Ryan Wolfe/Frank Tripp Series
Title: Gotta be Somebody
Author: Sam/Greg Sanders
Beta: Martha/Sanzo
Genre: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Ryan Wolfe/OMC, Ryan/Frank
Rating: FRAO
Warnings: Spoilers for “Under the Influence”
Summary: Ryan wants to start over.
A/N: This will be a series based on the lyrics from Nickleback’s song Gotta be Somebody. Lyrics will be in italics.
Disclaimer: I don't own them I just play with them.
Gotta Be Somebody
This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren’t enough
So I’ll be waiting for the real thing
I’ll know it by the feeling
The moment when we’re meeting
Will play out like a scene
Straight off the silver screen
So, I’ll be holdin’ my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one to spend forever with.
Ryan looked one last time around the condo he had shared with his boyfriend of 6 years, before picking up the last bag from beside the door. He was leaving behind a lot of memories, both good and bad, as well as his family and friends. But after finding out that his partner had been cheating for the last 6months but was too much of a coward to tell him that it was over, he just felt it was time to go. He was a little apprehensive about it, and really didn’t know how he was going to manage stepping out of his comfort zone but he had to start somewhere.
Locking the door for the last time and sliding the key back through the mail slot, he let the tears that he been trying so hard to keep in, fall down his face. This was not how it was to go, they where suppose to be together forever. Ryan was not one to believe in fairy tales, but this had felt like a fairytale only to find he had woken up to a nightmare.
Ryan had met Chad at a seminar his first year at Boston University, and they had hit it off right away. At first it was just hanging out for coffee, study groups and the occasional movie night with mutual friends. It had been the best 3 months Ryan had ever had, then Chad had asked him out on an official date and he had fallen hard. They became attached at the hip and even moved in together that first summer.
A lot of people thought that they made a cute couple; Chad being 5 years older than Ryan only made the younger man feel that more loved and cared for. Chad doted on Ryan, making sure he was taking care of himself and not working too hard. After he had graduated with his undergraduate in Chemistry, Ryan was thinking of continuing his education and go after his masters in Genetics. At the time he thought that Chad would be supportive and help him like he had before. That had been a year ago, and then it all fell apart.
Ryan had taken a trip to Miami to visit his uncle for a week and when he got back his life as he knew it was over. He had planned on surprising his boyfriend by catching an earlier flight but it was him who got the surprise. He had pulled up in a cab and noticed a friend’s car in their parking space, not thinking much about it he had walked up to his front door. The site that greeted him was one that was burned into is mind forever.
~ Flashback ~
“Honey I’m home.” Ryan sang out as he opened the front door of the condo they had bought 2 years ago. Putting his bag down and dropping his keys on the console the young man headed into the living room. “Chad?”
“Ryan?” The undignified squeak said from the couch, “What are you doing home?”
Stopping just inside the doorway of the living room, Ryan took in the disheveled look of his boyfriend and the other person in the room. “What’s going on here?” he asked, a lot calmer than he felt.
“It’s not what it looks like Ry.” Chad tried to explain as he untangled himself from the other person and got off the couch. “I wasn’t expecting you home till tomorrow.”
“I can see that.” he answered, choking back the lump in his throat. “So, how long has this been going on?”
“Has what been going on? Charlene just came over to watch a movie and have pizza. She thought I would be lonely without you here.” he said, trying to cover a very obvious erection, tenting his pants.
“And I bet she made you forget about being lonely.” the younger man said as he headed for the bedroom. Grabbing the extra suitcase out of the closet, he started pulling Chad’s clothes out of the dresser and closet.
“Ryan, what are you doing?” the older man asked as he tried to stop what Ryan was doing.
“What does it look like? I’m helping you get your stuff together so that you can spend more time with Charlene. As in not here and not with me.”
“Ryan, baby, don’t do this.” Chad said, running a hand over the others back.
“Just go.” he said, with more force than he felt.
~ End Flashback ~
That had been three weeks ago, and now he was heading to Miami to stay with his Uncle Ron and hopefully start over. He was still planning on doing his Masters in genetics but now he was going to work for a year first. He didn’t understand how it all had gone to pot, he knew that what he had felt for Chad had not been love at first site, but he still had loved him. He kept racking his brain to see if there had been any clue as to what he had done wrong and when if there was anything he could have done different. But he kept coming up with the same thing, it wasn’t his fault and there was someone else out there for him. He hoped so, because he really didn’t want to be alone.
Walking down the loading ramp and onto the plane, he said his final good bye to the city he grew up in and the past he just wanted to forget.
Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
Gotta be somebody for me like that
Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
Everybody wants to know there are not alone
Somebody else feels the same somewhere
Gotta be somebody for me out there.
A year after his arrival in Miami, Ryan was walking around the mall cursing the season that found him here to begin with. How he hated Valentine’s Day, not that it really should matter; he knew a lot of people that were alone on this, the epitome of coupledom. But Ryan just felt empty this year, and so alone.
He had called Chad a couple weeks after he had left, only to be greeted by a female voice on the answering machine stating that the couple where away on a holiday. He had cried for hours afterwards. Some piece of him had hoped that there was still a chance, but it was made very clear when a check arrived in the amount of his half of the condo purchase.
So here he was wandering around on his day off, in the mall that was filled with couples and decorations proclaiming love. Was it too much to ask that he could get even a glimpse of that love? Was there no one who could take the darkness from his heart?
He had wanted to start his masters this September, but had gone to the police academy instead, surprising himself when he graduated at the top of his class. Now here he was on his day off, wandering around an overly packed mall, nearly tripping over a few otherwise occupied couples.
He should have taken his uncle’s offer for a day on the water, swimming and snorkeling. But no, he had to prove to himself that he was not slowly dieing on the inside. He was trying to get on with his life and you would think that after a year it would seem to be getting easier but it wasn’t.
He just wanted to find that someone that would make it all better. He wanted to know what it felt like to really be loved by someone and not used. Sure, Chad had loved him at some point but there was this part of Ryan that kept insisting that he was just a convenience for their entire relationship. Someone dependable and that would always be faithful. And that sucked, the young man thought and not in a good way.
He wandered around a couple more hours before giving up and heading back to the condo he was sharing with his uncle. Once home, he paced, feeling restless and unsettled about the day, so he got dressed and headed for the nearest club he knew. If he couldn’t have Mr. Right, then he would settle for Mr. Right Now.
Arriving at Club Desire, Ryan parked his car and paid the door fee to get in. He glanced around and spotted a couple regulars that he knew before heading to the bar.
“Hey Mickey, can I get a Monkey’s Lunch.” the young brunet called over the thumping of the music.
“Sure Ryan, what brings you here tonight, thought you where going out with Ron.” the large bartender asked, handing over the banana liqueur concoction.
“Decided to stay home and sulk.” he responded with a laugh.
“So, who’s catching your fancy tonight? You know that Patrick isn’t around for the next few months as he went on that African trip.” Mickey said, wiping his hands on a towel as he leaned against the bar.
“Not tonight Mike. Just didn’t want to be alone.” Ryan said, turning his back on the dance floor.
Smiling at the attractive young man in front of him, the bartender laid a hand on his shoulder, “Well I’m here if you want me.”
Smiling in return at his friend, Ryan finished his drink before ordering something stronger. It was closing time before Ryan hauled his body off the stool that he had been occupying for the last few hours and waved at Mike.
“I’m out of here Mickey. See you next week.”
“Hold up there buddy. You know my rules, if you can’t walk a straight line, then it’s a cab for you.”
After proving that he was sober enough to drive, Ryan made his way home. After going through his normal nightly routine, he went to bed, only to let the despair wash over him and take him into an unsettled sleep.
Tonight
Out on the street, out in the moonlight
And, damn it, this feels too right
It's just like de ja vu
Me standin' here with you
So I'll be holdin' my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I'll spend forever with?
Ryan straightened out his uniform that morning, hoping to keep his breakfast down. He had an interview that afternoon on his lunch break with Lt Caine, the supervisor of the day shift CSI’s. He had applied a few months ago but had been told that there were no openings at that time, but that his application would be kept on file for 6months. That had been four months ago and now there was an opening, although under the circumstances he wasn’t all that sure about taking the spot now.
It had happened about three weeks ago, that Lt Caine had lost one of his own on the job. Apparently it had been a malfunctioning service weapon that was one of the factors involved. He had been warned by a few patrol officers that the day shift CSI’s were a tight knit group who had closed in tighter around themselves with the death of Timothy “Speed” Speedle. Ryan had done his research, and felt that he knew enough about them, that he could make a good impression. But even knowing that left him a jumbled up ball of nerves.
The young patrol officer had just left a little coffee shop on the corner at the back of the shopping center when the call came in; someone had taken a header into an oncoming bus. He radioed in and since he was the closest, had arrived first on the scene. After setting up the perimeter, he turned to get the eyewitness accounts of what had happened. He was almost all the way through when he saw the familiar white van and silver Hummer arrive at the scene.
It was almost fascinating watching that teamwork. The ME, Alexx Woods, was carefully doing her preliminary findings report as Lt Caine stood listening. The tall, Cuban who approached the pair, Ryan recognized from his work photo to be one Eric Delko. It was said that Eric and Speedle had been really close to the point that the rumor mill had them linked intimately. But it was all just hearsay and water cooler type gossip, so Ryan didn’t put much weight in it. Although he couldn’t say he blamed anyone for wanting that man, he was stunning. Seeing his opportunity to tell the Lt what he had found out so far, he made his way over to the two CSI’s with what he hoped was an air of confidence.
“Lt I’ve taken the eyewitness accounts and it would seem that the victim was clearly distressed and pushed her way to the front of the bus line.” Ryan said, quickly scanning his notes to make sure that he had not left anything important out. “No one saw if she was pushed or just stepped out in front of the bus.”
“Thank you officer.” the older red head said, looking at him with somewhat of an amused look in his eye.
Walking away from the pair, Ryan sighed a breath of relief that he had managed to face the Lt without even flinching. Now if only his interview later that day went as smoothly.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Ryan had been a CSI for all of 2hrs before he was handed a case involving another CSI’s father. What he had told Calleigh was true; he didn’t need to prove himself to anyone. He got the job just like everyone else, based on his skills. He was trying to do his job and he did want to impress Lt Caine with his skills and his knowledge that he did know what he was doing.
Scrapping trace off the wheel well of the silver SUV, he tried to keep his temper down so that he didn’t say something he would regret. After assuring the blonde CSI that he would do everything by the book, and that he did follow the rules, he got back to analyzing his trace.
Getting his results, he grabbed his phone and called Detective Tripp, telling him what he had found. After hanging up, he was a little taken back by his reaction to the voice on the other end. He hadn’t even met the man yet and already there was something about him, that made Ryan’s stomach flip.
Getting to the crime scene ahead of the detective, Ryan found the source of the orange paint transfer and was quietly checking for any other evidence when he heard a car pull up.
“And here I thought I drove fast.” the deep male voice said, coming from behind Ryan.
