Crash and Burn

Chapter 27 – Killing Time

Friday rolled around in no time at all, as if the intervening days were nothing more than a trick of the light. Half an hour before they were due to leave for the airport, Ryo was rushing round, anxious that they had remembered everything.

"You've got your traveller's cheques?" he called from the living room as Dee packed the last of his stuff into his hand luggage in their bedroom.

"Yes! Quit worrying."

"And the airline know you need a diabetic meal?"

"Yes!"

"And…"

"Ryo!" Dee said, leaning around the doorframe and frowning at his blond partner. "Calm down. We've checked everything several times."

"I know," Ryo replied, running a hand through his wavy hair and forcing himself to sit down. "I'm sorry, love…"

The dark haired detective smiled. "What time will Bicky be home? He's coming to the airport with us, right?"

"Yeah, and Cal too," Ryo said, glancing at his watch. "He should be home any time; I told him we had to leave at five."

"Okay. Well, my bag's packed if you can bring it out for me."

"Sure," Ryo replied, jumping up from the couch as Dee came out of the bedroom on his crutches. "So you'll be able to get your cast off while you're over there?" he asked as he picked up the rucksack and took it to the front door so it stood next to Dee's holdall.

"Yeah. The hospital has managed to arrange it for me," he said with a smile of relief. "That should make it easier for the return journey. At least I'll be able to carry my own bags."

"Better make the most of it then," Ryo chuckled as a key sounded in the lock and Bicky let himself in with Cal following behind.

"Well? Shall we get going then?" Dee said, seeing everyone present and ready to go. The three members of his unorthodox family smiled back as they nodded their agreement.

They drove to JFK airport, glad they'd set off a little early since the Friday evening rush hour traffic was as heavy as usual. When they arrived, Ryo dropped Dee, Bicky and Cal off as close to terminal seven as possible before he went off to find a parking space, returning shortly afterwards as Dee was checking in. The dark haired detective frowned at the thought of being taken onto the plane in a wheelchair but accepted that the airline wouldn't have it any other way for safety reasons. When Ryo also pointed out that he'd find it difficult to move around on his crutches with his hand luggage, Dee grudgingly conceded that a wheelchair was the most obvious solution.

They spent some time in the departure lounge, browsing the shops and playing the videogames in the arcades before Dee's flight was called. As the announcement sounded, they were all giggling like idiots having squashed themselves into the photo booth and had some photos taken. Of the four small pictures, there were two of just Dee and Ryo in the midst of a passionate kiss before Bicky and Cal had jumped in for the last two; the images showing them all pulling faces, their eyes twinkling with laughter. They'd borrowed a pair of scissors from one of the store clerks and cut the photos up so the two men had a copy of each of the photographs. On hearing the call for his flight to Heathrow, London; Dee had tucked the photos into his wallet, intending to keep them close to him the whole time he was away.

"Well," Dee said as the reached the point where non-travellers couldn't pass. "I guess this is it."

All around them, similar goodbyes were taking place; the sound of tears and laughter providing the backdrop for their own farewell. Cal was first to step forward, hugging Dee tightly before she kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye Dee," she said; her eyes shiny with tears, before she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. "Don't worry; I'll look after them for you."

Dee smiled and nodded as she stepped back to allow Bicky access. The blond teen looked down at his shoes, suddenly feeling awkward and not sure what to do that wouldn't compromise his tough-guy status in front of Cal. He didn't get any choice however as Dee pulled him into a hug. "Take care of Ryo," he whispered into the boy's ear. "I'm trusting you to look after him while I'm gone."

As he let Bicky go, the blond nodded solemnly; feeling important that Dee had entrusted him with such a task. He rejoined Cal, who was busy wiping her tears away with the back of her hand as Ryo stepped forward, desperately trying to swallow the huge lump of emotion in his throat.

"Bye, baby," Dee said as they flung their arms around each other and remained in that tight embrace as the seconds ticked by. He could feel Ryo's breath hitching against his chest and he had to fight his own emotions from overwhelming him as they prepared to part for what felt like forever.

"I love you, Ryo," Dee said, gripping a handful of his lover's thick blond hair.

"I love you too," Ryo replied, not caring that he could feel the weight of several stares around the departure lounge. "Please ring me as soon as you get there, love."

