Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Infidelities ❯ Chapter 1

*I started this fic a while ago, but it got put on hold while I finished Somewhere In Time! I'm glad to have it finally finished and hope you all enjoy it! ^_^

 

Disclaimer: I don't own sexy Fake.

 

Dee sat by himself at the bar. Another argument with Ryo had driven him out of the apartment and he needed time to think. They had only been an official couple for a few months and Ryo was still having some issues dealing with their relationship. Dee had been so patient, but he had also assumed that if Ryo finally decided to be with him that it would be final. He thought if he could just get Ryo to admit his feelings, that things would fall into place. Lately, though, Ryo had seemed distant and Dee began to wonder if he would EVER truly be comfortable with him.

 

Earlier that evening, when Dee realized Bikky was staying the whole night at Carol's, he assumed Ryo and he would be taking advantage of the brat's absence. Ryo, however, didn't have the same idea.

 

"Hold on, Dee! Please, wait!" he had yelled when Dee kept trying to slip off his lover's clothes.

 

"Ryo, I've been patient, but I have my limits too! I don't push you to have sex all the time, but when the opportunity arises and it's been a long time, then, yes! I would expect that you'd want to make love!" Dee had shouted back in frustration.

 

"I feel like all you do is count the days between when we have sex!" Ryo retorted.

 

"How can you say that after I waited so long for you! If I wanted sex I could find it! I want more than that from you! You know that! But sex IS part of a relationship!" Dee had said, angered and hurt at Ryo's accusation. The fight had only escalated from there, and Dee had finally stormed out, which Ryo always hated. Ryo always wanted to resolve their arguments right away. Dee, however, knew his temper and he knew nothing would get resolved when he was this angry, so he left to cool down.

 

He was wallowing in his drink and feeling too sorry for himself to notice the petite woman that walked up to him.

 

"Detective Laytner?" she asked, not sure if she should interrupt his thoughts; he had a deep scowl on his face and looked rather pensive.

 

"Huh?" Dee looked over his shoulder, startled out of his thoughts.

 

"It is you!" she said cheerfully at his blank expression, "I'm Drew. I spoke with you last week about those robberies in my neighborhood." She hoped he remembered her.

 

"Oh! Yes, of course! I'm sorry, I'm a bit distracted this evening," he replied remembering his manners. Inwardly he chided himself for not recognizing her sooner; it was a detective's job to recall details. He must've been really zoned out, especially to have forgotten such a pretty face. "How are you? Is everything all right?" he asked.

 

"Oh, yes. I mean, there have been no other incidents," she answered. Something in the way she said it made Dee feel like something was distinctly not all right.

 

"Have a seat," he said, patting the bar stool next to him. "And call me Dee," he said warmly, flashing a sexy grin.

 

"Drew," she said.

 

Dee was feeling a bit tipsy and wondered how terrible it would be of him to flirt with the pretty, petite woman. He felt so rejected and distant from Ryo, it left him wanting attention. "What are you drinking?" he asked.

 

"Gin and tonic," she replied, sitting next to him. Dee nodded to the bartender and a strained silence followed as he made her drink. "So," she started, trying to fill the gap in conversation, "what are you doing out here tonight? Are you on business?"

 

"No," Dee paused, watching her face for a sign of what was bothering the woman. "Just needed to unwind, how about you?"

 

"Same," she answered lamely, sipping the drink set in front of her. She had been glad to see the handsome detective, but she didn't want to burden him with her problems; he obviously had his own. Dee was thinking along the same lines. He tried to think of something else to say, but decided not to force an uneasy conversation and just let her talk when she felt comfortable.

 

As he drank his beer, he glanced over at her. She really was quite attractive: bright blue eyes, a thin, firm body and sandy blond hair like Ryo's. He sighed. Ryo, that's who he really wanted to be with. How did relationships get so complicated?

 

"So, spill it," Dee finally said, becoming impatient.

 

"Wha-?"

 

"What's got you so depressed?" Dee asked.

 

"Nothing, really I-" Drew persisted.

 

"Look, I'm a detective. It's my job to notice things and it doesn't take a genius to see you're as miserable as I am right now." Oops, he hadn't meant to bring himself into the discussion. He figured he'd get her to talk and maybe it would take his mind off of his problems with Ryo. He took a long drink from his beer.

