A/N: This chapter was a bit short... But the NEXT chapter will be SO LONG... Both me and the other writer/editor are dreading editing this next chapter, but I assure you! It will be worth it! I can't guarantee it will be out tomorrow, but we will try! Thank you for all your support! Merry Christmas!

Midnight at the Precinct

Chapter 5: Dinner Date

Ryo stared at himself in the mirror and made a guilty face at his reflection. He hated lying to Dee, and while his partner had cooled down considerably over the past week, the fact that he hadn't told him what had happened in Berkeley's office refused to leave his mind. It ate at him and he found himself conflicted over the entire scenario. On one hand, he felt accountable for Dee being upset. On the other, he was happy to be doing something for himself without being scrutinized.

However, this meant that he seriously needed to consider his sexual orientation. A few months ago, he could have sworn up and down a wall that he was as straight as the next guy, but it seemed that the two guys standing next to him now were a little crooked.

With a sigh, Ryo picked up the navy blue tie that was hanging comfortably on the tie rack in his closet and easily tied a full Windsor knot into the eggshell colored shirt he wore under a casually grey suit.

The day after Commissioner Rose had called him into his office, the older man had left to take care of what Ryo could only assume was official business. He hadn't even said anything before leaving and it was only after he had left that Ryo had overheard Chief tell Margret at the front desk about his absence. Even when he had returned from his trip, work seemed to be the only thing on his mind.

This was a blessing and a curse for the young blonde. Without Berkeley hovering over them, Dee was able to stay pretty docile throughout the week. However, this left Ryo feeling as if the Commissioner had forgotten their engagement. It wasn't until earlier this morning when Berkeley had passed him a file he wanted reviewed with a note saying to dress semi-formal and be ready by six that night.

One last look at himself affirmed that he felt dressed properly and Ryo wandered into the living room of his apartment.

"Bikky," he said as he shut his bedroom door behind him and the boy looked up at him from his position on the couch. He had obviously just ripped his ear buds out of his ears, as they now poked sneakily from his pocket. A math notebook lay open on his lap, his textbook haphazardly sprawled with a pen next to him. Large blue eyes fixed themselves on him, and Ryo felt as if Bikky could see straight through him. It made him uncomfortable, as it always did, and he shifted uneasily towards the kitchen. "I'm going out tonight for-"

"Oh man, seriously?" Bikky stood up, interrupting Ryo mid-sentence and he suddenly had sparkles in those excited blue eyes. "Ryo, you HAVE to take me! We never go out to eat! Like, ever!" he bounded back onto the couch, kneeling on the cushions to look at Ryo over its back.

"No," Ryo said quickly, almost dropping the dish he had picked up from the drying rack.

"Aww! Come on, Ryo! No fair!" Bikky whined, half hanging over the back of the couch now; Ryo was instantly reminded of Dee complaining when he didn't get his way. Again he thought about how alike Bikky and Dee were, and smiled despite the awkward situation he found himself in.

Ryo shook his head for emphasis and placed the dish in one of the cabinets above the counter. "It's a business dinner, Bikky. Not only would you be bored, but it would be unprofessional of me to bring you," he explained, the excuse coming easily to him. He had thought about this for the past few hours, so he had been prepared. But even so, he couldn't look at the kid and face those eyes of his… Ryo feared he would be able to see the lie if he allowed him enough time.

Bikky made a sound of obvious displeasure. "Boo, Ryo. I'll behave! You know how long it's been since we went out for dinner? I haven't had a decent meal in weeks!" Ryo shot him a glare, and Bikky sat up a bit. "Err, well, I mean, a meal that, you know, was cooked by restaurant people." Ryo continued to glare at him, temporarily having forgotten about his worries from a moment ago. "Aww, Ryo! You know what I mean!"

"Bikky, I'm sorry, but you can't come," Ryo repeated as he placed another dish in the cabinet. "I made lasagna for you for tonight, but if my cooking isn't up to your standards, you could always cook your own dinner."

Dark ears perked up at the mention of the dish and Bikky sauntered from the couch into the kitchen next to Ryo and picked up a mug. He stared at it for a second before passing it to him. The boy passed another dish to Ryo, secretly excited for the meal awaiting him in the refrigerator, and muttered "Well, I guess I could consider-"

Bikky was interrupted by a knock at the door, and before Ryo had a chance to put down the plate he held, the young boy had shot to the door and now stood staring up at Berkeley with a very disgruntled expression on his face.

"Yeah, it's a fair trade!" he called back to Ryo as he studied the extremely boring looking man standing in the hall.

