Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Strings Attached ❯ Sudden Realizations Meet Tragic Misunderstandings ( Chapter 5 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Nova Starlight 
Anime/Manga: Fake Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.04.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 227 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Fake Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.04.2010 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 227 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Fake or any of its Characters
“Strings Attached”
By: Nova Starlight
Part 5: Sudden Realizations Meet Tragic Misunderstandings
As the sunlight began to penetrate the dark toned curtains in Drake’s apartment, he heard the incessant beeping of his alarm. With a groan, he reached out and hit the snooze button. JJ was still sleeping, his body comfortably entwined around his. Drake felt his heartbeat thumping in his ears and he could not stop himself from sweeping his hair back from his face. When JJ’s eyes remained closed, he allowed himself to lean in and place a tender, lingering kiss on his lips. From seeing his beautiful sleeping face the night before he had been suppressing his urge to make love to him. Damn, he had missed JJ last night. Had JJ missed him as well? Is that why he had come to his apartment to wait for him? He smiled brightly at the thought.
At that moment, he noticed that JJ had opened his eyes and was returning his smile. “Well, good morning,” he purred up at Drake. He moved his leg that had been lying beneath Drake’s hovering form to slide upward caressing between Drake’s legs and stirring the embers of desire within him that had been burning since the night before. Drake moaned in pleasure, but wanted to laugh at his own foolishness. This was what JJ had come for, what JJ wanted from him. If he had missed anything it seemed to have only been the warmth and pleasure that Drake provided him. He looked back into JJ’s sleepy gaze and wished he could tell him the truth, tell him just how much he had missed him the previous evening, but he knew it was pointless. Instead, he simply gave in to his baser desires and kissed JJ, hoping his actions might speak louder than words.
…
At the precinct, Drake and JJ got right to work on their open cases, but as the day progressed, Drake could tell that something was off. That morning JJ had been his usual seductive self, arousing him to the point of aching before they made love. It was after sex that he had seemed different. He had seemed unusually quiet as they had showered together and he had changed into an extra set of clothes that he had left at his apartment. He had said that he still needed something from his place, so he told Drake to go on ahead. Drake had hoped when JJ arrived he would be back to his usual cheery self, but that was not the case. Throughout the day, JJ always seemed to be in his own world, thoughtful and quiet. It was driving him crazy trying to figure out what was on his mind. He wanted to just ask, every time he tried, he just could not get the words out.
In fact, what had been on JJ’s mind the entire morning had been Drake. When he had been woken up by that tender kiss, he had felt that same tightening in his chest and known exactly what it was. He felt like such a fool, as he could no longer deny what was so completely obvious to him at that moment; he was in love with Drake. It felt so natural as they made love. Drake was gentle but passionate and seemed to memorize the most erogenous parts of his body. His body had been ignited with need and Drake was the only man who had ever made him feel this way. However, knowing that he had fallen in love, had changed a few things. If he remained with Drake this way, he would only hurt himself more, but he did not know if he could stand to break it off.
It was all that he thought about as he dressed at Drake’s apartment, noticing how preoccupied he had become, he had made an excuse to return to his apartment. He was sure that he had looked like some sort of crazy person to the cabbie who had driven him home. The entire ride he had allowed the tears to flow from his eyes as he cried out his frustration at his own foolish heart. When he looked up, the cab was parked in front of his apartment building and he had turned off the meter. He was embarrassed as he opened his wallet and handed him more money than he owed and fled from the backseat. Inside he had quickly put a cold cloth on his eyes to lessen the redness. He needed to look normal before he returned to work. About twenty minutes later he rushed to catch the subway, already knowing he would be late for work.
He tried to focus on work and think about something, anything, other than his newly realized feelings for Drake; but it seemed impossible. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, wondering what he should do. What he wanted obviously was to stay close to Drake, to go back to what they had these past few weeks. He had been in a nearly constant state of bliss as they had spent their free time together talking, working, and making love. He had been so happy to leave work every day, knowing he was going home with Drake. Despite his aspiration to keep this relationship as it was, he knew that it would not last long. His feelings would only grow with time and attention from Drake until he could no longer contain them. Once he confessed his love it would be all over. He could just imagine the look of panic on Drake’s face at the thought that their casual sex arrangement, had turned into a one-sided gay love.
