Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Kidnapped ❯ Kidnapped ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE or any of the characters thus associated with either the manga or the anime.

WARNING: This is YAOI. If anybody has ever watched FAKE (it's only four episodes long) or read the manga, you'd know this. If you didn't know this, I'm warning you now. If you don't like male x male relationships, then don't read this, okay? As for those of you who don't care, please enjoy this story.

Chapter One: Kidnapped!

"YOU IDIOT! How many times do I have to tell you to get your ass in gear and get a move on! This case is important, and no one can do a damn thing because you haven't written a report yet!"

Dee Laytner, policeman extraordinare, just sighed and shifted on his feet, waiting for his chief to end his rant and send him on his way. It's not like it was his fault the report wasn't done yet. His partner, Randy Maclean, was the one who usually wrote the reports, but he was on vacation at the moment.

`Humph! Going on vacation without me! What kind of partner is he anyhow? And did he really have to take the brats with him?' Now Dee was off on his own little inner rant, and he tuned his chief out. He knew the entire speech anyhow.

Randy, or Ryo, as Dee preferred to call him, was everything Dee could hope for in a man. He was tall, graceful, blonde, naïve, serious, friendly, and so incredibly innocent it sometimes made Dee's teeth hurt. Dee, on the other hand, indulged in odd humor, and was anything but naïve and innocent. After all, he was the one who was chasing after Ryo.

Dee had known for a long time that he was bi, but he hadn't found anyone that caught his interest until Ryo came along. He was a rookie to the 27th precinct of the New York Police Department, and the chief decided to partner him up with Dee, in the hopes that perhaps the raven-haired man would loose his careless attitude.

Dee smirked at that. There was nothing Ryo could do to change him, but that didn't mean he couldn't change Ryo. He had slowly been working on him for the past six months or so, beginning with their first kiss under a tree. Fortunately for Dee, Ryo was innocent enough that Dee knew he had a chance with the man.

Unfortunately, it appeared that Ryo had adopted Bikky, the son of a dead drug dealer, and an irritating brat whose favorite pastime was pissing Dee off and protecting Ryo from his advances.

Dee growled to himself as thoughts of the blond mulatto child interrupted his daydream, and was rewarded with a slap upside the head, compliments of his chief.

"Have you been listening to ANYTHING I said?!" he demanded, glaring at his insolent detective. Dee rubbed his head and grinned cheekily.

"But of course I have, Chief. I should get that report finished immediately so that other people can take my case away from me, right?"

The chief's eyes narrowed. "Hn. You have been listening. Get out of here now, and I don't want to see you again until that report is completed, understood?"

Dee nodded and headed for the door. Opening it, he paused, then turned to the Chief. "By the way, why didn't I get to go on vacation with Ry-er-Randy?" he asked.

The chief smirked maliciously, and replied, "Oh, it's nothing important. It's just that since you didn't have that report done, I figured you'd want to stay here and finish it. After all, it is for a rather important case, you know."

Dee just narrowed his eyes and nodded abruptly, then slammed his way out of the office and then out of the building. He would complete that damn report, then he would take off and go hunt down Ryo. `After all,' he told himself, `it's not like he can take care of himself. He's too damn trusting when it comes to people.'

Grinding his teeth together, he went home to his apartment, typed up a report, faxed it to the chief's office, along with a note informing them that he was taking off for the next two weeks, then set about preparing to follow Ryo. After packing two suitcases and grabbing his coat, he set out for the airport, hoping to catch the next flight out to Japan.

Dee still didn't understand why Ryo had chosen Japan, of all places. He had said something about finding out more about his heritage, but as far as Dee was concerned, he was pure American. After all, there wasn't a single resident in America that didn't have the blood of some other nation running through their veins. Ryo was no different. Besides, you couldn't even see the Japanese in him except right around the eyes.

Several hours later, his flight landed in the Tokyo airport. From there, he drove to the apartment building where Ryo was staying. He had decided not to give him any warning beforehand. Besides, he was hoping that Bikky would be out somewhere, playing with some new friends from the local group of juvenile delinquents, so that Dee could have some time alone with Ryo.

