Disclaimer: No matter how much I want it, I don't own FAKE. It belongs to a brilliant manga artist, Sanami Matoh

A/N: Firs, a few "warnings": This fic contains shounen-ai, but I guess you already knew that since you are reading FAKE fan fiction. This is my first fanfic ever, so don't expect anything mind blowing. And, just so you know, English isn't my first language, so there probably are mistakes in spelling, grammar and everything else in this fic, but if you can understand what I'm trying to say I'm happy. And now, without any further ado: my fic. Be gentle to JJ, he's having a bad day… Enjoy

The perfect day

JJ would hit his head at the edge of his desk any time now and wish he wouldn't wake up anytime soon. That was how frustrated he was with his current case. At first, when he and Drake had got the case he had been relatively pleased with it. Murder and robbery, these things didn't usually take long to solve. JJ had expected him and Drake to wrap up the case at two days, four at max. But now, it had already taken two weeks, two whole weeks and one day, and they were still in square one. JJ knew some cases took even years to solve, but not murders and robberies, the culprit was always too stupid to leave something important behind after committing the crime.

JJ now wished he could go back in time, and not laugh at his colleagues about his 'easy' case, and to make up some excuse not to even take the case at the first place. But he couldn't do that, all he could do was solve the case. Easier said than done, they had zero clues, and when they got some, they always ended up in a dead end and had more unanswered questions than before.

JJ lifted his head, where it had been resting against the edge of his desk and looked at the case file he had spread on his desk. "The victim, 27 year-old, blond female," he read aloud hoping that hearing his own voice would make him realize something new. "Time of dead between 5.50 and 6.20 PM. No visible injuries, which gives the possibility that she died in a seizure and was robbed later. But during the autopsy there were a small fracture found at the nape of her neck, done with a blunt object which caused immediate death." This fact gave him two options, whether that spot had been a lucky guess from the killer, or the crime was done by someone who knew exactly where to hit. But since those who knew enough about human anatomy to commit a crime like this had well paid jobs and hardly needed her money, JJ decided that the first one fitted the picture better. "The body was found by a young couple at 6.33 PM at the same day. The victim's blue hand-bag, which she had had with her when she left her boyfriend's apartment at 5.25 PM, had been taken and her pockets were emptied." JJ sighed. "No fingerprints, no eye witnesses, no murder weapon, nothing."

JJ finally got bored at reading trough the very same file over and over again, and he tossed it out of his hand and leaned back in his chair stretching his arms. He looked at the clock on the wall next to him. Ten to seven. Still an hour and ten minutes till the end of his shift. JJ dropped his hands from behind his head and listened to the sounds around him; it would have been easier if there had been any sounds. This time of the shift was always the quietest; it was still too early to head home and too late to take breaks. Plus, the precinct had been hit with a bad cold epidemic which had sent half of the staff home to cough their lungs out and fight against dripping nose and hallucinations caused by the high fewer.

Now Drake too was one of those poor guys, or lucky bastards as JJ saw it at the moment, which were spending their sick days at home watching TV. Luckily, criminals were probably been hit with the same cold, because there were less crimes than usually at this time in New York, but still enough for the remaining working officers not to have their sick partners replaced. JJ would be happier than ever if Ryo would still be sick, like three days ago, and he would be partnered up with Dee. But now both Ryo and Dee were up and working together. And JJ was left alone to suffer with this goddamn case.

JJ wished that Drake was there with him. Although they still wouldn't get any work done. JJ winced when he realized how bad that thought sounded towards his partner. Drake was a good cop, he really was, but he wasn't any smarter than JJ himself. So if JJ couldn't come up with anything, probably Drake wouldn't either. But still, two heads were better than one, and maybe they could figure out something.

And at least JJ wouldn't be this lonely and he would have something to distract himself if his partner was in working condition. As a people person JJ found sitting alone in an empty office terribly irritating. Especially when the day had started as poorly as it had. Even though JJ didn't have to be at the office early in the morning, he had slept in, and he hadn't had the time to eat any breakfast. And as he had been dashing out of his apartment he had tripped on a rug and fallen in the middle of his apartment hitting his head at the corner of his table, and already being late he hadn't had the time to check his condition from a mirror. And when he had finally arrived at the station he had found out that Drake was down with the cold, and during the day JJ found out that Dee was in a different shift than him, so JJ wouldn't see his perfection of a man in this terrible day. And on top of all that, everybody kept laughing at his bruise which had made its way in the middle of his forehead.

