A/N: I wanted to get this chapter out on Christmas, but oh well. Anyway, I'm going on another trip. I don't know how well we'll be able to pump out chapters, but the story is almost done! Another three chapters tops. Hope everyone had a terrific holiday season and all that~

Chapter dedicated to my wonderful reviewer Jolllyolly~

Oh god, what has Ryo done now?

Midnight at the Precinct

Chapter 6: Alcohol and Coffee do not Mix

The bar wasn't very busy that night and Ryo was more than grateful. He hated coming here when it was packed. Thankfully, it was too early for the late workers to be here and too late for the second shift wave. Ryo enjoyed the slight change of expression Berkeley had shown when they arrived. It wasn't as nice as some of the places he had probably gone, sure, but it wasn't just another bar that New York City had scattered on every other block. It had a lounge area off to the right and an arranged assortment of tables to the left. A 50" Plasma screen TV was mounted next to the bar, obviously for when sports season came around. Tonight, however, it was turned to the local news.

It was an easy mixture of upper and middle class and that's how Jim liked it. It pleased his higher end customers without scaring away the rest of the world.

Ryo felt immediately comfortable in the familiar surroundings and he visibly relaxed as they took a seat in the lounge area. It didn't take Jim long to finish with one of the regulars and come over to them. He stood about 6'3" and had a large build to him with most of it being muscle. His light brown hair looked like it had been combed earlier in the day, but as the evening had worn on, so did his hair, falling in a tousled mess that suited him well.

Jim grinned as he threw the towel he had been using over his shoulder. His hazel eyes laughed as he made a joke about not having seen Ryo in awhile and his handshake was firm as he was introduced to Berkeley.

"The usual?" he asked Ryo, who confirmed before taking Berkeley's order. Another three minutes and Ryo's less-vodka-than-tonic and Berkeley's Manhattan rested before them. Once more, Jim poked fun at Ryo's lightweight nature. Ryo frowned at his friend after glancing sheepishly over at Berkeley, having not planned to tell the Commissioner about his inability to hold alcohol and clumsily changed the topic onto something less reveling.

Berkeley was decently content with the bar and its easy-going atmosphere. It was definitely a locals' joint and not somewhere he was accustomed to going himself. It wasn't a dump, that was for certain. Far from it, actually. He was fairly impressed at the size of the television considering he had a smaller model in his home. Not that he ever had time to watch it, of course. And he had been in bars and clubs that were far more crowded that this, so being able to actually breathe and not choke on cigarette smoke or repulsive body odor was definitely a plus.

The bar's owner was a top-notch individual, in the commissioner's standards anyway. He seemed like the type of fellow who played football when he was younger or was in the armed forces. He was certainly large enough to have been hired on as a bouncer or security. Plus, he certainly knew how to entertain without being obnoxious.

"I'm honored to have the commissioner of the NYPD in my bar," he had said, tipping his imaginary hat to Berkeley with a wide grin then declaring his drink on the house. Berkeley would have politely declined the offer were he not used to all the free beverages he had gotten over the years, thanks to his ranking in the police force, and, not to mention, he knew declining a drink from the bar's owner would have been more than a little disrespectful.

One thing he certainly liked about the bar was how well Ryo fit in it. The detective was certainly not one who drank often, which he noted from the other's choice of drink. The place seemed more like a lounge than a bar, the more Berkeley thought about it, and a fairly smart one, at that. Ryo seemed much more relaxed here than at The View, which also eased the older male. With a bit of alcohol in his system- and some prodding from Jim-, Ryo lightened up considerably, which in turn made him even more at ease. He even loosened his tie a little as he enjoyed both the company and his drink.

He couldn't help but feel a little envious of how much more relaxed Ryo was here rather than when they were alone at the restaurant. Of course, he made certain not to show it and he chatted along easily with the owner, when he wasn't taking care of his other customers, and, of course, Ryo. At least the detective was enjoying himself. Despite that, the more alcohol Berkeley consumed, the more he wanted to whisk Ryo away from there and have him all to himself…

Two drinks and a lot of uncomplicated laughter later, Ryo left the bar with Berkeley and headed back towards his apartment building. His previously neat dirty-blonde hair now held the windswept look of a New York night, and his midnight eyes sparkled with the flickering lights of the street around them. Even his tie was loosened comfortably and the collar button on his shirt was undone.

Though his less-vodka-than-tonic drinks weren't that potent, anyone who knew Ryo could tell that the alcohol was clearly affecting him. To the untrained eye, he looked like any other worker who just got off second shift. To Berkeley, he looked irresistible, almost as if he had been dragged into an alley and had the daylights kissed out of him, which was something the older male was resisting doing himself.

