Six Senses

"Passing the Time" is not in the
same arc as this installment .

Dee is the ultimate , earthy sensualist
of the manga . Does he have a past with
JJ ? Probably . Think of Drake as more
than a friend ? Maybe .

Like the way men smell ? Oh , yes.
I based his reactions on a conversation
with a gay man about other men .

Enjoy !


Moon







If anyone asked Dee to explain why he likes men , he probably
wouldn't answer directly . Instead , he'd make some half-assed
remark about bisexuals having the best of both worlds . Two for
tha price of one , batting for both teams , double your pleasure ...
After all , how do you explain what it is about a woman that turns
you on ? They're soft , and small , and they smell good...

Smell . That's what he likes about men , too , the way they smell .
The scent in a humid locker room full of sweaty guys . The rich smell
in your bedroom following an afternoon screw . Burying your face in a warm,
sweaty neck . Licking across a hard chest to a flat nipple to a musky
pit , oh yeah . Give him the scent of a man, any time .

Ryo fills his senses these days . The scent of his pillowcase , warm from
sleep . The smell of his shirts hanging in the closet . His skin under Dee's
palms , tongue, hands ; until he's drowning in it and can't breathe , can
never get enough . A whiff of aftershave , or shampoo , is all it takes , some days ,
to leave hin heavy , and aching , and dizzy all at once .

Ryo is by no means his first lover , and neither was JJ , but both have
shared his bed . Dee is not entirely sure JJ remembers , because he
has never mentioned it in all his years of fruitless chasing . It happened
only once . It was also the only time Dee can recall seeing JJ totally,
shit-faced drunk .

It was graduation , their last day at the academy , and tomorrow JJ
would return to California and they'd be 3,000 miles appart . Dee was
very drunk , and barely making decisions . JJ was not . And Dee remembers
being twenty three , and restless and horny , and tired of fighting off JJ's
advances . Of hating himself for tearing off his friend's clothes to
get to his unresisting body .

Remembers JJ sobbing as he penetrated him ; burying his face in
strawberry scented , silvery hair . Remembers JJ crying , " I love you "
as he climaxed .

Dee fled .

Remembered it all with appalling clarity five years later . He'd buried that
shaneful night in memory, successfully he thought . Yet when JJ saw him on
the firing range that day , instead of screaming accusations , he'd flung
his arms around Dee's neck and kissed him , right in front of Ryo .

The smell of strawberry scented shampoo filled Dee's senses again . Only
the burning spice of incense in the confessional later that night drove the
smell finally from his mind .

Thank God for Ted . Ted has always been numbingly unattractive to Dee .
He figures it's the red hair . The closest he came was during his leather
coat phase . Because damn , well worn leather sure was sexy , no
matter who was wearing it .

Dee was secretly glad when Ted lost his old jacket ; the replacement
couldn't compare . Sometimes , though , he thinks he gets a sniff of
it at work , and pauses to take a deep inhale ...Only to find JJ staring
curiously at him , until Dee huffs in disgust and stomps away .

Berkeley Rose , likewise , is about as appealing as a wet sock . A good
looking man , yes , but too arrogant and smug by far . Also too dominant .
Dee didn't like his partners as submissive as JJ , but he didn't want them more
butch than he was , either .

But goddamn , the fucker sure smelled good .

Like a box of godiva chocolates , fresh sheets in an expensive hotel , or
a day at a luxury men's spa . Dee , of course , has never had -or smelled-
any of these things , and likely never will . It's just that Berkeley smelled --
rich .

Not just money-rich , like JJ , or culture-rich , like Ryo . More like
Kennedy-rich ; generations of breeding and political maneuvering .
Of stepping on the little guy in the remorseless climb to the top . All
the things Dee despised .

And yet , sometimes a wave of Berkeley's scent as he passed through
the office would make Dee shiver all over . Make him imagine what it
would be like to be controlled by that kind of man , with that kind of
power .

Yeah , right .

And then there was Drake . Good old Drake ; steadfast and loyal as
an old mutt , his pal from their uniform days . Drake smelled just
like he did , of marlboros and coffee and screwed up relationships .
Drake never asked for more than he could give . Always accepted him no
matter how badly he fucked up . It almost seemed as if Drake had
been a part of the foursome growing up , but no , that had been Arnon ,
hadn't it ?

Not Drake . Drake , with the sad , beautiful , chocolate brown eyes . As easy
going and comfortable as an old pair of shoes . A favortie blanket . A
warm , open mouthed kiss...

But Drake hadn't heard the subtle come-on in Dee's tone that time ,
the one time before Ryo he'd tried to seduce his friend after a few beers .
Aw , you're too hairy , man ; you're not my type , Dee had brushed it
off , embarrased . Wouldn't do to screw up a friendship over
something as ridiculous as sex....