So, with no one to talk to, no one to drool after and a irritatingly difficult case in his hands JJ had nothing else to do but to think about the case and go trough all the details umpteenth time until his head felt like it was going to explode. Desperately looking for some distraction from the case, he had visited the vending machine twelve times that day, only to find out it had been the worst possible idea, since the coffee just made him twice as energetic as usual. Then he had sharpened all his pencils, and now they were so sharp one could use them as a murder weapon, and this he had done about twenty times, so they were half of the length they were when he had started.

The day had been a bad one, and JJ would have liked to spend it at home like his partner. Even though JJ disliked colds like any other person, he would still enjoy it more than the case he had very hard time solving, or in this case, trying to solve. JJ wondered if he should pay a visit at Drake and get the cold himself, but he considered that as a useless action, since Ryo had been sick already, and poor Dee had been one of the first to get the cold and Ted and Drake were down with it at the moment, so JJ surely had the virus within himself already, so it was only a matter of time when he would spent his days coughing in the bottom of his bed. Of course a miracle would happen tomorrow and the culprit would walk to the precinct and confess everything, and then, the very next day JJ would get the cold.

JJ stopped his fantasies about running away from the case with the power of illness and lowered his gaze to the picture at his table trying one last time to concentrate at the case. The victim was laying on the ground her face down. JJ remembered the day he and Drake had visited the mortuary to talk with the pathologist, first JJ thought about the facts in the corpse, then the conversation that followed. Drake and the pathologist, whose name JJ couldn't remember, started talking about how it had been pity for this woman to get killed since she was very beautiful. JJ had had nothing to say for the subject.

JJ frowned; he couldn't concentrate at the case at all. He turned to look at the clock. A quarter past seven. Still 45 minutes till he was finally off. Actually, JJ could sneak out now, there was no point him sitting alone in here when there was nothing for him to do, there was too little time for him to try and look for new eye witnesses, and like he had noticed too many times during that day, there was no use to stare at the case file.

On the other hand, Dee's shift started after that very same 45 minutes. JJ could always figure out at least something to do until he would leave in time and see Dee coming to his shift. But then again, Dee would only just yell at him, like he always does when JJ would declare his affections, especially since Dee happened to be on night shift, and JJ knew Dee hated the night shifts. The thought about Dee pulled a deep sigh out of JJ. How long had he been in love whit the guy? It had been the happiest day in JJ's life when he had found out that Dee worked at the 27 precinct when he had transferred here.

But he had also learned some unpleasant things during that day, the biggest unpleasant thing namely being a certain chestnut brown haired detective. There was no denying that Dee and Ryo had something going on, and JJ was finding more and more evidence every day to support the idea that Ryo indeed had a relationship with his dear Dee. All those little kisses JJ had seen them shearing, and that air headed idiot Ryo always seemed to be holding back, JJ couldn't understand why Dee would waste his time on someone like that when JJ himself would be welcoming every possible kiss or touch from Dee.

JJ frowned, he felt like a teenager with these thoughts of his, and he hated it. Comparing himself to another man was just pathetic. Someday he would make Dee his, no matter what; he was confident enough on that matter. Maybe he should wait till the end of his shift; he could always read the case file again… Ah, to hell with it! He was leaving now.

JJ got up from his chair stretching his arms. He gathered all of the photographs, reports and notes from his desk and shoved them in the file. Then he put it in his desk drawer alongside with his newly sharpened pencils, all five of them. Then he walked over to the window behind his back and looked out. The day's firs positive surprise greeted JJ and made him smile. It had started snowing, and it was the first time in this year.

JJ had always liked snow. He liked the way it quietly descended from the sky and how it made everything look lighter and purer. At least before it turned into different shades of grey and brown and melted into disgusting mud in the heat of a big city like New York. JJ figured that he really should leave and enjoy the snow before its beauty was destroyed by all the car drivers. He figured that the snow would be half melted grey mud by tomorrow morning, while Dee would still be as handsome as tonight. So JJ decided to go home now and come to work early tomorrow morning and catch a glimpse of that god of sexiness.

With this strategy in mind, JJ spun around and took his coat from Drake's chair, where he had left it in order to make the room look less lonely, as if Drake was visiting the vending machine or something and would be back soon. JJ pulled on the coat, switched of the lights and peered out of the office door and looked around the corridor to make sure chief was nowhere near and it would be safe to slip out.

