Disclaimer: I don't own them and I don't make any money off of this. Donations of praise are always welcome, though. (I don't think they can sue me for that)
Warnings: Graphic. Male/Male sex. Violence. Language.
Support a starving artist, buy Kracken's book, The Storm, at amazon.com under Della Boynton. Hurry! Even sushi is starting to look good! :P
"Paul? You're joking? This is really Paul?"
Ryo looked up at Dee's outburst. Dee had the phone cradled between shoulder and ear, his hands full of coffee and danish. Ryo leaned over their desks and took the things out of his hands. Dee shot him a grateful look as he sank into his chair behind his own desk, green eyes bright with excitement.
"Where are you living now, Paul?" Dee continued as he raked his dark hair out of his eyes. His handsome face was a study in concentration as he scribbled an address on a notepad. "That far away? How did you get my phone number? Penguin? Yeah, she's always careful. When you live in the slum that long you don't hand out a home phone number or address to just anyone."
Dee nodded to something the man was saying, Ryo watching him in amusement. Dee's voice, usually so sexy and take charge, had changed to that of a young man, a little nervous, a little in awe of the person on the other end of the phone. Ryo was intrigued.
"You're in town for a vacation?" Dee was really excited now, sitting on the edge of his seat, posture straight, as if he were ready to spring out of his chair and find Paul immediately. "Wife? Kids? No. Well, if you're by yourself, why don't you stay with me for a few days? Sure... uhm, well, I might have to fold out the couch, but it's better than a hotel room and we can catch up and talk about old times. Okay?"
Dee's eyes flicked up to Ryo's face and then he remembered. The decision wasn't his alone. Ryo smiled and nodded and Dee gave him a wink and a grin in thanks.
"Well, I'm living with a guy now; Ryo McLain," Dee explained, uninhibited and open about his relationship and his sexuality as usual. It was Ryo who blushed and felt uncomfortable, and Ryo who stiffened in embarrassed shock, when Dee laughed and said, "Yeah, still doing guys, Paul, but this guy is special though. Yeah, real special. I married him. Yeah, I can do that. Don't need paperwork, just the words and the promise. Yeah, he has a nice ass too. No, that wasn't why I hooked up with him! I CAN commit you know. Ha! Ha! Paul, very funny," he said sarcastically and Ryo wished that he knew what Paul had said.
"That's in the past," Dee continued, "Ryo's my one and only now. No more fooling around for Dee Latener. Okay, enough of that. You'll meet him and you'll understand." Dee rattled off their address. "See ya around six? Oh, we have a kid too. No, Ryo didn't have him!" Dee laughed and then he stopped laughing and frowned. "No, don't say that. That's not even a joke, Paul. I have to deal with real cases like that every other day." His frown smoothed out and he regained his humor. "Sorry, just not a good joke, okay? Bicky is Ryo's foster kid. He's obnoxious, but what kid isn't?"
Dee listened some more and then said, "Okay, if you're not scared off by my 'family', you're welcome to stay as long as you want. See ya tonight, Paul." Dee hung up the phone and smiled, leaning back in his chair. He wasn't seeing Ryo or the station. He was seeing something from memory.
Ryo cleared his throat. Dee didn't take any notice. Ryo tried again and Dee blinked and then sat up in his chair.
"Uh, sorry, Baby? Did you say something?" Dee wondered.
Ryo smiled, " No, I didn't. So, who's Paul?"
Dee smiled back. "A guy who was with me in the orphanage for awhile. Cute as a button and as wild as the devil, Penguin used to say. I wasn't surprised when someone adopted him." The smile smoothed out as Dee remembered the pain of rejection, the pain of always being left behind.
Ryo reached out, leaning over both their desks to take hold of Dee's hands. He looked deep into Dee's surprised eyes, his handsome face serious as he said softly, "Dee Latener, best friend, best detective, and best," Ryo gave a quick glance around as he blushed and continued, "lover in all of New York city, If you're sitting there and thinking that you aren't wanted..."
Ryo was never comfortable with showing affection for Dee where just anyone could see, especially at the station. Dee chuckled as he freed a hand, cupped Ryo's chin, and held him still for a kiss. "Only in New York?"
Ryo closed his eyes as if he were about to faint. His handsome face bloomed a perfect pink under his fair skin as Dee's tongue slipped inside of his mouth, tangled with his own, and then reluctantly retreated as Dee broke the kiss. Ryo took an unsteady breath, blinked, and then sat back. He regained his nervousness, but ignited passion didn't leave his dark eyes.
"Are you done or should I reserve you a hotel room?" J.J. snipped as he slapped a file onto Dee's desk. "Don't you care that everyone is staring at you two?"
Dee raised a dark eyebrow at the small, brown haired, bundle of energy that was J.J. and then gave the room a slow once over. A few people looked away before he met their eyes, but one or two kept staring with open disgust or simple curiosity. "For a man who likes to climb all over me in public," Dee said as he looked at J.J. again, "I think your sudden concern with my modesty is schizophrenic."
"I see that you're working on your vocabulary, Detective," Rose said as he approached with a frown. He gave J.J. a hard, blue glare and J.J. swallowed and hurried back to his work. "I hope that will help you tonight when you stay late and explain some of your expenditures."
"What?!" Dee fumed, not daunted by the big, blonde commissioner.
Ryo made a face, an expression of someone who knew trouble had been brewing and wasn't surprised to see it boil over. "Don't worry, Dee," he said trying to calm Dee down, "I'll entertain Paul until you get home. How long can it take?"
"Longer than it should," Rose growled. "I would like to know why the police force should pay for a new coat, three ties, a bribe to an informant who was only five years old, tickets to a baseball game, and..." Rose raised the expense report in disbelief to read Dee the line item, "peanuts for an elephant?"
Dee glared at Rose from under his wild, black hair and balled his hands into angry fists as he replied, "My coat was ripped by a suspect. Ditto for the three ties. They seem to like to use them for a hand hold while they try and beat the crap out of me. The five year old was being used by the drug dealers to deliver drugs. He would only talk to me if I made a sweeter deal than they did. The peanuts were for feeding an elephant at the zoo, while I tagged along behind a suspected murderer."
