Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Misery ❯ Damn the Floodgates ( Chapter 10 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Kita and Subu-chan 
Anime/Manga: Fake Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Action / Drama / Romance / Police | Type: Shounen-ai | Uploaded On: 01.21.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 438 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Fake Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Action / Drama / Romance / Police | Type: Shounen-ai | Uploaded On: 01.21.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 438 | Status: Work In Progress
All disclaimers still apply. Do you honestly think We're making any money off of this?
A/N Many thanks to those gods of fan-ficcdom who reviewed. Akita's still dancing about the nice reviews. That's her bopping in the background to the strains of "I think I'm Turning Japanese." Yeesh. And she hates my taste in music??
Many thanks to Catti-dono & jdr1184 for the great reviews on Misery and thanks to everyone who's still reading this. We hope you like this chapter. More coming soon.
*Akita stops dancing and bats eyelashes mournfully.* Reviews? Yes, please.
Chapter Ten-Damn the Floodgates
“Would you please sit back down?” Drake scowled at JJ as he tried to get plates out of the cabinet one-handed. Drake reached over the shorter man and rescued the teetering stack of plates.
JJ glared at him with ill temper. “I can look after myself, Drake.” He retorted.
Drake sighed as he took the plates and set them on the kitchen table. “What’s your problem now? You were okay earlier.”
“I don’t have a problem!” JJ snarled.
“You’re growling and snapping like a rabid dog. That says problem to me.” Drake carefully turned JJ to face him. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m embarrassed, okay?!” JJ yelled, startling Drake. “I know how I act on pain meds. Not only did you have to see that, but Aunt Cecile was here too. God, she’s probably laughing at me right now.”
Drake sighed. “So you get a little loopy with pain meds. Big deal. You can’t help it. And your aunt was worried about you, not laughing at you. She practically made me promise to keep on eye on you today. If that’s not honest worry, I don’t know what is.”
JJ slumped. Drake’s arguments were all good ones, but he was too upset to think straight. He knew it for the truth when he woke up this time. It had hit him just as hard as the realization that Dee was never going to be his. He was falling for Drake and he hated himself for it. It felt like he was betraying Dee. It made no sense, but at the moment, nothing made a damned bit of sense.
And to top it all off, he still loved Dee. “God, if I were any more fucked up-“
“You realize you said that out loud, right?” Drake chuckled.
JJ turned red. “Blame it on the drugs.”
Drake laughed. “Tell you a secret. I’m the same way on Sudafed. Get me hopped up on enough antihistamines and I’ll tell you every dirty little secret you ever wanted to know.” He laughed. “One time in high school, I went to school with a head cold and took a dose. I don’t quite remember what I said to my history teacher, but they sent me home for what my guidance counselor later called ‘a little too much honesty.’ It must have been pretty bad, because I wound up in another history class for the rest of the year.”
JJ laughed weakly. “I-I’ll keep that in mind.”
Drake smiled at him. “Why don’t you go check on dinner while I set the table. We’ll eat like civilized people.”
JJ obeyed, heart aching. He wasn’t sure what to do and Drake only made it harder by being such a nice guy. And somehow that made him angrier.
“Ow!”
Drake turned. “JJ? What is it?”
JJ muttered unintelligibly around a mouthful of knuckle.
“What?”
JJ pulled his knuckles out of his mouth long enough to scowl at Drake. “I burned myself, okay?” He stuck his hand under the faucet and turned the cold water on. “I brushed the back of my hand against the oven door.”
Drake came over to the sink as JJ pulled his hand from under the tap and sucked on his seared knuckles. “Stop that,” He chastised, pulling JJ’s hand away from his mouth. “You’re not three. You don’t suck on burns like that.”
“You do when it hurts,” JJ muttered resentfully, trying to pry his wrist free from Drake’s firm grip.
Drake frowned at him and stuck his hand back under the cold water. “You trying to kill yourself, JJ? First the fall and now you burn yourself.”
JJ glared at him, sulking. “Leave me alone.” He tried to tug his hand free again.
Drake refused to relinquish it, holding JJ’s fingers under the flow of cold water. “Hold still.”
JJ continued struggling. “Let go of me!”
