#rip to the ryan and shane would never let me down jokes

[bigdickmadej]

So Shane liked a tweet about going crazy if they don't date someone in the ripped jeans community and my mind immediately went to Ryan's ripped knee black skinnies and I just- 😩😤 nEED a drabble, or ficlet, or ANYTHING about Shane pining for ripped jeans Bergara. Or don't it's okay you work hard enough as it is I just really want to talk about this since I am also a hoe for ripped/distressed jeans 😅❤️

Nonnie, I’m so glad you sent his. I had to go look for myself AND BAM! You and Shane are so valid, tho, It gets me every time djbvidnfidnfifr

(pic credit to @helloitsvehere)So, here’s  a little something.

(Read on AO3)

Ryan must know. He certainly must know what it does to Shane every single time he shows up to work in those ripped back pants.

He has to.

There was no way he hadn’t noticed after years of knowing each other, that Shane’s eyes would linger on him and his legs more often when wearing said pants. He couldn’t be that blind, that fucking naive.

Shane really wanted to believe his friend must know, otherwise they were both lost, and otherwise he was about to either lost a good friend AND one of his work partners, making Watcher HQ into an awkward working space for everyone, or just give him a good laugh he would probably end up sharing with the other lovable dudebros at his home.

“Ry,” There goes nothing, the man looked at him after pausing the video he was trying to edit.

For a second, Shane forgot what he was about to say.

It wasn’t just the pants, of course.

Ryan was a handsome man. He had a beautiful body and gorgeous face. But it was also… just Ryan. The little guy. The man that kept him awake in more than one sense, listening to ramblings about ghosts but by also just existing as Shane wondered if his sleep schedule was alright or someone kept him up like it was happening to him.

His eyes went down, immediately looking for the prize. The skin exposed was enough to have Shane fanning himself like a improper lady of the past century, horny at just the sight of some flesh, and someday he’d wanted to tell this joke to Ryan but right now, his fingers touched the skin, seeing as Ryan tensed under it.

Shane looked up, unsure if his touch had been too much or– Ryan looked at him with expectation, seeking an explanation in silence as he left everything happen in the middle of the day when people were distracted.

Maybe Shane should have thought this through.

“I like your pants.” He said lamely, but it seemed to make the trip since Ryan didn’t groan or hit his hand away.

So, he dared a little bit more, moving his fingers until his palm was firm on Ryan’s knee, fingers slowly going under the dark denim. 

“I know you do.” Ryan answered at least, stealing a smile from Shane.

Of course he knew.

His cock throbbed in his own pants, very aware of this conversation.

Shane’s fingers went up, softly touching the skin he had been dreaming of, eyes lost on his own movements without thinking of how Ryan must look, how red his face must be. But the man didn’t move away, just let Shane touch him as if he had been waiting for this to happen, too.

This of being brave was turning out to be pretty good, Shane swallowed as he cheered himself up with these thoughts to try something else.

“You know what I think when I see you in these?” He asked, discreetly making sure nobody was looking or listening to them.

Fortunately, Steven had a conference on a campus that morning, taking with him a few people since he wanted to take the chance to talk with some possible participants for Homemade, which left them with fewer people to worry about in his not-so-romantic confessional plan.

He should have thought this further, but whatever.

“I have an idea…” Ryan admitted in a whisper, the smoothness in his voice didn’t face him.

Shane looked up, finding Ryan interested in whatever he was about to say. 

“I want to rip them more until I can see those skinny briefs I know you’re wearing.” He answered in a whisper too, hoping he had used the right amount of sexy to get this to another place later, his cock needed this to end right. “I wouldn’t take them off, though. Just open up enough to let me get those briefs down and fuck that pretty little ass of yours.”

A shiver went up Ryan’s body, his lips forming a white line on his face as his eyes closed for a second, and Shane wondered if he went too far. The answer came as Ryan’s hand landed on his, grip strong and warm, and Shane had to stop a gasp from escaping him, realizing just now how much he wanted Ryan to touch him too.

He was hard. Shane wondered if Ryan could see it, if he knew he had this effect on him on a regular basis.

“These are really nice, though.” Shane added, Ryan opened his eyes and looked at him with a tiny smile. “I think I’ll just remove them a little and worship that ass.”

“I knew you were an ass man.” Ryan shook his head, pulling slightly on Shane’s sleeve where his hand was over his.

Shane rolled his chair closer to him. 

If he kissed him now, would Ryan beat him up for being such a non-romantic and exposing a possible relationship between them to everyone in the office just like that? 

He smiled at his friend when Ryan looked at him.

“I’m home alone today,” he said with a dreamy sigh, “do you wanna come?”

“Baby,” Shane smiled at him, wide and so damn excited, “of course I want to come.” He said, Ryan rolled his eyes but laughed. “With you, preferably.”

“Oh, I better come first if you are ravishing my clothes.” He said, pausing for a second to look at something on Shane’s face. His lips, then his eyes, then lips again. He swallowed visibly. “Multiple times, though. That would be ideal.”

Shane snorted, going away before they ruined their first kiss. “Ideal! Multiple times is law, baby. You just have to wait.” He winked at him.

Ryan shook his head while laughing again, going back to his place as he seemed as excited as Shane felt.

He had never been a brave man before, Shane felt some kind of pride and how well everything went. The time to go home couldn’t come sooner, but to know what was to happen once they were on their own after work was all Shane needed to keep going with work all day long.

