Disclaimer: I don't own them and I don't make any money off of them, but I wanna, really I do! Warnings: Sex between two guys! Graphic. Language. Violence. Humor (Yeah, humor! I can do humor!) Doggie endangerment and some doggie deaths. (No, that isn't the funny part)
This is just for fun... so, just sit back and enjoy it, dammit! :)
Thanks to everyone who bought my book on amazon.com. I'm a poor artist and I need the shekels. If anyone else is interested, information is in my bio. Luv ya all!
"How sad!" Ryo sighed as he folded his newspaper in half and looked closely at something on it.
"No," Dee said without looking up from his paperwork. He scrawled a note and tossed the paper onto a stack.
Ryo frowned. His handsome face went into petulant lines as he gave Dee the full force of his liquid, black eyes.
"No," Dee repeated, still without looking up as he sipped his coffee.
"You don't even know-"
"I do know and the answer is still the same. No." Dee stood up and stretched. "I'm getting more coffee. Want some?"
"Tea," Ryo said in a small voice and let the paper he was holding drop to his desk. He looked down and his expression was hidden by the fall of his honey brown hair.
Dee sighed in exasperation, wondering how much of Ryo's unhappiness was an act. "Look, Ryo, if I didn't put my foot down we would be hosting those twelve displaced nuns, seven street kids, three homeless people, and a guy who thinks he's Napoleon. We have a little apartment. No strays other than Bicky. We agreed on it, remember?" He glanced at the picture in the newspaper and became even more firm. "Especially no pets, Ryo. We don't have time for a dog. We barely have the time to take care of Bicky. Besides, after the iguana episode...."
"You know Bicky didn't mean to let him get lose and get into our bed!" Ryo protested.
"Yeah, but I'm the one it bit in the ass, Ryo," Dee snapped back. "No more pets. Someone else will love that dog just as much as you, I'm sure."
Dee stalked away and Ryo sighed. "No, not as much as me."
At the coffee maker, Dee poured himself a cup and then leaned against the wall with an irritated sigh. He was reluctant to go back and face the argument again. Ryo could be very stubborn and that particular argument was getting old. Ryo loved animals as much as he loved children and obnoxious partners, and he seemed to think that his life was lacking without one more slobbering mouth to feed and someone else to clean up after. Dee couldn't understand it, didn't want to understand it. Maybe, and that was a big maybe, he could have been at least a bit agreeable if Ryo had preferred more... well, masculine pets. The man adored small bits of fur with dots for eyes, pug noses, and sickly sweet names like, `cuddles, and `bumkins'. It made Dee shudder to think about having to face a creature like that day in and day out and maybe even be expected to be seen in public walking the damned thing. His manhood just wouldn't allow it.
Ryo was a detective and a damned good one. He was a sharpshooter without rival. In self defense, he beat Dee eight times out of ten. When he faced the bad guys, he never flinched. More than once he had gone full throttle into situations rough enough to make even Dee pause. Ryo wasn't a wimp. It puzzled Dee then, that he wanted a wimpy dog.
Dee grabbed a mug of hot water and a tea bag, resolve firming. Ryo was not going to win this one. Dee wasn't going to let the man embarrass him or himself with an animal that was little better than a rat on a leash.
Dee practiced as he began walking back to his desk, "No, Ryo. No pets. No, Ryo, we have to both agree on this and, sorry, I don't agree. Ryo-"
"Dee!"
The deep, loud voice behind him made Dee start violently and spill his coffee and hot water. He hissed and swore as the hot fluid spilled onto his hands. It was all he could do to not drop them both as he turned angrily and confronted the Chief.
"Sir?!" Dee snarled back, trying, as usual, to be respectful and, as usual, failing miserably. The Chief had a cigar hanging out of his mouth. He gritted teeth on it as if he were trying to chew it in half. Sleeves rolled up to his elbows, ham like, hairy arms planted on both hips, and a grizzled face only a mother could love, he was the stuff of rookie nightmares.
"Get rid of that!" He jerked a huge thumb at the coffee and tea, "and get your ass into my office, Now!"
Dee glared. "I have the Gretsky case. I don't have time to take on anything else."
"Are you questioning me, Latener?!" The Chief shouted. Everyone up and down the station cringed and looked busy. "There's a burger joint down the street who might just appreciate smart asses like you. I don't! Get into my office, now, before you find yourself working there!"
