The second in the series for "Crimson Dawn".

"Reflections" centers on the growing feelings that Kevin has for Vic, and how, before he can even understand them, Vic may walk out on their friendship.   Jonathan assists, but both Kevin and Vic are caught in misunderstandings.  Meanwhile things heat up at 'Red Dawn', a gay bar that may have something to do with the missing person's case the boys are called in to investigate.

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His presence consumed the air, wiping out all other traces of existence.  It was only the two of them in that moment of time and space.  A maw of solitude encompassed them.   Sounds from outside did not penetrate, and the only light that managed to pierce the area was subdued and reflected off his penetrating eyes.

Kevin stared deeply into the once blue orbs, now the color of snow-gray.  The luminescent skin was cold to the touch, but heated his desire nonetheless. 

“Impulsive to a fault, aren’t you?”  Vic’s voice sounded like his throat was coated with gravel.

Kevin stood motionless as the younger man drew closer. 

“Thought you didn’t want love, Bishie,” Vic spoke in a low and throaty whisper.

“Why do you call me that?  You never tell me what it means.”

Vic smiled and the blood dripped from the stained teeth.  The wine in the goblet was thick, almost like canned cherry sauce.  Vic drank from it with abandon. 

“Bishie, Bishie.  Never mind, Kevin.  What’s in a name?”

Vic drew closer; his cold breath wafting over Kevin’s face, but the touch…the touch was what Kevin craved.

Vic leaned forward and gently kissed Kevin on the mouth.  “Taste me?”

“Yes.”

Kevin looked down at Vic’s chest; saw the blood, the wound…the torn flesh.  Vic’s cold skin smelled of dirt.

“Do you want me now, Kevin, my bishonen?”

Kevin stared into Vic’s penetrating eyes, the pupils that opened up and revealed a massive world of unknown and tempting dangers.

“I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you.”

“Too long for us to wait, don’t you think?”

“I loved her.”

“I know.”

“My kids.  I loved them, too.”

“I know.”

Vic drew even closer.  His lips parted and their bodies pressed together.

“But they’re not here anymore.  It’s just you and me.”

“And them.”

“And them,” Vic agreed with a smile.

“I don’t want it to be us and them.”

“Why not?”

“I want it to be you.”

Vic chuckled heartily. 

His mouth opened.

The fangs grew.

Kevin felt their sting.

A tap on his shoulder and he turned to see a hand holding out a dark green mug of coffee.  “Need this to wake the dead, there, Bish?”

Kevin jerked awake with a yell and a cringe of pain, only to see Vic hovering over his bed, holding a steaming mug of freshly brewed coffee. 

The smile on the younger man’s face was both a vision and a torment.  There should be a law against looking so damn happy in the morning. 

Kevin ran a languid hand over his still fuzzy eyes.  “What the hell time is it?” he croaked and wished he hadn’t.  His damn head felt like a tumble of rocks had rolled downhill and crashed into the concave bony structure that once held his brain.

Vic didn’t bother to check his watch.  “It’s ten a.m.  Jonathan called, said we’ve got a live one.  Needs us down at the office.  Kyle filtered one to us.”

Kevin managed to sit up, but the effort took a heavy toll on his already churning stomach.  His mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

“Who brought me home?”

“I did.  Ben was on a hot date.  He called and asked if I would see you home last night.”

Kevin put his face into his hands, groaned: “Thanks,” then blindly reached up for the mug. 

His fingers clumsily embraced the hot porcelain.  Hot, yes, but a soothing hot.  It proved he wasn’t dead, yet.

Although, the dream he just had seemed to accomplish that feat without any outside help.

God, both of his heads were throbbing, the one on his shoulders and the one tenting his sheets.  He quickly doubled the sheet over his lap.   

“I’ve got your things laid out in the shower for you,” Vic continued, not bothering to move from where he stood.

“Isn’t it Saturday?” Kevin asked.

“Sure is.”

“Then I don’t have to go into the office.  Jonathan can handle it.”

Kevin tried to fall back onto his pillow when Vic caught him and hauled him to a sitting position again.  “Not this one.  He thinks we’ve got a missing person to deal with.  Been missing over a week.  Kyle says his boys can’t find any leads.  Everything points to this guy disappearing on his own.  He recommended this lady to us.  Seems she refuses to quit searching.”

Kevin cringed up at him through bleary eyes.  “Kyle found no clues as to this guy’s location?”

