Fake Fan Fiction ❯ FAKE in Love: Act II, Family and Stake-outs ❯ Chapter 4

Warnings and Disclaimers: RAWR! I don't own FAKE. Love you all.

 

 

“Careful Ryo,” Dee said softly. “One step at a time.”

 

“Yes, thank you for that thoughtful advice,” Ryo said his teeth gritted together.

 

He was leaning heavily against Dee, his right ankle sealed in a soft cast, both wrists locked in hard rough braces, and a wide bandage carefully hidden beneath his stained tux shirt. He was moving gingerly now, his face wincing with every step, his body screaming angrily at him.

 

“You need a smaller house,” he said to Franklin.

 

“You could have stayed in the hospital overnight,” his grandfather answered.

 

“I'd rather not,” Ryo grumbled.

 

“Jesus, Ryo, that's what you hit?”

 

Diana's voice was pain filled as they passed one of the ornate suits of armor that lined the staircase. This one was holding a short sword out, as if ready to attack, the blade wrenched sharply out of position and smeared with blood. Ryo shivered a little; he had been damn lucky.

 

“I'm so sorry,” Diana said and Dee grunted.

 

“You're not the one who needs to apologize,” he snapped. “Where is that son of a bitch anyway?”

 

“He's probably at home,” Franklin said.

 

“Good,” Ryo said tiredly. “I just want to go to bed.”

 

“We're almost there,” Dee said softly.

 

Ryo nodded, his face pale. The tuxedo he had so carefully worn all night was now rumpled and stained with blood. The soft jacket hung limply over his form, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion. The tie was tucked in Dee's pocket, not that it mattered if he had all the pieces together; there was no way he was going to get his deposit back.

 

Rose opened Ryo's door and Dee carefully maneuvered him inside, Ryo sighing heavily as he finally sat down on the bed. He blinked slowly, every muscle seeming to pull taunt with the effort and he felt the urge to sigh again.

 

“Are you sure you're alright?” Franklin said, asking for at least the hundredth time.

 

“I'll be fine,” Ryo said and tried to smile. “I just want to go to sleep.”

 

They all stared at him, not moving, and he did sigh again. Diana shook her head.

 

“Alright, everybody out, let's go, he wants to sleep, move it!”

 

“Wait!” Dee tried to push past her, but Diana was firm and shut the door tightly behind her.

 

“Goodnight Ryo!” her voice drifted in from the hallway and Ryo smiled.

 

“Goodnight,” he answered softly.

 

He moved achingly slow to his suitcase, his back screaming bloody murder as he knelt and pulled out his pajamas. Ryo fingered the silky material for a moment, a slight smile on his face. God he was tired. He stood back up slowly and hobbled back to the bed, fighting and cursing a little to get the tux jacket off. He tossed it aside and unbuttoned the pants, gravity helping him a little with those. Ryo hissed sharply as he pulled the pajama pants up, his muscles clenching angrily as he sat down again. Now he began to fumble with the tiny shirt buttons, his hands suddenly feeling too big and too clumsy.

 

The door clicked quietly open and Ryo looked up as Dee entered, the man's face filled with worry.

 

“Do you need anything? How about some water?”

 

“No,” Ryo said with a little exasperation. “I just want to go to bed.”

 

Normally a statement like that would have had Ryo pinned under a groping detective in a heartbeat, but tonight Dee crossed the room slowly. He gently pushed Ryo's hands aside and slowly undid the buttons, carefully pulling the shirt off, Ryo wincing a little despite his caution. He gently set the shirt next to Ryo's suitcase, gathering the rest of the tuxedo up and even half-way folding it as he looked around.

 

Ryo held his arms out as Dee slowly helped to pull on his pajama top, the brown haired man flinching again.

 

“Don't button it.”

 

Dee paused and Ryo glanced up.

 

“The buttons, uh, rub on…”

 

Dee nodded slightly and pulled his hands back without grazing them over the white bandages. He helped Ryo to stand, and he gratefully leaned against Dee as the dark haired man pulled the blankets down. Dee helped Ryo to climb into bed, his body sinking happily into the soft mattress, a long relieved sigh escaping him. Ryo smiled softly at him and Dee started for the door.

