Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Common Ground ❯ Chapter 5
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: NeekerBreeker 
Anime/Manga: Fake Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Police | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.13.2004 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 436 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Fake Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Police | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.13.2004 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 436 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter Five
A sore loser
Yelling with my mouth shut
The null of losing
Can you afford that luxury?
A sore winner
But I'll just keep my mouth shut
It shouldn't bother me
But it does
- "Small Victories" / Faith No More
JJ wondered how long he, keeping the laws of common courtesy, could hesitate before going to say hi to Dee and Ryou. He had no idea, but felt stupid hiding in the crowd like this. Heck, he felt like he was crashing the party, in more ways than one. JJ had a pretty good hunch that he wouldn't have been invited if it wasn't for Drake's intervention. Drake could be so transparent - not to mention overly concerned. JJ couldn't decide whether he found it endearing or annoying at the moment.
He fingered the keys in his pocket nervously. Since when had Drake got to him like that? JJ had long ago gotten used to Drake's fussiness. In fact, he hadn't really given it a second thought until recently. It was nothing too intrusive, anyway, and could be mostly ignored as one of the work-related things that had nothing to do with Dee.
JJ shook his head slowly and sighed. It always came down to Dee-senpai, didn't it?
"Hey, you!"
JJ turned around to see Bicky glaring down at him. When had the little snot grown to be that big?
Bicky asked in a rather demanding tone, "What're you doin' here?"
"What's it to you?" JJ asked back. He felt somewhat intimidated seeing that the little brat he used to order around was now a tanned giant whose arm muscles told of years of extensive training - hopefully not in beating people up.
Bicky snorted. "It's my place, too, y'know. You're not gonna ruin Ryou's party when I'm here!"
"I won't. Now, why don't you get lost."
"I'm gonna tell Ryou that you're crashin' the party."
JJ sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, go tell him." Then, on the spur of the moment, he added, "And if you see Drake-senpai, tell him that I want to talk with him, okay?"
The teenager shrugged defiantly and turned to inspect the various kinds of cakes and other food piled onto the long table. "Yeah, yeah."
JJ glared at Bicky's back. Brat.
He spotted Ted leaning against a wall only a few steps away, talking animatedly with a huge black man who had bright eyes and the deepest laugh JJ had ever heard. JJ thought he might as well go and say hi, so he poured himself a drink and walked over.
"Ted-senpai," he said, nodding and smiling.
Ted turned to him. He seemed to be in a good mood; there was a wide smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, JJ, hi. I thought you wouldn't show up at all."
JJ shrugged cheerfully. "So did I, at first. Then I figured that I might as well check the party out."
Ted patted him on the back and laughed. "That's the spirit! Hey, have you two met?"
He introduced JJ to the huge man, who nearly broke all the bones of his right hand when he shook it and told him to call him Barry. Barry then immediately proceeded to tell a joke about him being called Barry Black when he was a kid because he had always sung in a deep voice and Barry White was already taken. JJ liked the guy immediately.
During the conversation that followed JJ forgot all about his initial worries of whether or not coming here had been such a good idea. He started to become aware of the atmosphere and found that he liked it; the certain warmth that seemed to radiate from the very walls was very welcoming. It was easy to tell a lot of love had gone into making this place. Of course, he had been to Dee-senpai's apartment before, but this wasn't the same apartment anymore - it had morphed into something more alive, more intricate, more intimate. In a way it comforted him.
This room hadn't been a living-room but a hall before. When he looked up he noticed that the room was very poorly lit; most of the light came from the other rooms and the big windows. That explained part of the warm, almost glowing quality the place had. JJ gazed out of the window, wishing he had big windows like these, too. It was dark out, but the lights of the city created a sort of a living, sparkling painting on the wall. JJ wasn't prone to staring into space, but the warmth of the atmosphere and the punch he was drinking lulled him into a comfortable state where he didn't have to think about anything for a while. He felt both tingly and content.
Barry snapped him out of his reverie by, playfully, punching his side, which almost sent JJ, playfully, sprawled down to the floor. Barry had gone to get himself another roll of some kind, and had brought one for Ted and JJ, too. JJ bit into it and it tasted good. Of course it did. Nothing could possibly ruin the evening for him at this point. JJ even liked the music that was playing - some kind of jazz, with a little rhythm n' blues thrown in.
"You like it?" Barry asked, raising his eyebrow, when JJ mentioned it aloud. "Then you're bound to like our album, too. Just got it out. Good stuff, I promise you."
"I'd love to hear it sometime," JJ agreed.
"Didn't you bring the CD with you, Barry?" Ted asked. "Go ahead and put it on - this album's been playing since I got here. Must be the third time I've heard this song."
"Damn that Dee, he said he'd play it later." Barry looked over to the other side of the room - he could fairly easily see over most of the people's heads. "Needs a little reminder, I bet. C'mon, let's go." He grabbed JJ's shoulder and turned him to the direction of a large couch in the opposite corner of the room, starting to lead him there with him.
JJ's heart sank into his expensive shoes. Okay, *almost* nothing could ruin his evening. In this intimate twilight, after a few glasses of punch, Dee-senpai was the last person he wanted to see. He feared he'd lose all control and turn into a helpless puddle of drool. There, he had admitted it; couldn't the powers that be at least give him a little leeway for being honest? Barry's hand was huge and demanding on his shoulder. No divine mercy seemed to be on its way.
"I gotta go take a leak, I'll be right back," Ted said. When JJ managed to turn around to look at him, there was no sign of him anymore. JJ did his best to not appear like he was being taken to the Last Judgment.
Dee was talking quietly with Ryou about something, sitting face-to-face with him on the couch. When Barry and JJ approached, they both looked up and pretty abruptly quieted down.
"How's right now for 'later', Dee?" Barry asked, his voice booming and seemingly impossible to say no to, but yet somehow managing to remain friendly. "I got someone here who says he wants to hear our CD."
JJ could feel Dee's eyes find him. Goddammit, those pools of dark, wild green made him freeze like a rabbit in the headlights. He fidgeted.
"Hello, Dee-senpai," he said. His voice sounded toneless to his own ears. "Ryou-senpai."
Ryou nodded to him in a friendly way, but gave Dee a worried glance. Dee hesitated for exactly three seconds before putting on a wide smile and saying, in a casual tone, "Hi, JJ. Sure, if you guys want to put on something else, feel free. Sorry, I think I got a little distracted, here. Do you know how to work the stereos?" He got up and went over to the music equipment without waiting for an answer.
Ryou looked at them and leaned closer like a conspirator. "It's his new toy. Pretend you don't know how to insert a CD into a player, okay?"
Barry laughed before following Dee. "No promises."
JJ winced a little when the music abruptly stopped, even though he saw Dee press the Stop button. People glanced at them, but then went back to their conversations. Now that there was no background music, the sounds seemed more sharp and oppressive. JJ went over to the stereos, too, drawn by an irresistible force. Barry offered a nice human shield, and JJ made sure the big man was between him and Dee all the time. The punch and the warm lighting could really inspire him to do something he'd get thrown out for. While Dee and Barry were fighting over which song to pick and who'd get to put the CD in, JJ stole the CD case and tried to focus on the cover.
His gaze slipped upwards, though. Dee was concentrating on the stereos; he wouldn't notice. God, he looked dreamy in the dim light, his dark hair gleaming in warm overtones.
And his lips a darker shade than normally and obviously kissed.
Dee looked up at him, suddenly. "I think that should work." His eyes left JJ's face and he glanced at Barry, who had turned to tell someone nearby who to thank for the long-awaited change in music. "So, uh... How're you doing?"
How was he doing? He was walking on goddamn hot coals. "Fine, senpai. It's a very nice party; I can't think of anything I don't like about it."
Except that he couldn't throw Dee down on the floor and ravish him like he'd never been ravished before. But that was an old one, and JJ had been able to ignore it for a considerably long while, hadn't he?
