A/N: We've made it to eight consecutive chapters! Honestly, usually my oneshots don't go very far so this is a real achievement for me lol.
Just because I'm very happy.. I think I'll write an AU since its been playing in my head for my tenth. Until then.. here's the no. 8 in the songs for delko installment.

It's definitely not hinted this time.. lol.

I rewrote this because I wasn't happy with it. Can't say I am now, but what the hell?

Song #8: "Closer than Friends" by Surface

Ryan had to admit, he had a great time with Eric last night. They had a few beers, talked about work and family.. now he thought about it, he suspected Eric took him to a gay bar. But drunk him wouldn't have known any better. It was easier to keep him close around guys. Kinda romantic actually.

Not what he expected but good enough for a kind-of-but-not date. Wolfe suspected he probably made a fool of himself. But he felt slightly unsure. Unknown to Eric, Ryan didn't really.. feel like sex is what he wanted. It had to be a romantic connection in order for him to pursue something serious. Sex was never the basis of why he dated people. It's not that he hated the idea of taking it further, but he just wasn't sure he was ready to let go of those boundaries just yet.

He'd not seen him yet that day. Ryan figured that because he stayed over, Eric had probably gone back to his place to get ready. He didn't think much of it. Because of his current temporarily position as trace analyst (due to injury, he couldn't go into the field) his shift started earlier. Surprisingly, same he would arrive to prepare for a day out at a crime scene. Not really much alternating needed for his prominent scheduling.

"Hey Wolfe," The temp in A/V, Josh, said smugly as he entered the trace lab. "So you're dating Eric, huh? I would've never seen him as gay."

Ryan didn't pay much attention, stacking folders containing results and those to go back in evidence since the evidence was being re-run from unsolved cases. But he heard those words. The former patrol officer didn't think it mattered to him anyway. What he and Eric had didn't play a part in their work lives.

He buttoned up his lab coat and put on a fresh pair of gloves. "I'm not sure if he's 100% gay, he said he's bisexual but leans more towards guys. And no, we're not together - but it's none of your business, even if we were."

Joshua slowly nodded. He had assumed that they were together because of how he saw them. Always closely standing next to one another or staring across the room. But what he did notice most of all was Ryan's constant emotional intolerance. His eyes say more than his facial expressions do.

"Why aren't you together? You're so cute together! I totally thought you were a couple when I first came here!" Josh exclaimed.

"Aha, I wish. We're.. somewhere in between." Ryan replied, turning to the printer to grab the piece of paper with results from the team's most recent case. Eric mentioned being his boyfriend, but Ryan held back. Said he wasn't sure. But after this, maybe - just maybe - he'd been swayed.

They could be what they wanted to be. If Ryan gave him a chance.

By chance, Sam happened to join them wearing a bitchy grin that Ryan really couldn't stand. "Hey Ryan! Do you know if Eric has any plans tonight? He hasn't called me in a month and I'm starting to think he's not really interested anymore."

Joshua snorted and Ryan's eyes suddenly widened, closing the folder in front of him on his work counter. "Um.. you were seeing him?"

"Yeah.. I know we're no longer a think, but I really like Eric."

"Sam, Eric's gay." Joshua said, failing to hold back his laughter.

Sam gave him a puzzled look, as if he were acting juvenile. Both men glanced at one another. Josh didn't know how to convince the woman she'd been spending time with a gay man. "He's not gay, Joshua. Stop being ridiculous. He was with all those flings that were women.."

"..and men. I think he likes Ryan though." Joshua interjected.

"Nobody asked you, Hudson." Sam exasperated, twisting to Ryan. "Josh is joking, isn't he? I know you're gay, but you're not dating him - are you?"

Ryan thought back to last night. When Eric came back to his condo and they made out for a while, but Eric kept interrupting with the suggestion that they could be a thing. All Ryan did was kiss him harder in hope it would shush him. He'd not wanted to think about relationships. This crush he had on the Cuban-Russian had driven him insane. Now he had the actual chance to make him his boyfriend, things were so out of touch.

Now Sam thinks that he's stolen 'her' boyfriend.

..Technically his boyfriend, but he didn't really feel like telling the whole world just yet.

"Ryan? Well?"

"I'm into both genders, actually. But yeah, Eric.. he's more gay." He said confidently, flashing her a wink.

He was beginning to regret saying that he hadn't slept with Eric. It would've pissed people off, and he didn't mind that. This new found confidence was his way of defending his guy. Ryan's mind went to everything he would loved to have done if he wasn't so hesitant to be fucking paranoid.

And like that, everything he told Eric didn't turn him on suddenly made him sweat.

Joshua distracted Sam with an 'emergency' in the break room and let him be alone for a moment. What a blood rush. His loose jeans immediately felt tight, a pleasured sigh escaping his lips. "Damn it!" He growled.

"Woah, did I do something wrong?" Eric.

Ryan turned around, having taken his lab coat off and figured he'd just go to get something. The Cuban knew that word had spread of his sexuality but he couldn't really care less by this point. It was late enough. People used to think he and Speedle were lovers.

"No, no.." He mumbled, yanking at his collar. "It's hot in here, isn't it?"

"Really? I'm kinda cold." Eric responded with confusion.

Ryan forced a laugh. "I'm not.. those jeans look great. Since when did you begin wearing them to work?"

Eric laughed when he realized what was going on at that moment. Not a single regret, it meant that he was no longer controlling his attraction. He didn't care if meant people would treat them differently. This was the most relaxed he'd seen him.

"Get closer to you, baby

I want to get closer than just friends

Get closer to you, baby, yeah

Closer than just friends, how about you?"