He conversed easily about mundane topics, flitting back to cases at work every once in awhile. Ryo was a workaholic to the core, even intoxicated. However, one of his favorite things to talk about was Bikky and how proud he was of him. Of course, that was in addition to all the times he would want to smack some sense into him.

By the time they reached Berkeley's car and his building, most of the alcohol had worn itself out. Walking the buzz off was always something Ryo tried to do before coming home and he was glad it still worked. The slight wave that all drinks leave behind still plagued him, but not nearly as bad as before.

"Sorry, I guess I got carried away at the bar," he apologized, knowing he only had two drinks. To Ryo, that was too many and he told himself that he shouldn't have accepted the second when Jim brought it out. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?" he offered, fully intending on making coffee for himself when he got in to rid his mind of the last traces of the swimming sensation.

The offer of coffee was more than tempting and not because it was coffee. Berkeley was fairly confident in his ability to drive back home, not having a single problem with his speech or balance after his three drinks. It was obvious he was a social drinker and his tolerance to alcohol was much higher than the loosened detective at his side.

Ryo was inviting him into his home, and while he couldn't necessarily follow through as he had on previous occasions when invited into other dates' homes, he was still grateful for the offer. This was why he didn't date single parents often, he reminded himself. Having children often interfered with having an "active" dating life.

"You were fine," he reassured the younger male with a pat on the back. He smiled at Ryo. "We both loosened up a good bit. I know I enjoyed myself. "

That in itself was an understatement. Even with the alcohol's effects, Berkeley's attraction toward Ryo had skyrocketed in the previous hour and a half that he had spent with the elated blonde. He loved seeing Ryo relaxed, leaned back, laughing without a care in the world. It made him irritated for taking his time, his partially hazy mind telling himself that he should just pin Ryo down and show him exactly how he really felt rather than continue waiting.

Maybe he needed that coffee more than he thought.

"Me too," Ryo admitted, not only to Berkeley, but himself as well. The night really had been enjoyable, and he would be lying if he said he hadn't thought otherwise when he was worrying himself sick over it.

"I think I'll take you up on the coffee," Berkeley replied, shifting slightly where he stood. He ignored the slight ache in his slacks, still very flaccid and preferring to stay that way.

"Decaf or regular?" Ryo asked as they reached the elevator, the doors dinging open as he pressed the button.

Of course, as soon as he passed the metal threshold, a new thought struck him and washed a new wave of stress through his veins.

Did I pick up coffee the last time I went to the store…? He thought, watching the third floor switch light up as he pushed the corresponding button. I've been on first shift so much lately… and the precinct has coffee there, so…

"Regular," Berkeley replied as the elevator shifted and started its short journey to Ryo's floor.

He watched the other's movements through half-lidded eyes which could have been mistaken for tiredness. He was good at masking his emotions and desires like that. Well, most of the time anyway. Right now he thought he was doing a fairly decent job of seeming languid as he gazed at the other blonde from the short distance away, controlling the urges that were racking his slowly tensing body.

What would Ryo do if he just pushed him against the wall of the elevator and ravished him? Would he try to push him away or would he unenthusiastically accept the kisses and touches? Or maybe this time he would be more eager… The thought of Ryo's lips pressing back against his caused his breath to halt in his chest and he swallowed unintentionally.

"So, what are the chances of a follow-up of tonight?" he asked, a slight huskiness in his voice. The corners of his mouth curled upward into a small smile, trying to seem both casual but upfront at the same time.

Ryo's mundane train of thought came to an abrupt halt as the question seeped into the dark recesses of his consciousness, effectively ceasing all other thoughts that could possibly distract him. It was a simple question, one he should have expected, but Ryo found himself blinking as he turned to face the older male.

For what he knew was the billionth time that night, a red stain tinted the apples of his cheeks and he coughed in an attempt to keep his voice from betraying his fluctuating emotions.

"I enjoyed myself," he admitted once again, not entirely sure how he was supposed to respond. Surely there would be times he would need to go out with the commissioner on work related activities… does that count as a follow-up? He had no idea. "I wouldn't m-" He was saved from continuing as the elevator dinged rather loudly, signaling their arrival at his floor.

He never had to answer a question like that before… Back in his days of dating, he had always been the one asking… now he understood why it was so hard for the girls he went out with to answer…

"Uhm, yeah, I…" he tried again, having left the words in the elevator when he exited. "Wasn't tonight expensive though?" he half changed the topic, hoping it would give him enough time to come up with something to say. It wasn't as if he wouldn't mind going out with Berkeley again. It felt as if they had just been hanging out as friends, since that's what he and Dee did all the time.

