Partners, Friends and Lovers
Chapter 12 Part 1
By Katherine Lehman

Joe LaFiamma sighed as he leaned against the wall carefully maintaining a clear line of sight out the window despite his desire to start pacing. He wanted to be doing something, anything but forced himself to remain still. God, he hated stakeouts some days. Even though he understood the necessity, intellectually knew they had merit, he still felt like they were a huge waste of time.

He glanced over at his partner. Levon Lundy looked as comfortable as if he were sitting in his own living room, brown eyes casually watching their target. He'd been the same position for more than an hour.

Joe shook his head, caught between amazement and annoyance. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Levon asked without turning to look at him.

"Sit still for so damn long." Joe made a frustrated gesture.

Levon shrugged one shoulder, still not looking at him. "Ain't really hard, LaFiamma."

Joe snorted, blue eyes once more studying the building across the street. "Says you."

Levon chuckled. "Would think all that workin' out you do, you wouldn't have so much nervous energy."

"I. Am. Not. Nervous."

Levon gave him a sly look, eyes sparkling with mischief. "You think spirited works better?"

"What... like one of your horses?"

"My very own Italian Stallion."

In spite of himself, Joe laughed. "That's... terrible."

Levon laughed with him, giving Joe a quick wink. "Says you."

Joe smiled, shaking his head. He turned back to watching the street and the target building. He sighed again, bored. Nothing had happened since they got here and it was highly likely nothing would.

"Tell me again why we're here." He knew it would annoy Levon, which is why he said it. There was nothing better to do than tease his partner.

Levon hung his head for a moment, expression a blend of resignation and annoyance. "You know why."

Joe bit his lip to keep from smiling. "Tell me again."

Levon grimaced. "You are such a pain in the ass."

"But you love me anyway."

Levon sighed. "It is unfair of you to use that against me."

"It's unfair that I'm being punished right along with you when I didn't do anything wrong."

"This is not punishment, LaFiamma."

"Could have fooled me." Joe snorted. "We are working a double shift watching an empty house."

"Point." Levon sighed. The blond rubbed one hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "How the hell was I supposed to know it was the Commissioner's kid I pulled over for drunk driving? Little bastard was weavin' all over the road, Joe. I couldn't just let it go. He could have killed someone."

"Understand that, Cowboy." Joe genuinely did. He wouldn't have let it slide either having seen more than his share of traffic fatalities. "But did you have to put him in the drunk tank and make sure he was there all night before anyone knew where he was?"

"Time in the drunk tank is S.O.P, Joe. And it wasn't like it was the first time the little bastard had been pulled over. This was the third time." Levon pointed out. "You think I shoulda gone easy on him?"

"No." Joe grinned. "I think you should have made sure it was someone else's name on the arrest report."

"Well I did add yours." Levon snickered. He pointed a finger at Joe. "And this isn't all my fault. It was you who impounded the kid's car. Hear tell it was mistakenly listed for demolition too. Sucker is nothing but a metal cube now."

Joe rearranged his features to reflect his most innocent expression, knowing full well Levon wouldn't buy it. Joe wouldn't have let the impound manager pay off the favor he owed if the Commissioner hadn't showed up at the office ranting and raving about how dare Levon arrest his son. It smacked of Nepotism, and Joe didn't care for seeing Levon verbally dressed down for doing his job. He figured it wouldn't hurt to balance things out a bit.

"Don't give me that innocent look." Levon rolled his eyes. "I saw the impound order. Can't prove you had the kid's car totaled but I KNOW you had it locked up on the lot."

Joe shrugged. "Kid was a brat. And his old man should know better than to bust his chops on you for doing your job. His time would have been better spent teaching the brat some manners."

"True." Levon sighed. "This might be a monumental waste o' time, but least this gig ain't really all that bad."

Joe nodded. As pointless as this assignment was it wasn't particularly painful. As far as pissing contests went, Joe still considered them the winners.

"We spending the night at my place?" Joe asked quietly.

"Closer than the ranch." Levon said, non-committal, tone clearly stating he didn't care where they went. He yawned widely and shook himself slightly. "Wouldn't mind a shorter drive."

"Grady can take care of the horses?" Usually the horses were the deciding factor when it came to where they spent the night.

"Can call him tomorrow mornin'." The Texan glanced at his watch and frowned. "Well... call him later this morning I guess would be more the case." Levon's neighbor was retired, but like the blond was a habitual early riser. He wouldn't be bothered by a phone call first thing in the morning.

Joe nodded. "My place it is then." He did a mental inventory of the refrigerator. There should be enough food there to make something for breakfast.

Lately they'd taken to spending more time at the ranch. Joe didn't really mind. The ranch was far more private than his apartment building. It certainly gave them more opportunity to be openly affectionate without having to worry about someone seeing them together.

Joe grinned thinking how nice it was not to have to worry about disturbing the neighbors. It certainly made for far more liberated rounds of love making. And definitely more vocal. Joe liked making noise, liked hearing Levon make noise.

Joe had been amazed by how much more comfortable he was finding his time at the ranch than at his apartment. He never thought he'd be the sort to enjoy life away from an urban setting. But he loved sitting on Levon's back porch, just letting the quiet wash over him. It wasn't hard to see why Levon loved the ranch as much as he did. It was rapidly becoming Joe's favorite place to be.

It wasn't all one sided. Levon definitely had strong feelings for the sunken, whirlpool tub in Joe's apartment. Joe thought they should just invest in getting a hot tub for the ranch, but Levon didn't think it was a luxury he really needed to have. The man wasn't exactly tight-fisted, but he was definitely frugal.

Joe had to admit that since he had adopted some of Levon's conservative spending habits his own financial position was a lot stronger than it had been. Not that most of their coworkers would believe that. Joe's expensive taste in clothes and the vintage Cobra he drove seemed to be more than enough proof to nearly all of them he was living beyond his means.

Joe sighed and moved to sit down next to Levon. The whole place only had two chairs. Joe figured who ever set of the stakeout location must have been a cheapskate. It wasn't like there wasn't room for more than a couple of metal folding chairs.

He bumped Levon's shoulder with his. "How much longer before we can leave?"

"You forget your watch again?"

"I blame you for that." Truth was he rarely wore it. Levon always had his so, Joe didn't see the need. His lover had been very grateful when Joe had presented him with the fully repaired watch. Sam had managed to fix the damage done when Levon had been hit by a car three months ago. He even found replacement turquoise stones, at minimal cost, that were very close matches to the originals.

"Ya blame me?" Levon raised both eyebrows, giving Joe a disbelieving look. "And exactly how is it my fault?"

"You distracted me."

Levon frowned. "I didn't do anything."

"You bent over." Joe leaned in and whispered. "You know very well what the sight of your ass in those jeans does to me."

Joe was delighted to see the faint blush that rose to dust color across Levon's high cheekbones. He had seen it often enough he could tell the difference between when his lover was embarrassed but flattered and just embarrassed. Levon was definitely flattered.

Levon gave him a sly look, eyes glinting. "Maybe I ought ta get dressed in the bathroom from now on."

"Don't you dare." Joe shook his finger at his lover. "Would start my day off all wrong."

Levon smirked. "But ya'd probably remember yer watch."

Joe rolled his eyes. "Like watching you slide into those sinfully tight jeans a hell of a lot more than I need to know what time it is."

"Uh-hunh." Levon snickered. "That would explain why you jus' asked me what time it was."

"I didn't ask what time it was." Joe straightened up, affronted dignity to the fore ruined by the smile he couldn't suppress. "I asked how much longer until we could leave."

"Right." Levon chuckled. "Huge difference there."

"Monumental." Joe agreed with a grin. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Got another hour 'fore our relief shows up."

Joe grimaced. "Damn."

"Amen brother." Levon yawned again. "Maybe we'll get lucky and somethin' will happen."

"We never get that lucky."

Brown eyes raked over him with a nearly tangible touch, innuendo clear in his voice when he spoke. "I'll make sure ya get lucky later."

"Cowboy... don't do that." Joe shuddered and tried to immediately rein in his imagination. "That's just mean to do when you know I can't do anything about it."

"Yeah, I know." Levon sighed and shifted in his seat.

"No hanky-panky at work." They recited in unison.

"We're in the home stretch, LaFiamma." Levon patted his shoulder before shoving him slightly. "Now git yer ass back ta your post."

"Aye, aye, Sir." Joe threw his lover a sloppy salute, and moved to go back to his window. Even though this gig was likely a wild goose chase no one would be able to accuse either of them of being slackers. The commissioner might be an ass, but they had a reputation of being very good at their jobs, and that meant they'd see this through with the same degree of competence with which they undertook every job.

The assignment wasn't really a wild goose chase on paper. The house had been a known distribution center for drugs. Somehow drugs and prostitution always seemed to go hand in hand, so it wasn't exactly a huge surprise to find patrons of the location had been busted for both. Vice had made a raid six months ago but that didn't mean they'd managed to shut down the operation completely or permanently. Periodic stakeouts were required to ensure operations didn't resume.

Joe stared out at the street. The real need for them to be here was decidedly depressing if he let himself dwell on it. This assignment wasn't the sort of thing they would normally work on, and might well be a waste of time tonight, but Joe had a feeling somewhere down the road it would be necessary. Some days their job seemed like an exercise in futility. It was like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.

"Stop thinkin' so hard."

"What?" Joe looked at Levon, startled by having his thoughts interrupted so abruptly.

"Yer gonna give yerself stress fractures in yer forehead you keep that up." Levon commented quietly, raising one hand to rub a spot between his eyes where Joe knew a line had to be forming between his own.

"Tell me again why we do this?"

