Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Misery ❯ Coffee and Comfort ( Chapter 11 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Kita and Subu-chan 
Anime/Manga: Fake Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Action / Drama / Romance / Police | Type: Shounen-ai | Uploaded On: 01.23.2007 | Updated On: 01.24.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 425 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Fake Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy / Action / Drama / Romance / Police | Type: Shounen-ai | Uploaded On: 01.23.2007 | Updated On: 01.24.2007 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 425 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter Eleven-Coffee and Comfort
Authors rambling-- oops, Authors Notes. Thanks again for the reviews. We always love to hear what you guys think. And Catti? We promise to insert a nice Dee and Ryo moment later in the fic just for you! Please be patient. (P.S. Akita says you dance wonderfully.) Anyway, on with the story...
Dee yawned so hard his jaw cracked and stole another glance at the sleeping teenager curled up on one corner of the well-worn couch in Mother’s study. His eyes were red-rimmed but his sleep looked easy. Dee glanced up as a hand descended into his line of sight, bearing a steaming mug of coffee. “Thanks.” He tilted his head toward where Bikky napped. “For the brat too. Sometimes I forget just how great you are with broken hearts.”
“You provided me enough practice, dearheart.” Maria Lane settled into her chair with a sigh and a smile. “I had to patch up the hearts of half the neighborhood when you hit your teens. Wasn’t a day went by that I didn’t have some poor girl or boy sobbing about you not loving them into my shoulder. You were never among them though. The only one who ever broke your heart was Jessie. You cried for a week when he died.”
Dee shifted uncomfortably and sipped his coffee. “Yeah… well…”
Mother smiled at him. “He was, for all intents and purposes, your father, dear. Even with all that happened, you never forgot that and it broke your heart to lose him.”
Dee grimaced wryly. Mother tutted and met his eyes. “Like it would break your heart to lose Ryo.” She said. “I’ve long known how much of you is wrapped up in him. And in Bikky too. Even if you won’t admit how much you care about him out loud.”
He had to look away. As always, Mother had him pegged. Sometimes he suspected she knew what he was thinking before he even thought it.
“Do you want to talk, my dear?”
Dee sipped his coffee, stalling. “It’s still a little hard to talk about. I know he’s getting better, but the thought of talking about him while he’s lying there with a hole in his chest just scares me.”
“I understand. Let’s talk of inconsequentials then. How is the young man who used to follow you around like a devoted puppy? JJ, wasn’t it?”
Dee chuckled. “I think he finally got the hint. He’s stopped panting after me. He’s not so annoying when he isn’t following me through the halls like a dog in heat.”
Mother cast him a scolding glance over the rim of her cup. “Be nice. That boy really loved you.”
He sighed and shoved his hand through his dark hair. “I know. But I didn’t love him. Hell, all I did was give him a hand back when we were in the academy together. I didn’t know that was going to turn him into a rabid Dee-fan.”
Mother smiled at him. “Dee, whether you intend to or not, you often have that effect on people. Much of who you are is in the effect you have on those around you.” Her gaze rested on Bikky’s slumbering form for a long moment. “To him, you are both someone he loves and the person who annoys him most. And you react to that. When he is annoyed, you do your best to be more annoying. When he fears and needs you, you are someone he can trust to protect him, even from his own fears. To JJ, you were someone who provided him with a measure of safety he needed-when he needed it most. I’m not surprised he fell for you.”
Dee groaned and fisted his hand in his hair. “Maybe, but he was still damned annoying. He constantly got in my way and tried to get between me and Ryo.”
Mother’s look was scolding. “Have you told him this?”
“Every damned time he pounced on me.”
“Or have you simply yelled at him, without giving him an explanation?”
“Of course I-” Dee’s voice came to an abrupt halt. He winced at the knowing look that Mother gave him. “Okay, so I’m not real big on explanations. Still, he should have gotten the hint and backed off before now.”
“You said it yourself once, ‘Love is blind, but it’s hard-headed as all hell too.’ Remember?”
“Why do you have to be so smart?”