Wait, he shouldn't be comparing this to what he and Dee do, considering his partner…

He internally shook his head, the once lingering effects of the alcohol pushing once more into the forefront of his mind. His eyes shone slightly as he blinked with the effort of keeping his vision from swimming along with his stomach.

Berkeley chuckled slightly, shoving his hands absentmindedly into his pants pockets as he strode behind the detective. "We don't have to go to such an expensive place if you don't want to," he said, his eyes looking more of a lapis lazuli blue now. "We could go to the movies or catch a baseball game. I wouldn't mind simply going for a walk in the park as long as it was just the two of us."

And it was true. He wouldn't mind doing anything with Ryo- well, almost anything. He did have standards and an image to uphold, after all. Of course, he couldn't imagine the other blonde wanting to go out and do something silly like singing karaoke or going to an arcade. No, they had similar interests and similar habits; Berkeley wanted to know even more about him, wanted to do more with him, and wanted Ryo to want to do more with him as well.

Nodding, Ryo was once again reminded of two friends going out for a day. He never did understand the difference between dating and friendship… Maybe that's what Berkeley was wanting all along and he was just masking it in this… really weird way?

Alcohol had a way with playing with Ryo's mind and he found himself nodding again despite knowing it was probably a bad idea.

"That's true. I haven't been to a baseball game in ages…" he said, but suddenly recalled Bikky's face and how he would be so incredibly pissed if he went to something like that without him. "But movies sound just as good," he added quickly as he fished around in his pocket for his keys. They were almost to his apartment, and he liked to think Bikky hadn't unlocked the door for any reason.

"Sure," he said finally, stopping a few steps from his door to turn and look at him. "I wouldn't mind, uhm, trying this again," I think… he added to himself, still not entirely sure what he was saying. Alcohol… I really… really should tell Jim not to let me have alcohol when I'm out with people…

Ryo's tone and slightly off demeanor sparked something inside the older blond. He himself wasn't exactly certain what the emotion was. Maybe it was simply a mixture of emotions. Whatever it was, it was ripping away every shred of self-control that he had been so keenly maintaining.

He closed the distance between the two of them so that they were only inches apart now. Berkeley's eyes blazed with desire and power as he gazed at Ryo. He decided to give him once more chance.

"Ryo," Berkeley began, his voice thick with yearning, "I'm asking you out on another date. You understand this, right?"A rattled breath left his slightly parted lips. His chest stung and his skin felt as if it were burning, his restraint quickly waning. "I want you madly, so much that just standing here with you is tearing me apart inside."

Ryo blinked up at the older man, Berkeley's piercing eyes swimming with the intensity, and truth, of his words. He could feel his ears grow red and an unbidden memory of Dee screaming what felt like those same words at him sliced into his thoughts.

He had to get into the apartment. If he stayed out here any longer, something might happen that… he couldn't tell if he wanted or would regret… Only problem is that his legs wouldn't move. He couldn't even muster the strength to attempt a half-hearted push against the older male. If he had bothered to look, he would see that he was inches from the door- he could reach out and touch it if he tried.

The sober part of his brain shrieked at him to find his legs and get to the door or his voice and call out to Bikky. Surely the kid wouldn't have his headphones on if he was in the apartment alone. But no matter how hard he tried to comply with this command, the alcohol rooted him to the spot and his limbs felt like an unholy mixture of lead and rubber, his hands faring no better. It was a wonder he was still holding onto his keys.

Ryo opened his mouth slightly as if to say something, but couldn't find the words and closed it again.

Yes, he knew what Berkeley meant… he just hadn't wanted to admit it to himself…

And then there was Dee…

He looked down as that thought flew across his mind, but as quickly as it had come, it was gone. He studied Berkeley's loose tie and he realized a lock or two of his hair had shifted slightly into his face when he moved. Ryo knew he couldn't just stand there forever looking at Berkeley's tie… he had to…

He had to…

Looking up, he tried again to locate his vocal cords, but the hunt was unsuccessful and left his lips slightly parted with unspoken words. The alcohol continued to transform his eyes into swirling black holes of emotion, and when he locked them upon the commissioner's, Ryo was terrified to find he couldn't break away again…

There was nothing else to say between them. The look on Ryo's face, the trembling of his lips… His eyes that, although pitch black, gleamed from the raw emotion in them… and Berkeley knew. He knew that in the lack of Ryo's words, he too wanted this, but couldn't bring himself to admit it or didn't know how.

