If Tomorrow Never Comes

Sailor Vegeta

Rated PG for homosexual context

Song copywrite Garth Brooks

Disclaimer: Hannah Barbara owns the Swat Kats and If Tomorrow Never Comes belongs to Garth. I'd have a fortune if I owned either and I wouldn't be writing this.

Chance lay back on his bed, arms folded behind his head as he stared up at his ceiling. Music escaped his stereo on the other side of the room as he studied the ceiling's chipping plaster over his head in the dim light cast by the nightlight outside his window that hung above the garage door. He'd long since kicked the covers off onto the floor and was taking in what breeze possible from the outside that came in through the open window. He'd let Jake have the fan, which he could hear running on high in the next room. Idly, he wondered if Jake had gotten to sleep yet, a uncalled picture raising to his mind of Jake stretched out on his back, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts and an arm curled around his head. Chance couldn't help but smile at the little memory of seeing that. Soft music of a guitar suddenly filled the room, causing the tabby's ear to turn slightly towards the sound. The words of the song, sung by a well known country singer, followed the music. At hearing the first few words, Chance allowed himself to be drawn into the song.

Sometimes late at night

I lie awake and watch her sleeping

She's lost in peaceful dreams

So I turn out the light and lay there in the dark

Then a thought crosses my mind

If never wake up in the morning

Would she ever doubt the way I feel about her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes

Will she know how much I loved her

Did I try in every way

To show her everyday

That she's my only one

And if my time on earth were through

And she must face this world w/o me

As the love I gave her in the past

Gonna be enough to last

If tomorrow never comes

Cause I've lost loved ones in my life

Who never knew how much I loved them

Now I live with the regret that my feelings for them

Never were revealed

So I made a promise to myself

To say each day how much she means to me

And avoid that circumstance

Where's no second chance to tell her how I feel

Cause if tomorrow never comes

Will she know how much I loved her

Did I try in every way

To show her everyday

That she's my only one

And if my time on earth were through

And she must face this world w/o me

Is the love I gave her in the past

Gonna be enough to last

If tommorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love

Just what you're thinking of

If tomorrow never comes

Chance sat up and peered out the window to the starless sky. For months now, he'd had a crush on his best friend Yes, that's right. The one that was in the next room. And he hadn't told the smaller kat for fear of losing him forever. Jake was all he had left, since both his parents were gone and he was a single child, along with the fact that most of his parent's relatives were dead for as long as Chance could remember. The only person he knew that he even considered family other than Jake was Pops at the little book shop. And if the tabby lost Jake... He shook his head furiously. He didn't want to think about it. But he did need to tell Jake something. What if something happened on their next mission out and he didn't make it back? What would Jake think of him...? Would Jake know that he loved him, even if it had to be in a brotherly way?

The tabby flopped back onto the mattress, slightly discouraged and completely determined to forget about the thought. Some where in the back of his mind, he knew that Jake would know how he felt. As many times as they'd risked their own lives for each other, Chance especially for Jake, he had to know. But still, it bugged him greatly. So great, that he eventually got up and made way to the kitchen for a can of cold milk. After that, he subconsciously carried himself back up the stairs to stop at Jake's doorway and ease the door open, allowing himself to lean against the door frame and watch the sleeping kat inside. Jake was stretched out on his stomach, a single sheet covering his legs as he snored away, the fan turned on high and gently ruffling the carmel colored fur of the smaller tom. Chance grinned to himself. Jake shifted in his sleep, kicking the sheet off himself, now sprawled out on his back in a spread-eagle position with one leg and arm hanging off the edge of the bed. Chance's grin broadened, not noticing Jake's amber eyes opening to look up drowsily at him.

"Chance...?" the tabby couldn't help but feel a bit sheepish at being caught, "Something wrong, buddy?"

"No... I uh... didn't wake you, did I?" Chance rubbed the back of his neck as his green eyes met amber.

Jake shook his head as he sat up on his forearms, "No. This heat did... You sure you don't want the fan? You look like you need it."