Rose narrowed his eyes. "The tickets?"
Ryo sighed and shook his head. "I told you he wouldn't-"
Dee held up a hand. "Ryo! Let me handle this! The tickets were so that I could tail a bookie."
Rose raised an eyebrow and rolled the expense report in his big hands. "All right, Latener. You seem to have all the answers. At the end of the day, I expect to have documentation to back you up."
"I'll have it," Dee seethed.
Rose nodded and left. Dee glared after him. Ryo sighed, "Dee, why do you have to antagonize him? He's only doing his job. Those expenses all sounded outrageous. I warned you that someone was going to question them."
Dee slid down into his chair and growled, "Why now? I can't wait to see Paul and now Mr. High and Mighty is going to tie me up for hours!"
"I'll make Paul feel at home until you get there," Ryo promised. "We both have tomorrow off and you can spend all day with him."
Dee found a smile as he looked lovingly at Ryo. "You're the best, you know that? I owe you big time for this, Ryo."
Ryo's mouth quirked as he opened up a file folder and began going over evidence. "Please, don't put that on your expense account."
"Yamero!" Ryo snapped as he slapped Bicky's hand away from a arrangement of crackers and cheeses. "These are for our guest."
Bicky shook his sore hand and glowered. "One guy can't eat all of this food, Ryo. Why are you making so much? Are you nervous, or something?"
"No," Ryo replied as he cut up more vegetables and arranged them around ranch dip on a tray.
"Hey! That was a big lie, Ryo, and you know it!" Bicky exclaimed and waggled a finger at Ryo. "Who is this guy and why has he got you so wound up?"
"I told you," Ryo replied as he made himself put the paring knife away and stop preparing food. "He used to be in the orphanage with Dee." He wiped his hands on his apron and then took it off. Checking his shirt for food stains, he straightened his tie for the thousandth time. "It's important that we make a good impression."
"Why?" Bicky wondered acidly. "He's a street punk just like Dee... just like me. We're not used to being treated fancy."
Ryo heard the same tone in Bicky's voice that Dee had used at the station, the tone of someone with doubts about their own self worth. "It's not where you were born, or how you were brought up, that makes you what you are, Bicky. It's what you do with your life afterwards."
Bicky blinked, "If you think so, Ryo, " Bicky replied as if he were worried about Ryo's state of mind.
"I know so, so don't be sarcastic," Ryo snapped back and carried one of the food trays into the living room. "and don't eat any more of the snacks."
Bicky was poised with a hand on a cracker. He swore under his breath and followed Ryo out into the living room. "So, is Mr. Special going to let me eat some of this stuff when he comes?"
"Yes, but manners dictate that he eats first," Ryo replied as he arranged the tray carefully on the coffee table and then picked up Dee's over full ashtray of cigarette butts distastefully.
Bicky watched Ryo carry the ash tray into the kitchen as if it were toxic waste. Bicky snatched a cracker and stuffed it into his mouth. He growled around his mouth full, "Screw manners!"
The door bell rang. The water in the sink was running and Ryo didn't hear it. Trying to swallow his cracker, Bicky wiped his hands on his oversized tee shirt and went to answer the door.
The man on the other side of the door was tall and broad in the shoulder. He wore a black, three piece business suit and he carried a leather duffel bag slung over one shoulder. He had rugged good looks and his blonde hair was cut in a military style.
"Paul Terk," the man said. He had a deep, melodic voice and he reached out and took Bicky's hand with a warm smile.
Bicky pulled his hand away, uncomfortable without knowing why, some sixth street sense telling him to beware. He mumbled around his half eaten cracker. "Hey, how ya doin'? Ryo's in the kitchen and Dee's getting chewed out at work. He'll be home soon, if they don't throw his ass in jail-"
"Bicky!" Ryo exclaimed, suddenly appearing and grabbing Bicky's shoulder. Pulling him back into the apartment with one hand, Ryo extended the other and shook the stranger's hand nervously.
"I'm so sorry about that, Paul!" Ryo apologized and ushered Paul into the living room. "Bicky means well."
Paul shrugged, "Kids," he said simply, as if that excused any bad behavior, but his eyes were on Ryo, looking down at Ryo intensely as Ryo babbled about Dee being late.
Bicky, having fallen back, disgruntled, could feel a distinct tension in the air. It made him nervous. He moved around the talking men and took up a vantage point by the arm of the couch. He wanted to see the stranger's face, to reassure himself that he was just imagining things. The hard edge to the man's face had Bicky looking to Ryo in the next instant for another kind of reassurance, the reassurance that Ryo could handle the man if things went wrong.
Good natured Ryo was a trained detective, Bicky thought, but, just then he looked very young and very slight next to Paul's bulk. His handsome face was animated as he suggested that Paul have a seat and try some of the snacks. Ryo's tousled, golden-brown hair fell into his eyes as he bent nervously to arrange a tray closer to Paul. He gave it a brush back with a masculine push of his hand as he straightened again and smiled.
"Dee was so excited to hear from you," Ryo said. "He said that you had been adopted out of the orphanage where he used to live. Have you seen each other since then?"
Paul smiled, pleased, but by what? Bicky wondered. By Ryo's handsome face? By Ryo's crackers and cheese? By Dee getting excited about him? When the man spoke next, he didn't give his thoughts away. "We've seen each other a few times since then, but the last time was when he was still in the academy."
"That long?" Ryo smiled. "Then I can see why he wanted you to stay with us. You have some catching up to do."
Paul looked Ryo over. "It seems I do," he replied. "I knew Dee was bi, but..." he paused as if reconsidering his words.
"What?" Ryo wondered.
Paul shrugged. "Well, he was always with women. I thought being with guys was just a flirt. You know, just for kicks. I never pegged him for being the type to settle down with another guy twenty four seven. He has too much of a libido."