The very last thread of Berkeley's sanity snapped, the sensation of it reverberating through him violently. It took less than a second for his hand to connect with Ryo's shoulder and drive him back against the wall. The force of his shove resonated up his arm, leaving him wondering just how hard the other's back hit the plaster, but the thought only lasted for a second before being tossed into the depths of his mind. Berkeley's grip tightened against the muscle and bone while his other arm had woven around the other's waist before he had even realized it. He was now a solid mass of steel against the shorter male, unable and refusing to back off.

His mouth came crashing against Ryo's, his body soon following to align itself with the blonde's. The younger detective was pray to his ravishing kisses and Berkeley's breath smoldered their lips. His tongue wedged itself past the younger male's teeth, grazing against them slowly before finally brushing against the other's timid tongue. He took control, the tip of the forceful muscle circling Ryo's tongue and flicking against it in an attempt to draw it toward his own zealous mouth.

Ryo half-yelped as he hit the wall, his shoulder burning with both the impact and Berkeley's strong touch. He caught a glimpse of his face before the kiss began, and much to Ryo's surprise, it had an effect on him. He felt the lead that was once trapped in his legs shoot up into his chest, then back down to settle into a churning mess in his stomach. At first, he tried to keep his mouth closed, but his muscles weren't working properly and they were easily breached.

Berkeley had waited all evening- no, even longer- for this moment. There was no way he was going to let anything spoil the sensation that had so powerfully taken over him. He wanted Ryo, and now that he finally had him, their bodies more than touching, entwined…

There was nothing else. There was only now.

Only Ryo…

A bubbling sensation pushed through the molten metal in Ryo's abdomen, which allowed the lead to flow elsewhere… He hummed unintentionally as he felt Berkeley's tongue tangle in his own and he realized in a rush that the tangle wasn't entirely one-sided… Ryo felt himself moving… responding… He felt his head push forward to deepen the kiss, only to be shoved back against the wall with more intensity than before.

What am I doing? his mind screeched at him and he battled fruitlessly against himself to regain some semblance of control. Snap out of it, Ryo! You can't be doing- His train of thought was cut abruptly short as he found he was not only returning the kiss now, but his tongue had pushed past Berkeley's into the older male's mouth as well.

"Nnng…" he managed as his subconscious attempted in vain to regain its audience.

He shivered and placed one hand on Berkeley's chest, whether to push him away or pull him closer he wasn't too sure. Hell, he wasn't even aware he had movement in his arms again.

~.~.~.~.~

Bikky cocked an eyebrow at the door, waiting for something else to smash against the wall. Of course he had heard the reverberating smash and was now starting to get worried. He folded his arms, his legs already crossed in front of the television- which he had muted as soon as the crash had nearly scared the piss out of him- and battled with the invading sensation that something was wrong…

He stood and fluidly made his way to the door, wondering vaguely if Rob had gone back to drinking and was now slumped lifelessly outside his door… Well that would suck, he thought to himself, mentally playing out the scene when Ryo got home to discover their neighbor passed out in front of not his apartment but theirs.

Ryo said not to open the door to anyone… he told himself as he turned, intending to return to the television, but instead deciding that it wouldn't kill him to look out the peephole…

~.~.~.~.~

Berkeley groaned softly into Ryo's mouth, the husky sound muted as their lips and tongues continued to explore one another. Once the blonde returned his kiss with equal fervor, all was lost to him. There was no stopping the powerful radiance of yearning that enveloped the two of them. The hand against Ryo's shoulder loosened, but only slightly, as it was now replaced by the thrust of the commissioner's hips. Berkeley grinded against Ryo's, another pleasure-filled hum lingering in his throat as he now suckled on the blonde's tongue

But he didn't stop there.

He bit down gently, but firmly on Ryo's bottom lip, flicking his tongue against the now pulsing bud before letting his kisses travel away from the detective's mouth and to his exposed neck. Holding fast to Ryo, he continued to explore the other's heated flesh. Lips, tongue, and teeth traveled across the tensed muscles, massaging and teasing it until his lips were wrapped around the strong jugular. At the same time, the hand that had previously held Ryo's back had snaked its way around to his stomach and began to pull at the front of the blonde's shirt until the front of it slipped from the waistband of his pants. Berkeley's fingers slipped under the soft fabric until he felt the even softer brush of Ryo's quavering stomach and the tiny little hairs that lead down from his navel.

God, how he wanted to lower his hand into Ryo's pants and touch the most intimate part of him. He wanted to touch every part of the blonde and with this being the closest he had ever been to Ryo, Berkeley couldn't bring himself to stop. He needed more. There was no other thought in his mind as his lips began to press even harder to the pliant skin and begin to suck, his fingertips grazing against the leather of Ryo's belt in an attempt to loosen it.

