FAKE First Year Together: A New Day (May)
Pairing: Dee/Ryo
Rating: Chapter seven is "M " or "T" or something else fairly innocent, because even though it's supposed to be a lemon, I edited out most of the bits that would get me banned. There's the usual bad language. If you want to read the full-sex version, either go to AFF, or go looking for it on my LJ site. If you end up on the LJ site, I should warn you that I had to split it into two posts because it exceeded the limit of words allowed per post. Or, just email me and I'll send you the chapter.
Spoilers: To Volume 7
Timing: Set in May directly after Book 7 ended
Summary: Ryo is coming to terms with the changes in his relationship with Dee, as well as his new sexual identity. Meanwhile, Dee and Ryo are searching for a young runaway. This story explores homophobic attitudes but is primarily a love story between two men.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They are the property of Sanami Matoh. I am not making any money from this.
Author's notes: I believe in a strong and equal Ryo and Dee. Chapter eight is done and I will be posting it on my Livejournal page either later tonight if my family miraculously refrains from bugging me and wanting things, or tomorrow night. I'm afraid I can't tell you my LJ address because this site does not permit direct links. If you want it, just email me.
Thank you Blue Simplicity for all the ways you help me. And thank for letting me steal your line! You know the one.
Happy New Year to all the people out there who are kind enough to read my work.
A New Day
Chapter seven
"Well, that was illuminating," said Dee sarcastically, as he and Ryo exited questioning room two.
"It was exactly what I expected," grumbled Ryo. "Urghh, if I'd just caught that kid..."
"Come on, dude, give yourself a break. An Olympic sprinter couldn't have caught that kid. I watched him go. I know I couldn't."
"Thanks Dee." Ryo flashed him a small grateful look. "But I still feel responsible. I have got to start running again."
"I dunno. That was how you met Meredith. Remember her?"
"Yes. She was very sweet. But apparently, sweet doesn't work on me. I tend to go for annoying." Ryo gave Dee an arch look from the corner of his eye.
"Yeah, you just keep going for annoying," Dee shot back. "'Cause no one does annoying quite like me!"
"No one in this entire building would argue with you there," said Ryo.
JJ suddenly fell into step beside them. "Argue with what?" he asked innocently.
Ryo almost rolled his eyes, a bad habit that he was trying not to pick up from Bikky. At the last second he was able to drag them back and look straight ahead.
"Nothing," he sighed. "Just a career shoplifter with a brain that's fried on crack whose principles are too high to allow him to reveal any real information about a runaway he was sheltering."
"Oh! Well, good luck with that, you guys. Hey, Dee-Sempai! Drake wanted me to ask you if the blood type on the Lydgate murder was B positive, because we--"
"How the fuck should I know? Ask Ryo. He's the one who actually reads the files."
"But I'm--"
"Later, JJ. I need a smoke. Ryo, I'll call you tonight, okay?"
JJ hurried after Dee, exclaiming happily, "Oh, I'll keep you company up on the roof, Dee-sempai. And I can fill you in on some stuff that's been happening around here today..."
This time, Ryo really did roll his eyes as he turned off into the office he shared with Dee.
Dee's voice could be heard all the way from the end of the hall, shouting indignantly, "Dammit JJ, get off me! You're crushing my goddamn cigarettes!"
&&&&&&&
The insistent ringing of the phone dragged Ryo from slumber. He rolled over groggily and knocked it off its cradle and onto the floor.
"Shit," he muttered, reaching for it and scooping it off his slippers. "Hello?"
"Dude, it's me. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, just sleeping, that's all," sighed Ryo.
"Sorry about waking you up, and all," said Dee, "but isn't it almost dinnertime?"
Ryo peered at the clock. "Six-fifteen. I guess it is. I wonder why Bikky didn't wake me up?"
As if in answer to this question, there was a knock on the door. "Ryo? You awake?"
"There he is," Ryo informed Dee. "Yes, Bikky! Come on in if you want."
"What's for dinner?" Dee asked.
"I have no idea," said Ryo, rolling onto his back and covering his eyes with his free arm.
"What's for dinner?" Bikky asked. "I'm hungry."
