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It was a typical day in the 27th precinct of the New York police department...
"Dee-Sempai, come take a look at this!"
The precinct had recently been trying to update its records and through budgeting and a little manly begging for funds, had finally been rewarded with a new computer.
JJ was currently contacting the Chief of Police from a station in New Jersey. Clicking on the "Send" button, he moved on to quickly check his inbox.
The only letter he found was one from his cousin. It was a brief note about how wonderful her boyfriend was and how glad she was she had someone for Valentine's Day for the first time in all her teenage years. JJ smiled at the screen, amused at all her enthusiasm and use of little smiley faces all over the screen. He scrolled down to see an attachment, and clicked to open it. The file opened within seconds to reveal a small pink screen with the title across it, the page entitled "The Love Calculator".
A blurb on the screen by someone called "Dr.Love" spoke about how names have deeper meanings and how one can find their soul mate through the characters. JJ's lips quirked doubtfully at the words, and was about to close the screen when Dee passed by.
He called out to him immediately.
Dee backtracked with a weary sigh, and turned to face JJ's happy grin.
"Yes?"
He saw the pink computer screen and leaned to see what JJ was looking at. Raising an eyebrow at JJ when he read the title of the page, his lips lifted in a small smirk. "What's up, JJ?"
Gesturing towards the screen with one hand, JJ grinned.
"Look what my cousin sent me," JJ said. Dee looked back at the screen to continue reading the small excerpt underneath and his smirk grew.
Standing up, he placed his hands on his hips and gave JJ a crooked sympathetic grin.
"JJ, you don't really believe that crap, do you?"
"Well, I -"
Dee "tsk"-ed his disapproval, and JJ turned back to the screen with a serious expression.
"Ok, how does this work?" JJ started talking to himself, aware Dee was still there but pretending to ignore him. "Just fill in the blanks with the names of the two lovers and press 'Calculate'. Okay... Dee Latener... plus JJ-"
"What!? Don't put me there, JJ!" Dee said loudly from over JJ's shoulder.
"Too late!" JJ said happily as he pressed "Calculate" with the mouse. Dee peered at the screen more closely when JJ groaned.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," JJ mumbled, disappointed plainly apparent in his voice. "We just got a lower score than I expected. Only 63%!"
Dee immediately turned thoughtful. "Huh. I guess this thing really works..."
"Sempai, don't think like that! We can overcome these odds together!" JJ looked hopefully at Dee, who was still staring at the screen with new consideration.
Dee reached a hand past the lavender-haired cop to erase JJ's name.
JJ watched his moves and asked quizzically, "What are you doing, Sempai?"
Dee leaned forward and began to type without answering. JJ took advantage of the close proximity to study his Sempai.
//He's so handsome... I love how his dark hair falls over his green eyes...//
JJ shifted closer to Dee and smelled the spicy cologne on Dee's neck.
"Mmmm... Sempai, you smell good enough to eat!"
With that, JJ wrapped his arms around Dee's neck to steal a nibble.
"Ack!! Stop! Stop it!!" Dee hissed, trying to untangle himself from the stranglehold.
"Oh, so here you are, Dee."
The two men stopped in their struggling to see Ryo in front of them with his arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. Dee pushed JJ away with a strong shove and backed away from him quickly. He ran a hand through his mussed hair to regain some semblance of its former order. Giving his partner a grateful look for distracting JJ, he said, "Ryo. Did you need me for something?"
Ryo shook his head and gave a tiny shrug. "Not especially. Just thought someone should break up your tussle before you broke the precinct's new computer."
Ryo faced JJ, who was now looking at the pink computer screen again. Reading the bright heading, he looked at Dee and raised an eyebrow, as Dee had to JJ.
"What were you two doing?"
Dee closed his eyes and chuckled a bit nervously.
"Oh, nothing! Just a game JJ found... Oh, I forgot!" Dee bravely walked back to JJ who moved so he could reach the keyboard. Dee typed something for a moment and hit "Enter."
"Okay, let's see..." Ryo heard Dee murmur. Curiosity drove him to stand by Dee's side and look at the screen more fully, for Dee had been blocking his view.
"Dee Latener + Ryo McLane"
....96%
Ryo sweat-dropped.
"Uh...what does that mean exactly?" Ryo questioned, knowing he would probably regret it.
JJ looked at the screen in disbelief.
"WHAT!?! This has got to be wrong!!" He went back to the previous screen and wrote the names back in, only to end up with the same results.
"NOOOOO!!"
Dee turned to Ryo and grinned wolfishly at the increasingly anxious Ryo. Ryo swore he could see little silver ears pop up on Dee's head to match the feral expression on his face.
