Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - Act I, Scene II
Title: Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Stevie/Xabi
Disclaimer: This is fiction! Not true! However much I wish, I don't own the players or Hotel Dusk.
Chapter 2
Word Count: 1,159
Summary: Steven meets an old friend.
“Hey! Yo! Open up, dude!”
Steven groaned and buried his head under the pillow. The relentless knocking and shouting at the door was enough to wake the entire floor.
“Yo! You alive in there?”
More knocks and shouts. Stevie was willing to let the guy scream his lungs out and his throat sore, but then he remembered the package. This could be it.
“Hey, got a package for you!”
Right. Steven was spot-on. He dragged his body from the bed, knowing very well that if he missed or lost the package, Rafa would kill him. He yanked the door open and faced a tower of boxes.
“Yea, I’m alive.” Steven drawled.
“Package for you, pal.” The man behind the boxes said.
“I heard you the first time.” A deaf would have too. “Just put it down anywhere.”
“Um, I kinda got my hands full, ya know. Yours is on the top. Take it, would’ja?”
“Sure.” He took the topmost package and put it on the bed. He caught sight of a familiar face before it ducked behind the remaining box.
“Thanks, mate!”
“Hey, wait a minute…”
“Uh, busy, pal. Need to go. See ya!” The bellboy turned and tried to make a dash, but Steven grabbed his shoulder.
“I said, wait a minute. Turn around.” Stevie commanded.
The bellboy whined and did as told. “Aw, man…”
“Dagger!” Well, well, what have we here, Steven thought. The lanky, scruffy-looking lad was Daniel “Dagger” Agger. When Stevie was a cop, Daniel used to roam the streets of London picking pockets for a living. The two had more than one ‘friendly’ run-ins.
“Why’re you here, Dagger? Run out of wallets to lift in the city? What’re you doing in this place?”
Daniel murmured something under his breath and let himself into the room. He placed the other package near the door, pulled himself a chair and straddled it.
“What’s it look to you, Stevie? I’m working!” He said proudly and had a smile to go with it too.
“Working? You? Bull. I don’t buy it.” Steven shook his head and sat across him.
“Honest, Gerrard! I swear to God! I got my act together, man. Moved outta London three years ago.” Daniel put his hands up, to show that he had nothing to hide.
Three years… ‘Bout the same time I quit the force.
“So…” Daniel rocked his chair back and forth. “What’s the deal, Officer Gerrard? What ya doing all the way out here in this crappy hotel? Must be a big mission you’ve got lined up, eh? Why else would a London cop be so far from home, hmm?”
Steven shook his head. “No, that’s not it.”
Daniel looked at the ex-cop expectedly, waiting. When Steven did not elaborate, the bellboy poked further. “So… what? You’re, like, on vacation or somethin’?”
“No.”
Daniel sighed. “I don’t get you, man. Everything you say’s like a riddle or mystery or somethin’.” Yea, that’s Steven Gerrard. A man who’s job was to squeeze dirty secrets out of criminals but he kept his own safe and out of sight and sound. “Whatever. Not my business what you’re doin’ here. You keep your secrets, and I’ll keep mine.”
Steven wasn’t listening. He stared blankly at the floor, in deep thoughts. If I’m so good at digging other people’s dark secrets, why didn’t I figure Xabi out? It made him feel like a failure. He was so good at reading others but couldn’t do the same to his partner. Xabi was too good. Xabi kept his secrets as well as Steven kept his.
He felt Daniel staring at him. “What’s on your mind?” Dagger asked. “No wait, never mind. You won’t tell me anyway. Forget I asked.”
Kid got it right, Stevie thought with an amused grin. “So, you got your act together?”
Dagger nodded. “Yeah, man. I got tired of picking pockets. Big risk, small rewards, yeah? Figured I was too old to keep workin’ the streets like a punk.” He avoided looking straight into Steven’s eyes when he said it.
“Hold on.” Steven’s detective senses were tingling. “Ain’t that simple, ain’t it?” Daniel squirmed uncomfortably under Stevie’s gaze. “Something happened, didn’t it?”
“Yeah, maybe… But I ain’t talking about it. Not somethin’ I’m gonna get into with a cop.”
“I’m not one anymore.”
“Not one what?”
“A cop. So will you tell me what happened now?”
Daniel thought about it before replying. “… Forget it. I split that scene for my own reasons, man. Got nothin’ to do with you. Like I said, you keep your secrets and I’ll keep mine. ‘Sides, you’re a cop no more. I don’t have to answer your questions like I used to do.”