Music started to fill the room, slowly and softly. It was the closest equivalent to chocolate JJ had ever heard. Chocolate and rum, with a particularly swinging rhythm.
Dee wetted his lips and opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to get confused and just gave JJ an unsure glance. JJ knew he was gone after just witnessing both the tip of Dee's tongue and his seductively dark, searching eyes. He swallowed, his throat and mouth dry. Ignore Dee his ass; he'd happily jump off a cliff for just one taste of that slightly open mouth.
"What did I tell you?" Barry hadn't been included in JJ's little fantasy world, but for a voice coming from another world, his voice packed quite a punch. JJ blinked furiously and quickly looked in Barry's direction.
"Yeah, sounds fantastic," he managed to utter, or something like that, and then he forced his feet to move and fled. He needed something to cool his head off with. Maybe a glass of water. Or a bucket of it.
He noticed the balcony door, let open to allow some fresh air into the apartment, practically the only spot he recognized as an unchanged part of Dee's old apartment. Okay, cool night-air would do, too. He went over to the doorway, but stopped abruptly when he saw there were people on the small balcony already. Namely, Drake and a black woman whom JJ didn't know. They were standing a good two feet apart, the most the small balcony allowed, and Drake was nervously trying to light up a cigarette. The woman had her back to the doorway. JJ quickly took a step away from the doorway and leaned against the nearby wall. Well, at least he'd finally found Drake. But he had a feeling Drake wouldn't appreciate having anyone barging in right now.
The balcony wasn't big at all, and if there had been no wall, JJ would have been standing practically next to the two. He could even hear Drake cough under his breath and flick off his lighter.
"Shit. Okay, you know we'll never get anywhere with this. I'm an asshole; fine. If that's what you want me to say, then okay, I can admit that."
"Don't you dare just shrug it off with that," the woman snapped, in a voice of someone who isn't used to snapping at people. "Fine, let's drop it, then. But I'm not going to listen to you use the old pity card to get out of things."
It got silent for a moment, and JJ thought the two might come in soon. Good; he wanted to talk to Drake. He idly wondered where the sudden *need* to see his partner had appeared from, but his train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Drake's voice.
He sounded weary. "The landlord still giving you hell?"
"Not really. I only had to show him the papers, and he was ready to admit that yes, pets are indeed allowed in the house. I think he even tried to pet Buster on his way out, but the blessed thing growled at him."
Drake chuckled a little. "Yeah?"
"Uh huh. And before you ask, Stevie's doing just fine and I'm going through hell trying to explain to him why you won't be around anymore." The woman paused for a moment, then went on, "How are you doing? I overheard something about a new case."
Drake hesitated a little before answering, "Listen, Jill, I need to talk to you about that. The case, I mean. Totally against every regulation there is, but just listen to me, okay?"
JJ frowned. He fought the urge to run to the balcony and slap his hand over Drake's mouth. He should know better than to talk about the details of a murder investigation with an outsider! No matter how important that outsider was to him. Heck, if Drake went around blabbering about his cases to all his exes, half of New York would know the gory details already.
"We're after this guy who shoots people of ethnic minorities and cuts them up. Very ugly. You don't want the details."
Jill interrupted him. "Why are you telling me this?" She sounded very calm and somewhat bored.
"'Cause this guy's planning his route beforehand, and Bushwick's where he's going to kill next. He's going to make a perfect vertical line to cut New York in half, and he's almost managed to finish it. He's just missing one place to complete the work." Drake's words were slightly difficult to make out; his voice was flat, and he mumbled a little. JJ guessed that he might be drunk. "The line goes straight through your fucking neighborhood. I checked it this morning."
"I'll be careful. I'm always careful. What do you want me to do, lock myself and Stevie inside until you catch the guy?"
"I don't know, I just... be *really* careful, okay? These murders were not exactly planned. He doesn't care who he kills, as long as they're of ethnic minorities. He cuts 'em up, shoots fucking cop killer bullets into their heads, just to show off. He's... marking the territory, or something; anyway, his victims are nothing but landmarks to him. Only thing that matters is where they are. And you're standing right on a big X."
"'Ethnic minorities'. I always thought your report-speak was funny. Fine, so there's a racist killer loose. Good to know, I guess. I was wondering why the cops had started to patrol around the block so often. I thought they were just after some crack kids."
"Listen, I know it's stupid to tell you about this. But... Yeah, in any case, um, if you happen to see him, he's a tall, white man, with short, blond hair, around 40 years old. He might sneak to check the place to plan his next big number, so keep your eyes open, okay?"
"Drake? I promise, I'll look after myself. And Stevie, and Buster. I understand your concern, and I am grateful, but don't wreck your head over it. You're not responsible for me and I don't want you to look after me, not more than your job obliges you, anyway." Jill laughed a little, an oddly artificial-sounding laugh. "And hey, speaking of your job, you'd better shut up before you lose it."
"Yeah. You're probably right. Always are."
A brief, uncomfortable silence followed. It seemed the two were heading back in. Well, finally. JJ glanced around to find something to do so that it wouldn't look like he had been eavesdropping. He couldn't spot anything, so he just leaned against the wall and knocked back the rest of his drink, putting the glass away absent-mindedly. Jill walked past him briskly. Apparently whatever she had wanted to say, she had now finished saying. JJ followed her with his eyes as she strode straight over to the couch where Dee-senpai was still sitting. Drake's voice made him spin his head right around.
"Guess you're gonna have to bust my ass now."
"What?" JJ said, feeling like a dimwit when Drake flashed him a smile that was almost a grin.
"Fuck it, you just caught me red-handed. What kinda detective are you supposed to be?" Drake's gaze was wandering all over the place. He leaned against the wall with his other hand and sighed tiredly.
"That was Jill, huh." JJ looked after the woman to punctuate, even though he couldn't see her in the crowd anymore. "She worth going to jail for, then?"
Drake frowned, irritated and adorably timid. JJ couldn't help chuckling under his breath. His partner was acting like an unsure teenager, bless him. How could Drake, even after being married once and having a kid, still appear so lost when it came to women? JJ tried to imagine the same for himself - if after all these years, his world would still come to its end when the hunky brunette from the bar didn't call him back the next day. He started giggling; he couldn't help it.
"Yeah, laugh all ya want, I'll be here all day," Drake said, but didn't sound bitter at all. He was still frowning, though. Good; JJ liked the way his brows burrowed together and gave his face a secretive look. You'd think Drake did it on purpose, to appear mysterious, but he just wasn't the type.
"The heterosexual mating scene just giving me eternal amusement," JJ said with a smirk.
Drake snorted. "Oh? Is this where I pull the fag joke?"
JJ pretended to be hurt. "All right, all right. Aren't we sensitive tonight. Heard you talking about the cop killers, by the way; is it official?"
Drake seemed relieved about the change of subject. "The bullets used were definitely AP's, most likely illegal. It's 90% sure that they were Russian. Jim's gonna call me later to confirm that. He said he'd get a word going round; ask about who we know is selling cop killers."
"Okay, good. Boggles the mind, though - why use illegal bullets when there's no need? For a short-range shot to an unconscious victim's head, cop killers are damn showy, don't you think?"
Drake nodded. "If this guy wants attention, he sure has all the money and the connections he needs to raise hell. Remember what we wrote into the last report - he's obnoxious, thrill-seeking. You never know what to expect from guys like that." He grinned. "Sounds like someone I know, actually."
"Oh, shut up." JJ laughed and then dragged Drake over to the table to taste the rolls.
They downed a few more glasses of the punch - it was a little too sweet to JJ's liking, but still okay - and chatted for a while. JJ tried to steer the subject away from Jill, but Drake, who obviously *did* like the punch, occasionally lapsed into grumbling. When his partner had withdrawn into gloomy silence for the third time, JJ sighed loudly.