Berkeley didn't expect the door to be answered by someone other than Ryo, but it didn't surprise him either. After all, someone much worse than a child could have opened the door and then he would have to deal with more than just dissatisfied stares like the ones the kid was giving him.

It had been a while since he had last seen Bikky Goldman. Other than meeting the child in England, Berkeley had spotted him a small handful of times inside the precinct, though the child didn't seem to notice him. And that was fine with him. He really didn't care much for children anyway.

Looking down at the squat tween, Berkeley tried not to return the condescending stare, but it was proving to be difficult. The older male averted his gaze to look inside the apartment, hoping the person Bikky was yelling at was Ryo and not someone else. He wasn't able to see too far into the dwelling, but from what he could tell, the detective kept his place fairly neat, especially considering he was sheltering a very rambunctious kid.

"Good evening, Bikky. I'm assuming Mr. Maclean is home," Berkeley stated, not in the mood to play games, or at least not with the one standing in front of him. He would be civil, of course. He could count on one hand the number of single women he had dated who had children, though he rarely came into contact with them when he did. He wondered if this would be any different.

"Yeah," Bikky said simply, jerking his head in the direction of the kitchen, but refused to move out of the door frame. Even when he did this, however, he kept his eyes on the boring looking guy in front of him. He looked familiar, but Bikky couldn't pinpoint exactly who he was. Obviously he was someone Ryo knew from the precinct, so nine out of ten chances was that he had seen him around.

Ryo stumbled out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a washcloth as he came towards them. "Bikky, this is Commissioner Rose," he said, looking down at the washcloth sheepishly as he realized he had brought it out with him. He handed it to Bikky, who reluctantly reached out for it and moved aside. "Sorry, sir," he said, glancing at Berkeley before looking back at Bikky. "The lasagna is in the refrigerator and I just finished putting the dishes away. Please remember to-"

Bikky held up the washcloth, fixing Ryo with a knowing stare. "Dude, I know what to do. It's not like this is the first time you've left me home alone. In case you forgot, you're a cop. You're gone, like, all the time."

Ryo looked as if he was going to continue talking, but sighed instead and placed a hand on Bikky's shoulder. "Thanks, Bikky. I shouldn't be out too late, and I want to see that homework done by the time I get back," he added, and Bikky made a face. "I mean it!" he finished, walking out of the apartment before walking back in to grab his keys. Bikky sauntered back towards the kitchen, waving his hand absentmindedly and trailing a 'yeah, yeah' behind him as Ryo shut the door.

Berkeley watched the interaction with vague interest. He said nothing, knowing that it wasn't his place to. It seemed Ryo was doing a decent job as a guardian, even if his ward did have a bit of an attitude. It was almost as if Ryo had a miniature Dee Laytner under his wing, he suddenly thought, but then mentally shook his head as such a silly notion.

With another sigh, the young blonde locked the door and finally faced his senior officer. A slight flush had somehow managed to infiltrate his cheeks and he willed it down as he offered an awkward smile. "Sorry about that," he said, shoving his keys into his pocket and checked the other for his cell. "Is, uh…" he gestured to himself. "Is this acceptable…?"

When Bikky finally turned away, Berkeley surprisingly found himself more at ease. He took a step back as Ryo made his final preparations, a small smile tugging at his lips as he watched the blonde bumble around for several moments. Once Ryo finally faced him, the smile widened as he gave the other a not so quick once-over.

In comparison to Ryo's more muted color scheme, the commissioner's attire seemed much bolder and domineering. His charcoal suit looked brand new, as if maybe he had only worn it once or twice before. The pale golden shirt made his skin almost seem to glow and the blue tie, speckled with different shades of green, brought out the color of his hardened eyes. To say he looked handsome was a mild understatement and Berkeley was well aware of this.

"You look stunning, as usual," he told Ryo, his voice holding a bit of huskiness to it.

His fingers twitched, the desire to reach out toward the other detective more than pressing, but he fought against it.

Not now. Not here.

Berkeley took a step away from the doorway, keeping his eyes trained on Ryo all the while. "Let's head out, shall we? I hope you're not afraid of heights otherwise I might have to request a different table," he said teasingly as he began to turn away from the younger blonde.