Steven nodded. Fair enough. Dagger was right. He’s a cop no more. He had to keep reminding himself that as well.
“Hey, Stevie? Before I go, lemme ask you something. Said you’re no longer a cop, yeah? What’s the story?” Daniel was being as curious as ever.
“I hung up my badge, Dagger.”
Daniel’s eyes widened to the size of golf balls. “No way! You quit?!”
“Actually, I was fired.”
“You were FIRED?!” Daniel’s reactions became more agitated. “Oh man, Officer Gerrard! What’d you do?!”
Steven shook his head. It would probably be too much for Daniel.
“You’re right.” Apparently, the bellboy thought the same. “Looks too heavy for me. Maybe some other time, yeah?”
Stevie nodded and waited for Daniel to leave. But the youngster didn’t seem to be making a move. Ah, plain old curiosity was holding him back again.
“Can’t believe you’re not a cop anymore, man. So, what’s your deal now?”
Steven sighed. Might as well tell him since he’s not the trail now. “I sell household goods door-to-door.”
Daniel’s eyes widened again. This time maybe to the size of tennis balls. “C’mon! Get outta here! You’re a door-to-door salesman?!”
“Yeah.”
“You?”
“Me.”
He looked at the package on the bed suspiciously. “So that’s like full of sales stuff? Detergent and floor wax and hairnets? Old lady crap like that?”
“Could be.” Steven replied nonchalantly.
Daniel could not control his laughter anymore and went hysteric over the chair. “The famous Officer Gerrard… hahaha… A SALESMAN?! Haha…” When he finally recovered, he wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up. “Alright man, I gotta go.” Just before he reached the door, Daniel turned. One look and Stevie knew the guy had something to ask of him.
“What?”
“Um, Stevie? My past… You know all that crap that happened in London? All the stuff I did? Well, ain’t nobody out here knows about it. I’d appreciate it if you’d… like… keep it to yourself. Ya know?”
Stevie nodded. “Yeah.” Dagger was a good kid who made some bad choices. He was glad to see that he had made one right one this time. Daniel closed the door behind him and Steven decided it was about time he checked out the much-awaited package.
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Stevie/Xabi
Disclaimer: This is fiction! Not true! However much I wish, I don't own the players or Hotel Dusk.
Chapter 2
Word Count: 1,159
Summary: Steven meets an old friend.
“Hey! Yo! Open up, dude!”
Steven groaned and buried his head under the pillow. The relentless knocking and shouting at the door was enough to wake the entire floor.
“Yo! You alive in there?”
More knocks and shouts. Stevie was willing to let the guy scream his lungs out and his throat sore, but then he remembered the package. This could be it.
“Hey, got a package for you!”
Right. Steven was spot-on. He dragged his body from the bed, knowing very well that if he missed or lost the package, Rafa would kill him. He yanked the door open and faced a tower of boxes.
“Yea, I’m alive.” Steven drawled.
“Package for you, pal.” The man behind the boxes said.
“I heard you the first time.” A deaf would have too. “Just put it down anywhere.”
“Um, I kinda got my hands full, ya know. Yours is on the top. Take it, would’ja?”
“Sure.” He took the topmost package and put it on the bed. He caught sight of a familiar face before it ducked behind the remaining box.
“Thanks, mate!”
“Hey, wait a minute…”
“Uh, busy, pal. Need to go. See ya!” The bellboy turned and tried to make a dash, but Steven grabbed his shoulder.
“I said, wait a minute. Turn around.” Stevie commanded.
The bellboy whined and did as told. “Aw, man…”
“Dagger!” Well, well, what have we here, Steven thought. The lanky, scruffy-looking lad was Daniel “Dagger” Agger. When Stevie was a cop, Daniel used to roam the streets of London picking pockets for a living. The two had more than one ‘friendly’ run-ins.
“Why’re you here, Dagger? Run out of wallets to lift in the city? What’re you doing in this place?”
Daniel murmured something under his breath and let himself into the room. He placed the other package near the door, pulled himself a chair and straddled it.
“What’s it look to you, Stevie? I’m working!” He said proudly and had a smile to go with it too.
“Working? You? Bull. I don’t buy it.” Steven shook his head and sat across him.
“Honest, Gerrard! I swear to God! I got my act together, man. Moved outta London three years ago.” Daniel put his hands up, to show that he had nothing to hide.