It looked like he was going to get his wish today. Walking up to the apartment that Ryo was supposed to be staying in during his vacation, he knocked. A minute later, he heard the soft padding of a pair of bare feet crossing a wooden floor. Then the sound was muffled as the person inside moved from wood to carpet.

The door opened, and there stood Ryo, clad in only a pair of dark blue jeans, his hair tousled from sleep and his eyes only half open, glittering with exhaustion. It appeared that Dee had awoken him from a nap, not that he minded, of course.

Dee just stood there ogling for a few long moments as Ryo froze in shock. Then he choked out, "Dee? What are you doing here in Japan, in Tokyo no less?" He backed up to let Dee enter the room, then shut and locked the door behind him, watching the raven-haired man warily.

Dee just shrugged. "The chief said he didn't see any reason why I couldn't come once I had finished a report for him," he replied, kicking off his shoes and moving around the apartment. He left out the fact that the chief had merely said he wasn't allowed to go because he hadn't finished the report, but it came out to the same thing anyhow, right?

"Hey! Is the kid here?" he demanded, changing the subject abruptly. Ryo blinked at him, then began to follow his train of thought. "Oh, Bikky? No, he went out with some new friends of his. He won't be back until dinnertime." Dee grinned happily. This was too good to be true.

Dee just hoped that Bikky didn't do anything stupid like getting caught when he stole something, which he was bound to do at some point. If he was caught, then Dee would have to go to the local precinct of the Tokyo Police Department and get him out, which wouldn't be any fun, and which would be sure to put Ryo in a bad mood for the rest of the evening.

Noticing that Ryo was still staring at him, he shook his head and smiled at his partner. "That's good." When Ryo gave him a wary glance, he added hurriedly, "Good that he's already made some friends here, I meant."

Successfully diverted from his suspicion, Ryo nodded and smiled back. "Yes, it's nice that he's already made some friends. That way he's not so lonely here, with just me for company."

Dee walked over to his partner and slung a companionable arm over his shoulders. "Yeah, but that must make you lonely, when the little runt is out with his friends. That's what I'm here for-to keep you from getting lonely."

To emphasize his declaration, he turned towards Ryo and captured his lips, in a rather chaste kiss. The blonde's eyes widened, and he instinctively tried to back away, but Dee held him rather firmly, wrapping his free arm around the other man's waist.

Eventually, Ryo just gave up and surrendered to the kiss, closing his eyes and opening his mouth. As soon as his lips parted, Dee plunged in with his tongue, tasting him. He had always prided himself on experience, and decided to give Ryo the full benefit today.

Pulling Ryo closer to him, he tipped their heads to a more comfortable angle and brushed his tongue against Ryo's, coaxing his to come play. When the blonde responded, Dee's lips curved into a smile, and the hand around the man's waist began to trace the edge of his jeans, occasionally dipping inside.

When Dee began moving his hand, Ryo froze. He was still reluctant about this entire relationship, and wasn't sure that Dee was being honest with him. After all, there was still J. J., who was convinced that Dee belonged with him. And Dee did have a tendency to flirt every chance he got, although admittedly, he had all but ceased his flirting after meeting Ryo. He just wasn't sure about Dee, and he didn't want to give himself to the raven-haired man if he was going to be dumped immediately afterwards.

He knew he was being insecure, but he really couldn't help it. After all, both he and Dee were guys, and these kinds of relationships just didn't seem like they should work out.

Dee had noticed it when Ryo tensed, and stilled his hand, pressing it into the small of his back. He retracted his tongue from Ryo's mouth and just moved his lips lightly up and down Ryo's in apology before pulling back altogether.

Ryo just stood there, dazed. Dee always had this effect on him, for some odd reason. The kisses were what kept Ryo on as Dee's partner. In them, the blonde man felt that he was truly loved by the dark-eyed man, although he didn't know why.

