Kiss

Howdy.

First things First:
I do not own FAKE.
I am making no money
off this story.


Blessed be you who
rated the fic !

Last update for
a while, I have
to work the next
few nights.

Angst ahead.







Friday, April 15th , 7: 15 pm

"MS , huh ? " Dee said. He frowned, shaking his head. " Man , that sucks."

Drake had been invited over to Dee and Ryo's place to watch the
Yankee's home opening game . Currently the three friends were in
front of Dee's new wide screen TV . Drake sat in the recliner while
Dee and Ryo shared the futon couch .

It was a cool spring evening, a rare Friday off for all of them. JJ had been gone just over a day , and already Drake missed him terribly.

Tommorrow, Saturday, would have been his birthday party.

" I don't really know much about MS ," Ryo admitted. He cracked open
the top to his budweiser and took a swallow. " Other than what I've heard
about Richard Pryor and Montell Williams . "

" One of the nuns at the orphanage had it when I was a kid , " Dee explained. " She'd drop things, and just suddenly fall . It was pretty scary ."

" I understand it can be hereditary , too , " Ryo ventured cautiously, looking at Drake .

The blonde haired man shook his head . " I asked JJ about that when I called him today . It's not directly inhereited , but you can carry predisposing traits. JJ's been tested, he and his sister both. Neither one has it."

He frowned, staring at the TV without really watching it. "I wonder what he meant , when he said ' He doesn't want to see me ' ? "

" About his father , you mean ? " Ryo asked . Drake nodded ." I don't know the whole story , but I know he and his father aren't on good terms. JJ told me they haven't spoken in almost eight years. "

" When did he tell you that ? " Drake asked , surprised. He'd known JJ almost five years, and he'd only heard him mention his father in passing once or twice.

" After practice one day ," Ryo said. Dee was looking at hin strangely too ." What ? " Ryo shrugged . "We talk a lot after shooting. We've actually become pretty good friends,now that we're not fighting over you any more . "

Drake shook his head . " Great. You know more about my partner than I do."

" Well, he never said why they stopped talking , " Ryo went on . "I figured it was because he was gay ."

"Nope, " Dee replied , helping himself to the bowl of chips on the coffee table ." Not 'cos he's gay. 'Cos he's a cop."

" What ? ! " Drake exclaimed .

Dee nodded , munching, and swallowed. " JJ's dad's some big real estate tycoon out in California. He was furious when his son didn't follow in his footsteps but instead took on a - and I quote - 'Low paying, civil servant career ' ." He took a hit from Ryo's beer .

Drake scowled . "So I suppose he told you all this after range practice too, huh ?"

" Naw," Dee replied. " I've known since we went to the academy together. That's why JJ came all the way out to New York to train . Wanted to break ties with his father, and strike out on his own . He took his first job back home after graduation, though, hoping they could patch things up. When it didn't work out, he came back here for good."

Ryo smiled . " And to track you down, too "

Dee made a face ." Don' t remind me. It's only now I'm starting to be friends with him , too ."

Better friends than me, apparently, Drake frowned. Hell , he was JJ's partner, and he didn't know half this stuff. He wasn't sure what bothered him most ; that Dee had always known JJ better , or that he was so pissed off about it .

Drake watched the Yankees play the Twins, lost in thought , and had no idea who'd won by the end of the game.


Sunday April 17th 4:08 am


" Parker ," Drake said muzzily into his cell . It was God knows what time late Saturday night, or early Sunday morning, take your pick.No one called at this hour except to tell him to get his ass out on a call, or that someone had died.

" It's me ," JJ said quietly. " I'm really, really sorry to wake you up . I don't even know what time it is here anymore, let alone what time it is there ."

" S'okay , " Drake said, sitting up and fumbling for his bedside light. He scrubbed his eyes, the covers pooling in his lap, leaving him bare chested and messy haired . "You know you can call me anytime."

" Yeah , I know , " JJ said . He was quiet a moment . " Well , my dad died ."

"Oh , Bud , " Drake breathed, head in hand ." Oh man , I'm sorry JJ ; I 'm so sorry .God ,I wish I was there ."

" I wish you were too ," JJ answered softly . " But it's okay . "

" Hey , I' m supposed to be trying to make you feel better , not the other way around , " Drake replied, and JJ actually gave a sad little chuckle. A horrible thought struck him . " Oh man , did he , I mean, he
didn't die on your birthday , did he ?"

" No ," JJ said, and Drake sighed in relief . " It was just after midnight . The hospice nurse said ," he paused a moment to collect himself," it was his last gift to me ."

" Oh man , JJ ...."

" It was a really good day , though , " the younger man went on ." The nurses gave him morphine every three hours with this little dropper under his tongue , and he didn'tstruggle to breathe so hard. He'd been in this huge king sized bed , and today Mom , Laura and I all got in with him and just held him . I --I talked to him a lot , you know? The nurses said he could probably hear me ."