Ryo blushed and became uncomfortable. "I hope...," He licked nervous lips and continued cautiously. "I hope Dee and I don't make you uncomfortable, Paul. If we do, I can still arrange for a hotel room for you."
Paul laughed, "You don't bother me, Ryo! Don't worry about it."
Ryo blushed deeper, "Uh, well, I'm glad we don't bother you, Paul, but we shouldn't talk about things like this in front of Bicky. He's younger than he looks."
Paul regarded Bicky, who gave him a steady stare in return. "Sorry about that, kid. Didn't know you had virginal ears, and all of that."
Bicky bristled. He almost said something nasty in return, but Ryo was shoving a cracker with cheese into his mouth, effectively stifling him. "Try some of these crackers, Bicky," Ryo suggested sharply. "Good, aren't they? Maybe you could take some of them into your room and finish up your homework?"
Bicky mumbled angrily and then slumped onto the couch, glowering as he tried not to choke. He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. He had protected Ryo from Dee's advances for a long time. He wasn't going to fall down on the job when someone much more dangerous was in the room. It irked him that Ryo couldn't see it, that there was something off about Paul. For a man who worked with criminals all day, and sometimes all night, long, Ryo was capable of being very dense and naive when it came to spotting them in his own, personal life. Having lived on the streets, and having faced criminals head on since he could walk, Bicky could spot the element of it anywhere.
"So," Paul said breezily as he picked through the snacks for something he liked, "How long have you and Dee been together?"
Ryo smiled as he gingerly sat on the couch too, between Paul and Bicky. "Nearly five years now."
Paul pursed his lips and gave a small, astonished shake of his head. "Amazing. I really didn't think Dee had it in him."
Ryo was trying not to frown at the insinuation that Dee was a 'player'. At any other time, Bicky would have been laughing in delight, glad that someone else could see what a rotten guy Dee was, glad that someone else was pointing it out to Ryo. Now, all he could think was that this man was saying those things for a purpose. His eyes, were flat, not at all matching the friendly expression on his face. It told Bicky that the man was thinking, carefully choosing his words.
Ryo tried to retreat to safe ground. "Were you very close to Dee in the orphanage? How long were you together there?"
The man smiled at the memory and that, at least, was genuine. "I was there until I was ten years old. Me and Dee hung out a lot together, making trouble for poor Penguin, mostly. Dee always had a scheme of one kind or another. He was always dragging me into bad situations." He gave Ryo a sideways look, ignoring Bicky's presence. "We were pretty close, but I hope you're not the jealous type or anything, Ryo. Dee wanted to start things up again when he was at the academy, but I thought he had a career to pursue and he wouldn't have much time for old friends."
Ryo was tense, but he shook his head and smiled anyway. "I'm not jealous, Paul. Everyone has a past, even me. I'm glad that you can still be friends."
Bicky was chewing viciously on his lower lip. He recognized Paul's tactics. He had used them himself. Say a half truth to make the lie more believable. For some reason Paul wanted to make Ryo uncomfortable, maybe even jealous. He was insinuating a relationship with Dee, but at ten years of age? They might have been close, but not that close, Bicky thought sourly.
"I wasn't surprised that Dee became a cop," Paul was saying. "We're both cut from the same cloth. We both like danger and excitement. It's too bad we were separated when I was adopted. Dee and I could have had a lot of fun, a lot of good times. I might even have ended up his partner instead of you," he finished with a hard edged chuckle.
Ryo stared, blinked and then asked, "You wanted to be a police officer as well?"
Paul shrugged. "Yeah, but, I went wrong once or twice and couldn't get into the academy. I managed to straighten myself up though and I'm working for a computer consulting firm now."
"That's wonderful," Ryo replied and then talk turned to computers.
Bicky stopped listening early on. Paul, he felt, didn't have a good poker face. He couldn't keep up the innocent routine for very long stretches. Bicky caught a hard look, a narrowed eye, a working jaw, and, once or twice, a careful look at Ryo as if Paul was sizing Ryo up, maybe determining if Ryo could beat him in a fight. This wasn't good, Bicky thought, not good at all.
Bicky stood up and went into the kitchen. He made a little noise and then called plaintively. "Ryo?! I can't find the juice!"
"It's right there on the inside of the refrigerator," Ryo called back.
Bicky paused for effect and then replied. "I can't find it! Could you come in here please and help me?"
Bicky heard some murmured conversation, Ryo excusing himself, and then he came into the kitchen with an exasperated frown. "You're not even looking, Bicky!" Ryo said irritably. "Are you that helpless?"
"Are you that naive?" Bicky shot back under his breath. "I thought you were a big shot detective, but you can't even tell that your being conned!"
Ryo was confused. "You're conning me? Bicky...," he reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the juice. "You aren't making any sense," he said as he handed the carton to Bicky. "Maybe I should start dinner early. You might be lightheaded from hunger."
"That Paul guy is the one conning you, Ryo," Bicky seethed. "He's lied to you a few times already and the way he looks at you is pure creepy!"
Ryo sighed. "Bicky, not now, okay? This man is very important to Dee and we have to be nice to him. I'm sorry that you don't like him, but sometimes we still have to be polite regardless. If you want to go to your room and do homework-"
"I'm not leaving you alone with him!' Bicky protested hotly.
Ryo smiled and squeezed Bicky's shoulder. "Thank you, Bicky, but there's really nothing to worry about. First impressions aren't always the right ones. Paul may just be nervous. We are strangers, after all. Give him a chance. I'm sure you'll see that you're just being overly cautious."
Bicky scowled. Ryo's handsome, trusting face, made him nauseous. Bicky didn't have any experience with that kind of purposeful naivete. Ryo cultivated it and refused to let his day to day dealings with crime, take the edge off of it. He always gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, even Bicky.
If Ryo hadn't given him a second chance, hadn't trusted him to straighten up, then the man might never have taken him in as a foster son, Bicky thought. Without Ryo, he would have been be on the street, doing drugs, selling drugs, or worse... there were many things much worse. He owed everything to Ryo, Bicky thought, and he wasn't going to let someone like Paul hurt the man in any way.