"Jesus, Drake. Ease up on the punch already, I'm pretty sure you can't drink her away from this room."
Drake glanced at him vaguely as he put his glass down. "Oh, that's easy for you to say. When was the last time you had woman trouble, huh?"
"May I remind you that you know quite a lot about my guy troubles?" JJ raised his brows.
"And I suppose your solution to my problem is giving up on women for good?" Drake sounded amused. "Talk about transparent, JJ."
"Don't knock it till you've tried it, that's all I'm saying," JJ said playfully, liking the conversation more and more. He briefly suspected that the punch he had just drunk had been stronger than he had thought. The sweetness had apparently covered the sting of alcohol.
"Yeah, sure."
"No, really. I mean, you're an open-minded kind of guy. You've seriously never been with a man?" JJ leaned in, honestly curious. He must've asked Drake before, but he couldn't remember.
"No," Drake said, with the mandatory I'm-straight-thank-you-very-much chuckle.
"Never even been tempted? Give me a break."
"I didn't say that," Drake said, then quickly looked away, realizing what he had just blurted out. Honestly, he was just too damn good in this shy-and-clumsy routine. If JJ didn't know better...
"Oh ho?"
"Hey, I didn't mean nothing by that. I just --"
JJ didn't even bother to say anything. He just raised one brow questioningly, fully knowing how smug he must look.
Drake made a face and scratched his hair nervously, but seemed to take JJ's teasing well. He usually did. "Nah, what I mean is, there's honest-to-God temptation and then there's vague wank fantasies, know what I'm sayin'?"
"No, not really," JJ said.
Drake's expression changed as he came to think of something. "So what about you, huh? You ever had the hots for a girl?"
JJ didn't know whether to snort or guffaw, and did something that wasn't quite either. "You've *got* to be kidding me. Just... no. No way."
"See? There goes your "open-minded guy" theory."
"Good thing I never claimed I was one, then," JJ said and glanced over his shoulder. More guests had come in and the apartment was practically bursting with people, since it was still too early for anyone to leave. Why would they? The atmosphere, although somewhat suffocating, was so comfortable, and so warm... It dawned on him that it made him starve for some sort of human closeness. It was staring him in the face; all those laughing, happy people around him, and he felt left out. He sneaked a glance at Drake, who was staring at the crowd, too, his eyes glazed over. JJ bet he knew whom Drake had spotted.
*Boy, we're a pair, aren't we.*
"You interrogating me 'cause of that argument we had yesterday, right?" Drake suddenly asked, his voice quiet.
JJ hadn't even thought of that. "No. I wasn't even aware of us having an argument. I just took a joke a bit too far. Sorry if I got you all worried." He looked up at Drake's face and the sheer warmth and concern almost floored him. Dear God, Drake *had* been worried about it.
Drake's shoulders slumped down as he visibly relaxed. "Good. That's good. Don't want any squabble with ya, kid."
He leaned in and mussed JJ's hair. Drake was the only one who JJ let do that; at the moment, he liked it, even. It was a sincere human touch. JJ didn't want it to stop. He took the chance and grabbed Drake's hand when he tried to move away to maintain the personal space all straight men held sacred. JJ looked into Drake's eyes, hoping that his baby blues would get the point across better than he could. It had worked before.
A second of pure electricity passed, and JJ could swear, he could damn well *swear* that he had seen the same hunger in Drake's eyes, but then his hand was shaken off and Drake turned away, not killing the electricity but dispersing it.
"Gotta call up Jim about the damn bullets," he muttered in a voice lower than JJ had ever heard him talk in and walked off unsurely.
JJ looked after him. Was that the cue for him to forget all about it, agree to meet Drake the next day at the station, go home and feel sorry for himself? No, it just couldn't. It had been *there* and it had been real. JJ enjoyed the feeling of determination as it sunk in.
Drake went over to the hallway that led to the bathroom, where he could hear the phone better. JJ strode a little closer. He waved goodbye to Ted, who was pulling on his coat, apparently heading home to his girlfriend. JJ picked up a small creamcake and ate it, then glanced at Drake, smiling as he saw the man quickly look away. Drake was leaning against the wall, practically huddling the cell phone to appear concentrated on the phone call, but he was nodding too often, the look on his face was too rigid. His thoughts were somewhere else, and that was where JJ intended to keep them.
Drake didn't see him approach, he was too busy attempting to look busy. He was frowning fiercely. "Okay. Yeah. Okay," he mumbled to the phone, then jumped a little when he noticed JJ standing next to him. Without giving him time to think, JJ took the cell phone from his hand and clicked it off.
Drake jumped a little. "JJ? What the hell're you-- "
When his partner turned around to face him, JJ felt the force of Drake's full attention. It had really been way too long, JJ figured; why else would Drake of all people have this kind of an impact on him? He shivered a little, but covered it by leaning forward and slipping the phone into the back pocket of Drake's jeans. "You weren't listening to it, anyway."
Drake glanced nervously over his shoulder. "JJ... What...?"
JJ didn't even have to look; he knew no-one was even remotely interested in them. In any case, they were standing in the shadows; most of the light was coming from the crack of the bathroom door behind them. Drake looked down at him, the shadows making his features appear sharp. His frown was fading away to make room for a look of amazed comprehension. He was starting to get the idea, JJ thought as he tentatively ran his fingers up Drake's chest. He kept his touch light and teasing, testing the waters.
Drake froze; JJ could feel him take a sharp breath and hold it. But he wasn't backing away, not even trying to get away. Taking that as a good sign, JJ let his right hand crawl its way behind Drake's neck. JJ leaned closer, and when Drake didn't resist, even closer still. He traced the paths his fingers had drawn with his eyes, finally looking up at Drake's face. Drake's eyes were half-closed but very alert; he looked like he was preparing to protest, but lingered, waiting for what JJ had to say.
JJ took all he could out of those familiar features. Funny, he had never really *looked* at Drake, not this close, anyway. Drake had chiseled features, and his bad habit of shaving sloppily and constantly running his hand through his hair which left it messy gave him a rugged demeanor. Still, there was softness that JJ couldn't help thinking was endearing. Yes, some kind of warmth, some kind of glow... And when Drake met his gaze, and those gray, hopeful eyes were on him, those eyes that had always been there to assure him that it was going to be okay, JJ couldn't help himself anymore. He pulled Drake down and kissed him fiercely, hungry for the warmth he sensed from the other man.
For a couple of seconds, it was awkward. JJ had to stand on his toes to reach Drake's mouth and he felt conscious about what he was doing, but before he could get any second thoughts, Drake suddenly seemed to melt against him. He tilted his head a little and leaned down, and JJ forgot all about his initial discomfort. The fit was suddenly made perfect. Eagerly, he opened his mouth against Drake's and licked his lower lip, prying for entrance. Drake complied so readily it made JJ slightly heady and he took a firmer hold of the back of Drake's head as he dove into the kiss. Drake had raised one hand to JJ's upper back, closing JJ into a loose embrace, but he didn't try to pull JJ closer. Drake simply held him firmly in place, *as if to tell me I won't be getting away that easily,* JJ briefly thought, pulling away to catch his breath. He didn't know whether he smelled the cigarette smoke in Drake's clothes or tasted it in his kiss. Two words burned in his mind.
*Warmer.* He let his hands take detours along Drake's upper body and arms, loving the feeling of worn cotton under his fingers, and the warmth of skin that radiated through it.
*Closer...* This just wouldn't do; Drake kept them apart, so slightly it was teasing, and JJ would have none of it. *He* was doing the teasing here, thank-you-very-much. Grinning at the thought, he snaked his arms round Drake and pressed himself against his partner as he captured his lips for another kiss.
