FAKE Fic: Sunshine And Sunglasses
Title: Sunshine And Sunglasses
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1576
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: Dee and Ryo have one day off, not enough time to go far, but they’re determined to make the most of every moment.
Written For: Weekend Challenge Prompt: Sunny Days at 1_million_words, using Sunshine on my Shoulders, and Cheap Sunglasses.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
It was just a day off, one single day, Dee reminded himself, trying to stay grounded in reality. They weren’t on vacation, however much it might feel like they were right now, and tomorrow they’d be back at work, slaving away at their desks in their cramped, stuffy little office, or out pounding the sidewalks, solving crimes and arresting criminals…
The thought slid away from him, and he sighed contentedly. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t a vacation. What mattered was that they weren’t at work, and they had the whole of this blissfully hot, late summer day to do whatever they wanted, so why waste it by letting thoughts of work intrude? Although… It was difficult not to gloat over their colleagues’ misfortune.
“What was the sigh for?” Ryo asked from beside him as they strolled along at an unhurried pace.
“Just countin’ my blessings that we got today off, and not yesterday.” The weather had started out like this the previous day before a totally un-forecast thunderstorm had spoiled it, but that wasn’t going to happen today. The sky overhead was a clear, bright blue, not a single shred of cloud in sight. The perfect weather for a day of leisure.
Ryo chuckled. “That was quite a storm, wasn’t it?” The rain had come down so hard it had been like a solid sheet of water. They’d barely been able to see through their office window. “I’m glad we didn’t have to be out in it.”
“I saw Drake and JJ when they arrived back from… wherever. They looked like drowned rats, and JJ was mourning his cute outfit. I felt kinda bad for him, but he perked up again once he’d dried out.”
“What about Drake? Didn’t you feel bad for him?”
“Nah.” Dee turned his head to grin at his lover. “That boy is walkin’ on air these days. Nothin’ brings him down. He was laughin’, can ya believe it? Soaked to the skin, drippin’ all over the damn place, and laughin’ like it was the funniest thing ever. The old Drake would’a been mopin’ about for the rest of the day, convinced the whole world had it in for him.”
“JJ’s done him good.”
“They’ve done each other good,” Dee corrected his partner. “Same as we have.” He paused, setting down the basket he was carrying so he could stretch, feeling the delicious warmth of the sunshine on his shoulders and back. “Okay, that’s enough talk of work and other people. We oughta be thinkin’ about ourselves and what we wanna do with this perfect summer day.”
“I thought we already figured that out.” Ryo smiled lazily at his partner. “Isn’t that why we’re here?” He indicated the park, where hundreds of people were playing ballgames, lounging on the grass, dry again despite the previous day’s storm, or simply wandering along the paths. Going to the beach might have been better, but with half the population of New York probably having the same idea, they would have wasted hours stuck in traffic. Central Park was more readily accessible, and big enough that they could get away from the worst of the crowds if they were prepared to walk a bit further.
“We figured out where to go, but not what we were gonna do when we got here. We could take a boat out on the lake, hit the pool if it’s not too crowded, visit the amusement park, or the zoo…”
“Or just find a quiet spot away from the crowds and laze around in the sun. We’ve got everything we need for a picnic, and I don’t fancy lugging a cooler around the zoo, never mind taking it with us in a rowing boat. Besides, rowing would be too much effort in this heat.”
“Fair point,” Dee agreed. “So, pool or what?”
“Leave the pool as a possibility for later, if we still have the energy to walk that far. It’s a long way, especially when we’re carrying all this food and drink.” Ryo shifted the cooler to his other hand and adjusted the cheap sunglasses Dee had bought for him when he’d realised he’d left his at home.
“Those suit ya,” Dee grinned, and Ryo snorted.
“I’m just glad you didn’t get me a Kiss Me Quick hat to go with them.”
“Damn, I knew I was forgettin’ somethin’!”
“You’re such an ass! These make me look like I belong in a music video from the eighties.”
