Chapter Text
…
Malik went slow on purpose. He liked to lag behind Ryou and watch him run, hypnotized by the way his ponytail would sway back and forth. Staying behind Ryou also meant he could smile when Ryou looked over his shoulder at him. Ryou would always scrunch his nose or stick his tongue out, encouraging Malik to go faster.
Of course Ryou knew he was going slow on purpose. Ryou knew everything.
The sun beat down on Malik’s neck. He wished he’d taken Ryou’s sunscreen warning a little more seriously. It didn’t really matter, though. Malik was just happy to be in the moment with the love of his life.
Although it’s been nearly a decade since they were in college, Ryou looked just the same. For that, Malik was relieved. For a while there, he wasn’t sure if they would ever be the same.
Running together again not only brought back so many memories, but allowed them to make more.
“Don’t go easy on me,” Ryou commented, slowing his pace to match Malik’s. He wiped sweat from his forehead. “I want a turn to watch you, too,” he said with a tired chuckle.
Malik smirked. “Fine, but if you get distracted, it’s not my fault.”
Ryou laughed in between breaths and Malik took the lead. They had just two more blocks to go before making it back home. He figured he’d give Ryou a solid workout today.
“Holy shit your back is burned, Malik,” Ryou said with a laugh, nearly coughing as he tried to keep track of his breathing.
Malik laughed too. “I should have listened to you,” He called out over his shoulder.
“Don’t I always tell you that?”
Malik rolled his eyes playfully. For the sake of finishing their workout, the two stopped the banter and finished their run.
Ryou slowed his pace, catching up to Malik enough to swing a sweaty arm over his shoulder. He didn’t say anything. Just caught his breath and looked at Malik’s sweaty face.
Malik looked back at him. Slowly, he grinned.
“What?”
Ryou slowly shook his head. “How is it possible for you to be so sexy after running in this heat?”
Malik laughed. “I could say the same about you.”
He walked them both to the door, unlocked it, and the two went inside.
Ryou grabbed Malik’s hand, eagerly tugging him to the bathroom.
It didn’t take long at all for the two to peel their clothes off. They’d done it countless times before. It was almost as routine to shower together as it was to work out together.
The water was running. Malik and Ryou were kissing, holding each other almost unbearably close.
“We’re going to be late,” Malik murmured between kisses, but Ryou was relentless. He held onto Malik’s head and kissed him over and over again. Eventually, Malik had to pull himself free to laugh.
Ryou groaned. He leaned his head into the crook of Malik’s neck, his arms wrapped around his lover’s body.
“Fine.” But Ryou didn’t move. He closed his eyes, reveling in the peace that came with being close to Malik.
Malik hugged Ryou back. They stood under the running water for a while, content to remain in the embrace for as long as possible.
“I love you,” Ryou whispered, not wanting to ruin the peace by speaking too loud.
Malik smiled. He held Ryou tighter and kissed Ryou’s head.
“I love you, too.”
Ryou pulled away. He looked at Malik, thankful his face was already red from the run so Malik couldn’t see how much he was blushing. He felt Malik’s shoulders, trailing his hands down along his chest and to his sides.
“Do you want me to wash your hair?” Malik asked. Ryou closed his eyes, took in a deep breath and nodded.
Ryou turned around and let Malik do his wonders. His hands were so gentle. So warm and kind and never malicious.
“Is this okay?” He would ask frequently and Ryou would reply, “Yes. Perfect.”
“I think you might be due for a trim soon,” Malik commented. “Your hair is getting longer.”
Ryou hummed. “Yeah. I’ll get around to it.”
Malik gently tilted Ryou’s head back to rinse the soap out. Then, of course, as always, Ryou did the same for Malik.
“Do you remember when we first did this?” Ryou asked, keeping his eyes fixated on the lathering task. “…And we cried.”
Malik let out a thoughtful hum. “Of course I do.”
Ryou smiled a little. The memory was bittersweet, but felt more sweet as time went on.
“...Is everything okay?” Malik asked, hesitance in his tone.
“Everything is just fine,” Ryou replied, tilting Malik’s head back to rinse the soap. He hummed happily.
…
“I’ll see you at work, okay?”