"Bicky?" Ryo prompted, wanting some sort of promise or resolution of the problem of Bicky's attitude.
"I'll behave," Bicky grumbled reluctantly. "As long as Paul does."
Ryo hesitated to accept that, but then he decided that it was the best he was going to get. He nodded and led the way back into the living room where Paul was looking around the apartment with keen interest, unconcerned with their long absence.
Bicky suffered through seemingly endless conversation, but became more and more convince of his assessment of Paul the longer the man talked. Paul never missed a chance to pump up Dee and talk about how close they had used to be. Bicky watched Ryo become uncertain and then troubled. Bicky could guess that Dee's eagerness to see Paul was taking on a whole new meaning for him. Paul wanted Ryo to feel that way. He wanted Ryo off balance. Wasn't that always the first part of the con, Bicky thought, disorient the mark before moving in and taking advantage of that confusion?
For the hundredth time, Bicky wished that Dee would get home. The man was as street smart as he was, he hated to admit. They had grown up in like situations, brought up by well meaning, but barely there adults and left to rear themselves as best they could. Dee would know a con when he saw it. He would save Ryo from whatever Paul had planed, Bicky was sure.
"Get home, asswipe," Bicky muttered at the front door.
"Bicky?" Ryo said startled, having heard something, but unsure of exactly what.
"Nothing," Bicky muttered and sank lower into the couch.
"Kids," Paul shrugged in an infuriating, condescending manner.
Bicky really hated him then. You're going to get yours, he thought smugly, comforting himself with the image of Dee throwing the man out on his ass. Just wait.
Dee came into the apartment at last, looking angry, but then eager as he tossed his coat to Ryo, as Ryo came to greet him, and then rushed forward to pump Paul's hand and take him in a rough bear hug.
"Paul! How are you, man?!" Dee grinned and collapsed onto the couch beside Paul, talking excitedly as Paul listened with an indulgent expression. "Tell me what you've been up to!" Dee begged. "Any girlfriends? "Dee winked, "Boyfriends? You can't tell me that Paul Terk doesn't have a dozen of each hanging on him!"
"Dee!" Ryo admonished with a blush, but he was smiling too, happy to see Dee so happy as he sat in a chair near Bicky.
Dee laughed. "You don't have to worry about Paul, Ryo, he's not embarrassed by that. He wrote the book on playing the field! "
Paul's eyes glinted and his smile was almost wolfish. "I taught you everything you know, Dee, especially how to have two or three dates on a string and not get caught!" he chuckled.
Dee chuckled nervously in return, but he was shooting a glance at Ryo at the same time. Ryo was trying to maintain a smile, but something was in his eyes that warned Dee. He tried to turn the conversation. "Tell me about where you're living now, Paul. Tell me about your work. Still trying to break into the restaurant business?"
Paul refused to be led off the topic. He laughed outright. "I thought you knew, Dee, I just said that to impress the women at the academy when I visited you last. A woman can't resist a man who's both an entrepreneur and a cook."
"Yeah, I tried something like that before too. I must have learned it from you," Dee laughed and then realized it had been the worst thing he could have said.
Paul shot back at once, still laughing. "I remember that... you told... what was her name? Felicia... that you were in line to be Chief of Police and you were just finishing up some paperwork at the academy. How long did it take her to figure out your were lying?"
Dee began to answer in a stammer, but Ryo forestalled him. "Gentlemen, I hate to be a wet blanket, but Bicky really shouldn't-"
"Yeah," Dee broke in, glad to have an excuse to stop the conversation. "Bicky's just a kid and all, Paul. Sorry, but you have to watch what you say."
Paul smiled good naturedly. "Sorry, Dee. I'm not used to hanging around kids." He turned his head and eyed Bicky, his smile changing just slightly, enough that Bicky felt the hairs on his head stand up. "Good looking kid, too. You have some killer eyes and hair.... you're part African American?" he chuckled. "When Dee told me he had Ryo and you in the house, I wondered what the heck was going on. I wondered if old Dee had taken the bachelor life to a new level that I didn't even-"
"Paul!" Ryo snapped loudly. Everyone looked at him and silence reigned at his uncharacteristic outburst. Ryo was frowning, but the frown smoothed out and his voice returned to its usual, soft, pleasant tone as he held a tray towards Paul and offered, "Cracker and cheese?"
Paul frowned too, but then he shrugged as he took a cracker with a dollop of cheese and began eating it as he sat back into the couch cushions.
Dee looked from Ryo to Paul and then he cleared his throat. "Well, you had a long trip, Paul. Would you like to shower or something before Ryo cooks dinner?"
Paul laughed as he stood up. "He cooks too?" He scratched at his crew cut, smiling at Ryo. "How domestic!" He picked up his black, leather bag. "Yeah, I guess I do feel kind of gritty. Where's the bathroom?"
Dee led Paul towards it, talking on the way. Bicky looked at Ryo. Ryo lowered the tray, frowning again, and muttered, "Domestic?"
"Ryo," Bicky whispered harshly. "You gotta believe me now?! Something's not right with that guy!"
Ryo stood up and nodded. "I think I'm beginning to agree with you. I'm finding Paul Terk unpleasant." He looked down at Bicky and ruffled Bicky's blonde hair. "But just because he's plain spoken and rough around the edges, doesn't mean we have to be rude in return. He's Dee's friend and we have to keep our feelings to ourselves, okay, Bicky? It's only for a few days, and, I think, you should spend some of that time at Cal's house or with Mrs. Winters, your sitter."
Bicky crossed his arms over his chest and glowered. "I'm too old for a babysitter, Ryo, and there's no way I'm leaving you while that guy is here. You think he's just crude and maybe making a play for Dee, but I know you're wrong! Dee's going to see it too."
Ryo had blushed in embarrassment, not having known that his barely realized jealousy was so apparent. "I trust Dee and I'm glad that you do too. We can both handle ourselves, Bicky, and, if Terk turns out to be trouble, however unlikely that is, we'll be able to handle him. We're adults. We're trained detectives, Bicky."
