Fake Fan Fiction ❯ FAKE in Love: Act XVI, Healing and Memory ❯ Chapter 6

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 jerked out of sleep as Ryo's cell phone rang, his partner shifting slightly next to him. Dee watched with a scowl as one of Ryo's hands slid out from under the blanket to blindly grope around next to them. The phone continued to blare and Dee finally growled low in his throat.

“For God's sake, Ryo,” Dee snapped and climbed over his partner to pick up the phone. “Hello?”

“Ryo?”

“No, hi Elena, it's Dee.”

“Dee! Hello Dee, how are you doing?”

“Alright,” Dee said around a big yawn. “Your nephew is refusing to wake up enough to answer his phone, but I'm managing.”

“That little brat,” she laughed. “He's normally up by now.”

“We were up late,” Dee said and shrugged, Elena able to feel the movement in his words even if she couldn't see it.

“I see,” she said. “Well poke him a little. I need to talk to him.”

Dee pressed the phone against his chest and took Elena's advice.

“Ryo, wake up. Your aunt's on the phone.”

“Tell her I'll call her back.”

“You're awake now, just talk to her.”

Ryo sat up and blearily wiped at his eyes. He yawned, his whole body arching with the act and Dee had to physically resist the urge to lean over and coax Ryo back into bed. He mutely held the phone out and Ryo gave him a sleepy smile in return.

“Hello?” he murmured.

“Why are you still sleeping?”

Ryo frowned and shook his head.

“Because I'm tired,” he said and yawned into the phone to prove it.

Dee chuckled and climbed out of bed, quickly pulling on his clothes against the chill of the cabin. He headed down the ladder to stoke the fire and have his morning cigarette. Ryo watched him go as he listened to Elena's usual greeting patter.

“You're calling very early,” Ryo said. “I'm assuming there's a point.”

“Bikky broke his leg.”

“What?!”

Ryo sat up ramrod straight in the bed, his fingers digging into the phone.

“Calm down,” Elena said. “Jesus Ryo, it's not like he's the first kid to ever break a bone.”

Ryo heard Dee's feet pounding over the floor and then the ladder creaked as his lover scrambled back up. Dee peered at him, a little anxiousness in the man's face and Ryo lowered the phone some.

“Bikky broke his leg,” he told Dee and then lifted the phone again. “Is he alright?”

“He's fine,” Elena assured him. “He was just being stupid and fell, that's all.”

Ryo wiped a hand down his face as clammy relief ran through him.

“Good,” he murmured. “Why didn't he call?”

“Welllll…” Elena said.

Ryo slumped back into the bed as Dee sat down next to him.

“What was he doing when he broke his leg?” Ryo asked tiredly.

Dee bit back on dark laughter and shook his head. Ryo rubbed at his temple and closed his eyes as the explanation began. Elena got as far as the bet about how far Bikky could rollerblade while hanging onto a car's bumper before Ryo shook his head.

“So in other words, he did something stupid, got hurt, and was afraid to call,” Ryo bit out. “Put him on the phone.”

Elena chuckled softly. “Well, I tried my best. Here he is.”

Ryo covered the receiver with his hand and relayed the situation to Dee. Dee grinned and shook his head again.

“What an idiot.”

“Hello?” Bikky said hesitantly.

“What were you thinking?” Ryo snapped.

“I'm sorry…”

“Not now,” Ryo said angrily. “Dammit, Bikky. Are you okay? Elena said you broke your leg, is it okay?”

“I'm sorry,” Bikky said again, sobbing now. “I didn't mean to.”

“Bikky,” Ryo's voice softened. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, but they put my leg in a cast.”

The words were coming in short hiccupping breaths that made Bikky sound much younger than he was. It made Ryo want to climb through the phone and be at his son's side.

“Why didn't you call me?”

“I'm sorry,” Bikky wailed again.

Dee was biting his tongue to keep from laughing and Ryo was on the verge of popping him in the back of the head.

“Give me the phone,” Dee managed.

Ryo shook his head.

“Bikky--”

“Give me the phone, give me the phone, give me the phone!”

“Dee!”

Dee pulled the cell away from Ryo, easily ignoring the worried scowl that passed over the brunette's face.

“Hey Biks.”

“Hi Dee,” Bikky sniffed.

“Which leg is it?” Dee asked, still grinning.

“The left one,” Bikky answered glumly.

“Great,” Dee said and the grin actually grew. “You know what this means, right?”

“What?” Bikky asked suspiciously.

“You're so grounded,” Dee said gleefully. “I'm thinking that you're stuck until they cut that cast off, and even then Ryo doesn't look like he's going to let this go so easily.”

“I'm not,” Ryo said loud enough for Bikky to hear.

Dee chuckled.

“He's not,” the dark haired man repeated. “You poor dumb monkey, you should have called us. You could have spared yourself a world of hurt.”

“I didn't…I meant that…Shit.”