It was soft and a little vague, almost like Drake was somewhere else entirely. JJ pulled away, lingering close so that his lips almost touched Drake's. "Hey," he managed, a breathy whisper. Drake's breath was hot and sweet on his mouth. JJ's suit pants felt like they had been tailored for women and he could bet his favorite pair of leather loafers that Drake wasn't doing any better in his much less loose blue jeans. They might've been the best choice for showing off that cute ass of his, but Jesus, they must be damn uncomfortable right now. JJ felt a little overwhelmed when the thought sank in. It was dawning to him as he looked at Drake now that something had undeniably, irrevocably changed. Drake was rapidly turning from the nice guy from work to the hot guy he badly wanted to fuck.
Drake dropped the hand that he had wrapped around JJ's shoulders and would've taken a step away if JJ hadn't still been holding him stubbornly in place. His lips silently formed a few words before he finally said under his breath, "JJ... I-- this's a... bad idea." His voice wavered a little; Drake's voice, which never wavered during the line of work. He was not convincing in the slightest.
JJ traced Drake's jaw line with his lips, nipping here and there, enjoying the pricking sensation of his stubble. Drake was trying to turn his head away, but JJ took the opportunity to kiss under his chin, along his jawbone, and his exposed throat, where he lingered a bit. For a second, JJ thought of wild animals and how showing your neck to your partner was a sign of consent. It couldn't have been that different for humans. Drake wasn't fooling anyone. JJ knew a hard-on when it crawled up his leg. And he was sure Drake knew, too, even though he was making his damnest to shift his hips away from JJ's.
The sound of high heels clacking on the floor made JJ suddenly stop. Someone was approaching. Shit, he had completely forgotten where they were. He glanced over Drake's shoulder and saw a young woman in a black dress coming their way. He reluctantly let his arms drop and put a little space between him and Drake.
"Oh, fuck," Drake said in that low voice JJ suspected was a sign of him being embarrassed or helpless. It worked fine for a bedroom voice, too. At least it seemed to speak the same language as JJ's cock. Fuck? Oh, yes please.
They both turned a little away from the woman when she walked past, as if fearing that she'd identify them. They watched as she followed the turning hallway and went into the bathroom at the end of it. There was another door next to it - some kind of a closet, JJ guessed. Well, that would do. He started pulling Drake towards it, determined not to let any more obstacles to come to his way.
To JJ's surprise and delight, Drake seemed to drop all half-assed attempts at resisting. He leaned in and kissed JJ roughly, demandingly. When he pulled away for air, he was short of breath and his eyes looked oddly glazed over, as if he was mesmerized. JJ felt a nice swelling in his ego - and in his pants - when he thought that *he* might've done that to Drake. Hurriedly, he flung the door open and shoved Drake inside, making at least two mops fall down, the noise muffled by the cramped space of what apparently was a broom closet. JJ pulled the door shut with his foot and pinned Drake against the wall, kissing him like there was no tomorrow as he ran his hands down Drake's sides, tugging his shirt from his pants. He resisted the temptation to feel up Drake's ass; in a fleeting moment of clear thinking, he realized it would most likely make Drake uncomfortable. Sex with straight men was such a bother. Then he came to think that they were both 'closeted' at the moment and giggled into Drake's mouth. Drake echoed it with a little chuckle. Drake had always seemed to take real joy out of making him laugh.
Since the backside was off-limits, JJ moved his hands from Drake's waist to the button and zipper of his blue jeans - although he couldn't by any stretch of imagination see that they were blue at the moment, since it was very dark in the closet. He slid his fingers teasingly along the bulge he found there, and Drake gasped, burying his fingers into JJ's shirt. Apparently he wasn't the vocal type, so JJ had to act on instinct. He opened the button and then attacked Drake's throat, nipping, sucking and licking, as he slipped his hands under Drake's shirt so that he could feel his skin. God, he was so warm and taut under his fingers... Drake had a bit of a belly, but he was certainly in good shape. JJ wished he could pull the shirt all the way off to feel up Drake's strong arms, since he had wanted to do so for ages, but decided that it wasn't an option right now.
Drake groaned, deep in his throat. JJ could see the movement as Drake abruptly raised his right hand to take hold of something, most likely a shelf, sending some more things crashing to the floor. He buried his left hand into JJ's hair, pushing his head downwards. Ah hah. JJ caught on immediately, leaving Drake's throat and letting his lips graze their way down Drake's chest and stomach as he kneeled down, unzipping Drake's jeans and pushing them down in the process. His heart was pounding in his chest. There was something exciting about not being able to see what he was getting at. It sharpened the sensations as he felt his way inside Drake's underwear - *briefs*, he noticed absent-mindedly, *I should've known* - before pulling them out of his way and focusing on the real treat.
He stroked down Drake's cock's length tentatively, letting his fingers make up for the lack of vision. *Nice and thick,* JJ thought appreciatively, *I wouldn't mind getting to know you better.* He continued stroking the cock lazily up and down with his hand as he expertly took one of Drake's balls into his mouth. That got some kind of sound out of Drake at last as he uttered, "Oh shit!" and JJ could feel a shudder go through him. Encouraged, JJ darted his tongue behind Drake's balls, a magic spot he could always bet on.
Drake twitched abruptly, and his breathy moan was shocked, not in the way JJ had intended. Wrong move. JJ had fallen to his old sin: going at it too fast. JJ distracted both his battered ego and Drake by slipping the crown of Drake's cock into his mouth and sucking firmly. God, it *was* a nice cock, maybe not very long but that was just the same; he wouldn't be able to suck it comfortably if it was any longer. Drake's panting was loud in the cramped space of the broom closet, and it took JJ a moment to realize that his heart was pounding in his ears, matching the heated pounding of blood he felt in his cock. He hastily unzipped his pants to relieve some of the pressure. His cock sprang up, pleading for attention, but JJ had none left to give it when he started sucking Drake in earnest, taking the cock all the way in. JJ wanted to go slow, to take all out of the opportunity he doubted would ever come again, but couldn't stop himself. It didn't help that Drake was moving his hips now, his fingers apparently trying to burrow through JJ's skull.
JJ fingered Drake's balls, sensing that Drake was close. He braced himself and swallowed when Drake came, letting out a shaky gasp, practically throwing himself against the wall behind him. JJ sat back on the floor, his right hand finding his aching cock. He kicked at the door weakly in order to let enough light in to see Drake. The look on Drake's face made JJ shudder all over. It didn't take JJ many strokes to kiss the sky himself, and he let the wave wash him away when it hit him. Shit, it had been too long since he had last sucked cock.
The sharp sound of his cell phone ringing made JJ return back to planet Earth in a second. He jumped a little, and saw Drake, who had bonelessly fallen down to sit on the floor, do the same. JJ went through his pockets. Where the hell was that diabolical thing? He was panting, had stars dancing in his eyes and the taste of Drake's come in his mouth and was so not in the mood for some dusty pathologist who wanted to tell him random details about a dead corpse.
"Yes?" he answered the phone breathlessly, after finally fishing it out of his pocket.
"Hello, this is Officer Brady from the Heaven's Mercy Hospital. Your partner said we should call if there were any changes in Ms. Borland's condition, and..."
"For you," JJ told plaintively to Drake, who blinked dumbly when JJ put the cell phone into his hand. JJ got up on his somewhat unsure feet, zipped up his pants and pushed himself out of the closet in a mad need to get *away*. He wasn't claustrophobic, not in particular, but the rush of fresh air outside the small closet was nectar to his lungs. Funny how you never noticed the scent of sex before you left the room.
He stumbled his way to the hall, grabbed his coat and scarf and left the apartment, not stopping to notice if anyone had seen him leave. Once he was standing outside in the cold night air, he remembered that he had had too many drinks to drive. He reached out for his cell phone to call a cab, but then he realized he had left it to Drake. JJ ran his hand through his hair and grimaced, feeling more than slightly out of his mind. He wiped at the side of his mouth where a drop of Drake's come still remained and closed his eyes as the memory of Drake's intense gaze filled him and seemed to warm him through and through.
What the hell had gotten into him?