Malik leaned out the window and kissed Ryou goodbye. He watched Ryou walk up to the front doors, waving back at him.
Once Ryou was inside, Malik drove to work. It wasn’t far, hence why Ryou would be walking there after therapy like he usually did. He pulled into the parking lot in no time, taking a moment to collect himself before exiting the car.
Work had been a little stressful lately. Although, it was more bearable after he and Ryou made a pact to keep work at work and not bring it home.
It was always hard for Ryou to do that, though. He never seemed to stop thinking and it wasn’t like Malik could make him stop thinking. But, of course, Ryou was doing his part. He worked hard at making their home a work-free environment and Malik was proud of him. So far, so good.
However, it was hard for Malik to go from such a good mood to the stress of the office. It wasn’t so much the case they’ve been working on, but the crowd of officers.
A few months back, Malik and Ryou agreed to work closely with Domino Police on a string of murders, but Isis was, perhaps, being a little overly cautious. Even after months of working together.
Malik knew he and Ryou didn’t need the extra help, though. In fact, he was pretty sure it was slowing them down.
Ryou’s ideas and Malik’s reviews had to go down a line of approval before even being considered. Malik brought it up to Isis a few times before, but it seems there was no changing what was set in place. Malik had a hunch Isis didn’t want it to change, though.
That was what Malik was up against today. He was supposed to be getting potential leads from Isis’ team and go over them with Ryou. It was going to be busy, for sure.
With a sigh, Malik got out of the car and grabbed his bag. He admired the office as he walked in, reminding himself of how proud he was of Ryou for growing their little suite into the entire second floor.
When Malik walked in, he was hit with an air of intensity. People were quickly walking up and down the lobby stairs, moving in and out of offices. Something must have happened.
“Ishtar!”
Malik looked up. The lead detective was at the top of the stairs, her striking violet gaze making her anger apparent. Although, Malik wasn’t sure if Kujaku Mai was ever not angry about something.
“Get up here. We have a problem.”
Malik resisted the urge to sigh. This was the job, afterall. Always a problem.
He jogged up the stairs, skipping every other step. Detective Kujaku didn’t waste her breath and instead led Malik to her temporary office.
“They found another one.”
Malik bit his tongue, but he couldn’t hold back his anger. “Fuck,” He hissed, rubbing his eyes before giving Mai his undivided attention.
“What happened?”
“Same as the other two. Brutally beaten before being stabbed to death.”
Malik cringed. “No evidence?”
Mai shook her head, but there was a hint of annoyance in her body language.
“I’d love to go over the file with you, but my forensics team is hogging it this morning.” She sighed. “Look, I know you want these things immediately, but Chief Ishtar is—”
Malik waved a hand. “I know, I know. Thanks for telling me. I have to go talk to Katsuya about something, but let me know when I can take a look, okay?” He smiled before turning to leave. “You better hope that’s before Ryou gets here.”
Mai groaned. “Don’t worry. I’ll let them know.”
Malik nodded. Well, that was unexpected. Although, he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. It’s bound to continue if they keep moving leads at a snail’s pace.
Malik headed out of Mai’s office in search of Jounouchi. He wasn’t in his office, so Malik checked the break room. Sure enough, there he was, his head deep into the fridge.
“Don’t stand like that too long or you might fall in,” Malik commented as he walked in, taking Jounouchi by surprise. He bumped his head on the top of the fridge, rubbing it as he turned around.
“Hey, don’t freak me out like that,” He whined, grabbing a yogurt cup before closing the fridge door.
“No donut today?”
Jounouchi scoffed. “Not since Touzoku’s been passing me up in the gym. Not that it’s embarrassing but, I mean, that’s like, my thing, you know?”
Malik chuckled. “Yeah. I know. I think he can beat me on our runs now.”
“You two should race,” Jounouchi teased, eating a spoonful of yogurt. “I’d pay to see that.”
Malik rolled his eyes. He headed over to the carafe to pour himself a cup of coffee.
“Did you hear the news?” Malik asked, earning a sigh in return.
“Unfortunately. Do you have any thoughts on it?”
Malik shook his head. “No. Not yet. Ryou’s going to be… upset.”
