A/N: Oh my god, this chapter was so long. Anyway, enjoy! Just one more chapter to go! I'll get posted sometime tomorrow. I know there wasn't much that went on with Berkeley this fic, but there is one in the making with a little M rating to it!
Midnight at the Precinct
Chapter 7: Unexpected Guests
Dee hummed to himself as he strolled down the sidewalk toward his partner's apartment. For having to work three hours longer than his scheduled shift end, without Ryo there to help him no less, he was in a pretty decent mood. Of course, considering his destination, how could he not be in a good mood?
He was careful not to jostle the bags he carried in each hand when he shoved his way inside Ryo's building. There was no way he wanted to risk letting any of the sauce from the three orders of Chinese food slosh onto the paper bag and get onto his clothes. Sure, the food smelled nice now, but later on, it wouldn't smell good- or feel good- if it spilled on his clothes.
Ryo better be happy, he thought to himself as he headed toward the elevator. He had no idea whether or not his partner had cooked dinner already- although he probably had, considering he didn't have work and it was already so late-, but he came bearing food for everyone, including Bikky, though he had a time remembering what the little punk liked. He settled with sesame chicken, figuring it was a common enough dish that Bikky wouldn't complain.
Almost to Ryo's unit, Dee heard the crunch before actually realizing that he felt something odd underfoot. Pausing, he turned to stare back at the ugly-patterned carpet and saw a piece of what appeared to be glass or plastic in the middle of the floor. He quirked an eyebrow at the object then shrugged, too concerned with seeing Ryo and food to care about a piece of debris from who knew what in the hallway.
After juggling the food in his arms as carefully as he could, he knocked on the door and waited for either his partner or the apartment monkey to answer. He hoped it would be Ryo, but he knew his luck and waited for Bikky to get off the couch.
Hearing the knock, Bikky looked up from the couch. He remembered Ryo's words of not answering the door, but…
"Who is it?" he called, standing next to the door on his tip toes to try to look out the peep hole. Unsuccessful, he opted instead for leaning an ear against the wood as he waited for an answer.
"Who do you think it is?" Dee replied, grunting lightly as he readjusted the bags back to their previous, safer position. "Hurry up and open the door."
"Sorry, Ryo said not to open the door for anyone," Bikky snickered, always loving when he had Dee locked out of the apartment. He leaned against the door, putting his hands behind his head as he got comfortable.
Knowing Dee, he would be forced to stand here for awhile listening to all his lame excuses as to why he should open the door.
Dee made a face and glared at the peep hole, even though he knew the kid was too short to actually look through it.
"Dude, I have food. Open the door," he tried again, not in the mood to deal with Bikky's childish antics.
Bikky's ears perked at the mention of food, even though he had eaten less than a few hours ago... His stomach gurgled. He looked down at it as if it were the reason he was going to go against Ryo and let Dee into the apartment.
With a sigh of defeat- and hunger-, Bikky undid the locks and stepped back as he opened the door. Despite the look he gave the detective, it was obvious he was excited about the food.
"What'd you bring?" he asked, instantly switching from bratty mode to normal kid mode as he reached out his hands, offering to take some of the bags from him.
"Chinese, and be careful," Dee replied as he carefully held out the lighter bag for the tween. "The place where I went has some seriously good chow, but they can't package their food for shit."
He knew Ryo would have a fit if they got anything on his floor and he didn't want to do anything to irritate his partner. Not right now anyway, after the almost week of them getting back into their normal swing of things. If they were back at his place, he wouldn't care that much, but he'd still threaten to make Bikky lick whatever spilled off the floor.
Taking the offered bag, Bikky held it carefully, feeling the contents shift precariously as he made his way to the kitchen.
"Got it," he said en-route. "What kind of food did you get?" he asked as he set the bag down on the counter. The smell wafting out of the bag made his insides reach out and he swore he was being pulled towards whatever could possibly be contained within.
"I got Kung-Pao beef for Ryo, beef and broccoli for me-" minus the broccoli and extra beef, as usual- "and sesame chicken for you," Dee told him as he set his bag on the counter as well. "And soup and egg rolls," he added, his hand wiping against some of the sauce that had spilled on the inside of the bag as he began to pull the items out. Grabbing a handful of napkins that had been stuffed inside the bag, he began to wipe the sticky substance off his hand.
Looking up from his stash, he noted that he hadn't heard anything from Ryo since he had entered. Maybe he was in the shower or too busy with casework to notice that he had arrived.
"Where's Ryo?" he asked, tossing the wad of napkins onto the counter before continuing to pull the remainder of containers out of the bag.
Bikky's mouth watered slightly at the mention of the sesame chicken. Sometimes, just sometimes, the old fart knew what to do right. This was one of those extremely rare times. He just hoped the food didn't get contaminated with any of his infections or whatever that sticky stuff was he was wiping off his hand…
Pulling himself away from the holy paper bags of food, Bikky made his way back over to the couch and jumped over the backside of it, staring back at the television.
"Ryo should be back soon. He went to the store. Said he needed coffee after I caught him smooching some really old guy with glass-"
The sound of a kitchen drawer slamming violently echoed throughout the apartment, the force of it sending some of the silverware flying behind the drawer and clatter down into the cabinet underneath. Before Bikky could even turn around, Dee was there, standing several feet behind the couch with a look of restrained rage on his face.
