Together We Will Always Fly

Chapter 2

Sitting at a traffic light, his options were all Zhao Yulan could think about.

Shen Wei thought it was the recent murders. Most of the people he knew thought his preoccupation was focused on the killers and his superiors certainly would expect it to be about the case. It did involve a serial killer targeting anyone above the age of twelve and below the age of twenty after all. All the murders were horrifying and cruel, turning the stomachs of veteran cops before the case was finally handed over to them. It involved the mutilation and rape of seven people, be it girl or boy and the entire city was terrified.

Add this to the heat of an endless summer and tensions were high in the city.

Half of his mind was on the case and Zhao felt they were close. Now they had a victim, a survivor in the hospital ready to tell them what had happened. Zhu Hong was already there with Da Qing and the girl's parents, waiting on him to arrive.

He had discovered the pattern nearly immediately. Each victim was chosen from the areas where those age groups met in droves. Shopping areas. Particularly the streets leading away from the brightly lit stores, passing a park on all sides. It was a busy area so a kidnapping would be as obvious as Guo with twenty balloons. Too risky. They all met a criteria and the only place you could watch the crowds was from the park edges on one side.

Satisfied with his answer, he went back to thinking about Shen Wei.

It had worked well this morning, he thought. Lying in bed, he was free to caress and hold that gorgeous lean body, but this time before he left the apartment, responding to Da Qing's phone call, he had gently caressed his jaw as he kissed him goodbye. Making sure to linger for just a second. The look he received had been soft and Shen had squeezed his hip before letting go.

Not bad. Was he putting the affection down to tiredness or stress? Did he realize that Yunlan was trying to convey comfort when Shen fretted about his students? Or the boundless love that he felt just looking at the man?

He sighed again, wishing not for the first time that his mother had been alive. She would have adored Shen Wei and he could have asked her advice. He parked the car and went back to be Chief Zhao as he entered the hospital.

The victim hadn't seen much but she did confirm Zhao's theory, comforted as the Chief had intended by Da Qing. She was only thirteen, scared and lost but her hands had combed that silky black fur, until the doctor had come in, when their time was up. He had reassured the parents and had set into motion the trap for the killer, coordinating between the office and Chu out in the field.

Smiling at the girl as he entered, he realized that the child had fallen asleep . Going to the bed, he gently picked up Da Qing, who squirmed into a better position, digging his back claws into his arm like it was his first time. His face betrayed no discomfort inside the room, but out in the corridor past the parents, he glared at the cat navigating the white walled corridors with relative ease considering the number of times he had been here, since moving back to Dragon City.

His thoughts twisted in on themselves
.
Maybe he should just add more casual, gentle touches into every interaction.

Zhu Hong was too old but Da Qing could be made to look younger, maybe catch the guy's attention. Or they could borrow a young cop, possibly a young woman who could pass for under twenty. Or maybe they use Guo...

Casual touches might take time, but Shen Wei would eventually consider them normal. Then he could try other things like leaning on him. If it took time...well it was worth it.

He was after all a cat owner. Cats would ignore you for days and then when you least expected it, your cat would be curled up on your head taking almost all of the pillow. Or if he was on his apartment sofa in Da Qing's presence, it would take seconds for him to beeline towards his knees if he was in cat form, or sprawl out against his side, if he was in human form, whether Shen Wei was there or not. In either form, he expected physical affection entirely on his terms.