Meldrick Lewis turned the sign in the door of the Waterfront so that it said "Closed." His two business partners were still inside, completely occupied with each other. He doubted if either of them had even noticed he was there.

He headed toward home, then impulsively turned and made his way to the marina. Once there he climbed aboard a familiar boat and knocked on the cabin door. Mike Kellerman poked his head out. "Meldrick," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to see you, Mikey," Lewis replied. "Can I come in?"

"Uh, sure, of course," said Mike as he opened the door and let his former partner in. "It's uh, it's been awhile."

"Since the dead baby case when you were working for them rich folks," Meldrick answered.

"Ugh," remarked Kellerman. "Don't remind me. That left a bad taste in my mouth."

"Rich folks are different from you and me," said Lewis.

"Yeah, they have more money," Mike replied, and they laughed. "So, how's Barbara?"

Meldrick waved his hand dismissively. "I don't see much of her these days. Any communication we have goes through our lawyers."

Kellerman grabbed a bottle of beer and handed it to Lewis. "So it's really over then? Between you and her?"

Lewis sighed. "It was over a long time ago. I just tried to pretend it wasn't."

"I'm sorry," said Mike.

"Don't be," replied his friend. "It wasn't right. You saw the way I planned the wedding. Or should I say didn't plan. I had to do it all in one day or I would've lost my nerve." He twirled his hat in his hands.

"Is that a bullet hole?" Mike pointed to a hole in the hat.

"Oh, that." Meldrick looked embarrassed. "Yeah. It is."

"What happened?"

Lewis told him the story of how he'd obtained the bullet hole in his hat when his partner, Rene Shepard, had been beaten down by a witness they had gone to question. The man had managed to get Rene's gun and had fired at Lewis. Mike shuddered. "That was close."

Meldrick shrugged. "It's a risk that comes with being police. You've been shot. Bayliss got shot. Ballard and Gharty got shot. It happens."

"I know, I just ... I don't like the idea of anything happening to you." He paused. "That's why I shot Luther Mahoney. I thought he was going to kill you."

Lewis looked at the deck. "I know," he said quietly.

"What happened between us, Meldrick?" Kellerman asked.

"Whaddaya talking about, Mikey?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You were here during the lowest point in my life. You took a gun out of my hands. Then one night we went to the Waterfront, we had some drinks, we had dinner, then you kissed me right outside the bar. We came back here and we.... We spent the night together. And then it all went to hell." He came closer. "I really don't think it had anything to do with the Mahoney shooting."

Lewis still wasn't looking at him. "No, it wasn't about Mahoney. But that made a good excuse."

"I lost my career because of that excuse." His voice wasn't angry; he said it matter of factly.

"I never understood why you didn't fight for it."

Kellerman almost laughed. "Because of you, you big dope."

"Me?"

"Gee told me that if I fought, there would be a hearing, and you and Stivers would go down with me. If I gave up voluntarily, if I resigned, you'd be left alone. I know that you beat Mahoney before he got your gun. I didn't want that to get out. You were in enough trouble already for hitting Georgia Rae."

"You gave up your career for me?"

"Yes," stated Kellerman.

"My God, Mikey, why?"

"Because I love you, Meldrick." He knelt in front of the other man. "You told me once that you loved me. You said you loved me but you weren't in love with me. Is that still true?"

"That was never true, Mikey. I was always in love with you. I'm still in love with you."

"Then why did you push me away?" Mike asked.

Meldrick sighed. "Because of Barbara, partly. I was still tryin' to hang on to my sham of a marriage. And because I'm a cop. You saw some of what happened to Bayliss. It's only got worse since the department discovered his web page during the Rylan case."

Mike nodded. "I heard about that. So, why are you here now, Meldrick?"

Meldrick leaned forward so that his and Mike's faces were mere inches apart. He held out his hat, with the bullet hole showing. "Because life's too short. Because I got a second chance. And because of Bayliss and Munch."

"Tim and John? What about them?" asked Kellerman, puzzled.

"I saw them kissing in the bar." He grinned. "Made me think of the time I kissed you outside the place." Then he closed the distance between himself and his former partner, and they kissed. Mike's mouth opened, and Lewis' tongue entered. Their arms went around each other. Meldrick slipped his hands under Mike's shirt. Soon both men's clothes were in a pile on the floor, and they had moved to the bed.

As he was about to get into bed beside Meldrick, Mike hesitated. "Meldrick," he said, "I need to know something before we go any further."

"What's that, Mikey?" Lewis asked, concerned.

"I don't want this to be just one night. We did that before. I want - I need this to be for the long haul."

Meldrick pulled Mike into the bed so that the blonde man was half on top of him. He kissed him. "I want that too, Mikey. But I don't know if I can promise you forever. I've never done that before."

Mike returned the kiss. "Hey, I don't have the greatest track record either. But we can try, can't we?" He shifted his position so that he was directly on top of his partner, and he moved so that his penis rubbed against the other man's.

Meldrick gasped and reason fled for a moment. When he was able to speak he said, "Yeah, we can try." He thrust upwards, seeking contact with his lover again.

Kellerman groaned. "Oh yeah, I've thought about this for a long time." He met the thrusts with his own, and the two men moved against each other harder, faster, until they both reached climax at the same time.

Mike rolled off his lover and rested his head on Meldrick's shoulder. "I love you, Meldrick," he said.

Meldrick kissed the blonde head. "Love you too," he said. Suddenly he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" asked his partner.

"I was just wondering if Munch and Bayliss ever got around to closing the bar."

END

What would happen if we kissed?
Would your tongue slip past my lips?
Would you run away?
Would you stay?
Or would I melt into you?
Mouth to mouth
lust to lust
Spontaneously combust
--"What Would Happen" by meredith brooks