Authors' notes:
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: Okay.... maybe we should explain how this fic came about. Dragonflower dearest, would you like to explain?
DRAGNFLWR1: Ok. Swordy and I have been emailing each other for the past several months, chatting about her various stories.
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: And other stuff...
DRAGNFLWR1: Yeah.
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: You name it, we've chatted ;-)
DRAGNFLWR1: In true fangirl style, I had written to her, telling her how much I loved her stuff.
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: Awww....
DRAGNFLWR1: Well, we eventually connected on IM, and the chatting really began. As Swordy says, we've talked about EVERYTHING.
DRAGNFLWR1: Inspired by Swordy's excellence, I decided to try my hand at writing as well. You really are loving this, aren't you?
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: Lay it on baby!
DRAGNFLWR1: LOL
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: we'll SO have to edit this!
DRAGNFLWR1: yeah.
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: But in the midst of that, we decided to actually do something productive. Dragonflower had already demonstrated that she's an excellent author with her first two fics. So we decided to have some fun... *insert evil laugh here*
DRAGNFLWR1: We knew we wanted to write together, but we weren't sure how to accomplish that over IM. We finally settled on roleplaying.
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: of the non-sexual variety! It's not like we sat at our computers dressed in nurses' uniforms or anything…
DRAGNFLWR1: Yeah.
DRAGNFLWR1: Wait a minute, this IS Dee and Ryo we're talking about - that's kinda hard to avoid.
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: lol... you said it.
DRAGNFLWR1: So, anyway, based on our personalities, we decided that Swordy would be Dee and I'd be Ryo. Do you want to take it from here, Mistress Swordy?
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: oh err, okay. Well, once we had the characters figured out... we just needed a scenario to write about. Nothing special, just something that would give our boys a healthy dose of interaction (of the verbal variety before those hentai minds start wandering).
DRAGNFLWR1: hehe
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: Before we knew it, we'd written a fic!
DRAGNFLWR1: Should we talk about the revision process, and how much I tried your patience with my incessant tweaking?
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: oh yeah... there was that *rolls eyes* She's a hard lady to please, I tell ya!
DRAGNFLWR1: You know it, Baby!
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: So basically, what you're about to read is our... what's the word I'm looking for?
DRAGNFLWR1: Collaboration?
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: crazy experiment?
DRAGNFLWR1: Love child?
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: *cough* I think I'll go with 'experiment' if it's all the same to you...
DRAGNFLWR1: lol… Whatever it is, it was a lot of fun to produce.
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: I can't begin to tell you how much fun it was to do...
DRAGNFLWR1: We did it again…
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: Oh yeah, I forgot to add that we're psychic...
DRAGNFLWR1: That too. In fact, we're considering doing the next story telepathically. IM is just too slow....
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: Yeah, either way, we'll DEFINITELY be working on more... So, brought to you by the powers of telepathy and the letters U and Z, please enjoy 'Calling the Play'.
DRAGNFLWR1: Yay! *happy dance*
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: Oh and leave a review!
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: hehehe
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: I'm not too proud to beg!
DRAGNFLWR1: Stop!
STARDRAG0NSW0RD: Thank you and GOOD NIGHT!
DRAGNFLWR1: LOL
Calling the Play
The sight that greeted Ryo's dark eyes as he looked over the top of the newspaper that morning was truly frightening to behold. It was their day off, and his normally handsome green-eyed lover had just woken up after sleeping in later than usual. The aroma of freshly-brewed coffee had lured the still semi-conscious man from bed, and Ryo was hard-pressed to keep from bursting out laughing at the vision before him.
Dee's usually sexy raven black hair stuck out at odd angles, like he had slept on it wet. Although he slept naked, he had put on some clothes to leave the bedroom, the choice of which said little for his fashion-sense. He wore his red silky boxers with the little white hearts that Ryo had bought him one Valentine's Day, which he had teamed with a neon orange t-shirt that read 'I'm multi-talented: I can talk and piss you off at the same time'. The t-shirt hung in a mass of wrinkles as if it had been pulled from the dirty-clothes pile, which, judging by the curry stain on the front, it had.
