Work Text:
“You know,” Rocker says as he steps into the ring with a grin on his face, “I’d heard a rumor the prettiest woman on the planet was here. Guess my team didn’t let me down.” He watches the petite woman pause in her assault on the training pads that Edwards has up, her face lighting up as she turns to him.
“Rocker! I didn’t think you’d be here today.” She abandons her position, ignoring the playful jab from Edwards against her ribs, and runs straight to him. He wraps Keri up tight in a bear hug, picking her up for a small half spin that makes her giggle.
“Why not? You know I’m practically married to the job.” He says, winking as he lets go of her. “Unless you’ve come to make me a better offer?”
“And what would your wife say about that?” She swats his arm and his smile flickers briefly.
“Ex-wife,” he corrects gently. “Val and I got a divorce about eight months back.”
“Oh. Rocker, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know…” She chews her lip and he shrugs, fixing his smile back in place.
“It’s okay. I didn’t mention it last time I saw you.” He’d stopped by her gym two months after the papers had been signed, itching for something to do with himself. Over the last year and a half, he’d helped her at least a dozen times in her self-defense classes. They’d even met up for lunch a handful of times when their schedules would allow it, but he’d fallen off the face of the planet over the last few months. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” He asks.
“I…not exactly.” She says, biting her lip. “Luca thinks he saw him today.”
“Him who?” Rocker asks, his stomach already twisting.
“The Vanity Killer…” Her voice tightens on the media moniker and she takes a breath to steady herself. “Luca was certain he saw him earlier this morning. He came by the gym and thought I’d be safer spending the day here just in case anything happened.”
“Is he still around?” Rocker asks, glancing around the room.
“No. He and Hondo went to chase something down about the guy’s car. I haven’t heard from them since.” Keri tells him.
“Thanks.” Rocker smiles tightly and squeezes her upper arm. “I’ll let you get back to your workout. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”
“Yeah. Sure thing.” She flashes him a subdued smile and he forces himself to stay calm, keeping his walk confident and brisk as he heads away from the gym. The moment he’s out of her line of sight, he pulls out his phone and immediately calls the most recent number in his phone.
‘Hey, you’ve reached the voicemail box of Dominique Luca. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you.’
“Luca, call me.” Rocker murmurs, unable to keep the worry from his voice. He bites his tongue to keep from saying more and ends the call. His phone buzzes with a new alert, an incoming text from Commander Hicks. All personnel are to report to the control room by the end of the hour. He frowns a little and turns another corner, damn near running into Mumford.
“Your head up in the clouds, Rocker?” Mumford thumps the back of his hand over Rocker’s pec and frowns up at him. “What’s the matter with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“The Vanity Killer might be back. His last victim, the one that survived? She’s here because Luca reached out to her after he thought he saw the guy. Apparently he and Hondo are out chasing a lead right now.” He says, cutting right to the chase.
“Damn.” Mumford lets out a low whistle. “Keep me posted if you hear anything else, yeah?”
“Of course.”
“In the meantime, you can come help me in the armory. Got a couple of things to inventory and we need to stay close since Hicks needs to make an announcement.”
“Roger that.” Rocker says, following Mumford back in the direction that he’d come from.
-
In the aftermath of Captain Cortez’s announcement, Rocker finds himself parting ways with Mumford to cut Luca off before he can reach the kitchen. “Hey.” He says, falling into step beside the older man.
“Hey, man. Can you believe someone would threaten Captain Cortez? That’s fucked up.” Luca’s scowl twists his lips and Rocker’s struck with the thought that no matter what mood Luca’s in, he’s still devastatingly handsome.
“I’ve talked to Keri.” He blurts out. Luca’s next step falters and Rocker uses his continued momentum to step in front of the other man, swinging around to face him. “Luca-“
“We’re going to find him.” Luca says tightly. “Matter of fact, I have a plan to see if Keri might remember more than she thinks she does.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rocker asks, ignoring the attempt to change the conversation. “I would have asked Mumford to reassign me for the day so I could help.”
“I don’t need it.” Luca’s jaw tenses, his shoulders drawing back, and he moves to step around Rocker. “I can do this.”
“I never said you couldn’t. But you’re my friend and I know what happened that night-“
“No, you don’t.” Luca sharply cuts him off. “I made promises that I couldn’t keep. All you know are the facts.”
“Luca, I just-“ Rocker starts, reaching for him. Luca shrugs him off and keeps walking, disappearing into the kitchen where Rocker’s sure Keri is waiting. He falters, torn between going after him and giving him space, and the latter wins. Sighing, he turns on his heel and heads back the way he came to see if he can be of some use to Mumford.
