Ryo woke throughout the dawn hours. It was still dark outside, but the first signs of imminent sunrise could already be seen. His bladder had woken him and he found himself drawn between ignoring it as long as he could and going right away. He felt warm, comfortable, next to the man who had made love to him just a few hours before. He pushed himself up and looked down at the dark head. In the twilight of the room, Dee's features appeared smooth and relaxed. He lay on his back, one arm flung out, the other on his stomach. Like Ryo, he was stark naked underneath the covers.
Such a diverse being, he mused. Wild and volatile, temperamental and with a short-fuse, but also so tender, caring, loving and affectionate. Dee could be so sweet, so empathic, it clashed and ran at odds with his other side. He had fallen for this man, this contradiction on two legs. He had fallen for the loving man, the temperamental man, the sexually incredibly attractive man…
Ryo's bladder urged him to leave the warmth of the bed and he hurried back in record time, slipping in next to his partner and lover. He snuggled close to the dark-haired man, smiling to himself. His body twinged and complained in very unfamiliar places, but Ryo would never have believed that it could be so… breathtaking. Dee had been slow and gentle, careful and loving, and Ryo was thankful for it. It had been his first time with a man.
He slipped off into a light doze that was broken two hours later. Dee was just climbing back into bed, apparently coming from the bathroom, and the sun was already out by now, bathing everything in a surreal, grayish white light.
Green eyes lit up as Ryo looked at his lover and a slow smile crossed Dee's lips.
"Morning, beautiful."
A kiss was pressed onto his lips and Ryo responded. "Good morning, Dee."
"How do you feel?"
"Sore." Ryo smiled ruefully.
"It'll pass." There was a brief hesitation, then, "Regrets?"
He looked into the suddenly uncomfortable eyes. "No," Ryo answered truthfully. "None."
Dee seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. McLane pulled him into his embrace and Dee readily snuggled against him.
"I was afraid, Dee," he murmured. "Afraid you'd hurt me. Not physically… It's why I never let myself take the final step. You broke down so many walls… it scared me."
"I know, Ryo. I know. But I'd never hurt you. Never." Dee kissed him tenderly, pouring all his emotions into that single contact. "I don't know how to explain it, Ryo, but there's no one but you. The moment we met, I knew something about you was special. Yes, there was lust because you're damned beautiful, but that wasn't all. I feel… safe with you. No one else ever made me feel this way."
Ryo looked into the sincere, green eyes. "I felt safe, too. Safe enough to want to tell you about my other job… to let my guard down, but I was also scared of your reaction."
"But now I know."
"And I'm glad you do. Very much so." Ryo's eyes grew serious. "I wanted you so much, Dee."
The eyes that had made him sweat by just looking at him lit up with something that sent a thrill through Ryo.
"All the time?"
"Well… when you weren't over the top…"
"Who? Me?" Dee laughed.
"Yes, you. You were obnoxious, overbearing, offending, coarse…"
Dee slapped a hand over his mouth, scowling playfully. "You swallowed a thesaurus or what?"
"You know what a thesaurus is?" Ryo teased, eyes gleaming with laughter.
"Yes, and you know what? There are other words in there, too. Love, adore, wonderful, beautiful, warm, caring… Ryo."
"Ryo isn't a word in any dictionary."
"It is in mine."
Ryo looked at his lover and smiled, threading his hands into the long, black strands, kissing the other man. Dee's hands slid along his body, awakening desires that had always burned underneath Ryo's controlled surface.
There was nothing bad about letting himself fall, he thought as his world disappeared into a haze of lust and desire. Nothing bad at all.

The weekend had passed in a slow and sensual way for both men and Dee would never have thought it possible to feel so much in such a short time. Ryo was an addiction. From the first day they had met, he had been addicted. Now, the addiction was complete. The man had a body Dee had lusted for for… a long time. Ryo was lithe, slender, but very well muscled. He had touched those muscles several times before, but never with no restriction, without the dread that his lover would pull back again and hide. And he had a loving, caring soul that Dee had fallen for. He had no idea when that had happened, but it had been the turning point when lust had turned to unconditional love.
Watching Ryo dress, Dee let his eyes roam over the smooth form, feeling the thrill again. His lover, his Ryo.
Barclay, you lost big time, he thought. You never had a chance.