"Because we're good at it." Levon answered without bragging. "We love doing it." The blond's lips quirked upward. "An' every once in awhile we put away a bad guy for good. Make the streets a little safer. Most people sleep sound at night knowin' we are doin' what we do."

Joe took a deep breath, nodding slightly, feeling better. "Thanks."

"My pleasure." Levon winked at him. "And jus' so you know, this job ain't the only thing I love."

Joe could feel a bit of color warming his own cheeks. He bit his lip and nodded once without looking at Levon. If he looked at him their no hanky-panky rule would not survive.

"Feel the same way, Cowboy."

"I know."

Joe loved hearing the confident agreement in Levon's tone. If he could just convince the other man to believe that he was beautiful he'd be set for life. Joe had tried telling him a number of times since they'd gotten together, but Levon always maintained that he wasn't beautiful. Or he just nodded and smiled humoring Joe rather than argue about it.

Joe hadn't given up the fight yet. He was just working on finding some other way to show his lover that he didn't just think him beautiful because he was besotted with him. Not that he wasn't besotted--oh he most definitely was madly, mindlessly and passionately in love with Levon--Joe just didn't think that made him biased.

Joe risked a glance over at Levon, just taking a moment to appreciate the long, lanky frame, the way his blond hair curled rebelliously out from under the ever present Stetson. Joe's fingers itched to feel those silky curls, to touch the smooth skin, to see those incredible golden brown eyes lose focus, pupils dilate in response to Joe's touch. He took a deep breath, shuddering slightly forcing himself to look away.

With concerted effort Joe focused his attention back to the target building. He didn't want his mind to wander too far from the job at hand. Even though contemplating Levon was certainly a more appealing. He counted bricks in the wall and used that boring activity to center himself.

He was grateful when Levon initiated conversation that covered their other current cases, cases that had been put on hold while they were working this stakeout. It helped pass the time, and seemed a lot more productive than what they were doing. This was mercifully the last night they had work this shitty assignment. Joe was eager to get back to taking a more proactive approach to law enforcement.

A soft tap at the door brought Joe instantly alert. He had his hand on his gun and his back against the wall in one less than a second. Levon rose smoothly out of his chair to put his back against the other wall, moving with his usual easy grace, no sign of hesitation or stiffness from having been stationary for so long. The blond traded a look with Joe, and a quick nod signaling he was ready.

Another soft knock. "Lundy? LaFiamma? It's Henderson and Vega."

Brad Henderson and Carl Vega were from Vice and their scheduled relief. Joe raised an eyebrow. Levon glanced at his watch, expression curious and wary. "They're early."

"How early?"

"Twenty minutes."

Joe frowned. He didn't like surprises on the job. They usually didn't bode well. "What the hell are they doing here?"

"Maybe we ought ta ask them that." Levon's dry tone made Joe want to smack him.

"Wise ass." Joe snorted, drawing his guns. "For that you can be the one to open the door."

"What happened ta you bein' the one who always goes first?" Levon's grumbled protest wasn't even half hearted. He was already moving toward the door, steps nearly soundless despite his boots and the hardwood floor.

Levon stayed off to the side of the door, opening it without standing in front of it. The blond's position gave Joe a clear line of sight and kept him from being framed by the door and an easy target for whoever was on the other side. Seeing who it was, Levon relaxed to lean casually against the wall, faint smile curling his lips and he folded his arms across his chest.

"You boys have trouble tellin' time?"

"Nah." Vega grinned, white teeth bright in the dim lighting. "Figured you boys might want a chance to knock off early."

"Specially since you bein' on this gig is jus' the Commissioner's way o' assertin' his authority." Henderson added with a knowing grin.

Joe grimaced, holstering his weapons unobtrusively. Henderson's nasal twang grated on Joe's nerves. His voice reminded the Chicago native of rusty hinges. He couldn't figure out how Vega could stand it.

"And what did you do to be punished?" Joe asked.

"Periodic surveillance." Vega shrugged. "Everyone on Vice takes a turn at this from time to time."

"Although, it was a real nice break for us to have you guys takin' the lion's share this week." Henderson laughed, moving further into the room. "Might want to see if we can get you reassigned permanently."

"Henderson, be best you shut up now." Levon's eyes narrowed, clearly not amused. Joe almost regretted holstering his guns. He wouldn't have to kill Henderson, just maim him a little.

"I'm sure after awhile ya'd love it." Henderson continued, grinning. "Get used to all the monotony."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but Levon neatly cut him off. "Friday. February twenty-third. Seven years ago."

The comment was cryptic to Joe but the way Henderson's mouth snapped shut made it clear he got whatever Levon was referring to. Levon arched an eyebrow, giving Henderson a significant look. The other cop looked away.

"That's what I thought." Levon nodded, raising two fingers to the brim of his hat. "You boys have a good night now, ya hear?"

As they left the building, Joe shot his partner an inquisitive look. The time frame for Levon's comment to Henderson was before Joe had gotten transferred to Houston. Seven years ago he'd never thought he'd be anywhere but Chicago.

"What was the big deal about the date you said to Henderson?"

Levon smiled wickedly. "Two days 'fore he got married."

Joe frowned, not seeing any significance in that. "So?"

"Was also his official graduation from uniform ta Vice. Him and his buddies from college started celebratin' his promotion and upcomin' wedding." Levon chuckled, head shaking slightly. "One should never underestimate how damn dumb a bunch o' drunks can be. Or creative."

Levon kept laughing as he pulled out his keys for the Jimmmy. "Was lucky for him that they ended their bar hopping tour at Chicken's. An' he called me 'fore he called in the beat cops."

Joe laughed until he nearly cried as Levon began relaying the events of that evening as he drove them to Joe's apartment. The blond's description the group of drunks movements from each bar, citing their activities along the way, all done with a straight face and put upon tone just made it that much more amusing. Joe wiped at his eyes, shaking with silent laughter as Levon kept talking.

Levon shook his head, tone torn between amusement and amazement. "Still not quite sure where the hell they got the donkey. But I know the poor thing as glad to see me as Chicken was. And I never EVEN wanted to ask what they hell they were thinking o' doing with that goat."

Joe held his sides, biting his lip to contain howls of laughter. Dear god. Some how he wasn't surprised to find out a bachelor party in Houston managed to involve livestock.

"I finally got the stripper home about five in the morning with her virtue intact if not her costume."

Joe snickered. He wasn't at all surprised to find out the girl had cold cocked not one but two of the guys there. It sounded more like Levon had to rescue the guys from her rather than the other way around.

"Took the rest o' the mornin' but I got Henderson sobered up and cleaned up and to the church on time. Have no idea where his best man ended up, but he never did make the wedding."

Joe reined in his amusement enough to ask, "Does his wife know about any of this?"

"Given how quickly he shut his mouth, I'm betting he thinks she doesn't."

Joe raised both eyebrows. "But you know better?"

"Yep." Levon grinned. "One o' his buddies had a camera with him. I know she saw the photos, and she knows I was the one to get his sorry ass to the church." Levon chuckled. "She even thanked me later for makin' sure the whole situation didn't get any worse than it was."

"You mean you just intimidated him with an empty threat?" Joe started laughing again. "That's just... so unlike you. Sneaky and underhanded." Joe patted his partner's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Cowboy. Didn't know you had it in you."

Levon shrugged. "Hey, iffen he was more of a man and came clean with his wife, I'd have nothing to hold over him."

"Point." Joe took a deep breath and then another, stifling the urge to giggle. He felt good, relaxed and at ease for what felt like far too long. "Man, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."

Levon dipped his head slightly as though bowing in acknowledgement. "Yer welcome."

Joe's apartment building was mostly dark when they arrived. At two in the morning, he hadn't really expected anything else. The parking lot was always lit as were the doorways and a few windows. Joe thought none of those lights were anywhere near as welcoming as the single porch light Levon often left lit for him.

Levon parked the Jimmy in the back lot. It wasn't exactly a hiding the vehicle, but it was certainly more discrete than if he parked out front. Only residents used the back lot so there was no through traffic, and fewer people were likely to notice his vehicle. Given the fact that they took Levon's Jimmy more than they did Joe's Cobra, often leaving the vintage sports car in the more secure police garage, Joe thought most of his neighbors likely believed it was Levon who lived there not him.

They headed for the back door. Joe frowned when he saw it had been propped open. It wasn't uncommon for some of the residents to prop the door for a delivery man. Joe hated it when they did that.

"Would it kill them to just meet the guy at the door? Or be in the lobby to meet him?" Joe bitched quietly, unable to stop himself even though Levon had heard this all many times before.

Levon just opened the door, bent down and picked up the rock being used to hold it open, took two steps and tossed it. The rock sailed easily to the edge of the parking lot. It wouldn't keep people from doing the same thing again, but they'd definitely have to find something else to do it with or be willing to go further a field to retrieve the rock.

Joe made sure the door shut firmly behind them, still grumbling about the stupidity of people. Levon ignored his complaints with a practiced ease. Joe couldn't decide if he was reassured or annoyed by that. He opted to table that for when he had a more serious complaint or round of venting going on.

Joe would ordinarily take the stairs to his apartment, but Levon preferred the more expedient elevator. At this time of the morning he sided with his partner. He didn't have the energy or inclination to tackle ten flights of stairs.

Levon yawned and shifted his weight slightly from where he leaned against the back wall of the elevator to rest against Joe. It was something he did often enough that Joe had already braced himself to accept the added weight, smoothly supporting his partner. He liked knowing Levon trusted him enough to just take his support for granted, to relax his need for space down to non-existent. It was something Joe had seen Levon do very rarely with anyone else.

The faint ding of the elevator announced their arrival on Joe's floor and Levon straightened, pulling away. The Italian cop already missed the feel of Levon's weight and warmth. He sighed silently and reminded himself they'd be in his apartment soon.