 

“Where are you going?” Ryo asked.

 

“Well, I…”

 

He sighed, unable to say it, unable to tell Ryo that he wasn't going to sleep with him that night, that he was…Dee sighed and crept to the other side of the bed, curling up on the very edge, one hand smacking the light off. They lay in silence for a moment, a confused look on Ryo's face.

 

“Dee?”

 

“What? Are you okay?”

 

“Um yes, are you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Silence.

 

“Dee?”

 

“What?”

 

“Are you mad at me?”

 

“No.”

 

Silence.

 

“Dee…”

 

“Ryo, go to sleep.”

 

“Dee, why are you mad?”

 

“I'm not mad.”

 

“You're acting like you're mad.”

 

“I'm not mad. I'm…worried.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Silence.

 

“I'm sorry Dee.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For worrying you. I'm sorry, please don't be mad.”

 

“I told you, I'm not mad.”

 

“Then don't be worried.”

 

“It's fine.”

 

Silence.

 

“Dee?”

 

“Ryo, just go to sleep.”

 

“No. What's wrong?”

 

“Ryo…”

 

“Dee…”

 

“Goddammit, just leave me alone.”

 

“No.”

 

Silence.

 

“Dee…”

 

“Ryo, please just go to sleep?”

 

“No. What's wrong? Why are you so upset?”

 

“Goddammit, go to sleep.”

 

“Jesus Christ, Dee, what's wrong?”

 

“Go to sleep.”

 

“NO! What's got you so mad?”

 

“I told you I'm not mad.”

 

“You're worried.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Ryo, you're one big walking bruise.”

 

Silence.

 

Ryo burst out laughing.

 

“That's what you're worried about?”

 

Ryo shifted a little in the darkness.

 

“If you don't come over here, I'm going to crawl over there.”

 

“Dammit Ryo.”

 

“You know I will.”

 

He listened to Dee mutter and scoot across the bed, Ryo's searching hand lightly brushing across his face in the darkness. Dee stopped.

 

“Happy?”

 

“No.”

 

“Ryo…”

 

“I'm not going to break, come over here.”

 

“I don't…I don't want to hurt you Ryo.”

 

Ryo's hand lightly caressed his face again, the palm loosely cupping his chin.

 

“I know you would never hurt me Dee. Please come closer.”

 

The irony of the situation was not lost on Dee. Here he was, in bed with his beautiful Ryo, the man commanding him to come closer, and he was shying away from his touch.

 

“Ryo, I think this is close enough.”

 

“Goddammit Dee, I'm not in the mood to go crawling around in the dark. Come closer!”

 

“Ryo…”

 

“No, no excuses. I can't sleep by myself, you know that. Get over here or I'll bug you all night.”

 

Dee could feel the blush in Ryo's words and he smiled slightly in spite of himself.

 

“Ryo…”

 

“Goddammit!”

 

Ryo grabbed his arm and yanked him sharply over, Dee crying out with surprise as he rolled into Ryo. Ryo let go, biting back on a hiss of pain and waited as Dee fidgeted a little next to him, their bodies now pressed lightly together. Dee hesitated in the darkness and then gently rested his arm across Ryo's chest. Ryo sighed happily and Dee flinched a little.

 

“Does that hurt?”

 

“No.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

 

Dee sighed. “This isn't how I planned on spending tonight.”

 

“Me either.”

 

Dee sighed again. “It's just…you looked so good in that tux. I just wanted to rip it off you.”

 

“Dee…”

 

“What?”

 

“I wouldn't have minded.”

 

Dee had to bite his lip to keep from groaning.

 

“I love you.”

 

Ryo smiled and lightly kissed Dee's forehead, his body leaning a little into Dee's hold.

 

“I love you too.”

 

Ryo awoke slowly, his breath sharp and painful as the first rays of dawn painted through the tall windows. He blinked, his body screaming and he slowly pressed one hand lightly to the bandage around his middle. He gasped and lifted the hand, his eyes widening a little at the dark shadow on his fingertips. Ryo started to reach for Dee, but his hand dropped limply to the bed and his eyes slipped closed again.