And since when had he seen the man as competition?
Dee shook his head. Ross Barclay was a smooth operator, a predator so much like Dee, it had set him right on edge after meeting the man the first time in England. Barclay had been competition because he had tried to take what was Dee's.
Damn, I'm a possessive son of a bitch, he thought.
But that was just him.
Ryo caught his expression and shot him a quizzical look. "Dee?"
"Just thinking…"
"About?"
"You. Me." He pulled his lover into his arms and kissed him gently. "What a lucky man I am… and how I'd love to rub it under Barclay's nose." He grinned evilly.
Ryo frowned. "Was this a competition?"
"No!" he immediately blurted. "Never. It's just…"
"You see a rival in him. Dee, I never felt a thing for the man. He tried it once, I said no. Quite clearly."
Well, yes. Ryo had introduced him to his fist, Dee recalled. He hugged him close.
"Sorry, love. It's just… I'm so happy."
"So am I. You never had any competition Dee."
"Only your second job," came the tease.
"Well, yes…"
The outside door banging shut startled them, but Dee kept Ryo from pulling out of his embrace, nuzzling his neck.
"I'm home!" a well-known voice yelled.
"Dee…" Ryo protested.
"He's known from the start," Latener murmured. "We don't hide now."
The other man relaxed a little, then sighed. "No, not any more."
"Ryo?" Bikky called and pushed the door open.
The blue eyes widened as he took in the sight of the two men, both wrapped in an tender embrace, neither of them embarrassed. Least of all Ryo, who usually pushed hectically away when Bikky caught them.
"Something I missed?" he asked matter-of-factly.
"Nope, nothing under-aged eyes should see," Dee quipped.
Bikky glared at him. "If you took advantage of this weekend…" he threatened.
"No, Bikky, he didn't," Ryo interrupted him calmly. He stepped out of the embrace and faced his son. "It was my decision."
The teen studied them, then shrugged. "Oh well… had to happen one day." He waved a hand. "What's for dinner?"
Dee snickered and Ryo elbowed him a little.
"Dee and I planned to go out. I made you something for the microwave. It's in the fridge."
Bikky was already halfway out the door. "I'll be at Carol's then," he called and disappeared into his room.
"Well, he took it like a man," Dee chuckled.
"Yes." Ryo sounded relieved.
"You think he would really fight you on your decision?" Dee sounded a bit astounded.
"I don't know… I mean, you two didn't get along for a while and he kept calling you names, pushed you away…"
"He's a teenager, Ryo. That's what they do." Dee smiled a little. "I wasn't very much different. Bikky knows I wouldn't hurt you. I bet he does. If he really didn't want this relationship, he would have fought it differently. Or he would have run away."
Ryo tensed a little and Dee gently rubbed his shoulders.
"It's okay, love. We're all okay."
Please don't regret this… he begged silently.
Ryo gazed at him, then suddenly smiled and kissed him. "Let's have dinner," he murmured.
Dee just smiled brightly.

Christmas came faster than anticipated. Ryo had no time to ponder the season as one case chased the other, as murder and unexplained deaths piled up on their desks. He knew Christmas was coming – there was no ignoring the colorful decorations, the Santa Clauses and Elves in the streets collecting money for children in hospitals and orphanages, the Christmas shoppers, and so on, but his job kept him busy.
Then there was the now so very much deeper relationship with Dee. Everything seemed to have changed, while still being so very much the same. He had finally let his walls down, all of them, and it was such a relief. Nacho had commented on his change when he had paid his vampire friend a quick visit to update himself on ally stuff, and Ryo had just smiled. Dee had come to accept the paranormal world as such, though McLane knew it would take a while longer for it all to sink in.
The first shock had passed, but the aftershocks would come sooner or later.
Christmas Eve was the usual hubbub in the precinct. Everyone was trying to rearrange schedules, maybe get someone else to take over a shift so he could be home on Christmas, and Ryo wondered if he should volunteer for the shift. He had no family as such. Bikky would be over at Carol's. Ryo didn't really mind. He wasn't a traditionalist, though he liked the warm family moments at home, and neither was Bikky. The boy loved presents, he enjoyed the family atmosphere, but he usually hung around with friends later.
