The alarm clock went off, waking Doug and Kirill from the sweet morning sleep. Yesterday they returned late at night and now both felt they would prefer to stay in bed a while longer. Doug stretched his arms, yawning, and turned to face Kirill. Both partners were naked and lay on their side, sharing Doug's duvet.
- We'd better not be late today, - Doug murmured, looking at Kirill's sleepy face. Kirill opened his eyes and puckered up his lips for the morning kiss. Doug obliged and then got out of bed to get dressed.
- Doug, may I borrow one of your briefs? Mine is all dirty, - Kirill got out of bed when Doug put on his trousers.
- Okay. Put your dirty things in the laundry basket, - Doug said, buckling up his belt.
Kirill opened one of the closets where, he knew, Doug stored his clothes and underwear, and chose briefs that fit him more or less. Kirill put on his top and was pulling on his pants when Doug went to the bathroom for the morning wash and shave.
- Please don't dawdle today, - Doug said casually, entering the bathroom.
- Oh, wait for me, - Kirill popped into the bathroom after his partner.
He put his underwear into the laundry, while Doug lathered his face with shaving foam.
- May I? – Kirill pointed at the bottle of the foam and took it after a small nod of his partner.
He started shaving about a year ago, realising that a beard did not match his hairstyle. His facial hair was sparse and light in colour, but he still preferred to shave every day, except for days off at home.
- Take a new one, those are quite blunt, - Doug handed him a package of razors when Kirill reached out to take one from the shelf under the mirror.
- Huh, thank you, - Kirill looked in the mirror and saw his reflection next to Doug.
Their faces had serious, focused expressions, but were covered with the foam, and their hair was in a state of chaos after sleep. When Doug and Kirill looked at each other in the mirror, they cracked up with laughter. Giggling now and then, the partners finished shaving. After that, Doug combed his hair, slightly wetting his unruly waves to smooth them, while Kirill was left without a comb.
- You can use that one, - Doug pointed at a comb sticking out of a plastic cup. Kirill took it out and saw that it had a few broken teeth.
- Thanks, - Kirill made a wry face. This was so much like his partner.
He combed his hair in his usual style with what was available, mentally thanking himself for supplying a toothbrush a few days ago and taking a note to bring his own comb next time. Soon they were done with the morning routines and left for work. Before driving to Seven-O, the partners dropped by a small café on the corner of the street for a cup of coffee with a burger.
The day before, Travis had cancelled their mission in the Primus academy, and the detectives had to deal with the considerable amount of paperwork collected over the past few days. But, despite the directive of Travis, Max and Yuri went to the academy after lunch in order to prevent another attack of the Anthem abuser. Max figured that the culprit was still in the school, and had a few suspects in mind. Doug and Kirill followed her and Yuri for support if anything were to happen.
Preventing a young person from taking the slippery path of using drugs was a matter of honour for Max, because she had a tragic story in the past. She'd had a best friend named Connor, whom she had expected to invite her to prom at their school. But before the prom, Connor had told her his secret. Inwardly, he had always perceived himself as a woman. He had tried to subdue and hide his true self from others, but he was who he was and wanted to throw off the mask that was a heavy burden for him.
When Max had learned Connor's secret, she had accepted everything, because her feelings for Connor were true. She had cut off her beautiful hair to look like a boy in support of her beloved friend. She had accepted to become a boyfriend for Connor, but the others had rejected them. They had not been allowed into the ballroom. After that, Connor had turned to drugs and left the city, never coming back. Since that time, she had been hating dance parties.
Yuri shared this story with Doug and Kirill when Max rushed to pursue the girl who got addicted to the Anthem and committed all the attacks on the girls from the school. Max did her job brilliantly, quickly detaining the culprit outside the school's grounds, just like Travis instructed. When Kirill heard the story of Max, he had an idea to arrange a dance party for Max as well as for the other members of Seven-O.
- Yuri, what about a dance party for Max tonight? We can bring cakes and music that she likes to our office! – Kirill's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.
- Nice idea, Kirill-san, thank you. I'll help you with this, - Yuri smiled.
- Great! We can make it a surprise for her! What do you think, Doug? – Kirill looked at his partner.
- I suppose, why not, - Doug also thought that Kirill's suggestion was good. Sometimes his partner came up with brilliant ideas, and he loved it.
- We can also invite Derick-san and Milla-san, - Yuri said, smiling.
- That's right! – Kirill beamed, looking excited.
He called his brother to invite him and Derick and also help him arrange the party, and Valery gladly agreed to come. When Max returned, the police force arrived to take over, and the detectives headed off to the office. Max and Yuri went on Max's motorcycle, while Doug and Kirill went on the police car and stopped at a large supermarket on the way to the Seven-O headquarters to buy refreshments and cakes for the party.
As expected from a smart boss, Travis was in the know of all the latest events and invited Max to chat about them. Meanwhile, the other members of Seven-O moved their desks and decorated the office. Milla and Derick brought a lovely gateau in the shape of a motorcycle. When everything was ready, Kirill ran to call Max to the party.
