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"But I think it's about forgiveness, forgiveness - Even if, even if you don't love me anymore." Don Henley - "Heart of the Matter"
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Duke walked out of Shana's room to see Snake Eyes resting his back against the walling, seething and staring. His jaw tensed and he could feel the anger coming from the ninja in strong waves. He glanced back at Shana's door and then motioned down the hall. "She's sleeping; I don't want to wake her, do you?" Snake Eyes didn't reply, but he wasn't any happier with the reason they were leaving. They walked to the gym which was thankfully empty. Duke turned to face Snake Eyes, "Alright, now what exactly is your problem?"
Thankfully, Duke did know ASL, so he could follow along, though he had some trouble when Snake Eyes signed too quickly. Right now though, Snakes moved slowly, deliberately, in a patronizing manner. 'What are you doing?'
Duke raised a brow, "What do you mean?" He gave Snakes a warning look; he better watch what he was saying because if he insulted Shana, he would be in a world of hurt.
'All that time in Shana's room, going to her apartment. That's unethical and slimy.' His hands sped up slightly as he got into his rant. 'She's blind and all you are trying to do is take advantage of her!'
Anger flared in Duke's face, and he held up his hands, "Stop right there. First, I am not her commanding officer anymore, so ethics would not come into play IF," Conrad stressed that word heavily, "I were to pursue her. She's not military, so no problems there. Secondly, yes, she's blind but that doesn't make her into a different person and the Shana I knew could very well take care of herself. Lastly, there is nothing going on between us. We are friends, nothing more." The last sentence made him feel a little uncomfortable because while he believed the first two whole-heartedly, he wasn't sure if the last was totally honest. He did have strong feelings for her, but it was just not the right time.
'So what if you aren't her CO? You wouldn't have known how to find her without your position.' He resolutely stuck to his point, 'You are taking advantage of her. You used to hold a position of power over her.'
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Above them, in the observation window of the gym, quite a crowd had gathered. Not surprisingly, Shipwreck was leading the charge. "Alright, place your bets ladies and gentlemen. Which one will be the first to throw a punch and what time will that be?"
Bets were being laid left and right with the odds and possibilities being discussed by all the Joes, really rather enjoying the semi-verbal shootout occurring; it really livened up a slow day.
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"Don't give me that crap Snake Eyes. She enjoys spending time with me and I with her. We're friends who enjoy each others' company. You are not seeing her, you have no right to dictate who she spends her time with."
Every muscle in Snake Eyes' body was taut; he wanted to hit Duke so badly. The only thing that stopped him was not that Duke was his CO, but that Shana would hear about it and get upset. It was just killing him to think of her with someone else, no matter how much they denied it. He could see the way they interacted was far more than friends, but Duke just wouldn't admit it. His hands flew furiously as he signed, 'Yeah right, that's why you spent the night with her the first time you saw her again.'
As Duke put two and two together, realizing this must be why Shana asked about him telling people, he suddenly moved and slammed Snake Eyes against the padded wall of the gym, his arm on the ninja's neck, pinning him down and growling, "You need to get over it Snake Eyes, you are crossing a line into scary freak territory and I will not hesitate if I find out that it continues past today, understood?" He released the other man, ready for a retaliatory attack.
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"Three minutes! Who had Duke at three minutes?" Shipwreck called out gaily.
"That doesn't count as a punch!" Cover Girl protested angrily.
Steeler slapped her butt, "Oh yes it does babe. OWWWWWWWW." Cover Girl had grabbed the offending hand and was twisting it into unnatural positions.
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Surprisingly, the attack never came, Snake Eyes just sat down on the floor of the gym, back against the wall. Duke hesitated, then sat down as well, out of arms reach, but where they could still talk quietly. "I'll admit I have feelings for her, but I don't know if she reciprocates. Nothing has happened outside of friendship."
Snake Eyes looked over at him and nodded, considering that. "You love her?"
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As quickly as they gathered, the gamblers filed out of the observation room, not wanting to be involved in the private conversation. Steeler waved his money around happily, taunting Cover Girl with it.
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Caught off guard, Duke shrugged uneasily, "I don't know," he said truthfully, "I think so. I think I could, if given the opportunity if I'm not now."
Snakes seemed to consider that, it was a fair enough statement. He thought about his tumultuous relationship with Shana and knew it hadn't always been a pleasant thing. Plus, what it came down to was that she was her own woman and Duke was his friend. He trusted the man with his life, and he deserved that trust now too.
Standing in one fluid motion, Snake Eyes offered a hand to Duke to help him up from the floor, which he accepted. There was a pause as they looked at each other, then Snakes signed, 'You hurt her, I'll kill you.'
Duke grinned, "Fair enough. You cut out the stalking, ok?" Snakes nodded then clapped Duke on the back in a brotherly fashion.
Snake Eyes wasn't naive enough to think he wouldn't struggle with his jealousy in the future, but he'd made an important step towards moving on with his life.
