Title: Christmas Preparations
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Vol. 7.
Summary: After a long day at work, Ryo reminds Dee there’s still something that needs to be done.
Word Count: 1175
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 284: Decoration.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.



Dee shed his coat and boots at the door, slouched his way across the lounge and dropped bonelessly onto Ryo’s sofa with a groan.

“Man, I’m beat! How come there’s always more crime around the festive season?”

“The crowded stores make life easier for shoplifters and purse snatchers. Add to that tempers already frayed as everyone tries to do their Christmas shopping at the same time… It’s a volatile mix.” Ryo made his way towards the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Yeah, thanks, babe; I could use a caffeine boost after today.” Dee sat up straighter, reaching for the takeaway bag he’d dumped on the coffee table. “Food too; I’m about runnin’ on fumes.”

“You’re not the only one.”

Their eight-hour shift had wound up being more like eleven hours, and any hopes they’d entertained about taking a mid-afternoon coffee break in order to refuel after missing lunch had been derailed when a massive brawl had broken out in the vacant lot where Christmas trees were being sold. Two people had been carted off to hospital, and five more arrested for destruction of property and disturbing the peace.

Ryo returned from the kitchen with two steaming mugs, setting them down on the coffee table and flopping onto the sofa beside his partner. Then he groaned and made to get up again.

“Hey, where’re ya goin’?”

“I forgot the plates.”

“Who needs plates? We can eat outta the cartons; not like we’ll be settin’ a bad example for the house ape since he’s not here.”

“Okay, fine, just this once.” Ryo smiled tiredly, accepting a carton and a set of chopsticks from his lover. “I’m too tired and hungry to argue.”

They ate in almost complete silence, not speaking except to ask each other to pass this carton or that, but at last they settled back, comfortably stuffed and feeling a lot better than they had when they’d first walked through the door.

“Wooo, that’s better!” Dee patted his belly. “I almost feel human again.”

“Mm,” Ryo agreed. “I needed that. More coffee?”

“That would be great, but why don’t I make this round? Unless you wanna insist on bein’ a good host, this bein’ your place and all.”

“No, go ahead; you know where everything is. I’ll just sit here a little longer before I start getting the boxes out.”

Dee paused halfway off the sofa to frown at his lover, confused. “Boxes?”

“The Christmas decorations. Or have you forgotten your offer yesterday to help me put them up tonight?”

“Damn, completely slipped my mind. Blame the lack of lunch and the unscheduled, not to mention probably unpaid, overtime. You sure you wanna put them up tonight?” Dee didn’t particularly feel like having to do more work after the day they’d had.

“I arranged for Bikky to spend the night at Carol’s just so I could get the place decorated for the holidays without him getting underfoot, but you don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”

“No, that’s fine, I already said I would and I’m not goin’ back on my word.” Dee scanned the apartment. “Somethin’s missin’ though; ya don’t have a tree.”

“I left it with Melinda next door, otherwise Bikky would’ve seen it.”

Eyebrows vanishing into his hair, Dee stared down at his lover. “You carried it all the way up the stairs by yourself?”

“It wasn’t difficult, it’s a lot smaller than the one you insisted I get last year, only about six-foot, and it’s wrapped so I didn’t have branches catching on everything.”

“That’s not much of a tree.”

“You want a bigger one for your place that’s up to you; at least your building has an elevator so you won’t have to wrestle it up the stairs. I needed something more manageable.”

“Fair enough. Okay, coffee and then decorations.” Dee headed for the kitchen with their mugs.

“I’d better clear this mess up and fetch the tree.” Ryo started gathering the empty cartons to go in the trash, cramming them into the bag to drop down the trash chute.

“Relax, babe, no need to rush; the tree can wait a bit longer. Ya don’t wanna wind up with indigestion.”

Ryo sank back against the cushions. “You’re right, but we should make a start soon; there’s a lot to do.”

Coffee made and drunk, and the remains of their dinner cleared away, Dee gave Ryo a hand collecting the tree and setting it in its tub at the far end of the lounge. Once the mesh wrapping was removed it bushed out nicely and didn’t look as small as Dee had feared; what it lacked in height it made up for in width.

“Still think I should’ve gotten a bigger tree?” Ryo asked, smirking slightly.

“Nah, I guess this one’s pretty good. We doin’ the tree first or the other stuff?”

“Tree.” Ryo opened one of the boxes he’d fetched from the top shelf of the closet, setting it on the sofa and starting to unpack its contents, boxes of baubles, sparkling garlands of tinsel, and a string of lights.

Despite Dee’s initial lack of enthusiasm he found himself enjoying putting up the decorations, the weariness of the long day melting away, to be replaced by the beginnings of festive cheer. It was impossible to feel gloomy while hanging brightly coloured baubles on the sweet-smelling evergreen branches, and by the time it was done, the lights switched on and twinkling merrily, he felt reenergized. Or maybe that was the three mugs of coffee he’d consumed, it was hard to be sure.

Hanging paper chains and streamers across the ceiling took more effort, but it was like the icing on the proverbial cake; by the time they were finished the whole room seemed magically transformed. It was almost a shame the decorations only stayed up a few weeks.

“Are we done?” Dee asked, stepping back to admire their handiwork.

“I think so.” Ryo checked through the boxes, packing them inside each other ready to go back in the closet, along with the stepladder. “This is all that’s left.” He approached Dee with something in his hand.

“Whatcha got?”

“This.” Ryo held up something small and green, with just a hint of white, but before Dee could really take it in, Ryo was kissing him.

“Mistletoe,” Ryo said, drawing back after a few very enjoyable minutes. “It’s only plastic, but…”

Dee whipped it out of his hand. “I know exactly were this should go.” Grabbing Ryo by the hand, he tugged his lover towards the bedroom.

“Dee! I haven’t put everything away yet!” Ryo protested.

“It’s not goin’ anywhere. ‘Sides, we’ve done enough work for today; I think it’s time we had some fun.” Dee dangled the mistletoe.

Ryo threw one last look over his shoulder at the stepladder leant against the wall, and the boxes waiting to be tucked away until they were needed again, and half shrugged. Dee was right, they weren’t going anywhere; he could put them away later, or tomorrow. Tonight he and Dee had better things to do.


The End