Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Negotiations, chapter 1 ❯ Negotiations chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Negotiations

 

Chapter two

 

Pairing:  Dee/Ryo

Fandom: Fake

Rating:    Mature

Notes:   Kissing between two men.

Spoilers:  To Volume 7

Timing: In my vision of Fake, Dee and Ryo become a couple in May. That's when the wonderful RPG Fake 2nd Chances had their relationship begin, so I went along with that start time, even though it looks like dead winter in the manga. (But Bikky and Carol had gone off to 'summer' camp! Go figure) Negotiations takes place in July of that same year, so Dee and Ryo have been together for a couple of months at this point.

Summary:  Rose extracts concessions from Ryo in exchange for canceling Dee's suspension from duty.

Disclaimer:   I do not own these characters.  They are the property of Sanami Matoh.  I am not making any money from this.

 

This is the second chapter of three. There will be a sexy citrus addendum to this story following chapter three, but only on my LJ. The third chapter is already up right now on my LiveJournal page at

http://brit-columbia.livejournal.com/ I'll post chapter three here on Mediaminer in another week or so.

 

Blue Simplicity beta'd this for me and for all of you. Thank you Blue!

 

 

Negotiations

 

Chapter two

 

Commissioner Rose had intimated that in exchange for certain concessions from Detective McLean, he would be willing to cancel the three-week suspension from duty that he had just given to the man's partner, that sullen, smart-mouthed jackass, Dee Laytner.

 

Both men were looking at him expectantly, but both were nervous. He noticed that they hid their anxiety in very different ways. Dee's attitude was one of swaggering bravado, whereas Ryo was projecting an aura of mildly respectful assurance. Rose made them wait a little bit longer as he pretended to give due consideration to his options. Finally, he spoke.

 

"First of all, I expect you to stop avoiding me, Ryo. You'll soon find I'm not such a bad person after all if you do."

 

"Sir, it's not my perception that I have been avoiding you."

 

"Well, there it seems our perceptions differ. I assure you that you have. But that's easily remedied. If you will consent to have dinner with me once a month for a period of six months, I'll no longer have grounds to feel that you desire to shun me. And I will remove one week from Detective Laytner's three-week-and-holding suspension."

 

Dee snorted in disgust and glared at Rose with all the dislike he could muster. The commissioner remained unmoved.

 

"Lunch," said Ryo. "I'm a single parent. And three months."

 

Dee stared at Ryo and seemed about to speak, but Ryo increased the pressure of his hand on Dee's arm.

 

"All right, lunch," agreed the Commissioner. "But I'm afraid I must hold firm on the six months. Three lunches would be an insufficient amount of time for you to get to know me."

 

"Done," said Ryo. "Next?"

 

"I expect you to seek me out and greet me daily. With a smile. I know, I know--" he held up a hand because Dee and Ryo's mouths had just dropped open at exactly the same time. "It's a strange request, and I'm aware it has all the makings of a chore, but if you make it a part of your daily routine, it will soon seem less distasteful to you. If you will consent to do this, I will remove another week from the suspension."

 

Ryo smiled at him, and it was very hard for the Commissioner to tell whether he was smiling in relief or genuine warmth. "It IS a strange request, sir, but it isn't distasteful to me. Of course I will. And the final week?"

 

"Ah," said Rose and gazed at Ryo with affection. He deliberately swept his eyes down over Ryo's face and body and then back up again, while the silence in the room lengthened. The smile dropped away from Ryo's face and was replaced by the usual expression of slight apprehension that he often unconsciously wore in the Commissioner's presence.

 

"No. Absolutely not." That was Dee's voice, low and dangerous. "Don't even say the words or I swear I will kill you."

 

The Commissioner gave Dee an impatient look. "Don't kid yourself that I'm as big a fool as you are, Detective. I believe I know your partner -- your CURRENT partner, I might add -- a little better than you give me credit for." He turned back to Ryo and drew himself up. "I'm sorry, Detective McLean, but I'm of the mind that the third week should stand."

 

"But sir, I -- I need him. Today, I mean."

 

"I can see that."

 

"Isn't there some way...?" Ryo tried again.

 

"Yes," said Rose. "But you're not going to like it."

 

Dee moved to block Ryo from the commissioner's view. "Forget it, Dick-head," he snarled. "I'll take the fucking week."

 

"Oh dear, what did I tell you? Now we're back to two weeks."

 

Dee started forward with murder in his eyes, but Ryo grabbed him and hauled him back. The Commissioner looked at Ryo in surprise. Because Ryo was usually so gentle, shy and soft-spoken, it was easy to forget how strong he was.

