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riptide_asylumTitle: Some Things Change
Rating: PG
Summary: Coming to terms with a new relationship always means change...
It had been a damned long day, made even longer by the fact that Cody had spent most of it without Nick next to him. The Riptide Detective Agency had double-booked itself, and while Nick and Murray had headed for the King Harbor hardware store to investigate a disturbing pattern of missing inventory, Cody had spent the afternoon with Carina Worth, a pretty pharmacist whose fiance had unexpectedly left town and failed to give her his forwarding address.
None of it had been pleasant, Cody thought, remembering the girl's tears. He had the man's date of birth and full name, and he knew that Murray, armed with those details, would locate Mister Dunbar Gruen in under an hour. Unfortunately, as he'd tried to explain to Carina, although the Riptide Detective Agency could find the man, they couldn't make him come back, or even talk to her.
Poor Carina had only cried harder, and by the time he left, Cody felt like his people skills had deserted him.
Cody walked faster down the pier. He could see the soft glow of the lights from Straightaway's just ahead, gold on the water, and he focused on them, and on Nick who would be there at the bar, in the corner booth, waiting for him.
The thought started a warm glow inside him. Nick was waiting for him, they'd have a beer, maybe a pizza, then head back home together. It was something they'd done countless times over the years they'd been friends and partners, but this time, there was something different. This time, when they got back home, instead of sharing a hearty good night, they'd be sharing a narrow bunk. Sharing each others' bodies.
The case they'd cracked last week had opened both their eyes. Until Cody had seen Nick, dressed as a rent-boy, in the arms of another man, he'd never examined his feelings for the guy he'd called his best friend for fifteen years.
Cody had looked at men before, he admitted that, but he'd never acted on it, and he'd certainly never considered himself gay or even bi. Not until Nick had pressed him against the wall of the club and locked his mouth on Cody's. In that moment, as the fire coursed through his veins even while Nick's body held him still, Cody had known that whatever he was, whatever it made him, he was Nick's.
Since then, Cody had only become surer.
Straightaway's was more crowded than Cody had expected, and he realized with surprise that it was months since he'd been into the bar on a Saturday night. Obviously Straightaway's new marketing initiatives were paying off.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, he threaded his way through the crowd. More than half of the patrons were strangers, something that would've been unheard of back when he and Nick were refitting the Riptide and used to come in nearly every night. It was progress, Cody supposed, and it was good for Straightaway, but he'd liked it better the way it used to be.
Finally he made it to the rear of the room, only to find the booth he and Nick always shared occupied by a crowd of loud, scantily-clad girls. Cody eyed them with disfavor, and looked unhappily around the sea of faces. If Nick wasn't in their booth, he didn't know where he'd be, and the crush of people in the place was really starting to get on his nerves.
"Hey, good lookin'." A hand on his arm made him jump and he turned, ready to rebuff whoever was trying their luck. He relaxed as he recognized Max.
"Oh - evening, Max." He summoned his best smile for the maitre d', even as his eyes kept scanning the crowded bar for Nick.
"Cody, it's a while since you boys have been in." She looked at him narrowly. "And y'know, you've got a tab to pay."
"Sure I do." He kept his smile in place, even though he could feel the walls closing in. God, he hated crowds like this. "Max, have you seen Nick tonight?"
"He was in earlier." Max shrugged. "He sweet-talked me into giving him another week to pay his tab." She shook her head. "Beats me why I keep serving you guys sometimes."
"Why Max, it's because we're reliable." Cody widened his smile until his cheeks ached.
Max snorted. "No, Cody, it's because Murray Bozinsky has got a magic touch with an amplifier. You tell him thanks for me, and tell him I've written off his last tab. And I'll see you and Nick here to pay what you owe by Friday if you know what's good for you." The friendly twinkle in her eyes didn't make her any less serious, Cody knew, and he felt his own smile dimming as he nodded.
"Sure, Max," he agreed, and with a last pat on his shoulder, she was gone to attend to her patrons.
Cody surveyed the throng again, realizing as he did so that the bar was much too crowded for Nick to have stayed. Nick hated crowds worse than he did. He made his tortuous way toward the door, slipping between the groups of laughing people, escaping the lights and noise as quickly as he could.