Dee laughed. “If it’ll make ya feel any better…” He took off his sunglasses, tucking them in their case, and replaced them with a cheap pair that matched Ryo’s. “Hey, these aren’t bad! Kinda tacky, but they work. Good camouflage too, maybe people will think we’re tourists and we won’t haveta deal with havin’ ‘em forever askin’ directions. Should’a got us a couple of ‘I Love New York’ t-shirts to wear when I bought the shades.”
“Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you.” Ryo switched the cooler to his other hand again.
“Gimme that.” Dee snagged the handle. “You take the basket instead. It’s lighter.”
“I can manage.”
“I know ya can, but you’ve been carryin’ that since we left the car. It’s only fair we trade off for a bit.” Dee hefted the cooler. “Which way?” He scanned the open expanse of grass before them.
“Let’s head for Turtle Pond, with any luck there should be fewer people around there.”
“Whatever ya say.” Dee started forward across the grass, in no hurry. A day like this, they could set their own pace. It sure beat chasing suspects, which was what they’d been doing the last time they were in the park a couple of months back… “Why don’t we come here more often? We only live a few miles away, but most of the time when we’re here it’s because of work.”
Ryo chuckled. “Most of the time, when we have a few days off, we prefer to get out of the city. We’re only here today because we don’t have enough time to go somewhere else.”
“I guess. Maybe we should make an effort to see more of the city we live in.”
“We see plenty of the city. Just not the fun parts.”
“That’s true enough. Mostly we go where the crimes are: Buildin’ sites, alleyways, rundown tenements, empty warehouses, wasteland…” Dee grinned. “There’s more to New York than all that though. There’s a bunch of smaller parks, the Statue of Liberty… You ever been there?”
“Once, with school, but that was a long time ago.”
“We should go sometime, play tourist in our own city. We already did the Empire State Buildin’ last year.”
“Let’s leave thinking about that for some other time; Lady Liberty’s not going anywhere. This is no time to be planning future excursions. We should be enjoying where we are right now.”
“Yeah, sorry. Gettin’ ahead of myself.”
“Makes a change,” Ryo teased. “You’re usually playing catch-up.”
“Funny guy. I just prefer to pace myself, like now. No rushin’, just takin’ our own sweet time to get wherever we’re goin’. I wish every day could be like this.” Dee sighed and shook his head. “Hard to believe summer’s gonna be over soon.”
“All the more reason to make the most of today.” They made their way across the park, pleased to find that the area near Turtle Pond was less crowded, and they were able to find a spot on the grass, away from other picnickers, and close enough to the trees that they could easily shift into the shade if they got too hot.
Dee set the cooler in a small patch of shade cast by a convenient bush, then helped Ryo spread out their picnic blanket.
“Is it too soon to eat?” he asked.
“Up to you. I’m not hungry yet.” They’d had a big breakfast, just because it was their day off and they had time to cook something more substantial. “I could do with a drink though.”
Digging two ice cold sodas out of the cooler, Dee handed one to Ryo and sprawled on the blanket beside his lover, twisting the cap off his own drink.
“Y’know, we could just forget to go home at the end of the day, stay right here and sleep beneath the stars. No one at work knows where we are.”
“I don’t think we could get away with it. They’d track our cell phones and send out a search party if we didn’t show up, thinking something must’ve happened to us.”
“Ah, it was just a thought.”
“Anything to get out of work. Anyone would think you didn’t enjoy your job.”
“I like my job just fine, most of the time. I just like this more.”
“Me too,” Ryo admitted, sipping his soda. “No more talk of work.”
Dee grinned, white teeth flashing in the sunlight. “I’m usually the one says that.”
“And now I’m saying it. For the rest of the day, all talk of work is off limits, let’s just be lazy and enjoy the sunshine.”
Draining his bottle, Dee set it beside the cooler and stretched out on his back, closing his eyes behind his sunglasses. “I can do that, I’m good at bein’ lazy.”
“I noticed,” Ryo teased, leaning over to give Dee a quick kiss before stretching out beside him.