What the hell had possessed him to do something like that... and why had something that stupid had to feel so damn *good*?
A sore loser
Yelling with my mouth shut
The null of losing
Can you afford that luxury?
A sore winner
But I'll just keep my mouth shut
It shouldn't bother me
But it does
- "Small Victories" / Faith No More
JJ wondered how long he, keeping the laws of common courtesy, could hesitate before going to say hi to Dee and Ryou. He had no idea, but felt stupid hiding in the crowd like this. Heck, he felt like he was crashing the party, in more ways than one. JJ had a pretty good hunch that he wouldn't have been invited if it wasn't for Drake's intervention. Drake could be so transparent - not to mention overly concerned. JJ couldn't decide whether he found it endearing or annoying at the moment.
He fingered the keys in his pocket nervously. Since when had Drake got to him like that? JJ had long ago gotten used to Drake's fussiness. In fact, he hadn't really given it a second thought until recently. It was nothing too intrusive, anyway, and could be mostly ignored as one of the work-related things that had nothing to do with Dee.
JJ shook his head slowly and sighed. It always came down to Dee-senpai, didn't it?
"Hey, you!"
JJ turned around to see Bicky glaring down at him. When had the little snot grown to be that big?
Bicky asked in a rather demanding tone, "What're you doin' here?"
"What's it to you?" JJ asked back. He felt somewhat intimidated seeing that the little brat he used to order around was now a tanned giant whose arm muscles told of years of extensive training - hopefully not in beating people up.
Bicky snorted. "It's my place, too, y'know. You're not gonna ruin Ryou's party when I'm here!"
"I won't. Now, why don't you get lost."
"I'm gonna tell Ryou that you're crashin' the party."
JJ sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, go tell him." Then, on the spur of the moment, he added, "And if you see Drake-senpai, tell him that I want to talk with him, okay?"
The teenager shrugged defiantly and turned to inspect the various kinds of cakes and other food piled onto the long table. "Yeah, yeah."
JJ glared at Bicky's back. Brat.
He spotted Ted leaning against a wall only a few steps away, talking animatedly with a huge black man who had bright eyes and the deepest laugh JJ had ever heard. JJ thought he might as well go and say hi, so he poured himself a drink and walked over.
"Ted-senpai," he said, nodding and smiling.
Ted turned to him. He seemed to be in a good mood; there was a wide smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, JJ, hi. I thought you wouldn't show up at all."
JJ shrugged cheerfully. "So did I, at first. Then I figured that I might as well check the party out."
Ted patted him on the back and laughed. "That's the spirit! Hey, have you two met?"
He introduced JJ to the huge man, who nearly broke all the bones of his right hand when he shook it and told him to call him Barry. Barry then immediately proceeded to tell a joke about him being called Barry Black when he was a kid because he had always sung in a deep voice and Barry White was already taken. JJ liked the guy immediately.
During the conversation that followed JJ forgot all about his initial worries of whether or not coming here had been such a good idea. He started to become aware of the atmosphere and found that he liked it; the certain warmth that seemed to radiate from the very walls was very welcoming. It was easy to tell a lot of love had gone into making this place. Of course, he had been to Dee-senpai's apartment before, but this wasn't the same apartment anymore - it had morphed into something more alive, more intricate, more intimate. In a way it comforted him.
This room hadn't been a living-room but a hall before. When he looked up he noticed that the room was very poorly lit; most of the light came from the other rooms and the big windows. That explained part of the warm, almost glowing quality the place had. JJ gazed out of the window, wishing he had big windows like these, too. It was dark out, but the lights of the city created a sort of a living, sparkling painting on the wall. JJ wasn't prone to staring into space, but the warmth of the atmosphere and the punch he was drinking lulled him into a comfortable state where he didn't have to think about anything for a while. He felt both tingly and content.
Barry snapped him out of his reverie by, playfully, punching his side, which almost sent JJ, playfully, sprawled down to the floor. Barry had gone to get himself another roll of some kind, and had brought one for Ted and JJ, too. JJ bit into it and it tasted good. Of course it did. Nothing could possibly ruin the evening for him at this point. JJ even liked the music that was playing - some kind of jazz, with a little rhythm n' blues thrown in.
"You like it?" Barry asked, raising his eyebrow, when JJ mentioned it aloud. "Then you're bound to like our album, too. Just got it out. Good stuff, I promise you."
"I'd love to hear it sometime," JJ agreed.
"Didn't you bring the CD with you, Barry?" Ted asked. "Go ahead and put it on - this album's been playing since I got here. Must be the third time I've heard this song."
"Damn that Dee, he said he'd play it later." Barry looked over to the other side of the room - he could fairly easily see over most of the people's heads. "Needs a little reminder, I bet. C'mon, let's go." He grabbed JJ's shoulder and turned him to the direction of a large couch in the opposite corner of the room, starting to lead him there with him.
JJ's heart sank into his expensive shoes. Okay, *almost* nothing could ruin his evening. In this intimate twilight, after a few glasses of punch, Dee-senpai was the last person he wanted to see. He feared he'd lose all control and turn into a helpless puddle of drool. There, he had admitted it; couldn't the powers that be at least give him a little leeway for being honest? Barry's hand was huge and demanding on his shoulder. No divine mercy seemed to be on its way.
"I gotta go take a leak, I'll be right back," Ted said. When JJ managed to turn around to look at him, there was no sign of him anymore. JJ did his best to not appear like he was being taken to the Last Judgment.
Dee was talking quietly with Ryou about something, sitting face-to-face with him on the couch. When Barry and JJ approached, they both looked up and pretty abruptly quieted down.
"How's right now for 'later', Dee?" Barry asked, his voice booming and seemingly impossible to say no to, but yet somehow managing to remain friendly. "I got someone here who says he wants to hear our CD."
JJ could feel Dee's eyes find him. Goddammit, those pools of dark, wild green made him freeze like a rabbit in the headlights. He fidgeted.
"Hello, Dee-senpai," he said. His voice sounded toneless to his own ears. "Ryou-senpai."
Ryou nodded to him in a friendly way, but gave Dee a worried glance. Dee hesitated for exactly three seconds before putting on a wide smile and saying, in a casual tone, "Hi, JJ. Sure, if you guys want to put on something else, feel free. Sorry, I think I got a little distracted, here. Do you know how to work the stereos?" He got up and went over to the music equipment without waiting for an answer.
Ryou looked at them and leaned closer like a conspirator. "It's his new toy. Pretend you don't know how to insert a CD into a player, okay?"
Barry laughed before following Dee. "No promises."
JJ winced a little when the music abruptly stopped, even though he saw Dee press the Stop button. People glanced at them, but then went back to their conversations. Now that there was no background music, the sounds seemed more sharp and oppressive. JJ went over to the stereos, too, drawn by an irresistible force. Barry offered a nice human shield, and JJ made sure the big man was between him and Dee all the time. The punch and the warm lighting could really inspire him to do something he'd get thrown out for. While Dee and Barry were fighting over which song to pick and who'd get to put the CD in, JJ stole the CD case and tried to focus on the cover.
His gaze slipped upwards, though. Dee was concentrating on the stereos; he wouldn't notice. God, he looked dreamy in the dim light, his dark hair gleaming in warm overtones.
And his lips a darker shade than normally and obviously kissed.
Dee looked up at him, suddenly. "I think that should work." His eyes left JJ's face and he glanced at Barry, who had turned to tell someone nearby who to thank for the long-awaited change in music. "So, uh... How're you doing?"
How was he doing? He was walking on goddamn hot coals. "Fine, senpai. It's a very nice party; I can't think of anything I don't like about it."
Except that he couldn't throw Dee down on the floor and ravish him like he'd never been ravished before. But that was an old one, and JJ had been able to ignore it for a considerably long while, hadn't he?
Music started to fill the room, slowly and softly. It was the closest equivalent to chocolate JJ had ever heard. Chocolate and rum, with a particularly swinging rhythm.