Ryan stood up and turned to face the older man and was suddenly at a lose for words. He stared for only a moment before he turned to explain the what he had found from the case. Keeping the older man within his sight, Ryan continued his evaluation of what he thought had happened. Watching the larger man move around and listen to him was a little exhilarating.
By the end of the shift he had solved the case and got praise from both Calleigh and Lt Caine. The only person he really wanted praise from was the larger, older detective but that was also a little frightening. He was just standing outside the front of the lab and people watching. This was something he could do all day and never get bored. He saw the very man he was unconsciously thinking about coming towards him, and he tried to appear causal while on the inside he was dying.
“Mr. Wolfe, what are you still doing here? I would have thought that you would have been gone already.” Horatio asked, stepping up behind his newest CSI.
“Was just waiting for my ride, Lt.” the young man answered, as his eyes followed the larger form across the parking lot.
“Well then, have a good day and I’ll see you tomorrow.” the red head said as he walked towards the parking lot and his vehicle.
Watching the two older men converse, Ryan sighed and wondered if he would have the courage to approach the daunting older man. The younger brunet didn’t know what it was about this man that made him flush and stammer like a school girl, but whatever it was he hoped that it wouldn’t affect his job.
Smiling he walked to the cab that had just pulled up, now interfering with his dreams was a whole other matter.
Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me like that
‘Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there
Ryan laid in his new bed, in his new condo and stared at the ceiling. He had finally gotten out of his uncle’s basement and into a place of his own, but he still didn’t feel satisfied. It had been over eight months since he joined Horatio Caine’s team and still he felt like an outsider. The tension at work was sometimes so thick you could cut it with a knife, and at other times it was like he wasn’t even there.
He sometimes thought he had made a mistake in taking the open CSI position, but he wasn’t a quitter and he really enjoyed what he was doing. He just wished his co-workers would at least see him as a person and not as a replacement for someone who wasn’t coming back. The brunet did have to admit that it wasn’t as strained as it had been the first couple months, and at least now Alexx was talking to him without the hint of distain that she had originally had. Even the blonde, Calleigh, was slowly coming around. Now if he could just figure out a way to get past the fortress that both his supervisor, Lt Caine and the Cuban, Eric, had built around themselves.
There were days when he just wanted to smack the Cuban and tell him that Speed was not coming back and no matter how hard he tried, Ryan wasn’t going anywhere. It didn’t help that Horatio never referred to him as anything but ‘Mr. Wolfe.’ He always felt like he should look over his shoulder to see if his father was standing behind him. He just wished that they would at least give him a chance instead of tossing him out with the garbage before they got to meet him.
Then there was Det. Frank Tripp. Ryan sighed at the thought of the older, larger man. Now if there ever was a person he would like to get to know better it was him. The Texan had an easy going personality that drew the younger man to him, but he didn’t take any crap from anyone either. Ryan had had many a dream about that man, that had ended in having to put clean sheets on his bed before he could go back to sleep.
Ryan had tried on numerous occasions over the last couple months to work up the nerve to ask Frank out for coffee after work, but every time he figured that he was ready to take that step he would chicken out at the last second. He didn’t think that Frank was interested in men, but there were times when they were working together that Ryan thought that someone was watching him. He can’t say for sure that it was the older man, because whenever he had turned to look, Frank was always looking the other way or talking to a witness.
Ryan huffed and fluffed up his pillow again before trying to settle for the night. He was starting to think that things couldn’t get any worse, but he was wrong. His last weekend off he had gone back to Club Desire and ended up going home with a Frank Tripp impersonator, that he could have done without. What he really wanted was the real thing, and he knew that he didn’t stand a chance.
Turning onto his back again, he let the sheet slide down his body so that it rested at his waist. Closing his eyes he imagined that his hand was actually Frank’s as he trailed his fingertips over chest and around his hardening nipples. Moaning softly, he relaxed back into the bed and let his imagination take over, as he had done many times before.
He imagined a larger body covering his, pressing him into the mattress as feather light kisses were rained down on the side of his neck and over his collarbone. Ryan slid two fingers into his mouth and sucked on them, pulling them free once they were wet, before using them to roll his hardening nipples. Gasping at the sensations that were flooding his body, the young brunet unconsciously spread his legs, bending them at the knees.
Running his hands more firmly down his sides and across his stomach, Ryan made little mewling noises in the back of his throat each time he hit a hot spot. Running his fingers under the sheet, he toyed with his navel, gently tracing around the indent with feather light touches before trailing his fingers along the sparse trail of hair. Skirting his fingers around the curly patch of hair between his legs, Ryan rolled his head on his pillow moaning.
After tormenting himself as much as he wanted, Ryan wrapped his long fingers around the base of his erect penis. Using slow movements, the younger man stoked himself, pretending it was a larger hand on him, flicking at the top of the angry red and weeping head. Letting his hips rise off the bed, he started to slowly push up into his hand.
Knowing that he was close to completion, Ryan sped up his movements, groaning and panting the closer he got. Twisting his other hand in the sheet below him, his back arched off the bed, causing his entire body to tense as he shot creamy white fluid across his chest, calling out “FRANK”, as he did so.
Slowly panting, he came back to his sense with a soft smile on his face, before grimacing at the mess he had made. Stretching one last time, he got up and changed the sheets, dropping them in the laundry before heading for the shower. Climbing in under the warm water, he scrubbed down his chest and groin, wishing that he wasn’t alone.
Finishing up, he quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and put new sheets on the bed before deciding that it was a waste of time to try to go back to sleep right now. The brunet headed for the kitchen where he made a pot of coffee and stepped out on to his balcony.
Settling on the lounger, he stared off into the starry night and tried to imagine what Frank would be doing right now if he was there. Would they be sitting together, the older man wrapping his strong arms around Ryan? Or would he be trying to coax Ryan back to bed with whatever means he could. Taking a sip of the lukewarm coffee, Ryan sighed and relaxed into the cushions. He really hated being alone.
Ooh! You can't give up
When you're lookin' for a diamond in the rough
Because you'll never know when it shows up
Make sure you're holdin' on
'Cause it could be the one, the one you're waiting on
‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me.
Ryan was sitting in one of the empty rooms in the lab, working on cold cases when he had the feeling that someone was watching him. Turning ever so slightly, he caught Frank looking at him and their eyes connected. Smiling at the older man and getting one in return, Ryan turned back to his work wondering what the look had meant.
Ryan had had a long talk with his uncle about how lonely he was, and the advice the older man gave him was to not try so hard. He would find what he was looking for if he would just stop looking. He guessed that was true, because whenever he had looked for something in the past, the moment he stopped looking was the moment he actually found it.
Ryan stretched and rotated his neck, trying to work the kinks out that had taken up residece there. It had been a long day and there had been little in the way of breaks; although the few times he had left the room he had come back to find a mug of coffee or a bottle of water. At lunch he had come back to find a sandwich and a pop. Whoever it was leaving these things for him never left a note as to who it was and only left things when he wasn’t around.
The younger man smiled to himself when he came back from his last break of his shift and found a chocolate bar and a rose left on the table. He picked up the flower and carefully smelt it, noticing that someone had taken the time to remove the thorns from its stem. Putting the flower back down, he picked up the chocolate and opened it, taking a bit.
He was trying to figure out who his sudden admirer was later that night. It was most likely Alexx, as she was always telling him that he wasn’t taking care of himself. But it was nice to think that someone else was worried about his welfare. It wasn’t that the people he worked with didn’t care, they had slowly warmed up to him in the last few months. They weren’t all that close, nothing like they had been apparently when Speed was alive, but they had mellowed a lot.
Arriving at the lab the next day, Ryan was taken back by the bag of goodies that where attached to his locker. Taking a look around and noticing no one else was there, he unhooked the bag form the hook . Sitting on the bench, he eagerly opened the plastic bag, grinning like a kid at Christmas when he got a look at the items within the bag. He found all his favorites in there: Nerds, assorted penny candies, and his absolute favorite a candied apple. Putting the bag into his locker after pocketing a few of the penny candies, Ryan made his way to the break room to get his assignment for the day.
This little ritual carried on for weeks, with Ryan coming into work and finding a bag of something attached to the front of his locker. Besides the bag of candy on the first day, he also got a CD from his favorite band, theatre tickets to a movie that he had wanted to see and then last week he had gotten a new gym bag after his had gotten torn when it gotten caught on the door of the hummer.
Ryan whistled as he walked into the locker room wanting to see what his new ’gift’ was today. He knew that Calleigh and Eric had told him that he should process the items to see if he could get any evidence as to who this person was, but he had refused. So far everything had been harmless, and he had promised them that if the items started to get threatening in nature he would go to H.
Seeing a piece of paper attached to his locker, he again looked around and seeing that he was the only one in the room, pulled the paper off to read. He chewed his bottom lip as he pondered the note. It was a simple typed note asking him to join this person for lunch. He wasn’t sure if that was a good idea, but then when he realized that the location was right out front. Putting caution to the wind he decided to do it.
Watching the clock, Ryan felt like the morning was never going to end. It seemed that every time he looked a the clock, the hands hadn’t moved. Finally sighing in frustration, he decided that what he needed was a fresh cup of coffee. The young man was on his way back from getting his coffee, when he saw Frank leaving the layout room where Ryan had been working. Thinking that the older man had information for him from their case, he hurried up to catch him.
As he passed the open door, he happened to catch something out of the corner of his eye. Slowing to a stop and then backing up, he stared at the small bag that wasn’t there before. Doing a great impression of a goldfish out of water, Ryan watched the retreating back of the detective before going into see what was in the bag. There was no way that Frank was the mystery gift giver, was there?
Ryan sat on the stool, and played with the bag before finally opening it. He once again represented a fish out of water when he saw what was inside. He almost fell off his stool in a hurried attempt to get up and race after the older man. Looking everywhere and asking just about everyone he ran into, Ryan was still no closer to finding him than he was before. Finally taking a look at the clock, he smiled as he realized it was lunch time.
Taking his last gift with him, he dashed across the parking lot to the picnic area for lab personal. He spotted who he was looking for and nearly plowed the older man over when he reached him. Frank smiled and wrapped his arms around the younger man, relaxing when he felt the slim arms around his waist.
“I take it you liked it?” he asked, looking down at him.
“I liked all of them. Thank you, but why did you do it?” Ryan asked as they moved over the an empty picnic table.
“Call me old fashioned, but I wanted to woo you but wasn’t sure how you would respond if I just came out and asked.” Frank said honestly as he brushed a lock of hair from Ryan’s forehead.
“So, what now?” the brunet asked, looking at Frank.
“Now we eat, and maybe see a show tonight.” the older man asked hesitantly.
“It’s a date.” Ryan said, knowing that his was the beginning he was looking for.
The end for now…..
Title: Love at First Sight
Author: Sam/Greg Sanders
Beta: Sanzo
Genre: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Ryan Wolfe/Frank Tripp
Rating: FRT
Series: Part of the Gotta be Somebody series
Summary: Ryan and Frank’s first date.
