Reveal The One True Desire

Status
Not open for further replies.
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

When people said that guilt could kill... he thought they were exaggerating. However, that very feeling swelled in Lee's chest and once Austin left, he slowly sank into the chair behind him. His eyes were wide and he couldn't stand the suffocating feeling that filled his throat. Rubbing his hands against his face, he tried to push the feeling away, but it wouldn't. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had to follow someone.

Without hesitating another second, he stood onto his feet and hurried out the door, hearing it lock behind him. Jogging down the hall, he entered the elevator and pressed on the button, tapping his foot as the doors seemed to shut slower than ever. He had a bad feeling about it. Not only was he feeling guilty, but he just felt anxious about letting Austin go by himself. After what he went through on his own, he didn't want the only person willing to work with him to get injured. That would only delay his work more.

After exiting the elevator, Lee ran out of the building and looked around, trying to find any sight of the retreating body of Austin. He was about to give up when he saw the figure of a male turning down the far corner a long ways down the road. Cursing under his breath, Lee followed in a brisk run, his messy hair flying around from the wind. After turning the same corner, he watched as Austin climbed over a fence, and gave a slight sigh before starting toward the same fence.

Then, he heard the gunshot.

Like nothing he felt before, anxiousness overwhelmed the guilty feeling in his chest, and it felt like his stomach dropped to the ground. Feeling his legs go limp under him, the detective stumbled forward, a look of intense disbelief washing over his face. Chills ran down his back and along his arms, and it felt like someone filled his veins with ice water. Finally, he got his legs to move, but it felt like he was running in slow motion, no matter how fast he tried to run. He felt like he was in a daze... a dream. There was no way. Finally making it to the fence, Lee scaled the fence faster than he had ever climbed anything. After dropping down, he turned to find an unresponsive Austin.

"Austin. Hey, come on. This isn't funny." Lee's voice came out shaking with nerves, slightly hoping that the other male was just trying to get back at him for the argument only moments before. However, at the pale complexion of the other male, and the all-too-real blood stain on his chest, the detective slowly crouched down and grabbed Austin's hand, searching for a pulse. "Ani... Sul-ma. Mal-do-an-dwae. (No... Impossible. I can't believe it)." Feeling that it was very faint, Lee pulled out his cell phone with shaky hands and dialed for an ambulance. Afterward, he dropped his phone to the ground and held his hands n front of him, unsure what he was supposed to do.

Then, almost instantly, his body moved on its own and gently pulled Austin against his chest, pulling his dress shirt from his pants and ripping a large piece of the fabric. Usually, it was a strong material, but the intensity of getting it to rip made it rip easily in his hands. Balling it up, he then tore Austin's shirt open, revealing the bullet wound. "Jesus... I knew you shouldn't have went alone, you crazy bastard!" Lee muttered quickly under his breath as he pressed the balled fabric against the bleeding wound, holding pressure on it. His face was pale and all he could hear was his own heartbeat in his ears, the rest of his body numb except for the weight of Austin's body leaning against him.

"God, why won't they hurry up!" Lee shouted, his eyes wide as he looked up and around, for any sign of the medics. Absentmindedly, as he searched around the yard, the detective pulled Austin's unconscious body closer, holding his other arm protectively around the other's stomach in order to keep him still as he leaned against him. Hunching his own body over Austin's, Lee wanted to make sure that the shooter wouldn't get him twice, and instead would shoot him. However, to his relief, the sound of an ambulance met his ears, and he heard people hollering to him.

"Here! In the back yard!" Lee called out, his voice straining ever so slightly from being emotional and out of breath. Finally, the medics appeared with a stretcher and lifted Austin from his arms and lifted him toward the ambulance. Standing up quickly, the male followed, moving to sit inside the ambulance as well. During the ride, Lee continued to hold the wad of material over Austin's wound, despite the medics telling him not to.