Drake dipped his free hand under the flow of water and flicked it in JJ’s face. That stopped him and Drake had to stifle a chuckle at the indignant look on his partner’s face. “What’s with you tonight, dammit? You’re acting like a kid.”
JJ scowled at him. How to tell Drake that he was the cause of it? Drake’s tender care was making his abused heart ache. He hated that it was Drake caring so gently for him, and not Dee. But at the same time, he wanted to accept the warmth and tenderness, to curl up in Drake’s arms like a lover might. Yeah, he was falling for him alright. There was just no denying it anymore.
JJ bit back stinging tears. He was so confused! He wanted Drake to need him with the same burning ache as he did, but he hating himself for craving it. He still loved Dee and Drake-Drake was straight. But he wanted him sooo much…
To his horror, a single tear escaped. He tried to brush it away before Drake saw, but that one had opened the floodgates. He just stood there in his kitchen, one hand held under the running water and completely unable to stop the tears.
Drake’s scowl crumpled and he looked distressed. “Damn, JJ, don’t cry! Please! C’mon, it’s just a burn. Nothing to cry about!”
But there was nothing to stop the tears now. JJ hiccupped and tried to apologize, but the words came out as strangled sobs. “I-I-I’m sor-sorry-I d-don’t kno-know w-why I’m c-crying! I-I…”
Drake sighed and drew JJ against him. JJ clung to his shirt, struggling to control the tears. But in the face of Drake’s warm embrace, they continued unabated. JJ allowed himself to sag against his partner’s solid strength. “I-I c-c-can’t stop c-c-crying…” JJ hiccupped again.
He felt Drake’s chest expand in a huge sigh and suddenly his feet were no longer on the floor. JJ managed a surprised yip as Drake picked him up and carried him to the couch. He gently set JJ down and settled next to him, offering a sheltering arm.
There were no second thoughts now about accepting it. JJ burrowed into Drake’s embrace like it could hide him from the world. The tears poured out of him faster and he found himself babbling between sobs. “I-I know-” JJ wept heartbrokenly. “He’s n-n-not mine. He n-n-never real-really was. B-b-but I w-wanted s-so much for h-him t-to be…!”
Drake murmured inane words of comfort softly and stroked his hair. But there was no soothing him now. “I-I l-loved him s-so mu-much. A-all I ever w-w-wanted was f-for him t-to love m-me b-back! But h-he l-loves R-Ryo s-so m-much it h-hurts to w-watch. And I know R-Ryo loves h-him too! I-I can see it i-in his f-face ev-every t-time h-he l-looks at D-Dee. I-I can’t even h-hate him f-for it! I t-tried. I-I wanted t-to hate h-him s-so much but-but I j-just can’t. I-it’s n-not f-faaair!” The last word ended on a heartbroken wail.
JJ clung harder to Drake, shivering now from the emotional outburst. “I-it’s not fair.” He continued more quietly now. “It’s not fair that I w-want to hate him b-but can’t. I like h-him. He’s n-never been a-anything b-but n-nice to m-me, b-but he s-stole D-Dee f-from me w-without even t-trying.” JJ clung tighter, aware of the warmth of Drake’s chest against his cheek. “I-I hated m-myself for w-wanting him t-to j-just go away. And n-n-now I-”
JJ had just enough presence of mind to keep from blurting out that he was finding himself more and more attracted to Drake. He wanted to. He wanted to unburden himself but was afraid to. To have Drake revile him… No! He couldn’t bear that. He’d sooner die than have Drake hate him too.
At last he ran out of tears and just huddled there in Drake’s loose embrace, trying hard to get himself back under control. “I-I’m sorry, Drake-sempai.” He apologized quietly.
Drake sighed softly and continued smoothing JJ’s mussed hair. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, JJ. You needed to get that off of your chest. You’ve needed to get it off of your chest for a long time now. Trust me, I know. I’ve been your partner for how many years now? You bottle everything up inside and act the fool, but you can’t con me. I’ve known you for too long now.” Drake shook his head, but his hand continued its soothing motion over JJ’s hair.