Ryo groaned. He was getting dinner demands in stereo.
"Are you tired, baby?" Dee's voice spoke softly into Ryo's ear.
"Yeah," Ryo sighed. "Beyond tired."
"How about I show up in 15 minutes with Chinese?"
"Huh? How can you get it and then get here in only 15 minutes?"
"Because I'm paying the man now, and I'm only 15 minutes away from you," Dee chuckled.
"If that's that idiot Dee, tell him not to come over! It's bad enough that I'm grounded, without I gotta be stuck in this apartment with him all evening!"
"He's bringing Chinese," Ryo informed him.
"Oh. Well, tell him to get extra dumplings then."
"Dee, did you --?"
"Yeah I heard that. Tell the brat not to worry. It's all taken care of. I'll be right there."
"Thanks, Dee. Bye."
&&&&&&&
"Bikky, don't wipe your hands on your pants. Use a napkin," Ryo said, passing him one.
The boy used it to give his hands a cursory wipe, and then stood up, still chewing.
"Where are you going?" Ryo asked in surprise.
"My room. I'm sure the perv's gonna be jumping you any minute now, and I'd just as soon not be here when that crap starts. I've got homework, anyway."
He turned away, but Ryo stopped him. "Bikky, Dee brought us dinner," he said meaningfully.
"Yeah, but that was just a ploy to --"
"Bikky!"
"Oh all right. Thanks for dinner, perv."
"You're welcome, dork."
Once Bikky was gone, Dee and Ryo unconsciously relaxed, each for his own reasons. Dee got up off the floor where he'd been sitting at the coffee table, and settled himself at the other end of the sofa from Ryo. Just for a moment, Ryo seemed to look uncomfortable, so Dee opted to keep his distance for the time being. Leaning back comfortably against the arm of the sofa, trying to keep his knees up and his feet more or less off Ryo, he talked about Eddie, who had turned out to have a string of warrants out for his arrest, mostly for misdemeanors and failures to appear.
Eddie hadn't surrendered much about Thomas Abernathy, even after Dee and Ryo had both intimated that things would go easier on him on the shoplifting charge if he gave them something about the kid they were looking for. His refusal to cooperate appeared to stem from a genuine desire to protect Thomas' privacy. The only real information they had gotten out of him was that he'd seen bruises on the backs of Thomas' legs.
"Someone at home must be whaling on him," Eddie had added, and then refused to say more, even when Dee had tempted him with the offer of a cigarette. Dee had looked at him a little differently after that. Unfortunately, Thomas Abernathy was just as gone today as he had been yesterday, and they still had to face the Chief tomorrow about their failure to catch his friend's son today.
A slower eater than either Dee or Bikky, Ryo used his chopsticks to poke at a few bits of food still left on his plate, glancing up at Dee every so often. He noticed that Dee was watching him through heavy strands of his glossy black hair. Usually by evening, and on stressful or hot days, a lot earlier, Dee's hair gel or mousse had given up the fight and surrendered to the inherent unruliness of the hair it had been asked to control. Ryo smiled to himself a little, as he considered that Dee's hair was just a reflection of his personality: generous, unwilling to accept authority, a little bit wild but somehow always with a style of its own, and sexy as hell. Did I just think that? Ryo had surprised himself. But, it's true. Dee IS sexy, he thought. And unfortunately he knows it! He willed his cheeks not to get warm, but they must have, because his partner suddenly nudged him with one foot.
"Hey. What are you looking at? And more importantly, what are you thinking about?"
"I was just thinking that these leftovers ought to go in the fridge," remarked Ryo, hastily standing up and starting to gather up containers.
"Heh, sure you were. Hey, can you bring me something to drink when you come back in here?"
"Certainly, hot or cold?"
"Whatever you're having is fine."
Ryo came back a few minutes later with a damp cloth and wiped down the coffee table. Dee tried to convince him that he'd missed a spot in a half-hearted effort to lure him close, but Ryo just gave him a knowing look and returned to the kitchen.