"I will," Dee promised as they pulled apart and gazed into each other's eyes. They kissed soundly as the final call came for Dee's flight and they both reluctantly knew that it really was time to go. From behind Dee, an airport attendant emerged, pushing a wheelchair towards the man on the crutches.

"Mr Latener?" the man said as he approached. Dee nodded as he passed Ryo his crutches and lowered himself into the chair before his lover gave them back to him along with his rucksack.

"Ready to go?" the attendant asked with a smile, sensing the difficult parting from the grim expressions on the two men's faces. Dee nodded as Ryo leaned in and kissed him one more time.

"Safe journey," Ryo said, his voice tremulous as he stepped back and found Bicky and Cal putting their arms around him supportively. The simple gesture destroyed the last of his defences and he was glad that Dee was already heading towards the boarding gate so his lover didn't see the tears that rolled onto his cheeks as he hugged the youngsters, grateful for their support. It felt so alien to let him go, knowing how dependent Dee had been on him since his ordeal had begun.

They watched as Dee disappeared towards the British Airways plane on the runway before they moved silently to the one of the windows so they could witness the huge metallic bird taking off. As the jet soared into the clouds, about to separate the lovers by whole continents, Bicky looked up at Ryo's mask-like expression.

"Lunkhead'll be back before you know it," he said, his humour an attempt to alleviate his own sadness as well as his guardian's.

"Yeah," Cal said, seeing what Bicky was doing as she put her arms around Ryo's waist. "A month's nothing at all, is it?"

"No," Ryo replied, appreciating their attempts to cheer him up. "Come on; let's go and rent a movie or something. We'll get popcorn and stuff."

"Beer?" Bicky enquired as they turned to walk back to the car. "Thought not," he grumbled as he was met by a disapproving glare. "But it was worth a try."

Ryo barely slept with his bed feeling so empty. He awoke from his restless sleep on a couple of occasions during the night, feeling panicked by Dee's absence. He had to reassure himself that there wasn't a sinister reason for his lover not being there before he was able to fall back asleep; only to repeat the same process several hours later. By morning, he was so weary that he only woke when Bicky shouted through his door, the alarm clock still ringing impatiently in the background.

Breakfast had done nothing to alleviate his tiredness as he made his way slowly up the stairs to his fourth floor office. He met JJ in the corridor; the younger man grinning broadly in a way that made Ryo feel instantly suspicious, but he shook the feeling off as he pushed on the door handle and let himself to the office. He glimpsed Drake out of the corner of his eye, muttering a greeting close to 'hello' as he hung his jacket on the coat rack in the corner of the room. When he didn't get a response, he turned around to see Drake grinning at him, much like JJ, but before he could ask what was going on, his attention was drawn to his own desk, on which sat the most enormous bouquet of flowers.

His expression of surprise turned into a smile as he walked over to the arrangement, correctly anticipating who they were from before he located the card and read it.

Dear Ryo,

I'm hoping you're smiling reading this, baby. The guys are under strict instruction to take good care of you while I'm away. Before you know it, I'll be back at that desk making you blush when I remind you how gorgeous you are!

Miss you already,

Yours Forever,

Dee.

Ryo smiled at the familiar scrawled handwriting, trying to work out when Dee had managed to arrange this little surprise, but glad he had as his heart cheered at the sight of all his favourite blooms.

"Who'd have thought Latener was such an old romantic?" Drake said, grinning as he leaned back in his chair, his fingers laced behind his head.

Ryo looked at him and laughed, knowing the other man would undoubtedly have had something to do with it.

"Well, it's a really nice surprise," Ryo said, sitting down at his desk, his view of Drake now obscured by the flowers.

"Also," Drake said from somewhere behind the arrangement, "We're all going out tonight for a drink and you're coming too."

Ryo was about say he couldn't before he realised that Bicky was staying at a friend's place for the night and he therefore had no legitimate excuse.

"Dee says we're not to take 'no' for an answer."

"Fine," Ryo replied, holding his hands up in resignation. "I'll come out."

An hour or so later the phone started to ring. Ryo was up to his elbows in the filing cabinet so Drake leaned across the desk and grabbed hold of the receiver.

"Ryo?" he said to the person at the other end of the phone. "Sure I'll get him for you."

He turned to look at Ryo who, on hearing his name, had stopped what he was doing. "It's someone wanting to know if you'd like a subscription to the National Enquirer."

Ryo frowned. "Why would anyone ring me at work for that?"

