Author: Shadowfax27
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairing: Eric/Ryan
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Me no own. You no sue. Okay?
Beta: Mistakes make me human…
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Chapter 3 – When Ryan Met Speed
Stolen moments
Time has broken
My eyes are opened to this life-long mystery
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He was about to try and open his mouth a third time, when he heard Ryan take a deep breath. He looked up and met Ryan's gaze once more and saw realization flash through the younger man's eyes, saw the inevitable dawn in the CSI's boyish face.
And Eric held his breath…
"I suppose you brought me here to talk about Speed…"
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Eric leaned back, letting out a long, slow breath as he studied the young man in front of him. Although he was strangely relieved to have Ryan finally figure out the main purpose behind his dinner invitation, he was even more relieved to find that the young man didn't seem to be upset with him.
In fact, he looked like he had been expecting this…Q&A, albeit unenthusiastically.
"What do you want to know?" Ryan asked quietly, looking down at the bottle in his hands.
"I want to know everything."
Ryan snorted and didn't look up, "You're gonna have to be more specific than that."
Eric took another deep breath and leaned forward once more, "Start from the beginning," he replied. "How did you know Speed?"
Now, it was Ryan's turn to take a deep breath. Keeping his gaze down, he studied the bottle in his hands before responding.
"When I was in Patrol, I used to see you, H, Calleigh, and Speed work the different crime scenes while Alexx worked on the victims. I didn't know your names back then, except Horatio, but I always envied your position because you got to stay on the case until it was resolved… I never got that in Patrol. I figured that if I wanted to become a CSI that I should start attending the seminars you guys offered from time to time. And so I went…to every single one of them," Ryan looked up and met Eric's eyes.
"So, you hit all the seminars," Eric repeated. "Was that how you met Speed?"
Ryan nodded, "You guys held a dual seminar at Miami U about eight months before I joined CSI. Speed and Calleigh were there as guest lecturers; they were each doing a different seminar, but they were teaching it twice in one day: once in the morning, and once in the afternoon to give everyone who was interested a chance to take both."
"Oh yeah, I remember that one…" Eric noted with a smile. "Speed wasn't really looking forward to it; he didn't like speaking in front of people."
Ryan chuckled and nodded at the memory, "Yeah, and he had to do it twice in one day."
Eric chuckled as well, noting the reminiscing smile on Ryan's face, "That's it, Eric. Keep the tone light with Ryan. Don't upset him. Just keep it light," he reminded himself before urging Ryan to continue.
"Anyway, I had already pre-registered for both seminars so I didn't have to check in, and I got there early so I could locate the classrooms they were going to be held in. I knew that the seminars were being held at the Alumni Hall, but for some reason, the rooms we were going to use were "TBA" (to be announced) on the information packet they gave us. I saw the registration desk they had set up for the seminar, but there was a long line of people waiting to check in. I didn't want to wait in line since I just needed to know where the classrooms were anyway, plus I wanted to get a good seat," Ryan explained.
Eric couldn't help but laugh a little at what Ryan had just told him.
"What?" Ryan asked, frowning.
Eric shook his head, "Nothing… It's just that when you said you wanted to get in there early so you could get a good seat…" he trailed off and chuckled again.
"What? What's wrong with that?" Ryan asked, slightly annoyed and embarrassed this time.
"Oh, no, no… Nothing's wrong with it… Sorry, man… I just…" Eric sputtered.
"You just what?"
"I just think that… well, it's so…you," Eric finally admitted.
Ryan simply rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Let me guess… you're one of those guys who liked to sit in the back of the room, where the teacher wouldn't notice you or call on you, am I right?"
"And let me guess," Eric mimicked mockingly, "You're one of those guys who liked to sit in the front of the room so you could hear everything that the teacher had to say, take lots of legible notes, and then answer any questions that the teacher might throw at you, am I right?"
"You'd be surprised at just how helpful those notes could be," Ryan defended.
"Actually, I'd be more surprised if you were to do it any differently," he smiled teasingly then. "I couldn't imagine having you any other way."
There was something about the way Eric had said that last remark that suddenly made Ryan's heart pound faster in his chest and made him turn a rich shade of pink. What did he mean by that? Was that supposed to be a good thing? He blinked and then turned his eyes away, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he began to fiddle with the bottle in his hands again, unable to speak.
Just then, Doreen returned with a small basket of bread, and both Eric and Ryan sighed with relief at the welcome distraction, each taking the opportunity to order additional drinks. They're going to need more bottles if they were ever going to get through tonight… if they were going to get everything out in the open.
"So…" Eric began carefully, knowing how his last comment had made the younger man blush, "…then what happened? What did you do?"
Ryan looked up this time and answered him simply, "I looked around and found someone who looked like they knew what the hell was going on."
Eric laughed again, "And by finding 'someone' I assume you meant that you found Speed."
Ryan grinned, "Exactly."
"I could totally see that happening, man," Eric grinned as well. "Speed always had a way of looking like he knew what was going on."
"Yeah, 'look' being the operative word," Ryan quipped, and they both laughed at that.
