Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Verge of Something Wonderful ❯ Friends Like This ( Chapter 15 )

Arthor's note: Hello, hello. Long time no see. Sorry about that. I haven't abandoned you guys, just got caught up in real life and then had a bit of a struggle with my muse to get kicked back in gear. This is a connection chapter, so there are new things added to the plot and the beginning of Ryo and Dee coming to terms. The next chapter is going to be a straight plunge back into the story line. Too try and keep from having another three week lag (I am, so, so sorry about that) I'm trying to write ahead of myself so I have a chapter at hand, maybe even two.

As always thank you for reading and thank you for your patience. (Side note: totally unbeta'ed I'll fix mistakes, I thought it was more important to get it out there.)

 

The morning after can always be so very awkward, particularly when you have a way heavy caveman laying on top of you who doesn't want to wake up and there are bodily fluids dried on your skin that you'd rather not think about. Ryo sighed heavily and attempted to dislodge Dee again. He could throw him off, toss him on his ass, but Ryo was trying to be considerate. Ryo blew hair out of his face and wondered just why that was considering he was the one being squished.

Plus, he couldn't prove it, he had no solid admissible in court proof, but Ryo thought the smug bastard was more awake than he was letting on. “Dee. Get Off.” Ryo hissed against the top of Dee's head and wiggled a little harder. “I know you're awake, get off Dee, I need to go.”

Dee raised sleepy eyes and gave Ryo a soft kiss on his cheek before untangling and rolling off the warm body trapped beneath his. Ryo rolled off the bed with a grateful sigh and headed to the bathroom. Dee wasn't surprised to hear the shower start up a moment later; after all there was only so much he could expect Ryo to tolerate before the need to be clean overwhelmed him. Dee rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head, studied the ceiling. The question of the day was what now? What would Ryo do now? If Ryo was even remotely like any of his previous lovers Dee wouldn't have thought twice before slipping into the shower with him. Ryo was adamantly not one of those previous lovers and Dee knew it all too well. Ryo could find it overwhelming, too much too soon, or even worse he could find it infuriating, Dee pushing into his personal time and space without invite. Or, and the most likely, it would embarrass the hell out of him and not in a cute and adorable way.

Dee breathed out gently and ignored his body trying to call him to get a cigarette. He had to get rid of the habit because Ryo was going to insist upon it if they were a couple. Dee grinned, Cheshire cat wide. Ryo would be so and incredibly worth it. The cigarettes didn't stand a chance against the prospect of Ryo. Dee listened to the noise of shower and thought completely and unabashedly dirty thoughts of his Ryo under the water's spray soaping up his limbs and chest, suds sliding down to his belly and catching in his groin. Dee licked his lips subconsciously and let his mind slip into the daydream.

A sharp rap on the door broke him out of his thoughts. Dee dragged his body off the bed with an irritable huff; he didn't feel like this intrusion into his happy bubble of being. He thrust his legs into his sweat pants and stomped over yanking the door open in mid knock ready to tell some maid to go the hell away. However the words died in his throat. Whoever this was she was not a maid, nearly as tall as Dee she had one long arm against the doorjamb leaning against it and her long legs splayed out wide, her body language relaxed and confident. Milky blue eyes looked out from beneath a woven cowboy hat, the sides curled up and blond hair spilling out from underneath, for the pace of a few seconds the two just stared at each other, measuring each other up.

Dee felt Ryo come up behind him and it was Ryo that addressed the stranger at the door. “How can we help you miss?” He asked prim and polite. The woman gave him an amused smile.

“Nah, the question is how can I help you boys. I'm Lynn; I'm a friend of Tank's. She asked me to come check on you two and let you know that you're wanted back at the house.” She replied her voice heavily covered in a joke that apparently she only knew.

Before Ryo could respond Dee broke in to the conversation. “So why didn't Tank come get us or call us. Why are you here?” He demanded, not liking the way this woman seemed to know something he didn't. He was answered with a snort and short, hard laugh.

“I'm sure she would but she's been fired and isn't supposed to be talking to either of you or having anything to do with property. I'm only here because she took pity on the girl replacing her and asked me to stop over on my way out there to pick up some things she left and let you know what was going on. “Lynn said and with a shrug of her shoulders straightened up from the door frame. Ryo frowned at her easy nature and unseemly amusement at her friend being fired. Lynn caught the look and laughed again.

“It ain't as bad as all that pretty eyes, take it easy. Come on you two, I ain't got all day to hang around and I'd as soon as get this done and over with if it's all the same to you. I'm not suppose to go on the property either without one or both of your as an escort.” Lynn rocked back on her heels and shoved her hands in her jean pockets and gave them both another appraising look before speaking again. “Looks like only one of you is ready to take on the world, I'm gonna head over to the gas station and get some coffee and I'll meet you down in the lobby if that's all right.”

