FAKE Fic: Shovelling Snow
Title: Shovelling Snow
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Bikky
Rating: PG
Setting: Set after the end of Vol. 4.
Summary: Dee offers Bikky payment for doing a small job.
Word Count: 828
Written For:
lannamichaels’s prompt ‘Any, any, shoveling,’ at
fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Arriving home after a few days stuck at Carol’s aunts, waiting for the roads to be cleared after a major snowstorm had brought the city to a standstill, Bikky came face to face with his nemesis.
“What’re you doing here?”
“Good morning to you too! Nice to see ya made it home in one piece.” Dee smirked down at the boy. “Perfect timing, in fact, you’re just the person I wanted to see!”
Bikky looked at Dee suspiciously; the perv was acting way too happy to see him, it wasn’t natural, something fishy was going on.
“Can’t say the same.”
Dee ignored the muttered comment.
“Got a proposition for ya. How’d ya like to earn twenty bucks.”
Well, money was always good, but Bikky wasn’t stupid, no matter what some people thought.
“Depends. What would I have to do to earn it?”
“Nothing much, just dig my car out of the snow.”
“How long have you been here?”
“About as long as you were stuck at Carol’s. So, whaddya say? Want to make some easy money?”
That wasn’t good news. The perv better have kept his slimy paws off Ryo. Still, if digging his car out would get him out of here faster, it might be worthwhile. Snow plows had cleared the main roads, but the smaller side roads were still untouched. Outside the old brownstone that housed Ryo’s apartment, the cars belonging to the people living there were just a row of almost identical, pristine, snow-covered mounds.
“I get the money up front?”
“Half now, half when the job’s done.”
Laytner was smarter than he looked.
“So…” Bikky walked over to the living room window and looked down at the lumps under the snow. “Which one’s yours?” He looked up at Dee who’d moved to stand beside him.
Dee grinned. “No idea. I wasn’t payin’ that much attention to where I parked. Just wanted to get Ryo into bed as fast as possible. OW! Shit! What was that for, you little brat?”
Bikky had kicked him in the shin and stamped on his other foot, leaving him hopping from foot to foot, unsure which hurt most.
“What’d you do to Ryo, you creep?”
“What’re you on about? I brought him home and put him to bed; he’s got the flu that’s been goin’ around the precinct. I stayed to take care of him, got snowed in, and this is the thanks I get?”
“Oh.” Bikky looked slightly sheepish.
“Sheesh, I try to be nice and I get kicked by a pint-sized thug for my trouble.”
“Price has gone up. I want thirty.”
“No way! We agreed twenty!”
“That was when I thought I was only shovellin’ snow off one car. If I gotta part dig out a bunch of them until I find the right one, it’s gonna cost you extra.”
Hands on hips, Dee glared down at Bikky.
“Fine. You drive a hard bargain.”
“It’s a deal?”
“Deal, but you get ten now and the rest when my car’s completely cleared of snow.”
They shook on it, Dee handed over the down payment, and Bikky fetched Ryo’s snow shovel from the closet. He paused on his way to the door.
“Dee? Is Ryo okay?”
“Yeah, he’s a lot better than he was. He’s sleeping right now. Nothin’ to worry about, alright?”
Bikky nodded, pulled his coat back on, picked up the shovel and headed outside.
OoOoOoO
Shovelling snow wasn’t bad; there were far worse chores. He was making pretty good money too. He’d part uncovered three cars before he’d found Dee’s and then spent a quarter hour clearing the snow from off and around it. Just as he was finishing that, the owner of one of the part uncovered cars offered him ten bucks to finish what he’d started. Word got around, and before he knew it he had his pockets stuffed with money and was busy clearing the road, shovelling snow into a gigantic heap on the sidewalk where it wouldn’t be in the way of traffic. With all the shovelling, he’d soon warmed up and by the time the job was done, he was glowing from head to foot. Better still, he’d amassed almost a hundred bucks and that was without the twenty Dee still owed him! All in all, it was a pretty good morning’s work.
Job done and feeling very satisfied with himself, Bikky trooped back up the stairs to Ryo’s apartment.
“Okay, pay up,” he announced, letting himself in.
Dee pulled out his wallet, plucked out two tens and handed them over. “Good job, Biks. Thanks.” He reached for his coat.
“Yeah, sure. Does this mean you’re leaving now?”
“Nope! I just need to pick up groceries and some more medicine for Ryo, then I’ll be right back. See ya in a bit!” Dee’s smirk and wink as he headed for the door were positively evil.
‘Dammit!’ Bikky thought. ‘He’s like a cockroach! Looks like I’m never gonna get rid of him.’
The End