Despite Levon's earlier statement about him getting lucky, Joe was certain all they'd be doing was going to bed to sleep. They were both too tired to really do more than that. Still, in the grand scheme of things, Joe considered himself damn lucky to have even that much. And he was sure they'd make up for the rest tomorrow.

Joe opened the door to his apartment, and deactivated the alarm. He'd had the alarm added as an extra precaution when a suspect on a case began stalking him. The suspect managed to break into his place at one point, and Joe wanted to ensure that never happened again.

He'd tried to convince Levon to get a security system as well. The cowboy refused stating his place was far enough off the beaten path only those who knew were to look were going to find it. And if they knew where to look, a security alarm wasn't likely to deter them much.

"You want something to eat?" It wasn't uncommon for Levon to have a snack before bed when they worked a long or late shift. The blond's higher metabolism needed a bit more fuel more frequently than Joe's.

"Nah." Levon took off his hat, hanging it from the hook Joe had installed near the door for just that purpose, fingers running through his hair. "I'm good."

Joe nodded. Together they headed for the spiral stairs and bed. They took turns using the master bath, completing their usual nightly rituals swiftly.

Joe kept the air conditioning in the bedroom set at a temperature that made snuggling under the blankets something he was comfortable doing. Which mean it was just a bit cooler than Levon would prefer. The Texan never complained about it, but he definitely tended toward stealing the covers when they slept at Joe's place.

Joe pulled Levon in close when they slid under the comforter. Levon shivered, burrowing into Joe, seeking the warmth he freely offered. Joe naturally found himself playing with Levon's hair as he did every night, enjoying the silky feel of the curls running through his fingers. Levon sighed softly in response to Joe's actions, warm air ghosting over his bare skin. Eliciting that sigh was nearly as nice as the feel of Levon's hair sliding between his fingers.

Joe could almost feel Levon falling asleep. He unconsciously cataloged muscles twitching a bit randomly as they relaxed, breathing slowing and getting deeper, the increased heaviness. He loved being able to share this, found it nearly impossible to sleep without it.

Joe felt as though he'd just closed his eyes when a blaring alarm, shrill and piercing startled him. Levon was up and moving just as quickly as Joe, both of them reaching for guns left nearby... Levon's in the night stand and Joes hanging from the bedpost. It took Joe a second to realize the klaxon he was hearing was the fire alarm and not a danger they needed to be armed for.

"Shit." Levon cursed softly, turning on the bedside lamp, giving them enough light to see by. The Texan was out of bed and scrabbling for his jeans a second later. Joe was right behind grabbing a pair of slacks he'd uncharacteristically left lying on the floor, unconsciously maintaining his hold on his guns simply switching the shoulder holsters from one hand to another as needed.

Levon grabbed a shirt, starting to pull it on when he must have realized it wasn't his. He called Joe's name tossing it to him. For once Joe was glad he'd just left his clothes where he'd dropped them rather than hanging them up or putting them in the hamper. It certainly made it easier to handle this situation.

Levon didn't bother to button his shirt, as he moved toward the stairs, slipping his shoulder holster so that it was secure but not really buckled on. Joe hesitated for a moment. If the building was really on fire then there was definitely something he wasn't leaving behind. He stepped toward his dresser and grabbed the beautiful ornate, silver gilt frame that held the only picture he had of Levon as a child.

Not wanting the frame or photo to be damaged, Joe looked for something to wrap it in. The blaring alarm made it hard to think, its high-pitched tone designed to encourage movement not thoughtful consideration. Levon had stopped in the bedroom doorway, expression clearly asking Joe what the hold up was.

Joe held up the photo. "I need something to wrap it in." He didn't yell but he definitely had to raise his voice to be heard.

Levon nodded. If anyone would understand the importance of a picture it was Levon. The cowboy's photo wall at the ranch was proof of the value he placed on photo remembrances.

Levon grabbed the yellow silk robe Joe had gotten him from the nearby bathroom door. He tossed it to Joe. "Now let's get the hell out o' here."

Joe grinned, carefully wrapping up the photo as he followed Levon down the stairs. He knew his partner loved that robe. He could have grabbed anything.

Joe grimaced as he realized he could have grabbed anything too. He just didn't know what to use since he couldn't figure out what to leave behind. Joe tried not to think about all the things he was leaving behind. He knew better. No matter the sentimental or monetary value none of it was worth dying for. The only thing he ever considered worth dying for was already moving in front of him, pulling on boots over bare feet and reaching for his Stetson.

Joe slid into his loafers. He opened the door and bit back a curse. The sprinklers in the hall had kicked in. Levon just shook his head, a resigned expression on his face as he pulled his hat down firmly.

"We need ta make sure the buildin' is clear." Levon commented, leaning in slightly so Joe could hear him clearly.

Joe nodded. He tucked the silk wrapped bundle inside his shirt and headed for the stairs. They'd start at the top and work their way down. How anyone could sleep through the alarms and sprinklers and the sound of other people fleeing, Joe couldn't even begin to fathom, but he knew it could and did happen.

The sirens were in the hallways, so stepping into the stairwell muted them, a fact Joe was grateful for. His ears had been starting to ring. "You wanna split up floors?"

"Hell no." Levon answered firmly as they started to climb. "If this place really is on fire then I ain't lettin' you outta my sight."

Joe nodded. The last thing he wanted was to lose track of his partner in a burning building. The day had already been bad enough. No reason to turn it into one of his worst nightmares.

Getting to the top floor took them less than five minutes. Joe thought they might have set a record. He grinned at Levon.

"Not even breathing hard, Cowboy." He patted him on the shoulder. "Not too shabby."

"Shaddup." Levon smirked, brown eyes dancing. "Told ya I didn't need ta work out."

Joe chuckled, shaking his head. "You want the right side or the left?"

"Left." Levon moved out of the stairwell and started banging on doors. Joe took the right side of the hall, cursing the sprinklers for a second time.

Joe got a response from half the doors he hammered on. He brusquely ordered people out, making damn sure they didn't hang around and try and decide what they needed to take with them. Doors no one answered he simply kicked in. He knew Levon was doing the same. There'd be more than one tenant who'd need to have the door jamb repaired.

People were moving toward the stairs in a more or less orderly fashion. Clearing the top floor they followed the last of the tenants down and headed for the next floor. It was a repeat of the top floor. By the third floor down they encountered a lot fewer people. Joe was pleased to note that most of his neighbors seemed to be sensible sorts.

By the time they were back to Joe's floor he knew for certain the fire alarm had a valid reason for blaring. Smoke was starting to fill the stairwell. Levon grimaced, brown eyes narrowed in concern, coughing.

"Gonna have to leave this ta the experts soon."

Joe pursed his lips, reluctantly forced to agree. "One more floor."

"One more." Levon agreed.

Joe was damn glad he hadn't pushed for more when they were done. The smoke was so dense he couldn't see more than a foot or two in front of him. It wasn't the exertion that had him breathing hard. He kept a hand on Levon as they headed for the ground floor and outside not wanting to lose him in the increasingly dense smoke. If he had to guess he was betting the fire had begun on one of the lower floors.

Instinctively he worried that they might not be able to actually get out of the building. Joe clamped down hard on that fear and just kept moving. He kept one arm one Levon and the other hugged his chest making sure he still had the photo he'd grabbed before they'd left his apartment. He was relieved when they encountered firemen in full gear heading up.

"You two the last?"

The question was muffled coming through the fireman's mask but it was clear enough for Joe to understand. "Think so." He coughed. "Checked all the floors above nine."

"You checked?" One of the fireman gave Joe a look that he'd given to civilians once or twice when they'd done something particularly stupid that was best reserved for professionals.

"We're cops." Joe couldn't tell if Levon's gruff tone was due to annoyance or from inhaling smoke. The look in his eyes made Joe think it was the former more than the latter.

The firemen nodded, and pointed them toward the door. Joe didn't argue. Levon kept pace with him, both of them damn glad to finally be outside and breathing fresh air.

Joe coughed and turned his head to the side to spit the foul taste out of his mouth. He knew his partner was doing the same. Emergency personnel started leading them toward waiting ambulances. Not really feeling up to fighting, Joe figured it would be easier to go along for now. But if they tried to load him up in one, all bets were off.

He didn't shrug off the blanket they gave him. Running through the sprinklers had left him with decidedly damp clothing. He saw Levon shiver and wrap the blanket he'd been given more tightly around himself.

Joe sipped from the water bottle he'd been offered, letting the cool liquid ease the raw feeling in his throat. He moved to offer it to Levon before he realized his partner had been given his own bottle. Joe eyed all the people milling around. The crowd was composed of rescue and emergency personnel, tenants and the inevitable gawkers that seemed drawn to any disaster no matter what time or how big or small. He hated them.

Knowing how Levon felt about crowds, he bumped Levon's shoulder with his to get his attention. "Wanna wait in the Jimmy?"

"Yeah." Levon looked decidedly relieved.

They made their way to the Jimmy, working their way to the edge of the crowd and around rather than directly through them. It wasn't until they were at the door of the Jimmy that it occurred to Joe they hadn't grabbed the keys. He felt like thumping his head against the door.

Joe frowned at Levon when the blond bent down near the right front bumper clearly reaching for something. "Cowboy, what are you doing?"

"Gettin' the spare key."

"You keep a spare in the bumper?"

"Yep." Levon held up a small magnetic box clearly designed for just that purpose.

"Hunh." Joe sipped his water. "Never knew that was there."

"Ya didn't ask." Levon gave him a small grin, eyes twinkling.

Joe gave him a half-hearted glare. He should have known better. He made a sweeping gesture toward the door, inviting Levon to unlock the truck. Levon's chuckle was broken off by a painful sounding cough that nearly doubled him over.