- Trouble! Max, come quick! – he pretended to be worried, running into the canteen where Max was talking with Travis. Alarmed, Max hurried after Kirill and opened the door of their office.
- Surprise! – the Seven-O members and their guests cheered her together.
- Have a cake, come on, come on! – Kirill beckoned her to the gateau.
- I knew the motorcycle was a bad idea, - Derick joked.
- Kirill-san set the whole thing, - Yuri looked at her girlfriend with a smile.
- He said he was going to bring everything you like, - Derick added.
Soon after the start, Travis also joined the party. They all felt relaxed and in a good mood as if it was their second home. Kirill hung around with Doug, performing a robot dance in front of him.
- Yeah, I think it's really cool, - Doug smiled, his eyes being sincere and tender.
- Really? – Kirill beamed, staring at his partner. Doug had never praised him before.
- Oi, dance party without dancing? What the hell? – Deana questioned. – Apple! Can you put on some music?
- Doctor Apple! – he countered and then added more peacefully: – Okay, there is a DJ-mixer in the lab.
- I'll help you bring it, - Derick offered. He always took care of his friends.
Dr. Apple and Derick brought the musical equipment. Fortunately, Dr. Apple had good skills in handling DJ-mixers; he started playing the first track.
- Derik-san, let's dance, - Valery pulled his boss by the hand to the centre of the improvised dance floor.
- Me too, - Yuri approached Max.
- Kirill-san, - Kay invited her senpai to dance.
- Eh? Uh, sure, - Kirill muttered awkwardly, as he was still not certain that Kay was not hitting on him.
The lights were dimmed; the decorations on the walls glowed with neon light, and the disco ball glittered, reflecting flickering sparkles. None of the Seven-O members had professional dancing skills; they just enjoyed moving to the music as well as they could.
Kirill noticed that Doug started dancing with Deana, and felt a twinge of jealousy. He squinted, intently watching every movement of his partner. Although Doug and Deana were old friends, Kirill thought discontentedly that dancing together, they looked too good for his liking. Moreover, he wanted Doug to dance with him and no one else! Kay noticed that Kirill was distracted and worried about something.
- Kirill-san, are you alright? - she asked him kindly.
- Yeah, don't worry, thank you, - Kirill made an effort to be good to his fellow colleague.
Fortunately for him, the first music track was over, and some of the dance partners swapped pairs. Valery and Deana approached Kirill and Kay; Valery held out his hand to his brother, and Deana winked at Kay. The next melody was slow, and the dancers performed something in a waltz style. Kirill saw Doug palling around with Derick, and breathed freely again. Now he could pay attention to his dance partner, who was his beloved brother. During the dance, Kirill accidentally bumped into Max, who was waltzing with Yuri.
- See? A dance party is not so bad, - Kirill said with a small smile.
- Yeah. Now I like one more thing, - Max smiled back.
She felt as if she had thrown off the shackles of the past. She knew that she would always treasure the memories of Connor in her heart because first love could never be forgotten. But her life went on, and she let go of her resentments and felt happy.
The dancers made another round of waltz in the same pairs, and after that, Dr. Apple put on faster music. Kirill and Valery swapped with Max and Yuri so that Kirill was paired with Max. Travis winked at Deana, and Derick held out his hand to Sophie. Doug approached Kay, noticing that she was left without a partner. Kirill glared at him, feeling irritated by his partner's acting like a ladies' man.
When the music was over, Travis and Sophie waved goodbye to the rest of the party. Travis had a crush on Sophie since he first saw her, and courted her like an old-fashioned gentleman. This night, he planned to take Sophie to one of the luxurious restaurants of Lisvaletta.
- The old man's left, let's go big tonight! – Deana grinned. She was a keen party animal.
- Eh? What do you mean? – Max was a little puzzled.
- Let's go to a nightclub! It's Friday night! – Deana raised her hand up, standing in the middle of the group.
- But why, Deana-san? Are you not enjoying yourself here? – Kay spread her hands in confusion.
- Oh, don't be so boring, Kay. We can't even have drinks here! Plus, Apple should have some fun too, – Deana cast a meaningful look at Dr. Apple, who blushed immediately.
- I think it's a great idea! – Derick cheered and looked at his partner-employee. Valery nodded.
- Um, I don't know… I've never been to nightclubs and don't know what to do there… - Dr. Apple looked away, feeling confused. He was the youngest in Seven-O and a little shy.
- Come on, Apple! I've never been either! – Kirill encouraged him, bringing his fists to his chest emotionally; he was excited about going out with Doug and the others.
Both Kirill and Dr. Apple were study nerds at school and used to cram a lot instead of going to parties. Apple was a tech geek, and Kirill was a manga buff and used to be seriously interested in studying genetic engineering. Kirill looked at Doug with sparkling eyes, seeking his support.