A/N: The song is Michael Buble’s ’Love at First Sight’ Song lyrics are in italics
Disclaimer: I don't own them I just play with them.
Love At First Sight
I'm making this one special evening
Taking a chance in my life
Hoping you feel the same way as I do tonight
Just try and look into my eyes
Don't be scared of what you might see there
The first time I saw you
I knew love at first sight must be true, so true, oh so true
And now I just have to explain why I feel this way
I feel joy, I feel pain
You're in my heart and it's tearing me apart
'Cause I love you, I love you, I love you!
It had been a long week, and Ryan was looking forward to it being over. Well, if truth be told, he was looking forward more to Friday night and his date with Frank than anything else. It had been almost a week since the two men had admitted their feeling but luck was not on their side.
They had planned on going to a movie that first night, but ended up having a major case, involving some influential people, come in about an hour before end off shift. Then the higher ups demanded that the case be solved before anyone could go home. It had taken them almost 72 hours before it had been solved, and everyone was so exhausted that they just went home to bed.
Frank had called periodically through the week, mostly at night before Ryan went to bed. They had agreed to take it slow and had finally set up a ‘first date’ for the following Friday night. He had been so nervous, and excited that he babbled away to Alexx until she had finally laughed and told him to breathe.
Walking down the hallway in the lab, Ryan caught sight of the older man and smiled when their eyes met. He didn’t know if anyone knew Frank was interested in men, but being a cop, Ryan didn’t want to put any undue attention on him. Getting a smile in return, Ryan carried on to Trace to see if his results where done yet.
The brunet had been in the layout room for about an hour before he heard the door swish open and the footsteps of someone entering.
“I’m almost done if you need the room.” he said as he started to put the files back into their folders.
“Don’t need the room.” came the gruff voice from behind him.
Standing up straight, he turned with a smile. “Hey Frank, what can I do for you?”
Smiling back at the younger man, Frank leaned his hip against the table and crossed his arms. “Well, foe starters come here.”
Walking over to the older man, Ryan smiled shyly and stopped right in front of him. “Now what?”
The Texan uncrossed his arms, letting his left hand stroke down Ryan’s arm before pulling him into a hug and placing a chaste kiss on the top of his head. “How are you today?” he asked, ignoring the other man’s question.
“Good, tired but good.”
“You still up for tonight?” he asked stroking up and down the smaller man’s back.
“Wouldn’t miss it. You still want to?” Ryan asked, hating how insecure he sounded.
“I’ll be there, have no doubt of that. Now, how about lunch. I heard from a little birdie that you haven’t been eating properly.” he said, tipping up Ryan’s chin to look in his eyes.
“Been busy trying to solve this case so that I can have the night off.” he said, surprised at the feelings he had about Frank taking care of him.
“Well, I’m off for the next hour and so are you. So let’s go eat and then finish up for the day.” Frank said, standing up and guiding Ryan out the door.
Lunch had been a casual affair, both relaxed and completely comfortable in each other’s presence. They had gone to a small beach side restaurant that was a good 20 minutes from the lab, just so that they could be alone. Afterwards, Frank had driven them back to the lab and gave Ryan a kiss, with the promise to pick him up that night at 7pm.
The rest of the shift was in a fog for Ryan, and Eric had laughed at him when he caught him staring in a mirror. Now that the shift was over and he was heading home, Ryan found that he had butterflies in his stomach. He wasn’t sure what to expect or what Frank expected for that matter. Would the older man expect Ryan to go home with him afterwards? Would Ryan want too?
The younger man spent the next couple of hours getting ready for his date. He tried on every outfit that he had at least twice, showered once and redid his hair about half a dozen times. He wanted everything to be perfect, and if he was honest with himself, he wanted to make sure that Frank would ask him out again.
Looking at the clock, he realized that it was almost seven, and he still needed to finish getting dressed. He finally settled on a pair of dark jeans and a light blue t-shirt, with a light colored blazer thrown over top. He had just pulled on his boots when there was a knock at his door. Taking a calming breath, he opened the door and almost died on the spot.
“You…you look amazing.” he stuttered, when he got a good look at his date.
“Was just about to say the same thing about you.” Frank said, letting his eyes roam freely over the young man.
Ryan could only stare at him, taking in the black stretch jeans, navy shirt and leather jacket. He had never seen the Texan in anything other than suits and his uniform, but the picture that he portrayed now was worthy of at least a year of wet dreams, if not more. He unconsciously reached out and ran his hand over the leather arm, while scrutinizing the other man’s pants.
Ryan gave an audible gasp when his eyes took in how the jeans seemed to stretch over a certain part of Frank’s anatomy. Looking up through his lashes when he heard a small chuckle, he blushed and dropped his hand back to his side. Trying to think of something to say, but having difficulty getting his brain to work as all the blood in his head had flooded south.
“Like what you see, baby? Cause I know I do.” Frank said taking a step into Ryan’s condo and enveloping him in an embrace that allowed for maximum contact without feeling trapped.
“Huh?” Ryan asked, as he moved closer, leaning his head on the strong shoulder. “Oh…yeah, definitely like what I saw.”
“Good to know. Now how about we head out to eat.” Frank said, trying to keep himself under control. Just the feeling of having Ryan in his arms was almost enough to over-ride his senses and devour the boy right where they stood. Nevertheless, that was not what Frank had in mind, he wanted to play it right, and he wanted to make sure that their first time was comfortable and not rushed. Moreover, he knew that it wouldn’t be tonight, even if they both wanted it. Getting a nod in response, Frank pulled away and waited as Ryan grabbed his wallet and keys from the table and locked up.
Walking out to Frank’s car, Ryan whistled under his breath. “Man, this is one sweet ride.”
Frank smiled as he ran a hand over his new Lexus. “Thanks, it’s a 2009 Lexus IS 250 all wheel drive. A little better than the other one I had.”
Ryan walked around the deep red car, admiring the sleek lines and sporty look. Even though it was a four door, it still had the sports car feel to it. “It’s definitely not what I would have associated with you.” he said with a smile.
Opening the passenger door for the younger man, Frank waited until he was seated before going around to the driver’s side. “And what did you think I would be driving?”
“Let’s just say nothing newer than 1995.” Ryan replied with a smile and a slight giggle as he saw the look o Frank’s face.
“I will have you know that I always upgrade my vehicles every couple years.” Frank said with a shake of his head. “At least I drive something other than the lab Hummer.”
“Hey, I don’t think I need to add to the pollution problem. Besides, I don’t live that far from the lab and most days the walk is a great way to wake up. Besides, on days when I‘m on call I get to take the hummer home.” he said, defensively.
Resting his hand on the Ryan’s thigh, Frank smiled as he turned onto the busy street, “I wasn’t judging you.”
Ryan blushed and looked out the window, feeling the heat that was generated by the placement of Frank’s hand on his leg. He sat quietly watching the busy downtown traffic of Miami go by and thin out, until almost 30 minutes after they had left his condo, there was no traffic.
“Ummm…Frank, where are we going?” he asked nervously. It wasn’t that he thought the older man would hurt him, but as they left the busy city behind, he couldn’t help the apprehension that was building in his stomach.
“It’s a little place with a great view of the beach. It’s called Shula’s on the Beach, in Fort Lauderdale.” Frank said, turning onto Beach Blvd. “They have some of the best steaks that I’ve found.”
Relaxing a little, Ryan grinned. “Good thing I’m not wearing white.”
The rest of the drive to the restaurant was done with making small talk about work and just about everything else that was not too personal. Pulling into the parking lot, Ryan had to admit that if the view from the lot was anything like the view from the restaurant, than Frank’s comment about it being ‘great’ was an understatement.
Walking up to the railing, Ryan closed his eyes and let the slight breeze wash over his face. Turning when he heard Frank approach, he smiled at the older man. “If I forget to tell you later, I’m having a great time.”
“You’re welcome and I’m enjoying myself as well.” he responded, leaning against the railing. After quietly taking in the view for a few minutes, Frank wrapped an arm around the brunet’s waist and steered him towards the restaurant. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
After being led to their table, Frank held out Ryan’s chair until he had sat down before taking his place. Waiting for the waiter de to come over to their table, the Texan ordered a bottle of wine and an appetizer of Oysters Rockefeller, before tuning to his menu for the main course.
“See anything that interests you?” Frank asked, looking over the top of his menu at his companion.
“What do you recommend?” Ryan asked, holding back the first thought that came to his mind when Frank had asked that loaded question.
“Well, I always get the Cowboy steak, with mashed potatoes and asparagus. But if that’s too much, there’s always the New York Strip.” he said, taking in the other items on the menu, “but if you don’t want steak, they have chicken and fish. I have heard good things about their Florida Snapper.”
Looking at the items that he had recommended, Ryan had to agree that he would not be able to finish a Cowboy Steak, but the Tuna steak did look appetizing. “I think I’ll have the Yellow fin Tuna Steak Au Pouivre, with mashed potatoes and broccoli.”
“Sounds good.” Frank answered, and placed their order once the appetizer had arrived. Swirling his wine in the glass, Frank leaned back and looked at Ryan, not just a quick appraisal, but also an honest to god look. He liked the way Ryan’s whole face lit up when ever he laughed, and how the younger man’s eyes would sparkle when he smiled.
He continued to look over his companion, watching as he blushed under the scrutiny. “So, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself, Ryan? Like what did you do before moving to Miami?”
“Not much to tell.” Ryan shrugged, taking a drink of his wine. “I studied chemistry at Boston College, and started to study genetics before going to the Academy. I was born and grew up in Boston, have an older brother who races cars and my parents do they’re thing.”
“What made you decide to come to Miami?” the older man asked, knowing that there had to be more to the story than what he was just told.
“My Uncle Ron lives here and after a visit decided that I liked it here, no snow.” he said with a grin, not ready to talk about the real reason. “What about you?”
“Well, I wanted to be a firefighter when I was growing up, but after a car accident, I got into crime fighting shows and decided to change my career choice. Went to the academy right out of high school and moved to Miami after I got married. Started in the gang unit before transferring to homicide. And have been here ever since.”
“You were married? What happened?” Ryan asked, hoping that there wasn’t a spouse in the picture.
“We just fell apart. Her drinking became a big issue and the paranoia that I was cheating on her. At the end, it just wasn’t a good relationship anymore, so we divorced. She still lives in Miami Beach, but we don’t see each other unless we have too.” the Texan said, figuring he might as well be as honest with thee younger man as he could be.
“Did you? Cheat, I mean?” Ryan asked, as he nervously played with the stem of his wine glass.
Seeing the change in Ryan, Frank realized that someone had probably hurt him in the past, maybe an ex who had cheated. Deciding to clear up any doubt that he might be having, Frank reached across the table and took his hand. “Ryan, I never cheated on her. When I make a promise, I keep it. You can count on that.”
Giving the older man a small smile, he let out the breath that he didn’t know he was holding. “I’m sorry; it’s just that I’ve had experience in the cheating department. I promised myself that I would never find myself in that situation again.”
