FAKE Fic: Stumbling Into Something
Jun. 19th, 2025 06:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: Stumbling Into Something
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ryo, Dee.
Rating: PG
Setting: Start of an AU where Ryo is a famous country singer, but Dee is still a cop with the NYPD.
Summary: Country singer Randy Lane decides to take a Hawaiian vacation before his next world tour, but he winds up getting a whole lot more out of it than he was expecting.
Word Count: 3404
Written For: The Weekend Challenge ‘Sun, Sea, and Sex’ at
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1_million_words.Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters.
Wide-eyed with wonder, Randal Ryo Maclean, otherwise known as world-famous country singer Randy Lane, took in his surroundings. Hawaii was somewhere he’d long wanted to visit, and he could scarcely believe he was finally here.
Maybe, if he’d been willing to wait, he might have eventually gotten here on one of his tours, but that was no way to see what must surely be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Touring left no time for sightseeing; it was all hotel rooms, live shows, interviews, and public appearances.
No, coming here on vacation had been the only possible choice, and he was even more sure of that now. He’d only just arrived, hadn’t even left the airport yet, but there was already so much to see that he hardly knew which way to look. In fact, he’d been so distracted by the sights, sounds, and scents that he’d almost forgotten to pick up his luggage and had to backtrack to the baggage claim area after walking straight past it.
At least he hadn’t gotten too far before he’d realised. Now he just needed to try and maintain focus until he’d checked into his hotel; after that, he could get on with seeing and experiencing as much as he could over the next three weeks. Okay, first things first; find the exit and get a taxi. Surely he could manage that much without mishap.
As it turned out, he couldn’t. Striding across the concourse, suitcase in tow, in search of the main doors and the taxi rank beyond, his attention kept wandering. There seemed to be flowers everywhere, brightly colored and fragrant, and Hawaiian music was playing somewhere nearby. It didn’t sound like a recording, there was none of the tinny quality of canned music, and he felt drawn to it; surely it had to be a band playing, and yet amid the airport’s noise and bustle he couldn’t quite make out which direction it was coming from.
He really should have been paying more attention to where he was going. If he had been, then when he’d detoured around a couple standing in his path, he might have noticed the suitcase on the ground right in from of him…
Needless to say, he didn’t, and as he stumbled over it a wave of embarrassment washed through him; he was going to fall flat on his face in the middle of the concourse and then everyone would be staring at him, probably laughing at him for being a clumsy idiot.
Only… he didn’t quite fall, because there was a man just ahead of him who turned at the sound of the suitcase he’d tripped on clattering to the floor, and then suddenly there were strong arms around him, keeping him from making a complete fool of himself, and he was staring into a pair of emerald-green eyes from just a few inches away.
Ryo felt his face heating up and knew he was blushing, but when his inadvertent rescuer didn’t immediately start yelling at him to watch where he was going, he started to stammer out an apology.
“Oh god, I’m s…so sorry…” That was as far as he got; the words died on his lips as a wide smile gradually lit up the other man’s face. He didn’t seem the least put out that a complete stranger had just fallen headlong into his arms.
“Can’t say I am. Damn, if I’d ‘a known I’d have gorgeous guys throwin’ themselves at me, I would’a come to Hawaii years ago! We’ve not even been introduced yet and you’re already fallin’ for my charms,” the stranger joked. He set Ryo back on his feet but didn’t let go of him. “Hi there. Name’s Dee Laytner. Who might you be?”
“Randy. Uh, Randy Maclean.”
“Very pleased to meet ya, Randy Maclean.”
Then Dee leaned in closer again, staring deeply into his eyes, and Ryo’s heart started to race. It wasn’t panic he felt; it was excitement, making him breathless and a little giddy, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
“Man, you have the most amazin’ eyes I’ve ever seen, so dark they’re almost black! You got some Japanese in ya, Randy Maclean?”
“Um, yes, actually I do. My mom…”
“I knew it! So what’s your Japanese name? You do have one, right?”
Dee’s smile was so warm and interested that Ryo couldn’t keep from smiling back. “Ryo. It’s Ryo.”
“Ryo. I like that, it suits ya, so that’s what I’m gonna call ya. Okay?”
“Sure, I guess,” Ryo replied, bemused.