"Good morning, sunshine," Ryo greeted his lover with a warm smile.
Dee shot him a half-hearted glare. Mornings had never been his thing. "Coffee first. Conversation later."
Ryo grinned good-naturedly at his partner as he pushed aside the remnants of his own breakfast. He knew how difficult it was for Dee to wake up on his days off. "I thought maybe we could go out and do something together today, Dee. Our schedules have been so crazy lately and whenever it seems like we have some free time, you've already got other plans. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."
The glare softened. Ryo was right.
Dee swallowed the last of his coffee before heading back for a refill. The second cup he supplemented with his first cigarette of the day. "What did you have in mind? If it's an all-day sex marathon then count me in!"
Ryo shook his head in disbelief. They'd been together for almost a year now, and Dee's ardour still hadn't begun to wane in the slightest. In his heart of hearts, Ryo hoped it never would. There were times, however, when it could be damned inconvenient, like today, when Ryo actually wanted to get out of the house.
"Dee," he said as gently as he could, "I'd really like to actually go outside today. You may have been out all week, following up on leads, but I've been stuck in the office doing paperwork. I haven't seen the sun in days."
Dee was about to retort that Ryo should think the sun shone out of his ass, but the expression on his lover's face told him he wasn't in the mood for jokes. He gazed at Ryo for a moment over the rim of his cup. "Okay, well, how would you like us to spend the day? I was happy with a day of couch and TV but it sounds like you've got other ideas."
Ryo folded the newspaper to the 'Arts & Entertainment' section and offered it to Dee, pointing to an article. He noticed Dee's expression glaze over as soon as he saw what part of the paper his partner was holding. Ryo already knew that Dee probably wasn't going to go for it, but knew he had to try anyway. "There's an Impressionist Art Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that I've been wanting to see," he offered timidly.
Dee looked at Ryo as if he'd grown a second head, before managing to tame the look into one of mild interest. How was he supposed to respond to that? He didn't know the first thing about art!
"I dunno," he said, dubiously glancing at the article Ryo was pointing at. "When you said outdoors, I thought you meant going kicking a football around in the park or something. An art museum..." He let out a long breath before running a hand across his hair. He didn't say anymore, but his eyebrows quirked into a frown.
Ryo sat back with a sigh. Okay, the museum was out. He'd seen that particular look on Dee's face before - the time he'd managed to drag him to the ballet. For his sake, Dee had really tried to enjoy it, but by intermission Ryo had had to wake Dee up twice, and he knew the evening had been a mistake. He didn't want to put his lover through that again, even in the name of culture. "We can do something else, Dee. Besides staying home, what would you like to do?"
Dee drew on his cigarette thoughtfully. Now he had to come up with something good. Ryo hadn't mentioned his suggestion of football so clearly that was out. Basketball? No, Ryo hated that too. "We could er..." He stopped, realizing he'd started speaking before his brain had come up with anything. He mentally rebuked himself for his own lack of creativity, for a brief moment wishing they were off to work so they wouldn't be having this discussion. "We could... go..." He looked up at Ryo's expectant expression. "Oh, I don't know!" he growled in frustration. "Anywhere, just not a museum!"
Ryo hid a scowl as he got up to make himself another cup of tea. This was just so typical - sometimes he felt like a cruise director. If their leisure time was to consist of more than sports or TV or sex, it was up to him to plan it. He sighed in frustration as he sat back down in his seat, viciously fishing the teabag out of his mug with his spoon, and strangling it with its own string. Despite his frustration, Ryo was determined to find something that they could both enjoy.
Dee sensed that his reaction hadn't been well received. It was times like this he realized just how different they were and it unnerved him slightly. Somehow, he could picture Rose at an art museum and the fear that Ryo might leave him one day for someone more like himself was always niggling away at the back of his mind. He still couldn't bring himself to agree to go. Even if he did, Ryo would probably say he didn't want to go now out of stubbornness. Suddenly he thought of something.
"Fine! If you want art, I'll give you art. Go get dressed."
