Submission

A/N: Bit of a filler chapter . T. Things will pick up again next chapter. Chapter 4 will also feature a little cameo by some characters from another one of my favorite fandoms, however I\'ll avoid spoilers for that show. I just couldn\'t resist the idea. As always, these characters aren\'t mine, I\'m just playing with them for a little bit and I promise to send them home before dinner.

Chapter Three


The air in the room was thick and close. Dee could feel the fabric of his shirt dampening with sweat at the back of his neck and under his arms. He stared across the table at his silent partner, willing those dark eyes to rise from the scratched surface under his hands.

Ryo did look up, but only when the door opened, and he didn\'t so much as glance at Dee. His eyes stayed fixed on Diana as she entered the room, and from the side Dee could see the tight lines that edged Ryo\'s lips.

“The air-conditioning is broken,” Diana said brightly, pointedly ignoring the brittle tension that hung in the air between the two men. None of her cheer bled through to her serious expression.

“Well?” Dee spoke first, causing Ryo to cast a brief, flickering glance in his direction.

“It seems that you were right,” she held up a hand to keep either of them from interrupting. “However, there\'s still no proof that this link is the reason behind the murders.”

“What else could it be?” Dee growled, clenching his fist on the table. “You know there are people out there who would think it was reason enough to kill someone. You can\'t mean to just leave a lead like this.”

“I don\'t,” Diana\'s tone was enough to make Dee sit back sharply, reminding them both that she was the more experienced investigator when it came to matters like this. “I just want to make sure you understand that there are still other possiblites.”

“Right,” Ryo nodded, his eyes begging Dee to keep silent. “Then what do you think we should do now?”

“I want to have the two of you do some investigating. This is your theory, your connection. It\'s up to you to gather the evidence to prove it. And to stop these guys before someone else ends up dead.”

“More interviews with the family and neighbors?” Ryo asked, head slightly tilting while his face remained the same study in blankness that it had been all morning.

“No,” Diana replied, giving the two of them an unreadable look. “I want you to do some undercover work.”

“Undercover?” there was a sinking feeling in Dee\'s gut even as he asked the question. He suspected that he knew what Diana had in mind.

“I assume that you know at least some of the clubs Dee,” she raised one eyebrow and pinned him with a searching stare.

“Yeah, I do,” Dee squirmed uncomfortably as he saw the dawning comprehension on Ryo\'s face.

“Clubs?” Ryo blurted, a blush staining his cheeks dark red. “You mean gay clubs?”

“Yes. Is that going to be a problem for you Detective Maclane?” Diana was staring at Ryo as she asked the question, but his gaze had dropped to the table in front of him.

There was a long moment of silence. Dee opened his mouth, not surewhatwhat was about to come out of it, but Ryo managed to speak first.

“No, it isn\'t a problem.”

“Fine,” Diana nodded, once, and then moved to open the door. “You two have the afternoon off then. I expect you to get started tonight.”

One after the other they filed out of the room and Dee couldn\'t help but notice the rigid line of Ryo\'s spine and the discomfort that radiated from his partner.

*

Hours later Dee stood outside Ryo\'s apartment door, waiting for the other man to answer his knock. When the door opened Dee frowned and pushed his way inside, shaking his head.

“You\'re planning to wear that?” the dark-haired man asked, crossing his arms over his chest while he took a long moment to look Ryo over.

“What\'s wrong with this?” Ryo asked, straightening the cuffs of his white dress shirt with nervous fingers. The shirt looked freshly ironed, buttoned to the throat and tucked into a pair of crisp black slacks. A navy blue tie was snug around Ryo\'s neck, and he held a black suit jacket over one shoulder. “We are working Dee.”

“Undercover, you idiot. Look at me. Do I look like I\'m headed for the office?” Dee took a step back and then spread his arms wide to let Ryo get the full effect of what he was wearing.