“I take you weren’t the cheater.” Frank said softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of Ryan’s hand.
“No, I had the unfortunate pleasure of walking in on the person who I thought I loved while he was with someone else.” the brunet said, shaking his head, “that’s the big reason for the relocation.”
“Well, whoever it was didn’t have the slightest clue as to what they where letting go.” the older man said, smiling at the blush that turned his face a slight pink shade.
The rest of their dinner was relaxed, with both men talking about their past and learning about things that they didn’t know about each other from their personal lives. Like that they both loved football, and action movies. By the time it was time for dessert, Frank had regaled Ryan with some stories about the CSI’s that he worked with.
Catching his breath after telling a story involving Speed, Delko and baby gators, Frank looked over at the younger man. “So, would you like dessert or are you full?”
“We could always share something.” he said hesitantly, looking over the dessert menu.
“What would you like?” the Texan asked, liking the idea of sharing.
“How about the Chocolate Soufflé?”
Ordering the dessert with two spoons, Frank moved his chair around to sit beside Ryan. Putting his arm around the younger man’s shoulders, he nuzzled at his neck, placing a small kiss just below his ear. He smiled against the skin when he got a shiver in response. Pulling back just to thank the waiter, Frank picked up the spoon with some of the decant dessert and held it to Ryan’s mouth.
“I can feed myself you know.” he said, before opening his mouth wide enough for the spoon to pass.
“I know.” was all he said, before spooning up another mouthful for the younger man.
Alternating between Frank taking a mouthful then Ryan, they finished off the entire bowl, with Frank ending it all with a chocolate flavored kiss, that left them both a little breathless.
Leaning his forehead against Ryan’s, he smiled, “ready to head out?”
“Guess we should, I have to work in the morning and it is getting late.” he said quietly, not really wanting to end the night just yet.
“How about you head out to the car and I’ll be right there. Frank said, handing over his keys to Ryan and his credit card to the waiter.
Ryan headed out of the restaurant and unlocked the car, but stood leaning against the hood of it, watching the setting sun play off the waves. This was his favorite time of day, the moment when both the moon and the sun where changing positions. The brilliant colors of the setting sun cast the moon into an almost ethereal plan, making it look like it was translucent.
Frank stepped out of the restaurant and was caught by the way the colors played off Ryan’s hair, casting him in a glow and creating a halo affect. He had to take a moment to appreciate the site before walking over to the young man.
“Beautiful, isn’t?” Ryan asked, still looking over the water.
“Most definitely.” was Frank’s answer, although he wasn’t looking out over the water, but rather, staring at his companion.
Feeling the intense stare, Ryan turned and looked at Frank, stepping closer to the taller man. “I was talking about the sunset.”
“It’s nothing compared to you.” he rumbled, as he took the sweet lips in a breathless kiss. Sweeping his tongue over the partial closed lips, he groaned when they parted willingly. Running his left hand up to the back of the brunet’s head and the right hand fell to sit on his waist, Frank had no trouble deepening the kiss or pulling the smaller body into his.
Ryan was blown away by the way Frank was kissing him; it was all he could do to keep standing. Fisting his hands under the leather jacket and onto the shirt the taller man was wearing; he tilted his head back and let his basic instincts take over.
Frank finally broke the kiss, when he felt Ryan start to tremble. Taking a step back but not letting go of his hip, Frank smiled at the debauched image before him. “Think we should head for home.” he suggested, as he led the still dazed younger man around to the passenger side of the car.
Much to Ryan’s dismay the drive back to his condo seemed to take a lot less time than the drive to the restaurant. Finding himself standing at his door with Frank, the young man once again doesn’t know what to expect. Should he invite Frank in or should he just than the man and let him go?
Finding his courage, he nervously asked the older man, “Would…would you like to come in?”
Smiling at the fidgeting boy, Frank declined. “Not tonight baby. We both have an early morning and I don’t want to rush things.”
“Oh…ok. Then I’ll see you tomorrow I guess.” Ryan said, not sure, if he was disappointed or relieved.
Giving him one last kiss, Frank stepped back and nodded. “Till tomorrow.”
TBC…
Title: Should’ve Said No
Author: Sam/Greg Sanders
Beta: Martha/Sanzo
Genre: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Ryan/Frank, past Ryan/OMC
Rating: FRT
Warnings: some bad language
Summary: Ryan gets the last say.
A/N: Song is Taylor Swift’s Should’ve Said No
Disclaimer: I don't own them I just play with them
Should've Said No
You should've said no, you should've gone home
You should've thought twice 'fore you let it all go
You should’ve known that word
'Bout what you did with her'd get back to me
Ryan was walking the perimeter of their new crime scene, smiling as he thought about breakfast. Frank had surprised him by showing up an hour before their shift and took him out. That had been a surprise, but that had only been one of the many surprises that the older man had lavished on him in the past couple months. There had been the moonlit dinner on the beach, and a day touring Miami as if they were tourists. But by far his favorite had been the night they had spent at Frank’s watching movies and cuddling on the couch.
Ryan had hoped for more than just cuddling but Frank had stopped before things had gotten to heavy. At first Ryan had thought that it was because the older man didn’t want their relationship to get ‘physical’, but he had proven to Ryan that he did indeed want that, just not yet. Ryan was brought out of his musings by a voice from the past that he didn’t ever want to hear again.
“Ryan? Ryan Wolfe, is that you?” a tall blond called from the other side of the yellow tape.
Turning to look, and hoping against hope that it wasn’t who he thought, sighed when he saw his ex-boyfriend standing there. “Chad?”
“Well, look at you all grown up.” he said, casting an appreciative look over the younger man’s body. “And so handsome in that outfit.”
“What are you doing here Chad?” Ryan asked, walking over to the tape.
“I’m here on vacation and was walking by. So what are you doing?”
“There a problem here Mr. Wolfe?” Horatio asked, coming to stand behind the brunet.
“No H, I was just getting back to work.” he said, turning back to finish his walk around.
“I’m in town for a few more nights Ryan, here’s my number.” the blond said, pressing a piece of paper into his hand. “We should catch up.”
Ryan shook his head and walked back to the crime scene to finish his piliminary walk through. He didn’t know what to make of Chad being there. On one hand it had been over 2 ½ years since he had moved to Miami and moved on with his life. But there was a part of him that was wondering ‘what if’, and that part was screaming loudly in his head that he should give Chad a call later.
The rest of the shift went by quicker than he wanted, with him coming no closer to an answer than before. He was frustrated about what he was feeling and was surprised that he still felt hurt over Chad cheating, Ryan knew that the new relationship he had started with Frank was what he wanted, but there was still that part of him that always wondered what would his life would have been like if he had stayed in Boston.
Finishing up logging the last of the evidence, Ryan stretched and sighed as his back popped in all the right places. Picking up the box and heading to the evidence locker, the brunet smiled as a certain detective came into view.
“Detective, what did I do to be graced by your presence?” he asked, nodding at the older man.
Picking up the second box from the table, Frank grinned at the younger man. “Thought I’d see if you where up to going for dinner.”
“That would be my pleasure.” the younger man said signing the boxers into the locker.
“Seeing in the lot then in about 30 minutes?” he asked, leaning against the counter.
“Sounds good. “ Ryan replied, as he headed out to the locker room.
Fifteen minutes later, Ryan was heading out to the parking lot to meet Frank when he pulled up short when he saw who was in the waiting area. Watching as the blond chatted up the receptionist, Ryan sighed and shook his head. It would appear nothing had changed, Chad was still the playboy that he was before. Ryan figured he had always been a player and would most likely always would be.
“Chad, what are you doing here?” he asked, walking up to the other man.
“Thought I would come and pick you up so that we could go back to my hotel. Thought it would be nice to have some privacy to catch up.” he said, taking a step towards the younger man.
“Well, I have plans and they don’t involve you. So if you will excuse me.” the brunet said, as he walked started to walk by. “And how did you know where to find me?”
Shrugging Chad easily caught up to the younger man, “I asked a patrolman at the scene. So what’s so important that you can’t spend a little time with an old friend?”
Stopping outside the lab, Ryan took a deep breath before turning to the other man. “You are not an old friend, you are my ex and I have no plans on being anywhere alone with you. What happened to Charlene, aren’t you here with her or somebody else?”
“That was just a short term thing.” he said, dismissively. “And I came on vacation to get away from the cold. Can see why you like it here.” he added as he watched Eric walk by, his eyes following the Cuban.
“You never changed did you? Still trying to be a player, you probably cheated on everyone you’ve ever dated.”
“Maybe I did, but not once did I ever say that I was committed to anyone.” Chad said in his defense.
“By saying I Love You, makes it a commitment. Do you even know what those words mean? You know what, why am I even giving you the time of day. I have a new life and a new partner that actually likes to spent time with me outside the bedroom.”
“Wait Ryan, I’m sorry. I just thought that when I saw you we could catch up. I didn’t want to make you mad. The thing with Charlene had been a mistake, you were gone and I was lonely. Forgive me?” the blond asked, giving Ryan a ‘little boy lost’ look.
“Fuck no. You should have said no, you could have called me, and you most definitely shouldn’t have fucked her in our house.” taking a deep breath, Ryan caught movement out of the corner of his eye as Frank emerged from the building behind them. “If you had said no, then you might still have me. I used to wonder about all the ‘what if’s’ but I don’t need to any more, once a cheater always a cheater. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date.”
Chad stood back and watched as Ryan smiled at another, older man before heading off to the parking lot. He had thought that when he saw Ryan that morning it was a lucky draw, he thought that he could entice the younger man into coming back to his hotel room and then it would have been easy to get him to spent the night. But he figured wrong, it would seem that Ryan had grown a backbone in the last couple years and he had apparently moved on. Watching the two drive away, he failed to notice the two figures stepping up behind him.
“Can I help you?” a deep male voice asked.
“No, I was just leaving. Do you know if Ryan Wolfe is working tomorrow?” he asked, already formulating a plan.
“Why do you want to know?” the red haired man asked, twirling his sunglasses.
“I’m an old friend from Boston and wanted to catch up with him, and was going to take him out to lunch.” Chad said, smiling hoping to charm the information from one of the two standing beside him.
“From what I heard, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with you, and my suggestion would be that while you’re still here you leave him alone.” the Cuban said, glaring at the other man.
“You can’t tell me who I can or can’t see. Or Ryan for that matter.” he responded, getting mad.
“Let me put it to you this way. Mr. Wolfe is a part of our family, and a threat to that family will be dealt with accordingly. You are a threat, and I would suggest you leave while you still can.” the red head said, staring at the blond with eyes as cold as steel. Horatio and Eric watched as the blond walked away without saying another word.
“Think he’ll cause trouble for Ryan and Frank?” Eric asked.
“Not if he knows what’s good for him.” Horatio said, putting his glasses on. “Now let’s go home.”
TBC….