 

"Well, my boyfriend and I had a fight I-," Drew sighed, "it's complicated." Her friends had convinced her to come to the bar to dance since she was feeling down. When she arrived, however, she found them already half-drunk and dancing with a group of guys she thought were too pushy. She'd ended up standing by the bar, considering going home when she'd seen the good-looking detective seated a few stools down. The last thing she had intended was to talk to him about her relationship problems.

 

"Trust me," said Dee, cutting off her thoughts, "I'm familiar with complicated."

 

"Really?" she asked. Something in the way he had said that piqued her curiosity. "How complicated?" she asked, leaning toward him with a teasing glint in her eye. The drink had been made very strong and was already having an effect on her.

 

"Oh, no you don't," said Dee, waving a finger in front of the woman, "I asked you to tell me what was wrong first."

 

Drew acquiesced, "Well, I guess I feel taken for granted. I mean, my boyfriend's a great guy, don't get me wrong. He's just so…remote sometimes..." She faltered and Dee watched the sweetest blush creep across the woman's face.

 

Dee sensed she was hesitating, "AND?" he prodded.

 

"Sometimes he just doesn't seem as... passionate as I am..." Drew looked at Dee hoping he understood her subtle meaning. She grew slightly offended when he burst out laughing.

 

"You mean he won't PUT OUT, huh?" he said rather loudly.

 

"Yes! Geez, tell the whole bar!" she chided in a much lower voice, turning back to her drink and giving him a glare.

 

"Sorry honey," said Dee apologetically, trying to calm himself down, "but you're preachin' to the choir here!"

 

"Oh, I see," Drew said. Although she didn't think it was THAT funny and decided Dee was probably a bit more drunk than she was.

 

"I've been dealing with that particular problem for a while! I don't think I'm going to be much help!" Dee said.

 

"It's different for you though!" Drew said, indignant.

 

"Why's that?" Dee asked, ordering another drink.

 

"'Cause you're a guy! Guy's are expected to have a high libido. It's harder for me. Do you know what it's like dealing with a GUY who doesn't seem as interested?" she said, thinking she'd clearly scored a point in her favor.

 

"Actually, I do," said Dee, looking straight at her with a wide grin.

 

"Huh?...OH!" she exclaimed, laughing when she finally took his meaning. She looked over at him with a disappointed grin and said coyly, "And here I thought you might have been flirting with me before."

 

"I was," Dee said simply. He was forgetting himself as he drank more and, in any case, what was wrong with a little innocent flirting? It was nice to be around someone who welcomed his advances for once.

 

"You're going to get us both into trouble!" she teased, laughing. Playfully, she punched him in the arm. It was fun to talk like this, open and flirtatious. Although she knew neither of them planned to cross the line. Something told her that Dee was, like her, the loyal type, despite their flirtations.

 

"So-" Drew started to ask Dee more details about his predicament, but her friends chose that time to interrupt her.

 

"DREW! Come on! You said you'd dance!" they cried, walking up. One girl was short and petite like Drew, with deep black hair; the other was taller, with more curves.

 

"Oh! I see why you're hiding over here!" giggled the tall girl.

 

"I'll be right there, ok?" said Drew, shooing her inebriated friends away. She turned back to Dee.

 

"Sorry, about that! I should go, though," she said, standing up. After sitting for so long, she swayed slightly, the alcohol hitting her as she stood. Reaching out, Dee steadied her with his hands on her shoulders.

 

"Whoops! I better not have anymore to drink!" Drew laughed and looked up at Dee. "It was nice meeting you," she said, hoping it sounded nonchalant. Her body was warm from the alcohol and Dee's hands felt a little too good over her shoulders.

 

"Yes, it was," Dee replied, not sure if they should shake hands or hug. She was so close and they had been so at ease, he almost went to hug her, but the underlying tension between them stopped him.

 

"Well... ummm, bye I guess!" said Drew, stepping away from him into the crowd. After she drifted onto the dance floor, Dee sat down. He took a deep breath and leaned onto the bar. Although their good-bye was a bit awkward, Dee felt better for the conversation they had had. It was always good to know of others were going through the same problems.