“Yeah, deep shit,” Dee said. “You know better.”

“You're not mad about the leg?”

“Not really,” Dee answered lightly. “It'll heal. I'm pissed as hell that you thought you could handle this on your own. You broke your leg Bikky, you should have called us.”

“I know,” Bikky said, calmer now. “I'm sorry.”

“Good,” Dee said. “Here's your dad.”

He handed the phone back and Ryo sighed a little.

“Bikky?”

“Yeah Dad. I'm sorry. Really. I should have called you, I was just…I'm sorry. Look, it's no excuse and don't tell Dee, but I didn't want to, you know, make you have to come back. It's just a leg,” Bikky said. “Dee's right, it'll heal. I'll be fine, okay?”

Ryo blinked and his eyes glanced across Dee. Dee frowned slightly.

“What?”

Ryo shook his head. “Nothing. Bikky, put your aunt back on the phone. I love you and Dee loves you too.”

Dee smiled softly and didn't bother with any of the juvenile little barbs he and Bikky were so good at trading.

“Okay, I love you guys too.”

Ryo listened as the phone was passed over and Elena sighed into his ear.

“That's not something he just came up with,” she said quietly. “He's been arguing with me for the last hour about calling you. He really is worried about Dee.”

“He should have called,” Ryo said stubbornly. “Look, we'll be home in a few days, can you stay with him until then?”

Dee frowned in surprise and lightly tapped Ryo's shoulder. Ryo covered the phone and looked up.

“You don't want to go back today?” Dee asked.

“He'll be fine with Elena,” Ryo answered and then frowned at Dee. “Do you want to go back now?”

Dee paused and then grinned.

“No, I want a white Valentine's.”

Ryo chuckled and then spoke back into the phone.

“We'll be back this weekend,” Ryo said. “As long as Bikky's okay with that.”

“I'm sure he will be,” Elena said. “It'll be a couple of extra days before the wrath of god falls down on him. You okay with staying with me and Rick until this weekend?”

There was a slight pause and then Elena chuckled.

“Will a `hell yeah' suffice, Ryo?”

“Warn him he's not off the hook,” Ryo said lowly. “Thanks Aunt Elena.”

“It's a pleasure Ryo,” Elena said. “I love being the doting great aunt, and I'm sure that Dee could use you for a couple more days.”

“Aunt Elena...”

“Love you Ryo, and love to Dee.”

“We love you too, bye.”

“Good bye.”

Ryo hung up and slumped back in the bed.

“She's going to stay with him. God I can't believe he did that.”

He closed his eyes and lightly pressed his palms over them. Dee chuckled as he sidled up close and wrapped his arms around Ryo.

“I can,” Dee said simply. “When I was thirteen I sprained my ankle jumping over a garbage can and I hid out at Arnon's house for two weeks before Mother figured out where I was.”

“Oh dear god,” Ryo moaned. “He's just like you.”

A snort of indignation escaped Dee and he attacked, his lips covering Ryo's and silencing the short laughter that tried to escape the brown haired man. They kissed slowly and Dee sighed softly when he pulled back.

“We can go back now,” Dee offered quietly. “If you want. I'm fine. I get why he did what he did, he's an idiot, but he's our idiot and he was worried about me.”

Ryo stared at him and then leaned forward, his teeth lightly clamping around Dee's bottom lip before he lathed his tongue across it.

“I want my Valentine's Day,” Ryo growled against Dee's lips. “He's not going anywhere.”

“Especially not with a broken leg,” Dee added solemnly.

Ryo blinked and then snorted laughter which he quickly muffled against Dee's chin. He scraped against the stubble and sighed softly.

“You really need to shave.”

 

Dee stared at himself in the mirror, his green eyes sparking over his face curiously. He wiggled his jaw back and forth and sighed.

“Whelp,” he said with a final brush of his hand across the ragged whiskers. “Here we go.”

The razor scraped across his skin and Dee carefully shifted and tilted as he cleaned away the stiff shadow that ran across his face. The smell of the shaving cream filled the bathroom and Dee paused again and again to glance at himself in the mirror. It was an interesting experience. It had been a long time since he had let any kind of stubble really form on his chin and it was a little amusing to watch it steadily disappear.

Dee sighed and rinsed the razor as he took another long slow swipe.

This was it. This was the end of his mourning period, he decided. That's what this was, a ceremonial end of all of this indecision and dark contemplation. He'd made his choice, and he was going to live with it. That's what Ryo had said, and his partner had promised to be there, no matter what happened.

Dee smiled at his reflection and gave himself a roguish wink.

Wasn't that what he had been waiting for all along?

Dee chuckled and rinsed the razor again. Yes, he supposed that part of him had been afraid that he would lose Ryo on top of everything. Maybe that was why he had run. Maybe he had just wanted Ryo to follow him. Or maybe it was something completely different. He didn't know and he didn't care.