Ryo had been staring into the depths of his mug, almost like he was trying to divine the perfect solution to their problem. His head snapped up in surprise, not liking the instruction or the tone of voice it was spoken in. He didn't take orders from anyone, not even Dee.
"Where are we going?" he asked suspiciously, ready to dig in his heels. He pulled the cord of his robe tighter before he folded his arms across his chest.
Dee's eyes narrowed, hating when Ryo was so defensive. "Jeez, you trust me with your virginity and yet you don't trust me to take you somewhere for the day!" He shook his head angrily, waiting for some kind of indignant comment from Ryo. "If you don't want to trust me, then fine." He crushed his cigarette into the ashtray, his expression half angry, half hurt.
Wait a minute, what was happening here?
All Ryo had wanted was for them to spend the day together, and here they were on the verge of a fight. He could see Dee's pained expression, and hated knowing that he had been the cause of it. Ryo got up from the table and walked over to where the dark-haired man was sitting. He knelt next to Dee's chair, and reached out to him, gently tugging on his partner's arms until he uncrossed them. "I'm sorry, Baby," Ryo whispered, bringing one of Dee's palms up to kiss. "I just wanted today to be a perfect day, and blew it all out of proportion." "Forgive me?" he asked, looking deeply into the eyes of the man he loved with all his heart.
What was left of Dee's anger dissipated, leaving behind a trace of guilt. "I'm sorry, too," he said quietly. Ryo nodded, his acceptance drawing a line under their brief spat. Dee grinned suddenly, before he leaned forward and gave Ryo a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll go and get dressed now. We've got art to go see!"
Ryo puttered around the kitchen while he waited for Dee to shower and change, humming under his breath. He was excited and curious now, wondering where his handsome partner was going to take him. One thing he knew for sure, with Dee along, it certainly wasn't going to be boring. This might just turn out to be a good day, after all.
************************************
Dee knew Ryo was frowning as the car came to a stop. When he finally looked across, his instinct was confirmed, not that he could blame Ryo. They saw some run-down areas of New York in their day to day duties, but this was by far one of the worst. As a rule, no one who knew the city came here of their own volition. Across the street, two scruffy looking children were throwing stones at the already broken windows of an abandoned Chevrolet.
Ryo gazed out the window in confusion. When they'd gotten in the car, Ryo had thought for sure that they were going someplace exciting. He knew Dee loved the outdoors, and figured that maybe his idea of 'art' would be something along the lines of natural beauty. Thoughts of maybe driving upstate and looking at the foliage, or down to the shore to walk by the beach had crossed his mind - but this? He supposed this neighborhood could be called exciting as well, just not in a good way. He glanced over at Dee, unable to hide his consternation, "Uh, Dee, what are we doing here?"
Dee met his lover's question with a grin. "Do you trust me?"
Ryo smiled back, "You know I do. I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
Dee relaxed at the response. "Come on then," he said, swinging open the car door. When the vehicle was locked, he found a cigarette and lit it, studying his surroundings with a strong sense of familiarity. Years ago, this had been his territory. Back then it had been bad, but it was nowhere near as inhospitable as it was today. It had changed, but why was that so surprising? After all, the Dee that had roamed these streets all those years ago was very different from the Dee that stood here today. In his case, he hoped he had changed for the better. He cut short his introspection, aware that Ryo was waiting for him to explain why they had come. "Follow me," he said, beckoning Ryo over. "It's this way."
Ryo's trained eyes instinctively glanced back and forth as they made their way down the cracked and broken sidewalk. This was not the kind of place to take a casual stroll - not that they were. He had to hurry to keep up with Dee, who looked like he knew just where he was going.
Silence reigned for several long moments as they walked, their concentration occupied with looking out for potential signs of trouble. Eventually Dee came to a halt, causing Ryo to do the same. "It's a little earlier than I was planning," he said cryptically, dropping his cigarette and crushing it beneath his sneaker.
"But you said you wanted art..."
Ryo was about ready to scream. Dee was just being too damned mysterious. He opened his mouth to ask, yet again, what they were doing here, but the dangerous glint in his lover's eye gave him pause. He was just going to have to trust Dee a little longer.