- Yeah. We can't leave you behind, doctor, - Doug said, standing with his hands on his hips. Max and Yuri nodded.
- Okay, agreed! – Deana grinned widely. She planned to take everyone to her favourite nightclub. – I'll make a reservation for us in the lounge. Buzz-Cut, call a taxi, and keep in mind that there are nine of us!
- Will do! – Kirill took a telephone directory, and soon three taxi cars arrived at the entrance of the Seven-O headquarters.
- Let's go party, yay! – Deana cheered, and the friends headed out for a night on the town. All of them were in high spirits, anticipating a great time ahead.
Deana with Kay and Max with Yuri got into one car, and the remaining two cars were left for the guys. Kirill expected his brother, Derick, and Dr. Apple to go in one car, while Doug and himself were in the other. The idea of going in the back of a taxi alone with Doug seemed very romantic to him. "I'll put my hand on his hand… He'll look at me, and I'll meet his gaze… And then we'll kiss all the way, hnnn!.."
- Dr. Apple is going with us, - Doug's voice brought Kirill back from the cloudland.
- Uh, okay… – Kirill scratched his head when he saw his partner getting in the front seat.
The friends arrived at a luxurious district of Lisvaletta; it was bustling with life every day and night, welcoming everyone with numerous bars, clubs, and restaurants. Deana's favourite nightclub looked ritzy and gave an impression of a place where some would not dare to enter. Deana led them inside, habitually greeting familiar faces. The nightclub was not huge, but spacious enough to hold great parties. It had a round dance floor with a bar on one side and an open lounge with couches and tables on the opposite side. The interior was posh and trendy, with dim stylish lighting. The club was already full of people, many of whom were on the dance floor. The friends made their way to the bar to get some drinks first.
Kirill felt a little out of place, trying to stay close to his partner. Doug noticed Kirill's inhibited state and ordered drinks for the two of them, an alcohol cocktail for Kirill, and a glass of whiskey for himself. When the bartender put the drinks before them, Kirill exhaled in surprise at the sight of a tall glass of a fancy drink decorated with pieces of fruit.
- Thank you, - Kirill looked at his partner, feeling very pleased and a little flustered.
- I hope you enjoy it, - Doug gave him a small smile.
The friends spent some time at the bar, looking around and chatting, and then headed to the lounge. Their reserved place was a semicircular section formed by a few comfortable couches with a table in the middle and a view of the dance floor.
- It's a lovely place, Deana-san. Thank you for bringing us here, - Yuri nicely expressed everyone's impression.
- I like it because of the great atmosphere and music, - Deana said, sipping a cocktail.
- If it's so great here, let's go dance! – Derick smiled broadly. He had always been the life and soul of any party.
Everyone gladly agreed with Derick's suggestion. Doug and Kirill took off their jackets and put their valuables in the trouser pockets. When Doug rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, Kirill's eyes were glued on him. Doug looked so hot and seductive that Kirill could not notice anything else. The alcohol got into his head, making him feel ultimately determined to dance with his partner.
Doug noticed Kirill's intent gaze; he winked at him, tilting his head to the side a little, and made his way to the dance floor. Kirill followed him, his mind being in a kind of spellbound state. When they reached the centre of the dance floor, Doug turned to face Kirill, and the partners began dancing.
The funky electronic music was captivating them with its hypnotic beat. Moving to the rhythm, Kirill watched his partner dancing up-close for the first time. Doug was nowhere near a professional dancer, but his dance moves were cool and groovy. Kirill could sense an intangible sex appeal emanating from him.
Kirill's eyes were dilated and gleamed with fascination. Doug looked drop-dead gorgeous; every feature of his face was perfect on its own, altogether creating an alluring image of an embodiment of manly beauty. "He's my man, and he should belong to me and no one else", - he thought, looking into the dark green eyes and feeling an irresistible desire to touch him.
Doug's gaze was on Kirill as well; he was charmed by the agile and graceful moves of his partner's lithe body so close to him. He liked the way Kirill looked, transcending the boundaries of conventional standards of beauty. "How can he be so beautiful?" – he wondered in his mind. Despite this, he perceived Kirill solely as a man, whose effeminacy made him incredibly intriguing. Besides that, Doug thought that Kirill was fun to have around and knew that he would never be bored with him.
Doug looked into Kirill's eyes that seemed to him like an abyss he was falling into, and could not comprehend what was going on with him. He had always been free, like a bird in the sky, but now he was captivated by the charms of these ice-blue, fathomless eyes. He knew that Kirill had fallen for him and was all his to take. "Is this really a time when I won't be free anymore?" – he wondered and realised that he was in love.
The music beat was in sync with the heartbeat of the partners; the song lyrics sounded like their love song. All of a sudden, Doug and Kirill felt as if there were just the two of them on the dance floor. Everything happened quickly; before they knew it, they started kissing.