Author: Sam/Greg Sanders
Beta: Martha/Sanzo
Genre: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Ryan Wolfe/OMC, Ryan/Frank
Rating: FRAO
Warnings: Spoilers for “Under the Influence”
Summary: Ryan wants to start over.
A/N: This will be a series based on the lyrics from Nickleback’s song Gotta be Somebody. Lyrics will be in italics.
Disclaimer: I don't own them I just play with them.
Gotta Be Somebody
This time I wonder what it feels like
To find the one in this life
The one we all dream of
But dreams just aren’t enough
So I’ll be waiting for the real thing
I’ll know it by the feeling
The moment when we’re meeting
Will play out like a scene
Straight off the silver screen
So, I’ll be holdin’ my breath
Right up to the end
Until that moment when
I find the one to spend forever with.
Ryan looked one last time around the condo he had shared with his boyfriend of 6 years, before picking up the last bag from beside the door. He was leaving behind a lot of memories, both good and bad, as well as his family and friends. But after finding out that his partner had been cheating for the last 6months but was too much of a coward to tell him that it was over, he just felt it was time to go. He was a little apprehensive about it, and really didn’t know how he was going to manage stepping out of his comfort zone but he had to start somewhere.
Locking the door for the last time and sliding the key back through the mail slot, he let the tears that he been trying so hard to keep in, fall down his face. This was not how it was to go, they where suppose to be together forever. Ryan was not one to believe in fairy tales, but this had felt like a fairytale only to find he had woken up to a nightmare.
Ryan had met Chad at a seminar his first year at Boston University, and they had hit it off right away. At first it was just hanging out for coffee, study groups and the occasional movie night with mutual friends. It had been the best 3 months Ryan had ever had, then Chad had asked him out on an official date and he had fallen hard. They became attached at the hip and even moved in together that first summer.
A lot of people thought that they made a cute couple; Chad being 5 years older than Ryan only made the younger man feel that more loved and cared for. Chad doted on Ryan, making sure he was taking care of himself and not working too hard. After he had graduated with his undergraduate in Chemistry, Ryan was thinking of continuing his education and go after his masters in Genetics. At the time he thought that Chad would be supportive and help him like he had before. That had been a year ago, and then it all fell apart.
Ryan had taken a trip to Miami to visit his uncle for a week and when he got back his life as he knew it was over. He had planned on surprising his boyfriend by catching an earlier flight but it was him who got the surprise. He had pulled up in a cab and noticed a friend’s car in their parking space, not thinking much about it he had walked up to his front door. The site that greeted him was one that was burned into is mind forever.
~ Flashback ~
“Honey I’m home.” Ryan sang out as he opened the front door of the condo they had bought 2 years ago. Putting his bag down and dropping his keys on the console the young man headed into the living room. “Chad?”
“Ryan?” The undignified squeak said from the couch, “What are you doing home?”
Stopping just inside the doorway of the living room, Ryan took in the disheveled look of his boyfriend and the other person in the room. “What’s going on here?” he asked, a lot calmer than he felt.
“It’s not what it looks like Ry.” Chad tried to explain as he untangled himself from the other person and got off the couch. “I wasn’t expecting you home till tomorrow.”
“I can see that.” he answered, choking back the lump in his throat. “So, how long has this been going on?”
“Has what been going on? Charlene just came over to watch a movie and have pizza. She thought I would be lonely without you here.” he said, trying to cover a very obvious erection, tenting his pants.
“And I bet she made you forget about being lonely.” the younger man said as he headed for the bedroom. Grabbing the extra suitcase out of the closet, he started pulling Chad’s clothes out of the dresser and closet.
“Ryan, what are you doing?” the older man asked as he tried to stop what Ryan was doing.
“What does it look like? I’m helping you get your stuff together so that you can spend more time with Charlene. As in not here and not with me.”
“Ryan, baby, don’t do this.” Chad said, running a hand over the others back.
“Just go.” he said, with more force than he felt.
~ End Flashback ~
That had been three weeks ago, and now he was heading to Miami to stay with his Uncle Ron and hopefully start over. He was still planning on doing his Masters in genetics but now he was going to work for a year first. He didn’t understand how it all had gone to pot, he knew that what he had felt for Chad had not been love at first site, but he still had loved him. He kept racking his brain to see if there had been any clue as to what he had done wrong and when if there was anything he could have done different. But he kept coming up with the same thing, it wasn’t his fault and there was someone else out there for him. He hoped so, because he really didn’t want to be alone.
Walking down the loading ramp and onto the plane, he said his final good bye to the city he grew up in and the past he just wanted to forget.
Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
Gotta be somebody for me like that
Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
Everybody wants to know there are not alone
Somebody else feels the same somewhere
Gotta be somebody for me out there.
A year after his arrival in Miami, Ryan was walking around the mall cursing the season that found him here to begin with. How he hated Valentine’s Day, not that it really should matter; he knew a lot of people that were alone on this, the epitome of coupledom. But Ryan just felt empty this year, and so alone.
He had called Chad a couple weeks after he had left, only to be greeted by a female voice on the answering machine stating that the couple where away on a holiday. He had cried for hours afterwards. Some piece of him had hoped that there was still a chance, but it was made very clear when a check arrived in the amount of his half of the condo purchase.
So here he was wandering around on his day off, in the mall that was filled with couples and decorations proclaiming love. Was it too much to ask that he could get even a glimpse of that love? Was there no one who could take the darkness from his heart?
He had wanted to start his masters this September, but had gone to the police academy instead, surprising himself when he graduated at the top of his class. Now here he was on his day off, wandering around an overly packed mall, nearly tripping over a few otherwise occupied couples.
He should have taken his uncle’s offer for a day on the water, swimming and snorkeling. But no, he had to prove to himself that he was not slowly dieing on the inside. He was trying to get on with his life and you would think that after a year it would seem to be getting easier but it wasn’t.
He just wanted to find that someone that would make it all better. He wanted to know what it felt like to really be loved by someone and not used. Sure, Chad had loved him at some point but there was this part of Ryan that kept insisting that he was just a convenience for their entire relationship. Someone dependable and that would always be faithful. And that sucked, the young man thought and not in a good way.
He wandered around a couple more hours before giving up and heading back to the condo he was sharing with his uncle. Once home, he paced, feeling restless and unsettled about the day, so he got dressed and headed for the nearest club he knew. If he couldn’t have Mr. Right, then he would settle for Mr. Right Now.
Arriving at Club Desire, Ryan parked his car and paid the door fee to get in. He glanced around and spotted a couple regulars that he knew before heading to the bar.
“Hey Mickey, can I get a Monkey’s Lunch.” the young brunet called over the thumping of the music.
“Sure Ryan, what brings you here tonight, thought you where going out with Ron.” the large bartender asked, handing over the banana liqueur concoction.
“Decided to stay home and sulk.” he responded with a laugh.
“So, who’s catching your fancy tonight? You know that Patrick isn’t around for the next few months as he went on that African trip.” Mickey said, wiping his hands on a towel as he leaned against the bar.
“Not tonight Mike. Just didn’t want to be alone.” Ryan said, turning his back on the dance floor.
Smiling at the attractive young man in front of him, the bartender laid a hand on his shoulder, “Well I’m here if you want me.”
Smiling in return at his friend, Ryan finished his drink before ordering something stronger. It was closing time before Ryan hauled his body off the stool that he had been occupying for the last few hours and waved at Mike.
“I’m out of here Mickey. See you next week.”
“Hold up there buddy. You know my rules, if you can’t walk a straight line, then it’s a cab for you.”
After proving that he was sober enough to drive, Ryan made his way home. After going through his normal nightly routine, he went to bed, only to let the despair wash over him and take him into an unsettled sleep.
Tonight
Out on the street, out in the moonlight
And, damn it, this feels too right
It's just like de ja vu
Me standin' here with you
So I'll be holdin' my breath
Could this be the end?
Is it that moment when
I find the one that I'll spend forever with?
Ryan straightened out his uniform that morning, hoping to keep his breakfast down. He had an interview that afternoon on his lunch break with Lt Caine, the supervisor of the day shift CSI’s. He had applied a few months ago but had been told that there were no openings at that time, but that his application would be kept on file for 6months. That had been four months ago and now there was an opening, although under the circumstances he wasn’t all that sure about taking the spot now.
It had happened about three weeks ago, that Lt Caine had lost one of his own on the job. Apparently it had been a malfunctioning service weapon that was one of the factors involved. He had been warned by a few patrol officers that the day shift CSI’s were a tight knit group who had closed in tighter around themselves with the death of Timothy “Speed” Speedle. Ryan had done his research, and felt that he knew enough about them, that he could make a good impression. But even knowing that left him a jumbled up ball of nerves.
The young patrol officer had just left a little coffee shop on the corner at the back of the shopping center when the call came in; someone had taken a header into an oncoming bus. He radioed in and since he was the closest, had arrived first on the scene. After setting up the perimeter, he turned to get the eyewitness accounts of what had happened. He was almost all the way through when he saw the familiar white van and silver Hummer arrive at the scene.
It was almost fascinating watching that teamwork. The ME, Alexx Woods, was carefully doing her preliminary findings report as Lt Caine stood listening. The tall, Cuban who approached the pair, Ryan recognized from his work photo to be one Eric Delko. It was said that Eric and Speedle had been really close to the point that the rumor mill had them linked intimately. But it was all just hearsay and water cooler type gossip, so Ryan didn’t put much weight in it. Although he couldn’t say he blamed anyone for wanting that man, he was stunning. Seeing his opportunity to tell the Lt what he had found out so far, he made his way over to the two CSI’s with what he hoped was an air of confidence.
“Lt I’ve taken the eyewitness accounts and it would seem that the victim was clearly distressed and pushed her way to the front of the bus line.” Ryan said, quickly scanning his notes to make sure that he had not left anything important out. “No one saw if she was pushed or just stepped out in front of the bus.”
“Thank you officer.” the older red head said, looking at him with somewhat of an amused look in his eye.
Walking away from the pair, Ryan sighed a breath of relief that he had managed to face the Lt without even flinching. Now if only his interview later that day went as smoothly.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Ryan had been a CSI for all of 2hrs before he was handed a case involving another CSI’s father. What he had told Calleigh was true; he didn’t need to prove himself to anyone. He got the job just like everyone else, based on his skills. He was trying to do his job and he did want to impress Lt Caine with his skills and his knowledge that he did know what he was doing.
Scrapping trace off the wheel well of the silver SUV, he tried to keep his temper down so that he didn’t say something he would regret. After assuring the blonde CSI that he would do everything by the book, and that he did follow the rules, he got back to analyzing his trace.
Getting his results, he grabbed his phone and called Detective Tripp, telling him what he had found. After hanging up, he was a little taken back by his reaction to the voice on the other end. He hadn’t even met the man yet and already there was something about him, that made Ryan’s stomach flip.
Getting to the crime scene ahead of the detective, Ryan found the source of the orange paint transfer and was quietly checking for any other evidence when he heard a car pull up.
“And here I thought I drove fast.” the deep male voice said, coming from behind Ryan.
