Disclaimer: It ain't mine and you know it.
Author's note: Sorry for the delay. real life getting in the way a bit.
It had been over a week since his run in with Gates and things hadn't really settled down, if anything they were on the brink of exploding into violence. Gates was simply snappy and critical of Ray's every move; Ray in turn had found he was coiled tightly and bitingly sarcastic whenever Gates would start. So this morning when he had heard Gates bragging that he had "another hot date with mayday" Ray found himself not holding back with the personal insults.
Halfway through the shift they had managed to be teamed together working on a frustratingly difficult case and tensions were running high.
Ray had walked away, he had been the bigger man, but Gates just wouldn't leave it. He followed Ray out into the quiet of the night, where Ray had gone to calm down.
"Hey Barnett, Don't turn your back on me, I was talking to you" Gates shouted after him angrily grabbing his arm just above the elbow.
Ray turned on his heal and Gates almost banged into him.
"Gates just leave it" Ray felt the rage deep inside, trying to push it down until he could let it out healthily. He glanced down angrily at the hand still on his arm. Gates removed it.
"We both know this is about Neela, you need to get over it and move on, She's with me now so shut your mouth and stay out of my face" Gates was so close Ray felt moisture from his angry rant land on his cheek. He wiped it away emphatically, looking at his hand in disgust.
"Neela's my friend" 'well she used to be he added mentally "And she deserves better than some jerk that moves on her as soon as her husbands cold in the ground" Ray stared Gates down. He wasn't going to take this crap from a slimy ass like him.
"Hey at least I waited that long" He mocked not backing down an inch.
Rays anger soared and his control left him, he'd hurt his fist on gates face before he had time to think it through. Something about the blatant burst of fury felt freeing. How dare he say anything that implied Neela would do that?
"I don't care what you think or what you have heard Neela was never unfaithful to Michael," He warned standing over him as he pressed gingerly at the cheek Ray had caught so expertly.
Gates picked himself up his eyes glittering menacingly.
"And that's tears you up don't it?" He mocked spitting blood onto the concrete in front of Ray's feet.
He considered hitting him again when he heard Luka's disapproving voice from behind them.
"You two get your asses over here we got two GSW's coming in" He must have noticed the tension and Gates cut and rapidly bruising face, but he chose to ignore it for now. Ray knew that they would both hear about it later, but Luka forever the professional would wait until their incoming patients were taken care of.