FAKE Fic: Looking On The Bright Side
Mar. 20th, 2026 06:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: Looking On The Bright Side
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: JJ, Dee, Drake.
Rating: PG
Setting: Throughout the manga and Like Like Love.
Summary: JJ has always been an optimist. Even when things fail to go his way, it doesn’t keep him down for long.
Word Count: 1517
Written For: Theme Prompt: 229 – Optimism at
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fandomweekly.Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
JJ Adams had always considered himself an optimist; no matter how bad things got in his life, he prided himself on being able to see the glass half full rather than half empty. Of course, being the youngest child of a wealthy, upper class family meant his life was never truly bad, not in the way so many of his colleagues’ lives might sometimes be, not to mention the lives of the crime victims they tried to get justice for. Still, he did his best to look on the bright side, even when, because of his job as a detective with the NYPD, the bright side might not always be obvious.
His natural optimism was what kept him going through the long, often exhausting and demoralising workdays, because he was living his own personal dream. While he didn’t technically need to work and could have lived very well on the proceeds from the trust fund his grandparents had set up for him, being a cop was all he’d ever wanted. He’d worked hard to make that dream a reality, and he’d gotten where he was today through his own efforts, with no help from his family, financially or otherwise.
Really, despite the terrible things he often saw working for the Serious Crimes Unit, the dead bodies, the bloody crime scenes, the devastated families of homicide victims, and the traumatised victims of violent crime, his life was everything he could have hoped for. He had a palatial penthouse apartment in one of the better areas of Manhattan, plenty of money to buy the latest in designer fashions, and a job he found physically, mentally, and emotionally rewarding. The only dark cloud on his horizon was his singular lack of a love life, although that certainly wasn’t through lack of trying. He was pursuing the man of his dreams just as single-mindedly as he’d once pursued his choice of career, but while the latter had paid off, so far, his dreams of romance were going precisely nowhere.
Back at the police academy, ten years or so ago, he’d met his perfect match, a tall, devastatingly handsome, black-haired, green-eyed love god by the name of Dee Laytner, a fellow cadet. JJ would be the first to admit that their first meeting hadn’t been the most auspicious, since he’d accidentally headbutted Dee in the face, almost breaking his nose, but on the plus side, it had been memorable. It had certainly gotten Dee’s attention, even if not on the most positive way.
But a few weeks later, when Dee had rescued JJ from a beating at the hands of some homophobic fellow cadets… Well, JJ had been sure it would only be a matter of time before he and Dee became a couple. He’d been ready and willing to fall into his hero’s arms, sure that would be the beginning of one of the greatest love stories ever told, only, that hadn’t happened. In fact, nothing had. Dee had rebuffed his advances, and even though JJ had made it clear he was available, the gorgeous Dee had not taken the bait.
After they’d graduated, Dee had been assigned to the NYPD as a rookie beat cop, while JJ, having shown great potential on the firing range, probably through years of experience at target shooting, had been assigned to a training programme for police snipers in California. That had definitely NOT been in JJ’s plans, but it had been too good an opportunity to pass up; being a sharpshooter could open up so many doors for him, and with a bit of experience under his belt he might well be able to choose where he wanted to be stationed.
When the sniper training was complete, with JJ graduating at the top of his class, he’d been assigned to a precinct, and
like every new cop before him, had gone through the ranks in L.A.: a year as a rookie, followed by a couple of years in uniform to prove himself, before getting the tap for detective. He was on his way, and the job was everything he’d ever dreamed it would be. Still, there was something missing, and JJ knew exactly what, or rather who, that was. Perhaps it was time he gave his man another chance.
Besides, he was tired of being so far from New York and his family; he’d made the grade as a detective, now it was time he went home, so he’d requested to transfer back to New York. Yes, it had meant him going through a certain amount of re-training since there were differences between the ways the LAPD and NYPD did things, but it had been well worth taking a step down for a year or so and re-taking the detective’s exam, which he’d passed with flying colours, because it meant he was back on familiar ground. He could see his parents and sisters whenever he wanted, catch up with old friends… As nice as L.A. had been, it couldn’t compare to the Big Apple. Nowhere could.
Better things were to come. He’d found that he’d been assigned to the 27th Precinct where, as luck would have it, Dee laytner happened to be working. To JJ’s mind, that had to be a sign; fate was bringing them back together again, it was destiny, it had to be. Finally, after so much time apart, he would be with his beloved! Surely Dee would be as ecstatic over their reunion as JJ was! Soon they’d be in each other’s arms, declaring their undying love for each other, looking forward to their Happily Ever After. He wondered how long they should wait before tying the knot. JJ was walking on air the day he walked into the two-seven for his first shift. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Dee’s face!
