Fic: Mailed, Chapter 8 (CSI Miami, Eric Delko / Ryan Wolfe)
Title: Mailed, Chapter 8
Pairing: Ryan Wolfe / Eric Delko
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
CSI Miami Main List
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Interlude Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10
“Get that look off your face.” Ryan grunted through a mouthful of food. “I`ve had a rough day, I’m hungry.”
“Go ahead, I’m not judging.” Eric grinned and focused on his own meal. Ryan’s attention had been fixed on his food and he had shovelled it in with single-minded determination like a starving man.
“That was good.” Ryan leaned back in his chair and pressed is palm against his full belly.
“I told you. How bout desert?”
“Just coffee. If I have something more, I’ll burst.”
“Your loss. They make really great Sundaes.”
“Ice cream Sundaes in a Cuban restaurant?”
“They know their customers.” Eric shrugged. The dinner was coming closer and closer to the end, but they hadn’t even mentioned the issue between them. His mind slipped back to the e-mails he had read and the question slipped out of his mouth before he could reel it back. “Have you ever thought about going back?”
“Back where?”
“To work in the patrol.”
“No.”
“I mean I understand why you left, but it’s been a while and I know they’re-”
“I don’t wanna talk about it. I left because I didn’t want to do that anymore and that hasn’t changed. I’m happy where I am now.”
“Working in a lab? Isn’t that kinda boring?”
“Look who’s talking.”
“Well, yeah… but they let me out too.”
“Like the chimps in the zoo?”
“That was an accident, we were working on a murder victim who was dumped into the monkey castle and…” He looked up and realised Ryan was grinning. “You’re making fun of me.”
“Yeah.”
That small grin set Eric’s mind at ease and his whole body relaxed. Things weren’t exactly the way he wanted, but at least Ryan’s hostility and sombre mood seemed to be gone for now.
“I got a question for you too.” Ryan said. “How long were you gonna continue?”
“You mean…”
“Yeah. How long did you think you could keep it up?” Ryan’s voice wasn’t accusing anymore, just sincerely wondering.
“I haven’t really thought about it. It just happened.” Eric took a sip from his glass. “What about you? How long are you gonna keep hanging on to a dead man instead of live ones?”
“I haven’t really thought about it.” Ryan repeated Eric`s answer.
“So what we gonna do now?”
“Have coffee.”
“After that.”
“You’ll drive me back to my place.”
“And then?”
“And then I`ll go to bed and wake up in the morning to go to work.” Ryan emptied the rest of his wine glass. “And around seven you’ll come and pick me up for a dinner and a movie.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.” Ryan placed his glass on the table with a faint clink. “But if you screw up again, we’re done.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it. It’s hard enough to forgive once. I can’t do that twice.”
------------------------------
Eric was ready to go to bed when the doorbell rang. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, and went to open the door. Alexx barged in before the door was even completely open.
“Eric Delko, you better have a damn good explanation.”
“You’ve talked to Valera, haven’t you?” Eric groaned. “And please don’t hit me, one half of my face is already one big bruise.”
“I would love smack some sense into your head, but I won’t. And I didn’t talk to Valera, I talked to Calleigh. She told me what you’ve been up to.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds-”
“Not as bad? You conned a grieving man into your bed, that is bad enough in my books.”
“I didn’t con him! I may have mislead him, but that’s not conning-”
“I’m starting to reconsider the hitting thing.”
“Can’t you at leas wait a week till the old ones have gone down?”
“Tempting, but I don’t thing it would help much.” Alexx stated and pulled out her cellphone. “I wanted to see you myself first, but I think I’ve heard enough.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m calling your momma. If her boy grew up to be that crooked, she’ll want to hear about it.”
“Alexx-”
Eric was about to resort to begging when the doorbell rang again.
“Please. Just wait a minute.” He went to open the door, and his eyes went wide. His head twirled own its own back and forth between Alexx in the apartment and Ryan at the door.
“You forgot your phone when you left…” Ryan looked over Eric’s shoulder. “Is this a bad time? I just wanted to drop this off and-”
“No, this is a great time. Come on in.” Eric grabbed him and pulled him into the apartment. He pushed Ryan in front of Alexx. “Alezz, Ryan. Ryan, Alexx. She’s our medical examiner and Speed’s Mamabear.”
“Oh…” Ryan’s face lit up as the connection became clear. “You’re a lot younger than I thought.”
“Not the point. Please tell her I’m not the monster she seems to think I am.”
“Why?”
“Please.” Eric pleaded. “She doesn’t just wanna hit me like the girls at the lab, she wants to call my mom!”
“Okay, I’ll handle this.” Ryan grinned and turned to face Alexx again. “Alexx, that man is a total creep. He let’s people believe what they shouldn’t because he doesn’t have the guts to tell the truth and then reaps the benefits of it whenever he can. He’s not much into foreplay and he really should moisturise his hands more often. He tries that innocent puppy look and expects to get away because of it.” He took a deep breath. “But I forgave him, so you can put your phone away now.”
Chapter 9