With that said, Ryo went into the kitchen to start dinner. Bicky looked after him and fumed under his breath. "But Dee's as dumb as a brick and you're the easiest mark I ever met! I have to watch out for the both of you!"
Bicky was in bed, hopefully asleep, and Dee and Paul were still sitting on the couch drinking beers, the smoke from Dee's cigarettes making a cloud around them both. Dee did most of the talking, cigarette held inbetween two fingers as he gestured between puffs.
Ryo had gone to bed because he was tired from a long day, or so he had said, but in reality, he had grown tired of being excluded from the conversation and very tired of Paul and Dee sharing moment after moment of their youth. Jealousy was taking a firm hold and Ryo was fighting it manfully.
Ryo read two chapters of a book and then tried to get comfortable in the wide bed so that he could go to sleep. After tossing and turning, he gave up after three hours of hearing bursts of laughter from the living room. Finally, pulling on a robe and shoving his feet into slippers, Ryo decided to slip past the talking men and get some herbal tea from the kitchen.
Ryo put his hand on the doorknob, but then paused when he heard his name. He leaned close to the wood of the door, guiltily eavesdropping. What he heard next shocked him and made his stomach tighten in nausea.
"I can see why you keep that one," Paul was saying to Dee. "He's beautiful. That hair. Those big, black eyes, That little boy face. Does he have a body to match?"
Dee sounded more than a little drunk. He replied as if he were proud. "He's beautiful aaaallll over, Paul."
"Must be good in bed too, "Paul continued, not sounding drunk at all but... lustfully curious. "What's he like, hm? Does he make a lot of noise? Does he like lifting those long legs for you or... naw! Dee Latener wouldn't be a bottom man, now would he?"
Dee snickered. "'course not!"
"Is he better than a girl?" Paul pressed. "You always went for the ladies, Dee. He must be something else for you to change."
Ryo shivered. Dee was quiet. The tension grew. Dee broke the silence at last. "Nooooone of your businessssss, Paul!" Dee drawled with a laugh. "You always did like me to kiss and tell. That's how I found out you were bi !"
"Getting in bed with me didn't tip you off, Latener?" Paul wondered. "What kind of detective are you?"
Ryo went white. He clutched at his robe and pulled it around him. He almost jerked open the door, almost demanded to know why Dee hadn't told him... but Dee's reply froze him in his tracks.
"I was drunk, " Dee said in a low voice. "You took advantage of me."
"And you howled my name," Paul retorted.
Dee was quiet again and then he wondered. "What is this all about, Paul? You're not trying to start something up are you? I'm not that drunk, so get your hand off my crotch, k?"
Paul chuckled. "Guess I'm the one that's too drunk, Dee. Sorry about that. Why don't you go to bed. I just thought... you used to be so dangerous and exciting Dee. You used to be spontaneous and ready to try anything. I guess life with a kid and a domestic poodle softened you up."
"I am not soft!" Dee retorted, indignant. "And don't you talk about Ryo like that!"
"Sorry again," Paul replied. "I guess any man would put on a collar and a leash for another man who bakes, makes canapes, and has a tight, pretty ass, eh? He's as good as any two women, I bet. Guess a hairy guy from the slum doesn't have a chance against your high class-"
"Shut up, Paul," Dee snarled. "Don't say another word. You're drunk. I'm drunk. I'm going to forget you said any of this, okay? Let's just go to be and sleep it off."
"I just thought, " Paul replied apologetically, "that we could hook up again, Dee, and be partners. I have some great ideas... ideas that could make us a lot of money. I figured you'd have someone warming your dick, but I never thought you'd lose the edge enough to turn an insipid pretty boy and a street punk into a 'family'. That's just sick ya know? I agree we should sleep it off, but I want to give you something to think about before we do. Think about getting back to the exciting, good old days when we did anything we wanted. With the money I intend to make, we could both have that. Hell, we could buy the Queen Mary and have women or men ten deep. You know that's what you really want, not this boring, 'Honey, I'm home.' crap. Think about it, Dee."
"Go to bed, Paul, " Dee replied angrily. "Maybe you should think about an early plane home in the morning."
"You're crazy if you turn your back on what I'm offering, Dee," Paul snapped back.
Dee was calm and he didn't sound drunk any more. "I'd be crazy to leave the man I love, more than anything in the world, for any amount of money or a 'pipe' dream some old 'buddy' offered me. Good night, Paul."
Ryo was flinging off his robe and shoes and jumping into bed before Dee touched the doorknob. Pulling up the blankets, he pretended to be asleep, as Dee opened the door and sadly entered the bedroom. He listened to the thud of Dee's shoes as they hit the floor and the rustle of his clothes as he undressed. Ryo couldn't help smiling as Dee crawled into bed with him and snuggled against his back under the covers.
"Love you, Baby," Dee murmured.
"Aishite iru, Dee, " Ryo breathed back and fell asleep with the smile still on his face.
"What the Hell's wrong with you?" Dee asked as he plopped down into a chair, still dressed in his black pajamas, and began buttering toast for his breakfast. Paul was still asleep on the fold out couch in the living room, so they had squeezed around the dinette in the kitchen to give him quiet.
Bicky had his chin propped on his fist. He glared blearily back at Dee. He hadn't sleep at all that night, worried about Paul. "Don't feel good," he only half lied. "Wanna stay home from school."
Dee narrowed eyes at him, took in the bloodshot eyes and the pasty hue to Bicky's dark skin. "Hm, guess you aren't faking it this time. Whatever. Call his teacher, Ryo, k?"
Ryo, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, nodded and yawned, his honey brown hair falling loosely in his tired face and his dark eyes blinking sleepily. It was criminal, he thought, the way Dee was going about his business as if he hadn't stayed up all night or drank and smoked himself into a near stupor. The man was busily eating his toast as Ryo put down a cup of juice by his plate. Dee grabbed that hand, grinned cheerily at Ryo as he pulled him close, and planted a kiss on his beautiful lips. Ryo smiled into the kiss.