Three years… ‘Bout the same time I quit the force.
“So…” Daniel rocked his chair back and forth. “What’s the deal, Officer Gerrard? What ya doing all the way out here in this crappy hotel? Must be a big mission you’ve got lined up, eh? Why else would a London cop be so far from home, hmm?”
Steven shook his head. “No, that’s not it.”
Daniel looked at the ex-cop expectedly, waiting. When Steven did not elaborate, the bellboy poked further. “So… what? You’re, like, on vacation or somethin’?”
“No.”
Daniel sighed. “I don’t get you, man. Everything you say’s like a riddle or mystery or somethin’.” Yea, that’s Steven Gerrard. A man who’s job was to squeeze dirty secrets out of criminals but he kept his own safe and out of sight and sound. “Whatever. Not my business what you’re doin’ here. You keep your secrets, and I’ll keep mine.”
Steven wasn’t listening. He stared blankly at the floor, in deep thoughts. If I’m so good at digging other people’s dark secrets, why didn’t I figure Xabi out? It made him feel like a failure. He was so good at reading others but couldn’t do the same to his partner. Xabi was too good. Xabi kept his secrets as well as Steven kept his.
He felt Daniel staring at him. “What’s on your mind?” Dagger asked. “No wait, never mind. You won’t tell me anyway. Forget I asked.”
Kid got it right, Stevie thought with an amused grin. “So, you got your act together?”
Dagger nodded. “Yeah, man. I got tired of picking pockets. Big risk, small rewards, yeah? Figured I was too old to keep workin’ the streets like a punk.” He avoided looking straight into Steven’s eyes when he said it.
“Hold on.” Steven’s detective senses were tingling. “Ain’t that simple, ain’t it?” Daniel squirmed uncomfortably under Stevie’s gaze. “Something happened, didn’t it?”
“Yeah, maybe… But I ain’t talking about it. Not somethin’ I’m gonna get into with a cop.”
“I’m not one anymore.”
“Not one what?”
“A cop. So will you tell me what happened now?”
Daniel thought about it before replying. “… Forget it. I split that scene for my own reasons, man. Got nothin’ to do with you. Like I said, you keep your secrets and I’ll keep mine. ‘Sides, you’re a cop no more. I don’t have to answer your questions like I used to do.”
Steven nodded. Fair enough. Dagger was right. He’s a cop no more. He had to keep reminding himself that as well.
“Hey, Stevie? Before I go, lemme ask you something. Said you’re no longer a cop, yeah? What’s the story?” Daniel was being as curious as ever.
“I hung up my badge, Dagger.”
Daniel’s eyes widened to the size of golf balls. “No way! You quit?!”
“Actually, I was fired.”
“You were FIRED?!” Daniel’s reactions became more agitated. “Oh man, Officer Gerrard! What’d you do?!”
Steven shook his head. It would probably be too much for Daniel.
“You’re right.” Apparently, the bellboy thought the same. “Looks too heavy for me. Maybe some other time, yeah?”
Stevie nodded and waited for Daniel to leave. But the youngster didn’t seem to be making a move. Ah, plain old curiosity was holding him back again.
“Can’t believe you’re not a cop anymore, man. So, what’s your deal now?”
Steven sighed. Might as well tell him since he’s not the trail now. “I sell household goods door-to-door.”
Daniel’s eyes widened again. This time maybe to the size of tennis balls. “C’mon! Get outta here! You’re a door-to-door salesman?!”
“Yeah.”
“You?”
“Me.”
He looked at the package on the bed suspiciously. “So that’s like full of sales stuff? Detergent and floor wax and hairnets? Old lady crap like that?”
“Could be.” Steven replied nonchalantly.
Daniel could not control his laughter anymore and went hysteric over the chair. “The famous Officer Gerrard… hahaha… A SALESMAN?! Haha…” When he finally recovered, he wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up. “Alright man, I gotta go.” Just before he reached the door, Daniel turned. One look and Stevie knew the guy had something to ask of him.
“What?”
“Um, Stevie? My past… You know all that crap that happened in London? All the stuff I did? Well, ain’t nobody out here knows about it. I’d appreciate it if you’d… like… keep it to yourself. Ya know?”
Stevie nodded. “Yeah.” Dagger was a good kid who made some bad choices. He was glad to see that he had made one right one this time. Daniel closed the door behind him and Steven decided it was about time he checked out the much-awaited package.