Title: Just Kidding

Authors: Creed Cascade and TJ

Fandom: Fastlane

Pairing: Van Ray/Deaqon Hayes

Rating: NC-17

Status: new

Archive: If you want it, go ahead. Just knock me upside the head and let me know.

Feedback: creed_cascade@hotmail.com or TazzyJan@aol.com

Other websites: http://insaneasylum.slashfanfiction.com

Disclaimers: We have a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. You don't ask where we get these strange plots starring mysteriously familiar characters, and we won't tell you that I make no money, only deliriously happy satisfaction. Very hush-hush.

Notes: Thanks be to our wonderful beta, Justin.

Summary: An AU based on the episode Mighty Blue. What if Alexa hadn't been kidding?



JUST KIDDING
by Creed Cascade and TJ

"So how do we all know each other?" Deaq asked, eyeing Alexa. Billie was right, she was a hottie. And it looked like she had a taste for chocolate.

"Well, I told him you were gay lovers that I met on a cruise from Catalina. All you have to do to keep cover is hold hands and lip lock every now and again," Alexa replied, unable to keep the smirk from her face as she delivered the news.

Van stared at her in abject horror and kept waiting for her to say “Just kidding” or something. Nothing. She just wore that little self-satisfied grin on her face. He couldn’t believe she’d told Jackson that they were gay lovers.

“No freakin’ way!” Van protested.

"Oh come on," she said. "Billie told me all about you two. She said you'd be able to play the part perfectly. Now come on, Jackson will be here any minute and he's expecting to see two lovebirds."

“What?!” Deaq squawked. “I am so not light in the loafers, sister. If you don’t believe me, we can go outside and I can take you for a ride.”

Alexa’s smiled widened and she laughed even harder. “Billie told me you’d say something like that, too. Said if you tried chasing after my tail, you wouldn’t know what to do with it because you’re all bark and no bite.”

"Billie said that?" Deaq asked, his face darkening. "Right. Tell you what. How about if me and my partner here just split and you can handle this gig on your own? How's that?"

“How about you start getting real friendly, real soon,” Alexa hissed back. She hitched her thumb towards the door as a car pulled up playing pounding music. “That’s Jackson’s ride.”

"This isn't over," Deaq shot back. He leaned in closer to Van and whispered in his ear. "You up to this, man?" He slipped his hand inside of Van's as he spoke, giving them the illusion of holding hands. If Van wasn't up to it, they'd have to bail.

“I can do anything, dude,” Van met his challenge and moved closer to Deaq until their bodies were touching.

"Alright," Deaq whispered into his ear, giving it a playful lick for the benefit of those watching. "Just don't freak when I kiss you."

“And who says I won’t kiss you first?” Van challenged. He remembered what Alexa had said about Jackson liking immature behaviour. Van could do immature. Moving quickly, he backed Deaq against a nearby arcade game and all but launched himself on the other man.

Deaq had to grip the machine to keep from falling over and that left him completely defenceless. Before he had a chance to say anything, Van was on him, pressing his mouth to Deaq's and sliding his tongue inside.

Deaq wanted to say stop, but somehow it came out as a moan, allowing Van to explore his mouth even more. The little shit kissed like he talked, fast and with passion.

"Hey, this ain't no motel," a voice called out loudly, startling them.

Van pulled away and smiled at Alexa and her companion. "Sorry about that. We get a little carried away sometimes. You must be Jackson Yu."

“The one and only,” Jackson bragged. “Alexa here said she met a couple of cocksuckers on some cruise she was on. I gotta assume that’s you.”

Van bristled at the term cocksucker but let it slide. He cocked his head to one side and looked the man over. "Yeah, that's us," he said. "She was telling us we might have a mutual business interest. You got a problem working with cocksuckers?"

“Not as long as you have money,” Jackson said. “I couldn't care less who you fuck.”

"Good," Van said. "Then it looks like we can do business. You want to talk about it here or..."

“Not here,” Jackson said with a look of distaste. “I got my own private space to do business and you two can suck face all you want there after we’re done.”

"Cool," Van said. "Lead the way."

They spent the next few hours trying to impress Jackson and convince him they were big players. Van thought it was rather sad when a small piece of black plastic impressed the man. When he asked whose it was, Van answered smoothly that it was a joint account. After all, he and Deaq were supposed to be partners in everything.

Once the business was concluded they were free to enjoy the club. They could tell from Jackson's tone of voice that he didn't want them to leave just yet. Apparently, he wanted to watch and expected Van and Deaq to put on the appropriate show. Sitting down on a somewhat secluded sofa, Van threw his leg over Deaq's and proceeded to make out with him.

By the time Van was straddling Deaq’s lap, Deaq was panting hard and grabbing at his partner’s ass. He pulled him closer and when he saw Jackson was busy with a set of blonde Asian twins, he whispered into Van’s ear, “You seem more than willing to play this game, partner.”

"You got a problem with that?" Van whispered back, stiffening slightly. The truth was he had no problem playing this particular game, especially with Deaq. He'd swung from both sides of the plate before and his partner was *fine*. What worried him, though, was how Deaq would react.

“No,” Deaq said and started to palm Van’s ass again. “Now, relax would ya? We’re supposed to be enjoying this.”

"Oh, I am," Van said as he swooped down and kissed Deaq hard again. He threw caution to the wind and ground his pelvis forward, letting Deaq feel his erection. He was so hot for it he was ready to do Deaq right there.

“You’re hard for me,” Deaq panted heavily and gave Van a skewed little smile.

"Yeah," Van said, burying his face in Deaq's shoulder. He couldn't resist and began kissing and sucking on Deaq's neck. He could feel Deaq starting to harden a bit under him and he moaned as he sucked on his partner's neck.

Deaq moaned and moved his head to give Van better access to his neck. He cupped Van’s head gently and chuckled, “Got me one freakin’ vamp here.”

"You look like a man who could use a good... suck," Van said, pitching his voice loud enough for Jackson to hear. Then he was on Deaq's neck again, sucking and biting as his partner squirmed beneath him.

“Don’t promise somethin’ you can’t deliver,” Deaq ground out as his cock twitched at the idea.

"Who says I can't deliver?" Van taunted. He'd felt Deaq twitch under him at the mention of sucking and grinned. Van felt like he was on an E rush but it was pure Deaq running through his veins.

“C’mon, Van,” Deaq groaned and squeezed Van’s ass. “Don’t tease. I’m like hurting here, man.”

"You want me to do you right here, partner?" Van whispered, this time for Deaq's ears only. "I will, if that's what you want. I'll slide to my knees right here and suck you off in front of Jackson and his whole damn gang."

Deaq’s head flopped to the back of the couch and he groaned in frustration. His cock insisted that was a good idea. Oh, it certainly liked the idea of Van sucking him off, but the rational and possessive side of his brain didn’t like the idea of *his* partner going down on his knees in front of this scum.

Sitting up, Van looked over at Jackson who was watching them avidly. One of the twins he'd been feeling up was settled between his legs, rubbing her face up and down on his crotch. "Hey, Jackson, you got any rooms in this place?" he asked with a smile.

“Yeah, I got rooms,” Jackson drawled, grabbing the blonde's head and pushing it against his groin. “But you got a problem with my couch?”

"Nah," Van said. "But my friend here likes his privacy. You know what I mean?"

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Jackson muttered. His attention was much more focused on the blonde now going down on him. “Up the stairs, third door on the right.”

"Thanks man," Van said. He made a show of climbing off Deaq's lap and pulling the man to his feet. He could see the hint of uncertainty in Deaq's eyes and squeezed his partner's hand. He led him up the stairs and to the room Jackson had specified. He had no doubt that there were cameras placed about the room to view whatever the occupants got up to. He didn't plan to disappoint.

Deaq had had sex before to keep his cover. It wasn’t a hardship at all. He wasn’t married, not even in a committed relationship. But he’d never had to do this before. Hell, the question of whether or not he was gay had never come up before. He’d never even been labelled a “pretty boy” before his association with Van. Now he was about to let his male partner go down on him. While his cock was all for the idea, he wasn't sure if the rest of him was. Still, one look at Van's smiling face and he knew he couldn't say no. And it had nothing to do with maintaining their cover.

“One. Two. Three,” Van counted off the doors as he pulled Deaq down the hall, half bouncing all the way.

"You sure about this?" Deaq whispered as Van opened the door. The man seemed like he was into it, like he really wanted it, but Deaq had seen Van pull that act before.

“Deaq,” Van huffed and pushed Deaq through the door. He looked around the room and spotted what looked like a bad cover up for a camera. Where there was a camera, sometimes there was a microphone. Showtime. “Deaq, Deaq, Deaq,” Van repeated and attacked Deaq’s belt. “I don’t know why you get like this when we’re out in public, man. You know you’re the only guy for me. You don’t have to punish me by denying me what I want.”

"Oh fuck," Deaq gasped as Van slid down his body taking his pants with him. His hard cock bobbed in the air just inches from Van's face and he stared down wide-eyed at his partner.

Van decided it was a better plan of action to move quickly. He didn’t know very many guys who’d refuse a blowjob. Dropping to his knees, Van looked up at Deaq and smiled as he mouthed the head of Deaq’s cock.

Deaq's hands instinctively went to Van's head. He carded his fingers through the long strands and cradled Van's head in his hands. He watched, fascinated, as Van's mouth opened wider and more of his cock slid inside.

Deaq had never been with a white girl before and the contrast of their skin tones made him groan. Van seemed to know what he was doing as he hollowed out his cheeks and began to suck harder, using his tongue to tickle the underside of his cock.

Deaq tightened his grip on Van's head and began to thrust. He tried to keep them as shallow as he could. Even if Van had obviously done this before, he wasn't small and he didn't want to gag his partner. But Van just opened wider and took him in, pushing Deaq's control to the limits.

When Van gave a needy little whimper it was too much and Deaq started to pump into his mouth harshly. He’d never been this rough with a woman before, but this wasn’t a woman, a small part of his subconscious reminded him.

