Title: The Rolling Sea
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ryo, Dee.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: Ryo suggests taking to the ocean for a weekend getaway, but the trip ends up being a bit more eventful than expected.
Written For: The tw100 prompt ‘Weekend’
Word Count: 1043
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
“We’ve got a long weekend coming up, so I was thinking, maybe we could go away somewhere.”
Dee’s ears perked up at Ryo’s words. “Yeah? Sounds good to me. Where were you thinkin’? Upstate? Or flying somewhere?”
“Actually, I was thinking of maybe renting a boat, a small cabin cruiser. We could cruise up the coast, or down if you prefer. Doesn’t really matter which.” Ryo had been thinking about a vacation afloat ever since he and Dee had gone on a fishing trip while they were in the Caribbean the previous winter. “Weather reports look good.”
“A boat, huh?” Dee considered the possibilities; complete privacy, sex on the ocean wave, lounging on deck at night staring up at the stars… There was a definite appeal. “Yeah, count me in. A relaxing break is just what we need.”
“Great! I’ll see about renting a boat tomorrow.” Ryo looked so happy Dee was glad he’d agreed.
Friday dawned fine and they got up early, grabbing their bags and travelling by subway to the station nearest where their rental craft was moored, then walking the rest of the way.
Ryo had prior experience of piloting small cruisers, so once they’d stowed their gear and supplies, he took the helm with Dee standing beside him, learning the ropes, so to speak. Once out on the ocean they turned south, following the coastline at a leisurely pace, enjoying the fresh air, the wind in their hair, and the gentle rocking of the boat.
Their first day aboard was bliss, and that night they dropped anchor in a sheltered cove, took a dip in the cool water, then cooked dinner in the small galley and ate out on deck before making love beneath the stars. Dee hadn’t felt so relaxed in a long time and it was obvious that Ryo felt the same way.
Unfortunately for them, the blissful idyll didn’t last. Halfway through the following day, they had to turn around and head north again in order to get back to the city by Sunday evening, and barely an hour into their return trip they ran into a storm. The small cruiser was soon being tossed about like a cork on the heavy swell and they could barely see through the pouring rain as, soaked to the skin, they battled the helm, trying to steer through the howling wind and churning water without getting caught by the tide and run aground. They searched for their cove from the night before, or for any spot where they might be able to take refuge from the storm, but they couldn’t get in close enough to shore to make out much, not with any degree of safety. All they could do was keep the coast to their left and continue heading north in the hope that conditions would improve.
“I thought you said the weather was going to be fine!” Dee bellowed over the sound of the wind.
“That’s what the forecast said,” Ryo yelled back, “but I didn’t think to check conditions so far down the coast.”
“You might want to remember that if we ever try this again.”
Ryo spared his lover a brief glance. “Sorry.”
“Don’t sweat it. Just try not to get swept overboard.”
“You too.” They stopped trying to make themselves heard above the sound of wind and waves after that, too busy struggling to keep their small boat afloat until finally, after what seemed forever but was in reality probably only a couple of hours, the storm passed, heading inland. By the time the sun started to peek through the clouds again, evening was fast approaching. The turbulent sea gradually settled, and it was with a sense of relief that the two men spotted a small inlet they remembered passing earlier that day, on their way north. Exhausted and aching from battling the storm, they decided against trying to travel any further; it seemed wiser to drop anchor there for the night and set out again early the next morning for the last leg of their trip.
Slipping through the narrow channel between the headlands, Ryo threw a wry smile Dee’s way. “At least we’ve learned one thing from this weekend,” he said with a heartfelt sigh, gradually unclenching cramped fingers from the helm and turning off the engine before hitting the anchor release, the rattling of the chain an oddly reassuring sound after their ordeal.
“What’s that?” Dee asked, trying to wring his sodden shirt out.
“Neither of us gets seasick in bad weather.”
“Good thing too.” Dee grinned back. “That wouldn’t have helped matters. What say we do something a little more relaxing next time we have a couple of days off though?”
“Such as? I’m open to suggestions.”
“I don’t know, how about spending the day on the rollercoaster at Coney Island?”
Ryo stared at Dee, his eyebrows lost in the soaking wet hair plastered over half his face, then burst out laughing.
“What?” Dee asked, unable to hide his own grin. “After this, that would be a piece of cake. Speaking of cake, don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Battling heavy seas really works up an appetite.”
Now that Dee mentioned it, Ryo realised how hungry he was. The fresh sea air combined with hard work, no doubt. “Let’s get into dry clothes then see what’s left in the larder.”
Forty minutes later they were back up on deck, feeling much more comfortable, digging into a hastily prepared meal, amazed by how good everything tasted.
“I could get used to shipboard life,” Dee said, once he’d taken the edge off his appetite. “Maybe next time we can try going north, see what the coast’s like up that way.”
“Today’s adventures haven’t put you off?” Ryo was a little surprised, but pleased.
“Nope! We just had a bit of bad luck with the weather. It happens. ‘Sides, I think we handled things pretty well! We didn’t sink, run aground, get smashed into the rocks, or fall overboard. If we can get through a storm like that in one piece…” He shrugged.
Ryo smiled, sipping from one of the bottles of beer Dee had included in their supplies. Despite the weather, it looked like their weekend getaway had been a success.
The End