Mother laughed, her eyes twinkling merrily. “I had to be with a son like you. It was either that or be outsmarted by a scamp whose diapers I changed.”
Dee chuckled softly. Like the mother she was, Mother’s very presence soothed him like nothing else. The only thing that might compare would be having Ryo whole and healthy again. He prayed for that constantly.
Again, like she had read his very thoughts, Mother leaned forward and covered his hand with her own weathered ones. “Would you like to join me in a prayer for him?”
Dee felt his heart swell. “Yeah. That-that would be nice.”
When Bikky woke up, he was alone in the study. Before he could even begin to panic he heard the murmur of voices from an open door on the other side of the room. He rose and padded silently to the door. Beyond it was a tiny, private chapel. Dee and Mother knelt at the altar, voices joined in a soft prayer. Flushing, Bikky made to retreat. He didn’t want to disturb that!
“Bikky.” Mother’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “Come.”
He froze in the doorway until Dee turned and raised a hand to beckon him in. Gratefully, he went join his family. He hadn’t prayed since his father died all those years ago. Maybe it was time he started again.
Mother poured both of them another cup of coffee a few minutes later. “Here. You could both use the caffeine.”
Bikky stared down into the dark brew. “Dee and Ryo won’t let me have coffee.”
Dee sipped at his own steaming mug. “Just this once. Don’t think it’ll happen again.”
Bikky glared at him but kept silent.
Mother chuckled softly. “The children will be coming home soon. Will you stay for a bit?”
Dee started to shake his head but thought better of it when he saw the brief flash of longing in Bikky’s eyes. “Just for a little while,” he hedged. “The brat needs some sleep.”
“Sleep is for the old.” Bikky retorted sourly.
“Which must be why you need it.”
Mother laughed. “Bikky, you remind me a very great deal of Dee when he was younger. He and Jessie used to bicker that way.”
Bikky turned a look of horror on the nun. It was matched by a look of disbelief from the older man. Mother laughed again. “Yes, I daresay, exactly the same.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
They were saved from having to reply by the sound of the Mongol Hordes returning from “Mission: Bell Tower.” All of the children clamored for Dee and Bikky to look at their treasures and they wound up staying until bedtime. Dee and Bikky helped put all the children to bed before dragging their exhausted bodies back to the car.
Bikky fell asleep on the drive back to Dee’s place and Dee reached over to smooth blond hair away from his eyes with a gentle touch. He could see how much Mother’s comfort had meant to Bikky. There was a relaxation in him that hadn’t been there before.
Dee chuckled softly. Mother had that way about her. Even though he had never gotten around to crying on her shoulder, maybe he didn’t need to. Her gentle warmth had eased the pain and terror without him ever saying a word. She was still his mother, and still the only person who knew him better than anyone else.
Bikky roused enough to stumble sleepily up the stairs when they reached Dee’s apartment building. He fell facedown on the spare bed without even bothering to kick off his shoes and was out like a light. Dee pulled his sneakers and socks off and draped a blanket over him. He’d never admit it out loud, but Mother was right. Bikky did remind him of himself. Maybe that was why they got along like matches and gasoline.
Dee sat at the kitchen table for a long time after Bikky had gone to bed, remembering Ryo’s pale face and the small, pained smile his lover had given him before falling asleep again. It wasn’t as comforting as Mother’s embrace, but it did let him get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep when he did finally seek his bed.
A/N- Eeek-did it again. Sorry. Somehow, Dee’s chapters always end up kind of short. But that’s okay. The fic’s mostly about JJ and his coming to terms with losing Dee and finding Drake. But we promise to do better. Dee gets a pretty big part in the next chapter. After all, there’s a part of him (A teensy-tiny, itty-bitty little part-K.) that does actually care about JJ. And there was no call for that, Akita. We all know the big lug cares about him-see the graveyard scene for proof. (I demand a recount.) Recount? Have you forgotten your meds tonight? (Meds? *Shoves bottle under the couch cushion* What meds? Did anyone see any medications here?)
