Disclaimer: I don't own them and I don't make any money off of this.
Warning: Men getting sexual with each other. Graphic. Language. Dee angst. Violence. Humor.
Support a starving artist. Buy Kracken's book, The Storm, under Della Boynton at Amazon.com. For all of you who already have, Domo arigato and a thousand bows of gratitude.
"Game, Ryo," Dee said as he emptied a bag of chips into a bowl, snagged a beer from the refrigerator, and headed for the couch in the living room.
Ryo followed, "But, Dee! We don't get many weekdays off and the show is only for two nights."
Dee sat on the couch, put beer and chips within easy reach beside him, propped his feet on the coffee table, and picked up the remote. As he used it to turn on the television, he repeated, "Game, Ryo."
Ryo scowled and put hands on hips, his dark, liquid eyes looking hurt under his fall of honey brown hair. "Why can't you miss one game?! I just don't understand!"
Dee sighed and finally gave Ryo his full attention. "It's like a soap opera," Dee said comparatively. "Miss one episode-"
"And the next forty are exactly the same," Ryo finished angrily. "Don't talk to me like that, Dee!"
Dee smiled, but it was a pained smile. He was missing his show and they had been having the same conversation since they had first met. He didn't want to have it again. "I only used that as an example because, well, you watch those damn soap operas at lunch in the break room at work."
"I do not!' Ryo protested, masculinity threatened. "The girls watch it and I just happen to be in the same room."
Dee shrugged. "I don't know why they watch that stuff. Who cares if Nick's girlfriend is having his uncle's baby?"
"It's his father's baby, not his uncle's," Ryo corrected and then caught himself. He scowled even more as Dee laughed at him. "That's beside the point!" Ryo exploded. "I just want one night to do something together, Dee. We never do that."
"Pick a night that doesn't have football," Dee reasoned as he settled back in the couch cushions, "because I'm not going to miss a game." He popped open his beer and took a sip, his interest turning to his television show.
Ryo was very quiet. When Dee noticed and looked over at him, he saw that Ryo had gone out onto the fire escape, or what Ryo liked to call 'their balcony', and was leaning on the railing and staring down at the street below. Dee could hear the faint ebb and flow of street traffic.
Dee looked from his show to Ryo and then growled a curse as he flipped the remote into the air. He was off the couch and stalking towards Ryo before it could hit the carpet. Going out onto the balcony, he leaned on the railing beside Ryo and stared down at the traffic as well.
"Okay, what's this really all about?" Dee wondered acidly as he fished a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. He took a long puff and then added, "because I have the feeling that we're arguing about more than a football game and tickets to watch men dance around in ballet tights."
Ryo continued to stare down at the traffic. Dee took three more puffs of his cigarette before Ryo replied in a small voice. "I just wanted to spend some time with you that didn't include the television, work, or..."
"Football?" Dee finished and then sighed, letting out a long plume of smoke that slowly dissipated in the already smog filled air. "I would agree with you Ryo, about needing some time together, but you've just listed everything that makes me happy besides you. If you're asking me to make a choice, I will," Dee winced at the pain that admission caused so he added quickly, "but I shouldn't have to give those things up. You shouldn't ask me to."
Ryo clutched the railing hard and then turned to Dee, moving close and saying, almost in Dee's collar, "I'm not asking you to give them up, just chose me once in awhile instead of them."
"Okay, you're right," Dee acknowledged carefully, "But, not football night, okay?" He added derisively, "At least not for BALLET!"
Ryo pushed away from him and glared. Dee sighed inwardly. He wasn't getting back to his television show any time soon. "Maybe that's our problem too," Ryo said tightly. "We don't seem to have any interests in common besides work."
Dee smirked. "I think there is one other thing."
Ryo smacked him against the chest without force. "Baka! I meant outside interests."
Dee smirked even more, glad he was getting the beginnings of a smile out of Ryo. "It COULD be outside."
Ryo blushed deep crimson. "Misaka, doukeshi! NEVER! Don't even suggest it again!"
"Shy guy, aren't you?" Dee snagged Ryo's waist and brought his pelvis against his beautiful lover. He felt Ryo's instant excitement. "Lips say no, but part of you is saying yes. Is there an exhibitionist somewhere under that conservative exterior?"
