Sunrise
After barely surviving a horrific car accident, Donovan Ray was told that while he was being released from the hospital, it would a minimum of six weeks before they would consider sending him back to work. And the doctor made it clear that he thought it would take a lot longer.
He accepted the news in silence, and that silence accompanied him and his partner as they drove to L.A. Deaq didn't want to accept the quiet; he had too much of that while his partner was unconscious, but every time he tried to start a conversation, the green eyes would close. As they neared L.A., Deaq decided to try one last time.
"V, look man, I know that your medical status is not what you were hoping for, but let's be serious! You need to focus on healing, getting your strength back. The time will fly…" he stuttered to a stop when the green eyes turned on the glare.
"You just don't get it do you? My job is my life. What the hell am I supposed to do for the next two, three months? More importantly while you are off doing OUR job, who is going to watch your back?" The emotion in the voice flared off, and the last few words were almost lost in a whisper.
"Van, we need to get one thing straight before this conversation goes any further. You are my partner, you have been my partner and you will continue to be my partner. Got it?" The driver threw a pretty substantial glare of his own.
"Deaq, that's good to know," he held up his hand to stop the tirade from the driver, "but let's look at the facts. We are cops. As cops our job is to catch the bad guys. To catch the bad guys you have to pretend you aren't a cop. That generally requires a partner to pretend with you in order to keep your butt out of a sling. And the only sling I am going to be dealing with in the near future is the one holding my left shoulder in place. Billy is not going to let you sit on the sidelines while I take my sweet time getting better. She is going to send you back on the street with a new partner." He sank back into the seat as if the words had taken more out of him then he had to give.
Deaq started to argue but the sad sigh from the passenger side stopped him, and he returned his full attention to the road.
At the Candy Store the next day he sat down and talked it out – make that yelled it out – with Billy. He showed up back at the house he was now sharing with Van late in the afternoon, and found his partner asleep on a chaise lunge covered in blankets. His face softened as he took in the small bundle, and he went and got a beer and a bottle of water and took at seat next to him. An hour later the blanket started to move.
"Hey, easy V," he half whispered as he placed a hand on the right shoulder to stop a roll over. "C'mon partner, wake up." The green eyes scrunched slowly open. "That's right babe, its okay. We're at the new house," he finished as he caught the glimpse of concern as the eyes fully opened. He handed off the bottled water and waited.
"How did it go with Billy?" Van asked his eyes on the water.
"Better then expected - that is if you can help me with some paperwork for the next week." The green eyes were back on him, and he smiled. "You spend another week taking it real easy, and then you and I are going on vacation, together this time. We got first class tickets to Hawaii and reservations at a small, full service resort on the big island. We stay for two and a half weeks. Get some sun, I play golf while you drive the cart; start a little swimming since your shoulder will be out of the sling. See what some fun and real R&R will do for your recovery."
"I don't understand," Van finally said after searching the face in front of him for several minutes.
"You are my partner V. I have no intention of going back to work til you do. We have at least 3 months of vacation coming each – probably more if you figure in all our overtime. There is a lot of paperwork to do, and Billy wants to keep the team. So we do some paperwork, take our r&r, do a little more paperwork when we get back and by then six weeks are up and my money is on you to ace that physical. Clear now?" Deaq looked Van straight in the eye and tried to convey what he couldn't put into words.
The smile on Van's face started small but grew as he took in the message. "Crystal."
Upon arriving at the resort, they rode a modified golf cart down a shady path to a small villa right on the beach. The next morning Van woke to find Deaq on the lanai, sipping coffee. They walked slowly around the resort, checking out the beach, the pool, and the tennis courts. Van's nap lasted through the cocktail hour.
Deaq came in from the beach to find his partner already dressed for dinner in soft black khakis, a silk jade green shirt and a black blazer. Deaq wolf whistled. "Boy V you clean up nice."
There was dancing at dinner, and the men enjoyed quietly critiquing the couples. Four times they were interrupted by women who wanted one or both of them to dance.
"Well partner, I think I'll head on back to the ranch and leave you to the ladies. Don't want to cramp your style." Van smiled at his friend as he sat his coffee down.
"Don't worry partner, I'm ready for bed."
"Deaq – I don't need a babysitter." Van said quietly.
"I know V, but I'm tired and ready to catch some sleep. That okay with you?"
About 2:30 that morning, Van woke as he realized someone was screaming his name. It took a minute to shake off the impact of the meds he still had to take at bedtime, before realizing it was Deaq. He moved quickly into the second bedroom, and found his partner in the middle of a nightmare.
"No. Oh God No. Stop, leave him alone. Get away!" Deaq was yelling, his arms thrashing as though he were trying to protect someone or something.
"Deaq. Easy partner, I'm right here. It is just a dream. Come on, D, wake up. Come on now, you're scaring me here." He crawled onto the bed, and carefully wrapped himself around his partner's back to avoid the swinging arms.