Van felt his own cock jump painfully as Deaq began fucking his mouth. He'd never expected his partner to let go like this and it made him so hot he was ready to cum in his pants. He held onto Deaq's thighs as the man held his head in place and fucked him hard and deep.

“That’s it… take it all,” Deaq grunted.

Deaq's words sent a bolt of white-hot desire through Van. He knew what Deaq wanted and he concentrated on relaxing his throat. It had been a long time since he'd done this but some things you simply never forgot. Changing the angle of his head slightly, he opened his throat and let the head of Deaq's cock slip inside.

“Fuck yeah,” Deaq grunted in delight as Van began to deep throat him. “Such a sweet mouth…”

Van eased one hand down to squeeze his own throbbing erection. He fumbled with the zipper, trying to get it open. He knew he was going to cum, it was just a question of whether or not he did it in his pants. There was no way he could resist, not with the hard fucking his partner was giving his mouth.

The sweet squeeze of Van’s throat was too much and Deaq grunted a few more times as he thrust into the moist prison. Then he was cumming hard in his partner’s mouth before he could make himself pull out. But part of him wanted to cum in Van’s mouth and he definitely wanted to see the other man swallow.

Van was taken by surprise when Deaq didn't pull out to cum. He quickly recovered and began to swallow. It would look bad if he pulled away now. Besides, he wanted to. He wanted to suck Deaq's cum from his cock and swallow it down. The fact that Deaq was holding his head tight, not giving him the option to pull away was enough to push him over the edge. Van came in his hand, his seed spraying over the floor as he jerked himself.

Deaq was panting heavily as his orgasm ran through his system. He stared vacantly at the top of Van’s head until his eyes focused. Van. Van had just sucked him off.

Van felt Deaq stiffen and knew it was time for damage control. He'd talk to his partner later about giving a guy a little warning before cumming down his throat. Right now he needed to make sure Deaq stayed calm enough to get out of there without blowing their cover.

Regretfully, he released Deaq's cock. He made sure to clean any traces of cum from it before pulling up Deaq's pants and tucking him away. He shoved his own now-soft cock back inside his pants and did them up then rose to his feet. He reached out and placed his hand on Deaq’s neck, rubbing his thumb over his jaw line. “Feel better now? 'Cause I know I do.”

A thousand replies ran through Deaq's head. He wanted to ask Van if he was okay, after all he'd practically forced him to swallow, but he knew they were being monitored. He hadn't missed the camera when they'd come in. Instead, he nodded and offered his partner... lover... a smile. "Yeah man," he said. "But let's hit the road. I wanna get you home and get me some real lovin'."

“Insatiable bastard,” Van croaked as he felt Deaq’s hands sneak down to rest on his ass. So Deaq was an ass man.

"With a hottie like you on my arm, you damn right," Deaq grinned.

“Better be the only hottie,” Van growled. Oh. Where did *that* come from?

"You think you can keep me satisfied all by yourself?" Deaq replied, locking eyes with Van. "'Cause let me tell ya, baby, it's gonna take more than a sweet suck job for that."

“I don’t share,” Van huffed and then shook his head in confusion. Again, what’s with the jealous boyfriend act? “And I got more to offer than you can handle?” Well, he definitely shouldn’t have said *that*!

"Oh really?" Deaq challenged. "Then why don't we get out of here and you can show me exactly what you have to offer." Deaq didn't give Van a chance to reply. He turned and headed back down the stairs, knowing Van would follow. He had no idea what had gotten into his partner but he was willing to go with it. Van was one fine cocksucker and Deaq wondered what else his partner was good at.

Van had to hurry to keep up with Deaq. They kept their cool as they descended the stairs and were thankful to see that Jackson was too occupied to worry about them slipping out. They were just out the door just when Van went into a rant. “Jeez, Deaq. I hate it when you leave like that. And don’t even *think* you’re driving… 'cause you’re not. I am.”

"Sure, baby," Deaq smirked. "Drive us to your place. I wanna find out what my partner's been hiding all this time."

“I… I…” Van’s rant faulted and he glared at Deaq. Maybe Deaq was just putting an act on because they could still be monitored. Well, he could play a little flamer if he had to… okay, so maybe he had a wee little flame going all the time. “Get. In. The. Car.”

Deaq laughed and slid into the passenger seat. He could see that Van was getting agitated and tried to calm it down a bit. He didn't want to force his partner after all. There was always the chance that everything Van had done at the club had simply been for the sake of their cover. He didn't think so, but maybe Van did.

As Van started the car and squealed out of the parking lot, he whined, “You’re looking at me. Stop looking at me. This is hard enough.”

"Hey man, take it easy," Deaq frowned. "You want to forget this ever happened, you just say the word. Not sure how I'll forget the finest blow I ever had but if that's the way you want it, I'm cool with it."

“I’m not talking about *that*,” Van huffed and rolled his eyes. “I’m talking about the wood I have in my pants again because you keep touchin’ my ass and looking at me like *that*!”

"Oh yeah? So little Van is hot for it, huh? Well then you better get us home quick so we can do somethin' about that." Deaq couldn't believe what he was saying. This was his partner. His *male* partner. And he was telling him to hurry home so they could have sex. Again. And he'd just promised to bring Van off to boot.

“Little, Van? Little. Van. I don’t *think* so, dude. I got a lot of power under the hood, if ya know what I mean. And who says you can handle what I got, anyhow?” Van shot back. Shit, they were always so competitive and apparently when it came to sex they were too.

"I been handlin' you since day one," Deaq laughed. "Don't worry about me, baby. I'll give you the sweet fuckin' you're after. Deaqon Hayes knows how to please."

“Who says I want to get fucked?” Van asked quickly, his voice raising an octave and his face colouring brightly.

"Do you?" Deaq shot back. He knew where this was leading. One of them was going to end up flat on their back with a cock shoved up his ass. It wasn't going to be him.

“And what if I do?” Van challenged. “Would you have a problem with that? 'Cause I’m still your partner and just as much a man as you.”

"Never said you wasn't. I got no problem laying you out and giving you exactly what you need." Deaq let his hand ghost down and squeezed his rapidly hardening cock through his pants. Damn if Van didn't have him ready to go again.

“And then what?” Van demanded. Obviously Deaq was thinking with his cock, but someone had to think of the consequence and their partnership. So Deaq wanted to fuck him. So he had just sucked off his “straight” partner. How would Deaq react in the morning?

"What do you mean?" Deaq asked. Van was really starting to confuse him. One minute he was all hot for it and the next he was backing off like he was scared or something. "Van, you know I wouldn't hurt you, right?"

“I wouldn’t let you hurt me,” Van answered. “But you’re supposedly straight, Deaq. You see this as a one time thing? The beginning of something more serious or what?”

"Shit, man, I don't know," Deaq said, getting a little nervous at the mention of commitment. While he was more than willing to hit the sheets with Van tonight he wasn't sure he was quite ready to start picking out china patterns.

“So you just thought you’d screw me like one of your chicks?” Van asked, his voice raising. He didn’t think he was willing to risk his career and partnership for a one night stand.

"Nah, not like that," Deaq defended quickly. "I just thought... you know... a little consensual action. We both wanted it. I didn't think it'd hurt anything. You know, no strings."

“Would you fuck, Billie?” Van demanded.

"No!" Deaq said with a grimace. "I mean, she's a fox and all but no. Why? You want to fuck her?"

“No, I don’t want to fuck her,” Van snapped. “But *why* wouldn’t you fuck her?”

"Cause she's the boss, man. I wouldn't want to fuck up things at work. It's hard enough doin' this job as it is." Deaq grew silent. He understood now what Van was trying to say. He didn't want to jeopardize their partnership for a quick roll in the sheets. "Damn, man. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinkin'."

“Uh huh,” Van said and tapped the steering wheel in aggravation. “I think you need some more time to think. At least we pulled off our cover.”

"Van, I'm sorry," Deaq said again. "This partnership, it means a lot to me. I don't want to screw it up either. I'm glad one of us has his head together tonight."

“Do you really think I want to?” Van snapped. “I don’t *like* being the responsible one. I’m not used to it. My head hurts and Christ, my dick hurts even more.”

"Shit," Deaq swore. "Do you want me to do anything? I mean, I don't know what all I could do but... Damn. This is fucked up."

“I think I should drop you off at your place,” Van suggested. “I bet you even thought about going home and jerking off to some girlie porn before you thought of getting my ass.”

"You want the truth? Ever since you went down on me all I can think about is what it would feel like to slide inside you. And that scares me," Deaq admitted. "I know you've done this kinda thing before. Nobody sucks cock that good the first time. But I ain't never been down this road. I'm not sure I know where I'm goin'."

“Well, when you get there, you can let me know,” Van sighed as he pulled in front of Deaq’s place.

"Van... "Deaq trailed off unsure what to say. He put his hand on his partner's arm and felt how stiff Van was.

“You’d better go, Deaq,” Van said. “And if you want, we can forget this ever happened.”

"No," Deaq shook his head. "I don't want to forget. My partner shared something with me tonight that totally blew me away. I don't want to forget that."

Van’s lips twitched and then he punched Deaq in the arm as he burst out laughing. “Asshole,” he chuckled fondly. “Yeah, I blew you alright.”

"That ain't what I meant," Deaq laughed. "But I'm serious. I don't want to forget it. No matter what. Okay?"

“Yeah, yeah,” Van bitched. “Even if my partner plays a really mean wounded breeder.”

"Did you just call me a breeder?" Deaq stared at Van. It was the first time Van had hinted that he was more than passingly into men. The thought threw him. He wasn't quite sure what to make of a Van Ray that actually preferred men to women.

“Ahhh… maybe?” Van croaked and then quickly recovered his demeanour of nonchalance. “It’s just lingo. I’ve been called way worse.”

"By who?" Deaq asked, frowning. "Let me hear 'em say it and I'll rearrange their face."

