A/N: This is my first venture into the world of drabbles, so be nice. :P It came out a lot longer than I had intended (I really can't write anything short!), but I'm actually pretty proud of this one shot. Hope you like it!
Tongue-Tied
A Dearka-Yzak One Shot
Yzak Joule had no problem when it came to voicing his opinions. His feelings, however, were another matter completely.
The silver haired teen was quite capable of ranting and raving for hours about anything that sparked his anger (particularly one Athrun Zala) and he would do so regularly. In their days at the academy, Dearka would seek refuge from the everyday stresses of training for the military in his shared dorm room, but he seldom found peace because of his roommate's special ability. As such, Dearka was determined to find a way to shut him up.
The perfect opportunity presented itself not long afterwards. Yzak was pacing about the small dormitory room like a madman, gesturing in anger at the ceiling to punctuate his ramblings. His roommate sat listlessly on his bed, trying to read a smutty magazine, but to no avail. He glanced up at his raging friend and stood up. He caught Yzak by the shoulders and planted a quick kiss on the dry, parted lips. It was over as quickly as it had begun and Dearka sat back down on his bed, resuming his magazine. Yzak stood gaping and spluttering, his face as red as his uniform. He quickly left the room.
Yzak wouldn't, or couldn't, talk to Dearka for the next few days. Each time he tried to say something his mouth would open but no sound would come out. When they retired to their room after classes the air would be thick with silent tension. Both tried to ignore it, until one specific night. Dearka had risen from his desk, make a remark that he was going to bed, but was stopped when his face bumped into Yzak's. It took him a few minutes to realize that he had been kissed back.
Behind locked doors, they went a little farther each time. A month after the first advance, they collapsed in a pile on Dearka's bed, sweating, panting, and naked. Dearka reached up and brushed his fingers against the thinner teen's cheek and then leaned in and kissed him gently. He whispered into his ear, "I love you, Yzak."
The pale boy pulled away and looked at his partner for a moment. He quickly gathered up his clothes from the floor and went to his own bed.
Dearka was hurt, and wouldn't sleep with Yzak for the next few days. It crossed his mind that, maybe, he was being used. Maybe all Yzak wanted was instant gratification. Dearka locked himself in the bathroom and thought over every second that had passed since the first kiss. It took hours, but the soon-to-be soldier had found it. Yzak did love him, or like him at the very least. It was there, but he just couldn't say it. Armed with this new knowledge, Dearka once again set out on a mission: to untie Yzak's tongue.
They resumed the relationship where it had left off and continued that way for months. Dearka would tell his temperamental lover time and again that he loved him, but he never got a response. Even before a battle, when they both knew that they could easily lose one another, Yzak remained firmly silent.
While imprisoned on the Archangel, Dearka would wonder if Yzak regretted being so stoic, seeing as how he probably thought the blond teen had died.
Their encounter on L4 not too long afterwards proved that he hadn't. Instead of being relieved that his lover was still alive, Yzak was angry. Far angrier than Dearka had ever seen him. For a second, Dearka was sure that he would be shot in cold blood. It didn't happen, though, and the Buster pilot turned to leave. For the first time in almost a year, Dearka didn't say "I love you," before leaving. He hoped that Yzak felt so much as a fraction of the pain that Dearka had felt each time he hadn't heard it.
After the Bloody Valentine War Dearka returned to the PLANTS as a traitor. Their reunion was silent and awkward. Dearka was reminded of the time so long ago when their dorm room had been the same way. The two boys didn't talk for a few agonizingly long minutes. They were alone in Yzak's room in his mother's mansion. The door was locked.
They both stood stiffly, unsure of what to do and what to say. Dearka opened his mouth to attempt speech but was cut off by Yzak. Hard, cold, ice-blue eyes glared into the blond's. Yzak took a deep breath, as if bracing himself, and said quietly, "I love you."