 

"Dee, stop it," Ryo warned, and turned back to Rose. "Tell me your terms and I'll give you my answer."

 

"Very well. When I walked in here, he was kissing you. Oh yes, you were saying, 'No, stop, no', but you did seem to be enjoying it, Ryo."

 

"Your point?" Ryo ground out, keeping a firm hand on Dee.

 

"Kiss him again. For a long time. Turn him on, right here in front of me."

 

"WHAT?" hollered Dee.

 

Ryo frowned. "Sir, I'm confused. First you suspended Dee for kissing me. Now you offer to reverse the suspension if we commit the exact same, er, 'crime' again?"

 

Rose grinned. "Actually, I didn't suspend Detective Laytner for making advances on you. In addition to his insubordination, I suspended him for this." He held up the file he had entered their office with.

 

"Uhhh...What's that?" By the tone of Dee's voice, it was already clear that he might have some idea of what it was about.

 

The Commissioner withdrew a paper from the file.

 

"Damage report," he announced, and he looked at Dee with his eyebrows slightly raised. "Of Car three, signed out by Dee Laytner on May 10th of this year. $2000 worth of repairs needed."

 

"Um...You sure it was me? I don't like Car three. I try never to take it."

 

"Well, it seems that a certain amount of obfuscation and confusion went on, what with someone sneaking the damaged car back into the lot and sneaking back out with Car two, not to mention a somewhat clumsy attempt to change the forms...but yes, I'm afraid that the end result was that it was Dee Laytner."

 

"Shit," muttered Dee.

 

"Dee!" exclaimed Ryo.

 

"Well, it wasn't my fault!"

 

"It's never your fault, is it, Detective?" Rose sighed.

 

"It was an accident, a hit and run. But I knew I'd get blamed so I tried to put the car back--"

 

"So someone else would get blamed?" Ryo interrupted indignantly.

 

"Traffic accident report," announced Rose, sweeping another piece of paper out of the file. "Car three, an undercover vehicle with the 27th precinct of the NYPD, license plate blah-blah-blah was involved in an accident on May 10th of this year whereby the driver of the car ran a red light---"

 

"Well, the guy I was chasing ran a red light! What was I supposed to do, let him go? Cops run red lights on chases all the time."

 

"You're supposed to put your lights on the roof and switch the siren on," suggested Commissioner Rose helpfully.

 

"There wasn't time! I---Oh forget it. You had to be there." He glanced up at the Commissioner. "So that's got me a week's suspension?"

 

"Yes. And another week for addressing the Commissioner of the NYPD as 'Dick-head.'" The faintest shadow of a smirk briefly appeared on his face, putting Ryo in mind of Dee. "But, gentlemen, don't forget I can make it all go away." Commissioner Rose gave the file a little shake and looked directly at Ryo.

 

Ryo understood. "If I French-kiss him while you watch."

 

Dee protested. "Hey, isn't that fraternization? You're encouraging something that the department frowns on. How hypocritical is that?"

 

Rose shrugged. "Considering my own track record, I think it would be more hypocritical of me to pretend that I actually frown upon...er... this kind of affectionate behaviour in the workplace. Which I certainly don't," he added.

 

"Well, why do you want to see him kiss ME?"

 

"Well, I'd much rather have him kiss ME," Rose replied frankly. "But I know better than to push my luck. I know he enjoys kissing you, you no doubt enjoy kissing him, and I would enjoy watching the pair of you kiss each other, in lieu of what is forbidden to me. And then this--", he held up the file again, "--would become a thing of the past."

 

Rose looked expectantly at Ryo, Ryo glared irritably at Dee, and Dee veered between looking sullenly at Rose and sheepishly at Ryo.

 

It was Dee who spoke first. "Absolutely not. Not in front of YOU. I'll just take the two weeks. Right, Ryo?"

 

"And leave me stuck with all this paperwork and legwork while you play videogames and watch TV?"

 

"Save me half of it. I'll work overtime to get it done when I come back."

 

"Yeah, right. And what about our interview with Henderson today, huh? Suppose I get shot at or something?"

 

"Ryo!" Dee looked stricken. "Don't go. We'll reschedule."

 

The Commissioner chimed in. "I already volunteered to accompany Ryo to that meeting," he said. "And I'll be happy to help him in any way that I can during your extended absence."

 

Dee gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes at Rose. He was starting to feel cornered.

 

~end of chapter two~