Ryden Oneshots

Four

One.

It’s the way Ryan’s eyes are shining under the lamppost.  His eyes have never looked so brown. Brendon focuses on Ryan’s lip, which the latter is gnawing on nervously. There’s a dark bruise under Ryan’s left eye, and Brendon knows who did it. It’s a moment full of intensity, a moment that is about to slip away.

“He’s insane,” breathes Ryan, glancing at his house. “He’s losing it.”

“I’m sorry,” says Brendon, readjusting his glasses. “I really am, Ryan.”

Ryan shrugs as Brendon takes another step, looking away. Brendon swallows as his fingers brush Ryan’s hand, and he just wants to wrap his arms around the fragile boy. Ryan tries to appear strong in front of everybody, but Brendon knows that he’s falling apart, that he is desperate for help.

“The band will make it and… and everything will change,” says Brendon cheerfully. “I won’t have to deal with stupid rules anymore and you won’t have to deal with your dad.”

Ryan looks at him and he seems slightly relieved, and he offers Brendon a tired smile. Now Ryan is the one taking another step, and Brendon can’t help but notice that there is something different in the other boy’s expression; it’s as if he’s looking at Brendon under a different light.

“You’re such a dork,” says Ryan suddenly, and Brendon feels Ryan’s belt buckle brushing his stomach. Ryan is a bit taller than he is, so Brendon looks up a little, their eyes locking. And everything changes in that instant.

Ryan leans in and his lips barely touch Brendon’s, their breaths mixing at once. Brendon grasps the front of Ryan’s shirt but Ryan moves away before they go any further, a flicker of confusion across his face.

“Ryan, what-“

“Um, you should go home,” says Ryan, moving away from Brendon as he glances up and down the street. “I need to go in and… make sure he’s all right.”

“O-okay,” stammers Brendon as Ryan leaves him all alone on the sidewalk. Brendon is trying to understand what just happened… were they about to kiss? But they’re both straight, they’re only friends, and Ryan… is Ryan.

But he can’t ignore the way his heart is fluttering, and Brendon feels lost.

Two.

“Wow, look at this!”

Brendon leans in and looks at the screen on Ryan’s laptop as the rest of the guys start cracking up. There are hundreds of pictures of Ryan and Brendon on stage, both of them very close, looking like they’re about to kiss.

“They are calling us Ryden,” says Ryan derisively. “Isn’t that amusing?”

“Yeah, totally,” agrees Brendon halfheartedly. “I guess the stage gay idea wasn’t so bad after all.”

“Imagine if you actually kissed,” grins Spencer, leaning back as the bus starts moving. Brendon grins back, but his heart isn’t in it. He loves the melodramatics of their show, he loves listening to the girls hold their breath whenever he gets close to Ryan, but he dislikes the fact that it’s just acting.

On Ryan’s part, of course. Brendon has a small crush on his bandmate, but he’s sure it will go away eventually. After all, didn’t he think he was in love with Ryan when they shared that moment under the lamppost? Ridiculous. It’s merely lust, they’re on tour and groupies are scary, and Ryan is kind of beautiful.