Joe was at his side immediately, reaching out to help. He hadn't thought either of them had breathed in that much smoke. Levon waved him off, breathing easily after a moment, brown eyes glancing significantly toward the mob of people only a few feet away.

"Don't think any of them even know we exist, Levon." Joe pointed out, moving closer, handing moving to rub down his lover's back, needing to touch, to connect. The Italian gave the crowd a disgusted glance. "Bunch of vultures the lot of them."

"Not all." Levon contradicted him quietly, brown eyes sympathetic. "Some o' them are like you... they're watchin' the possible loss o' everythin' they own."

Joe nodded, conceding the point. He continued to rub Levon's back. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Levon gave him a concerned look, glancing toward the building they'd recently vacated and back again. "You?"

Joe shrugged, blue eyes turning bleak. A ghost of a smile caused his lips to turn upward with a grim determination. "Hell, Levon, I have half my stuff at your house anyway."

"Lookin' for a silver linin'?" Levon raised an eyebrow.

Joe sighed deeply, not surprised his partner saw through him. "As best I can."

"We both got out alive." Levon pointed out helpfully. "Looks like everyone did."

Joe nodded. He was already decidedly grateful for that. He moved his hand to cup the back of Levon's neck, saying so physically before doing the same verbally.

He felt Levon shiver again. "Let's get in the damn truck, Levon. Turn the heater on."

"Good idea." Levon was quick to unlock the truck and fire it up. Joe untucked his securely wrapped picture, placing the silk bundle carefully on the back seat.

They watched as several black and whites pull in. "Looks like crowd control is here."

"Yep." Levon sighed, glancing at his watch. Joe only just realized now that his lover must have forgotten to take it off when they went to bed. Unlike his bracelet which he removed only to shower, Levon usually took his watch off at night. Joe patted his chest absently feeling for his pendant, relieved to find it securely around his neck right were it belonged.

"Likely be hours 'fore this mess is cleaned up." Levon pointed out tiredly, one hand rubbing at eyes that had to be irritated as Joe knew his own were. "You wanna just talk ta the uni's and come back after the sun rises?"

Some part of him wanted to stay. Wanted to observe the ongoing effort to ensure the building wasn't totally destroyed. But logically Joe knew there wasn't anything he could do, and the uniforms would be actively encouraging the residents to find other places to stay for the night or rather early morning. Biting his lip, Joe nodded.

Levon found his hand and squeezed it once in reassurance. "It'll be okay, Joe."

"I know." Joe tried to sound confident, forced himself to dwell on the positives. It hurt to think of the loss of his possessions. Sentimental items like the crystal glasses that had belonged to his mother, packed in double layers of bubble wrap to ensure they survived the trek from Chicago to Houston in one piece. The photo albums on his coffee table full of family photos. The furniture wasn't anything he was personally attached to, with the possible exception of the bed, but it would still be expensive to replace.

He cleared his throat and squeezed Levon's hand in return. "I know." Joe repeated with more force.

Levon nodded. He pulled the Jimmy around and maneuvered close to one of the patrol cars, whistling shrilly to get one of the uniformed officers' attention. Joe didn't really pay any attention to the conversation, eyes still focused on the building fire trucks were preparing to hose down. So far he hadn't seen any flames, just a lot of smoke. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He focused on the Levon's conversation just in time to hear the uniformed officer promise to radio the station and report to their superior, Joanne Beaumont that they were alright. Joe grimaced. He'd forgotten that she'd probably get a call once the fire came across the scanner. Standard procedure was to notify the superior officer of any cop involved in an 'incident'. Somehow he thought his home burning should qualify as more than that, but he honestly didn't want to label it a tragedy. Those always equaled fatality in his mind.

Levon thanked him and rolled up the window. He slowly wove the Jimmy around the various vehicles and people that had suddenly taken up residency in the parking lot. Joe counted the fire trucks, not sure if the fact there were only three was a positive sign or not.

He shrugged out of his blanket. With the heater on it was simply too warm for him to be comfortable. Levon reached to adjust the heat output but Joe stopped him.

"If you're still cold, I can deal with being too hot."

"Jus' gonna turn it down a bit, Joe." Levon smiled. "Wasn't plannin' to turn it off."

Joe smiled back. He forced himself to relax, taking deep breaths in and letting them out slowly. Levon drove silently, letting Joe do what he needed to do. It was one of the many things about his lover that made the man so endearing... he knew when Joe just needed time to center himself.

They drove to the ranch in silence. Joe sighed, lips curling slightly at the irony. They should have just headed for the ranch to begin with.

Once inside, Levon toed out of his boots, hung up his hat before heading for the bathroom. "Don't know about you but I want a shower."

Joe sniffed, pulling a face at the pungent smoke scent that lingered on their clothing. If they were going to get any sleep a shower was most definitely in order. He followed Levon to the bathroom, striping out of his still damp clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor next to Levon's. He carefully removed his pendant, hanging it on the small hook near the vanity that had been put there for just that purpose. Levon's bracelet and watch were in a small turned wooden bowl Joe had bought for him to use.

Stepping into the shower Joe sighed deeply. The warm water on his skin felt wonderful. Having Levon's hands on him felt even better. Showering together was always a pleasure even when they didn't do anything else.

Joe dropped his head as Levon lathered his back, strong fingers lightly massaging as they went, easing tension in his shoulders. The blond worked his way down the length of Joe's frame, missing nothing. He remained kneeling, tapping Joe's calf, a signal between them for him to turn, before he worked his way back up. It didn't matter that they'd done this countless times before, Joe was still amazed at how good such simple physical contact could make him feel.

Levon leaned in and kissed him, a gentle, reassuring touch of warm lips to his. "You feelin' better?"

"Much." Joe hugged Levon to him. "Think it's your turn, Cowboy."

Joe turned them easily so Levon was now fully under the spray. He liked to start by shampooing Levon's hair. The Texan relaxed quickly under his ministrations, a whisper soft moan escaping from him when Joe massaged his neck and shoulders.

Joe never got tired of how readily Levon respond to him. He would never admit it out loud that it was a serious ego boost to know he was the only person Levon let this close, the only one who saw him this way. It also was decidedly humbling. He never wanted to do anything that would betray that trust or that would deny him moments like these.

Joe lathered his hands and continued to wash his lover, paying special attention to the usual sore spots, places where Levon habitually stored his tension. He enjoyed knowing that they could give and take equally. He'd never met anyone who balanced him even half as well as Levon did.

The water was beginning to cool by the time they were finished. Toweling off, Joe yawned. He was more than ready to lay down and sleep. He grimaced thinking about just how soon the sun would be coming up.

A feather light touch to his brow smoothed the lines he knew were there. Levon kissed the tip of his nose making him smile. "That's better."

The blond laid his cheek against Joe's. It was a simple gesture that in Joe's mind was almost more intimate than getting or giving a kiss. Joe marveled at how smooth Levon's skin still was, no rough stubble like he knew covered his own jaw. Not for the first time did he wonder if it was because Levon was blond or if the straight razor he used some how gave him a closer shave.

Joe wrapped his arms around Levon, hugging him tightly for a moment before letting go. "Let's go to bed, Cowboy."

Levon nodded and led the way to the bedroom. He slid in beneath the light quilt Rosa had sent them. Joe curled up behind him, cradling his lover to him, sighing in contentment. Everything might not be entirely right with his world, but at the moment it was still pretty damn good.

"Nothin' we can't handle together, Joe." Levon reminded him as he entwined their fingers.

Joe smiled, placing a kiss in Levon's still damn hair. "Damn straight." They'd get some sleep, regroup and be ready to take on the world. As long as they were together, Joe reiterated silently, there was nothing they couldn't handle.

---

Levon suppressed the desire to curse as he looked at the damage done to Joe's apartment. According to the firemen still on the scene the fire had been confined to the first five floors, well below Joe's place. But smoke and water had clearly wreaked havoc.

Levon shook his head. Water was still dripping from the ceiling and soot streaked the walls. The carpet was soaked, little squishing noises announcing his movements into the apartment.

The Texan looked at his partner still standing in the doorway. Joe seemed torn between being devastated and disgusted. He walked back and put a hand on Joe's shoulder, squeezing once.

"You could jus' let the insurance guys and inspectors do this, ya know?"

Joe shook his head. "If there's anything salvageable, I want it. And I want to be the one to decide what's worth saving and what isn't."

"Okay." Levon had already looked up the names and numbers of several companies that specialized in restoring and repairing things damaged by smoke and water. He'd give he list to Joe once they'd gone through the apartment.

He was already fairly certain the things Joe was going to be looking for were items of sentimental value. It is what he would be doing, what he'd need to do. The professionals could look at whatever Joe deemed important as well as the rest when the time was right.

Joe finally moved into the apartment, steps projecting a confident and unconcerned manner Levon knew was an act. The blond didn't call him on it, opting just to go with it. Sometimes the only way to get through something was to act as though it didn't touch you. It was how Levon handled nearly every homicide.

Joe headed into the kitchen, opening cupboards cautiously. Levon watched and waited. The slight relaxation in the set of Joe's shoulders told him his partner had found something important was still intact or at least repairable.

Joe reached into the cupboard and withdrew a delicate looking crystal wine glass. He smiled, one finger tracing the rim. The faint ring that corresponded to the action told Levon that the glass was not only of very good quality it was also wet. He knew the four glasses were of particular sentimental value to Joe. They were originally a set of twelve that had been a wedding present his grandmother had given to his mother. The set had been split up among Joe and his siblings when their parents died.

The Texan's brown eyes wandered upward wondering just how much water was going to keep seeping through from the upper floors. He was no expert but he was guessing it would be months before the place completely dried out, if ever. Insulation and dry wall would undoubtedly need replaced. He was betting the entire building would have to be gutted.