At last he was outside again, breathing in the cool night air, the noise of the crowded bar muted by the closed door. He looked unhappily up and down the pier, conscious once more of the knot in his stomach.
'Nick might've gone to the Mimi,' he told himself, and turned that way. The pier felt lonely without Nick beside him, and he found himself looking over his shoulder, feeling exposed.
He'd only gone a hundred yards when his glance back showed a dark figure, glimpsed and then gone, in the glow of one of the pier lights.
Cody's heart started beating faster, and he slipped into the black shadow of the buildings, waiting for the person he'd seen to go past. Whoever was out so late was probably on legitimate business, but tonight, already unsettled and alone, Cody wasn't going to take any chances. He pressed his back against the concrete wall, breathing shallowly.
He waited for the sound of approaching footsteps, his uneasiness increasing as seconds stretched into minutes and the figure didn't reappear. He couldn't have imagined the person he'd seen, and there was nowhere for them to go along this stretch of the pier.
Suddenly, a low whistle reached Cody's ears, just at the edge of hearing, and relief flooded through him. He answered the signal softly, wondering briefly what the hell Nick was doing on the pier behind him, and stepped away from the building. "Nick?"
"There you are, man." Nick hurried forward out of the shadows nearby, looking just as relieved as Cody felt.
"Where were you? I looked for you at Straightaway's, but - "
"There were way too many people in there, you know?" Nick shrugged, stepping close to his partner's side. "I was waiting for you outside. But this guy drove up in a '62 Mustang and I was talking to him about the carburetor, and I must've missed seeing you."
Cody chuckled, slinging an arm around Nick's shoulders. "I shoulda thought to look for you in the parking lot, buddy," he said, shaking his head.
"C'mon." Nick started walking, heading on down the pier, away from the Riptide.
"Where we going?" Cody kept pace with Nick, glancing at his partner curiously.
"Something I wanted to have a look at," Nick said. "On the beach."
Cody cocked an eyebrow, but Nick's only response was a crooked grin.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Cody's arm was still around Nick's shoulders, drawing comfort from the proximity of his friend, and when they dropped down onto the sand, Nick slid his own arm around Cody's waist. The beach was dark and deserted, the cool sea breeze enough to have deterred other late-night walkers, and the only sound was the muted crash of the nighttime breakers.
There was a large boulder a little way along the beach, far enough away from prying eyes, and they headed for it by tacit consent. Cody dropped to the cool sand with relief and scooted back to lean against the rock.
"C'mere." Nick dropped beside him, and instead of the cold, rough rock at his back, Cody found himself leaning against his partner's shoulder. Nick moved again, and Cody felt the soft warmth of his partner's jacket covering his arm.
"Nick - " he twisted around. "You'll get cold."
"Room for us both." Nick's arms slid around Cody's chest and Cody relaxed, letting Nick pull him closer and wrap the jacket more firmly around them both. With the warmth of Nick's broad chest at his back and the strength of Nick's arms holding him, Cody already felt warmer. He rubbed his head against Nick's shoulder and let the tensions and stress of the day go in a long sigh.
"I missed you today," he said in a low voice.
Nick didn't answer, and a moment later Cody heard his own words echo in his ears. Fear rose in his throat as he realized, belatedly, how needy he'd sounded. He wondered suddenly if Nick had deliberately planned for them to spend the day apart, and pulled away a little.
"Hey. What?" Nick asked softly, tightening his arms around Cody's chest. "Where you going?"
Cody took a deep breath and half-turned so he could look into Nick's face. "I meant, it was weird working without you. That's all," he said. He scanned his partner's eyes anxiously.
"I fucking hated it," Nick said, looking back at Cody with worried, slightly puzzled eyes. "I always hate doing stuff without you, and today it was worse than ever."
Cody relaxed a little and let Nick pull him closer again. "You didn't... plan it?"
"Plan what? To get stuck installing cameras in the hardware store all day, so that old bastard can spy on his staff? Cody, you bet I didn't." Nick paused. "Why would you think I'd do that?" He sounded worried.