“Here I was thinkin’ vacationin’ alone might be kinda lonely, but then you fall right into my arms. Things are definitely lookin’ up. You here with anyone?”
“N…no, I’m travelling by myself.”
“Well, if you’re wantin’ some company, I’m available, and I’m all yours. Whaddaya say? ‘Cause now that I’ve found ya I’ve no intention of lettin’ ya just walk away. Ya can’t tell me us meetin’ like this isn’t fate.”
Dee’s green eyes were mesmerising. Ryo thought he could lose himself in them forever if he wasn’t careful, and he tried to pull himself together. “Did anyone ever tell you you’re kinda crazy?”
“Oh, only all the time. Guess I was born that way.” Dee’s smile grew even wider, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners, before he toned it down a few notches. “If I’m comin’ on too strong, tell me. Can’t promise I’ll ease up though.”
Ryo could sail through interviews, and three-hour concerts in front of massive audiences, and here he was getting tongue-tied because the most attractive man he’d ever met was openly hitting on him. He didn’t quite know what to do about it, except… there was something magnetic about Dee Laytner, and despite the whole situation being way out if his comfort zone, Ryo kind of wanted to see where it all might lead.
He was on vacation, sort of incognito, travelling under his birth name rather than his stage name. No one need ever know what happened here, if anything DID happen. The secret he’d kept throughout his entire adult life would remain a secret. Even if this turned into a holiday fling, there was almost no chance of it being discovered. It wouldn’t affect his career. If he was ever going to let himself explore his sexuality, instead of repressing that side of him and letting the world believe he was straight, what better opportunity could there be than the one standing right in front of him, grinning as if he’d hit the jackpot?
“N…no, it’s… it’s fine. I mean, I’m not really used to… uh…”
“Yeah, I can see that. What say we get outta here, see if we can grab ourselves a taxi? Gotta be some out front somewhere.”
“Yes, that’s where I was heading when…” Ryo trailed off, biting his lip.
“When fate stepped in?” Dee finished for him.
“If you want to put it that way.”
“Oh, I’ll put it any way ya like. I’m easy.” Dee winked, and Ryo felt a tide of heat go through him. How could the man be so confident, so sure of himself? “So, where’re ya stayin’? You got someplace booked?”
Nodding, Ryo told Dee the name of his hotel.
“Hey, no kiddin’! I’m booked in there too! Fate, just like I said! Maybe we booked with the same travel agency. Where’d you fly in from?”
“Uh, Tennessee.” Ryo didn’t want to get too specific.
“Cool. I’m from New York, but I guess ya can tell that from my accent. You don’t sound like you’re from the south though.”
“Oh, I’m not really, I just live there at the moment. My folks moved around a lot. Actually, I was born in New York, but we moved away when I was… three or four, I guess. I don’t really remember.” Ryo wasn’t sure why he was telling a complete stranger so much, it was just that Dee seemed so genuinely interested in him. He could be a conman of some kind, but Ryo didn’t think so. He seemed too open, too honest, too willing to share…
“Me, I’ve never lived anywhere else. Never knew my parents, I grew up in an orphanage. Don’t go feelin’ bad for me though, can’t imagine a traditional family bein’ any better than what I had. Maybe didn’t have as much as some kids, but I never wanted for anything that mattered. Always considered myself lucky, and now I KNOW I am.” He looked Ryo up and down with open appreciation. “Man, am I lucky! You’re like every dream I ever had come true.”
“Dee!” It seemed oddly natural to use the man’s given name.
“Hey, one thing ya gotta know about me right from the start is, I never lie. Some people think I’m a little TOO honest, but not in a bad way. Let’s go see about that taxi, shall we? Don’t know ‘bout you, but I’d like to see more on this vacation than just the inside of the airport.”
“Yes, me too, I want to see it all, fit in as much as I can while I’m here,” Ryo agreed.
“Then let’s get started!” Dee picked up his suitcase and waited while Ryo fumbled for the handle of his own. “Main entrance is that way. With my luck goin’ the way it is right now, maybe we won’t haveta wait too long for a cab.”
Either there were a lot of taxis going back and forth from the airport, which was entirely possible, or Dee’s luck really was that good, because as they stepped out into the bright sunshine, a taxi was right there, just dropping off a family who were presumably heading home from vacation. Dee approached the driver, who was getting the family’s luggage out of the trunk.