"Aish! I'm a detective, I know what I'm doing, so just leave me alone!" Lee snapped at the males trying to take over, and they simply watched with wide sympathetic eyes. Lee set his jaw, glaring at them before he turned to look back down at the other's wound. He could still feel his heartbeat going a mile a minute, and he watched as Austin's blood started to stain and dry on his hand. Moving his jaw side to side in anxiousness, Lee felt the ambulance stop, and he lifted his eyes to see the male medics lower the back to roll Austin into the hospital. Lee was on his feet in an instant to follow them, and stopped outside the dreaded glass doors, seeing the 'surgery in progress' sign light red, signalling that they were working on Austin. With glazed eyes, Lee moved to one of the chairs waiting outside the doors and plopped down, his whole body feeling like it was made of lead. He couldn't explain the feeling. Leaning over, Lee held his head in his hands, his eyes wide as they locked onto the tile flooring, the smell of antiseptic filling his nose, and he could feel Austin's blood smear on his face from his hand, but it didn't bother him..

Despite all the things Lee had experienced in his life, for once, he was genuinely scared. Austin could easily die, and it could all be because of him...
 
Austin Gallagher
Austin Gallagher hated a lot of things. The feeling of a normal, non-mechanical pencil on paper. Itchy blankets. Spiders. But what he hated most of all? Hospitals. God, did Austin hate hospitals. They were big death boxes. The smell always left a sour taste in his mouth, and it just made him feel downright uncomfortable. So, when he woke up in one, he wasn't exactly too pleased.

He spent a moment trying to figure out what the hell had brought him here, before he remembered Oh, yea, I was shot, wasn't I?. He squinted in the bright lights, before moving to sit up. And, you know, instantly regretting it. He fell back onto the bed, cursing excessively under his breath. This was just fucking great. He just had to go and get himself shot. God, Lee was probably going to walk up any minute and say 'I told you so'.

He took a deep breath, and then exhaled, trying to relax a bit. He also stopped himself from going and pulling out the IVs, which his fingers were currently tugging at, even though he really despised them. Alright. His plan? He relaxed, waited for the nurse, and then found out how quickly he could get out of here. Then, when he got out of here, he'd avoid Lee and his own cousin for as long as humanly possible. That seemed like a great fucking plan. Golden! Only problem? He'd have 0 places to stay.

He raised a hand to his face, rubbing at his eyes a bit as he grumbled to himself "I hate hospitals, I hate hospitals, fuuuccck....." Somehow, that made him feel better. It really shouldn't, since it was basically him just cursing and complaining about his hatred of the place, but hey, he'd do what he could for himself to feel a BIT comfortable in this hell hole.
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

The feeling of himself falling forward pulled Lee back to his senses. He had dozed off... which he didn't expect given the circumstances. Out of all the times his body decided to sleep. Moving to stand, his body still had the feeling of being in a cold sweat, and he was sure he was paler than most of the patients in the hospital. Unfortunately, it made Austin's dried blood smeared on his face and hand look extremely sketchy... and there was also the fact that his shirt was ripped. To say the least, he looked like he just escaped a slasher film.

At seeing the surgery sign off, Lee turned to see a doctor walking past him, and held a hand out to stop him. "A-Austin Gallagher?" Lee asked, his words stumbling a bit as his heart rammed against his chest. The doctor smiled kindly before directing the detective to his partner's hospital room. Thanking the man, Lee turned on his heel and read the room numbers as he passed them, looking for Austin's. Finally, at finding it, he took in a deep breath to help gather his thoughts.

Pulling the door open, Lee was hit by even more of the antiseptic smell, and it made his stomach churn. He hated that smell. Lifting his eyes, he found Austin laying in the bed, muttering something to himself. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Lee watched the other male with wide eyes, his now-pale complexion making his black hair and eyebrows look even more intense. To say the least, he was still freaking out, even if it didn't show so much on the outside.

Slowly, Lee made his way toward Austin, his lips pressed tight, unable to say any words. Stopping by the side of his bed, the detective looked over Austin's body, as if to reassure himself that the other was okay. Moving his hands slowly, he placed them on the bars of the hospital bed and ever so slowly locked his eyes with Austin again.