He frowned. He’d forgotten that he was going to have to give Ryou the bad news.
“He knew it was going to happen,” Jounouchi commented, shaking his head. “He told them.”
“Yeah.” Malik stared down at his coffee, chewing on his lip. “You know… I’m not sure this collaboration we’ve got going on is…working out.”
Jounouchi stared at Malik, raising a curious brow. “Oh?”
Malik sighed. “I mean… Things have been so good with Ryou lately and consistently. He works so much faster without the checks and balances Isis set up for us.” Hesitantly, he glanced at Jounouchi. “What do you think? Is that a good idea?”
Jounouchi’s surprise softened into a smug smile. “You know him better than anyone, but Touzoku’s not the one I think you need to worry about.”
Malik groaned. “Is she here today?”
Jounouchi shrugged. “I haven’t seen her, but considering the news we got this morning…”
“Shit,” Malik grumbled. “Alright, I better go do work before she gets here. I’ll see you around Jou.”
Jounouchi waved and Malik headed to his office. It was much quieter there. He checked his watch, taking a breath when he saw Ryou still had a little less than an hour before he would arrive. Good.
Malik quickly began to write down notes, flipping through what files they already had so Ryou could stay up to date.
…
“It’s just frustrating,” Ryou complained. “I don’t think I should have to prove myself to be able to do my job.”
Asim nodded along with Ryou.
“And even if I do,” Ryou added, surprisingly calmly, “I feel like I’ve done plenty to prove I’m not a ticking time bomb.”
“I agree,” Asim replied. Ryou sighed, leaning back and rolling his wrist in a circle.
“Go on. What’s your ‘but’ statement.”
The therapist chuckled. He set his notepad down and relaxed properly in his own chair.
“But, you haven’t asked for your independence, yet. How are they supposed to know you’re ready if you don’t tell them?”
Ryou slouched a bit. He sighed in defeat.
“Everything feels so good right now. I… I don’t want to fuck it up.”
Asim tilted his head. “What does ‘fucking it up’ entail, exactly?”
Ryou’s leg started to shake up and down. His fingers fidgeted with the fabric of his pants.
“I… I see how happy Malik is. I don’t want him to stress out because he feels like he has to keep an eye on me. I’m sure having Isis’ help feels good for him since he doesn’t have to make sure I’m not overworking or freaking out or something. Things are so easy right now.”
Asim smirked, slowly shaking his head side to side. “You hate easy.”
Ryou let out a long groan, tossing his head into his hands.
“God, Asim, I fucking hate easy. My job shouldn’t be easy. I… I’m trying to do everything I can to help, but I’m being kept from doing that.”
Asim perked up at that. He picked up his notepad and wrote something down. It used to bother Ryou, but not so much anymore. Not after he and Asim became close.
Getting close to him didn’t take very long, either. Dr. Asim Bakari was kind, attentive, and, in Ryou’s eyes, really fucking good at his job.
“Be careful, Ryou,” Asim said, still writing something down. “If you’re feeling frustrated, it’s better to communicate that sooner than later. These feelings of having no control can be potential triggers for you.”
Ryou nibbled his lip. “I know.” He sighed. “I… I want to talk to Malik about it. I’m just nervous he’ll say no or we’ll get into a stupid fight or something.”
Asim set his pen down. “And if that happens, I’ll be here for you both. Don’t be afraid to do what’s best for yourself, Ryou. Your happiness makes Malik happy, too.”
Ryou smiled a bit at that. Asim stood up, indicating that the appointment was officially over.
“We can talk more about this later. Are you okay to take on the day?”
Ryou stood as well. Even though he was a few inches taller than Asim, his therapist felt so much bigger.
He shook Asim’s hand, giving him eye contact as he did.
“Thank you. Again.”
Asim bowed his head. “Thank you for coming. Good luck at work today.”
With that, Ryou signed out of the office and started his walk to work. It was even hotter than it was that morning, making Ryou regret the long sleeved dress shirt he wore.
Other than the heat, the walk was pleasant. He tried not to think too much, figuring he should save that for the workday. He had a feeling it was going to be a long one.