“You waitin’ for anyone?”
The driver shook his head. “Just give me a minute to finish up with this fare and I’ll take you wherever you wanna go.”
“Sure. No problem.”
Less than five minutes later, Ryo and his new friend were in the back of the taxi, on the way to their hotel.
“So,” said Dee, turning that grin on Ryo again. “Whaddaya do when you’re not fallin’ into the arms of complete strangers?”
“You’re never gonna let me forget that, are you?”
“Nope. It’ll be a fun story to tell our friends, how we both met the man of our dreams all because some lamebrain left their suitcase in a stupid place. And don’t even TRY denyin’ it. I’ve seen ya, checkin’ me out. You like what you see. I can tell.”
“Yes, I do.” Ryo was blushing again, but there was no point lying; Dee was clearly a very observant man.
“So, ya didn’t answer my question. Whaddaya do when you’re not on vacation?”
“Oh, uh, I’m kinda between gigs at the moment, taking a break.” Ryo wondered if he should tell Dee the truth, that he was enjoying some downtime before his next big tour. Part of him wanted to, he didn’t want to lie to this man, even by omission, but he’d only just met Dee, knew next to nothing about him, meaning it was too risky to take that kind of chance, and anyway, he didn’t want his fame to get in the way of… whatever was going on here.
One of things he hated about being famous was the way, once people found out who he was, they treated him differently, practically falling over themselves to agree with him on everything. He was nothing special, just a singer and a songwriter, but… Well, the celebrity treatment was a major downside of working in the entertainment industry. That and people thinking they were entitled to his time, whenever and wherever, like the fool who’d wanted his autograph when he was stopped at a red light.
Dee didn’t press him on anything though, just smiled. “Gotcha. Sometimes ya just gotta take a step back and reassess, figure out your next step. Don’t sweat it, just kick back and relax while you’re here. I can help ya with that.”
“How are you so confident?”
Dee shrugged. “Way I was raised, I guess. Mother, that’s the nun who runs the orphanage, she always told me to never be ashamed of who I am. Even when I went to her and told her I was bi, she never judged me for it. Just said that love is love, and as long as I treat whoever I’m datin’ with kindness and respect, that’s all that matters.”
“That’s wise advice.”
“Yeah, she’s a wise lady. She raised me right. I was a troublemaker as a kid, most kids are I guess, at least ‘til they learn better judgement, but she set me on the right path. Never gave up on me. I owe everything I am to her, and damned if I’ll ever let down. She’s my family. There’s none better.”
“She sounds wonderful. So, what is it you do?”
Dee laughed. “You’re not gonna believe this, but… Detective, NYPD.”
“Seriously? You’re a cop?”
“Yep! Never would’a guessed that, right? I made detective two years ago, at twenty-five, one of the youngest in the department. It’s all I ever wanted to be. Still don’t know how Mother managed to raise the funds to put me through the police academy, but she did. She worries, ‘cause it can be dangerous, but I know she’s proud of me.”
“Sounds like she has good reason to be.”
“Ya think so?” Dee fairly beamed at the compliment. “Thanks! I try my best, for Mother, and for Jess. He was the cop who found me and took me to the orphanage. I was just a baby, abandoned in an alley, thrown out with the rest of the trash. Not the best start, but I guess from there, the only way was up, and I’m doin’ okay.”
“I’d say you’re doing better than okay.”
“Yeah?”
Ryo nodded. “I mean, I hardly know you, but still…”
“If I am, it’s only ‘cause I had the best people lookin’ out for me. Jess stuck around, kinda like a surrogate dad, taught me right from wrong, told me to live my life honestly, and I’ve always tried my best to. He was killed when I was fifteen. So was one of my best friends. That just made me more determined than ever that I was gonna wear the badge. For Jess, for Arnon, for all the disadvantaged kids in Mother’s care, to show ‘em what was possible if ya just believe in yourself and try your best.” Dee laughed then. “I know, I sound like a Hallmark movie, one of those where the poor boy makes good, but I’m serious. Guess I’m tryin’ to be a good role model for them, like Jess was for me, and I have no idea why I’m tellin’ ya all this, just… It’s weird, we only just met, but I feel like I’ve known ya forever.”
“I know what you mean.”