"I didn't really." Cody hesitated. "I guess I'm just not real sure how this works yet. What's changed."
Nick leaned forward and his hand slid up Cody's back, pulling Cody in for a deep, sweet kiss. Cody closed his eyes, parting his lips as Nick claimed his mouth.
"I get to do this now," Nick whispered. "And that's a good change. I think, anyhow."
"Me too." Cody opened his eyes, smiling slowly. "I can think of a lot more good changes, too. But Nick, you know what I mean, right?"
"I think I do, Cody." Nick sighed, still watching Cody with wide, worried eyes. "What I've been hoping is that nothing has changed, nothing important, you know?"
"I know." Cody was silent, thinking of the last fifteen years. Of Nick at his side, playing, fighting, working. He wasn't prepared to give up any of that. "You and me... being with you. Nick, it's - you're everything to me, buddy. And I don't just mean since we started this. You're my best friend - fuck, Nick, you're the reason I keep breathing. Every day with you... I couldn't imagine any other life. I - I couldn't bear to lose that, not even for this."
"Easy, Cody. Take it easy." Nick's arms tightened, and Cody realized he was panting like he'd run a race. He took a deep breath, getting himself back under control, and turned anxious eyes to his partner.
Nick nodded slowly, eyes locked on Cody's. "You got nothing to worry about, man. I promise you. What we've had, all this time..." Nick shook his head. "I feel the same way you do. I wouldn't give it up, not for anything. What we got, Cody, this is just a new dimension. Nothing's gotta change. It's just... it's more. I get more of you, all of you. And," Nick's voice shook slightly, "it's for keeps."
Cody grabbed for Nick, kissing him hungrily. "For keeps," he repeated huskily, between kisses, and Nick laughed breathlessly.
"That's what I always wanted, pal. You and me... for keeps. I just never knew it was going to turn out like this."
Cody grinned and kissed Nick again. "You got no idea how glad I am that it did."
Nick pulled Cody close, smiling deep into his eyes. "Me too, Cody. Me too."
Rating: PG
Summary: Coming to terms with a new relationship always means change...
It had been a damned long day, made even longer by the fact that Cody had spent most of it without Nick next to him. The Riptide Detective Agency had double-booked itself, and while Nick and Murray had headed for the King Harbor hardware store to investigate a disturbing pattern of missing inventory, Cody had spent the afternoon with Carina Worth, a pretty pharmacist whose fiance had unexpectedly left town and failed to give her his forwarding address.
None of it had been pleasant, Cody thought, remembering the girl's tears. He had the man's date of birth and full name, and he knew that Murray, armed with those details, would locate Mister Dunbar Gruen in under an hour. Unfortunately, as he'd tried to explain to Carina, although the Riptide Detective Agency could find the man, they couldn't make him come back, or even talk to her.
Poor Carina had only cried harder, and by the time he left, Cody felt like his people skills had deserted him.
Cody walked faster down the pier. He could see the soft glow of the lights from Straightaway's just ahead, gold on the water, and he focused on them, and on Nick who would be there at the bar, in the corner booth, waiting for him.
The thought started a warm glow inside him. Nick was waiting for him, they'd have a beer, maybe a pizza, then head back home together. It was something they'd done countless times over the years they'd been friends and partners, but this time, there was something different. This time, when they got back home, instead of sharing a hearty good night, they'd be sharing a narrow bunk. Sharing each others' bodies.
The case they'd cracked last week had opened both their eyes. Until Cody had seen Nick, dressed as a rent-boy, in the arms of another man, he'd never examined his feelings for the guy he'd called his best friend for fifteen years.
Cody had looked at men before, he admitted that, but he'd never acted on it, and he'd certainly never considered himself gay or even bi. Not until Nick had pressed him against the wall of the club and locked his mouth on Cody's. In that moment, as the fire coursed through his veins even while Nick's body held him still, Cody had known that whatever he was, whatever it made him, he was Nick's.
Since then, Cody had only become surer.