Dee waited patiently. He very much wanted to get his hands and mouth on Ryo's body, to arouse him, and make him beg for it again, like he had a few days ago. He could sense that his lover wanted exactly the same thing, but was feeling self-conscious about doing anything with Bikky in the apartment. This situation would need careful managing, and Dee knew he would need all his powers of observation and seduction. He reasoned that eventually they would have to make love when Bikky was at home. With the amount of time that kid spent grounded, sex was likely to be a very rare activity if it could only take place when he was out. He was pretty sure Bikky's desire not to hear any noises of a sexual nature coming out of his guardian's bedroom were just as strong as Ryo's desire not to be heard. He would lay odds that the kid was in his room with headphones clamped to his ears already, in anticipation of what he had pretty much said he expected them to be doing.
"Hey, dude, what's taking so long?" Dee called out.
"Tea's almost ready," Ryo called back. "Where do you think we should look for that Abernathy kid tomorrow?"
"I thought we could check out Central Park. It's possible he could be sleeping outside down there."
"You think so? It's still pretty cold at night, and I don't think this boy has ever had to sleep rough before. Unless you count sleeping at Eddie's 'pad'."
"Well, we could try the shelters again. But I personally think he's not gonna go to one of them unless he's ready to be found. What time is our appointment with his parents again?"
"Four p.m., mom only. Dad's at work, on second shift, like us. We'll pop over and talk to him after we see her."
"Oooh, that's right, we don't have to get up early tomorrow." Dee raised his eyebrows suggestively at Ryo, who was setting two mugs of tea down on the coffee table.
"Uhm...yeah, that's true," agreed Ryo.
"We can stay up a little later if we want," said Dee. "Or we could go to bed early and I could finally show you what comes after a starter massage..."
"Are you going to drink your tea, or what?"
"Well, not right this minute. It's kinda hot, you know? And I might burn this talented tongue of mine, which would be disastrous for both of us!"
Ryo couldn't help smiling at Dee's cocky confidence. "But the point is, would it be a little quieter around here?" he asked. "Just drink it carefully."
"Hey, who's supposed to be the smartass here, me or you?"
"Bikky, probably," smiled Ryo.
"Do you think maybe I should 'blow' on it? Like this?" Dee asked. His words were innocent, but his voice was seductive.
"You do whatever you have to do." But Ryo couldn't resist looking.
"I usually do, buddy." He grinned. He knew he could make Ryo look at his mouth again if he blew on his tea some more. Overt flirting and remarks heavy with sexual innuendo had never worked this well on his partner before. Prior to the consummation of their relationship, Ryo had exhibited extraordinary willpower, which had been bolstered by fear and denial. Now, however, this new sexually-awakened Ryo seemed not to have anywhere near as much power to resist. Dee imagined himself as a fisherman who had hooked his fish and was now slowly reeling it in.
He took a tentative sip of his tea, and grimaced. "Don't tell me this is chamomile!"
"Well, I thought we'd both had enough coffee for one day, and chamomile would help us sleep."
"Sleep! Don't you go falling asleep on me this time, Ryo."
"What do you mean 'this time'? You act like I'm always falling asleep or something, when YOU'RE actually the one..."
In his bedroom, Bikky cautiously lifted one headphone from his ear and took a listen. All he was able to hear was the sound of them bickering in the living room. He sighed in relief. Business as usual. They weren't on the train to icksville. Well, not yet, anyway. Better put the headphones back on though, just in case.
Back in the living room, Dee was staring at his mug. "Oh shit!" He exclaimed.
"Dee, I don't see why you're making such a fuss about chamomile," snapped Ryo irritably. "Your exact words, as I recall, were, 'Whatever you're having is fine'."
"No, it's not that. It's the mug. I promised I'd replace your mug today, but then we got sidetracked by Eddie and the runaway kid...Damn! Sorry about that."
"It's not a big deal, really."
"Hey, I know, let's go back to that same store before our shift starts tomorrow. Bridget will be convinced that it's just an excuse for you to see her again, and she'll try and eat you for lunch."
"Dee!"
"Well, you gotta admit she's a hot chick. And she clearly thinks you got it going on."
Dee's tone was light and teasing, but Ryo had known him long enough, and had seen him question enough suspects to recognize when he was trying to ferret out information.
