FAKE Fic: Never Say Never
Title: Never Say Never
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: Despite once saying this was something he never wanted to try, when the opportunity presented itself, Ryo couldn’t let it pass him by.
Word Count: 1414
Written For: Theme Prompt: #086 - Once In A Lifetime at fandomweekly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
“You wanna climb a mountain?” Dee stared at his lover as if he’d grown an extra head. “Are you outta your mind?”
“Well, we’re here, and a group of people are going. They asked if we’d like to join them, so I thought…” Ryo trailed off with a shrug. “Why not?”
“Weren’t you the one told me a couple years back that mountaineerin’ was the one thing you never wanted to try?”
“Yes, but that was then. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Dee, a chance to try something I’ve never done before. Besides, it’s only a small mountain, it’s not like I want to scale Everest, and these people know what they’re doing, they’ve been coming here for years. They know every inch of the rock face we’ll be climbing. We were talking last night on the terrace, after you dozed off, and it sounded… fun.”
“Fun? Now I know you’ve lost it!” Dee wasn’t afraid of heights any more than Ryo was, but still, clinging by his toes and fingertips to a sheer rock face for no other reason than to look at the view from the top before climbing back down again wasn’t his idea of a fun time, especially not on what was supposed to be a relaxing break from work.
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. It’s not like I accepted for you as well. If you want to join us, that’s fine, you’ll be welcome, but if not, no one’s going to mind.”
“Nice of you to give me a choice. Look babe, if this is about you hangin’ from that roof by your fingertips a few months back…”
Ryo cut him off. “It’s not. I won’t say that wasn’t scary, because it was, but the chances of something like that ever happening again are practically non-existent. It’s just, I don’t want to get back home and wind up regretting not even giving it a try. If I don’t do this now, I might never get another chance.”
“But what if you fall?” That was Dee’s main worry; even if Ryo was over that terrifying ordeal on the roof of an old tenement, when the guy they were chasing threw him over the edge, Dee wasn’t. He’d come close to losing his lover that day, and still had nightmares where he wasn’t able to pull Ryo to safety and had to watch helplessly as he fell to his death.
“I’m not going to fall; I’ll be roped to several very experienced people, so I’ll be fine. If you don’t want to climb with us, you can watch from below.”
“Yeah, think I’ll pass on that too.” Watching the man he loved with all his heart attempting something so dangerous would probably give him a heart attack.
“You’re okay with me going though, aren’t you?”
“Honestly? Not really, but I’m not gonna stop ya if it’s somethin’ ya really wanna do. Just please be careful, okay?”
“I will, I promise.”
“When d’you start out?”
“In about an hour; it’s quite a hike. You could come with us as far as the base of the mountain, wait there until we come down. The climb only takes a few hours.”
“Sure, okay, I can do that.” It would mean he’d know immediately if anything bad happened, and he’d be right there when Ryo came back down. Better than sitting around by himself at the hotel with no clue what was happening.
“We should get ready then; we don’t want to hold the others up.”
“Perish the thought,” Dee muttered under his breath. If Ryo heard him, he didn’t react.
Just under an hour later a group of ten people set out, the climbers, Ryo and Dee, and two others to help with the equipment. The hike itself was pleasant enough, the early fall air was fresh and invigorating, warm without being too hot, but as the mountain loomed closer Dee grew increasingly nervous.
“You sure you wanna go through with this? ‘Cause ya don’t have to.”
Ryo smiled. “I’m sure. Stop worrying!”
Like that was ever going to happen. Dee smiled wryly. “Would if I could, but when it comes to you... I’m always gonna worry, whether I want to or not.”
When they arrived at the mountain’s base, Dee stood back and watched as one of the other climbers helped Ryo get into a safety harness, double-checking every fastening, before clipping him securely to the ropes.
“Okay, you’re all set. Just remember what we told you.”
Nodding, Ryo turned to his lover. “See you when I get back!”
“I’ll be here. Just whatever ya do, don’t let go.”
“I won’t. Now stop fussing. I’ll be back before you know it.” Ryo kissed his lover goodbye and followed the others to the rock face, where the ascent was to begin. Three experienced climbers went up ahead of him, and another three followed behind, to keep a close eye on him and help him to find secure footholds.
Despite what he’d said earlier, Dee watched. He couldn’t help himself; it was impossible to look away. His heart was in his mouth every time it looked like Ryo might be in trouble, but gradually the figures creeping up the mountainside grew smaller and smaller until they were barely visible, small colorful smudges against the weathered grey rock.