"Paul's leaving today," Dee said as he broke the kiss and looked deep into Ryo's eyes. "I guess time changes people."
Ryo nodded. "Sometimes, for the worst."
Dee raised eyebrows, but Ryo didn't say anything more as he sat down to have his own breakfast. Bicky watched them uncomfortably and then relaxed. Dee had taken care of things after all. He HAD seen beneath Paul's contrived civility. Bicky owed him one, he felt, and he didn't much like it.
The phone rang. Ryo leaned back in his chair and picked up the kitchen extension on the wall. "Hello? Good morning, Chief."
Dee scowled and made a cutting gesture and a dismissive wave of his hand in an irritable manner, but Ryo only frowned at him and kept nodding at whatever the Chief was saying.
"All right. I'll tell him, sir. Goodbye." Ryo hung up the phone and leaned forward again to face an angry Dee. "He wants you down at he station to brief you on a case. It's time sensitive. He also apologized for bringing you in on your day off."
"Like He-," Dee caught himself, glared at Bicky, and then glowered. "Somehow, I can't imagine the Chief being sorry about anything."
Ryo smiled sheepishly. "Okay, so I added that part."
Dee stared and then snorted as he picked up his toast again to finish it. He had a thought then and he lowered it again. "Uh, Ryo... about Paul..."
"I'll show him the door when he wakes up, don't worry," Ryo assured him tightly.
"Thanks, Baby!" Dee said in relief, glad to take the coward's way out and not have to deal with it. "I'll see you in a few. This shouldn't take long." He leaned and gave Ryo a kiss.
"About time that creep was leaving-" Bicky began, but Dee was standing up, not listening as he carried his toast back towards the bedroom to get dressed for work. Bicky turned his full attention on Ryo, exclaiming, "See, I told you that guy was no good!"
Ryo patted Bicky's hand. "It's okay, Bicky, to go to school. I can handle getting rid of Paul."
Ryo lifted a cup of hot tea to his lips and sipped at it delicately. His hands were broad, but the fingers were long. They might work magic on the trigger of a gun or rifle, but they seemed useless for beating up big thugs like Paul. He could seem so young, too, Bicky thought sourly, younger than himself sometimes. He looked like that right then, hair curled about his face, big eyes intent on his tea, expression thoughtful, but simple and open. Bicky didn't have any doubt that Paul would roll right over Ryo like a pile of bricks if it came to a fight.
"I'm staying right here," Bicky said stubbornly. "I can make the work up tomorrow."
"Count on it," Ryo replied and his voice wasn't a child's at all, but a weary adult's who was used to Bicky's ploys even when the boy was trying to do something unselfish.
Ryo finished his tea with Bicky watching impatiently. After putting his cup away, and taking the time to clean off the table, Ryo decided it was past time to make some noise and get Paul to wake up. The man who had tried, crudely, to steal Dee away from him, had definitely over stayed his welcome.
"Wait here," Ryo told Bicky. "He may have a hangover and be unpleasant. If he begins to make any trouble at all," Ryo paused for emphasis, wanting Bicky to know that he was very serious. "I want you to leave and go over to the neighbors. I'll handle it, all right?"
Bicky nodded and lied. "Sure thing, Ryo."
Ryo nodded back, satisfied, which, to Bicky's mind, underscored his naivete, and went out of the kitchen to confront Paul. Bicky watched from the doorway and then blinked in confusion. Paul wasn't on the couch fold out bed. The covers were tumbled and the man wasn't anywhere in sight.
Ryo paused and then decided that the man had probably gone to the bathroom. He sighed at the mess of beer cans, snack food, and cigarette butts and went to begin cleaning it up. Paul was silent as he placed the barrel of his gun just under Ryo's ear. Ryo flinched and Paul said, "Don't be stupid, pretty boy." he half turned to regard Bicky. "You either smart ass."
Dee slumped into the hard wooden chair in front of the Chiefs wide, scratched desk, and glared from under his dark bangs. He swiveled his glare to take in J.J. who was sitting next to him on another hard, wooden chair.
"Okay, what's up?" Dee wondered.
The Chief chewed viciously on his cigar and shoved a file across his desk over to Dee. Dee leaned forward and opened it up, but he was still looking at the Chief.
"Diamond heist," the Chief growled. "You can READ, can't you Latener, or should I spell it out in blocks?"
Dee growled under his breath and both the Chief and J.J. waited silently while he gave the file a quick once over, muttering, "This better be worth my day off."
"Oh, I'm sorry," The Chief snarled sarcastically, "is keeping your lazy ass in bed, with a case of beer, more important than protecting New York citizens against thieves?"
Dee stiffened, but not at the Chiefs abuse. A photo had slipped out from between the file papers. "Paul..." Dee said stunned.
"Paul Terk," J.J. spoke up at last. "The same guy who made so much trouble for you at the academy. I remember him, Dee. He threatened to break my neck when I suggested that he stop blaming you for all the things he talked you in to. "
Dee scowled. "It wasn't that bad and he didn't blame me for anything!"
J.J. frowned in return. "He did blame you, Dee. I thought you knew that. How else do you think everyone knew you had been in on those awful pranks?"
"I didn't think about it," Dee admitted. "I never thought Paul... " He tapped the photo and looked at the Chief. "You're sure about this? Where's your proof?"
"Surveillance photos," The Chief replied. "He seems to be the ring leader. When I showed the case to J.J., he recognized Paul Terk right away. He suggested that I call you in to confirm."
Dee had waited for hesitation, ready to grasp at anything to defend Paul's reputation with. Now that all hope was crushed, panic began to set in full force. Dee whipped out his cell phone, hand shaking as he punched buttons. J.J. raised eyebrows. "What's going on, Dee?"