"Damare!" Ryo growled and became serious again as he slipped his arms through Dee's and held him close. He rested against Dee's chest, their relationship too comfortable for him to care if anyone saw them from the street. He said softly, "I wish we liked the same things."
Dee grew serious as well, Ryo's words beginning to sink in and worry him. It was true that, outside of work, they didn't have anything in common. It seemed they were always suffering through something the other wanted to do. That couldn't be good for a relationship.
"Tell you what," Dee said. Ryo looked up at him curiously. "Make plans for a night without football," he said, stressing the 'night without football' part. "I'll go to anything you want. You want to see men showing their stuff in tights, I'll suff- uh, go with you and watch it too."
Ryo brightened at first, but then he frowned. "Why? You don't really want to go."
"A trade off," Dee explained. "For once in my life, I'll stop being opinionated long enough to try and enjoy something that you like. In exchange, I want you to sit through an entire football game with me. I think, once I explain what's going on, you'll love it as much as I do."
Ryo looked skeptical. "Why are you assuming that I haven't been to a game? I could have played football for all that you know." When Dee snickered, Ryo snapped angrily, "Why is that so funny?"
"Sorry," Dee apologized. "I just didn't take you for the jock type."
"I did play soccer at one time," Ryo snapped back, incensed.
"Okay, Okay!" Dee said, putting up his hands up as if fending off Ryo's anger. "So you're a manly man and a jock. You know all about football, you've played it, and you still don't like it?"
Ryo was very quiet, his eyes narrowed. He was finally forced to admit, "No, I don't know anything about football and I've never actually sat through a whole game."
"Well, don't feel too bad," Dee replied. "I know some men who've never even SEEN a game."
"Shocking!" Ryo said with sour sarcasm.
"Yeah, isn't it?" Dee replied, taking the comment seriously.
Ryo sighed, not liking the bargain at all, but willing to try anything at that point to spend more time with Dee. "All right, I'll watch a game, but you have to sit through the ballet, pay attention, and not make rude comments. Maybe you'll learn to like ballet."
"Maybe you'll learn to like football," Dee replied hopefully.
They both turned to walk back into the apartment, both of them thinking the same thing at the same time:
Not likely!
"Multiple stab wounds and an x carved on the skin of their chests, Ryo said as he opened a folder on Dee's desk. "Eight victims so far, all different colors, nationalities, and sexes. The common factors are their ages, they were all fifteen/ sixteen years old, and the fact that they all lived in the slum within three blocks of each other."
Dee grimaced at the pictures of the dead as he sipped on his mug of hot coffee. "An x... I don't think I have to ask the obvious."
"You don't," Ryo agreed. "I checked every one in that area for someone with an x in their name or a gang that used it as their symbol. There were none."
"X." Dee sipped again at his coffee and then put it aside as he brought up a map of the area on his computer. Ryo-"
"I know," Ryo replied as he sat at his own desk. "An apartment complex in that area is shaped like an x."
"You've already looked at this then?" Dee pushed away from his desk and leaned back in his chair, eying Ryo from under his black bangs. "Do you have it solved already too? We are partners, Ryo. We're supposed to work together, remember?"
Ryo stared hard at nothing. "I'm not sure I want someone so childish as a partner."
Dee sighed and ran both hands over his face briskly. He sat up and leaned forward. "I can't believe that you're going to bring that up now! I said I was sorry about last night! If you're still going to beat me over the head with it, then you're the one who's being childish!" He poked at the file with a finger. "This is a murder case, Ryo. This is more important than me falling asleep and snoring during a ballet!"
"I know what's important!" Ryo snapped back. "I'm sorry that I can't turn my emotions off as you seem to be able to!"
A hand reached down and gathered up the file. Ryo and Dee both looked up to see Commissioner Rose's angry face, his blue eyes snapping fire. "If you two can't be professionals, then I'll have to give the case to someone else."
Dee snatched the file back and put it under his elbow. "I am professional," he replied angrily and then reluctantly, "and so is Ryo. He's already gathered some information. We were about to set up some interviews and go check Ryo's leads."
