Title:
Finding One's Way
Author:
Daxemon
Fandom:
Fake
(yaoi)
Pairing/Characters:
Drake/JJ
Rating:
We'll see, for now it's okay for everyone
Warnings:
None
Disclaimer:
I don't own Fake, but if someone was willing to steal it for me, I
wouldn't mind. Otherwise it belongs to Ms. Matoh.
He just couldn't stop staring. Although, he was doing it surreptitiously and there was no chance of the other man noticing he was being observed, he still felt a thrill of possible discovery run up his spine.
Drake Parker, a Detective at New York's 27th Precinct, was hitting a time in his life where he was slowly coming to terms with some things about himself and the way he felt about someone that has been a part of his life for a long time.
Drake watched as his partner JJ, Jemmy James Adams, did crunches. They were both currently taking some time in the precinct gymnasium. With every upward movement JJ's T-shirt would bunch up and soon a good expanse of his abdomen was able to be seen, a very well toned abdomen. Drake was working a punching bag a few feet away from the gym mat where his partner lay and his eyes couldn't help but be drawn to JJ and when that T-shirt started making its way upward his eyes stopped moving away and just stayed locked in place.
He watched every contraction and undulation that JJ's body made as he rose forward, over and over and over again. Drake soon found himself panting from exertion and it wasn't from the fact that he was working out either, as a matter a fact he was so distracted the punches that he was dealing to the bag didn't have any force in them at all. Drake soon realized that there was a growing problem that he had better take care of or it would end up a very embarrassing situation….more so for him than anybody else.
He grabbed his towel and held it casually in front as he walked over to JJ.
"JJ?" no response "JJ?!" Still no response. That's when Drake noticed the white headphones in JJ's ears. He reached down and yanked one out so that JJ could hear him.
"Wha-?" JJ yelped. His eyes, which were closed in concentration, flew open at the feeling of having his workout so rudely interrupted. "Oh, Drake." JJ panted.
Hearing JJ say his name in that out of breath way, did not help Drake with his current dilemma, but just worsened it, considerably.
"I'm gonna beat it."
"What? We just got here. Is something the matter?" JJ asked with a frown forming on his face…and what a beautiful face.
"I just remembered something that I gotta do." Drake said and it sounded lame even to him.
"Do you need any help?" JJ asked as he began to stand.
"No not really…I….I –"Drake groped for something to say but was at a loss. "…- just haven't gotten any groceries and if I don't leave now the supermarket will close and I'm kinda sick of takeout." He blurted.
"Really….Why don't you come over to my place and I'll cook dinner for you? I can finally break in my new oven." JJ said with a hopeful look on his face.
Drake knew that he was in a spot. He could never say no to JJ, not since the day they were partnered, whenever he put on the hopeful pleading face.
"You don't have to JJ….I can just-" Drake tried to wiggle his way out of the invite.
"Come on." JJ whined and put his pleading face on full force. He knew it was Drakes weakness.
"Okay, fine y-you can cook dinner for me."
"YES!" JJ crowed in triumph.
"I hate the fact that you can do that to me."
"No you don't." JJ grinned as he sauntered off to the locker rooms with Drake in tow.
It was a little known secret and not even Dee knew, the fact that JJ could cook his ass off. Being the only boy among four girls, he learned along with his sisters how to fry, bake and simmer with the best of them. It was something he kept to himself for some reason, being as outgoing as he was Drake never understood why he didn't let on to everyone that he was an outstanding cook.
On the drive to JJ's, Drakes mind drifted to the reason behind the first time JJ ever cooked for him, which was about a little over two years after they had become partners, about four years ago? Drake had just been dealt a blow by a girlfriend that he was sure was the one, then she suddenly broke up with him. To this day Drake would never understand the reason she gave him but he soon will.
Flashback - Drake's apartment - 4 years ago
"I don't think we should be together anymore." Marissa said unable to look at Drake.
"What?" Drake questioned in a barely audible whisper, as he looked at Marissa sitting next to him on the couch.