"He's staying at my apartment, with Ryo and the kid!" Dee exclaimed, beginning to sweat bullets. "He called me up, said he wanted to talk about old times. I let- Jeez! I let him stay the night! He talked about some sort of scheme and making a lot of money. He wanted me to dump Ryo and get in on it with him. Of course he'd want to hook up with a cop! I could have used my connections to get him out of the country. I told him to go to hell last night, told him to leave this morning... I left Ryo to get rid of him. God! I'm such a dumb shit! Why did I do that?! Why!"
The phone rang over and over, but no one answered. Dee shoved the cell phone into his pocket, trying not to completely fall apart, trying to think clearly. "J.J. ! You're coming with me! Chief, I'll call for back up when I find out what's going on! I'm going back to my apartment!"
"I'll send the nearest patrol car," The Chief suggested. "I'm not about to let you hotdog now, Latener!"
"Do that!" Dee shouted back as he grabbed J.J. by the arm and propelled him out of the office door. "But don't let them make a move until I get there. Paul can be mean. I don't want Ryo and the kid getting hurt. I'll try and bluff Paul out of the apartment!"
Please, God, Dee thought frantically, let Paul be gone, let Ryo be drinking tea and waiting for me, and let Bicky be lazing on the couch listening to his crappy music! Anything, God, he thought, anything you want from me, you got it! Just let all of that happen and don't leave any of it out, especially the part about Paul, the son-of -a-bitch, murdering, diamond thief being gone!
"You've caused me some trouble," Paul was saying as he hooked an arm around Ryo and pulled him in close to his broad chest. He turned Ryo around until he was facing Bicky.
Ryo could feel Paul's hot breath on his neck, tickling the little hairs there, his big, hard hand barely inches from his crotch. It seemed too intimate, that hold, almost possessive, but Paul was whispering in Ryo's ear as if reading his mind, "Don't worry, pretty baby, you aren't my type. Too old. You're going to wish you hadn't been Dee's type, too. I need him and he's not going to come on board while he has this little 'family' tying him down."
Ryo swallowed hard, feeling a hard sliver of icy fear stab into his gut. Too old, he echoed in his mind and began to be afraid... afraid for Bicky, remembering some odd looks and some odder conversation about the boy.
"You're going to come with me," Paul was saying as he stroked the side of Ryo's face with his gun barrel. "If you're good, I'll let you live, put you somewhere where you can't make trouble and you can be a pretty housekeeper for someone else."
"Dee will look for me," Ryo said, and then wished he hadn't. It had been automatic, that statement of fact.
"No, he won't," Paul chuckled, "because you are going to leave a nice note for him and tell him that you and Bicky, after getting rid of me, decided to head into the city for lunch. A real father/ foster son bonding experience. It's too bad you'll have an 'accident' on the way. The city is so dangerous, after all. I'll leave some blood, a few bits of clothing to identify you, and some graphic gang symbols to throw off suspicion. Dee will be searching every gang in the city. He won't find you, of course, and I'll be there to console him and offer him a new life." Paul nipped Ryo's ear, and Ryo flinched. "I'll be much better for him, Pretty poodle. Dee needs excitement, and I'll give him as much as he can stand. He'll forget all about his sad, little Ryo quick enough."
Ryo didn't want to ask it, didn't want to bring Paul's attention to Bicky, but Bicky was figuring it out on his own. He had grown up in the slum. He wasn't an innocent. His blue eyes were narrowed and his fists were clenched in outrage. He was ready to do something, something that might get him killed.
"Bicky-," Ryo began, but Paul cut him off, flinging him out of his arms and letting him stumble to regain his balance.
"I have plans for blue eyes," Paul said, "Don't worry your pretty head about that. He's more useful alive, much more useful." He motioned with his gun. "Write the letter, now. Hurry up!"
"Matte kudasai, Bicky," Ryo said quickly as he turned to a desk and took out pen and paper.
Paul scowled. "What was that?"
Bicky spoke up. "He's part Japanese," he said quickly. "When he gets nervous, he starts spouting Japanese, forgets every bit of English he knows. Stupid, isn't it?"
"What did he say?" Paul demanded suspiciously.
"Don't do anything stupid... I think," Bicky replied flippantly. "I don't know Japanese, man!" A partial lie. He knew what Ryo was trying to say to him. Ryo was telling him to sit tight and let him take care of Paul. The thought of that terrified Bicky, but the alternative was taking on Paul himself, and Bicky knew how that would end.
"Well, good advice," Paul grumbled. "Try anything, punk, and I'll put some holes in you." He turned his attention back to Ryo. "Make the note normal. Nothing fancy."
Ryo put the paper on the coffee table and then kneeled to write. Bicky felt his gut clench. Ryo looked so vulnerable, kneeling at Paul's feet, the brute hovering and reading over his shoulder, ready to pound him into submission if Ryo should write the wrong thing. Paul was enjoying that power. He suddenly put a hand to the back of Ryo's neck and pushed his face down against the table, against the paper he was about to write on.
Paul said very pointedly, wanting to make Ryo afraid. "Maybe I'll ship you off to another country, hm? I think someone would pay good money to have you fetch their slippers. If you don't do everything right, I might just do that."
Paul released Ryo. Ryo raised his head and the paper was wet with tears. He knew he couldn't play Paul's game. Paul was either going to kill them both or abuse them. Either way, he had to act no matter what the consequences. He had to save Bicky, even if it meant his life. A last note to Dee first, Ryo thought, and blinked back the tears as he gathered himself and wrote three words on the paper, Love you Dee, and then whirled and slammed the pen straight into Paul's crotch while he swept his arm at the same time and knocked the gun out of Paul's hand.
"Run, Bicky!" Ryo shouted as the gun hit the floor and went off. A bullet plowed into a wall as Ryo rose up and kicked out, catching Paul straight on the chin. The man was howling in pain, hands on his crotch. The kick snapped his head back, but Ryo was barefoot and off balance. Paul was shaking his head to clear it in the next instant and throwing himself at Ryo.
Bicky saw Ryo go down under flailing fists, heard the sickening blows land, and heard Ryo cry out pitifully. He was a rag doll in the mouth of a pit bull. Paul dragged him up and slapped him hard on each cheek. As Ryo reeled, he shook at him, grinning evilly as he showed Ryo just how helpless he was against his strength as he set himself up to land a kick into Ryo's groin, payback for the pen jab.