The flush returned and Ryo decided to take the offered change of subject whole-heartedly as to not embarrass himself further. Berkeley looked like he was going to dinner with the CEO of some high standing company and Ryo suddenly felt over-conscious of how he himself was dressed…

I should have worn something more formal… he thought, but then pushed it away. This may be a date, but it was still just dinner. Just dinner with his boss. It was incredibly easy for Ryo to convince himself this was a business dinner and he tried his hardest to allow that thought to take root in his mind. Of course, it didn't work as well as he thought it would…

"Heights?" he repeated, glancing over at the older male next to him then shaking his head slightly. "I live on the third floor of my apartment building and Dee lives on the roof," he smiled as a short laugh flittered past his lips. "If I was afraid of heights, I'd need to move."

Ryo pushed the button on the elevator and shoved one hand into his pants pocket as he waited. As his eyes focused back on Berkeley, he realized just how different he looked than at work. His hair was brushed into what Ryo could only describe as a neat mess and were those cufflinks? He looked back at the elevator and realized with a sinking feeling that it had only progressed one floor. Either it was going extremely slow today, or Ryo's mind was going a million miles a minute with all this thinking.

He wanted to start some kind of conversation with the older blonde, but… he had no idea what to say…

An involuntary tick struck the commissioner's jaw at the mention of the younger detective, but otherwise his expression didn't change. He forced the smile to remain on his face and the sudden spike of jealousy to mellow out.

"Well, I don't know how many floors up Laytner's apartment is, but I highly doubt that it's on the 45th story," Berkeley replied as nonchalantly as he could manage. He glanced down at his watch as he spoke then looked back up to the other blonde, slight amusement touching his slightly greener than usual eyes. "So tell me, Ryo, have you ever been inside the Marriot Marquis?"

The elevator dinged as it reached their floor and Ryo was surprised it had gotten there so quick. It felt as if he had waited an hour for it to raise that first floor trying to come up with something to talk about, but Berkeley had saved him from his thoughts. By the sound of it, and in reality, it had only been a few seconds... Ryo mentally shook his head as he tried to get back on track. It was only Berkeley, his boss from the precinct. Why was he this nervous?

"The Marriot Marquis?" he repeated, turning to look at the older male as they entered the elevator. After a second, he shook his head. "No, I don't think I've even been past the first floor..." he admitted. The only time Ryo could recall being in the building was for professional reasons, investigating a call. There was never any reason for him to explore, as it was much too expensive for him. He hit the ground floor button, shifted into a more comfortable position, and fixed Berkeley with a probing stare. "Is that where we are going?"

Berkeley nodded. "There's a restaurant on the top floor called The View. Appropriate name, really." He shifted as well, leaning a shoulder against the wall of the elevator, eyeing him in the same manner as Ryo was watching him. "If you recall, it is New York's only revolving rooftop restaurant and the food is just as sublime as, well, the view."

His smile widened, a more content look settling on his face. Ah, The View. It had been a while since he had last dined there. He couldn't remember if it was for business or pleasure, but each and every time he had eaten there, he had enjoyed himself. They were leaving early enough to catch the sunset, which was truly a sight to behold from such a great altitude as well as, in Berkeley's eyes anyway, very romantic.

He was hopeful that Ryo would feel the same…

Ryo nodded as he listened, recalling the restaurant in question. He had heard about it once or twice, and seen it mentioned in some news articles he sometimes read... but wasn't that place expensive? His insides churned for the fiftieth time that night, but this time due to his budget. Even though he could probably afford the place, it wasn't in his best interests to spend his entire savings on one meal.

Oh yeah... Ryo reminded himself as he remembered this was a date, and he was a guy... therefore he should be paying for both of their meals, but then that would make Berkeley the girl and...

He mentally shook his head, his temples throbbing with trying to figure out what was going on. I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there...

"So you've been there?" he asked, changing the topic away from the reason for their outing. "You'll have to suggest what's good, because I think the fanciest place I've eaten in awhile is the diner down the street from the precinct," he joked, smiling albeit the truth of his words. Going out to dinner wasn't something he and Dee did often, and they most certainly hadn't gone on any dates. It was way too early in this whole scenario for Ryo to be calling himself gay, and he was going to cling to that last strand of invisible thread for as long as it took to break.

"I've been there more than a handful of times, yes. And not to worry," Berkeley replied with a confident smile. "I'm fairly certain there'll be plenty of items on the menu that catch your eye."

The elevator dinged as they reached the ground floor and Berkeley allowed Ryo to exit before him. He sidled next to the younger blonde, smiling pleasantly at him as they strolled through the lobby. It wasn't until now that giddiness began to tickle at his belly. Finally, after waiting for so long, he and Ryo were going on a date. He had been patient, had played his cards right, and had received his prize.

Granted, the night wasn't going to be filled with anything incredibly exciting. They didn't have plans for anything other than dinner, though perhaps if the night went well, he could suggest they go for a drink or maybe even catch a showing somewhere.