"A-Ahh..." Ryo panted as his lips were finally released, the cool air rushing over them to send another chill down his spine. He didn't even feel his shirt being tugged loose, but his body responded to the rough hand now running over his leaden stomach. More of the molten metal poured into his lower abdomen, despite his efforts to stop it, and he could sense the storm brewing within him as his chest expanded with the sensation.

He leaned his head back, allowing Berkeley the access he currently desired to his neck, and fisted his hand in the front of the older man's shirt. His free hand had found the other's shoulder, his subconscious having just now begun to win over the lingering alcohol that fueled him. Ryo knew he was pushing against the shoulder, but it seemed to just draw the commissioner closer.

"N-Naa…" he tried to voice his concern before it went too far, but he feared that might already be too late. "C-Commiss…" The other's title half fell out of his bruised lips, but he couldn't find the right words to tell him. He… he found that he wanted this, but there was another part… a large part that had planted a seed of guilt within him and now it flourished. "W-We can't…" he tried again, gulping in a mouthful of air as if he had been holding his breath.

Bikky's eyes widened as he saw Ryo's keys lying just within the peephole's periphery. In an instant, Bikky had the door unlocked and had thrown the door open, the knob hitting the wall within the apartment hard enough to bruise the plaster.

"RYO!" he screamed as he leapt into the hall, his nostrils flaring as he prepared to meet that perverted Dee. How had he gotten up here without him noticing? And why had he even come, knowing Ryo was going to be out on that business thing?

What he found stunned him and he actually took a step back as he studied the man he had seen at the door earlier that evening. The really old, boring looking guy Ryo had gone to a business dinner with… Apparently a different kind of business… his subconscious sarcastically added.

"B-BIKKY!" Ryo exclaimed, instantly snapping to full attention and attempted to shove the commissioner away from him. Unfortunately, he was an unmovable wall of steel and Ryo only resulted in pushing himself further into the wall. "I-I can explain!" he stuttered, trying to clarify the situation to himself even as he said it. Dread exploded into his chest and he felt himself grow cold as it reached out to every part of his body. It was one thing to be constantly sexually harassed by both men and women in the precinct, but it was another thing entirely when Bikky found out.

The door slamming open certainly got Berkeley's attention, and his fingers paused in their quest to loosen the other's belt.

Bikky was still frozen in place as he stared at the scene before him. His bright blue eyes took in everything: Ryo's shirt, the hand that seemed to vanish under the fabric, the completely reddened state of Ryo's entire face… and, of course, the whole positioning of everything. That certainly didn't help Ryo's weak excuse.

Adrenaline poured into Bikky's veins as he tensed for his attack. "RYO, I'M GOING TO PROTECT YOU FROM ALL THESE OLD PERVERTED MEN!" he hollered, launching himself at his guardian's assailant… and planting his foot firmly into his face before Ryo had a chance to react.

Berkeley's head rose just as he felt Ryo forcing him away, but by that time, it was already too late. As he turned toward the "intruder", he was met with a wide expanse of rubber and a large "NIKE" emblem. He heard a crunch before he felt an explosion of pain. He was forced back, staggering more than just a couple steps away from Ryo and clutching his throbbing face. Face, not nose, he vaguely noted amongst the stumbling.

He also realized that he was no longer wearing his glasses.

Looking up, his eyes slowly readjusted, though his vision was still slightly blurry without his glasses. Part of his brain told him to immediately search for what he knew would be pieces of his surely broken frames and lenses, but he couldn't tear his gaze from the pair that stood before him.

No… from Ryo…

Ryo gaped at the situation as it unfolded, seemingly in slow motion, before his eyes. Once more lead dropped into his limbs and he found that he couldn't move-this time from shock. He could see the bits of broken glasses at the sidelines of his vision, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from Berkeley's reddening face. He blinked, temporarily forgetting everything that had happened over the past minute to make room for the overwhelming amount of information that threatened to tear through his consciousness.

Bikky just kicked Berkeley in the face.

His adopted son just kicked his boss in the face.

Ice raced into Ryo's veins as the reality of the situation tackled him and his palms grew sweaty as his core body temperature plummeted with a low grade fever. By the time Bikky hit the floor, Ryo had stressed himself sick.

"Come on, Ryo!" Bikky urged, grabbing a hold of the blonde's wrist and pulling with all his might. "Damnit, Ryo! You weigh a ton!" he complained as he put his back into trying to get his guardian into the apartment. He continued talking about perverted old men and how everyone was after him and where the hell his gun was at a time like this. Ryo didn't budge from his spot against the wall, despite Bikky's frantic attempts.