“I’m tellin’ ya, it’s fate, destiny, whatever ya wanna call it.”
The taxi pulled up at their hotel, and Dee leaned forward to pay the fare for both of them.
“Dee! You don’t have to pay for me!”
“How ‘bout I let ya buy me dinner in exchange? I mean, Hell, I saved hard for this vacation, I’m feelin’ flush, and I don’t mind payin’ for everything we do, within reason, but if it’ll make ya feel better, we can take turns. Like I said, I’m easy.” There was that wink again.
“You are incorrigible!”
“Only because you incorrige me.”
“That’s not even a word, doofus!”
“Made ya laugh though!”
That was true enough. Shaking his head, Ryo took charge of his suitcase, and they made their way into the hotel, heading for the desk to check in. Dee’s room was on the second floor, Ryo’s on the third, nothing overly fancy since he didn’t intend to spend much time there, and while he could have easily afforded a fancy suite, that had never been his style. He seldom got any choice about accommodations on tour, being a ’big star’ meant he usually got the star treatment, but by himself, he preferred something more modest; that made it easier not to draw attention to himself. Clutching their key cards, they took the elevator up to Dee’s floor, still so deep in conversation that neither one of them realised what they were doing until they were both in Dee’s room.
“Oops, sorry,” Ryo said, blushing yet again. “I wasn’t thinking. I’d better go up to my room.”
“Nah, there’s no rush. Let’s just dump our stuff here, freshen up, and head out to take a look around. You can go up to your room when we get back, if ya still want to. I had to work a lot of overtime and extra shifts to swing a three-week vacation, and I don’t wanna waste a second. How long are you here for?”
“Three weeks, same as you,” Ryo replied, bemused.
Dee punched the air and whooped like a big kid. “Thank you, lady luck! This just gets better and better!”
“What am I going to do with you?” Ryo asked, laughing at Dee’s antics.
“I can think of a few things, but there’s no rush.”
Ryo looked down. “I should tell you, I’ve never…” He bit his lip. “Not with a man.”
“No?” Dee stepped closer. “I was kinda figurin’ you were gay. Was I wrong?”
“No, you weren’t wrong, it’s just… I mean, I know I am, I’ve just never…” Ryo trailed off again, unable to find the right words.
“Still in the closet, huh?”
“Yes. I… I enlisted in the army at eighteen, signed up for five years, served four before getting injured badly enough to earn an honourable discharge, but it was easier to just let everybody I served with think I was straight. Everyone in my squad had to rely on each other, I didn’t want to give the other guys any reason not to trust me, and since then, I guess it’s just become a habit. I figured if nobody knew, I wouldn’t have to deal with prejudice and homophobia, wouldn’t have to deal with people discriminating against me. I guess I’ve kinda been taking the coward’s way out, ignoring that part of me because it… makes my life simpler.”
“There’s nothin’ cowardly about it, Ryo, don’t ever think that. Hell, I’ve been cussed out, spat at, denied service in restaurants, even physically attacked for bein’ bi. Nobody wants to open themselves up to that stuff, and if there’s no reason to tell someone, then why bother? Nothin’ wrong with choosin’ to be discreet. Just ‘cause discretion was never my style doesn’t mean everyone’s gotta be that way. ‘Sides, you served in the army, saw active service by the sound of it.”
Ryo nodded. “Four tours.”
“Now THAT takes courage. Plus gettin’ injured. Guessin’ that must’ve been pretty bad, or you wouldn’t have gotten that discharge.”
“It was bad enough. Left me with scarring, and some PTSD. Spent the first three months in a coma. I wasn’t expected to live, but I guess I was just too stubborn to die, and… well, here I am.”
“Yeah, here you are. You are amazin’, you know that?”
“I’m really not.”
“Modest, too. I like that in a guy, probably ‘cause I’m such a show-off.” Dee was grinning. “I need me a guy who’ll keep me from gettin’ too big-headed. Think you can handle that?”
“We’ll see.” After all, it was only for three weeks, then they’d go their separate ways, and probably never see or even hear from each other again. This would just be a holiday fling, right? If they even lasted out the full three weeks.
So why did it already feel like something more?