"So, did he actually know what was going on that time?" Eric asked curiously.
Ryan nodded slowly, "Yeah… As a matter of fact, he did…"
Looking around for a moment to see if he could find someone who might be able to tell him which rooms he needed to go into, Ryan spotted a tall, dark-haired man, who looked like he had just gotten out of bed and forgot to shave. He was wearing dark slacks, a blue button-down shirt, and a blazer; he didn't look comfortable in his clothing, and from his vantage point, Ryan could sense that he didn't look too happy being there either.Taking a deep breath, Ryan walked up to the scruffy fellow, and lightly tapped him on the shoulder, "Excuse me."
The man turned around, and looked at Ryan with a questioning eyebrow, "Can I help you?"
"Yes, you can, actually… I'm here for the seminars, and I was wondering if you could tell me which rooms they're being held in?"
The man smirked, "Sure thing. They're actually gonna be in the last two rooms down that hall, right across from each other," he replied, pointing at the hallway to his right.
Ryan followed his hand before looking back at the gentleman, "Thank you, uh…"
"Speedle. Tim Speedle," the older man quickly introduced himself and offered up his hand.
"Ryan Wolfe," he replied with a smile and shook the offered hand. "Tim Speedle… you're one of the guest lecturers, aren't you?"
Speed chuckled, "Yeah. Kind of unfortunate, huh?"
Ryan frowned in confusion, not knowing what to make of the older man's remark.
Seeing the look on the younger man's face, Speed leaned in and lowered his voice, "Don't tell anyone, but I hate speaking in front of people."
"Oh…" Ryan realized and they both chuckled at that.
"So, Mr. Wolfe…" Speed began.
"Ryan," the younger man quickly cut in. "Call me Ryan."
Smirking slightly, Speed readdressed him, "Okay… so, Ryan… which seminar did you sign up for anyway?" Speed asked curiously.
"Actually, I signed up for both."
"Both, huh?" he considered Ryan's answer for a minute before asking, "Which one do you have first?"
"'Thinking Outside The Box: Tools to Analyze Evidence' by a Ms. Duquesne," Ryan replied.
Speed smiled, "So, you're in Calleigh Duquesne's class in Room 110. That would be a really good class. Plus, Calleigh's a wonderful lecturer… much better than me. I'm sure you'll enjoy her class. You'll get a lot out of it."
"I hope so. But I have your class at 1:30. I'm sure I'll enjoy that as well."
Speed merely chuckled at this, "Don't be so sure, Ryan, or you might just get disappointed."
"I doubt it," Ryan smiled. "I've seen you work, and you look like you know what you're doing."
"You've seen me work?" Speed asked quizzically, brows furrowing. "Where?"
"At a few crime scenes," Ryan replied plainly. "I've secured some of your areas before."
"Ah! So, you're in Patrol, then? I thought you might've looked familiar. I guess I didn't recognize you without the uniform," Speed realized with a chuckle. "So, what brought you to this seminar?" he asked, intrigued.
"Curiosity," Ryan answered simply. "And the fact that I'd really like to be more involved with the cases, follow it from cradle to grave, so to speak. I want to know what happened and why it happened. But more than anything, I just want closure." Tim seemed to consider his answer again, "Sounds to me like you want to be a criminalist.""I do," Ryan confirmed.
"You think you're up for it? Think you're ready?"
"Oh, I'm definitely up for it," Ryan replied. "But I'm not sure if I'm ready yet. It'll take a few months, I think, before I'm completely ready."
"A few months? Why? This isn't exactly rocket science, you know?" he asked teasingly.
Ryan shrugged, "I like to be as prepared as I can be, which means that I need a few more seminars under my belt before I could even consider becoming a CSI."
"I'm assuming here that you already have a degree?"
"Yeah… a Bachelor's in Chemistry. Why?"
Speed shook his head in amusement, "Well, I don't really know you, Ryan Wolfe, but based on what I've gathered from you these last few minutes, I'd say that you're ready to become a CSI. I think it's already in your blood. But whatever… it's your prerogative. If you think you need more time to prepare, then by all means, do that. But when the time comes and you feel that you're finally ready to join us? Well, here…" he reached for his wallet, pulled out one of his business cards, and wrote down his cell phone number on it before handing it to Ryan. "Give me a call, and I'll put in a good word for you to Horatio and Yelina."
Ryan took the card and looked at it before smiling, "Thanks, Tim."
"Speed," the older man corrected him.
"Huh?"
"Nobody calls me Tim anymore except my parents," he clarified. "Call me Speed, otherwise I might not know who you're talking to."
Ryan chuckled, "I see… Well, thanks again, Speed."
"My pleasure, Ryan. See you in class?" he asked with a smile, his morning looking brighter already.
Ryan nodded, "Yep. 1:30."
And with that, Ryan turned on his heels. But just as he started to walk away, Speed called after him again. There was just something about the younger man that seemed to remind Speed of his younger self. Was it his ambition? His drive? His self-confidence that perhaps bordered a bit on the side of cockiness? Or was it the traces of sarcastic wit he detected?