"Ryo was doing what?" he asked, his voice several octaves lower than normal as his dark aura began to brew and billow out from him, descending into the room before him. Green eyes stared down at the boy with murderous intent, his entire body coiled, ready to snap at any moment.
The drawer slamming cut Bikky off and he looked over his shoulder for a second before drawing his attention back in front of him. The fact Dee was behind him did nothing to warrant turning around and therefore he didn't see the homicidal expression on Dee's face. He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and nodded.
"Well, Ryo went out to some stupid business meeting I couldn't go to- not that I wanted to, because the guy looked really boring. Then when they got back, I heard a thump on the wall outside and caught that same boring old guy with glasses pinning my Ryo against a wall. I even think he had his hand up his shirt! It was so gross!" Bikky explained nonchalantly, the consequences of his actions not even flitting into his consciousness for a second. "God, all these damn perverts after Ryo… I swear-"
"GODDAAAAAMNIT!"
The booming voice resonated throughout the apartment, perhaps even throughout most of the floor of the building. Those who knew the owner of the voice prepared themselves for the violence that ensued and ticked off another day on their calendar of how many more days they had until their lease ended. Across the hall, Rob groaned in frustration, rose from his recliner, and went to his emergency stash hiding deep inside his cabinets, knowing he'd need to drink if he wanted to survive the night.
What happened next was the result of a volcanic eruption of pure adrenaline: grabbing the arm of the couch that Bikky was still perched on, the dark-haired detective easily flipped the possibly two-hundred pound piece of furniture with ease, the huge hunk of blue soaring through the air to land upside down on Ryo's coffee table.
Bikky leapt off the couch while it was in midair, landing easily in front of the television, his arms outstretched to protect the electronic box from the destruction that happened to relieve him of his rather comfortable position.
"DEE, WHAT THE HELL?" he added to the noise, his blue eyes bright with both surprise and irritation. He had lived with Ryo long enough to pick up a few of his habits and not flipping furniture happened to be one of them.
Ignoring Bikky's shrieks, Dee continued his rampage. He yelled and screamed and cursed and broke several more things inside Ryo's apartment, not giving one single damn whether it would piss off his partner or not. There was only one thing on Dee's mind at that moment and it was to take his anger out on as many things as possible until his partner returned so he wouldn't immediately choke the life out of him.
"THAT FUCKING SONNOVA-"
Picking up a coffee mug that Bikky had been using as a cup for soda earlier, Dee chucked it against the wall next to the front door. The cup shattered, the image of Snoopy napping atop his doghouse exploding into dust.
-"BITCH!"
~.~.~.~.~
Ryo sighed as he made his way back upstairs, unintentionally taking the stairs without even realizing it. The trek to the store had really helped sober him up and some of the guilt had dissipated in the cool night air. Of course, a few leaves off a full grown tree aren't usually noticed in a flourishing forest of remorse.
It wasn't as if Ryo regretted what had happened, but… he regretted what had happened. Every ounce of his soul tore at him with the thought of his partner. Sure, he knew he cared for the brunette… but damn, he didn't realize just how far down he was in this hole he had dug himself.
A plastic bag hung limply from his hand as he fumbled for his keys, his precious coffee nestled safely within its thin walls. Ryo actually had to convince himself not to attempt eating the grounds as soon as he had bought the container and he had double-timed it back to his apartment so he could get the coffee machine working just that much faster.
Images of Dee and Berkeley tumbled into his mind, one after the other, always ending on Dee. Ryo's stomach churned angrily and he was concentrating on if he had a fever or not when he finally opened the door…
…and was met with an exploding mug.
A shard hit him in the face, drawing him instantly out of his trance and straight into the shock of what his apartment looked like. The bag dropped to the floor as he took in the sight. His couch, his coffee table, was that the remains of his plant? The only thing that appeared untouched was the television and that was probably because Bikky guarded it as if his life depended on it.
"Ryo!" the boy said, spotting his guardian and half ran, half appeared next to him as he pointed frantically at the insane maniac that happened to be demolishing his home. "Dee's lost it! He's gone completely bat-shit crazy!" he said quickly. But regardless of all the devastation and tornado-like destruction, the worst of it all was who was standing in his living room.
Ryo's nightmare was becoming a reality.
It took Dee several moments to realize that he was no longer alone in the apartment, his mind having blocked out the idea of the young boy soon after his tirade began. His skin prickled and his feet rooted themselves to the floor as he slowly turned to face the blonde. Bikky was still nowhere in his line of sight even though he was standing right next Ryo.
Dee's usually bright eyes had darkened to a murky forest green, almost melting against his extremely contracted pupils. His once semi-orderly hair was mussed and hung in front of his eyes and his jacket crooked, threatening to slide off his right shoulder. Fists balled themselves at his sides, and his knuckles were a ghostly shade of white as bones forced against the usually tanned skin.
A couple seconds ticked by before he tore his feet from the floor and even though Dee was deaf to the rest of the world, he could have sworn he heard the muscles of his calves snapping at the action. He crossed the room, his eyes narrowed on Ryo's face, though his brain didn't register whatever expression the other male wore, and before he knew it, his fist was balled in his partner's shirt and yanking him several steps inside the apartment.
"You." Dee might as well have spat acid into the other's face with as much loathing that one utterance held. His eyes darkened even further. It was all he could do not to raise his other fist and-
Ryo felt his skin crawl as Dee approached, and he had to resist the urge to take a step back into the hallway. The aura that emanated from the brunette enveloped him, and Ryo felt his body grow weak from how angry his partner was.