“C’mon, go get freshened up, then we’ll head out and explore.” Dee dumped his suitcase on the bed and started rummaging through it, while Ryo headed into the bathroom, bemused by the fact that this wasn’t even HIS room, and he was making free with the facilities. He’d come to Hawaii hoping to see the sights, maybe take in a few guided tours, all the touristy stuff, and now… About the only thing he was sure of was that this vacation wasn’t going to be anything like he’d been expecting.
The End… for now.
Maybe, if he’d been willing to wait, he might have eventually gotten here on one of his tours, but that was no way to see what must surely be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Touring left no time for sightseeing; it was all hotel rooms, live shows, interviews, and public appearances.
No, coming here on vacation had been the only possible choice, and he was even more sure of that now. He’d only just arrived, hadn’t even left the airport yet, but there was already so much to see that he hardly knew which way to look. In fact, he’d been so distracted by the sights, sounds, and scents that he’d almost forgotten to pick up his luggage and had to backtrack to the baggage claim area after walking straight past it.
At least he hadn’t gotten too far before he’d realised. Now he just needed to try and maintain focus until he’d checked into his hotel; after that, he could get on with seeing and experiencing as much as he could over the next three weeks. Okay, first things first; find the exit and get a taxi. Surely he could manage that much without mishap.
As it turned out, he couldn’t. Striding across the concourse, suitcase in tow, in search of the main doors and the taxi rank beyond, his attention kept wandering. There seemed to be flowers everywhere, brightly colored and fragrant, and Hawaiian music was playing somewhere nearby. It didn’t sound like a recording, there was none of the tinny quality of canned music, and he felt drawn to it; surely it had to be a band playing, and yet amid the airport’s noise and bustle he couldn’t quite make out which direction it was coming from.
He really should have been paying more attention to where he was going. If he had been, then when he’d detoured around a couple standing in his path, he might have noticed the suitcase on the ground right in from of him…
Needless to say, he didn’t, and as he stumbled over it a wave of embarrassment washed through him; he was going to fall flat on his face in the middle of the concourse and then everyone would be staring at him, probably laughing at him for being a clumsy idiot.
Only… he didn’t quite fall, because there was a man just ahead of him who turned at the sound of the suitcase he’d tripped on clattering to the floor, and then suddenly there were strong arms around him, keeping him from making a complete fool of himself, and he was staring into a pair of emerald-green eyes from just a few inches away.
Ryo felt his face heating up and knew he was blushing, but when his inadvertent rescuer didn’t immediately start yelling at him to watch where he was going, he started to stammer out an apology.
“Oh god, I’m s…so sorry…” That was as far as he got; the words died on his lips as a wide smile gradually lit up the other man’s face. He didn’t seem the least put out that a complete stranger had just fallen headlong into his arms.
“Can’t say I am. Damn, if I’d ‘a known I’d have gorgeous guys throwin’ themselves at me, I would’a come to Hawaii years ago! We’ve not even been introduced yet and you’re already fallin’ for my charms,” the stranger joked. He set Ryo back on his feet but didn’t let go of him. “Hi there. Name’s Dee Laytner. Who might you be?”
“Randy. Uh, Randy Maclean.”
“Very pleased to meet ya, Randy Maclean.”
Then Dee leaned in closer again, staring deeply into his eyes, and Ryo’s heart started to race. It wasn’t panic he felt; it was excitement, making him breathless and a little giddy, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
“Man, you have the most amazin’ eyes I’ve ever seen, so dark they’re almost black! You got some Japanese in ya, Randy Maclean?”
“Um, yes, actually I do. My mom…”
“I knew it! So what’s your Japanese name? You do have one, right?”
Dee’s smile was so warm and interested that Ryo couldn’t keep from smiling back. “Ryo. It’s Ryo.”
“Ryo. I like that, it suits ya, so that’s what I’m gonna call ya. Okay?”
“Sure, I guess,” Ryo replied, bemused.
“Here I was thinkin’ vacationin’ alone might be kinda lonely, but then you fall right into my arms. Things are definitely lookin’ up. You here with anyone?”
“N…no, I’m travelling by myself.”
“Well, if you’re wantin’ some company, I’m available, and I’m all yours. Whaddaya say? ‘Cause now that I’ve found ya I’ve no intention of lettin’ ya just walk away. Ya can’t tell me us meetin’ like this isn’t fate.”
