![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
riptide_asylumTitle: Some Kind of Trouble Part 2
Rating: PG
Summary: Cody wants a girlfriend. But it takes a tough case to bring home to him that what he needs is something else entirely...
Part One
Cody wasn't used to dating alone. Most of the time, he, Nick and Murray went out in a mixed group of friends, and if at the end of the night one of the girls was sitting on his lap, he counted it a win. As long as Nick was glaring at him across the table, that was, expression and hand signals both crystal clear: he wasn't going for a walk on the beach, or taking a room at Straightaway's, so if Cody had any fun planned, he'd have to take it elsewhere.
Cody would grin and signal right back. It had become a sort of game, a tussle of wills to see who would break first. The game invariably ended with both their dates dancing with easier prey, and Nick and Cody walking home together, arguing over which girl was prettier, and which of them should have had the decency to spend the night at Straightaways.
But tonight, it was just him and Melinda at one of King Harbor's nicest restaurants. Melinda was sipping wine and eating asparagus, and Cody was wishing he had a beer instead, and wondering how a restaurant that charged as much as this one could screw up a steak worse even than the Officers' Mess at Fort Ord.
He pushed his plate away.
"I thought we might go to a club later. After all, I didn't get to dance with you last night." Melinda smiled and put her wine glass down.
Cody suppressed a shiver. He disliked clubs--there were too many people, the music was too loud. It was too hard to spot anyone coming up on your flank. And without Nick at his back, it would be worse than ever. "Sounds fun." He wondered how he could change her mind on the evening's amusements.
Tammy wouldn't have wanted to go to a club. She'd have wanted to walk on the beach, hold his hand, try to coax him back into the dunes well out of Mama Jo's reach. He might even have gone.
Cody looked back at Melinda. She was pretty, too, with a put-together elegance that Tammy lacked. She knew what she wanted, and she had a plan to get it. Maybe that was part of what made her exciting.
"Are you done?" Melinda pushed her chair back. "I'll freshen up while you get the bill, honey. I know a great little place for dessert."
Cody got the bill, and the dessert, and the cocktails, and another bottle of wine. And eventually he ran out of excuses to stay at the great little dessert place--quiet tables, dim lighting, soft piped music and Melinda's hand on his wrist, long fingers caressing softly. He didn't want to go to a nightclub, but he did want her, and when he suggested they skip the dancing she laughed and shook her head.
***
The nighttime streets were quiet, and Cody found his eyes straying to his passenger. She'd changed the sweater she was wearing earlier for a shimmering blouse with a scoop neck that offered a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage, and her skirt had ridden up. In the streetlight, Cody could see the creamy expanse of her inner thigh disappearing under the shadow of her clothing. He licked his lips and sped up.
Suddenly, his mirror lit up with red and blue flashing lights and the howl of a siren cut across the roar of the Jimmy's engine. Cody swore and pulled over. He hadn't been going that fast. Then Quinlan's face appeared at the window, wearing the most cheerful grin Cody had ever seen on the man.
Cody groaned out loud.
"Now c'mon, Allen, ain't you pleased to see me? Who's your lady friend?" Quinlan didn't wait for Cody's answer, instead yanking open the door of the Jimmy. "How about you step out of the car and tell me all about her while you show me how you walk the line."
***
"DUI." The ‘Vette's engine revved and Cody winced.
"I'm not drunk. When the results come back it's gonna be fine. Quinlan's just being a prick."
Nick shot him a glance. "Quinlan showed me that receipt, man. More'n half of it was liquor."
"Yeah? And what would you have done?" Cody glared at Nick. "If it was you taking out a classy woman like Melinda, would you have stuck her with the cheapest bottle in the place?" He bumped his arm against the car door and flinched. The police had taken an evidential blood test, and his whole arm ached.
Nick swung around a corner and changed gear in silence, then reached out and rested his hand on Cody's leg. "Next time, take a cab," he said softly.
Cody sighed and relaxed, accepting Nick's unspoken apology. "There won't be a next time. She made that pretty clear. She called a friend of hers to pick her up and go on to the nightclub, and although she told me I should join them later, I don't think she meant it."
"You were going to a nightclub?" Nick looked at him sideways. "When did you turn into such a hip, happenin' funster?"
Cody flushed, opened his mouth, then laughed ruefully. "Yeah, buddy, you got me. But she's hot and exciting and... I dunno, Nick, I kinda thought we were hitting it off. Right up until Quinlan crashed the party, anyhow."
Nick slowed and turned the ‘Vette into Pier 56. The engine growled in low gear as he slid the convertible into its space, then fell silent.
"I'm sorry about Melinda," Nick said, and got out of the car. He leaned against the door, watching Cody carefully. "But I'm not sorry you're home early, big guy. The last couple days have been kinda rough, you know?"
Half out of the car, Cody paused, staring at Nick. Then he nodded. "Yeah. Uh, even if things had gone--" He broke off, blushing. "I mean, I'd have gone up for a nightcap if she'd asked me to, but I'd have come home--um--after." He slammed the car door and hurried to the slip gate, not looking at Nick.
Nick came up beside him, leaning gently into him. Cody fumbled and dropped the padlock, his hands shaking with the relief of feeling Nick so close. With Nick's strength, Nick's support, he could fight through anything, even the nightmares he couldn't have let Melinda see.
"Easy," Nick breathed and opened the gate. He moved through and Cody stood frozen, bereft. His legs seemed to have stopped obeying him. Then Nick reached out for him, drawing him close, back into the shelter of his body.
"Just stay with me, pal." Nick's hand slid through his hair. Cody wrapped his arms around Nick's chest, holding on, and let himself be guided down the companionway and onto the boat.
He wasn't drunk, but the wine--or maybe the cocktail--had gone to his head. That was the only explanation for the irrational urge to cry that possessed him every time Nick stepped out of reach. And when Nick had helped him to his bunk and left him alone in the quiet dark of their cabin, the feeling built until Cody couldn't fight it any more. He buried his head into the pillow, trying to breathe, trying not to call Nick's name.
"Cody--Cody--" Nick was back in an instant, pulling Cody close then snapping on the reading light and bathing them both in a circle of safe orange light.
Cody crawled as close as he could, panting, holding on. "Don't... leave me," he managed. "Please, Nick. Just stay. Just for now..."
"Not leaving you. Not now, not ever." Nick rocked him gently, then pressed a kiss against his forehead.
Cody shuddered, tears leaking through his closed eyelids. His arm ached from the needle and he could feel the throb in his shoulder starting up again. He felt hot and cold all at once, and found himself listening for marching feet, for the thunder of the choppers. He caught himself, gripping Nick's shirt, swallowing sobs. The fight had left him too close to the edge, and dinner had been the last straw.
"It's all right." Nick spoke soothingly in his ear. "There's plenty more girls out there. You're a great catch. You're young, gorgeous, you have great-looking friends..." He paused, stroking Cody's hair, waiting for a reaction.
Cody surprised himself with a short laugh, raising his head and looking up into the worried sympathy in Nick's blue eyes. "I'm not crying about Melinda," he muttered.
"Yeah? What, then?" Nick tugged Cody's hair gently. "Anything I can help with?"
"Shouldn't've gone out for dinner." Cody sighed and bit his lip. "No backup. I--it's nothing, buddy. I'm just kind of a mess tonight. And I shoulda known better than to try and go on a date."
Nick nodded. "And I shoulda known better than to let you," he said quietly.
Cody smiled slightly, and lay down again. Nick lay behind him, one arm across his chest, the other softly massaging the sore spots in Cody's shoulder. Every touch told Cody what he needed to hear, kept him safe, kept him grounded.
"All right?" Nick murmured in his ear.
Cody sighed contentedly. "Could be better," he lied. "You're not Melinda."
"Yeah, an' you're not in a club getting stiffed for watered-down drinks." Nick chuckled against his shoulder. "Trust me, big guy. I know trouble when I see it, and that chick--man, you were in over your head, you know?"
"I was not!" Cody stiffened, then realized there was no reason to argue. Melinda would never give him the time of day again. He relaxed again and twisted around so he could see Nick's face. "She was hot."
"So're the stolen cars." Nick dug his fingers into a particularly sensitive spot on Cody's shoulder, and Cody subsided with a yelp. "Go to sleep, baby. Forget her. Tomorrow's gonna be a better day."
"How d'you know?" Cody closed his eyes obediently, giving himself over to the sanctuary of Nick's arms.
"How do I know?" Nick's lips brushed the back of Cody's neck. His voice dropped, slowing and deepening, as he started one of their familiar litanies that kept the nightmares at bay. "Well, first up, we saw Cookie on the beach this morning. Come on, man. A pretty girl who runs a cookout service. That's gotta be a sign, right?"