Their eyes were closed, and their tongues licked each other, greeting. Doug and Kirill savoured and explored one another, relishing the feeling of the agile, vibrant flesh of each other in the mouth. Kirill's fingers intertwined with the soft waves of hair on the back of Doug's head, while Doug hugged Kirill by the waist with one hand, holding his nape with the other hand.
Kirill felt as if Doug was the centre of his universe, and he would fall into a black hole if he let him go. His head was spinning as Doug's hot, slick tongue was dancing in his mouth together with his own tongue. The partners were mesmerized by each other, and the world around them was fading and disappearing. They could not get enough of their tango of tongues.
- Ooh la la, - Max murmured, looking at the kissing partners with a playful smile. Derick gave a small whistle and blushed; Valery frowned.
- Shall we do the same? – Yuri put her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.
Instead of answering, Max wrapped her arm around Yuri's waist and covered her lips with hers, starting a tender kiss. The other members of Seven-O were dumbfounded at the sight of the soul kiss of Doug and Kirill, but when Max and Yuri followed their example, not only the detectives had their jaws hit the floor. None of the Seven-O members gave a thought about the relations between Doug and Kirill, except for Deana, who guessed something thanks to her exceptional intuition.
Derick and Valery were dancing alongside Doug and Kirill; they slowed down and stopped, looking in the direction of the two. Derick glanced at his frowning partner with an awkward smile. Doug's passionate kiss with Valery's brother hit him like a bucket of cold water. Derick had known Doug for a few years and could tell that his best friend was not an impulsive type and would not do this kind of thing in front of everyone. As for Kirill, he had been noticing that the young detective became flustered every time when talking about his senior partner, making it blindingly obvious that he had a crush on Doug. Derick was not sure whether Kirill's feelings were reciprocated, but when he saw Doug and Kirill engage in hardcore kissing like teenagers at a prom, it became undoubtedly clear to him that his best friend fell hard for Kirill.
Valery realised that his younger brother was in love, and this made him worried. He was concerned about Doug's intentions regarding Kirill and assumed that this man was just playing with him. Valery took a mental note to talk about this with his brother seriously sometime later.
- Derick-san, I know you are friends with him, - Valery said in Derick's ear and nodded towards the kissing partners. - Could you talk to him about what we see now? I worry about my brother and want to know that he won't be deceived in any way.
- I promise you, I'll talk to Doug about this, Milla. But I know he is a good guy and won't cause any harm to Kirill, - Derick said calmly and seriously.
- I trust you, - Valery said with a small smile, looking into the eyes of his boss.
- F*g hell! Stop sucking face already, will you?! – Deana's voice made them give a start of surprise. – Buzz-Cut, contain yourself!
Doug and Kirill flinched, interrupting the kiss; Deana was standing before them with her hands on her hips and looked irritated. Doug quickly removed his hands from Kirill, who reluctantly released his partner's neck, leaving one hand on Doug's chest. Blushing crimson, Kirill could not bring himself to look at Deana and the others. However, despite the embarrassment, he felt that he did everything right by showing everyone that Doug was his.
- I'll go get us drinks, - Doug said with a bashful smile, grabbing at the excuse to escape for a while.
He turned to head to the bar and stumbled across Derik and Valery. Derick looked away, ducking his head in embarrassment at the sight of his best friend's current state. Doug's cheeks were flushed, and his lips were slightly swollen and glistened from kissing; he glanced at Valery nervously, feeling abashed under the intent gaze of Kirill's brother. Although Doug had no regrets about what had just happened, he instinctively felt Valery's righteous indignation at laying hands on his beloved little brother.
- I think it's time for us to leave, - Valery said in a cold tone and looked at Derick.
- Yeah, we are leaving, and you guys stay and have fun! – Derick agreed with his partner and laughed awkwardly, bringing his hand to the back of his head.
- Please take care of Kirill. I count on you, - Valery addressed Doug in a calm and serious tone.
- Got it, - Doug replied in the same way. Valery's words sounded like approval of his relationship with Kirill. He nodded to him and went to the bar.
- Are you already leaving, Milla? – Kirill heard Derick's loud voice and came closer to his brother.
- Yeah, it's rather late. Tomorrow is a working day for us, - Valery smiled, putting his hand on Kirill's shoulder. – I hope you won't do any stupid things, Kirill, - he gave his brother a meaningful look, nodding in the direction Doug had gone.
Kirill realised that Valery was not aware of how deep his relationship with Doug had become. He felt embarrassed to talk about it with anyone, but he could not hide the truth from his brother. Valery was his only family, and Kirill needed his understanding and support.
- Milla, I love him, and we've already … - Kirill said in Valery's ear and trailed off, looking away.
- It seems that my little brother's all grown up now. We'll talk about this next time, Kirill, - Valery said in his brother's ear, and Kirill lowered his eyes, blushing.
- Don't worry, Milla, we'll look after him! – Deana's loud and cheerful voice behind him gave Kirill a jolt.
Deana flung her arm around his neck, grinning mischievously. Kirill sighed, giving a wry look at his fellow colleague, who, he knew, was very sassy and unpredictable. Dr. Apple, Kay, Max, and Yuri approached them as well to say goodbye to Derick and Milla.
