a thing for witches, boss. So I guess they're not 'vermin', like demons?"

"Hmm, some," admitted the supervisor softly. "It depends on the witch, really. Some work with the light, while others are neutral. Some work with the darkness and demons. Those are the ones to be most wary of…the ones I harbor contempt for. Still, even the warlocks are to be respected. Never allow yourself to believe that you have the upper hand over any witch, simply because they are human."

Ronald nodded. "Right. So you've met a few, huh?"

The boss had never chatted so extensively with him, and Ronald wanted to keep him going for as long as he could. He liked the little hint of a smile on Will's lips as he talked about what was apparently his favorite type of supernatural. It gave one a peek into William's personality that he otherwise kept boxed up.

For a brief moment, Ronald was treated to a glimpse of a genuine smile of amusement from his boss. "Let us just say that when one of them astral projects into one's bedroom by accident, it's a rather memorable event. Witches are practically the only beings that can enter the Shinigami realm without permission or assistance from us."

Ronald's brows shot up. "Yeah? Were ya…naked?" He flushed, hoping he didn't come off sounding like a perv for asking.

"Fortunately, I was not," clarified the older reaper, "but she did give me quite a start. I was just about to bed down for the night, when she appeared before my wardrobe. I mistook her for a ghost at first—perhaps an escaped stray from the library vaults that defied containment. It does happen, now and then."

Ronald grinned. "So what'd ya do?" He walked over to one of the chairs on the other side of William's desk and sat down, making himself comfortable.

William huffed a bit, a quiet, subtle noise of amusement that Ron found immediately attractive. "Well…I threw my book at her. As I said; she gave me a start."

Ronald laughed. "Ya struck a girl? Shame on you, boss."

"It was reflexive," excused William with a slight shrug. "I'm not used to people suddenly appearing in my home, without invitation. She was not in material form, however, so it passed harmlessly through her. She was just as startled as I was, and she apologized profusely for the intrusion."

The blond couldn't stop grinning. "What'd she say?"

"She said: 'Oh, dear. Begging your pardon, good sir. This isn't at all where I intended to go!'"

William chuckled softly at the memory, and Ronald was stunned by the sound.

~Gods, I want to lick him. Okay, Knoxie…down, boy. Play it cool, for death's sake!~

"W-what happened after that, sir?" he managed, trying to take his mind off the impulse to jump on the boss's desk and make good on his compulsive urges.

"We ended up chatting for most of the night." William seemed quite fond of the memory. "There were certain things that both of us were forbidden from revealing to one another, naturally, but we did learn from each other. She even taught me how to ground and center—which I have been doing regularly each morning as part of my routine, ever since."

"She sounds…nice." Ronald bit back some jealousy. Did Spears have a thing with this witch? "What's 'grounding and centering', anyhow?"

"Essentially, it is the alignment of chakras—which are energy points in the bodies of all living things…even reapers. Learning to channel that energy, expulse the negative and allow the positive to flow…it does help a bit. Consider it a daily recharge, of sorts. Witches are not the only ones to make use of the exercise. Monks do it as well, so I've learned."

"Wow…sounds kinda cool. What else did she teach ya? Or did ya ever see her again?"

~Are ya still seeing her? Am I totally screwed?~

"Yes, I saw her again. Quite a few times, in fact. I even met her in the flesh. She taught me basic shielding, to contain my thoughts, feelings and energy from being read by others. It has proved a useful tool."

"Oh." Ronald had no idea what 'shielding' was, but the basic description explained a lot of things about Spears and his seemingly impenetrable stoicism. "So do you two still hang out?"

William shook his head. "Sadly, no. She passed…oh, I believe it was seventeen years ago. Regardless of her powers, she was still susceptible to mortal illness. She died of pneumonia at the age of thirty-three. I was the one who reaped her, in fact…and she knew me immediately and went with me without a fuss."

Ronald didn't quite know what to say. There seemed to be a hint of sadness in William's eyes, but maybe he was imagining it. "You got attached," he finally guessed.

William gave a brief, single nod. "It happens. There is hardly a reaper in existence that manages to make it through his or her career without eventually having an ill-advised attachment to some short-lived mortal. Powerful though they may be, witches cannot extend their lifespan beyond the norm for their species. I have no regrets in knowing her, nor do I wish I could have granted her immortality. It was her time, and she accepted that. If only all humans could do the same."

It was like being presented with a treasure, this sharing of such a personal event in William's life. Ronald couldn't say what he'd done to deserve it, but he instinctively knew it wasn't a thing the boss shared with others readily.