Dee wetted his lips and opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to get confused and just gave JJ an unsure glance. JJ knew he was gone after just witnessing both the tip of Dee's tongue and his seductively dark, searching eyes. He swallowed, his throat and mouth dry. Ignore Dee his ass; he'd happily jump off a cliff for just one taste of that slightly open mouth.
"What did I tell you?" Barry hadn't been included in JJ's little fantasy world, but for a voice coming from another world, his voice packed quite a punch. JJ blinked furiously and quickly looked in Barry's direction.
"Yeah, sounds fantastic," he managed to utter, or something like that, and then he forced his feet to move and fled. He needed something to cool his head off with. Maybe a glass of water. Or a bucket of it.
He noticed the balcony door, let open to allow some fresh air into the apartment, practically the only spot he recognized as an unchanged part of Dee's old apartment. Okay, cool night-air would do, too. He went over to the doorway, but stopped abruptly when he saw there were people on the small balcony already. Namely, Drake and a black woman whom JJ didn't know. They were standing a good two feet apart, the most the small balcony allowed, and Drake was nervously trying to light up a cigarette. The woman had her back to the doorway. JJ quickly took a step away from the doorway and leaned against the nearby wall. Well, at least he'd finally found Drake. But he had a feeling Drake wouldn't appreciate having anyone barging in right now.
The balcony wasn't big at all, and if there had been no wall, JJ would have been standing practically next to the two. He could even hear Drake cough under his breath and flick off his lighter.
"Shit. Okay, you know we'll never get anywhere with this. I'm an asshole; fine. If that's what you want me to say, then okay, I can admit that."
"Don't you dare just shrug it off with that," the woman snapped, in a voice of someone who isn't used to snapping at people. "Fine, let's drop it, then. But I'm not going to listen to you use the old pity card to get out of things."
It got silent for a moment, and JJ thought the two might come in soon. Good; he wanted to talk to Drake. He idly wondered where the sudden *need* to see his partner had appeared from, but his train of thought was interrupted by the sound of Drake's voice.
He sounded weary. "The landlord still giving you hell?"
"Not really. I only had to show him the papers, and he was ready to admit that yes, pets are indeed allowed in the house. I think he even tried to pet Buster on his way out, but the blessed thing growled at him."
Drake chuckled a little. "Yeah?"
"Uh huh. And before you ask, Stevie's doing just fine and I'm going through hell trying to explain to him why you won't be around anymore." The woman paused for a moment, then went on, "How are you doing? I overheard something about a new case."
Drake hesitated a little before answering, "Listen, Jill, I need to talk to you about that. The case, I mean. Totally against every regulation there is, but just listen to me, okay?"
JJ frowned. He fought the urge to run to the balcony and slap his hand over Drake's mouth. He should know better than to talk about the details of a murder investigation with an outsider! No matter how important that outsider was to him. Heck, if Drake went around blabbering about his cases to all his exes, half of New York would know the gory details already.
"We're after this guy who shoots people of ethnic minorities and cuts them up. Very ugly. You don't want the details."
Jill interrupted him. "Why are you telling me this?" She sounded very calm and somewhat bored.
"'Cause this guy's planning his route beforehand, and Bushwick's where he's going to kill next. He's going to make a perfect vertical line to cut New York in half, and he's almost managed to finish it. He's just missing one place to complete the work." Drake's words were slightly difficult to make out; his voice was flat, and he mumbled a little. JJ guessed that he might be drunk. "The line goes straight through your fucking neighborhood. I checked it this morning."
"I'll be careful. I'm always careful. What do you want me to do, lock myself and Stevie inside until you catch the guy?"
"I don't know, I just... be *really* careful, okay? These murders were not exactly planned. He doesn't care who he kills, as long as they're of ethnic minorities. He cuts 'em up, shoots fucking cop killer bullets into their heads, just to show off. He's... marking the territory, or something; anyway, his victims are nothing but landmarks to him. Only thing that matters is where they are. And you're standing right on a big X."
"'Ethnic minorities'. I always thought your report-speak was funny. Fine, so there's a racist killer loose. Good to know, I guess. I was wondering why the cops had started to patrol around the block so often. I thought they were just after some crack kids."
"Listen, I know it's stupid to tell you about this. But... Yeah, in any case, um, if you happen to see him, he's a tall, white man, with short, blond hair, around 40 years old. He might sneak to check the place to plan his next big number, so keep your eyes open, okay?"
"Drake? I promise, I'll look after myself. And Stevie, and Buster. I understand your concern, and I am grateful, but don't wreck your head over it. You're not responsible for me and I don't want you to look after me, not more than your job obliges you, anyway." Jill laughed a little, an oddly artificial-sounding laugh. "And hey, speaking of your job, you'd better shut up before you lose it."
"Yeah. You're probably right. Always are."
A brief, uncomfortable silence followed. It seemed the two were heading back in. Well, finally. JJ glanced around to find something to do so that it wouldn't look like he had been eavesdropping. He couldn't spot anything, so he just leaned against the wall and knocked back the rest of his drink, putting the glass away absent-mindedly. Jill walked past him briskly. Apparently whatever she had wanted to say, she had now finished saying. JJ followed her with his eyes as she strode straight over to the couch where Dee-senpai was still sitting. Drake's voice made him spin his head right around.
"Guess you're gonna have to bust my ass now."
"What?" JJ said, feeling like a dimwit when Drake flashed him a smile that was almost a grin.
"Fuck it, you just caught me red-handed. What kinda detective are you supposed to be?" Drake's gaze was wandering all over the place. He leaned against the wall with his other hand and sighed tiredly.
"That was Jill, huh." JJ looked after the woman to punctuate, even though he couldn't see her in the crowd anymore. "She worth going to jail for, then?"
Drake frowned, irritated and adorably timid. JJ couldn't help chuckling under his breath. His partner was acting like an unsure teenager, bless him. How could Drake, even after being married once and having a kid, still appear so lost when it came to women? JJ tried to imagine the same for himself - if after all these years, his world would still come to its end when the hunky brunette from the bar didn't call him back the next day. He started giggling; he couldn't help it.
"Yeah, laugh all ya want, I'll be here all day," Drake said, but didn't sound bitter at all. He was still frowning, though. Good; JJ liked the way his brows burrowed together and gave his face a secretive look. You'd think Drake did it on purpose, to appear mysterious, but he just wasn't the type.
"The heterosexual mating scene just giving me eternal amusement," JJ said with a smirk.
Drake snorted. "Oh? Is this where I pull the fag joke?"
JJ pretended to be hurt. "All right, all right. Aren't we sensitive tonight. Heard you talking about the cop killers, by the way; is it official?"
Drake seemed relieved about the change of subject. "The bullets used were definitely AP's, most likely illegal. It's 90% sure that they were Russian. Jim's gonna call me later to confirm that. He said he'd get a word going round; ask about who we know is selling cop killers."
"Okay, good. Boggles the mind, though - why use illegal bullets when there's no need? For a short-range shot to an unconscious victim's head, cop killers are damn showy, don't you think?"
Drake nodded. "If this guy wants attention, he sure has all the money and the connections he needs to raise hell. Remember what we wrote into the last report - he's obnoxious, thrill-seeking. You never know what to expect from guys like that." He grinned. "Sounds like someone I know, actually."
"Oh, shut up." JJ laughed and then dragged Drake over to the table to taste the rolls.
They downed a few more glasses of the punch - it was a little too sweet to JJ's liking, but still okay - and chatted for a while. JJ tried to steer the subject away from Jill, but Drake, who obviously *did* like the punch, occasionally lapsed into grumbling. When his partner had withdrawn into gloomy silence for the third time, JJ sighed loudly.
"Jesus, Drake. Ease up on the punch already, I'm pretty sure you can't drink her away from this room."