For the second time that night, the blonde was grabbed and dragged into his own apartment.
"D-Dee?" Ryo coughed out, finally finding his voice. Dee's face was just inches from his own, but there was none of the regular tenderness in the hard, clenched angles of his cheeks and straight lips that Ryo had grown so accustomed to. A shiver passed down Ryo's spine as the shock wore off and reality came crashing back down upon his shoulders.
The pain, the anguish, the guilt, remorse, regret, and conflict melted from Ryo's face as he forced himself to focus on what was going on. But even so… he couldn't purge the raw lamentation from his glistening eyes.
"Dee, what the hell are you doing?" he exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the hand that held his shirt with his own. Despite the anger he was trying to grasp onto, Ryo couldn't ignore the electric spark that shocked him as he felt the heated skin of Dee's hand.
Even though he wanted to keep yelling at him, Ryo couldn't find the words… even though half his apartment had been destroyed, part of him felt he deserved it…
Which just made his stress induced sickness even worse…
Dee barely registered the touch of the other's hand. His eyes remained locked onto Ryo's, blind and deaf to everything else around him. Despite all the screaming that he had been doing previously, his voice was lost to him, his mind too clouded with anger to speak.
His fingers twitched with restraint as he finally reached up with his other hand and, almost as if it were a last second decision, instead grabbed Ryo's shirt as well. Both hands shook now as he held the blonde with an iron grip and finally, for the first time since hearing the news, a different emotion sparked across Dee's visage, almost completely lost to the rage that overwhelmed him but still very there.
"Why?" he finally managed, his voice still venomous despite the deep ache that managed to slip out as he spoke. The pain continued to carve a jagged wound inside his chest and his hands trembled worse, only vaguely aware that he could feel his fingernails digging into his palms through the fabric of Ryo's shirt. "Why!"
Ryo flinched as Dee screamed at him, and Bikky made a move to step in to help. Once he felt the boy's hands on his limp arm, he finally remembered he was there and reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet and handing it to him.
"Bikky," he said as calmly as he could muster, but his voice still wavered. "Go to the store. Get whatever you want. Don't take the back streets and take my phone," he instructed, pulling out the cell and shoving it at him as well.
Bikky bristled and started to say something, but Ryo held up a hand in warning.
"Please…" he added, still not having turned away from Dee. After a few moments of hesitation, Bikky finally turned away, cursed angrily, and left the apartment. The resonating slam of the door emphasized his disapproval of what had happened.
With Bikky finally gone…
"Dee, I…" he started, his voice cracking. His heart was too big to fit in his throat and Ryo felt like he couldn't breathe around it. Swallowing, he slumped a bit in complete in utter defeat. His legs felt weak, and if Dee wasn't gripping onto his shirt, Ryo swore he would have fallen to the ground by now. "We went to Jim's and I had a few drinks… I was coming back upstairs to make coffee, but…" he tried to explain, not even sure himself what exactly had happened.
His free hand came up and gripped at Dee's other hand, and as his fingers curled around his partner's, he realized he had been trembling.
"Dee, please, I…"
A tiny bit of anger subsided at the look in his partner's eyes and his obviously weakened state. Dee still gripped the other's shirt, part of his mind aware that he was helping hold the blonde up.
The way Ryo was acting seemed...
Maybe he was acting too-
No.
He had every right to be angry, especially after the week of hell he had gone through, angry and terrified that he had lost the person who mattered most to him.
"Bikky said you were kissing him." His voice was full of conviction. There was no questioning or doubt in the phrase. Still, he had to ask: "Did he kiss you or did you kiss him?"
Ryo shook his head, an internal battle waging about the events that had taken place. His mind was fuzzy, and to be honest... he couldn't even really remember what had happened after Berkeley had kissed him up until Bikky opened the door.
"He... He kissed me... I didn't..." didn't mean to kiss back... he trailed off, hoping his answer would be enough and Dee wouldn't push it. Everything ached and Ryo felt his chest burning as his heart scorched a hole through to his soul.
"I told you, I... I had too much to drink... Dee, you... you know I can't handle alcohol. I didn't... I didn't know what to do..." he admitted, knowing now that he really hadn't. Before he had gotten to the 27th Precinct, the last time he had dated anyone was a girl named Laura he had met working a case.
Four years before being transferred.
To say he was rusty at reading the signs was an understatement…
How could he have been so naïve, asking a person he had just shared dinner with back into his home for a drink? That was the most textbook invitation in the manual.
At the hesitancy of Ryo's words and the answer that he gave, Dee loosened his grip slightly on his partner's shirt. Relief began to pool in his chest, sliding down to his stomach and slowly cooling off the smoldering feeling that radiated within him. It was frustrating almost, how he couldn't manage to stay completely irate with his partner, and though the anger was still there, it was now directed mostly at a different source.
So it was the commissioner…
"I am going to kill that motherfucker!" Dee growled as his fingers untangled themselves from the now wrinkled fabric, his body twisting toward the door as newfound rage surged throughout him. The thought that he didn't even know where Berkeley was or where he lived didn't even cross his mind. All he could think about was beating the ever-living crap out of the bastard for touching his Ryo.
Kissing him…
That dick was so dead.
