FAKE Ficlet: Fatherhood
Title: Fatherhood
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo, Bikky, Dee.
Rating: G
Setting: Early in the manga.
Summary: Ryo thinks about how being a single father has changed his life.
Word Count: 628
Written For: My own prompt ‘FAKE, Ryo, Taking care of Bikky,’ at fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Ever since taking Bikky in, Ryo’s priorities have shifted; work used to be all that mattered to him, but now his foster son has to come first. That means working fewer night shifts, trying to be home in the evenings as much as possible, and scheduling his life around PTA meetings, school basketball games, sleepovers, and other important events in Bikky’s calendar.
He doesn’t mind the complete disruption to his once well-ordered life at all. It’s worth it to know that the orphan he’d encountered on his first case as a detective now has a good home, he’s stopped skipping school, and his grades are improving. Ryo is proud of the boy he’s already started thinking of as his son.
Ryo doesn’t see caring for Bikky as chore, despite what Dee says. Yes, it means more laundry, more cleaning, because a kid Bikky’s age is inevitably going to make a mess just by existing, and staying up late to make sure the boy has everything he needs for school the following day. But it also means someone to go home to, someone to cook for, which is a lot more enjoyable than cooking for one, and someone to share a proper breakfast with, talking about the day ahead. Strange though it might sound, Ryo thinks he’s learning as much as Bikky is.
When he helps his son with his homework Ryo is reminded of things he’d forgotten, memories of his own parents helping him to understand the subjects he had trouble with when he was young. He realises that in a way, his parents, though they’ve been gone for ten years, are still with him, guiding him through these first months of parenthood, because all the things he does with Bikky are things he learned from them. The tricks his mom and dad came up with to persuade him to do things he didn’t really want to do, like helping with the dishes, work just as well with Bikky.
It’s not all about being the bossy father figure though, there’s a lot of fun to be had as well. True, Bikky isn’t keen on museums and galleries, but trips to the zoo, the movies, or the beach are enjoyed by both of them. Sometimes Bikky doesn’t even mind too much when Dee tags along, which is a good thing because Ryo has a feeling his new work partner is kind of lonely. When they all go somewhere together, Dee gets almost as excited as Bikky does.
They don’t always have to go places to have a good time though; quiet evenings in can be just as good. Some evenings, when Bikky’s finished his homework, it’s either too dark out or the weather is too miserable for him to want to play outside with his friends. If it’s just the two, or three, of them, they might watch TV after dinner, or play games, or make something, just because they can, but sometimes Bikky has friends over and they play together while Ryo reads a book, or pretends to. It’s hard not to watch the kids having a good time, and listen in to their conversations. Not that he’d ever let on that he’s eavesdropping, but some of the things they come out with are so hilarious it can be difficult to keep a straight face.
Deciding to become a single father was a spur of the moment thing; Ryo didn’t take the time to think through the implications, and yet he can say with complete sincerity that even when he’s exhausted and stressed from trying to juggle work and fatherhood, he doesn’t regret hi decision for a minute. Caring for Bikky is proving to be the greatest adventure of his life, and he honestly wouldn’t change a thing.
The End
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo, Bikky, Dee.
Rating: G
Setting: Early in the manga.
Summary: Ryo thinks about how being a single father has changed his life.
Word Count: 628
Written For: My own prompt ‘FAKE, Ryo, Taking care of Bikky,’ at fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
Ever since taking Bikky in, Ryo’s priorities have shifted; work used to be all that mattered to him, but now his foster son has to come first. That means working fewer night shifts, trying to be home in the evenings as much as possible, and scheduling his life around PTA meetings, school basketball games, sleepovers, and other important events in Bikky’s calendar.
He doesn’t mind the complete disruption to his once well-ordered life at all. It’s worth it to know that the orphan he’d encountered on his first case as a detective now has a good home, he’s stopped skipping school, and his grades are improving. Ryo is proud of the boy he’s already started thinking of as his son.
Ryo doesn’t see caring for Bikky as chore, despite what Dee says. Yes, it means more laundry, more cleaning, because a kid Bikky’s age is inevitably going to make a mess just by existing, and staying up late to make sure the boy has everything he needs for school the following day. But it also means someone to go home to, someone to cook for, which is a lot more enjoyable than cooking for one, and someone to share a proper breakfast with, talking about the day ahead. Strange though it might sound, Ryo thinks he’s learning as much as Bikky is.
When he helps his son with his homework Ryo is reminded of things he’d forgotten, memories of his own parents helping him to understand the subjects he had trouble with when he was young. He realises that in a way, his parents, though they’ve been gone for ten years, are still with him, guiding him through these first months of parenthood, because all the things he does with Bikky are things he learned from them. The tricks his mom and dad came up with to persuade him to do things he didn’t really want to do, like helping with the dishes, work just as well with Bikky.
It’s not all about being the bossy father figure though, there’s a lot of fun to be had as well. True, Bikky isn’t keen on museums and galleries, but trips to the zoo, the movies, or the beach are enjoyed by both of them. Sometimes Bikky doesn’t even mind too much when Dee tags along, which is a good thing because Ryo has a feeling his new work partner is kind of lonely. When they all go somewhere together, Dee gets almost as excited as Bikky does.
They don’t always have to go places to have a good time though; quiet evenings in can be just as good. Some evenings, when Bikky’s finished his homework, it’s either too dark out or the weather is too miserable for him to want to play outside with his friends. If it’s just the two, or three, of them, they might watch TV after dinner, or play games, or make something, just because they can, but sometimes Bikky has friends over and they play together while Ryo reads a book, or pretends to. It’s hard not to watch the kids having a good time, and listen in to their conversations. Not that he’d ever let on that he’s eavesdropping, but some of the things they come out with are so hilarious it can be difficult to keep a straight face.
Deciding to become a single father was a spur of the moment thing; Ryo didn’t take the time to think through the implications, and yet he can say with complete sincerity that even when he’s exhausted and stressed from trying to juggle work and fatherhood, he doesn’t regret hi decision for a minute. Caring for Bikky is proving to be the greatest adventure of his life, and he honestly wouldn’t change a thing.
The End