Finally, in a rush of nausea, Ryo reached forward with the hand not being torn from his body to see if Berkeley was alright, but just that little movement gave Bikky the leverage he needed to shove the detective through the door. Bikky turned back once more to Berkeley and pulled his eyelid down as he demanded that he stay away from Ryo before slamming the door shut. Within a matter of seconds, Bikky had locked the door, chained it shut, and now stood against it as if moving would disintegrate the locks and the culprit would waltz right in.

It wasn't until a couple seconds after the door was slammed shut, a menagerie of locks sounding behind it afterward, that Berkeley realized that he was holding his breath; however, once the air began to fill his lungs, the rush of emotions that his previous shock was holding back began to fill him as well.

It wasn't just anger, no, although that was a decent amount of it. It soared through his once flaccid limbs, filling them with molten steel as he took his first step from his previously rooted position. It continued to rise in temperature as he stooped over, picked up the pieces of his glasses, one of his lenses broken into three pieces and the frames snapped and bent beyond repair, and put them inside the pocket of his jacket.

As he rose from the floor, the pressure of doing so surged to his face, causing the pain that he distinctly remembered from the attack to come darting back. He touched his face, expecting there to be blood, but there was none, or at least not that his exploring fingers could find.

With that pain came another sensation that he didn't expect to feel: betrayal. Ryo had said nothing as the small boy yanked him inside the apartment.

Still said nothing…

Dread came now. If he didn't expect the betrayal, he certainly didn't expect this. Each step toward Ryo's apartment thudded the chilling sensation throughout his body, which battled with the heat of the anger that refused to back down. The waging emotions made him dizzy, his footsteps uneven for the very first time that night, so that by the time he reached the door, he had put a hand to the doorframe to steady himself.

He didn't bother knocking. He could hear Bikky's voice just on the other side of the door and knew Ryo had to be there as well.

"Ryo?" he called out, his voice nowhere near as steady as it normally was. It definitely reflected the muddle of emotions that poorly puzzle-pieced himself together now. He wasn't going to break down, no, surely not. He was too strong, too male, and too old to let himself fall apart under such unreasonable circumstances… but he was hurt, in more ways than one. And if Ryo didn't answer the door… with the war of emotions racking his insides, he really wasn't sure what he was going to do…

Ryo stood in the apartment, not even hearing Bikky's complaints as he attempted to gather the pieces of his sanity that had been scattered across the room when he was thrown inside. A raging wildfire burned in his chest, locked in an endless battle against the ice in his veins. He touched his face with his hands, his lips twitching in remembrance as a digit brushed against his bottom lip.

What... what have I done...?

It was that second that he heard Berkeley's weak- weak?- voice from the other side of the door, despite Bikky's constant complaints about what had just taken place. In two quick strides, he was in front of the door, his hand clamping over the child's mouth in an attempt to silence him. Bikky clearly didn't approve, and let his guard down long enough for Ryo to shove him aside and undo the main lock on the door and throw it open. Or at least try to open, considering he had completely forgotten the chain that bound the door to its frame.

Bikky half-slapped himself when he realized Ryo still hadn't noticed the chain and continued his failed attempt at opening the door. He positioned himself back in front of the door, hoping to close it the rest of the way, but nowhere near as worried about the really old man getting in with Ryo being a space-case again.

At least THIS time, Ryo's cluelessness worked in the young boy's favor.

"B-Berkeley! I-" Ryo stuttered, locking eyes with his boss through the three inches of open space and had to swallow his heart back into his chest. He had never seen the commissioner look so... completely full of emotion. It scared him and the ice gained a foothold over the heat in his chest as he gazed at him.

His own face was wracked with guilt and his eyes gleamed with tears he knew wouldn't come. He fully believed he had cried himself out when his parents died, but that didn't stop the sheen that glossed his pleading orbs.

"I'm so, so sorry... I didn't... Bikky, he isn't usually like this...!" The excuse fell out of his mouth before he had a chance to catch himself and quickly stumbled into an explanation. "Well, I mean, he's kicked and punched and bit Dee plenty of times, but not... I'm so sorry, please, let me... I'll pay for a replacement pair of glasses- just give me the bill and I'll take care of it!"

"Never mind the glasses!" Berkeley finally managed to get in, his voice much stronger now that he and Ryo were no longer separated by the door. Well, technically the door still separated them, but he could see Ryo and it made him feel the tiniest bit better. He noted the chain, knew the child had rigged it up, and immediately wanted to rip it from the wall. He certainly couldn't rip Bikky apart, though that definitely would have made him feel much better than taking out his anger on the door.

