Title: Safety Measures
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted 
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: Dee and Ryo have adapted well to wearing masks outside their home.
Word Count: 300
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 357: Amnesty, using Challenge 34: Masks.
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Triple Drabble.



It was strange how things had changed since the start of the global pandemic. Not so long ago, anyone covering their face would be seen as suspicious, but now the majority of people Dee and Ryo came into contact with were sensibly wearing facemasks.

There were still people who refused to, claiming it was an infringement of their rights, just as there were still people refusing to get vaccinated, but as time passed, more and more were accepting that wearing a mask was a small price to pay for protecting themselves and others from the virus. For a lot of people, masks were becoming fashion statements.

The NYPD had their own uniform masks now, but as plainclothes detectives, Dee and Ryo could wear any kind they liked. For off-duty they had bi- and gay pride flag masks respectively, and others with Marvel characters on them, or other eye-catching designs. Dee had a yellow smiley-face mask he particularly liked. At Christmas, Ryo had surprised his partner with NY Knicks masks, which had earned him an unexpected but not unwelcome pounce.

For work, they were expected to wear something subtle and inoffensive, so they had plain masks in darker colors. Getting dressed in the mornings now included picking out a mask to go with their clothes. By now it was automatic; they had a mask drawer in the dresser and every day they each got out a fresh one.

“Ready to go?” Dee asked from behind his Darth Vader mask.

“Yep!” Even though Dee couldn’t see his lover’s mouth behind the Totoro mask he was wearing, he could see the laughter in Ryo’s eyes. Okay, so maybe they weren’t strictly appropriate for work, but once in a while it was fun to wear something a bit less serious. Who would it hurt?


The End