Drake nodded ." That's good , Bud ."

" I got to say a lot of things I hadn't said in a long time , even if he didn't get to say them back ." He drew in a long, wavering breath . Drake felt tears in his own eyes , but when JJ spoke again his voice was steady . " And then after a while he just slipped away . We bathed him after , the nurses helped us , and we changed his clothes . They just came, from the funeral home , with a car , and took him away . " His voice trailed off ."That was really hard on Mom. I didn't think she'd let them take him."

Drake swallowed audibly . " Jesus, that's rough ."

" Yeah , " JJ said . "Listen , I' m sorry to wake you up with all this . I just needed to hear your voice ."

" That's what I'm here for, partner , " Drake assured him . " I 'm here for you any time.What else can I do for you ? What else do you need ? "

JJ laughed shakily . " I could use my birthday present about now . "

"JJ , " Drake said honestly, "if I was there , you'd get the biggest damn birthday present in the world ."


Saturday, April 22nd , 2: 12 pm

Drake waited patiently at gate twelve in JFK airport , scanning the tired faces exiting the tunnel . Flight 742 had left LAX at just before six am California time. JJ had said he'd have a layover in Reno before continuing on to New York. He'd assured Drake a sky limo would be fine to take him home , but Drake had put his foot down and insisted on picking him up instead.

A slim form with a familiar mop of silvery hair finally trooped into view . JJ looked awful ; dark circles under dull blue eyes , hair a mess , his already thin face pale and haggard . A duffel slung over his shoulder and a t-shirt and faded jeans gave him the look of a kid running away from home . His eyes lit on Drake's face , and he gave a tired smile .

It was the most beautiful thing Drake had seen in over a week .

" Hello , Drake -senpai , " he croaked , voice rusty from lack of sleep .

" Hey , Bud ," Drake beamed , pulling him into a bear hug . JJ melted against him with a sigh , his head tucked under Drake's chin.

" Sorry ," JJ yawned into Drake's chest ." I know I stink . I haven't had a shower in a day and a half . " He made to pull away ; Drake just held him tighter .

" You smell just fine , " Drake said gruffly . He reached a hand up to cradle JJ 's head . He knew they were starting to attract curious stares . People were looking at them and shaking their heads , muttering under their breath . Drake just stared right back .

" Better get you home before you pass out on your feet ," he said, breaking the embrace at last . He hefted JJ's duffel and transfered it to his own shoulder . Slowly they made their way through the throng , navigating the crowded terminal to emerge in the bright day outside.

" Chief let you have a patrol car ?" JJ blinked in surprise . " Wow , I didn't know I rated that high . "

" Yep ," Drake grinned , going to the back to toss JJ's duffel inside . " State plates , city tags , I could've parked it inside the front doors if I'd wanted to."

They got in , and Drake started the ignition .

JJ smiled tiredly . " Have I told you lately that I love you , Drake ? "

Drake blushed , and pulled away from the curb . " Yeah , but it never hurts to remind me now and then ."


Drake, using JJ's spare key , had his belated birthday present waiting for him when they arrived at JJ's appartment. A huge bouquet of yellow roses , a specially burned CD and an enormous bag of hersey kisses.

JJ ' s face lit up as he scanned the titles Drake had written on the CD . " ' Kiss ' , by Prince ...' It's in his Kiss ' , by Cher , ' And then he kissed Me ' ....." He chuckled sleepily . " Well , I guess I got my kiss after all . "

" I ' ll have you know those were all legally downloaded too , " Drake assured him , leaning against the back of his couch with a grin .

JJ looked at him adoringly . " I really do love you, you know , " he said softly .

Drake looked away , suddenly awkward . " Yeah . well , it's the least I can do , partner . You've had a helluva week ."

JJ tried and failed to stiffle a huge yawn .

"Time to throw me out ," Drake said . " Get some sleep, and call me when you're concious again . We'll get some chow, and catch up --"

JJ stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Drake's neck before he could leave . Drake hugged him back gently .

" Thank you ," JJ whispered against his cheek , lips close to his ear . " For everything ."

His body was slim and pliant in Drake's arms and Drake realized JJ felt -- no, fit -- just like so many of the women he had held in the past . It had been a long time since he had had a woman in his arms, evidently, if his body's flushed response was any indication . Oh , Christ , Drake thought , this is so what I do not need right now .

JJ pulled back , and looked at him , and they were very , very close . Drake was ready for the first kiss , and the second . When he didn't stop the third, he felt the moist heat of a tongue slipping into his mouth .

For an instant he went rigid , heat exploding in him from head to toe . Without thinking he jerked his head away.

" Sorry , " JJ said with an embarrassed half -laugh , disengaging his arms . He used the pad of his thumb to wipe the moisture from Drake's mouth . " Blame it on the jet - lag . I never do know when to quit , do I ? "

" S ' okay , Bud ," Drake laughed , relieved to have some distance between their bodies again. " With you , I never know how to say ' No ' . "