Drake rolled his eyes; his suspicions confirmed that Ryo's head was somewhere else today. "I'm kidding! It's Dee, you idiot!"

Drake had a brief conversation with him while Ryo put down the files he was holding and hurried around to the phone, taking the receiver from the other man after he had wished his friend a good trip.

"Hey, love," Ryo said, smiling into the phone. "I got the flowers. They're beautiful, thank you," he said, swinging into his seat. "I guess you're there then?"

"Yeah," came the deep masculine voice, as clear as if he was only in the next room. "The flight was okay and I've just got to the hotel where the programme is being held. You'd love it, Ryo; it's really old and my room's got a great view."

"Sounds wonderful," Ryo replied, truly wishing he was there too. "What's the weather like?"

He heard Dee laugh. "I'm in England, Ryo. It's raining."

"Oh," Ryo said, recalling their own vacation during which it had rained most of their stay. "What time is it there?"

"Twenty past six in the evening so I'm just about to go and eat. Hey, and would you believe it? One of the other guys here on the programme is diabetic too. I'm sitting with him so we can moan about what they feed us."

"That's good," Ryo said; cheered by how buoyant his lover sounded. "I'm going out for a drink with the guys from work tonight. Apparently you told them not to take 'no' for an answer."

He heard Dee laugh at the other end of the phone. "No comment. But you're going right?"

"Yeah. Bicky's staying at a friend's and I don't really fancy staying in on my own."

"I'm glad you're going out; have a good time but just don't let them get you too drunk."

"I won't," Ryo said with a chuckle. "You have a good time too, love. Ring me when you can."

"I will. Love you, Ryo."

"Love you too, Dee. Speak to you soon."

He put the phone down, feeling happy that Dee had called but also melancholy as he was reminded about how far away his lover was at that moment. Despite his initial reluctance, he was glad that he was going out for the evening; he needed something to take his mind off the fact that he had another four weeks without his handsome partner.

By nine pm, Ryo was feeling suspiciously light headed. They'd gone to a couple of bars before heading onto a club called 'The Spirit Rooms'; a favourite haunt of Ted's which played current dance music as well as some older tunes. The club was packed since it was a Saturday night and the small group of detectives had been lucky to find a table, around which they were all seated as they watched people talking and dancing and generally having a good time.

The group, consisting of Ryo, Drake, Ted and JJ sat amongst the plethora of empty glasses and bottles in various states of inebriation. JJ was definitely worse for wear after consuming a range of bizarrely coloured cocktails; his body slumped over the table as his head lolled on his arms.

Ted had gone to the bar leaving Drake and Ryo in conversation when an attractive brunette stopped at their table and smiled. Seeing her, Drake's face broke into a wide grin but it quickly became clear that it wasn't him she was interested in as she positioned herself between them, facing Ryo.

"Hey," she said, angling her body to display her impressive cleavage. "I was wondering if you fancied a dance? You're definitely the best looking guy in here."

Before Ryo could respond, Drake was laughing so hard that the girl turned to look at him in confusion.

"Was I talking to you?" she huffed in annoyance. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing… just that you've got no chance. He's spoken for. Well, that and the fact that he's gay."

The woman looked shocked and then disappointed. "Figures," she said with a shrug. "Like I said, you're the best looking guy in here."

"Hey! What about me?" Drake protested as Ryo blushed. "I'm cute!"

The woman turned and looked him up and down dubiously. "Who told you that? Your mother?"

"Hey! My mother had very good taste I'll have you know!" the indignant man called after her as she stalked away back to her friends and Ryo dissolved into fits of laughter. Ted appeared shortly afterwards, frowning in confusion at whatever it was that had just taken place.

"Ryo just scored… again," Drake grumbled as he downed the last of his beer.

"And lemme guess; you just got blown out again," Ted replied, clapping Drake on the shoulder.

"I swear; you gay guys just get all the women." Drake complained.

"That's why they invented bisexualism," Ted said, sitting down and depositing drinks in front of each of them. "So Dee says anyway."

Ryo shot him a half-hearted look of annoyance, forcing Ted to backtrack quickly. "Of course, he doesn't so much as glance at women now he's got you, Ryo," he said, stumbling over his words. "You can point a pretty girl out and he'll just look the other way or cover his eyes, but that doesn't mean he's looking at guys either… I mean… oh jeez…"

"Okay, Ted. You can take your foot out of your mouth now," Drake said shaking his head before he turned to look at Ryo. "Seriously though, I've never seen Dee so settled and I've known him a long time."

