FAKE Ficlet: Engine Trouble
Title: Engine Trouble
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo, OC.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: While touring the south coast of England, Dee and Ryo’s rental car breaks down again.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 99: Hood at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Dee gingerly raised the hood, peered into the overheated engine compartment, and groaned. “Just as I thought; the fuckin’ fan belt’s busted. This rental car’s a piece of crap; first the gas gauge is faulty, now we’ve got a broken fan belt… Wasn’t for the fact we’d be wastin’ precious vacation time I’d take it back to the rental place at the airport.”
“Not that we can drive it right now anyway,” Ryo pointed out. “Not with the engine overheating and no fan belt. What’ve we got we could rig a temporary replacement out of?”
“Not a damn thing, unless you happen to have a stocking handy.”
Ryo quirked a smile at his lover and joked, “Sorry, didn’t think to pack my drag outfit.”
Despite his annoyance with the car, that made Dee chuckle. “Neither of us has the legs to be a drag queen,” he observed. “Too masculine, although yours are better than mine.”
“You think so?” Ryo studied his legs below the cuffs of his cargo shorts. “I’ve always thought my knees are too knobbly.”
“All knees are. Anyway, as fascinatin’ as this discussion is, it’s not really helpin’ with our problem.”
“I’ll get the map out, see how far it is to the nearest town.” Ryo ducked back inside the car and fetched the map book from under the passenger seat, where they kept it. He’d brought it when they’d arrived, although they’d agreed to use it only when they had to, relying mainly on road signs the rest of the time.
Leaving the hood up, Dee joined Ryo on the grass verge, and using the road signs at the junction just ahead, they managed to roughly pinpoint their position.
Looks like we’re only a few miles from a place called Corfe Castle. Anywhere big enough to have a castle must have a garage too, don’t you think?”
“Makes sense to me,” Dee agreed. “All we really need is a new fan belt anyhow. I can fit it myself. Guess we’ll have to leave the car here and walk though.”
Ryo frowned. “I’m not comfortable leaving it with the hood up, but that’s the only way the engine’s going to cool down.”
“Hadn’t thought of that. Maybe you’d best stay here while I walk to Corfe.”
“I suppose. You’d better take the map so you don’t get lost.”
Before they could make a move, a car pulled up alongside them. The driver stuck his head out the window. “Car trouble?”
“Busted fan belt,” Dee replied. “Stupid rental car.”
“Well, let’s see if I can’t help you on your way.” The driver climbed out. “Should have an old stocking in my toolkit; that’ll get you to the nearest garage. Your best bet’s to head into Swanage. Here you go.” He pulled a stocking from the toolkit in the trunk of his car and in minutes the makeshift fan belt was in place.
“Nice guy,” Dee said as their rescuer drove away.
“The British are really helpful,” Ryo agreed.
The End
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo, OC.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: While touring the south coast of England, Dee and Ryo’s rental car breaks down again.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 99: Hood at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Dee gingerly raised the hood, peered into the overheated engine compartment, and groaned. “Just as I thought; the fuckin’ fan belt’s busted. This rental car’s a piece of crap; first the gas gauge is faulty, now we’ve got a broken fan belt… Wasn’t for the fact we’d be wastin’ precious vacation time I’d take it back to the rental place at the airport.”
“Not that we can drive it right now anyway,” Ryo pointed out. “Not with the engine overheating and no fan belt. What’ve we got we could rig a temporary replacement out of?”
“Not a damn thing, unless you happen to have a stocking handy.”
Ryo quirked a smile at his lover and joked, “Sorry, didn’t think to pack my drag outfit.”
Despite his annoyance with the car, that made Dee chuckle. “Neither of us has the legs to be a drag queen,” he observed. “Too masculine, although yours are better than mine.”
“You think so?” Ryo studied his legs below the cuffs of his cargo shorts. “I’ve always thought my knees are too knobbly.”
“All knees are. Anyway, as fascinatin’ as this discussion is, it’s not really helpin’ with our problem.”
“I’ll get the map out, see how far it is to the nearest town.” Ryo ducked back inside the car and fetched the map book from under the passenger seat, where they kept it. He’d brought it when they’d arrived, although they’d agreed to use it only when they had to, relying mainly on road signs the rest of the time.
Leaving the hood up, Dee joined Ryo on the grass verge, and using the road signs at the junction just ahead, they managed to roughly pinpoint their position.
Looks like we’re only a few miles from a place called Corfe Castle. Anywhere big enough to have a castle must have a garage too, don’t you think?”
“Makes sense to me,” Dee agreed. “All we really need is a new fan belt anyhow. I can fit it myself. Guess we’ll have to leave the car here and walk though.”
Ryo frowned. “I’m not comfortable leaving it with the hood up, but that’s the only way the engine’s going to cool down.”
“Hadn’t thought of that. Maybe you’d best stay here while I walk to Corfe.”
“I suppose. You’d better take the map so you don’t get lost.”
Before they could make a move, a car pulled up alongside them. The driver stuck his head out the window. “Car trouble?”
“Busted fan belt,” Dee replied. “Stupid rental car.”
“Well, let’s see if I can’t help you on your way.” The driver climbed out. “Should have an old stocking in my toolkit; that’ll get you to the nearest garage. Your best bet’s to head into Swanage. Here you go.” He pulled a stocking from the toolkit in the trunk of his car and in minutes the makeshift fan belt was in place.
“Nice guy,” Dee said as their rescuer drove away.
“The British are really helpful,” Ryo agreed.
The End