Chief was even angrier than usual because half of the staff was gone, and if he saw JJ leaving early he would probably sent him to hospital with the worst injuries ever seen. Had JJ been on the same mood he had been five minutes ago he would have probably told the old badger to kiss his ass if their roads had crossed, but since his spirit had been strangely lifted by the snow he would now just figure out some lie to convince the chief that he wasn't sneaking out early.

Luckily, JJ didn't run into chief on his way out and when he opened the precinct door he was immediately greeted with the crisp winter air. JJ reached out his arm and caught few of the falling snowflakes in his hand and watched them melt. This only made him smile more. A true smile of happiness brought to surface by a very simple joy. JJ tugged the coat tighter around himself and put his hands in his pockets, the only thing JJ disliked in winter was the cold air, which was funny because without the cold air there would be no snow.

Then JJ started walking towards his car which waited him on the other side of the parking lot. Then an ironic thought made his smile cease a little. He blamed the cars for ruining the snow, and yet, he was driving one. JJ shook away the thought when he reached his car. He brushed away the thin layer of snow and stepped inside the car.

The traffic was not as bad now as it would be during the day, but there still were enough people to cause the cars stand still from time to time. Luckily his car wasn't as cold anymore as it had been when JJ had left the precinct parking lot. The light turned back to green somewhere ahead and the cars were moving again.

JJ was driving forward along with the flow while listening to radio and humming the songs he knew. But his attention was soon drawn into a more important matter when he spotted the smoke coming out under the bonnet. "Oh, shit! Not now, you useless piece of junk!" JJ cursed and pulled out onto the side of the road. For a while JJ just sat in the car taking deep breaths and fighting against the urge to beat the steering wheel until his hands were numb. This day just couldn't run smoothly, could it? JJ drew in a deep breath and stepped out of the car.

Judging from his appearance JJ didn't seem like someone who knew a lot about cars, but actually JJ knew quite a lot. So JJ lifted the bonnet up and looked under it. He gazed at everything he thought could have caused the problem, but found nothing. This car started to be mystery to him, it was always broken and JJ started to wonder if there even could be as many parts to be broken in any car as there seemed to be in his. JJ had spent a fortune in the repairs of his car and he began to be tired of it.

JJ slammed down the bonnet, kicked the tire and cursed under his breath as he sat on the bonnet wondering what he should do. At this point he was so tired of his car that he could leave it here and wouldn't care at all if it would end up in parts and would be sold at a cheap prise in the market. Too bad there was still quite a way till his apartment and no matter how much he loved the snow, he didn't like the cold.

Just when JJ was going to stand up and walk to the nearest subway station, he saw a car pull out towards his. Even though JJ was nearly blinded by the headlights he immediately recognized the car to be one of the precinct's patrol cars. When the car arrived next to his, a familiar figure stepped out of it, and it made JJ's heart jump in his chest.

"Don't you know that if you want the car to move you need to be sitting behind the steering wheel?" Dee said with a grin and folded his arms over his chest. Seeing Dee stand before him with that wonderful smirk on his face and the headlights of the cars passing by caressing his powerful form and making his deep green eyes and dark hair shine beautifully in the cold winter air, it almost made JJ glomp on him and he didn't even notice the mean joke. "Did-- Did you pull out here to help me with my car?" JJ asked eyes full of joy and surprise. "Nah, if it was up to me I would leave you alone in the middle of a desert. But he insisted in helping," Dee said gesturing towards the car with his hand.

That was when JJ saw a brown head peek out of the firs seat window. "Did your car break?" Ryo asked with a compassionate smile. JJ drew a hand trough his lavender hair looking at his car. "Yeah. And I think its third time in this month." "Well then, let's get this over with, before your whole head turns blue in the cold." Dee said smirking and walked to the car and looked under the bonnet. And unlike to anybody else, JJ just couldn't find himself snapping at Dee about making fun of his bruise, which had apparently turned blue instead of the weird red and black it had been earlier that day. After a quick glance under the bonnet Dee started suggesting different things for the cause of the problem and JJ replied that he had checked them already. Normally JJ would be irritated by the fact that somebody thought he was stupider than he really was, but he allowed Dee to do and say anything. And with Dee in that position, kneeling under the bonnet, JJ could get a good look of his perfect ass.