Dee grinned, noticing the effect he had on his hapless partner, and left the living room, heading further into the apartment. He found the bedroom rather quickly and eyed the bed critically. It was a king size bed, so it should be able to fit him, Ryo, and Bikky.

Of course, Dee might just try and get Bikky to sleep on the couch for the rest of their vacation. Besides, if Bikky was caught by the local cops, Ryo would be furious at him and he might just be relegated to the couch anyhow.

Dee smirked to himself and sent a quick prayer to the heavens that Bikky would get caught doing something. Nothing too illegal, of course, but just enough to piss off Ryo. Flopping down on the bed, he decided to take a nap until dinner was ready, and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He didn't notice when Ryo peeked in on him, nor when there was a knock on the door. He didn't hear the door open or the voices that spoke to Ryo. He didn't hear the dull thud of a gun butt against flesh, or the quiet thump of a body hitting the carpet. Dee remained dead asleep for several more hours, not realizing that it was long past dinnertime and Bikky still wasn't home.

When he did wake up, his first thought was that they had decided to just let him sleep and eat dinner whenever he woke up. Then he realized that he hadn't yet been clobbered by a very angry Bikky demanding that he leave immediately and stay away from Ryo.

That cinched it for him. Finally coming to the conclusion that something was very wrong, he slipped into the living room, hunting for a note or something to tell him where the man and boy had gone to. When he found no explanation, he searched the rest of the rooms, looking for anything that might tell him where Ryo had disappeared to.

He finally found what he needed in the hallway, in front of the door. There was a small spot of blood on the beige carpet, and some signs of a brief struggle. There was also a lighter, pale blue with the words, BODY HEAT, engraved on one side.

Dee's eyes narrowed in fury. He had no idea what Body Heat was, but perhaps it was a place to begin looking for the bastards who had taken his Ryo. Storming back into the living room, he located the Tokyo phone book and looked up Body Heat. It was a nightclub, apparently, and a popular one at that.

Dee didn't care. As long as he got Ryo back, he could care less about everything else. Bikky had probably been kidnapped by the same people as Ryo, so Dee supposed he'd have to rescue the kid too. Walking into the kitchen, he made a phone call, confirming Body Heat's location.

Forty-five anxiety-ridden minutes later, Dee pulled up in front of Body Heat. It appeared to be a pretty decent place, and Dee was beginning to wonder if the dropped lighter hadn't been intentional to lead him astray.

The nightclub had an almost brand new appearance to it, with dark blue walls, and a violet and red neon sign, stating `BODY HEAT' in large bold letters. There were a few people outside, and music trickled out of the building and spilled into the street.

Sighing in resignation, Dee climbed out of his rental car and headed for the short line in front of the club. Reaching the guard at the door, he showed his I.D. and was herded inside with the others. Music and lights assaulted him, and he froze, trying to adjust to the sudden change in atmosphere.

Once he had adjusted a bit, he slowly moved further into the club, searching for any clue as to what could have happened to Ryo, and most likely Bikky as well. He decided to begin with the layout of the place, but made no assumptions. If he began to assume things, then he would most likely miss something that would tell him of Ryo's whereabouts.

The club was similar to other nightclubs he had been to, just a lot nicer than most. It consisted of one large main room, broken only by the change in floor color, from a deep oak wooden floor to a solid black tile dance floor. Strobe lights were placed above the dance floor, flashing streaks of color across the smooth tile of the dance floor. Over the tables were much more sensible hanging lamps that threw a soft golden glow over the tables and their occupants.

There were several doors branching off from the main room, and Dee took note of their various colors and purposes. There was a blue door for medical attention, should one of the customers suddenly become ill.

The bright red door was apparently for those customers who wanted a little privacy, but didn't mind if other people showed up or watched their activities.

There was a green door as well. This one held another ballroom behind it, intended for a much younger audience. The bar in this room was filled with free non-alcoholic drinks, and smoking was forbidden.