"You're one crazy bastard, you know that? Are you okay?" Lee asked, his voice coming out barely above a whisper before his eyes made another round of checking Austin's body. He felt relieved, yet still anxious at the same time to see the other male. The detective's own words still echoed in his mind, and he felt as if he couldn't exactly face Austin. "You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. If I had just gone with you, then this wouldn't have happened. This is all my fault." Lee spoke quickly, his voice still a bit weak as his wide eyes stared at part of the hospital bed, his knees feeling like they were going to go out once more, so his hands braced the side of it for support. Never before in his life had Lee ever acted or behaved in the way he was at that moment. He felt all sorts of emotions fill up in his chest at once, some he couldn't identify, and others he had felt quite a bit in his lifetime.
 
Austin Gallagher
Lee being that was honestly fairly surprising to him, and what he was saying was even more so. He also felt kind of bad that Lee was placing the blame on himself when it was obviously Austin's fault. Alright, not kind of. He felt awful, from the fact he was shot AND the aforementioned reason.

He took a moment to push himself up on the bed slowly, before looking at Lee with a grin "Nah, I get myself into things like this all the time. You seem to forget I'm the stupid one." He replied lightheartedly "Besides, I can't be the first partner of yours to be shot! If I am, you better give me some sort of prize, though. I'm thinking a oscar-like thing, maybe with me falling dramatically. Real gold, or you're cheap."

He paused, a bit awkwardly, before going on "Anyway, my fault. Really, I injure myself often, have been doing that since I was kid. Sure, a little less often now because of other events, but really! I set myself on fire when I was ten. I shot myself in the foot with my dad's gun, also when I was ten. So it isn't like I haven't been here before." He shut his eyes, sinking back into the bed a little "I should be apologizing for wasting your time. Again. I'm going to see how fast I can get out of here when someone comes in."
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

Lee watched Austin with lips pressed in a thin line. He felt a strange sensation as his anxiousness and guilt seemed to melt away, and at the sight of the other's grin, he averted his eyes unintentionally. Once Austin was finished, Lee finally turned to look at him before clearing his throat. He looked to the hospital door and furrowed his brow. An easy way to get out of there?

"No need to apologize for wasting my time. How were you supposed to know somebody was waiting for you there?" Lee spoke, his old self seeming to return almost immediately. He stood with almost a bored look as he looked around the hospital room, his detective mode kicking once more. He didn't like the feeling he felt only moments before. It made him feel on edge and skittish. He hated being emotional.

"If we're talking about finding a way out..." Lee walked to the hospital door and turned the lock, so nobody could come in while he was visiting. It was one of the only things he liked about hospitals; they gave you privacy when you wanted it. Unless you were intensely sick, of course. Walking back to the side of the hospital bed, he tilted his head at Austin, his eyes narrowed with calculation.

"Well. I could sign your release form so you can get out. Then, I can help you walk out of the hospital. It would cause the least suspicion, and we wouldn't have to get in trouble for sneaking you out." Lee suggested finally, his eyes still narrow as he watched Austin. All signs of him being emotional and scared were gone, to much of Lee's relief.

"But first, I need to wash this all off." Lee lifted his hand and felt his lip twitch at the sight of the mess. He hated any blood on his body. If he had gloves? Sure, it's part of the job. But seeing the blood on his actual skin made chills roll down Lee's spine. "It looks like I murdered someone." suppressing a groan, Lee walked to the sink in the room and turned on the hot water, letting his hands soak under the faucet. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he realized how terrible he must've looked to the doctors. Perfect. First impression: ruined. After washing off his face along with his hands, he dried them before heading back over to Austin.

"So. The question is, can you walk?"
 
Austin Gallagher
"That's a good question." Austin replied, trying to push himself up into a sitting position and actually succeeding this time "I probably can. Jusstt have to be careful I don't break any stitches or whatever they did, or I'll be coughing up blood. Yech." He really wanted to avoid that course of events.

Slowly, he got himself out of the bed, and did a pose of 'victory'. Of course, this was cut short when he hissed in pain, grabbing his side "Ow, shit! I get shot in the chest and suddenly everything hurts, what the hell?" He complained, but quickly regained his ability to stand up straight without feeling like he was shot all over again "Here we go. Yea, I can walk. Yay."

This case was totally going to kill him.
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

Lee watched as Austin moved to stand, still in quite a lot of pain. Even if he tried to brush it off. Rolling his eyes, the detective moved to the hospital door before unlocking it and making his way back to Austin. Looking over the said male, Lee tried to decide if he should do what he was thinking. Deciding to just go with it, he moved to stand beside him and tilted his head.