Dee’s green eyes were mesmerising. Ryo thought he could lose himself in them forever if he wasn’t careful, and he tried to pull himself together. “Did anyone ever tell you you’re kinda crazy?”
“Oh, only all the time. Guess I was born that way.” Dee’s smile grew even wider, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners, before he toned it down a few notches. “If I’m comin’ on too strong, tell me. Can’t promise I’ll ease up though.”
Ryo could sail through interviews, and three-hour concerts in front of massive audiences, and here he was getting tongue-tied because the most attractive man he’d ever met was openly hitting on him. He didn’t quite know what to do about it, except… there was something magnetic about Dee Laytner, and despite the whole situation being way out if his comfort zone, Ryo kind of wanted to see where it all might lead.
He was on vacation, sort of incognito, travelling under his birth name rather than his stage name. No one need ever know what happened here, if anything DID happen. The secret he’d kept throughout his entire adult life would remain a secret. Even if this turned into a holiday fling, there was almost no chance of it being discovered. It wouldn’t affect his career. If he was ever going to let himself explore his sexuality, instead of repressing that side of him and letting the world believe he was straight, what better opportunity could there be than the one standing right in front of him, grinning as if he’d hit the jackpot?
“N…no, it’s… it’s fine. I mean, I’m not really used to… uh…”
“Yeah, I can see that. What say we get outta here, see if we can grab ourselves a taxi? Gotta be some out front somewhere.”
“Yes, that’s where I was heading when…” Ryo trailed off, biting his lip.
“When fate stepped in?” Dee finished for him.
“If you want to put it that way.”
“Oh, I’ll put it any way ya like. I’m easy.” Dee winked, and Ryo felt a tide of heat go through him. How could the man be so confident, so sure of himself? “So, where’re ya stayin’? You got someplace booked?”
Nodding, Ryo told Dee the name of his hotel.
“Hey, no kiddin’! I’m booked in there too! Fate, just like I said! Maybe we booked with the same travel agency. Where’d you fly in from?”
“Uh, Tennessee.” Ryo didn’t want to get too specific.
“Cool. I’m from New York, but I guess ya can tell that from my accent. You don’t sound like you’re from the south though.”
“Oh, I’m not really, I just live there at the moment. My folks moved around a lot. Actually, I was born in New York, but we moved away when I was… three or four, I guess. I don’t really remember.” Ryo wasn’t sure why he was telling a complete stranger so much, it was just that Dee seemed so genuinely interested in him. He could be a conman of some kind, but Ryo didn’t think so. He seemed too open, too honest, too willing to share…
“Me, I’ve never lived anywhere else. Never knew my parents, I grew up in an orphanage. Don’t go feelin’ bad for me though, can’t imagine a traditional family bein’ any better than what I had. Maybe didn’t have as much as some kids, but I never wanted for anything that mattered. Always considered myself lucky, and now I KNOW I am.” He looked Ryo up and down with open appreciation. “Man, am I lucky! You’re like every dream I ever had come true.”
“Dee!” It seemed oddly natural to use the man’s given name.
“Hey, one thing ya gotta know about me right from the start is, I never lie. Some people think I’m a little TOO honest, but not in a bad way. Let’s go see about that taxi, shall we? Don’t know ‘bout you, but I’d like to see more on this vacation than just the inside of the airport.”
“Yes, me too, I want to see it all, fit in as much as I can while I’m here,” Ryo agreed.
“Then let’s get started!” Dee picked up his suitcase and waited while Ryo fumbled for the handle of his own. “Main entrance is that way. With my luck goin’ the way it is right now, maybe we won’t haveta wait too long for a cab.”
Either there were a lot of taxis going back and forth from the airport, which was entirely possible, or Dee’s luck really was that good, because as they stepped out into the bright sunshine, a taxi was right there, just dropping off a family who were presumably heading home from vacation. Dee approached the driver, who was getting the family’s luggage out of the trunk.
“You waitin’ for anyone?”
The driver shook his head. “Just give me a minute to finish up with this fare and I’ll take you wherever you wanna go.”
“Sure. No problem.”
Less than five minutes later, Ryo and his new friend were in the back of the taxi, on the way to their hotel.
“So,” said Dee, turning that grin on Ryo again. “Whaddaya do when you’re not fallin’ into the arms of complete strangers?”