"Dee!" Ryo's legs gave out under him as Dee released him, but the weight of what the brunette was about to go do sent him flying to the door. Thankfully, all he really had to do was back up a bit and he stationed himself in front of the entrance much in the same fashion Bikky had earlier.
Really, the fruit didn't fall far from the tree…
… or at least in some, very select, instances.
He shook his head furiously, as if that would help change his partner's mind. "No, Dee! You can't just go kill the commissioner!"
"Well fine! I'll just beat the shit out of him then! That'll show him!" Dee yelled, his brain still on auto-pilot. He grabbed at his partner once again, trying to remove him from in front of the door. "Now get out of my way!"
Ryo's hand clamped down over Dee's in some small hope he would be able to pull him back into the apartment should he manage to get to the door.
"Bikky already did!" he exclaimed, pushing himself even harder against the door and fumbling with his other hand for the lock. "When he came into the hallway, he kicked him the face and broke his glasses!"
That was enough to stop Dee in his tracks. He blinked and turned an incredulous stare to Ryo, his mind trying to process what his partner had said and add a bit of cinema to it as well. Bikky kicked Berkeley in the face? Wow, that kid really could jump-
He paused as the memory of the hallways shot into the forefronts of his mind. That meant that thing he had stepped on was a piece of the commissioner's glasses…
A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth before Dee even realized it. He hung his head as his tense muscles continued to uncoil and he too became slightly unsteady on his feet.
"Heh…"
The small laugh eased Ryo's strain slightly and he stopped pushing himself as forcefully against the door. The hand that had latched onto his partner's loosened as well, but he refused to pull away. His legs were growing shaky again, now that the adrenaline pumping through his veins was subsiding, and he glanced to his overturned couch.
A heartstring pulled unintentionally as he realized he would need to replace almost everything in his living room as a result of Dee's rampage…
That and there was absolutely nowhere to sit…
"So, don't… do anything unnecessary, okay…?" he said, looking back at the mess of brown hair that happened to be in front of his face. With a sigh, he finally found the lock and made sure to click it into place. "Bikky already took care of it and I'm sure I'll have a report to write about harassment tomorrow…"
Dee nodded, letting the other's words seep into his head. It also took a bit of convincing on his own part not to continue tugging Ryo out of the way, but then the click of the lock banished the rest of the will to shove past the other man, his shoulders slumping slightly in resignation.
"Fine…" he said with a sigh and pushed himself away from Ryo. He couldn't bring himself to look at the blonde right then, even though he had been previously glaring daggers at him. Guilt finally decided to take place of the anger that previously ran through him, first tearing at his chest before slowly starting to spread. He had gone too far. He probably scared Ryo shitless or something. He wasn't sure, but he didn't want to look him in the eye to find out.
Taking several steps away from his partner, Dee surveyed the living room with a thin-lipped frown. He really had torn the place apart, he noted, his teeth threatening to chew on his bottom lip. With a deep intake of breath, he started toward the overturned the sofa.
"Sorry about making such a mess of things," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder for a split second before turning back to his task.
The younger male maneuvered the sofa off of the table, which took a bit of effort now that his adrenaline was shot, and began to put it back into its proper place. There was no way he was going to ask for help, considering he made the mess himself. He winced a little when he saw that the tabletop was cracked slightly and wondered if a bit of glue and paint could fix it right up. Yeah, he could totally do that…
With Dee walking away from him, Ryo felt the support that was keeping him upright slipping from his marrow. He had to start walking, to start moving, or else he was going to fall over. Even so, it took him a few seconds to muster the strength to push himself off the door and stagger deeper into the apartment. His heart still pounded against his chest, drumming his remorse into his veins.
Coffee…
"Its fine…" he managed, surprising himself by recognizing his voice. He was sure it would sound cracked and hoarse after all the stress he had just endured. "Just be sure to… to make sure everything gets fixed or it's coming out of your paycheck…" he added absentmindedly, forcing himself to wander to the kitchen.
Blinking, he looked around for the plastic bag that held his prize from the grocery store… All he saw were two very suspicious looking paper ones and his chest squeezed again as he realized Dee had brought over dinner.
A dizzying sway slammed against him and the blonde had to reach out for the counter to steady himself.
Coffee… he thought again, pinching his eyebrows together as he tried to remember what he had done with the bag. Looking down at his hand, he realized he hadn't even brought it into the apartment. When the mug had crashed against the wall near the door, he had dropped it…
Returning to the door, he expected to see it rolled to the side, but when he was met with nothing but broken ceramic, he knew there was only one place it could be. He watched Dee struggle with the couch a bit more before quickly opening the door, grabbing the bag that had haphazardly been left outside, and locked it again before Dee could get any more ideas of murdering Berkeley. Having to stop Dee from killing Lloyd back when the orphanage was bombed was bad enough… and Ryo did not want a repeat of that scenario.
Once the couch had been righted, Dee continued around the rest of the living room, making sure everything else was back into place. He ignored the dent in the wall nearby the window, wondering how long it would take the blonde to notice it. It wasn't a large impression, and even though he couldn't remember how it even got there in the first place, he knew that he was the one who made it.
Once everything was back in place, he grabbed the broom and dustpan from the kitchen and swept up the explosion that used to be the coffee mug. A frown settled back on his face as he returned to the kitchen and dumped the shards and dust into the trash can, still avoiding eye-contact with the blonde, then started back toward the living room.