He wiped the last of the cream from his face and grinned into the mirror now, his hand again rising to brush over smooth skin.

No burn for Ryo tonight.

Dee sauntered out into the cabin's living room and glanced around, his eyes drifting over everything. They were leaving soon, and Dee realized that he was going to miss this place. He hoped Ryo would be willing to come up here again, they could even bring the monkey with them. Dee chuckled quietly and glanced outside.

No sign of the truck.

Ryo had headed into town to pick up some supplies and Dee had taken the opportunity to remove the pesky stubble. He planned on surprising Ryo with it when he returned. Dee sat down next to the window and boredly began to flip through one of Ryo's old books as he waited, his eyes flickering outside again and again.

He didn't really want to think anymore, at least, not right now. He knew that if he did he'd start thinking about alleys and dark nights and a kid that shouldn't have died. He knew he'd feel guilty about choosing to stop mourning the kid and he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop himself from spiraling back out of control. Dee blinked slowly and then forced himself to focus back on the book.

Ryo was right. He knew it. It was going to be with him for the rest of his life, a scar that most people wouldn't be able to ever see. Dee closed his eyes and sighed quietly.

“I'm sorry,” he murmured. “I'm sorry Tyrel. I'm sorry you died, and I'm sorry I don't know what else to do for you. I won't forget, ever. I'm sorry.”

He opened his eyes again and sighed softly. That was that.

God, was it ever that simple.

The sound of a motor filled the air and Dee peered back out the window. He grinned then and quickly sprinted into the kitchen. He stood with his back to the door, absently washing dishes as he heard Ryo enter.

“I'm back,” Ryo announced and Dee chuckled.

“Really?”

Ryo set a few bags down on the table, shaking his head slightly as he lightly brushed his fingers down Dee's back.

“What are you doing now?”

Dee shrugged.

“Oh nothing,” he said boredly and then turned around. “Just the usual.”

Ryo stared up at him, his lips parting slightly and Dee grinned happily. Then Ryo frowned and his hands rose to gently press against Dee's face.

“Oh, Dee,” he murmured.

“What?” Dee asked.

Ryo's fingers were cool and soft against his skin, and suddenly Dee felt a strange warmth beneath them. Ryo wiped slowly, the tears hot and wet against his fingers. Dee stepped back and scrubbed at his face, a small weak laugh escaping him.

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn't, I didn't even know.”

“Dee…”

“Dammit,” Dee muttered and then gave another shaky laugh. “That's not what I wanted to show you.”

Then Ryo's hands were pushing his aside and carefully framing his face. Dee leaned into the cool palms and allowed himself to be pulled down to meet Ryo's lips. They kissed slowly, Ryo's lips then gently tracing up over the tear tracks still hot on his cheeks. Dee's eyes closed as Ryo's thumbs lightly caressed across his skin and kept him still.

“I love you,” Ryo whispered against his skin.

Dee swallowed thickly and his hands moved to Ryo's waist. He sighed quietly as Ryo covered the rest of his face in kisses. He had made Ryo say that to him so much since his lover had joined him. He needed those words, over and over, more than ever before. He wanted them, he wanted to hear them as Ryo held him close.

Ryo's arms slid around him and soft lips pressed against his ear.

“I love you.”

Dee wept then, wrapped up in Ryo, standing in the middle of a little cabin far from home, Dee wept.

And knew he couldn't forget.

 

They were stretched out in bed, Dee absently petting at Ryo's side as night pooled around them. The fire crackled softly, filling the air with muted light and distant sound. Dee couldn't take his eyes off Ryo, his lover sleeping quietly in his arms, completely at ease next to him.

He'd been wrestling with his thoughts all evening, and Ryo had remained quiet and close through it all. Dee felt distracted by worry, part of him wondering if maybe he was wrong, if maybe he couldn't go back yet. Ryo shifted next to him and Dee carefully brushed back silken hair.

“Can you read my mind?” Dee whispered.

Ryo's eyes slid to bare cracks.

“Yes,” he answered softly.

“Then what am I thinking now,” Dee asked. “Tell me.”

“You already know,” Ryo said and shook his head a little. “It's okay if you need more time Dee. We can wait. You can stay or we can stay.”

“Bikky--”

“No,” Ryo said and shook his head. “Don't do that. Do you want to go back Dee? Are you ready to go back?”

Dee was silent for a long time and then he nodded, his face almost grave.

“I don't want to just keep waiting for it to stop hurting,” Dee murmured. “I can't just sit here and just…I want to go back to New York, and I want to stay with you and Bikky and I never want to even think about leaving you behind again.”

Dee's hand moved to caress Ryo's face, his eyes locked heavily with his lover's.

“That's what I want Ryo,” Dee whispered. “Tell me I can have that.”

Ryo nodded and inched closer, his head fitting perfectly beneath Dee's chin as he wrapped his arms around the dark haired man and held him close.

“I promise,” Ryo whispered.