He pulled again on the door, silently cursing Bikky's nonexistent strength in holding the door closed. Bikky allowed himself a moment of triumph over his caregiver. He'll definitely have to relate this story to his friends tomorrow at school.

Dread and guilt flooded the young blonde and he was terrified to say that it wasn't entirely just because of what Bikky had done to Berkeley. It was also... what he had done with Berkeley...

"Please, I just... I just need to think about everything, and... and..." he trailed off, crinkling his eyes together just slightly, which increased his demolished expression as he attempted to think of something else to say.

The look on Ryo's face however dulled the anger further. His chest constricted at the pitiful expression and the desire to yank the chain from the wall, push the door, and pull Ryo into his arms tore at him mercilessly…. but he couldn't. Not with the child there. He wanted to at least reach through the door and touch the blonde, but he feared the door would be slammed on his arm.

Damn, couldn't Ryo just tell him to go to his room or something?

Unfortunately, one of the most important things Berkeley had learned from dating single parents was that he couldn't tell the other person how to treat their child. That almost always resulted in a one-way ticket out the door and out of the relationship.

"Just… Let me-" Let me inside! "About tonight, I-" he began, but was cut off by Ryo's plea.

He stared at the detective, his chest twisting even more at the injured and confused look on the blonde's face. Had he made a mistake? Ryo truly seemed like he wanted… Maybe not the full extent of the attention the older male had given him, but he wanted and had returned the kisses… the touches…

Maybe… Maybe all wasn't lost…

So, being the man he was, there was only one thing he could do.

Berkeley swallowed. "Alright," he replied in the steadiest tone he could muster, his eyes immediately averting the other's beseeching, dark eyes. "I'm sorry if I-" His jaw clenched momentarily and he looked back at the detective. "Ryo, I truly-"

Ryo shook his head when Berkeley began apologizing. Whatever had happened was his fault as well and the blonde's mind had been running in circles trying to make sense of it. Berkeley was only the second guy he had ever kissed, Dee being the first…

Dread once again enveloped his heart with its icy hand as the brunette infiltrated his mind yet again. For a split second, all he could see was those emerald green eyes, staring at him with the same betrayal Berkeley had just moments before…

Maybe he should go back to see Jim before the bar closed…

Mentally shaking his head, he focused back on the older male as he seemed to get more serious. Just seconds after locking eyes with him did Bikky decide enough was enough.

"RYO!" he exclaimed, shoving all his weight against the door and finally managing to close it a few more centimeters as he launched headlong into another attack on lecturing him about the perverts he apparently works with. The blonde didn't hear him, however, and turned his sheepish gaze back to the slowly recovering male on the other side of his door.

"I'm sorry, I… I'll…" He couldn't really find the words he wanted to say, fumbling in his mess of a vocabulary in a sorry attempt at coming up with the right words.

Berkeley closed his eyes at the sudden shriek from the other side of the door, trying his best to control his irritability. He so desperately wanted to howl back at the little punk. Silently, he counted from one to ten, but was unable to pass six before his mouth snapped open, though not to yell at Bikky.

"I'll see you at work," he said, finishing Ryo's sentence for him, even though he really had no idea what the other was going to say. It seemed like the safer option than trying to continue a conversation with him in the hallway.

Although his partner would be at the precinct as well… He would have to find some way to work around that.

Ryo was unaware of it, but Berkeley had Ryo's numbers stored into his phone. He even had a decent bit of the detective's personal information saved into his PDA, but then again, he had nearly everyone's basic info saved into the device as well. He could call Ryo after he left, but… The other male wouldn't be expecting the call at all and might even become defensive…

Mentally, he shook his head. Maybe they both needed some time to think, even though the last thing he wanted to do was walk away from Ryo…

"Alright…?" Berkeley added, a slightly hopeful look in his now murky grey eyes.

Ryo flinched as Berkeley ended his sentence for him, not expecting the slight snap in his voice. Even Bikky finally grew silent as he realized the man was leaving and opted instead for glaring at Ryo in hopes of getting him to end the conversation sooner.

"Yeah..." he said, a slight waver in his voice as he tried to ignore the angry look in his boss's face. Regardless of what had just happened, Berkeley was his superior officer and shit had just gone down... a whole lot of shit...

Ryo nodded and tried to muster a convincing smile. "I'll see you at work," he repeated, knowing the statement couldn't possibly be a lie because, well... they worked together, in the same department no less. If they didn't see one another at work, then it might have eventually raised an alarm for one of the two being kidnapped, or worse. So, of course, seeing one another at work wasn't a promise for anything...