Levon glanced around the kitchen. He didn't figure smoke and fire would have done much damage to Joe's pots and pans or his cutlery. He cocked his head considering the appliances. They might be salvageable. Any food in the fridge was definitely a lost cause, of that Levon was sure. The fire company had turned the power off to prevent shorts.

Joe finished looking through the kitchen and headed for the living room. Levon trailed behind, hand brushing Joe's back lightly to let him know he was there. He winced as he took in the state of the living room. The formerly beautiful and in Levon's opinion decidedly uncomfortable couch sagged from the weight of water, the upholstery looked to be ruined.

He felt as well as saw Joe flinch and followed Joe's line of sight. The photo album lay in a puddle of water on the coffee table. Levon bit back a silent curse as Joe reached with shaking fingers to touch the leather bound book. He wanted to tell Joe to leave it alone, to not open it, but he knew better than to say anything. Joe needed this and no matter how much it hurt to watch, Levon was willing to let him do whatever he needed to.

He kept a hand on Joe's shoulder, feeling the tension there as Joe opened the album. The soft, pained sigh nearly undid him. His earlier resolve lost, Levon reached around and gently pulled Joe's hand away from the album and closed it carefully, almost reverently.

Overly bright blue eyes met his. He knew Joe was going to protest his action, and Levon shook his head. "Don't need to see the damage, Joe."

"Yes, I do."

"You already know they are lost." Levon argued softly.

"But..."

"But nothin'." Levon cupped Joe's face, leaning to place his forehead against Joe's. "You don't need ta hurt yourself any more here." His thumb lightly stroked Joe's cheek. "I'm sure yer family can send you copies o' most of these. You didn't lose 'em forever."

Joe sighed and moved to pull Levon into a hug. "Thank you."

"Yer welcome." Levon hugged him hard before pulling back. "You okay?"

"Better." Joe gave him a wry look. His eyes darkened in concern. "You?"

"I'm fine." Levon waved a hand in dismissal, and neatly avoided looking at Joe. He was supposed to be here to help Joe, not the other way around. "You wanna head upstairs?" Levon turned, stepping away from Joe to look up to the loft, trying to redirect the conversation.

"Levon..."

"It's okay, Joe." Levon gave his lover a reassuring glance over his shoulder, willing him to drop it.

Joe frowned, reaching out to catch Levon's arm, eyes holding the blond in place as surely has his grip. "You sure?"

Levon patted Joe's hand, fingers unable to not add the ghost of a caress over Joe's knuckles. Joe tipped his head letting Levon know he was willing to leave it alone for now, squeezing Levon's arm before letting to and pointing toward the stairs with his chin. "Upstairs it is."

Levon started up the steps cautiously. They seemed sound enough if a little slippery from the water. He stepped aside once at the top, making room for Joe to go first. Joe raised a hand to cup the back of Levon's neck, a faint reassuring caress before he moved past.

The bedroom appeared to be just more of the same. Levon figured the mattress and box springs were a lost cause but the bed frame, nightstands and dresser could be refinished or painted easily enough, once they had a chance to dry out. They were good, solid hardwood and it wouldn't take that much to save them assuming they dried without warping or cracking. He said as much to Joe.

Joe glanced over at him, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Cowboy, I don't know the first thing about refinishing furniture."

"S'okay." Levon shrugged. "I do."

"You do?" Joe raised both eyebrows.

"Refinished the bedroom set in the spare bedroom." Levon stated offhandedly.

Caroline had bought the set at a yard sale and brought it home one day about a year after they'd gotten married. She'd been convinced he could restore it to its former glory, never mind that at the time he didn't know a damn thing about furniture or wood working. But still newly married and wanting to make his wife happy, Levon had set to learning how. It had taken the better part of two years between the job and being a novice, but the end results had been worth it.

Beneath the ugly avocado green paint had been a beautifully smooth grain hard rock maple that he'd sanded and stained to a warm golden brown hue. Caroline thought she'd eventually be tucking a little girl or boy into that bed, putting away small clothes in dove-tailed drawers, but it was not to be. Given how progressively bad things had gotten between them by the time Caroline was killed, Levon couldn't bring himself to regret their never having children.

"You think you could do mine?" Joe asked softly bringing him back to the present.

"Don't see why not." Levon responded with a smile. "Got room in the barn." He bit his lower lip, brown eyes meeting blue. "You wouldn't rather have an expert do it for ya?"

"Want you to, Cowboy." Joe's tone was decisive, no doubt or hesitation.

"Long as yer sure." Levon hedged slightly, giving Joe another out just in case.

"Know you'll do a great job with it." Joe responded with a grin. "Wouldn't mind if you lightened it up a bit. Dark stain suited me when I bought it but I think something warmer is in order now."

Levon nodded, considering. He could find something lighter, something less dramatic than the suite's original stain. "Means yer gonna have to get a whole new decor, ya know?" Levon kept his voice light, teasing.

Joe snorted, eyes twinkling. "Like I didn't already know that."

"Point." Levon pursed his lips. "This is gonna take awhile."

"Not in any hurry, Cowboy." Joe looked around. "From the looks of things it's going to be awhile before I'll be moving back in."

It was definitely going to take awhile. If ever. Levon frowned, wondering if Joe really felt a need to hang on to the place. Hi possessions might be important, but other than it simply being a place to put those things, the apartment didn't seem to hold any special value to Joe.

They'd only ever touched briefly on moving in together. They hadn't found a way to really do that without raising eyebrows. Getting rid of both their places to moving in together somewhere new or one moving in with the other would simply raise too many questions. The fire might just have provided them with a golden opportunity.

Levon smiled slyly. "You know I got that spare room."

Joe frowned. "Yeah."

"Yer gonna need a place to stay." Levon pointed out reasonably, tone leading.

"I will at that." Joe smiled, catching on quickly to what Levon was implying.

"Suppose I should invite you nice and formal like?" Levon couldn't help grinning. "Jus' so everyone knows."

"Well," Joe rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I wouldn't object to an engraved invitation. Maybe with gilt lettering. Staring out with something like, you are cordially invited."

Levon snickered. "Don't go getting carried away there."

"Right, right." Joe chuckled. "No one would ever believe that anyway."

"Thank God." Levon shook his head. "Not exactly the image I want to cultivate."

"What?" Joe waggled his eyebrows. "You don't want to be thought of as refined and sophisticated?"

"Nah more like stuffy and pompous." Levon laughed lightly.

Joe sobered, giving him a frank look. "You going to just make an announcement in the bull pen then?"

"Was thinkin' o' making it a bit more casual than that." Levon shrugged. "Someone is bound ta ask if you need a place to stay or offer you something. Way rumors circulate in that place, I'm bettin' we'd only have to tell one or two people that I'm puttin' you up and everyone'll know in short order." Levon waved a hand in a meaningless, encompassing gesture. "Hell, more'n half of them will probably be expectin' me to. They know the house has room for it, I'm your partner, and we're friends. Would be natural for me ta offer ya a place ta stay."

Joe nodded. "True." He cocked his head studying Levon. "How long you thing we can play that... me staying because you are just a good friend and partner?"

"Hard ta say." Levon shrugged one shoulder. "Don't imagine anyone will even think to question it until this place is fit ta live in again."

"And after that?"

Levon raised his eyebrows and made an encouraging motion. "Meaning?"

Joe hesitated, biting his lower lip. "Move in with you, Cowboy, not sure I'm going to want to move out."

Levon blinked, staring at Joe in surprise unable to believe his lover even thought that would be a problem. Shaking off his disbelief, Levon was quick to counter the faint worry he read in Joe's voice and expression. "Pretty damn sure I'm not going to want you to."

Levon stepped closer to gently cup Joe's face with both hands, brown eyes searching blue. "Want you with me. Want to be with you. Any time, any place. We'll make it work." He lightly caressed Joe's cheek. "I love you."

Joe smiled, eyes warming. "Love you too."

"Good." Levon patted his face once firmly. "That's settled. The rest we'll deal with as it comes. Okay?"

"Okay."

Levon nodded decisively pleased to have that settled. "Anything else you wanna look at here?"

"Want to check the closet." Joe sighed. "Can probably just drop the bulk of it off with the dry cleaner and hope for the best."

Levon privately thought this was a golden opportunity for Joe to clean out his closet but refrained from saying anything. His lover was a clothes horse, it was something he'd come to terms with a long time ago. He knew anything that was ruined would be replaced in short order. Probably that and then some.

He watched as Joe did a quick inventory of his stuff, checking the closet and the dresser. Levon took whatever his lover handed him into the bathroom, wrung it out in the tub and then placed it in a heavy duty garbage bag he'd gotten from the kitchen. They'd drop everything off at the dry cleaners on their way to the office.

Levon was honestly surprised Joe didn't take more. He gave his lover an inquisitive look, waiting to see what Joe would say. His lover looked sheepish, shrugging. "Half my stuff is already at your house, Levon. And I have to leave something for the insurance guys."

Levon laughed and shook his head looking at the still mostly full closet. He was fairly certain the insurance guys wouldn't have a clue how much Joe had or didn't have. They might have an inventory of other items, but Levon seriously doubted Joe updated the list every time he bought something. He'd be updating all the time if that was the case.

"We ready to go then?"

"Just about." Joe hesitated for a second. "Want to take my mother's glasses with us but..."

"But what?"

"I don't have anything to wrap them in or to put them in for that matter." Joe frowned, looking decidedly disappointed.

"Not a problem, Joe." Levon smiled. "Got boxes and some newspaper in the Jimmy."

Joe stared at him. "I didn't see you put anything in the truck."

"Did that 'fore you got up." Levon shrugged. "Didn't figure the fire would do much damage ta yer kitchen stuff."