"Hey," Ryo said quietly as Dee came into the kitchen to put the broom away, barely audible over the hum and drip of the coffee machine. He wanted to thank him for bringing over food, for being so considerate… Dee was always considerate. Maybe not about when and where he's decided to be a horny bastard, but he was most definitely considerate about the things that mattered.
Dee paused as he heard the other's voice, staring blankly ahead for several seconds then turning toward the voice's owner. He watched Ryo as the blonde stared at the slowly draining coffee maker, waiting for him to say something, and when he didn't, he prodded. "Hm?"
The blonde kept his eyes trained on the dark liquid that dripped much too slowly into the coffee pot. "Do you want coffee…?" he finally decided upon, mentally sighing for not being able to get anything else out other than that.
There was silence for a couple seconds afterward before Ryo responded and Dee felt his chest cave in slightly."I'm good," he replied, his voice sounding a bit sullen. The smell of the Chinese food battled with the scent of freshly brewed coffee, but Dee wasn't in the mood for either. Even though his stomach grumbled on the way to Ryo's apartment, it was silent now, which suited him just fine. He'd eat it later. Or at least put it away.
Without another word, the brunette walked back into the living room and stared at the couch. The hunk of furniture didn't feel broken when he moved it back, but he still felt bad for flipping it. It would certainly cost a pretty penny to replace and all of his pennies were pretty ugly.
With a sigh, he slumped down into the floor in front of the couch, leaning his head back against the cushion and closing his eyes. The coffee continued to drip in the kitchen, accompanied by the sounds of Ryo shuffling around. He wondered vaguely what the other was doing, if he was going to come back into the living room or continue to mope in the kitchen.
Damnit, he silently cursed. He knew he could be a dick at times, but tonight he felt like it was justified. Ryo had been out with Berkeley, doing God knows what, and then the fucker had the audacity to… to kiss him! Again! Didn't he learn his lesson when Ryo punched him in the face? Apparently not, he told himself with a scowl. He just hoped that Bikky's kick finally managed to do the job, otherwise it would be his own foot next time, and it wouldn't be the commissioner's face he'd be aiming for.
Ryo turned as Dee left the kitchen, staring at his back as he went before he vanished in front of the couch. Judging by the fact he couldn't see his head, Ryo guessed he had chosen the floor. He closed his eyes and leaned heavily against the counter, the gurgle of the coffee maker nearing the end of its brew his only companion. After all they had been through, all that had happened and everything that was said…
And he went and messed it up with a simple dinner date…
But it wasn't that simple anymore… not after what had happened afterwards. Despite its unsanitary nature, Ryo set his forehead on the counter and tried to get the stinging scent of his tabletop disinfectant to clear his head even more.
What's wrong with me…? he thought to himself as he pushed himself to his feet, swaying a bit before managing to successfully choose an intact mug from his cabinet and creamer from the fridge. I didn't even think, I… he shook his head, grabbing the coffee pot too soon, and a few drops of uncaught coffee hissed as they collided with the bottom of the maker. Who was he kidding…? Apparently not himself.
Ryo remained in the kitchen for a little bit longer, taking a few sips of straight coffee to accelerate its effect, but found that it was way too bitter for him to enjoy. He made a face at it and felt a little better.
It wasn't long after that he joined Dee in the living room, taking up a post on the couch near one of his pillows Dee had apparently replaced for him. He nursed a few more sips of coffee as he debated what to say.
And god, he wanted to say something… anything to make even one ounce of trouble he had caused go away…
By the time Ryo had meandered back into the living room, Dee had perched his left arm up on the couch in an attempt to get comfortable, a scowl having long settled on his face. He didn't look up as Ryo sat, though he did move his arm slightly toward himself. His ears prickled as he listened to the other move, drink his coffee, and for the most part be as quiet as he could.
After a couple minutes, the brunette couldn't take it any longer. Rolling his head toward the older male, he opened his eyes and gave him an unamused stare.
"So why exactly did you go out to dinner with Berkeley?" he asked, trying to sound patient and attempting to understand exactly what had happened and failing miserably.
Ryo looked over at him and felt his forest green eyes searching his soul. He looked back down at his coffee, the second of eye contact being too much for him to handle right then. The mug warmed his hands as his finger traced the rim, its tip feeling damp from the remnants of when he had taken a sip.
Why…? Why indeed… Why had he agreed to go out with the commissioner? He had refused once before and punched him in the face the second… so why now? Why today?
Ryo's eyebrow twitched slightly as he tried desperately to come up with an answer… and he was met with a blank vat of nothingness.
"I…" he started, swallowing once before looking back at his partner. His eyes swam with the uncertainty of someone who needed an answer… and didn't have one.
"I don't know…"
Even though it really wasn't the answer he was looking for, Dee still felt a bit of solace from it. He worried… Well, not so much worried as was irritable at the idea that Ryo could have said much worse, like he had wanted to go, or simply because the commissioner had asked and he couldn't decline.
He looked away again, a tick forming in his jaw as he continued to think about it. Ryo definitely could have said much worse, and yet, the hesitancy in the phrase caused a dull pain to ache in his chest. If Ryo was unsure over that, maybe he was unsure over other matters that had to do with the commissioner…
"I bought some Chinese," he said suddenly in an effort to try to make up for his early savagery and to fill in the silence between them. But then again, of course Ryo knew about the food. It was still sitting on the counter after all, getting cold, and hopefully not attracting any unwanted pests. His statement sounded dumb to his ears pretty much the instant it fell from his lips.