“How about Billie?” Van offered.

"Looks like me and Billie need to have a little talk," Deaq huffed. "What'd she say?"

“The everyday stuff? Oh, let’s see… pretty boy… whipped dog,” Van offered. “She’s also been known to call me a bitch, fruit and apparently I’m so annoying happy sometimes I’m queer. But I’m a big boy. I can take that and whatever the guys in the locker room wanna throw my way.”

"Oh me and Billie are definitely going to have a talk," Deaq said. "And just let me hear those assholes in the locker room running their mouths. You're my partner. Nobody disrespects my partner."

“I can take care of myself, Deaq,” Van huffed. “I’ve been doing it since I was old enough to manage to make my own school lunches and figure out how to get to school.”

"I know you can. But you're my partner and I got your back. You just remember that, Van. I got your back."

“Yeah, I know. Now get outta here before you start crying like a baby.”

"As if," Deaq snorted, but he threw open the door and got out of the car. He wanted to invite Van up but he didn't think that would be wise. They were both still pretty wired from the club. If Van came up with him there was no telling where things would lead.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Van called out.

"Yeah," Deaq called back. "Be careful driving home."

*

Van hadn’t been able to sleep much that night and he felt like shit. Hell, he’d spent most of the night just driving around and trying not to think about Deaq. But of course, Deaq was the only thing he could think of. He’d finally returned to his place to shower and change clothes. He’d driven to the Candy Store and decided waiting for Deaq in the parking lot sounded like a sane idea. So that’s why he was leaning up against the hood of his car at an ungodly hour of the morning, drinking bad coffee and trying to stay awake.

Half an hour later Deaq pulled up. He shook his head as he got a look at his partner. Van obviously hadn't slept last night. "What happened to you?" he asked, frowning in concern.

“Would you buy that my neighbour has a fetish for really loud polka music?” Van quipped.

"Not a chance, man. Did you sleep at all last night?"

“Sleep is highly over-rated.”

"Right. You better hope nothing goes down today," Deaq said as he grabbed Van's arm and steered him inside the building. "You should have called me if you couldn't sleep."

“And you would've done what?” Van snapped, drinking the last of his coffee and throwing the cup into a nearby garbage can. “I don’t sleep a lot. Ever. Okay?”

"We could've talked or something," Deaq shrugged. "I don't like the idea of you up all night because of me. And don't even try telling me it didn't have anything to do with what went down at Jackson's."

“I don’t sleep for a lot of reasons. If it wasn’t you, it would’ve been something else,” Van sighed and rubbed his eyes. Usually he was able to at least catch a few hours sleep.

"Maybe," Deaq replied. "But you look a little more run down than normal. Who knows, maybe Billie'll have a heart and we can head out early today..." Deaq's words died in his throat as they looked into Billie's office. She was already there and so was Alexa. The thing that froze both men in their tracks was what they were watching. There, displayed in living colour, was Van going down on Deaq.

“Fuck,” Van hissed. Alexa must have slipped the surveillance tape out from Jackson’s bar last night. Under normal circumstances he would have commended the performances on the tape. If it wasn’t him, that was.

Both women turned around to stare guiltily at the two men in the doorway. Van had gone completely white and Deaq looked mad enough to kill. Billie fumbled for the remote, trying to turn the incriminating tape off. Just as she got her hands on it, Deaq's voice rang out on the tape. // That's it... take it all... // the voice said and all eyes watched as Deaq began to shove roughly into Van's mouth.

Van groaned and buried his head in his hands. It didn’t help that Billie had accidentally turned the volume up in her attempt to shut the tape off. He wanted to run, to get as far away from them as possible. But he couldn’t do that. He just couldn’t leave Deaq or the tape here. “Is that the only copy?” Van mumbled through his hands.

"No," Alexa said, looking contrite. "Jackson's got a copy and I think he made a few more. He started showing it in the Phoenix after you left."

“They…” Van couldn’t finish. The image of Jackson and his friends watching and mocking him, made him physically ill. “Fuck.” He turned to leave the room and didn’t make it. Van dropped to his knees and started to empty his stomach into Billie’s garbage can.

"Okay... it's okay..." Deaq said, dropping down beside him. He rubbed Van's back as he heaved and pulled his hair back from his face. "Come on, man. It's okay."

“I… I gotta… get outta here,” Van tried to stumble to his feet.

"Van, take it easy," Deaq said. He pulled Van over and sat him in the nearest chair. "I'll get the tapes back. Okay? I'll... I'll get in there and I'll get them back. It'll be okay, man."

“It doesn’t matter, does it?” Van started to laugh hysterically. “They already know who we are… what I am.”

"All they know is what a lucky cat I am," Deaq said, giving him a little shake. "I got one fine lookin' man givin' me the kind of loving they only wish they had."

“Looked more like a whore to me,” Van said quietly.

"Yeah, well you weren't looking too clearly then. I didn't see no money changing hands. All I saw was a couple of lovers getting it on in what they thought was a private room."

“Wasn’t too private,” Van snorted. “I thought they might be monitoring, but… but I didn’t think they’d tape it.”

"Me either, man. And I sure didn't think my boss would sit here and watch it where *anyone* could walk in," Deaq said, his voice rising as he mentioned Billie. "I mean, it's not like Parrish doesn't drop in from time to time. What then, Billie? What if it'd been him instead of us that walked in on your little screening?"

“It wouldn’t have happened,” Billie said quickly. “This was a mistake. We were only going to watch to see if we could get any information…”

"Oh yeah? Looked like you were getting ready to sell tickets to me," Deaq shot back, his anger only intensifying as he felt Van shudder.

“It wasn’t like that,” Billie denied desperately.

"Deaq, let it go," Van said before his partner could tear into Billie again. "It's not worth it."

“What do you mean it’s not worth it?” Deaq demanded. “I saw how much that upset you.”

"Let it go, man. You know what Billie thinks of me. This isn't going to change it any. Hell, maybe I'll go up in her eyes for a change." Van tried to smile and knew by the look on Deaq's face that he hadn't pulled it off too well. There really wasn't anything to fight about. He just hoped their video debut didn't end up in some porno somewhere.

“And exactly what do I think of you, Van?” Billie asked. She was rolling the ever present unlit cigarette between her fingers.

"That I'm a screw up. That I'm your bitch. I think the term whipped dog has been used," Van shrugged. "I know I'm nowhere near the cop that Deaq is. He's someone you can depend on."

Billie didn’t know what to say. What were you supposed to say when you believed what he said? Well, at least part of it. Deaq *was* her favourite. She honestly thought he had more control than Van. And one the reasons that she’d picked Van was that she could control him when it really mattered. “You’re not a screw up,” she said vehemently. “You’re a good cop.”

"Right," Van said softly. "Tell that to Dre."

“Shit happens, Van. We’re cops. We lose people,” Billie said. “It’s a fact of life.”

"Van... what happened with Dre, that wasn't your fault," Deaq said. "You gotta stop beatin' yourself up over that."

“I… I can’t deal with this right now,” Van said, his voice broken. Alexa was still smirking at him. Her hand was firmly planted on Billie’s shoulder. Whatever her motivations, she’d made sure neither he nor Deaq would be sniffing around Billie *that* way. This fiasco just proved to him again what a bad cop he was.

Deaq watched helplessly as Van headed toward the back of the building. He glared at Billie and Alexa, noting the smirk that played across her face. "You think this is funny?" he challenged. "You think this is cute or something? I want that fucking tape gone, Billie. Do you hear me? I can't believe you set us up like that. We trusted you." With that, he turned and headed after his partner.

Deaq burst through the back door of the building and looked up and down the parking lot. He panicked when he didn’t see Van. Then he heard someone crying softly. “Van?” he called out. There was no answer. He moved toward the sounds and found Van on the ground, leaning against the side of the Porsche. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs.

"Go away," Van said, rubbing furiously at his eyes. He didn't want Deaq to see him like this. It was bad enough that Billie and Alexa had been watching his performance at Jackson's. He didn't think he could stand to bare anymore of himself right now. Even to Deaq.

“Hey, now,” Deaq said in a soothing tone and carefully approached Van like a skittish animal. “I can’t leave you like this.”

"Why not?" Van replied. "Deaq... you gotta believe me, I didn't think he was filming us. Sure, I thought they had us under some kind of surveillance but I didn't think he'd make a fucking movie out of it. I'm so sorry, man. Look, if you want me gone, just say the word. Billie can get somebody decent to work with you in a flash."

“I don’t want to work with anyone but you, V,” Deaq said, using his infrequent pet name for Van. He knelt down beside his partner and rested his hand on one shaky knee. “And you had nothin’ to do with that whole tape hoopla.”

"It was my fault. I should never have taken you upstairs. We were convincing enough on the couch. We didn't need to do that, but I... I just... I wanted to. It was my one chance, you know."

Deaq’s hand started to caress Van’s thigh, moving even closer to Van's groin. “One chance to what?” he asked quietly. He thought he knew the answer, but he needed to hear it from Van.

"To be more than just your partner," Van whispered, his breath catching at the feel of Deaq's hand on his thigh.

“Ya know that wouldn’t be the smartest thing,” Deaq said. “Against protocol.”

"You don't have to make excuses, Deaq," Van said, smiling sadly. "I know you don't want that. I should be glad you haven't decked me. It was one night and I'll have that memory. But you see now why I couldn't let it go any further."

Deaq sighed to himself. This is what he’d been worried about. This was why he was reluctant to be friends with his partners, let alone lovers. And Van was worse than most people. His partner was down right emotionally needy and had some serious abandonment issues. “Do you want me to fix this?” Deaq asked. “To fix you?”

"How?" Van asked, confused. How the hell was Deaq going to *fix* this? He was the one that had screwed up. Now there was a video out there of his partner having *gay* sex. He didn't understand why Deaq wasn't beating the crap out of him right now.

