tiredFandom: FAKE
Author:
Characters: Ryo, Bikky, OCs.
Rating: G
Setting: After the manga.
Summary: At one of Bikky’s basketball games, Ryo finds himself sitting next to a pushy, ambitious father.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Challenge 194: Force at
anythingdrabble.Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters.
Ryo never missed Bikky’s basketball games if it could be avoided. He wanted to support his foster son in his ambitions, no matter what they were. Win or lose, it was important for him to be there, to celebrate or to commiserate. As far as he was concerned, it was what any good parent would do.
Bikky’s high school team had just scored again, giving them a slim lead over their closest rivals, and Ryo was totally engrossed in the game, cheering enthusiastically.
A man sitting beside him on the bleachers nudged his arm. “Which one’s yours?”
“Bikky Goldman, the one with the long blond hair,” Ryo replied, without taking his eyes off the game.
“He’s good. He must practice a lot.”
“Every chance he gets. The coach says he’s a natural. If he gets the right breaks he could go all the way.”
“Wish my boy was like that. How d’you get yours to knuckle down and work at it? Getting Brian to put in the practice time is a complete nightmare. I have to practically drag him to practice most days, and you should hear him complain! He wants to skive off and play computer games, or mess around with the cars at his uncle’s garage. I keep telling him he’ll never stand a chance of making the big time if he doesn’t practice. I was captain of my high school team, I know what it takes to make the grade, but Brian just won’t listen to me.”
Ryo glanced at the man, frowning. “Then why are you pushing him so hard?”
“I got injured in my senior year, lost my chance, but Brian’s got the talent; it’s in his genes. He could do what I never had the chance to, make it to the pros. So what’s your secret?”
“There isn’t one. Bikky plays basketball because right now it’s what he loves more than anything, but he’s still a kid; he could change his mind tomorrow, and that would be okay. I’d never try to force him to play if he didn’t want to.”
“But what if he said he wanted to quit the team?”
“That would be his choice to make, not mine. He knows I’ll support him in whatever ambitions he has, whether that’s to become a professional basketball player, a plumber, a builder, or anything else, as long as it’s nothing illegal. The only thing that matters to me is that he should find his own path in life and be happy. He had to work hard to get his grades up high enough to become eligible for the team, and keeping them up is a struggle for him, but he understands it’s necessary if he wants to follow his dream.”
“Huh. Maybe I should tell Brian that; his grades are starting to slip.”
Sighing, Ryo focused on the game. He felt bad for Brian. Some parents would always try to force their kids into careers they didn’t want instead of supporting their choices.
The End