Vic shrugged.  “None.  But from what Ben said, Kyle seems to think we can work this one better.”

Kevin shut his eyes.  “Damn it!  That means he doesn’t want to touch this one with a ten-foot pole, which can only mean one thing.”

“We’re in a pool of shit?”

Kevin nodded.  “With no life jackets.  This doesn’t make me happy, Vic.”

Vic frowned.  “Well, buck up, Bishie.  Jonathan says this lady is willing to pay us good money.  Circumstances notwithstanding, it sounds like a job we could use.”

Kevin sipped his coffee; then it hit him; “After Jonathan’s last retainer, we’re not that desperate for money.  How the hell did you get in, anyway?”

Vic waved a key hanging from a Raiders key ring.  “You gave me a copy, remember?  Said if I ever needed anything…”

“Oh, right.  I forgot.”

“Thought I’d stay the night and make sure you woke up this morning.”

Vic’s smile pricked Kevin’s hazy awareness.  He glanced down to see Vic’s slender hips and legs encased smoothly within stonewashed blue jeans.  Kevin’s bladder screamed for release and so did his testicles.  Damn his cock, anyway.  He quickly reached for his robe, but the effort put a stitch in his head he could have done without.  He groaned.

“Think you’re gonna retch it?” Vic asked as he helped Kevin with his robe. 
“No.  Did all the retching I could do last night.  If you brought me home,

where’s my car?”

“Still at the bar.  We took my Hummer.  Once you’re up and around and can walk without swaying, I’ll drive you over to pick it up.”

The words were muddied behind pools of both dizziness and lack of concentration.  Kevin couldn’t shake the dream.  He’d always wondered what was so damn erotic about vampires.  Now, he knew.  He should never have watched ‘Interview With A Vampire’ the other night.  Vic’s and Brad Pitt’s lips could be a study in cloning.

What made things worse was Vic standing there, his mid-section eye level to Kevin.   He wanted the younger man to take a hike, if anything to distract his own midsection from something other than Vic’s round, firm ass and snugly ensconced package in the front.

The young gun was merciless when it came to showing off his assets.  Kevin could have done without such a heavenly wake up call. 

“Have a nice dream?” Vic asked

Kevin spurted out the coffee he was about to swallow.

Vic grinned.  “I can help you to the john if you need a hand.” 

Kevin moaned as he stood.  He tried to will the throbbing in his head to go away, but no such luck.  He should know better by now.  And the throbbing in his cock wasn’t helping any. 

Go away, Vic, you damn tempter.  Can’t you see I’m in agony here?

“You may be in a rush, Red, but I ain’t.”  The nickname ‘Red’ for Vic had come from Vic’s attempt to assist Kevin and Ben with a gang murder some three years before, when Kevin and Ben were still detectives in Homicide.  Vic had uncovered information and sent it to the two detectives using the name ‘Redwing’ as his cover.

It was just one of the things that Kevin and Vic supposed Fate had used to bring them together again, as though their working together was somehow destined.  Kevin scoffed at mystical ideas, or at least he used to before getting to know Vic.  These last six months had proven his mind was not as closed off to spiritual things as he once liked to think.  Sometimes Vic’s presence or ability to read his mind was so damn frightening, he wondered about the past lives Vic proposed they could have lived.  Not that he really gave reincarnation any serious thought, but with Vic...something about their friendship was simply...weird.

“Well, Jonathan...” Vic started, but Kevin raised a hand to wave him silent.

“Jonathan knows damn well I’m rising out of pea soup here, so stop riding me.”

Riding me?  Oh, damn.  That brought an image I didn’t need.

Vic, thankfully, was oblivious to Kevin’s tortured mind…head…cock…all of the above.

“Well, seems there are hints of people saying they’ve seen the missing guy around town, but nothing conclusive.  His sister is the one searching him out.  Ben, of course, was instantly smitten by the damsel in distress routine.  He said we’d do it.”

“Good ole’ Ben.”  Kevin managed to find his way to the bathroom without spilling a drop of his coffee.  Yippee.

“Damn stud thinks more with his cock than he does with his damn brain,” he muttered.

“What was that?” Vic called out, having no sympathy for the decibels of his voice.

“I said get the hell out of my room.  You’re breathing too loud.”

The door to the bathroom accidentally slammed shut.

That was a mistake.

The pain rolled.  Kevin’s stomach rolled.

He was thankful the toilet seat was up already.