FAKE Fic: A Week Away
Title: A Week Away
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo, Dee, Bikky.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: Ryo has decided to take Bikky camping in the mountains. Dee is invited too, although he’s not very enthusiastic about the prospect.
Word Count: 1288
Written For: Theme Prompt: 099 - Roughing It at fandomweekly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Although he hadn’t even tried it yet, Dee had already decided he didn’t like camping, he liked his home comforts too much, all the benefits of a civilised life. Unfortunately for him, try as he might, he couldn’t dissuade his lover. Ryo was dead set on a camping trip; he and Bikky were going whether Dee wanted to tag along or not.
“I can’t believe you wanna spend a week roughin’ it in the back of beyond when we could book into a hotel with actual beds, room service, and indoor plumbin’. I thought you said you wanted to rest!”
“I want to relax, Dee; there’s a difference. And it’s hardly the back of beyond; I’ve booked us into a campsite, with all the amenities. There’s even a shower block and a laundry room.”
“So what? We’ll still be sleepin’ on the cold, hard ground in a tent, and probably cookin’ over a campfire. I don’t see what’s so relaxin’ about that. Sounds like a lot of unnecessary hard work to me.”
“Any cooking will be done on my camping stove, and we’ll have oil lamps and torches for light if we need them, although the site has electricity. If I was going on my own, I wouldn’t bother with a camping site at all, I’d just pick an area where camping’s allowed and get right back to nature, but I figured first time out I shouldn’t take the two of you too far out of your comfort zone.”
“Gee, thanks,” Dee grumbled sarcastically.
Ryo was starting to get a bit annoyed with his lover’s attitude. “If you feel like that about it you don’t have to come; Bikky and I can go on our own. I just thought it would be fun for the three of us to go somewhere together.”
“Oh sure, I’m gonna spend my vacation home alone while you and the brat are off doin’ the bondin’ thing.” Even camping would be better than being left behind.
“Well if you’re coming, you’d better stop complaining and hurry it up. Bikky’s waiting in the car; we just need to throw your bags in the trunk and then we can get on the road. I want to beat the rush hour traffic. Did you pack all the things I told you to?”
“Yep, I got the jeans and the sturdy hikin’ boots, sunscreen and sunglasses, and a jacket in case of rain.”
“Did you remember a sweater and something to wear at night? It can get chilly in the mountains at this time of year.”
“Yes, mom, I’ve got sweatpants, a long-sleeved tee, and a sweater. Extra socks too, in case of cold feet. Everything’s in my bags. You wanna check?”
“No, I’ll take your word for it.”
Dee handed Ryo a carrier bag. “Here, you take this one; it’s snacks and stuff for the journey, the kinds of foods that’ll keep. I just gotta go get my gun.”
Ryo balked, grabbing for Dee’s arm to stop him. “Oh no, no way, you absolutely do not need that!”
“But we’re goin’ into the mountains! Didn’t you ever see Deliverance? There could be all kinds of backwoods folks out there. I gotta protect you and the brat!” Surely Ryo could understand that!
Apparently not.
“Don’t be an idiot! For one thing, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and so is Bikky. For another… campsite! We’ll be surrounded by other families, a lot of them with kids. You’re not taking your gun and that’s final!”
“What if we get attacked by a snake? Or a bear?”
“There aren’t any bears in the area we’re going to, and as long as we take sensible precautions we won’t have to worry about snakes; they prefer to avoid people. Besides, it’s not hunting season and even if it was, you don’t have a hunting licence. You start shooting at things you’ll find yourself behind bars so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
“But…” That was as far as Dee got.
“No!”
“You’re seriously draggin’ me into the wilderness without any protection? This sucks!”
“Leave the gun. There’ll be a park Ranger on hand in the unlikely case of any problems with wildlife, but as long as we follow the campsite rules we’ll be fine.”
“Sure about that, are ya?” Dee wasn’t convinced. He was a city boy; the mountains were alien territory to him, full of unknown dangers.
“Yes, now come on! If we get stuck for hours in the Lincoln Tunnel, I’m blaming you.”
Grumbling under his breath, Dee hoisted his bags and followed Ryo out the door. “Have it your way. You always do.” That wasn’t true, but Dee was in no mood to be gracious. Ryo was usually so careful, but now he was refusing to take the most basic precautions for their trip into the unknown. “If this trip turns into a disaster, I’m blamin’ you.”