 

 

Ryo lay in bed, unable to sleep until he heard the door open and the long stride of footsteps that could only be Dee's come toward the room.

 

"Hi, mind if I join you?" Dee said, smiling softly. Ryo saw the look in Dee's eyes and knew it was his way of asking for forgiveness. He smiled warmly back and pulled the covers down next to him.

 

"Not at all," he replied.

 

Slipping out of his clothes, Dee snuggled in next to Ryo, spooning him. For a second, Ryo was worried Dee would begin pawing at him and start their whole argument over again, but he simply lay there holding him.

 

"Good night, Ryo."

 

"Good night, koiishi."

 

Dee smiled at Ryo's term of affection; it always meant Ryo had forgiven him. As Ryo drifted of to sleep, he wondered briefly about Dee's change in attitude. Although he was very relieved that Dee hadn't come home angry, he was surprised. Dee usually moped for a long time after an argument. But the thought was forgotten as he nodded off to sleep.

 

 

Over the next few weeks, Dee happened to run into Drew quite often. The third time, at a convenience store where Dee was buying cigarettes, they discovered she lived only 3 blocks from Ryo's apartment. On the spur of the moment, Dee asked Drew if she and her boyfriend wouldn't like to have dinner with him and Ryo. She hadn't known Dee for very long, but she had enjoyed the few times they had talked and decided to accept. They set a tentative day and time the next week and exchanged phone numbers.

 

As it turned out, the date had to be moved twice, and even then Drew's boyfriend, Steven, couldn't make it. Drew was very apologetic and a bit embarrassed for causing an inconvenience.

 

"He's a musician, so he works nights and his schedule changes a lot," she had explained. "I'm so sorry! But why don't I come over on Wednesday anyway? I'd so like to meet this Ryo of yours and heaven knows when Steven will be free!"

 

"That's fine. Don't apologize!" assured Dee. "He WILL be missing out on some pretty damn good cooking though! Ryo's quite the chef!"

 

Ryo heard his name as he washed the dishes and listened to Dee's voice from the next room. He had tried to hide it, but Ryo had to admit he had been rather surprised when Dee asked him if they could have a small dinner party. Typically, Ryo had to practically hog-tie him to get him to agree to such a dinner. It was also unusual for Dee to have friends that Ryo didn't know about. Although, as Dee had said, he had just met this woman not too long ago. Despite himself, Ryo felt his body tense with jealousy. Just who was this woman who Dee had met- at a bar, no less? To Ryo's knowledge, Dee didn't have many close woman friends. At all. He took a deep breath and relaxed. Dee was a very outgoing guy who made friends easily, didn't he? It was one of the things Ryo loved about him. And envied. And, surely if Dee was inviting the woman and her boyfriend over to meet him, she didn't pose any kind of threat. Right?

 

"What are you thinking about so intently?" Dee's voice asked, his breath suddenly caressing Ryo's ear. Ryo jumped and almost dropped the plate he was drying- he hadn't heard Dee walk up to him. A pair of smooth lips traced Ryo's throat as Dee's strong hands came to rest on his hips.

 

"Dee-" Ryo sighed, leaning back into his lover's embrace. Dee smiled and moved his tongue over the sensitive skin just behind the shell of Ryo's ear. "I-" Ryo tried to collect his thoughts under Dee's sweet assault. "I was t-thinking about w-hat I should make for all of us...for dinner," Ryo managed to finally spit out.

 

Somehow, Dee tore his mouth away from Ryo's neck long enough to tell him, "Oh, it's just going to be Drew, her boyfriend can't make it." Immediately, Dee felt Ryo's body stiffen slightly in his arms. "Something wrong?"

 

"N-no...I mean, it would have been nice to have dinner with another couple, but," Ryo turned now to face Dee, "this is fine, too." He finished by kissing Dee innocently on the cheek and turned back to the dishes. Behind him, a worried look crossed over Dee's face as Ryo turned away from. Something WAS wrong, Dee just couldn't think what would be bothering him. Ryo loved dinner parties and he was always complaining about Dee not being social. Well, Dee would let it go for now. He was WAY behind on several of his reports and decided he might as well try to get some of them done. Maybe that would help put Ryo into a better mood, too.