The last door was a bright yellow, and held a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a long hallway filled with soundproof, lockable rooms, for those members who wished for absolute privacy in their affairs.

This last door was the one that Dee entered, heading up the stairs and glancing up and down the hallway, hoping that perhaps he needn't travel any further to find Ryo and Bikky.

It appeared that today was his lucky day. First, he got Ryo all to himself, now he received confirmation that Ryo and Bikky were indeed in `Body Heat' by way of a couple exiting a room who had seen two men leading another man and a boy into one of the far rooms, both in collars and leashes.

Dee stopped the couple and asked politely which room the two collared people had been led into, and was rewarded when they directed him to the last room on the left at the end of the hallway. They also added that the men who had brought them had left about half an hour ago, and hadn't been planning on returning until the next evening. Apparently, they figured their hostages were well-hidden for now, and wouldn't move them until the following evening.

Dee thanked them and headed for the room. When he got to the door, the raven-haired man thanked the heavens that he had learned how to pick locks after having to retrieve Bikky from the rooms he chose to lock himself into when he was caught for something and hiding from Ryo.

Bending over the lock, he inserted the key and fiddled around with the lock. Hearing the telltale click, he smirked in satisfaction and turned the knob, opening the door and searching in the dim light for Ryo and Bikky.

He found Bikky first, huddled in a corner whimpering. His shirt had been torn, and his upper body was covered in bruises, cuts, and what appeared to be burn marks from a lit cigarette. He was blindfolded as well, and whimpered when Dee approached him. Then he growled, angry at himself for acting that way and snarled, "What the hell do you want now, stupid jerk?!"

Dee just smirked, glad to see that Bikky wasn't hurt so badly that he couldn't put on a brave front, and cuffed him gently upside the head. "Who are you calling a stupid jerk, you little runt?" he growled back, feigning insult. The tone would have probably been real if Bikky hadn't been so obviously hurt and afraid.

Bikky perked up at hearing a familiar voice, and questioned, "Dee?" The man just nodded, then realized that Bikky couldn't see him and said, "Yeah, it's me. I need you to hold still while I cut this blindfold off of you. It's too tight to simply untie. Can you do that for me?"

When Bikky nodded, Dee bent down and slid a small knife under the blindfold. The boy flinched away, then held still, determination radiating from his body. As soon as the blindfold was off, Bikky turned to Dee, then glanced away, yelling, "Ack! I'm going blind again! By the way, you had best stay away from Ryo, you pervert."

Dee realized that Bikky was trying not to cry, and so played along. He'd pay him back later, but to do so now would just be cruel. He smirked as he moved around Bikky to untie the kid's bonds, and retorted, "Sure, I'll stay away from him. Do you think you can support him all the way back home yourself, then?"

Bikky was silent, then sighed in resignation, his head drooping slightly. "All right, you can help him back to the apartment, but you had better not try anything with him or else I'll kick your ass. Got it?" Dee just sneered at him and remained silent.

"Where is Ryo, by the way?" he asked, once he had gotten Bikky standing. The boy gestured to the opposite end of the room, where the shadows were thickest. Dread filling his stomach, Dee approached the corner slowly, then froze as the sight before him registered. Quickly, he shoved Bikky behind him and told him to go stand guard at the door.

Ryo was unconscious on a bed, covered in caked dirt and blood, stripped completely of clothes and chained spread-eagled to the four posts. Dee did a quick check and didn't notice blood or any other fluids on the bed, and relaxed. Apparently, whoever had kidnapped him and Bikky had hurt him before placing him on the bed, and now they were planning on waiting for him to regain consciousness before torturing him further.

Quickly, Dee picked the locks on each of the chains, freeing Ryo. Once the man was free, Dee searched in the shadows and found his clothes. They were stained and torn, but they'd work until he got them all home.

He dressed Ryo carefully, trying not to jostle him too much, to avoid waking him up. It wouldn't do for Ryo to regain consciousness to see his partner dressing him. Dee snarled silently and swore revenge to everyone who had touched Bikky and Ryo. He might not like the kid much, but nobody was allowed to beat on him except for Dee.

