Ah, and I don't own these characters, needless to say. None of them but Tony, and he doesn't seem to have many fans, though most of you still seem to be pretty loyal to Dee. We'll see how wise your choices are.
"Dee-"

"Will you just spit it out already, Ryo?" he said irritably.

"JJ." It was the second thought that popped into his mind."

"Wow, a new word. Want a cookie?"

Ryo deserved all that and more from Dee. He'd kept him in the dark, pushed him away, and even lost faith in him without so much as talking to him about it. Now if Ryo had to look bad so that he could know the truth, that was a small price to pay.

"Dee...we're not okay. I'm not okay. I need-" He broke off. he'd seem concern spark in Dee's eyes and he knew that right now he didn't deserve it. Not yet.

"I started having nightmares a few weeks ago, Dee. Nightmares about...you...and JJ."

"What? You can't be ser-"

"Just- let me finish. Please. I want you to hear all of this. I was afraid to go to sleep because when I dreamed, I lost that one thing that matters most to me over and over again and I couldn't stop it. You- you said-' He felt the tears come and in his mind heard Dee whispering words of love and devotion to JJ. "You loved him and were happy, every night." He couldn't look at Dee, he didn't want to see his reaction. "And then I'd wake up and go to work, and you'd be there, and you'd love me again, but when I saw JJ come in or stop to talk to you, I saw everything all over again. It was so hard to..."

The only thing that kept Dee from stopping him was the fact that Ryo had asked him not to. And he wanted to hear the rest.

"I still thought, you know, I was being paranoid or something. then this long lost friend shows up and he knows, and then I started to think it was all some joke on the new guy to see how long he'd been in the dark. And if I was so ignorant for so long, I'm sorry. But I was so in love with out that I couldn't breath sometimes."

"And now?"

"Now I don't breath anymore unless you're breathing with me. I- I wanted you to know, and I wanted you to be the one to tell me once and for all how you feel. I don't want to listen to anything or anyone else. Whatever you say, I'll believe. If JJ- if you and JJ are anything, then I can't stop it. But if you're not, and you want to..." Ryo pulled himself together and looked at Dee. "I think I could use your help to fix myself."

Dee took a long time to say anything at all. It hurt him to listen to Ryo tell him what he'd been going through, that he'd been thinking about him without saying anything for so long. It hurt that Ryo hadn't trusted him. But it hurt the most to watch Ryo bear himself with tears and not comfort him. That made his decision easier. They'd work on the finer details later. For now...

"Come here." He motioned for Ryo to join him on the couch. he sat on the edge, feeling apprehensive. Dee reached out his had and wiped dry one of Ryo's cheeks. Fresh tears threatened to fall again.

Dee pulled him forward into his chest, wrapping his arms around him as tightly as he could without being painful. Ryo's arms naturally slid around Dee's waist. He tried not to get his shoulder wet with his tears as he breathed in his scent.

"Do you feel this, Ryo?" He wasn't talking about anything physical. Ryo felt it. "I've never felt this for anyone else. You're the only person I've ever been in love with. JJ is an old friend. But you are..." He buried his head into Ryo's neck and kissed him there. "You have nothing to worry about. Ever."

Quiet laughter filled the room. Dee jerked away from Ryo.

"He's lying, you know."

Ryo turned to look at the doorway, where Dee's eyes were already fixed.

"Tony?" Dee didn't understand what he was doing there, what he was talking about, or why he had his gun drawn.


Huh. Anyone expect this? What's going to happen now? Hm... You'll have to wait and see!