The feeling of having to see and interact with the object of his affection every day, was not unusual for him. Having to then see that person fall hopelessly in love with someone else and be happy with someone other than you. The feeling of tightening in his chest at the thought of Drake with someone else nearly knocked him off of his feet. It was surprising to him now as he realized that the pain he felt at this moment, was nowhere near the pain he had felt over Dee and Ryo. Looking back he wanted to scream as he thought of all the wasted affection, all the wasted years, that he spent nurturing a foolish and childish crush on Dee. Now that he knew what it truly felt like to love what he could never truly have, he knew real pain. He could feel the burning and stinging in his eyes; tears that threatened to show his weakness. He managed to turn and discreetly wipe them away, but when he looked back at Drake, he found his eyes meeting his own directly.
Damn, had Drake seen his tears? He smiled back at him brightly and was relieved when Drake returned it instantly. He needed to be more careful, if Drake noticed his feelings he was sure that it would end badly. Looking at his papers, he prayed for a diversion and those prayers were answered when the door was thrown open by Dee with Ryo standing beside him. “We were thinking about grabbing some lunch,” Dee began. “Wanted to know if the two of you would like to join us.” It had probably been a couple of months since the four detectives had lunch together now that he thought about it. He looked over at Drake and saw that he did not look happy, in fact he seemed angry. He did not give himself time to question the reason, but rose and smiled brightly at Dee and Ryo.
“Sure, I’m starving.” He did not even glance over as he asked, “How about you Drake?”
When it was silent for a moment, he dared to steal a look at his face and saw that Drake looked surprised. Meeting JJ’s questioning look, he snapped out of it and agreed, “Yeah, I did not get breakfast this morning. I think I could eat a whole cow.” JJ watched as he stood and reached for his own jacket. He could feel the blush rising in his cheeks as he thought back to that morning spent in bed, as he remembered that he was the reason Drake had not eaten breakfast. His eyes glanced back at Dee who seemed oblivious to the silent exchange between them and his flushed face, but Ryo was another story. Ryo’s gaze seemed suspicious and JJ quickly looked away. How much did Ryo suspect? Was it obvious that he was in love with Drake, that something was going on between them? He took a deep breath as everyone turned to leave the office in an attempt to calm himself down. It was impossible that Ryo had picked up that he and Drake were involved, he must just think that Drake was being a little protective. Hell, maybe he just thought that his blushing face was because he had been looking at Dee. Yeah, he assured himself. That had to be the case.
After, he had reassured himself that Ryo was not aware of what was going on between himself and Drake, JJ found himself relaxing as the four of them discussed their current cases and other work related gossip comfortably. As they sat at the diner it was almost as comfortable as it had been when he and Drake were alone. When the waitress arrived Dee and Ryo gave their orders first, and when she turned to JJ he ordered a salad with Italian dressing. Drake then ordered his usual cheeseburger. It was the way they usually ordered when he and Drake went out alone. When the food arrived, Drake would cut his cheeseburger in half and place it on JJ’s plate. Then he would give him the pickle and JJ would in turn give him half of his salad. It was something they had done one time when they had been discussing their lunch orders and found they both wanted a burger and a salad. Now, it had become a habit and it was natural and unconscious.
The waitress brought the food and sat down the plates in front of them. Dee and Ryo both began eating and Drake started slicing through his cheeseburger without thinking. JJ could not help but smile as he moved the food to his plate as he had done a dozen times before and JJ pushed some salad on to his. It was then that he suddenly remembered that they were not alone and looked up to see two sets of eyes focused on them with confusion. Drake seemed oblivious to it all as he began eating his portion of the salad, and continued prattling on about whatever he had been talking about before the food arrived. Dee quickly joined back in the conversation shoveling his own food into his mouth. The only ones that were silent were Ryo and himself. He met Ryo’s gaze and wanted to say something, but he could not say anything here in front of Drake and Dee.
When they got back to their office, JJ tried as much as possible to be his bubbly exuberant self, although his heart was not in it. He and Drake were left alone again. He had wondered if Ryo would confront him about his behavior, but he had returned to his own office with Dee and not said a word. He noticed that Drake seemed very quiet so he had started to try and fill the quiet room with chatter. Drake was unresponsive, so he finally settled on working on his paperwork in silence. He did not notice that Drake was watching him closely, trying to determine what was wrong.
