July 25, 1997
8:25 a.m.
Midtown Manhattan

Matt ran.

His feet struck the pavement rapidly, his trench coat and tie flapped behind him from the speed of his mad dash down the sidewalk.

He had to get there before it was too late.

He reached the end of the street and practically skidded to a halt to make a sharp turn, then after another short jog, he finally slowed down to a walk, straightened his suit and overcoat, and brushed his hand through his hair in case it had been blown out of place from his frantic hustle. His heart was racing, and at first he thought it was from his sprinting, but as he got closer to the coffee shop, it continued to beat faster and harder until he could feel it leaping up in his throat. He broke out into a cold sweat, and his stomach filled with nervous butterflies.

Work had gone later than he had planned or hoped, but that was one of the risks of the job. It didn't always have a set punch-out time. He was supposed to meet Dev for coffee this morning after his overnight shift, but a last-minute call had left him and his partner, Elisa, scrambling.

He glanced at his watch and hoped Dev was still waiting. He would understand if he'd left, and a small, nervous part of him hoped he had. He still wasn't sure why he had called Dev and asked him out for coffee. He was still recovering from Elliot's betrayal. But there was just something about Dev that he found compelling, almost irresistible.

The bell on the door of the coffee shop rang loudly as he opened it and walked in. He scanned the room, looking for Dev, fearing he had already left, or worse, he'd never come at all… but there he was, sitting at a table near the window with the sun shining on him. He was breath-taking, sitting there, bathed in the warm morning light as it cast golden highlights on his skin and dark hair.

Matt's heart soared at the sight of him.

He had waited.

Dev was gazing out the window, anxiously looking for Matt, but he had come from the other end of the street, unintentionally avoiding the shop windows and Dev's sight. He looked up at the sound of the door chime, and their eyes met. The light hit Dev's eyes so that they lit up a brilliant golden-green.

Oh shit, Matt thought. I am in so much trouble.

He walked toward him, his heart still pounding with every step he took. He'd never fallen for someone so hard this quickly before.

He couldn't fuck this up.

He was afraid he would.

"Thank you for waiting, Dev. I just got off work. It was a long night," Matt explained as he went to take a seat in the empty chair across the table from him.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dev said apologetically. "You missed our date. I'm actually waiting for someone else now."

Matt hovered between half standing and half sitting in shock. Was he joking? Should he go? Then a broad smile spread across Dev's face, and Matt relaxed into the chair.

"I suppose I deserved that," he said, chagrined.

Dev looked so fresh and put together. As gorgeous and bright as the dawn. Matt felt like something the cat dragged in. Stale, scruffy, and rumpled from a hard night at work. Why had he asked to take him to coffee in the morning right after his shift? Had he subconsciously sabotaged this rendezvous by planning it at a time that was doomed to fail? He had planned on going home and showering first, but work had interfered. At the very least, he wished he'd had time to shave.

He should have asked Dev to lunch or dinner, but he knew why he hadn't. Coffee was informal. Lunch, and especially dinner, held possible expectations. A real date. Coffee was looking at the water before even thinking of dipping your toes in it.

He thought Dev would be put off by his slovenly appearance, but he rested his chin in his hand and beamed at him.

"You look great, by the way," he purred. "I love a man in a suit."

Matt's brows rose in pleasure and surprise, and the right side of his mouth quirked up in a half smile.

"Flatterer," he replied. "But just for that, I'll get the coffee."

Dev grinned like that had been his plan all along. The flirt.

"What'll you have?" Matt inquired.

"Just black tea with a little honey and lemon, thank you," Dev replied.

Matt got up and went to the front counter where he ordered and paid for a black tea and a black coffee from the barista. He couldn't help but feel awkward as he stood at the front waiting for their order. Dev unsettled him. Not because there was anything off-putting about him. It was the opposite. He was unsettled because he hardly even knew the guy, but his heart was already staking a claim. He had to remind himself not to get attached so quickly.

He didn't want his heart broken again.

He glanced surreptitiously back at Dev and caught him staring with a worried expression on his face. He quickly plastered on a smile, hoping Matt wouldn't notice, and he pretended not to, but that pensive look was now etched into his memory. Why had he looked at him like that?

Before Matt could spend more time dwelling on it, the barista called out his name and handed him two hot cups. He sucked in a small breath, exhaled, then returned to their table.

"Thank you," Dev said gratefully as he accepted his liquid offering. He pulled the tea bag out and delicately set it on the small saucer that came with his tea. "So you worked all through the night?" he asked Matt inquisitively.

"Yeah," Matt gingerly sipped his scalding hot coffee. "I work the night shift… or the anytime shift if it's a GTF call."

"GTF?"

"Gargoyles Taskforce."

"Oh, that's right. You told me at the fundraiser you're the head of the taskforce. Must be a lot of responsibility."