- Alright, my dear friends, enjoy the party and see you later! – Derick raised his thumb up, grinning, and Valery humbly smiled.
- Take care! See you! – the Seven-O agents waved to them, and Derick and Milla made their way out.
- Shall we go to the lounge to chill out a bit? – Max suggested.
- Yeah. Doug went to order us drinks anyway, - Deana said and dragged Kirill towards the lounge, hugging him by the neck. - I knew that you had a crush on Doug, - Deana poked him lightly on the cheek with her finger; prankish sparkles were glinting in her eyes.
Kirill flinched; Deana was damn right and hit the nail on the head. His relationship with Doug was a very personal and sensitive topic for him, and he did not want to put it on display. Kirill whistled softly, pretending to see something very interesting on the ceiling.
Right from the start, Deana had been noticing the way Kirill looked at Doug, leaving no doubts that he had a soft spot for him. Despite the fact that Doug had never shown his personal attitude to Kirill, Deana's intuition told her that there was something more going on between the boys than just kisses.
Deana licked her upper lip, anticipating great fun coming her way. Teasing the two lovebirds was a hella delicious treat to munch! What could be more fun than trolling a lovesick Kirill, was only taunting his beloved partner. Making someone like Doug feel flustered and uncover his secret was the kind of challenge she needed to reaffirm her detective abilities to herself. She got all excited and set her sights on cracking Doug; winning a victory over him would be really like a cherry on the cake.
Deana knew very well that Doug was just as shrewd as herself, thus being a tough nut to crack. But, fortunately for her, his naive partner was a weak link in the Doug and Kirill Double-Decker tandem. Hence, the first step she planned was a blitz on Kirill to quickly extract all the spicy information from him before his partner came to his rescue. Deana knew that Kirill was going to resist, but she had already figured out his soft spot and was set on cracking him before finding a way to outsmart Doug.
The Seven-O agents sat down on the couches, Dr. Apple and Yuri in the centre, flanked by Deana and Kay on one side, and Max and Kirill on the other. Deana kicked off the campaign.
- Neh, Kay, it seems like we have a competitor, - she gave her partner an inconspicuous wink, inviting her to play along.
Being a lovely goody-goody, Kay was not fascinated by the idea of playing pranks on her colleagues, but at the same time, she was curious about what kind of stunt Deana was going to pull this time.
- Doug-san is very popular, - Kay had a faraway look on her cute face. Kirill tensed up.
- And I know why, - Deana said with a sly smile.
- Can you tell us, if it's not a secret? – quiet and humble Yuri joined the conversation. Kirill's heart began thumping.
- They say he's very good in bed, - Deana said, slightly covering her mouth in a conspiratorial gesture.
Kay cupped her cheek with her hand, blushing. Kirill froze, his heart skipping a beat. He dreaded the thought of Doug having an affair with someone and hiding it from him. He also feared that if the girls wanted to win Doug's heart, they had good chances compared to him, because they were girls after all, and very pretty girls, while he was a man and could never compete with them. He felt being seized by panic.
- Who says that?! – Kirill jumped up from his seat, high anxiety showing on his face. Everyone looked at him, and he suddenly felt like falling into a trap with no chance of escape.
- Why are you so worked up, Buzz-Cut? – Deana said quizzically.
- Because… because... Doug doesn't sleep with anyone! – Kirill blurted out and blinked, realising that he goofed up.
- Really? Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Apparently, our Veteran is celibate, neh? – Deana lightly nudged Kay with a mischievous wink.
- Deana-san! – Kay chided and blushed even more, all together with the rest of the party.
- He is not!.. – Kirill stood up for his partner, letting his guard down completely.
- How do you know? – Deana said, raising her eyebrow expressively.
Everyone's eyes were directed at him. Standing before his friends, Kirill gaped like a fish thrown out of the water, unable to say anything in his and Doug's defense. He could not come up with any reasonable explanation of the mutually exclusive statements he had just made. He realised that he had swallowed Deana's bait, spilling what he wanted to keep secret for the time being, at least until he felt certain about his relationship with Doug.
- Relax, Buzz-Cut, we got it, - Deana waved at him dismissively. Kay and Dr. Apple looked aside, blushing hard.
Kirill was burning with shame, bowing his head to hide his reddened face behind his long side bangs; he wished the ground would swallow him up right away. The delicate subject of his relationship with Doug was revealed, and his fellow colleagues knew that he slept with him. Kirill felt so exposed and embarrassed, as if he was caught naked and jerking off. He could not think of anything better than to run away to find Doug and rushed across the dance floor towards the bar.
- Ah, I can't !.. Look at him!.. He ran to complain to his boyfriend! – Deana rolled with laughter. She had a lot of fun this evening.
- You shouldn't be so harsh with him, he's a nice guy, - Max chided her friend amicably. She and the other Seven-O members sympathized with Kirill.