Chapter twelve will be up soon. Stick around and review. (Review! REVIEW! REVIEW!!!) Oops, excuse me folks, I have to go sedate the review monster--AKA Akita. Okay, where did you hide the Ritalin? Watch it or Prince Valium will be coming for a visit, you spaz! (NOOOoooooooooo!)
Authors rambling-- oops, Authors Notes. Thanks again for the reviews. We always love to hear what you guys think. And Catti? We promise to insert a nice Dee and Ryo moment later in the fic just for you! Please be patient. (P.S. Akita says you dance wonderfully.) Anyway, on with the story...
Dee yawned so hard his jaw cracked and stole another glance at the sleeping teenager curled up on one corner of the well-worn couch in Mother’s study. His eyes were red-rimmed but his sleep looked easy. Dee glanced up as a hand descended into his line of sight, bearing a steaming mug of coffee. “Thanks.” He tilted his head toward where Bikky napped. “For the brat too. Sometimes I forget just how great you are with broken hearts.”
“You provided me enough practice, dearheart.” Maria Lane settled into her chair with a sigh and a smile. “I had to patch up the hearts of half the neighborhood when you hit your teens. Wasn’t a day went by that I didn’t have some poor girl or boy sobbing about you not loving them into my shoulder. You were never among them though. The only one who ever broke your heart was Jessie. You cried for a week when he died.”
Dee shifted uncomfortably and sipped his coffee. “Yeah… well…”
Mother smiled at him. “He was, for all intents and purposes, your father, dear. Even with all that happened, you never forgot that and it broke your heart to lose him.”
Dee grimaced wryly. Mother tutted and met his eyes. “Like it would break your heart to lose Ryo.” She said. “I’ve long known how much of you is wrapped up in him. And in Bikky too. Even if you won’t admit how much you care about him out loud.”
He had to look away. As always, Mother had him pegged. Sometimes he suspected she knew what he was thinking before he even thought it.
“Do you want to talk, my dear?”
Dee sipped his coffee, stalling. “It’s still a little hard to talk about. I know he’s getting better, but the thought of talking about him while he’s lying there with a hole in his chest just scares me.”
“I understand. Let’s talk of inconsequentials then. How is the young man who used to follow you around like a devoted puppy? JJ, wasn’t it?”
Dee chuckled. “I think he finally got the hint. He’s stopped panting after me. He’s not so annoying when he isn’t following me through the halls like a dog in heat.”
Mother cast him a scolding glance over the rim of her cup. “Be nice. That boy really loved you.”
He sighed and shoved his hand through his dark hair. “I know. But I didn’t love him. Hell, all I did was give him a hand back when we were in the academy together. I didn’t know that was going to turn him into a rabid Dee-fan.”
Mother smiled at him. “Dee, whether you intend to or not, you often have that effect on people. Much of who you are is in the effect you have on those around you.” Her gaze rested on Bikky’s slumbering form for a long moment. “To him, you are both someone he loves and the person who annoys him most. And you react to that. When he is annoyed, you do your best to be more annoying. When he fears and needs you, you are someone he can trust to protect him, even from his own fears. To JJ, you were someone who provided him with a measure of safety he needed-when he needed it most. I’m not surprised he fell for you.”
Dee groaned and fisted his hand in his hair. “Maybe, but he was still damned annoying. He constantly got in my way and tried to get between me and Ryo.”
Mother’s look was scolding. “Have you told him this?”
“Every damned time he pounced on me.”
“Or have you simply yelled at him, without giving him an explanation?”
“Of course I-” Dee’s voice came to an abrupt halt. He winced at the knowing look that Mother gave him. “Okay, so I’m not real big on explanations. Still, he should have gotten the hint and backed off before now.”
“You said it yourself once, ‘Love is blind, but it’s hard-headed as all hell too.’ Remember?”
“Why do you have to be so smart?”
Mother laughed, her eyes twinkling merrily. “I had to be with a son like you. It was either that or be outsmarted by a scamp whose diapers I changed.”
Dee chuckled softly. Like the mother she was, Mother’s very presence soothed him like nothing else. The only thing that might compare would be having Ryo whole and healthy again. He prayed for that constantly.