Ryo gave her a curt nod and started to make the rounds of the hotel room cleaning it up and gathering his and Dee's things. Dee stayed at the door, he was the one who wasn't dressed, standing there bare chested and bare foot in nothing but sweats that didn't quite mask his half hard cock and the dry, papery remnants of last night's activities flaking off his exposed skin. Dee narrowed his eyes at the woman in front of him and her casual disregard of his state of undress. The woman, Lynn, nodded at him and turned away heading towards the elevator.

“Hey, cowboy, wait a minute.” He hollered after her, questions burning in his throat. She turned back towards him and arched an eyebrow.

“Cowboy?” She asked, a one word question challenging his lack of proper gender.

“Yeah, that's what I said. You mind telling me what kind of `friend' you are to Tank?” He pushed out the question even though he was fairly sure of the answer. The woman smirked and turned back to the elevators and started to walk.

“I'm the kind of friend that keeps her from getting cold at night. Something it looks an awful lot like you have experience in doing yourself with that pretty eyed friend of yours.” The elevator doors opened and she stepped through, Dee got one last glance of her still highly amused face before the doors closed.

Dee shut the door and turned back to deal with his irate and pissed off partner. Ryo was doing things with his usual exacting attention to detail but he was using a lot more force than necessary, nearly slamming things into either the trash can or their appropriate bags. He hadn't been paying attention to the conversation between Dee and Lynn. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Ryo was upset that Tank had been fired and Lynn's attitude had only made it worse. Dee on the other hand found his self thinking that there was more to the story than they had heard and wanted to give Lynn the benefit of the doubt until he knew more.

He left the packing up to Ryo, slipping out of his sweat pants and chucking them into the bag Ryo had dedicated as a dirty clothes bag and accepting the clothes Ryo was handing him to wear. Dee stepped into the bathroom to do a quick shower and shave and left the rest in Ryo's capable hands.

Thirty minutes later he was standing outside in the sunshine, the previous stormy weather having rolled out to leave blistering blue skies and hot humid air to breathe. He had found Lynn leaning up against an old blue and white pickup truck. She handed him a wax cup filled to the brim with coffee, two more cups were balanced on the lip of the truck's bed. Dee thanked her and took a cautious sip after blowing on it for a few minutes. They were waiting on Ryo who was going through the check out process and giving some clerk a very rough time. Dee would have felt bad for the pasty skinned young man but it was obvious Ryo was not in the mood to be messed with when they walked up to check out and the younger man had started it when instead of listening to Ryo when he explained a mistake in the charges the boy had curled his mouth up and sarcastically responded “Yeah sure.” His tone making it more than clear he thought Ryo was lying to him. Dee had escaped with the bags and left the boy to his fate.

Time to get to the bottom of things before Ryo gets out here and things escalate Dee thought and gave the woman another critical eye over before speaking. “You mind telling me why you're not upset about Tank getting fired? Seems kinda strange if you ask me, the way you seem to be laughing up what shouldn't be a good thing.”

Lynn hummed through the sip of coffee she was taking, trying to nod, swallow and answer all at the same time which wasn't working. Dee waited patiently while she finished and cleared her throat.

“Sorry about that, I know I come off like a bitch but I can't help it. You have to understand, this is the eighth or ninth time Ellen's been quote, unquote, `fired'. Her boss man gets some young thing up in his office with bouncy tits and quits using the correct head to think with. It never lasts, either the girl gets scared off by the ghost or the boss's wife gets her claws in them and out they go.” Lynn paused to take another sip of her coffee, her eyes watching Ryo through the glass doors of the hotel giving someone new a huge piece of his mind. Lynn gave a nod in his direction and took another sip before she continued. “He's got quite a temper on him, don't he? He's got someone in management flustered and red in the face, I'd love to know what he's telling them, maybe take notes for the next time someone gives me grief.”

Dee turned to look and, indeed, Ryo was in there having on and having at some dude wearing a suit, the clerk seemed to be hiding off to the side. Dee just shrugged and turned back to Lynn giving her a grin that had weakened the knees of countless men and woman but only brought a matching grin from her.

“So you think this will be like the other times and Tank will be rehired?” Dee turned the conversation back to their previous discussion, gently pressing for further information. Lynn shook her head yes setting her coffee down and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Sure I do. Ya'll stayed at that house and I know what kind of welcome you got, she told me all about it. You think the house doesn't like you? Uh, uh. El won't take crap from the house but the activity goes through the roof when a young woman stays there. The girl spent her first night there last night. Ell's boss, because he has gigantism of the balls, gave her Ell's cell phone number to call if there were any problems even though he had supposedly let her go. Two am in the morning the girl was on the phone crying and snotting all over the place and begging El to come stay with her. El had to explain to her that she wasn't suppose to go back on the property and if she was having problems to call the duckweed herself. “Lynn stopped her story and made motion towards the hotel. “Your friend is done in there so I guess it's time to go now.” Lynn handed Dee the other coffee while she retrieved her own and opened her truck door, hauling herself up into the driver's seat. She took a minute to put her cup in a store bought plastic console sitting in the middle of the bench seat of the old work truck. She turned back to Dee while starting up the engine. “You know Dee, it wouldn't surprise me to find Tank there when I get there, probably rehired and helping a traumatized youngin to get her stuff in her car. In fact I would lay money on it. See you there.” Lynn pulled the heavy door shut and gave Dee a wave before pulling off.