Deaq reached up and cupped Van’s cheek, his thumb wiping away the tears. He was going to ignore Van’s question of how for now, because he didn’t really know the answer yet. But Van was vulnerable and seemingly willing to answer questions and Deaq wasn't going to let the opportunity pass him by. “You’ve always wanted to be taken care of, haven’t ya? But nobody does it. They always leave you.”

"Yeah," Van whispered. "I mean, I can take care of myself, but... "He shrugged and looked away. He didn't know what Deaq was up to but he was too tired to dance around his questions.

Deaq grasped Van’s chin and moved his head until their eyes met again. “I’m gonna take care of you from now on.”

"Deaq..." Van gasped. He could feel his body responding to Deaq's words and he tried to pull back.

Deaq moved as close as possible, pinning Van’s back to the car, thus stopping his retreat. “I can’t promise the kind of love you want and need, Van. But I can promise that no matter what… no matter what, I’ll take care of you.”

"You don't have to do this," Van said. "I'm happy just being your partner. I know you're not into guys. I'm just sorry I dragged you into all this."

Deaq patted Van’s cheek and smiled. “I may not be into guys, but I’m into you. And you’re not happy. Ya don’t sleep or eat properly. But that’ll change.”

"Deaq... don't play me, man. I couldn't take that." Van couldn't stop his body from responding to Deaq's touch. His partner was offering him so much more than he'd ever hoped to have. It wasn't everything Van wanted, but it would have to be enough. All he had to do now was how to get his body to understand that Deaq did *not* swing that way.

“But I want to play with you, Van,” Deaq’s voice lowered. “Not with your mind, but with your body. It would be more than a one night stand… more than fuck-buddies.”

"Oh fuck," Van groaned. He was achingly hard now and he longed to reach out and touch his partner. Deaq wanted him. He couldn't believe it. Deaq actually said he wanted him.

Deaq moved until his mouth was hovering just beside Van’s ear and whispered huskily, “Would you let me fuck you?” His tongue snaked out and gently tasted Van’s earlobe. “Would ya let me take care of you that way?”

Van's reply was a deep, guttural moan as he turned his head slightly to give his partner better access. Deaq fucking him was one of his most private fantasies. Now the man was offering it again as he'd offered it the night before. Van knew he wasn't strong enough to say no twice.

Deaq started to nibble on Van’s ear lobe and continued his whispered promises. “I’ll take real good care of ya, baby. Won’t hurt ya… I swear. Make sure you… sleep and eat proper like.” His hand snuck down from Van’s thigh to cup his groin and squeezed gently. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Van gasped as Deaq touched his swelling erection and pushed up into his hand. "Wh-why?" he forced himself to ask. "You don't swing that way." He was not going to force his partner into something he didn't want. He couldn't do that. Not to Deaq.

“I swing just enough that way to find you hot,” Deaq whispered, continuing his massage. “Cause I want to. Cause I want you.”

It was enough for Van. He couldn't fight this, couldn’t fight Deaq anymore. Turning his head, he brought his lips to his partner's and kissed him hesitantly.

Deaq had to fight the urge to fuck Van’s mouth his tongue, but he kept the kiss light. There were, after all, in a parking lot and Deaq wasn’t going to put Van through the embarrassment of getting caught. He pulled away and said. “How about we go back to my place? I’ll order some pizza. You can take a hot shower… get some sleep…”

"We have work to do," Van shook his head. "Billie will have my balls if we skip out today."

“She’d have to get through me first,” Deaq promised. “And just consider this the Candy Store’s own Blue Flu for today.”

"Okay, but you get to tell her," Van said. He let Deaq help him to his feet and he headed for the bathroom to wash his face. He'd let Deaq deal with Billie. He wasn't up to facing her or her smirking friend any time soon.

“Won’t be long,” Deaq promised Van as he left him to head to Billie’s office. Oh, but he planned to have some words with that bitch.

Billie looked up when Deaq entered her office. She had sent Alexa on her way, promising to call her later that night. She could tell from the look on Deaq's face that he was still pissed. Bracing herself, she slid the tape toward him on the desk.

Deaq snatched the tape up in his hands. He would destroy it at home or better yet let Van take a whack at it. “Don’t think this even remotely gets you off the hook.”

"I know," Billie replied. She leaned back in her chair and looked up at Deaq. "As soon as I saw what it was I should have turned it off. We never should have watched it. And I never should have put you in that position. It was my idea to tell Jackson you were lovers. I thought it might keep Van from letting his dick do his thinking for him. I didn't stop to think what kind of position that would leave you in and what you'd have to do to keep cover."

“Yeah, our cover,” Deaq snorted. “That’s what’s important to you. Have ya thought about the fact that those tapes are circulating around now? That those underworld dogs think I’m stickin’ it to Van?”

"What do you want me to do?" Billie asked, frustrated and more than a little ashamed of herself. "I can't get them back. Believe me, I went round and round with Alexa over that. She says she can get some of them but there's no way to get them all. Deaq, I'm sorry."

“So this is part of our permanent cover then?”

Billie looked away. There really was no way out of this. She'd blown it. "If you want to stay under, it is," she said. "If you can't do this, I'll have to pull Van. It'll be easier on the streets for you than for him. I've already talked to Captain Parrish. He says he can get Van into another department without a problem. None of this would go on his record."

“You aren’t gonna screw us over any more than you already have,” Deaq snapped. “I had this all figured out when I found out about the copies of the tape. And I’m the one who’s gonna fix it, not you! I’m keeping Van.”

"So... what? You're going to pretend to be his lover?" Billie snapped. She didn't like this anymore than Deaq did but she couldn't see any other way out. If she had to lose one of them she would rather it be Van. At least that way she wouldn't have to worry about anyone that knew about the tape trying to make Van do something he didn't want to do.

“Remember when you asked whether or not we were gay?” Deaq asked sarcastically. “Well, I guess the answer is, yeah. Yeah, we’re gay.”

"Bullshit, Deaq," Billie said. "Van might be, but you certainly aren't."

“Who says I ain’t?” Deaq challenged. He’d better get used to the idea, because he was the one who’d chosen this path. “You saw the tape.”

"Yeah, I saw the tape alright," Billie said. "What I saw was Van going down on you. Granted, you gave it to him good, but that doesn't make you gay. It could have been anybody's mouth and you'd have been just as happy."

“I said,” Deaq repeated. “I’m keeping him. And I'm willin' to do whatever it takes to keep him *and* our covers.”

"Deaq..." Van called out as he walked up behind his partner. "Billie's right. You don't have to do this. I can play the part without you sacrificing yourself like this."

Deaq decided action would speak louder than words. He waited until Van was close enough and pulled his partner to him, plastering a long, wet kiss on him. He heard Van squeak a protest, so just kept kissing him.

Van stiffened in surprise when Deaq jerked him close and kissed him. He felt Deaq's tongue slide past his parted lips and then it was stroking over his tongue like it had the night before. Moaning, Van gave in and let his arms snake around his partner's waist as he opened his mouth for Deaq to plunder.

Deaq kept kissing Van even when he heard Billie cough in discomfort. He only pulled away when Van was limp in his arms and had a glassy look to his eyes. “Still think it’s just an act?”

"You really... w-want that?” Van asked, his vulnerability clear for everyone to see. "With me?"

“Yeah, I do,” Deaq said with leering grin. “I was just talkin’ with Billie here about it being part of our cover.”

"I heard part of it," Van admitted. "I just don't want you doing this because you feel you have to. I don't want to lose my partner."

“You won’t,” Deaq said, his hand going down to squeeze Van’s ass. “Remember what I promised?”

"Yeah. I remember. But I've been promised that before," Van said.

“I keep my promises,” Deaq said solemnly and kissed Van lightly on the lips. And then he turned to Billie. “You’ll be happy to know your budget might come in a little under now.”

"Are you sure about this?" Billie asked, surprised by the statement.

“Sure enough that he’ll be movin’ in with me,” Deaq said stubbornly.

"I am?" Van asked. Part of him wanted to argue that he hadn't been consulted on the decision but the bigger part of him was secretly thrilled with the idea. The way Deaq was taking charge of everything sent a shiver through Van.

“You are,” Deaq nodded. “Gotta keep up appearances. That and it’ll let me keep an eye on you.”

"But... I mean... what about girls?" Van asked, wanting to bite his tongue off as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He had no problem giving up the ladies for his partner but he wasn't sure that Deaq planned on doing the same. Van didn't think he could handle watching Deaq make it with some hottie right in front of him.

The look on Van’s face was enough to wring Deaq’s heart. He had thought he could see the occasional honey on the side and maybe he still would if he was ready to burst. But Van looked so vulnerable and needy right now. “What girls?”

"Deaq..." Van trailed off. He wasn't going to argue. Deaq was giving him everything he ever wanted and saying that he wanted it, too. While Van didn't quite believe him, he was willing to go with it.

“Not in front of her,” Deaq said, nodding his head towards Billie. If he couldn’t give Van his love, than he was sure as hell going to try and give him his faithfulness.

Billie felt like she'd been slapped. These were her men. They were supposed to trust her with their lives and she'd just betrayed that trust. "I'm sorry," she said again, knowing how lacking those two words were but having nothing else to offer. "Take him home, Deaq. The meet's not until tomorrow morning. I'll call you with the details later."

“Sure thing, *boss*,” Deaq emphasized the last word and started to push Van towards the door.

Billie watched the pair leave, knowing it was going to be a long time before she was forgiven. There was a real chance that Deaq would never forgive her betrayal. She knew Van would come around eventually, but Deaq was a different matter. Sighing, she picked up the phone and dialled Alexa. She could use a little comfort of her own right now.

*

“Have you ever done exclusive before, Van?” Deaq asked as they walked in the door of his apartment.

"A couple of times," Van said. "It never worked out though. It's hard to be exclusive when you're married to the job."

“Been there, done that,” Deaq agreed. “But that won’t be a problem here.”

"No, I guess it won't." Van watched as Deaq locked the apartment door. He could feel his trepidation rising. Now that they were here he wasn't sure what to do.