"We won't be getting that far if you try walking by yourself. It's obvious you're hurting." Lee pointed out, his eyes narrowed slightly before he sighed and faced the same direction as Austin. Gently, he lowered himself slightly so that the other's arm would lay over his shoulders. Then, using his arm, he wrapped it around Austin's waist for support. Holding him steadily, Lee inwardly groaned at his actions. "Alright, let's go. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can figure out who the hell's messing with us." Lee growled under his breath as he moved toward the hospital door.

Heading into the hallway, he saw a few doctors giving him a strange look, to which he simply sent a glare. Fixed, no harm done. As he made his way to the front desk, Lee made sure to keep his arm around Austin so he had support to walk. Once he got there, the front secretary gave a forced smile before furrowing her brow. Great, just what he needed. After a few minutes of asking for the release form, the lady finally gave up and handed it to him. Sending her a mild glare before looking down at the paper, he muttered something in Korean under his breath. Signing his name on the form, he handed it back before turning to Austin.

"Looks like we're done here. I called someone to bring my car a little while ago, so we should hurry."
 
Austin Gallagher
Austin simply nodded in response. He didn't say anything for 2 reason. The first? Well, everything still hurt, so he was just trying ignore that. Second? Lee was really close. Too close. Now, Austin wasn't too hopped up on pain meds, it was still enough to make him a little on the ditzy side.

It wasn't helping him out that he'd be still staying with Lee til the case ended. If he didn't die of getting shot again, he was going to die of embarrassing himself. God, it was going to be awful. Plus, he wasn't sure how much he'd be able to focus. Probably very little, which would annoy everyone in the end. However, he'd try. So he continued to go along with Lee, mentally berating himself all the while.
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

After helping Austin into the car, Lee moved to sit in the driver's seat, starting up the car. He figured they both should just relax for a bit before even thinking about going out to investigate. It had been one hell of a roller coaster, and he was sure that it wasn't over yet. After driving for about twenty minutes, Lee pulled into the parking lot before helping Austin once more.

After tapping his number into the keypad, he heard his door unlock and pushed the door open, making sure to support Austin until they got inside. Without letting go of him, he walked down the hall to the male's room, and pulled his arm away when they were both inside. "Since there's nothing we can do about it, you'll just have to rest here. We can investigate after you've healed a bit. If you pop your stitched, it would just waste even more time." Lee spoke, sighing a bit as he looked around the spare room. He hadn't been inside it since the last time he cleaned. Turning his eyes back at Austin, the detective slowly pressed his lips together.

"It's been a while since either of us ate, so I'll make something. Just do me a favor and try not to be rambunctious? We don't need to go to the E.R a second time." with that, Lee turned on his heel and stepped outside of the room, shutting the door behind him. Walking to the kitchen, he got a pot filled halfway with water and started adding cooked chicken breast and vegetables. Altogether, it took about an hour to make, and Lee was ready to take a shower and get dressed in comfortable clothes. Ladling the soup into a bowl, he also opened the fridge to grab a water bottle. Heading to Austin's room, he knocked his knuckle against the door, signalling he was coming in, before stepping inside.
 
Austin Gallagher
Austin had set himself up on the bed, fiddling with a rubix cube he had grabbed from his box. To be honest, he already finished it, but he liked to mess it up again and retry it repeatedly. Besides, it was the only fun thing he could think of that didn't require excessive movement.

It also helped him think and relax. Get into the swing of things. If he wasn't going to be out and about, he wasn't going to just sit and watch paint dry. He had to do something, even if it was just moving his hands a little. When he heard a knock, he glanced up, noticing Lee was there.

"Hey." He greeted, putting the colored cube off to the side "Also, you're spoiling me, I hope you know. When I go back to a life of fast food and twinkies, I'll look back and say 'man I wish I had some of Lee's cooking, maybe I should get shot again'."
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

At Austin's comment, Lee rolled his eyes before stepping closer to the bed, holding the bowl out to him. However, he couldn't help the faintest ghost of a smile that pulled the left corner of his mouth. Then, as quick as it appeared, it was gone.