Bicky was frozen, shocked, everything happening so quickly; running the last thing on his mind. He had to help Ryo, he thought frantically. Ryo needed him. He couldn't hope to win a physical battle with someone like Paul. He needed a weapon. He needed the gun. Bicky broke out of his immobility and dived for it across the floor.
Ryo avoided the knee to the groin, but it landed painfully into his hip. He cried out, but he was twisting to, right of Paul's grip. Paul snatched at his hair, found a few strands to lock onto, and threw Ryo off balance again as Ryo tried to kick. Ryo fell instead and he left a clump of his hair in Paul's hand as he landed on his back on top of the coffee table.
"You fucking bitch!" Paul screamed as he bent over Ryo. "I'm going to mess you up now!"
"Don't think so," Bicky snarled as he shoved the gun into the side of Paul's head.
Paul froze and swiveled his eyes at Bicky. Bicky became uncertain when he grinned and licked his lips. "I bet old Dee was doing you too, wasn't he? I bet he taught you some nice tricks. I'm going to make you show me what you learned, blue eyes."
Sickened, Bicky's hands on the gun trembled. He glanced at Ryo and trembled some more when he saw the welts on Ryo's face and his bleeding lips. That moment of distraction was all Paul needed. He grabbed for the gun. Bicky tried to prevent him. The gun was fumbled. It tumbled into the air. Ryo's sure hand, that had won so many awards for sharpshooting, snatched the gun out of the air, twirled it around, and pointed it unerringly at Paul's chest. His black eyes were cold and deadly as he said, "Freeze. You are under arrest, Paul Terk."
The front door opened then and Dee and J.J. stepped in, trying to be casual. When they saw the scene before them, they drew their own guns and rushed forward. Dee grabbed Paul by the shoulder, pulled him off of Ryo, and shoved him hard at J.J. "Book that slime ball!" He shouted.
As J.J. kept his gun on Paul and called for the other officers in the hallway, Dee approached Bicky and Ryo. Ryo was sitting up on the coffee table slowly, hands going to his face gingerly.
"No more reunions for awhile, okay, Dee?" Ryo whispered.
Dee looked down at the coffee table and saw the note Ryo had written. He made a choking sound as he holstered his gun and then he held out his arms to both Bicky and Ryo, pulling them in close against his chest. "I'm so sorry!" he sobbed. "I never meant-"
"Of course you didn't," Ryo breathed against Dee's chest, feeling the man kissing the top of his head despite the blood from where Paul had yanked out a clump of hair. "You couldn't have known, Dee!"
Bicky was already squirming to get away, but Ryo could feel him shivering with reaction. "Get off me, man! I don't want your drool on me! Your sick puppy ' friend' almost capped our asses! Of course it's your freakin' fault! You invited him to crash here, didn't you?"
"Bicky!" Ryo said, but it was weak sounding even in his own hears. He was having a reaction too. The things that Paul had said, the things that he had threatened, weren't going to be forgotten any time soon, but blaming Dee wasn't the cure for either of them. "Dee didn't know, " Ryo continued. "Paul is the one who threatened us, not Dee."
Bicky looked lost and very young for a moment and Ryo considered therapy, some sessions with a psychologist to help Bicky over come the trauma of being threatened and held at gun point. Bicky had his own therapy in mind. He stalked over to Paul as J.J. was handcuffing the man. J.J. looked at the dark skinned, blue eyed, blonde haired, bundle of temper that was Bicky and grunted in surprise when Bicky suddenly kicked Paul straight in the groin, hard. Paul collapsed, folding over on himself as he howled in pain. Bicky followed that kick up with one to the gut. Satisfied, he smiled wickedly and went to plop down onto the couch. Putting on his head phones, he was soon engrossed in a heavy metal tune, the backbeat heard clearly by everyone, the smile still on his face.
Ryo let out a long breath and looked at Dee. Dee was nodding in satisfaction, but the frown of guilt was still on his face. "Paul didn't have a chance," Ryo said softly and Dee looked down at him, smoothing fingers gently along Ryo's bruised face. "What we have, you, me, and Bicky, is too strong."
Dee nodded again, but he was looking depressed too. "Paul had a good set of parents who adopted him. They had money. They gave him a good home. I guess you can't really take the slum out of people like us. To us orphans, the slum was our mother and father. It taught us lessons, I guess we can ever forget."
"Baka!" Ryo retorted and gave Dee a small, sharp slap on the face. Dee's green eyes went wide and he lifted a hand to the faint, red mark. "You're not an orphan, you never were one, Dee. Penguin was your mother. She raised you. You know right from wrong. Paul knows it too, but he chose to turn his back on it and break the law. You chose to become a detective and follow the law. We are all free to make choices, Dee, no matter where or in what circumstances we were raised. You know that, so stop being an idiot and help me get cleaned up!"
Dee rubbed at the red mark and then lowered his hand to help Ryo stand. Ryo leaned against him, not caring about the other officers in the room taking care of Paul. Dee said softly. "Sometimes, because of where I grew up, I don't think I'm as good as everyone else, but, after seeing Paul, I don't think I'm so bad after all. I used to hang on him and follow him around like a puppy, you know, looking up to him because he seemed so smart. He knew the streets like the back of his hand even at ten. What did he really know, after all? Nothing. I am stupid, stupid for wanting him back in my life, for wanting to relive old times that were really crappy, for wanting some of that 'freedom' he represented back." Dee nodded to where Paul was being led away, J.J. reading his rights. "That's his 'freedom' right there; a waiting jail cell. I'm better than that," Dee continued as he put an arm around Ryo and began helping him towards the bathroom. "and what I have is better than anything he offered me. Hell, even Bicky in my life is better than that!" He looked down into Ryo's bruised, smiling face. "I may have been an orphan, and I may have grown up in the slum, but that's not who I am any more."
"No," Ryo agreed. "Not anymore."
Owari