His hair smelt like hair.

It was a nice change. Once, every subtle difference had been a virtual colour on the end of his nose, but now...

"Daxter, are you sniffing my hair?"

"No." Hang on. "Yes." No, that was worse. "Maybe?"

"Well, which is it? And will you get off there, you aren't two feet tall anymore, you don't fit and you're unbalancing the car."

"No." He stuck with the safe answer.

"That isn't an option. Get down."

Oh, right. He thought he was talking abut the car thing. He slid down into the passenger seat and lay his head on the shoulder he had once sat on. "I'm bored, Jak."

"Please, Dax, just five minutes or quiet. Please?"

The plea was unexpected. Daxter shut his mouth and straightened, looking down. "Oh. Yeah, sure. Sorry."

"Dax, oh for, don't pout. I just need some quiet for a moment." Jak leant over and caught Daxter's hand. "I'm not mad at you."

The red head brightened. "It's cool, we're cool, I know you ain't mad, you're just you, and I'm me, and we're the destruction duo...." He clapped his free hand over his mouth. "Right. Shutting up."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Jak's hand covering Daxter's, a constant reminder to Daxter that he needed to stay quiet for a few minutes.

A minute was a very long time to Daxter. Sometimes, he felt like he was still running on ottsel time, which was about one and a half to two times everyone else's speed.

He looked at his door and over to Jak, who sat with his head leaning back into the head rest and his eyes closed.

He looked down to their hands, Jak's large and gloved one over his own. Even through the leather of their gloves, he could feel the almost unnatural warmth Jak gave off constantly.

He looked back to his watch. Thirty five seconds had passed.

Beside him, Jak gave a small sigh and relaxed into his seat, slumping comfortably.

Daxter shifted, and stared out over the door of the two seater. The world wandered past, the water sprayed out over the pretence of a forest they had in the city, all ordered lines and unnatural neatness.

Another twenty seconds ticked by. Jak sank deeper, his right hand coming up to pull off his goggles, laying them over his lap, leaving his hair to fall in loose curls around his face.

Daxter watched. Jak's breath stirred the fine blonde strands, making them brush his cheek. The red head held back a giggle when Jak frowned and blew the offending strand, making it float up and back down into nearly exactly the same place.

With a smirk, Daxter leant over and pulled it back, draping it over the top of his friend's head. "Where would you be without me, Jak?" He murmured.

He didn't really expect an answer, but he got a slight smile and the hand on his tightened for a second before relaxing again.

It had been a whole minute and a half. Daxter smiled to himself and looked about. Three and half minutes to go.

Daxter stuck his tongue out at a guard who stared for a few seconds too long, confident in the fact that they weren't breaking the law... for once. The guard ignored him and moved on, talking into his head set. "Nothing here. Just a couple of wackos."

Wackos. He had no idea. Daxter grinned and leant on his left hand, unwilling to draw his right out from under Jak's and disturb him.

A woman walked past, a little girl holding onto her hand. Daxter watched them, the girl look up at him and smiled shyly, making Daxter smile back. "Hey, sweetheart," he mouthed.

The girl smiled wider; her mother followed her gaze and jerked the girl's arm, drawing her away from the vehicle. Daxter watched her go, vaguely wishing she lived in a place where her mother felt confident enough to let her run around with only her friends to protect her.

He shifted again and looked back to Jak, whose head was still tipped down to his chest. He looked back down to their hands and put his other hand down on top, almost like when they played slap hands as children.

Glancing back up to Jak's face, which remained as still as ever, Daxter picked up the large hand, undoing the clasps on the glove and sliding it off.

The leather peeled away and was dropped to the seat, Daxter paused and look up again, but Jak's head still hung to his chest, blonde curls obscuring his face.

Slowly, Daxter pushed his thumbs into the centre of Jak's palm. The fingers curled around his hands, almost a spasm, then relaxed fractionally as Daxter continued to gently massage.

Slowly, the redhead worked his way in a spiral outwards, pressing into the tiny lumps of muscle he could feel. His fingers felt almost too sensitive now, compared to the thick pads of his paws.

He reached the edge of the palm and started up one long finger, rubbing the calloused skin. He caught a vocalised breath and grinned, working more diligently.

For once, time didn't seem to drag by, second by painful second. Daxter focused on what he was doing, grinned every time he managed to work a soft sigh from his recalcitrant friend.

Finally, having run out of hand to work on, he looked up, startled to see Jak's head was now tipped back, hair falling from his face in soft curls that gleamed in the dimming sunlight, his eyes closed and a small smile on his lips.

Daxter stared. He knew his five minutes were up, and he could talk again, but he had no idea what to say. For the first time in his life, he was speechless.

Finally, one blue eye cracked open and peered sideways. There were no words, but Daxter understood the question far better than any time that Jak actually spoke. He was curious as to why Daxter had stopped and why he was staying silent.

He opened his mouth, shut it again and opened it once more. Jak smiled slightly and twisted so he faced Daxter, closing his hand around Daxter's, entwined with his own.

Say something, Daxter thought. He's got that look, he's going to speak and I don't want him to speak. I like it when he only talks to me and no one else can understand.

He said the first thing that came into his head, staring at Jak with curls falling over his face and a sweet smile gracing his lips.

"I love you."

Jak blinked and Daxter felt his own mouth drop open with shock. He couldn't move, couldn't believe he'd said that of all things, but it was true and Daxter was wholeheartedly and often tactlessly honest, even to his own detriment, but still... he finally gained control, dropping his head and waiting for Jak to react.

Jak's hand moved from on top of his own and he tensed, waiting for a slap.

Something touched his shoulder, drawing him to Jak's seat. He didn't dare breathe, just let the strong hand guide him until he was being held against Jak's chest, their clasped hands caught between their bodies as Jak gave him a light hug. It lasted for an eternity, but all too soon Jak let go and moved away, turning to the ignition.

Daxter felt like he was free falling. What the hell was that suppose to mean? Sorry, I don't like you but we can be friends? I pity you? What did it mean?

"Jak...?"

The blonde looked up as the car started, shaking his head as he grabbed his goggles and slid them back on. His gaze locked with Daxter's and Daxter grinned, understanding what Jak was saying.

'I know. I love you too.'