Date Written: 10/1/05
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,796
Pairing: JJ/Drake, JJ/OC
Spoilers: Like Like Love
Notes: Requested ficlet by Maddie. The colors I'm going with are the ones found in the OVA. And I'm being very very liberal with JJ. Vague is love.
---
"Here you are! I've been looking for you, man."
Drake Parker stuck his cigarette between his lips and stubbornly shoved his fingers into his ears, contemplating yet again about keeping ear plugs on him at all times. While he loved his partner, JJ, he didn't LOVE love him--not the way JJ wanted him to. But ever since the kid had given him that kiss on the roof about a month ago, he was beginning to understand why Dee was such a hothead.
"Are you listening to me? Draaaaaaaaaaaake..."
He briefly considered his options: Distracting JJ with something (like his shiny lighter) and running; attempting to jump down to the third story ledge and breaking into Berkley's office through the window; or listening to what JJ had to say.
"Drake! I'm trying to talk to you!" the tow-headed man insisted, tugging at his partner's arm to dislodge one of his fingers.
Drake looked down at the ledge with a critical eye. Ten to one I slip and fall...
"Damn it, Drake! Please! I'm trying to be serious."
The taller detective sighed, turning around to look at his partner. His ice-blue eyes were downcast, looking at the tops of his shiny black dress shoes. "Well? What?" he asked in a rougher manner than he meant. JJ actually flinched at his words, and Drake immediately wanted to take them back. He hated to see the man before him look hurt.
But only because he was a friend. There was no way he was in love with JJ Adams. Nope.
Yeah, right.
Shut up, he's talking.
"Look, Drake, I wanted to apologize for coming onto you so much recently."
A-wha?
"It's unfair of me to do that to you, especially since I know you're straight. No matter what your sexual orientation, if someone isn't interested in you, you should drop it."
Drake was momentarily stunned stupid. When he found his voice, he managed to choke out, "This from the man who stalked Latyner for years?"
JJ winced again, and Drake kicked himself. "It was wrong of me to do that, too. I've already apologized to Dee, and he thinks I've lost my damn mind."
"No shit, JJ! You're just not you if you're not jumping people in the office, or screaming your love for someone at the top of your lungs," Drake replied, his brows furrowing. Something was wrong with his partner. "What brought this around?"
The silver-blonde laughed. "Rose has been making me see a shrink. Something about my attitude not be conductive to work, although he hits on Ryo more than I did on Dee."
"You're not, like, on anything, are you?"
"No." JJ rolled his eyes, smirking at him. "Although I think everyone would be happier if I was on stabilizers." The younger detective sobered up, blue eyes meeting his grey ones. "Look, Drake, I do like you. You're a great person to be around. And I want our friendship to be what it used to be."
"With both of us commiserating over our love lives?"
"Or lack thereof."
That comment made Drake laugh. "Okay, man, you win, you win."
JJ held out a hand. "Partners?"
Drake took the offered hand and shook it.
---
Eventually,
everything returned back to relative normal in the precinct, although
JJ continuously glomped Drake and Dee, he also jumped Ryo and Ted a
fair amount of times as well. It was really strange watching
the two blondes actually being friendly with one another, but they had
let bygones be bygones and formed a pretty strong friendship.
So it wasn't unusual when on Friday Drake suggested they all come over to his apartment the next day to watch college football. Nor was it unusual when Ryo declined.
"Sorry, but Bikky's grounded this weekend," the half-Japanese detective said, secretly happy to have an excuse not to go. Sports weren't really his thing, but he tolerated it for Dee and Bikky.
"Makin' sure he's gonna be a good boy?" Dee teased. "I'll come over after the game," he added, winking at his lover, who blushed but nodded anyway.
"I can't go either," JJ said, shoving some files into his desk, clearing his desk for the weekend.
Drake looked across at his partner, confused.
JJ pointedly didn't look at him.
"You've been leaving early every night this week," Ted observed, flinging a rubber band at JJ, the circle of rubber flying over his head. "Got yourself a hot date or somethin'?" the redhead teased, flinging another band at the detective, who caught the second one.
"Yeah... actually, I do."
And while his four friends stared at him in shock, he rushed out the front door, wishing them a good weekend.
---
Drake did not like this new development.
Not one bit.
And now here he was, standing on the stoop to his partner's apartment, waiting for the silver-blonde to buzz him up so he could meet the new boyfriend. He had pressed his button three times, and JJ had yet to answer him. Drake tapped a foot in annoyance, the hard leather bottom smacking against the concrete.
He hadn't felt this homicidal since his little sister had come home from her senior prom at four in the morning.
Finally, JJ's voice came through the intercom. "That you Drake?"
"Last time I checked."