Dee slammed both cups onto the nearest desk. "Yes, sir," he ground out and followed the man back to his office.
The Chief didn't beat around the bush. He grabbed a small pet carrier from the floor, put it roughly on his desk, and opened it. Out stepped a red ball of fluff with two beady eyes, a panting black tongue, and an over bred attitude. It had on a small collar and Dee recognize k-9 tags.
"A drug sniffer?" Dee guessed. The dog growled at him, showing little teeth.
The Chief plopped into his chair and took a long puff from his cigar. He took it out of his mouth and motioned to the dog with it. "Meet the only survivor of an attack on our k-9 unit. Every dog was poisoned last night. It was at the vet overnight or it would have been among them."
Dee raised dark eyebrows in shock. "All of them?"
"All of them," The Chief affirmed. "A lot of good dogs, expensive dogs, irreplaceable dogs, died last night."
Dee guessed where the conversation was going. "You want me and Ryo to investigate the crime?"
"No. That's already being handled," The Chief replied. "Your job is to protect the dog. He will be going home with you, Latener, and I want you to guard him as if he were your own child." The Chief paused and regarded Dee as he took another long puff of his cigar. "Scratch that," he added. "I want you to take care of him even BETTER than that."
Dee glared at the dog. It glared back and growled again. "What about its handler?"
"Hasn't been assigned one yet."
"I can't have pets in my apartment," Dee lied, beginning to feel the walls closing in on him.
"Special police dispensation," the Chief snapped back.
"I'm allergic?"
"Stick tissue up your nose or a bag over your head, Latener!" The Chief exploded. "You are not getting out of this duty!"
"How long?"
The Chief chewed on his cigar. "Two-three days tops. That dog has to be at his station, alive, and sniffing drugs every morning, Latener, without fail. He's the only one we have to put in the field until we receive a new shipment from headquarters." He scowled blackly. "They may be dogs, but they are as much police officers as any one of us, "He glared at Latener, "Maybe more than you. I want the scum who killed them to pay."
"Why me?" Dee groaned. "Why not J.J. or-or even Dreig? Dreig already has a poodle! This is right up his alley!"
The Chief glared even fiercer. He worked his cigar viciously and his face colored unpleasantly. Finally, he ground out, "They're good, but... Take the dog and get the Hell out of my office, Latener!"
Dee raised eyebrows in glee. "What? What were you going to say? Were you going to say that I'm better than they are?"
"In your dreams, Latener!" the Chief exploded. "Get out!"
Dee reached for the dog, grinning at the Chief. Taking care of the mutt was almost worth it to get some sort of acknowledgement of his skill as a detective from his Chief... almost. Dee felt tiny teeth bury themselves into his hand.
"Dammit! You stinking mutt! He bit me!" Dee howled, shaking the injured hand. It was bleeding from tiny teeth marks.
The Chief chomped on his cigar and put the dog back into the carrier.
"That animal is vicious!" Dee complained.
"I don't care if the dog wants to use you for a chew toy, Latener!" The Chief snarled as he handed Dee the carrier. "Make the dog happy and get him to work on time. He'd better be in perfect health, too, when I turn him back over to the k-9 unit."
Dee held the carrier gingerly, suddenly suspicious. "I still don't understand any of this. Why isn't the k-9 unit taking him now?"
The Chief chewed on his cigar. "I told you to get the Hell out of my office, Latener!"
Dee narrowed his eyes, his quick mind putting the pieces together quickly. "You suspect one of the officers or handlers in the k-9 unit, don't you?"
"Are you listening to me, Dee?! I said, get out!"
"All right!" Dee looked through the front bars of the carrier at the growling ball of fur. He scowled. It was just the type of dog that Ryo loved, but Dee hated the thing on sight and the dog seemed to sense it. Dee had a thought and he almost smiled as he left the Chief's office and made his way back to his desk. A few days with a vicious ball of fur might cure Ryo's desire to have one, once and for all.
Ryo was still unhappy with Dee. He was frowning down at his work and his handsome face was flushed as if he were rehearsing unpleasant things to say to Dee once he returned. He started and sat back in his chair when Dee placed the pet carrier on his desk in front of him.
"Dee? What-"
"Temporary," Dee said quickly, not wanting Ryo to misunderstand and think he had caved. "He's a drug sniffer His pals were poisoned the other night and the Chief wants us to guard it while he investigates the unit."
Ryo began opening the carrier door.