His hunch was proven correct as he approached the building. It was much more crowded than usual. That could only mean something happened. A new lead, hopefully, but Ryou doubted it.
When Ryou walked in, the first thing he noticed was the lack of eye contact. When he opened the doors, it was like everyone stopped talking for a second too long, pretending that the silence never existed.
Not off to a good start.
Already, Ryou was on edge. He walked up the stairs, trying to find someone to talk to.
“Touzoku!”
Ryou turned his head. Jounouchi greeted him with a grin, opening his arms for his signature hug. Unfortunately for him, Ryou didn’t quite feel like hugging after the lackluster welcome he received walking in.
“Oh,” Jounouchi said as he slowly put his arms down. “I see you already know.”
Ryou’s eyes widened before they narrowed. “Know what?”
Jounouchi winced. “Oh… Um…”
Ryou raised a brow at him. “What am I supposed to know, Jounouchi?”
Jounouchi took too long to answer. Ryou turned on his heel and headed to the source: Kujaku Mai.
He knocked on her office door, impatiently tapping his foot. As soon as she answered, Ryou was ready with a hunch.
“Who died?” He asked, though it was more of a demanded statement.
Mai sighed in annoyance. “Who told you already?”
“Like, everyone in here,” Ryou mumbled. He gestured into Mai’s office. “So can I come in, or…?”
Mai stared at Ryou with unamused lidded eyes.
Ryou cringed. He corrected himself, straightened his back, and changed his tone.
“May I come in?”
Mai’s frown immediately flipped to a smile and stepped aside to let Ryou in.
“Much better,” She commented. “Not perfect, but an improvement.”
Ryou rolled his eyes, being sure to keep the action as unnoticeable as possible.
Although, he knew Mai was right. Staying calm and composed was the best way to approach the unfortunate circumstance.
“Okay,” Ryou said with a sigh, wiping his face. “Okay, I’m sorry. I’m good. Let’s talk about it.”
Mai smirked at him, chuckling to herself as she approached her white board.
Her demeanor changed instantly, though. Focused and professional, Mai gave Ryou the synopsis of the newest homicide.
“At approximately 7:30am, an old woman comes across a body while walking her dog.”
Mai picked up a file folder and handed it to Ryou. “I don’t think you’re going to like this.”
Ryou wasn’t sure what Mai could mean by that, but as soon as he opened the file and saw the victim’s picture, he blinked.
“...Female? Late 50s?”
Ryou furrowed his brow. He found a chair to sit in and buried his face in the details.
It was all the same as the other two. Ryou was sure when Isis sent him and Malik the first file that they were dealing with a serial killer. He was waiting on the inevitable third victim, the one that would connect the other two into a “pattern,” but now… Now he wasn’t sure what to think. The other victims had been younger men.
“The cause of death is the same,” Ryou mumbled, “Beaten and stabbed…”
He paused. He closed his eyes, placing his hand over the smiling headshot of the victim, reminding himself of the life that was lost. He slowly shook his head, looking back up at Mai.
“We can’t let this happen again. We fucked up.”
Mai frowned. “I know, Touzoku, but we can only get as far as the leads take us.”
Ryou took a deep breath. He looked back down at the file and read through it some more.
Gorey details, as expected. These murders appeared passionate. Hateful, even. Despite how messy they were, there didn’t seem to be any evidence of—
“What’s that?” Ryou asked, pointing to a picture. “The scrape on the cheek.”
Mai bent down to squint, shaking her head the longer she stared. “I don’t see anything.”
Ryou nibbled his lip. “It’s shaped funny. It’s… A ring imprint, maybe.” He hummed in annoyance.
Mai backed off to check her notes, pursing her lips. “Well, forensics agrees with you, but they couldn’t make any engravings or designs from it.”
Ryou clicked his tongue. He looked back down at the file to read some more, not noticing the knock on the doorway.
“Uh, hey,” Malik spoke up, quietly entering the room. “I didn’t know Ryou was back. I was getting worried.”
Ryou gave a grunt in response as he flipped the page. Mai rolled her eyes and addressed Malik.
“Sorry, Mal. He figured it out.”
Malik let out an amused breath. “I see.” He cracked his knuckles and pulled up a chair beside Ryou.