Once Ryo was dressed, Dee picked him up and slung him over his shoulder, carefully so as not to hurt him, but he did need at least one hand free for his gun should it be necessary.

Coming up behind Bikky, he put a hand on the kid's shoulder, telling him to go ahead. Once they were out the door, Dee took the lead and headed down the stairs and out of the nightclub. The people in the club didn't even bother to give them a second glance. After all, odder things had happened in the rooms upstairs than an unconscious man carried by another man with a small teenage boy for a companion.

As soon as they reached the apartment, Dee took Ryo into the bathroom. When Bikky followed them, obviously not trusting Dee's intentions, he sent him out for some towels and a first aid kit. The first-aid kit was for Bikky, he needed to see to those burns.

When the boy hesitated, Dee looked at him, then swiftly removed Ryo's shirt. When Bikky saw him, he gasped and fled, understanding why Dee was putting him in the bath. He had been sliced up, and some of the wounds were infected.

The bruises covering his body patterned it in a wild mural of vicious greens and yellows, blacks and blues. His entire body was a myriad of color, and it made Dee sick to see it.

Gently setting Ryo down on the carpet in front of the tub, he began to run the water, making sure that it was comfortable, not too hot. Once he was satisfied, he picked Ryo up and set him carefully in the tub, holding his head above the water.

By this time Bikky had returned with the towels, and set about applying first aid to himself, watching Ryo and Dee with wide eyes. Gently, so as not to hurt him further, Dee picked up a bar of soap and a soft washcloth and began to clean his partner up, taking great care to jostle him as little as possible.

After he had gotten him cleaned of caked blood and dirt, he emptied the tub and wrapped Ryo in the towels, but kept him in the bathroom, using the steam created from the bath to keep him warm while he took the first aid kit and applied salve to Ryo's injuries.

Once that was done, he dressed Ryo in the clothes Bikky had brought in and picked him up. Carrying him into the bedroom, he set him down on the bed and beckoned Bikky over. "You stay with him tonight, okay? I'll sleep on the couch for now, to protect you," he whispered, holding up his gun for Bikky to see.

The young boy just nodded and smiled gratefully at Dee. "Thank you," he murmured sleepily, meaning more than just letting him share the bed with Ryo. Dee just nodded, understanding, then left the room, shutting the door softly behind him, moving to lay on the couch.

He lay awake for the rest of the night, wondering exactly who had kidnapped his partner and the little brat, and why they had hurt them like that. He swore again to find a way to avenge them, no matter what it cost him personally. Eventually, close to dawn, Dee drifted off into an uneasy sleep, waking up every hour or so to check the apartment for noise. All in all, he didn't get much sleep, and was exhausted the next morning.

He woke abruptly when he heard a creak behind him. Damn! How could he have let someone sneak behind him like that? He mentally cursed himself even as he rolled off the couch and brought his gun up, pointing it at the intruder. Then he froze and yanked his finger off the trigger. Bikky and Ryo stood there, staring at him with wide eyes.

Lowering the gun, he shouted, "Damn it, you two! You should have said something! You scared me half to death. I was afraid that I had-that I-that I had let them get around me again!" he choked, finally admitting to them and himself what was wrong.

He blamed himself for their kidnapping. He was in the apartment, and he had slept right through it! It was all his fault. Finally thinking the whole thing through, Dee collapsed, trying hard not to cry and failing.

Everything was his fault! If he hadn't fallen asleep, they wouldn't have been kidnapped. If he had finished that report on time, then perhaps he would've known about Ryo's enemies. If only, if only, if only. So many different ifs rolled around his head and only served to make him cry harder.

He knew he must look truly pathetic. After all, neither Ryo nor Bikky were crying, and they had been the one's who had suffered because of him and his inattentiveness.

He forced himself to slow down his crying, and eventually to stop altogether. That's when he realized that he was being held. Ryo and Bikky were holding him between them, hugging him and rocking gently back and forth.