Dee warned sharply. "Watch out! The little bastard bites!" Before Ryo could close the door again, the little dog was bouncing into his arms, wriggling it's entire body frantically to wag a tail it didn't have. It panted, licked Ryo's face, and uttered a series of love struck whines as Ryo's gentle, long fingered hands gathered him close.
"Hey, there!" Ryo soothed and smoothed a hand over the reddish fur. "There's nothing to be afraid of. We're the best there is. We'll keep you safe."
"Do you have to talk to the mutt?" Dee demanded uncomfortably as he sat in his own chair. The dog suddenly turned and growled at his movement. "Careful, Ryo!" Dee warned. "See, he's vicious!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Ryo chuckled and pulled the dog close again. The dog became happy again and wriggled and whined in Ryo's arms. "They wouldn't use an unstable animal in a situation where it's going to be mingling constantly with citizens. She's just nervous. She's probably been handed from person to person all morning."
"She?" Dee echoed with raised, black brows. "That's a girl?"
Ryo blushed. "Uh. yes, Dee. Didn't you get the birds and the bees talk? Boys have an outee and girls have an innie-"
"Ryo!" Dee fumed , but Ryo was chuckling.
"Just relax, Dee!" Ryo urged. "I'll take care of the dog and make sure she doesn't get in your way."
"Good." Dee glared as Ryo began to talk to the dog as if it were a baby, still trying to reassure it. "Don't get attached."
Ryo made a face. "Under that rough exterior, Dee-"
"Is granite when it comes to children and dogs, Ryo!" Dee retorted. "The only soft spot I have is for you."
Ryo gave the dog a last pat and put it back into it's carrier. "That spot isn't very soft, right now."
"No, just reasonable and practical," Dee replied as he began shuffling through his paperwork. "Somebody has to rein in that big heart of yours. I'm sorry that I have to be the bad guy, the person who has to do that."
Ryo chewed on his bottom lip and then sighed. "You're right. Dee."
Dee started and looked up at his partner. "I am?"
Ryo nodded as he placed the carrier under his desk at his feet. "I am being unreasonable. We can't have a dog. We're too busy. I know that. I'm just used to having pets. I miss having them."
Dee melted. His hard expression grew soft. "I know, Ryo. I wish... well, I won't wish, because we both like our careers. We both want to dedicate our lives to the force. That kind of dedication requires some sacrifices. Besides, Bicky needs your full attention. He doesn't need to compete with me, our careers, and a dog."
"I know," Ryo agreed and then began to shuffle through the folders on his desk. "Maybe some fish?"
Dee raised eyebrows and then he smiled warmly. "Fish would be fine."
Ryo smiled back. He was beautiful, Dee thought, and perfect. He loved Ryo so much. The man didn't even realize how much power he had over Dee's heart. Dee didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but, if Ryo had argued even a little while longer, he would have caved. Dee would have allowed him to have his dog, willing to do anything to keep Ryo happy. It said something about their relationship that Ryo hadn't argued further, had listened to Dee, and had respected and loved Dee enough to consider his feelings about the situation. The prospect of a few days with the evil puff dog couldn't dim the moment. Dee went back to work, whistling a contented tune under his breath.
"and then I said to Carnie..." Dee trailed off, realizing he was speaking to empty air. He looked down and sighed.
Ryo was on hands and knees in their apartment living room, nose to nose with the red ball of fur. The animal was wriggling excitedly and licking his face. Dee cringed even as he appreciated the way Ryo's shorts tightened on his rounded ass as he bent to play with the dog. Dee felt his crotch tighten. If Bicky hadn't been there, sitting on the floor opposite Ryo and trying to interest the dog in a treat, Dee would have been behind Ryo in an instant, taking advantage of the position to its fullest. Instead, frustrated, he sat heavily on the couch and rested chin on fist in the beginnings of depression.
"What a wimpy dog!" Bicky sneered, even as he fed the dog the treat and scratched behind its ear. The dog yipped a thank you and jumped excitedly into Bicky's lap. "Like a big furry rat!"
"It's a Pomeranian," Ryo explained knowledgeably. "Very intelligent dogs. She was chosen for her size. She works at the airport sniffing for drugs in cargo areas. She needs to be small to get in and out of the tight places there."
Dee stared at the insipid looking dog. Brain the size of a pea, he thought. How could it be trained to do anything useful? He couldn't imagine it braving snow covered and wind swept airport tarmacs to sniff luggage.