Drake knew that JJ had seemed upset since that morning, but it was worse now that they had returned from their lunch with Dee and Ryo. Instead of just being upset, he was trying to cover it up and act happy; like nothing was wrong. It just irked him beyond comprehension that JJ was attempting to fake happiness. Damn, if just being near Dee was going to continue to have this kind of effect on him Drake wondered if there was anything he could really do to make him feel better. The thought, “Why can’t he just be happy with me?” came unbidden into Drake’s mind and shocked him. Is that what he really wanted, to have JJ all to himself? The memories of the time they had spent together over the last few months replayed in his mind. JJ’s smiling face as they talked and joked…the way that JJ curled his body around his as they slept at night…JJ’s moans of pleasure as they spent hours making love. He could feel his body responding just at the thought, the heat flooding into his groin, but there was another response. He could feel an ache in his heart as he thought about him. If anything he should have realized this the night before when all he could think about was JJ, but it just struck him now. Their arrangement was supposed to be just sex, had he fallen in love? He wanted to speak up, but was not sure what to say. JJ had fallen silent and was typing away at his report.
Moments later, he looked up as he heard JJ pushing back his chair and standing. He took the reports he had been working on and began to place them in their file folders and make a pile on the side of desk. JJ’s eyes met his own and then he smiled and walked over to Drake’s desk. Without a word he pushed Drake back in his chair straddled his lap. God, did JJ have some sort of weird sixth sense to know what he wanted, or was he always this aroused? He knew he should just push him away, go back to work but in that second he no longer cared. His hand reached up to JJ’s soft hair and his fingers worked through the strands before pulling him close for a kiss. When their lips met his tension seemed to melt away. His tongue slipped smoothly through his lips into the wet warmth of JJ’s mouth. As JJ moaned into his mouth and seemed to melt into his embrace, he felt that maybe, just maybe, JJ felt something for him too. At that moment, they were interrupted as they picked up on the voices of Dee and Ryo from outside their door.
In a flash JJ was off of his lap and standing a foot away just in time for the door to swing open as Dee sauntered in. “Hey,” he greeted as a way of announcing his entrance. If Dee had bothered to look into Drake’s eyes he would have seen the anger and frustration that was plainly displayed. Instead, Dee’s eyes seemed fixed on JJ as he continued, “Ryo said he wants to talk to you about something alone.” Drake’s primal desire was pumping through his veins urging him to tell Dee to get the fuck out, so he could have his way with JJ right there on his desk but he held back. Instead he leaned back his chair and put his feet up on the corner of his desk.
“Go on,” Drake urged him. “I’ll keep working on our paperwork.” JJ did not really look surprised that Ryo had wanted to talk to him, but he also did not appear thrilled to leave the room. Could he be thinking the same thing that he had been? Not likely, it was more likely that he would want to remove Drake and be left alone with his precious Dee. As JJ turned and walked out of the office, he cursed himself and this jealousy. He could not ever remember feeling this jealous of another person in his entire life. Ask just about anyone and they would say that Dee was more attractive, but he had never been bothered by that fact before. “That’s because you never had to compete with him for the attention of the one you love before,” he told himself. He had expected for Dee to leave the room after JJ did, but instead he sat down on the edge of his desk. “Did you need something?” he asked with a critical look over the top of his report.
“Thought we could sit and chat for a while,” Dee replied. “Can’t remember the last time we hung out buddy.”
Drake could feel some of his bitterness slipping away as Dee called him ‘buddy’. He and Dee had been friends, close friends, once. That time now seemed ages ago and in some ways a lot less complicated. Dee quickly launched into an almost one sided conversation about how Ryo was so cold, how the Chief was such a dick, and other various light hearted complaints. As he listened and laughed, he wondered what Ryo had wanted to talk to JJ about.
Ryo had led JJ up to the roof without saying a word. When they were standing there, leaning against the rail he asked, “So, what is going on with you and Drake?”
He had realized that afternoon that Ryo had picked up on something, but he had hoped he would ignore it. “Nothing,” he retorted and turned to walk away.
“Come on JJ, you don’t have to lie to me,” Ryo insisted. “I’m asking because I want to help you.”
JJ knew he should have just kept walking but he was dying to tell someone the truth. He turned back to face Ryo but kept his eyes fixed on the ground below him. “I have feelings for him,” he admitted. “I guess I just realized how much I care for him, but it isn’t reciprocated.”
“Have you told him how you feel?” Ryo asked. “It may be my imagination, but it seems like he cares a lot about you too.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” he explained with a sad sigh. “Drake and I have been…intimate,” he said choosing his words carefully. “But, it was supposed to be just a sex thing,” he continued. “I was the one who was dumb and fell in love.” He could feel the familiar sting of tears in his eyes and tried to fight them back. Ryo approached him and when he looked up he saw nothing but care and concern in his eyes. “Why are you being so nice to me?” he asked. “I have spent most of my time these past few years trying to get between you and Dee, don’t you hate me?”