Drake glanced at him vaguely as he put his glass down. "Oh, that's easy for you to say. When was the last time you had woman trouble, huh?"
"May I remind you that you know quite a lot about my guy troubles?" JJ raised his brows.
"And I suppose your solution to my problem is giving up on women for good?" Drake sounded amused. "Talk about transparent, JJ."
"Don't knock it till you've tried it, that's all I'm saying," JJ said playfully, liking the conversation more and more. He briefly suspected that the punch he had just drunk had been stronger than he had thought. The sweetness had apparently covered the sting of alcohol.
"Yeah, sure."
"No, really. I mean, you're an open-minded kind of guy. You've seriously never been with a man?" JJ leaned in, honestly curious. He must've asked Drake before, but he couldn't remember.
"No," Drake said, with the mandatory I'm-straight-thank-you-very-much chuckle.
"Never even been tempted? Give me a break."
"I didn't say that," Drake said, then quickly looked away, realizing what he had just blurted out. Honestly, he was just too damn good in this shy-and-clumsy routine. If JJ didn't know better...
"Oh ho?"
"Hey, I didn't mean nothing by that. I just --"
JJ didn't even bother to say anything. He just raised one brow questioningly, fully knowing how smug he must look.
Drake made a face and scratched his hair nervously, but seemed to take JJ's teasing well. He usually did. "Nah, what I mean is, there's honest-to-God temptation and then there's vague wank fantasies, know what I'm sayin'?"
"No, not really," JJ said.
Drake's expression changed as he came to think of something. "So what about you, huh? You ever had the hots for a girl?"
JJ didn't know whether to snort or guffaw, and did something that wasn't quite either. "You've *got* to be kidding me. Just... no. No way."
"See? There goes your "open-minded guy" theory."
"Good thing I never claimed I was one, then," JJ said and glanced over his shoulder. More guests had come in and the apartment was practically bursting with people, since it was still too early for anyone to leave. Why would they? The atmosphere, although somewhat suffocating, was so comfortable, and so warm... It dawned on him that it made him starve for some sort of human closeness. It was staring him in the face; all those laughing, happy people around him, and he felt left out. He sneaked a glance at Drake, who was staring at the crowd, too, his eyes glazed over. JJ bet he knew whom Drake had spotted.
*Boy, we're a pair, aren't we.*
"You interrogating me 'cause of that argument we had yesterday, right?" Drake suddenly asked, his voice quiet.
JJ hadn't even thought of that. "No. I wasn't even aware of us having an argument. I just took a joke a bit too far. Sorry if I got you all worried." He looked up at Drake's face and the sheer warmth and concern almost floored him. Dear God, Drake *had* been worried about it.
Drake's shoulders slumped down as he visibly relaxed. "Good. That's good. Don't want any squabble with ya, kid."
He leaned in and mussed JJ's hair. Drake was the only one who JJ let do that; at the moment, he liked it, even. It was a sincere human touch. JJ didn't want it to stop. He took the chance and grabbed Drake's hand when he tried to move away to maintain the personal space all straight men held sacred. JJ looked into Drake's eyes, hoping that his baby blues would get the point across better than he could. It had worked before.
A second of pure electricity passed, and JJ could swear, he could damn well *swear* that he had seen the same hunger in Drake's eyes, but then his hand was shaken off and Drake turned away, not killing the electricity but dispersing it.
"Gotta call up Jim about the damn bullets," he muttered in a voice lower than JJ had ever heard him talk in and walked off unsurely.
JJ looked after him. Was that the cue for him to forget all about it, agree to meet Drake the next day at the station, go home and feel sorry for himself? No, it just couldn't. It had been *there* and it had been real. JJ enjoyed the feeling of determination as it sunk in.
Drake went over to the hallway that led to the bathroom, where he could hear the phone better. JJ strode a little closer. He waved goodbye to Ted, who was pulling on his coat, apparently heading home to his girlfriend. JJ picked up a small creamcake and ate it, then glanced at Drake, smiling as he saw the man quickly look away. Drake was leaning against the wall, practically huddling the cell phone to appear concentrated on the phone call, but he was nodding too often, the look on his face was too rigid. His thoughts were somewhere else, and that was where JJ intended to keep them.
Drake didn't see him approach, he was too busy attempting to look busy. He was frowning fiercely. "Okay. Yeah. Okay," he mumbled to the phone, then jumped a little when he noticed JJ standing next to him. Without giving him time to think, JJ took the cell phone from his hand and clicked it off.
Drake jumped a little. "JJ? What the hell're you-- "
When his partner turned around to face him, JJ felt the force of Drake's full attention. It had really been way too long, JJ figured; why else would Drake of all people have this kind of an impact on him? He shivered a little, but covered it by leaning forward and slipping the phone into the back pocket of Drake's jeans. "You weren't listening to it, anyway."
Drake glanced nervously over his shoulder. "JJ... What...?"
JJ didn't even have to look; he knew no-one was even remotely interested in them. In any case, they were standing in the shadows; most of the light was coming from the crack of the bathroom door behind them. Drake looked down at him, the shadows making his features appear sharp. His frown was fading away to make room for a look of amazed comprehension. He was starting to get the idea, JJ thought as he tentatively ran his fingers up Drake's chest. He kept his touch light and teasing, testing the waters.
Drake froze; JJ could feel him take a sharp breath and hold it. But he wasn't backing away, not even trying to get away. Taking that as a good sign, JJ let his right hand crawl its way behind Drake's neck. JJ leaned closer, and when Drake didn't resist, even closer still. He traced the paths his fingers had drawn with his eyes, finally looking up at Drake's face. Drake's eyes were half-closed but very alert; he looked like he was preparing to protest, but lingered, waiting for what JJ had to say.
JJ took all he could out of those familiar features. Funny, he had never really *looked* at Drake, not this close, anyway. Drake had chiseled features, and his bad habit of shaving sloppily and constantly running his hand through his hair which left it messy gave him a rugged demeanor. Still, there was softness that JJ couldn't help thinking was endearing. Yes, some kind of warmth, some kind of glow... And when Drake met his gaze, and those gray, hopeful eyes were on him, those eyes that had always been there to assure him that it was going to be okay, JJ couldn't help himself anymore. He pulled Drake down and kissed him fiercely, hungry for the warmth he sensed from the other man.
For a couple of seconds, it was awkward. JJ had to stand on his toes to reach Drake's mouth and he felt conscious about what he was doing, but before he could get any second thoughts, Drake suddenly seemed to melt against him. He tilted his head a little and leaned down, and JJ forgot all about his initial discomfort. The fit was suddenly made perfect. Eagerly, he opened his mouth against Drake's and licked his lower lip, prying for entrance. Drake complied so readily it made JJ slightly heady and he took a firmer hold of the back of Drake's head as he dove into the kiss. Drake had raised one hand to JJ's upper back, closing JJ into a loose embrace, but he didn't try to pull JJ closer. Drake simply held him firmly in place, *as if to tell me I won't be getting away that easily,* JJ briefly thought, pulling away to catch his breath. He didn't know whether he smelled the cigarette smoke in Drake's clothes or tasted it in his kiss. Two words burned in his mind.
*Warmer.* He let his hands take detours along Drake's upper body and arms, loving the feeling of worn cotton under his fingers, and the warmth of skin that radiated through it.
*Closer...* This just wouldn't do; Drake kept them apart, so slightly it was teasing, and JJ would have none of it. *He* was doing the teasing here, thank-you-very-much. Grinning at the thought, he snaked his arms round Drake and pressed himself against his partner as he captured his lips for another kiss.