"Yes," he agreed. "She certainly was pretty. But she's a little late, don't you think?" He smiled at Dee, who somehow managed to exude relief without moving a muscle. "Besides," he added. "The main reason we're not going back to that store is the ridiculous price of their mugs. $24.99!" He shook his head in disbelief.
"Hey, nothing but the best for my baby."
"Your baby would be perfectly happy with a ten-dollar mug, or even five. It's time you learned how to save money. Mother's right, you know, it's way overdue."
Dee was pleased with the way this conversation was going. First Ryo had as much as said he wasn't interested in attractive women. Then he had made a bid to get Dee to change his saving habits, which meant he hopefully had a long-term interest. The fact that he had brought it up or backed Mother up on it several times in the past meant nothing. Everything Ryo said or did had special significance now. Now if only he could get over this nagging little feeling that it was all going to go sideways on him, that somehow his newfound happiness with Ryo was about to be snatched away, he would be able to relax.
"Well, we all know you're the great master when it comes to saving money. It's almost like magic the way you do that. Would you consider accepting me as your humble disciple?"
"You? Humble?" Ryo snorted.
"Hey, whaddaya mean by that? I can do 'humble'."
"Yeah, that's exactly the problem."
"Aww, c'mon, dude! We both know I'm not likely to listen to anyone else. You're the only one who can help me here. Before it's too late, I mean."
"Well..." Ryo's face was changing color again, which Dee had always found absolutely fascinating. "I suppose there are things we could both teach each other." His eyes, which had hitherto been jumping away from Dee's now met his with steady courage. This was another thing Dee loved about Ryo. He was such a big scaredy-cat about sexual and emotional topics, but whenever he wasn't confused, he was capable of facing his fears and taking risks. Dee knew, he truly knew, how much each of these small risks cost Ryo.
The fish had just jumped into his boat. But he didn't care. That wasn't the point. He scooted closer, fighting a powerful need to seize Ryo in his arms and devour him, to somehow become one with him.
"Is there anything in particular you'd like me to teach you?" His face hovered close to Ryo's and, as always, he was already starting to become intoxicated by the other man's nearness, his sweet breath, the smell of his hair and skin.
Ryo blushed deeper and didn't answer right away. Dee nuzzled him and prompted, "Mm?"
"W-well, maybe one or two things," he finally said.
"Oh? Like what?" There was a smile, a bit of a purr actually, in Dee's voice.
"Oh, just...you know, sex things..." mumbled Ryo.
"Sex things! My specialty. But let's get a little more specific. Which" -- Dee picked up Ryo's hand and sank his teeth gently into the side of his palm--" 'sex thing' would you like to learn first?"
Ryo panicked and tried to squirm away, but Dee pulled him back. "Oh no sexy, you're not going anywhere. Not till you tell me what you'd like to learn." He bent his head to Ryo's and kissed him, once, twice, with just a hint of tongue.
"Dee, I...I...don't ask me right now, please." His eyes were twin obsidian pools that were somehow full of light. "I feel--I don't..."
Courage had fled and confusion had returned. Dee knew it was time to fall back on action.
"Sshh, baby. You don't have say anything. Just let me love you."
Another kiss, a long one that produced soft gasps and a different kind of squirming from the escape-oriented kind. Dee's left hand was busy slowly pulling Ryo's tucked-in shirt out of his jeans, one tug at a time. Yes, he had learned that slow was still the way to go with his skittish Ryo, at least until he got him past the point of no return. Dee broke the kiss and began to gently nibble and suck his way along his lover's jaw and down the side of his neck to his shoulder. Once there, he gave him a good bite, a little bit rough. Ryo was well protected by muscle there, and Dee knew from experience that it was a sensitive area for him. Ryo responded by shivering and shuddering, and a hoarse cry broke out of him. Suddenly, he realized what he'd done, and clamped a hand over his mouth, staring up at Dee in alarm.
Dee got off the sofa and said, "Come on, let's move this into the bedroom."
"But, what about Bikky...I don't want him to..."
"So, we'll be real quiet. And we'll put the radio on. Come on, the brat could be out here any minute and catch you with that look on your face."