Cody grinned and grunted assent. The morning on the beach with Nick had been the highlight of his day, Cookie or no Cookie.
"Second up, Quinlan let me bail you out. I wouldn't put it past the old bastard to lock you up for a week for the hell of it, you know?"
"Then you'd deck him."
"Damn right I would." Nick nuzzled Cody's shoulder. "So that's third. Because if I did, that'd mean another fine, and we're damn near broke again."
"What's fourth?" Cody yawned. He was close to sleep, but he wanted Nick to keep talking.
"Fourth?" Nick's voice softened nearly to a whisper as if he knew how nearly asleep Cody was--which he probably did, Cody realized with a smile. Nick always knew everything about him.
"Fourth is, you're here with me. We're safe. You're safe. We're gonna wake up tomorrow, and we got another day, you an' me. That..." Nick exhaled softly, his breath warm on Cody's back. "That's all I need, man. I got you beside me, I know it's gonna be a great day."
Cody took a deep breath. His heart was full to bursting. He didn't have words to answer Nick, but he slid his arm back, gently gripping Nick's leg in silent agreement and assurance. "Good night, Nick," he whispered.
"G'night, Cody."
As Nick tightened his arms, Cody slipped over the edge of sleep.
***
Cody awoke the next morning feeling content and relaxed. He'd slept well and deeply, and judging by the light through the blinds, it was going to be a sunny, perfect day.
He lay still, enjoying the warmth of his blankets and the soft lullaby of the sea on the hull. He'd struck out with Melinda, but what was it Nick had said? He was in over his head. Cody sighed ruefully. He didn't want to admit it, but he had an idea Nick was right. Something told him life with Melinda wouldn't have included weekend fishing trips with Nick and Murray. And it certainly wouldn't include waking up warm and safe aboard his boat.
Cody moved slightly, and froze. Waking up warm and safe...in Nick's arms. He shifted again, now fully aware of his partner's naked skin against his own. How had he ever imagined that Nick's body heat was from the blankets? He took a deep breath, thinking of how well he'd slept, how easy he'd awoken. Twice in two days...
"You okay?" Nick came awake in an instant, on guard, protective. Cody felt the tension in his body and turned over, running a soothing hand over his ribs. After the peace Nick had given him, he wished he could give the same to Nick.
"It's okay. I'm great."
Nick grinned sleepily, relaxing, stretching against Cody's body. "You're not so bad," he agreed. "Great might be pushing it."
Cody chuckled, and Nick raised a hand to his face. Gently he ran a thumb over Cody's mustache. Cody pulled back, blinking in surprise at the intimacy of the gesture. "Nick...?"
"Not often I wake up next to someone with facial hair." Nick's eyes crinkled with amusement. "And this makes it twice in one week."
"Sorry." Cody blushed, looking down. "I've been kind of a drag the last couple of days--"
"No. Hey, no." Nick's voice sharpened and he raised himself on his elbow. "Whatever you need, Cody, I'm good for, you know?"
"I know." Cody still kept his eyes down. "I just... I should be stronger. It's been twelve years. I should be able to sleep in my own damn bunk by now."
"Yeah, you should," Nick said quietly and Cody looked up, suddenly frightened. But Nick was looking back at him tenderly. "You should, and so should I, but that's the fucked up thing, man. No-one told us way back when that we were signing on for a lifetime. That twelve years on we'd still be hearing Hueys in our sleep, still be stuck in the same damn jungle. An' what that means is, some nights we can't be alone, you know?" Nick sighed, then smiled. "And I'm not talking about Melinda."
"Yeah." Cody rolled his shoulders. "The way it turned out, I think Quinlan did me a favor. I wouldn't--" he hesitated, blushing. "I mean, it wouldn't have worked out."
"Told you that from the start." Nick lay back down, grinning, and eased his arm around Cody's shoulders. He yawned. "Dunno about you, big guy, but I'm gonna grab another couple hours sleep while I can. We got nothin' on today."
"Great. I could use some sleep, too." Cody relaxed against Nick's body--then his eyes flew open. "Uh--Nick--"
"What is it, babe?" Nick rubbed his back gently, rolling toward him in concern.
"You, uh--I mean, I'm okay now."
"Better'n okay," Nick muttered cryptically. "What are you getting at, Cody?"
"If you want--your own bunk." Cody bit his lip. "You don't have to stay with me anymore."
"I know." Nick stretched. "But it's all the way over there. And it's kinda empty. You don't mind, I'm stayin' right here."
Cody relaxed into Nick's close warmth. "I don't mind. I don't mind at all."
***
The yacht club parking lot was full to overflowing with high-end vehicles. Cadillacs sat fat and proud next to sleek sports cars, and the Jimmy, at the end of a row, looked uncouth and out of place. Nick whistled softly. "Car thief heaven."
"Except for the security system." Murray frowned and pointed to what looked like a lamp-post. "Each of these pillars carries a camera, and the footage is constantly monitored during events such as this."
Cody looked at a row of limousines at the rear of the lot. Three men in chauffeur livery stood nearby, smoking and chatting. Two of the sleek black cars bore the silver flower logo. "Stan again."
Murray's frown deepened. "I can't believe that all three of those drivers from last week at the prom turned out to be a dead end. False names, false social security numbers, everything."
"Stan's gotta be in on it. I know he checked out clean, but c'mon, three guys with fake identities on your staff? That's pushing it."
"I agree, but Nick, the guys barely clearing his bills. His lifestyle checks out with his income--"
"Maybe he's just careful--"
Cody gripped both Nick and Murray's shoulders, and they both turned to him, breaking off in surprise. "Look," Cody said in a low voice, and pointed.
On the dark side of the lot, the ocean side, something moved in the shadows. Then, as the dark shape crept past a pale-colored vehicle, it resolved itself into the figure of a man dressed in black, bent double and sneaking between the parked cars.
"Let's go," Nick barked.
They already had a plan. Quinlan was on standby, and Murray leaped for the truck and his communication equipment to send the prearranged signal. Nick headed for the target, while Cody slipped back toward the beach, the most likely escape route. The cops would have the parking lot exit covered in a matter of minutes.
Cody ran down the steps to the beach and took cover behind a boulder. The sea covered most sound from the parking lot above, but it didn't stop him straining to hear. He heard the howl of sirens pass on the road above and the squeal of tires as they spun into the yacht club, but more minutes passed and no-one came his way.
There was confused shouting from above: Quinlan, Cody thought, and then, unmistakably, Nick. Cody couldn't wait a second longer. He sprinted back up the steps, staying low.
The three limo drivers were spreadeagled against their vehicles, with uniformed officers standing guard. Quinlan was in the middle of the lot, shouting and waving a weapon, while on the very edge of the drop into the sea, Nick was grappling with the man in black.
As Cody watched, the target got the upper hand and shoved Nick to the ground. The crook leveled his gun at Nick, glancing nervously from Nick to Quinlan. "Stand back or he's dead!"
Cody saw Nick's muscles bunching for a leap, and terror gave his own feet wings. He closed the yards between them in a rush and slammed his shoulder into the target. With a yell of surprise and fright the guy went down on top of Nick, his gun clattering uselessly to the ground--just as Cody's own feet slipped. Cody staggered for an instant, but his momentum was too great. Unable to stop himself, he pitched headlong over the embankment into the ocean.
His hurt shoulder impacted rock, knocking the air out of him as bright pain lanced through him. He gasped for air, but there was no air, only cold, shocking the life out of him, freezing his heart.
For an eternal instant he was paralyzed, falling, sinking, and then the shock of cold became the living, breathing sea, clasping him, drawing him down. Instinct made him kick, and suddenly the water was lifting him, holding him. Chill air, the black night surface of the ocean, the slap of salt against his face. He choked and splashed, struggling for purchase, struggling to breathe.
A long way away, someone was calling his name. A wave pushed him against the rocks and he whimpered at the sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked upward beseechingly. "Nick...?"
He heard his name again, but the call was getting fainter. Cody closed his eyes. Nick had promised not to leave him. Nick would come. Blindly, ignoring his shoulder, he got a grip on the bruising rock. All he had to do was hang on.
***
"Cody. Cody, let go. C'mon, man."
"Can't." Cody blinked. His eyes were raw with salt, and his throat burned. "Gotta... hang on." He moved his head muzzily. "Nick...?"
"It's me, man. It's me. C'mon, baby, let go for me, huh?"
Cody blinked again, but his eyes wouldn't focus. He remembered black water and pain and cold, but now he felt warm. "Got to hold on, Nick. Told you I would."
