Title: Affairs Of The Heart
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Dee, Ryo, Commissioner Rose.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: Dee isn’t happy about Ryo going away with Commissioner Rose for a few days, even though it’s strictly on police business.
Word Count: 1194
Written For: Amnesty at
beattheblackdog, using Challenge 4: Affair.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
“You seriously think I’m planning on having an affair with Commissioner Rose?” Ryo was incredulous.
“No, ‘course not!” Dee answered indignantly. “That’s not what I meant. You’ve told me often enough you’re not interested in him, and I believe ya. I know I can trust you, babe; that’s never been in doubt. It’s that rat bastard Berkeley Rose I don’t trust. He’s had the hots for ya since the first time he saw ya; I hate the thought of him gettin’ the chance to put the moves on ya when I’m not there to protect ya.”
“I appreciate that, but honestly Dee, it’s only for a couple of days and in case you haven’t noticed, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself.” Ryo smiled wryly. “Even if it might not seem that way at times.”
“Yeah, I know, you’ve got some mad martial arts skills.” Dee’s answering smile was full of warmth and admiration. Then it faded into a frown. “But don’t forget Rose can be a sneaky sonofabitch. He’s not used to bein’ told ‘no’; he might not like it if he makes advances and you turn him down again.”
“I won’t let my guard down around him, I promise, and if he gets fresh, well, just because he’s the Commissioner doesn’t mean he can get away with sexual harassment. I’m going into this with my eyes open; I’ll be fine.” Ryo pressed a kiss to his partner’s lips. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone, okay? No sneaking around with JJ behind my back.” The cheeky grin told Dee his lover wasn’t serious, just teasing him; they both knew JJ’s interests lay elsewhere these days.
“JJ tries anything I’ll send him straight back to Drake, special delivery, and tied with a nice big bow,” he promised. “That should please both of ‘em.”
“Good to know.” Ryo picked up his bag. “See you in a couple of days. Stay safe.”
“You too. Love you, babe.”
Another brief kiss and Ryo was out the door and gone, closing it behind him. Dee sighed, making his way to the window and staring down at the street, hoping to catch one final glimpse of the man he loved. A couple of minutes later, Ryo emerged onto the stoop and made his way down the steps to the limousine waiting by the curb. Just before he got into the back seat he looked up at the window, smiling and waving. Dee waved back, watching as the car pulled away; he didn’t leave the window until it was out of sight.
Flopping onto the sofa, Dee shoved his hands through his hair and willed himself to relax. Ryo was right; he was only going to be away for a couple of days, accompanying Commissioner Rose to Chicago as his assistant. They’d be sitting in on the interrogation of a former Mob enforcer who was trying to make a deal with the authorities. He claimed to have information on several unsolved murders that had taken place in New York some ten years previously.
The detective who’d worked those cases was deceased, having suffered a heart attack three years earlier, but Ryo knew some of the details having worked at the same precinct during his uniform days, and he’d also been one of the first officers on scene at two of the murders. He’d spent the last few days reading the case files, familiarising himself with everything that had been known or suspected, even though the police back then hadn’t been able to prove anything. As he’d said to Dee only a few hours ago as he was packing for the trip, maybe that was about to change.
Dee had no doubt his partner would do a good job for Rose, but like he’d told Ryo, he just didn’t trust the Commissioner, and he wasn’t going to be happy until his lover was back home in his arms.
OoOoOoO
As the limousine drove smoothly towards the airport Ryo relaxed against the luxurious leather upholstery, making easy conversation with his boss and enjoying the ride, although his mind kept wandering back to Dee.
“Everything alright, Ryo?” Rose asked. “You seem a little distracted.”
“Sorry. I’m fine, Sir.” He smiled briefly. “Dee’s worried you might try to coerce me into having an affair with you while we’re away.”
“Ah, I see.” One corner of the Commissioner’s mouth quirked up in a half smile. “I suppose your partner has every right to be suspicious; I never made any effort to hide my attraction towards you when we first met, but I assure you I have no such ulterior motives on this occasion. I chose you because you really are the best man for the job.”
“I know that, Sir.”
“Good. We’re going to be far too busy to get up to anything even if either of us was so inclined. I’ve booked us separate hotel rooms, although I would appreciate your company at meal times. Eating alone can be so dull.”
“Of course, Sir.”
“Besides, as I’m sure you know I’m getting married in a few months and I wouldn’t risk my relationship with Diana by having a fling.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Sir. Diana is my friend; I wouldn’t want to see her hurt.”
“Oh, trust me, Ryo, if I did anything to upset DeeDee, I’d be the one getting hurt; she has quite a temper and she doesn’t hold back.” Rose winced. “I can imagine only too well exactly where she’d aim the toe of her shiny shoe, and I have no desire to suffer that kind of pain. At least you only punched me in the mouth.”
“Yes…” Ryo blushed faintly. “I’m sorry about that, Sir.”
“Don’t be; you had every right to resist my advances, I was infatuated and out of line, but I promise nothing of the sort will ever happen again. And please, you don’t have to keep calling me Sir all the time, not while we’re off the clock, so to speak.”
“Thank you; I’ll try to remember that.”
“I’d like to think we’re friends. I don’t pretend to know what you see in Laytner, but he’s a lucky man and I hope he appreciates you. I consider myself very fortunate too, and I have you to thank for that. You gave me a push in the right direction when I needed it and I will always be grateful to you for that.”
“I just did what any friend would do; Diana deserves to be happy.”
“I agree; she’s a very special woman, and I almost let her slip away out of foolish pride. I spent far too much time chasing all the wrong people and having meaningless, short-lived affairs when the one I should have been romancing was right in front of me all along.”
“Love’s like that sometimes.” Ryo smiled, remembering all the time he’d wasted trying to deny how he felt about Dee, until Diana had forced him to confront the truth. “Sometimes we just need a friend to point out what we’ve known deep down all along.”
“Those are wise words.”
“Wise? No.” Ryo shook his head. “Just the voice of experience.”
The End