Title: Fair Exchange

Author: badly-knitted

Characters: Dee, Ryo.

Rating: PG-13

Setting: After Vol. 6, Act 17.

Summary: Dee wishes he could persuade Ryo to try his love on for size.

Word Count: 605

Written For: My own prompt 'FAKE, Dee/Ryo, "Hold me in your arms/Just see how it feels/Don't make we wait forever/Just because you know I will" - Brad Paisley 'Hold Me In Your Arms (And Let Me Fall)',' at fic_promptly.

Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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The aborted test drive hadn't just been about sex for Dee, although that had been a major consideration; he was a guy, he had needs that weren't being satisfied. Ryo must surely have similar needs, even if he seemed unwilling to so much as acknowledge their existence.

Dee was starving to be touched, held, and loved, and while he could go elsewhere for such things, it wouldn't be the same, not when it was Ryo he wanted. He'd hoped that if Ryo only gave him a try, experienced what it felt like to hold him in his arms, and to be held and loved in return, he might be able to get past whatever obstacles were preventing him from embracing a more… intimate relationship than the one they had at the moment. Being work partners and best friends was great, but Dee had always wanted more from Ryo, and deep down he believed Ryo wanted that too, he was just being held back by something.

The test drive had started out so well! Dee had been taking things slowly, not wanting to overwhelm his partner; Ryo could be skittish so it had been important not to give him any reason to freeze up and pull away. Besides, Ryo was well worth taking his time over; Dee had wanted to explore every inch of the man he hoped would soon become his lover. He'd wanted to feel Ryo's smooth skin beneath his fingertips and his tongue, lick and taste him all over, even if Ryo thought that was kinda weird. If things had gone the way Dee had thought they would, soon Ryo would have been running his hands over Dee's body, exploring him in turn. Ryo had such beautiful hands, with long, slender, but surprisingly strong fingers. Just imagining them caressing him with increasing intimacy… Well, suffice to say he'd enjoyed many fantasies along those lines.

Unfortunately, the test drive had been derailed by a pressing need to save Carol from a psycho who preyed on young teenage girls, and since that night, somehow Dee had never managed to get things back to a point where they could pick up where they'd left off. It was a crying shame, because Dee as positive that his baby had been on the verge of really enjoying what was being done to him. Dee knew himself to be a skilled lover, as dedicated to his partner's pleasure as he was to his own. Perhaps someday he'd get to prove that to the man he was so head over heels in love with.

Dee was perfectly willing to wait as long as it took, forever if necessary, but he'd far rather not have to; waiting was hard, even though he was sure Ryo was worth it. All he really needed was another chance to show Ryo just what he'd been missing out on all his life. But perhaps that was what Ryo was afraid of, that if he let himself feel that way about Dee he might like it. Would that be so terrible? Dee didn't think so, but then he was completely comfortable with his sexuality while Ryo clearly wasn't.

"I don't want much. Just hold me, love me, and never let me go," he murmured to himself as he watched Ryo working, oblivious to Dee's steady gaze on him. No, not much, just everything, but then Dee was ready, willing, and able to give Ryo everything in return, his heart, his body, and his soul. The way he saw it that was a fair exchange.

His only difficulty was in convincing Ryo to give him a try.

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The End