Nick choked. "You held on, buddy. You did it. Now you gotta let me get you out of here, okay?"
"Out," Cody said vaguely. Nick had come. That was important. Suddenly he wanted to touch Nick desperately. He tried to move his hands, and felt the bite of rock against his knuckles. With the movement, feeling came rushing back. In an instant he was wide awake, his shoulder cramping unbearably, cold creeping through him like a knife. He cried out.
"It's okay, Cody. It's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here." Nick's arms were under his shoulders, the only warmth in the black cold, and even though the pressure made his hurt shoulder burn, Cody felt only relief.
"Help," he muttered, starting to shake. "Nick, I can't do it. I can't...can't get my hands free."
Nick leaned in close, his head against Cody's, and Cody felt Nick's breath hot on his neck. "You can, big guy. You can, and I'm gonna help you. C'mon. You gotta do the left one first."
Still shaking, Cody managed an uncertain nod. He shifted his left hand a little, biting his lip against the scrape of rock.
"Higher," Nick urged in his ear. "You can do it."
Cody raised his hand, and there was no more rock under his fingers. But instead there was a pain like fire in his shoulder, threatening to tear him apart. "Hold on," Nick was telling him, "hold on," but Cody didn't know what to hold on to. Nick had him around the chest, squeezing, and there was rock all around him, rock above him.
Suddenly there were voices, pressing in close, and bright orange light assaulted his eyes. Cody whined fretfully, raising his hands to guard his face, and the pain in his shoulder spiked again.
Strange hands pulled him from Nick's arms, pressing him down, burying him beneath the rock. Cody fought, ignoring the pain. He wouldn't be taken. He would stand with Nick or die, and if he died, he'd take Charley with him.
"Cody! Cody, easy, man." Nick's voice cut across Cody's panic, and then Nick's hands were on his arms, gentle but firm. The rock was gone and Cody could breathe again, and hesitantly he opened his eyes.
Nick was looking down at him. Cody blinked, realizing he was on his back and Nick was kneeling behind him, leaning over. "Nick? What... what happened?"
"You went over the edge." Nick's voice shook with emotion and he released Cody's hurt arm, gently touching his face instead. "You're okay. You hung on. But you're hurt some. Let the paramedics take a look at you, huh?"
Cody licked at the salt on his lips and managed a slight nod. The voices resolved themselves into Murray, Quinlan and a stranger who kept asking if Cody hurt. Cody, his eyes fixed on Nick's, found he didn't know.
Eventually, he found himself back in the Jimmy, with no real idea of how he'd gotten there. His shirt was off, and his jeans were soaked, clammy against his body, and he was shivering. His left arm was in a sling, tight against his chest, and both his hands were bandaged. When he shifted in the seat, he felt the pull of dressings across his back as well.
Murray was sitting in the back, leaning forward anxiously. His face swam alarmingly in and out of focus, and Cody raised his right hand to cover his eyes. "Where's Nick?" he whispered.
"It's okay." Murray sounded scared. "He's just finishing up with Quinlan. He'll be back soon."
"Good." Cody breathed slow and deep, fighting dizziness. He wished he could lie down, but more, he wished for Nick. "I... I need him, Murray."
"I know you do." Murray sounded helpless, but his hand on Cody's arm helped a little. Cody felt the world spin more slowly.
"Thanks," he muttered. "Boz... did we get ‘em?"
"Yeah." Murray exhaled. "Yeah, we got ‘em. But I thought... when you went over the edge..." He broke off.
"Over the edge..." Cody remembered Nick on the ground, muscles tensed to jump. "I tackled the thief?"
"Yes. But you slipped, I guess. Anyhow, you went over the embankment and into the sea. Quinlan wanted to send for the coastguard but Nick wouldn't wait... he tied a rope round his waist and made us lower him down. And he--he found you."
"Always finds me." Cody groaned softly. He really needed to lie down. "Can we go home? Where's Nick?"
Murray took a deep breath. "He'll be here soon, Cody. Just hang on. Can you do that?"
Cody closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window. "Tell him... hurry."
***
Cody awoke in his own bunk. His shoulder was a bloom of pain and his knuckles stung like he'd been in a fistfight. He moved his head experimentally. No broken nose. The boat was silent, and the waves against the hull had a sleepy, nighttime feel. But there was light in the cabin.
Turning his head, Cody saw Nick sitting on his own bunk, fully dressed. Legs drawn up, he had a paperback propped against his knees. He was frowning.
"Wha's matter?" Cody murmured.
"Cody!" Nick's paperback went flying across the room. Nick dropped to his knees beside Cody's bunk, one hand cradling Cody's face, the other taking Cody's sound hand in his.
Despite the bandages, Cody managed to curl his fingers around Nick's. "Can't hang on without you," he whispered. "Hurts too much. But you wont let me go, right, Nick?"
"Never." Nick's eyes were wet. He bent and kissed Cody's forehead softly. "I'm never gonna let you go, baby. I love you, you know that?"
Cody smiled slightly and squeezed Nick's fingers tighter.
***
Cody couldn't get comfortable. He'd spent the first few days in bed at Nick's insistence, but now that he'd recovered a little, he couldn't stand the close confines of the cabin. At least not during the day, when Nick wasn't there.
But the sling made maneuvering on the boat difficult, and his shoulder ached unmercifully. The cuts on his back from the rocks alternately itched and stung, and his bandaged hands made him clumsy. Not to mention the pain from his swollen, grazed fingers.
He looked wistfully at the coffeepot. His own cup had been empty for a half-hour, but picking up the pot and pouring was beyond him. Murray was onboard, but far too distracted to think about coffee: he was downstairs in his cabin, shouting urgent instructions into the phone. Cody thought he was probably talking to Nick.
Nick had left early, while Cody was still muzzy with sleep and painkillers. He'd helped Cody into clean sweats and told him something complicated about Stan, and the Mimi and Quinlan, and by the time Cody had made it up the stairs to the salon, Nick had already gone.
Cody flipped over the pages of Fortune magazine, glancing at the headlines and skim-reading the ones that caught his eye. Big business and the stock market didn't really interest him, but it did ensure an endless supply of chitchat for charter customers. And safe topics to bring up when his mom called.
It also kept his mind off Nick, somewhere in the sky in the rattletrap old chopper, maybe chasing bad guys without backup.
As if on cue, Murray's voice rose. "Move in! Move in! Backup, do you copy?"
Cody's heart stopped. He stared down into the galley, but Murray didn't appear, and his shouts weren't repeated. Cody tried to make himself sit still, tried to tell himself that Murray would be topside if anything had gone wrong. But eventually, he couldn't stand it any more.
Awkwardly he maneuvered out from behind the table and made his cautious way down the forward stairs. Until now, with his left arm completely out of commission and his right hand swollen and bandaged, he'd never realized how much he used his hands in getting about the boat.
But he made it down the steps safely, and slowly approached Murray's room. His heart beat fast, even as he tried to tell himself that Nick was fine.
"Bozinsky!" The Riptide rocked violently and Cody staggered against the wall. His shoulder twisted and he fought not to scream.
"Lieutenant!" Murray came out of his room at full speed and nearly cannoned into Cody. He stopped short. "Cody! Come on up, they've taken down the car thief ring! Isn't that boss?"
"Yeah, Murray," Cody managed. "Real boss."
Beaming, Murray shot up the stairs. Cody sank down in the dining booth, breathing slow and deep, waiting for the agony to subside.
"Kid, I gotta tell you, that was some work you did, figuring out old Stan was leading a double life. No wonder Stan Elstop came up clean. Stan Postle was a whole other ballgame."
"It was easy once I realized that the names Stan was giving us for his drivers didn't match the guys on shift. No wonder I couldn't trace them--he made them up!"
"Yeah, him and his brother-in-law thought they were on to a good thing. You shoulda seen their faces when I waltzed on in to the chop shop this morning."
Cody got up again and searched the freezer for ice. There wasn't much, nowhere near enough to fill the ice bag, so he screwed the few cubes he could find into a tea towel. It was nearly impossible to hold in his bandaged hand, but by draping it over his shoulder he managed to bring the makeshift icepack against his collarbone. It helped a little.
He sat back down, wondering where Nick was. As if in answer, the Riptide swung violently in her mooring. Cody's precious icepack clattered to the table, ice cubes scattering everywhere. He swore.
"There y'are, flyboy!" Quinlan sounded positively genial. "It ain't often I got a good thing to say about that goddamn wreck you insist on flying over my city, but you sure delivered the goods today."
"The Mimi's a classic." Nick's voice was so welcome Cody forgot his lost icepack. He stood up slowly and headed for the stairs.
