Title: Strangers in A Strange Land
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ryan Wolfe/Zeke Barnes
Fandom: CSI: Miami/A Gifted Man
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Ryan Wolfe or Zeke Barnes, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

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Zeke sighed as he sat down heavily in one of the chairs outside the café he went to every day, raising a hand to rub at his eyes. It had been a long week; ever since the first day at work in Chicago, he'd felt more drained with each passing day.

It wasn't as though he'd never bee used to working around the clock, but there were so many things to get accustomed to here. But at least it was a challenge -- and it kept his mind off all that he'd left behind in New York when he'd made the decision to leave.

He still thought of the Clinica Sanando wistfully at times, almost wishing that he was back there. But once he had made the decision to pull up stakes and leave, he knew that it was for good. He wouldn't be going back; he couldn't put himself through that again.

He couldn't go into the Clinica to work every day and see Michael with Kate. He was glad that they were happy; he loved Mike enough to want him to be fulfilled in the life he'd chosen to lead. But he didn't have to stick around and see that happiness on a daily basis.

He'd had to leave, before Mike had realized just how he felt. Zeke was sure that it would have affected their friendship; Mike might not have pushed him away, but it would have made things awkward between them, and Zeke didn't want to deal with that.

In light of Michael's relationship with Kate, he didn't feel that he could take the risk of telling the man he loved just how he felt. He could end up losing his job, or having to work in a very tense atmosphere. Neither of those were options he particularly relished.

So he'd looked for openings in hospitals or clinics that were far away from New York, and when he'd found one in a small clinic in downtown Chicago, it had seemed perfect for him. He could still live in a big city, but he'd be far away from New York and its heartaches.

It was time for him to start over, Zeke told himself, closing his eyes and letting the tiredness he felt sweep over his body. He'd done the right thing by coming here; he shouldn't have to keep trying to convince himself of that. It was the truth.

He was better off here, starting fresh, carving a new life out for himself. He'd left the band that he'd been working in New York, left his job at the Clinica behind, and he was ready to start over again. It might be a struggle, but he was up for the challenge.

One thing he'd decided would be a hard and fast rule -- he wasn't going to look for someone to fill the empty space in his heart. He didn't have room in his life for love; he was too busy getting used to the new clinic. He didn't want to make space in his life for a lover.

If he needed a physical release, well, that was what he had hands for, right? he asked himself, a wry smile flitting across his handsome features. Masturbation wasn't exactly satisfying, but at least his hand would never break his heart.

Zeke gave the waitress who brought his coffee a tired smile, wrapping his hands around the warmth of the mug and closing his eyes again as she walked away. He'd noted her look of interest, but he chose to ignore. He couldn't have cared less what she thought of him.

He was here to settle into his work, and to start a new life. That life might include lovers, at some future point, but Zeke was sure that there wouldn't be one special person in his life. He'd given up on looking for that. He was better off on his own.

There were times when he wondered if his heart would ever heal, or if he would carry a torch for Michael Holt all of his life, no matter how far away from each other they might be. Maybe getting away from New York had been the start of that healing; he certainly hoped so.

"Is this seat taken?" The softly spoken words jerked him out of his thoughts; Zeke looked up at the man standing beside the table, his gaze focusing on a pair of green eyes that took his breath away. For several long moments, he couldn't speak; all he could do was stare.

Was it possible for such a beautiful man to exist? Every thought that he'd ever had of Michael flew right out of his mind; he didn't know the name of the man who was standing in front of him, but he wanted to know everything about him, in every possible way.

Dimly, he realized that this man had asked him a question. He tried to focus on what had been said; when he finally managed to process the words, he smiled and indicated the chair across the table from his with a wave of his hand. "Not at all. Have a seat."

"Thanks." The other man sat down, leaning back in his chair and looking over at Zeke. "Are you okay? You seem kind of distracted." He held out a hand across the table, giving Zeke a friendly smile. "I'm Ryan Wolfe. Nice to meet you. And thanks for letting me sit down."

"I didn't realize the café would be this crowded today," Zeke murmured, glad that he'd taken a seat at a table for two instead of in one of the single chairs. If he'd done that, then he wouldn't have had a chance to meet and talk to this gorgeous man.

"I'm Zeke Barnes." He reached for Ryan's hand, finding his own clasped in a firm handshake. He didn't want to let go of that hand; he wanted to move his fingertips up Ryan's arm, to feel that soft skin beneath his touch, to let his hands move all over Ryan's body.

And he wanted Ryan's hands all over his body. He wanted this man to touch him, to kiss him, to take him in his arms and undress him, to lie him down on the nearest bed and make love to him until he screamed in pleasure and begged for more ....

With an effort, Zeke pulled his mind away from the path it had taken. He cleared his throat, searching for something to say to Ryan, trying to keep the desire out of his gaze -- and his voice. "Sorry I was kind of distracted when you first spoke. It's been a hard week."

