"Commissioner Rose!" Ryo cried out.
Rose silenced him by holding up a single finger.
"Clean out your desk and get the hell out of here, former detective," Rose said, in a bit of a growl.
Dee looked to Ryo, as if Ryo were going to help him out of this one. When all Ryo could do was portray a deeply saddened face, Dee flipped.
"I'm not going anywhere! Now that you fired me, I no longer have to hold myself back!"
With one single leap, Dee plunged into Berkely and delivered a stinging punch to his face, busting his lip against his own teeth. He was so deep into it that he didn't hear Ryo crying at him to stop. He only felt Ryo's strong grip on him, pulling him back. Ryo had to tug a few times, but finally got him off of Rose, holding his hands behind his back, pressing their bodies together with restraint.
Dee struggled wildly, but one of Ryo's positives was his strength. He wasn't about to let Dee free.
"Let me go Ryo if you know what's good for you!" he shouted.
"Calm yourself, Dee, please!"
Dee could have easily broken out of Ryo's grip, but listened to his former partner and stopped moving.
"Just go home," he added.
Dee's eyes went wide. "Ryo? You're not going to defend me?"
All Ryo could do was sigh and lose eye contact.
"Not if he knows what's good for him," Rose said with a bit of a smirk on his face, wiping away the blood.
Dee growled. "Oh please, you lowlife, you'll never fire him, no matter what he does! You only fired me because you can't stand the fact that we got placed as partners and you want him all to yourself! Well that's not gonna happen, whether I'm gone or not!"
Dee shook out of Ryo's grip and pointed a finger at Rose. "We aren't finished! Watch your back, Rosie."
He stormed out of there in record speed, slamming the door behind him, nearly shattering the glass window on top.
Ryo glanced at Rose for only a few short seconds before he walked to the door, preparing to meet up with Dee in their office.
"I wouldn't if I were you, Ryo. You don't want to end up like Dee, do you?"
Even though Ryo was a softy, he did understand what Berkely did was wrong. It was an offense to strike your superior, but what Rose did wasn't exactly allowable either.
"I'm going to see if he needs any help," Ryo said in short, then left.
Rose wiped the last of the blood and balled his fist. "Dammit! I'll kill that damn Laytner if it's the last thing I damn well do!"
______________________
"Did you come to express your sorrow?" Dee mocked, shoving random things into a plastic bag.
Ryo stood in the doorway and sighed.
"No. I told Berkely I was going to help you, but—"
"Oh so you need to ask him permission for everything now, is that it?" Dee shot, throwing a framed picture to the bag, but missed and dropped by Ryo's feet. He bent over to pick it up. It was a picture of them on their first day as partners. Dee was happy. He smiled and waved his fingers through Ryo's hair, while the other carried his firearm. Ryo was actually happy too. Everyone was so nice to him when he first started out. Then they just had to go on vacation in the same spot they would meet Rose. Dee knew Rose only transferred so he could harass Ryo and push him to bed. That's when he smiled less and less, losing trust in people, and stopped coming to work for a long time. Rose didn't do anything though, because he liked him too much.
"Don't leave, Dee," Ryo said in a barely audible voice, not taking his eye off the picture, staring directly at Dee. "This is your profession."
"WAS," Dee corrected, snatching the picture out of Ryo's hand and shoving it into the plastic bag.
Ryo followed him with his eyes. "You're being immature about this whole thing."
Dee stopped dead and stared back at his former partner.
"Me, immature?! That bastard had no right to force himself upon you like that! Get your facts straight and your eyes checked Ryo, because what you saw obviously wasn't right."
Ryo brushed his fingers through his hair. "You're wrong. Berkely's only concerned."
"Concerned about what?!" Dee cried, grasping the handles of the plastic bag with his right hand.
"Concerned that you'll end up in my bed with your clothes off?! It's none of his goddamned business what goes on between me and you and I'll love you if I want!"
Ryo's eyes went wide. Dee's followed. He had never expected that he would announce it like that. He always pictured a candle lit dinner at a fancy restaurant that was empty for the night with just only the two of them. He would hold Ryo's hand and speak out his undying love for his fellow partner.