"That was some fast computer work, Murray. Man, you had that address just about before I finished reading you the plates! And Quinlan, I was sure glad you had those cops there when I touched down. For a second there I thought for sure we were all goin' to hell in a handbasket."
"Told you there'd be backup," Quinlan said gruffly. "Anyhow, I jus' wanted to stop by and say thanks. We made a good team."
Murray exclaimed something, but Cody didn't hear what it was. He'd made it halfway up the stairs, moving slowly and cautiously, and then suddenly Nick was there.
"What the hell have you done--?" Nick sounded frightened. He guided Cody up the stairs and sat him down on the couch, fussing with his sling. "Didn't I tell you to be careful?"
Cody winced. "I was being careful. The boat moved--"
"Boats do that. That's why I left you sitting right there at the table, you know?" Nick finished refastening the sling. "Boz woulda fetched anything you needed."
"I figured you and he were kinda busy," Cody retorted.
"Not that busy." Nick grinned. "And now we got Stan, his brother-in-law and a couple of thugs in custody, and there's a whole bunch of innocent limo drivers gonna be looking for work tomorrow. Plus, it looks like we're in line for a fat reward. Who knew a prom security gig would keep us in steak, huh, pal?"
"Steak sounds good." Cody exhaled, shifting, trying to find a more comfortable position.
Nick narrowed his eyes. "Bed. And an icepack. C'mon."
Cody found himself in his bunk before he'd even finished protesting. And when Nick had finished arranging a pillow underneath his arm, he stopped complaining: it did feel better.
"You want some ice?" Nick perched on the edge of Cody's bed, fingertips gently working the tight muscles at the base of Cody's neck.
"There isn't any." Cody moved his head restlessly, then moaned appreciatively as Nick worked down across his collarbone, slowly easing the painful knots from his hurt shoulder. "Feels so good."
"Guess I'll just keep doing this, then."
Cody sighed and closed his eyes. He didn't have any complaints about Nick's plan. He reached across and rested his right hand on Nick's thigh.
"What?" Nick asked softly, his fingers continuing their steady movement on Cody's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Cody kept his eyes closed, and didn't move his hand. "It just felt wrong being back here while you were out there. I--it was hard."
Nick was silent for a moment. "I hear you, big guy. Let me tell you, being out there without you--that's not easy for me, either. You know?"
Cody opened his eyes again. "Next time, I'll be there."
Nick smiled, and covered Cody's bandaged right hand with one of his own. "I'm counting on it, pal."
***
Cody awoke in the pearl gray dawn to the chuckle of the sea, and the kind of silence he never heard in port. He lay still, taking in the roll of the Riptide under him as she wallowed and rocked. It took him only a moment to identify her motion--the stern was made fast on a long line and the bow anchor was sunk in heavy sand. There was a light crosswise sea running, causing the cruiser to gently tip and buck.
They weren't in King Harbor.
Memory flooded back. Murray had disappeared at short notice to assist Jerome Sedgewick with a conference in Norway. Or maybe it was Sweden. Somewhere well supplied with Nordic blondes, anyway, judging by the grin on Murray's face as he'd left. And when Nick had gotten back from driving Murray to the airport, he'd looked at the smooth sea and the cloudless sky, and at Cody hunched and miserable on the aft deck. "I'm not Captain Ahab, big guy, but if you feel up to sitting beside me in the wheelhouse, I figure I can get us out to Cooper's Island without grounding her on any jetties."
And he had.
For Cody, still nursing a weak and painful shoulder from the fight and the fall, getting out of the harbor was exhilarating. He couldn't drive yet, his shoulder wasn't healed enough to swim, and even the pretty waitresses at Straightaway's couldn't cheer him up.
But out on the open sea, even with Nick at the helm instead of himself, Cody felt his heart lighten. They went the long way round, swinging out past the channel islands then doubling back until at last the secluded beach of Cooper's came into view. Cody ignored Nick's protests and the ache in his shoulder and took over, piloting the Riptide between the rocks that guarded the deep, sheltered bay, then killed the engines. They'd made her fast--or rather Nick had made her fast, Cody leaning over the stern railing and shouting directions while Nick shouted back--then Nick had grilled steaks and they'd watched the sun go down.
Cody sat up in bed, easing his arm back into his sling, then got up as silently as he could. Nick was sleeping peacefully, on his side facing Cody. Cody paused for a moment to be sure he hadn't disturbed him, then slipped out of the stateroom and upstairs to the deck.
The rising sun was the faintest blush of peach on the horizon. The dawn sky was pale gray with cloud, but it would burn off at the sun's touch. It was going to be another beautiful day.
Cody sat down heavily in a deckchair, swinging his feet to the bench. Melinda had canceled her follow-up booking and as he'd guessed, showed no interest in another date. He knew he should be upset about it--Melinda was a classy lady, the first girl he'd dated in a long time he could imagine introducing to his mother--but he was honest enough to admit that he wasn't upset, or even disappointed. He was relieved.
He and Nick had moved aboard the Riptide as soon as he'd bought her; they were strapped for cash and had nowhere else to live. He'd never intended to live on board forever. But they were still strapped for cash, and when Cody thought about it, there was no place else he'd rather live.
The boat was small, but they were used to that. He and Nick shared a room, but they'd bunked together by choice since 1972. There were too many nights they needed each other. Cody leaned back and looked at the sky. A thousand Melindas couldn't change that.
He whistled softly through his teeth. That was the thing. He needed Nick. And when it came right down to it, he wanted Nick. His friend, his partner... his everything. Unbidden, Cody pictured Nick wet from the shower, skin gleaming, muscles rippling, and his cock filled against his thigh.
Cody sat up, dropping his feet to the deck and covering his eyes with his good hand. It did nothing to dispel the image. "I like girls," he said out loud. "I like girls!"
At the soft thump of a body dropping on to the bench opposite him, Cody lowered his hand. He looked up, half-guilty, half resigned.
Nick was sitting there. Not wet, not naked, but wearing an old loose t-shirt and ratty sweats, dark hair sticking up at odd angles. He looked sleepy and disheveled, and Cody gripped the arms of the deckchair to stop himself from touching. From taking.
"I like girls too." Nick yawned and gave Cody a quizzical look. "But I don't get up at dawn to talk about it to--" he looked around "--a bunch of seagulls. What's up, buddy?"
"Just felt like some fresh air." Cody tried a smile, but it didn't seem to want to fit on his face.
"You sore?" Nick shifted closer and reached out, running a hand along the top of Cody's hurt shoulder, behind the sling.
Cody shuddered. He knew he should get up, go below, take a shower--a cold shower--then pick a fight with Nick, push him away, buy himself the space he needed to get himself under control. He'd done it a hundred times. But he was sore and the nightmares hadn't quit yet, and more than anything right now he needed Nick close to him.
"What's wrong? C'mon, big guy, talk to me, huh?" Nick tugged his arm gently and Cody abandoned the deck chair in favor of the bench and Nick's strong arms. Nick held him close. One arm was strong and solid across Cody's back, the other gentled the aches in Cody's shoulder then slid up his neck, stroking and soothing.
Cody looked down and took a deep breath. "D'you think this is... wrong?"
Nick's hand stilled, then left Cody's shoulder. Nick touched his cheek, then gently lifted his chin. "What, Cody? What are you talking about?"
Nick looked worried, almost frightened. Cody licked his lips apprehensively. "This. Us. How--how bad I need you. How you know what I'm thinking." He started to shake. "How I can't live without you, Nick. Because I can't, I know I can't, and I don't know what to do!" Cody tasted his own tears and realized he was crying. He'd said more than he meant to, and now he was afraid.
"Oh, Cody--" Nick's voice cracked. "Don't cry, baby. Don't cry. It's not wrong. Don't you know I can't live without you either? Don't you know you're everything to me?" Without giving Cody a chance to reply, Nick leaned in and kissed him.
For an instant, Cody was frozen. Then feelings exploded through him, the magic of Nick's lips so soft and sweet on his, the safety of Nick's touch. The perfection of the two of them, together.
At last Nick pulled back slightly, his hand still resting against Cody's jaw. He was panting, and his eyes were bright with emotion.
Cody struggled to catch his own breath. His heart hammered against his ribs. He thought he should be frightened at the enormity of what had just happened, but all he felt was exhilaration. He stared into Nick's eyes and saw his own joy reflected.
"Really?" he whispered. "Really, Nick?"
"I love you, Cody. I always have, an' I always will."
They kissed again, deep and slow. It was familiar and perfect; Cody had never found anything like it before, but he knew the experience intimately. He'd been seeking it his whole life.
He was home.
"I love you too, Nick."