The next time he sees Luca, the man’s coming from Wendy’s office and swiping tears from his eyes. Rocker presses himself back into the doorway of the interrogation room, the ache in his chest deepening. Luca doesn’t seem to notice him, drawing himself back up to his full height as he enters the control room to reconvene with his team. Rocker uses the opportunity to slip out of the office he was visiting, heading off to find Keri. She’s wiping tears of her own away as she comes out of the bathroom and her whole face crumbles at the sight of him.
“Hey, hey.” He quickly soothes, wrapping her in his arms as she sobs against his shoulder and clings to him. “I’ve got you.” He promises, pressing a kiss to her temple as he begins to rub her upper back. Her grip doesn’t loosen but he holds her all the same, determined to give her the same comfort that he wishes he could give to Luca. Maybe when this entire nightmare has been resolved, Luca will let him in.
-
“Can’t believe Griswald’s wife was behind that letter.” Mumford says with a shake of his head. Rocker hums, barely glancing away from his clipboard, and Mumford sighs. “I can’t deal with your pouting. Is this because I wouldn’t sign off on you offering to be backup if 20-Squad called in? Because I told you-“
“I’m your second-in-command and you need me, I know.” Rocker says, dragging a hand down over his face. “No, sir. I’m fine.”
“Don’t pull that crap with me.” Mumford kicks him in the ankle. “Why the long face then? I can’t stand seeing it on your ugly mug.”
“You love my ugly mug.” Rocker quips back, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Mumford kicks him again and he manages a chuckle. “It’s not…yes, I’d like to be there if they needed me. But it’s not just that.”
“Does this involve your puppy crush on Luca?” Mumford asks, folding his arms over his chest. Rocker feels the heat rise to his cheeks and refuses to look up. “There’s a reason two people who are dating can’t work on the same squad, you know? If you’re this worried about him while he’s on a mission-“
“It’s not that.” Rocker gently cuts him off. He sets down the clipboard and places both palms flat on the table, taking a deep breath. “I think I pissed him off earlier. I’m not sure what I said or how to fix it, but he’s mad at me.”
“Bull. You two are practically attached at the hip whenever we’re all here waiting on a mission or working one together. If you pissed him off, he’ll forgive you as soon as you smile at him. Because if you think you got it bad, you really haven’t been paying attention.” Mumford snorts. Rocker chooses not to read into that too much. His crush on Luca isn’t exactly a secret, but he doesn’t for a second want to entertain the fantasy that it could be returned. “Stop moping or whatever the hell your face is doing right now.” Mumford says, lightly thumping the back of his head.
“My face is making faces, it’s what faces do best.” He says dryly. Mumford smacks him again and he laughs, lifting up his clipboard to hide behind before Mumford can do it again.
“What a pain in my ass,” Mumford grumbles. “Go piss off somewhere else for a while since your head’s not in the game. Make yourself useful in the armory.”
“Yes, sir. And Mumford?” Rocker asks, lowering his clipboard. His superior officer grunts, watching him warily, and he offers a genuine smile. “Thanks.”
“Get out of here.” Mumford swats in his direction and he laughs, leaving the office.
-
It’s growing dark outside by the time Luca and his team arrive back at headquarters. Rocker makes himself scarce as soon as he hears the news, afraid that they’ll still be on uneven ground if he tries to check on Luca. He grabs his bag and shuffles into the showers, determined to bury himself under cold water after his workout, and maybe if he’s lucky then his shift will come to an end and he can go back to his apartment for a few hours before he has to wake up and do it all over again.
When he comes back to the locker room, it’s not empty. He’s glad he put on his pants before entering the room, but that’s the only comfort he allows himself. Luca is sitting heavily on the bench near his locker, his shoulders slouched heavily. Rocker’s sorely tempted to quietly back out of the room, but his sneaker squeaks softly as he turns and Luca’s head snaps up. Glassy blue eyes meet him, pinning him in place, and he holds his breath.
“Don?” Luca’s voice wavers. The thing is, Rocker could still leave. He could make an excuse and be out the door and he knows that Luca would never resent him for it. But he would never be able to forgive himself. And now, seeing Luca’s face? Bruises and lacerations that show he was hit again and again and again? His stomach does something unpleasant.
“Heard you got the guy.” Rocker says, cautiously taking a step in his direction. “Saved both the hostages and that guy will go away for life.” He fiddles with the shirt held between his hands and then decides to pull it on, breaking whatever look Luca is currently giving him. He doesn’t know how to read the man right now and it scares him. Things have always been easy between the two of them and-
“I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier.” Luca swallows and cuts his gaze away for a moment, twiddling his thumbs before he starts playing with the ends of his jacket sleeves. “You were just trying to help.”
“It’s okay.” Rocker takes another step closer and shoves his hands down in his pockets before he does something stupid like reach out to touch him. “I didn’t mean to imply anything. You’re right. I don’t know what it was like.”