Once his tears had subsided, they pulled back from him. Ryo gazed at his red-rimmed eyes and gently wiped the tears off of Dee's face. "It's not your fault, Dee. They had already taken Bikky, and told me that if I didn't come with them, they would kill him."

"I was the one who didn't tell them you were here, or shout for you. I needed to find Bikky, and I knew that if it was at all possible, you'd come to save us-both of us-no matter what it cost you to do so. You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened. If anything, it was my fault. I knew I had enemies around here, and I still let Bikky go out unsupervised," Ryo soothed his partner, trying to calm him somewhat.

Dee just shook his head, but remained silent, not ignoring Ryo, but not really listening to him either. A few quiet seconds later, the raven-haired man climbed to his feet and headed for the bathroom. He emerged with the first aid kit, which he then handed to Ryo and Bikky.

"Take care of your injuries, make sure they don't get infected. I'm going out for a little while. Don't let anyone but me in, understand?" Without giving them time to answer or question him, he headed out the door. "Oh, by the way," he tossed back over his shoulder, "my one suitcase is filled with weapons should you need them."

With that, he walked out the door and headed back to `Body Heat'. He didn't know what exactly he was going to do, but he did know one thing. There was no way he was going to let those bastards get away with hurting two of the people he cared for more than anything in the world, even if he would never admit to caring for the kid.

Entering the club again, he noticed that it was much quieter now, in the daytime. Apparently, this club was popular enough that it remained opened almost constantly, but was far more crowded and busy at night, which would explain why the kidnappers had chosen to wait until nighttime to move their hostages.

Dee ignored the people who approached him and headed straight for the yellow door. Climbing up the stairs, he re-entered the room he had just left last night and locked the door behind him. Deciding there was nothing to do until they arrived, he sat himself down in a corner and waited patiently.

His patience was rewarded when he heard the tumbler click several hours later, as his partner's kidnappers came back. Crouching in the shadows by the bed, he raised his gun and waited. These rooms were soundproof, but it wouldn't do him any good if he shot them with the door open. Actually, he wasn't planning on killing them, as much as he'd enjoy it.

He fully intended to do this honestly and call the local cops once he had the bad guys incapacitated. Well, after he'd scared the hell out them and made sure that they'd confess when the cops arrived just to avoid having to deal with him anymore, of course.

He bared his teeth and emitted a low growl as the men came through the door. Then he cursed himself. Bikky! The kid was no longer in the corner where he was supposed to be. Dee would have to improvise.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for the men to notice that Bikky was no longer in his corner of the room. Taking their guns out, they pointed it out into the room, many of them aimed at the deep shadows mottling Dee's corner.

The dark-eyed cop decided to use the shadows to his advantage and whimpered, shifting slightly and trying for all the world to act like an injured kid. It actually wasn't that difficult, when he considered how much it hurt to know that this was, at least in part, his fault.

One of the men laughed, then lowered his gun, gesturing for the others to do the same. "The damn kid's moved, that's all. I guess when he regained consciousness, he thought he'd try to hide from us."

"Or else he just wanted to be closer to his guardian," sneered another, gesturing towards the bed where a lump indicated where Ryo would be, if he were here, of course. Dee smirked, allowing his lips to twist up in utter contempt for these scum. They were so confident in their own abilities that it made them dumb.

Dee waited until the last possible second to strike, shooting his first bullet when the man in front realized that he wasn't the kid. He had put a muffler on the gun, just in case some sound did actually carry out of the rooms.

Once he had fired, he continued to do so, emptying out both his guns on the men in the room. He aimed for their arms and legs, and as soon as one was down, he made sure that they couldn't use their guns.

The limbs that he hadn't shot, he broke, reveling in the cries of pain and fear that the men in the room emitted. Snarling, he lectured them, "Now, when I call the cops, you're going to tell him every crime you ever committed, right? Because I'm warning you now, if you lie to them, or even worse, deny what you have done, you will have to deal with me again. I am a cop for the New York Police Department in America, and you do not want to piss me off anymore, now do you?" he prompted.