"Dee...?"
"Get out of my way," Dee said coldly, brushing him aside and charging out in an instant.
Ryo stayed behind, only to stare at the now vacant office and Dee's words still in his head. There had been many people that told him they loved him, preferably girls. It didn't matter to Ryo though what the gender was. He had been feeling something inside for Dee for a long while. Being the type of person he was, he was reluctant to get it out in the open.
His eyes shut and lowered to the floor. "Oh Dee," he breathed.
"Don't worry, you'll get over him," Berkely said from behind, placing his hand gently on Ryo's shoulder. "I know how you feel and I just simply can't tolerate it. It was needed to be done."
Ryo gasped slightly. "Are you saying you set him up?"
Berkely smirked, pushing his glasses to his face. "Not really. What I feel for you isn't set up. Dee just so happened to see it. It's not my fault he's a human beast and decides to protect his lover from harm, is it? Or are you not aware of his feelings towards you? Did I spoil the surprise?"
Ryo cringed at Berkely's words. They were heavily built with drops of sarcasm and mockery. He shook his head.
"Oh?" Berkely said, eyeing him. "So he has told you how he felt? Speak up Maclean!"
Ryo felt as if the gift of tears were temped to threaten his very existence.
"So what if he did!" Ryo cried, feeling the anger in him rise to the surface, demanding out. "So what if Dee feels protective of me?! I'm his partner, it's only right."
"Was," Berkely corrected.
"Is," Ryo demanded. "If you don't bring Dee back, I'm quitting."
Leaving Berkely speechless, he grabbed his coat and dismissed himself from the office for the rest of the day.
Heading over to Dee's was his main priority now. He couldn't get Dee's actions out of his head. Perhaps he overreacted strongly. Perhaps it was a little too strongly. He covered his face. It was all too complicating. He knew Dee cared for him that way, but why take the chance of striking your own boss to get a point across? It didn't make any sense. Now Dee was unemployed and in big trouble.
Ryo knocked on his door timidly.
"What do you want?" a voice from inside asked.
"U-um, it's me, Dee."
The door opened halfway and Dee filled up the space with his body. In the short time, he was able to change into casual clothing and look like he even relaxed a bit.
"What, Ryo?" he asked, removing the cigarette from his mouth and carelessly flicking the ashes to the ground near Ryo's feet.
"Can I...come in?" he asked.
Dee popped his cigarette back into his mouth and moved aside. Ryo entered as if he'd never been there before, walking unbearably slow and shyly.
"What did you want?" Dee questioned, shutting the door and looking back at Ryo.
"I just...wanted to know how you were, that's all," Ryo said, not totally lying. "I'm worried about you, Dee. What you did to Rose...that's serious."
Dee grunted, looking away. "Yeah well that guy pisses me off. He's always found SOMEWAY to piss me off! It just so happens he went just a little too far this time, and in front of me of all times! It was a setup Ryo,
I know it." He clenched his fist. "That bastard was out to play me from day one! He knows I can't control my anger when it's serious!" He looked back over to Ryo, extracting smoke from his mouth. "So which is it, Ryo? You like him?"
Ryo's eyes went wide. "What?"
Dee gave him a tad of a glare. "Why must you always act so idiotic when asked a simple question? Just answer it and get it over with?"
Ryo nearly shuddered at Dee's harsh words.
"No," he said in a small voice, looking away. "I don't know who I like. It doesn't matter."
"When why are you here?"
Ryo watched Dee's feet get closer and closer to him.
"Well...um...I..."
Dee stopped only inches away from Ryo. Ryo looked up into Dee's penetrating eyes. Lifting his chin up with his index finger, their lips met. It was soft at first, then much harder. Dee was the first to push his tongue into his mouth and beg his tongue to come out to play. They wrestled for a bit, but only for a few before Ryo had to pull back for air. He opened his eyes to find that Dee was staring at him the entire time.
"Dee," he breathed.