 

Dee felt Ryo's shuddering breath and he woke up with a yawn, ready to pull the blankets up tighter around his pale lover. He smiled at Ryo, but it froze immediately as he saw the thick sweat covering Ryo's face and listened to his labored breathing. Dee started to sit up and his hand brushed through something warm and thick. He stared down in horror at the blood pooling in the bed.

 

Dee jogged along the gurney as it wheeled through the hospital, Ryo unconscious upon it, his face clenched in pain. The doctors and nurses were yelling to each other now, strange words that Dee couldn't catch, couldn't make himself attempt to understand. His Ryo was hurt, his Ryo was in pain and there was nothing he could do.

 

“Sir, you need to wait outside.”

 

One of the nurses pushed him roughly back and a set of swinging doors flipped closed in front of him. He peered through them, Ryo disappearing around a corner, the doctor's voices quickly fading and leaving him alone in the dim buzz of the hospital.

 

He wiped a hand across his face and tried to clear his brain. Franklin was on his way with Diana and Rose. That still left Elena and Bikky. He needed to call them, make sure they knew what was happening. He rubbed at his eyes a little harder and tried to focus again, his mind still leaping back to Ryo.

 

Jesus, what had happened?

 

“His blood didn't properly clot.”

 

That was about all the explanation they got from the hospital. Apparently Ryo had been given blood thinning drugs the night before (Dee hadn't listened close enough to understand the reason for it) and they had worked a little too well. The wound hadn't really sealed, and eventually, as time passed, more blood flowed, and Ryo passed out. The doctors told Dee how lucky Ryo had been not to die.

 

He almost punched them.

 

Ryo wasn't going to die, he decided then and there. It didn't matter, none of it, because his Ryo was never going to die. Ever. EVER.

 

“He's still asleep…”

 

“Can we see him?” Dee said flatly.

 

The doctor stared at him.

 

“Are you a relative?”

 

Dee's eyes narrowed dangerously and Franklin MacLean cleared his throat.

 

“He's family.”

 

He looks so pale.

 

Dee sat down quietly at Ryo's bedside, his mind thinking back to the times that he had made Ryo come visit him in the hospital. It must have been horrible. He closed his eyes and lightly gripped Ryo's hand. He knew Ryo was going to wake up, but the last time that he had been in the hospital…

 

His hand wiped lightly at his eyes, a few tears gathering in them, but Dee wasn't a crier. He wasn't going to cry, dammit. He rubbed a thumb against Ryo's soft hand and smiled a little.

 

“You scared the shit out of me, sexy,” he whispered.

 

Ryo's eyes fluttered in his sleep and Dee's smile grew.

 

“Sorry,” Ryo breathed.

 

Dee tensed and ran a hand through Ryo's hair.

 

“Shh, Ryo,” he said softly. “It's alright.”

 

“Dee,” Ryo breathed and Dee smiled.

 

Ryo sighed happily and drifted further into sleep, his features wonderfully peaceful and smooth. Dee smiled as he watched over him, his hand still lightly holding Ryo's. Damn, what this man did to him.

 

“I love you so much.”

 

“Ryo!”

 

Ryo looked up from the magazine he was paging through as Bikky barreled into the hospital room, his eyes wide with concern. Ryo raised one finger to his lips and nodded towards Dee, his dark haired partner passed out in the flimsy hospital chair.

 

“I don't care,” Bikky said and threw his arms around Ryo. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Ryo flinched. “Just a little sore. Not so tight, Bikky.”

 

“Sorry, sorry.”

 

Ryo smiled warmly at him and brushed a hand through his hair. “Don't worry.”

 

Bikky stared up at him and then took a deep breath, quickly hiding all the terrified worry he had been carrying on the trip up. He turned and sharply kicked Dee in the shin.

 

“Ouch! What the fuck? You little apeshit!”

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Bikky roared.

 

“What?”

 

“You put Ryo in the hospital you perverted asswipe!”

