Title: Misdemeanors
Disclaimer: Angst, violence, slash, and language.
POV: Speed
Chapter Three: Hide my Shame
Someone pats my forehead with a damp cloth. A hand goes to my throat. The fingers are cool and the touch is soft and gentle. I moan as the world slowly comes back to me. The pain in my head throbs at a low frequency. My hand flutters to the wet cloth on my forehead. The hand moves from my throat.
"You can open your eyes, you know. The lighting is dim. It shouldn't bother you," a male voice says.
The voice sounds familiar. The night rushes back to me. Going to the club with Calleigh and Delko. The new guy, Ryan, tagged along. There was much dancing and a fair amount of drinking. Delko had left first, to take Calleigh home and then to go home himself. That left me with the new guy. I remember getting up from the table. I remember walking out the back door. I remember arguing with Ryan as he followed me. After that everything gets fuzzy.
I open my eyes to the world. The subtle light in the room sends a shock of pain to my head. I squint until my eyes adjust to the faint light. I feel the smooth leather of the couch underneath me. The couch in my apartment isn't leather, and last time I checked it was covered in forensic journals and various scientific books. This isn't my apartment.
"Where the hell-"
"You're at my place," Ryan says as he returns to the room. In his hand is a glass of water. He places it on a coffee table before perching on the edge of the couch. There's not enough room for him to sit on the couch without touching me.
I shudder. "Why am I here?"
"I didn't know what else to do," he replies. He leans over and removes the washcloth from my head. "You passed out in the parking lot of the club. I figured you had too much to drink so I called a cab and brought you to my place."
"Too much to drink? I was only drinking soda," I state.
"I remembered that half way home. Then I started worrying about head injuries, you know. I mean, you were in the parking lot and you did fall. Does your head hurt a lot? Should I take you to the hospital?" He asks.
I massage my temple. "I'll be fine. No need to take me to the hospital. Probably just a bruise. Don't worry about it. Meanwhile, what did you do with my motorcycle?"
"I left it at the club," he says. "I didn't know what else to do with it."
I roll my eyes. "At least it's at a club where they have security."
I try to sit up. Ryan looks panicked and places his hands on my shoulders. "You should be resting."
With irritation I shove his hands away. "Don't baby me. I don't even like you."
He gets up and walks away. With him off the couch I can sit up. The room spins for a few minutes then it steadies. I rest my head on the back of the couch and close my eyes. There is a throbbing behind my left ear and my fingertips feel numb again. The couch shifts under the weight of Ryan as he sits beside me.
"I thank you for taking care of me but please, just leave me alone. If you give me my cell phone I can call Delko to pick me up."
"It's one-thirty in the morning; do you really want to wake him up at this time? Wouldn't that be rude?" Ryan asks.
"It would be better than staying here," I say.
Ryan flinches. "Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?" He stands with his arms folded across his chest and his back to me. "Oh, I see, you're still hung up on that stupid idea that I'm taking over your job." He turns back to face me. "All I ever heard about was how great Speedle was and how hard Speedle worked. I expected to work with a great Criminalist. Instead I find that the all mighty Speedle is a cry-baby."
Anger bites me in the ass and I stand up to face him. I ignore the temporary spinning of the room as I stare him in the eyes. "I am not a cry-baby. I have put my life into my work and they bring you along, some juvenile, to replace me. I think I have a right to be mad."
"You're acting downright childish, Timothy," he remarks.
"Don't ever call me that," I snap.
The anger grows and the air between us sizzles and snaps with the tension. How can Horatio expect me to work with this sniveling little twerp? It hurts that my boss and closest friend would betray me this way. It hurts even more that my two co-workers and friends like him. Am I really this easy to replace? As the anger boils I feel the urge to strike out at the younger man. The only people I've ever wanted to hit are criminals; specifically those involved in child porn.
The younger man makes a move. One minute we're standing there staring at each other. The next thing I know he's kissing me. All I can feel are his lips on mine. The kiss is long and filled with a desire that only Ryan is seeking to fulfill. I shove the younger man away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snap.
"I….I…." he stammers.
I grab my cell phone from the coffee table and head for the door. Ryan doesn't follow me and that's probably a good thing. Outside his apartment I wipe a hand across my mouth. It disgusts me how he thought it was okay to kiss me. I shudder as I remember the feel of his lips on mine. It's wrong, so wrong. As I walk down the stairs and step out onto the street I flip open my phone to call Delko. But before I can finish dialing the number I find myself filled with doubt. How will Delko react to finding me outside Ryan's home? Will he laugh? Joke? Will he remain quiet while unpleasant thoughts run through his head? I put the phone in my pocket. The night air is cool on my skin. The walk home will take too long so I decided to walk a block or two before calling a cab. The farther away I get from Ryan's apartment the better.
No one can ever find out about this. Ryan will keep his mouth shut. He has to or he'll risk harassment in his new place of work. Anyway, it's not like it's going to happen again.