Camping Trip Part VI: New Partners
"So..."
"So..."
"Still stubborn?"
"As a rock. What about him?"
"Unmovable. Seems willing to forgive you, but..."
"Yah, I figured as much. Same way here, he's willing to hold out the white flag to you. But just you."
"So, what are our options?"
"Been thinking about that, y'know. Unfortunately, I haven't really come up with any solutions."
"Well, atleast it's only a cold shoulder and not pranks."
"I'd prefer to be back to our normal office relationships. Though sharing a tent has done you two a wonder of good."
"It has...hmm..."
"What's "Hmmm"?"
"I just got an idea...but I don't think you'll like it..."
"I'll be there in a minute." Dee said. Drake glanced at Ryo as Dee headed up to the tents, but said nothing. He headed off to the watch site.
"Might as well get some sleep." JJ shrugged, standing up. He paused when Ryo didn't stand. "Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Eventually." Ryo replied.
Giving the other cop an odd look, JJ started climbing the hill. Dee came out of the tent and stormed past him. "Ryo..."
Ryo stood to face his angry partner. "Drake and I aren't in the mood to continue this silly fight. If you and JJ have a problem - you can work it out. You're sharing the same tent and shift now, so it should be easy."
"WHAT??" JJ whirled back.
"Are you crazy? I'm not sharing a tent or a shift with him!" Dee glared at his partner, pointing at JJ.
Ryo glared back. "If you'd prefer to sleep outside, that's your decision. But since Drake and I are taking first shift, you will be on shift with him. Deal with it."
"We did not agree to this." JJ came back to the fire. "If we're switching partners, why not back to how it should be? I'm not sharing shifts with Dee." Ryo doused the fire, not replying. "McClane, did you hear me?" Ryo picked up his coat and headed for the watch-hill. "Prick!" JJ snapped, and whirled away, nearly running into Dee. The two glared at eachother."Think this will really work?" Drake asked as Ryo arrived at the hill.
"Either that or they'll kill eachother." Ryo replied, looking down at the factory.
"Maybe should have taken away their guns." Drake joked. Ryo didn't reply, and he grew serious. "If you're thinking you don't trust JJ with Dee...he's over him, Ryo."
"I don't know, Drake. What's that quote from Shakespeare? 'Me thinks thee protests too much'? Or something like that."
"What are you saying?" Drake frowned.
"That that volatile a reaction...I don't know. Maybe JJ isn't as over Dee as you think. Maybe he's not as over him as he thinks."
Drake looked angry for a moment, but then it subsided. He glanced down at the factory. "Sometimes I worry about that too. But I know he loves me, Ryo. Even if he does carry a torch for Dee deep inside somewhere. Y'know?"
Ryo glanced over at him, and smiled. "I think so, too."
Drake hesitated before continuing. "Besides, I wonder about Dee's reaction too. I mean, couldn't that quote count for him as well?"
Ryo frowned, his eyebrows knitting in confusion. "Dee just never liked JJ very much."
"Think so?" Drake arched his eyebrows.
"What are you saying? I think if he felt anything for him, even a little attraction, it would have come out before now. JJ always gave him plenty of chances."
"Hmm..." Drake lened back on his elbows. "I'm so sure. Dee's the kind who likes to chase, not be chased. I used to wonder sometimes, if JJ didn't come on so strong, would Dee have run away?"
"...I don't think they're really eachother's types."
"What those two are is too alike when you get right down to it. But as narccistic as it may seem, people have gotten into relationships in those kind of situations. So, who knows?"
"...I trust Dee.."
"And I trust JJ...and they aren't going to cheat on us or anything. Still, I think we could have lost them to eachother alot more easily than any of us want to admit."
Ryo rested his head on his knee. "I used to get really jealous of JJ. He was so open about his emotions, I thought. I figured it would be real nice to be such an open book."
"And now that you two are getting along and know eachother better?" Drake seemed to know the answer.
"He's not as much an open book as he seems..." Ryo answered with a small smile. "He's open about his attraction, not his emotions. There's a difference."
Drake nodded. "I think he was jealous of you, too. Not just about Dee, either."
"He said himself our rivalry has always had two levels. Personal and Professional. And though the personal conflict is no longer there, we'll always be professional rivals...were you ever jealous of Dee?"
"Can't say I was."
"Even over JJ?"
"Actually, no. I don't think I really realized I was attracted to him until after he gave up on Dee."
"Dee used to tease you about him like you liked him..."
"I know. I have a disturbing feeling he knew I liked him before I did."
"Well, you always had such a soft spot for him...I guess I used to wonder, too."
Drake snorted. "I guess everyone knew before we did."
"Pretty much." Ryo smiled.
"Not like everyone didn't know you and Dee were an item long before you were willing to admit it. Spent a long time waiting for you. That's why everyone knew he was head over heels. Dee never was the patient type, yet he waited for you."
Ryo glanced over, then back at the factory. "It's not that I wasn't attracted to him. From the first day I met him, I couldn't get him out of my mind. He should have irritated me with his attitude...instead, I wanted to be around him."
Drake blinked. "I always thought it took awhile for you to accept your feelings for him."
"It did take a long time for me to accept my FEELINGS for him, but attraction's not love. And that hit me on day one."
"So why'd you push him away?"
"He didn't seem serious. At first I thought he was just teasing me, but he made it clear he wasn't. But then...he flirted with so many people. I didn't think he thought I was special - just someone else to flirt with, to hit on. And I wasn't going to be some fly-by-night broadway romance. And I definately wasn't going to settle for a one night stand. I wanted something more."
"But later on, you must have realized-" Drake began.
"But I didn't." Ryo cut him off. "I even tried to use him like that when I got upset at one point. But he wouldn't let me. I was furious at the time. Later I realized he'd said no because he wasn't willing to be used by me anymore than I was willing to be used by him. He was looking for more, too. That's when I began to realize he was serious."
"Let me guess. That scared you, too."
"In a way, yes. Suddenly I'd gone from worrying that I'd just be used to worrying that I couldn't love him the way he needed. Suddenly I was capable of hurting him. And that's a scary thing to realize."
Drake sat up, glancing back at the tents behind them. "Yah...it is..."To Be Continued...I'm baaaaack!!! Did ya miss me? Okay, we're getting down to the nitty gritty here. Something will soon happen at the factory! But not next chappie. Cuz next chappie Dee and JJ gotta have a long talk just like Ryo and Drake had in this one. Wasn't it kind of sweet? Okay, obviously this is my impression of Dee and Ryo's relationship and why Ryo kept Dee waiting so long. I'm sure not everyone will agree, but they can write their theories in their own fanfiction. 0 If you want me to apologize for being gone so long...go read my bio. It's there. - I won't do that again...well, I hope not. Anyhow, I'm determined to finish CT. And this is the first step toward that. :)
Salmon