Sean sighed as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Everything was getting complicated again. Alex was in town and, apparently, still interested in working things out; Danny was, as always, in trouble and JJ, as usual, was going to get in the way. He was a cute, spunky thing, but he had a talent for appearing at inconveniently annoying times. And Alex was-

                The phone rang.

                Glaring at it he rolled over, snagging his bedside cordless. “Yeah?”

                ‘Sean? You’re in! Good.’

                “Alex?”

                ‘Look, I need your help.’

                “With what?”

                ‘It’s kind of hard to explain. Can you just come over here?’

                “Here?”

                ‘The hotel.’

                “This is the worst pick-up conversation I’ve ever heard from you Alex. I’m not in the mood.”

                ‘Sean! This’s serious!’

                “I’m busy.” Moping. “It can wait till tomorrow.”

                ‘No. Wait! I tried calling Danny but she’s out and neither she nor father are answering their phones and Adams-’

                Sean frowned. Adams. “What’s wrong, isn’t he paying you enough attention? Can’t get anyone to rush over and take care of all your problems? I’m busy, Alex, and tired. Go try JJ again, it’s not as if he’s out with anyone.” He turned the phone off and set it back on the stand, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling again. “…Shit!”

*              *                *

                Alex stared at the phone. “He hung up on me…Damn, that was cold.”

                “Who were you talking to?”

                Alex jumped and turned to face Bikky, who was sitting at the end of his bed. “Shit! Don’t scare me like that, brat!”

                Bikky sniffed. “Whatever. Who was it?”

                “Sean.”

                “Oooh?” Bikky grinned at him. “Lover’s spat?”

                “Shut up. It’s nothing you’d understand anyway.”

                “Yeah, right. Don’t underestimate me just ‘cause I’m a kid!”

                Alex shrugged, moving to his suitcase and looking through his clothes. “Well, it looks like I’m stuck with you for the night, so here.” He threw a t-shirt at him. “You can take the couch in the other room.”

                “Eh? The couch?”

                “You aren’t sleeping with me.” Alex announced, voice firm.

                “Hoo?”

                “I stopped being interested in jailbait when I no longer was one, and I’m not starting again with you. The couch or the floor.”

                Bikky made a face at him. “I wasn’t planning to fuck you.” Alex started, nearly banging his head against the underside of the bed as he rummaged underneath it for his pajamas. “That’s just nasty. But don’t you think it’s rude to stick a guest on the couch?”

                Alex emerged with his clothing and glared at him. “You’re the one who attached to me, remember?”

                “What were you doing at the station anyway?”

                “I was-”

                What’s with Alex? Why’s he so mad at me?

                “You were?”

                “Never mind.”

                “Eh? C’mon, you can tell me.” Bikky grinned conspiratorially.

                Alex shook his head. “Don’t press your luck, brat. You’re just lucky I don’t bring you back to your parents. If they don’t flay you for getting arrested at that time of night, and those cops sure seemed to know you well, it’s more than you deserve.”

                “…They aren’t my parents.”

                “Huh?” Alex looked over at Bikky, who’d lowered his head so his hair hid his face and was gripping the blankets with one hand.

                “They aren’t my parents.”

                “Really? I wasn’t paying much attention when Danny introduced you, sorry. I thought that Ryo guy was your-”

                “He isn’t my father! He was just some idiot newbie who thought he could save the world. And Dee’s just a stupid, old, stinky pervert who can’t take no for an answer.”
                “Hmm…”

                Bikky’s grip on the blanket tightened a bit. “They aren’t my parents. My father’s dead and they… They’re just stupid.”

                Alex watched him a minute, face blank. Finally he shrugged and moved to the door. “I’m hungry. Do you want anything?”

                Bikky looked up at him, blinking. “Huh?”

                “Food? Drink? Want any?”

                “I guess.”

                “C’mon then. Let’s see if any good pizza places are open for delivery now.”