Earlier in the day Marissa had given Drake a call and said that she needed to talk to him and that she would be coming over that night to see him. Drake knew something was wrong, but it never dawned on him that it may be the fact that Marissa was going to break up with him. Everything seemed to be going so well and then wham!
"You don't love me." Marissa said. "I can't…won't stay together with someone who I know cares for someone else. It's not fair to me and it's not fair to them. You." She finished as she finally looked up and pinned Drake with a look of such certainty as to her words that it made his heart skip a beat in his chest.
"What are you talking about? Of course I love you. Why would you think I don't love you?"
"First. This is the only time those words have ever left your lips. It's been, what almost a year and this is the first time you ever said you loved me….kind of…." Marissa said with a sad little laugh afterwards, that broke Drakes heart. "I love you and I've told you, but somehow you always find a way to change the subject or we'd end up in bed together, so you've never actually said it to me. It didn't bother me, because I thought that you needed time and I was more than willing to wait for you, but I soon came to realize that your heart already belonged to someone….even if you didn't."
Drake could see how much it was hurting her to say those words, but a part of him knew what she said held a ring of truth, but he wasn't ready to admit that to her or himself for that matter.
"Marissa, I don't know what you mean. Who do you think I gave my heart to?"
"You already know, you're just scared to admit it. Their very lucky, you're a great guy."
"I don- I don't want to break up with you. I don't understand…"
"I love you, but you need to find out what you really want, not what is expected of you. Follow your heart and be brave, you just may surprise yourself." By now tears were flowing freely down Marissa's face. "I have to go. Have a good life Drake. Goodbye."
End Flashback
After that Marissa left and that was the last time he ever saw her, she was also the last woman that he has dated for more than a couple months and most of the time his girlfriends are the ones to break up with him, citing that they felt that they were coming second best, whatever that meant.
"Drake? Hey Drake."
"Huh, what?" Drake stammered pulling himself out of his memories.
"I said are you okay, we're here." Said JJ trying to get Drakes attention.
"Oh." Drake mumbled as he stepped out of the passenger side of JJ's car.
"What were you thinking about?" JJ asked.
Drake gave JJ a somewhat sad smile and honestly replied. "I was thinking about the first time you ever did this, cooked for me."
It took JJ a minute to figure out what Drake meant, then it dawned on him.
"Oh, Marissa."
"Yeah. Marissa." Drake noticed that when JJ said Marissa's name a strange look flitted across his face, causing Drake to wonder what that was all about, it wasn't like JJ and Marissa knew each other very well. During the time that Drake dated her he knew of JJ only meeting her twice, so what was the look about.
"Sorry if this is bringing up bad memories for you?" JJ said apologetically, with a small grimace on his face, pulling Drake away from his train of thought.
"JJ you've cooked for me countless times. Just because this one time a bad memory pops up, doesn't mean anything. So what are you gonna make for me? I could eat a horse." Drake said as he slung his arm around JJ's shoulders and steered him towards the entry way to JJ's apartment building.
An hour later they were sitting at JJ's dining room table about to dig into two huge juicy steaks.
"JJ you've outdone yourself, these look unbelievable." Drake said as he picked up his silverware and started to devour his meal.
"Thanks. It may not be horse, but I think it's close enough."
Soon they fell into companionable silence as they enjoyed the meal, that is until JJ spoke.
"So Drake."
"Yeah , JJ?" Drake answered around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.
"When are you finally going to admit to yourself and me that we should be together? It's already been about what four or five years give or take. I thought you would have made up your mind by now? So what's the holdup?" JJ questioned holding Drakes gaze as he slowly popped a piece well-done steak into his mouth.
The look on Drakes face as he sat there frozen with a forkful of steak halfway to his mouth was ridiculously priceless. If the situation wasn't what it was, JJ would have found it to be beyond hysterical and would have laughed himself silly, but now was not the time for such things. JJ thought as he waited patiently for Drakes answer to his seemingly benign question.
A/N – Reviews would be much appreciated. I started this on a whim and it took off on its own. Boredom can be a great stimulus to writing…hopefully you'll enjoy and can't wait to see what happens between Drake and JJ.