Dee gave Ryo the coffee and once they were settled into their rental car he relayed what Lynn had said which seemed to mollify his pissed off lover. Ryo kept up conversation all the way to the house, barely paying attention to the trees whipping by the window or the road. Dee was silently thankful he was driving and not Ryo, Ryo's mind was elsewhere. He talked about Lynn and Ellen and the revelation that they were a couple if what Lynn said was true and how unfair and discriminating it was for Ellen to constantly be fired so some old man could slobber over someone to young for him and when he had puttered out on those topics Ryo took a leap into the paranormal with an ease and energy that belied his former stance on the subject. Dee knew Ryo was avoiding discussing what had happened the night before and oddly enough he didn't mind. Every now and again Ryo's hands would flutter as he made some point or the other and then he would tentatively rest his hand along the top of Dee's thigh, the long fingers flexing against the denim of his jeans.

Those delicate touches told Dee more than any words Ryo could have uttered anyway. Ryo was stretching his boundaries on his own, skittish and, Dee was sure, still scared of this step in their relationship, but still moving forward. Each time he got a little braver, his hand staying a little longer, gripping a little more tightly. Dee continued to nod and throw in the odd comment here or there gently encouraging Ryo to keep going. By the time the house was in view Ryo's hand had come to rest solidly at the top of Dee's thigh, his fingers curled over the inside pressing lightly into Dee's groin. Dee pulled the car into the drive way, parking it behind Lynn's truck, noticing with satisfaction that Tank's car was there too, encouraged by the sight and by Ryo's creeping advancement on his leg Dee leaned over and gave Ryo an affectionate kiss on cheek. Ryo blushed but didn't pull his hand away from Dee instead Ryo brought up his other hand to rest on the side of Dee's cheek and returned the kiss, full on the lips. Soft and sweet, tremulous and scared and so full of hope, it made Dee's heart ache. Dee smiled at him.

“Come on partner; let's go see what's going on in the devil's summer home.” Dee said, squeezing Ryo's knee before they pulled apart and slid out the car. Ryo made the door first and knocked on it before twisting the doorknob to let them in. He had no more cleared the stoop when a phone book came flying at him and smacking into the wall beside his startled head. Dee pushed him a little further into the room so he could come in as well. Dee picked up the phone book and tucked it under his arm.

“Hi honey we're home. Guess you didn't miss us.” He sarcastically announced to something he could not see but was getting sorely sick and tired of. Why couldn't they have gotten a ghost that didn't like to fling things at them?

Standing in the center of the room was Ellen, holding some girl that didn't look old enough to drink in her arms and trying to comfort her. Lynn was leaning against the wall leading into the hall way her feet crossed at the ankles and an annoyed look on her face, her thin lips drawn tight and her arms crossed under her breast. She looked a lot like she wanted to smack someone, hard. At Dee's comment she rolled her eyes but then flashed him a grin to let him know she was playing.

“Hi Ryo, Dee. This is Taylor McAfee, she is supposed to take over for me but she's had a rough night and was just about to be on her way.” Ellen told them which caused the girl in her arms to give out another sob.

“I can't stay here another night, there's just no way. I'm going home. “She wailed out, hiccupping over her sobs. Ellen gave her a gentle pat and started working her towards the door. Ryo and Dee both stepped out of the way. The girl clutched her overnight bag closer to her body as she passed them and they could hear Ellen muttering comforting assurances to her as she got the girl to her car. Ryo and Dee both looked at Lynn.

“Told you.” Was all she said before pushing herself off the wall and heading into the kitchen and proceeded to make a racket. Ellen slipped back into the house and gave each of them a hug before moving into the kitchen too. Ryo followed and where Ryo goes, so goes Dee.

Dee nearly collided into his back, brought up short by Ryo's sudden stop. The kitchen once more looked like a bomb had exploded in it. The refrigerator door was wide open, the freezer section too, and the contents of both were splattered all over the kitchen walls, the table, the floor, the countertops, there was even some on the ceiling. Lynn was squatted down picking up various pieces of glass of what used to be a pickle jar. Dee just gaped.

Ryo was galvanized into action first lurching forward like someone had him on pause and then hit the play button. He quickly gathered up the broom and dustpan which were currently on the kitchen table and flipped over on the floor respectively and started to sweep up what looked the remains of a box of Cheerios. Dee took a deep breath; mini vacation over, back to the Twilight Zone crossed his mind as he leaned over and snagged one of the rolls of paper towels from the commercial size package of them that Ellen had sitting on the floor. Where to start, the mayonnaise smeared on the wall that had the frying pan dent in it, or the drying ketchup that cheerfully spelled out WHORE across the kitchen's linoleum floor? Decisions, decisions.