                “Can I get whatever I want to drink?”

                “Sure.”

                “I want beer then!”

                “Bad plan.”

                “Eh? Why?”

                “You’re going to be in enough trouble with your stupid non-fathers tomorrow even if you aren’t hung over.”

                “I’m not going to get drunk!”

                “Oh, don’t bother then. Drinking’s no fun if you aren’t planning to get drunk.”

                “You’re just backing out on me!”

                “Well, if you really want it, sure but…”

                “Hmph… Fine! I’ll get soda then.” Bikky stalked past him into the main room. “I pick the place though!”

                Alex smiled. “OK then.”

*              *                *

                Dee yawned as he pushed open the door to his apartment and stepped inside. “Hey, I’m back.”

                “Where have you been?” Ryo practically jumped off the couch. “It’s almost ten o’clock!”

                “Sorry, sorry. After dinner we ended up drinking a bit and Danny’s dad knows some of the funniest stories and-”

                “Have you seen Bikky?”

                “Eh? Bikky?”

                “Yes, Bikky! The other person living here, remember?”

                “Geez, calm down, I remember, I remember.” Dee took off his coat, tossing it on the side table and leaned against the wall to take his shoes off. Ryo rushed over and snatched up the coat, hanging it in the closet. “He still isn’t back?”

                “No.” Ryo sighed. “He isn’t. Carol went home hours ago, but I haven’t seen him.”

                “Hmm… Strange.”

                “We have to go looking for him!”

                Dee froze, shoe in hand. “Eh? Look for him?”

                “God knows what’s happened to him, he’s never been out this late without calling before!”

                “Yes he has.”

                Ryo ignored that. “What if he’s gotten lost or been mugged or hurt or…”

                “Bikky?” Dee laughed. “No way. We’re more likely to get lost, hurt and mugged out looking for him than he is staying the night out there. He’s probably holed up with Josh or JJ, worried you’ll yell at him.”

                “Damn right I’m going to yell at him, staying out all night after upsetting Carol like that and scaring me half to death.”

                “Of course, mommy.”

                “Dee!”

                Dee shrugged and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Ryo’s waist and pulling him close, speaking quietly as he nuzzled his ear. “He’ll be fine. Face it; he’s a better survivor than either of us. He knows how to avoid trouble, though he does always seem to be getting caught by the cops. But, if they find him…”

                “They’ll call us…” Ryo finished. He wrapped his arms around Dee’s neck, trying to pull him closer. “I know. But…”

                “I know, love, I know. You are his new dad after all. But searching all over town won’t help. Yell at him tomorrow and act all disappointed, that’s the best thing to do.”

                Ryo smiled, though Dee couldn’t see it. “If I’m the dad, why’re you the one telling me what to do?”

                “Because I’m your boyfriend. That’s what we do. Tell all you overly-emotional and besotted parents what’s good for the brat.”

                “Oh, really?” Ryo shifted slightly against him, one hand moving to tangle in his hair.

                “Well, among other things.” Dee admitted.

                “Such as?”
                “Brat-sitting.” He yelped as Ryo tugged on his hair sharply. “Acting as punching bags.”

                “Don’t tempt me.” Ryo murmured.

                “And, of course, fucking our significant others into the table.”

                “Dee,” Ryo frowned.  “How many times do I have to tell you-”

                “I know, I know. We eat off that table. But who wants to worry about hygiene when there are,” He traced his thumb across Ryo’s lower lip and leaned forward till their lips were mere inches apart. “More interesting things to be thinking about.”

                “Thinking?”

                “Thinking, doing, fucking, same difference.”

                Ryo closed even that distance until their lips were all but touching. “You know…” He mused. “I’ve always…”

                “Hmmm?” Dee sounded amused, lowering one hand to rub against Ryo’s inner thigh, the other massaging his back.

                Ryo traced his tongue over Dee’s lower lip, face reflexive. “I’ve always wondered what’d be like to be pushed against the wall and fucked senseless.”