If Dee was happy to see him, however, he didn’t show it. Indeed, he seemed totally fixated on his work partner, one Randy ‘Ryo’ Maclean. Not that JJ gave up hope, because Ryo didn’t seem at all interested in Dee’s clumsy advances. Obviously, Dee was wasting his time, throwing himself at Ryo, but it was a temporary infatuation on Dee’s part, nothing more. Perhaps, JJ thought, he shouldn’t have left Dee alone for so long.
Well, never mind; he couldn’t change the past, and anyway, he’d been so busy in L.A., and wasn’t absence supposed to make the heart grow fonder? That was what he’d heard. Dee’s little crush would pass. Sooner or later, he would open his eyes and realise that JJ was waiting right there, ready and willing to fulfil his every desire. Of course, that did mean JJ had to keep reminding the man of his dreams that they were destined to be together, but that was hardly a chore. Why would it be? He never missed a chance to let Dee know how he felt, kissing and hugging him at every opportunity, telling Dee how happy they would be together, once he gave up his fruitless pursuit of Ryo. JJ had no doubt that true love would win in the end.
For his part, Dee kept pushing JJ away, yelling at him, and generally being mean and ungrateful, but JJ didn’t let that get him down. All relationships had their rough patches, theirs was just happening a little early, but persistence would surely pay off in the end. And in retrospect, it did, just not in the way JJ had expected.
He wasn’t sure when he’d first noticed the change in Dee and Ryo’s behaviour, but eventually JJ could ignore it no longer. Dee had won Ryo’s heart, they were together, and both of them seemed so happy. JJ’s heart sank. He’d invested so much time and attention in Dee, and yet it had all come to nothing. Dee would never be his.
For a while, JJ wallowed in misery, his usual cheery optimism considerably dampened, but even that soon palled. Realising that moping was a waste of time and effort, both of which he’d already put into trying to convince Dee they were made for each other, he slowly pulled himself together again. After all, even the darkest clouds couldn’t keep the sun from shining, they simply blocked it from sight. The sun would shine on JJ again; he just needed to be patient. Just because he couldn’t have the man he’d wanted for so long didn’t mean he was destined never to find true love.
He found Drake on the station house roof, doing some moping of his own over getting dumped again. JJ was still trying to shake off his own gloom, despite the bright sunshine, but something Drake said made him look at his partner in a new light. JJ was lonely, Drake was lonely, both of them were unloved and Drakey was so right, they needed to stick together. So JJ kissed his partner, full on the lips, and the sun seemed to shine a little brighter.
It wasn’t so difficult to lift his spirits, all it took was some positive thinking. Things were already looking up.
The End
His natural optimism was what kept him going through the long, often exhausting and demoralising workdays, because he was living his own personal dream. While he didn’t technically need to work and could have lived very well on the proceeds from the trust fund his grandparents had set up for him, being a cop was all he’d ever wanted. He’d worked hard to make that dream a reality, and he’d gotten where he was today through his own efforts, with no help from his family, financially or otherwise.
Really, despite the terrible things he often saw working for the Serious Crimes Unit, the dead bodies, the bloody crime scenes, the devastated families of homicide victims, and the traumatised victims of violent crime, his life was everything he could have hoped for. He had a palatial penthouse apartment in one of the better areas of Manhattan, plenty of money to buy the latest in designer fashions, and a job he found physically, mentally, and emotionally rewarding. The only dark cloud on his horizon was his singular lack of a love life, although that certainly wasn’t through lack of trying. He was pursuing the man of his dreams just as single-mindedly as he’d once pursued his choice of career, but while the latter had paid off, so far, his dreams of romance were going precisely nowhere.
Back at the police academy, ten years or so ago, he’d met his perfect match, a tall, devastatingly handsome, black-haired, green-eyed love god by the name of Dee Laytner, a fellow cadet. JJ would be the first to admit that their first meeting hadn’t been the most auspicious, since he’d accidentally headbutted Dee in the face, almost breaking his nose, but on the plus side, it had been memorable. It had certainly gotten Dee’s attention, even if not on the most positive way.
But a few weeks later, when Dee had rescued JJ from a beating at the hands of some homophobic fellow cadets… Well, JJ had been sure it would only be a matter of time before he and Dee became a couple. He’d been ready and willing to fall into his hero’s arms, sure that would be the beginning of one of the greatest love stories ever told, only, that hadn’t happened. In fact, nothing had. Dee had rebuffed his advances, and even though JJ had made it clear he was available, the gorgeous Dee had not taken the bait.