"It's been a killer week for me, too," Ryan told him, reluctantly disentangling his hand from Zeke's and leaning back again to study the other man through lowered lashes. "Seems like there's more and more crime in this city every day. But it keeps me busy."

"Are you a cop?" Zeke asked, curious to know just what it was that Ryan did for a living. He didn't look like a cop, but Zeke had learned that first impressions weren't always the right ones. Maybe Ryan wasn't a cop; maybe he just worked with them in some capacity.

"I'm a crime scene investigator," Ryan told him with a smile, tilting his head to the side and giving Zeke a curious look. "What do you do, if you don't mind me asking?" His voice was interested, friendly, but Zeke could swear that there was a softer, more sensual undertone to the words.

"I'm a doctor," Zeke told him, wondering what Ryan would think of that. Most people didn't think that he looked old enough to be a doctor; they had a hard time believing that he was nearly thirty. He was lucky that he looked younger than his age.

"Maybe I'll show up at the hospital you work and ask you to examine me," Ryan said with a soft laugh. "I'm due for a physical within the next couple of months. I'm not at my best around doctors, but I think having you do it wouldn't bother me so much."

"I definitely wouldn't mind examining you," Zeke told him, feeling a blush suffuse his cheeks. "It's not that often that I get to look at a gorgeous man." What was he saying? He shoudln't be talking like this to someone he'd just met -- was this considered sexual harassment?

Maybe he should rethink his decision about not dating anyone. He'd never felt as drawn to any person as he did to Ryan -- he hadn't even been this way over Mike. There was something about this man that attracted him like the proverbial moth to a flame.

"I'd like that -- but I think it'd be better outside of your job." Ryan was smiling at him, a genuine smile, not something practiced and seductive. "I don't want to come on too strong, but I'd really like to spend some time getting to know you. I'd like for us to go out sometime."

"From what you're saying, I think we'd be better off staying in." Zeke didn't know where those words had come from; he wasn't usually the type of person who flirted. But here he was, being coy and flirtatious with Ryan. It seemed that Chicago was changing him more than he knew.

"Seems to me that we're both strangers in a strange land," Ryan told him, leaning forward to place his hand over Zeke's where it lay on the table. "I think it'd be good for both of us to have somebody in our lives. If that's what you want, that is."

"Oh yeah, it's what I want." Zeke couldn't take his eyes off Ryan; it was almost impossible for him to believe that this gorgeous man had just asked him out -- and said that he wanted him, albeit in a roundabout way. What was he getting himself into?

It didn't really matter, not at the moment. He wanted Ryan, and Ryan apparently wanted him. What harm could there be in getting to know this man, spending some time with him? Even if they didn't become a couple, he'd at least have a new friend.

"If you're not busy tomorrow night, I'd love to take you out to dinner," Ryan said, his voice very soft. His green eyes were focused on Zeke; he could swear that Ryan was looking through him, peeling back the layers of who he was and seeing directly into his soul.

There was something about this man that was irresistible; he not only wanted to go out to dinner with Ryan and spend time with him, he wanted to have this man take him to bed, so they could spend the night losing themselves in each other.

He'd never felt this way about anyone that he'd just met. Zeke couldn't help feeling that he'd gone a little crazy, that his inhibitions were melting away in Ryan's presence. It was exciting, exhilarating, and more than a little frightening, all at the same time.

"I don't have any plans," he managed to say, though his mouth seemed to have gone dry. "I'd love to go out to dinner with you." He wanted to add that he'd love to spend the night with Ryan, but that seemed like it was taking things a step too far.

"Great." Ryan leaned back in his chair, looking at his watch with a frown. "I'm back on duty in twenty minutes. I just stopped by here to get a quick coffee. Where should I pick you up tomorrow?" He was obviously taking charge -- but Zeke had to admit that he liked Ryan's decisiveness.

"I work at the clinic just down the street," Zeke told him, wishing that Ryan could be here longer, but not wanting to keep him from his work. "You can call me there if something comes up and you can't make it -- but I hope that won't happen."

"I'll make sure it doesn't," Ryan told him, flashing a smile as he got up and held out a hand to Zeke again. "I'll be counting the hours until tomorrow night," he said, his voice still soft and full of promise. "See you then, Zeke. I'm looking forward to it."

"So am I," Zeke answered, returning the smile as he watched Ryan walk away. He was sure that he'd be counting not only the hours, but the minutes and seconds until tomorrow night. His heart was already thundering in anticipation of a night to remember.

Ryan had been right about them both being strangers in a strange land; maybe he was wrong, but he could somehow sense that Ryan was as lonely as he was. The two of them had begun that tentative process of reaching out to each other, and it had seemed entirely natural.

Tomorrow night seemed a long way away, but he'd have the day at work tomorrow to keep him from being too nervous about it. Zeke smiled at the thought; this was going to be the start of a while new life, and he couldn't wait for it to begin.

***