                Dee froze for a minute, barely even breathing. Then he laughed, a low rumble that sent shivers down Ryo’s back. “Bikky ought to disappear for the night more often. Guess we’d better settle this raging curiosity of yours, before it gets too…distracting.”

                “Mmm,” Ryo nodded, distracted as Dee’s hand crept all too slowly up his leg. “Coat pocket?”

                “Of course.”

                He managed to pull away, somehow, and opened the closet door, practically yanking Dee’s coat off its hanger as he dug into Dee’s coat pockets for the lube and condom he knew, from past experience, were always there. As he turned though Dee, moving with a speed that surprised even him, snatched them from his hand, pulled him to the side and pushed him against the wall, not hard enough to really be painful, but with a certain definitive force. His breath caught as he realized that with the wall in front of him, Dee’s’ solid frame pressing against his back and his arm around his waist he wasn’t going anywhere, without a serious struggle, at least. He shivered, hardening almost painfully as Dee trailed fingers down his side then reached forward to play with his zipped.

                “We’ve definitely got to get Bikky out more,” Dee’s voice was almost triumphant. “I knew you were just as big a pervert as I am, when you aren’t playing mommy.”

                “Dee?”

                “Yeah?”

                “Shut up.”

                “As you wish.”

*              *                *

                Bikky wrinkled his nose as he slowly began to awake, rolling to his side and, against all convention, failed to roll off the bed, though he came very close. As he blearily opened his eyes and tried to remember where he was, and even who he was, he became aware of a heavy weight lying across his stomach and a faint warmth, like someone’s breath, against the back of his neck. He tried to look behind him without actually moving. When that failed, he sat up and looked down.

                He was lying against the very edge of the bed with, for some reason, an arm lying across his waist, where it’d fallen as he’d sat up. The arm was attached to a man, which was better than being attached to nothing, though not as good as it being attached to Carol, who was sprawled in the middle of the bed in what appeared to be flannel pajamas, facing Bikky. That explained the breath. It did not, however, explain exactly-

                Bikky’s memory finally caught up with the rest of him. It’d never been a particularly fast runner, even when it wasn’t morning. “SHIT!”

                He tried to slide backwards which, of course, cause the much-delayed falling-off of the bed. Landing on the floor with a soft thump and a loud curse he quickly scrambled to his feet, staring at Alex.

                Man in bed with me. Bad check. Both of us wearing pants. Good check. I have underwear on, good check. Ass and jaw feel perfectly fine, very good check. He doesn’t go for kids, good check. I have no idea why I’m here, bad check.

                While he was performing this inventory Alex, who was a light sleeper since it was pretty much a pre-requisite for survival in his trade, woke up and, after determining there was minimal danger from the sleepy boy in front of him, slowly sat up and stretched. “Nnngh?”

                “What’m I doing in your bed?”

                “You were sleeping.”

                Bikky sputtered. “But why there?”

                “You kept rolling off the couch.”

                Bikky blinked at him. “I what?”

                “You passed out during the game, remember? I wanted to finish it so I stayed out there. You rolled off the couch three times in an hour.”

                “…I did?”

                “Yeah. Never even woke up, obviously. I ended up carrying you in here since I figured I’d probably be killed by everyone if I brought you back with brain damage.”

                “Well…that’s…Then why were you sleeping here?”

                “You think I’m going to sleep on the couch? This’s my room, at least for now.”

                “You slept with me!”

                “What, you’ve never slept with a guy before?”

                “No!”

                Alex shook his head, standing. “You probably have. Just sleeping with a guy won’t make you gay, you know.”

                “Just because you sleep with guys all the time doesn’t mean that I like to!”

                “Whatever.”

                They were interrupted by a knock on the door and a woman’s voice calling in to them. “Alex? Are you up yet, dear?”

                Alex blinked. “Mother? What are you doing here?”