Just being with Ryo made him feel elated. The other detective didn't look as well-dressed as he did, but he barely paid that any notice. He wore his clothes well, his hair was freshly styled, and his aftershave was just strong enough to tease Berkeley's nostrils. He longed to stroke his fingers against Ryo's smooth cheek, to comb them into his neat hair, only to muss it up…

Like Ryo had before, Berkeley mentally shook his head. No, he needed to have a clear mind tonight and not let it fill with sensual images of Ryo, no matter how nice the images were. He needed to concentrate and make sure the younger male was having a good time. Ryo wasn't some simple engagement that he could use for his pleasure and simply toss aside afterward with a kiss on the lips and a phone number in his pocket.

Ryo was…

Well, he was Ryo.

It was hard to miss Berkeley's car as they exited the apartment building and Ryo could almost swear he could feel his neighbors staring at him as they approached the Cadillac. He hadn't thought about it before when Berkeley had dropped him off, but around here, that kind of luxury stood out like a sore thumb- a sore thumb that happened to be dipped in neon paint, at that.

He glanced back up towards his window, and for a second, he thought he saw the curtains move slightly. Without thinking, Ryo took a step back, toward the car and away from the building, when he thought for some reason it might be Dee in his apartment, ready to throw himself out the window at him. It took another second for his heart to stop beating so fast with that ludicrous idea and he smiled as he turned back towards the older detective.

"I'll take your word for it," and he hoped that he could. The last time he had a meal as fancy as the one they seemed to be going to was when his aunt had taken him out after he had graduated, or at least that was the last time he could remember…

Bikky stood next to the window, his back plastered against the wall and his breathing coming in shallow bursts as he peaked back out towards the street. Ryo had almost caught him staring and Bikky had instinctively hid. He bopped himself in the head for his foolishness. What was Ryo going to do if he looked out the window, huh? Nothing. That's what.

Again he parted the curtains in his room, studying the car that his caretaker was getting into. He couldn't be sure, but it looked familiar… like he had seen the car somewhere before, and for some reason, that unnerved him.

He gave one last glare at the automobile before wandering back into the kitchen.

"That guy's weird…" he said to himself, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed and a skeptical expression on his face. "Kinda reminds me of Dee… except more grown up…" He narrowed his eyes again, having just calculated up a plan for following them when the microwave beeped, scaring him out of his thoughts.

His lasagna was done.

~.~.~.~.~

So far, the night had gone off without a hitch. Well, that wasn't technically true, Berkeley thought to himself. There were a couple hindrances here and there, like traffic and having to wait longer than expected for a table, even though he had previously made reservations to avoid such a thing. They were escorted to their table just as the sun began to disappear behind the cluster of buildings in the horizon. Just the look on Ryo's face at the sight was enough to cause his heart to flutter inside his chest, though he was interrupted when the blonde nearly knocked over his own chair trying to sit down, besotted with the view of the skyline.

There was also the matter of the cost of the meal, which wasn't a problem for him as Berkeley had already taken it upon himself to foot the bill. After all, he knew the prices, not to mention what kind of man would he be if he let his date pay for his meal?

Other than that, the experience was pleasant, though a bit too quiet. More than several times, they seemed to run out of things to say to one another, which Berkeley didn't mind too much. He settled for staring across the table as they ate, watching Ryo and smiling when the younger man shied away from his gaze. Ryo was just too bashful, but that was one of the qualities about him that Berkeley treasured. It was precious, really.

An itch nagged at the back of Ryo's neck and he longed to scratch at it to relieve himself of some of the awkwardness that he felt. The food was beyond words and it didn't take him long to find something that he wanted to try. Everything looked delicious, but he doubted he would ever get another opportunity to dine in such splendor.

As Berkeley had said, The View had the most magnificent perspective of the city and Ryo continuously tried to look out across town to spot his apartment, the precinct, Bikky's school, and Dee's flat. It was never hard, despite the darkness, and the blonde began making a game of what other buildings he could see when he looked out.

Currently, they were in another of their quiet spells with Ryo, once again, looking out the window. Even if he did live on the third floor, that was absolutely nothing compared to this. Again he chided himself on being so childish and focused back down on his dessert.

"So…" he cleared his throat as he set his fork down, crumbs lingering on his plate as a testament to what once was there. He wanted to say something, do something… Anything… He usually didn't mind the silence, and more times than not, it wasn't a problem… but after being around Dee for so long, he had gotten used to the brunette having so much to talk about.

