Shot down in flames yet again, Dee remembered thinking a few days ago as he’d wearily wended his way home after another misunderstanding involving his work partner. And now it was happening again! It was getting to be a bad habit. Honestly, he was starting to wonder if his tireless pursuit of the gorgeous Ryo was worth all the effort he was putting in. He might be better off repeatedly banging his head against a brick wall; he suspected that might prove less painful. He was sexually frustrated, his ego was in tatters, and most of the time Ryo seemed blissfully oblivious to the effect he was having.

Most of the time, but not today, judging by the blush that had suffused Ryo’s face when Dee had pounced on him, and he’d belatedly realised his invitation for Dee to spend the night had not been taken in the way he’d meant it.

And dammit, when was Dee going to learn? He knew what Ryo was like, and still he kept getting his hopes up, thinking maybe this time it would be different, maybe Ryo was finally beginning to reciprocate his feelings. Hah! Maybe he should stop torturing himself and accept that it was never gonna happen, that he and Ryo were destined to remain nothing more than good friends.

Only, he couldn’t just give up, he was already in way too deep, wanted Ryo more than he’d ever wanted anyone or anything. He was the moth to Ryo’s flame, irresistibly drawn to him even knowing he was only gonna get burned again. No matter how much it hurt him to have his advances rejected, or worse, completely ignored, just a smile, a touch, or a peck on the cheek from Ryo was worth more to Dee than a night of passion with anyone else. When had he developed masochistic tendencies?

‘I’m a sick man, I need help.’

He couldn’t even blame Ryo! Well, he could, but it wouldn’t be fair. His partner had never promised him anything, had made it clear from the start that he thought of himself as completely straight, even though Dee privately thought that was a case of wilful self-delusion. Ryo was about as straight as the average corkscrew.

No matter. Everything Dee was going through was his own stupid fault for wanting something he couldn’t have. He was as bad as JJ, lusting after the unattainable, loving someone who would never feel the same way, and just like JJ, refusing to accept the truth even when he was being beaten over the head with it. Fools for love, the both of them.

Then Dee got himself shot in the leg and trapped in a school that was rigged to explode. The fear in Ryo’s voice when Dee had talked to him over the radio, telling him to stay back and keep everyone else out, had been oddly heartwarming; at least his partner cared enough that he didn’t want him to die. It had made Dee even more determined that he was gonna survive this little misadventure and see his partner again, even if only so he could say ‘I told you so’.


When the bombs went off, the explosions were deafening; Dee felt like his whole head was ringing, but that was okay, because he’d successfully disabled the bomb he was sharing a room with, and while the one next door had blown a hole in the wall, it hadn’t brought the ceiling down on him. Call that a win. The rest of the school was a mass of smoke and flames, but even though he was trapped here, unable to escape under his own steam thanks to the bullet hole in his leg, the room he was in was a little island of relative safety amidst the chaos.

He was still sitting on the floor near the open window when Ryo found him, entering through the hole in the wall since the door was still locked. Dee grinned up at him, feeling pretty good, all things considered.

“See? I told you I’d be alright.” He rambled on a bit while Ryo just stood there, staring at him, and then…

Then he practically launched himself into Dee’s arms, kissing him and clinging to him like he never wanted to let go. Dee wondered briefly if he’d died and gone to heaven, if felt so good to have the man he loved in his arms, showing him how he really felt. But nah, his leg still hurt like crazy, and his eyes were stinging from the smoke and the dust in the air. This was real, and someday, if he was patient and didn’t give up, maybe Ryo would finally stop pretending and accept that this was how they were supposed to be, partners in every sense of the word. If this was what he could look forward to, Dee figured he could wait, however long it took.


The End