And indeed Chance did. The tank that hugged his upper body was soaked with sweat and his boxers were also heavy with the moisture and barely clung to his hips. His fur was plastered down to his skin, allowing the muscles underneath to be revealed to the chocolate furred tomkat that was watching him from a few feet away. But the cream colored tabby shook his head in a negative reply.

"I can manage, little buddy. Don't worry about me."

Jake eyed him for a moment then shook his head with a sigh and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. With easy effort, he stood, pausing to stretch his arms over his head and give one of those cute cat-like yawns, complete with his tongue and toes curling. Chance had to force himself to look away, to look at something else. Like the many strategic ideas and plans for new gadgets that lined the walls and were piled on Jake's desk.

"Hey, wanna go for a swim?" Jake's voice suddenly caught the tabby's attention, causing his eyes to snap back to the smaller tom.

"Huh..?" Jake couldn't help but grin as he repeated his question.

"It's so hot out, I was wanting to know if you wanna go swim with me for a bit."

"Oh... ummm..." the sudden thought of both of them all wet and in nothing but swimming trunks would've sounded great to Chance, if only he knew if Jake and him were together. But they weren't, which made Jake off limits to poor Chance, which also meant that it wasn't really a good idea for him to go swimming with his little buddy. Even if it was an innocent swim between two best friends. A hand clamped down onto his shoulder, causing the tabby kat to almost jump out of his skin.

"Chance? If you still need help to swim, my offer still stands."

"No, it's alright, Jake," Chance flushed slightly at the idea, "I was just thinking about something, that's all."

Jake's practiced amber eyes studied the larger tom for a moment, his paw not leaving the broad shoulder of his friend. His head cocked slightly to the side and his eyes narrowed.

"It have anything to do with me?" he questioned softly.

Chance's flush deepened, though he shook his head furiously in the negative. But Jake gave him a look that said that he knew he was lying, causing the burlier kat to sigh in defeat and look away.

"Alright... You got me, Jake. You read me too well, buddy," this caused the lean, carmel kat to grin in response.

"I know. Now, wanna tell me about it?" said kat asked as he steered Chance out his bedroom and down the hall to the stairs, which lead to the kitchen, "Over a glass of milk, perhaps?"

A slight grin crossed over the tabby's face as he raised the half can of milk that was still in his hand, "I've already got mine."

"Oh, hush," Jake smacked Chance across the arm lightly, "We'll just get me some, then. How's that?"

"Sure, sure. Fine."

Soon, both tomkats were sat down side by side at the kitchen table, each with a can of milk in their paws. Chance was looking off at something other than his partner, who was watching him intently. When he looked back at the smaller kat, he found he couldn't look away from the deep amber eyes, the beginnings of a blush working it's way to his cheeks.

"Sooo..." Jake started, breaking the silence between them, "What were you thinking about?"

Now that Chance thought about it, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let Jake talk him into this... But since Jake already had him in here, there was no turning back. He had to tell him... or he could always lie then be quickly ratted out and have to tell him anyway... It looked like the tabby stripped tom didn't have much of a choice. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, determined to tell his best buddy everything, then his mind went blank. A startled look came across his face. He didn't know where to start! What was he supposed to say! A paw touched his own, drawing Chance back to reality.

"You alright, buddy?" Jake asked in concern.

He'd never seen Chance draw a blank line. In fact, he'd never seen him so bothered! Jake's mind prodded at him, telling him that Chance had been acting slightly off for the past several months. He'd go quiet around him at times. Then on the rare occasion, he'd get something special for him, like those tart salmon treats that Jake loved so much, which Chance couldn't even stand the smell of. Then on other rare times, the tabby'll'd hand over the remote to him when both a Scaredy Kat and LitterBin episode was on. And lately, as T-bone, he'd been even more protective then usual, telling Razor to be careful and always insisting on taking the first step in a room that was possibly booby trapped. And also, Chance had begun to pay less attention to the shekats that came to get their vehicles fixed, especially Callie. A couple days ago, Chance had even gotten up early and made him a batch of chocolate chip waffles and bacon for breakfast, breakfast in bed to be exact. It surprised the carmel kat that the larger tom would do that for him, especially when it was for no apparent reason. Then there was the fact that Chance could never seem to look at him anymore, and when he did, almost always a blush would cross his face.

