Fish & Chips (Cut & Run 3)

he finally decided with a wry twist to the words.

“I think we"re honest with each other,” Zane murmured against Ty"s cheekbone. “We just don"t… volunteer much to be honest about.”

Ty turned his head slightly, tensing briefly under Zane"s hands before he relaxed again. “Volunteer,” he repeated carefully.

“Neither one of us is much for sharing,” Zane stated, one of his thumbs beginning to rub Ty"s belly.

“I share,” Ty argued stubbornly. His hand slid into Zane"s hip pocket in an unconscious gesture.

Zane cleared his throat in a disbelieving sound. “Such as?”

Ty was silent, obviously trying to come up with an answer.

Finally, he grunted. “What do you want me to share about?” he asked.

He sounded uncomfortable.

Zane just shrugged. “It was more of a comment on past information,” he said. He wasn"t about to push Ty to “volunteer”

anything right now. They hadn"t seriously argued in two days. He enjoyed the bickering and teasing much more.

Ty was chewing on his bottom lip, one hand in Zane"s pocket, the other resting on top of Zane"s. “I don"t mind questions, you know,” he finally said softly. “If I can"t tell you what you want to know, I"ll just tell you that,” he assured Zane. “Just… for future reference,” he said.

“Like if I asked about the phone calls in the middle of the night that send you off to work without me?”

Ty was silent for a moment, and then he lowered his head slightly and leaned forward. “I can"t tell you what you want to know,” he answered, voice low and monotone.

Zane nodded. He"d known Ty wouldn"t be able to talk about the odd jobs, but he"d asked anyway. He had his suspicions. After a few months of practically living with Ty, little clues had added up. Ty"s Force Recon background gave him a special set of skills for wet work, he was a skilled undercover operative, he disappeared “on assignment”

unannounced—sometimes for one night, other times for days—and he was unusually close to their boss"s boss, Richard Burns, Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI. If somebody higher up in the Bureau, like Dick Burns, was going to tap anyone for a little “side job” that needed a special touch, Ty would be a clear choice.

Zane"s other theory had to do with high-class prostitution rings and a sketchy office fantasy football league.

“In a way, it"s a relief to at least hear that,” Zane said quietly. He could feel Ty holding his breath, the way he did when he wanted to speak but didn"t plan to. “It"s okay. I do understand why you can"t talk about it.”

Ty jerked his head in a nod, but he still hadn"t exhaled. “Maybe one day I can tell you about it,” he finally said tightly.

“All right,” Zane murmured. He cast around for something to distract Ty from the tension. “How about something off the wall?

What"s your favorite dessert?”

Ty turned his head, and his cheek brushed against Zane"s lips.

Zane could feel him relaxing as the subject changed. “I don"t like chocolate,” he answered after a moment"s thought. “But turtle pie. You know what that is?”

“Ice cream with caramel and pecans,” Zane said. “But it"s covered in chocolate.”

Ty smiled slightly. “Walking contradiction, ain"t I?”

Zane hummed as he squeezed his arms around Ty before loosening them again. “Always have been, always will be,” he confirmed. “Drove me nuts when we first met.”

“Well, you returned the favor,” Ty muttered. He pulled away and turned around. “What do you mean?” he asked as an afterthought.

“Didn"t want me as a partner but made sure I wasn"t hurt. Hated me but took care of me when I was hurt. Acted like a muscle-bound idiot but displayed intelligence at odd times.” Now that he thought of it, Ty still did that. Zane paused, remembering those first days fondly now that they were further removed. “Fought with me the whole time but missed me when I was gone,” he added with a smile.

Ty moved in front of him, stepping farther away. Wincing internally, Zane let his hands fall free rather than holding on to him. He feared he"d shared too much; Ty was never comfortable when they started reminiscing or talking about feelings, something Zane tried to keep in mind. Inhaling deeply, he shifted his weight to give Ty some room.

“Odd times, huh?” Ty finally asked in an amused voice.

Zane paused after only moving a step. “Well, at first,” he allowed, his lips quirking into a relieved smile. “You were dead set on having me think you were a total ass**le.”

Ty grinned slowly. He"d obviously enjoyed it at least a little bit.

He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands as the smile faded.

“I was hoping… to keep you at arm"s length,” he admitted as he looked back up at Zane and winced.

Zane frowned. “What do you mean? Keep the pansyass poster boy an arm"s length from the case?”

Ty shook his head wordlessly, his eyes serious and slightly sad.

“You mean….” Zane shook his head. He didn"t need to dwell on the past. “And now?” he asked instead. “I"m closer than an arm"s-length away.”

Ty smiled slightly. “It wasn"t personal, Zane,” he offered. “I"d just lost my partner. I didn"t want another one.”

Zane relaxed. He remembered that now. It had only been a year or so since Ty"s partner had been killed when Zane first met him.

Nodding, he went back to the chaise and sat, stretching his legs out. “I hated you, but you knew that.”

Ty smirked. “That was my goal. You didn"t have much choice,”

he offered flippantly as he turned back toward the balcony.

“No shit. And I hated even more along the way that you forced me to keep revising my opinion.”

Ty lowered his head and glanced over at Zane. Zane wondered what he was thinking. He almost always wondered what Ty was thinking when he couldn"t read his emotion in his face. Now, though, he thought he just might be comfortable enough to ask. “What?”

Ty shook his head and moved toward him. “Let"s let the past stay in the past for now, huh?” he murmured as he sat down next to Zane and sprawled gracelessly.

“Yeah,” Zane murmured. Then he shrugged. “Your turn.” He leaned back and yawned, arching his back.