Time had never passed more slowly. If Dee had still been a smoker, he would have gotten through a couple of packs easy. As it was, he ripped blades of grass to shreds and resisted the temptation to bite his fingernails the way he had when he was a kid, before Mother had put a stop to it. A dime for every day his nails remained unbitten, and a dime taken away for every time he chewed them. He’d eventually bought Mother a box of chocolates with some of the money as a thank you. After all her patience and encouragement, he was determined not to fall back into bad habits, regardless of whatever provocation he happened to be under at present.
The day wore on as he waited restlessly, trying unsuccessfully to distract himself. Slowly the sun made its way across the sky, until late in the afternoon, someone shouted, “Get ready; they just reached the final descent!”
Dee looked up, and there they were, inching their way downwards from one barely visible handhold to another. He said a silent prayer for Ryo to reach the bottom safely, and some thirty minutes later his lover was rappelling down the final stretch. The moment Ryo’s feet touched solid ground, his legs gave way and he fell on his butt, laughing breathlessly. Dee was beside him in seconds.
“You okay, babe?”
“I’m fine, just tired. My legs ache like crazy, and my hands don’t feel much better.”
“How was it?”
“Terrifying. Exhilarating. Exhausting. There’s a reason they tell you not to look down. It’s fine from the top of a skyscraper, but a different matter when you’re clinging to a vertical cliff.” He smiled wearily at his lover. “I’m glad I did it, but never again. I hurt in places I didn’t know I had, and I think my fingers might snap and fall off if I try to straighten them.”
Dee grinned. “Better let me help ya get this harness off then.” He set to work unfastening buckles and clips. “Want me to carry ya back to the hotel?”
Ryo chuckled. “Tempting, but I think I’ll walk, it’ll keep me from stiffening up. Just give me a little while to get some strength back in my legs. I’m wrung out.”
Although he felt the same way, Dee didn’t say anything; the last thing he wanted was to make Ryo feel guilty. All that mattered to him was that his baby was back on solid ground, safe and unharmed.
“Take all the time ya need.” Dee cracked open a bottle of water and handed it to his partner. “Here, ya look like you could use this.”
“Thanks.” Ryo took a sip. “I don’t regret doing it,” he mused, staring up at the rock face towering above them. “It was quite an adventure, and something I’ll remember for a long time, but I think in future I’d rather look at mountains than climb them.” He flexed cramped fingers and winced. “It’s easier on the fingers and toes.”
Opening a second water bottle, Dee bumped it lightly against Ryo’s. “I’ll drink to that.”
The End
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: Despite once saying this was something he never wanted to try, when the opportunity presented itself, Ryo couldn’t let it pass him by.
Word Count: 1414
Written For: Theme Prompt: #086 - Once In A Lifetime at fandomweekly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
“You wanna climb a mountain?” Dee stared at his lover as if he’d grown an extra head. “Are you outta your mind?”
“Well, we’re here, and a group of people are going. They asked if we’d like to join them, so I thought…” Ryo trailed off with a shrug. “Why not?”
“Weren’t you the one told me a couple years back that mountaineerin’ was the one thing you never wanted to try?”
“Yes, but that was then. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Dee, a chance to try something I’ve never done before. Besides, it’s only a small mountain, it’s not like I want to scale Everest, and these people know what they’re doing, they’ve been coming here for years. They know every inch of the rock face we’ll be climbing. We were talking last night on the terrace, after you dozed off, and it sounded… fun.”
“Fun? Now I know you’ve lost it!” Dee wasn’t afraid of heights any more than Ryo was, but still, clinging by his toes and fingertips to a sheer rock face for no other reason than to look at the view from the top before climbing back down again wasn’t his idea of a fun time, especially not on what was supposed to be a relaxing break from work.
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. It’s not like I accepted for you as well. If you want to join us, that’s fine, you’ll be welcome, but if not, no one’s going to mind.”
“Nice of you to give me a choice. Look babe, if this is about you hangin’ from that roof by your fingertips a few months back…”
Ryo cut him off. “It’s not. I won’t say that wasn’t scary, because it was, but the chances of something like that ever happening again are practically non-existent. It’s just, I don’t want to get back home and wind up regretting not even giving it a try. If I don’t do this now, I might never get another chance.”
“But what if you fall?” That was Dee’s main worry; even if Ryo was over that terrifying ordeal on the roof of an old tenement, when the guy they were chasing threw him over the edge, Dee wasn’t. He’d come close to losing his lover that day, and still had nightmares where he wasn’t able to pull Ryo to safety and had to watch helplessly as he fell to his death.
“I’m not going to fall; I’ll be roped to several very experienced people, so I’ll be fine. If you don’t want to climb with us, you can watch from below.”
“Yeah, think I’ll pass on that too.” Watching the man he loved with all his heart attempting something so dangerous would probably give him a heart attack.
