[#178] Short Fuses (FAKE)

[badly_knitted]

Theme Prompt: #178 – Anger Management
Title: Short Fuses
Fandom: FAKE
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1000
Summary: Dee worries that he might be letting his temper get out of control. Maybe he should do something about that.



Slumped in the chair at his desk, Dee stared moodily at his bruised knuckles, flexing his fingers carefully. He was frowning, deep in troubled thought rather than his usual happy daydreams.

Ryo peered over the tops of his glasses, concerned by his partner’s uncharacteristically glum demeanor. Not that Dee couldn’t be moody on occasion, and for good reason; the things they witnessed through their job were enough to bring even the happiest person down. But not so long ago, he’d been smugly satisfied at catching the man who’d abducted and murdered at least ten girls in their early teens.

“Dee? Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Dee looked up, blinking, as if surprised to see his partner sitting across from him.

“You’ve been sitting there staring at your hand for the last twenty minutes. Did you break something?”

“Nah, it’s fine, just a few bruises.”

“So what’s with all the gloom? We saved Carol, and caught the guy; with any luck, he’ll never see the light of day again. I thought you’d be pleased.”

“I am! Bastard deserves everything he gets for what he did to those girls. It’s just…” Dee trailed off, his frown deepening.

“Just what?” Ryo coaxed.

“I laid into him pretty hard.”

“Like you said, he deserved it.” Ryo took his reading glasses off and set them aside, studying his partner.

“Not sure that’s gonna be enough justification in court though. What if he gets off because of the beatdown I put on his ass?”

“As I recall, it wasn’t his ass that took the brunt of it. Not unless his ass and face traded places.”

That drew a weak smile from Dee. “Good point. Still, d’you think I should maybe enrol in one of those anger management seminar things, learn to control my temper better? I don’t wanna get charged with police brutality, wind up havin’ my career cut short.”

Ryo sighed. “Did you go a little over the top with that guy? Maybe, but I doubt any other cop in the NYPD would’ve done differently. He resisted arrest, tried to get away…”

“And I could’a just shot him, but I chose to rough him up instead.”

“What if you’d missed, maybe hit someone in one of the other apartments, or across the street? Even spent bullets can kill. Plus, when you went inside, Carol was still up there with him. You might have hit her.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got plenty of excuses, but I’m not just talkin’ about today. I went off the rails, took off after Ben Lloyd by myself, might’a put a bullet through him if ya hadn’t stopped me. And I hit you.” Dee chewed on his bottom lip.

“No you didn’t.”

“I did, that time at my place. Don’t ya remember?”

“Of course I remember, but that was just a sharp slap to bring me to my senses, which I needed. Hardly even felt it.” Ryo leaned one elbow on his desk and propped his chin on the heel of his hand. “Honestly, if you think you need anger management training, then so do I.”

“What’re ya talkin’ about?”

“You’re not the only one with a bit of a short fuse. How many times have I swatted you with a clipboard, or anything else I could lay my hands on?”

“Totally justified every time. You say ‘no’ and I just keep pushin’.”

Ryo snickered. “Doesn’t mean my automatic response should be to hit you over the head. I could just try saying something along the lines of ‘Don’t push me’.”

Dee should his head. “You know I’d never listen.”

“I know. Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t still try.”

“Whatever. You’ve still got your temper under better control than I do.”

“Oh, really? You wanted to shoot Lloyd; I was ready to kill Leo Grant. I wanted so badly to pay him back for my parents, I couldn’t even see straight.”

“But ya didn’t do it. I never even had to say anything; ya stopped yourself.”

“There were times I wished I hadn’t.”

“Still, ya didn’t cross the line, and anyway, you weren’t in your right mind, not that I’m judgin’ ya, ‘cause I totally get it. Extenuatin’ circumstances; he gave the order that cost you your parents.” Dee shifted in his seat. “That all ya got?”

“No. The guy today? I kicked him and broke his arm.”

“He pulled a knife.”

“He was already down; I doubt he could’ve used it. I could have just pulled my gun and told him to drop it.”

“You recognised a possible threat and reacted to it, disarmin’ the guy as quicky as possible. I shot Renard through the hand and then beat him to a pulp.”

“You were defending your partner. He was trying to kill me.”

“I would’a returned the favor, only you pointed out it would be murder if I shot him when I’d already disarmed him.”

“Well, I punched the police commissioner in the mouth.”

“He was sexually assaultin’ ya.” Dee glared across their desks at his partner.

“It was one kiss, Dee. Hitting him like that was a bit extreme.”

Sprawling back in his seat, Dee shrugged. “You were provoked. Look, sometimes we all do stuff we’re not exactly proud of, but Rose totally had that comin’. If you hadn’t set him straight he would’a kept tryin’.”

“Maybe, but I could have just pushed him away and told him I wasn’t interested.”

“He’s not the kind to take ‘no’ for an answer. Hittin’ him got the point across a lot more effectively.”

Ryo smiled ruefully. “I nearly broke my hand.” He glanced around the squad room, glad they were the only two people there. It probably wasn’t the best place to discuss their personal failings. Nevertheless… “If you’re that worried about your temper, then maybe anger management wouldn’t be a bad idea, for both of us. But not right now, it might give people the wrong idea. You did what was necessary today to take down a serial killer. End of story.”


The End

 

Comments

[curiosity]

Valid concerns all the way around. *nodnod* Maybe work on de-escalation training? And switching to decaf? :P

Good fic!

[badly_knitted]

If they switched to decaf they'd fall asleep at their desks. Dee does that anyway, lol!

They could both perhaps find better ways of dealing with their tempers, but they understandably get a bit overprotective when someone they care about is in danger, and Rose totally deserved to get punched.

Thank you!