"Tell me you're not falling for that creep, Ryo. Tell me I've just misunderstood the whole thing and got fired over a big lie."
Ryo let out a small exhale. "You don't own me, Dee," he said in a tiny voice, making Dee's eyes twitch. "Even if I did like Rose...it's none of your concern."
Dee backed up and folded his arms, acting like the badass he normally is.
"And you came all this way on foot just to tell me that? Really Ryo, you must mistake me for a moron."
Ryo's face loosened up. He knew he was being rather quite childish. "Actually, I came here to apologize, Dee. I didn't come here to fight with you or anything of the sort. I know Berkeley set you up."
"Duh," came Dee's cold reply, extinguishing the lit end of the cigarette into the ashtray and leaned up against the wall with his arms folded.
"But I don't know why."
"I'll tell you," Dee said immediately. "Because he's a self-centered arrogant bastard who wants you all to himself and doesn't want anyone to get in his way. Good enough reason for you? Or can you not stand being on the top of someone's list?"
"Not when it interferes with my job, no," Ryo said, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, so what you're saying is that I was just supposed to sit back and watch him sexually harass you, is that it?"
Ryo balled his fists. "I can fight my own battles, Dee! Let me sink or swim on my own!"
Dee nodded quickly. "Oh yeah Ryo, I can tell, you were really struggling to get out of that one!" he yelled. "He totally had you under his total control and you just sat there and took it!"
"So what if I did?!" Ryo countered. "That's none of your business! You don't own me and you never will!"
"Oh well gee thanks for the concern, partner! Newsflash buddy, I got fired because I cared enough to save your precious virginity! Knowing that trashy Rose, he would have done that right in front of me too! He's the 'big boss'; he can do whatever he wants!"
Ryo looked away. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said in a low voice. "It really doesn't matter what happens to me. I'm not going to get hurt over this any longer. I'm tired of being the football, Dee! I'm always getting trampled by the both of you!" He sighed met eyes with Dee once more. "I've given it a lot of thought, and my mind is made up...it's me that's going to be leaving."
tbc
Rose silenced him by holding up a single finger.
"Clean out your desk and get the hell out of here, former detective," Rose said, in a bit of a growl.
Dee looked to Ryo, as if Ryo were going to help him out of this one. When all Ryo could do was portray a deeply saddened face, Dee flipped.
"I'm not going anywhere! Now that you fired me, I no longer have to hold myself back!"
With one single leap, Dee plunged into Berkely and delivered a stinging punch to his face, busting his lip against his own teeth. He was so deep into it that he didn't hear Ryo crying at him to stop. He only felt Ryo's strong grip on him, pulling him back. Ryo had to tug a few times, but finally got him off of Rose, holding his hands behind his back, pressing their bodies together with restraint.
Dee struggled wildly, but one of Ryo's positives was his strength. He wasn't about to let Dee free.
"Let me go Ryo if you know what's good for you!" he shouted.
"Calm yourself, Dee, please!"
Dee could have easily broken out of Ryo's grip, but listened to his former partner and stopped moving.
"Just go home," he added.
Dee's eyes went wide. "Ryo? You're not going to defend me?"
All Ryo could do was sigh and lose eye contact.
"Not if he knows what's good for him," Rose said with a bit of a smirk on his face, wiping away the blood.
Dee growled. "Oh please, you lowlife, you'll never fire him, no matter what he does! You only fired me because you can't stand the fact that we got placed as partners and you want him all to yourself! Well that's not gonna happen, whether I'm gone or not!"
Dee shook out of Ryo's grip and pointed a finger at Rose. "We aren't finished! Watch your back, Rosie."
He stormed out of there in record speed, slamming the door behind him, nearly shattering the glass window on top.
Ryo glanced at Rose for only a few short seconds before he walked to the door, preparing to meet up with Dee in their office.
"I wouldn't if I were you, Ryo. You don't want to end up like Dee, do you?"
Even though Ryo was a softy, he did understand what Berkely did was wrong. It was an offense to strike your superior, but what Rose did wasn't exactly allowable either.