Rose eyed them both. "Good. This is an important case. I don't want any screw ups and I don't want to doubt your ability to solve it." He paused and cast a look around the room. Some of the other officers had been staring, surprised by Dee and Ryo's argument. Under Rose's gaze, they quickly found other things to do. "Personal problems are for off duty. If you forget that again, I will have to report you. A half trained monkey can do your job, Dee, but I would hate to include Ryo in that report. He at least is an excellent officer."
Rose turned on his heel and made his way through the desks to talk to Dreig and J.J. Dee stared after him. "Half trained monkey...," he muttered. He looked at Ryo's angry face. The man was flipping through a directory in preparation to call witnesses. His motions were short and sharp. Pissy, Dee thought, searching for the perfect description of Ryo's mood.
Dee leaned his chin on his fist and sighed. "Sorry, Baby."
Ryo looked up and his expression went from angry to pained. "You're always sorry, Dee, but you never change."
Dee sat up at that. "People don't change, Ryo."
"Maybe not," Ryo replied, "But they can learn."
"Learn what?" Dee asked, his voice taking on an edge despite himself. "I know I don't like ballet, Ryo. I told you that and you still dragged me off to see it. I tried to pay attention. I tried to see in it what you do. I couldn't, so, instead, I fell asleep. Excuse me for being human."
The pained look turned to resignation. Ryo picked at the pages of the directory, dark eyes suspiciously wet looking. "I guess you're right. Sorry, Koi. I'll make the phone calls and set up the interviews."
Dee leaned his chin on his fist again and watched Ryo make the calls, the folder forgotten under his elbow. They were definitely an odd couple. Messy/neat. Sports/ballet. Wine/beer. Classical/rock. Dee had been comfortable in their relationship despite those differences. He hadn't realized that Ryo was unhappy, that he was feeling distressed that they didn't seem to have much in common. Work took up most of their time. They both immersed themselves into it totally. They also spent most of their day together. It had felt good to Dee, to go home at the end of the day and separate for a time, each doing their own thing, until dinner and bedtime brought them together again. It bothered him that Ryo needed things to be different, because Dee didn't feel that way at all.
"There must be something we both like besides work," Dee said abruptly.
Ryo was on the phone with a witness. His eyes came up, puzzled.
Dee remembered that it was time for Ryo to keep his part of the bargain and watch a football game with him. Dee suddenly became optimistic. What wasn't there to like about football? If they both liked it, then Ryo's worry that they weren't spending enough personal time together, doing something they both liked, was about to be remedied in the best way.
Dee pointed at his watch to seven o' clock. He mouthed, 'Football. Tonight.'
Ryo's face tightened even as he continued to talk. He didn't look happy about the prospect. That was okay, Dee thought, because, he didn't know the good time that was in store for him. Excited and mind at ease now, Dee took his elbow off the folder and opened it up, ready to get his man in more ways than one.
"Okay, we'll have to separate," Dee said reluctantly as he eyed the run down tenements and the dubious people who were eying him back suspiciously.
Dee knew that Ryo was a competent, armed, cop, but he always appeared so naive and delicate; an easy mark. Dee couldn't help but feel uneasy about letting him go into the heart of the slum by himself, especially when, looking back on his own life on the streets, Dee would have been the first to try and take advantage of someone like Ryo.
"You interview Sanchez and I'll take Edlemier," Dee said as he handed Ryo the address. "We should stay together, but both of these people say they saw someone at the last murder scene shortly before the body was found, and this is the only time they would agree to be interviewed."
"No problem," Ryo replied as he looked at the address, not the least bit reluctant to walk those streets alone.
"Stay alert," Dee couldn't help saying.
Ryo looked up and smiled, seeing Dee's concern. "It's all right, Dee," he said laughingly. "I promise I won't take any candy from strangers."
Dee frowned. "I don't think it'll be candy you're offered," he grumbled. "Meet me here at three. Don't be late or -"
"Or you'll come charging to my rescue?" Ryo smiled warmly. "Don't worry, I'll be here at three."
Dee wished that he could pull that beautiful man against him and give him a goodbye kiss, but that would have been dangerous. They couldn't let anyone know that they were a couple in case they ran into trouble. Ryo understood that. He looked deeply at Dee and the kiss was in his eyes. He gave Dee a nod and walked away down the street, scanning the addresses to find the one that he wanted.
Dee looked after him apprehensively, seeing some of the tougher looking men on the street taking notice of their separation. Dee forced himself to turn away and look for his own address.
