FAKE Ficlet: Winter Clothes

[badly_knitted]

 


Title: Winter Clothes
Fandom: FAKE
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ryo, Bikky
Rating: G
Setting: Around Vol. 2 or 3.
Summary: Winter is approaching, and Ryo’s sure none of Bikky’s clothes from the previous year are going to fit him.
Written For: The tw100 prompt ‘Winter’.
Word Count: 677
Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.




Winter was fast approaching, the weather getting cooler with each day that passed. All too soon it would be time for Ryo to put away his t-shirts and light jackets and dig out his warm clothes instead, his thick socks and cosy sweaters. He enjoyed the changing of the seasons but no one with any sense liked being cold.


Rummaging in the back of the closet, he pulled out his winter coat; he should get it dry-cleaned before he needed it. The duffle coat might not be the height of fashion but it was still in good shape and would do him for one more year. Reaching for Bikky’s coat, Ryo held it up and shook his head. Just as well he could do without a new coat himself because Bikky was going to need one, as well as new boots, gloves, hat… and pretty much everything else. He’d grown so much since the previous winter none of his warm clothes were going to fit him.


“Bikky?”


The boy poked his head out of his bedroom. “Yeah?”


“I hate to say this, but I’m going to have to take you shopping for clothes at the weekend.”


“Aw, Ryo! I was gonna play basketball with my friends!”


“I know, but you’d never get this on now.” Ryo showed the boy his old coat. “You don’t want to freeze to death this winter, do you?”


“No, but…”


“Look, if you get up early enough Saturday we should be able to pick up everything you need in the morning, and then you can spend the afternoon with your friends. Deal?”


Bikky heaved a heavy sigh. “Okay, deal.”


Ryo hid a smile; if there was one thing Bikky truly hated it was shopping for new clothes. He always complained that just when he got to like something, got it worn in just right, it had to be replaced. Of course the only way around that would be for Bikky to stop growing, which wasn’t likely to happen for a few years yet so until then he’d just have to put up with shopping for new clothes two or three times a year. At least then he could pick out things he didn’t totally hate, and in sizes that didn’t swamp him while still allowing room for growth.


“You won’t keep growing forever you know,” Ryo reminded him, “and some day you’ll get to choose and buy your own clothes instead of having to put up with what I say you can have.”


“I guess, but I still won’t like doing it.”


Like a lot of children, Bikky couldn’t imagine a time when going shopping for a new outfit might become a pleasure instead of a chore that kept him away from doing fun things, like going out with friends, or playing computer games. Ryo was fairly sure that once his foster son was into his teens and started getting more interested in girls his attitude towards clothes would change; he’d want to look good for whoever caught his eye, most likely Carol.


“Liking isn’t necessary; clothes are, especially in winter. Another two or three weeks and you’ll be glad you can wrap up warm. I don’t think you’d enjoy being out in the snow in shorts and sneakers. You might get frostbite and lose your toes; what would that do to your dreams of playing professional basketball?” It was a bit of a dirty trick on Ryo’s part, but it got Bikky’s attention.


“Okay, okay, I get it!” Bikky rolled his eyes. “Saturday morning, clothes shopping! I’ll be up bright and early, I promise.”


“Make sure you are, or I’ll go without you and you’ll have to wear whatever I pick out for you. Now get to bed.”


“Fine.” Bikky disappeared back into his room, shutting the door firmly behind him.


Chuckling, Ryo put his coat into a bag to take to the dry cleaners on his way to work in the morning. He just hoped he’d still have some money left by the time Bikky was kitted out for winter.



The End