"What was her name, sir?"

William's gaze was steady on him as he answered. "Lorraine. And yes, I counted her as a friend. I would…appreciate it if you would keep this between us, Knox. I'm not even sure why I revealed this information to you, except…"

He hesitated and looked to the window, frowning. "You have a disarming presence."

Ronald's heart beat faster. If he had such an effect on William's stoicism, than maybe he provoked other feelings, as well. "I promise, boss. It's just between you and me."

"'You and I'," corrected Spears with a faint smirk, "but thank you for your discretion. Now then, we've chatted about my past enough, I think. To get back on the original subject; I want you to be especially careful whilst gathering any records from women that fall victim to this new killer. Aside from the usual danger of demonic carrion attempting to devour their souls, we still can't be certain of the manner of creature behind all this. Is that understood, Ronald Knox?"

Ronald nodded, his yellow-gold bangs falling over one eye with the motion. "Yes, sir. I'll be careful. Thanks."

Was he imagining it, or was Spears taking a personal interest in his safety? Probably just wishful thinking, on his part.

"Very good, then. You are dismissed. Have a pleasant evening, Agent Knox."

Ronald checked a sigh. Well, it was good while it lasted. "You too, boss. I'll see y' tomorrow."


Later that evening after work and dinner, Eric paced in the apartment he shared with his partner, working out his opening speech in his head. "A'right, she's just a woman. I mean, she's more than tha', but…nothin' tae be scared of. Haven't talked tae her in years, but…dammit, I'm no' tha villain, here…"

Alan came up behind him and he began to rub his broad shoulders. "No, you aren't…and neither is she. It was a one-night stand, Eric. Imagine how she must have felt when she realized she was carrying your child as a result. Just think of that, when you call her. It's best not to be confrontational, love. Try to be understanding and patient, and I'm sure you can work out an agreement with her."

Eric took a deep breath and nodded, laying a hand over one of Alan's smaller ones. "Thank ya…fer bein' so understanding."

Alan smiled and rested his cheek against his back. "You've been thanking me for that ever since we found out. You don't need to, you know. You are my lover, my partner and my best friend…and I don't feel threatened by her. I just want you to be happy, okay?"

"Aye, got it." Eric turned and cupped his face to give him a kiss. "I'll try not tae be sae manic about it. Guess I'd better get it over wi', eh?"

"Would you like me to go into the bedroom while you call her, to give you some privacy?"

Eric shook his head. "No need fer that, sweetheart. Like ya said, yer mah partner in all things, an' I think ya deserve tae know exactly wha's goin' on wi' this. You've taken Ronnie under yer wing as much as I have, after all. Yer his 'second father'."

Alan smiled and nodded, taking his place on the couch while Eric pulled out his cell phone and looked up the contact number. The Scotsman cleared his throat, licked his lips and hit the "call" button, shooting his partner a dreading look. Alan gave him two thumbs-up and a supportive smile.

"You'll be fine," whispered the brunet. "Just be honest."

Eric nodded convulsively, and he withdrew a clove and lit it up while he waited for the other line to pick up. Just as he took a drag of the cigar, a familiar female voice answered the phone. "Knox residence," she said. He'd forgotten how melodic her voice was, and for a moment he just stood there with a stupid expression on his face.

"Hullo?" prompted Beatrice. "Is anyone there, or is this an accidental bum call?"

Eric jerked himself out of his stupor at the mention of a "bum call"—which generally referred to people accidentally calling contacts after sitting on their phone. "Uh, no, it's no' an accidental call," he answered. "It's…it's Eric."

There was a moment of silence. "Eric?" She replied, sounding perplexed. "Sorry, but do I know ya? Eric who?"

"Slingby," he answered, pacing again. "Tha father o' yer son Ronald. Do ya remember, me, Beatrice?"

"Oh…oh, bloody hell. Christ on stilts man, how'd you…where are y' at?" She sounded faintly panicked. He could relate.

"In London," he answered her. "Shinigami side, o' course. I transferred here permanently from Edinburgh. Didn't expect tae run into tha son I ne'er knew I sired."

On the couch, Alan groaned softly and facepalmed. "Eric…gently," he whispered.

The Scotsman winced, realizing he'd come off harsher than intended. "I'm no' mad at ya," he assured the now silent woman on the phone. "I jus' want tae talk 'bout how we're gonna handle this. I found out by chance when he dropped his wallet at tha dance last year an' I saw a photo of ya in it. Did a paternity test too, so I know he's mine."