“You’re okay with me going though, aren’t you?”
“Honestly? Not really, but I’m not gonna stop ya if it’s somethin’ ya really wanna do. Just please be careful, okay?”
“I will, I promise.”
“When d’you start out?”
“In about an hour; it’s quite a hike. You could come with us as far as the base of the mountain, wait there until we come down. The climb only takes a few hours.”
“Sure, okay, I can do that.” It would mean he’d know immediately if anything bad happened, and he’d be right there when Ryo came back down. Better than sitting around by himself at the hotel with no clue what was happening.
“We should get ready then; we don’t want to hold the others up.”
“Perish the thought,” Dee muttered under his breath. If Ryo heard him, he didn’t react.
Just under an hour later a group of ten people set out, the climbers, Ryo and Dee, and two others to help with the equipment. The hike itself was pleasant enough, the early fall air was fresh and invigorating, warm without being too hot, but as the mountain loomed closer Dee grew increasingly nervous.
“You sure you wanna go through with this? ‘Cause ya don’t have to.”
Ryo smiled. “I’m sure. Stop worrying!”
Like that was ever going to happen. Dee smiled wryly. “Would if I could, but when it comes to you... I’m always gonna worry, whether I want to or not.”
When they arrived at the mountain’s base, Dee stood back and watched as one of the other climbers helped Ryo get into a safety harness, double-checking every fastening, before clipping him securely to the ropes.
“Okay, you’re all set. Just remember what we told you.”
Nodding, Ryo turned to his lover. “See you when I get back!”
“I’ll be here. Just whatever ya do, don’t let go.”
“I won’t. Now stop fussing. I’ll be back before you know it.” Ryo kissed his lover goodbye and followed the others to the rock face, where the ascent was to begin. Three experienced climbers went up ahead of him, and another three followed behind, to keep a close eye on him and help him to find secure footholds.
Despite what he’d said earlier, Dee watched. He couldn’t help himself; it was impossible to look away. His heart was in his mouth every time it looked like Ryo might be in trouble, but gradually the figures creeping up the mountainside grew smaller and smaller until they were barely visible, small colorful smudges against the weathered grey rock.
Time had never passed more slowly. If Dee had still been a smoker, he would have gotten through a couple of packs easy. As it was, he ripped blades of grass to shreds and resisted the temptation to bite his fingernails the way he had when he was a kid, before Mother had put a stop to it. A dime for every day his nails remained unbitten, and a dime taken away for every time he chewed them. He’d eventually bought Mother a box of chocolates with some of the money as a thank you. After all her patience and encouragement, he was determined not to fall back into bad habits, regardless of whatever provocation he happened to be under at present.
The day wore on as he waited restlessly, trying unsuccessfully to distract himself. Slowly the sun made its way across the sky, until late in the afternoon, someone shouted, “Get ready; they just reached the final descent!”
Dee looked up, and there they were, inching their way downwards from one barely visible handhold to another. He said a silent prayer for Ryo to reach the bottom safely, and some thirty minutes later his lover was rappelling down the final stretch. The moment Ryo’s feet touched solid ground, his legs gave way and he fell on his butt, laughing breathlessly. Dee was beside him in seconds.
“You okay, babe?”
“I’m fine, just tired. My legs ache like crazy, and my hands don’t feel much better.”
“How was it?”
“Terrifying. Exhilarating. Exhausting. There’s a reason they tell you not to look down. It’s fine from the top of a skyscraper, but a different matter when you’re clinging to a vertical cliff.” He smiled wearily at his lover. “I’m glad I did it, but never again. I hurt in places I didn’t know I had, and I think my fingers might snap and fall off if I try to straighten them.”
Dee grinned. “Better let me help ya get this harness off then.” He set to work unfastening buckles and clips. “Want me to carry ya back to the hotel?”
Ryo chuckled. “Tempting, but I think I’ll walk, it’ll keep me from stiffening up. Just give me a little while to get some strength back in my legs. I’m wrung out.”
Although he felt the same way, Dee didn’t say anything; the last thing he wanted was to make Ryo feel guilty. All that mattered to him was that his baby was back on solid ground, safe and unharmed.
“Take all the time ya need.” Dee cracked open a bottle of water and handed it to his partner. “Here, ya look like you could use this.”
“Thanks.” Ryo took a sip. “I don’t regret doing it,” he mused, staring up at the rock face towering above them. “It was quite an adventure, and something I’ll remember for a long time, but I think in future I’d rather look at mountains than climb them.” He flexed cramped fingers and winced. “It’s easier on the fingers and toes.”
Opening a second water bottle, Dee bumped it lightly against Ryo’s. “I’ll drink to that.”
The End