Ryo smiled slightly, even though Dee had averted his gaze once again. Despite the severity of the situation, Dee was still... Well, he was still Dee. Again Ryo pictured the bags and boxes on the counter and knew there was more there than for just the two of them. Dee had obviously gotten Bikky's dinner as well and the blonde couldn't help but once again understand just how nice and considerate Dee was. He must have the best partner in the state of New York...
A flush tinted his cheeks as he thought about it and he stared back down at his now cooling coffee.
"I saw. Thank you..." he answered after a few seconds. He shifted on the couch, feeling the plush pillow conform to his body and allow him to get a bit more comfortable. Still, his back felt tense and his muscles sore... The only thing centering him to the couch was the heat of the mug in his cold hands.
Dee continued to frown, though how the expression shifted toward a sulkier one. After several seconds, he muttered, mostly to himself, "Not that it matters. You already ate. Hell, you probably went to some fancy restaurant too." His bottom lip poked out but he realized what it had done and he drew it back. Even though he knew he was pouting, he refused to look childish doing so.
The sentence stabbed Ryo hard as he remembered the exquisite dinner... His eyes flicked towards Dee in time to catch the last edge of his lip retreating into a frown. Again he traced the mug, the action turning into something of a habit tonight. He really should have thought things through first... and of course this had to happen now, now when he's finally starting to realize his feelings for his partner...
Dee shifted back toward glowering, now irritated with himself, the commissioner, and his poor excuse of a bank account. There was no way he could afford to take Ryo to a fancy restaurant, not with how he dealt with his expenses. Some days he was lucky to have enough money to buy lunch and a pack of cigarettes. Then here was Ryo, living in a much larger, much nicer place than he was, with newer, better furniture. Well, it was better, he thought with a wince as he remembered his rampage from earlier.
Still, his eyes glimmered with jealousy. He didn't want to think about the possibility that Ryo might think better of the commissioner than him… or might… like him better…
Again Ryo turned towards him and he couldn't help but think about just how much Berkeley reminded him of Dee. Thinking back, he realized that that was what had happened back in England. Looking down at Berkeley from the balcony of his room, he had been captivated by his hazel eyes in exactly the same way he had when Dee first told him he was going to use his Japanese name that first day at the precinct.
Those two are exactly alike... he thought to himself, gazing at Dee's mussed hair and unamused glare. Their gazes, their attitudes... Even down to the little things they do. Slight changes in their expression... it's all so similar... That was probably why he had agreed to go out with the older male. Because he had reminded him of Dee... an older, much more mature Dee...
A sour feeling spoiled his stomach at the 'mature' bit. At least he had thought he was more mature... Ryo pressed the rim of the coffee mug to his lips and they tingled slightly as the heat warmed memories both new and old.
But wait...
"Dee...?" he asked tentatively, leaning forward a bit to place his mug carefully on the cracked table in front of them.
"What?" Dee replied, his voice still slightly tinged with irritation.
"Would you mind kissing me for a second?"
He turned to look up at his partner, expecting something… something other than the out-of-the-blue request. Green eyes stared up at the blonde, dumbstruck at Ryo's question, but that didn't last long. In an instant, all his previous grumblings and ill feelings were banished to the deep, dark depths of his subconscious in favor of the enthusiasm that shot through him.
"OH, HELL YEAH!" In an instant, he had bolted from the floor and was on the couch next to Ryo, his green eyes wide as he grinned from ear to ear. "YOU REALLY MEAN IT?"
"Hold on!" Ryo said quickly, suddenly thinking that this might not have been the best idea for the time being. How'd he even get up here so quickly...? he wondered, feeling a bead of sweat threaten to drip down the side of his face.
But Dee seemed to have temporarily forgotten the previous situation... so... "Before you get any ideas. Don't start slurping all over my face, okay? Just give me a small peck," he explained, hopefully halting any extremely perverted thoughts that had stationed themselves at the forefront of Dee's mind.
"Aw, man, what?" Dee complained, slumping forward on the couch. "Boo- no! Double boo!" he added as his brows furrowed and he continued his adolescent act.
Well, it wasn't actually an act. When Ryo asked for the kiss, he didn't think it would have been some, teeny-tiny kiss. That was just plain boring and way less than satisfying.
Not to mention he wanted to show up that rat bastard Berkeley. Whatever happened in the hallway, he wanted to erase it from Ryo's mouth and the best way to do that was to smooch the heck out of the blonde.
Ryo felt a vein throb in his forehead, and he glared at the brunette who had gone from one extreme emotion to two more in less than a few seconds. Really...
"I'm being serious, Dee," he said, trying to force as much conviction into his voice as he possibly could. "And if you decide to spice it up, I swear, I won't talk to you for at least a year!" he mentally kicked himself for sounding so juvenile. I really shouldn't have said anything... he thought to himself again. "So watch it!" he added for good measure. He leaned forward a bit, ready to get up if Dee wanted to try and pounce him. Not today... Ryo inwardly promised. Not again.
Dee narrowed his eyes, giving his partner a slightly put-off stare. "Dude, what are we? In kindergarten?" he asked, part of him enjoying the tables being turned. Ryo could be such a pain when it came to stuff like this, the brunette mentally whined. "Can't we go for some massive face sucking? Pwease?"
