Fake Fan Fiction ❯ FAKE in Love: Act XVI, Healing and Memory ❯ Chapter 4

Warnings and Disclaimers: Not Sanami Matoh, not making any money off this, and the story is set at the end of the last Act. Watch out for the lemony goodness kids and stop bitching about the length of time between updates. I have a life—somewhat.

 

 

Dee awoke to the smell of frying bacon, brewing coffee, and sizzling eggs. He smiled and curled up deeper beneath the blankets, enjoying the warm and comforting atmosphere that had filled the cabin overnight. He stretched, taking a long moment to just float lazily in bed, and then fished around on the floor until he came across a pair of pants.

“Morning,” Ryo said brightly when Dee stepped off the ladder.

Dee glanced at Ryo and couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. His lover was showered, dressed, and looked as if he had been up for hours. Dee's eyes slid to the little clock on the kitchen wall; ten o'clock--well, Ryo probably had been up for hours.

“Morning,” he answered with an amused smile.

“I almost forgot,” Ryo said and tilted his head to a little card on the counter. “Bikky's new cell phone number. We got him a pretty cheap one and a very limited number of minutes. If he can manage to behave himself for six months, I told him we'd talk about upgrades. He wants you to call him.”

“Well good morning to me indeed,” Dee said as he picked up his phone and dialed the number in. “This is just how I wanted to start my day. Hello, monkey boy…yeah, I know what time it is, same to you…uh-huh, I remember…Aren't you even going to ask how I am?...Fine, and how are you?...Yeah, sure…No, he made it up here alright, we've just been busy. What have you been up to?...Don't break anything…Yeah, that sounds good…Okay, have fun…I don't know Biks, later…I will be sure to tell your father that you're behaving yourself, I promise…Yeah, bye midget freak.”

Ryo shook his head and began dishing up breakfast, Dee's arms quickly wrapping around him. Dee lightly kissed Ryo's cheek and peered down at the plates he held.

“Looks good,” Dee said. “Your son is fine. It sounds like he and Carol are torturing her aunt into a short stay at a nuthouse.”

Ryo chuckled and pushed a plate at Dee's hand. Dee reluctantly released him and they headed to the little table. Dee dug into the food, a soft groan escaping him as he shoveled the food into his mouth.

“God you spoil me,” Dee moaned happily.

“That's the plan,” Ryo said and leaned across the table to give Dee a short kiss. “Spoil you so rotten no one else will ever want you.”

“I think you've managed it,” Dee said with a grin and then moaned as he took another bite. “You do know this is what I really missed you for, right?”

“You jackass.”

“Your jackass,” Dee corrected.

Ryo shook his head a little and smiled. He had missed this. He took a long drink of coffee and then glanced out at the snow.

“You feel like going out today?” Ryo asked.

Dee looked up from his mostly cleaned plate.

“Huh?”

Ryo turned to give him a small smile.

“There's someplace I want to take you.”

 

We are never letting Bikky do this…

The thought whipped through Dee Laytner's head as he coaxed the snowmobile into a faster speed, his partner easily maneuvering the trail in front of them. He'd never ridden one before, but he was fast learning the appeal. The thing handled reasonably well, it roared through the snow, and Ryo looked like a damn natural on the thing.

They had picked up their rides from Mr. Parks, the old man greeting Ryo with about the same number of words he had met Dee with. Ryo seemed surprised to get that much conversation out of him before Parks started going over some standard safety information. Then he was helping Dee to pick up the basic controls, handing them their helmets, and telling them to have a good time.

Dee dared to venture over a short jump positioned just off the trail and felt his stomach twist and jerk as he leapt up into the air. Nope, definitely never letting Bikky get a taste of this, they'd never hear the end of it.

Dee veered back onto the trail and allowed his eyes stray over Ryo's back. They were both dressed in heavy black coveralls against the cold and snow, but Dee could still see the soft arches and curves of Ryo's body. He loved Ryo so much.

Ryo started to slow down then, and then carefully led them off the well maintained trail. They began to break through fresh snow, slower now, Ryo looking around more to get his bearings. Dee started to follow his gaze, but there was little to tell him exactly where they were headed. The town was spread below them, a long rolling slope running down to it, the forest pooling silently around it. And they were still climbing up, moving higher.

Then Ryo was slowing further and signaling to Dee that he was pulling off to stop. Dee's eyes dropped back to the snowmobile controls and he managed to park reasonably straight next to Ryo. Dee was grinning when he pulled of his helmet and Ryo smiled back.

