This is based on chapter 54 of the manga. The dialogue that begins and ends with asterisks like this are taken directly from the scene, and do not belong to me. What happens is kind of like a deviation from what really happened.- Revy has just been exercising and is now going to shower.

-START-

"Y'know, you've got this habit of shoving your head into a firefight without giving a damn for the consequences. You're like that especially when you get it into your head you need to see something," Revy told Rock as she made her way to the shower, peeling off here top as she went. Rock was silent as he heard the shower being turned on.

"…It's not…"

"Not like that my ass," she cut him off, her voice clear over the running water. "What d'ya think I feel like, havin' to follow ya in?"

There was a brief pause.

"You keep me from falling over the edge. I'm grateful for that," he said, just loud enough for it to be audible to her.

She snorted. "Hmph. Grateful, huh."

"I'm not lying."

She sighed. "I know. If you were the kinda jackass who tried to lie his way outta shit, I'da killed ya ages ago." She reached for the shampoo, squeezed some out. "Hey. What do you think about this?" she called, "If I'm gonna keep following ya into this kinda shit, we need to come to some kinda understanding. I ain't you mommy, and I ain't your babysitter either. So then, for what reason do I haveta go along with your goddamn death wishes?" She ran here hands through her hair as she rinsed it. "I'll say no to getting caught up in the moment from now on."

There was silence. Rock got up and made his way to the bathroom. Standing at the door, he watched here silhouette moving behind the curtain. Silently, he peeled off his clothes and slipped into the shower. A soft smile spread over her face as she felt his arms slide around her waist and his chin rest on her shoulder. Rock had found out not too long ago that Miss Rebecca had a soft side- and it had scared the shit out of him. But he had gotten used to its rare appearances.

"Back in my country, you called yourself a gun," he said softly, "If you're a gun, then I'm a bullet. A bullet's just a lump of lead. But… once the hammer hits it, that lump of lead gains the power to blow anything away. If we had never met, then I would have spent my entire life as just a lump of lead. But, we did. The gunpowder was always waiting to explode. And the only thing that can ignite that gunpowder is a gun."

"…Light my fire…" she murmured.

"Huh?"

"It's a number by The Doors. Didn't ya know?... Rock."

Rock didn't reply, he simply held her and drew her hair over her left shoulder. Dipping his head, he traced her tattoo from here shoulder up her neck with his lips, her skin slick with water. She tilted her head to allow him better access.

They had started a relationship, of sorts, when they had been in Japan. Maybe it was stupid, maybe it was suicidal, she didn't know. All she knew was that no-one had made her feel more comfortable or more safe than he did- which was ridiculous, because he wouldn't even carry a gun. But… being with him just… worked. She felt for him, had a desperate need for him as she had for no other. Heck, it might even be called love. But she wouldn't know- she'd never known love. She craved him, craved his company, his presence. It anchored here, kept her from going psychotic. And the fact that she needed him did now sit well with her.

Overwhelmed by a sudden wave of panic, she twisted herself around and burrowed into his chest, hating herself for it.

"I don't want to be dependant," she said in a frightened whisper.

His forehead creased and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back. "Revy, what-"

"I don't want to need you," she interrupted.

He laughed quietly. "Revy, I think you're the last person who would ever need anyone."

"No, you don't understand," she said, drawing back, out of his arms. "You make me need you. Not to do anything, just… to be there. I need you to be there. And I don't want to. I don't want to need you. I don't want to be dependant on anyone but myself. I've always said I would never be dependant on anyone but myself, and then you come along and make me need you. And that just fucks it all up, doesn't it. Completely fucks it up."

Rock realize the enormity of what she was telling him, the extent to which it disturbed her, and he ached to hold her. He reached for here but she pushed his hands away.

"Revy…" He frowned as he studied her face. "Are you crying?"

She laughed; a short, humourless laugh. "Don't be stupid, Rock. I don't cry." She closed her eyes and dropped here head back, letting the falling water smooth her face out. "I don't cry," she repeated, almost as if to convince herself.

He couldn't help himself; he stepped forward and drew here into his arms, holding her tight. He'd never seen Revy emotional and it shook him to his very core.

She slid here arms around his neck and held on. "You're getting yourself into some serious shit here, Rock," she murmured, "You're going against that crazy glasses bitch, and the American government. It's dangerous. Anything could go wrong."

He didn't know what to say, how to verify his actions- or if he even could- so he stayed silent.

In a sudden movement, she gripped the side of his face and looked up at him. "Don't die on me, Rock. Don't you dare die on me."

He closed his eyes, her piercing gaze disconcerting him. "Revy… the best I can do is try," he said, his voice not sounding as strong as usual.

"Then you better try real hard, Rock. Harder than you've ever tried for anything in your life," she said quietly.

"Believe me, I will," he laughed bitterly. "I can't… I can't say no to you."

Her eyes darted away from his, unsure as to how to react.

"Revy, I depend on you as much as you depend on me," he told her, "I do, and it scares me. But I can't do anything about it."

Revy turned away from him, running her hands through her hair. "I can't do this, Rock," she said in a low voice.

Fear began to rise in his chest. "Can't do what?"

She waved a hand vaguely. "This emotional shit. I'm not good at it." He breathed an inaudible sigh of relief.

"Fuck, Revy, you scared me there," he admitted.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Scared you?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. It doesn't matter."

She turned completely to face him. "Can… can we just not continue this? This emotional talking and confessing and shit, I mean. I'm not sure I like it."

Rock was more than ready to agree. She smiled, glad he understood her, and reached up to give him a kiss.

"We should probably get going," she murmured reluctantly. "We gotta be back at the boat at night, so let's get this shit over with quickly."

He grinned wryly, recognizing the truth and logic in her statement.

"Let's just out my mind at ease," she added quietly as she turned off the shower. Brushing past him, she paused at the curtain. "Come on. We haven't got all day."

Sighing, he followed her out.

-END-

A/N: Okay, so… yeah. I know Revy may seem a little OOC (but then again, I've been told she's not) but I reckon that there may be a side to our Miss Rebecca that we haven't seen. I mean, sure, she's a hardened mercenary, but she's still a woman.

Um, thought I may need to say that in the manga Rock didn't actually get in the shower with Revy (I reckon I would have died with happiness if he had- or denounced the show. I reckon it'd be the former.), but she was walking around in front of him in nothing but her panties and a towel around her neck, and neither of them acted as if it was anything out of the ordinary, so that definitely made my theory that they have at least slept together a lot stronger. I was on a high for over a week, and my friends got kinda annoyed cos I wouldn't shut up about it… But I mean, combined with the whole bullet speech (which was in the manga), it just…is. Yeah.

Please review?