Ryo put a hand to his heated face. "What look?"
"Three guesses, dude. Want me to spell it out for you?" Dee pulled his partner to his feet and started guiding him gently out of the living room. Outside the bedroom door, Ryo hesitated, his eyes flickering anxiously toward Bikky's closed door. "Maybe we should wait until tomorrow," he suggested in an anxious whisper, "when he's at school."
"We'll be quiet," repeated Dee firmly, aware that he was lying through his teeth. After all, Ryo had been anything but quiet during their previous encounters. Ryo nodded and allowed Dee to draw him into the bedroom. Once there, one look at the bed and then at Dee brought back a rush of memories. He recalled how excited he had been the last couple of times he had been in here with Dee, and what pleasure his vibrant, passionate lover had given him. At that moment, Ryo knew he was a goner. Bikky wasn't entirely out of his mind, but he had been pushed to the furthest reaches of it by his need for Dee. He locked the door, and turned back to his partner, who was one-handedly unbuttoning his own shirt. There was a prominent bulge in the front of the younger man's jeans, which immediately sent Ryo's focus down to his own stiffening erection. He started to undo the buttons of his denim shirt, but Dee reached out and stopped him. Ryo looked down at Dee's powerful hands as they undressed and caressed him. It was still a little strange for him to see a man's hands, instead of a woman's, on his body. But it was exciting. And it felt so amazing. Ryo observed that not only was Dee trembling slightly, but he was also struggling to control his breathing, which had become heavier since they had entered this room. Ryo's apprehension about Bikky faded still further as he processed the information that his handsome lover was in a wild state of desire for him, and was trying not to let him see the full extent of it.
A brief urge to take control of the situation, to tease and torment Dee until he was begging for release rose up in Ryo, but was quickly driven down by uncertainty. He wasn't sure exactly how to achieve that condition in his lover, and he didn't want to embarrass himself. Best to let Dee take the lead for now, which he was doing very ably anyway.
Dee was now sliding his shirt off his shoulders. Ryo helpfully shrugged his arms out of it. Both men were naked from the waist up, and when Ryo let Dee pull him into his arms, they both reacted to that first thrilling shock of skin on skin.
For Dee, the sensation of Ryo's willing body pressing up against his, and the feel of his partner's hands roaming hesitantly over his back and shoulders, gripping and squeezing his biceps, was heaven. It was what he had wanted for so long. He was so in love with this beautiful, sexy, soft-hearted man in his arms. He had been in love before, but not like this. He had never even imagined it could be like this.
Dee was kissing Ryo's hair, ear, and neck with such demanding tenderness that Ryo almost forgot about the music. He reluctantly moved his head back so he could look at Dee.
"What about the radio?"
Dee stepped backwards towards the bed, pulling Ryo with him. "I know just the thing," he said softly, flipping open a jewel case and inserting a CD into the small bedside stereo, all while keeping one hand on Ryo.
Ryo climbed onto the bed as new age strings filled the air around them. "Is this okay?" Dee asked.
"It'll do. But turn it up a bit, will you?" Ryo lay down next to where Dee was sitting.
Dee did, and turned back to Ryo. "I love you, baby," he whispered, and kissed him before Ryo had a chance to reply. Dee poured so much love, passion, and skill into that kiss that the room spun round for Ryo and he was glad he was lying down.
When their lips parted, Dee quickly stood up and removed his jeans. Ryo followed suit after a moment of self-consciousness. He folded his jeans, not quite ready to look at Dee, and tossed them onto a chair near the bed.
He turned back to find his lover advancing on him, eyes intently staring into his as if he were looking deep into Ryo's very soul. Even now, after so much had changed between them, Ryo still found it disconcerting. Then the green gaze was gone, and Dee's long body was stretched out on top of his, his hands reaching for Ryo's and entwining their fingers together.
They made love urgently, if not quietly. It was a meeting of hearts as well as bodies. The music swelled around them, entered them, passed through them, and seemed to climax when they did. In his room, Bikky rolled his eyes and turned up his own music.