"It's kind of a side job at the moment, and it's mostly just politics. I still respond to regular investigative calls most of the time, but between the two gigs I'm kind of on call all of the time."

Dev nodded empathetically.

"That's how it was with photojournalism. I never felt like I was 'off' unless I was sitting on a plane flying home."

"I imagine you saw some incredible things as a photojournalist," Matt said.

"I've been to some really beautiful places and met wonderful people, but I've also seen some terrible things," Dev replied as he ran a finger along the edge of his cup. "War-torn countries, natural disasters, political corruption, extreme poverty, starvation, suffering…" his voice trailed off as his eyes grew haunted.

"Yeah, I could say similar things about being a cop…" Matt replied as he shook his head. "Do you ever plan to return to it? Photojournalism, I mean?" he asked casually, though his question had a deeper meaning. How often would Dev be around, or would he constantly be off jetting across the globe from one assignment to the next?

"No," Dev said. "I've put aside my ambitions and aspirations for a Pulitzer."

"What made you quit?" Matt asked compassionately. He could hear the loss in Dev's tone.

"I had a close brush with death while on assignment shortly after my dad died," Dev said.

Matt let out a low whistle. "That'll do it," he said.

"Yeah, I decided that I couldn't put my mum through that," Dev said.

"Mum?" Matt teased lightly. " Is that a slight British accent? I hadn't noticed before."

Dev smiled a little self-consciously.

"I was born and raised in London, but I attended uni in New York. I speak a number of languages due to work and travel. As a result, my accent has become rather muddled."

"Wow," Matt said, impressed. "I know a little Hebrew and a few Spanish phrases, but that's it."

"I believe that when you pick up one language, it's easier to pick up others," Dev replied thoughtfully.

"Or… you just have a natural talent for it," Matt said with a smile as he took another sip of coffee.

Dev smiled back at him.

"I'm sorry about your father, by the way. I gather his passing was somewhat recent?" Matt said sympathetically.

"About four years ago."

"I lost my dad six years ago," Matt said softly.

Dev's eyes met his and they shared a commiserating look.

"So you understand then. How… hard it is," Dev said.

"And conflicting," Matt replied quietly.

"My father and I weren't always on good terms," Dev said sadly. "He was a traditional man. I really upset him when I switched my studies from engineering to art and journalism, and when I came out… well, as you can imagine, that didn't go over well, either. But I refused to be something I wasn't, and family was everything to him. So he came around. Eventually."

Matt nodded, admiring Dev's determination to live the life he wanted. He wished he was as brave.

"My dad was so proud when I was accepted into the FBI. I hate to say it, but I'm glad that he wasn't around to see me get kicked out."

"You were FBI?" Dev asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I can see you're itching to ask what happened," Matt said with a sad smile.

"What can I say? I'm a naturally curious person," Dev said with an amused shrug.

"That's not surprising at all," Matt retorted before he sipped his coffee again.

Dev's mouth ticked up a little higher at one corner.

"I was forced to resign when my superiors found out I was gay," Matt said bluntly.

"Of course," Dev said acerbically.

Matt felt a little bad about withholding the rest of the story, but they were only just getting to know each other, he told himself. It would be a bit much to toss the Illuminati and the ex-lover baggage at him so quickly.

"It's behind me now. I've got a good job with the NYPD, and I've moved on," Matt said, brushing it off. His current job didn't pay as well as the FBI did, nor was it as prestigious, but at least he could pay his rent.

"I doubt it's entirely behind you," Dev said directly. He'd picked up on the tension Matt held in his shoulders and jaw every time he talked about that time in his life.

Matt let out a heavy sigh, and he tried to relax again.

"I suppose not. And here I was thinking I was the only detective at the table." Matt let out a soft, almost sarcastic laugh.

Dev reached across the table and lightly rested his hand on Matt's. At that soft touch, an exhilarating sensation moved up Matt's arm, almost like an electric current, only pleasant.

"But, from what I can tell, you're handling it admirably," Dev said gently, looking directly into his eyes, and Matt felt his cheeks flush a little, and his throat went dry.

They continued to talk idly for a while about nothing important, but Matt found himself listening to Dev enraptured. It didn't matter what he had to say, somehow it was always fascinating. At some point, Matt looked down at his cup and realized it was empty, as was Dev's. Both cups had been drained some time ago, and the light shining in through the windows had completely changed as well. Matt discreetly looked at his watch. They'd been sitting in the cafe for two hours! He could hardly believe it.

I could end coffee here, he thought, go home, get some sleep.

Matt knew he should feel exhausted, but instead, he felt completely energized. He didn't want their time together to end. Not yet. But before he could say anything, Dev beat him to it.

"Would you be interested in a walk in the park?" he asked.

Matt smiled, and it was a genuine one that made the corners of his bright blue eyes crinkle.

Dev had been trying to convince himself through the whole date to take things slow. He wasn't the type to fall this fast.

But with that one smile from the dashing redhead across the table, he too was doomed.