"Ryo hits the bull's eye nine times out of ten," Dee muttered to himself under his breath. "He beats me eight times out of ten at self defense. He's won award after award for his skills. I've won three awards and one was an honorable mention. He can take care of himself just as good as I can." Dee said the words with all the confidence he could muster, but he was still nervous and afraid for his partner.
Dee's interview turned out to be a dead end. After being ushered into a dingy little apartment, and given coffee in a dirty cup by an old, good natured woman, Dee realized very quickly that Ms. Edlemier had only read about the murder in the paper, and made up the story about being a witness, in order to get some company. Dee listened to her ramble for a good hour before making an excuse to leave, a very good excuse. He had to get back to Ryo.
Ryo wasn't at the meeting place. Dee scanned the street anxiously for signs of his honey colored hair, amidst the darker sea of deep browns and blacks, without success. Finally, before Dee could panic completely, he saw Ryo trot down some cement steps leading from a crumbling tenement, get his bearings, and then come down the street to Dee.
"You're late!" Dee snapped.
Ryo smiled. "Oh, Dee! Relax! It was worth it. Sanchez did see a man near the murder scene and he gave a description." He handed his notepad to Dee.
Dee read it over. "Short, fat, dark hair, blue eyes, white, male, black shirt, black polyester pants, black loafers, mole under right eye, scar breaking up left eyebrow... Are you sure he's telling you the truth? This is pretty detailed."
Ryo nodded, continuing to smile, "Sanchez has an amazing memory. He gave me a few demonstrations. He was such an interesting man that I almost forgot to interview him."
Dee frowned. "Was he good looking too?"
Ryo's smile dropped. "Dee! Do shite no! If you're going to start getting jealous every time I find someone interesting..."
"Sorry," Dee grunted as he handed Ryo back his notepad. "I guess I'm just angry because my lead was a dead end."
"Dee! You are so competitive, even with me!" Ryo exclaimed in annoyance.
"I guess that's why I like football; the competition," Dee reasoned. He ran a hand through his dark hair and looked up and down the street. "Let's go check out the murder scenes and see if we can find a pattern."
They walked down the street until they reached a small lot between buildings. It was full of garbage and some attempt had been made to fence it off. The fence was down and gang symbols were scrawled all over the walls of the buildings.
Dee looked at his map and notes. He pointed towards the left corner of the lot, hidden in shadows. "It happened over there."
They began walking towards it, but Ryo suddenly stumbled and hopped on one foot. "Kuso!" he swore.
"What's wrong?!" Dee was at Ryo's side in an instant, holding him up.
Ryo pulled up one of his feet. A piece of broken bottle was stuck through the sole of his shoe and into his foot. Blood was quickly coming out of the hole.
"Shit, Ryo!" Dee swore and threw Ryo's arm over his shoulders. "You need a hospital! That's going to take some stitches!"
"Gomen nasai, Dee!" Ryo moaned, looking ill at the sight. "I should have been watching where I was going! I know better!"
"Yes, you do!" Dee replied irritably and then controlled his temper with an effort. "Sorry, Ryo. It's just an accident, but we need to get these sites checked out. We have a description of the bad guy. If we can figure out where he'll strike next by finding a pattern in the murder scenes, we may be able to stop someone else from getting killed. We didn't need this!" He groaned, motioning to Ryo's foot.
"Call for a patrol car," Ryo ordered briskly, lowering his foot, but keeping it off the ground. He was in full officer mode now. "They'll take me to the hospital while you check out the sites."
It was right and reasonable, but Dee didn't like the idea of leaving Ryo in someone else's care. He balked, trying to think of another solution. He considered asking another officer to check the sites, but then he balked even more at that idea. Dee had complete confidence in his own ability to spot even the smallest clues. He didn't trust someone else to do it as well as he could.
"All right, Baby," Dee replied with a grimace as he began helping Ryo limp off of the lot. "I don't like it, but we have to work this case."
Ryo agreed through gritted teeth. It was going to be embarrassing for him, having another officer see what had happened. There were probably going to be a lot of jokes at the precinct later on, at Ryo's expense, but there wasn't any choice. It was foolish to mind that when lives were at stake.
