Dee ran toward the haphazard pile of evidence boxes, seeing blood everywhere. It was smeared against the brown and gray cardboard container, pooled on the floor and stained paper littering the place. He ignored the slumped form of the pitiful criminal who had tried to take out a shaman's shield, too intent on finding his partner. He had felt Ryo's anger, confusion and panic, he had felt the sharp pain and also the surprise. He had known that Barclay was with Ryo, but only now did he see the extent of the attack.
Blood. So much blood. Ryo in pain...
It had driven him mad just knowing that his partner was in danger and he had no other method of getting there than the old-fashioned one: breaking every traffic law there was to get to the precinct.
And here he was; here Ryo was. His lover, his partner, kneeling next to their commissioner, covered in the red vital fluid, eyes wild and hopeful, relieved and filled with fear. Ryo... and Barclay.
Dee's eyes flickered to the still man, took in the soaked dress shirt, the sweat-slick hair, the pale features, the raspy breathing. Ryo looked only marginally better, but he was conscious at least. There was a wound in his thigh, the pants sticky with blood. His face was as pale as Barclay's, the tie was off, the shirt rumpled and partially open. His gun lay next to him, covered in blood.
Blood-slick hands pressing down on the abdomen of... his brother.
"Dee?"
Ryo's voice. Soft but with an edge that touched him like nothing else.
"He did this?" he heard himself ask, voice rough.
The guy had hurt his lover and partner; he had dared to try and take out family, too.
Family.
Ross Barclay.
For the first time he thought of them in the same terms.
"We'll talk about this later. He needs an ambulance, Dee!"
Blood everywhere. Ryo was injured, Barclay was...
Something inside of him snapped and he whirled around, the magic coming to life with a roar. Dee felt nothing but unrestrained rage at what had been done to the two men, their injuries, the possibility that he might lose...
"Dee, no!"
The voice penetrated his mind, but it couldn't stop him from his murderous trek. His green eyes were set on the just now rousing man. Harding's eyes widened as he took in the tall figure standing not far away, the energies whirling around him, the sheer power that was bunching up to be unleashed-- at him.
"Please, no!" he screamed, begging.
But Dee was beyond reason.
No one hurt what was his to protect. His partner, his lover, his shield. And... his brother.
The energy around him had the strength of a hurricane, a torrent of magic that was in his hands and would splatter Harding's molecules against the wall, leave nothing of him but a smear.
Dee let go--
-- only to have his powers suddenly cut off. Like someone had taken a knife and cut through a string. Everything died down from one second to another.
He blinked.
What...?
Harding sank down the wall with a whimper, his eyes rolling back into his head, and he blacked out.
Latener whirled around and stared at his partner. His shield. He could feel the shield around him, containing his power, letting the magic evaporate harmlessly against the powerful barrier his partner had erected like it meant nothing at all. So easily, no effortlessly...
Green eyes met dark brown ones.
Disbelief met determination.
"Ryo..." he breathed.
"Call an ambulance, Dee. He's fading fast."
The words were soft, but there was such steel in them, Dee found himself pulling out his cell phone before he had even thought about it. He cuffed Harding like on automatic, going through procedures, but all the time his eyes were on the two men. Ryo, pushing down on the bleeding wound, Barclay, unconscious and so very, very pale. The only color was the deep, red blood.
Dee swallowed hard and took two steps toward the injured pair.
"Ryo...?"
"I'm fine," was the soft answer. "Just a scratch. But he's losing so much blood..."
He knelt down, staring at the narrow face, the ice blue eyes hidden behind closed lids. He saw the chest rise in irregular pants, the sweat shining on the ghastly white face. His brother. Dee had never acknowledged it. Never. He had hated Barclay for revealing it to him. He had despised their blood relationship.
Blood.
Dee felt something inside of him start to crack.
