FAKE Ficlet: Lending A Hand Or Two
Title: Lending A Hand Or Two
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Mother Maria Lane.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Mother ropes Dee in to help her with something while they talk.
Word Count: 703
Written For: Challenge 329: Hold at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
“Dee, be a dear and hold this for me, would you?” Mother looped the skein expertly around Dee’s obediently raised hands then settled back in her chair and began the process of winding the bright red yarn into a ball.
“This brings back memories.” Dee smiled across at the only mother he’d ever known. “You were always ropin’ me in for yarn duty when I was a kid.”
Mother smiled gently. “I had to. Sometimes it was the only way I could keep you in one place long enough for a chat. You were always off doing goodness knows what, so busy all the time.”
“That’s what bein’ a kid’s all about though, isn’t it? So much to learn about everything.”
“Yes, I suppose it is, but you’d race past me like a blur, and how was I supposed to keep an eye on you, find out if anything was bothering you, when you were never still long enough for me to ask?”
Dee laughed, delighted by the discovery. “So you used the excuse of needin’ an extra pair of hands to help with your yarn so you could check up on me?”
“Indeed I did, and it worked, didn’t it? We had some good talks while you helped me with my winding.”
“Yeah, we did.” Dee got a distant look in his eyes, remembering. Those had been special times, just the two of them and the skeins and balls of colourful yarn that mother would later knit up into sweaters, and hats, and scarves for the children in her care. She was always knitting something.
“Hold it a bit lower if you wouldn’t mind, dear. You’re quite a lot taller than you used to be.”
Dee lowered his hands a few inches. “Is that better?”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“So what’re you gonna make this time?”
“Bobby needs a new sweater. He fell and tore the elbow of the only one that fits him. He’s growing so fast, just the way you did at his age. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s as tall as you when he grows up!” Mother sounded almost wistful. “Anyway, I managed to darn the torn sleeve, but that’s only a temporary solution; a new sweater is essential; winter isn’t that far off.”
“You always made sure we all had warm sweaters for winter.” Dee could still remember every single one she’d made for him, and some were probably still being handed down to the younger kids. Nothing got thrown away if someone else could make use of it.
“And I always will, until these old hands can no longer hold the knitting needles, but that won’t be for a good few years yet.” Mother smiled at the boy who’d always been like a son to her. “I enjoy knitting; it’s very relaxing.”
“Doesn’t look it to me.”
“Well it is, you’ll just have to trust me on that. Everyone needs a hobby.” Mother studied her boy. “You should have one as well, especially considering how stressful your job must be.”
“I have hobbies. I like watchin’ sports, and I draw, and Ryo’s teachin’ me karate.” Which was fun for a whole bunch of reasons he would never mention to Mother, most of them involving groping his lover in interesting places.
“That’s good, I’m glad you have things you enjoy doing. No matter how important your work is, you still need to make time for other things. Working too hard is bad for you.”
“Maybe you could tell Ryo that. He’d work himself into the ground if I let him.”
“I’ll have a word next time you bring him to visit, but right now we’re talking about you.”
“There’s nothin’ for you to worry about, I promise. I’ve always got plenty of fun things to do, never have time to get bored. Only problem I have is fittin’ everything in. But you know what else I like doin’?”
“What’s that?”
“Sittin’ here talkin’ with you and holdin’ your yarn for you. I never let on back when I was a kid, but it always made me feel special that you trusted me to keep it from gettin’ all tangled up.”
Mother smiled softly. “I still do, my boy.”
The End
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Mother Maria Lane.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Mother ropes Dee in to help her with something while they talk.
Word Count: 703
Written For: Challenge 329: Hold at fan_flashworks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
“Dee, be a dear and hold this for me, would you?” Mother looped the skein expertly around Dee’s obediently raised hands then settled back in her chair and began the process of winding the bright red yarn into a ball.
“This brings back memories.” Dee smiled across at the only mother he’d ever known. “You were always ropin’ me in for yarn duty when I was a kid.”
Mother smiled gently. “I had to. Sometimes it was the only way I could keep you in one place long enough for a chat. You were always off doing goodness knows what, so busy all the time.”
“That’s what bein’ a kid’s all about though, isn’t it? So much to learn about everything.”
“Yes, I suppose it is, but you’d race past me like a blur, and how was I supposed to keep an eye on you, find out if anything was bothering you, when you were never still long enough for me to ask?”
Dee laughed, delighted by the discovery. “So you used the excuse of needin’ an extra pair of hands to help with your yarn so you could check up on me?”
“Indeed I did, and it worked, didn’t it? We had some good talks while you helped me with my winding.”
“Yeah, we did.” Dee got a distant look in his eyes, remembering. Those had been special times, just the two of them and the skeins and balls of colourful yarn that mother would later knit up into sweaters, and hats, and scarves for the children in her care. She was always knitting something.
“Hold it a bit lower if you wouldn’t mind, dear. You’re quite a lot taller than you used to be.”
Dee lowered his hands a few inches. “Is that better?”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“So what’re you gonna make this time?”
“Bobby needs a new sweater. He fell and tore the elbow of the only one that fits him. He’s growing so fast, just the way you did at his age. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s as tall as you when he grows up!” Mother sounded almost wistful. “Anyway, I managed to darn the torn sleeve, but that’s only a temporary solution; a new sweater is essential; winter isn’t that far off.”
“You always made sure we all had warm sweaters for winter.” Dee could still remember every single one she’d made for him, and some were probably still being handed down to the younger kids. Nothing got thrown away if someone else could make use of it.
“And I always will, until these old hands can no longer hold the knitting needles, but that won’t be for a good few years yet.” Mother smiled at the boy who’d always been like a son to her. “I enjoy knitting; it’s very relaxing.”
“Doesn’t look it to me.”
“Well it is, you’ll just have to trust me on that. Everyone needs a hobby.” Mother studied her boy. “You should have one as well, especially considering how stressful your job must be.”
“I have hobbies. I like watchin’ sports, and I draw, and Ryo’s teachin’ me karate.” Which was fun for a whole bunch of reasons he would never mention to Mother, most of them involving groping his lover in interesting places.
“That’s good, I’m glad you have things you enjoy doing. No matter how important your work is, you still need to make time for other things. Working too hard is bad for you.”
“Maybe you could tell Ryo that. He’d work himself into the ground if I let him.”
“I’ll have a word next time you bring him to visit, but right now we’re talking about you.”
“There’s nothin’ for you to worry about, I promise. I’ve always got plenty of fun things to do, never have time to get bored. Only problem I have is fittin’ everything in. But you know what else I like doin’?”
“What’s that?”
“Sittin’ here talkin’ with you and holdin’ your yarn for you. I never let on back when I was a kid, but it always made me feel special that you trusted me to keep it from gettin’ all tangled up.”
Mother smiled softly. “I still do, my boy.”
The End