For some time afterwards, the two men lay in each other's arms in a sated haze. Ryo felt sleepy and relaxed. He wanted to get up and have a shower, but he didn't want to leave Dee. Just then, he heard the toilet flush, and that reminded him of Bikky.
"Hey, do you think he heard us?" he asked Dee.
"Nah," his partner replied reassuringly. "He saw the writing on the wall at dinnertime. You can bet his headphones haven't left his ears since."
"Well, I hope you're right," said Ryo a little doubtfully. He was blushing. Even in the darkness, Dee knew it, because Ryo's face was pressed against his chest, and he could feel it getting warm.
"We had our own music, too," Dee reminded him.
"Yeah, and what made you choose Aunt Elena's relaxation CD?" Ryo complained.
"That's not relaxation music, it's sex music. I'm just glad we finally got some mileage out of that sucker. Come on, don't you think it was perfect?"
"Yes, it was," Ryo admitted. "But now I can never use it for relaxation again, because every time I hear it I'll think of sex."
Dee laughed softly. "Come on, dude, like that'd be a bad thing! You don't need a relaxation CD anyway, now that you've got me!"
As if on cue, the music stopped.
"See?" Dee added.
Ryo raised his head and looked at his grinning partner. "Oh Dee, I do love you," he said.
Dee's grin disappeared and his eyes softened. "I love you, too," he said simply. "More than you know."
Ryo moved forward and kissed him tenderly, and as he did, he felt Dee's penis stir underneath him. He broke the kiss and stared at Dee in surprise. "What, twice wasn't enough?" he demanded.
"What can I say? He responds to love! C'mere, you sexy thing..."
A little while later, Ryo spoke, his voice low and breathy. "Dee. Hit play. "
Not long after after one a.m., Dee was roused from sleep by the sound of someone tiptoeing past the bedroom door. There was something inherently stealthy about that sound, which aroused his cop instincts, and brought him suddenly fully alert. It had to be Bikky and he had to be up to no good. Dee extricated himself from Ryo as carefully and as quickly as possible. If the kid was on his way out, he'd best catch him before he made it out the door and down the stairs. Once his feet were on the floor, he cast about for something to wear, and found his jeans. He knew they were his and not Ryo's because unlike him, Ryo never threw his jeans on the floor, even if he had a hard-on and a willing partner. As he opened the bedroom door, he heard the front door click quietly closed. He hurried after the departing Bikky, and exited the apartment just in time to see the brat, fully clothed and with his rollerblades slung over his shoulder, starting down the stairs.
"Yo," said Dee softly, and pulled the apartment door shut behind him, to prevent any noise from waking Ryo.
Bikky started and stared back at Dee in dismay.
"Aren't you supposed to be grounded?"
Bikky looked at his feet. "I gotta go fight someone."
"You gotta, or you wanna?"
"Both. It's a matter of honour."
Dee recognized the look on Bikky's face. "Oh, something to do with Carol?" he asked.
"N-- Something like that." Bikky looked away.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"Fuck, no. Just lemme go do it. Or school's gonna be impossible tomorrow."
"Are you in trouble?"
"Nah. It's just a smartass loudmouth a couple of years older than me. He doesn't know it, but I can take him."
Dee looked at Bikky thoughtfully for a moment. He knew what he should do as a responsible adult and as the co-parent that he secretly saw himself as, but he also understood what he thought Bikky was up against, better than most people would.
"Go," he said. "But don't hang around when you're done. Get back here ASAP. And don't damage the other guy too much. Remember, you're going for respect, not injuries that could bring parental involvement. If you get brought back here by any of our brothers in blue, you're on your own with explaining that to Ryo. As far as I'm concerned, this conversation never happened. Got it?"
"Thanks, man," Bikky gave him a brief grin of surprised relief before turning and running softly down the stairs.
Dee let himself quietly back into the apartment, wondering if he had done the right thing. Ryo would probably never forgive him if anything happened to Bikky. But his gut told him that Bikky had more than his fair share of street smarts and could take care of himself.
End of chapter seven
To the reader: Thanks for staying with me this far. I'm sorry for the big delay since my last post, but first there was my vacation, and then December with all its Christmas 'busy-ness' just K.O'd me. I'll get back to work now!