Undercurrents

by Farmer847

They used to be able to talk things through. But a strange new undercurrent is causing friction in a once solid friendship. Add in a bizarre killer seeking out attractive men to hold hostage and kill on a weekly basis, sprinkle in some ill-natured media hype, add a dash of pressure from the brass, and our boys are about to have a recipe for disaster on their hands.

11. Chapter 11

Their drive had been spent mostly in silence, defeating Steve's hopes that his ongoing brooding would stay undetected by his partner. If anything, he could sense Mike's full attention on him the entire twenty minutes it took them to reach the Union Street apartment.

As he pulled the tan Galaxy into one of the few open spots along the steep street, Steve let go of the pant leg he'd been kneading incessantly throughout the drive, hoping to offset the growing unease spreading in his system.

Waiting until Mike put the large sedan in park, he quickly reached for the door handle with his right hand, his left fidgeting for the apartment keys in his coat pocket.

Steve was just about to mumble a quiet good night, when Mike reached for his elbow and kept him in place.

"Are you doing alright? You've been awfully quiet these last few days."

"Yes. Yes…just…I am just tired.", Steve answered too fast, surprised by the strength with which his partner's fingers were digging into his arm. Summoning all his remaining energy to give Mike his most sincere smile, Steve looked up to meet his best friend's worried blue eyes seemingly staring right through his mile-wide defense wall.

"Tired…"

Mike had thrown the word out there as an open-ended question, hoping to get him to talk when all Steve wanted to do was hide from the inevitable truth haunting his every thought. The sole thing he was too afraid to even say out loud for fear it would turn into reality much faster than he had planned.

The hand on his elbow moved up to his shoulder, grasping it gently. Steve didn't understand the reason until he noticed his rapid and shallow breathing disrupting the otherwise peaceful silence inside the Galaxy. Forcing himself to exhale slowly in order to mask the anxiety that hadn't been lost on his partner, he glanced up one more time, barely able to meet Mike's eyes, before opening the passenger door.

"I will see you tomorrow morning. Have a good night."

Quietly nodding to acknowledge his words, Mike let go of his shoulder and reached for the gear shaft, as Steve closed the door behind him and walked up the wooden stairs to his apartment, taking two steps at a time.

By the time he closed the front door and turned up the heat, the Galaxy was still parked down below.