"It's common hospitality. And if I ever have to go through that hell again because of you getting shot, I'll wring your neck myself." Lee warned, his eyes narrowed slightly. Even if it was a warning, the way he spoke wasn't nearly as sinister as he usually would. However, he was serious as well. The feelings that electrocuted him during the whole ordeal made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. It was such a shock to him, and he wasn't sure what would happen to him if he had to go through that again. It was strange... he couldn't explain it.

"Anyway. After I take a shower, the bathroom'll be free. Just make sure you dry your stitches or they'll get infected." Lee advised before inwardly cringing. Why was he acting like this? It wasn't like he cared about Austin's well-being. Blinking, Lee turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Looking down at his ruined shirt, he sighed in slight irritation before starting to unbutton it, shrugging it from his body. Tossing the shirt into a waste basket, he then walked into the bathroom and locked it behind him...

~

Three days had passed since Lee had taken Austin from the hospital. Even if he was irritating at times, Lee had started getting used to not letting the other get to him. It wasn't that bad having someone to live with, even if it was Austin. Now, thinking back, he realized how empty and quiet his flat had been before the other somehow made his way into the place.

"I'm checking the mail, then we can talk over the case some more!" Lee called out to Austin, wherever he was in the house. It was after his morning shower, and he didn't bother styling his hair. It wasn't like he needed to impress anyone. Pulling the tighter long-sleeve over his head, he pulled on a pair of black sweats and walked out the front door. Riding the elevator down to the main floor, he walked to the mail area, and unlocked his, just grabbing the bundle of mail before heading back up to his flat.

Walking back inside, he slipped his shoes off and walked to one of the stools and sat on it, putting the mail on the counter. With a bored sigh, he ran a free hand through his damp hair while he looked through the mail with the other. Bills, bills, ads. However, one piece of mail made him pause, furrowing his brow. Tearing it open, despite how sketchy the outside looked, he pulled out its contents.

--
Well well... I hope you liked my little surprise~

You thought it was over, didn't you? That I might've "disappeared", but I'm still out here. I see where you go, see what you eat, hear what you say. I'm hiding in the shadows of the alleys that you walk past. I'm so close that I can smell the brand of cologne you use. Darlings, the fun has just begun!! There's no need to get so comfortable. A small little break was needed, but before you're fully rested, I'll send another little prize. Just for my two favorite people. Oh~ don't mistake me for a little scare... I'm the worst nightmare you'll ever encounter. Send my love to Austin, Lee. I'm sure you will.

Forever until death,
Anonymous
--
Pressing his lips into a thin line, he slammed the paper onto the counter, pressing his forehead against his forearm. "Mi-chin-sae-ki. (Crazy bastard.)" Lee spoke under his breath before lifting his head once more. Pushing all the other mail aside, he looked back down at the letter. It was different from the other one, since the one in his hands was hand-written. Most likely not with his own hand-writing, but with someone else's.

Lee looked up and moved his jaw side to side, tapping the fingers on his left hand against the counter while using his right hand to mess with his left sleeve. His habit was starting up, which meant he was either in deep thought or concentrating. Why would the murderer take the time to even deliver them a letter personally to let them know he was still out there? It's like he was asking to get caught.

Lee was so deep in thought that he totally forgot about telling Austin about the letter entirely, turning it absentmindedly in his hands now. He was sure the other would take it anyway, so he didn't bother. Instead, he let his mind run through the thoughts popping into place.
 
Austin Gallagher
Austin, eventually, made his way into the room, really not noticing how focussed Lee was. He had gotten rather comfort around the other at this point and wore a simple tank top and shorts,and he had to say, it was amazing. Before, he'd been basically cooking himself in his jacket.

He pulled over a seat, sitting and running a hand through his hair, damp from a recent shower "Question, before the case stuff, would you hug someone if they paid you? Because I really can't imagine you-" he then paused, narrowing his eyes a little at the paper "Alright, what's that? I'm curious now. And not a good curious."
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

At the sound of Austin's voice Lee looked up at the said male who was sitting in a stool next to him. He hadn't even noticed the other come in, and at his question, simply opened the letter and pushed it toward him. "I'm seriously tired of this bastard." Lee muttered under his breath before putting his face in his hands, rubbing his skin gently. Sure, being a detective was a dangerous job, but Lee would much rather have murderers approach him instead of hiding and speculating from the shadows.