JJ listened to the steady thump of Drake’s heartbeat, marveling at how Drake knew what was in his mind. It was uncanny how well they fit. Not just mentally either. JJ buried his head in the crook of Drake’s neck, feeling how well Drake’s arm fit around his shoulder and the hard planes of his chest under his fingers. Drake just held him, still stroking his hair comfortingly.
“You okay now?” Drake asked softly, his voice a pleasant rumble against JJ’s cheek.
JJ nodded but made no effort to move. “J-just let me stay here for a little while.” He whispered softly. For a second he wasn’t sure whether Drake had heard him, but Drake’s arm tightened around him. JJ sighed and settled more of his weight against his partner’s solid strength. He’d never hold me like this if he knew… JJ mused, heart aching just a little. But not that much. Not with Drake holding him tight like he would protect him from the worries of the world.
Drake, on the other hand, was trying very hard not to think. He had comforted JJ any number of times over the past few years, usually as a result of Dee going off on him. JJ was as emotional as a teenage girl sometimes, and when Dee got fed up and laid into him, he’d run to Drake, crying incoherently. And Drake had never minded. Some part of him liked being JJ’s confidant and guardian. But this was bordering perilously close to territory he dared not think about.
After they had sat there for a few minutes, JJ seemed to sense how uncomfortable he was making Drake or something, because he sighed and straightened up, knuckling the last remnants of tears from his red-rimmed eyes. He glanced at Drake and as suddenly as the sun breaking from the clouds, a smile lit his face. “Sorry,” JJ managed around a giggle. If it was just the tiniest bit hysterical, neither of them was going to mention it. “I got your shirt wet.”
Drake looked down and chuckled, grateful for the breaking of the tension. From his shoulder to about the middle of his chest, his shirt was damp and sticky with tears. “It’ll dry. You ready to eat now?”
JJ could have kissed him for not asking how he was feeling. In fact, he would have happily kissed him just to kiss him, but JJ vetoed that thought quickly. Drake wasn’t ready for that.
And JJ…? JJ nodded and let Drake pull him to his feet. It still hurt, but his heart was healing. And Drake had a lot to do with it. Maybe, just maybe, someday they could be more than partners and good friends. He bestowed Drake with a wide, sunny smile that even the dull ache in his shoulder couldn’t dampen.
Drake chuckled at the change in JJ’s mood. He liked it when his spastic partner was happy. It sure beat all hell out of when he was crying morosely into Drake’s shirt. “Let’s eat, then.”
A/N Many thanks to those gods of fan-ficcdom who reviewed. Akita's still dancing about the nice reviews. That's her bopping in the background to the strains of "I think I'm Turning Japanese." Yeesh. And she hates my taste in music??
Many thanks to Catti-dono & jdr1184 for the great reviews on Misery and thanks to everyone who's still reading this. We hope you like this chapter. More coming soon.
*Akita stops dancing and bats eyelashes mournfully.* Reviews? Yes, please.
Chapter Ten-Damn the Floodgates
“Would you please sit back down?” Drake scowled at JJ as he tried to get plates out of the cabinet one-handed. Drake reached over the shorter man and rescued the teetering stack of plates.
JJ glared at him with ill temper. “I can look after myself, Drake.” He retorted.
Drake sighed as he took the plates and set them on the kitchen table. “What’s your problem now? You were okay earlier.”
“I don’t have a problem!” JJ snarled.
“You’re growling and snapping like a rabid dog. That says problem to me.” Drake carefully turned JJ to face him. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m embarrassed, okay?!” JJ yelled, startling Drake. “I know how I act on pain meds. Not only did you have to see that, but Aunt Cecile was here too. God, she’s probably laughing at me right now.”
Drake sighed. “So you get a little loopy with pain meds. Big deal. You can’t help it. And your aunt was worried about you, not laughing at you. She practically made me promise to keep on eye on you today. If that’s not honest worry, I don’t know what is.”
JJ slumped. Drake’s arguments were all good ones, but he was too upset to think straight. He knew it for the truth when he woke up this time. It had hit him just as hard as the realization that Dee was never going to be his. He was falling for Drake and he hated himself for it. It felt like he was betraying Dee. It made no sense, but at the moment, nothing made a damned bit of sense.
And to top it all off, he still loved Dee. “God, if I were any more fucked up-“
“You realize you said that out loud, right?” Drake chuckled.