Straightaway's was more crowded than Cody had expected, and he realized with surprise that it was months since he'd been into the bar on a Saturday night. Obviously Straightaway's new marketing initiatives were paying off.
Feeling a little uncomfortable, he threaded his way through the crowd. More than half of the patrons were strangers, something that would've been unheard of back when he and Nick were refitting the Riptide and used to come in nearly every night. It was progress, Cody supposed, and it was good for Straightaway, but he'd liked it better the way it used to be.
Finally he made it to the rear of the room, only to find the booth he and Nick always shared occupied by a crowd of loud, scantily-clad girls. Cody eyed them with disfavor, and looked unhappily around the sea of faces. If Nick wasn't in their booth, he didn't know where he'd be, and the crush of people in the place was really starting to get on his nerves.
"Hey, good lookin'." A hand on his arm made him jump and he turned, ready to rebuff whoever was trying their luck. He relaxed as he recognized Max.
"Oh - evening, Max." He summoned his best smile for the maitre d', even as his eyes kept scanning the crowded bar for Nick.
"Cody, it's a while since you boys have been in." She looked at him narrowly. "And y'know, you've got a tab to pay."
"Sure I do." He kept his smile in place, even though he could feel the walls closing in. God, he hated crowds like this. "Max, have you seen Nick tonight?"
"He was in earlier." Max shrugged. "He sweet-talked me into giving him another week to pay his tab." She shook her head. "Beats me why I keep serving you guys sometimes."
"Why Max, it's because we're reliable." Cody widened his smile until his cheeks ached.
Max snorted. "No, Cody, it's because Murray Bozinsky has got a magic touch with an amplifier. You tell him thanks for me, and tell him I've written off his last tab. And I'll see you and Nick here to pay what you owe by Friday if you know what's good for you." The friendly twinkle in her eyes didn't make her any less serious, Cody knew, and he felt his own smile dimming as he nodded.
"Sure, Max," he agreed, and with a last pat on his shoulder, she was gone to attend to her patrons.
Cody surveyed the throng again, realizing as he did so that the bar was much too crowded for Nick to have stayed. Nick hated crowds worse than he did. He made his tortuous way toward the door, slipping between the groups of laughing people, escaping the lights and noise as quickly as he could.
At last he was outside again, breathing in the cool night air, the noise of the crowded bar muted by the closed door. He looked unhappily up and down the pier, conscious once more of the knot in his stomach.
'Nick might've gone to the Mimi,' he told himself, and turned that way. The pier felt lonely without Nick beside him, and he found himself looking over his shoulder, feeling exposed.
He'd only gone a hundred yards when his glance back showed a dark figure, glimpsed and then gone, in the glow of one of the pier lights.
Cody's heart started beating faster, and he slipped into the black shadow of the buildings, waiting for the person he'd seen to go past. Whoever was out so late was probably on legitimate business, but tonight, already unsettled and alone, Cody wasn't going to take any chances. He pressed his back against the concrete wall, breathing shallowly.
He waited for the sound of approaching footsteps, his uneasiness increasing as seconds stretched into minutes and the figure didn't reappear. He couldn't have imagined the person he'd seen, and there was nowhere for them to go along this stretch of the pier.
Suddenly, a low whistle reached Cody's ears, just at the edge of hearing, and relief flooded through him. He answered the signal softly, wondering briefly what the hell Nick was doing on the pier behind him, and stepped away from the building. "Nick?"
"There you are, man." Nick hurried forward out of the shadows nearby, looking just as relieved as Cody felt.
"Where were you? I looked for you at Straightaway's, but - "
"There were way too many people in there, you know?" Nick shrugged, stepping close to his partner's side. "I was waiting for you outside. But this guy drove up in a '62 Mustang and I was talking to him about the carburetor, and I must've missed seeing you."
Cody chuckled, slinging an arm around Nick's shoulders. "I shoulda thought to look for you in the parking lot, buddy," he said, shaking his head.
"C'mon." Nick started walking, heading on down the pier, away from the Riptide.
"Where we going?" Cody kept pace with Nick, glancing at his partner curiously.
"Something I wanted to have a look at," Nick said. "On the beach."