"What it means, Ryo baby... is that even scientific studies show we were meant for each other!"
Ryo had flattened himself against the wall, looking panicked, when Dee jumped towards him with hunger glowing in his green eyes.
"Wait a second! Ryo and the Commissioner got 99%!"
Dee instantly dropped to the floor in mid-pounce.
Crawling slowly on his hands and knees, he looked up to squint at the computer accusingly. With a low, deadpan tone, he ordered JJ to try again.
The same results came up.
JJ laughed at the numbers, but Dee's reaction was altogether different.
Turning around to look at a bewildered and frazzled Ryo, Dee stalked him once again with another intent.
"You..." he began in a dark voice.
Ryo failed to suppress a startled whimper at the animalistic rumble.
"You and the asshole got 99%!?!"
Ryo held up his hands in a hopefully placating move. "Ehehe... Dee, it's just a game! Um..."
Any diplomatic skills he had melted away in the face of Dee's abrupt mood swings.
Dee's hands snaked out quickly and grabbed Ryo's arms, dragging the light-haired man against his body.
"Dee! Wait a minute! It's-"
But Ryo stopped his words when he saw a glimmer of mischief in Dee's green gaze. He looked searchingly at Dee and released a small breath of relief when he winked.
He bent to whisper in Ryo's ear, "Let's have some fun, hmm?" his whisper an exercise in playful devilry.
Mahogany eyes cast a quick glance at a now perturbed JJ who was watching them attentively. He looked back at Dee with an almost imperceptible smile of humour before his face became utterly serious.
"Yes," he started in a shameful whisper, and ducked his head. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Dee, but it's true. I think Rose and I are more compatible than we are... and that we should end our relationship before we become too serious about one another."
Looking up with sad eyes, he murmured huskily, "I'm sorry..." just loud enough for JJ to hear.
"What!?!"
Dee looked down at him solemnly, but smirked as he heard JJ's aghast exclamation in the background. Dee let go of Ryo and took a few steps away from him, bringing a hand to cover his eyes as if to keep tears at bay.
"I... I suspected as much..." he said quietly, trying to sound heartbroken. "I-I just can't believe it's true!"
JJ looked on the scene, his face a picture of amazement, shocked, and slack jawed.
Ryo brought a hand to cover his mouth to stifle a chuckle, though it could also be misinterpreted as an effort to not cry aloud.
Getting it under control, he turned to Dee, whose back was facing him.
"I'm sorry, Dee, but this is the end of our relationship. That 3% makes all the difference. It just proves we weren't... meant to be."
The last three words were hushed.
Inwardly though, his thoughts tumbled frantically. //We better end this soon! I'm going to burst out laughing soon!//
Dee whipped around dramatically, looking sorrowful but determined. Walking over to Ryo, he whispered beseechingly, "I know we have an audience, but... can I have one last kiss?"
He leaned over Ryo, hovering over the slightly shorter man with sensual heavy-lidded stare. "For old time's sake?" he breathed.
Ryo, becoming flustered, peeked again beyond Dee's shoulder to see JJ's reaction. The younger cop was sitting on the edge of his seat, his hands clasping the armrests of his chair tightly, and his face rapt and red. Looking back at Dee, he smiled a bit suspiciously.
//I should have known Dee would turn the situation back this way again...//
"All right... a little one, for old time's sake."
Ryo raised his head and Dee closed the minuscule distance, enfolding the strong body in his arms. The kiss was light and soft and wholly unexpected on Ryo's part. It was unlike Dee's usual passionate kisses. The slow melting of lips being brought together, blended with the vague yet lingering sensation of warm sweetness made Ryo marvel at Dee's skill - as an actor, of course.
//It almost feels as if he's really saying goodbye to me...//
The fleeting irrational thought caused Ryo to tighten his grasp faintly, but then Dee was pulling away, his jade eyes smiling and content.
Stroking a hand down Ryo's lightly flushed face, he murmured gently, "Goodbye, Ryo... my love."
And with that, Dee turned and exited the room.
JJ and Ryo were left with identical expressions of shock. Ryo quickly composed himself, but inwardly, his thoughts tumbled frantically upon one another.
//He called me my love!?! He was just acting, right? He sounded so sincere! Oh, but I'm probably just reaching because it's what I've been longing to hear...//
Looking at each other after a long moment passed, JJ snapped his mouth shut and glared at Ryo. Turning the computer off systematically, he walked over to Ryo, stopping only when they were uncomfortably close. He thrust an accusing finger in Ryo's face. Ryo blinked at it.