“You’re never gonna let me forget that, are you?”
“Nope. It’ll be a fun story to tell our friends, how we both met the man of our dreams all because some lamebrain left their suitcase in a stupid place. And don’t even TRY denyin’ it. I’ve seen ya, checkin’ me out. You like what you see. I can tell.”
“Yes, I do.” Ryo was blushing again, but there was no point lying; Dee was clearly a very observant man.
“So, ya didn’t answer my question. Whaddaya do when you’re not on vacation?”
“Oh, uh, I’m kinda between gigs at the moment, taking a break.” Ryo wondered if he should tell Dee the truth, that he was enjoying some downtime before his next big tour. Part of him wanted to, he didn’t want to lie to this man, even by omission, but he’d only just met Dee, knew next to nothing about him, meaning it was too risky to take that kind of chance, and anyway, he didn’t want his fame to get in the way of… whatever was going on here.
One of things he hated about being famous was the way, once people found out who he was, they treated him differently, practically falling over themselves to agree with him on everything. He was nothing special, just a singer and a songwriter, but… Well, the celebrity treatment was a major downside of working in the entertainment industry. That and people thinking they were entitled to his time, whenever and wherever, like the fool who’d wanted his autograph when he was stopped at a red light.
Dee didn’t press him on anything though, just smiled. “Gotcha. Sometimes ya just gotta take a step back and reassess, figure out your next step. Don’t sweat it, just kick back and relax while you’re here. I can help ya with that.”
“How are you so confident?”
Dee shrugged. “Way I was raised, I guess. Mother, that’s the nun who runs the orphanage, she always told me to never be ashamed of who I am. Even when I went to her and told her I was bi, she never judged me for it. Just said that love is love, and as long as I treat whoever I’m datin’ with kindness and respect, that’s all that matters.”
“That’s wise advice.”
“Yeah, she’s a wise lady. She raised me right. I was a troublemaker as a kid, most kids are I guess, at least ‘til they learn better judgement, but she set me on the right path. Never gave up on me. I owe everything I am to her, and damned if I’ll ever let down. She’s my family. There’s none better.”
“She sounds wonderful. So, what is it you do?”
Dee laughed. “You’re not gonna believe this, but… Detective, NYPD.”
“Seriously? You’re a cop?”
“Yep! Never would’a guessed that, right? I made detective two years ago, at twenty-five, one of the youngest in the department. It’s all I ever wanted to be. Still don’t know how Mother managed to raise the funds to put me through the police academy, but she did. She worries, ‘cause it can be dangerous, but I know she’s proud of me.”
“Sounds like she has good reason to be.”
“Ya think so?” Dee fairly beamed at the compliment. “Thanks! I try my best, for Mother, and for Jess. He was the cop who found me and took me to the orphanage. I was just a baby, abandoned in an alley, thrown out with the rest of the trash. Not the best start, but I guess from there, the only way was up, and I’m doin’ okay.”
“I’d say you’re doing better than okay.”
“Yeah?”
Ryo nodded. “I mean, I hardly know you, but still…”
“If I am, it’s only ‘cause I had the best people lookin’ out for me. Jess stuck around, kinda like a surrogate dad, taught me right from wrong, told me to live my life honestly, and I’ve always tried my best to. He was killed when I was fifteen. So was one of my best friends. That just made me more determined than ever that I was gonna wear the badge. For Jess, for Arnon, for all the disadvantaged kids in Mother’s care, to show ‘em what was possible if ya just believe in yourself and try your best.” Dee laughed then. “I know, I sound like a Hallmark movie, one of those where the poor boy makes good, but I’m serious. Guess I’m tryin’ to be a good role model for them, like Jess was for me, and I have no idea why I’m tellin’ ya all this, just… It’s weird, we only just met, but I feel like I’ve known ya forever.”
“I know what you mean.”
“I’m tellin’ ya, it’s fate, destiny, whatever ya wanna call it.”
The taxi pulled up at their hotel, and Dee leaned forward to pay the fare for both of them.
“Dee! You don’t have to pay for me!”
“How ‘bout I let ya buy me dinner in exchange? I mean, Hell, I saved hard for this vacation, I’m feelin’ flush, and I don’t mind payin’ for everything we do, within reason, but if it’ll make ya feel better, we can take turns. Like I said, I’m easy.” There was that wink again.