As Jake began to put the strange doings of his friend together, he couldn't help but be a little surprised. Did Chance like him? As in like him like him? As far as Jake was concerned, he'd never thought that Chance would like toms like he did.

"I-I'm fine, Jake.." Chance was silent for a moment, his friend continuing to watch him, before he spoke up again, "Jake... I was thinking... What-what if, when we went out on another patrol..., what if I didn't come back...?"

Jake blinked, his ears tilting back as he gave Chance a confused look, "What?"

Chance stood up, rubbing the back of his head, and began to pace the kitchen floor, "Ya' see, I was listening to this song on the radio earlier and it got me thinking. What if I don't come back from one of our missions, how would you think I felt about you...?"

"Well..." Jake stopped to think for a second, "We obviously care a lot about each other. And we trust each other with our lives... I mean, being up there in the skies, we'd have to. But if something happened to you, Chance... I-I don't know what I'd do without you..."

Chance sat back down, reaching out and gripping Jake's wrists and making the smaller kat look up from where he was studying his milk can, "I know that, Jake. But how would you think I feel about you? Can you tell me that?"

His eyes betraying his steady gaze, Jake answered, "Chance... if you risk your life for mine, it obviously means to me that you care about me. We both know I can take care of myself in a fight, but you still try to protect me..."

"You're not giving me a straight answer, buddy," the tabby interrupted softly.

Jake finally sighed, eyes lowering before looking back to his friend again, "Honestly...? I-I don't know how you really feel about me..."

Chance's eyes saddened and he reached one paw out timidly to cup Jake's cheek, "I... I love you, Jake. And I couldn't live if something ever happened to you..."

Jake's amber eyes stared into the blue ones of his pal, and he lifted a paw to cover the one on his cheek. They were silent for a moment then the carmel furred tom spoke up, "Show me..."

"Huh..?" blue eyes widened in response.

"Show me you love me, Chance..." came the whispered reply, the smaller kat leaning forward slightly, "Kiss me.."

The cream-colored tabby leaned forward, a voice in the back of his mind screaming at him not to do it, that it could ruin their friendship forever. But Chance ignored it. If Jake wants a kiss, he thought, then a kiss is what he's gonna get. He stood, pulling the other with him as he released Jake's wrist and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling their bodies together. Still continuing to stare into the now half-closed eyes of his partner, Chance lowered his head slowly, giving Jake plenty of time to pull away, yet the kat didn't. Instead, he lifted his own head to meet Chance, sliding one arm up his broad chest and around his neck. Their lips met, and the burly tabby simply melted into the kiss. The other half of his mind practically danced in excitement with an exclamation of "FINALLY!" Jake wrapped both arms around his neck, returning the kiss passionately.

The kiss finally broke, both kats panting for breath, Chance resting his forehead against the top of Jake's head. The smaller feline purred deeply, leaning up against the strong body, his head resting on the broad chest. Several moments passed before either moved, each breathing in the other's scents, Jake burying his nose into the damp tank top that still clung to Chance's chest. Finally, they pulled away from each other, Chance peering down into the amber eyes of the smaller kat, one paw raising and gently sweeping through the fur along Jake's cheeks.

"Jake, I..."

A finger covered Chance's mouth, "Shhh... Don't say anything, love. Let's just go to bed."

A small smile came across the tabby's face as he allowed Jake to take him by the hand and lead him up the stairs to his bedroom where the fan was still going. Together, they climbed into the bed and Chance held Jake close to him where he cuddled into his chest, happy that Jake hadn't rejected him, and even happier that he knew how he felt. Sleep soon came to the pair of felines and they drifted off in a peaceful slumber.

Well, guys. What do ya think? This is my first SWAT fic I've done, so I'm hoping it's alright. Plz review!