Dee’s smile widened. They might only have the one day off, but it was pretty much perfect.
The End
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1576
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: Dee and Ryo have one day off, not enough time to go far, but they’re determined to make the most of every moment.
Written For: Weekend Challenge Prompt: Sunny Days at 1_million_words, using Sunshine on my Shoulders, and Cheap Sunglasses.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
It was just a day off, one single day, Dee reminded himself, trying to stay grounded in reality. They weren’t on vacation, however much it might feel like they were right now, and tomorrow they’d be back at work, slaving away at their desks in their cramped, stuffy little office, or out pounding the sidewalks, solving crimes and arresting criminals…
The thought slid away from him, and he sighed contentedly. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t a vacation. What mattered was that they weren’t at work, and they had the whole of this blissfully hot, late summer day to do whatever they wanted, so why waste it by letting thoughts of work intrude? Although… It was difficult not to gloat over their colleagues’ misfortune.
“What was the sigh for?” Ryo asked from beside him as they strolled along at an unhurried pace.
“Just countin’ my blessings that we got today off, and not yesterday.” The weather had started out like this the previous day before a totally un-forecast thunderstorm had spoiled it, but that wasn’t going to happen today. The sky overhead was a clear, bright blue, not a single shred of cloud in sight. The perfect weather for a day of leisure.
Ryo chuckled. “That was quite a storm, wasn’t it?” The rain had come down so hard it had been like a solid sheet of water. They’d barely been able to see through their office window. “I’m glad we didn’t have to be out in it.”
“I saw Drake and JJ when they arrived back from… wherever. They looked like drowned rats, and JJ was mourning his cute outfit. I felt kinda bad for him, but he perked up again once he’d dried out.”
“What about Drake? Didn’t you feel bad for him?”
“Nah.” Dee turned his head to grin at his lover. “That boy is walkin’ on air these days. Nothin’ brings him down. He was laughin’, can ya believe it? Soaked to the skin, drippin’ all over the damn place, and laughin’ like it was the funniest thing ever. The old Drake would’a been mopin’ about for the rest of the day, convinced the whole world had it in for him.”
“JJ’s done him good.”
“They’ve done each other good,” Dee corrected his partner. “Same as we have.” He paused, setting down the basket he was carrying so he could stretch, feeling the delicious warmth of the sunshine on his shoulders and back. “Okay, that’s enough talk of work and other people. We oughta be thinkin’ about ourselves and what we wanna do with this perfect summer day.”
“I thought we already figured that out.” Ryo smiled lazily at his partner. “Isn’t that why we’re here?” He indicated the park, where hundreds of people were playing ballgames, lounging on the grass, dry again despite the previous day’s storm, or simply wandering along the paths. Going to the beach might have been better, but with half the population of New York probably having the same idea, they would have wasted hours stuck in traffic. Central Park was more readily accessible, and big enough that they could get away from the worst of the crowds if they were prepared to walk a bit further.
“We figured out where to go, but not what we were gonna do when we got here. We could take a boat out on the lake, hit the pool if it’s not too crowded, visit the amusement park, or the zoo…”
“Or just find a quiet spot away from the crowds and laze around in the sun. We’ve got everything we need for a picnic, and I don’t fancy lugging a cooler around the zoo, never mind taking it with us in a rowing boat. Besides, rowing would be too much effort in this heat.”
“Fair point,” Dee agreed. “So, pool or what?”
“Leave the pool as a possibility for later, if we still have the energy to walk that far. It’s a long way, especially when we’re carrying all this food and drink.” Ryo shifted the cooler to his other hand and adjusted the cheap sunglasses Dee had bought for him when he’d realised he’d left his at home.
“Those suit ya,” Dee grinned, and Ryo snorted.
“I’m just glad you didn’t get me a Kiss Me Quick hat to go with them.”
“Damn, I knew I was forgettin’ somethin’!”
“You’re such an ass! These make me look like I belong in a music video from the eighties.”