"Me too," JJ said, suddenly stirring to join in with the conversation. "Did I ever tell you me and Dee were at the academy together?"

"Plenty of times," Drake replied, rolling his eyes and grinning as the other returned to his slumped position.

"You make us sound like an old married couple," Ryo said, taking a long drink from his bottle of beer.

"Well you practically are," Ted said with a laugh. "You and Dee could go on that old quiz show where you have to answer questions about each other."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ryo replied, although he was still smiling, secretly pleased that the others thought he and Dee were such a strong couple.

"Okay," Drake said, waving his hand indicating that he wanted everyone's attention. "Time to put Detective McLain to the test! How much does he know about the man known as Dee Latener?"

Ryo rolled his eyes and laughed as the other three started to formulate their questions.

"Favourite band?" Ted said suddenly.

"Red Hot Chili Peppers."

"Favourite book?"

"He doesn't have one but if you ask him, he'll say the sports pages in the newspaper," Ryo replied confidently.

Ted and Drake exchanged awed glances at the speed at which Ryo had answered their questions.

"Okay… where's Dee got scars?" Drake said with a grin, "And a bonus point if you can tell us how he got them."

"Under his jaw, left hand side from a fight as a child. Right forearm where he was glassed in a bar as a teenager. Left thigh where he was shot a couple of years ago when he was on duty."

Drake looked impressed. "Correct as far as I know."

"Dee's farts," Ted said suddenly, "Noisy or smelly?"

The assembled men laughed and groaned at the question. Ted looked indignantly the blond. "You gotta say or you lose!"

"Noisy," Ryo replied, shaking his head, unable to believe he was even giving an answer.

"Ccccccccorrect!" Ted shouted as if he were the host on a game show. "JJ?"

The drunken man's head shot up on hearing his name. "Huh? What? Oh, you want a question?" He paused for a moment as he collected his muddled thoughts. "Where's Dee got a mole?"

Ryo blushed before he gave the answer. "Left cheek."

Drake and Ted frowned, having never noticed the aforementioned mark. They were just about to protest when Ryo clarified. "Left ass cheek, that is."

A look of enlightenment came over the men's faces before they turned to JJ with a frown. "How'd you know?" Drake asked; his eyes wide as he wondered whether there was something Dee had neglected to mention about how well he really knew JJ. He glanced around to see Ted and Ryo also waiting intently for his answer.

Under such scrutiny, JJ suddenly looked uncomfortable as he blushed heavily. "I used to watch him in the shower when we were at the academy, okay?"

Ted and Drake started to laugh; Ryo just looked relieved. "You pervert!" Drake chuckled, "Just wait 'til I tell Dee."

"Don't you dare!" JJ said looking mortified. "He'd kill me!"

His companions took several moments to compose themselves before any of them could speak again. "Okay," Drake said, wiping a tear away. "Next question. Has Dee ever had any piercings?"

"Yes," Ryo replied confidently. "He had his left ear pierced twice at the top. He tells everyone he took them out when he joined the police but actually Penguin made him take them out because she said they made him look like a criminal."

Drake looked impressed as he chuckled; making a mental note to tease Dee about that some time. "Full marks, Ryo."

Ryo smiled wryly, a wicked twinkle in his dark eyes. "You did just mean ear piercings then, didn't you?"

He watched as Drake, Ted and JJ stared at him in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock. They'd seen most of their friend's body in the locker room at work and knew he didn't have his nipples pierced, leaving…

"He hasn't," JJ spluttered; his mind suddenly running riot.

"Oh. My. God," Drake muttered glancing sideways at Ted who seemed to be on the same wavelength from the expression on his face.

"I'm kidding!" Ryo grinned, holding his hands up. "You're right, JJ, he hasn't."

The other detectives looked relieved before they laughed too; amused that they'd actually believed him for a minute.

The rest of the night continued in a similar vein until it was time for them all to head home. Ted went with JJ to ensure the other man got back to his apartment safely since by that time, the younger man could barely stand on his own two feet. Drake and Ryo shared a cab until they reached Drake's apartment, all the while laughing about the things that had gone on that evening and both agreeing that they would definitely do it again. And so, despite the emptiness of his apartment when he finally made it home, Ryo drifted off to sleep with a deep sense of satisfaction knowing he and Dee had such great friends.

TBC…