FAKE Ficlet: Losers And Winners
Title: Losers And Winners
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Bikky, Ryo
Rating: G
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: Dee’s team is losing. Again.
Word Count: 450
Written For: juliet316’s prompt ‘Author's choice, author's choice, loyal to one's team in good times and bad,’ at
fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Dee stared grimly at the TV screen and gritted his teeth; the Knicks were losing to the Bulls. Again. Badly. Beside him, adding insult to injury, Bikky was crowing with delight.
“Ha! Take that! The Knicks are going down, the Bulls rule, suckah!”
“It’s just one game,” he snapped back at the gloating house ape. “Doesn’t mean a thing, they’re just having an off week.”
“More like an off season if you ask me.”
“No one’s asking you, twerp, so shut your mouth.”
“How many games have they lost this season so far? Nine! And how many have they won? Two! The Bulls are ten and one!” Bikky was practically bouncing with glee.
“Laugh while you can, their winning streak won’t last, you’ll see.” Dee folded his arms across his chest, shoulders hunched, and continued to glare at the screen in silence. The Knicks weren’t that far behind, they could still come back in the final quarter.
They didn’t.
Dee switched the TV off, weighed down by utter gloom. Bikky was jumping on the sofa. “Did you see that? We trounced ‘em, hundred an’ eleven to eighty, we kicked their butts!”
“Bikky, don’t jump on the furniture.”
The kid jumped down. “Sorry, Ryo. Did you see? The Bulls won!”
“I saw. It’s late, go brush your teeth and get to bed, you have school in the morning and I don’t want to hear any complaints when it’s time to get up.”
“Okay. Night, Ryo.” He turned to Dee. “You owe me five bucks, loser!”
Dee dug out his billfold and grudgingly handed the money over, slumping back onto the sofa as Bikky ran to his room to stash his ill-gotten gains. The cushions dipped slightly as Ryo settled beside him.
“You okay? You really shouldn’t encourage Bikky to gamble.”
“I know; I keep losing.”
Ryo chuckled. “Not exactly what I meant.”
“Hey, he’s a born gambler, probably been fleecing marks since kindergarten.”
“That’s not the point, Dee.”
“Yeah, okay, I’ll behave.” He sighed heavily. “Little twerp’s right though, my team sucks.”
“There’s always next season.”
Dee perked up. “That’s true. Hey, Biks,” he yelled as Bikky headed for the bathroom.
“What?”
“Just wait until next season, the Knicks are gonna make mincemeat outta the Bulls!”
Bikky just snorted. “Dream on, perv, there’s no way!”
“Oh yeah? Wanna bet?”
“Dee!”
“Sorry, babe, old habits are hard to break.” Dee offered a sheepish grin.
Ryo shook his head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Does that mean I’m forgiven?”
“Hmm. Maybe.” Dark eyes sparkled with amusement.
Dee’s grin widened; the evening was looking up. His team might be losers, but when it came to love, in Ryo, he knew he’d won the only prize that mattered.
The End