Rating: PG
Summary: Cody wants a girlfriend. But it takes a tough case to bring home to him that what he needs is something else entirely...
Part One
Cody wasn't used to dating alone. Most of the time, he, Nick and Murray went out in a mixed group of friends, and if at the end of the night one of the girls was sitting on his lap, he counted it a win. As long as Nick was glaring at him across the table, that was, expression and hand signals both crystal clear: he wasn't going for a walk on the beach, or taking a room at Straightaway's, so if Cody had any fun planned, he'd have to take it elsewhere.
Cody would grin and signal right back. It had become a sort of game, a tussle of wills to see who would break first. The game invariably ended with both their dates dancing with easier prey, and Nick and Cody walking home together, arguing over which girl was prettier, and which of them should have had the decency to spend the night at Straightaways.
But tonight, it was just him and Melinda at one of King Harbor's nicest restaurants. Melinda was sipping wine and eating asparagus, and Cody was wishing he had a beer instead, and wondering how a restaurant that charged as much as this one could screw up a steak worse even than the Officers' Mess at Fort Ord.
He pushed his plate away.
"I thought we might go to a club later. After all, I didn't get to dance with you last night." Melinda smiled and put her wine glass down.
Cody suppressed a shiver. He disliked clubs--there were too many people, the music was too loud. It was too hard to spot anyone coming up on your flank. And without Nick at his back, it would be worse than ever. "Sounds fun." He wondered how he could change her mind on the evening's amusements.
Tammy wouldn't have wanted to go to a club. She'd have wanted to walk on the beach, hold his hand, try to coax him back into the dunes well out of Mama Jo's reach. He might even have gone.
Cody looked back at Melinda. She was pretty, too, with a put-together elegance that Tammy lacked. She knew what she wanted, and she had a plan to get it. Maybe that was part of what made her exciting.
"Are you done?" Melinda pushed her chair back. "I'll freshen up while you get the bill, honey. I know a great little place for dessert."
Cody got the bill, and the dessert, and the cocktails, and another bottle of wine. And eventually he ran out of excuses to stay at the great little dessert place--quiet tables, dim lighting, soft piped music and Melinda's hand on his wrist, long fingers caressing softly. He didn't want to go to a nightclub, but he did want her, and when he suggested they skip the dancing she laughed and shook her head.
***
The nighttime streets were quiet, and Cody found his eyes straying to his passenger. She'd changed the sweater she was wearing earlier for a shimmering blouse with a scoop neck that offered a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage, and her skirt had ridden up. In the streetlight, Cody could see the creamy expanse of her inner thigh disappearing under the shadow of her clothing. He licked his lips and sped up.
Suddenly, his mirror lit up with red and blue flashing lights and the howl of a siren cut across the roar of the Jimmy's engine. Cody swore and pulled over. He hadn't been going that fast. Then Quinlan's face appeared at the window, wearing the most cheerful grin Cody had ever seen on the man.
Cody groaned out loud.
"Now c'mon, Allen, ain't you pleased to see me? Who's your lady friend?" Quinlan didn't wait for Cody's answer, instead yanking open the door of the Jimmy. "How about you step out of the car and tell me all about her while you show me how you walk the line."
***
"DUI." The ‘Vette's engine revved and Cody winced.
"I'm not drunk. When the results come back it's gonna be fine. Quinlan's just being a prick."
Nick shot him a glance. "Quinlan showed me that receipt, man. More'n half of it was liquor."
"Yeah? And what would you have done?" Cody glared at Nick. "If it was you taking out a classy woman like Melinda, would you have stuck her with the cheapest bottle in the place?" He bumped his arm against the car door and flinched. The police had taken an evidential blood test, and his whole arm ached.
Nick swung around a corner and changed gear in silence, then reached out and rested his hand on Cody's leg. "Next time, take a cab," he said softly.
Cody sighed and relaxed, accepting Nick's unspoken apology. "There won't be a next time. She made that pretty clear. She called a friend of hers to pick her up and go on to the nightclub, and although she told me I should join them later, I don't think she meant it."
"You were going to a nightclub?" Nick looked at him sideways. "When did you turn into such a hip, happenin' funster?"
Cody flushed, opened his mouth, then laughed ruefully. "Yeah, buddy, you got me. But she's hot and exciting and... I dunno, Nick, I kinda thought we were hitting it off. Right up until Quinlan crashed the party, anyhow."
Nick slowed and turned the ‘Vette into Pier 56. The engine growled in low gear as he slid the convertible into its space, then fell silent.
"I'm sorry about Melinda," Nick said, and got out of the car. He leaned against the door, watching Cody carefully. "But I'm not sorry you're home early, big guy. The last couple days have been kinda rough, you know?"
Half out of the car, Cody paused, staring at Nick. Then he nodded. "Yeah. Uh, even if things had gone--" He broke off, blushing. "I mean, I'd have gone up for a nightcap if she'd asked me to, but I'd have come home--um--after." He slammed the car door and hurried to the slip gate, not looking at Nick.
Nick came up beside him, leaning gently into him. Cody fumbled and dropped the padlock, his hands shaking with the relief of feeling Nick so close. With Nick's strength, Nick's support, he could fight through anything, even the nightmares he couldn't have let Melinda see.
"Easy," Nick breathed and opened the gate. He moved through and Cody stood frozen, bereft. His legs seemed to have stopped obeying him. Then Nick reached out for him, drawing him close, back into the shelter of his body.
"Just stay with me, pal." Nick's hand slid through his hair. Cody wrapped his arms around Nick's chest, holding on, and let himself be guided down the companionway and onto the boat.
He wasn't drunk, but the wine--or maybe the cocktail--had gone to his head. That was the only explanation for the irrational urge to cry that possessed him every time Nick stepped out of reach. And when Nick had helped him to his bunk and left him alone in the quiet dark of their cabin, the feeling built until Cody couldn't fight it any more. He buried his head into the pillow, trying to breathe, trying not to call Nick's name.
"Cody--Cody--" Nick was back in an instant, pulling Cody close then snapping on the reading light and bathing them both in a circle of safe orange light.
Cody crawled as close as he could, panting, holding on. "Don't... leave me," he managed. "Please, Nick. Just stay. Just for now..."
"Not leaving you. Not now, not ever." Nick rocked him gently, then pressed a kiss against his forehead.
Cody shuddered, tears leaking through his closed eyelids. His arm ached from the needle and he could feel the throb in his shoulder starting up again. He felt hot and cold all at once, and found himself listening for marching feet, for the thunder of the choppers. He caught himself, gripping Nick's shirt, swallowing sobs. The fight had left him too close to the edge, and dinner had been the last straw.
"It's all right." Nick spoke soothingly in his ear. "There's plenty more girls out there. You're a great catch. You're young, gorgeous, you have great-looking friends..." He paused, stroking Cody's hair, waiting for a reaction.
Cody surprised himself with a short laugh, raising his head and looking up into the worried sympathy in Nick's blue eyes. "I'm not crying about Melinda," he muttered.
"Yeah? What, then?" Nick tugged Cody's hair gently. "Anything I can help with?"
"Shouldn't've gone out for dinner." Cody sighed and bit his lip. "No backup. I--it's nothing, buddy. I'm just kind of a mess tonight. And I shoulda known better than to try and go on a date."
Nick nodded. "And I shoulda known better than to let you," he said quietly.
Cody smiled slightly, and lay down again. Nick lay behind him, one arm across his chest, the other softly massaging the sore spots in Cody's shoulder. Every touch told Cody what he needed to hear, kept him safe, kept him grounded.
"All right?" Nick murmured in his ear.
Cody sighed contentedly. "Could be better," he lied. "You're not Melinda."
"Yeah, an' you're not in a club getting stiffed for watered-down drinks." Nick chuckled against his shoulder. "Trust me, big guy. I know trouble when I see it, and that chick--man, you were in over your head, you know?"
"I was not!" Cody stiffened, then realized there was no reason to argue. Melinda would never give him the time of day again. He relaxed again and twisted around so he could see Nick's face. "She was hot."
"So're the stolen cars." Nick dug his fingers into a particularly sensitive spot on Cody's shoulder, and Cody subsided with a yelp. "Go to sleep, baby. Forget her. Tomorrow's gonna be a better day."
"How d'you know?" Cody closed his eyes obediently, giving himself over to the sanctuary of Nick's arms.
"How do I know?" Nick's lips brushed the back of Cody's neck. His voice dropped, slowing and deepening, as he started one of their familiar litanies that kept the nightmares at bay. "Well, first up, we saw Cookie on the beach this morning. Come on, man. A pretty girl who runs a cookout service. That's gotta be a sign, right?"