Whatever it was, Speed somehow felt drawn to him, like he wanted to know what Ryan Wolfe was all about, even though he 'sensed' that he already knew the younger man.
Plus, an unusual thought had just birthed a crazy idea in his head, an idea that he would have to set into motion and deliver himself, an idea that would require some tweaking and cajoling and…
Yes. A crazy idea, indeed…
"Hey, Ryan?"
Turning around, Ryan replied, "Yeah?"
"How would you like to learn more about the ins and outs of CSI over lunch?" he bated.
"Really?" Ryan asked, surprised. "You don't mind doing that?"
"Nah…" Speed shrugged. "It'll be my pleasure. Besides, when you do become a CSI, I want everyone to know that you got the 'low-down' from me. I want to make sure I take the credit for why you turned out so well," he added with a wink.
Chuckling, Ryan replied, "The 'low-down,' huh? Why not? Sounds like fun."
"Great! Meet me in Room 109 after your seminar, and we'll head out to lunch, then."
"What about Calleigh?" Ryan asked curiously.
"What about Calleigh?"
"Aren't you gonna have lunch with your colleague?"
Speed shook his head, "No. Calleigh has to get back to the lab to process a backlog of bullets. She'll most likely grab something to go and eat it on the way back to the lab."
"And you don't have any work waiting for you?"
"Not at this moment, no," Speed assured him.
"Well, okay then. I guess I'll see you after class."
"Alright. See you then," Speed waved.
Once more, Ryan turned around and headed down the hallway before going into Room 110. He found a good seat near the front of the class, sat down, and took out his laptop. A few minutes later, a petite blonde came in with some materials as people continued to trickle inside. Then, at exactly 10:00, the lecture began.
"You know what?" Eric began in amusement.
"What?"
"I'm gonna amend one of my previous statements."
"Which one?"
"The one about you taking legible notes during a lecture."
"Okay…" Ryan gave him a weird look.
Eric laughed, "It turns out that you don't even have to write legibly because you actually type up your notes in neat little outline form, don't you?" he teased.
"Hey! I wasn't the only one who brought a laptop to that class," Ryan defended, feigning a scandalized look.
"Oh, really?" Eric challenged. "And just how many people did bring their laptops to that seminar, Ryan?" he leaned on the table and raised a teasing eyebrow at the younger man.
"I don't remember," Ryan evaded.
"And I don't believe that one bit," Eric pressed. "Come on, man. I know you remember."
"Why does it matter?" Ryan asked in annoyance.
"Why won't you answer?" Eric asked back.
"Fine!" Ryan huffed.
"So…" Eric pressed again. "How many were there, Ryan?"
"One."
Eric heard it even though Ryan had answered so quietly. He decided to have a little fun with it anyway.
"I'm sorry…" Eric began, leaning forward even more as he cupped his hand behind his ear in an exaggerated manner. "Could you speak into my good ear? I thought I heard you say a number."
Rolling his eyes in amused irritation, Ryan retorted, "You heard me."
"I'm sorry, wh- what was that number again?" Eric continued mockingly.
"One."
And this time, Ryan glared at him. Eric only laughed at his expression and continued to pester him.
"And who was the other person who had brought their laptop with them?"
Ryan leaned back and crossed his arms, "I think you already know."
Eric raised a finger and waved it in the air, "Uh-uh-uh… There will be no dodging or skirting around the question here, Ryan. Now… who was the only other person who brought a laptop?" he asked again.
Ryan huffed and then muttered, "Calleigh."
"I can't hear you," Eric exaggerated.
"Calleigh! Okay? There! You happy now?" Ryan all but growled at him in restrained exasperation.
With a laugh, Eric finally relented and grinned, "See? Was that so hard?"
Ryan was about to answer, but Doreen chose at that exact moment to return with their dinner and a couple more bottles of their drinks. She set their plates down in front of them and took up their previously empty bottles before leaving them alone once more. They realized then that they hadn't even touched the bread.
"So…" Eric began teasingly with a smirk. "What did you learn from Speed during your lunch?"
Ryan merely rolled his eyes again, shook his head, picked up his knife and fork, and then started cutting the meat on his plate in a comically vexed manner, muttering something about annoying co-workers and bothersome friends asking really, really, really nosey questions.
Eric only laughed…
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TBCOkay, okay... This 'dinner night' is not yet over for these two, FYI, but the next chapter (which is a continuation of their conversations from this night) will REALLY take a while to update this time. I can only give birth so often (figuratively, heh-heh!) before I go crazy, and I had to push really hard to get this one out of my head, down to my fingers, and onto the screen. So there… sighs tiredly from writer's labour pains
As always, reviews are much loved!
A/N: The seminar Ryan attended that morning was the same one he mentioned to Calleigh in the S3 Episode: Legal. I purposely made the tone of this chapter a bit lighter because I didn't want their memory of Speed to always be sad and gloomy. Plus, I wanted to keep building an easy-going friendship and trust between Eric and Ryan, and I wanted to show that they're doing just that through some of the banter/flirting in their conversation. I hope that makes sense.