Death on Two Legs // Shyan

12. Drive

Eleven years later

It had never been awkward after that little moment in the motel hallway, more like pressingly tense.
The car ride to the burger king by the highway had been quiet, as Brent and Shane switched seats. They ate in relative silence as well, afterwards Ryan drew out the rest of the cash he owed Mark and Brent (20% of the entire desposal gig he had promised after it was done), and dropped them off in the edge of LA.

He sat back in the car to drive Shane home- or where ever it was he wanted to get out at. It was intense, yet somehow familiar.
"Since when?" Ryan asked before turning the key in the ignition again.
"Huh?"
"Since when have you... liked me?"
He clarified, eyes nailed to his fingers tapping on the steering wheel.
"Liked is such a stupid word for it, I mean seriously, I'm 32 years old..."
Shane muttered a shitty defense as Ryan grew annoyed all over again.
"That's the word I recall you using in the first place, so suck it up big guy."
To that, Shane just huffed. A small noise of disapproval, kind of sweet of him not to throw a sarcastic fit of half insults masked as jokes, as always.
"Well?" Ryan was actually curious. Burningly curious in fact, and he made a mental promise to himself not to start the car before Shane spit it out.
"Jeez, Ryan, what's with the interrogation?"
"Can't you just fucking tell me before I pop a vein or something?"
Another silence fell as Shane grinned a little, not even trying to hide it this time.
"Since December 30th, 2015. Happy? Can we go now?"
He muttered trough his fading smile.
"Seriously?" Ryan tought he was joking at first, a little alarmed as he realized how his first feelings towards Shane had been irritation and slight anger.
"Yeah, get over it and start the car."
He couldn't help to feel a little flattered, also a bit curious about what exactly about him had been so appealing to a man like Shane Madej. Was it his looks? Certainly, because as Ryan could recall, he had been quite rude to Shane the night they met. Or maybe he was into that, fucking weirdo. Ryan made a little 'hm' noise as he smiled a little, starting the car.
It was a pleasant feeling, and that had become rare. He found himself angry, stressed or annoyed more often than was probably healthy, and when it came to Shane he often felt all three of the emotions at once.
"Where do I drop you off?" He asked as the van started to move smoothly on the pavement. His voice was a little groggy out of the awe he was trying to push away to the back of his skull.
It was almost midnight.
"I don't know if you remember from under that dreamy haze of yours, but there's a price on the both of our heads right now. I'm not trying to freak you out, frankly, it's just that I really don't feel like dying tonight."
Shane's voice had no emotion, or maybe a hint of amusement, what was disturbing enough all by itself. Ryan was really close to pushing the breaks down just as he had exited the parking lot, and having a panic attack right there in the middle of a busy street. He had forgotten all about the Fear situation, what sounds impossible because who would forget about someone wanting to kill them?
He made a little laugh, forced and dry. He did that when he got really scared.
"Chill, man. It's gonna be fine, let's just make some calls, keep close to backup if the hit squad gets to us before we can get to them."
Shane sounded like he was talking about something casual, like weather or some shit. They were lucky that the lights were red on the street they were at, otherwise Ryan would have probably driven the car to a brick wall out of pure anxiety.
"We're gonna get murked by a guy whose last name is Fear, Shane! Fucking Fear! And you're just... just being you!"
The terrified expression on his face was genuine. It was actually hard for him to keep his focus on the traffic.
"Chill, we ain't gonna get murked by a dude who's like a million years older than us. He's got no chance. Like I said, let's just keep together, all right?"
Shane scoffed, seemingly enjoying himself. Hell, how was he like that? So apathetic and numb towards all bodily danger.
"I don't know if you're being agist, stupid or really ignorant right now, but it's pissing me off. Also don't you dare use this situation as an excuse to get to stay at my place, because it's not gonna happen."
Ryan's knuckles were white, he squeezed the steering wheel so hard.
"I wasn't trying to, jesus christ you're paranoid! I was thinking a hotel room or something. Public places are great if you try not to get murked."
The lights changed, and Ryan forced himself to function like a normal adult in the traffic. He was scared.
"You never answered me."
Ryan pointed out before the heavy silence could fall on them again. It had been silent all day, he couldn't stand it anymore. Shane was drumming his fingers against his tigh, dirt still visible under his fingernails. It was kind of gross how he hadn't showered in three days.
"Huh?" Seemed to be the tall man's default responce to everything now, his eyes darted to Ryan's worried face from the dashboard he had been intensely staring at.
"Where do I drop you off. You seriously have the memory of a godfish."
There wasn't a drop of amusement in his voice, hoarse of worry.
"I did say we should keep together, so..."
"What, you're seriously expecting me to invite you over, is that it?"
"I just said we should get a hotel room! Wich one of us has bad memory again?"
They sounded so much like a married couple out on vacation or something. If the situation hadn't been so intense, it would have probably been funny.
"I tought you were being sarcastic, man."
Ryan spluttered, and the way annoyance was taking over half the space occupied by fear in his brains was a surprisingly good thing.
"Do you even know what sarcasm means? I was dead serious."
God, Shane's face was just so infuriatingly punchable sometimes.
"You have a look, you know, a stupid face you make when you're not serious."
"Ryan, you're supposed to keep your eyes on the road, not on my stupid face. You really are a havoc in the society."
He used that voice again, when he sounded like he was scolding a toddler. It made Ryan want to rip his hair off his head, honestly.

What the hell did he see in that man?