Ryo looked a little shocked at the question but he did not miss a beat as he replied, “No, I don’t hate you.” He placed a hand on his shoulder. “How could I hate you for having feelings for Dee, he obviously has some good qualities if I fell for him.” JJ could not stop the laughter that bubbled up in his throat. God, Ryo was sure one of a kind; naïve and a realist, somehow rolled into one. “Good to hear you laugh again,” Ryo commented with a smile of his own.
“Does Dee know what you wanted to discuss with me?” JJ asked, turning somber again.
“Of course not,” Ryo scoffed. “As perceptive as that man can be, he would never dream that you were in love with Drake.”
“Sometimes, I can scarcely believe it myself,” he mumbled.
Ryo smiled and reached to open the door to the stairwell. He paused with his hand on the knob and turned to face JJ again. “I’m not sure how much help I can be, considering Dee is the only man I have ever really been interested in, but if I can be of any help…feel free to ask me.” JJ was warmed by the genuine emotion in Ryo’s offer. He simply nodded and Ryo sought to change the subject by saying, “We should get back. Who knows what Dee is telling Drake right now.”
…
In fact, Drake and Dee had been chatting away comfortably until Dee happened to mention JJ. “You know…“ Dee began with a sigh as he sipped his coffee. “I’m glad JJ seems to have gotten over his little puppy love attraction to me, don’t get me wrong, but it just seems unusual for him to not be glomping me all the time.” Drake’s anger and jealousy that had almost completely disappeared, came flooding back like a tidal wave. He could feel his hands gripping the arms of his desk chair, trying to keep his cool. Dee did not know what he was saying, had no idea how he felt. He was just laughing and kidding around like he usually did. He should not pay any special attention. As much as he tried to tell himself all of these things, they did nothing to improve his mood. “I’m starting to think I should flirt with him a little and get things back to normal,” Dee joked with a boisterous laugh.
It happened faster than he could blink, faster than he could even think, he was on his feet and his fist had connected full force with Dee‘s jaw. He had not even noticed Ryo and JJ approaching them through the open office door. As Dee landed on the floor with a thud, he was stunned by what he had just done. It seemed Dee was stunned as well, he made no attempt to get up, just turned to face him with a questioning look in his eyes. The room seemed to spin around him and he felt trapped, his eyes darted to the door. Then he finally saw the expressions of disbelief on the faces of Ryo and JJ. It was all too much for him, he fled. He made his way to the bathroom, immediately feeling the throbbing pain in his hand. Once inside he turned the cold tap on full blast and put his hand underneath the flowing water.
He glanced quickly at the door, half expecting JJ to come running in to check on him. “Hmph,” he snorted. JJ was probably right there with Ryo, doting on that poor bastard Dee. Just thinking about JJ feigning over him, made him angrier. He stared down at his hands and observed how they were trembling. The adrenaline and testosterone that had drove him to punch his former best friend, was now gone and he was left standing there, shaking. It was then that he heard the creak of the door hinges and his head snapped up, ready to tell whoever it was to get lost. When he saw the sad look on JJ’s face he looked away. “If you are here to yell at me for punching Dee, you can turn right around and leave,” he ordered.
“I’m here to find out what happened,” JJ protested. He watched from the corner of his eye as JJ walked towards him and wordlessly took Drake’s already swelling hand into his own. “My God!” he exclaimed. “Your hand needs bandaged quickly.”
Drake pulled his hand away and put it back under the cold running water. He winced at the sting, but reassured him. “It will be fine.” JJ looked like he wanted to argue but he was interrupted by the Chief slamming open the door.
“Here you are!” he called out. “Just what the Hell happened in there Parker?!”
Drake looked back at him with a look of rebellion plastered on his face. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with Chief.”
“Oh really?” he persisted. “Well whatever it was has just gotten you suspended for a week, that is if Dee does not want to press charges.”
Drake knew he should be concerned. He was about to commit career suicide, but the adrenaline was once again pumping through his veins and urging him to be brash. “Well, if I’m suspended, I’m going home.” He walked past JJ and right up to the Chief until they were standing nose to nose. “And, if you want to arrest me, you know where I live.” Even the Chief seemed surprised by his attitude and took a step back allowing him past. As the Chief and JJ stood there watching Drake leave in stunned silence, they wondered just what exactly had transpired between the pair.