"I'm going to see if he needs any help," Ryo said in short, then left.
Rose wiped the last of the blood and balled his fist. "Dammit! I'll kill that damn Laytner if it's the last thing I damn well do!"
______________________
"Did you come to express your sorrow?" Dee mocked, shoving random things into a plastic bag.
Ryo stood in the doorway and sighed.
"No. I told Berkely I was going to help you, but—"
"Oh so you need to ask him permission for everything now, is that it?" Dee shot, throwing a framed picture to the bag, but missed and dropped by Ryo's feet. He bent over to pick it up. It was a picture of them on their first day as partners. Dee was happy. He smiled and waved his fingers through Ryo's hair, while the other carried his firearm. Ryo was actually happy too. Everyone was so nice to him when he first started out. Then they just had to go on vacation in the same spot they would meet Rose. Dee knew Rose only transferred so he could harass Ryo and push him to bed. That's when he smiled less and less, losing trust in people, and stopped coming to work for a long time. Rose didn't do anything though, because he liked him too much.
"Don't leave, Dee," Ryo said in a barely audible voice, not taking his eye off the picture, staring directly at Dee. "This is your profession."
"WAS," Dee corrected, snatching the picture out of Ryo's hand and shoving it into the plastic bag.
Ryo followed him with his eyes. "You're being immature about this whole thing."
Dee stopped dead and stared back at his former partner.
"Me, immature?! That bastard had no right to force himself upon you like that! Get your facts straight and your eyes checked Ryo, because what you saw obviously wasn't right."
Ryo brushed his fingers through his hair. "You're wrong. Berkely's only concerned."
"Concerned about what?!" Dee cried, grasping the handles of the plastic bag with his right hand.
"Concerned that you'll end up in my bed with your clothes off?! It's none of his goddamned business what goes on between me and you and I'll love you if I want!"
Ryo's eyes went wide. Dee's followed. He had never expected that he would announce it like that. He always pictured a candle lit dinner at a fancy restaurant that was empty for the night with just only the two of them. He would hold Ryo's hand and speak out his undying love for his fellow partner.
"Dee...?"
"Get out of my way," Dee said coldly, brushing him aside and charging out in an instant.
Ryo stayed behind, only to stare at the now vacant office and Dee's words still in his head. There had been many people that told him they loved him, preferably girls. It didn't matter to Ryo though what the gender was. He had been feeling something inside for Dee for a long while. Being the type of person he was, he was reluctant to get it out in the open.
His eyes shut and lowered to the floor. "Oh Dee," he breathed.
"Don't worry, you'll get over him," Berkely said from behind, placing his hand gently on Ryo's shoulder. "I know how you feel and I just simply can't tolerate it. It was needed to be done."
Ryo gasped slightly. "Are you saying you set him up?"
Berkely smirked, pushing his glasses to his face. "Not really. What I feel for you isn't set up. Dee just so happened to see it. It's not my fault he's a human beast and decides to protect his lover from harm, is it? Or are you not aware of his feelings towards you? Did I spoil the surprise?"
Ryo cringed at Berkely's words. They were heavily built with drops of sarcasm and mockery. He shook his head.
"Oh?" Berkely said, eyeing him. "So he has told you how he felt? Speak up Maclean!"
Ryo felt as if the gift of tears were temped to threaten his very existence.
"So what if he did!" Ryo cried, feeling the anger in him rise to the surface, demanding out. "So what if Dee feels protective of me?! I'm his partner, it's only right."
"Was," Berkely corrected.
"Is," Ryo demanded. "If you don't bring Dee back, I'm quitting."
Leaving Berkely speechless, he grabbed his coat and dismissed himself from the office for the rest of the day.
Heading over to Dee's was his main priority now. He couldn't get Dee's actions out of his head. Perhaps he overreacted strongly. Perhaps it was a little too strongly. He covered his face. It was all too complicating. He knew Dee cared for him that way, but why take the chance of striking your own boss to get a point across? It didn't make any sense. Now Dee was unemployed and in big trouble.