After they’d graduated, Dee had been assigned to the NYPD as a rookie beat cop, while JJ, having shown great potential on the firing range, probably through years of experience at target shooting, had been assigned to a training programme for police snipers in California. That had definitely NOT been in JJ’s plans, but it had been too good an opportunity to pass up; being a sharpshooter could open up so many doors for him, and with a bit of experience under his belt he might well be able to choose where he wanted to be stationed.
When the sniper training was complete, with JJ graduating at the top of his class, he’d been assigned to a precinct, and
like every new cop before him, had gone through the ranks in L.A.: a year as a rookie, followed by a couple of years in uniform to prove himself, before getting the tap for detective. He was on his way, and the job was everything he’d ever dreamed it would be. Still, there was something missing, and JJ knew exactly what, or rather who, that was. Perhaps it was time he gave his man another chance.
Besides, he was tired of being so far from New York and his family; he’d made the grade as a detective, now it was time he went home, so he’d requested to transfer back to New York. Yes, it had meant him going through a certain amount of re-training since there were differences between the ways the LAPD and NYPD did things, but it had been well worth taking a step down for a year or so and re-taking the detective’s exam, which he’d passed with flying colours, because it meant he was back on familiar ground. He could see his parents and sisters whenever he wanted, catch up with old friends… As nice as L.A. had been, it couldn’t compare to the Big Apple. Nowhere could.
Better things were to come. He’d found that he’d been assigned to the 27th Precinct where, as luck would have it, Dee laytner happened to be working. To JJ’s mind, that had to be a sign; fate was bringing them back together again, it was destiny, it had to be. Finally, after so much time apart, he would be with his beloved! Surely Dee would be as ecstatic over their reunion as JJ was! Soon they’d be in each other’s arms, declaring their undying love for each other, looking forward to their Happily Ever After. He wondered how long they should wait before tying the knot. JJ was walking on air the day he walked into the two-seven for his first shift. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Dee’s face!
If Dee was happy to see him, however, he didn’t show it. Indeed, he seemed totally fixated on his work partner, one Randy ‘Ryo’ Maclean. Not that JJ gave up hope, because Ryo didn’t seem at all interested in Dee’s clumsy advances. Obviously, Dee was wasting his time, throwing himself at Ryo, but it was a temporary infatuation on Dee’s part, nothing more. Perhaps, JJ thought, he shouldn’t have left Dee alone for so long.
Well, never mind; he couldn’t change the past, and anyway, he’d been so busy in L.A., and wasn’t absence supposed to make the heart grow fonder? That was what he’d heard. Dee’s little crush would pass. Sooner or later, he would open his eyes and realise that JJ was waiting right there, ready and willing to fulfil his every desire. Of course, that did mean JJ had to keep reminding the man of his dreams that they were destined to be together, but that was hardly a chore. Why would it be? He never missed a chance to let Dee know how he felt, kissing and hugging him at every opportunity, telling Dee how happy they would be together, once he gave up his fruitless pursuit of Ryo. JJ had no doubt that true love would win in the end.
For his part, Dee kept pushing JJ away, yelling at him, and generally being mean and ungrateful, but JJ didn’t let that get him down. All relationships had their rough patches, theirs was just happening a little early, but persistence would surely pay off in the end. And in retrospect, it did, just not in the way JJ had expected.
He wasn’t sure when he’d first noticed the change in Dee and Ryo’s behaviour, but eventually JJ could ignore it no longer. Dee had won Ryo’s heart, they were together, and both of them seemed so happy. JJ’s heart sank. He’d invested so much time and attention in Dee, and yet it had all come to nothing. Dee would never be his.
For a while, JJ wallowed in misery, his usual cheery optimism considerably dampened, but even that soon palled. Realising that moping was a waste of time and effort, both of which he’d already put into trying to convince Dee they were made for each other, he slowly pulled himself together again. After all, even the darkest clouds couldn’t keep the sun from shining, they simply blocked it from sight. The sun would shine on JJ again; he just needed to be patient. Just because he couldn’t have the man he’d wanted for so long didn’t mean he was destined never to find true love.
He found Drake on the station house roof, doing some moping of his own over getting dumped again. JJ was still trying to shake off his own gloom, despite the bright sunshine, but something Drake said made him look at his partner in a new light. JJ was lonely, Drake was lonely, both of them were unloved and Drakey was so right, they needed to stick together. So JJ kissed his partner, full on the lips, and the sun seemed to shine a little brighter.
It wasn’t so difficult to lift his spirits, all it took was some positive thinking. Things were already looking up.
The End
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