To Be Continued…
Author’s Notes: I apologize for the long time it has taken me to update and am hoping to post the next installment within the next couple of weeks. Thanks to everyone who reviews, I love getting the feedback.
“Strings Attached”
By: Nova Starlight
Part 5: Sudden Realizations Meet Tragic Misunderstandings
As the sunlight began to penetrate the dark toned curtains in Drake’s apartment, he heard the incessant beeping of his alarm. With a groan, he reached out and hit the snooze button. JJ was still sleeping, his body comfortably entwined around his. Drake felt his heartbeat thumping in his ears and he could not stop himself from sweeping his hair back from his face. When JJ’s eyes remained closed, he allowed himself to lean in and place a tender, lingering kiss on his lips. From seeing his beautiful sleeping face the night before he had been suppressing his urge to make love to him. Damn, he had missed JJ last night. Had JJ missed him as well? Is that why he had come to his apartment to wait for him? He smiled brightly at the thought.
At that moment, he noticed that JJ had opened his eyes and was returning his smile. “Well, good morning,” he purred up at Drake. He moved his leg that had been lying beneath Drake’s hovering form to slide upward caressing between Drake’s legs and stirring the embers of desire within him that had been burning since the night before. Drake moaned in pleasure, but wanted to laugh at his own foolishness. This was what JJ had come for, what JJ wanted from him. If he had missed anything it seemed to have only been the warmth and pleasure that Drake provided him. He looked back into JJ’s sleepy gaze and wished he could tell him the truth, tell him just how much he had missed him the previous evening, but he knew it was pointless. Instead, he simply gave in to his baser desires and kissed JJ, hoping his actions might speak louder than words.
…
At the precinct, Drake and JJ got right to work on their open cases, but as the day progressed, Drake could tell that something was off. That morning JJ had been his usual seductive self, arousing him to the point of aching before they made love. It was after sex that he had seemed different. He had seemed unusually quiet as they had showered together and he had changed into an extra set of clothes that he had left at his apartment. He had said that he still needed something from his place, so he told Drake to go on ahead. Drake had hoped when JJ arrived he would be back to his usual cheery self, but that was not the case. Throughout the day, JJ always seemed to be in his own world, thoughtful and quiet. It was driving him crazy trying to figure out what was on his mind. He wanted to just ask, every time he tried, he just could not get the words out.
In fact, what had been on JJ’s mind the entire morning had been Drake. When he had been woken up by that tender kiss, he had felt that same tightening in his chest and known exactly what it was. He felt like such a fool, as he could no longer deny what was so completely obvious to him at that moment; he was in love with Drake. It felt so natural as they made love. Drake was gentle but passionate and seemed to memorize the most erogenous parts of his body. His body had been ignited with need and Drake was the only man who had ever made him feel this way. However, knowing that he had fallen in love, had changed a few things. If he remained with Drake this way, he would only hurt himself more, but he did not know if he could stand to break it off.
It was all that he thought about as he dressed at Drake’s apartment, noticing how preoccupied he had become, he had made an excuse to return to his apartment. He was sure that he had looked like some sort of crazy person to the cabbie who had driven him home. The entire ride he had allowed the tears to flow from his eyes as he cried out his frustration at his own foolish heart. When he looked up, the cab was parked in front of his apartment building and he had turned off the meter. He was embarrassed as he opened his wallet and handed him more money than he owed and fled from the backseat. Inside he had quickly put a cold cloth on his eyes to lessen the redness. He needed to look normal before he returned to work. About twenty minutes later he rushed to catch the subway, already knowing he would be late for work.
He tried to focus on work and think about something, anything, other than his newly realized feelings for Drake; but it seemed impossible. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, wondering what he should do. What he wanted obviously was to stay close to Drake, to go back to what they had these past few weeks. He had been in a nearly constant state of bliss as they had spent their free time together talking, working, and making love. He had been so happy to leave work every day, knowing he was going home with Drake. Despite his aspiration to keep this relationship as it was, he knew that it would not last long. His feelings would only grow with time and attention from Drake until he could no longer contain them. Once he confessed his love it would be all over. He could just imagine the look of panic on Drake’s face at the thought that their casual sex arrangement, had turned into a one-sided gay love.