 

On the other side of the kitchen, Ryo watched Dee turn and walk over to the large stack of papers on the coffee table. It surprised him that Dee didn't continue his amorous pursuit. Surprised and... disappointed? He told himself he should be happy, Dee backing down somewhat and going to do paperwork. But, something inside of him had gotten used to Dee's overaggressive behavior and now that Dee had cooled down he missed it. A part of his mind wondered if Dee was loosing interest. That's absurd! he told himself. He's respecting you and learning to be a little more responsible. That's a good thing. To which the other part of his mind taunted, 'be careful what you wish for...'

 

 

Lifting his fork, Ryo sipped a thin noodle into his mouth. The pasta was just about done and the sauce was already warming on the stovetop. "I hope she gets here soon, Dee. Dinner will be ready before we are!"

 

"She'll be here!" said Dee absentmindedly, his feet propped up on the coffee table, watching some hockey game. "She just tends to run a bit late sometimes. Didn't I tell you that?" he asked, without turning his head around.

 

"No," replied Ryo, annoyed now, "you neglected to mention that." He continued to glare at the back of Dee's head, trying to bore a hole in it so Dee would turn around and notice his displeasure. As it was, the door buzzer sounded at that moment and Ryo had to let the matter drop. He watched Dee jump up and run to the intercom. "I could've gotten the door," Ryo muttered under his breath, turning back to tend to the dinner.

 

Dee had heard him and replied, "Its no bother, you're making dinner. I think we can have a slight breach of etiquette and allow me to answer your door." He was deliberately teasing him and Ryo just grumbled, removing the pasta from the burner. Dee grinned; it was still so easy to push his buttons!

 

"Who's there?" Dee called brusquely through the intercom. Ryo turned to berate him for his rude tone, but Dee waved his hand at him. "Whadaya want?" he continued. Ryo continued to scowl, until he heard the voice over the com reply tartly, "I'm looking for someone called Dee. Oafish and rude with bad hair!"

 

Dee buzzed the woman in, but quickly opened the door and yelled down the hall, "Bad hair!?"

 

Ryo grimaced, "Dee, I do have neighbors!" Actually, Dee wasn't being as loud as he sometimes could be, but Ryo was irritated all the same. Why was he joking around with this woman like they were old friends? He'd barely known her a month! He gritted his teeth and tried to calm his jealousy. She was still a guest and he had to remember his manners as host. He heard a delighted laugh ring down the hall and through the doorway. Then he stopped, his hands posed over the sink, ready to drain the pasta, but frozen in place. Something about that laugh...

 

Dee appeared in the doorway again, laughing with the small woman who followed him in. She was grinning widely up at Dee, but her obvious warmth toward Dee wasn't what caught Ryo's attention.

 

"Randy!" she exclaimed, seeing Ryo for the first time. Dee stopped laughing.

 

"Drew," Ryo acknowledged, still startled. He dropped the pot of boiling pasta as some of the water spilled over his hand. Dee was at Ryo's side in an instant, immediately placing his mouth over the burned fingers while he waited for the water to turn cold in the sink. Ryo flushed red as Dee's mouth clamped over his fingers and turned away from Drew's stare.

 

"You two know each other?" Dee asked, now holding Ryo's hand under the icy water. Ryo just stood there, looking embarrassed. Drew remembered to close the door and stepped into the room.

 

"Well, Randy and I- I mean Ryo," then she stopped herself, "Ryo?" she asked, looking at him.

 

"Its my Japanese name," he said shyly. Dee's eyes shifted between them, his impatience growing.

 

"Someone going to tell me how you know each other?" he finally shouted. Drew jumped, startled. She'd been staring at Ryo as if trying to recall something.

 

"We, umm, we dated," she replied, smiling ruefully. "I'd always wondered..." her voice drifted off as she looked at Ryo.

 

Dee's jaw dropped. He looked at Ryo for an explanation, who only sat down at the table and kept his eyes down, now holding ice over his hand with a washcloth.

 

"It was years ago," Drew said. The way she said it made Ryo think that she could tell Dee was the jealous type.

 

"When?" Dee asked, still looking at Ryo.

 

"Freshman year at college," Ryo answered slowly. Dee sighed.

