Title: TV Trouble
Author: badlyk-nitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After Like Like Love.
Summary: Dee loves the convenience or the TV remote, except when it won't work.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 611: Remote at slashthedrabble.
Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
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As far as Dee was concerned, remote controls were one of the greatest inventions known to man; he could still recall the orphanage's ancient TV where you had to get up and physically change the channel on the set itself. It had been such a thrill when he'd settled into his own place with his own TV and found he could sit on the battered old third-hand sofa and change channels without moving. Better yet, he'd had way more channels to choose from.
Nowadays, TVs weren't the only things that had remotes either. He and Ryo had one for their stereo system, some people had them to open and close blinds, or to control their heating, and most new cars had remote locking. Click the button and all the doors unlocked. His and Ryo's cars weren't equipped of course, both being vintage classics, but all the official NYPD vehicles were, which came in handy when arresting someone who was putting up a fight. Just click a button, pull the door open, and throw the jerk in the backseat; easy as falling off a log.
Yep, remote controls were awesome, except when they stopped working.
"What the hell's the matter with the damned thing?" Dee shook the remote vigorously before pointing it at the TV again and pressing the button that should turn the set on. Nothing happened, just as nothing had happened the last half-dozen times he'd tried. This had gone way beyond a joke; he was missing the game! He'd been looking forward to this all week, a grudge match between his beloved Knicks and their closest rivals, and he couldn't even turn the frickin' TV on!
"Did you check the batteries?" Ryo was on his knees in front of the TV, poring over the instruction manual, trying to find out if there was any way to take the TV off standby and select a channel without using the remote.
"Changed 'em twice, so it's not that. They're in properly, the right way around, and they work just fine, but the remote… Fuck it! Any joy with the TV?"
"No, sorry; according to this, aside from turning on at the set, everything's done via the remote."
The TV was only six-months old; they'd treated themselves to a forty-inch flatscreen, so Dee could watch sports in style, and they'd gotten the best they could comfortably afford. The last thing they needed was to have to replace it so soon.
"Are you sure you're using the right remote control?"
"I'm not an idiot! I checked that too!"
"Here, let me take a look." Ryo snatched the remote out of Dee's hands before his lover could throw it across the room, checked the batteries, which were fine, checked the little bulb at the end… "Oh."
"What?"
He handed it back. "Try it now."
Dee did, and miraculously the TV came on.
"How…?"
Ryo held up a clump of fluff. "I told you not to keep sticking the remote between the sofa cushions."
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The End