- Oh, come on! It's so funny! – Deana said, wiping the small drops of tears of laughter in the corners of her eyes. She enjoyed her victory, although it was quick and easy.
Meanwhile, Doug had time to cool off after the kiss. He went outside to the club's porch to breathe some fresh air and clear his head; after that, he went to the bar to buy drinks for his fellow colleagues. He chose alcohol cocktails for Kirill, Deana, and Yuri, a non-alcohol cocktail for Kay, a bottle of cider for Max, a pint of beer for Dr. Apple, and another glass of whiskey for himself. Feeling a little hungry, he also ordered a large pizza to share and then went to join everyone.
Doug came to the lounge just after Kirill ran off to look for him; the partners did not see each other in the crowd. The first thing that caught his eyes was the absence of Kirill; then he noticed that Kay and Dr. Apple cast weird, embarrassed glances at him. Max and Yuri whispered something to each other, and Deana had a serious face. The strange looks of his colleagues made him feel uneasy, but he kept his countenance inscrutable. Doug had a suspicion that Kirill did not just go to the toilet, and guessed that Deana could make fun of him because of the kiss on the dance floor.
Although Doug did not know that Kirill had already spilled the beans about the depth of their relationship, he expected Deana to taunt him regarding the kiss. He knew that Deana was no less astute and experienced detective than himself, plus she had a sharp tongue and did not mind using coarse language. Doug prepared to hold the defense line under Deana's fire, but, unfortunately for him, he did not know that the advantage was on the opponent's side.
- I ordered some drinks and pizza. The waiter said he'd bring them in a few minutes, - Doug said, sitting down on the outer side of the couch next to Max.
- Thank you! How much do I owe you, Doug-san? - Dr. Apple pulled out his wallet.
- Don't worry, it's on me, - Doug made a small gesture of halt with his palm.
- It's very kind of you, Doug-san, - Yuri smiled.
- Don't mention it, - he replied with a small smile and then looked at the dance floor, trying to catch sight of Kirill.
- He went to look for you. I think he should be back soon, - Deana said nonchalantly.
- Huh, okay, - Doug nodded. After a few moments of awkward silence, he spoke again. – What did you guys talk about?
- About you. With your partner, - Deana said, folding her arms across her chest.
- Okay, – Doug felt uneasy, but kept his usual deadpan demeanor.
- He let us know that you had sex with him, – Deana made the knight's move.
Doug realised that he was getting into hot water. His colleagues stared at him, and it felt so embarrassing for the first time in his life. He could control his facial expression, but could not prevent his blood from rushing into his face. Keeping the poker face, Doug turned red as a tomato.
- Sorry, but it's not your business, - he said casually and crossed his arms over his chest as well.
- I'm afraid, it's our business because the Seven-O detectives are expected to adhere to high moral principles, - Deana continued in a serious tone.
- Do you have an issue with the fact that we are both men? – Doug retorted with a wry smile; he figured that the best defense was offense.
- Me being that narrow-minded? Perish the thought! – Deana made a dismissive gesture. – The issue is that Buzz-Cut is your lower-ranking colleague, Doug, - she added, looking at him seriously.
- Well, what of it? – Doug shrugged, but inwardly felt an impending danger.
- I hope you realise that your actions can be regarded as sexual harassment, - Deana turned up the heat. – And I'm sure you understand the consequences of this for you and your future career. Stop making passes at him, Doug.
His eyes widened for a split-second in mortification. Doug felt that he might get to know what a heart attack was like. His blood rushed down from his face so that now his cheeks had red splotches. He realised instantly that telling his colleagues that he would abstain from Kirill would be an utter and complete disgrace, and no less disgrace would be telling them that it was Kirill who asked him for sex. He could not inflict such dishonour on himself and knew that he would rather die than do that. It flashed through his mind that he had only one way to save face.
- Constable Vrubel and I are in a relationship, - Doug said in a calm and serious tone, looking in Deana's eyes.
- Really? It's so sweet! Squeee! – Deana beamed, cupping her cheeks with her palms.
Doug swallowed nervously and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. A moment before, Deana was about to nail him to the wall, and now she was fangirling over him and Kirill. Max rolled her eyes with a wry smile; Dr. Apple cleared his throat, and Kay gave a small nervous laugh; Deana shone with joy at her victory, and only Yuri kept calm and smiling.
Doug reflected that his coming out had given him hell, but now when it was publicly known that he and Kirill were in a relationship, it felt like a great relief. Now he was officially Kirill's boyfriend, and he went along with that. At this moment, his cell phone rang, and a waiter brought a tray of drinks and a pizza box.
Meanwhile, Kirill was still away. After Deana made a fool of him, he desperately needed Doug's support and consolation. "Ugh, these wicked girls!.. Always like this!" – he thought grumpily, looking around for his partner. Kirill did not find him either on the dance floor or at the bar. He ran to the entrance of the nightclub, but Doug was nowhere to be seen. He thought that Doug could be in the men's room and rushed there, all to no avail.
