Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Something Like Forever ❯ A Rift Out Of Nowhere ( Chapter 1 )

Hi! Okay, this is the first fic I've ever written in which the perfect couple is broken up, so if I suck, please don't yell at me. I suck at writing breakups and I love Ryo and Dee together, so this story will probably be personally delivered to Hell in a hand basket by one of you readers out there.

 

This will probably be a very short fic, since we have already established that I hate writing breakup stories. I don't really even know why I wrote it. It just came to me one day and now my muse won't leave me alone. She's annoying….like Tinker Bell without the skimpy outfit….

 

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Chapter 1—A Rift Out Of Nowhere

 

“I'm heading out,” Dee said, poking his head around the doorway of Ryo's office. “You need any help before I take off?”

 

Ryo shook his head. “I….don't think so,” he said quietly, as he continued to fill out papers. The stack of paperwork on his desk seemed to grow taller with every passing day, and for some reason, he just didn't care the way he used to. “I think I've got it covered.”

 

“Okay. See ya tomorrow, then.”

 

“See you.”

 

Then Dee disappeared, and the second he was gone, Ryo's hand stopped moving. He stared at the empty doorway for a moment, contemplating going after Dee and trying to make things right, as always. And as always, his courage failed and he dropped his head into his hands.

 

It had been like this for three weeks now. The silence except when they talked about work. Each of them staring at the other when he wasn't looking. One of them always finding some excuse to leave the office when the silence became too awkward to ignore. Both of them still fumbling over the friends-after-the-breakup idea. Neither of them knowing what to say to fix what had happened.

 

What had happened?

 

Ryo didn't know.

 

Dee knew, but he wasn't saying.

 

It was very awkward.

 

And it made Ryo want to scream.

 

He missed Dee.

 

Dee missed him.

 

It only made sense for them to be together.

 

So why weren't they?

 

This was the path that Ryo's mind followed every single time he allowed himself to stop working. At his desk after Dee had left for the day, at home in his now frustratingly empty bed, every time there was silence and very little to distract him. Every single time Ryo was allowed to think, he analyzed the situation, and every time he came back to the same conclusion—he and Dee were meant to be together, and they weren't because of something Ryo had done.

 

Now if only he could figure out what that was….

 

Sighing, Ryo picked up his pen, finished the sheet he was working on, and placed it on top of the pile of finished papers that were waiting to be filed. Then he stood and got ready to leave, his mind already swamped with thoughts about the lonely night he faced. Bikky was a good kid but he wasn't Dee, and right now all Ryo wanted was Dee.

 

“Bikky, I'm home,” Ryo called tiredly as he entered his apartment. “I know I'm usually hell-bent on making you home-cooked food every night, but how about we order out for pizza or something tonight? I'm beat….”

 

No answer.

 

“Bikky?” Ryo called again, hanging his coat up as he turned on the answering machine.

 

“Hey, Ryo,” Bikky's voice said over the machine. “Carol called and asked me to come over for dinner, and I tried calling you at work but your cell must have been turned off or something.”

 

Ryo fished his phone out of his pocket and, sure enough, it was dead.

 

“I didn't think you'd mind if I went over,” Bikky continued. “I'll be home before ten. Carol's aunt said she didn't mind if you came over to have dinner with us, but I told her you weren't much for company lately. Try not to get too down-in-the-dumps tonight, and I'll see you when I get back. Bye.”

 

Ryo sighed, the emptiness and silence of the apartment already getting to him. Perfect, he thought to himself.

 

The machine beeped, and another voice came over it. “Hey, Ryo, it's Drake. I just wanted to let you know that we got a full, signed confession on the Baker case. Also, I took some of that paperwork off your desk and I'm gonna help you and Dee with it. You looked like you could use the help.”

 

Ryo smiled slightly. Thank God he hasn't mentioned the thing between Dee and me.

 

“Oh, and Ryo….this thing between you and Dee….”

 

Damn it, Ryo thought.

 

“I don't know what's going on there, but it's making the whole precinct pretty damn uncomfortable. What happened? You guys were hot and heavy for a while there and now you haven't said more than ten words at a time to each other in three weeks. Me and the guys are starting to get a little freaked out.”

 

You and me both, Drake.

 

“Well, anyway, I know it's none of my business, so I'll butt out. See you tomorrow.”

 

Another beep, and Berkeley Rose's voice blared through the apartment. “Ryo, it's me. Listen, I heard something was going on between you and Dee, and I wanted to express my condolences.”

 

Yeah, right. You just want to invite me to dinner and then try to get me in bed.

 

“I did wonder, however, if you might like to come to dinner with me tomorrow night.”

 

I so called that one.

 

“I was supposed to have dinner with Diana, but she backed out at the last minute and now I've got reservations and no one to share them with. Call me if you'd like to come. It's purely a friendship thing, I promise. Completely innocent.”

 

Yeah right.

 

A long beep signaled the end of the messages and Ryo leaned his forehead against the wall for a moment, trying to keep the anger and hurt inside from swelling up and driving him completely insane.

 

He couldn't remember ever feeling so alone.

 

-----

 

Early the next morning, Ryo rolled over in his bed, smiling slightly as he tossed one arm over the empty space on the bed beside him. His eyes blinked open, and as he focused on that empty spot, his face fell. This was how he'd woken up every morning since Dee broke up with him.

 

Sighing, Ryo dragged himself out of bed and went to knock on Bikky's door. “Time to get up, Biks,” he called tiredly. “What do you want for breakfast?”

 

A mumbled, completely unintelligible and incoherent reply came from the other side of the door, where Bikky had pulled his pillow over his head and moved deeper under the covers in an effort to disprove the fact that there was sunlight shining through his window. “Leave me alone.”