“Let’s get to work then.”
…
It was a long day. Ryou was exhausted from going back and forth with Mai and Isis. When Isis showed up, it started to feel like 2 on 2, with Malik and Ryou on the losing team. Ryou wanted to move forward with the ring lead, but Isis and Mai claimed there wasn’t enough to go off of. They didn’t want to waste time on something that had too many answers.
Ryou agreed, to an extent. They were thinking smart, sure, but… Ryou felt like that ring might be the key to a better lead. The key to an explanation, maybe.
Well, Ryou tried to get all of that out of his mind. He was in the car with Malik headed home and preferred to take the car ride to cool down.
“Despite all of that,” Malik spoke up eventually. It had been a pretty quiet ride up until then. “How was your day?”
Ryou sighed loudly. “It was… fine. Normal.” He paused before smiling. “The morning was the best part.”
Malik smiled as well. “Yeah. Mine, too.”
Ryou nodded. The silence quickly became awkward. Ryou held his breath, trying hard not to bring up work at all, but… Today really bothered him.
“I know we—”
“I know we—”
Ryou and Malik shut their mouths. They looked at each other, stopped at a red light.
“Heh,” Malik tried to laugh. “You go first.”
Ryou felt nervous. For some stupid reason, the only thing he could think about was that stupid conversation they had over three years ago at his kitchen table. The stupid argument that started Ryou’s obsessive downward spiral. His request to work on a case and Malik’s immediate shutdown.
What if something like that happened again? The obsession and the shutdown…?
“I… I don’t—” Ryou cleared his throat. “I forgot, I think. You can go ahead.”
Malik frowned. He glanced at Ryou out of the corner of his eye, brow knitting in worry.
“I was just going to say that I had a conversation with Jou today.”
Ryou nodded. “Yeah?”
“Uh, huh.” Malik turned the wheel. “We talked about you.”
Ryou made an amused hum. “Good things, I hope.”
When Malik hesitated, Ryou wondered why. He looked over at him, finding that he was nervous, too. He waited for Malik to continue. He hated seeing Malik so stressed.
Malik didn’t continue, though, until he pulled into the driveway moments later. He put the car in park and turned his body toward Ryou.
“Okay, I just have to say it before we go into the house.”
Ryou nodded in agreement. “Yes. Please, do.” He almost chuckled, finding Malik’s explanation unnecessary, but endearing.
Malik licked his lips. “Okay, so Jounouchi and I were talking about the case and about how unbelievably slow the leads are getting passed around.”
“So fucking slow,” Ryou agreed.
“Yeah. Really fucking slow.” Malik swallowed. “I… I know we said we wouldn’t talk about work at home, but… but—”
Ryou stared at Malik. His mouth hung open. Malik was going to say it. He was going to agree. He was going to give Ryou permission to—
“I feel like Isis and Mai are holding you back,” Malik quickly blurted out. “I love my sister, but I think she’s taking this way too slow. I think she asked us for help to try and speed things up, but now things are going twice as slow because—Oh, for fuck’s sake—She won’t let you—”
“Do your fucking job!”
“Do my fucking job!”
Malik and Ryou exclaimed the statement at the same time. They both took a breath, staring at each other at first in disbelief and then in absolute relief.
Ryou slowly smiled, laughing at the absurdity. It wasn’t long before Malik did the same.
“We’ll talk to her tomorrow,” Malik offered. He pushed his hair back before turning the car off. “I… I have no idea why that was so scary to say.”
Ryou smiled softly. He reached over to grasp Malik’s hand, holding it tight.
“Me neither.”
They both got out of the car and met at the walkway to the front door. They paused, holding each other’s hands.
“Well, since we’re home now, I guess we should talk about something else, right?”
Malik hummed. He leaned his forehead against Ryou’s. “Did you have something in mind?”
Ryou wrapped his arms around Malik’s shoulders, kissing the corner of his mouth.
“Maybe we can pick up where we left off this morning.” Ryou peppered kisses along Malik’s neck.
“Maybe,” Malik murmured back. “Or maybe we can start something new.”