The feeling of having to see and interact with the object of his affection every day, was not unusual for him. Having to then see that person fall hopelessly in love with someone else and be happy with someone other than you. The feeling of tightening in his chest at the thought of Drake with someone else nearly knocked him off of his feet. It was surprising to him now as he realized that the pain he felt at this moment, was nowhere near the pain he had felt over Dee and Ryo. Looking back he wanted to scream as he thought of all the wasted affection, all the wasted years, that he spent nurturing a foolish and childish crush on Dee. Now that he knew what it truly felt like to love what he could never truly have, he knew real pain. He could feel the burning and stinging in his eyes; tears that threatened to show his weakness. He managed to turn and discreetly wipe them away, but when he looked back at Drake, he found his eyes meeting his own directly.
Damn, had Drake seen his tears? He smiled back at him brightly and was relieved when Drake returned it instantly. He needed to be more careful, if Drake noticed his feelings he was sure that it would end badly. Looking at his papers, he prayed for a diversion and those prayers were answered when the door was thrown open by Dee with Ryo standing beside him. “We were thinking about grabbing some lunch,” Dee began. “Wanted to know if the two of you would like to join us.” It had probably been a couple of months since the four detectives had lunch together now that he thought about it. He looked over at Drake and saw that he did not look happy, in fact he seemed angry. He did not give himself time to question the reason, but rose and smiled brightly at Dee and Ryo.
“Sure, I’m starving.” He did not even glance over as he asked, “How about you Drake?”
When it was silent for a moment, he dared to steal a look at his face and saw that Drake looked surprised. Meeting JJ’s questioning look, he snapped out of it and agreed, “Yeah, I did not get breakfast this morning. I think I could eat a whole cow.” JJ watched as he stood and reached for his own jacket. He could feel the blush rising in his cheeks as he thought back to that morning spent in bed, as he remembered that he was the reason Drake had not eaten breakfast. His eyes glanced back at Dee who seemed oblivious to the silent exchange between them and his flushed face, but Ryo was another story. Ryo’s gaze seemed suspicious and JJ quickly looked away. How much did Ryo suspect? Was it obvious that he was in love with Drake, that something was going on between them? He took a deep breath as everyone turned to leave the office in an attempt to calm himself down. It was impossible that Ryo had picked up that he and Drake were involved, he must just think that Drake was being a little protective. Hell, maybe he just thought that his blushing face was because he had been looking at Dee. Yeah, he assured himself. That had to be the case.
After, he had reassured himself that Ryo was not aware of what was going on between himself and Drake, JJ found himself relaxing as the four of them discussed their current cases and other work related gossip comfortably. As they sat at the diner it was almost as comfortable as it had been when he and Drake were alone. When the waitress arrived Dee and Ryo gave their orders first, and when she turned to JJ he ordered a salad with Italian dressing. Drake then ordered his usual cheeseburger. It was the way they usually ordered when he and Drake went out alone. When the food arrived, Drake would cut his cheeseburger in half and place it on JJ’s plate. Then he would give him the pickle and JJ would in turn give him half of his salad. It was something they had done one time when they had been discussing their lunch orders and found they both wanted a burger and a salad. Now, it had become a habit and it was natural and unconscious.
The waitress brought the food and sat down the plates in front of them. Dee and Ryo both began eating and Drake started slicing through his cheeseburger without thinking. JJ could not help but smile as he moved the food to his plate as he had done a dozen times before and JJ pushed some salad on to his. It was then that he suddenly remembered that they were not alone and looked up to see two sets of eyes focused on them with confusion. Drake seemed oblivious to it all as he began eating his portion of the salad, and continued prattling on about whatever he had been talking about before the food arrived. Dee quickly joined back in the conversation shoveling his own food into his mouth. The only ones that were silent were Ryo and himself. He met Ryo’s gaze and wanted to say something, but he could not say anything here in front of Drake and Dee.
When they got back to their office, JJ tried as much as possible to be his bubbly exuberant self, although his heart was not in it. He and Drake were left alone again. He had wondered if Ryo would confront him about his behavior, but he had returned to his own office with Dee and not said a word. He noticed that Drake seemed very quiet so he had started to try and fill the quiet room with chatter. Drake was unresponsive, so he finally settled on working on his paperwork in silence. He did not notice that Drake was watching him closely, trying to determine what was wrong.
