FAKE Ficlet: New Year, New Goals
Jan. 2nd, 2025 04:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: New Year, New Goals
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG-13
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Word Count: 844
Summary: Ryo has found something interesting online.
Written For: Weekend Challenge Prompt: Resolution Schmezolution at
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1_million_words.Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
“What’re ya lookin’ at?” Dee asked, abandoning the football game on TV and ambling over to where his lover was sitting at the table, glued to his laptop screen.
“Hm?” As responses went, it was a bit on the vague side, but Dee wasn’t the kind to give up easily. If he had been, he never would have won his lover’s heart in the first place.
He tried again. “Somethin’ interestin’?”
“What?” Ryo finally looked up, blinking to refocus his eyes, then when Dee remained a bit blurry, taking his reading glasses off.
Dee snorted, amused. “I was just wonderin’ what was so fascinatin’.”
“Oh. Nothing much. I found this New Year Resolution generator. Answer a few questions, click a button, and it picks a New Year Resolution for you.”
“I didn’t think you were doin’ resolutions this year. I mean, you didn’t bother last year.”
“I know, and I wasn’t. I’m not. I was just curious to see what it would come up with for me.”
“So ya think you might if you get one you like?”
“I don’t know, maybe. Depends.” Ryo put his glasses on again and turned back to the screen, frowning.
“So, did ya get anything good?” Pulling out a chair, Dee sat down, leaning one elbow on the table.
“Not on the first try. I mean, it was okay, prepping meals for the week is a good idea in theory, but that works best for people working regular hours, Monday to Friday.”
“Not so good for those of us workin’ weird hours, weird shifts, and no set days off?”
“No, not really.” Ryo grinned. “I can try to plan meals in advance, make sure I’ve got all the ingredients, but prepping for a whole week when we’re never sure when, or even if, we’ll get home on any given day? It might be a bit hit and miss.”
“So you tried again?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“Be more mindful about your health.”
“That one probably suits me better than you. You’re like Mister Mindful already. You don’t smoke, only drink in moderation, eat healthily, get plenty of exercise… You’re even doin’ better at switchin’ off at quittin’ time, not workin’ yourself into the ground. I should probably quit snackin’ so much and get more exercise. Been gettin’ lazy lately. I oughta hit the gym, but I’m worried it might hit back.”
Ryo grinned at the joke. “You quit smoking though, and you cut down on the alcohol.”
“Only ‘cause I don’t bounce back the way I used to.” Dee sighed. “I miss my twenties. What else ya get?”
“Allow yourself to have friendly disagreements.”
Dee snickered. “Hell, we do that all the time! And not just with each other. That’s not somethin’ ya need to work on. Hand that over, let me have a try.”
Obediently, Ryo slid the laptop over to Dee. “Are you looking up resolutions for yourself or for me?”
“You, dumbass. I already resolved last year not to make any more resolutions, and I’m stickin’ to it. Okay, let’s see… Nope, not that one.”
“What is it?” Ryo leaned sideways, trying to see the laptop screen.
“Practice sayin’ ‘No’. You’re good enough at that already.”
Now it was Ryo’s turn to snicker.
“Shut up.” Dee mock glared at his lover. “Okay, let’s try again. Plan a weekly date night… Already doin’ that. One more try, then we’re quittin’.” Dee tapped at the keyboard again. “Oh, hey, this one’s right up your alley. Improve your work-life balance.”
“Didn’t I already do that?”
“Well, yeah, but a few more tweaks wouldn’t hurt, prioritise your life a little more.”
“I would if work would let me. Being a cop isn’t exactly a nine to five job.”
“Tell me something I don’t know. Okay then, how about…”
Ryo cut him off. “Thought you said one more?”
“Bonus round,” Dee said, smirking. “Create a budget… Nope, you do that anyway. Commit to a cleanin’ schedule… Nope, the one you’ve got is fine. Become an early bird… You already are, so that’s out. Guess that settles it.”
“Settles what?”
“You don’t need a resolution; you already got all their suggestions covered.” Dee turned off the laptop and closed the lid, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. “C’mon.”
“Where to?”
“Bed.”
“But… aren’t you watching the game?”
“Nah, it’s boring. No way the Jets are gonna win, the Bills are too far ahead. It would take divine intervention, or a miracle. Possibly both. The Jets suck.”
“So that’s it, just bed?”
“Well, if you want a resolution, you could always commit to sayin’ ‘yes’ more often.”
Ryo looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, guess I could do that.”
Dee smirked. “My favourite word, especially when it’s you sayin’ it. You comin’?”
“Yes. Just give me a second, I’ll be right there.” Getting up, he wandered over to the TV and turned it off, checked the door was locked, turned out the light, and followed Dee into their bedroom, smiling. Maybe this would be a resolution he could keep.
The End
“Hm?” As responses went, it was a bit on the vague side, but Dee wasn’t the kind to give up easily. If he had been, he never would have won his lover’s heart in the first place.
He tried again. “Somethin’ interestin’?”