Again, like she had read his very thoughts, Mother leaned forward and covered his hand with her own weathered ones. “Would you like to join me in a prayer for him?”
Dee felt his heart swell. “Yeah. That-that would be nice.”
When Bikky woke up, he was alone in the study. Before he could even begin to panic he heard the murmur of voices from an open door on the other side of the room. He rose and padded silently to the door. Beyond it was a tiny, private chapel. Dee and Mother knelt at the altar, voices joined in a soft prayer. Flushing, Bikky made to retreat. He didn’t want to disturb that!
“Bikky.” Mother’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “Come.”
He froze in the doorway until Dee turned and raised a hand to beckon him in. Gratefully, he went join his family. He hadn’t prayed since his father died all those years ago. Maybe it was time he started again.
Mother poured both of them another cup of coffee a few minutes later. “Here. You could both use the caffeine.”
Bikky stared down into the dark brew. “Dee and Ryo won’t let me have coffee.”
Dee sipped at his own steaming mug. “Just this once. Don’t think it’ll happen again.”
Bikky glared at him but kept silent.
Mother chuckled softly. “The children will be coming home soon. Will you stay for a bit?”
Dee started to shake his head but thought better of it when he saw the brief flash of longing in Bikky’s eyes. “Just for a little while,” he hedged. “The brat needs some sleep.”
“Sleep is for the old.” Bikky retorted sourly.
“Which must be why you need it.”
Mother laughed. “Bikky, you remind me a very great deal of Dee when he was younger. He and Jessie used to bicker that way.”
Bikky turned a look of horror on the nun. It was matched by a look of disbelief from the older man. Mother laughed again. “Yes, I daresay, exactly the same.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief.
They were saved from having to reply by the sound of the Mongol Hordes returning from “Mission: Bell Tower.” All of the children clamored for Dee and Bikky to look at their treasures and they wound up staying until bedtime. Dee and Bikky helped put all the children to bed before dragging their exhausted bodies back to the car.
Bikky fell asleep on the drive back to Dee’s place and Dee reached over to smooth blond hair away from his eyes with a gentle touch. He could see how much Mother’s comfort had meant to Bikky. There was a relaxation in him that hadn’t been there before.
Dee chuckled softly. Mother had that way about her. Even though he had never gotten around to crying on her shoulder, maybe he didn’t need to. Her gentle warmth had eased the pain and terror without him ever saying a word. She was still his mother, and still the only person who knew him better than anyone else.
Bikky roused enough to stumble sleepily up the stairs when they reached Dee’s apartment building. He fell facedown on the spare bed without even bothering to kick off his shoes and was out like a light. Dee pulled his sneakers and socks off and draped a blanket over him. He’d never admit it out loud, but Mother was right. Bikky did remind him of himself. Maybe that was why they got along like matches and gasoline.
Dee sat at the kitchen table for a long time after Bikky had gone to bed, remembering Ryo’s pale face and the small, pained smile his lover had given him before falling asleep again. It wasn’t as comforting as Mother’s embrace, but it did let him get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep when he did finally seek his bed.
A/N- Eeek-did it again. Sorry. Somehow, Dee’s chapters always end up kind of short. But that’s okay. The fic’s mostly about JJ and his coming to terms with losing Dee and finding Drake. But we promise to do better. Dee gets a pretty big part in the next chapter. After all, there’s a part of him (A teensy-tiny, itty-bitty little part-K.) that does actually care about JJ. And there was no call for that, Akita. We all know the big lug cares about him-see the graveyard scene for proof. (I demand a recount.) Recount? Have you forgotten your meds tonight? (Meds? *Shoves bottle under the couch cushion* What meds? Did anyone see any medications here?)
Chapter twelve will be up soon. Stick around and review. (Review! REVIEW! REVIEW!!!) Oops, excuse me folks, I have to go sedate the review monster--AKA Akita. Okay, where did you hide the Ritalin? Watch it or Prince Valium will be coming for a visit, you spaz! (NOOOoooooooooo!)