Disclaimer: I do not own either Gravitation nor FAKE, and I do not profit in writing this story.

Author's Note: four parts, written for the now defunct community at livejournal called 04-seasons. The ending may feel incomplete to anyone who reads this. I may end up deciding upon a sequel. I don't know just yet.

Enjoy!


Dee Laytner was not above hard work. When he set his mind to do something, he always finished with a single-minded focus with rewards that could have rivaled the results of his partner's multi-tasking capabilities. It was just he could not focus on several things at once. Many interesting things, and people, always caught Dee's attention, and he simply had to look. Most of the time, the information from his observations of other people and situations were filed away in the back of his mind, and he preferred to show a laid-back, carefree attitude. It did not mean he was above hard work. He just had a hard time focusing, most of the time.

For instance, it was that time of year again when the Penguin often asked him to help with spring cleaning duties at the orphanage. It was a ritual for them, one the two of them enjoyed. Spring-cleaning brought back memories, especially since old photos were always unearthed, cleaned, and put lovingly back into boxes or on the walls. Of course, Dee and the Penguin always talked with fondness in their tones when they found the pictures. That was just how it went when he went back to where he had grown up and helped her. Since Ryo had become his partner at the precinct, Dee included him on many excursions to the orphanage where he had grown up. It was his way of saying he wanted Ryo to become a permanent part of his life, not just as partners but outside of work as well.

Dee gazed outside the window of his old bedroom, a melancholic expression on his face. It finally had happened. He had given up on the idea of he and Ryo becoming more than partners at work. The sandy-haired detective kept refusing his advances, and Dee could only push so far before his attempts bordered on sexual harassment or, worse, borderline rape. Dee did not want that for his partner so he had made the toughest decision of his life. It was time to give up on Ryo and possibly find someone new. He really did not want to do that, but he also did not enjoy the idea of spending his free time alone. By nature, he was a social creature and social creatures thrived on contact.

"Dee? Is everything all right?"

At hearing the Penguin's voice, Dee glanced in her direction and offered her a weak smile. She already knew about his decision to give up on Ryo, the reasons behind it, and she understood. The old woman did not like it much, but she understood. Sister Lane walked over towards him and sat in the chair opposite of Dee.

"I'm fine, Mother. Just . . . thinking."

"About old times?" A warm smile touched her features.

"You could say that," he murmured, averting his gaze. Outside, the children were playing, grateful to have a spare moment from cleaning. A gentle hand rested on his shoulder.

"Cheer up, child," she said. "Life is too short to be moping about all the time. Why don't you go and talk a walk? Clear your mind and your heart."

Dee knew what she was doing. In some ways, the old woman could not really help herself. Sister Lane had always liked Ryo, and she felt that the half-Japanese man would make Dee happy. She wanted Dee to go talk to Ryo, so they could possibly work things out. Dee knew it could not be done. It caused his heart to ache, the idea of giving Ryo up, but he saw no other alternative. Still, he would not deny a walk would do him some good. He needed the fresh air after inhaling cleaning chemicals all morning long.

Smiling a bit warmer, just for her, Dee rose to his feet and nodded. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks," he murmured. "I think I will. Take care of yourself, Mother. I'll see you soon."

* * *

Queen's Somebody to Love emanated quietly from the earphones Dee wore as he strolled through Central Park, munching on some chocolates leftover from Valentine's Day as he did, the song echoing his sentiments and his mood almost perfectly. He wanted someone to love him and someone he could love back, now that Ryo was out of the question.

There was only one problem: the only person he wanted was Ryo MacLean. Ryo possessed such a sweet, almost disarming personality. Dee could not resist him, and he seriously doubted there could ever be anyone else like Randy "Ryo" MacLean.

'Maybe that's my problem,' he mused. 'I want someone to be like Ryo and there isn't anyone else like him out there. Maybe all I need is a change of perspective.'

His thoughts presented him with another problem. If all he needed to find someone new was a change of perspective, what qualities did he feel he had to have? There were so many to choose from, aspects such as a nice personality, a good sense of humour, captivating eyes (he was such a sucker for intense eyes), and a hot body to turn him on and rile him up. Then there was the issue of gender. Did he want another male partner or a female partner? It had been a while since he had been with a woman, ever since he had started to chase after Ryo.

Dee had just about decided on what he wanted to look for in a partner when a flash of neon blue caught his eye. Curious, he turned his head and saw a group of three men standing near a hot dog vendor. They were talking, and, to Dee's thinking, the shortest of the men appeared to be down in the dumps. It was also the shortest member who had caught his attention, and Dee studied him for a moment.

He could not have been more than five feet in height, give or take an inch, and he had a very slender body, almost to the point where anyone could call it being effeminate. The man's hair was not completely the shade of neon blue. It was offset by blond highlights and what appeared to be a dark, natural colour, which Dee surprisingly thought looked good. His clothing hugged his petite frame quite nicely, and Dee found himself wanting to at least pinch that hind-end.

The dark-haired detective hit stop on his CD player and strolled over towards the trio, intent on meeting the one. He knew nothing of popular music in Japan or the fact he was approaching the country's hottest band, Bad Luck, on their American mini tour. Dee just knew he had to walk up and at the most say hello . . .

* * *

He felt eyes staring at him, appreciating him, and the sensation sent Shuichi's heart into his throat. The vocalist had always been aware of when someone was watching him, thanks to that one night with Taki Aizawa, and he had learned how to trust his instincts better because of that incident. He did not want to be hurt in such a manner again, and while someone looking at him was all well and good, sometimes being appreciated was not. The trouble Shuichi was having was he could not decipher what his emotions and instincts were telling him. He felt torn between alerting K, who sat a couple of park benches away, and finding out who actually happened to be staring.

"There's someone coming over here," Suguru murmured, interrupting Shuichi's internal debate. The singer glanced at the synth player who stared right back. "It looks like he's interested in you, Shindou-kun."

"He doesn't look like a fan, though," Hiro commented, keeping his voice low.

"No, he doesn't," Suguru agreed. "Too old for our fan base."

"Too old?" Shuichi echoed, fighting back the urge to laugh. "Since when did that happen?"

"Unlike you, Shindou-kun, I pay attention to the types of people in our audiences," the keyboardist replied with a sniff. "They're mostly young girls."

"I've noticed that," Shuichi said at the same time someone tapped him on the shoulder. Slightly startled, he turned around to see green eyes staring at him. A warm smile touched upon handsome, almost rugged-looking, features, and the singer's jaw drop as his heart skipped a beat or two.

"Excuse me," the man said in English. "I don't mean to interrupt anything, but I was wondering if you'd possibly like to have lunch with me. Your friends can come, too, if they want."

Perhaps it was because of the fresh spring air. Perhaps it was the fact he felt lonely and in need of another person's touch since Eiri had left him. Perhaps it was because this man did not know whom he was and was showing an interest in him anyway. Whatever the reason was, it compelled Shuichi to nod his head and smile in return.

That simple gesture changed everything.