Nothing like a revealing chapter to coincide with the 4th of July, Happy Independence Day! Fireworks going off now as I'm finishing this up and about to post it.

I admit that this was a difficult chapter for me and I'd like to thank Ulyferal for helping me again. As my story continues further, it's starting to get harder and harder to write out such thoughts and scenes for me. I guess I'm a bit nervous or something, but I've got to push through and do it!

Anyways, enjoy this chapter as our beloved Chance and Jake confront each other finally!~

Chapter 10: Speaking of Love

Evening had truly settled in as the TV host David Litterbin signed off for the night. Chance and Jake had finished their soup earlier, setting them on the tray which the tabby had set on the floor to take to the kitchen later.

With the show over, both toms were full and in good spirits after laughing throughout the show. Since it was getting late, Jake pushed the bedding off and carefully got to his feet to use the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, heading back to his bed.

Chance reached out a paw and stopped him, gently tugging on Jake's paw to make him sit beside him on his bed.

"Jake…don't go to bed yet. I need to have a word with you," Chance murmured softly.

Surprised, Jake gave his friend an odd look but settled on the bed and waited. "What's the matter, Chance?"

"First, let me say, I'm really relieved and grateful you are okay. But I'm really tired of the risks you keep taking...it needs to stop...we're a team and should take on the danger together," he said sternly, holding a paw up to forestall a protest by Jake.

"I know what you're going to say, yes there are times when we have to separate but I feel you are taking too much risk when you do it. You know more than once you only had to check things out, but wait for me before engaging in the enemy. Our odds of taking out the bad guy and coming up less injured would happen if you did that. What happened with Dark Kat is a case in point. If you'd just waited until I could have joined you, we could have watched each other's back and, maybe, taken out Dark Kat. All that ended up happening is me having to rescue you and Dark Kat getting away. One of the worst ops we've ever done and all because you had to show boat."

"What are you talking about? There was no way we both could go after him! Like you said, we've split up numerous times and did what we had to protect this city. You've gone off on your own plenty of times, hot shot, because you wanted to play hero and save the day," Jake objected, getting angry.

"You don't get it do you sure-shot? I'm talking about how you keep on pulling off the single hero split up shit and it's not always because you have to. You've done it more often without a thought, lately! Aren't we in this together?" Chance spit out.

"Of course we are, Chance. But you're wrong, I don't' just go off without thinking. Too often I have to do what's necessary because only one of us can be mobile and that's always been me!"

"NO! Stop that bullshit! You don't always have to throw yourself into danger like that! You should have thought of new ways for us to fight as a team rather than this business of constantly separating!" Chance barked angrily.

Jake was shocked by Chance's passionate and angry demeanor. Something more was going on here for his best friend to become so upset by their usual fighting style. He stared at Chance in confusion and feeling a little hurt.

Huffing out the anger that had sprung up within him, Chance tried to take a more reasonable stance especially after he saw the hurt and confusion in his friend's eyes. "You don't have to go out alone and risk your life all the time. I'm here...let me take the brunt of the danger...that's what I've trained for. We're a team! We're the SWAT Kats! That means not fighting lone battles!"

"Chance…" Jake exclaimed, staring at his friend who appeared about to cry.

"I just…I just don't want to lose you…Jake. I can't see you go out alone in danger anymore. I'm nothing without you, buddy," Chance moaned, trying desperately to hold back the tears but they began to drip hotly down his face despite his efforts. Embarrassed, Chance turned away to hide his face.

Not having seen Chance this upset before, Jake worriedly moved closer and gently began to rub the tabby's back in soothing circles.

"Chance…I didn't know you felt that way...I'm sorry," Jake murmured apologetically.

"You mean a lot to me, Jake. I was so scared when I saw you hurt like that. It kills me to see you like that. The fear of losing you is more painful than anything a bad guy could dish out to me," Chance admitted, voice choked.

Still overcome with emotions and needing a release of some kind, Chance turned and hugged the smaller tom to him, rubbing his face against Jake's shoulder leaving wet tears in the other's fur. He held on tight, trying desperately to ease all the emotions choking him at the moment. Just holding his friend close again made him feel so much better and calmer.

The sudden and surprising hug from Chance took Jake off guard. He'd never expected Chance to ever hug him like this, but he couldn't deny the warmth he felt from the close embrace was so wonderful and felt oddly familiar. It felt exactly like that safe and warm feeling he'd experienced when he was falling through the sky. Struck by the memory, Jake realized that protective and warm feeling had been the safe embrace of his friend.

Hesitantly at first then with more enthusiasm, Jake returned the hug, wrapping his arms around the big torso and nuzzling the tom's face in return. It felt so good. For a long time neither could let go, finding peace and something more in the warm comfort of each other's arms.

Taking a deep sigh, Jake released his friend slowly, gently pushing against Chance's chest to make him release him. Chance seemed upset by that but Jake quickly took the tabby's paw in his own then looked into the unhappy eyes staring questioningly into his.

It was time to put an end to all the emotions he could feel spilling around him and say his piece at last.

"Chance…when I was out cold I had this wonderful dream. It offered me something I've wanted for a very long time but thought could never happen. It...It was something I've wanted to say to you but was afraid to. After all that's happened, I find I can't keep this to myself any longer."

"What would that be, Jake?" Chance asked, a puzzled and worried look on his face.