"You ready?" Dee asked. When Ryo nodded, he smiled. "Okay, I want you to close your eyes. I'll guide you and I swear if you peek..."
Ryo took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. He couldn't imagine what kind of 'art' Dee needed to drag him into the worst section of New York City to see, but one look into his partner's dancing green eyes, and Ryo knew he'd follow him anywhere. He closed his eyes and held out his hands blindly. "Lead the way, Dee," he said, and immediately felt warm, strong hands wrap around his own.
Dee was still smiling as he guided Ryo around the corner. He left the other man briefly to push aside the gate that led into the basketball court, surrounded by a tall chain link fence. The fence stopped only where it met the outer wall of the community center and it was this in particular that he had brought Ryo to see. He watched the expression on Ryo's face change as he assessed and tried to place the sounds he was hearing.
"Okay, keep walking," he instructed, coming back to Ryo's side to ensure he reached their destination safely. Before he let Ryo open his eyes, he gazed up at the mural he and a large collection of the kids at Penguin's orphanage, had helped to produce over the last four weeks. It was a project he'd accepted reluctantly, but seeing the almost finished design, he knew he'd made the right decision in the end. "Okay... you can look."
Ryo blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. He registered red brick and chain link - and an overwhelming wash of design and color. It took a moment for him to make sense of what was in front of him, but when he did, he couldn't help but smile. Glancing at Dee, who was still holding his elbow, Ryo could see a gleam of pride in his vibrant green eyes. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?" he asked.
Dee grinned and ran a hand through his hair, the action boyish and yet alluring. "Maybe," he replied cryptically. When Ryo started to move closer he followed, wondering if his lover would notice his own particular contribution. "It was a bitch trying to get all those brats out of bed every time we were supposed to come and work on it. One time, we never even made it here because that clapped-out heap o' shit Penguin calls a van broke down." he made a face at the memory. "This isn't exactly the kind of neighborhood you want to break down in, believe me." He stopped speaking and glanced across at Ryo, the other man still transfixed by the sight before him. "So... what d'you think?"
Ryo gazed up at the mural, a grin that wouldn't quit plastered on his face. Immortalized in pigment, was a likeness of himself, kneeling down to tie a child's laces, on the edge of a painted basketball court. He was only a small part of the overall picture, but the fact that Dee had included him - and had obviously worked so hard to make him recognizable - touched him, deeply.
Dee saw the smile grow on Ryo's face. "It's not quite finished," he said almost apologetically, gesturing to the unused space beside Ryo's image. "But since you were so keen on seeing some 'art', I thought I'd let you have a special viewing. So does this qualify, or what?"
"It certainly does," Ryo replied, taking another step forward to examine the painting more closely. "I never knew you were so talented with a brush."
Dee chuckled, knowing Ryo was being kind. "I'm not exactly Michaelangelo, but I think you can tell who it's supposed to be." He paused, before a mischievous smile lit up his face. He looked up at Ryo through unruly bangs of hair as he scuffed his sneaker on the asphalt. "So... now that we've done the art thing, how about we go with my suggestion?"
"You mean you want to go play football?" Ryo teased, reaching out to surreptitiously intertwine his fingers with Dee's.
One dark eyebrow arched roguishly as he reeled Ryo in for a kiss.
"If it's exercise you're after then I can heartily recommend the horizontal marathon instead," he said with a wink and a Machiavellian grin as he set off towards the car, certain that Ryo would now be as red as the unpainted brick beside him.
As he followed Dee off the basketball court, a faint blush did stain Ryo's cheeks – but not from embarrassment. His craving for fresh air and culture satisfied, other desires surfaced, and Dee's suggestion was sounding pretty good right about now. Ryo watched his sexy partner climb into the car with surprisingly predatory eyes. Dee had turned down his offer of football too quickly – he'd obviously never played Ryo's special indoor version. The blonde grinned wickedly at the sudden realization – today was their day off – they could play all afternoon. Ryo was still smirking as he got into the car as well – visions of tackling Dee, and penalties for unnecessary roughness dancing in his head.
It was sure to be one game that would go into overtime.
End.