“We can always get Billie to get us a new apartment,” Deaq said, sensing Van’s nervousness. “Something we can pick out ourselves.”

"Your apartment's great," Van said quickly. "I guess I'm just a little freaked by all this. I never expected things to turn out this way. Hell, I don't even know what this way is yet."

“You look nervous, Van,” Deaq smiled, starting to rub Van’s shoulders. “I know everything’s turned upside down.”

"You can say that again," Van huffed. "I don't know what to do here, Deaq. I don't know what you want me to do. I can't seem to read you right now and that scares me."

“What would you like me to do?” Deaq asked. He liked seeing Van agitated… it was cute as hell.

Van heard the challenge in Deaq's voice and it irked him. Fine, if Deaq wanted to push, he'd push back. "What would I like you to do? How about fuck me. I'd like you to fuck me, Deaq. You ready for that?

Deaq leaned in closer, unfazed. “How?” he whispered. “Over the back of the couch? On the floor? Or in my bed? Hard and fast? Or slow and sweet?”

Van took a step back, unprepared for the heat in Deaq's eyes. He wet his lips and forced his suddenly dry throat to cooperate. "In... in your bed... and any way you want to take me."

Deaq smiled at Van and smacked his ass lightly. “Then go get in my bed. There’s some lube in the bedside table. Get yourself ready for me.”

Van stared at Deaq then stumbled off toward the bedroom in a daze. He stood and looked at the bed from the doorway for long moments before walking over to the bedside table and pulling out a bottle of oil Deaq had there. He shivered when he saw the pair of handcuffs Deaq also had in the drawer and quickly closed it. Setting the oil down on the bed, he made short work of his clothes then climbed onto the bed on his hands and knees.

“Nice n’ loose now,” Deaq called out from the living room. He was double checking his locks and giving Van time to get ready. He figured the other man would know what to do and all he’d have to do was figure out the fucking part.

Van blushed all the way down to his toes when Deaq said that. But he obediently oiled up two fingers and reached back to get himself ready. It had been awhile since he'd let another guy take him and he remembered how big Deaq was. If his partner cut loose like he did at Jackson's he'd need to be as stretched as possible.

Deaq walked into the room, shirtless and in the process of stripping off his pants, when he saw Van preparing himself. “Man, now that’s a hot sight,” he groaned.

Van's head jerked up when he heard Deaq and his fingers slipped free. He blushed furiously but slid his fingers back inside. He could tell from the way Deaq was staring that he found it hot and Van purposely began to put on a show.

“You’re gonna be all wet and tight like a woman,” Deaq’s breath hitched excitedly.

"Ti-tighter than any woman you've ever fucked," Van boasted. He pulled his fingers free again and this time slid in three. From the sound Deaq made, his partner was enjoying the show.

“Oh yeah?” Deaq watched entranced by Van’s performance as he stripped his boxers and stood there naked.

"Yeah," Van said. He pulled his fingers out and spread his legs wide, giving Deaq an unobstructed view of his ass. He knew he looked like a slut but it was turning both of them on. His cock was rock hard and from the glimpse he'd gotten of his partner, so was his.

“It can be good between us,” Deaq was saying more to himself than Van as he crawled onto the bed behind Van. “With you all wet and ready for me, I can slip in.”

Van steadied himself as Deaq moved up behind him. He knew Deaq didn't have any experience at this so he was prepared when his partner thrust into him roughly. He managed not to jerk away but his body tensed as Deaq's large cock stretched him painfully.

“Not fragile like a woman,” Deaq groaned in praise. He put his hands on Van’s hips and held him in place as he thrust deeper and deeper. “Shit… you’re so freakin’ tight.”

"Oh shit... Easy, D-Deaq... easy..." Van gasped as Deaq thrust into him particularly hard. Even with the rough taking Van's cock was hard as a rock. Deaq was managing to hit his prostate every other stroke and it was just enough to keep him dancing on the edge without letting him fall over it.

Deaq heard Van’s voice filtered through the haze of rutting and stopped cold. He heard the pain in Van’s tone. His partner was in pain and he was causing it. Deaq took a deep breath and pulled out suddenly.

"Fuck..." Van groaned when his ass was suddenly empty. "Don't stop. Please..."

“Turn over,” Deaq said in a gentler tone, petting Van’s lower back and ass. He’d decided he had to treat Van more carefully. More like a woman… no, a lover. But the only lovers he’d ever had been women.

Gingerly, Van did as Deaq said. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at his partner. "Don't stop," he pleaded again. "It's just been a while and I've never taken a guy as big as you before."

“I won’t stop,” Deaq said. “Just spread your legs wide for me.”

Van spread his legs then lifted them up. He hooked his arms around his knees and pulled his legs toward his chest, giving Deaq a clear view of his ass and hole. "I'm not sure if I can take you this way," Van said, though he didn't let his legs down.

“Sure ya can,” Deaq said, moving closer, running his finger over the twitching hole. “I’ll be nice n’ easy this time. Real sweet.”

"Whatever you want, Deaq," Van said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he felt Deaq's cock at his hole. This time the thrust was gentler as Deaq slid inside. At this angle, though, his partner was able to get in even deeper and Van gasped when the man's cock finally bottomed out.

“There ya go,” Deaq soothed and leaned over to kiss Van’s mouth. “Didn’t I say I’d take care of you?”

Van kissed him hungrily, trying not to moan. He didn't want Deaq to stop again. He knew he'd adjust in a few minutes as his body remembered that it wanted this. He felt Deaq begin to pull out and thrust back in. Each time he did Van's body opened up a bit more until Deaq was fucking him with long, full strokes and Van was panting harshly.

“So sweet…” Deaq moaned. “Gotta be more… careful with you. But tell me you want this… that you want me.”


"I want you," Van panted. "Want you more than anything. Fuck me. Do it, baby."

“Baby?” Deaq growled playfully and bit Van’s lip. “Who’s the one with a cock up his ass?”

"Oh fuck... Deaq, please... Make me cum..." Van begged. He wanted to reach down and stroke himself but he couldn't and still hold his legs up. He could only beg and hope Deaq took pity on him and let him cum. He'd had more than one lover in the past that enjoyed making him suffer and wait.

“I’m fucking you,” Deaq groaned. “Of course, you’ll come.”

"To-touch my cock," Van said, embarrassed to say the words but realizing that Deaq didn't know all the finer points to this yet. "Please... don't keep me hanging."

Deaq’s thrusts faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his rhythm. “You can’t cum from just me fucking you?”

"Some-sometimes I can," Van said, wishing now he'd kept his mouth closed. "You... you don't have to. This is good." His desire ebbed a bit when he realized Deaq didn't want to touch him that way. He tried not to let it show as he got back into sync with his partner.

“Ahhh, Van,” Deaq chided. “Just checkin’.” He slid his hand between their bodies to grasp Van’s cock. The sweat from their bodies and the liquid from the weeping tip was enough to provide lubrication.

"Don't... don't have to, Deaq," Van managed to gasp. Deaq's hand on his cock was driving him wild. It was big and strong and gripped him just tight enough to send him into orbit. He began to thrust up into Deaq's hand and then back onto his cock, impaling himself again and again.

“C’mon Van,” Deaq urged as he continued to thrust into Van’s willing body. “C’mon. Make us both cum.”

"Deaq!" Van cried out as his orgasm took him by surprise. He began to thrash on Deaq's cock, his body spasming as he came all over his chest.

Deaq gasped in surprise as his cock was grasped in the tight spasming grip. It was too much and too new. He closed his eyes and with one final thrust, he was cumming deep inside his new lover.

Van could feel Deaq cumming inside him as his own orgasm subsided. He could feel the thick cock twitching and jerking inside his ass and he moaned. This was something new to him. He never let a lover cum inside him like this before. He always made them wear a condom. Now, for the first time, he could feel the hot cum flooding his ass.

Deaq took a deep breath and kissed Van quickly. He didn’t think had the energy for anything more. “That was… you were…”

Van let his legs go then pulled Deaq down to lay on top of him. He held his partner tight, the man's cock still nestled in his ass, and closed his eyes. He was very nearly overwhelmed. So many emotions were running through him that he wasn't sure which one to react to first.

“I’m keeping you, Van…” Deaq whispered and nuzzled Van’s neck. It was the closest thing he could say to ‘I love you’.

Van hugged Deaq closer and didn't say anything. It was more than most of his lovers ever gave him. He'd make it be enough with Deaq. Closing his eyes, he let sleep claim him.

*

The shrill scream of an alarm broke the silence of the dark room. Deaq groaned and slapped the machine until it was quite. 7:00 A.M. He’d slept the sleep of the dead, but felt over tiered the way you only did when you’d slept too much. He shifted and then memories flooded his awakening brain.

Deaq's first instinct was to get the hell out of there but he took a deep breath and calmed down. This was Van. He wasn't about to run out on his partner. Especially not after everything Van had given him last night. They were sleeping nestled together, Van's back to his front. His cock was laying snug between Van's cheeks, as if it knew where it wanted to be and was trying to get back there.

Images of Van under him pushed at his memory and his cock began to fill. He groaned softly and wondered what to do. With women, morning sex was easy. You got permission and just slipped it in.

"I guess somebody's awake," Van said groggily as he pressed back against Deaq. He heard his partner's indrawn breath and wiggled his ass some more. He was still a little sore from last night but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun. Maybe he could even teach Deaq the joys of giving head.

“You’ve got no idea…” Deaq grumbled. And then he remembered the gender of his partner. “Or maybe you do.”

"Yeah, I know all about those morning hard-ons," Van quipped. "I got one myself. You wanna try taking care of it?" He posed the question lightly, trying to gauge Deaq's reaction. His partner had nearly balked at the thought of jerking him off while fucking him. He didn't want to push too hard.

“Oh yeah,” Deaq groaned lightly as he started to push against Van’s ass, trying to gain entrance.