Ryo knew he would never forget the sight of Dee Latener about to take a life. He knew Dee had been ready to turn Harding into nothing but a puddle on the floor, and he had the power to do so. A lot of power. It had been almost terrifying to feel the build-up, and when his lover had turned to look at him, Ryo had been unable to tear his eyes away from the strange gaze.
No longer the green eyes he knew. The intense eyes that had made him weak-kneed in the beginning, that had been able to strip him down to his soul, look into his deepest recesses.
No, the green had made way for gold. Golden irises. A strange metallic touch to them. Incredibly alien, a sign of the power about to be unleashed.
Ryo had done the only thing he could do: he had shielded. He had cut Dee off, enveloping him with his powers. He knew he drew his powers from Dee, but there was little a shaman could do against his shield if the shield was intent on keeping him safe. They would have to talk about it later, but Ryo couldn't allow his partner to kill like this.
Whatever reason, whatever emotions.
The moment police and ambulance had arrived, the two men had changed into their profession, back to police officers and detectives, though Dee had had a rather shell-shocked air to him. Ryo felt the same and if not for one of the paramedics insisting he come along, he would have ignored his own injury.
Now they were at the hospital, his wound had been treated, he had been given shots and painkillers, and then been released with a list of advice and a prescription. By now it was four in the morning and despite the adrenaline, the coffee and the worry, he was getting exhausted.
Limping back from the restroom where he had splashed some water into his face, Ryo settled back into the couch of the private area, raising his leg up, continuing his vigil. Dee hadn't moved, still sat staring out of the window.
Neither man would leave until they knew what had happened to Ross Barclay.
He stood in the small visitor area at the end of the long corridor. There were high windows, letting in sunlight, plants giving the place a fresh look, shielding those staying here form prying eyes, and the chairs and couch were in a soft, creamy brown color that was much easier on the eye than the usual hospital furniture, which tended to be made of plastic and in bright colors. Dee stood at the high window, looking out over the city sprawling below. It was just after sunrise and people were busily coming and going, visiting friends or going to work here at this place.
Dee let his head fall against the cool glass. It had been five hours since they had wheeled Ross Barclay into emergency surgery and so far there had been no news. Ryo had been treated for his thigh injury, but except for a few stitches, there had been nothing serious.
A pair of strong arms came around his waist, pulling him against a warm body. Ryo's lips pressed against the place behind his left ear. Dee sagged against him, letting himself fall so completely, it almost scared him. In the last five hours he had gone from pacing to sitting motionlessly to staring at nothing. He had lost himself in police procedure, giving his colleagues all the necessary information, the cover-up supplied by Ryo. For the first time had Dee witnessed Ryo the ally at work. He had marveled at the ease his lover lied to their friends and fellow officers about the incident.
Harding had been taken into custody. The man was a gibbering wreck, declared a total nutcase. Someone from the paranormal community would come and take care of him, Ryo had explained. He had also called people, talked to them, explained things, and Dee was amazed at the proficiency his lover displayed. This was what he had done for years... and Dee had never known. Now Ryo was protecting him, the shaman, from potential danger of revelation. No one would ever know the truth.
"Come on," Ryo now whispered. "Let's sit down."
Ryo hadn't even tried to make him go home. They had argued about it twice, but Dee was intent on staying. He needed to know how Barclay was. He just had to.
Turning in the supportive embrace, Dee caught his lover's lips and kissed him, feeling Ryo react. The loving contact was almost his undoing as McLane held him tightly, answered the questing tongue. Dee buried his hands in the light brown strands, need rising, his demands becoming more aggressive.
Ross Barclay.
His brother. Older brother.
All the blood. All over him and Ryo.
Words from the doctors as they had come to the hospital right after the ambulance.
They had nearly lost him once in the ambulance.
Tears streamed down his face and he broke the kiss with a soft sob. His tight control was finally breaking, but there was no one there but Ryo to witness it as the cocky, hard-nosed Detective Latener broke.
Ryo wrapped himself tightly around him, both men sinking down the wall, Dee safely ensconced in a protective embrace as silent tears ran down his cheeks.
tbc...