"If I didn't already love you," Joe grinned, "I sure would have good reason to now."

Levon felt his cheeks warm. "Yer welcome." He cleared his throat. "I'll... ah, take this stuff down," Levon held up the garbage back loaded with sodden clothing, "an' bring up a box and some paper."

Joe nodded silently, his grin broadening just a bit. Levon silently cursed being fair skinned. It made it so damn hard to hide blushing, something he still thought he should have grown out of by now.

He left Joe once more assessing his bedroom. Levon wished to hell he'd thought to bring the boxes and paper up with him so he wouldn't have to make the trip up and down the stairs twice.

"Let that be a lesson to you." Levon muttered to himself. He sighed. Joe would tell him this was good exercise. At least with Joe living at his place full time he wouldn't have climb these damn stair again any time soon.

He left the bag on the floor of the back seat of the Jimmy and grabbed one of the boxes and the two of the Sunday papers. Levon had a feeling Joe would want to wrap his mother's crystal in more than one sheet a piece. He tucked the box under his arm and took the stairs two at a time on the way up.

He grinned to himself when he got to Joe's floor still breathing easily. "Need ta work out my ass."

Joe met him in the kitchen, taking the box and the paper. Levon watched as Joe triple wrapped each glass and padded the space between each one with several crumbled sheets of newspaper. The care with which he handled each one made Levon very glad they'd survived unscathed. They were obviously irreplaceable.

Once the glasses were packed they headed for the Jimmy. Beaumont already knew they'd be late getting to work, but she fully expected them to put in an appearance. She called the ranch first thing in that morning checking on them and giving them an update on the status of the building. She'd even gotten them permission to be in Joe's apartment before anyone else would be allowed in the building. Levon didn't know what strings she'd pulled but he made a note to thank her.

He was fairly certain that their case load would probably have been shuffled slightly. Smaller, less important or not as pressing stuff reassigned to others in the department or their friends and coworkers likely volunteered to help out. Joe might have been something of an outsider when he first arrived but he was definitely one of their own now; they'd help out any way they could.

Levon looked over at Joe when he sighed softly as they got in the Jimmy. "Something wrong?" Levon winced at his own stupid question. "Aside from the obvious that is."

Joe's lips quirked upward in small smile. "Was just thinking last night, before we finished that stupid stake out, how good it would be to have things back to normal. But this sure isn't it."

"I'm not sure what does qualify as normal for us." Levon pointed out thoughtfully, keeping a wary eye on the other vehicles on the road as he pulled out of the parking lot and merged with traffic. Houston drivers tended to be a bit careless and very aggressive. "Ya ask Beaumont and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't rule out the Armageddon as bein' a daily occurrence for us."

Joe laughed, eyes dancing. "I think she's biased, Cowboy."

"Anyone who knows us is gonna be biased, Joe."

Joe shot him a dirty look. "That's not true."

"Five bucks says you can't find anyone ta say otherwise." Levon issued the challenge confidently.

Joe grimaced after a moment, clearly running through everyone they knew. He sighed heavily. "No bet." He shot Levon a dirty look. "Have I told you how much I hate it when you're right?"

"Once or twice." Levon admitted with a sly smile. "Haven't really been counting."

He didn't have to look at his partner to know he was rolling his eyes. Things might not be exactly normal for them just yet, but they were getting there. Levon figured by the end of the day they'd be even closer. At least he hoped so.

"You think Beaumont will be upset if I spend most of the day on the phone dealing with..." Joe made a frustrated, encompassing hand gesture.

"Nah." Levon grinned. "Sort o' got the impression she wanted us both in the bullpen where she could keep an eye on us and help out if need be."

Joe sighed. "This little incident is not helping to erase her belief that we are problem children is it?"

"Nope." Levon didn't think Joe would care to know that image was more or less set in concrete. There wasn't much they could do to change it now.

"I'm sorry, Levon."

"For what?" Levon looked at him in confusion. To the best of his knowledge Joe hadn't done anything he had to apologize for.

"Know you didn't plan on spending today riding a desk."

Levon snorted. It might not be his first choice but spending a day at the office as the least of his worries. "Can't tell me you planned for yer building to be on a fire and for yer apartment to be just this side of doubling as an aquarium."

"Good point."

"Best get yer game face on, boy." Levon grinned as they neared the office. "Gonna be people offerin' sympathy and saying stupid things in equal measure most o' the day."

Joe pursed his lips, annoyance and distaste readily apparent. "And let's not forget those long silences when they can't figure out what to say and don't know enough to just go the hell away."

"Yeah." Levon agreed with a quiet sigh. He remembered those clearly from when Caroline died. He knew they meant well, but it got old in a hurry. Levon wondered just how many miles of the road to hell were paved with platitudes and painful silences. More than he cared to think about.

"You want me to run interference for ya?" Levon offered. It wouldn't be hard to do. Levon was confident he could enlist some assistance from their friends if need be.

"Nah." Joe shook his head. "I can take it, Cowboy. Don't need you acting as guard dog for the day." Joe reached over to entwine their fingers. "But I wouldn't mind if you stayed close."

Levon squeezed Joe's hand. "Already planned to."

"Good."

---

Annie Hartung studied the report in front of her. It wasn't entirely surprising to see the fire marshal's preliminary report characterized the fire at Joe's apartment building as arson. She had trouble picturing his building bursting into flames accidentally. It was too new to have issues related to worn and faulty wiring or overloaded circuits, the usual accidental causes of fire.

The main accelerant was easy enough to pin down, good old fashioned gasoline. Annie shook her head. Whoever had set the fire must have planned to be fast or was very careless. Gasoline was so highly volatile that in an enclosed space if not lit immediately the fumes would more likely cause an explosion than just start a fire.

Traces of an accelerant had been found sprayed on the walls of the first floor, not far from the main lobby. The fire marshal had sent samples to her for further analysis and a second opinion. The fire lab was not as well equipped as hers.

The fire had evidently started at the base of the basement steps and spread upward to the first floor, following the trail of gasoline soaked carpet down the hall. The pictures of the stairwell showed a heavy metal door that bore scorch marks clearly indicative of something highly flammable being placed against it. According the fire marshal's notes the door had both a dead bolt and chain lock. Annie had no idea why the landlord thought both the deadbolt and chain were required but she made a note to ask Joe. The landlord might have had problems of some kind before.

A soft knock at the door brought her head up. Levon was standing in the door way. "I can come back if yer busy, Annie."

"Never too busy for you, Levon." Annie smiled. She held up the report she'd been reading. "Just looking over the fire marshal's report."

Levon blinked. "He's done already?"

"Preliminary report." Annie shrugged. "Three days is the usual turn around time for that, especially when they've determined it was arson." Once a suspected arson was confirmed the marshal put it to the top of the list.

"Arson?" Levon's jaw tightened, brown eyes hardening dangerously. "They sure?"

"Just seeking confirmation from me. And some technical help with the investigation."

"Damn." Levon cursed softly, hands flexing into tight fists and then relaxing only to curl again. "They got any leads yet?"

Annie recognized the tone. The question was so softly spoken, nearly gentle, and it marked Levon as his most furious. She hesitated for a moment knowing he wasn't going to like her answer, but also knowing she couldn't tell him anything else.

"They may have a few." Annie kept her voice level and calm. "But I can't really talk about that with you."

"Why?"

His eyes reminded her of smoky quartz, just as hard and unreadable. Annie sighed softly thinking today would have been a good day to have just stayed in bed. Reluctantly she answered him. "You are not, and cannot be involved in the investigation. I can't share information about an on-going investigation with you, particularly not one you are this close to personally."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, obviously struggling to retain control. "Annie..."

"You know better."

He closed his eyes and nodded slowly, expression shifting from angry to something she couldn't quite read. Annie hadn't been sure he'd let it go so easily. Although, based on his past history she had a sneaking suspicion that he'd simply go elsewhere for the information. It wouldn't be the first time. Levon had friends in a lot of places. And a lot of people owed him favors. She knew that for Joe he wouldn't hesitate to call in a marker if he had to, and she wasn't foolish enough to think she could stop him.

"You... ah... you might want to tell 'em to check the cameras that cover the back door. Joe and I found it propped open when we got his place that morning."

"They already sent me copies of the film from the cameras." Another tech was scheduled to take a look at those and see if there was anything useful to be had. "I'll make sure we focus on the back door."

Levon nodded again, eyes opening to met hers. "Do me a favor?"

"If I can."

"Let me know when we can help."

"That I can do." Annie smiled knowing full well that he'd likely already have information long before she did. "What was it that brought you down here?"

"It'll keep. Jus' lookin' for yer help on a case." Levon made an obvious effort to smile. "You got more important things to be doing."

Annie nodded and watched as Levon left. She sighed. It was going to be a shitty day, and it wasn't going to get any better. Se picked up the report and started another review. Annie owed it to Levon and Joe to find the answer. They were her friends.

She frowned as she began to study the photographs. Something with the walls wasn't quite right. The burn pattern wasn't exactly what it should be. This would bear further study.

She fingered the evidence bag, frown deepening. She was glad Levon hadn't noticed it when he was there. There was no way Annie could possibly avoid explaining just what had been used to actually light the fire.

Police flares were unique and identifiable. They never burned away completely. What she needed to know was not only who set the fire but how the hell the miserable bastard had gotten a police flare in the first place. Anne really didn't want to contemplate that it might have been a coworker, a fellow cop that set the fire, but she wasn't ruling out any possibilities. Not yet.

The flares were not exclusive to the police department, not quite. It was possible it had been someone else. Hopefully studying the tapes would give her that. If the tapes didn't catch something, the crowd shots the fire marshal's and uniform officers on the scene had taken could reveal something.

