Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Nightmare ❯ Solution ( Chapter 1 )

“Ryo?” Dee called into his partner's apartment, having taken the liberty of letting himself in using the spare key which was very poorly hidden. After going home and taking a shower, Dee had found that he had absolutely nothing to do and had decided to go bother Ryo instead of just laying around his apartment. Smiling to himself, he admitted that he didn't have to be bored to want to bother his partner. Ryo always emitted such satisfying noises when he was surprised or annoyed, and Dee thought it was very endearing.

 

Walking casually into the kitchen, Dee took off his shoes and left them on the mat next to Ryo's pair. There was also a beat up pair of sneakers, Bikky's, that had been tossed in the general area of the mat. Dee smirked, wondering how Ryo was getting by with a child in the house. He knew that Ryo liked to keep things just so, and after spending half of his life at the orphanage Dee also knew that doing so was virtually impossible when there were children present.

 

Bikky's arrival at Ryo's apartment had certainly surprised Dee, although now he could look back and see all of the clues that would lead Ryo to end up fostering Bikky. At the station the young boy had taken to Ryo immediately. (Who wouldn't, Dee thought to himself, a grin working its way onto his face. There was so much to like.) Despite his goody two-shoes act for his partner, Dee could easily tell that there was something darker lurking below the surface. The kid was a little terror, and had certainly made it known that he was out for Dee's blood if he tried anything funny with Ryo. His antics, Dee had to admit, were similar to how he had acted when he was a teenager, before he finally got his shit together and made something of his life.

 

When Ryo offered to watch Bikky for the night, Dee didn't give it a second thought except to curse for a moment the fact that he wouldn't be able to try anything that night. It seemed like a harmless action, but little did Dee know that Bikky's sleep over would cement in Ryo's mind the idea of watching out for the kid permanently, of offering his apartment and company as a permanent setting for Bikky. Dee could see know that it was a natural progression; there had always been a deep, lonely look in Ryo's eyes that resurfaced once and a while, one that Dee wished he had the power to make go away but knew that they weren't at that point in their relationship, or friendship, or whatever this was between them, to do that yet. Of course Bikky took that look away. Ryo hadn't mentioned his family yet, and Dee got the feeling that they weren't in close contact. Bikky had filled that domestic role: he was a son, and a younger brother, and a friend to Ryo whenever he needed it.

 

It was hard to admit, and made him feel like a child, but Dee had always been painfully aware of when he was jealous of what someone else had that he wanted. And right now Bikky had everything that Dee wanted, absolutely everything. Love, friendship, a home; Dee was sure that the kid couldn't possibly know how lucky he was that Ryo found him. Biting back resentment before it turned into anger, Dee continued his search through Ryo's apartment, walking through the living room and towards the two bedroom doors, right next to each other, on one end of the room. He saw Ryo then, standing in the doorway of Bikky's room, silently watching; Dee couldn't see what was holding his attention. Ryo was facing into the room but Dee knew that he must've heard him come in. Closing the distance between them in mere seconds, a compulsion he always felt whenever he and Ryo were alone together in a room, Dee leaned against Ryo for a couple seconds, saying, “I found you, Ryo.”

 

“Shh,” Ryo replied, smiling quickly at the sight of Dee before quickly making an attempt at hiding his happiness. Dee never missed those smiles, no matter how well Ryo covered them up once he realized he was making them. Ryo turned his attention back to Bikky's room and Dee looked too, curious as to what had caught Ryo's eye.

 

Bikky was asleep in his bed on the left side of the room, but it was apparent that his slumber was anything but peaceful. The boy was kicking at his sheets, his face scrunched up and his whole body tense. Whatever Bikky was seeing in his head, it looked like one hell of a nightmare. Thinking that Ryo wasn't sure what he should do about the situation, Dee said, “It's best to wake him up from it. That way the dream'll be over and he'll see you before going back to sleep.” It was as close to charity as Dee was ever going to get. Even as he said the words they stung in his chest. He knew that Ryo loved Bikky already, but having to mention the love between them out loud caused the jealousy inside of him to rear up once again.

 

Ryo gave him a funny look before shaking his head. “He had one at the beginning of the week, too. I woke him up and it kind of freaked him out. Then in the morning he was really quiet, like he was embarrassed that I knew he was having them.”

 

It was obvious why Bikky would be having nightmares; after losing his father and then being targeted, kidnapped, and held hostage because of his father's lifestyle it was more than understandable the a sane person would undergo a little temporary trauma. Dee could break it down like a case and explain it all away, but to him the more interesting part of this situation was how Ryo was acting.

 

Dee couldn't help but laugh, causing Ryo to jerk sharply from watching Bikky to examine his partner's expression. “You're a dad already,” Dee said. “You take in some punk for two weeks and you're already watching over him in his sleep.” Inside Dee was in disbelief at this realization, hell, he was bordering on shock. If it was so easy for Ryo to get close to Bikky, who did he have such a hard time opening up more for him? At first he would've thought that it was simply the prospect of starting a gay relationship, but lately Dee was starting to think that there was more going on inside of Ryo than just issues of sexuality. He didn't know enough about his partner to make any connections, but that fact that something was there made him itch to find out what it was. Ryo flushed at his comment, which was cute when he was embarrassed but a little frightening when he was angry, Dee mused.

 

“Bikky isn't just some punk!” Ryo whispered angrily. “I swear, Dee, you bring all of this trouble you have with him on yourself when you think about him like that. No wonder he's always fighting with you if that's all you think of him!” He looked straight into Dee's eyes, almost daring him to disagree. Dee knew that Ryo could only look at him that intensely when he was mad about something. At any other time he was all about glances and blushes and shifting eyes, which were nice but hid so much of his true character.

 

“That's not what I meant,” Dee said. He really hadn't meant to make what he had said sound like it did, but he knew he would have to choose his words carefully to fully make up for his slip-up. “I meant that after two weeks it's clear how much you care about him, but I've been your partner for two months now and I still have no idea how much you care about me.” Dee wasn't used to sounding so honest, and in unnerved him a little. But he had noticed in the past that Ryo appreciated honesty, even when it made him uncomfortable.

 

“Dee…” Ryo managed, clearly caught off guard by how revealing Dee was being. Without thinking he was suddenly replaying the images from a few weeks prior, when Dee had yelled at him that he never wanted to be patronized again, that kiss that had left him weak and drained.

 

“So, sorry,” Dee finished. “And I think I can end Bikky's nightmare. Get out of the doorway,” He asked. Once Ryo was out of the line of sight from any place in the room he too shifted to the side. Snaking his hand into the bedroom, he flicked on the light for a few seconds. Brightness flooded the room, and Bikky shifted quickly before sitting all of the way up in bed. Once Dee had seen the boy wake up he shut the light off again, leaving Bikky's brain to briefly ponder why he was awake before giving up and surrendering to sleep once more.