A thoughtful expression came unbidden to his face as he tried to come up with something to converse about.

"So?" Berkeley mimicked after he swallowed the piece of tart that he had been savoring. Hazel eyes flitted up from his plate, his tongue subconsciously darting past his lips to lick away a couple crumbs. He realized what he had done and retrieved his napkin from his lap and dabbed it at his mouth, clearing his throat as he did. "Is something wrong?"

Ryo felt his cheeks heat up as he locked his gaze with the older blonde and closed his eyes in a sheepish smile.

"No, I, uh, I just wanted to say that you can see the precinct from here," he pointed in the general direction of their office.

Berkeley humored the other man by looking out the window at the night sky and toward the familiar patch of area where the precinct was certainly located. He smiled, nodded a little, and then turned back.

"You can probably see almost any building within a several mile radius of here," Berkeley commented, a bit of humor touching his smile.

He laid the cloth napkin next to his plate, finished with his meal. Their server had yet to bring the check, but he wasn't necessarily in any hurry to leave. The city revolved around them, a haze of gold speckled with different colors here and there. It was magnificent… But he could tell that Ryo was slowly becoming bored or tired of being there.

"I guess you're right," Ryo agreed, mentally kicking himself for making such a statement. Obviously Berkeley would have known how far one could see, considering he had been here before... Still, though, Ryo couldn't keep his eyes from the window for long. It was like when he and Dee had gone to England-Ryo's favorite place was the balcony of his room.

"So," Berkeley began, but was cut off at the sudden appearance of their server. He asked for the check, which sent the man on his way once more, then turned back to Ryo. "So," he started once more, leaning forward slightly as he spoke, "would you be interesting in getting a drink somewhere?"

The check was going to be horrendous, and Ryo was horrified at even thinking about what it might be. "A drink..?" he repeated, Berkeley's question tearing him from his worries. "Well, I don't think that would be a problem..." He checked his watch, thinking about how Bikky was doing and which shift he had tomorrow. "Sure, we can do that. Jim's Bar, down the street from my place, is pretty nice. I've gone there a few times, and Jim is a great guy," he offered, not knowing too many places for a drink, despite living in the city.

Berkeley blinked, unsure of Ryo's suggestion. He was originally going to offer one of the dozen or so places where he normally frequented for a drink, but the younger detective seemed fairly comfortable with his own suggestion. It would be for the best, he told himself, if Ryo were comfortable. He himself could easily adjust to a different setting.

"Sounds fine to me," the commissioner replied, taking the bill before the other could even think about looking at it himself. He removed his checkbook from his jacket and began the check for both of their meals, including a more than pleasing tip to it as well. "Would it be alright if I park at your building and we walk there?" he asked, glancing up as he wrote.

Ryo reached out to take the black folder that securely held the bill, but was beaten by Berkeley. He made a face, and the tips of his cheeks reddened a bit again. Yep… he said to himself, a sickly sweet sensation filling his stomach. This is a date… Ohh, if Dee found out, he would be in shit up to his eyeballs.

Except the good part was that Dee wouldn't find out…

Hopefully Dee wouldn't find out…

Ryo nervously wiped his hands on the soft cloth napkin before setting it in front of him where his dish had previously been. When the server had managed to retrieve the crumb-riddled piece of China was a mystery to him, but tonight seemed to be full of those.

"That's fine," Ryo nodded to the question. "It's about a ten minute walk from my apartment," he added, watching as Berkeley finished writing the check. A thin strand of blonde hair fell in front of his glasses for a moment, giving the older man a younger glow in the soft filtered light from the city. A second lock joined the first, adding to the look for just a second more before an easy motion of his hand swept them back into place, and the boy became a man once again.

Ryo snapped out of his trance and the restaurant dimmed once again in the faint overhead lighting.

"That isn't far," Berkeley observed, not really sure if the utterance was for his benefit or Ryo's.

After finishing the check, he tore it from the book and placed it inside the black envelope. He cast a slightly inviting glance at his companion before rising from the table. Since he had written a check, he didn't need to wait for a receipt from the server. He would balance his checkbook later, after he got home.

"Well, let's go then."

He took once last peek at the table to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind before walking with the other detective out of the restaurant. Part of him was a bit wary of where they were headed next, as he had never heard of "Jim's Bar" and had the feeling that it would be just that. A bar. He hadn't been to a simpleton place such as what he was expecting in eons- Well, not for pleasure, anyway. Another part of him said to trust Ryo. He didn't seem the type of man to go to "trashy" places, so hopefully the bar wouldn't be as poor quality as he imagined.