Title: Menacing Monster

Author: badly-knitted

Characters: Dee, Ryo, OFC, ODC.

Rating: PG

Setting: After Vol. 7.

Summary: Dee doesn't like dogs, and this one looks formidable, but appearances can be deceptive.

Written Using: The dw100 prompt 'Paper Tiger'.

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

A/N: Quadruple drabble.

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

The dog was massive, practically the size of a small horse, which was a slight problem. Dee had never been comfortable around dogs, they were yappy, snappy, they shed, and they drooled. He wouldn't say he was scared of them, but he'd never been a dog lover. Maybe he'd had a bad experience with one when he was a kid, but if that was the case he didn't remember, and Mother had never said anything, so…

Dogs didn't bother Ryo, but then Ryo got along with pretty much anything, including his battle-axe of a next-door neighbor. If he could face Melinda without flinching, which he could, then a gigantic hound wasn't going to faze him. Then again, Ryo was pretty much fearless regardless of what he was facing. The only times Dee had ever seen his partner looking scared was when something threatened either his foster son, Bikky's friend Carol, or Dee himself.

Ryo stepped calmly into the house and Dee followed, because it was his job to cover his partner's back, and even if that hadn't been the case, he would never let the man he loved go into a potentially dangerous situation alone. Okay, they were only here to interview a possible witness, and the woman seemed harmless enough, but then there was the dog to consider. Judging by its size, it could probably swallow both of them whole.

"Don't mind Ollie. He might look dangerous, but he's a big pussycat."

"I know cats," Dee said, eying the monster warily. "And that ain't one. Sure it's not a lion in disguise?"

"Maybe the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz. He's useless as a guard dog."

Ollie chose that moment to try growling, as if to prove his owner wrong; probably didn't like having his doghood questioned. Dee immediately stepped between the dog and his partner, scowling at the mobile hearthrug, and Ollie's growl turned to a whine as he rolled over submissively.

His owner gave a wry smile. "I thought having a big dog would make me feel safer, but I have to protect him instead. He's scared of mice, spiders, bees, small children, other dogs, squirrels, and he hides behind the sofa when the mailman comes. Every time there's a thunderstorm he climbs on my lap and tries to hide his head under my arm."

"Neurotic dog." Dee shook his head. "You should get a refund."

.

The End