A/N: I figured I better upload this, even though it's not as long as I wanted it to be before you guys really do take me up on the offer to kill me if I didn't. ^__^;;
Ivy: Yay! I nearly made you cry!
DK-Adeena, lady malynn, K.firefly, KittiFlora, Ashura Akuma, louie, Illustrious Sorrow, Quatorze: There you go. Another chapter. Blood, sweat and tears man. That's the keyword for getting this out. Whew!
Mclachlan: Aww. . .thanks. . .*blush* Hope you like this chapter as well!
Duette, Natascha: Fellow Berkley/Ted fans! You'll be pleasantly surprised then with this chapter. And yes, Duette¸ I thought that we're long overdue for some Dee-angst. One that was not due to his 'recklessness' etc. See, I believe that even though Dee is quite brash, loud and overenthusiastic at times, he's not the kind of cop that would needlessly endanger his partner. Not that that's not a good plot bunny ^^
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Chapter 11: A bath and a kiss
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"Do you want help?" the offer was quietly given, despite the fact that it was only the two of them in the room. The vases of flowers had long been given away, mostly to the kids in the children's wards while the various books and odds and ends had been packed away. Even now Bikky was waiting just outside, in the hallway with the bags.
Dee didn't answer him. At least, not vocally. Instead, he held out his arm and Ryo took it carefully, aware of the bandage that had yet to come off. Supporting the other man's weight comfortably against his own, the arm slung around his waist, Ryo gently tugged the unresponsive Dee out. In the hallway, Bikky waited for them quietly, Cal at his side and with none of the usual retorts.
The four of them made their way silently to the hospital's main entrance while the ebb and flow of the doctors, nurses and patients went on unabated around them. It didn't take them long to find a cab. Bikky and Cal helped load the bags into the boot and stepped back on to the pavement. They were going to hitch a ride with Ted instead to a basketball match that Bikky was playing in that afternoon. Ryo had offered his apologies earlier for having to miss it but Bikky had shook his head, saying that he understood.
After getting Dee in, Ryo slid inside, the brown cracked leather of the seats creaking under his weight. Dee had settled back against the seat, eyes closed while his right hand curled loosely over his left wrist.
"Where to mate?"
Bright brown eyes stared at him from the review mirror with lines of laughter etched deep into the skin. The accent, if not the choice of words were a dead giveaway for the driver's origin. Somehow, he didn't know why, it felt decidedly incongruous to Ryo about having an Australian cab driver in New York.
Before he could answer, Dee spoke up.
"I want to go home."
Dead grey eyes met his and Ryo nodded, his throat tightened uncomfortably.
"Yes," he echoed hoarsely. "Home please."
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Dee stood in the middle of the living room, letting the familiarity of the place soak deep into his bones. This was truly his home now. Not the dingy one-bedroom apartment he had given up nor orphanage which Penguin had sheltered him with so much love and care. It was this place. This apartment. The one he shared with his partner and his bratty charge who was really a big softie under the layers of bluster he showed to the world.
Behind him, Ryo had taken the last of the bags into the bedroom, having insisted that Dee did not strain himself after getting out so soon from the hospital. Unknown to Dee, it had troubled Ryo just how passive he was being with all the coddling given. The old Dee would have had his hackles up and teeth bared at the mere suggestion that he was too weak to do something. This Dee just nodded and waited silently.
"Dee?" A tentative hand touched his sleeve and Dee turned around in blank enquiry.
"Would you like to take a bath?" Ryo forced a cheerful smile. "I got the tub filled with hot water already."
A hot bath sounded too good to pass up. Dee fixed a smile of his own on his face and made his way into the bathroom silently. Once inside, he stripped off his t-shirt, jeans and socks, piling them on the floor and stepped into the waiting bath.
The hot water felt good. He could feel all the tension that he had not known existed melt away as he leaned back and slid further in. The water lapped his chin, the suds tickling his ears and Dee let out a sigh.
"Would you like me to wash your hair for you?"
Dee snapped upright in shock, water sloshing against the rim of the porcelain tub with his sudden movement. He hadn't heard Ryo coming in and it startled him badly. A warm hand grasped his shoulder and he twisted around. Ryo smiled apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you like that," Ryo said softly.
Again, instead of answering, Dee just shook his head and smiled back. The words were at the tip of his tongue but somehow, he could not say them. All he could do was smile, nod or shake his head. Words were too dangerous to be used right now. Words might break the thin glass walls he had erected between himself and the memories he had kept buried these past 18 years.
"Would you like me to?" Ryo held up the bottle of shampoo and Dee smiled in answer.