Deaq slowly worked his way into alertness. "V?" he croaked out finally.
"Right here partner. Everything is okay. You just had a bad dream. You were calling my name…" he ended awkwardly, still holding his partner tightly to him.
"The coyotes had you." Deaq said in a whisper. He still could see the vicious animals pulling his partner's body across the sandy soil outside the upside down car.
"Dre kept the coyotes away."
"Dre?" Deaq was suddenly wide awake. He turned to stare into his partner's large green eyes.
"He stayed with me after the accident."
"Van?"
"I'm not crazy! He was with me until the CHP found the car. He talked about old cases, told me funny stories about you, my favorite being what happened between you and Alyssa Edwards at the 8th grade prom."
Deaq was stunned. "I never told you about Alyssa. Dre was the only person who knew."
"He told me."
Deaq looked carefully at his partner. "So you stayed for Dre?"
"No, I stayed for you."
In the long silence that followed, Van suddenly yawned as the adrenaline rush fell away and the meds reasserted control. He shifted slightly in an effort to get comfortable, and his breathing slipped into sleep. The soft, even breathing had Deaq following his partner to sleep, his body worn from the wrenching emotions the nightmare had wrought.
Deaq woke first, and slipped easily out of the soft embrace. When Van joined him on the lanai for coffee, he waited til he was settled before asking the question that was foremost in his mind.
"Last night you said."
Van interrupted immediately. "I said Dre was with me, and he was." His eyes sought something from his partner.
"I believe you Van. I was serious when I said no one knew about Alyssa except me and Dre. And it makes sense to me that Dre is still watching out for you." He stopped unsure whether it was fair to be pushing his still healing partner on the issue.
"I loved your brother. Always will. He understood me in ways no one ever has. And he treated me like family." The green eyes turned away and focused on the horizon.
The next day, Van surprised Deaq with a sea kayak tour. The two paddled together in a double kayak, while the guide paddled alongside, pointing out the sea life and attractions on land. Late that afternoon they were lying on the beach reading.
"When are you going to tell me what really happened?" Van suddenly asked, putting his book aside. Deaq shook his head, asking the question with his expression.
"The accident. You kept saying you would tell me later. Well it's later, and I want to know what happened. Did I blow out a tire or fall asleep?"
"You didn't cause the accident V if that is what you are thinking. You were run off the road." Deaq stopped but the look on his partner's face forced him onward. "Charlene followed you from L.A., and ran you off the road. She thought if she got you out of the way, she could…well she just thought it would be easier if you were out of the way. Sorry man."
"You busted her?"
"Huh? Hell yeah I busted her, and she's going away for a long time between the guns and attempted murder."
"Good." Van smiled and stood up, heading for the water. Deaq watched him for a minute, perplexed, before following him.
"Just a minute. What do you mean by 'good'?"
"Good as in, I'm glad she is going to rot in jail for trying to whack me. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, not me."
"Good!" Van laughed before pushing his partner under the water.
Deaq found his partner napping on the couch two days later as a gentle rain played on the roof. He reached down to pull the blanket up over an exposed shoulder when Van's hand reached up to him, just as it had those first few days after he awoke in the hospital. He took it, and sat down next to his friend. Van went back to sleep. Deaq ran a hand through the long, silky hair of his partner, and smiled at the soft sigh his actions earned.
Van woke 45 minutes later, and found warm brown eyes smiling at him. "God Van, when you were first in the hospital, I was so afraid I would never see those beautiful eyes again." Deaq whispered.
"You think my eyes are beautiful?"
"I think you are the most beautiful man I have ever seen." Watching those eyes carefully, Deaq leaned down and let his lips ghost across Van's and then pulled back.
"Don't play with me."
"Never been so serious…just need to know that you want this too."
Van answered by offering up a slight kiss that slowly lengthened into a passionate exchange of tongues as each sought to explore the other. "Does that answer your question?" Van finally asked as he fought to catch his breath.
Just before sunset, they entered their private hot tub. The hot water seeped into Van's aches and pains and helped him relax. Deaq smiled as he watched the tightness slowly seep out of his partner's body. Once the green eyes closed, he moved closer and began to carefully touch the pale, stitch crossed chest. A soft purr started to vibrate in that chest, so he continued. He played with the small brown nipples, and smiled in awe as they grew at his touch. His lips could not stand to be left out, and soon tasted their way across the expanse of chest, stopping frequently to feast, causing the subject of his tender ministrations to arch into the touch.
"You ready for this V?" He asked softly, his brown eyes pinned to the green.
"Please."
After a night of passionate exploration, sunrise found the two at the water's edge. Van held his new love tightly to him, placing soft kisses on his face and neck. As the water brightened from the sun's rays, he glanced up at Mother Nature's colorful display.
"Every time I see the sunrise, I will remember this night." Van whispered, as the love shining from Deaq's eyes warmed him on the inside. The two stood entwined on the beach entranced by the sunrise, unwilling to let go.