"He seems to really know who we are. Only a few coworkers know where I live, down to the exact flat number, but they don't live in this state anymore. So, whoever it is really did their homework." Lee pointed out, not exactly surprised at the realization. Murderers, especially ones that had grudges on the detectives, tended to stalk and attack before getting caught.

Standing from the stool, he walked to the counter by the stove and took an apple from the fruit basket. Looking up at the ceiling, he took a bite from it as he waited for Austin to finish the letter. Even if it was freaky, it was to be expected. Especially since it happened before. It wasn't as scary as it was irritating. After all, it meant they had somewhat of a clever murderer to deal with.
 
Austin Gallagher
It was silent for a bit, as Austin leaned back and read the letter carefully. Then, he groaned a little, placing it back down "I didn't get shot for this. Holy fuck, I think the guy just likes hearing himself speak. Or, you know, watching his words hit paper. Egotistical stuff." He grumbled, mood instantly soured "This is legitimately the most annoying case I've ever handle. And most painful! Mentally, at least. Once this is over, I'm sleeping for 1,000 years. Probably in some bar."

If this had been a text, and he could reply to it, he'd probably send TMI, because really, 'I'm watching you eat' is just weird. It isn't even creepy! Just mildly uncomfortable. The dude seemed to just have a personal, high-school level vendetta against them, because this seemed like the sort of letter he'd find in his locker along with some graffiti on the outside. Oh, memories, how he loathed them.
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

"You and me both." Lee spoke with a sigh as he leaned against the counter, taking another bite of the apple as he glanced over Austin. Despite not being the type to ever drink alcohol, when he was Korea, him and a few other investigators would go to a small restaurant and drink soju. To say the least, he had gotten his lifetime of alcohol from living there, and didn't see the point of drinking. However, if he was offered, he'd drink a bit to be polite.

The detective looked down at his apple and twirled it around, feeling his appetite suddenly disappear. Then, he suddenly remembered the question that Austin had walked in to ask him and looked up, narrowing his eyes. Setting his jaw, he stood back to his full height and tossed the apple away, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What kind of question was that? Asking if I would hug someone if they paid me. It's not like I'm that crude." Lee muttered under his breath, eyeing Austin as he did so. He wasn't sure if the other would hear him, but he didn't really care. Rolling his eyes he went to the fridge and pulled out uncooked ham, eggs, and milk. Setting it all down on the counter, he also reached into the cabinet and grabbed the flour and cinnamon. Putting the ingredients for the pancakes into a bowl, he mixed it together before heating up two pans. Putting some batter in one, he put the eggs and ham into the other.

"Just be thankful I'm not crude enough to poison your food." Lee muttered, once more under his breath. He wouldn't ever poison Austin of course, but sometimes he made him really wonder if it was an okay risk to take. Well... that was a bit of an exaggeration. He was annoying sometimes, to the point where he wanted to slap the side of his head, but not enough to poison him.
 
Austin Gallagher
Austin scoffed a bit, crossing his own arms "It isn't crude to hug people, christ! I'd huge someone for money. Actually, I'd just hug someone. Because, you know, it's nice. Please tell me you've hugged someone, at least once?" He said, eyeing Lee with a frown "Because if you haven't, that's like a sin and it needs to be remedied. You may be playing the 'cold, uncaring sexy detective', but everyone has at least hugged someone ONCE."

Austin was a fan of contact. He'd admit to that. Yes, he understood some people WEREN'T, but hugging was an essential thing. Everyone hugged. Well, eventually. But Lee was no exception to the rule. Austin refused to believe it.
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

Lee blinked. Was it normal to hug people? After flipping the last pancake, he put it on one of the two plates of pancakes, along with the ham and eggs. Turning to Austin, he narrowed his eyes before sliding a plate and a fork in front of him. Thinking back, there wasn't really a time when Lee had ever been hugged by someone. Rolling his eyes, he looked up at the ceiling, sincerely thinking back, before he looked back at Austin.