Dee\'s pants were also black, but there the similiarity ended. His pants were skin-tight leather, lacing at the waist revealing a strip of skin two fingers wide at the top that narrowed to a point just above Dee\'s groin. Ryo swallowed hard, the clinging of the leather left little to his imagination there, and he jerked his eyes upward.

The shirt was a deep green silk that matched the shade of Dee\'s eyes. Sleeveless, it left bronzed shoulders bare, and a lot more besides, Ryo noticed. The shirt was bu fro front, but only two of the buttons over Dee\'s chest were fastened. His chest was well defined by the tightness of the smooth fabric, and below the buttons a line of muscled flesh showed each time Dee moved. Ryo\'s eyes followed the thin line of dark hair that disappeared beneath the loose lacings of the pants and he blushed hotly as he looked away.

“I don\'t own anything like that,” Ryo choked out, throat thick with an odd combination of want and embarassment.

“I didn\'t think you did,” Dee answered, smug amusement in his tone.

“Don\'t tell me you bought me something. I won\'t wear anything like that!” Ryo interrupted, wide eyes flying to Dee\'s face.

“No, no,” Dee had to fight laughter to answer, glad that Ryo was too affronted at the thought of being stuffed into leather pants to be as embarassed. Though, he did spare a thought for how appealing it would be to stuff Ryo into leather pants... Preferably the ones Dee himself was wearing at that particular moment.

“I\'m sure you have something that will do just fine,” Dee couldn\'t quite keep the leer off his face as he tried to brush off that last thought. With a final suspicious glance, Ryo turned and led the way into the bedroom.

It took a while, but Dee finally came up with some clothing he thought would help Ryo blend into the crowded scene at some of the local bars. He tossed Ryo a pair of well-worn jeans while working through a selection of shirts.

“Put those on. Leave the button undone and lose that shirt and tie,” Dee ordered, not looking back to see if Ryo obeyed. A moment of silence followed his words and then he heard Ryo walk off to the bathroom to change.

By the time Ryo returned Dee had narrowed down his selection to a pair of shirts that he spread out on the bed. He turned, pausfor for a moment at the quick surge of lust he felt when he saw Ryo. The smooth chest revealed by Ryo\'s shirtless state was pale, and to Dee, perfect. The worn denim rode low on slim hips, faded areas of the fabric accentuating the long line of Ryo\'s thigh. A lighter patch that edged the zipper drew Dee\'s eyes like a magnet, and he only managed to look away when Ryo turned self-conciously to one side, giving Dee an excellent view of the curve of Ryo\'s ass under tig tight jeans.

Dee pulled his eyes away and picked up one of the shirts from on the bed. Simple would be better in this case, he thought, tossing the white t-shirt in Ryo\'s direction. Of course, it wasn\'t entirely simple, as the t-shirt was one he\'d had to find elsewhere. Hopefully Ryo wouldn\'t notice that it belonged to Bikky. While big on the boy, it should fit Ryo like a glove.

“This isn\'t mine,” Ryo shook his head and made a gesture as if he\'d offer the shirt back to Dee.

“I know,” Dee folded his arms and leaned one shoulder against the wall. “Wear it anyway.”

“You\'re taking me in there and setting me up like I\'m some sort of object to be stared at,” Ryo accused, balling the shirt angrily in his hands.

“It\'s a club,” Dee replied patiently. “That\'s why people go there. If you can\'t handle it, I\'ll go on my own.”

Ryo jerked the shirt over his head, glaring at Dee as his head popped out of the neckline. “You know I can\'t let you do that. It could be dangerous.”

“So glad to know you care,” Dee answered dryly as he pushed past Ryo to wait by the front door.

Ryo watched him go and sighed, sitting down on his bed to pull on a pair of socks and worn out old tennis shoes. He flopped backwards, running his hands through his hair and staring blindly at the ceiling. He knew this was just part of the job, but the thought of going out with Dee someplace like this excited him, and that made him damned uncomfortable.