“You are incorrigible!”
“Only because you incorrige me.”
“That’s not even a word, doofus!”
“Made ya laugh though!”
That was true enough. Shaking his head, Ryo took charge of his suitcase, and they made their way into the hotel, heading for the desk to check in. Dee’s room was on the second floor, Ryo’s on the third, nothing overly fancy since he didn’t intend to spend much time there, and while he could have easily afforded a fancy suite, that had never been his style. He seldom got any choice about accommodations on tour, being a ’big star’ meant he usually got the star treatment, but by himself, he preferred something more modest; that made it easier not to draw attention to himself. Clutching their key cards, they took the elevator up to Dee’s floor, still so deep in conversation that neither one of them realised what they were doing until they were both in Dee’s room.
“Oops, sorry,” Ryo said, blushing yet again. “I wasn’t thinking. I’d better go up to my room.”
“Nah, there’s no rush. Let’s just dump our stuff here, freshen up, and head out to take a look around. You can go up to your room when we get back, if ya still want to. I had to work a lot of overtime and extra shifts to swing a three-week vacation, and I don’t wanna waste a second. How long are you here for?”
“Three weeks, same as you,” Ryo replied, bemused.
Dee punched the air and whooped like a big kid. “Thank you, lady luck! This just gets better and better!”
“What am I going to do with you?” Ryo asked, laughing at Dee’s antics.
“I can think of a few things, but there’s no rush.”
Ryo looked down. “I should tell you, I’ve never…” He bit his lip. “Not with a man.”
“No?” Dee stepped closer. “I was kinda figurin’ you were gay. Was I wrong?”
“No, you weren’t wrong, it’s just… I mean, I know I am, I’ve just never…” Ryo trailed off again, unable to find the right words.
“Still in the closet, huh?”
“Yes. I… I enlisted in the army at eighteen, signed up for five years, served four before getting injured badly enough to earn an honourable discharge, but it was easier to just let everybody I served with think I was straight. Everyone in my squad had to rely on each other, I didn’t want to give the other guys any reason not to trust me, and since then, I guess it’s just become a habit. I figured if nobody knew, I wouldn’t have to deal with prejudice and homophobia, wouldn’t have to deal with people discriminating against me. I guess I’ve kinda been taking the coward’s way out, ignoring that part of me because it… makes my life simpler.”
“There’s nothin’ cowardly about it, Ryo, don’t ever think that. Hell, I’ve been cussed out, spat at, denied service in restaurants, even physically attacked for bein’ bi. Nobody wants to open themselves up to that stuff, and if there’s no reason to tell someone, then why bother? Nothin’ wrong with choosin’ to be discreet. Just ‘cause discretion was never my style doesn’t mean everyone’s gotta be that way. ‘Sides, you served in the army, saw active service by the sound of it.”
Ryo nodded. “Four tours.”
“Now THAT takes courage. Plus gettin’ injured. Guessin’ that must’ve been pretty bad, or you wouldn’t have gotten that discharge.”
“It was bad enough. Left me with scarring, and some PTSD. Spent the first three months in a coma. I wasn’t expected to live, but I guess I was just too stubborn to die, and… well, here I am.”
“Yeah, here you are. You are amazin’, you know that?”
“I’m really not.”
“Modest, too. I like that in a guy, probably ‘cause I’m such a show-off.” Dee was grinning. “I need me a guy who’ll keep me from gettin’ too big-headed. Think you can handle that?”
“We’ll see.” After all, it was only for three weeks, then they’d go their separate ways, and probably never see or even hear from each other again. This would just be a holiday fling, right? If they even lasted out the full three weeks.
So why did it already feel like something more?
“C’mon, go get freshened up, then we’ll head out and explore.” Dee dumped his suitcase on the bed and started rummaging through it, while Ryo headed into the bathroom, bemused by the fact that this wasn’t even HIS room, and he was making free with the facilities. He’d come to Hawaii hoping to see the sights, maybe take in a few guided tours, all the touristy stuff, and now… About the only thing he was sure of was that this vacation wasn’t going to be anything like he’d been expecting.
The End… for now.
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Date: 2025-06-22 12:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-06-22 10:20 am (UTC)Thank you!