Ryo mirrored Dee's stare, threatening him to go further than what he wanted to do.
"When I say something, I mean it, okay! Unlike someone I know…" he accused.
His fingers touched a seam in the couch, and Ryo realized he had been leaning forward more than he intended to. He caught a glimpse of his coffee on the table and vaguely wondered if the caffeine had only intoxicated him further…
After returning the stare for several more seconds, Dee sighed, his shoulders slumping a little.
"Okay, okay, fine," he conceded, trying not to look as disappointed as he felt. It wasn't as if it was their first kiss, so why was Ryo being so stubborn? But hey, he was getting a kiss. Granted, not the kind of kiss he wanted, but a kiss nonetheless. And a willing one at that, but still… "Just a peck then."
Ryo felt his heartstrings tug slightly as he realized he had gotten Dee to agree to what he wanted in what seemed to be record time. I shouldn't have said anything at all… he thought as he shifted back into a comfortable position on the couch.
"Just a peck…" he emphasized. Ah… Why do I have butterflies all of a sudden…? Wings battered a nervous rhythm against his stomach as he shifted a bit more, bringing his leg up to bend on the couch so he could face Dee properly.
The brunette shifted as well, leaning in toward Ryo. Oddly enough, he didn't have to exercise much self-control to keep from attacking the other with the kiss, other than making sure his hands remained unmoving in his lap. His own breath felt warm against his parted lips as he closed the distance between the two of them. Dark lashes fanned across his tanned cheeks a couple seconds before their lips met.
Just as he promised, it was just a simple kiss, but despite that, he felt the electric tingle of it all the way down to his fingertips. The tingle continued until it was a steady wave that lapped against him, dizzying almost. He felt his control starting to slip…
The fluttering in Ryo's stomach increased as he felt Dee's lips touch his own, softly embracing what had just so recently been bruised.
Ah… he thought, keeping his eyes open for the first second or so. Dee looked so relaxed, despite the amount of restraint he was surely exercising at that exact moment. Just as I thought… Ryo closed his eyes into the kiss, gently leaning forward just a little to return it.
Dee's kiss is just…
He felt Dee's hair tickle his forehead. His heart throbbed somewhere between his chest and his throat as he felt himself get lost in the sincerity he could feel radiating out from the brunette. He opened his eyes partly as he backed away, locking eyes with his partner. His heart let out an especially hard pang as he tore himself away from his gaze.
Sweeter…
"Uhm, well…" he started, blushing lightly around the corners of his eyes. That was naughty of me… to compare them like that… He remembered Berkeley's kiss, and while it had all the right feelings… there was just something that held so much more love when Dee kissed him. "Thanks…"
Their gazes connected for a moment as Ryo slowly pulled away from the kiss. The blonde was so close, his lips parted in such a way that there was no doubt in the younger detective's mind that Ryo's mouth tingled from the intimate moment just as much as his did. Dee's vision faded in and out even after Ryo tore his gaze away, need pouring into him… He couldn't resist it any longer…
It all happened in an instant. Dee was well aware of his actions, of the look in Ryo's eyes, of the energy that continued to build between them as he pushed the blonde against the couch and took over his lips in a forceful- no, not forceful- passionate kiss. He was met with the usual resistance, although this time it wasn't as strong. His left hand reached past Ryo to stabilize himself against the couch cushion, but was met with the pillow that he had previously placed there. Without a second thought, he grabbed the oversized thing and tugged it away. It was a good thing he did too, because it allowed him to press Ryo even further back against the couch.
"Wha-" Ryo yelped as he was jumped and part of him screamed that he should have expected this in the long run. He felt himself fall backwards on the couch, gravity working against him as Dee pressed himself even harder into the kiss. His hands grabbed at anything that they could and he tugged mercilessly at Dee's shirt. He struggled, as he always did, but being pinned beneath his partner did not help the situation at all.
In a rush, all the emotions Ryo had locked away from before flooded his system, but it felt tenfold stronger than when he was outside his apartment with the commissioner. It was probably the alcohol, making his body feel like this... but then again...
It might just be because it was Dee.
In a second, Ryo went from trying to pull Dee off him to just pulling his shirt. His fingers tangled in the loose material and his fingertips brushed against the exposed skin of his chest as he accepted the kiss. Dee's tongue had already invaded his mouth, Ryo didn't know when, but he opened it further anyway and allowed his own tongue to battle the younger, much more experienced one. He was almost instantly outdone and an electric tremor shook his mentality as he was overwhelmed with the amount of shear skill Dee had in kissing.
Dee didn't have to touch Ryo in any other way to get the response he wanted. Limbs brushed against one another and his right hand slinked under the blonde's arm, which was currently gripping his shirt for dear life, but other than that, the most intimate touching between the two of them was the overtaking of Ryo's trembling lips and tongue. Amongst all the heat building from the incredibly ardent kiss, the younger male felt the brush of cool air against his chest, but the feeling vanished almost as quickly as it came.
The kiss lasted for several moments longer before Dee finally released Ryo's lips, his tongue still peeking past his lips as he pulled away. A tiny chuckle flitted from his throat, and before he knew it, he was grinning down at the panting male.
"Man, we've come a long way if you're able to look and feel like that," he said, his grin widening. Ryo looking the way he did, cheeks flushed, chest rising and falling unevenly, his eyes clouded over... Damn, he just looked so delicious and now Dee was hungry for more than just kisses.