“For the last time, Dee, it won’t! Now stop being the voice of doom and cheer up! We’re going on vacation; it’s supposed to be fun.”
There were plenty of things Dee could have said about camping and fun being mutually exclusive, but he wisely kept his mouth shut, not wanting to annoy Ryo further.
At least the drive went smoothly, the two of them taking turns behind the wheel, trading off every hour or so. In the backseat, Bikky was engrossed in the scenery while listening to his MP3 player and barely said a word except to ask when they’d be stopping for lunch. Their destination in the Adirondacks was only about a four-and-a-half-hour drive, and since they’d left so early Ryo figured lunch could wait until they reached the campsite.
“There are snacks in the bag if you’re that hungry,” he told his foster son, and after that the only sounds from the backseat were the rustle of a bag of chips, and loud crunching.
The campsite itself was a lot less primitive than Dee had been expecting, with plots laid out for campers, and sturdy buildings containing bathroom facilities and the promised laundromat. There was also a Ranger’s station and a modest café that served sandwiches and hot meals. The nearest small town was only a little over twelve miles away, a good place to buy supplies or have dinner in one of the restaurants or bars.
There were only maybe four or five plots already occupied so Ryo picked a spot well away from the other campers to set up their own pair of tents, a big one for himself and Dee, and a smaller one so Bikky could have the privacy a fourteen-year-old boy needed. Bikky and Dee tried to help, although they got in the way more than anything, neither of them having any idea what they were doing, but at last the tents were up and the sleeping bags installed. Most of their luggage remained in the car, which was parked beside their tents, safe from snakes and the possibility of marauding raccoons.
“Y’know, maybe this won’t be so bad after all,” Dee said, settling onto the bench of a nearby picnic table and leaning back with his elbows on the tabletop. “It’s pretty out here.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Ryo sat down astride the bench, facing his partner, one elbow on the table, chin on his hand, a fond smile curving his lips. “And if you find the sleeping bags too uncomfortable you can always sleep in the car.”
“No way.” Dee shook his head. “You said it gets cold out here at night. Two sharin’ a sleepin’ bag is way cosier than one. We can keep each other warm.”
Ryo smirked. “I knew you’d say that.”
The End
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo, Dee, Bikky.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: Ryo has decided to take Bikky camping in the mountains. Dee is invited too, although he’s not very enthusiastic about the prospect.
Word Count: 1288
Written For: Theme Prompt: 099 - Roughing It at fandomweekly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Although he hadn’t even tried it yet, Dee had already decided he didn’t like camping, he liked his home comforts too much, all the benefits of a civilised life. Unfortunately for him, try as he might, he couldn’t dissuade his lover. Ryo was dead set on a camping trip; he and Bikky were going whether Dee wanted to tag along or not.
“I can’t believe you wanna spend a week roughin’ it in the back of beyond when we could book into a hotel with actual beds, room service, and indoor plumbin’. I thought you said you wanted to rest!”
“I want to relax, Dee; there’s a difference. And it’s hardly the back of beyond; I’ve booked us into a campsite, with all the amenities. There’s even a shower block and a laundry room.”
“So what? We’ll still be sleepin’ on the cold, hard ground in a tent, and probably cookin’ over a campfire. I don’t see what’s so relaxin’ about that. Sounds like a lot of unnecessary hard work to me.”
“Any cooking will be done on my camping stove, and we’ll have oil lamps and torches for light if we need them, although the site has electricity. If I was going on my own, I wouldn’t bother with a camping site at all, I’d just pick an area where camping’s allowed and get right back to nature, but I figured first time out I shouldn’t take the two of you too far out of your comfort zone.”
“Gee, thanks,” Dee grumbled sarcastically.
Ryo was starting to get a bit annoyed with his lover’s attitude. “If you feel like that about it you don’t have to come; Bikky and I can go on our own. I just thought it would be fun for the three of us to go somewhere together.”
“Oh sure, I’m gonna spend my vacation home alone while you and the brat are off doin’ the bondin’ thing.” Even camping would be better than being left behind.
“Well if you’re coming, you’d better stop complaining and hurry it up. Bikky’s waiting in the car; we just need to throw your bags in the trunk and then we can get on the road. I want to beat the rush hour traffic. Did you pack all the things I told you to?”
“Yep, I got the jeans and the sturdy hikin’ boots, sunscreen and sunglasses, and a jacket in case of rain.”