"Sempai!" JJ gritted out, fire smouldering in midnight blue eyes.
"Despite it all, I used to think you were an intelligent man. Today, however, you've proven that people can't trust what they think they know about you. In my book, you are now the dumbest man I've ever met, because you so callously threw that man's love away!" JJ ended harshly, now pointing in the direction of Dee's exit in evidence of why Ryo was now considered a dolt.
With an aura of barely contained fury, JJ gave him one last look of raw derision and disdain and left, presumably to console Dee.
Ryo sagged against the wall with a heavy sigh of relief and raised a hand to his forehead, pushing his bangs back.
//You're gonna pay for that, Dee.//
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Dee came over to Ryo's for dinner that night, earning it only after apologizing profusely for leaving Ryo in JJ's angry clutches after their little play.
The night continued as normally as it always did. Dee ate hearty, complimenting Ryo effusively over his gourmet talents, which would provoke Vikky into going into his guardian mode and attempt to beat him up. They would fight; Ryo and Cal would clear up the table in the meanwhile and talk until the two finished their brawl. At that point, both of the kids would be quite tired and Ryo would send them to bed.
The two handsome cops occasionally indulged in a nightcap after they went through their "routine" and tonight was such a liquor-sweet night.
Ryo poured the red wine into two tall glasses and handed one to Dee as he sat by him on the living room couch.
Taking a sip, Dee let his head fall back and rest against the cushions.
"Mmmm...good. Thanks, Ryo." Dee murmured as he let his eyes drift shut.
"You're welcome, Dee." Ryo smiled a little as he noticed Dee's relaxed state.
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, when Ryo poked at Dee to make sure he hadn't passed out. Dee protested and that started them on a light conversation with a lot of teasing banter, especially on Dee's part.
They were both laughing at one point when Dee's watch beeped. He put down his long since empty glass and stood up with a stretch.
"Well, I guess I better get going. We've got an early day tomorrow." Dee said with reluctance.
Ryo nodded, knowing they had many reports to write up that had to be completed by the day after.
Thoughts of their shared practical joke still lingered with him, and he was determined to broach the subject before Dee left.
Dee was pulling his jacket on when Ryo stood.
"Dee?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you just stay a bit longer? I need to talk to ask you about something."
Dee ran both hands through his hair and let them rest on the back of his neck. "If it's about JJ, I'll remember to tell him it was all a joke. I promise." Dee moved to button his jacket, still focusing on Ryo.
"Was that it?"
Ryo shook his head.
Dee sighed and moved past Ryo to flop on the couch.
"Okay, what is it?" he asked, patting the seat next to him in invitation.
Ryo sat back down and faced Dee. Not knowing how to start, he began with a thought that has crossed his mind before. It might lead the conversation where he wanted it to go indirectly, so he went with it.
"You're a pretty good actor, you know?"
Dee smiled a bit.
"You were pretty good yourself. Didn't know you were such a little prankster."
The corners of Ryo's lips turned up a bit at that statement. Leaning his shoulder against the soft pillows, he said, "You were really convincing though. Especially with the kiss... and what you said at the end." Hesitance coloured the last few words.
Dee looked over at Ryo with a raised eyebrow, hints of slight scepticism in his gaze. Upon this, Ryo shook his head ruefully at his own behaviour, dancing around the subject of his real attention.
"Sorry if I seem I little fixated, Dee. I was just surprised by your abilities. How you seemed so realistic and sad. Even go so far as calling me, 'your love'. It was very dramatic."
//Well, I'm still dancing, but I think I was actually tactful in that one, at least.//
Ryo had turned his gaze to the floor contemplatively for a moment when he felt hands gently touch his face. Nephrite eyes ensnared his ginger gaze as they regarded him quietly before he was kissed lightly on the lips.
"I'm glad I impressed you, Ryo, but I really should get going now... unless you want me to stay?" Dee grinned then leered playfully.
"Uh..."
Dee just chuckled a bit and pulled away, making his way to the door. Ryo followed him, still feeling his faint niggling sense of wonderment over Dee's earlier words, but decided to try and let it be.
He didn't think he would find any answers tonight and if he didn't start to push away the persistent thoughts now, he would never get any of the sleep he needed.
Dee pulled open the door and looked back at Ryo. He quickly leaned down and planted a kiss on Ryo's smooth cheek. With a small trail of fingers across the tawny-haired cop's face, he murmured,
"Dream of me... my love."
With a slight smile, he closed the door behind him silently.
Reaching up, Ryo touched his cheek and his gaze lingered on where Dee had just been with a wistful look in his caramel eyes.
"I will... my love."
·OWARI·