"We'll figure it out there," he tacked on, not entirely sure how that was going to work out, considering it was the precinct and his entire division would begin pestering him forever if they even so much as got a hint as to what had happened tonight.

Berkeley nodded and had to force himself to take a step back from the door, his eyes still locked onto Ryo's. He didn't want to leave- really, really didn't want to leave-, but what else could he do? Another second ticked by before he nodded at the younger male and walked away.

He didn't know what else to say, not with the evening ending like this. He couldn't even muster a "good night" or some other mundane parting. He didn't even realize that, until he had taken several more steps, that he was holding his breath again.

Damn, what is wrong with me?

Of course, he knew the answer to that. It was obvious, after all…

~.~.~.~.~

Another painful hand clenched down tightly around Ryo's heart as Berkeley walked away, and after a second or two, he shut the door properly, still not having realized the chain was in place. Bikky stood off to the side, finally, with his hands crossed over his chest as he glared daggers up at Ryo.

The blonde looked sheepishly down at Bikky and had to stop himself from flinching again when the boy exploded.

"Ryo, what do you think you're doing? Don't you know that man could have all sorts of diseases and viruses and God knows what else? Hell, he sure looked like he would! He's almost as bad as that ape Dee, except I'm positive that guy has something contagious…" Bikky unfolded his arms, still glaring up at him, but now not as much as before. "I swear, I'm going to protect you from all these perverts, Ryo."

Despite the circumstances, Ryo smiled down at Bikky and ruffled his hair. He wouldn't admit it, but he was glad the boy had interrupted when he had. If things had progressed any further than that… he didn't know what he would do. "Thanks, Bikky…" he said then crossed his own arms. He stared down hard at his son, causing the boy to gulp. "However, just because you can kick Dee in the face and get away with it doesn't mean you can kick just anyone in the face. Especially not someone with glasses, do you hear me? Whatever the price of his glasses is going to be is coming out of your allowance."

"WHAT!" Bikky screeched, sending a sharp wave of pain into Ryo's already pounding head. "No fair!" he continued, pouting angrily. "All I did was save you from the creep!"

"And I thank you, but that's still not acceptable!"

The argument lasted a little under ten minutes. By the time Bikky had finally agreed on his punishment and shown Ryo he had finished his homework, the blonde needed that cup of coffee like he needed to breathe.

Only there wasn't any coffee in the apartment.

Ryo leaned heavily against the counter, his lips throbbing in time with his head. No matter what he did, he couldn't get the kiss, the touch, the heat, out of his mind… He shook his head vehemently against the memory, forcing his heart to slow down again… and had to remind himself that was a bad idea with a headache.

I should have gotten coffee… he chided himself, running a hand through his already mussed hair. The dirty blonde locks felt stiff, as if his tension and stress from the night had coated each strand, but at that second, he didn't care.

Every cabinet was opened and every drawer pulled, but still no coffee. Ryo straightened and slammed the last door shut, and Bikky looked up from the television. Even though Ryo had threatened to ground the boy, he couldn't bring himself to do both that and dock his allowance.

"I'm going to the store," Ryo announced, grabbing for his jacket and keys. "We're out of coffee."

"At…" Bikky glanced at the wall clock. "10:34 at night…?" he asked tentatively, trying not to do anything that would make Ryo change his mind about grounding him.

Ryo answered his question with a sharp nod as he passed the couch. Stopping short, he managed to catch a glimpse of himself in one of the rare mirrors hung around the apartment and he realized just what a mess he looked like. His tie was askew and his jacket slumped off one shoulder lazily, the tidy shirt he wore under it now crumpled and creased beyond simple straightening. He would need to iron it out…

Swiveling, he stalked into his room and changed into blue jeans, a simple white polo, a dull blue jacket and sneakers. When he returned to the living room, he didn't so much look like the drunken fool he had seen in the mirror gazing back at him just moments before.

"I'll be back in 20 minutes, don't-" he started as he yanked on the door... only to be met with the same resistance he had felt when trying to open the door earlier. Confused, he looked at the lock. Bikky appeared next to him, trying desperately not to grin as he pointed at the chain.

It all made perfect sense now as Ryo noticed the screws were coming loose from the wall-end of said chain. He had to stare at it a moment before he was finally able to undo the simple lock and exit into the hallway.

"Don't open the door for anyone," Ryo finished and Bikky waved before closing and locking the door.

Walking up to the elevator, Ryo's breath caught in his throat as he reached for the button, half expecting that when the doors opened, they would reveal Berkeley's pain stricken face… or worse, Dee's…

After another two minutes of hesitation, Ryo licked his lips in an attempt to stop their tingling, and finally gave up- opting instead to take the stairs.