“It’s not like I’m the only person to ever lose someone on a call like that.” Luca says quietly. “Do you ever not think about Sally and Rene?” Rocker closes his eyes immediately and takes a deep breath through his nose. He remembers pressing hands against both of them, screaming for a medic, and how the couple had reached for each other one last time. Caught in the middle of a shootout between armed robbers and 50-Squad, they’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The robbers had done the damage, but Rocker hadn’t been able to carry his gun for at least a week without thinking of them and refusing to pull the trigger. Hicks had benched him temporarily, forcing him through weeks of therapy until he’d had a clean psych evaluation.
“I think about them a lot.” He says, slowly moving around and sitting on the edge of the bench. He’s not close enough to touch Luca, but he can still feel the warmth radiating from the other man. “It’s not every day like it was, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier. Just different.” He shrugs and Luca nods, clenching his shaking jaw. Luca exhales noisily through his mouth and lets out a watery laugh.
“Yeah. Figured you’d tell me as much. Deacon said something similar.” Luca scrubs at his face, shiny trails left behind, and Rocker turns to straddle the bench.
“Have you gotten your head looked at yet?” He asks, reaching for the medkit that was resting against Luca’s thigh. When the older man shakes his head, he smiles hesitantly. “Let me clean you up?”
“Okay.” Luca offers him the kit and when Rocker takes it, Luca snags him around the wrist and holds him in place for a moment longer. “I don’t want you to ever think I’m so mad at you that I’m not going to want to talk to you.”
“I didn’t.” Rocker says thickly around the lie. “I wasn’t-“
“Weren’t avoiding me? Bullshit. You’re always first in line to congratulate me after a mission goes well.” Luca calls him out and Rocker winces. “And Mumford said you were probably hiding. Something about getting your head out of your ass.”
“He’s dead.” Rocker mutters, looking down and opening the kit. “Spill your guts to a guy one time and things unravel.”
“Donovan.” Luca says firmly. “I’m serious. I…I needed you when I got back.”
“You…” Rocker starts and then abruptly stops. He concentrates on opening the pack of wipes, motioning for Luca to turn toward him. Up close, the marks are worse. There are thin lines like someone tried to claw his eyes out and there’s some swelling near his temple. “You’re lucky you don’t have a concussion.”
“You should see the other guy.” Luca smiles fleetingly. “Are we okay?”
“We are.” Rocker insists, hating how Luca flinches from the first swipe of antiseptic on his face. “I was just trying to give you space. You’re kind of my best friend, you know? I don’t want to lose what we’ve got.”
“And if I want it to change?” Luca asks. Rocker damn near drops the wipe he’s holding and goes still. “If I want something more?”
“You…” Rocker tries and then licks his lips, hoping it will help with the mouth that’s suddenly gone dry. “Did I miss a piece of this conversation?”
“I’m just tired of beating around the bush.” Luca slides closer and this close, Rocker will swear his eyes are an endless blue sky that darken a tad where they meet the ocean. “I wish I’d relied on you earlier. I felt like I had to do it alone, like I owed it to Keri and Mark. I couldn’t save him, but I could save his latest victims. I was just trying to prove to myself that I could do it.”
“Never had any doubts.” Rocker tells him softly. “Luca…”
“Tell me to stop.” Luca whispers, his breath fanning over Rocker’s lips as he leans in. And Rocker should stop him. He should tell him that Luca’s been through the wringer over the last twelve hours and he deserves a chance to go about this when he has a clear head, decide if this is what he really wants. But he’s a weak, weak man when it comes to one Dominique Luca.
He kisses back, wrapping a hand around the back of Luca’s neck, and groans softly as Luca’s tongue teases the seam of his mouth. He parts his lips willingly, losing himself in the feel of Luca’s tongue sliding against his own, and he doesn’t think again until something wet touches his cheek. When he breaks the kiss, panting for air, tears are rolling steadily down Luca’s face. “Dominique…” He reaches up, cradling his cheek, and Luca leans heavily into the touch.
“I don’t want to be alone tonight. We don’t have to take this any farther, but I need you. Please?” Luca’s never sounded so fragile and Rocker won’t deny him a thing.
“Let me finish cleaning you up.” He leans in and presses a chaste kiss to Luca’s lips. “And we can go back to my place, okay? I’ll even let you drive if you want.” He jokes. Luca laughs, shaky, and nods against his palm. Rocker kisses him again before he gets back to work, quickly cleaning Luca’s face of any remaining dirt and blood. He’s stopped crying by the time Rocker is done, but he still looks like he’s a word away from coming undone. “Come on, Luca.” He gently releases the other man and gets to his feet, offering a hand. “Let me take you home.”
“Thank you.” Luca sniffles and takes his hand. There’s still so much that they need to discuss, and Rocker currently has Mumford at the top of his shit list, but all that matters is the warm weight of Luca’s hand wrapped around his own. Whatever happens next, he knows they’ll make it through together and come out stronger on the other side.
“Ready?”
“Always was.”