Title: Soaring
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: Ryo arranges an amazing surprise for Dee.
Word Count: 540
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 351: Amnesty, using Challenge 257: Wings.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.



Lazing on the deck of their boat, watching gulls and other seabirds drift and soar on the air currents, Dee sighed.

“As much as I love this, I can’t help kinda envying birds. Imagine how it would feel to float on the air the way this boat floats on the water, to go wherever we wanted, and see the world from above.”

“We do that every time we fly somewhere,” Ryo murmured drowsily, stretched out on his stomach, head pillowed on one arm, the other hand still holding the book he’d been reading before the warmth of the sun had made him feel too sleepy to concentrate.

“Not the same thing, babe. Ya can’t feel the air rushin’ past ya when you’re in a plane, and anyway, planes fly too high for passengers to see much of anything.”

“Mm, I guess.” Ryo yawned and closed his book. “Think I’ll take a nap.”

While Ryo slept, Dee continued watching the gulls and wishing he could see the world the way they did.

A few weeks later, leaving work with three days of freedom ahead of them, Dee asked his lover if they were going to spend their leisure time on the boat. The forecast promised glorious sunshine and a brisk wind following a spell of wet and stormy weather that had kept the at home since their last trip.

“No, not this time.” Ryo smiled at his partner. “I’ve got something else planned, kind of a surprise.”

“Yeah? I like surprises. Long as you’re not draggin’ me off campin’. You’re not, are ya? I mean, I’d go, it has its advantages, but it’s not my favourite thing in the world.”

Ryo laughed. “No camping, I promise; I’ve booked us into a hotel.”

“Now hotels I like. Room service, comfy beds, phone reception…”

“All that and more. We’d best get home and collect our bags. It’s not a long drive, only about an hour and a half. If we leave right away we can be there by dinnertime.”

There was more to Ryo’s surprise than a few nights in a hotel. The following morning, Ryo told him why they were there.

“You said you wanted to know how it would feel to fly like a bird, so we’re going hang gliding. I know it’s not quite the same, but it’s as close to being a bird as you and I will ever get. We’ll be going up with a couple of experts.”

“Seriously? That’s awesome!” Dee couldn’t contain his excitement, practically bouncing out to the car.

The wings weren’t his own, and there was no flapping required, which was no doubt a good thing, but soaring on the air currents, looking down at hills and mountains, rivers and forests, Dee imagined this was how it must feel to be an eagle. He didn’t think he’d ever known such complete freedom.

Turning his head, he could see Ryo, slung beneath another hang glider, rising fast as it caught a thermal. Through his headset he could hear his lover’s delighted laughter and he whooped from the sheer exhilaration.

“Isn’t this amazing?” Ryo said in his ear.

“Unbelievable! We are SO doin’ this again!” If he had his way, he might stay up there forever.


The End