Malik plucked Ryou off the ground, deciding to carry him inside. The action made Ryou giggle. He held Malik tightly, resting his head on his shoulder.
“Wow. So strong,” Ryou purred. Malik laughed. He adjusted his hold on Ryou when they approached the door.
“Oh, allow me,” Ryou said, reaching one of his hands down to dip his fingers in Malik’s back pocket. He watched Malik’s face closely, absolutely loving the red that glowed on his cheeks.
“Oops. Not that one.”
Ryou grinned, but he didn’t move his hand out of Malik’s pocket.
“Well, I tried. Looks like your keys are lost.”
Malik jingled the keys that were already in his right hand just under Ryou’s thigh.
“Some investigator you are,” Malik teased. “Do you often get this distracted?”
Malik moved closer to the knob, somehow managing to unlock the door with Ryou in his arms.
“Unfortunately, yes. My partner is just too good looking.”
Malik let out a snort when he stepped into the doorway. The two laughed, clinging to each other for a moment.
Malik closed the door with his foot, once again adjusting his hold on Ryou.
“Where to now, your highness?” Malik asked, but Ryou simply responded by pressing his lips to Malik’s neck. He kissed him a few times before latching onto the skin, sucking and licking and kissing.
“Ah…” Malik smiled, inviting the action with the tilt of his head. “Your chambers it is.”
Malik carried Ryou through the house and to their bedroom. Before he could even toss Ryou on the bed, Ryou eased himself out of Malik’s arms to hold him close at the foot of the bed.
Their chests were pressed together, Ryou’s arms wrapped around Malik’s waist and keeping him close. He looked up at him, content to stare and smile.
“Are you done already?” Malik questioned, his arms loosely around Ryou’s waist as well.
Ryou sighed happily. “Nope,” He said breathily, slowly shaking his head. “Not even close.”
Malik laughed. Before he even finished Ryou pulled his head down to smother his lips with kisses.
Soon, it was a full blown heated make out session.
Malik and Ryou fell onto the bed, their hands working at each other’s clothes to tear them away all while keeping their lips connected as much as possible. Ryou would pause frequently to hold Malik’s head, to massage his sides, or whatever else his hands felt like doing besides taking Malik’s clothes off.
“Can I climb on top of you?” Ryou asked between kisses, slightly out of breath.
Malik hummed an eager ‘mmhmm.’ He lay on his back and Ryou straddled his waist, grinning down at Malik as he pulled off his undershirt.
It was Malik’s turn to stare, his hands reaching for Ryou’s thighs.
“You’re stunning,” Malik breathed, reaching for Ryou’s hands to hold them. Ryou blushed, slowly leaning down so their foreheads were touching.
“You’re gorgeous,” Ryou countered.
“I know,” Malik replied with a grin. Ryou stopped Malik’s chuckling when he pressed their lips together once again, deepening and prolonging the kiss.
Ring, Ring
The two whined in the kiss when the phone rang. Malik tried to pull away, but Ryou wouldn’t budge.
Malik started to giggle in the kiss which eventually forced them apart.
“Shouldn’t we get that?” He asked, out of breath.
Ryou wrinkled his nose. “No. We’re busy.”
He moved back down to crash their lips together.
Ring, Ring
Malik opened his eyes, but Ryou kept his closed.
“Mmm… wait,” Malik murmured, gently pushing Ryou away. “Maybe we should—”
“Let the machine get it,” Ryou reassured, continuing to kiss along Malik’s face and neck. “If it’s,” another kiss, “important,” and another, “then they’ll,” and another, “Leave a message.”
Kiss, Kiss, Kiss
Ring, Ring, Ring
When Ryou’s lips found Malik’s again, the latter decided Ryou was right. He wrapped his arms around Ryou’s neck and pulled him over to the side, the two embracing as they made out under the covers.
They were completely distracted. The phone stopped ringing, and their answering machine went off.
Hi, you’ve reached Touzoku and Ishtar. We can’t come to the phone right now. Leave a message!
“Sorry to call so late,” Rishid’s voice spoke through the speaker, falling on deaf ears. “Malik, call me when you can. It’s about your cousin. Not an emergency, just… Call me when you can. Bye.”
…