Drake knew that JJ had seemed upset since that morning, but it was worse now that they had returned from their lunch with Dee and Ryo. Instead of just being upset, he was trying to cover it up and act happy; like nothing was wrong. It just irked him beyond comprehension that JJ was attempting to fake happiness. Damn, if just being near Dee was going to continue to have this kind of effect on him Drake wondered if there was anything he could really do to make him feel better. The thought, “Why can’t he just be happy with me?” came unbidden into Drake’s mind and shocked him. Is that what he really wanted, to have JJ all to himself? The memories of the time they had spent together over the last few months replayed in his mind. JJ’s smiling face as they talked and joked…the way that JJ curled his body around his as they slept at night…JJ’s moans of pleasure as they spent hours making love. He could feel his body responding just at the thought, the heat flooding into his groin, but there was another response. He could feel an ache in his heart as he thought about him. If anything he should have realized this the night before when all he could think about was JJ, but it just struck him now. Their arrangement was supposed to be just sex, had he fallen in love? He wanted to speak up, but was not sure what to say. JJ had fallen silent and was typing away at his report.
Moments later, he looked up as he heard JJ pushing back his chair and standing. He took the reports he had been working on and began to place them in their file folders and make a pile on the side of desk. JJ’s eyes met his own and then he smiled and walked over to Drake’s desk. Without a word he pushed Drake back in his chair straddled his lap. God, did JJ have some sort of weird sixth sense to know what he wanted, or was he always this aroused? He knew he should just push him away, go back to work but in that second he no longer cared. His hand reached up to JJ’s soft hair and his fingers worked through the strands before pulling him close for a kiss. When their lips met his tension seemed to melt away. His tongue slipped smoothly through his lips into the wet warmth of JJ’s mouth. As JJ moaned into his mouth and seemed to melt into his embrace, he felt that maybe, just maybe, JJ felt something for him too. At that moment, they were interrupted as they picked up on the voices of Dee and Ryo from outside their door.
In a flash JJ was off of his lap and standing a foot away just in time for the door to swing open as Dee sauntered in. “Hey,” he greeted as a way of announcing his entrance. If Dee had bothered to look into Drake’s eyes he would have seen the anger and frustration that was plainly displayed. Instead, Dee’s eyes seemed fixed on JJ as he continued, “Ryo said he wants to talk to you about something alone.” Drake’s primal desire was pumping through his veins urging him to tell Dee to get the fuck out, so he could have his way with JJ right there on his desk but he held back. Instead he leaned back his chair and put his feet up on the corner of his desk.
“Go on,” Drake urged him. “I’ll keep working on our paperwork.” JJ did not really look surprised that Ryo had wanted to talk to him, but he also did not appear thrilled to leave the room. Could he be thinking the same thing that he had been? Not likely, it was more likely that he would want to remove Drake and be left alone with his precious Dee. As JJ turned and walked out of the office, he cursed himself and this jealousy. He could not ever remember feeling this jealous of another person in his entire life. Ask just about anyone and they would say that Dee was more attractive, but he had never been bothered by that fact before. “That’s because you never had to compete with him for the attention of the one you love before,” he told himself. He had expected for Dee to leave the room after JJ did, but instead he sat down on the edge of his desk. “Did you need something?” he asked with a critical look over the top of his report.
“Thought we could sit and chat for a while,” Dee replied. “Can’t remember the last time we hung out buddy.”
Drake could feel some of his bitterness slipping away as Dee called him ‘buddy’. He and Dee had been friends, close friends, once. That time now seemed ages ago and in some ways a lot less complicated. Dee quickly launched into an almost one sided conversation about how Ryo was so cold, how the Chief was such a dick, and other various light hearted complaints. As he listened and laughed, he wondered what Ryo had wanted to talk to JJ about.
Ryo had led JJ up to the roof without saying a word. When they were standing there, leaning against the rail he asked, “So, what is going on with you and Drake?”
He had realized that afternoon that Ryo had picked up on something, but he had hoped he would ignore it. “Nothing,” he retorted and turned to walk away.
“Come on JJ, you don’t have to lie to me,” Ryo insisted. “I’m asking because I want to help you.”
JJ knew he should have just kept walking but he was dying to tell someone the truth. He turned back to face Ryo but kept his eyes fixed on the ground below him. “I have feelings for him,” he admitted. “I guess I just realized how much I care for him, but it isn’t reciprocated.”
“Have you told him how you feel?” Ryo asked. “It may be my imagination, but it seems like he cares a lot about you too.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” he explained with a sad sigh. “Drake and I have been…intimate,” he said choosing his words carefully. “But, it was supposed to be just a sex thing,” he continued. “I was the one who was dumb and fell in love.” He could feel the familiar sting of tears in his eyes and tried to fight them back. Ryo approached him and when he looked up he saw nothing but care and concern in his eyes. “Why are you being so nice to me?” he asked. “I have spent most of my time these past few years trying to get between you and Dee, don’t you hate me?”