“I thought you'd get into that,” Ryo said, his cheeks slightly pink beneath the cold and the exertion.

“That was great,” Dee agreed and then glanced around. “But where are we?”

Ryo hung his helmet on the snowmobile's handle and stood up, a small sad smile on his face.

“Come on,” he said quietly.

The snow was deeper here, and Dee had to struggle a little despite the trail Ryo was breaking. He followed the brunette, a heavy silence falling between them, and then Ryo pushed free from the line of trees. Dee stepped out behind him, his eyes blinking as the sun flashed across the pure snow, a cemetery spreading before him. Dee's breath caught as he looked over the gravestones barely peeking up through the snow. But Ryo was moving again, cautiously picking a trail through the monuments towards a tall tree.

Dee followed his chest tight now, and his hands curling lightly into fists. At last Ryo stopped and knelt to gently brush some snow away from two shiny stones. He stood up and turned to Dee then, that same small sad smile in place and then shrugged a little.

“These are…these are my parent's graves,” Ryo said and his eyes dropped back to the gravestones. “I wanted to bring you here. I hadn't planned on all the snow, it didn't snow like this after we…buried…them.”

Dee pushed through the snow and wrapped his arm around Ryo's waist, Ryo's eyes closing lightly as he leaned into Dee.

“It's been a long time,” Ryo said quietly. “They loved coming here, they…they honeymooned in that cabin. They could only afford one night, but later, when they were…they bought it. They were always happiest here.”

Ryo's gloved hand closed loosely around Dee's coverall.

“I didn't want to come back here for a long time,” Ryo continued, his voice still low. “I couldn't take this place without them. It was just…”

He paused and closed his eyes a moment, a painful wave moving over his face.

“I didn't think I could ever be happy here again, without them, but then I thought of bringing you here and I…”

Ryo shook his head and bit his lip a moment.

“I wanted to come here with you. I wanted to bring you here.”

Dee's arm tightened and his hand rubbed soothing circles across Ryo's back.

“Thank you Ryo,” Dee breathed.

Ryo's eyes lifted to his, and Dee stared down as they flashed.

“I would have been proud to take you home to meet them,” Ryo said firmly. “I would have been proud to tell them about you.”

His eyes dropped back to the gravestones and his hand tightened against Dee again.

“And I'm very proud that they know that I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Dee answered and pulled Ryo tightly against him, his arms wrapping completely around the other man. “I love you Ryo.”

 

They were curled up in front of the fire, occasionally murmuring softly to each other or gently touching, but mostly just being together. Ryo sighed and lifted his head to lightly rub his chin against Dee's cheek, a small smile spreading across his face as he did.

“You really like this, don't you?” Dee said with a light chuckle, one hand rising to brush over the sand paper surface of his chin.

“It feels strange,” Ryo said and blushed slightly. “But…good.”

“I know that blush,” Dee said with a lecherous smile. “I saw it in the airport. What were you thinking?”

“You know what I was thinking,” Ryo mumbled and absently brushed his fingers over Dee's.

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Oh please,” Ryo said with a light snort. “You've been reading my mind since we first met.”

“It's true,” Dee said. “It's a talent of mine.”

“What a useful skill,” Ryo laughed.

“It's very useful,” Dee argued.

“Prove it,” Ryo challenged, his eyes sparking at Dee as he sat up straighter. “Tell me what I'm thinking now.”

Dee smiled and leaned closer. Green eyes filled Ryo's world and he felt that light warmth in his chest that seemed to fill him whenever Dee looked at him.

“You're thinking how much you love me,” Dee said.

“I'm always thinking about that,” Ryo answered and lightly pecked Dee's lips.

“Good answer,” Dee sighed. “You're thinking how handsome I am.”

Ryo snorted but gave Dee another quick kiss.

“You're thinking…”

Dee's hand moved to lightly rest on Ryo's neck, his thumb brushing back and forth slowly.

“How much you want to kiss me…”

A light blush fanned over Ryo's cheeks and Dee leaned forward for a soft brush of their lips. He stayed close, his eyes lidded and breath warm against Ryo's mouth when he spoke again.

“You're thinking that you want to spend the rest of your life with me.”

Dee's eyes lifted to meet Ryo's and Ryo blinked slowly. He nodded then, the movement small and sweet and Dee smiled. Ryo's arms slid up around him as Dee lowered his lover back to the couch, their bodies molding together as they held each other and stared silently into the fire.