Ryan stood up and turned to face the older man and was suddenly at a lose for words. He stared for only a moment before he turned to explain the what he had found from the case. Keeping the older man within his sight, Ryan continued his evaluation of what he thought had happened. Watching the larger man move around and listen to him was a little exhilarating.
By the end of the shift he had solved the case and got praise from both Calleigh and Lt Caine. The only person he really wanted praise from was the larger, older detective but that was also a little frightening. He was just standing outside the front of the lab and people watching. This was something he could do all day and never get bored. He saw the very man he was unconsciously thinking about coming towards him, and he tried to appear causal while on the inside he was dying.
“Mr. Wolfe, what are you still doing here? I would have thought that you would have been gone already.” Horatio asked, stepping up behind his newest CSI.
“Was just waiting for my ride, Lt.” the young man answered, as his eyes followed the larger form across the parking lot.
“Well then, have a good day and I’ll see you tomorrow.” the red head said as he walked towards the parking lot and his vehicle.
Watching the two older men converse, Ryan sighed and wondered if he would have the courage to approach the daunting older man. The younger brunet didn’t know what it was about this man that made him flush and stammer like a school girl, but whatever it was he hoped that it wouldn’t affect his job.
Smiling he walked to the cab that had just pulled up, now interfering with his dreams was a whole other matter.
Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me like that
‘Cause nobody wants to go it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there
Ryan laid in his new bed, in his new condo and stared at the ceiling. He had finally gotten out of his uncle’s basement and into a place of his own, but he still didn’t feel satisfied. It had been over eight months since he joined Horatio Caine’s team and still he felt like an outsider. The tension at work was sometimes so thick you could cut it with a knife, and at other times it was like he wasn’t even there.
He sometimes thought he had made a mistake in taking the open CSI position, but he wasn’t a quitter and he really enjoyed what he was doing. He just wished his co-workers would at least see him as a person and not as a replacement for someone who wasn’t coming back. The brunet did have to admit that it wasn’t as strained as it had been the first couple months, and at least now Alexx was talking to him without the hint of distain that she had originally had. Even the blonde, Calleigh, was slowly coming around. Now if he could just figure out a way to get past the fortress that both his supervisor, Lt Caine and the Cuban, Eric, had built around themselves.
There were days when he just wanted to smack the Cuban and tell him that Speed was not coming back and no matter how hard he tried, Ryan wasn’t going anywhere. It didn’t help that Horatio never referred to him as anything but ‘Mr. Wolfe.’ He always felt like he should look over his shoulder to see if his father was standing behind him. He just wished that they would at least give him a chance instead of tossing him out with the garbage before they got to meet him.
Then there was Det. Frank Tripp. Ryan sighed at the thought of the older, larger man. Now if there ever was a person he would like to get to know better it was him. The Texan had an easy going personality that drew the younger man to him, but he didn’t take any crap from anyone either. Ryan had had many a dream about that man, that had ended in having to put clean sheets on his bed before he could go back to sleep.
Ryan had tried on numerous occasions over the last couple months to work up the nerve to ask Frank out for coffee after work, but every time he figured that he was ready to take that step he would chicken out at the last second. He didn’t think that Frank was interested in men, but there were times when they were working together that Ryan thought that someone was watching him. He can’t say for sure that it was the older man, because whenever he had turned to look, Frank was always looking the other way or talking to a witness.
Ryan huffed and fluffed up his pillow again before trying to settle for the night. He was starting to think that things couldn’t get any worse, but he was wrong. His last weekend off he had gone back to Club Desire and ended up going home with a Frank Tripp impersonator, that he could have done without. What he really wanted was the real thing, and he knew that he didn’t stand a chance.
Turning onto his back again, he let the sheet slide down his body so that it rested at his waist. Closing his eyes he imagined that his hand was actually Frank’s as he trailed his fingertips over chest and around his hardening nipples. Moaning softly, he relaxed back into the bed and let his imagination take over, as he had done many times before.
He imagined a larger body covering his, pressing him into the mattress as feather light kisses were rained down on the side of his neck and over his collarbone. Ryan slid two fingers into his mouth and sucked on them, pulling them free once they were wet, before using them to roll his hardening nipples. Gasping at the sensations that were flooding his body, the young brunet unconsciously spread his legs, bending them at the knees.
Running his hands more firmly down his sides and across his stomach, Ryan made little mewling noises in the back of his throat each time he hit a hot spot. Running his fingers under the sheet, he toyed with his navel, gently tracing around the indent with feather light touches before trailing his fingers along the sparse trail of hair. Skirting his fingers around the curly patch of hair between his legs, Ryan rolled his head on his pillow moaning.
After tormenting himself as much as he wanted, Ryan wrapped his long fingers around the base of his erect penis. Using slow movements, the younger man stoked himself, pretending it was a larger hand on him, flicking at the top of the angry red and weeping head. Letting his hips rise off the bed, he started to slowly push up into his hand.
Knowing that he was close to completion, Ryan sped up his movements, groaning and panting the closer he got. Twisting his other hand in the sheet below him, his back arched off the bed, causing his entire body to tense as he shot creamy white fluid across his chest, calling out “FRANK”, as he did so.
Slowly panting, he came back to his sense with a soft smile on his face, before grimacing at the mess he had made. Stretching one last time, he got up and changed the sheets, dropping them in the laundry before heading for the shower. Climbing in under the warm water, he scrubbed down his chest and groin, wishing that he wasn’t alone.
Finishing up, he quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and put new sheets on the bed before deciding that it was a waste of time to try to go back to sleep right now. The brunet headed for the kitchen where he made a pot of coffee and stepped out on to his balcony.
Settling on the lounger, he stared off into the starry night and tried to imagine what Frank would be doing right now if he was there. Would they be sitting together, the older man wrapping his strong arms around Ryan? Or would he be trying to coax Ryan back to bed with whatever means he could. Taking a sip of the lukewarm coffee, Ryan sighed and relaxed into the cushions. He really hated being alone.
Ooh! You can't give up
When you're lookin' for a diamond in the rough
Because you'll never know when it shows up
Make sure you're holdin' on
'Cause it could be the one, the one you're waiting on
‘Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
And everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me.
Ryan was sitting in one of the empty rooms in the lab, working on cold cases when he had the feeling that someone was watching him. Turning ever so slightly, he caught Frank looking at him and their eyes connected. Smiling at the older man and getting one in return, Ryan turned back to his work wondering what the look had meant.
Ryan had had a long talk with his uncle about how lonely he was, and the advice the older man gave him was to not try so hard. He would find what he was looking for if he would just stop looking. He guessed that was true, because whenever he had looked for something in the past, the moment he stopped looking was the moment he actually found it.
Ryan stretched and rotated his neck, trying to work the kinks out that had taken up residece there. It had been a long day and there had been little in the way of breaks; although the few times he had left the room he had come back to find a mug of coffee or a bottle of water. At lunch he had come back to find a sandwich and a pop. Whoever it was leaving these things for him never left a note as to who it was and only left things when he wasn’t around.
The younger man smiled to himself when he came back from his last break of his shift and found a chocolate bar and a rose left on the table. He picked up the flower and carefully smelt it, noticing that someone had taken the time to remove the thorns from its stem. Putting the flower back down, he picked up the chocolate and opened it, taking a bit.
He was trying to figure out who his sudden admirer was later that night. It was most likely Alexx, as she was always telling him that he wasn’t taking care of himself. But it was nice to think that someone else was worried about his welfare. It wasn’t that the people he worked with didn’t care, they had slowly warmed up to him in the last few months. They weren’t all that close, nothing like they had been apparently when Speed was alive, but they had mellowed a lot.
Arriving at the lab the next day, Ryan was taken back by the bag of goodies that where attached to his locker. Taking a look around and noticing no one else was there, he unhooked the bag form the hook . Sitting on the bench, he eagerly opened the plastic bag, grinning like a kid at Christmas when he got a look at the items within the bag. He found all his favorites in there: Nerds, assorted penny candies, and his absolute favorite a candied apple. Putting the bag into his locker after pocketing a few of the penny candies, Ryan made his way to the break room to get his assignment for the day.
This little ritual carried on for weeks, with Ryan coming into work and finding a bag of something attached to the front of his locker. Besides the bag of candy on the first day, he also got a CD from his favorite band, theatre tickets to a movie that he had wanted to see and then last week he had gotten a new gym bag after his had gotten torn when it gotten caught on the door of the hummer.
Ryan whistled as he walked into the locker room wanting to see what his new ’gift’ was today. He knew that Calleigh and Eric had told him that he should process the items to see if he could get any evidence as to who this person was, but he had refused. So far everything had been harmless, and he had promised them that if the items started to get threatening in nature he would go to H.
Seeing a piece of paper attached to his locker, he again looked around and seeing that he was the only one in the room, pulled the paper off to read. He chewed his bottom lip as he pondered the note. It was a simple typed note asking him to join this person for lunch. He wasn’t sure if that was a good idea, but then when he realized that the location was right out front. Putting caution to the wind he decided to do it.
Watching the clock, Ryan felt like the morning was never going to end. It seemed that every time he looked a the clock, the hands hadn’t moved. Finally sighing in frustration, he decided that what he needed was a fresh cup of coffee. The young man was on his way back from getting his coffee, when he saw Frank leaving the layout room where Ryan had been working. Thinking that the older man had information for him from their case, he hurried up to catch him.
As he passed the open door, he happened to catch something out of the corner of his eye. Slowing to a stop and then backing up, he stared at the small bag that wasn’t there before. Doing a great impression of a goldfish out of water, Ryan watched the retreating back of the detective before going into see what was in the bag. There was no way that Frank was the mystery gift giver, was there?
Ryan sat on the stool, and played with the bag before finally opening it. He once again represented a fish out of water when he saw what was inside. He almost fell off his stool in a hurried attempt to get up and race after the older man. Looking everywhere and asking just about everyone he ran into, Ryan was still no closer to finding him than he was before. Finally taking a look at the clock, he smiled as he realized it was lunch time.
Taking his last gift with him, he dashed across the parking lot to the picnic area for lab personal. He spotted who he was looking for and nearly plowed the older man over when he reached him. Frank smiled and wrapped his arms around the younger man, relaxing when he felt the slim arms around his waist.
“I take it you liked it?” he asked, looking down at him.
“I liked all of them. Thank you, but why did you do it?” Ryan asked as they moved over the an empty picnic table.
“Call me old fashioned, but I wanted to woo you but wasn’t sure how you would respond if I just came out and asked.” Frank said honestly as he brushed a lock of hair from Ryan’s forehead.
“So, what now?” the brunet asked, looking at Frank.
“Now we eat, and maybe see a show tonight.” the older man asked hesitantly.
“It’s a date.” Ryan said, knowing that his was the beginning he was looking for.
The end for now…..
Title: Love at First Sight
Author: Sam/Greg Sanders
Beta: Sanzo
Genre: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Ryan Wolfe/Frank Tripp
Rating: FRT
Series: Part of the Gotta be Somebody series
Summary: Ryan and Frank’s first date.