It was standard procedure to shoot pictures of the crowd fires inevitably attracted. Predicting arson beforehand was nearly impossible, but it was common knowledge that arsonists often hung around to watch. The pictures often helped pinpoint repeat visitors or those showing an abnormal interest in the proceedings.

Annie really hoped the photos showed her something. Something that would crack the case before Levon did. Poor bastard wouldn't stand a chance of Levon got to him first. Annie couldn't decide if that was a bad thing or not. She sighed. Not her problem at the moment. At the moment she needed to focus her attention on the matter at hand.

---

Levon quietly sipped his beer, watching as Joe worked in the kitchen. He liked watching Joe cook. His lover was definitely at home in it, movements usually graceful and sure, making it relaxing to watch.

Levon winced at the controlled fury he could read in Joe's movements now. He knew learning the fire had been arson would upset his partner, had expected it to. He just hadn't anticipated he'd stay angry for so long. Or that his fury would express itself in such a quiet fashion. Joe was usually more vocal, more physical when he expressed himself.

Levon sighed silently. His own anger had already been given a direction. He'd called a friend in the fire department and would have all the same evidence Annie had and more by tomorrow morning. Feelers had been put out among more than a few snitches for word on the street. A few more cases were shuffled and farmed out to other detectives to give them time to focus. Beaumont wouldn't be happy about that, but Levon figured as long as they found their arsonist before she knew what he'd done she'd get over it.

"You... ah... wanna talk about it?" Levon offered hesitantly, not quite flinching when Joe slammed the frying pan down on the counter.

"No."

"Ya sure?" Levon eyed his lover warily. "Might help."

"Talking will not fix anything." Joe all but snarled, blue eyes flashing.

"Didn't say it would fix it." Levon pointed out reasonably, leaning against the counter. "Jus' thought it might help."

Joe bit out a curse, pulling a knife from the wooden rack and set to dicing the vegetables he'd washed a few minutes ago with a speed and force that made Levon cringe internally. He was pretty sure the cutting board would never be the same. Levon didn't quite catch all of what Joe was saying as he ranted in an odd mix of English and Italian, but he let his lover run with it unwilling to interrupt and ask for clarification. At least he was talking, even if it was bordering on gibberish.

Levon kept a cautious eye on the blade Joe wielded as his lover began punctuating his running commentary with wild hand gestures. The Texan debated whether or not backing up might not be a wise course of action. He figured Joe was more likely to cut himself so he opted to stay where he was.

Levon sipped casually at his beer and waited for Joe to wind down. Eventually his lover would vent enough and they could genuinely talk. It was a waiting game Levon had grown increasingly familiar with. He knew Joe had mastered his own waiting game-figuring out how to get Levon to talk about things at all.

Levon hoped whatever his lover planned to make for dinner called for minced vegetables. He was pretty sure Joe wasn't even paying attention to just how small he was chopping things. As long as he didn't cut himself, Levon was fine with it. They could always feed raw stuff to the horses. Gabriel liked broccoli and Fooler was fond of carrots and celery.

Joe raised the knife pointing it at Levon, gesturing to make a particular point. Uneasy having the razor sharp blade suddenly so close the blond stepped back, eyes wide and wary. He didn't give his action a thought or how Joe might perceive it until his lover immediately stepped back, carefully placing the knife on the counter.

"Shit, God... Levon, I'm sorry." Joe's voice was soft, concerned, expression contrite. "I didn't mean to... I would never..."

"Whoa, Whoa, boy." Levon held up a hand, realizing what Joe must have thought. "S'all right. Ya didn't do anythin' wrong."

"I didn't mean to scare..."

"Ya didn't." Levon stepped forward, eliminating the space between them. He reached out to cup Joe's face, thumb lightly caressing his cheek. He smiled softly. "I know you weren't gonna hurt me. At least not intentionally. Jus' makin' sure I didn't get in yer way accidentally, Joe. Don't go readin' too much into it."

Seeing Joe relax, Levon's smile broadened pleased this little crisis was only momentary. "You done venting?"

"Yeah." Joe sighed and hung his head, a faint blush visible on his cheekbones. "Mostly."

"Yer entitled, ya know?" Levon chuckled. "Would have been a bit worried if ya didn't. Although, I think for the sake of the veggies I shoulda maybe stopped ya a bit sooner."

Joe laughed and pulled Levon into a warm, hard hug. "I tell you today how much I love you?"

Levon grinned, hands dropping to pat Joe's ass, pulling his hips closer. "Would rather ya showed me." He worked a leg between Joe's, rubbing suggestively. "Always preferred... ah... action ta words."

Joe's eyes darkened. He dipped his head to nuzzle Levon's neck, nibbling his way to Levon's earlobe. "Disarm myself and suddenly I'm being ravished."

"Seems... ta me," Levon struggled to speak, to not get lost in how good it felt to have Joe's wet tongue, warm breath against his skin, "yer the one doing the... ravishing."

"Well," Joe breathed into Levon's hear, making him shudder, "you're welcome to join me." Joe's hands began roving, making Levon's skin tingle with the need. He wanted skin to skin contact.

Joe pulled back slightly. "I'm open to a mutual ravishing."

"Good plan that." Levon sighed, feeling bereft no longer wrapped in Joe's arms. Moving back into the circle of Joe's arms would unfortunately leave them no room to strip, so he checked his immediate impulse. Skin to skin would be better, much better and worth waiting for.

"Let's get naked."

"Better plan." Joe grinned wickedly clearly willing. "Much better plan."

"Bedroom?" Levon's fingers seemed to suddenly find the fabric of Joe's silk shirt irresistible, lightly ghosting up and down Joe's chest.

"Could just... stay here." Joe's breathing was decidedly ragged, his pupils so large they made his eyes look black. Levon liked knowing his touch had a noticeable effect. "Not like... we haven't... done more than... cook in here before."

"Bed is more comfortable." Levon countered. He didn't mind a romp in the kitchen or anywhere else for that matter, but the floor was too damn hard. He resolutely ignored the little voice that accused him of getting old in favor of the one that suggested it was just good sense.

"Couch is closer."

Levon laughed. "Good point."

His laughter was cut off when Joe captured his mouth in a searing kiss. Levon moaned, hands clutching at Joe's shirt needing something to keep him upright, desperate for something softer and warmer than the silk he found. He let Joe walk him backward, trusting his lover could get them where they wanted to be.

His shoulder bumped against the doorway, and Levon used that contact to brace himself pulling Joe closer. Levon unconsciously raised his right leg to wrap around Joe, to bring their groins closer together. He shuddered when Joe pinned him against the wall, releasing his mouth to nibble along his jaw line, hands that seemed to be everywhere had him panting harshly.

"Christ." He tilted his head back to give Joe better access, thumping it dully against the wall. Levon was startled when his lover growled in frustration, hands burrowing under his shirt made him gasp surprised by the sudden feel of warm skin against his back.

"Joe." Levon cupped Joe's face, pulling him up so he could make eye contact.

"What?" Dazed blue eyes stared back at him.

"Couch."

"Oh." Joe grinned. "Right." He sighed, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Levon's. "Comfort."

"Don't forget naked."

Joe laughed. "Damn straight."

Levon reluctantly pushed Joe away. He backed away, making a 'come here' motion with one hand as he got closer to the couch. Joe grinned and followed, stalking forward with a sensual grace that made Levon's mouth go dry.

The blond started undoing the buttons on his shirt, eager to be rid of any barrier between them. Joe reached out to catch on of his hands. "Let me."

Levon took a deep breath and nodded. Joe always took his time, teasing and caressing with fingertips, lips and tongue each bit of flesh as it was revealed. It was an exquisite form of torture.

Levon moaned, widening his stance to maintain his balance as Joe lavished special attention on his nipples. He raised a hand to run fingers through Joe's dark hair, instinctively encouraging his lover to continue what he was doing. Joe had threatened once or twice to see if he could make Levon come without ever touching his cock. The Texan was never able to remain passive long enough to see if he could, and today was no different.

Levon cupped Joe's face, pulling his head up to kiss him deeply, sucking his tongue into his mouth. He clung to his lover, Joe's silk shirt rubbing against his sensitized nipples made him want to purr like a cat. He released Joe's mouth to slide down his lover's chest, rubbing against him sensuously.

Grinning up wickedly at Joe, Levon began to unbutton his shirt with his teeth, working his way down to end up on his knees. Joe sighed, eyes drifting closed, swaying slightly. "You never... ah... never did tell me... where you learned to do that."

"No, I never did." Levon agreed with a smile, fingers caressing the now bare skin revealed to him, reaching up to feather touches across the beautiful expanse of skin. He kept Joe from saying anything else by simply undoing his belt and pants, one hand rubbing Joe's hard cock while he nibbled at one of Joe's hotspots just above his hip.

Joe moaned, knees nearly buckling. It was one hell of an ego stroke for Levon know he could have that effect. That boost was always balanced by the knowledge Joe affected him just as quickly and easily.

He pulled back to let Joe recover enough to strip out of his pants and boxers. Joe didn't so much sit on the couch as collapse on to it. He was splayed out for before Levon's appreciative gaze like a banquet just waiting to be enjoyed.

Joe was so beautiful this way, skin flushed, eyes bright, his well muscled form both relaxed and eager, all but begging Levon to touch and taste. The blond quickly shrugged out of his shirt, hands deftly undoing his belt. He slithered out of his jeans with an innate sensuality never even considering how doing so had as much an impact on his lover as his earlier actions had.

"Christ, Cowboy."

"What?" Levon frowned at the whispered, nearly reverent curse.

"You are incredible."

Levon grinned, brown eyes glowing. "You ain't seen nothin' yet."

"Show me what you got big boy." Joe licked his lower lip, expression a mixture of tease, eagerness and challenge.