Cody grinned and grunted assent. The morning on the beach with Nick had been the highlight of his day, Cookie or no Cookie.
"Second up, Quinlan let me bail you out. I wouldn't put it past the old bastard to lock you up for a week for the hell of it, you know?"
"Then you'd deck him."
"Damn right I would." Nick nuzzled Cody's shoulder. "So that's third. Because if I did, that'd mean another fine, and we're damn near broke again."
"What's fourth?" Cody yawned. He was close to sleep, but he wanted Nick to keep talking.
"Fourth?" Nick's voice softened nearly to a whisper as if he knew how nearly asleep Cody was--which he probably did, Cody realized with a smile. Nick always knew everything about him.
"Fourth is, you're here with me. We're safe. You're safe. We're gonna wake up tomorrow, and we got another day, you an' me. That..." Nick exhaled softly, his breath warm on Cody's back. "That's all I need, man. I got you beside me, I know it's gonna be a great day."
Cody took a deep breath. His heart was full to bursting. He didn't have words to answer Nick, but he slid his arm back, gently gripping Nick's leg in silent agreement and assurance. "Good night, Nick," he whispered.
"G'night, Cody."
As Nick tightened his arms, Cody slipped over the edge of sleep.
***
Cody awoke the next morning feeling content and relaxed. He'd slept well and deeply, and judging by the light through the blinds, it was going to be a sunny, perfect day.
He lay still, enjoying the warmth of his blankets and the soft lullaby of the sea on the hull. He'd struck out with Melinda, but what was it Nick had said? He was in over his head. Cody sighed ruefully. He didn't want to admit it, but he had an idea Nick was right. Something told him life with Melinda wouldn't have included weekend fishing trips with Nick and Murray. And it certainly wouldn't include waking up warm and safe aboard his boat.
Cody moved slightly, and froze. Waking up warm and safe...in Nick's arms. He shifted again, now fully aware of his partner's naked skin against his own. How had he ever imagined that Nick's body heat was from the blankets? He took a deep breath, thinking of how well he'd slept, how easy he'd awoken. Twice in two days...
"You okay?" Nick came awake in an instant, on guard, protective. Cody felt the tension in his body and turned over, running a soothing hand over his ribs. After the peace Nick had given him, he wished he could give the same to Nick.
"It's okay. I'm great."
Nick grinned sleepily, relaxing, stretching against Cody's body. "You're not so bad," he agreed. "Great might be pushing it."
Cody chuckled, and Nick raised a hand to his face. Gently he ran a thumb over Cody's mustache. Cody pulled back, blinking in surprise at the intimacy of the gesture. "Nick...?"
"Not often I wake up next to someone with facial hair." Nick's eyes crinkled with amusement. "And this makes it twice in one week."
"Sorry." Cody blushed, looking down. "I've been kind of a drag the last couple of days--"
"No. Hey, no." Nick's voice sharpened and he raised himself on his elbow. "Whatever you need, Cody, I'm good for, you know?"
"I know." Cody still kept his eyes down. "I just... I should be stronger. It's been twelve years. I should be able to sleep in my own damn bunk by now."
"Yeah, you should," Nick said quietly and Cody looked up, suddenly frightened. But Nick was looking back at him tenderly. "You should, and so should I, but that's the fucked up thing, man. No-one told us way back when that we were signing on for a lifetime. That twelve years on we'd still be hearing Hueys in our sleep, still be stuck in the same damn jungle. An' what that means is, some nights we can't be alone, you know?" Nick sighed, then smiled. "And I'm not talking about Melinda."
"Yeah." Cody rolled his shoulders. "The way it turned out, I think Quinlan did me a favor. I wouldn't--" he hesitated, blushing. "I mean, it wouldn't have worked out."
"Told you that from the start." Nick lay back down, grinning, and eased his arm around Cody's shoulders. He yawned. "Dunno about you, big guy, but I'm gonna grab another couple hours sleep while I can. We got nothin' on today."
"Great. I could use some sleep, too." Cody relaxed against Nick's body--then his eyes flew open. "Uh--Nick--"
"What is it, babe?" Nick rubbed his back gently, rolling toward him in concern.
"You, uh--I mean, I'm okay now."
"Better'n okay," Nick muttered cryptically. "What are you getting at, Cody?"
"If you want--your own bunk." Cody bit his lip. "You don't have to stay with me anymore."
"I know." Nick stretched. "But it's all the way over there. And it's kinda empty. You don't mind, I'm stayin' right here."
Cody relaxed into Nick's close warmth. "I don't mind. I don't mind at all."
***
The yacht club parking lot was full to overflowing with high-end vehicles. Cadillacs sat fat and proud next to sleek sports cars, and the Jimmy, at the end of a row, looked uncouth and out of place. Nick whistled softly. "Car thief heaven."
"Except for the security system." Murray frowned and pointed to what looked like a lamp-post. "Each of these pillars carries a camera, and the footage is constantly monitored during events such as this."
Cody looked at a row of limousines at the rear of the lot. Three men in chauffeur livery stood nearby, smoking and chatting. Two of the sleek black cars bore the silver flower logo. "Stan again."
Murray's frown deepened. "I can't believe that all three of those drivers from last week at the prom turned out to be a dead end. False names, false social security numbers, everything."
"Stan's gotta be in on it. I know he checked out clean, but c'mon, three guys with fake identities on your staff? That's pushing it."
"I agree, but Nick, the guys barely clearing his bills. His lifestyle checks out with his income--"
"Maybe he's just careful--"
Cody gripped both Nick and Murray's shoulders, and they both turned to him, breaking off in surprise. "Look," Cody said in a low voice, and pointed.
On the dark side of the lot, the ocean side, something moved in the shadows. Then, as the dark shape crept past a pale-colored vehicle, it resolved itself into the figure of a man dressed in black, bent double and sneaking between the parked cars.
"Let's go," Nick barked.
They already had a plan. Quinlan was on standby, and Murray leaped for the truck and his communication equipment to send the prearranged signal. Nick headed for the target, while Cody slipped back toward the beach, the most likely escape route. The cops would have the parking lot exit covered in a matter of minutes.
Cody ran down the steps to the beach and took cover behind a boulder. The sea covered most sound from the parking lot above, but it didn't stop him straining to hear. He heard the howl of sirens pass on the road above and the squeal of tires as they spun into the yacht club, but more minutes passed and no-one came his way.
There was confused shouting from above: Quinlan, Cody thought, and then, unmistakably, Nick. Cody couldn't wait a second longer. He sprinted back up the steps, staying low.
The three limo drivers were spreadeagled against their vehicles, with uniformed officers standing guard. Quinlan was in the middle of the lot, shouting and waving a weapon, while on the very edge of the drop into the sea, Nick was grappling with the man in black.
As Cody watched, the target got the upper hand and shoved Nick to the ground. The crook leveled his gun at Nick, glancing nervously from Nick to Quinlan. "Stand back or he's dead!"
Cody saw Nick's muscles bunching for a leap, and terror gave his own feet wings. He closed the yards between them in a rush and slammed his shoulder into the target. With a yell of surprise and fright the guy went down on top of Nick, his gun clattering uselessly to the ground--just as Cody's own feet slipped. Cody staggered for an instant, but his momentum was too great. Unable to stop himself, he pitched headlong over the embankment into the ocean.
His hurt shoulder impacted rock, knocking the air out of him as bright pain lanced through him. He gasped for air, but there was no air, only cold, shocking the life out of him, freezing his heart.
For an eternal instant he was paralyzed, falling, sinking, and then the shock of cold became the living, breathing sea, clasping him, drawing him down. Instinct made him kick, and suddenly the water was lifting him, holding him. Chill air, the black night surface of the ocean, the slap of salt against his face. He choked and splashed, struggling for purchase, struggling to breathe.
A long way away, someone was calling his name. A wave pushed him against the rocks and he whimpered at the sharp pain in his shoulder. He looked upward beseechingly. "Nick...?"
He heard his name again, but the call was getting fainter. Cody closed his eyes. Nick had promised not to leave him. Nick would come. Blindly, ignoring his shoulder, he got a grip on the bruising rock. All he had to do was hang on.
***
"Cody. Cody, let go. C'mon, man."
"Can't." Cody blinked. His eyes were raw with salt, and his throat burned. "Gotta... hang on." He moved his head muzzily. "Nick...?"
"It's me, man. It's me. C'mon, baby, let go for me, huh?"
Cody blinked again, but his eyes wouldn't focus. He remembered black water and pain and cold, but now he felt warm. "Got to hold on, Nick. Told you I would."