The kidnappers vigorously nodded, then shook their heads. Yes, they'd tell the cops everything, and no, they didn't want to get on Dee's bad side.

Satisfied, Dee nodded, then left the room, using the payphone outside to call the local cops before heading for home. When he got back, he headed straight for the bathroom to clean up, ignoring the stares from both Ryo and Bikky. His arms and shirt were covered in blood, although he had hidden it underneath his jacket.

Once he was clean, he walked back into the living and flopped back down on the couch, gazing back at Ryo and Bikky. "Did you get your wounds taken care of? Have you eaten already? Did you save anything for me? Are you both all right?" He fired his questions rapidly, then waited impatiently for the answers.

Ryo answered him. "Yes, we have taken care of our wounds, we have already eaten, we saved you some food, it's in the fridge, and we're both a bit sore but just fine otherwise." Then he set his piercing gaze on Dee, and asked him suspiciously, "And just where exactly did you disappear to?"

The raven-haired man just glared back at him and let his eyes go empty, showing a side to him that not many saw, the side that made him a true cop. He let them see inside, to the monster that was in there, the vicious creature that killed without remorse, without regret. "They're being taken care of by the local cops right now. They won't bother anyone ever again."

Ryo's eyes widened in fear, and Dee quickly reverted back to his normal self. Ryo had never been truly afraid of him before, nervous and wary, yes, but never afraid like he was now. Dee just offered him and Bikky a sad smile and walked into the kitchen, busying himself with heating his dinner.

A few minutes later, a pair of warm arms encircled themselves around his waist, and a body pressed up against his back. Ryo pressed his face in between Dee's shoulder blades and just stayed there for several long moments. Then slowly he turned back and turned Dee around.

"Look at me, Dee," he commanded gently. Once the raven-haired cop had raised his eyes to gaze at him, he continued. "I'm sorry for how I reacted back there. It's just . . . I've never seen this side of you before, and it scared me, wondering what you had done to those men."

"Then I realized just how bad Bikky and I must have looked when you came to rescue us, and I began to wonder exactly how you found us. I just asked Bikky to tell me, and he told me how the men had stripped me and chained me to the bed after beating me and rendering me unconscious. I understand now, Dee, I really do. Because . . . because I think-no, I'm sure I would have done the same thing to those bastards if I found you in that condition.

"I would've made them bleed and beg and scream for mercy for hurting you, and Bikky. I would've hurt them so much worse than I was hurt if they had done that to you. I would've hated them, and never forgiven them. Nothing I could've done to them would have made up for any hurt they caused you." At this point, Ryo couldn't continue as he broke down into sobs.

Dee just wrapped his arms around his partner and held him close, whispering comforting words into his ears and rocking him back and forth gently, letting Ryo soak his shirt with his tears. Finally, Ryo's sobs subsided, and he lifted his head and smiled softly at Dee.

Then he surprised the raven-haired man, taking a more aggressive stance and capturing the man's lips under his own. This time, it was Ryo who became the dominant, who slid his tongue into Dee's mouth when his partner gasped in surprised.

He began to hum softly, sending the vibrations into Dee's mouth, causing him to moan with the new sensations assaulting him. Dee willingly surrendered to Ryo's dominance, content to be the submissive one this time.

When they finally broke apart for air, the two men just held each other in a companionable silence, taking comfort in each other's touch. They were safe now, with their silent promise. Each partner would protect the other, and they would both protect Bikky, no matter what the cost.

All right, that's the first chapter. Actually, I'm doing this a bit differently than my other stories. I'm making each chapter it's own short story, all right? I don't have very much of the characters personalities to go on, so I'm kind of stumbling along here. Let me know what you all think, okay? If you like it, then I'll continue. If you think I'm just wasting my time writing these, then I'll stop, all right? You have to let me know, though, okay? Thanks!