"Would love to." Levon let his voice dip an octave, rough and needy. He knew what it did to Joe when he did that.

He slid his hands up Joe's legs, letting the rest of his body follow naturally as easy as water flowing down hill. Levon ignored the hiss of pleasure his actions elicited, too focused on the feel of soft skin against his own. He kept his touch light, almost teasing, but more than heavy enough to arouse, just the way he knew Joe liked it.

He by-passed Joe's groin entirely, fingertips caressing the hotspots around Joe's hips while he lightly tongued Joe's navel. Levon loved the way Joe's abdominal muscles quivered and flexed in response to his touch. Levon sighed softly when Joe buried his hands in his hair, petting and caressing him. His lover knew just how much pressure to use, just where to touch. Levon learned to read Joe's touch, to know what was meant to encourage more and what was meant to stop.

He nibbled his way up the centerline of Joe's chest. Levon sucked hard enough to leave a mark over Joe's heart. He rarely marked Joe, not trusting himself to do it where others wouldn't see it. Joe cradled his head in response to Levon's action, chest arching, a soft guttural moan that was little more than a vibration Levon could feel rather than hear. Levon realized he might just have to mark Joe more often, what others might or might not see be damned. Emboldened he marked Joe again just below the hollow of his throat, applying teeth and then soothing that brief hurt with lips and tongue.

Joe pulled his head up, kissing him fiercely. Levon let Joe take control of the kiss, giving himself over to simply enjoy it. Joe was a great kisser.

The need to breathe finally broke them apart. Joe nibbled along his jaw, whispering in his ear. "You. Taste. Divine."

Levon shuddered when Joe sucked lightly on his earlobe, absent-mindedly grateful he was nearly prone lying on Joe. There was no way he'd be standing through the wave of pleasure that washed over him. He shivered again when Joe blew softly across his ear, whispering words of endearment and affection, pulling him closer.

"I wanna go for a ride, Joe." Levon managed to get out, surprised by the rough, needy quality of his own voice. "Please."

Joe bit his lip, eyes aglow. "Any time, Cowboy, any time."

Levon slithered upward, lithely maneuvering to straddle Joe's lap. He cupped Joe's face, bending to kiss him sweetly, almost chastely. "We need---"

"In drawer. End table." Joe breathed out with a smile, a gleam in his eyes. "Never took it back to the bedroom."

Levon chuckled, waggling his eyebrows. "Pays ta think ahead."

"That it does." Joe agreed.

Levon stretched, reaching for the end table. He struggled not to lose sight of the goal when he felt warm, wet heat and gentle suction on an already sensitized nipple. He moaned, his eyes closing in spite of his best efforts.

"Joe... ya gotta... Jesus." He whimpered. "Please."

Even though he'd asked, no begged, Levon still regretted having Joe stop. He tried to get his breathing under control and steady his shaking hands. Levon managed to get the drawer open and stifled a curse as he fumbled to find the lube. He huffed out a breath in triumph when he finally located what he was desperately searching for.

He offered the lube to Joe, looking up coyly from under his lashes. "You wanna do it?" He rocked his hips suggestively, rubbing their erections together, grinning in satisfaction at the way Joe reacted. "Or you want me ta do it?"

Joe growled and held out his hand. "Mine."

"Yours." Levon agreed easily, popping the top to squeeze a generous amount of lubricant on to Joe's waiting fingers. He arched his spine, head tipping back in pleasure at his lover's sure, gentle touch, cool lube a sharp contrast to his heated flesh. Levon rocked slightly, hips moving languidly to match Joe's penetrating fingers.

He moaned. Joe's other hand caressed his chest, teasing a nipple, fingertips flicking over one hard, sensitive nub with the same rhythm as those that rimmed and penetrated him. Levon hissed, torn between thrusting back to fuck himself on Joe's fingers and leaning forward to encourage Joe to lavish more attention on his chest.

"God... Joe." Levon gasped. "Yer... tryin' ta kill me."

Joe's raspy chuckle was almost a physical thing, raising goose bumps on Levon's skin. "You ready for more?"

"Hell yes." Levon sighed and curled forward to capture Joe's lips in a desperate kiss. He only pulled away when he started feeling dizzy. "I wanna ride." He whispered harshly against Joe's lips. "Now."

Joe swallowed hard, nodding eagerly. Levon shifted, using his quads to rise up to give his lover more room, holding himself easily while Joe stroked himself, slicking his cock.

It was nice to know his lover was concerned for his comfort and pleasure, but when Joe seemed to be taking too long, teasing him, Levon slapped his hand away. "Enough."

Joe's hands moved to hold Levon's narrow waist, hips curling upward to meet the blond halfway. Levon huffed out a breath in satisfaction as Joe slid home inside him. His toes curled in pleasure, hands clenching as Joe rolled his hips, rocking his pelvis enough so that the tip of his cock brushed back and forth across Levon's prostate.

He shuddered and began his ride. He smiled down at his lover, hands moving to caress every bit of skin he could reach, enjoying the babbled words of encouragement and pleasure. Half the time he had no clear idea what Joe said, but he understood the intent easily enough.

Their position was perfect for Joe to brace his feet on the floor giving him enough leverage to push up meeting each down thrust Levon made. Levon found himself grinning. This was definitely one hell of a ride.

He reached to stroke himself, the impulse as natural as breathing. Joe halted his reach, a wicked smile flittering across is face. "Mine."

Levon nodded shakily, not trusting his voice at this point. He moaned when Joe began to stroke him, matching the pace and rhythm they'd already established. His lover's touch was sure, confident, knowing just how much pressure to apply, knowing how to heighten the ever rising spiral of pleasure.

Levon shuddered, small tremors wracking his frame as he got closer to the precipice. He was in no hurry to get there, reveling in the moment, but couldn't slow the steady advance either. Muscles worked smoothly, post trot motion coming so easily to him, quickening the pace.

"That's it, Cowboy." Joe encouraged. "Ride me, baby. So... good. So... damn... good."

Levon increased the pace. He could hear little whimpers of pleasure but couldn't tell if they were coming from him or Joe. The small tremors were getting bigger and Levon could almost feel his orgasm building at the base of his spine. He was gasping, almost chanting Joe's name, eyes closed somehow adding to the intensity of the feeling of his lover's touch.

Joe's free hand rose to caress his chest and Levon shuddered, losing his rhythm for a moment. He trembled when Joe flicked a finger over a hypersensitive nipple. Levon came with a shout, white light sparking behind his eyes as his whole body tightened in a muscle spasm that left him unable to breathe for several seconds.

He was only vaguely aware of Joe coming a few seconds later as his lover arched up off the couch, burying himself deeply in Levon. The blond curled forward clutching Joe, needing to ground himself, holding his lover tightly to him as he recovered. Joe's hold on him was just as tight, panting breaths cool against his sweaty skin.

Levon nuzzled Joe's neck. He sighed softly, feeling a sense of contentment he only ever found wrapped in his lover's arms. His eyes drifted closed as he listened to the steady beat of Joe's heart.

"Don't you fall asleep." Joe ordered, a smile readily apparent in his voice.

"Why not?" Levon mumbled.

"Because."

"Because?" Levon raised his head, snickering. "That's the best you can do?"

"At the moment, yeah." Joe laughed lightly, placing a quick kiss on Levon's nose. "Give me a few minutes and I'm sure I can come up with something better."

"Don't worry about it." Levon grinned, sitting up and raising himself up on his knees. He patted Joe's chest. "Been there, done that."

Joe nodded. "Damn glad we both have."

"Amen, brother." Levon sighed, regretting the loss of the intimate contact. "Should get cleaned up."

"Yeah." Joe sighed. "Should get dinner too."

Levon waved a hand in a dismissive motion. He wasn't all that worried about eating at the moment. He located his shirt and used that to clean them up a bit before moving to lounge next to Joe on the couch. He snuggled in, smiling when Joe automatically shifted so there was enough room for both of them on the couch. Levon sighed when Joe began playing with his hair, stretching a bit to get more comfortable, leaning into his lover's solid frame. He could get used to this. Hell, he was used to this.

"You'll have that information tomorrow?"

Joe's quiet question didn't surprise him. "Yeah."

"We're going to nail the son of a bitch to the wall."

"Yes, we are." Levon confirmed even though Joe hadn't really asked a question.

"Good." Joe shifted slightly. Levon felt him place a kiss in his hair. "I tell you thank you yet for letting me stay here?"

"Don't got to thank me." Levon caught the real gratitude and warmth in that statement, as well as the faint tease. He tilted his head back so he could look up at Joe with an easy smile. "Though, I wouldn't mind if ya made a point of doing that in the bullpen at some point."

Joe snickered before leaning forward to place a kiss on Levon's forehead. "Want them all to know how grateful I am, do you?"

"Nah." Levon shrugged. "Want them to know what a good guy I am."

"Oh you are good." Joe leered. "Very good."

Levon laughed slapping Joe's chest. He rose easily to his feet in one smooth motion. "C'mon, boy," Levon offered a hand to his lover, "Lets finish getting cleaned up and then see if we can salvage something out o' those veggies you mutilated."

"Mutilated?!" Joe snorted indignantly taking Levon's hand. "I didn't mutilate anything."

"Right." Levon nodded sagely, eyes twinkling.

Joe raised a warning finger making Levon laugh. The blond waggled his eyebrows, giving his lover a come hither look a second later. "I'll make it up to you."

"Oh?"

"Shower."

Joe grinned. "Yes."

Levon raised a hand and crooked his finger at Joe as he backed toward the master bathroom. "Yer turn ta show me what ya got big boy."

Joe took a deep breath, eyes aglow as he stalked after Levon. "Would love to."

---

Part 2