A half-hour later, Dee had towel dried and was wearing a loose sweatshirt and flannel pants, reclining on the couch in the living room. A moment later, Ryo came in from the kitchen, bearing two mugs of hot chocolate with him. He handed one to Dee who took it with yet again, another smile and nothing else. They sat side by side on the couch, each nursing their mug till only the dregs remained. Still, no words had yet to escape Dee.
"Dee?"
In answer, Dee burrowed his way into Ryo's embrace and hid his face in the blond's chest. They stayed like that for most of the night.
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"Sir, these are the reports you asked for."
Without waiting for a reply, Ted spun around on his heels but had barely taken a step when he was stopped by Rose's "Ted!"
Rooted to the spot, Ted waited but didn't turn his back, preferring to face the door than the Commissioner. But an instant later, he changed his mind. This was mere petty behaviour he was showing. He was better than this. He was a detective. Not a spoilt kid who had his treat taken away.
Mind made up, he turned abruptly only to nearly avoid a collision with Rose who had stepped a little too close.
"Sorry."
Ted was a bit breathless from the sudden contact. Rose had placed his hands on his shoulders, steadying them both and he was only too aware of the heat emanating from the non-existent space between them. Neither made any move to rectify the situation and it might have been his imagination but Ted distinctly felt that the office, the very air around them had risen in temperature.
"You keep on calling me 'sir'." A ghost of breath ruffled his hair and Ted tilted his head back to better see the Commissioner who was a good 3 inches taller than him. Hair fell into his eyes but before he could brush it away, Rose did it for him, his fingers agonizingly soft. Ted shivered.
Somehow, that brought him to his senses. With a sudden jerk, he pulled himself away from the near embrace, all too aware now of the loss of heat between them. And that only made him angrier.
Eyes flashing, Ted snapped his answer. "That's because I am just a detective, sir and not someone who's merely a convenient placeholder in the time being!"
The words crackled in the air, vibrant with tension that was waiting for the right fuse to set it off. Body tense, Ted waited, barely breathing as anger still flowed sharp and hot inside him. Rose made no move, only staring at him silently, golden brown eyes inscrutable under the poor lighting.
"No, you're not," Rose admitted calmly.
The utter calmness with which the words were said threw Ted into a loop. He blinked rapidly, confused. "What?"
Rose clarified further for him. "You're right. You're not a placeholder."
Ted expected to feel. . . .something, with the admission, but he had not expected to feel the sharp twist of regret inside him instead.
He was thrown into a further loop when Rose went on.
"I'm sorry."
Ted was now blinking so fast, his eyes were watering. "You're sorry?"
Rose nodded once, the gesture slow and deliberate. "I am. It's just. . ." he gestured briefly to the door, "old habits are hard to break."
"What do you mean, 'old habits'?" Ted asked with a sinking feeling. 'Old habits' of having a temporary replacement while you chase after another?
"Maclean." Ted winced inwardly. "Do you honestly see me as someone who gives up without a fight?"
"No."
Rose smiled. "That's what I mean. I've been chasing after Maclean for so long, it's become a habit." The smile turned wry with a slight tinge of sheepishness behind it. "It's somewhat automatic now."
"Oh." With some effort, he managed to stop the rapid blinking.
"Listen, Ted," Rose moved closer and when he didn't protest or made a move to get away, the smile turned brighter. "I'm sorry also, for being such an ass. I didn't mean to lead you on like that."
Leading him on like that? So does this mean that he never wanted it to go further? That he was just. . . .flirting? Ted didn't notice the hand that was creeping above his right shoulder, hovering near the nape of his neck. He was too busy digging a hole in his mind where he could bury himself and forget that he had acted like a lovesick fool, and with his superior, nonetheless.
Mind on automatic mode, Ted nodded, saying, "Yes, I understand now. Thank you for explaining it to me now if you don't mind I—" he stopped abruptly when the hand made its presence known.
"I think you misunderstood me, Detective." The smile turned into a grin when Rose noticed the blank look of surprise on his face. As the Commissioner moved closer, head tilting forward, his brain, still on autopilot, took the necessary steps. Eyes fluttered close, breath hitching to a stop, he met Rose's lips with his own.
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to be continued
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A/N: Yay! Progress in the romance department! Took you long enough, Rose! Never fear, you will see more action in the next chapter! That is, action of the kill kill kill die die die type rather than the kiss kiss kiss type. For those interested, I have two new fics out; a Tokyo Babylon/X fic called "Not Your Ordinary Life" and a Yami no Matsuei fic called "Why you should never kick Muraki in the balls". Catchy, eh? *wink* Ooh, for Cardcaptor Sakura fans, do try my CCS fic called "Cardhunter". It's depressing having only Yasha Misaki review it. . .*pouts*