Nick choked. "You held on, buddy. You did it. Now you gotta let me get you out of here, okay?"
"Out," Cody said vaguely. Nick had come. That was important. Suddenly he wanted to touch Nick desperately. He tried to move his hands, and felt the bite of rock against his knuckles. With the movement, feeling came rushing back. In an instant he was wide awake, his shoulder cramping unbearably, cold creeping through him like a knife. He cried out.
"It's okay, Cody. It's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here." Nick's arms were under his shoulders, the only warmth in the black cold, and even though the pressure made his hurt shoulder burn, Cody felt only relief.
"Help," he muttered, starting to shake. "Nick, I can't do it. I can't...can't get my hands free."
Nick leaned in close, his head against Cody's, and Cody felt Nick's breath hot on his neck. "You can, big guy. You can, and I'm gonna help you. C'mon. You gotta do the left one first."
Still shaking, Cody managed an uncertain nod. He shifted his left hand a little, biting his lip against the scrape of rock.
"Higher," Nick urged in his ear. "You can do it."
Cody raised his hand, and there was no more rock under his fingers. But instead there was a pain like fire in his shoulder, threatening to tear him apart. "Hold on," Nick was telling him, "hold on," but Cody didn't know what to hold on to. Nick had him around the chest, squeezing, and there was rock all around him, rock above him.
Suddenly there were voices, pressing in close, and bright orange light assaulted his eyes. Cody whined fretfully, raising his hands to guard his face, and the pain in his shoulder spiked again.
Strange hands pulled him from Nick's arms, pressing him down, burying him beneath the rock. Cody fought, ignoring the pain. He wouldn't be taken. He would stand with Nick or die, and if he died, he'd take Charley with him.
"Cody! Cody, easy, man." Nick's voice cut across Cody's panic, and then Nick's hands were on his arms, gentle but firm. The rock was gone and Cody could breathe again, and hesitantly he opened his eyes.
Nick was looking down at him. Cody blinked, realizing he was on his back and Nick was kneeling behind him, leaning over. "Nick? What... what happened?"
"You went over the edge." Nick's voice shook with emotion and he released Cody's hurt arm, gently touching his face instead. "You're okay. You hung on. But you're hurt some. Let the paramedics take a look at you, huh?"
Cody licked at the salt on his lips and managed a slight nod. The voices resolved themselves into Murray, Quinlan and a stranger who kept asking if Cody hurt. Cody, his eyes fixed on Nick's, found he didn't know.
Eventually, he found himself back in the Jimmy, with no real idea of how he'd gotten there. His shirt was off, and his jeans were soaked, clammy against his body, and he was shivering. His left arm was in a sling, tight against his chest, and both his hands were bandaged. When he shifted in the seat, he felt the pull of dressings across his back as well.
Murray was sitting in the back, leaning forward anxiously. His face swam alarmingly in and out of focus, and Cody raised his right hand to cover his eyes. "Where's Nick?" he whispered.
"It's okay." Murray sounded scared. "He's just finishing up with Quinlan. He'll be back soon."
"Good." Cody breathed slow and deep, fighting dizziness. He wished he could lie down, but more, he wished for Nick. "I... I need him, Murray."
"I know you do." Murray sounded helpless, but his hand on Cody's arm helped a little. Cody felt the world spin more slowly.
"Thanks," he muttered. "Boz... did we get ‘em?"
"Yeah." Murray exhaled. "Yeah, we got ‘em. But I thought... when you went over the edge..." He broke off.
"Over the edge..." Cody remembered Nick on the ground, muscles tensed to jump. "I tackled the thief?"
"Yes. But you slipped, I guess. Anyhow, you went over the embankment and into the sea. Quinlan wanted to send for the coastguard but Nick wouldn't wait... he tied a rope round his waist and made us lower him down. And he--he found you."
"Always finds me." Cody groaned softly. He really needed to lie down. "Can we go home? Where's Nick?"
Murray took a deep breath. "He'll be here soon, Cody. Just hang on. Can you do that?"
Cody closed his eyes and leaned his head against the window. "Tell him... hurry."
***
Cody awoke in his own bunk. His shoulder was a bloom of pain and his knuckles stung like he'd been in a fistfight. He moved his head experimentally. No broken nose. The boat was silent, and the waves against the hull had a sleepy, nighttime feel. But there was light in the cabin.
Turning his head, Cody saw Nick sitting on his own bunk, fully dressed. Legs drawn up, he had a paperback propped against his knees. He was frowning.
"Wha's matter?" Cody murmured.
"Cody!" Nick's paperback went flying across the room. Nick dropped to his knees beside Cody's bunk, one hand cradling Cody's face, the other taking Cody's sound hand in his.
Despite the bandages, Cody managed to curl his fingers around Nick's. "Can't hang on without you," he whispered. "Hurts too much. But you wont let me go, right, Nick?"
"Never." Nick's eyes were wet. He bent and kissed Cody's forehead softly. "I'm never gonna let you go, baby. I love you, you know that?"
Cody smiled slightly and squeezed Nick's fingers tighter.
***
Cody couldn't get comfortable. He'd spent the first few days in bed at Nick's insistence, but now that he'd recovered a little, he couldn't stand the close confines of the cabin. At least not during the day, when Nick wasn't there.
But the sling made maneuvering on the boat difficult, and his shoulder ached unmercifully. The cuts on his back from the rocks alternately itched and stung, and his bandaged hands made him clumsy. Not to mention the pain from his swollen, grazed fingers.
He looked wistfully at the coffeepot. His own cup had been empty for a half-hour, but picking up the pot and pouring was beyond him. Murray was onboard, but far too distracted to think about coffee: he was downstairs in his cabin, shouting urgent instructions into the phone. Cody thought he was probably talking to Nick.
Nick had left early, while Cody was still muzzy with sleep and painkillers. He'd helped Cody into clean sweats and told him something complicated about Stan, and the Mimi and Quinlan, and by the time Cody had made it up the stairs to the salon, Nick had already gone.
Cody flipped over the pages of Fortune magazine, glancing at the headlines and skim-reading the ones that caught his eye. Big business and the stock market didn't really interest him, but it did ensure an endless supply of chitchat for charter customers. And safe topics to bring up when his mom called.
It also kept his mind off Nick, somewhere in the sky in the rattletrap old chopper, maybe chasing bad guys without backup.
As if on cue, Murray's voice rose. "Move in! Move in! Backup, do you copy?"
Cody's heart stopped. He stared down into the galley, but Murray didn't appear, and his shouts weren't repeated. Cody tried to make himself sit still, tried to tell himself that Murray would be topside if anything had gone wrong. But eventually, he couldn't stand it any more.
Awkwardly he maneuvered out from behind the table and made his cautious way down the forward stairs. Until now, with his left arm completely out of commission and his right hand swollen and bandaged, he'd never realized how much he used his hands in getting about the boat.
But he made it down the steps safely, and slowly approached Murray's room. His heart beat fast, even as he tried to tell himself that Nick was fine.
"Bozinsky!" The Riptide rocked violently and Cody staggered against the wall. His shoulder twisted and he fought not to scream.
"Lieutenant!" Murray came out of his room at full speed and nearly cannoned into Cody. He stopped short. "Cody! Come on up, they've taken down the car thief ring! Isn't that boss?"
"Yeah, Murray," Cody managed. "Real boss."
Beaming, Murray shot up the stairs. Cody sank down in the dining booth, breathing slow and deep, waiting for the agony to subside.
"Kid, I gotta tell you, that was some work you did, figuring out old Stan was leading a double life. No wonder Stan Elstop came up clean. Stan Postle was a whole other ballgame."
"It was easy once I realized that the names Stan was giving us for his drivers didn't match the guys on shift. No wonder I couldn't trace them--he made them up!"
"Yeah, him and his brother-in-law thought they were on to a good thing. You shoulda seen their faces when I waltzed on in to the chop shop this morning."
Cody got up again and searched the freezer for ice. There wasn't much, nowhere near enough to fill the ice bag, so he screwed the few cubes he could find into a tea towel. It was nearly impossible to hold in his bandaged hand, but by draping it over his shoulder he managed to bring the makeshift icepack against his collarbone. It helped a little.
He sat back down, wondering where Nick was. As if in answer, the Riptide swung violently in her mooring. Cody's precious icepack clattered to the table, ice cubes scattering everywhere. He swore.
"There y'are, flyboy!" Quinlan sounded positively genial. "It ain't often I got a good thing to say about that goddamn wreck you insist on flying over my city, but you sure delivered the goods today."
"The Mimi's a classic." Nick's voice was so welcome Cody forgot his lost icepack. He stood up slowly and headed for the stairs.