"Hey, man, as much as I'd like to give you a repeat, we've got a meet in less than two hours. There's no way I'll be up for that if you fuck me again," Van said reluctantly. "Why don't we try something else?"

“Something else?” Deaq asked dumbly. He was breathing heavily and wanted, no… needed to cum.

"You liked it when I sucked you, right?" Van asked, turning over in Deaq's arms until they were face to face.

“Yeah,” Deaq’s smiled brightened. “You gonna do it again?”

"Actually, I was thinking we both would," Van hesitated. "But I can just suck you off again."

“Both?” Deaq was confused for a moment. “Oh… OH. Sixty-nine.”

"Yeah," Van smiled. He ran his hand down the side of Deaq's face and kissed him lightly on the lips. "But we don't have to. I can suck you off again like I did before. You'll like it, I promise."

“There’s only one reason I can think of not to sixty-nine,” Deaq offered.

"You don't really want another guy's dick in your mouth?" Van quipped, trying to keep the mood light. He had to remember that Deaq was relatively straight. He'd never done any of this before.

“Nah,” Deaq shook his head. “Well, maybe… but you not just another guy. I was thinkin’ more along the lines that I suck at sucking. I wouldn’t be very good.”

"Deaq, just the thought of your mouth on my cock is getting me close," Van said truthfully. "You can even be on top, that way you can control how much you take in."

“Mmm…” Deaq considered it and quickly rolled Van underneath him. “I like you under me.”

"I know," Van gasped. He craned his head up and kissed Deaq once more. "You have to turn around to do this. Unless you want to just rub off. We can do that instead if you want."

“It’s tempting…” Deaq seemed to contemplate the idea. “But no. You want it. So you get it.”

Van thought he'd died and gone to heaven as Deaq manoeuvred around on top of him. Soon his lover's dark cock was bumping against his lips as his own cock was gripped tightly. Opening his mouth, Van angled his head so that Deaq's cock could slide inside all the way to his throat.

“Fuck!” Deaq gasped. Van sure as hell was an eager little thing. “Greedy for it, aren’t ya?”

Van moaned around the cock in his mouth. He let his tongue massage the shaft as he took in as much as he could. He wound his arms around Deaq's waist, pulling him down closer so that more of his cock slid into his mouth and throat. If there was one thing he was good at, it was giving head and he was going to show his partner just how talented he was.

Deaq had to remember that this was supposed to be a two way street. He leaned forward and hesitantly began to lick the head of Van’s cock, but it was hard to concentrate when Van was trying to suck his brains out through his cock.

Van moaned long and loud at the first swipe of Deaq's tongue on his cock. He'd never thought his partner would do something like this and it nearly set him off right then. He forced himself not to cum yet, wanting to enjoy more of Deaq's mouth first.

Deaq slowly became more confident and took the head of Van’s cock into his mouth. He thought that it was actually better than giving head to a woman… a lot less messy. He tried to mimic Van’s actions and they began to play a warped game of copycat. When Van sucked, Deaq sucked. When Van licked, Deaq licked.

Recognizing what his partner was doing, Van decided to play with him a bit. Carefully, he brought his teeth down on Deaq's cock, not hard enough to hurt, just hard enough to be felt.

Deaq hissed around Van’s cock. That little bastard! Deaq wasn’t one to back down and echoed the action on Van’s cock. Deaq wasn’t a fan of the teeth, but obviously Van loved it by his reaction. So Van liked to be bitten. Deaq liked the idea of marking that pretty pale skin.

At the first touch of Deaq's teeth, Van moaned loudly and thrust up into his lover's mouth. He loved the slight hint of teeth on his cock. He tried to take it easy on his partner, not wanting to choke him, but the feel of Deaq's teeth gently biting into him was wild.

Van opened his throat and took Deaq in all the way. Using his hands, he guided Deaq's hips up and down so that his partner was now fucking his mouth once more. Van knew he was going to cum soon, just from the thrill of sucking Deaq off like this, not to mention the things Deaq was doing to his cock.

Deaq thought of one more thing a girlfriend had done to him once and he hadn’t liked it, but he had a feeling Van would. He shifted his hands and gently cupped Van’s balls. Deaq started to fondle them and then suddenly pinched them lightly.

Van screamed around Deaq's cock and came, thrusting up hard into Deaq's mouth. The sudden sharp pain in his balls had pushed him over the edge hard and fast. He suckled on Deaq's cock, using his tongue furiously, wanting to take his lover with him.

Deaq managed to swallow most of Van’s cum, but some of it dribbled down his chin to drip on to the bed. But that wasn’t his concern right now. Right now Van was frantically sucking at his dick like there was no tomorrow.

"Oh fuck, Van... yeah, baby, suck it..." Deaq gasped as he began to thrust into Van's mouth harder and faster. He felt his orgasm building and slammed in all the way. Then he was cumming in waves down Van's throat as he held himself there.

Van swallowed, his throat convulsing around the large cock. And he continued to suckle long after Deaq had stopped supplying liquid for him to swallow. He knew he was making little needy noises, but he didn’t care.

"Oh shit," Deaq gasped. He could feel Van still milking his cock and it sent shudders up and down his spine. Reluctantly, he began to pull out, not wanting to suffocate his lover. He couldn't believe how Van had blown him away again. His partner had one very talented mouth.

Van made an annoyed sound when Deaq started pulling out and followed the cock up with his head, moving his arms around Deaq’s waist to hold him in place.

"Van... baby... come on," Deaq urged gently. "We've got to get ready to go. I promise, we'll do this again when we get home. I said I'd take care of you and I plan to but you've gotta let me go for now."

Van made another annoyed grunt and reluctantly let Deaq pull away. “Will you let me have it as long as I want next time?” Van huffed his complaint and gave Deaq a wounded look. “Cause that’s twice now. Twice I haven’t gotten to do what I want.”

"Anything you want, I promise," Deaq said. He moved around on the bed until he was lying beside Van again. Leaning forward, he kissed him, their tastes mingling together and making both of them groan. "We gotta go. If we're late Billie'll have our balls."

“You shower first,” Van pouted, still acting like a child who’d had his favourite toy taken away. That and he knew if they showered together, they would only be later.

"I'll make it quick," Deaq said, climbing out of bed. "Put on some coffee for us. By the time you get it on I'll be out."

“I don’t *do* domestic,” Van called out, but regardless got out of the bed.

"I know. I've seen your apartment."

“Where do you keep the instant?”

"I don't," Deaq called out from the bathroom. "The coffee's in the freezer. Just follow the directions on the bag."

“Coffee in the freezer?” Van mumbled under his breath. “What kind of lunatic does that?” He opened the freezer and took out the coffee. “Okay, now I need a freakin’ coffee machine…” It was sitting right on the counter. Van made a face and refused to be defeated by a little machine. So what if he always bought his coffee or made instant? He opened the bag and dumped about a quarter of it into the little cup over the pot and then filled it up with water. He pushed the button and then waited until the machine gurgled. Okay, that wasn’t so bad.

A few minutes later Deaq came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Your turn," he called out as he headed to the bedroom to get dressed. It just dawned on him that Van didn't have any clean clothes at his place. Sighing, Deaq went to his closet and pulled out a pair of pants that were a little too snug for him and one of his smaller shirts. It wasn't the best but it would have to do for today.

“Deaq! C’mon you lazy dog, get your ass moving,” Van called out from the kitchen. “I think your coffee’s ready.”

"Alright already," Deaq said, exiting the bedroom. "I laid out some clothes for you on the bed. They might be a little loose but they'll fit."

Van groaned. “It’s some sort of sports jersey, isn’t it?”

"Would I do that to you?" Deaq asked innocently. "Okay, don't answer that. And no, it's not. It's a silk shirt I kind of outgrew. You should like it."

“Silk? Well… okay,” Van seemed somewhat mollified. “But you know I don’t usually wear shit like that. If it can’t be thrown in the dryer, I usually don’t bother with it. And outgrew it, huh? You gettin’ chunky on me?”

"Chunky? I just got some meat on my bones. Not like some skinny-ass white boy I know. Now get your shower so we can get going." Deaq poured himself a cup of coffee as he shooed Van into the shower. His partner was like a big kid sometimes. Well, they'd have plenty of time for fun and games later.

Deaq took a swig of his coffee and ended up spitting in out the floor. “VAN! What did you do to the coffee! It’s... chunky!”

"Huh?" Van said, peaking out from the bathroom. He was just about to step into the shower when Deaq yelled his name. "I just poured some into the cup thingy like you're supposed to."

Deaq went over to the coffee machine and examined the disaster. “You didn’t use a filter! And shit man, you used like half of my expensive imported brew!”

"Can't hear you, man," Van called out and quickly turned on the shower. Deaq sounded pissed. He hoped he hadn't ruined anything. He'd replace the coffee the first chance he got and the machine, too. Just to be safe.

“The boy is utterly useless in the kitchen,” Deaq muttered to himself as he cleaned up the mess. “Bet he can’t even boil water without melting the pot.”

A few minutes later a rather contrite Van emerged from the shower. He headed straight to the bedroom to get dressed, wanting to give Deaq a few more minutes to cool off. He hated it when Deaq was mad at him and now that they were lovers it made him feel even worse.

Deaq was sitting on the bed fully dressed and waiting for Van. “We have to have a little talk.”

"Deaq, I'm really sorry about the coffee. I didn't do it on purpose. I'll get you a new coffee maker and stuff on the way home, okay?"

Deaq gave Van a stern look. “Didn’t your Mama even take care of you right? Teach you how to cook n’ stuff?”

"Nah," Van shrugged. "She was too busy arguing with my Dad and running around on him. I'm real sorry I screwed up. If you show me how to do it, I make sure I do it right next time."

“So let me get this image right… you eat take out, have a laundry service and don’t sleep much?” Deaq continued his interrogation.

"Yeah, something like that," Van said, looking away.

