Title: Starlight – Sequel to 'Camping Trip'

Author: badly-knitted

Characters: Dee, Ryo.

Rating: PG

Setting: After Vol. 7.

Summary: Dee decides that camping does have its good points.

Word Count: 475

Written For: My own prompt 'Any, any, The stars look close enough to touch,' at fic_promptly.

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

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Hands behind his head, Dee sprawled on his back on a blanket spread out beside the banked campfire, which was still giving out comforting warmth against the chill of the spring night. Not much more than a couple of hours before, he'd been eager to drag Ryo into their tent for some fun, but now he found himself loath to move from his comfortable spot. Dinner was finished, the dishes, such as they were, had been cleaned in the nearby stream, and there was nothing left to be done until they decided to turn in for the night. Dee had thought he might be bored with no TV, no music, no internet, and no phone reception, but to his surprise he wasn't. There was a lot to be said for having nothing at all to do; gave a man room to think, and maybe to daydream a little. He frowned slightly; could it still be called daydreaming if it was nighttime? He dismissed the thought with a mental shrug.

It was full night now, and although the moon had yet to rise, it wasn't as dark as he'd expected it to be away from the constant illumination of the city that never slept. Unimaginably far overhead the stars shone brightly like fireflies, and even though Dee knew they were millions of miles from earth, they looked so close that he almost felt he could reach up and touch them, maybe pluck one loose as a gift for Ryo. He chuckled faintly at his own whimsy and beside him, Ryo stirred.

"What's funny?" he asked softly, apparently as unwilling as Dee to disturb the peacefulness, broken only by the burbling of the nearby stream, the hoots of owls, and the occasional cry of a hunting fox.

"I was just thinkin' how close the stars look," Dee replied. "Like they're almost within reach."

"They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they are. Never given much thought to stars until now; the only other time I've seen them so bright was that night there was a brownout when we were up on the roof of the precinct house, remember?"

"I remember."

"I don't recall there bein' quite so many that night."

"Even with the power out there was still some light in the distance; hard to escape that in a city. Out here though, we're miles from the nearest habitation."

"Uh huh, just the two of us," Dee agreed. "No phones, no doorbells, no noisy neighbours unless ya count the wildlife; nothin' and no one to disturb us."

"Yeah." Ryo was silent for a moment, then… "Still wishing you'd stayed home?"

Dee gave the question due consideration then turned to look at his lover, Ryo's hair and skin appearing burnished in the faint firelight. "Nah," he murmured softly, leaning in for a kiss. "Wouldn't have missed this for the world."

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The End