"Does it got a name?" Bicky asked.
"The tag says, 'Princess'," Ryo replied. He smiled. "She's such a fine looking dog. I think the name suits her."
"Wimpy name for a wimpy dog," the blonde African American boy growled in disgust, but he was petting Princess with both hands and he couldn't help the goofy smile that came to his lips. Dee jumped off the couch and strode to the kitchen. "I've had a enough of this love fest!" he snarled under his breath.
"What's wrong with stupid?" Bicky's voice drifted to Dee as he rummaged in the refrigerator for a snack.
Ryo's voice replied, with a hint of anger still tinging it, "He doesn't want any dogs and I guess he and Princess didn't hit it off too well."
"She has taste then," Bicky laughed. "Don't you Princess? Did you bit Dee? Did you? Good girl!"
"Bicky!" Ryo reprimanded, but it sounded half hearted at best when it was punctuated by laughter of his own.
"Sure," Dee grumbled. "Make me the bad guy for being the one with common sense this time. Lousy mutt! Can't wait to get rid of it."
"Ryo!" Dee called suddenly.
"Hai?" Ryo called back.
"Where's my salami?"
"Nani?" Ryo called back.
"My salami! It's gone!"
"Uh, gomen nasai, Dee. We didn't have any dog food," Ryo apologized.
Dee scowled. "You can't feed a dog salami, Ryo. I thought you had pets before." He grumbled some more as he slammed the refrigerator door shut. "Guess I'll have to go out and get some."
Dee slammed the front door closed. He was soaking wet and frozen through from a sudden downpour. He tossed the bag of canned dog food onto a table and stripped off his sodden coat. The apartment was dark. Everyone had gone to sleep, even the dog it seemed.
"Some k-9 dog!" Dee grumbled as he toweled off his hair and kicked off his wet, muddy shoes. "I could be a murderer or a robber or- or anybody. Nothing! Not even a bark. Dogs like that are just useless. I never want one of the fuzzy rats, ever!"
Dee retreated to the haven of his and Ryo's bedroom. He locked the door and used the light of a night light to guide him to the wide bed. Ryo was fast asleep, handsome face almost angelic in the faint light. Just the sight of him warmed Dee up. In a moment, he decided as he slid into bed beside Ryo, he was going to be even warmer.
Dee reached out gently to touch Ryo's shoulder. He touched something warm and fuzzy instead. Two, glowing eyes made him jerk backwards. Princess growled warningly as she crouched at Ryo's back protectively.
"Dog," Dee whispered harshly. "I almost caught pneumonia getting you your kibbles. Show some gratitude and get lost."
Princess refused to budge. Her fur was on end and her teeth were bared.
"What are you going to do?" Dee wondered sarcastically, "pinhole me to death? You don't actually think I'm afraid of you, do you?"
Dee began to reach out to grab the dog. The dog puffed up even more and Dee suddenly had a picture of what was about to happen. He was about to get bit. He would yell, curse, and the dog would go crazy and ... and Ryo would wake and be so upset that getting him in a romantic mood afterwards was going to be impossible. It was difficult enough under normal circumstances.
Dee relaxed back onto his side of the bed, making sure a pillow was between his precious privates and the dog. "Yeah, yuck it up and have fun for now," Dee warned, "Tomorrow night is going to be different. I'm on to your game. Ryo's mine!"
The dog huffed at him and curled up against Ryo, illustrating, better than any words, who Ryo belonged to that night.
"Just wait!" Dee promised venomously.
The drive to the airport to deliver the dog was without incident. Dee was still wary though. Enough people were probably aware that he had the last drug dog. Motive for killing Princess and her fellow k-9s was obvious. If someone wanted to smuggle a sizable amount of drugs or contraband into the country, killing the most effective tools to foil that operation would have been top priority. Dee didn't put it past professionals like that to try and make certain that Princess never made it to work.
Dee checked his gun as he pulled up to the curb. Princess growled at him as he grabbed her carrier from the front seat, flashed his badge at a curbside cop, and hurried into the terminal.
"Shut up, mutt!" Dee growled as Princess continued to complain.