They reached the street and Ryo sank down to sit on the curb of an old store front while Dee took out his cell phone and made the call. As the phone dialed, Dee thought that Ryo needed some cheering up. He looked down at his embarrassed partner and said, "Don't think this gets you out of the football game tonight."
Strangely, Ryo laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world, Dee."
Dee finished the next to the last site, pocketed his digital camera and notes, and stretched his back until it cracked. Returning to the street from a dark alleyway, he leaned against a store front, lit a cigarette, and finally admitted that there wasn't any pattern.
He checked the time on his watch, using the dim light over the storefront window. He had worked until nightfall, scribbling the last of his notes in the dark, hoping against hope that he would have at least an area for other officers to stake out. Instead, he had nothing and a murderer was going to have an open killing ground that night.
"Damn!" Dee cursed and let out a long plume of smoke in disgust. He went over all of his notes in his head again, reluctant to just give up and go home, even to see his wounded lover. He knew that Ryo had been well taken care of and that the man was probably home now, bickering with Bicky, forcing himself to make dinner, and ... NOT watching the football game that Dee was missing. Dee cursed again.
Dee scanned the street, trying to orient himself in the dark. There was a brisk wind and he huddled in his coat, hands sinking into his pockets after he tossed his cigarette down and ground it out with his heel. Time to go home, he told himself, try again in the morning, and hope that no one became another victim that night. In Dee's experience, that was a slim hope.
A movement caught Dee's eyes; a man walking slowly down the deserted, opposite sidewalk. Dee squinted, trying to make him out, the few street lights that were working only giving him faint, flickering, phosphorescent light to see by. Dee had grown up on the streets. That man reminded him that being alone on them was a bad, often fatal mistake. He took one hand out of his pocket and slid it up under his coat to touch his gun as he headed for his car down the street.
A huddle of teenagers. Dee saw them as he almost reached his car. He paused and used a darker patch of night to observe them. They were cold and feral looking, eyes darting everywhere, bodies bent conspiratorially towards each other. The man Dee had seen approached them. There was some nervous talk, and then one boy separated and followed the man towards an ally. The oldest trade in the world, Dee thought sourly, next to selling drugs. He pulled out his gun and his badge. It wasn't going to happen on his watch. He called for backup on his cell phone as he approached the ally. The other teenagers spotted him, sensed somehow that he was trouble even though he was keeping his drawn gun out of sight, and scattered into the darkness.
Good, Dee thought. He hadn't relished the thought of being ganged up on as he attempted an arrest of their buddy and the John. He was more confident as he edged into the ally and shone the penlight attached to his car keys into the darkness. He saw the two figures up ahead, too intent on what they were doing to notice him and his tiny challenger to darkness.
Short, fat, dark hair, blue eyes, white, male, black shirt, black polyester pants, black loafers, mole under right eye, scar breaking up left eyebrow. Dee saw all of that in the instant before the man raised a knife and the boy, wide eyed, began to scream.
"Freeze!" Dee shouted and aimed his gun at the attacker.
The man turned sharply and hissed like a cat. The suddenly released boy scrambled and then was rushing past Dee. Dee tripped him up and put a foot on his back.
"I said, 'FREEZE'!" Dee repeated, "That means you too."
"He was gonna kill me!" The boy shrieked in Spanish. Dee sighed inwardly at how young he was.
"You're safe!" Dee snapped back. "I have backup coming. Just sit tight and you'll be having a nice get together with a social services person soon."
"Stupid slut!" The man growled and slowly stepped forward. He lifted a metal x. One end had been filed sharp. "I still have to put my mark on you."
Dee took aim. "You must not want to live, buddy! I told you not to move!"
The man laughed and it was ugly. "Oh, I'll live. I'm immortal. As long as I feast on the blood of the young and put my mark on them, I'll live forever. I'll laugh over your grave when you're dust and memory."
"Well, I thought I'd heard them all, but that's a new one," Dee replied mockingly, "If you take one more step, we'll get to see if you're right or not!"
The man took another step forward. The boy panicked, throwing his weight up against Dee's foot, as he scrambled to get away. Dee staggered, cursing, and the man took that opportunity to jump him and drive his sharpened x at Dee's eyes.
