PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE.

So, earlier I wrote another Detz one-shot. The feedback was . . . mixed. A lot of people said it was cute, but a lot of people commented things like "eww" and "are you thinking" and "I just don't know what to say" and "this is wrong." I've since deleted the ones that made me really uncomfortable, but I feel like I need to address it. I really don't care that some people didn't like it, I mean to each their own, but I do care why they didn't like it. I can't know for sure why anyone commented what they did, but it came off, to me at least, as pretty homophobic. If I'm misinterpreting this, I'm sorry, but on other (straight) ships, even if someone didn't like the ship, they didn't call it "wrong" or "disgusting," so it seems to me like that's the motivation behind the comments.

Yes, this is a gay ship. If that makes you uncomfortable, that's not my problem, and you can leave. No one is making you read this, and no one is making you comment telling people that you thought it was "disgusting." I think I posted the last one before I started putting ships in the titles, but I'm doing that now, so everyone knows exactly what to expect. If you don't want to read something with a gay ship, then don't.

I'm really, really sorry if I came off too strong or if this seems out of proportion, and I'm not trying to judge anyone or insult anyone, but it really made me uncomfortable reading comments like that. At first I wasn't sure if I should say anything, but it was really bothering me so I had to. Anyway, please enjoy this one-shot that AndPeggy_Schuyler requested. And as always, feel free to comment or PM me requests. Also, if you think I misinterpreted your or anyone else's comment, please, please let me know. Again, I'm coming to my own conclusions that could be totally incorrect.

"Hey."

Dex looked up, startled, to see Fitz standing in the door. "Oh. Hi," he replied, scrambling to clean up his desk. Fitz still stood in the doorway, fidgeting nervously. Dex noticed, and stopped organizing. "What's wrong?"

"Can I say something selfish?"

"Um, I guess."

Fitz half-smiled, but it quickly faded, and he went back to fidgeting. Finally he took a few steps closer. Dex stood up in response.

"I like you."

At first Dex didn't know how to respond. Surely this wasn't real . . . ? He cleared his throat. "How is that selfish?"

"Because I know you don't feel the same way. And now things are always going to be awkward between us. Eventually we'll probably drift apart. I've seen it happen before. I didn't have to do that to you, but I did. Because I wasn't strong enough to live with you not knowing. How is that not selfish?"

Dex wanted to correct him, wanted to tell him that it wasn't selfish, that he understood the need for them to know, that they wouldn't drift apart, but all he could say was, "Who said I didn't feel the same way?"

Fitz froze. He took a small, almost imperceptible step closer. Dex's breath caught in his throat. Fitz leaned in a little closer.

"Dex, honey!"

Fitz jumped away from Dex, sheepishly looking at his feet as Juline peeked her head through the door. "Oh, hi, Fitz." She smiled.

Fitz nodded at her and smiled slightly, not quite able to meet her eye.

She turned to Dex. "Sophie's here to see you."

"Okay, I'll see her in a second," Dex replied, his tone a little harsher than he intended. But he needed his mother to leave so he could talk to Fitz.

After she left, he finally turned to Fitz. He was already holding up his home crystal. "I . . . I think I should go . . ."

"Oh. Okay."

When he left, Dex felt empty, as if a part of him he had never realized existed was missing.