"No. I've never been hugged, and I think you know that I've never hugged anyone." Lee said with a sigh, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Honestly, it's not that big of a deal." Lee added, mainly to himself and he poked at some food, stuffing it into his mouth. Then, remembering Austin's comment about playing a 'cold, uncaring, sexy detective", Lee pressed his lips together before pointing his fork in the said male's direction.

"And I'm not playing a cold uncaring, sexy detective. People annoy me, so why would I act to fulfill their fantasies." Of course, Lee was mainly talking about the women in the department, since most of them liked the cold type. However, countless times, Lee had men chasing after him, and it was rather annoying. Just as much as the girls.

... But it kept nagging at him. Based on how Austin was talking about hugging and being hugged, it was almost as if he was talking to an alien. After a few more seconds of staring at Austin, Lee silently sighed, his chest rising and falling slowly. Putting his fork down on his plate, he narrowed his eyes even more at Austin. "You know what? Fine. Because I know you'll just think I'm crazy." Lee moved around the counter and stopped next to Austin's stool, eyeing him cautiously. He was actually... nervous. Pressing his lips together, he felt his arms tense before he even moved them.

Then, he finally did. In one motion, Lee moved his arms to wrap around Austin, a bit awkwardly to say the least. His whole body was tense, and he stared ahead of him with a furrowed brow. Was this how a hug was supposed to be? After a few seconds of standing there, he finally felt his body start to relax into the hug, adjusting his arms so it was a bit more comfortable. Tilting his head a bit, he started to feel a warm feeling blossom in his gut. An odd feeling. Finally, after a few more seconds, he pulled away, crossing his arms.

"There. Are you happy? I hugged someone. I don't understand what the big deal was." Lee asked, feeling his ears warm up ever so slightly. The warmth didn't disappear either. Strange... what was it? Lee turned and walked back over to his plate, cutting into the pancake before stuffing it into his mouth.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Austin Gallagher
Austin looked like he'd been told that he won the Nobel Peace Prize or something, grinning foolishly at the other "Of course I'm happy. I had the honor of the apparently not-acting cold, uncaring sexy detective hugging me. Willingly! I didn't even have to force a hug on you." He replied, stretching out his arms "Even though you seriously don't know how to hug, you need to work on that. Anyway, hugging is great for some people, guess it isn't your thing. Look at that, we learned something from this experience!"

Then, not bothered by the previous hug at all, Austin went to eat his food, seeming fine to drop the conversation completely now "So, next move, what are we going to do? Preferably something where neither of us are shot or stabbed, but hey, do what you can." He said after swallowing his first bite, waving the fork around a bit as he spoke "The letter might have something, but honestly, if it doesn't, can I have permission to tear it up and throw it in a fire? Because that sounds fun."
 
BbVwKrcCYAAQrHb.jpg

At Austin's request to rip up the letter and throw it in a fire, Lee looked up from his food and shrugged a shoulder. "Do whatever you want with it. It's not like I want to put it away and cherish the fact that I was once stalked by a psychotic murderer." the detective picked up his water bottle and took a drink from it, thinking about what they should do next. Putting the water bottle back down, he narrowed his eyes in a calculating way when he stared at Austin, his mind in deep thought.

"In the letter, the murderer said that 'it was only the beginning', and that he'll 'send another prize'. If anything, if it's something he's going to send here, then we probably should be out and about when that happens. That is, unless he decides to murder another family to get his point across. But, the thing is, why would he tell us his plan before doing it? Mind tricks? Misleading us with false information?" Lee spoke as the thoughts came to mind, and he slowly turned his eyes away from Austin, tapping one of his fingers against the counter soundlessly.

"Jeez... I really hate the clever ones."
 
Austin Gallagher
"Thought you'd love a challenge." Austin replied, getting up from his seat and grabbing the letter "I'm going to go put on my jacket and head out. Find a good place to burn this thing. Won't be too long." He padded away from the counter with a yawn "Guess we can only see what happens next, because honestly, I'm too damn confused by it to figure it out."

The letter wouldn't help them find the guy. If anything, the next 'gift' would. So, Austin would try to remain relaxed, yet careful, until something happened. That would hopefully not include another hospital trip, nor anything else that would injure him or his partner. That was a little much to hope for, though, he was sure.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back