Dee avoided the point, just, and then went down in a thrashing tangle of limbs on hard cement. He felt bits of hard garbage dig deep into his skin and bruise bone, but he ignored it as he chopped into the murderer's face with the edge of his hand. The man cried out and clutched a bloody nose. Dee used that opening to twist around and drive his foot into the man's stomach. Deprived of air, the man crumbled and curled around the pain.
Dee untangled himself and staggered a few feet away to bring his gun up again. Backup was already pounding into the ally, flashlights making crazy shadows on the walls. The prostitute was gone, but Dee knew it wouldn't be long before he was picked up again. The man gasping at his feet wasn't more important than taking a child off the streets, but apprehending him was going to keep them safe from at least one monster that night.
Dee wearily entered his apartment, tossed his car keys and coat onto a side table, and walked heavy footed for the bedroom. He stopped when he saw Ryo curled up on the coach covered by a red blanket. It was obvious that he had tried to wait up for Dee to return home.
Dee sat softly beside Ryo on the couch and then gently brushed his honey colored hair out of his face. Ryo stirred and his dark, liquid eyes blinked open. He pulled Dee to him in a fierce embrace.
"Koibito! Are you all right?" Ryo demanded, "I called the station and they told me that you had collared the murderer single handedly in an ally way!"
Dee groaned under the assault and Ryo released him quickly. Dee sat back with a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I got him," he replied. "Just dumb luck. He sank in a few good punches before I convinced him to give himself up though. I'm going to be pretty sore tonight."
Ryo pouted and caressed Dee's knee as if he longed to run his hand all the way up to Dee's crotch. That surprised Dee. Ryo was never one to initiate anything sexual. Something had definitely put him in the mood. Dee was eager to find out what.
"So, what were you doing tonight?" Dee asked nonchalantly as he pretended to make himself more comfortable.
Ryo smiled almost sensually. "I watched the football game."
"You did?" Dee was surprised. "I wasn't there to explain it though. You were probably bored to tears!"
"Oh, no!" Ryo replied softly, "I wasn't bored at all! Sanchez used to be a football coach. He explained everything to me and showed me some clips of his team." Ryo took a deep breath and his face flushed. "I never knew it could be so... physical. There's a lot of difference between a high school game and professional football."
"Uh, yeah, I guess you're right about that," Dee said and then stiffened in more ways than one as Ryo's hand made a slow beeline to his crotch. Dee watched in shocked fascination as Ryo's hand cupped him there and then teased the zipper of Dee's pants. "So, uh, you seem to be kind of... excited, Ryo."
Ryo smiled like a cat with cream. "All those sweating muscles," he replied breathily, "All those big men thrusting and jumping on each other. The straining, striving, push to get to the goal line." Ryo blushed dark red, "I don't know what it is. I just... Dee... Can we...?"
Dee wanted to. He couldn't believe that football was turning Ryo on. He wanted to take full advantage of his lover's uncharacteristic arousal. When he moved to get up and pull Ryo up with him though, grinding pain and fatigue overwhelmed him. His body moaned and complained about the lack of food, the bone deep bruises, the cuts and scrapes, and several strained muscles. His excitement suddenly wilted, beaten down by the onslaught of bodily misery.
"I-I can't , Ryo!" Dee groaned. "My mind is willing, but my body took some hard hits."
Ryo was anxious. He nuzzled Dee, ran a tongue along one of Dee's nipples under his shirt. "Please, Dee, try? I really-"
"I really can't, Ryo, I'm sorry," Dee groaned again and couldn't believe that his own body was betraying him, was refusing to respond to a willing Ryo, a Ryo who looked ready at that moment to do anything, to be wild, to be wanton, maybe to fulfill some of Dee's more erotic fantasies.
Ryo sighed. "I guess I better take a shower then." His hands left Dee's body and he began to go into the shower.
Dee noticed that Ryo hadn't said cold shower and Dee groaned for a third time, imaging Ryo taking soap, lathering up, and ... "Ryo!"
Ryo looked back hopefully. Dee wished that he could fulfill that hope.
"I... can I have a rain check for tomorrow? Do you think," he paused, swallowing hard, the image of Ryo pleasuring himself in the shower overwhelming him. "Do you think I can have a rain check for tomorrow night. Do you think you'll still be in the same... mood?"
Ryo thought about it. He smiled warmly. "Well, there is a college game tomorrow."
Owari