"That was some fast computer work, Murray. Man, you had that address just about before I finished reading you the plates! And Quinlan, I was sure glad you had those cops there when I touched down. For a second there I thought for sure we were all goin' to hell in a handbasket."
"Told you there'd be backup," Quinlan said gruffly. "Anyhow, I jus' wanted to stop by and say thanks. We made a good team."
Murray exclaimed something, but Cody didn't hear what it was. He'd made it halfway up the stairs, moving slowly and cautiously, and then suddenly Nick was there.
"What the hell have you done--?" Nick sounded frightened. He guided Cody up the stairs and sat him down on the couch, fussing with his sling. "Didn't I tell you to be careful?"
Cody winced. "I was being careful. The boat moved--"
"Boats do that. That's why I left you sitting right there at the table, you know?" Nick finished refastening the sling. "Boz woulda fetched anything you needed."
"I figured you and he were kinda busy," Cody retorted.
"Not that busy." Nick grinned. "And now we got Stan, his brother-in-law and a couple of thugs in custody, and there's a whole bunch of innocent limo drivers gonna be looking for work tomorrow. Plus, it looks like we're in line for a fat reward. Who knew a prom security gig would keep us in steak, huh, pal?"
"Steak sounds good." Cody exhaled, shifting, trying to find a more comfortable position.
Nick narrowed his eyes. "Bed. And an icepack. C'mon."
Cody found himself in his bunk before he'd even finished protesting. And when Nick had finished arranging a pillow underneath his arm, he stopped complaining: it did feel better.
"You want some ice?" Nick perched on the edge of Cody's bed, fingertips gently working the tight muscles at the base of Cody's neck.
"There isn't any." Cody moved his head restlessly, then moaned appreciatively as Nick worked down across his collarbone, slowly easing the painful knots from his hurt shoulder. "Feels so good."
"Guess I'll just keep doing this, then."
Cody sighed and closed his eyes. He didn't have any complaints about Nick's plan. He reached across and rested his right hand on Nick's thigh.
"What?" Nick asked softly, his fingers continuing their steady movement on Cody's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Cody kept his eyes closed, and didn't move his hand. "It just felt wrong being back here while you were out there. I--it was hard."
Nick was silent for a moment. "I hear you, big guy. Let me tell you, being out there without you--that's not easy for me, either. You know?"
Cody opened his eyes again. "Next time, I'll be there."
Nick smiled, and covered Cody's bandaged right hand with one of his own. "I'm counting on it, pal."
***
Cody awoke in the pearl gray dawn to the chuckle of the sea, and the kind of silence he never heard in port. He lay still, taking in the roll of the Riptide under him as she wallowed and rocked. It took him only a moment to identify her motion--the stern was made fast on a long line and the bow anchor was sunk in heavy sand. There was a light crosswise sea running, causing the cruiser to gently tip and buck.
They weren't in King Harbor.
Memory flooded back. Murray had disappeared at short notice to assist Jerome Sedgewick with a conference in Norway. Or maybe it was Sweden. Somewhere well supplied with Nordic blondes, anyway, judging by the grin on Murray's face as he'd left. And when Nick had gotten back from driving Murray to the airport, he'd looked at the smooth sea and the cloudless sky, and at Cody hunched and miserable on the aft deck. "I'm not Captain Ahab, big guy, but if you feel up to sitting beside me in the wheelhouse, I figure I can get us out to Cooper's Island without grounding her on any jetties."
And he had.
For Cody, still nursing a weak and painful shoulder from the fight and the fall, getting out of the harbor was exhilarating. He couldn't drive yet, his shoulder wasn't healed enough to swim, and even the pretty waitresses at Straightaway's couldn't cheer him up.
But out on the open sea, even with Nick at the helm instead of himself, Cody felt his heart lighten. They went the long way round, swinging out past the channel islands then doubling back until at last the secluded beach of Cooper's came into view. Cody ignored Nick's protests and the ache in his shoulder and took over, piloting the Riptide between the rocks that guarded the deep, sheltered bay, then killed the engines. They'd made her fast--or rather Nick had made her fast, Cody leaning over the stern railing and shouting directions while Nick shouted back--then Nick had grilled steaks and they'd watched the sun go down.
Cody sat up in bed, easing his arm back into his sling, then got up as silently as he could. Nick was sleeping peacefully, on his side facing Cody. Cody paused for a moment to be sure he hadn't disturbed him, then slipped out of the stateroom and upstairs to the deck.
The rising sun was the faintest blush of peach on the horizon. The dawn sky was pale gray with cloud, but it would burn off at the sun's touch. It was going to be another beautiful day.
Cody sat down heavily in a deckchair, swinging his feet to the bench. Melinda had canceled her follow-up booking and as he'd guessed, showed no interest in another date. He knew he should be upset about it--Melinda was a classy lady, the first girl he'd dated in a long time he could imagine introducing to his mother--but he was honest enough to admit that he wasn't upset, or even disappointed. He was relieved.
He and Nick had moved aboard the Riptide as soon as he'd bought her; they were strapped for cash and had nowhere else to live. He'd never intended to live on board forever. But they were still strapped for cash, and when Cody thought about it, there was no place else he'd rather live.
The boat was small, but they were used to that. He and Nick shared a room, but they'd bunked together by choice since 1972. There were too many nights they needed each other. Cody leaned back and looked at the sky. A thousand Melindas couldn't change that.
He whistled softly through his teeth. That was the thing. He needed Nick. And when it came right down to it, he wanted Nick. His friend, his partner... his everything. Unbidden, Cody pictured Nick wet from the shower, skin gleaming, muscles rippling, and his cock filled against his thigh.
Cody sat up, dropping his feet to the deck and covering his eyes with his good hand. It did nothing to dispel the image. "I like girls," he said out loud. "I like girls!"
At the soft thump of a body dropping on to the bench opposite him, Cody lowered his hand. He looked up, half-guilty, half resigned.
Nick was sitting there. Not wet, not naked, but wearing an old loose t-shirt and ratty sweats, dark hair sticking up at odd angles. He looked sleepy and disheveled, and Cody gripped the arms of the deckchair to stop himself from touching. From taking.
"I like girls too." Nick yawned and gave Cody a quizzical look. "But I don't get up at dawn to talk about it to--" he looked around "--a bunch of seagulls. What's up, buddy?"
"Just felt like some fresh air." Cody tried a smile, but it didn't seem to want to fit on his face.
"You sore?" Nick shifted closer and reached out, running a hand along the top of Cody's hurt shoulder, behind the sling.
Cody shuddered. He knew he should get up, go below, take a shower--a cold shower--then pick a fight with Nick, push him away, buy himself the space he needed to get himself under control. He'd done it a hundred times. But he was sore and the nightmares hadn't quit yet, and more than anything right now he needed Nick close to him.
"What's wrong? C'mon, big guy, talk to me, huh?" Nick tugged his arm gently and Cody abandoned the deck chair in favor of the bench and Nick's strong arms. Nick held him close. One arm was strong and solid across Cody's back, the other gentled the aches in Cody's shoulder then slid up his neck, stroking and soothing.
Cody looked down and took a deep breath. "D'you think this is... wrong?"
Nick's hand stilled, then left Cody's shoulder. Nick touched his cheek, then gently lifted his chin. "What, Cody? What are you talking about?"
Nick looked worried, almost frightened. Cody licked his lips apprehensively. "This. Us. How--how bad I need you. How you know what I'm thinking." He started to shake. "How I can't live without you, Nick. Because I can't, I know I can't, and I don't know what to do!" Cody tasted his own tears and realized he was crying. He'd said more than he meant to, and now he was afraid.
"Oh, Cody--" Nick's voice cracked. "Don't cry, baby. Don't cry. It's not wrong. Don't you know I can't live without you either? Don't you know you're everything to me?" Without giving Cody a chance to reply, Nick leaned in and kissed him.
For an instant, Cody was frozen. Then feelings exploded through him, the magic of Nick's lips so soft and sweet on his, the safety of Nick's touch. The perfection of the two of them, together.
At last Nick pulled back slightly, his hand still resting against Cody's jaw. He was panting, and his eyes were bright with emotion.
Cody struggled to catch his own breath. His heart hammered against his ribs. He thought he should be frightened at the enormity of what had just happened, but all he felt was exhilaration. He stared into Nick's eyes and saw his own joy reflected.
"Really?" he whispered. "Really, Nick?"
"I love you, Cody. I always have, an' I always will."
They kissed again, deep and slow. It was familiar and perfect; Cody had never found anything like it before, but he knew the experience intimately. He'd been seeking it his whole life.
He was home.
"I love you too, Nick."