Jake swallowed hard, felt butterflies in his stomach, shivers of nervous tension raced down his spine but he grabbed his courage in his two paws and stared into his friend's concerned face and tried to explain. "I've always had special...feelings...for you Chance but we we're partners both in the Enforcers and as the SWAT Kats and I thought these feelings would cause trouble, so I set them aside keeping them in the world of wishful thinking. But in that dream, all my wishes came true and I saw how happy I could be if I just reached out and took them."

Chance blinked, his paw gripped the one Jake was holding, a suspicion rising in his mind. "What are you trying to say, Jake?" He asked in a hopeful whisper.

"Chance…I'm gay…and I love you…" Jake managed to blurt out, closing his eyes at the last minute and looking down, fearful of the response.

The room went still. Jake's heart skipped a beat as the silence drew out and Chance still said nothing. He was so afraid his friend would reject him but the tabby still clung to his paw and didn't move. Not daring to move, Jake was afraid to look at Chance to see what expression was there, so in terror and anticipation, he continued to wait.

Chance's breath froze in his lungs. All this time Jake had been harboring these feelings for him but he never saw it. He hadn't really considered himself gay so he couldn't reconcile his feelings of need and desire for his best friend.

But that moment in the air, as he hugged his partner so tightly to his chest and later as he cared for Jake's injuries, he realized that he did care for Jake not as just a friend but as a possible lover. And here it was just like in his own dream, Jake admitting his feelings for him making his decision to tell the tom how he truly felt in reality...but instead of shouting his joy...all he could do was sit there in shock.

Unable to find the words to show how much Jake meant to him, Chance took the direct route which had always served him well. He released Jake's paw and before his friend could release a moan of disappointment and anguish, the tabby raised his paw to Jake's neck, pulling him closer. Using his other paw he tenderly guided the tom's face to his and melded a passionate kiss on his mouth just as he'd done in his dream.

Shock and joy sang through Jake's body as he melted into the kiss, returning it with as much ardor as his partner was giving.

Their arms wrapped around each other and hugged tightly, meanwhile their mouths explored and tongues dueled. All the stresses, wants, and desires denied fell away as they continued to kiss, each kiss expressing their love and passion for each other more than anything else could.

This went on for some time until they needed to part to catch their breath. Jake pulled back and eyed his friend questioningly. Yes, he wanted this will all his heart but wasn't his partner straight? He put all his doubts in his eyes as he stared into his friend's beautiful emerald ones.

"Chance, though this is everything I want, I'm not sure it's what you truly want. You've always chased after females, what's changed?" Jake asked questioning Chance's sexuality, concerned this could end really badly. Their friendship and being the SWAT Kats could be destroyed by this if Chance wasn't serious.

"Yeah, well that's what I thought too and if you'd asked me when we first got together you'd be right. But...Jake there's just something about you. I want to be with you. I know it in my very heart and it's only gotten stronger the longer we've been together," Chance said sincerely.

"I don't get it Chance. What has changed? You're always flirting with Callie. You can't suddenly just be gay. You're just confused and I don't want to make you do something you wouldn't want to do just to make me happy…" Jake couldn't finish. He needed Chance to be certain of his true feelings. No way did he want the tabby to feel he had to do this just because Jake wanted it so badly.

"Everything I do with you is what I WANT to do. That kiss was me telling you that in the best way I could. I admit I wasn't certain for a long time. I was confused about why I was feeling the way I did about you until that moment when you fell from Dark Kat's ship. When I caught you and carried you to safety, I felt such a strong feeling for you and the need to protect you. It just felt so good to be holding you and I've never felt that way about anyone else before. Only you make me feel that way," Chance said strongly, no longer confused or divided.

Jake stared at him, wanting to believe his sincerity, needing to know if his dreams were about to become true. "Chance, what are you feeling for me now...this minute?"

Staring into those anxious eyes, Chance said the only thing he could...the only thing he truly felt about the tom looking at him.

"I love you and I will always want to be with you. I didn't know just how much I cared for you until today. There will never be anyone else but you. What made it even better was you feeling the same way." Fresh tears began to fall from his eyes, showing how much this affected him.

Jake felt a weight fall from his shoulders and his smile was tremulous as he reached for Chance's face with both his paws and gently wiped the tabby's tears away as he said, "I love you Chance Furlong. I trust you with my heart, my soul, as I already do my life. I want to share my life with you and I'm sorry I didn't have the courage until now to tell you that," he murmured lovingly then kissed those trembling lips to seal his words.

When he pulled back a moment later, he saw Chance's eyes shine with joy and relief. "I should be the one apologizing, Jake. I kept you waiting a long time and hurt you by flirting and talking on with all those she-kats, forgetting that you're the most important thing that matters in my life. No more. We're together now and no one will separate us but death," he murmured firmly. He wanted to kiss Jake back but the smaller tom held him back with a gentle paw.

"This could cause some problems in our chosen career path, buddy," Jake warned softly.

Giving his soon to be lover a warm smile, Chance said, "We'll handle it as it comes, Jake. Trust me and the love we have together to keep us safe."

After disposing of the last obstacle between them, Chance took Jake firmly in his arms and began kissing him passionately. The time for talking was done...time for sealing their bond.

Such a warm feeling, finally Chance and Jake have finally revealed their feelings for one another. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Please rate, review, comment and let me know what you liked or didn't liked. Love is about to soar in the skies! Look forward to it!

*Brenton*