“You really do need me, man,” Deaq made a tsking sound. “More than I thought.” He liked to take care of people and not that many sisters would let him do that.

"I don't mean to be a problem," Van said. "I can look out for myself okay. Really."

“On the job, yeah,” Deaq didn’t deny. “Personally, no. I’m gonna take care of you right, Van, maybe for the first time in your life. Call me an old fashioned bastard, but I like takin’ care of people.”

"I don't need a babysitter, Deaq," Van said sullenly. "I've been on my own for a lot of years now. I just never got the hang of all that cooking stuff."

Deaq was still sitting on the bed and grabbed Van by the hips, pulling him until he was standing between Deaq’s legs. Deaq kissed Van’s stomach and promised, “I’ll teach you. And if you still don’t like it after that, I got no problem doin’ it.”

"You... you're not mad?" Van asked, surprised. He'd expected Deaq to be angry about wrecking the coffee maker and not knowing how to take care of himself like any normal person did.

“Thought it was cute,” Deaq chuckled and continued to kiss Van’s stomach.

"Deaq..." Van whined. "You keep doing that and something important's gonna come up, if you know what I mean."

With one last kiss on Van’s stomach, Deaq looked up at him. “Always liked high maintenance lovers.”

"That's good," Van laughed nervously. "'Cause I'm about as high maintenance as it gets."

Deaq patted Van’s ass through the towel. “Keeps it exciting. Now get dressed.”

“I’d feel much better going to this meet in my own clothes,” Van muttered. “I have an image to uphold, ya know.”

"You'll look fine," Deaq laughed. He left Van in the bedroom to dress. He wanted to get this done and over with. This Jackson cat was a nasty piece of work and the sooner he was locked up the safer they'd all be.

*

Alexa wanted to make some snide comment as Van and Deaq got out their car. For some reason she hated them as they strolled to the SUV. But she was a cop and the job came first. An exchange like this went down in silence with a quick change over of keys. She smiled softly to herself when she thought about Billie rushing in afterwards. Most likely she’d rough up Jackson Yu and drag Alexa away in cuffs for a “private” interrogation.

The exchange was made. Alexa and Yu walked around the sides of the convertible while Van and Deaq headed for the SUV. As Deaq climbed in, Van stopped by his window and whispered something to him. Just then, Billie and the SWAT team made their move. Guns came out of nowhere, pointing at the four of them. Alexa, Van and Deaq all threw up their hands but not Jackson. He went for his gun, determined to take out the one that had ratted him out. He spun towards the SUV, rage flashing in his eyes at the betrayal. He pulled out his gun with a death-curdling scream and pointed it at Deaq.

"Deaq, lookout!" Van shouted when he saw Yu bring up his gun. Shoving past the cop trying to cuff him, he managed to push Deaq down just as Jackson opened fire. White-hot pain lanced through him as the bullets spun him around and slammed him to the ground. The pain was horrible, and then his entire right side seemed to go numb as he blinked up at the early morning sky. His last thought before his consciousness was leeched away was that it was a shame to die on such a beautiful day.

Deaq had watched Jackson pull out his piece and it felt like slow motion when Van pushed him out the line of fire. He hadn’t even finished crying out, “Van… NO!” before his partner’s body had crashed to the ground. Deaq dropped to his knees and pulled Van to him, clutching at his body, trying to stop the blood seeping out of the wounds with his hands. “Van, no! Please, baby… not like this!”

Billie didn't hesitate when she saw her man go down. She opened fire on Yu, putting three slugs into him and dropping him fast. She could hear one of the SWAT guys calling for an ambulance and she rushed toward Van and Deaq. Dropping down beside them, she grimaced at the amount of blood seeping out of Van and into the ground. If that ambulance didn't hurry, Van was going to bleed to death right here.

“I’m a trained medic,” one the SWAT team members announced. He knew he had to get control of the situation or the bleeding man would die. He turned to his fellow team members and motioned to Deaq, “Get him away from here! I need to work.”

"No!" Deaq said as hands grabbed him and started pulling him away from Van. He fought them, kicking and punching as they pulled him away from his partner. "No! Van!"

“Get him under control!” the medic shouted. He had already ripped Van’s shirt off and was applying pressure to the wound. “Do whatever you have to!”

Suddenly Deaq found himself face down on the ground. His arms were yanked behind him and twisted up his back. Then cuffs were being slapped on his wrists. He tried to struggle but two of the SWAT guys had him pinned with knees in his spine. He screamed for his partner but there was nothing he could do. Van was bleeding to death a few short feet away and there was nothing he could do.

The next few minutes seemed to take an eternity as the ambulance screeched to a halt and the paramedic rushed out to take control. They loaded Van’s limp body onto the stretcher and took over from the SWAT medic.

"Van!" Deaq screamed again as he watched his partner being whisked away. Somewhere inside he knew that if he let Van get away now he'd never see his partner alive again. And suddenly Deaq realized that it wasn't his partner his heart was crying out for. It was his mate.

Billie took in the situation and ran over the men holding Deaq back. She could see the mixture of emotions running across Deaq’s face… rage, panic and fear. “Let him go!” she commanded.

The men hesitated for a moment then did as she said. They released Deaq's hands and moved back, ready for any attack the man might launch. Instead of reacting violently, Deaq carefully pulled himself up off the ground and stared at Billie.

“Get in the ambulance,” Billie instructed Deaq. “They’ll let you go with him even if I have to tell them at gunpoint.”

Deaq stared at Billie until the words sank in then he dashed toward the ambulance. They were just closing the doors when he ran up and forced his way inside. Billie was right behind him and after a quick word from her they were on their way.

“Okay, but stay out of our way,” the paramedic warned. “He’s far enough gone that we can’t risk one wrong step.”

"Please... don't let him die..." Deaq implored as he huddled in the corner, trying to stay out of the way. He longed to reach out and touch Van but he was too scared to. He knew enough about gunshot wounds to know that Van could very easily die.

“Not on my watch,” the paramedic promised and went back to working on Van, just trying to stop the bleeding and regulate his heartbeat until they could get back to the hospital.

The drive seemed to take forever. Deaq watched as they worked over his lover. He prayed, something he hadn't done in years, that Van would make it. He wasn't sure how he would live with himself if he didn't.

“Come and talk to him,” the paramedic said to Deaq. “We’re almost there and I’ve done everything I can.”

Deaq edged forward and laid a tentative hand on Van's undamaged shoulder. "Van... baby... you're gonna be okay. You hear me? You're gonna be just fine. Don't... don't leave me, partner. Please..."

The heartbeat on the monitor grew stronger and the paramedic gasped. “Keep talking to him,” he demanded. “It might be a coincidence, but his heartbeat’s getting stronger.”

"You stay with me, Van," Deaq said, grasping onto what hope the paramedic offered. "I can't lose you. Not now. I... I know I said I couldn't love you the way you wanted, but I was wrong. I was so wrong, baby. Please, don't leave me. I need you to show me how to do this."

The ambulance came to a stop and the paramedic gave Deaq an apologetic look. “We’re here. Family isn’t allowed where we’re going, but you have to believe he heard you.”

Deaq let go of Van reluctantly. He stared after them as they whisked Van inside. He suddenly felt more alone than he could ever remember. The realization that his partner was going to die because of him hit him like a sledgehammer and Deaq turned his head and vomited, his entire body rebelling at the thought.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there on his knees outside the doors of the emergency room, but he eventually felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He realized they were Billie's hands when she knelt down beside him and pulled him into an embrace. “They took him away,” he said in a defeated voice. “I didn’t tell him I loved him… but I promised I’d keep him and they took him away...”

"Deaq, you're in shock," Billie said. "Let's get you inside. Maybe they'll have an update on Van. Okay?" She stood and gently tugged him to his feet. When he swayed, she wrapped an arm around his waist and led him into the building. She sat him in the first available chair and hurried to find a doctor.

It wasn’t a good sign when she came back and found Deaq in the same position she’d left him in. He still had Van’s blood all over his hands and clothing. “They said Van’s still in surgery,” she reported.

Deaq just nodded then stared down at his hands. They were still covered in Van's blood from when he'd tried to stop the bleeding. He couldn't believe it had come to this. They were supposed to be celebrating right now.

“I think we should go back to the Candy Store,” Billie suggested. “You could shower. Get some clean clothes on.”

"I'm not leaving," Deaq whispered. "I can't. What if... I have to be here, Billie."

“Okay,” Billie wasn’t going to argue with Deaq about this now. “I’ll take care of it.” She turned and talked to a nurse. One look at Deaq and they agreed to let him shower and change into some hospital scrubs.

Billie led him away from the waiting room reluctantly, promising him that someone would come for them if there was any change with Van. She led him into an unused room and helped him get undressed. She didn't want to leave him alone in the shower but Deaq had insisted he could manage on his own. Once he was out, she helped him into the scrubs then they returned to the waiting room.

“Van was wearing my clothes,” Deaq started to ramble after a while. “At least he won’t be upset that he ruined his favourite shirt or anything. When he wakes up… 'cause he’s gonna wake up. I bet he hates hospital clothes…”

"When he wakes up we'll go bring him some clothes," Billie said, swallowing thickly. "I bet he's got a favourite pair of sweats he likes to wear. He's gonna be okay, Deaq."

“Of course he’s gonna be okay,” Deaq repeated. “He’s gotta be. And yeah, he’s got a favourite pair of sweats… the blue ones… that are too short and have the holes in the knees… he likes to wear just that… used to think he looked cute with bare feet and no shirt on…”

"Deaq..." Billie trailed off. She reached down and took Deaq's hand, squeezing hard. "As soon as he's out of surgery I'll go get them."

“Messed up with him bad, Billie,” Deaq whispered, squeezing back her hand.

"Messed up how?" she asked. She wanted to keep him talking any way she could. He was still perilously close to going into shock. One of her men in the hospital was more than enough for her.

“I didn’t tell him that I loved him… or could love him,” Deaq stammered. “'Cause I know it’s early on, like not even a week, but he’s Van, ya know?”