 

"Geez, of all the dumb coincidences!" he said, as he sat down next to Ryo at the dinner table. But his face had relaxed and his frown was replaced with a teasing smile. "Didn't expect this, huh?" he asked, looking at Drew knowingly and motioning her to sit at the table with them.

"Not really," she replied, laughing a bit at Ryo's beet-red face. "There always was something I couldn't figure out about you, Randy!" she said in a teasing tone very similar to Dee's as she looked between the two lovers. "Now I finally know what it was!"

 

Despite the awkward beginning to the evening, they soon all relaxed and the conversation flowed easily. Well, somewhat easily; Ryo didn't like having to explain his, er, transition into a relationship with a man. Thankfully, Dee did most of the talking. One thing eased Ryo's mind somewhat, however: now he understood better about Dee's rapid friendship with the woman. Drew had always had a very magnetic personality. She was vibrant and out-spoken, but also very sweet and loyal. In fact, Ryo thought as he watched the two of them laugh together over the table, she was very much like Dee. Ryo came back to the present when he realized the main topic of discussion was him.

 

"Dessert?" he said loudly, trying to divert their attention as he rose from the table and collected their empty plates.

 

"Oh, yes, thank you Ryo. The dinner was wonderful, you've gotten even better at cooking," she said, a warm smile on her face. "I never was very good myself," she said, addressing Dee now.

 

"Yeah, me neither," replied Dee.

 

"I just like to eat!" they said in unison, then laughed themselves silly. Ryo glanced at the wine bottle. Empty. He sighed. Dee tipsy was hard enough to deal with, but a drunk Drew? At least he had gotten them to stop discussing him. Ryo didn't exactly relish the idea of the two of them comparing notes.

 

"So, how did you guys meet?" asked Dee, as if reading Ryo's mind and deliberately trying to annoy him. He lifted the wine bottle and scowled when nothing but a few drops sputtered out. "Any more wine, Ryo?" he said, glancing back into the kitchen. Ducking the extra bottle behind his back, Ryo smiled apologetically.

 

"Gomen Dee, I should have bought more," he said, then waited until Dee's back was turned and slipped the bottle under the sink.

 

"So?" Dee pressed. Ryo still didn't answer as he came back to the table and served their cheesecake.

 

"Huh?" Drew said, her mind a little foggy from the rich food and wine. "Oh, how we met! I was taking an art class and Ryo posed for me," Drew explained with a devilish look on her face, enjoying Ryo's swift blush and Dee's blank expression.

 

"Ryo!?" Dee said, addressing Drew, "My Ryo naked in front of a room of peop-"

 

"No! NO!" shouted Ryo quickly, waving his hands in the air, his face crimson now.

 

"Then wha-?" Dee started, very confused.

 

"No, Dee, he just posed for me," Drew explained. "We had been friends for months, but he never made a move and didn't seem to notice my flirtations, so-"

 

"-so you begged him to help you out with a drawing hoping to get his pants off, huh?" Dee finished for her.

 

"DEE!" Ryo yelled, thoroughly embarrassed. "Drew was a serious art stu-"

 

"Yes," replied Drew.

 

"Drew?" Ryo looked at her, mouth agape.

 

"Oh, come on Ryo! You really didn't know my intentions?" she asked, looking at him.

 

"He didn't know," Dee answered for him. He paused, "Did it work?" he asked, looking over the rim of his glass, his eyes darkening in warning.

 

"Heavens, Dee, it was years ago!" cried Ryo, trying to finish his dessert before he died of humiliation. Dee continued to stare at Drew.

 

"I said we dated, didn't I?" she answered cryptically.

 

"You can't just say that!" said Dee pouting, "I have to know what you did to my Ryo!"

 

"It worked to a point; I got his clothes off but," she added, grudgingly, "we never had sex, if that's what you're asking." Dee 'humphed' in response triumphantly.

 

"Drew!" Ryo looked at her plaintively, "Can't we talk about something else? Anything else?"

 

"I never could understand his hesitation," Drew continued, "but I guess I just didn't have the right 'equipment'. Huh, Ryo?" She glanced at him mischievously. Ryo stood up and took the dessert plates, although Drew and Dee hadn't yet finished.

 

"Hey!" they both yelled.