 

“I'm going to fucking put you in the morgue you demented flying monkey!”

 

“Yeah try it. I'll beat you down.”

 

“If you were a little taller I'd knock your head off.”

 

“Ryo, you must be feeling better if the two of them are this energetic.”

 

The fashionable woman in the doorway frowned in at them and Bikky and Dee both fidgeted a little as she swept in. She lightly kissed Ryo's forehead and handed Bikky a dollar.

 

“Coffee, now.”

 

“Alright, alright.”

 

“Hi Aunt Elena,” Ryo said happily. “How have you been?”

 

She snorted laughter. “Oh please, you're in the hospital and you're asking how I am? Ryo, please stop being so nice, it's killing me.”

 

She lightly ran a hand through his hair and glanced over at Dee.

 

“How'd things go with the family? Did they stab Ryo?”

 

“Why are you asking him what happened to me?” Ryo said a little irritably.

 

“Because he won't sugar coat it, sweetie.”

 

Ryo blushed a little and Dee chuckled.

 

“Mostly it was alright. Your dad's a piece of work.”

 

Elena grunted and shook her head. “He's certainly unique.”

 

“Ryo's cousin Martin pushed him down a flight of stairs. That's when Ryo got caught on a sword that was being held by some fucking suit of armor.”

 

“That thing is still there?” Elena shook her head. “God it was an eyesore when I was a child and I'll bet it's an eyesore now.”

 

“I can't say it's one of my favorite pieces,” Ryo said wryly.

 

Elena smiled and planted another peck on his forehead.

 

“Your uncle's sorry he couldn't make it, but you know his work. Demand, demand, demand.”

 

“It's alright. I'm going home tomorrow anyway.”

 

“That soon?”

 

“The doctor's okay'd it,” Dee said with a shrug. “He wants to go home.”

 

Elena's smile became a little gentler.

 

“Still don't like hospitals, do you?”

 

Ryo smiled at her and she ran a hand through his hair.

 

“Where is your son with my coffee?” she sighed and then smiled again. “Oh, Ryo, I almost forgot. I saw you in the paper.”

 

“What?”

 

She chuckled and fished around in her purse, pulling out a carefully clipped article. Elena smoothed it out and handed it to Ryo, Dee peering curiously over his shoulder.

 

Philanthropist Franklin MacLean and grandson Randy MacLean greet guests at the MacLean Corporation's annual company ball…

 

“That's a nice picture,” Dee said.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“No, seriously,” Dee said. “You look good.”

 

“Stop it,” Ryo said with a blush and Elena grinned.

 

“Dee, I love you. You're so good for him.”

 

The car ride back to New York was peaceful and quiet. Dee and Ryo rode in the back of one of Franklin's expensive cars, the driver barely glancing at them as they got in. Ryo moved carefully and sat stiffly, his side screaming angrily and his whole body tense and sore. A cane leaned against the seat next to him, and Dee twirled it a little as he sat down, one hand toying over it.

 

“Goodbye Randy,” Franklin said with a sigh. “I wish you'd agree to stay here while you recuperate, it wouldn't be any trouble at all.”

 

“Thank you sir, but I need to get back to the city.”

 

“Alright, alright,” the older man smiled. “I hope to see you soon.”

 

The car pulled away, Rose following it closely, Bikky leaning out of the Commissioner's backseat to wave at Franklin, causing the old man to grin and wave back. Now they glided down the freeway, Ryo leaning lightly against Dee as he drifted off to sleep, the dark haired detective murmuring quietly in his ear, his hand gently caressing Ryo's arm.

 

“I love you,” Ryo whispered and gave over to dreaming.

 

Dee smiled happily.

 

Ryo knew that he could never say it enough. He knew Dee would never grow tired of hearing the words, that he would always wish Ryo would say it once more. He loved that about Dee. He loved the way Dee smiled at him, the way he always knew when to be gentle and when to…well, he loved that Dee always seemed to know what he wanted. He loved the sound of Dee's laugh and the irritable way he ground out a cigarette when things weren't going right. He loved the touch of Dee's hand, he loved waking up in Dee's arms. He loved Dee.