FAKE Ficlet: Not Dying Today
Title: Not Dying Today
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Leo Grant, Ryo, Dee
Rating: PG-15
Setting: Mainly Vol. 5 Act 14 and Vol. 3 Act 9, but with a tiny hint to Vol. 7 Act 19.
Summary: Leo knows he’s not going to die today. That’s too bad.
Word Count: 346
Written For: Challenge #92: Enemies at fan_flashworks
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: I was not supposed to be writing a third fill for this challenge. I’m supposed to be writing drabbles and working on some of my WiPs. But this happened instead.
To Leo, it had been just a job; one he and the boys had managed to royally screw up, it’s true, but still just one more job for the boss.
That’s not the way the kid sees it though. No, not a kid, not any more. He’s a cop now, sighting down the barrel of the gun he has aimed, albeit shakily, at one of the men who killed his parents and destroyed his world. To him, Leo Grant is the enemy: a criminal, a mob boss, and the source of the greatest grief and pain he’s known in his life.
Leo can see the desperation and rage in the other man’s eyes; the urge to kill is strong, but it’s already clear to Leo that he won’t be dying today. If he were the one holding the gun, he could take the man’s life without a second’s thought, but this young detective is no killer. He could do it self defence, or in the line of duty, but not like this; not in cold blood, facing an unarmed opponent, no matter how badly he wants to avenge his parents. Even with his soul screaming for Leo’s blood, he doesn’t have it in him to be so completely ruthless.
His partner though… he’s a different matter. Street punk made good, he’s got that edge, and right now the muzzle of his gun is pressed to the back of Leo’s head. He’s willing to do it, to kill Leo on his partner’s behalf and take the murder rap. That’s just beautiful. He really could do it. Still, despite being faced down by two armed cops with every reason in the world to kill him, Leo’s just going to get in his car and drive away, because one of them can’t kill him and the other chooses not to.
Leo has no choice but to go on living because one of the only two people in the world who has the undeniable right to take his life has too many scruples to do the deed.
How bitterly ironic.
The End