"But I think it's about forgiveness, forgiveness - Even if, even if you don't love me anymore." Don Henley - "Heart of the Matter"
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Duke walked out of Shana's room to see Snake Eyes resting his back against the walling, seething and staring. His jaw tensed and he could feel the anger coming from the ninja in strong waves. He glanced back at Shana's door and then motioned down the hall. "She's sleeping; I don't want to wake her, do you?" Snake Eyes didn't reply, but he wasn't any happier with the reason they were leaving. They walked to the gym which was thankfully empty. Duke turned to face Snake Eyes, "Alright, now what exactly is your problem?"
Thankfully, Duke did know ASL, so he could follow along, though he had some trouble when Snake Eyes signed too quickly. Right now though, Snakes moved slowly, deliberately, in a patronizing manner. 'What are you doing?'
Duke raised a brow, "What do you mean?" He gave Snakes a warning look; he better watch what he was saying because if he insulted Shana, he would be in a world of hurt.
'All that time in Shana's room, going to her apartment. That's unethical and slimy.' His hands sped up slightly as he got into his rant. 'She's blind and all you are trying to do is take advantage of her!'
Anger flared in Duke's face, and he held up his hands, "Stop right there. First, I am not her commanding officer anymore, so ethics would not come into play IF," Conrad stressed that word heavily, "I were to pursue her. She's not military, so no problems there. Secondly, yes, she's blind but that doesn't make her into a different person and the Shana I knew could very well take care of herself. Lastly, there is nothing going on between us. We are friends, nothing more." The last sentence made him feel a little uncomfortable because while he believed the first two whole-heartedly, he wasn't sure if the last was totally honest. He did have strong feelings for her, but it was just not the right time.
'So what if you aren't her CO? You wouldn't have known how to find her without your position.' He resolutely stuck to his point, 'You are taking advantage of her. You used to hold a position of power over her.'
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Above them, in the observation window of the gym, quite a crowd had gathered. Not surprisingly, Shipwreck was leading the charge. "Alright, place your bets ladies and gentlemen. Which one will be the first to throw a punch and what time will that be?"
Bets were being laid left and right with the odds and possibilities being discussed by all the Joes, really rather enjoying the semi-verbal shootout occurring; it really livened up a slow day.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Don't give me that crap Snake Eyes. She enjoys spending time with me and I with her. We're friends who enjoy each others' company. You are not seeing her, you have no right to dictate who she spends her time with."
Every muscle in Snake Eyes' body was taut; he wanted to hit Duke so badly. The only thing that stopped him was not that Duke was his CO, but that Shana would hear about it and get upset. It was just killing him to think of her with someone else, no matter how much they denied it. He could see the way they interacted was far more than friends, but Duke just wouldn't admit it. His hands flew furiously as he signed, 'Yeah right, that's why you spent the night with her the first time you saw her again.'
As Duke put two and two together, realizing this must be why Shana asked about him telling people, he suddenly moved and slammed Snake Eyes against the padded wall of the gym, his arm on the ninja's neck, pinning him down and growling, "You need to get over it Snake Eyes, you are crossing a line into scary freak territory and I will not hesitate if I find out that it continues past today, understood?" He released the other man, ready for a retaliatory attack.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Three minutes! Who had Duke at three minutes?" Shipwreck called out gaily.
"That doesn't count as a punch!" Cover Girl protested angrily.
Steeler slapped her butt, "Oh yes it does babe. OWWWWWWWW." Cover Girl had grabbed the offending hand and was twisting it into unnatural positions.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Surprisingly, the attack never came, Snake Eyes just sat down on the floor of the gym, back against the wall. Duke hesitated, then sat down as well, out of arms reach, but where they could still talk quietly. "I'll admit I have feelings for her, but I don't know if she reciprocates. Nothing has happened outside of friendship."
Snake Eyes looked over at him and nodded, considering that. "You love her?"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
As quickly as they gathered, the gamblers filed out of the observation room, not wanting to be involved in the private conversation. Steeler waved his money around happily, taunting Cover Girl with it.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Caught off guard, Duke shrugged uneasily, "I don't know," he said truthfully, "I think so. I think I could, if given the opportunity if I'm not now."
Snakes seemed to consider that, it was a fair enough statement. He thought about his tumultuous relationship with Shana and knew it hadn't always been a pleasant thing. Plus, what it came down to was that she was her own woman and Duke was his friend. He trusted the man with his life, and he deserved that trust now too.
Standing in one fluid motion, Snake Eyes offered a hand to Duke to help him up from the floor, which he accepted. There was a pause as they looked at each other, then Snakes signed, 'You hurt her, I'll kill you.'
Duke grinned, "Fair enough. You cut out the stalking, ok?" Snakes nodded then clapped Duke on the back in a brotherly fashion.
Snake Eyes wasn't naive enough to think he wouldn't struggle with his jealousy in the future, but he'd made an important step towards moving on with his life.