                The door opened and Hilde stepped into the room. “We were supposed to go out for breakfast.” She chided him softly, before noticing Bikky. “Oh? Isn’t he the son of those detectives?”

                Alex nodded. Bikky sulked.

                “Why is he here?”

                Alex shrugged. “I found him at the police station yesterday and he just invited himself along with me. Said he didn’t want to go home.”

                “Strange…”

                “I’m still here you know!”

                “Ahh, sorry.” Hilde smiled at him. “Well, since you are here, why don’t you come with us? No need for you to starve because Alex has a bad memory.”

                “Mother!”

                Bikky considered. “Well…” He thought about that and considered his alternatives. Go out with them or go back home. Hmm… “Sure! I’d be happy too!” He grinned. “I’m a growing boy, need my food ya know.”

                “Oh good. Well, you boys get ready, your father and I will be waiting downstairs. Don’t take too long; he’s already hungry.”

                “Yes mother.” Alex replied dutifully, eyeing Bikky distrustfully.

                “Byebye!” Bikky called after her then smirked at Alex. “Don’t you think you better hurry? She told you not to take long and you look awful.”

                “You little-” Alex cut himself of,; closing his eyes and concentrating on remaining calm. “I really hate kids.”

                He looked back up as he heard a door slam. Bikky had run into the bathroom, shutting and locking it behind him. “HEY! You brat!” He pounded on the door. “Let me in!”

                “No way!”

                “Bikky!”

                “No way!”

                “Brat!”

                “Pedophile!”

                “What?!”

*              *                *

                “Dee!”

                “Nnh.”

                “Dee! Wake up!”

                “Nngh!”

                Ryo shook his lover’s shoulder harder. “Wake up, I said. We have to work today.”

                “Dun wanna.”

                “Well, we have to.”

                “Tell’m ‘m sick…”

                “Dee!”

                Dee grabbed Ryo’s pillow, the other man had already gotten up, and pulled it over his head. “N’way.”

                Ryo glared at him, looking annoyed. “This isn’t the time Dee. We’re going to be late.”

                No response.

                “Dee!…Dee!…DEE!”

                Dee snored.

                “Dammit…” Ryo stood, looking around the room. After a few seconds he grabbed the end of the blankets and yanked, pulling them off Dee. “Get up already!”

                Dee just curled into a ball, wrapping his arms around his pillow. “No.”

                “I know you’re up, you’re talking to me. Now move!”

                “I can talk in my sleep. Go ‘way.”

                “Dee!”

                “Ryo!”

                “Get up!”

                “Don’t wanna!”

                “Don’t be so childish.”

                Dee pulled the pillow off his head and stuck his tongue out at Ryo, before pulling it back down. “Meh.”

                Ryo sighed. “I give up…”

                “Hee. I win!”

                “I’ll just shower without you then.”

                Dee twitched.

                Ryo turned away, looking back over his shoulder. “I can’t be late, you know. Rose wants to have a meeting about something, right away. Something about the latest case we’re working on, I think. I was going to bring you with, but since you’re so tired…”

                Dee growled but didn’t move.

                “Oh well.” He sighed. “Guess I don’t have any choice. I wonder if Diana’s still in town, she might need some help on whatever she’s up here for and if you’re not going to be in…” He trailed off as he heard Dee shifting on the bed and standing up. He turned and smiled sweetly. “Oh, so you’re better already?”

                Dee glared at him. “…I hate you…”

                 “I love you too.”

                “…” Dee simply looked at him for a long minute, eyes still half-lidded, expression sleepy. Then he grinned and stepped forward, grabbing Ryo. “Yeah, I…” He kissed him. “Now, what was that you were saying about a shower?”

                Ryo shook his head, teasingly. “Well, if someone hadn’t overslept we’d have time, but if we don’t hurry we’re gonna be late so…”

                “Better shower together then, right?” Dee smirked.

                “Pervert.”

End ch 10