As for Dee... well, due to their busy schedule they hadn't talked about Christmas yet, but Ryo wanted to remedy that.
He caught up with his partner in the small kitchen on the first floor where Dee was drinking coffee, gazing out of the window, watching the snowflakes dance by. It was almost the end of their shift and the precinct was unusually quiet.
"Hey," Ryo called and smiled at his partner.
Dee gave him a wonderfully warm smile in return that never failed to make something curl inside the other man.
"Hey."
Ryo got himself some hot water and made tea. "Do you have plans for the holidays?" he asked.
Dee shrugged. "I could get Christmas off... what about you?"
"Drake asked me if I could switch. His sister and nieces are coming to town."
"Oh."
Dee's expression gave nothing away.
"I haven't said yes yet."
"You'd have the 25th and 26th off then?"
Ryo nodded.
Dee wrapped an arm around his partner's slender waist and pulled him close. "That's fine. I'll work something out with JJ or Ted or whoever. My place?"
Ryo felt warm for no other reason than the fact that Dee didn't make a scene, that he so easily changed whatever his plans had been.
"Sure," he murmured, then leaned forward and kissed him.

Ryo lay back on the daybed, looking out the large, round window, feeling lazy, warm and very relaxed. Dee sat down next to him, both men watching the now much heavier snow. The lights in the apartment were out, only a small, round lamp glowing softly, bathing everything in a tiny circle of yellowish warmth.
"Merry Christmas," Dee murmured and leaned over him, pressing their lips together.
Ryo wrapped his arms around the dark-haired man, answering the contact, opening up, their tongues stroking against each other. Dee made an appreciative sound and snuggled close, almost blanketing his lover. Ryo held on to him, enjoying the weight on him.
"Merry Christmas."
Somewhere a church bell was ringing and Dee wrapped himself around his partner, his head lying on his chest, sighing contentedly. Ryo stroked over the dark head, carded his fingers through the black strands, or massaged Dee's neck. He felt the hardness growing against his thigh and when Dee's hand slipped under his baggy sweater, questing for one nipple, things heated up a little. Slowly. Very slowly. It was still just gentle stroking and caressing, but the little pinches that hardened his nipple had Ryo gasp out once.
"Dee..."
The unnerving touch continued and green eyes regarded him with smoldering fire. Ryo cupped the narrow face and drew the familiar lips closer, soundly and deeply kissing them. Somehow his sweater slid upward as Dee did the same and his skin was revealed to his lover's nimble fingers and lips.
Dee nibbled, kissed and licked his way all over the expanse of hairless chest, neck and face, making Ryo squirm. Sitting on the narrow hips, his growing bulge rested quite blatantly against Ryo's own hardness, making it clear where this was going. It was exactly where Ryo wanted it to go.
He tugged the t-shirt out of Dee's pants and Latener slid if off, throwing it onto the floor, then their lips were busy again. Ryo loved the feeling of his partner's skin, his fingers ghosting over the old scars from past encounters with knives or a bullet. He traced the line of the ribs, ran light fingernails over strong shoulders, and nipped at the soft skin of Dee's throat when he could reach it. He finally reached for the belt buckle and quickly undid it.
Dee briefly left him, stripping off the pants including his underwear, while Ryo wriggled out of his own. Dee was more than helpful with it, too. McLane caught the exploring fingers and met the soft, green eyes.
"Love you," he whispered.
Dee shivered a little and nipped at Ryo's lips, then gasped as his lover's hands played over his back and a lot further down south. The kisses grew more forceful, their play heating up, and Dee battled for dominance with his lover. Ryo gave as good as he got, making Dee moan in appreciation. He finally separated from the other man, breathing hard, eyes aglow.
"Ryo..."
McLane smiled devilishly and stroked over the straining hardness that was just within his reach.
Beware of the creature I freed, Dee thought, amazed at the playfulness Ryo suddenly showed, the unhibited openness, the desire.
No, not suddenly. It had always been there, he realized. It had been underneath the shields, had longed to break free, and Dee could finally look beyond the man presented to the outside. There was nothing shy or reserved about Ryo, nothing inhibited or embarrassed. Here was a man who knew what he wanted
Fingers running over his arousal annihilated those deeper thoughts. He simply moaned and let his lover explore, touch and fondle to his delight. Both their delight.