Title: Unsolved Puzzle

Author: badly-knitted

Characters: Dee, Ryo, JJ.

Rating: PG

Setting: During the manga.

Summary: Dee finds Ryo's behaviour towards him puzzling, but he's determined to figure his partner out.

Word Count: 500

Written For: Prompt 546: Puzzle at slashthedrabble.

Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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To Dee, Ryo's a puzzle waiting to be unravelled. Sometimes he thinks if he could just find an end and pull, everything about his skittish partner would unfold into a picture that makes sense. Instead, all he has are bits and pieces that don't fit together no matter how hard he tries.

Ryo's an intelligent man, with excellent observational skills, he wouldn't have made detective otherwise, yet he's completely oblivious when anyone of either sex hits on him. Surely he must know how attractive he is, he always dresses well, takes care with his appearance, shows up at work every day on time, clean-shaven and well groomed. Dee knows for a fact Ryo isn't dating anyone but flirting goes right over his head, like he's not even remotely interested.

That could be because women are doing most of the flirting, which just serves to bolster Dee's theory that Ryo's gay and therefore unaffected. Or it would if not for the fact that Ryo displays the same lack of awareness when that slimy bastard Rose comes on to him, or, for that matter, when Dee himself is trying to get up close and personal.

It's frustrating.

What's even more frustrating is that every so often Dee sees very definite signs that Ryo IS interested in him. After all, if he's as straight as he pretends to be then why, more often than not, does Ryo respond so favourably when Dee kisses him, kissing back and pulling him closer, clinging to him as if he might drown if he doesn't? Sure, he usually remembers himself after a few moments and shoves Dee away, or the House Ape shows up and goes into attack mode, but for those few moments when Ryo's into it, lips parting willingly beneath Dee's, breathless little sounds of pleasure escaping… That's Dee's idea of heaven.

Is Ryo ashamed of his sexuality? That doesn't seem to be the case; he's certainly not homophobic, he doesn't look disgusted when JJ throws himself at Dee, kissing and pawing at him, but he does look hurt, which has to mean something. It's obvious he doesn't want JJ kissing Dee, but not because he thinks it's wrong for men to kiss other men. Hell, if Ryo's straight then why is he forever giving Dee pecks on the cheek, or the lips? That's not the behaviour of a straight man, not even toward a close gay, or in Dee's case bi, friend.

More than that, if Ryo truly hated Dee kissing and pouncing on him, wouldn't he report him for sexual harassment and request a new partner? He hasn't, and Dee can't see it happening. Instead, he regularly invites Dee over for dinner even though they spend every working day together, and he wouldn't do that if he didn't enjoy Dee's company.

So that leaves Dee back at square one; Ryo's a puzzle to be solved, but he must be missing a few pieces because he's damned if he can figure his partner out.

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The End