JJ turned red. “Blame it on the drugs.”
Drake laughed. “Tell you a secret. I’m the same way on Sudafed. Get me hopped up on enough antihistamines and I’ll tell you every dirty little secret you ever wanted to know.” He laughed. “One time in high school, I went to school with a head cold and took a dose. I don’t quite remember what I said to my history teacher, but they sent me home for what my guidance counselor later called ‘a little too much honesty.’ It must have been pretty bad, because I wound up in another history class for the rest of the year.”
JJ laughed weakly. “I-I’ll keep that in mind.”
Drake smiled at him. “Why don’t you go check on dinner while I set the table. We’ll eat like civilized people.”
JJ obeyed, heart aching. He wasn’t sure what to do and Drake only made it harder by being such a nice guy. And somehow that made him angrier.
“Ow!”
Drake turned. “JJ? What is it?”
JJ muttered unintelligibly around a mouthful of knuckle.
“What?”
JJ pulled his knuckles out of his mouth long enough to scowl at Drake. “I burned myself, okay?” He stuck his hand under the faucet and turned the cold water on. “I brushed the back of my hand against the oven door.”
Drake came over to the sink as JJ pulled his hand from under the tap and sucked on his seared knuckles. “Stop that,” He chastised, pulling JJ’s hand away from his mouth. “You’re not three. You don’t suck on burns like that.”
“You do when it hurts,” JJ muttered resentfully, trying to pry his wrist free from Drake’s firm grip.
Drake frowned at him and stuck his hand back under the cold water. “You trying to kill yourself, JJ? First the fall and now you burn yourself.”
JJ glared at him, sulking. “Leave me alone.” He tried to tug his hand free again.
Drake refused to relinquish it, holding JJ’s fingers under the flow of cold water. “Hold still.”
JJ continued struggling. “Let go of me!”
Drake dipped his free hand under the flow of water and flicked it in JJ’s face. That stopped him and Drake had to stifle a chuckle at the indignant look on his partner’s face. “What’s with you tonight, dammit? You’re acting like a kid.”
JJ scowled at him. How to tell Drake that he was the cause of it? Drake’s tender care was making his abused heart ache. He hated that it was Drake caring so gently for him, and not Dee. But at the same time, he wanted to accept the warmth and tenderness, to curl up in Drake’s arms like a lover might. Yeah, he was falling for him alright. There was just no denying it anymore.
JJ bit back stinging tears. He was so confused! He wanted Drake to need him with the same burning ache as he did, but he hating himself for craving it. He still loved Dee and Drake-Drake was straight. But he wanted him sooo much…
To his horror, a single tear escaped. He tried to brush it away before Drake saw, but that one had opened the floodgates. He just stood there in his kitchen, one hand held under the running water and completely unable to stop the tears.
Drake’s scowl crumpled and he looked distressed. “Damn, JJ, don’t cry! Please! C’mon, it’s just a burn. Nothing to cry about!”
But there was nothing to stop the tears now. JJ hiccupped and tried to apologize, but the words came out as strangled sobs. “I-I-I’m sor-sorry-I d-don’t kno-know w-why I’m c-crying! I-I…”
Drake sighed and drew JJ against him. JJ clung to his shirt, struggling to control the tears. But in the face of Drake’s warm embrace, they continued unabated. JJ allowed himself to sag against his partner’s solid strength. “I-I c-c-can’t stop c-c-crying…” JJ hiccupped again.
He felt Drake’s chest expand in a huge sigh and suddenly his feet were no longer on the floor. JJ managed a surprised yip as Drake picked him up and carried him to the couch. He gently set JJ down and settled next to him, offering a sheltering arm.
There were no second thoughts now about accepting it. JJ burrowed into Drake’s embrace like it could hide him from the world. The tears poured out of him faster and he found himself babbling between sobs. “I-I know-” JJ wept heartbrokenly. “He’s n-n-not mine. He n-n-never real-really was. B-b-but I w-wanted s-so much for h-him t-to be…!”