Cody cocked an eyebrow, but Nick's only response was a crooked grin.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Cody's arm was still around Nick's shoulders, drawing comfort from the proximity of his friend, and when they dropped down onto the sand, Nick slid his own arm around Cody's waist. The beach was dark and deserted, the cool sea breeze enough to have deterred other late-night walkers, and the only sound was the muted crash of the nighttime breakers.
There was a large boulder a little way along the beach, far enough away from prying eyes, and they headed for it by tacit consent. Cody dropped to the cool sand with relief and scooted back to lean against the rock.
"C'mere." Nick dropped beside him, and instead of the cold, rough rock at his back, Cody found himself leaning against his partner's shoulder. Nick moved again, and Cody felt the soft warmth of his partner's jacket covering his arm.
"Nick - " he twisted around. "You'll get cold."
"Room for us both." Nick's arms slid around Cody's chest and Cody relaxed, letting Nick pull him closer and wrap the jacket more firmly around them both. With the warmth of Nick's broad chest at his back and the strength of Nick's arms holding him, Cody already felt warmer. He rubbed his head against Nick's shoulder and let the tensions and stress of the day go in a long sigh.
"I missed you today," he said in a low voice.
Nick didn't answer, and a moment later Cody heard his own words echo in his ears. Fear rose in his throat as he realized, belatedly, how needy he'd sounded. He wondered suddenly if Nick had deliberately planned for them to spend the day apart, and pulled away a little.
"Hey. What?" Nick asked softly, tightening his arms around Cody's chest. "Where you going?"
Cody took a deep breath and half-turned so he could look into Nick's face. "I meant, it was weird working without you. That's all," he said. He scanned his partner's eyes anxiously.
"I fucking hated it," Nick said, looking back at Cody with worried, slightly puzzled eyes. "I always hate doing stuff without you, and today it was worse than ever."
Cody relaxed a little and let Nick pull him closer again. "You didn't... plan it?"
"Plan what? To get stuck installing cameras in the hardware store all day, so that old bastard can spy on his staff? Cody, you bet I didn't." Nick paused. "Why would you think I'd do that?" He sounded worried.
"I didn't really." Cody hesitated. "I guess I'm just not real sure how this works yet. What's changed."
Nick leaned forward and his hand slid up Cody's back, pulling Cody in for a deep, sweet kiss. Cody closed his eyes, parting his lips as Nick claimed his mouth.
"I get to do this now," Nick whispered. "And that's a good change. I think, anyhow."
"Me too." Cody opened his eyes, smiling slowly. "I can think of a lot more good changes, too. But Nick, you know what I mean, right?"
"I think I do, Cody." Nick sighed, still watching Cody with wide, worried eyes. "What I've been hoping is that nothing has changed, nothing important, you know?"
"I know." Cody was silent, thinking of the last fifteen years. Of Nick at his side, playing, fighting, working. He wasn't prepared to give up any of that. "You and me... being with you. Nick, it's - you're everything to me, buddy. And I don't just mean since we started this. You're my best friend - fuck, Nick, you're the reason I keep breathing. Every day with you... I couldn't imagine any other life. I - I couldn't bear to lose that, not even for this."
"Easy, Cody. Take it easy." Nick's arms tightened, and Cody realized he was panting like he'd run a race. He took a deep breath, getting himself back under control, and turned anxious eyes to his partner.
Nick nodded slowly, eyes locked on Cody's. "You got nothing to worry about, man. I promise you. What we've had, all this time..." Nick shook his head. "I feel the same way you do. I wouldn't give it up, not for anything. What we got, Cody, this is just a new dimension. Nothing's gotta change. It's just... it's more. I get more of you, all of you. And," Nick's voice shook slightly, "it's for keeps."
Cody grabbed for Nick, kissing him hungrily. "For keeps," he repeated huskily, between kisses, and Nick laughed breathlessly.
"That's what I always wanted, pal. You and me... for keeps. I just never knew it was going to turn out like this."
Cody grinned and kissed Nick again. "You got no idea how glad I am that it did."
Nick pulled Cody close, smiling deep into his eyes. "Me too, Cody. Me too."