The voice that came back was trying not to laugh. "Come on up--stop th--" the rest was cut off as Drake heard the door unlock, and he ground his teeth together, arguing with himself as he slowly climbed the stairs to JJ's apartment.
JJ's like family, I just don't want to see him hurt, one part of him argued.
Liar, snapped the pessimistic, possessive side.
Not the issue.
IS the issue. You like him.
Of course I like him. He's my partner, and a friend.
You like-like him
Look, I'll have an issue about my sexual orientation later. Right now, I just have to concentrate on getting through his meal without committing homicide.
Fine, how's this: we just want JJ to be happy, right?
The logical, optimistic side agreed.
If we don't like the new guy, we'll make him happy.
"Just shut the fuck up," Drake said aloud, sighing. "Maybe I should be the one in therapy..."
He raised one broad hand to knock twice on his partner's door. He could hear the clatter of cooking and the scent of browning meat wafting into the hall as the door opened. A man he had never seen greeted him at the door, with sandy brown hair and brown eyes. He was younger than Drake, maybe younger than JJ too, and he was handsome--Drake was secure enough to admit that.
Jealous?
You're not helping.
The man broke into a grin. "You must be Drake! I'm Charles Roberts, it's nice to meet you!" he said, shaking Drake's hand. "JJ's said nothing but nice things about you," he continued, ushering Drake inside and shutting the door behind him.
"That's... great," Drake replied, a little confused. The possessive part of him crowed that JJ had talked about him, while the other part told him to shut up.
"Drake!" JJ cried, coming up and giving his partner a huge hug, a silly grin on his face. "C'mon, dinner's ready"
---
JJ
was a quarter Chinese on his mother's side, which meant he had been
taught to cook and cook WELL. So dinner was reasonably enjoyable,
simple fried rice and potstickers, the blonde eating the browned rice
and cooked dumplings with chopsticks like a pro. Charlie, however, was
having a little more trouble, which caused JJ to both tease and help
the brunette, the two shamelessly flirting before Drake.
Drake, however, ate the friend rice and potstickers with his fork in silence, watching the two. His mind was still divided, but by the end of the meal he had decided two things: He wanted JJ. But he wanted his partner to be happy.
So when, long after dinner had ended, and Charlie kissed JJ good-bye (three times, Drake noted), JJ leaned across the table, smiling at Drake. "So? What do you think?"
Drake shrugged. "Eh."
"Eh?" JJ repeated. "Just eh?"
"What do you want me to say?" Drake snapped. "That I love him? He's frickin' amazing? I want him to be my new best friend?"
"What's your problem?"
"Nothin'."
"Nothin'," JJ repeated, lowering his voice in imitation. "Nothing my ass." The blonde got up and moved to sit next to him, putting a hand on each shoulder so he could look into his brown eyes. "Drake? Man, tell me what's wrong." He brought his face close to the brunette's, bumping foreheads with his partner. "Please?"
Those ice blue eyes were so close to his, and before he knew it he was kissing JJ, his fingers wrapped in the man's short blonde hair, tongue sweeping past full pink lips. JJ tasted like fried rice and dumplings but also like... well, just like JJ. It was unique and and delicious and Drake couldn't get enough of it. He looped his other arm around JJ's waist, pulling him close and slipping a hand into one of his back pockets.
His partner was putting pressure on his shoulders, and Drake pulled away from JJ's mouth, sliding down to taste his neck.
"Drake... This was your problem?" he asked breathless, his head tipped back allowing Drake more access to his sensitive skin.
The brunette nodded, nibbling on the pale skin. It was delicious; JJ's scent was stronger, and the sweat from the hot kitchen tinted the wonderful taste of the blonde's skin with salt.
"Ai ya..."
Drake stopped, looking up into JJ's eyes at the Chinese exclamation. But the younger man was smiling. "It fucking took you long enough!" he continued, jumping into the brunette's lap. The chair tipped back slightly, but Drake compensated by leaning the blonde back against the table. He stood, laying JJ on the table and standing over him, groaning into their kiss when JJ's legs came up wrap around his waist, their hands roaming over expanses of clothed skin.
Drake kissed a line over to JJ's ear, nibbling on the lobe and grinning at the moan he got in reply. "Took me long enough? So who the hell is Charlie-boy?"
He could feel the smirk crossing his partner's face, hear it in his beautiful voice although he couldn't see it. "Friend of mine in from L.A. His boyfriend's in the apartment downstairs, we got transfered to New York at the same time."
"Oh, you evil little bastard," Drake swore, his lips attacking JJ's neck.
"Ah, you love me, and we both know it. You're so cute when you're having a jealous fit."
"Shut up," Drake ordered, proceeding to find other ways to keep JJ's mouth occupied.
---