It was soft and a little vague, almost like Drake was somewhere else entirely. JJ pulled away, lingering close so that his lips almost touched Drake's. "Hey," he managed, a breathy whisper. Drake's breath was hot and sweet on his mouth. JJ's suit pants felt like they had been tailored for women and he could bet his favorite pair of leather loafers that Drake wasn't doing any better in his much less loose blue jeans. They might've been the best choice for showing off that cute ass of his, but Jesus, they must be damn uncomfortable right now. JJ felt a little overwhelmed when the thought sank in. It was dawning to him as he looked at Drake now that something had undeniably, irrevocably changed. Drake was rapidly turning from the nice guy from work to the hot guy he badly wanted to fuck.
Drake dropped the hand that he had wrapped around JJ's shoulders and would've taken a step away if JJ hadn't still been holding him stubbornly in place. His lips silently formed a few words before he finally said under his breath, "JJ... I-- this's a... bad idea." His voice wavered a little; Drake's voice, which never wavered during the line of work. He was not convincing in the slightest.
JJ traced Drake's jaw line with his lips, nipping here and there, enjoying the pricking sensation of his stubble. Drake was trying to turn his head away, but JJ took the opportunity to kiss under his chin, along his jawbone, and his exposed throat, where he lingered a bit. For a second, JJ thought of wild animals and how showing your neck to your partner was a sign of consent. It couldn't have been that different for humans. Drake wasn't fooling anyone. JJ knew a hard-on when it crawled up his leg. And he was sure Drake knew, too, even though he was making his damnest to shift his hips away from JJ's.
The sound of high heels clacking on the floor made JJ suddenly stop. Someone was approaching. Shit, he had completely forgotten where they were. He glanced over Drake's shoulder and saw a young woman in a black dress coming their way. He reluctantly let his arms drop and put a little space between him and Drake.
"Oh, fuck," Drake said in that low voice JJ suspected was a sign of him being embarrassed or helpless. It worked fine for a bedroom voice, too. At least it seemed to speak the same language as JJ's cock. Fuck? Oh, yes please.
They both turned a little away from the woman when she walked past, as if fearing that she'd identify them. They watched as she followed the turning hallway and went into the bathroom at the end of it. There was another door next to it - some kind of a closet, JJ guessed. Well, that would do. He started pulling Drake towards it, determined not to let any more obstacles to come to his way.
To JJ's surprise and delight, Drake seemed to drop all half-assed attempts at resisting. He leaned in and kissed JJ roughly, demandingly. When he pulled away for air, he was short of breath and his eyes looked oddly glazed over, as if he was mesmerized. JJ felt a nice swelling in his ego - and in his pants - when he thought that *he* might've done that to Drake. Hurriedly, he flung the door open and shoved Drake inside, making at least two mops fall down, the noise muffled by the cramped space of what apparently was a broom closet. JJ pulled the door shut with his foot and pinned Drake against the wall, kissing him like there was no tomorrow as he ran his hands down Drake's sides, tugging his shirt from his pants. He resisted the temptation to feel up Drake's ass; in a fleeting moment of clear thinking, he realized it would most likely make Drake uncomfortable. Sex with straight men was such a bother. Then he came to think that they were both 'closeted' at the moment and giggled into Drake's mouth. Drake echoed it with a little chuckle. Drake had always seemed to take real joy out of making him laugh.
Since the backside was off-limits, JJ moved his hands from Drake's waist to the button and zipper of his blue jeans - although he couldn't by any stretch of imagination see that they were blue at the moment, since it was very dark in the closet. He slid his fingers teasingly along the bulge he found there, and Drake gasped, burying his fingers into JJ's shirt. Apparently he wasn't the vocal type, so JJ had to act on instinct. He opened the button and then attacked Drake's throat, nipping, sucking and licking, as he slipped his hands under Drake's shirt so that he could feel his skin. God, he was so warm and taut under his fingers... Drake had a bit of a belly, but he was certainly in good shape. JJ wished he could pull the shirt all the way off to feel up Drake's strong arms, since he had wanted to do so for ages, but decided that it wasn't an option right now.
Drake groaned, deep in his throat. JJ could see the movement as Drake abruptly raised his right hand to take hold of something, most likely a shelf, sending some more things crashing to the floor. He buried his left hand into JJ's hair, pushing his head downwards. Ah hah. JJ caught on immediately, leaving Drake's throat and letting his lips graze their way down Drake's chest and stomach as he kneeled down, unzipping Drake's jeans and pushing them down in the process. His heart was pounding in his chest. There was something exciting about not being able to see what he was getting at. It sharpened the sensations as he felt his way inside Drake's underwear - *briefs*, he noticed absent-mindedly, *I should've known* - before pulling them out of his way and focusing on the real treat.
He stroked down Drake's cock's length tentatively, letting his fingers make up for the lack of vision. *Nice and thick,* JJ thought appreciatively, *I wouldn't mind getting to know you better.* He continued stroking the cock lazily up and down with his hand as he expertly took one of Drake's balls into his mouth. That got some kind of sound out of Drake at last as he uttered, "Oh shit!" and JJ could feel a shudder go through him. Encouraged, JJ darted his tongue behind Drake's balls, a magic spot he could always bet on.
Drake twitched abruptly, and his breathy moan was shocked, not in the way JJ had intended. Wrong move. JJ had fallen to his old sin: going at it too fast. JJ distracted both his battered ego and Drake by slipping the crown of Drake's cock into his mouth and sucking firmly. God, it *was* a nice cock, maybe not very long but that was just the same; he wouldn't be able to suck it comfortably if it was any longer. Drake's panting was loud in the cramped space of the broom closet, and it took JJ a moment to realize that his heart was pounding in his ears, matching the heated pounding of blood he felt in his cock. He hastily unzipped his pants to relieve some of the pressure. His cock sprang up, pleading for attention, but JJ had none left to give it when he started sucking Drake in earnest, taking the cock all the way in. JJ wanted to go slow, to take all out of the opportunity he doubted would ever come again, but couldn't stop himself. It didn't help that Drake was moving his hips now, his fingers apparently trying to burrow through JJ's skull.
JJ fingered Drake's balls, sensing that Drake was close. He braced himself and swallowed when Drake came, letting out a shaky gasp, practically throwing himself against the wall behind him. JJ sat back on the floor, his right hand finding his aching cock. He kicked at the door weakly in order to let enough light in to see Drake. The look on Drake's face made JJ shudder all over. It didn't take JJ many strokes to kiss the sky himself, and he let the wave wash him away when it hit him. Shit, it had been too long since he had last sucked cock.
The sharp sound of his cell phone ringing made JJ return back to planet Earth in a second. He jumped a little, and saw Drake, who had bonelessly fallen down to sit on the floor, do the same. JJ went through his pockets. Where the hell was that diabolical thing? He was panting, had stars dancing in his eyes and the taste of Drake's come in his mouth and was so not in the mood for some dusty pathologist who wanted to tell him random details about a dead corpse.
"Yes?" he answered the phone breathlessly, after finally fishing it out of his pocket.
"Hello, this is Officer Brady from the Heaven's Mercy Hospital. Your partner said we should call if there were any changes in Ms. Borland's condition, and..."
"For you," JJ told plaintively to Drake, who blinked dumbly when JJ put the cell phone into his hand. JJ got up on his somewhat unsure feet, zipped up his pants and pushed himself out of the closet in a mad need to get *away*. He wasn't claustrophobic, not in particular, but the rush of fresh air outside the small closet was nectar to his lungs. Funny how you never noticed the scent of sex before you left the room.
He stumbled his way to the hall, grabbed his coat and scarf and left the apartment, not stopping to notice if anyone had seen him leave. Once he was standing outside in the cold night air, he remembered that he had had too many drinks to drive. He reached out for his cell phone to call a cab, but then he realized he had left it to Drake. JJ ran his hand through his hair and grimaced, feeling more than slightly out of his mind. He wiped at the side of his mouth where a drop of Drake's come still remained and closed his eyes as the memory of Drake's intense gaze filled him and seemed to warm him through and through.
What the hell had gotten into him?
What the hell had possessed him to do something like that... and why had something that stupid had to feel so damn *good*?