After a while Dee slammed down the bonnet in defeat and scratched his head. "Well, I can't figure out anything else." He said and lighted a cigarette. "I think you need to walk home, JJ" JJ hadn't expected Dee to be able to fix his car, but it would have been nice. Then maybe JJ could have given him something to thank him. Ryo's voice cut trough his thoughts about what that 'something' could have been. "Don't be stupid, Dee! JJ, I guess that you still live in the same apartment than a week ago." JJ moved his gaze from Dee to Ryo, hoping that he wouldn't see the light blush on his cheeks. "Yes, still in the very same. Why?" Ryo glanced at Dee quickly and then turned back to JJ. "We have to ask a few questions from a witness before it gets late, and she lives close to you. So we could give you a ride home." JJ could almost hear the big "Noooo!" that Dee's body language was screaming. "Thanks, that would be nice," JJ said and hopped to the back seat.

Dee walked back to the driver's seat throwing away his unfinished cigarette and muttered something about it already being late and that night shifts were completely useless. To this, Ryo told Dee to stop whining and said that at least somebody needed to be at the station if something happened and with almost everybody sick, chief didn't have much choice. After that they were quiet for a while, only staring at the road. "You should call someone to take care of your car when you get home," Ryo said without turning to look at JJ. "Hmph, why bother? I'll just end up paying another bill and won't be eating anything for a month. Should've left my keys in, getting the car would be good enough punishment for any crook," JJ snarled staring at the keys in his hand.

After that the silence returned, and it wasn't a comfortable silence. JJ had been watching that painful relationship long enough to notice that something was wrong. He knew that Ryo and Dee wouldn't be acting all lovely-dovely, but this silence was strange. Ryo and Dee would normally be discussing about something, and when silence fell on top of them, it never was like this. The two detectives sitting in the front seat didn't even look at each other, Dee had his eyes fixed on the road and Ryo was staring out of the window. If their eyes met, one could almost see the violent fire burning in their eyes before they turned their gazes away. The uncomfortable silence started to wear JJ of too, and he noticed that he would even prefer the silence in his empty office.

Finally the painful ride was over and Dee stopped the car in front of JJ's apartment. "Thanks for the ride, and good luck with the case," JJ said flashing Dee and Ryo his sweet smile while opening the door. JJ slammed shut the door and started walking towards the stairs, stopping when he heard Dee's voice. "Hey JJ, speaking of cases, you 'n' Drake were helping Ted out with the Jackson case, am I right?" JJ turned around to look into that handsome face peering behind Ryo. "Yes, before we got our current case." "Ha! I'm never wrong," Dee said with a grin, "Ted mentioned something about a missing file to me few days ago and said you might have it in your apartment."

JJ tapped one finger to his chin thinking aloud. "Yeah… it could be, aft-- Oh, yes, I do have it. We were falling behind and had to work home and I forgot it there. I have meant to give it to him, but I never remembered." JJ lowered his gaze into Dee's somewhat tired face. "I'll go get it. Just a sec." JJ hadn't managed to take many hurried steps towards his apartment when Dee stepped out of the car. "Wait, you over-grown Duracell-bunny, I'll come get it." Then he lowered his voice in to a low grumble so that JJ couldn't hear "There's just something that gives me the creeps when I see you running towards me."

They walked silently up the stars till they were on the third floor. And JJ's brains were coming up with some weird daydream that Dee was here for something else than a boring file.

JJ's apartment wasn't very big, but it was gozy, and seemed to fit its occupant perfectly. In the middle of the brightly lighted living room stood a dark purple, comfortable looking couch and few arm chairs of nearly same colour, which were arranged around a low coffee table, but the couch faced the TV directly. The furniture in the middle of the room was standing on of a thick, light brown carpet, which was a perfect mach for the bookshelves on the walls. There were a few artistic, black and white photographs hanging on the white walls and light blue, almost transparent curtains were hanging around the small windows.

JJ kicked away his shoes and put them on a nice row next to his other shoes, then he took of his coat and threw it on the couch as he walked towards his bookshelves. He glanced trough the books and pictures and CDs in the shelf for a while until he let out a pleased "Oh." and pulled out a yellow file. Then he walked towards Dee smiling as usual when the dark haired detective was around.

"Here you are, handsome. How about a kiss for reward?" Instead of giving a kiss to the winking detective in front of him, Dee simply took the file out of JJ's outstretched hand in a shift movement. "In your dreams, moron! And what do you mean 'reward'? This just gives me more grief, next time give your damn files to your colleagues yourself." Despite the tight tone in Dee's voice JJ decided to try a bad joke. "But Dee, you are my colleague." Just as expected, Dee didn't laugh, at least not a real laughter. "Ha-ha. Very funny, JJ. Now if you'll excuse me, Ryo is waiting for me," Dee said in a mocking tone while turning away and waiving the file in dismissal.