Feeling frustrated and abandoned, Kirill squatted against the wall next to the row of mirrors and sinks, reflecting on what had just happened. Remembering how miserable he looked in front of his fellow colleagues made him cringe. He thought bitterly that he took a misstep as a detective by giving away his emotions and letting out his secret so easily.
"Ugh, baka… What a shame… Am I fit for the detective job in Seven-O or completely useless? Could it be that Doug doesn't really need me?.." When this thought crossed his mind, Kirill covered his face with his hands, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. The loud music from the dance floor was heard even in the toilet; Kirill was immersed in his gloomy thoughts and did not notice that a man approached him.
- Oi, are you not crying there? – an unfamiliar voice sounded above him.
Kirill wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked up. Beside him stood a tall man of a macho appearance.
- Wanna come with me and have some fun, baby? – the man gently put his hand on Kirill's shoulder close to his neck.
- Get your hands off me! – Kirill growled in a lower than usual voice, roughly brushing off the unwanted hand; he was angry to hear such a blatant propositioning.
- You son of a bitch! – the stranger seemed to get angry with Kirill's snapping tone and gesture.
Kirill swiftly leaped upon his feet and took off running to the exit. It flashed through his mind that he could be molested and even raped right there in one of the toilet stalls, and no one would probably notice that because of the loud music. He ran to the dance floor and leaned against the wall in a secluded corner, breathing heavily. Kirill shivered when he imagined how disgraced and defiled he would feel if that happened to him. The mere thought of someone else doing with his body what no one but Doug was allowed to made him shudder with disgust. He knew that he was too weak to fight back, and the man could rape him using a condom and get away with it. Being a cop would not help him in that situation at all, and even worse, falling a victim of rape would make him feel humiliated twice as much.
Kirill felt so alone and vulnerable that tears flowed from his eyes. "Doug, where are you, when I need you most?!.." – Kirill invoked and suddenly remembered that he could call him on the phone. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and took his phone out of the pocket on his pants. Kirill pressed the buttons to find the dear name in the list, and rang up, his heart going pit-a-pat.
- Hello, - Doug's calm and deep voice on the phone had a sedative effect on him.
- Where have you gone? I'm looking for you! – Kirill said touchily.
- I'm waiting for you together with everyone. Where are you? – Doug asked calmly.
- I'm coming, - Kirill ended the call abruptly, as his own voice quivered tearfully.
Approaching the lounge, Kirill saw everyone around the table with drinks and a pizza in the middle. He wanted to sit next to Doug, but, alas, it was impossible, because there was not enough room near him. There was an empty seat on the opposite side of the table, next to Deana. She tapped on the couch with a mischievous grin, cueing him to join her. Kirill sighed and dragged along towards Deana, feeling despondent about the prospect of falling into her clutches. He had no doubts that she was going to taunt him again.
When Kirill appeared in the distance, the Seven-O agents had recovered from Deana's tricks and were chatting amiably. Deana's sharp eyes were the first to notice Kirill.
- Oi, Doug, your lovesick puppy is back! – Deana grinned. Doug turned and saw his partner approaching from the dance floor. When Kirill sat down, Doug noticed that his eyes were slightly red and swollen.
- You'd prefer to sit on his lap, neh? – Deana teased, nodding towards Doug, and then noticed Kirill's tear-stained eyes. - What's happened? Did you cry, Buzz-Cut? – she suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.
Kirill bowed his head and looked away. Deana felt uneasy, thinking that she had overdone teasing Kirill, causing him to cry. She put her arm around his shoulders and lightly pinched his cheek, her eyebrows knitting sympathetically.
- Sorry, I won't make my little onii-chan cry anymore, - she cooed.
Doug sipped his whiskey and looked away with a wry smile; Max shook her head skeptically; they knew that Deana was an incorrigible prankster.
- Dear all, let's try the pizza! – Kay was very curious to have a taste of it, and everyone remembered that they were a little hungry.
The pizza was quickly gone along with the drinks, and after that, the girls felt like kicking up their heels on the dance floor.
- Let's dance! – Deana shouted and nudged Kirill to let her out.
Doug stood up, letting Max and Yuri pass. He noticed that Kirill hesitated to go to the dance floor, so he stayed. When the two of them were left alone, Doug sat down and looked at his partner. Kirill could not hold back a moan as he dashed to Doug and hugged him by the neck. He had been waiting for this moment for so long! He could finally relieve his worries, sharing them with his partner. Kirill sat down next to him and felt Doug's arm hug him around the waist, stroking comfortingly.
- What's happened? - Doug asked quietly.
- I looked for you everywhere, - Kirill began, leaning his head on Doug's shoulder and hugging him around the waist. – When I was in the toilet, a stranger tried to hit on me. I was scared of… you know… and ran away.
- I'm sorry, - Doug sighed; his voice was sincere. - I shouldn't have left you so quickly. Really, sorry.