A/N: The song is Michael Buble’s ’Love at First Sight’ Song lyrics are in italics
Disclaimer: I don't own them I just play with them.
Love At First Sight
I'm making this one special evening
Taking a chance in my life
Hoping you feel the same way as I do tonight
Just try and look into my eyes
Don't be scared of what you might see there
The first time I saw you
I knew love at first sight must be true, so true, oh so true
And now I just have to explain why I feel this way
I feel joy, I feel pain
You're in my heart and it's tearing me apart
'Cause I love you, I love you, I love you!
It had been a long week, and Ryan was looking forward to it being over. Well, if truth be told, he was looking forward more to Friday night and his date with Frank than anything else. It had been almost a week since the two men had admitted their feeling but luck was not on their side.
They had planned on going to a movie that first night, but ended up having a major case, involving some influential people, come in about an hour before end off shift. Then the higher ups demanded that the case be solved before anyone could go home. It had taken them almost 72 hours before it had been solved, and everyone was so exhausted that they just went home to bed.
Frank had called periodically through the week, mostly at night before Ryan went to bed. They had agreed to take it slow and had finally set up a ‘first date’ for the following Friday night. He had been so nervous, and excited that he babbled away to Alexx until she had finally laughed and told him to breathe.
Walking down the hallway in the lab, Ryan caught sight of the older man and smiled when their eyes met. He didn’t know if anyone knew Frank was interested in men, but being a cop, Ryan didn’t want to put any undue attention on him. Getting a smile in return, Ryan carried on to Trace to see if his results where done yet.
The brunet had been in the layout room for about an hour before he heard the door swish open and the footsteps of someone entering.
“I’m almost done if you need the room.” he said as he started to put the files back into their folders.
“Don’t need the room.” came the gruff voice from behind him.
Standing up straight, he turned with a smile. “Hey Frank, what can I do for you?”
Smiling back at the younger man, Frank leaned his hip against the table and crossed his arms. “Well, foe starters come here.”
Walking over to the older man, Ryan smiled shyly and stopped right in front of him. “Now what?”
The Texan uncrossed his arms, letting his left hand stroke down Ryan’s arm before pulling him into a hug and placing a chaste kiss on the top of his head. “How are you today?” he asked, ignoring the other man’s question.
“Good, tired but good.”
“You still up for tonight?” he asked stroking up and down the smaller man’s back.
“Wouldn’t miss it. You still want to?” Ryan asked, hating how insecure he sounded.
“I’ll be there, have no doubt of that. Now, how about lunch. I heard from a little birdie that you haven’t been eating properly.” he said, tipping up Ryan’s chin to look in his eyes.
“Been busy trying to solve this case so that I can have the night off.” he said, surprised at the feelings he had about Frank taking care of him.
“Well, I’m off for the next hour and so are you. So let’s go eat and then finish up for the day.” Frank said, standing up and guiding Ryan out the door.
Lunch had been a casual affair, both relaxed and completely comfortable in each other’s presence. They had gone to a small beach side restaurant that was a good 20 minutes from the lab, just so that they could be alone. Afterwards, Frank had driven them back to the lab and gave Ryan a kiss, with the promise to pick him up that night at 7pm.
The rest of the shift was in a fog for Ryan, and Eric had laughed at him when he caught him staring in a mirror. Now that the shift was over and he was heading home, Ryan found that he had butterflies in his stomach. He wasn’t sure what to expect or what Frank expected for that matter. Would the older man expect Ryan to go home with him afterwards? Would Ryan want too?
The younger man spent the next couple of hours getting ready for his date. He tried on every outfit that he had at least twice, showered once and redid his hair about half a dozen times. He wanted everything to be perfect, and if he was honest with himself, he wanted to make sure that Frank would ask him out again.
Looking at the clock, he realized that it was almost seven, and he still needed to finish getting dressed. He finally settled on a pair of dark jeans and a light blue t-shirt, with a light colored blazer thrown over top. He had just pulled on his boots when there was a knock at his door. Taking a calming breath, he opened the door and almost died on the spot.
“You…you look amazing.” he stuttered, when he got a good look at his date.
“Was just about to say the same thing about you.” Frank said, letting his eyes roam freely over the young man.
Ryan could only stare at him, taking in the black stretch jeans, navy shirt and leather jacket. He had never seen the Texan in anything other than suits and his uniform, but the picture that he portrayed now was worthy of at least a year of wet dreams, if not more. He unconsciously reached out and ran his hand over the leather arm, while scrutinizing the other man’s pants.
Ryan gave an audible gasp when his eyes took in how the jeans seemed to stretch over a certain part of Frank’s anatomy. Looking up through his lashes when he heard a small chuckle, he blushed and dropped his hand back to his side. Trying to think of something to say, but having difficulty getting his brain to work as all the blood in his head had flooded south.
“Like what you see, baby? Cause I know I do.” Frank said taking a step into Ryan’s condo and enveloping him in an embrace that allowed for maximum contact without feeling trapped.
“Huh?” Ryan asked, as he moved closer, leaning his head on the strong shoulder. “Oh…yeah, definitely like what I saw.”
“Good to know. Now how about we head out to eat.” Frank said, trying to keep himself under control. Just the feeling of having Ryan in his arms was almost enough to over-ride his senses and devour the boy right where they stood. Nevertheless, that was not what Frank had in mind, he wanted to play it right, and he wanted to make sure that their first time was comfortable and not rushed. Moreover, he knew that it wouldn’t be tonight, even if they both wanted it. Getting a nod in response, Frank pulled away and waited as Ryan grabbed his wallet and keys from the table and locked up.
Walking out to Frank’s car, Ryan whistled under his breath. “Man, this is one sweet ride.”
Frank smiled as he ran a hand over his new Lexus. “Thanks, it’s a 2009 Lexus IS 250 all wheel drive. A little better than the other one I had.”
Ryan walked around the deep red car, admiring the sleek lines and sporty look. Even though it was a four door, it still had the sports car feel to it. “It’s definitely not what I would have associated with you.” he said with a smile.
Opening the passenger door for the younger man, Frank waited until he was seated before going around to the driver’s side. “And what did you think I would be driving?”
“Let’s just say nothing newer than 1995.” Ryan replied with a smile and a slight giggle as he saw the look o Frank’s face.
“I will have you know that I always upgrade my vehicles every couple years.” Frank said with a shake of his head. “At least I drive something other than the lab Hummer.”
“Hey, I don’t think I need to add to the pollution problem. Besides, I don’t live that far from the lab and most days the walk is a great way to wake up. Besides, on days when I‘m on call I get to take the hummer home.” he said, defensively.
Resting his hand on the Ryan’s thigh, Frank smiled as he turned onto the busy street, “I wasn’t judging you.”
Ryan blushed and looked out the window, feeling the heat that was generated by the placement of Frank’s hand on his leg. He sat quietly watching the busy downtown traffic of Miami go by and thin out, until almost 30 minutes after they had left his condo, there was no traffic.
“Ummm…Frank, where are we going?” he asked nervously. It wasn’t that he thought the older man would hurt him, but as they left the busy city behind, he couldn’t help the apprehension that was building in his stomach.
“It’s a little place with a great view of the beach. It’s called Shula’s on the Beach, in Fort Lauderdale.” Frank said, turning onto Beach Blvd. “They have some of the best steaks that I’ve found.”
Relaxing a little, Ryan grinned. “Good thing I’m not wearing white.”
The rest of the drive to the restaurant was done with making small talk about work and just about everything else that was not too personal. Pulling into the parking lot, Ryan had to admit that if the view from the lot was anything like the view from the restaurant, than Frank’s comment about it being ‘great’ was an understatement.
Walking up to the railing, Ryan closed his eyes and let the slight breeze wash over his face. Turning when he heard Frank approach, he smiled at the older man. “If I forget to tell you later, I’m having a great time.”
“You’re welcome and I’m enjoying myself as well.” he responded, leaning against the railing. After quietly taking in the view for a few minutes, Frank wrapped an arm around the brunet’s waist and steered him towards the restaurant. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
After being led to their table, Frank held out Ryan’s chair until he had sat down before taking his place. Waiting for the waiter de to come over to their table, the Texan ordered a bottle of wine and an appetizer of Oysters Rockefeller, before tuning to his menu for the main course.
“See anything that interests you?” Frank asked, looking over the top of his menu at his companion.
“What do you recommend?” Ryan asked, holding back the first thought that came to his mind when Frank had asked that loaded question.
“Well, I always get the Cowboy steak, with mashed potatoes and asparagus. But if that’s too much, there’s always the New York Strip.” he said, taking in the other items on the menu, “but if you don’t want steak, they have chicken and fish. I have heard good things about their Florida Snapper.”
Looking at the items that he had recommended, Ryan had to agree that he would not be able to finish a Cowboy Steak, but the Tuna steak did look appetizing. “I think I’ll have the Yellow fin Tuna Steak Au Pouivre, with mashed potatoes and broccoli.”
“Sounds good.” Frank answered, and placed their order once the appetizer had arrived. Swirling his wine in the glass, Frank leaned back and looked at Ryan, not just a quick appraisal, but also an honest to god look. He liked the way Ryan’s whole face lit up when ever he laughed, and how the younger man’s eyes would sparkle when he smiled.
He continued to look over his companion, watching as he blushed under the scrutiny. “So, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself, Ryan? Like what did you do before moving to Miami?”
“Not much to tell.” Ryan shrugged, taking a drink of his wine. “I studied chemistry at Boston College, and started to study genetics before going to the Academy. I was born and grew up in Boston, have an older brother who races cars and my parents do they’re thing.”
“What made you decide to come to Miami?” the older man asked, knowing that there had to be more to the story than what he was just told.
“My Uncle Ron lives here and after a visit decided that I liked it here, no snow.” he said with a grin, not ready to talk about the real reason. “What about you?”
“Well, I wanted to be a firefighter when I was growing up, but after a car accident, I got into crime fighting shows and decided to change my career choice. Went to the academy right out of high school and moved to Miami after I got married. Started in the gang unit before transferring to homicide. And have been here ever since.”
“You were married? What happened?” Ryan asked, hoping that there wasn’t a spouse in the picture.
“We just fell apart. Her drinking became a big issue and the paranoia that I was cheating on her. At the end, it just wasn’t a good relationship anymore, so we divorced. She still lives in Miami Beach, but we don’t see each other unless we have too.” the Texan said, figuring he might as well be as honest with thee younger man as he could be.
“Did you? Cheat, I mean?” Ryan asked, as he nervously played with the stem of his wine glass.
Seeing the change in Ryan, Frank realized that someone had probably hurt him in the past, maybe an ex who had cheated. Deciding to clear up any doubt that he might be having, Frank reached across the table and took his hand. “Ryan, I never cheated on her. When I make a promise, I keep it. You can count on that.”
Giving the older man a small smile, he let out the breath that he didn’t know he was holding. “I’m sorry; it’s just that I’ve had experience in the cheating department. I promised myself that I would never find myself in that situation again.”
