Date Written: 10/20/05
Word Count: 536
Rating: K+
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Characters/Pairings: Ryo, Berkley
Mentioned Characters/Pairings: Ryo/Dee, Berkley/Diana, Diana/OC, Dee, Ted, Drake, JJ, Chief Smith
Notes: So I'm in the middle of writing another fanfic (totally different fandom, even), and Berkley just shoves everything aside and sits down and refuses to move until I write this. Wanker. Set a few years post-series.
---
Berkley Rose was massaging his temples when a soft knock came at his door. Before he could reply to it, the door swung open and the dark blonde head of Ryo Maclane popped into his office. "May I speak with you, Commissioner?"
Berkley removed his glasses, nodding and rubbing his eyes. He had long come to terms that the blonde he was infatuated with was in love with his abrasive partner, and had given up his pursuit of the half-Japanese detective.
"Sir, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Berkley replied, distracting himself with a drink from his stone-cold mug of coffee. "Just busy," he added, motioning to all the paperwork strewn over his desk.
Ryo's eyebrows raised as he watched his boss shuffle through the papers. "Sir, may I speak frankly?"
"Yes."
"One, I'm not stupid. Two, you are never this disorganized. And three, Dee, Ted, Drake and JJ have been making so much noise that Chief Smith actually went home, yet you haven't come out once. What is wrong?"
Berkley growled inwardly. No wonder the man's one of our best detectives. He motioned for Ryo to sit down at one of the chairs in front of his desk. "You've become too much like Latyner, you know. Now both of you just don't let up on a subject."
"I prefer to think of that as a positive change," Ryo replied, grinning. Berkley did a double take, realizing how much the smirk on his coworker's face looked like the one Diana wore.
"It's Diana," he said suddenly, bending over to sign off some paperwork.
"What about her? Is something wrong?"
"No, she's... seeing someone."
In the slight pause, Berkley felt his face flush momentarily with the embarrassment of feeling like he was back in middle school.
"Is she unhappy?" Ryo ventured, trying to hide a grin.
"She seems genuinely happy, actually," Berkley said, refusing to look up at Ryo.
"Is it an abusive relationship?"
"Not that I can tell."
"Then what's the problem?"
"I don't. Frickin'. Know," came the ground-out reply. "I just don't like it. Not one bit." The commissioner put down his pen, cradling his head in his hands. "What the hell is wrong with me?"
Ryo quickly turned chuckles into a fit of coughing. "If I may, sir, it seems to me that you like Diana."
"Of course I do!" he snapped. "I mean, she's a very dear friend."
"Dear friend my ass, SIR," Ryo replied. "As Bikky would say, you've got quite a thing for Ms. FBI Agent."
Berkley winced as Ryo hit the heart of the problem.
"Just tell her."
"Oh, and that was so easy for you?" Berkley shot at the blonde detective.
"It sure as hell felt good when I did come clean," Ryo replied. He sighed, then stood. "But I can tell that it's going to take some time for you to understand that. I'll leave you be for the time being." Ryo stopped at the door, his hand on the doorknob. "Just make sure you do come clean before it's too late, Berkley. Otherwise you will regret it."
Berkley smacked his head against his desk when Ryo left. "You don't have to tell me that, Maclane"
---