Dee laughed. “If it’ll make ya feel any better…” He took off his sunglasses, tucking them in their case, and replaced them with a cheap pair that matched Ryo’s. “Hey, these aren’t bad! Kinda tacky, but they work. Good camouflage too, maybe people will think we’re tourists and we won’t haveta deal with havin’ ‘em forever askin’ directions. Should’a got us a couple of ‘I Love New York’ t-shirts to wear when I bought the shades.”
“Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you.” Ryo switched the cooler to his other hand again.
“Gimme that.” Dee snagged the handle. “You take the basket instead. It’s lighter.”
“I can manage.”
“I know ya can, but you’ve been carryin’ that since we left the car. It’s only fair we trade off for a bit.” Dee hefted the cooler. “Which way?” He scanned the open expanse of grass before them.
“Let’s head for Turtle Pond, with any luck there should be fewer people around there.”
“Whatever ya say.” Dee started forward across the grass, in no hurry. A day like this, they could set their own pace. It sure beat chasing suspects, which was what they’d been doing the last time they were in the park a couple of months back… “Why don’t we come here more often? We only live a few miles away, but most of the time when we’re here it’s because of work.”
Ryo chuckled. “Most of the time, when we have a few days off, we prefer to get out of the city. We’re only here today because we don’t have enough time to go somewhere else.”
“I guess. Maybe we should make an effort to see more of the city we live in.”
“We see plenty of the city. Just not the fun parts.”
“That’s true enough. Mostly we go where the crimes are: Buildin’ sites, alleyways, rundown tenements, empty warehouses, wasteland…” Dee grinned. “There’s more to New York than all that though. There’s a bunch of smaller parks, the Statue of Liberty… You ever been there?”
“Once, with school, but that was a long time ago.”
“We should go sometime, play tourist in our own city. We already did the Empire State Buildin’ last year.”
“Let’s leave thinking about that for some other time; Lady Liberty’s not going anywhere. This is no time to be planning future excursions. We should be enjoying where we are right now.”
“Yeah, sorry. Gettin’ ahead of myself.”
“Makes a change,” Ryo teased. “You’re usually playing catch-up.”
“Funny guy. I just prefer to pace myself, like now. No rushin’, just takin’ our own sweet time to get wherever we’re goin’. I wish every day could be like this.” Dee sighed and shook his head. “Hard to believe summer’s gonna be over soon.”
“All the more reason to make the most of today.” They made their way across the park, pleased to find that the area near Turtle Pond was less crowded, and they were able to find a spot on the grass, away from other picnickers, and close enough to the trees that they could easily shift into the shade if they got too hot.
Dee set the cooler in a small patch of shade cast by a convenient bush, then helped Ryo spread out their picnic blanket.
“Is it too soon to eat?” he asked.
“Up to you. I’m not hungry yet.” They’d had a big breakfast, just because it was their day off and they had time to cook something more substantial. “I could do with a drink though.”
Digging two ice cold sodas out of the cooler, Dee handed one to Ryo and sprawled on the blanket beside his lover, twisting the cap off his own drink.
“Y’know, we could just forget to go home at the end of the day, stay right here and sleep beneath the stars. No one at work knows where we are.”
“I don’t think we could get away with it. They’d track our cell phones and send out a search party if we didn’t show up, thinking something must’ve happened to us.”
“Ah, it was just a thought.”
“Anything to get out of work. Anyone would think you didn’t enjoy your job.”
“I like my job just fine, most of the time. I just like this more.”
“Me too,” Ryo admitted, sipping his soda. “No more talk of work.”
Dee grinned, white teeth flashing in the sunlight. “I’m usually the one says that.”
“And now I’m saying it. For the rest of the day, all talk of work is off limits, let’s just be lazy and enjoy the sunshine.”
Draining his bottle, Dee set it beside the cooler and stretched out on his back, closing his eyes behind his sunglasses. “I can do that, I’m good at bein’ lazy.”
“I noticed,” Ryo teased, leaning over to give Dee a quick kiss before stretching out beside him.
Dee’s smile widened. They might only have the one day off, but it was pretty much perfect.
The End