“Did you remember a sweater and something to wear at night? It can get chilly in the mountains at this time of year.”
“Yes, mom, I’ve got sweatpants, a long-sleeved tee, and a sweater. Extra socks too, in case of cold feet. Everything’s in my bags. You wanna check?”
“No, I’ll take your word for it.”
Dee handed Ryo a carrier bag. “Here, you take this one; it’s snacks and stuff for the journey, the kinds of foods that’ll keep. I just gotta go get my gun.”
Ryo balked, grabbing for Dee’s arm to stop him. “Oh no, no way, you absolutely do not need that!”
“But we’re goin’ into the mountains! Didn’t you ever see Deliverance? There could be all kinds of backwoods folks out there. I gotta protect you and the brat!” Surely Ryo could understand that!
Apparently not.
“Don’t be an idiot! For one thing, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and so is Bikky. For another… campsite! We’ll be surrounded by other families, a lot of them with kids. You’re not taking your gun and that’s final!”
“What if we get attacked by a snake? Or a bear?”
“There aren’t any bears in the area we’re going to, and as long as we take sensible precautions we won’t have to worry about snakes; they prefer to avoid people. Besides, it’s not hunting season and even if it was, you don’t have a hunting licence. You start shooting at things you’ll find yourself behind bars so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
“But…” That was as far as Dee got.
“No!”
“You’re seriously draggin’ me into the wilderness without any protection? This sucks!”
“Leave the gun. There’ll be a park Ranger on hand in the unlikely case of any problems with wildlife, but as long as we follow the campsite rules we’ll be fine.”
“Sure about that, are ya?” Dee wasn’t convinced. He was a city boy; the mountains were alien territory to him, full of unknown dangers.
“Yes, now come on! If we get stuck for hours in the Lincoln Tunnel, I’m blaming you.”
Grumbling under his breath, Dee hoisted his bags and followed Ryo out the door. “Have it your way. You always do.” That wasn’t true, but Dee was in no mood to be gracious. Ryo was usually so careful, but now he was refusing to take the most basic precautions for their trip into the unknown. “If this trip turns into a disaster, I’m blamin’ you.”
“For the last time, Dee, it won’t! Now stop being the voice of doom and cheer up! We’re going on vacation; it’s supposed to be fun.”
There were plenty of things Dee could have said about camping and fun being mutually exclusive, but he wisely kept his mouth shut, not wanting to annoy Ryo further.
At least the drive went smoothly, the two of them taking turns behind the wheel, trading off every hour or so. In the backseat, Bikky was engrossed in the scenery while listening to his MP3 player and barely said a word except to ask when they’d be stopping for lunch. Their destination in the Adirondacks was only about a four-and-a-half-hour drive, and since they’d left so early Ryo figured lunch could wait until they reached the campsite.
“There are snacks in the bag if you’re that hungry,” he told his foster son, and after that the only sounds from the backseat were the rustle of a bag of chips, and loud crunching.
The campsite itself was a lot less primitive than Dee had been expecting, with plots laid out for campers, and sturdy buildings containing bathroom facilities and the promised laundromat. There was also a Ranger’s station and a modest café that served sandwiches and hot meals. The nearest small town was only a little over twelve miles away, a good place to buy supplies or have dinner in one of the restaurants or bars.
There were only maybe four or five plots already occupied so Ryo picked a spot well away from the other campers to set up their own pair of tents, a big one for himself and Dee, and a smaller one so Bikky could have the privacy a fourteen-year-old boy needed. Bikky and Dee tried to help, although they got in the way more than anything, neither of them having any idea what they were doing, but at last the tents were up and the sleeping bags installed. Most of their luggage remained in the car, which was parked beside their tents, safe from snakes and the possibility of marauding raccoons.
“Y’know, maybe this won’t be so bad after all,” Dee said, settling onto the bench of a nearby picnic table and leaning back with his elbows on the tabletop. “It’s pretty out here.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” Ryo sat down astride the bench, facing his partner, one elbow on the table, chin on his hand, a fond smile curving his lips. “And if you find the sleeping bags too uncomfortable you can always sleep in the car.”
“No way.” Dee shook his head. “You said it gets cold out here at night. Two sharin’ a sleepin’ bag is way cosier than one. We can keep each other warm.”
Ryo smirked. “I knew you’d say that.”
The End