- It wouldn't have happened if we were married, - Kirill said touchily. – The girls wouldn't pick on me, and I wouldn't have run away. And if you wore a wedding ring, girls wouldn't throw themselves at you, - Kirill said, tracing circles on Doug's chest with his finger.
- I'll bear it in mind, - Doug said calmly, nuzzling the top of Kirill's head.
Doug remembered that it was not the first time that Kirill hinted at their getting married. He was not going to promise anything yet; he was a man who always kept his word, and this quality made him respected both by his peers and his superiors. He was going to do exactly what he said – bear this in mind.
- Oi, are you two done with cuddling? It's gooey as f*! – Deana shouted, emerging like a jack-in-the-box surprise. Both partners were startled, Kirill giving a small jolt with a high-pitched "Eeh!".
- Baka Buzz-Cut, can you stop clinging to him already? Nobody is going to steal him from you! – Deana chided mockingly.
Kirill scratched his head, looking at Deana with a sheepish smile, and Doug chuckled, raising an eyebrow meaningfully. He wondered whether this was Deana's subtle way of teasing him by hinting that he was not very popular with women. Max, Yuri, Dr. Apple, and Kay approached them to find out if everything was alright with their friends.
- Come on, guys! Let's go dance! – Max said, making an inviting gesture with her hand.
Kirill hesitated; Deana interrupted him in the middle of a very important conversation with Doug, and what he really wanted now was to stay alone with his partner a little longer.
- Oi, let's go! You'll have plenty of time for petting at home, - Deana said casually, and everyone turned red again.
Kirill stood up with a sigh, and Deana immediately hugged his neck and dragged him to the dance floor, Doug and the others following them. Kirill was surrounded by the girls in a circle; the music was dancy, and the alcohol made his body feel lighter and more agile. Soon he plunged into a groovy disco together with his friends. The Seven-O agents hang out dancing together until the nightclub closed at about five in the morning. Deana called a taxi, and the friends went outside to wait for the cars.
They were drunk, except for Kay and Yuri, and walked hugging each other. Max was leaning on Yuri, Kay was supporting Dr. Apple, and Kirill was clinging to Doug's arm. Deana quickly assessed the situation and clasped Doug's other arm, accidentally on purpose. She could not miss the chance to make fun of these two lovebirds. No wonder Kirill went nuts over this blatant encroachment on his partner.
- Oi, Deana, what are you doing? - he asked anxiously.
- Don't ask stupid questions, baka. He is a free, unmarried man, - Deana grinned. She was not into Doug and had several admirers to choose from, but riling Kirill was hella entertaining.
- Doug is my partner, you know? - Kirill was getting peeved.
- I'll tell you a secret. In Seven-O, we are all partners to each other, - Deana leaned closer to Doug's shoulder.
- Ugh! Can you get off him then?! Throw yourself at someone else! – Kirill said in exasperation.
- Bug off, Buzz-Cut! – Deana was a bit miffed. Doug rolled his eyes, wondering what he would be supposed to do if Kirill and Deana started a catfight over him.
- Doug! – Kirill appealed to his partner in the hope of support. Deana seemed to completely ignore him, and Kirill yanked at Doug's arm so that the three of them nearly toppled over.
- Nice try! – Deana laughed, pulling Doug back, and the partners swung to her side, awkwardly raising their legs and barely keeping the balance.
Doug was quietly freaking out at participating in this drunken ballet; he envisioned that the marriage was bound to give him grey hair. Kirill and Deana were tugging him back and forth, while the other members of Seven-O, except for Yuri, were gaping at them in a daze.
- Let go of him, he is my … um … he is my … erm … - Kirill struggled to define his relationship with Doug, tugging him by the arm.
- … boyfriend, - Yuri prompted obligingly with a kind smile, and the friends stared at her in surprise.
- Yeah… - Kirill drawled out dreamily, having heard this word in relation to Doug for the first time. – Eh?! – he woke up, realising what had just been said.
- Baka Buzz-Cut doesn't understand anything, as usual, - Deana grumbled and released Doug's arm.
Doug and Kirill swung to the opposite side by inertia; they managed not to fall over, flailing their arms and legs in the air, as if making a clumsy dance move. At this moment, the taxi arrived, and Deana got into the first car.
- Alright guys, we're going, bye-bye! – she waved to Doug and Kirill, who were still holding each other.
- See you! Take care! – Kay and Dr. Apple joined Deana in the taxi. Max and Yuri also waved goodbye and left in the second car.
- Where do you want to go? To your apartment or mine? – Doug asked softly.
- To yours, - Kirill said calmly.
The partners sat in the back of the taxi, and Doug told the driver his address. Kirill wrapped his arm around Doug's shoulders and stroked his partner's cheek with the other hand. Doug leaned in for a kiss, gently hugging Kirill with one hand. The bright rays of the dawn illuminated the sleeping city. "We are kissing in the back of a taxi… Life is good!" - Kirill thought, closing his eyes.