Ryo knocked on his door timidly.
"What do you want?" a voice from inside asked.
"U-um, it's me, Dee."
The door opened halfway and Dee filled up the space with his body. In the short time, he was able to change into casual clothing and look like he even relaxed a bit.
"What, Ryo?" he asked, removing the cigarette from his mouth and carelessly flicking the ashes to the ground near Ryo's feet.
"Can I...come in?" he asked.
Dee popped his cigarette back into his mouth and moved aside. Ryo entered as if he'd never been there before, walking unbearably slow and shyly.
"What did you want?" Dee questioned, shutting the door and looking back at Ryo.
"I just...wanted to know how you were, that's all," Ryo said, not totally lying. "I'm worried about you, Dee. What you did to Rose...that's serious."
Dee grunted, looking away. "Yeah well that guy pisses me off. He's always found SOMEWAY to piss me off! It just so happens he went just a little too far this time, and in front of me of all times! It was a setup Ryo,
I know it." He clenched his fist. "That bastard was out to play me from day one! He knows I can't control my anger when it's serious!" He looked back over to Ryo, extracting smoke from his mouth. "So which is it, Ryo? You like him?"
Ryo's eyes went wide. "What?"
Dee gave him a tad of a glare. "Why must you always act so idiotic when asked a simple question? Just answer it and get it over with?"
Ryo nearly shuddered at Dee's harsh words.
"No," he said in a small voice, looking away. "I don't know who I like. It doesn't matter."
"When why are you here?"
Ryo watched Dee's feet get closer and closer to him.
"Well...um...I..."
Dee stopped only inches away from Ryo. Ryo looked up into Dee's penetrating eyes. Lifting his chin up with his index finger, their lips met. It was soft at first, then much harder. Dee was the first to push his tongue into his mouth and beg his tongue to come out to play. They wrestled for a bit, but only for a few before Ryo had to pull back for air. He opened his eyes to find that Dee was staring at him the entire time.
"Dee," he breathed.
"Tell me you're not falling for that creep, Ryo. Tell me I've just misunderstood the whole thing and got fired over a big lie."
Ryo let out a small exhale. "You don't own me, Dee," he said in a tiny voice, making Dee's eyes twitch. "Even if I did like Rose...it's none of your concern."
Dee backed up and folded his arms, acting like the badass he normally is.
"And you came all this way on foot just to tell me that? Really Ryo, you must mistake me for a moron."
Ryo's face loosened up. He knew he was being rather quite childish. "Actually, I came here to apologize, Dee. I didn't come here to fight with you or anything of the sort. I know Berkeley set you up."
"Duh," came Dee's cold reply, extinguishing the lit end of the cigarette into the ashtray and leaned up against the wall with his arms folded.
"But I don't know why."
"I'll tell you," Dee said immediately. "Because he's a self-centered arrogant bastard who wants you all to himself and doesn't want anyone to get in his way. Good enough reason for you? Or can you not stand being on the top of someone's list?"
"Not when it interferes with my job, no," Ryo said, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, so what you're saying is that I was just supposed to sit back and watch him sexually harass you, is that it?"
Ryo balled his fists. "I can fight my own battles, Dee! Let me sink or swim on my own!"
Dee nodded quickly. "Oh yeah Ryo, I can tell, you were really struggling to get out of that one!" he yelled. "He totally had you under his total control and you just sat there and took it!"
"So what if I did?!" Ryo countered. "That's none of your business! You don't own me and you never will!"
"Oh well gee thanks for the concern, partner! Newsflash buddy, I got fired because I cared enough to save your precious virginity! Knowing that trashy Rose, he would have done that right in front of me too! He's the 'big boss'; he can do whatever he wants!"
Ryo looked away. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said in a low voice. "It really doesn't matter what happens to me. I'm not going to get hurt over this any longer. I'm tired of being the football, Dee! I'm always getting trampled by the both of you!" He sighed met eyes with Dee once more. "I've given it a lot of thought, and my mind is made up...it's me that's going to be leaving."
tbc