Drake murmured inane words of comfort softly and stroked his hair. But there was no soothing him now. “I-I l-loved him s-so mu-much. A-all I ever w-w-wanted was f-for him t-to love m-me b-back! But h-he l-loves R-Ryo s-so m-much it h-hurts to w-watch. And I know R-Ryo loves h-him too! I-I can see it i-in his f-face ev-every t-time h-he l-looks at D-Dee. I-I can’t even h-hate him f-for it! I t-tried. I-I wanted t-to hate h-him s-so much but-but I j-just can’t. I-it’s n-not f-faaair!” The last word ended on a heartbroken wail.
JJ clung harder to Drake, shivering now from the emotional outburst. “I-it’s not fair.” He continued more quietly now. “It’s not fair that I w-want to hate him b-but can’t. I like h-him. He’s n-never been a-anything b-but n-nice to m-me, b-but he s-stole D-Dee f-from me w-without even t-trying.” JJ clung tighter, aware of the warmth of Drake’s chest against his cheek. “I-I hated m-myself for w-wanting him t-to j-just go away. And n-n-now I-”
JJ had just enough presence of mind to keep from blurting out that he was finding himself more and more attracted to Drake. He wanted to. He wanted to unburden himself but was afraid to. To have Drake revile him… No! He couldn’t bear that. He’d sooner die than have Drake hate him too.
At last he ran out of tears and just huddled there in Drake’s loose embrace, trying hard to get himself back under control. “I-I’m sorry, Drake-sempai.” He apologized quietly.
Drake sighed softly and continued smoothing JJ’s mussed hair. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, JJ. You needed to get that off of your chest. You’ve needed to get it off of your chest for a long time now. Trust me, I know. I’ve been your partner for how many years now? You bottle everything up inside and act the fool, but you can’t con me. I’ve known you for too long now.” Drake shook his head, but his hand continued its soothing motion over JJ’s hair.
JJ listened to the steady thump of Drake’s heartbeat, marveling at how Drake knew what was in his mind. It was uncanny how well they fit. Not just mentally either. JJ buried his head in the crook of Drake’s neck, feeling how well Drake’s arm fit around his shoulder and the hard planes of his chest under his fingers. Drake just held him, still stroking his hair comfortingly.
“You okay now?” Drake asked softly, his voice a pleasant rumble against JJ’s cheek.
JJ nodded but made no effort to move. “J-just let me stay here for a little while.” He whispered softly. For a second he wasn’t sure whether Drake had heard him, but Drake’s arm tightened around him. JJ sighed and settled more of his weight against his partner’s solid strength. He’d never hold me like this if he knew… JJ mused, heart aching just a little. But not that much. Not with Drake holding him tight like he would protect him from the worries of the world.
Drake, on the other hand, was trying very hard not to think. He had comforted JJ any number of times over the past few years, usually as a result of Dee going off on him. JJ was as emotional as a teenage girl sometimes, and when Dee got fed up and laid into him, he’d run to Drake, crying incoherently. And Drake had never minded. Some part of him liked being JJ’s confidant and guardian. But this was bordering perilously close to territory he dared not think about.
After they had sat there for a few minutes, JJ seemed to sense how uncomfortable he was making Drake or something, because he sighed and straightened up, knuckling the last remnants of tears from his red-rimmed eyes. He glanced at Drake and as suddenly as the sun breaking from the clouds, a smile lit his face. “Sorry,” JJ managed around a giggle. If it was just the tiniest bit hysterical, neither of them was going to mention it. “I got your shirt wet.”
Drake looked down and chuckled, grateful for the breaking of the tension. From his shoulder to about the middle of his chest, his shirt was damp and sticky with tears. “It’ll dry. You ready to eat now?”
JJ could have kissed him for not asking how he was feeling. In fact, he would have happily kissed him just to kiss him, but JJ vetoed that thought quickly. Drake wasn’t ready for that.
And JJ…? JJ nodded and let Drake pull him to his feet. It still hurt, but his heart was healing. And Drake had a lot to do with it. Maybe, just maybe, someday they could be more than partners and good friends. He bestowed Drake with a wide, sunny smile that even the dull ache in his shoulder couldn’t dampen.
Drake chuckled at the change in JJ’s mood. He liked it when his spastic partner was happy. It sure beat all hell out of when he was crying morosely into Drake’s shirt. “Let’s eat, then.”