“What?” Ryo finally looked up, blinking to refocus his eyes, then when Dee remained a bit blurry, taking his reading glasses off.
Dee snorted, amused. “I was just wonderin’ what was so fascinatin’.”
“Oh. Nothing much. I found this New Year Resolution generator. Answer a few questions, click a button, and it picks a New Year Resolution for you.”
“I didn’t think you were doin’ resolutions this year. I mean, you didn’t bother last year.”
“I know, and I wasn’t. I’m not. I was just curious to see what it would come up with for me.”
“So ya think you might if you get one you like?”
“I don’t know, maybe. Depends.” Ryo put his glasses on again and turned back to the screen, frowning.
“So, did ya get anything good?” Pulling out a chair, Dee sat down, leaning one elbow on the table.
“Not on the first try. I mean, it was okay, prepping meals for the week is a good idea in theory, but that works best for people working regular hours, Monday to Friday.”
“Not so good for those of us workin’ weird hours, weird shifts, and no set days off?”
“No, not really.” Ryo grinned. “I can try to plan meals in advance, make sure I’ve got all the ingredients, but prepping for a whole week when we’re never sure when, or even if, we’ll get home on any given day? It might be a bit hit and miss.”
“So you tried again?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“Be more mindful about your health.”
“That one probably suits me better than you. You’re like Mister Mindful already. You don’t smoke, only drink in moderation, eat healthily, get plenty of exercise… You’re even doin’ better at switchin’ off at quittin’ time, not workin’ yourself into the ground. I should probably quit snackin’ so much and get more exercise. Been gettin’ lazy lately. I oughta hit the gym, but I’m worried it might hit back.”
Ryo grinned at the joke. “You quit smoking though, and you cut down on the alcohol.”
“Only ‘cause I don’t bounce back the way I used to.” Dee sighed. “I miss my twenties. What else ya get?”
“Allow yourself to have friendly disagreements.”
Dee snickered. “Hell, we do that all the time! And not just with each other. That’s not somethin’ ya need to work on. Hand that over, let me have a try.”
Obediently, Ryo slid the laptop over to Dee. “Are you looking up resolutions for yourself or for me?”
“You, dumbass. I already resolved last year not to make any more resolutions, and I’m stickin’ to it. Okay, let’s see… Nope, not that one.”
“What is it?” Ryo leaned sideways, trying to see the laptop screen.
“Practice sayin’ ‘No’. You’re good enough at that already.”
Now it was Ryo’s turn to snicker.
“Shut up.” Dee mock glared at his lover. “Okay, let’s try again. Plan a weekly date night… Already doin’ that. One more try, then we’re quittin’.” Dee tapped at the keyboard again. “Oh, hey, this one’s right up your alley. Improve your work-life balance.”
“Didn’t I already do that?”
“Well, yeah, but a few more tweaks wouldn’t hurt, prioritise your life a little more.”
“I would if work would let me. Being a cop isn’t exactly a nine to five job.”
“Tell me something I don’t know. Okay then, how about…”
Ryo cut him off. “Thought you said one more?”
“Bonus round,” Dee said, smirking. “Create a budget… Nope, you do that anyway. Commit to a cleanin’ schedule… Nope, the one you’ve got is fine. Become an early bird… You already are, so that’s out. Guess that settles it.”
“Settles what?”
“You don’t need a resolution; you already got all their suggestions covered.” Dee turned off the laptop and closed the lid, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. “C’mon.”
“Where to?”
“Bed.”
“But… aren’t you watching the game?”
“Nah, it’s boring. No way the Jets are gonna win, the Bills are too far ahead. It would take divine intervention, or a miracle. Possibly both. The Jets suck.”
“So that’s it, just bed?”
“Well, if you want a resolution, you could always commit to sayin’ ‘yes’ more often.”
Ryo looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, guess I could do that.”
Dee smirked. “My favourite word, especially when it’s you sayin’ it. You comin’?”
“Yes. Just give me a second, I’ll be right there.” Getting up, he wandered over to the TV and turned it off, checked the door was locked, turned out the light, and followed Dee into their bedroom, smiling. Maybe this would be a resolution he could keep.
The End
Tags:
(no subject)
Date: 2025-01-02 05:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-01-02 07:19 pm (UTC)Thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2025-01-03 01:24 am (UTC)Although I have to say -- we've gotten to where we plan our meals, and that's usually on him with the OT I've been working. My schedule doesn't change much, but his pretty much does every week. But it still seems to work better that way. We just make a big batch of something, toss in mostly canned (I know, I know) veggies, and eat off of that for the week.
I also feel Ryo on the work-life balance, although sometimes working too much IS necessary depending on what your home life is like and the improvements you and your family may need. <3
(no subject)
Date: 2025-01-03 11:50 am (UTC)Ryo can cook and freeze extras, providing Dee doesn't go back for seconds and thirds, but that's about all the meal planning he has the energy for most days. Glad your method works for you!
Thank you!