Title: Holding Back
Author: badly-knitted
Characters: Dee, Ryo.
Rating: PG
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: Dee's martial arts training isn't going too well today.
Written Using: The dw100 prompt 'Mat'.
Disclaimer: I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
A/N: Triple drabble.
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OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
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It was a good thing the practice mat was padded, otherwise Dee knew he'd be a mass of bruises by now. Ryo wasn't pulling any punches for this training session. So far Dee had hit the mat, hard, almost a dozen times while he'd only succeeded in taking Ryo down three times.
"Time out!" he gasped from his position flat on his back as he tried to regain his breath. "You mad at me or somethin'? You don't usually try to slam me right through the floor."
Ryo bent over, hands on knees, drawing in deep breaths, winded himself. "You're better than this, Dee; I should know, I've been training you for months. You're holding back."
Dee sat up. "I'm not, I swear. I'm just out of practice."
"Maybe not consciously, but you're trying not to hurt me."
Was he? Dee frowned; maybe Ryo was right. The last thing he wanted was to injure the man he loved, but would he even be thinking that way if his partner hadn't just been out of action the past few weeks after being shot? The injury was fully healed now, and two weeks ago Ryo's physiotherapist had told him he could resume normal activities, but still, somewhere buried at the back of Dee's mind was the fear that he could lose the best thing that had ever happened to him.
"I almost lost you."
"But you didn't; I'm fine."
"Yeah, but I don't think I am. That was way too close for comfort."
"You can't keep treating me like I might break." Even in bed Ryo had noticed Dee being uncharacteristically cautious. "I can take it."
"I know. Okay; let's go again." Dee scrambled upright, poised and ready for Ryo's attack, and this time it was Ryo who hit the mat.
"Better."
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The End