 

"It's bad enough to have Dee always needling me, but the two of you are too much! Have a little decorum, please!" He placed the dishes on the counter and began loading the dishwasher to avoid both their gazes. Drew looked at shy little Ryo and then at his new lover. Dee was leaning back in his chair, looking very self-satisfied.

 

"I still have the sketches, though."

 

Dee fell back in his chair and Ryo collapsed on the floor in a heap of humiliation.

 

"WHAT?!" cried Dee, standing up in front of a now smug Drew. "You can't!” he said, dramatic tears streaming down his face, "You're not allowed to have sexy, naked drawings of my Ryo!" From the kitchen Ryo sighed; maybe Dee was actually defending his modesty.

 

"They have to belong to ME!" Dee begged on his knees and Ryo collapsed once more.

 

 

When the evening finally drew to a close, Drew insisted on walking home rather than crash at Ryo's.

 

"It's just a few blocks, I'll be fine," she said, but Dee finally persuaded her to let him walk her home.

 

"You don't know the city like Ryo and I do, a lot could happen in a few blocks," he explained.

 

It was just as well he did walk home with her since she was still more intoxicated then she let on. Dee found that out when he went to give her a friendly hug goodnight and got a goodnight kiss instead!

 

"Drew!" Dee cried in surprise, holding her at arms length in front of her door.

 

"Huh? Oh, sorry Dee!" she said, groggily, "just felt like it! Didn't mean to offend your delicate sensibilities!" she giggled. Dee gave her a very disapproving look, which somehow came off very comical.

 

"Don't let it happen again!" he said, trying to sound angrier than he felt. After all, it was just a kiss. He had just been caught off guard like the time Diana decided to play devil's advocate for Berkely. It meant nothing...

 

 

Ryo picked through the various flowers before him in the open-air market. The air always smelled fresh here, with all the produce and flora for sale. Even the city's usual smog couldn't dampen it. Ryo's mood was still rather gloomy; he had thought the trip to the market would raise his spirits, but he somehow managed to remain depressed.

 

He felt like he was loosing Dee. It was nothing in particular, just a feeling in his gut. But as a cop, you learned to listen to your gut instincts. Sighing, he turned away from the brightly colored flowers and decided to head back home; resigned to the fact he wasn't going to shake this feeling with a few fresh-cut roses.

 

"Ouch!" he heard a woman shout as he unwittingly rammed into her. Way to go, airhead! he thought to himself as he rubbed this shoulder.

 

"Ryo?" said the woman. He looked up to see Drew staring at him from the ground where she'd fallen.

 

"Drew, I'm so sorry!" Ryo said as he reached a hand out to help her up.

 

"It's all right. You seemed pretty out of it. Are you ok?" she asked.

 

"Me? Sure," Ryo felt himself plaster on a smile, "why wouldn't I be?"

 

"Damned if I know, but you definitely aren't ok!" she said, to Ryo's surprise. "We did date, Ryo. It may have been a long time ago, but I still can tell when you're in a bad mood." Ryo started to protest, but Drew stopped him. "Come on, let's grab a coffee," she said as she pulled him along. Ryo sighed; he really didn't feel like coffee, but once Drew decided she was going to help you, that's what she did- no matter how much you protested. Just as stubborn as Dee, he thought and his brow wrinkled.

 

"So, what is it?" Drew asked after they had been sitting at the cafe table for several minutes in silence. Ryo started to open his mouth to answer, then shut it again. How could he explain it to her when he wasn't sure himself? Moreover, how could he explain it to Drew when it might have something to do with her?

 

"Is it something to do with me?" she asked, startling him with her accuracy. She laughed at his look of surprise. "You're so easy to read sometimes, Ryo! You've avoided eye contact with me since we bumped into each other." Drew paused a moment to see if Ryo would explain, but when he didn't she pushed on. "What is it? Did Dee tell you I kissed him? I was so dru-"

 

"WHAT?" Ryo shouted loudly, standing halfway up in his seat. Turning red, he sank back down into his seat as people stared at him.

 

"I guess not..." Drew muttered.

 

"How could you? Damn it, Drew! You just drop into my li-"

 

"Ryo, listen to me, please! I was really drunk that night and mad at my boyfriend and- and I acted stupid!" she explained. Ryo didn't look at her. "Please, Ryo, believe me, it was nothing." When a few moments passed and he still remained silent, Drew became worried. "Ryo! Come on! Forget it, please! It was a peck, it was nothing!"