"Oh, bugger," she huffed. "Eric, I…well, we haven't seen or spoken since that night, and I…it was such a shock t' me when I found out I was carrying. I really didn't know how to tell you, and I never expected you to cross paths with my Ronnie…well, our Ronnie…"

"Shh, Beatrice, it's a'right," he assured her, smirking a little in spite of himself. She sounded like a female version of her son. That candid way of speaking had been what initially attracted him. "I'm no' calling tae give ye a tongue-lashing, woman. I jus'…needed tae clear some things up an' figure out what tae do. I've been mullin' over it fer a year now, an' I think we've got some decisions tae make."

"Oh, buggery fuck…"

Eric laughed in spite of himself. "Calm down. Jus' breathe."

She took a few deep breaths, before answering him. "Sorry love, I just…wasn't expecting this. I've wanted t' tell him about you so many times, but I was too cowardly. Didn't know how to contact you, didn't know what t' say…I thought what y' didn't know wouldn't hurt you. Have you…told him? He hasn't mentioned it yet."

Eric shook his head. "No, I havenae said anything. I dinnae know how, truth be told. But Beatrice…I think we ought tae talk about it an' decide when an' how tae tell him the truth. He deserves tae know who his Da is, even though it terrifies me tae think o' how he might react."

She sighed. "Bloody 'ell. You're right, of course. Eric, I am so sorry."

"It's in tha past now," he insisted. "Wha' we've go' tae think on is Ronnie's future. Wha' have ya been tellin' him, all these years?"

She hesitated. "Well, I…I told him that his father walked out on us when he was a babe."

Eric winced. "Ouch. Tha' stings."

"I'm sorry." She sounded sincerely contrite. "I never meant any harm t' either of you. It just seemed like the best story to give him. Oh, my sweet Ronnie's never going to forgive me, when he finds out th' truth!"

"I doubt tha'," soothed Eric. "Tha boy loves his ma. He's made it a point tae let everyone know tha', too. Might be pissed fer a while, but he'll forgive ya. It's me he might no' forgive."

"I can't toss you under the bus anymore than I already have," she objected. "I…I'll tell him the truth. This wasn't your fault. I'm sure if you'd known, you would have been involved. I never gave you that chance, Eric. I'm the lowlife, here."

The Scotsman shrugged. "I ne'er gave ya reason tae think I'd be supportive. Let's jus' say we were both irresponsible an' leave it at tha'. Question is, how long do we keep hiding this from him?"

She took a moment to think on it, before speaking in a sigh. "I'm so tired of lying t' him. I love that boy more than life itself. Eric…would y' consider coming over the weekend after next with him for dinner? We could tell him together, afterwards."

Eric glanced at Alan. "Would ya mind mah partner comin' wi' me? He's had a hand in Ronnie's training too, an' he cares fer him as much as I do."

He ignored Alan's pleading gestures and shaking head. He needed the man there with him for moral support, and Alan was about the most diplomatic reaper he knew. If things went sour, Humphries had the best chance of clearing it up.

"I s'pose that would be all right," consented Beatrice. "If Ronald is friendly with him and trusts him, it might be better on him t' have a supportive person there to turn to."

Eric nodded in agreement. "I should let ya know now; Alan an' I are also in a committed relationship wi' each other. Is tha' gonna make it weird for ye?"

"Er, no…of course not," she answered. "I never knew y' were interested in the lads, but it'll be fine."

"Good. I guess…we'll see ya next weekend, then. Fer wha' it's worth, Beatrice…I'm no' sae sure I'd have made a good father figure fer tha lad. I'm his friend, more 'n anything…an' that'll prolly change after next weekend."

"We'll just see," she sighed. "Ronnie has always been sweeter than he was judgmental, though. Maybe he'll forgive th' both of us."

"Maybe," grunted Eric. "G'night, Beatrice…an' thanks fer hearin' me out an' working wi' me on a game plan."

He hung up then, and he exhaled slowly as he turned to his partner. "'M sorry fer draggin' ya into it, lover. I jus' feel like I really need ya there. I know it's a little awkward, but—"

"—So long as she understands our relationship, I can manage," interrupted Alan. "I just didn't want to get embroiled in such a personal matter…but I suppose I'm already involved. There's no use in complaining about it. I wouldn't really have it any other way."

Eric smiled and he joined him on the couch, putting an arm around him to draw him into an embrace. He pecked him on the cheek and he sighed. "Yer mah rock, Alan. I dunno if I can ever repay ya, but I'll try."

Alan smiled and laid his head on his shoulder. "You repay me every night, Eric. There's no need to worry about it."


-To be continued