Ryo looked a little shocked at the question but he did not miss a beat as he replied, “No, I don’t hate you.” He placed a hand on his shoulder. “How could I hate you for having feelings for Dee, he obviously has some good qualities if I fell for him.” JJ could not stop the laughter that bubbled up in his throat. God, Ryo was sure one of a kind; naïve and a realist, somehow rolled into one. “Good to hear you laugh again,” Ryo commented with a smile of his own.
“Does Dee know what you wanted to discuss with me?” JJ asked, turning somber again.
“Of course not,” Ryo scoffed. “As perceptive as that man can be, he would never dream that you were in love with Drake.”
“Sometimes, I can scarcely believe it myself,” he mumbled.
Ryo smiled and reached to open the door to the stairwell. He paused with his hand on the knob and turned to face JJ again. “I’m not sure how much help I can be, considering Dee is the only man I have ever really been interested in, but if I can be of any help…feel free to ask me.” JJ was warmed by the genuine emotion in Ryo’s offer. He simply nodded and Ryo sought to change the subject by saying, “We should get back. Who knows what Dee is telling Drake right now.”
…
In fact, Drake and Dee had been chatting away comfortably until Dee happened to mention JJ. “You know…“ Dee began with a sigh as he sipped his coffee. “I’m glad JJ seems to have gotten over his little puppy love attraction to me, don’t get me wrong, but it just seems unusual for him to not be glomping me all the time.” Drake’s anger and jealousy that had almost completely disappeared, came flooding back like a tidal wave. He could feel his hands gripping the arms of his desk chair, trying to keep his cool. Dee did not know what he was saying, had no idea how he felt. He was just laughing and kidding around like he usually did. He should not pay any special attention. As much as he tried to tell himself all of these things, they did nothing to improve his mood. “I’m starting to think I should flirt with him a little and get things back to normal,” Dee joked with a boisterous laugh.
It happened faster than he could blink, faster than he could even think, he was on his feet and his fist had connected full force with Dee‘s jaw. He had not even noticed Ryo and JJ approaching them through the open office door. As Dee landed on the floor with a thud, he was stunned by what he had just done. It seemed Dee was stunned as well, he made no attempt to get up, just turned to face him with a questioning look in his eyes. The room seemed to spin around him and he felt trapped, his eyes darted to the door. Then he finally saw the expressions of disbelief on the faces of Ryo and JJ. It was all too much for him, he fled. He made his way to the bathroom, immediately feeling the throbbing pain in his hand. Once inside he turned the cold tap on full blast and put his hand underneath the flowing water.
He glanced quickly at the door, half expecting JJ to come running in to check on him. “Hmph,” he snorted. JJ was probably right there with Ryo, doting on that poor bastard Dee. Just thinking about JJ feigning over him, made him angrier. He stared down at his hands and observed how they were trembling. The adrenaline and testosterone that had drove him to punch his former best friend, was now gone and he was left standing there, shaking. It was then that he heard the creak of the door hinges and his head snapped up, ready to tell whoever it was to get lost. When he saw the sad look on JJ’s face he looked away. “If you are here to yell at me for punching Dee, you can turn right around and leave,” he ordered.
“I’m here to find out what happened,” JJ protested. He watched from the corner of his eye as JJ walked towards him and wordlessly took Drake’s already swelling hand into his own. “My God!” he exclaimed. “Your hand needs bandaged quickly.”
Drake pulled his hand away and put it back under the cold running water. He winced at the sting, but reassured him. “It will be fine.” JJ looked like he wanted to argue but he was interrupted by the Chief slamming open the door.
“Here you are!” he called out. “Just what the Hell happened in there Parker?!”
Drake looked back at him with a look of rebellion plastered on his face. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with Chief.”
“Oh really?” he persisted. “Well whatever it was has just gotten you suspended for a week, that is if Dee does not want to press charges.”
Drake knew he should be concerned. He was about to commit career suicide, but the adrenaline was once again pumping through his veins and urging him to be brash. “Well, if I’m suspended, I’m going home.” He walked past JJ and right up to the Chief until they were standing nose to nose. “And, if you want to arrest me, you know where I live.” Even the Chief seemed surprised by his attitude and took a step back allowing him past. As the Chief and JJ stood there watching Drake leave in stunned silence, they wondered just what exactly had transpired between the pair.
To Be Continued…
Author’s Notes: I apologize for the long time it has taken me to update and am hoping to post the next installment within the next couple of weeks. Thanks to everyone who reviews, I love getting the feedback.