 

“Pancakes it is, then. Good choice.”

 

“I hate you.”

 

“Hate me all you want, as long as you're doing it in a classroom. Up!”

 

Fifteen minutes later, Bikky stumbled out of his room, his hair disheveled and his eyes half closed. Ryo was in the kitchen, setting the table for breakfast. “It's six thirty in the morning, Ryo.”

 

“Exactly, school starts in forty-five minutes, and you need to be up.”

 

“Not for another half hour.”

 

“Bikky, stop complaining and sit down,” Ryo snapped.

 

Bikky blinked at him, forcing his eyes open the rest of the way. “Okay….” He sat down at the table, snatching a glass of water and downing it in an effort to wake up. “You're crabby,” he stated after a moment.

 

“I just didn't sleep well.”

 

“You're crabby every morning lately.”

 

“I'm….just working a lot, is all.”

 

“Working or thinking about Dee when you're supposed to be working?”

 

Ryo didn't say anything as he set a plate of pancakes, bacon, and eggs on the table in front of Bikky. He then filled his own plate and sat at the table across from his son.

 

“Ryo, you still haven't told me what's going on with you two.”

 

“Nothing's going on.”

 

“It's been three weeks since I've heard you mention him. Did you two have a fight?”

 

Silence.

 

“Ryo?”

 

“Eat.”

 

“….Fine.”

 

The kitchen fell silent as the two continued to eat, with Bikky looking very angry and Ryo mentally kicking himself.

 

“We broke up,” Ryo said at last.

 

“….Oh.”

 

“Well, we didn't. He did.”

 

“You're kidding.”

 

“I wish I was.”

 

“But….he's obsessed with you.”

 

“Apparently not, because he broke up with me.”

 

“When?”

 

“….Three weeks ago.”

 

“You waited three weeks to tell me?”

 

“….Sorry.”

 

“No, it's fine, I just…. Why?”

 

Ryo shrugged. “I have no clue.”

 

“Did you two have a fight or something?”

 

“No….that would actually make some sense. He just broke up with me.”

 

“Oh….but….”

 

“Look, Biks, I really don't want to talk about this right now, okay? Finish eating and get dressed. I'll drive you to school.”

 

They ate the rest of the meal in silence, and then Bikky stood and headed towards his room.

 

“Bikky?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

Bikky smiled slightly. “Don't worry about it.”

 

-----

 

By the time he got to work, Ryo was in a very bad mood. His disposition was not improved when Rose came up to him before he had even taken off his coat and asked if Ryo had thought about accepting his dinner invitation.

 

“No, I haven't, sir,” Ryo replied shortly, hanging his coat on the rack by the door and sitting at his desk. “But I don't think I can come. I'm having dinner with Bikky tonight. Like I do every night,” he added, hoping Rose would take the hint.

 

He did, and when Ryo was alone in the office, he dropped his head onto his hands and sighed. “My God, it's only eight o'clock….” he muttered to himself. “How am I ever gonna make it through today?”

 

The last three weeks had been nothing but pure torture for Ryo. He had been neglecting most of his work in favor of staring into space and trying to figure out what had happened to break his life apart. His career was suffering and he knew it, but he couldn't find himself to care. He just hoped no one else had noticed.

 

At that moment, JJ stuck his head around the doorway. “Chief wants to see you, Ryo.”

 

Apparently they had.

 

Sighing, Ryo stood up. “Okay. Thanks, JJ.”

 

Down in the chief's office, Ryo grabbed a chair and sank into it. He said nothing—just stared at the old man and waited for him to say something.

 

“What's going on with you lately, MacLean?”

 

Ryo shrugged.

 

“You're acting like Dee.”

 

“At least one of us is,” Ryo muttered, half to himself.

 

“What?”

 

“Oh….nothing.”

 

The Chief sighed. “If it were anyone else I would be screaming at them right about now.”

 

“So why aren't you?”

 

“Because I'm smart enough to know that something's going on between you and Laytner and it's throwing you off your game.”

 

“Christ, not you too….”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Nothing, never mind.”

 

The Chief sighed again. “Look, McLean, you've got to get your act together. I don't know what's going on, but you'd sure as hell better fix it before you get fired.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Good. Now I've got a case for you….”

 

Someone moved past the door.

 

“LAYTNER!!!!” the Chief half-barked, half-yelled. “GET IN HERE!!!”

 

Dee poked his head back around the doorway, saw Ryo sitting in the chair in front of the Chief's desk, and remained where he was. “Yeah?”

 

“GET IN HERE!!!”

 

“Why do you always yell at me?” Dee asked, moving over to pull up a chair next to Ryo and noting how Ryo avoided his eyes. That hurt a little, but Dee shoved the hurt away and sat down. “What do you want?”

 

The Chief shoved a file across the desk at Dee. “New case. You and McLean. Arsonist. Read. Memorize. Solve. Go away.”

 

“….Right….”

 

They got up and went into the hall in silence.

 

“So….” Dee said as they walked down to Ryo's office. “I guess we should….”

 

“Read….”

 

“Yeah….”

 

They hadn't been assigned a case together since the breakup. They were still partners, but it had been mostly paperwork that they'd had to do, and they could do that separately. Now they were being thrown together to solve a case….

 

Damn it. This is gonna be awkward.

 

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So there it is. Basically just so you know what Ryo's life has been like since the breakup. Like it said, this story will probably be very short. I'm sorry if this chapter seemed pointless, and it probably was, but I wanted to write it so you'd all know how much Ryo misses Dee.