JJ had a curious nature, and while somebody might found the question inappropriate JJ just couldn't help but asking. "I know this is none of my business, but is everything okay with you and Ryo?" Dee stopped and his body tensed, JJ had probably hit a sensitive spot. When he turned to face JJ his voice was angry. "You're damn right! It's none of your business!"

JJ had known Dee for a long time and spent much of his time watching the dark haired man, so he knew that if Dee reacted the question that way, something as sure as hell was wrong. "So… something's wrong after all." The anger was soon washed off of Dee's features, he lowered his head and sighed. "Yeah, we had a fight." Dee lifted his face but instead of looking at JJ he faced the wall next to himself and drew a hand trough his hair. "That idiot overreacts at everything…" Dee let his words trail of and the anger was back in his face.

Dee wasn't the only one getting angry in the room. Just like JJ had thought earlier that day, Ryo was nothing more than a nuisance. Whatever the reason was, hurting his precious Dee was just unforgivable. JJ folded his arms over his chest and turned his gaze away. "Hmph! I can't understand what you are doing with that air headed idiot anyway!" JJ turned to look at Dee who had his gaze in JJ, his hand still in his own hair. JJ freed his arms and crossed the small distance between himself and Dee. His words were passionate with frustration. "You deserve so much better! You are the most handsome man alive, you are perfect! And that idiot doesn't realize it. It hurts me to see how he treats you, without affection, without the respect you deserve. All he does is push you away from him. And that is the weirdest, most insulting thing I have ever seen! To me it would be a one-way ticket to heaven if you would even look at me, not to mention kiss me!"

When JJ stopped to take a breath he noticed a weird, soft smile in Dee's face. "Oh, would you now?" Dee asked his voice so soft and seductive it almost made JJ lose his balance. Without hesitation JJ continued with direct voice. "Of course!" Then JJ felt something that made his heart jump in his chest, sent his blood running faster in his veins and made his brains scream in ecstasy. He felt Dee's lips on his own. JJ was in shock. This wasn't the first time he felt Dee's lips, those perfect, soft, warm lips. He had kissed Dee before, like in that day when he had first seen Dee in the 27 precinct's shooting range. He had kissed Dee. But now Dee was kissing him. JJ was afraid to breathe, afraid it would break the spell, break Dee's moist, full lips moving against his, sending warm shivers trough his spine. Dee was a perfect kisser, the movements of his lips sweet but passionate, it made JJ lose the track of time and place, there was nothing more but him and Dee, joined together by their lips.

Just when JJ got over from the shock and parted his lips to invite Dee's delicious, talented tongue in his mouth, Dee froze. Then he pulled away quickly, took few steps back and wiped his mouth in his coat sleeve as if trying to wipe away the evidence the kiss ever happened. JJ just stood there breathless, blinking, his lips parted and slightly swollen. "What? The good part was just beginning." After JJ had said this, Dee's eyes turned to him. The green pools were hard and serious, a look JJ had never seen in Dee's face. A look that would make anybody confess a crime they didn't commit just to get away from that gaze.

Dee took back the steps towards JJ he had put between them, but when those steps away had been short and awkward, these were sure and shift. Dee grabbed JJ's shoulders in a tight grip that hurt a little and then he locked that hard gaze in JJ's blue eyes. "Listen now, and listen for good, you little snot! That little kiss never happened. Is that clear? Never! I'm having enough troubles with you following me around like a lovesick puppy, and I don't need Ryo finding out about the biggest regret of my whole life! Understood?" Then Dee tightened his death grip and looked deeper into JJ's eyes, his tone and gaze leaving no room for misunderstandings. "I love Ryo. With the bottom of my heart. And I don't want someone like you to destroy our relationship." That said, he let go of JJ's shoulders, turned around and walked out of the apartment.

JJ stared at the closed door for a good three minutes until he regained some sort of life. He lifted his fingers on his lips. He could still feel those warm, soft lips moving against his own, creating deep feelings, both physical and emotional. And JJ promised that he would never forget that moment. Then his face darkened, he could remember Dee's words too, even if he didn't want to. 'little snot' 'never happened' 'biggest regret of my whole life' 'I love Ryo'

But his dark face was quickly replaced with his usual determination. JJ pointed one finger towards the door witch Dee had exited seven minutes ago and shouted with a big grin on his face: "Oh, no Mr. Wonderful! You won't get out this hook that easily!"