Something hard nudged into Dee's ribs. "No, you shut up," a voice said in his ear. "Now, don't look nervous, cop. We're going to do this nice and easy. Head for the bathroom over there." A hand took his gun and Dee looked down and saw a strange gun jammed up under his coat and into his ribs. He looked sideways and saw a man dressed in black and sporting very dark sunglasses. His face was hard and scared. His eyebrows and hair were white. He prodded Dee again. "We don't want anyone to notice us, cop. Get moving or I'll shoot you here. The gun's a special. It won't make a lot of noise if I cap you while a jet is taking off."
Dee did as he was told, eyes scanning the terminal for help. He didn't find any among the milling people. Where was everyone, having breakfast somewhere? He knew he was on camera. There were cameras all around the terminal. Surely someone was going to see a man hugging him close and herding him towards a restroom? Dee flushed. A man hugging him and both of them going towards the restroom. How suspicious was that when most of the people on the force knew about Ryo and himself? Even at the airport, Dee had fellow officers and people he knew well.
"Hey, look at Dee!" he could imagine them saying.
"Oh, that's just Ryo with him. Never mind! Just a couple of queers, that's all!"
"That's disgusting!"
I don't even have to be psychic, Dee thought bitterly. I know that's what they're probably saying right now. I'm on my own on this one. I have to get dog killer disarmed and arrest him myself. There wasn't any doubt in Dee's mind that he was going to do just that. Now was not the time to doubt his abilities.
Princess growled, maybe sensing Dee's nervousness, or still complaining about Dee handling her carrier, he wasn't sure. It gave him an idea though. It was dangerous for Princess as well as himself, but he was out of options at the moment.
They entered the restroom. The man shoved Dee into the handicapped stall and closed the door. He kept his voice low. "Give me the dog. I'm going to wring its neck."
Dee grimaced. "Well, I would really like to help you do that. I hate the dog. What I want to know is, what do you intend to do with me?"
The man fished handcuffs from his pocket. "This will keep you busy long enough for me to get away." He checked his watch. "Not much longer. We'll wait right here until my friends make their delivery. Get the dog out."
Dee slowly opened the carrier. He kept his eyes on the man and the gun. The man's hard face and ice like eyes stared back. He was ready to shoot, those eyes said. The only thing Dee could do was hope to startle him enough to buy him a second's worth of time; a second in which he could barrel into the man and disarm him somehow.
"Crap!" Dee suddenly yelled. He didn't have to pretend for Princess to bite him. She did and then flung herself out of the carrier like a red, furry ball of fire, right at the armed man!
Dee was stunned, staring in shock, as Princess tore into the man's face and neck, her tiny nails, scrambling for purchase on the man's chest, as he fell backwards in surprise, arms flailing. He slid on the tile floor and went crashing onto his back, a snarling princess tearing his skin. Dee was on him in a flash and grabbing his gun. He put it to the man's forehead and glared.
"Freeze!" Dee warned and shouted at Princess. "Down! Heel!" The little dog came to order at once and crouched, shivering, at Dee's feet. Dee motioned for the man to get up. "Lucky she didn't kill you!" He chuckled. "Now that you've given us the bathroom stall tour, let me and Princess return the favor by showing you what the four walls of a cell looks like, okay?"
Ryo stopped and stared after walking through the front door of the apartment. Dee was already there, sitting and reading the paper at the dining room table. Princess was standing on the table top, gnawing on a very large steak.
"Uh, are you all right, Dee?" Ryo wondered. "You weren't too clear on what was going on when you called the station."
Dee frowned. He hadn't wanted to tell Ryo, or anyone else for that matter, that a little pint sized dog had saved the day. It hurt his pride too much. Instead, he replied, "We don't have to worry about anyone killing Princess now. We rounded up the drug dealers at the airport. A man from the k-9 unit, the one who had poisoned the dogs, was with them. Case closed. Princess will be returning to the k-9 unit tomorrow, so, say your goodbyes."
Ryo listened to Dee's rough speech and compared that to the scene before him. He covered his handsome mouth with one hand to hide his smile. "Good, Job, Dee. Uh, why didn't you return Princess today?"
Dee shrugged. "You like her. I thought I would give you another day with a dog."
Ryo came forward, kissed Dee on the forehead, and wrapped his arms around him from behind. "Your soft spot is showing," he chuckled warmly. "Maybe you can show it to me again tonight?"
Before Dee could reply, Ryo was sauntering off to change his clothes. Dee looked down at the dog who seemed to be grinning back at him with small tongue lolling. "Yeah, thanks again," Dee grumbled. "But don't get any ideas. You're not watching."
****Owari****