 

"I believe you!" Ryo finally said, louder then he intended. Drew looked taken-aback. "I believe you, Drew. It's just... why didn't Dee tell me? If it really was just a stupid mistake and meant nothing, why did he hide it?" The pain in Ryo's voice made Drew wince.

 

"I'm sure he just didn't want to upset you."

 

"Maybe."

 

"Look, Ryo, I know it's none of my business, but I have a feeling this dumb little kiss isn't what's really bothering you. You were depressed before I even told you. What's the real issue here?" She looked at him intently.

 

Ryo shifted uncomfortably under Drew's determined gaze. The look reminding him so much of Dee's it was uncanny. He sighed.

 

"You're so alike," he finally answered.

 

"Who?"

 

"You and Dee. You have so many things in common-"

 

"Not THAT many things," said Drew with a sly look.

 

"You know what I mean."

 

"No, I don't."

 

"You both are loud, stubborn and over-confident..."

 

"Gee, thanks" Drew muttered, but Ryo continued.

 

"...you're also both open and true to who you are. I'm not like that." he finished.

 

"You're being too hard on yourself, Ryo. You're true to yourself, you just aren't as obnoxious about it as Dee and I are!" Drew joked.

 

"No, Drew. I'm not," Ryo said flatly.

 

"How can you say that? You're in a GAY relationship! I'd say you're pretty open about who you are!" She waited for him to smile and agree with her, but he didn't. A few of the other patrons had overheard their discussion and looked over at them. Drew just scowled at them, but when she looked back at Ryo, his face was pink with embarrassment. Drew took the hint.

 

"I see... you're not being open about your relationship with Dee, are you?" she said, frowning.

 

"I want to, I just... I'm just a private person. Why do I have to advertise my sexual preferences to have a relationship?"

 

"I'm sure Dee's not asking you to advertise."

 

"Even if I was in a normal relationship, I still wouldn't like public displays of affection, but Dee doesn't have those boundaries."

 

Drew looked him hard in the eyes. "A normal relationship? Is a heterosexual relationship the only kind you can think of as 'normal', Ryo? I never thought of you as close-minded before."

 

"I'm not! I just... I don't know. It's complicated," he said lamely.

 

"Do you love him?"

 

"What?"

 

"Do_you_love_him?"

 

"Th-that's... not the point."

 

"Yes, Ryo, it is! Because if you do, things are NOT complicated! But you sure are making things hard for Dee and yourself!"

 

Ryo crossed his arms over his chest and avoided Drew's eyes. "See, you're just like Dee. You think I can just snap my fingers and be ok with changing my whole life! Don't you see," now turning to face her, "I don't know if I can be as open as Dee wants... maybe... maybe Dee shouldn't be with me. Maybe he'd be better off with someone more like himself, more like you.” Dropping his head, Ryo fought the tears behind his eyes. Why was he letting himself get so emotional? How had their talk escalated to this?

 

"You don't really believe that, Ryo. You're doing all this because you're afraid of being hurt. Maybe in the beginning it was about adjusting to a new lifestyle, but now you're just plain scared. Dee's done all the work, tried to make things perfect for you and, of course, nothing is perfect. But you know what? Dealing with the realities of a relationship isn't all that bad! Just open up and take a chance, Ryo, because Dee's a good guy and they don't come along that often. If you don't take the chance, someone else will." Pushing out her chair, Drew stood up.

 

"It's a good thing for you I'm seeing someone else or you might have some competition. You take it for granted that Dee will always be there, but if you push him away long enough, you just might push him into the arms of someone else."

 

Drew walked away leaving Ryo feeling much worse than he had before.

 

He had to admit, he'd never had to fight for Dee's affections. There was JJ, but that didn't count; JJ wasn't a real threat.

 

But what would he do if someone did come between them?

 

 

 

*******Will Dee stray while Ryo continues to battle is emotions? See in the next chapter!

 

HI! I wrote a fic and it's not AU! *L* I started writing this when I was mad at my own boyfriend and thought I could empathize with Dee. Then I wondered what would happen if a girl like me met up with handsome little Dee. The story took off in it's own direction after a while, though. Hope you liked it!