"He knows," Billie told him. "You may not have told him but he knows. How could he not?"

“Have you ever loved someone so quickly, Billie?” Deaq asked. He didn’t really believe in love at first sight and it had only been two days. Two very long days, but he didn’t think he could imagine life without Van in it as either co-worker or lover.

"Yeah," Billie replied, wistfully. "I have. But you guys have been together for awhile now. Not, you know, *together* together, but partners... friends. You put your lives in each others hands every day. That makes for a very intense relationship, without adding sex into the works."

“Sex,” Deaq repeated blankly. “Screwed up there, too.”

"Deaq, don't. No matter what went down between you two, Van was... IS... happy. You haven't screwed anything up."

“He can’t even make coffee,” Deaq blurted out. “And God, I even loved that about him.”

"He's going to be okay," Billie assured him again, praying she wouldn't be made a liar. "He has to be. We need him too much for him to check out on us now."

“Is Yu dead?” Deaq asked, some of his sorrow being replaced by anger.

"Very dead," Billie told him grimly. "I killed the bastard myself."

“Good,” Deaq said in a tense voice. “Cause I would'a killed him for this. And I wouldn’t have cared. Tell me he suffered at least…”

"I shot him three times," Billie said. "He bled out before the ambulance even got there."

“Hope he rots in hell…”

*

Deaq sat beside Van's bed, holding his partner's hand. They'd brought Van down from the operating room an hour ago. All the doctor would say was that he'd made it through the surgery and he was still holding on. That wasn't a lot of comfort, but Deaq took what he could get. He'd taken to talking to Van, hoping that his lover would hear him.

“You gotta come back to me, man,” Deaq said. “It’s too quiet. I miss your babbling.” Long minutes passed before Deaq felt a gentle squeeze of his hand. His eyes flew to Van's and he nearly cried when those green eyes began to open. "Billie, get the doc. Hurry!"

Billie rushed into the room expecting the worse. “What?!” she asked, literally pulling a doctor behind her. She’d grabbed the nearest one despite his protest. “I brought a doctor.”

"He's waking up," Deaq said, his eyes never leaving Van.

“Listen,” the doctor protested. “I’ll get someone else… I was just about to go off duty.”

"Just get someone now," Deaq hissed at the man. Van's eyes moved up to his and Deaq saw a spark of recognition. "I'm here, baby. You just hang in there. You hear me?"

Van was hooked up to too many machines and tubes to talk. And even though he was drugged, Deaq could see the surprise in Van’s eyes at seeing Deaq.

“No,” Billie stopped the man from leaving with a very frightening look. “You’re a doctor. He needs a doctor. You’re here, so *doctor*.”

"Alright," the man said, seeing how agitated the injured man's family members were. "I'll take a look at him. Why don't you go out and let the nurse's station know that he's woken up and to send for his doctor? I promise I won't leave until his attending physician gets here. Okay?"

“You’d better not,” Billie shot him a look filled with venom and left on her mission to fetch Van’s doctor.

"She seems quite worried," the doctor said as he moved over to Van's bedside. "Is she his wife?"

“No, that would be me,” Deaq snorted in amusement.

"Oh," the doctor said, pausing for a moment. "Um, it says on his chart that your... husband... was shot twice, once in the shoulder and once in the chest?"

“Yeah,” Deaq said. He leaned over and brushed the hair out of Van’s eyes. “He got outta surgery a while ago.”

"Well, he's awake. That's a good sign," the doctor said. "I'm afraid I'll need you to step back for a few moments." When Deaq moved back the doctor stepped up and began testing Van's pupils for response. He was pleased with what he saw.

Van gave a distressed sound when Deaq took his hand away. He might not be fully cognisant, but he knew he wanted Deaq back and wanted the asshole who was prodding him to get away. As the doctor went to take his pulse, Van made another distressed, needy sound.

"Why don't you come around on the other side so he can still see you?" the doctor suggested. The less stressed the patient became, the better, and it was clear that the other man's presence was a calming one.

Van settled down immediately when Deaq came around to the other side of the bed and stroked his hand. Just knowing Deaq was close was enough to make him relax.

Deaq didn’t want to take this hand because it was the side with Van's shoulder wound. “I’m not goin’ anywhere, baby,” he tried to sooth Van. “See? Right here.”

Van calmed immediately. He felt so detached from everything, but as long as Deaq was there he wouldn't worry about it. Deaq would take care of him. He'd promised.

“His vitals are strong and he’s responding to outside stimuli,” the doctor finally diagnosed.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Deaq asked, trying not to show how scared he was in front of Van.

“I won’t make that diagnosis,” the doctor shook his head. “I’ll leave that for his doctor.”

"Well, I see we've had quite a commotion," Dr. Henshaw said as he walked into the room. "Thanks for taking care of things till I could get here, Steve."

“Oh, they’re all yours, Bob. I was just kidnapped by this little hellcat…” Billie suddenly walked into the room and Steve snapped his mouth shut.

"How's Van?" Billie asked, ignoring the doctor's comment. All she cared about at the moment was Van.

The doctors conferred for a moment, exchanging information. “I don’t think it’s necessary to examine Mr. Ray again, I trust my colleague,” Dr. Henshaw concluded. “I was fully expecting the patient would wake up in the next few hours. The surgery went well. He certainly is a lucky young man that the bullet he took in the chest missed all his vital organs.”

Deaq swallowed hard. They were all lucky. If the bullet had been over even an inch, Van would be dead right now. As it was, he was going to have a long way to go before he was well again. "He's... he's out of danger?" Deaq asked, needing to hear it one more time.

Dr. Henshaw coughed. He never liked saying his patients were completely out of the woods. Something could always go wrong. “He’s a fighter.”

"Doc, just give it to me straight," Deaq said, turning to look the doctor in the eye. "Is my partner gonna make it or not?"

“If there’re no further complications… yes.”

"Thanks," Deaq said. He turned back to Van and pulled a chair close to the bed. "Go ahead and get some sleep, babe. I'll be here whenever you wake up."

*

Several weeks later...

“Deaq… Deaq…” Van whispered and decided bribery was the best approach to wake up his lover. He waved the cup of out coffee carefully over Deaq’s head. “I got something for you…”

Deaq cracked an eye open and stared at Van. "Oh you got somethin' I want all right. And it ain't the coffee."

“Deaq…” Van whined. “You just *had* me like an hour ago… and I made this coffee for you… all by myself.”

"You made this for me?" Deaq asked, sitting up in the bed and taking the offered cup. "You didn't have to do that."

“I wanted to,” Van said proudly. “You’ve been so good to me these past few weeks.”

"Van... come sit down here with me," Deaq said, suddenly serious. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

Van’s smile faltered and he played nervously with the cup in his hands. “It’s really good, Deaq. I tried it… I followed the directions on the back of the pack this time.”

Deaq took the cup and took a sip. "Yeah," he smiled. "It is good. But I wanna talk to you about something. I've been meaning to talk to you since you got out of the hospital but it never seemed like the right time."

“What is it?” Van asked and then continued to babble before Deaq could even answer. “If it’s about me being needy… I can stop. I know I can. I just like you around… it’s easier to sleep, but I know you like your space. Or have you changed your mind about the whole under cover thing… 'cause if you have, after I’m cleared for duty, I can talk to Billie…”

"Van... baby... stop," Deaq said. "It's nothing bad. I just... I realized a few things when you were lying in that hospital. Did you know it took three SWAT guys to pull me away from you? I just knew if I let you go I'd never see you again. I was screaming for you and trying to get away from them. They finally had to cuff me to keep me down."

“Why would they do that?” Van asked his ire rising at the thought of his partner being mistreated. “Who did it?”

"It doesn't matter who," Deaq said. "They did it to keep me out of the way so the medic could work on you. I gotta tell you something, man. I never been so scared in all my life. I just knew you were gonna die and I never got to tell you how much I love you."

“Of course it matters… they could have hurt you…” Van ranted and then stopped. He starred at Deaq with his head cocked. “Did you just say you loved me?”

"Yeah, I did. And I do. I realized it when I thought I lost you. It wasn't my partner I was worried about losing. It was my lover. I love you, baby. I love you more than anything in this world."

Van continued to look at him, his head cocked to the side. The silence between them was thick as Deaq waited for Van’s judgement. Van suddenly let out a loud whoop and literally bounced on Deaq, propelling the man back onto the bed and landing on top of his chest.

The half-full coffee cut dropped unheeded to the floor as Deaq suddenly found himself being thoroughly kissed. Van was all over him in that frantic, desperate way that always worried Deaq just a little. Not knowing what else to do, Deaq kissed his lover back as passionately as he could.

“I love you, too,” Van started to rant between kisses. “We’ll be so good together.” Kiss. “It can’t get any worse, now can it?” Kiss. “I just can’t believe you love me.” Kiss. Followed by Van rubbing against Deaq like a cat in heat.

"Easy, baby," Deaq laughed. He finally had to flip Van over to get him under control. "We're already good together. But now, we're gonna be great together. Just you and me. Nobody else ever again. You ready for that?"

“Of course,” Van answered. Monogamy was a non-issue for him. “Are you ready for me 24/7?”

"I'm ready for you forever," Deaq said softly. He stared at Van then leaned down and kissed him gently. "Wanna be with you till the day I die. You ready for that?"

“Yeah," Van smiled. "But you might want to pinch me."

"Why's that?"

"'Cause I feel like I did when Alexa first sprung our cover on us. I keep expecting you to say 'Just kidding' or something," Van admitted.

“I’m not kidding when I say I love you,” Deaq said and he leaned over and kissed the fresh scars on Van’s chest. “And it makes me so fuckin’ happy that I know you do to.”

"I do, Deaq. I love you more than anything. I never thought I'd have this. Not with you. I don't know what I ever did to deserve it, but I'm glad I did it, whatever it was."

“You were born, baby. You were born.”



END.