The mess of whatever was left of Ryo's innards churned with emotion as he looked up at Dee and the blonde couldn't help but honestly say Dee was, as he would put it, sexy. His hair fell in a mess across his forehead and framed his face in such a way that didn't even seem possible when he slicked it back. For what felt like forever, Ryo was captured in the burning forest of Dee's eyes. It was only after he opened his mouth did he focus on the reality of the situation—and Dee's predatory grin.
"What!" he exclaimed, pushing himself further back against the couch cushion in a sad attempt at getting away from the younger male. His fingers felt locked in the front of Dee's shirt and he tugged a little trying to get them undone.
~.~.~.~.~
Bikky licked at the ice cream cone as he stepped off the elevator and checked his pockets for Ryo's cell and wallet. Damnit… he thought to himself as he made a face. I wound up only buying this, even though he told me I could get whatever I wanted…
He had spent twenty minutes at the gas station, staring at all the candy and cookies and junk food, and then at Ryo's wallet. If it had been Dee's money, hell, he would have spent it all in a heartbeat. He probably wouldn't have even made it to the gas station with anything left. But since it was Ryo's…
Another angry sigh escaped him as he unintentionally chomped down on the cold dessert, instantly freezing his teeth. "Owowowow!" he jumped, cursing the ice cream for being so cold. Even so, he couldn't stay angry with something so delicious and he grumbled as he returned to carefully licking it.
It wasn't long until he was standing outside the door of the apartment, fingering the cell phone in his pocket. Ryo said he would call… but it was late and he had school in the morning… and what if Dee had gone homicidal maniac on him? Or worse…
Images flashed into Bikky's mind, and he tore at his skull with the hand not holding the ice cream, mentally telling himself he would need to wash his brain out with bleach.
In one swift movement, he inserted his key, turned the handle, and kicked open the door.
"I'm HOME!" he exclaimed, holding the ice cream in one hand and his keys in the other.
The instant the door was kicked open, Dee's head jerked up and he stared at the over-enthusiastic runt that stood in the doorway. He didn't budge from his position on the couch however, even with Ryo pushing himself into the couch trying to get away from him.
"Ugh," was all he managed to say in voicing his irritation at being interrupted. Seriously, did the brat have a sex-ometer or something that told him whenever the two of them were about to get busy?
"Bikky?" Ryo looked towards the door, and instantly grew even more aware of his current position. But unlike with the commissioner, Ryo didn't feel 'caught', so to put it. My savior… he thought as Bikky stared at him.
"BE GONE, VILE BEAST!" Bikky screamed and seemingly flew into the air, promptly settling his foot straight into Dee's face.
Dee turned and was going to block Bikky's attack, but everything happened so fast, there was nothing he could do to stop it. The tween's foot connected with his face, which sent the brunette slumping back against his partner in a haze of pain. He didn't have glasses to shield him from a majority of the force, unlike Bikky's earlier target, so he got the full power of the kick.
Blinking, Ryo couldn't even wrap his mind around what had just happened. Was that the same foot he had used to kick Berkeley?
"Dee!" Ryo exclaimed in surprise, mentally thanking Bikky for the help, but.. but still! "BIKKY! What were you thinking? I mean, I know it's Dee, but still! Didn't we have this conversation already?"
With his arms crossed, or with as best a crossing as he could manage with the ice cream, he turned to Ryo and looked just about ready to hit him too. Of course, there was no way he was going to do that... but still!
"And you!" he uncrossed his arms and pointed at the blonde with his dessert. "Didn't I tell you to be more careful?" he accused, which sent a bead of sweat down the side of Ryo's face.
Regardless of what he said, the kid was right. He not only should have expected this, but he should have prepared for it. Where was his gun, anyway? He didn't even bring it to dinner... That would have solved everything had he just threatened the perverted duo with his sidearm.
"W-Well, that-"
"And you said it was okay earlier!"
"WHAT?"
"Yeah!" Bikky crossed his arms again. "You said that I was allowed to kick Dee in the face, but not just anyone!" he countered and Ryo looked away as he remembered telling the boy that... "Anyway, here ya go!" Bikky changed the subject as he offered his ice cream cone to Ryo. "I saved you some!" he said, grinning, and Ryo couldn't help but not feel angry at Bikky for what he had done. After all, he had saved him from whatever Dee was planning on doing, had he not come home when he did...
Blinking, Ryo realized that Dee hadn't moved yet.
"De-"
But Dee was up in an instant, enraged and screaming. "THAT'S IT, MONKEY BOY!" Bikky's footprint remained on his face, part of an "I" and a "K" from the bottom of the shoe imprinted next to the throbbing vein on his forehead. "YOU USE MY BEAUTIFUL FACE AS A LANDING PAD AND YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITHOUT EVEN A SMACK ON THE WRIST? YOU ARE SO DEAD MEAT!"
And with that, the chase began, Dee once again knocking over what he had previously knocked over, save for the couch that Ryo was still planted on, and as usual, Bikky evaded his swipes and lunges. "NYA!" Bikky pulled his eyelid down and stuck out his tongue as Dee missed, once again, before bounding away again.
Sitting on the couch, Ryo held the melting ice cream cone in one hand and scratched his head with the other. Why do things always seem to end up like this…? he wondered as he watched the morbid dance Dee and Bikky shared around his apartment.
