Cut and Run 1 - Cut and Run

“Same way it is now, I guess,” he answered, displaying the sort of nonchalance with which the Ty of old had always handled emotional situations. “Except without the drinking and drugs and copious amounts of anonymous sex, I'd imagine,” he added with a cock of his head.
    Zane's lips twitched. “Anonymous sex? I thought you knew all those women."
    "Well, I did after a few minutes,” Ty pointed out with a hint of a blush.
    A smile broke free. “You did better than I did, then,” the other man muttered, though he wasn't at all self-conscious about it.
    "I don't wanna know,” Ty said immediately, closing his eyes and shaking his head.
    Zane chuckled and swiped playfully at Ty's arm. “Come here,” he said again. “We can sleep until Henninger calls."
    "You sleep, I'll wake you up during the middle of a dream,” Ty promised crankily.
    "You were having a bad dream!” Zane insisted.
    "You know what I ain't afraid of?” Ty asked. “Bad dreams!” He swatted at Zane's grasping hand and then began crawling toward him slowly. “Dreams mean I'm sleeping, and sleeping means I ain't laying awake trying to get to sleep. Understand?” he asked as he got right in Zane's face and brushed his nose against Zane's.
    "I understand,” Zane repeated dutifully, rubbing the tip of his nose against Ty's before lifting just enough to press a soft kiss against his lips. “First night I slept without passing out drunk in four months was that night at your place,” he said, his voice barely audible.
    Ty closed his eyes and sighed quietly, deflating a little just before he clambered to the side and flopped down beside Zane.
    Zane knew Ty didn't want to hear it. But he'd said it to him anyway; the closest he could come to communicating how much he felt he needed his partner. He shifted and lay along Ty's side, letting his eyes close while he just focused on feeling him close.
    Ty's arm snaked around him, pulling him closer. “After this case is over,” he said quietly as he stared up at the ceiling and idly twirled a lock of Zane's hair, “promise me you'll get help."
    Zane inhaled and exhaled slowly. “I promise,” he whispered.
    Ty merely nodded his head almost indiscernibly and continued to play with Zane's hair. “So, what exactly was the point of waking me up and picking a fight?” he asked finally.
    "Hmmm?” Zane grunted. He knew full well what Ty was asking about. For now, Zane was just pleased to have the cranky, gruff Ty back. He could relate to him. This Ty didn't scare him and make him feel incredible, baffling emotions he'd tried to shut away.
    Ty rolled his eyes and shook his head again. “Asshole,” he accused almost fondly. He was unable to stay quiet for long. “I mean,” he said pointedly, “I know why I poke you. But where's the fun in poking me? Why start arguments just for the sake of fighting?” he demanded.
    Zane opened his eyes. He considered teasing, but thought it might be bordering on cruel at this point. “You're more yourself now than you've been since I saw you again,” he said seriously.
    Ty blinked up at the ceiling. “What the hell?” he finally asked.
    Raising an eyebrow, Zane raised his head and rested his chin on Ty's chest as he looked up at him. He didn't answer, though.
    Ty narrowed his eyes again and sighed heavily. “You're trying to drive me crazy, aren't you?” he finally asked.
    "Depends, I guess,” Zane said. “If it helps you shake off that damn conditioning, I'll do whatever I have to."
    Ty cocked his head and frowned. “Conditioning,” he muttered.
    "'Proper behavior'?” Zane said, sounding like he was parroting from a doctor. “All those things the shrink told you were the right things to do when you actually felt emotions?"
    Ty's eyes narrowed even further and he growled softly in the back of his throat.
    Zane considered carefully what to say. “There's a piece of you missing. Or that you've buried. One that I think we're going to need for this case."
    Ty was silent as he pushed Zane off him and sat up, leaning against the headboard and staring at his partner expectantly.
    "Don't you think so?” Zane asked evenly, watching Ty intently.
    "So you're trying to egg me on,” Ty responded without answering. “Make me cranky and somehow use me to solve an unsolvable case. What the hell are you, Zane, a Little Rascal?"
    Zane's eyes flashed with a little temper before calming, and he sat up to look over at the other man. “It's your passion that's missing,