Fic: Mailed, Chapter 10/10 (CSI Miami, Ryan Wolfe / Eric Delko)
Title: Mailed, Chapter 10/10
Pairing: Ryan Wolfe / Eric Delko
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
CSI Miami Main List
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Interlude Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10
“Next time I have to deal with an overexcited mother, I’ll send her to talk to you.” Calleigh complained and slumped down on the break room couch. “How can anyone who had produced five kids be so out of touch with what kids do when they became teenagers?”
“Maybe it’s just wishful thinking.” Eric suggested. He poured her a cup of coffee and refilled his own mug. “You know, kids are kids no matter how old they are.”
“I did some math, she must have been fifteen or sixteen when she had her first child. It can’t be that surprising to her that an seventeen year old boy would have condoms in his room.”
“Where did he hide them? Sock drawer?”
“No.” She grinned and breathed in the scent of the coffee. “Inside his piggybank.”
“That’s something new.”
“Yes, but it doesn’t justify what she did. Normal parents don’t strangle their son’s girlfriend dead with her own bra just because she complimented her sons attributes.”
“What kinda attributes?”
“The kind you normal keep inside your underwear.” Calleigh emptied her mug. “Mommy Dearest figured out her son and his girlfriend were doing more than just holding hands, get furious and went to confront the girl. The son was there and spied them from the fire escape.”
“You mean she spied them when they were getting hot and heavy?”
“Waited till the boy was gone and then went in to kill her.” She gave Eric a warning glare. “And don’t start that story again.”
“What story?”
“About that time you and your little girlfriend got caught between her parents and her big brother, who came through the window.”
“Oh that… I have told it that many times.”
“I know more about your sexual awakening than I remember about my own. That’s pretty good sign that you shouldn’t talk about it anymore.”
“Party spoiler…” Eric chuckled. He checked his watch and went back to his coffee.
“Are you in a hurry?”
“Not yet. I’m taking Ryan out for lunch.”
“I see.” Calleigh hesitated for a minute. “Alexx told me not to, but I’ll ask anyway. How is that going?”
“I wondered what she told you…” Eric grinned. “Cooper owes me a twenty.”
“For what?”
“We had a little bet, about how long you can keep your nose out of this.”
“What was his guess?”
“Less than a month. You lasted exactly thirty-eight days.”
“Did you have a bet about Valera?”
“After that punch I got from her? No, and Cooper still can’t face her without a mouth guard.”
“I wondered why he carried that with him… But you didn’t answer my question.”
“We’re good. Slow, but good.” Eric got up and emptied his mug. “Getting better.”
“So he really did forgive you for the thing with Speed?”
“I think so. We haven’t talked about it for a while.” He filled his mug again and took a sip. “In the beginning there was four of us there. Me, Ryan, Speed and his ex. Now there’s three left.”
“You two and his ex.”
“Yeah. He’s… working on it.” Eric was interrupted by his cellphone. He pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open. “Delko.”
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Ryan?” Eric gave Calleigh a little "some privacy, please?" hand sign. “You’re not gonna cancel, are you?”
“No, but I need to handle some stuff first.”
“Am I still picking you up?”
“Yeah, we could meet in front of that café, where they got those plastic penguins in the windows.”
“Okay, but I still don’t know what penguins got to do with coffee.”
“I think it’s because they serve ice cream… ice cream, cold, freezing, snow, penguins.”
“Makes sense.”
“I have to go, but I’ll see you there.”
“Okay, bye.” Eric hung up.
“Penguins?” Calleigh lifted her eyebrows.
“Yeah, he tried to explain it, but I still don’t understand.”
-------------------------------------------
Eric parked his car and stepped out. The sun was warming up the street and most of the people stayed in shade. Ryan was nowhere to be found.
Eric leaned against his car, slipping his sunglasses on. He was almost ready to call Ryan again, when he realised where he was. He had been in the café before, but he hadn’t realised what was on the other side of the road. Restful Gardens Cemetery.
He sprinted across the street, narrowly avoided a rundown Jeep and stopped at the cast-iron gate. Eric pushed it open and saw the man walking on the narrow path leading to the remote section of the cemetery. Ryan noticed him almost immediately. He gave Eric a little smile and walked up to him.
“Sorry, I know I’m late.”
“It’s okay.”
“We… we had a lot to talk about.” Ryan gestured at the small stone bench near the yew hedge. “Mind if we sit down for a while?”
“Sure.”
Eric followed him to the bench and sat down on the cold stone.
“This looks like a nice place.”
“Yeah, it is.” Ryan nodded. “Peaceful. I come here couple times a week.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I didn’t put that in those e-mails. I didn’t wanna sound like some lunatic.”
“What do you do here?”
“Talk about all kind of stuff. It nice to have a place where I can go to talk to him.”
“What did you talk about this time?”
“You. And I… I wanted to say goodbye.” Ryan twisted his hands in his lap. “And say I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“That I won’t be coming here again.” He prodded his elbows against his knees and took few deep breaths. “After it happened I came here every day. That kept me going from day to day.”
“What about now?”
“He helped me this far, but… I have to let go.” He let out a small shaky chuckle. “How can anyone rest in peace when I keep showing up all the time…”
“I don’t think he minds.”
“Minded.” Ryan nodded. “I still have to remind myself that I have to talk about him in a past tense. But it’s getting easier.” He leaned against Eric’s shoulder and nuzzled his cheek against the fabric of his shirt. “I told him about you.”
“What did he say?”
“He wanted me to give you a message.” Ryan grinned mischievously. “He agrees with me that you really should shave, because you look a lot better without the stubble.”
“Style tips from beyond…”
“You better listen.” Ryan got up from the bench. He grabbed Eric’s hand and pulled him up. “Lunch time.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Ryan’s eyes wandered past Eric, taking in every little detail of the sun soaked cemetery, like he was trying to press everything deep into his memory. “I’m sure.” He wiped the corners of his eyes.
Eric placed his hand on Ryan’s shoulder and carefully guided him to the gate. Ryan rested his hand on the cast-iron ornaments of the gate. He caressed the cool surface slowly and draw deep breaths. Eric waited quietly for him to make the next move.
Ryan pushed the gate open and stepped outside. The high yew hedge shifted the sunlight, letting in small beams of light, while most of the two men stayed in the shadows. The road was close to the gate, but the hedge seemed to isolate them from the outside world, wrapping them into a warm, green cocoon.
“Thanks for coming here.”
“I said I would pick you up-”
“No, I mean here. Thank you.” Ryan took a step closer and gave Eric a warm kiss. His lips lingered on Eric’s, enjoying the feel of the soft lips and sun warmed skin.
Behind them, the heavy gate swung slowly back and the latch fell in its place. Eric wrapped his arms around Ryan and threw himself into another kiss. Both men felt too content to leave their calm sanctuary just yet.