“I take you weren’t the cheater.” Frank said softly, rubbing his thumb over the back of Ryan’s hand.
“No, I had the unfortunate pleasure of walking in on the person who I thought I loved while he was with someone else.” the brunet said, shaking his head, “that’s the big reason for the relocation.”
“Well, whoever it was didn’t have the slightest clue as to what they where letting go.” the older man said, smiling at the blush that turned his face a slight pink shade.
The rest of their dinner was relaxed, with both men talking about their past and learning about things that they didn’t know about each other from their personal lives. Like that they both loved football, and action movies. By the time it was time for dessert, Frank had regaled Ryan with some stories about the CSI’s that he worked with.
Catching his breath after telling a story involving Speed, Delko and baby gators, Frank looked over at the younger man. “So, would you like dessert or are you full?”
“We could always share something.” he said hesitantly, looking over the dessert menu.
“What would you like?” the Texan asked, liking the idea of sharing.
“How about the Chocolate Soufflé?”
Ordering the dessert with two spoons, Frank moved his chair around to sit beside Ryan. Putting his arm around the younger man’s shoulders, he nuzzled at his neck, placing a small kiss just below his ear. He smiled against the skin when he got a shiver in response. Pulling back just to thank the waiter, Frank picked up the spoon with some of the decant dessert and held it to Ryan’s mouth.
“I can feed myself you know.” he said, before opening his mouth wide enough for the spoon to pass.
“I know.” was all he said, before spooning up another mouthful for the younger man.
Alternating between Frank taking a mouthful then Ryan, they finished off the entire bowl, with Frank ending it all with a chocolate flavored kiss, that left them both a little breathless.
Leaning his forehead against Ryan’s, he smiled, “ready to head out?”
“Guess we should, I have to work in the morning and it is getting late.” he said quietly, not really wanting to end the night just yet.
“How about you head out to the car and I’ll be right there. Frank said, handing over his keys to Ryan and his credit card to the waiter.
Ryan headed out of the restaurant and unlocked the car, but stood leaning against the hood of it, watching the setting sun play off the waves. This was his favorite time of day, the moment when both the moon and the sun where changing positions. The brilliant colors of the setting sun cast the moon into an almost ethereal plan, making it look like it was translucent.
Frank stepped out of the restaurant and was caught by the way the colors played off Ryan’s hair, casting him in a glow and creating a halo affect. He had to take a moment to appreciate the site before walking over to the young man.
“Beautiful, isn’t?” Ryan asked, still looking over the water.
“Most definitely.” was Frank’s answer, although he wasn’t looking out over the water, but rather, staring at his companion.
Feeling the intense stare, Ryan turned and looked at Frank, stepping closer to the taller man. “I was talking about the sunset.”
“It’s nothing compared to you.” he rumbled, as he took the sweet lips in a breathless kiss. Sweeping his tongue over the partial closed lips, he groaned when they parted willingly. Running his left hand up to the back of the brunet’s head and the right hand fell to sit on his waist, Frank had no trouble deepening the kiss or pulling the smaller body into his.
Ryan was blown away by the way Frank was kissing him; it was all he could do to keep standing. Fisting his hands under the leather jacket and onto the shirt the taller man was wearing; he tilted his head back and let his basic instincts take over.
Frank finally broke the kiss, when he felt Ryan start to tremble. Taking a step back but not letting go of his hip, Frank smiled at the debauched image before him. “Think we should head for home.” he suggested, as he led the still dazed younger man around to the passenger side of the car.
Much to Ryan’s dismay the drive back to his condo seemed to take a lot less time than the drive to the restaurant. Finding himself standing at his door with Frank, the young man once again doesn’t know what to expect. Should he invite Frank in or should he just than the man and let him go?
Finding his courage, he nervously asked the older man, “Would…would you like to come in?”
Smiling at the fidgeting boy, Frank declined. “Not tonight baby. We both have an early morning and I don’t want to rush things.”
“Oh…ok. Then I’ll see you tomorrow I guess.” Ryan said, not sure, if he was disappointed or relieved.
Giving him one last kiss, Frank stepped back and nodded. “Till tomorrow.”
TBC…
Title: Should’ve Said No
Author: Sam/Greg Sanders
Beta: Martha/Sanzo
Genre: Slash
Fandom: CSI Miami
Pairing: Ryan/Frank, past Ryan/OMC
Rating: FRT
Warnings: some bad language
Summary: Ryan gets the last say.
A/N: Song is Taylor Swift’s Should’ve Said No
Disclaimer: I don't own them I just play with them
Should've Said No
You should've said no, you should've gone home
You should've thought twice 'fore you let it all go
You should’ve known that word
'Bout what you did with her'd get back to me
Ryan was walking the perimeter of their new crime scene, smiling as he thought about breakfast. Frank had surprised him by showing up an hour before their shift and took him out. That had been a surprise, but that had only been one of the many surprises that the older man had lavished on him in the past couple months. There had been the moonlit dinner on the beach, and a day touring Miami as if they were tourists. But by far his favorite had been the night they had spent at Frank’s watching movies and cuddling on the couch.
Ryan had hoped for more than just cuddling but Frank had stopped before things had gotten to heavy. At first Ryan had thought that it was because the older man didn’t want their relationship to get ‘physical’, but he had proven to Ryan that he did indeed want that, just not yet. Ryan was brought out of his musings by a voice from the past that he didn’t ever want to hear again.
“Ryan? Ryan Wolfe, is that you?” a tall blond called from the other side of the yellow tape.
Turning to look, and hoping against hope that it wasn’t who he thought, sighed when he saw his ex-boyfriend standing there. “Chad?”
“Well, look at you all grown up.” he said, casting an appreciative look over the younger man’s body. “And so handsome in that outfit.”
“What are you doing here Chad?” Ryan asked, walking over to the tape.
“I’m here on vacation and was walking by. So what are you doing?”
“There a problem here Mr. Wolfe?” Horatio asked, coming to stand behind the brunet.
“No H, I was just getting back to work.” he said, turning back to finish his walk around.
“I’m in town for a few more nights Ryan, here’s my number.” the blond said, pressing a piece of paper into his hand. “We should catch up.”
Ryan shook his head and walked back to the crime scene to finish his piliminary walk through. He didn’t know what to make of Chad being there. On one hand it had been over 2 ½ years since he had moved to Miami and moved on with his life. But there was a part of him that was wondering ‘what if’, and that part was screaming loudly in his head that he should give Chad a call later.
The rest of the shift went by quicker than he wanted, with him coming no closer to an answer than before. He was frustrated about what he was feeling and was surprised that he still felt hurt over Chad cheating, Ryan knew that the new relationship he had started with Frank was what he wanted, but there was still that part of him that always wondered what would his life would have been like if he had stayed in Boston.
Finishing up logging the last of the evidence, Ryan stretched and sighed as his back popped in all the right places. Picking up the box and heading to the evidence locker, the brunet smiled as a certain detective came into view.
“Detective, what did I do to be graced by your presence?” he asked, nodding at the older man.
Picking up the second box from the table, Frank grinned at the younger man. “Thought I’d see if you where up to going for dinner.”
“That would be my pleasure.” the younger man said signing the boxers into the locker.
“Seeing in the lot then in about 30 minutes?” he asked, leaning against the counter.
“Sounds good. “ Ryan replied, as he headed out to the locker room.
Fifteen minutes later, Ryan was heading out to the parking lot to meet Frank when he pulled up short when he saw who was in the waiting area. Watching as the blond chatted up the receptionist, Ryan sighed and shook his head. It would appear nothing had changed, Chad was still the playboy that he was before. Ryan figured he had always been a player and would most likely always would be.
“Chad, what are you doing here?” he asked, walking up to the other man.
“Thought I would come and pick you up so that we could go back to my hotel. Thought it would be nice to have some privacy to catch up.” he said, taking a step towards the younger man.
“Well, I have plans and they don’t involve you. So if you will excuse me.” the brunet said, as he walked started to walk by. “And how did you know where to find me?”
Shrugging Chad easily caught up to the younger man, “I asked a patrolman at the scene. So what’s so important that you can’t spend a little time with an old friend?”
Stopping outside the lab, Ryan took a deep breath before turning to the other man. “You are not an old friend, you are my ex and I have no plans on being anywhere alone with you. What happened to Charlene, aren’t you here with her or somebody else?”
“That was just a short term thing.” he said, dismissively. “And I came on vacation to get away from the cold. Can see why you like it here.” he added as he watched Eric walk by, his eyes following the Cuban.
“You never changed did you? Still trying to be a player, you probably cheated on everyone you’ve ever dated.”
“Maybe I did, but not once did I ever say that I was committed to anyone.” Chad said in his defense.
“By saying I Love You, makes it a commitment. Do you even know what those words mean? You know what, why am I even giving you the time of day. I have a new life and a new partner that actually likes to spent time with me outside the bedroom.”
“Wait Ryan, I’m sorry. I just thought that when I saw you we could catch up. I didn’t want to make you mad. The thing with Charlene had been a mistake, you were gone and I was lonely. Forgive me?” the blond asked, giving Ryan a ‘little boy lost’ look.
“Fuck no. You should have said no, you could have called me, and you most definitely shouldn’t have fucked her in our house.” taking a deep breath, Ryan caught movement out of the corner of his eye as Frank emerged from the building behind them. “If you had said no, then you might still have me. I used to wonder about all the ‘what if’s’ but I don’t need to any more, once a cheater always a cheater. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date.”
Chad stood back and watched as Ryan smiled at another, older man before heading off to the parking lot. He had thought that when he saw Ryan that morning it was a lucky draw, he thought that he could entice the younger man into coming back to his hotel room and then it would have been easy to get him to spent the night. But he figured wrong, it would seem that Ryan had grown a backbone in the last couple years and he had apparently moved on. Watching the two drive away, he failed to notice the two figures stepping up behind him.
“Can I help you?” a deep male voice asked.
“No, I was just leaving. Do you know if Ryan Wolfe is working tomorrow?” he asked, already formulating a plan.
“Why do you want to know?” the red haired man asked, twirling his sunglasses.
“I’m an old friend from Boston and wanted to catch up with him, and was going to take him out to lunch.” Chad said, smiling hoping to charm the information from one of the two standing beside him.
“From what I heard, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with you, and my suggestion would be that while you’re still here you leave him alone.” the Cuban said, glaring at the other man.
“You can’t tell me who I can or can’t see. Or Ryan for that matter.” he responded, getting mad.
“Let me put it to you this way. Mr. Wolfe is a part of our family, and a threat to that family will be dealt with accordingly. You are a threat, and I would suggest you leave while you still can.” the red head said, staring at the blond with eyes as cold as steel. Horatio and Eric watched as the blond walked away without saying another word.
“Think he’ll cause trouble for Ryan and Frank?” Eric asked.
“Not if he knows what’s good for him.” Horatio said, putting his glasses on. “Now let’s go home.”
TBC….