Except–

Except none of them could.

It wasn’t even lunch time when Ryan left the office space to get into the bathroom, Shane had been following his every move since their little risky conversation, wondering if he could convince him to either leave work or just do something in one of their cars, the bathroom never coming into mind because, again, he was no romantic but at least wanted their first kiss to be something else.

By the time he phone rang and Ryan’s name was displayed on it, Shane had frowned but stood up, starting to walk into the bathroom to see if everything was alright.

“Come.” Was all Ryan said, hanging up immediately.

With a frown, Shane walked in, finding him sitting in front of the mirror, hands put together between his thighs.

“It’s everything okay?” Shane asked, staying still by the door. “Ry?”

“Close the door…” He asked, his voice husky and just– shit. Shane’s dick stirred awake, he closed the door and walked over to Ryan. “It’s just–”

“I know.” Shane answered, finding his place between Ryan’s open legs. “I know…”

He wasn’t going to kiss him in this bathroom, doesn’t matter how clean and fresh they kept it.

Shane buried his face on Ryan’s neck, kissing softly on the skin exposed there as he felt Ryan relax at his touch. His hands were on Shane’s shoulders, just there as they didn’t push him away or move him forward, he took this as a sign to keep going and so, he bit a little onto his skin, aware of not leaving any marks that could lift eyebrows in the office.

Suddenly, Ryan’s legs rounded his hips, getting him closer than before and Shane chuckled, looking at Ryan as his hands held the man by his sides.

They looked at each other for a long moment, maybe an entire minute as he found this was not just lust and overgrown tension of years of wanting. It was longing, a feeling that this should had happened a long time ago but they had been waiting for the other to give them a sign.

As it turned out, it had always been there, but they had just been too scared to act on it.

Shane was not going to kiss Ryan in this bathroom, he hoped the man understood this as he let his forehead lean on Ryan’s, closing his eyes as they breathed the same air.

“I don’t care.” Ryan murmured. “I just want you.”

He swallowed, looking up to find Ryan’s determined stare that always made him shiver and smile. There was no braver man in the world, no firmer man. 

Shane was truly in love with the best man ever.

His hand cradled Ryan’s cheek, thumb caressing him tenderly, eyes on his lips as he slowly leaned in. He could feel Ryan’s warm breath as his eyes closed, soon finding the soft of his lips in a firm kiss that made every pining second worth it.

They kissed sure of each other, aware of the feelings they held for the other and how strong their attraction had become. They kissed like if they had been waiting an eternity for it to happen and finally, finally, they had found their way to each other.

Ryan opened his mouth wider, tongue caressing Shane’s lips until he granted him entrance and the man explored his mouth. The air in Shane’s lungs felt hot, his tongue moved on Ryan’s and slowly went into the man’s mouth, feeling as they got closer, so close he could feel Ryan’s hard-on on his belly, making his own cock throb in his pants.

A string of saliva kept their mouths connected when they went apart, Ryan eyes were open and hooded, expecting as Shane moved away and made him get down and into a stall with him.

They didn’t bother closing it, Shane just made sure the toilet was closed before sitting down and waiting for Ryan to get himself comfortable on his lap.

Words felt unnecessary, their hands spoke for them as they were kissing again and Shane’s fingers found the skin of Ryan’s knees again, going up slowly until he could jank at it and get Ryan closer, making the two of them moan between their lips when their erections touched.

He had meant it when he said he wanted to rip the jeans apart, he wanted to unravel Ryan and know every corner of his body, and Shane hoped they would have time for exactly that later, when they were alone in his room, on his bed, very naked and unbothered.

Right now, he wanted to give Ryan what he needed, what they both needed. And with a smile, Shane moved his lips, making Ryan sigh with the way his erection rubbed on Shane’s belly as Shane’s found friction on his ass.

It had been a while since he last did this. Years, actually. Not since freshman year in college.

He wondered if it was the same for Ryan, or if he was more familiar with the desperation that came with each touch of clothes where they needed hands and warmth.

“Fuck…” Ryan murmured, both hands on Shane’s nape as he started to move his hips in rhythm with Shane’s. “You’re gonna make me come in my pants?”

“Yes.” Shane answered, “Open your eyes. I want you to see it when it happens.”

“I–” He moaned, his lips were red and used, his movements slow but firm, almost afraid of this ending too soon.

Shane swallowed, holding Ryan by the hips to make him go faster with him. He trusted forward, moaning with Ryan as his eyes snapped open, looking into Shane’s with his mouth hanging open, letting out soft moans and sighs that made Shane’s cock throb in desperation.

If just with this he felt lost, Shane could only imagine how it would feel like to have Ryan naked against him.

“Fa-faster… please…”

Whatever you want, he wanted to say, whatever you need, but his mouth was more busy with Ryan’s neck and every other inch of skin he could find on his collarbone and shoulders. Shane moved faster, aware of how every trust made him want this man more, made him wish they could get riskier in here.

“Ry,” He called him, holding him still in spite of the way Ryan whined in protest. “Stop that, here…”

His fingers went down, undoing Ryan’s button and putting down his zipper. Ryan moved slightly, giving him more space to take out his cock after pulling his pants and boxers down slightly. Shane smiled at the sight, giving him a few strokes as he got his pants open with his free hand.

Ryan moved again, giving Shane more space as he struggled to fish for his own dick and put down his jeans and underwear enough for it to happen. When his cock sprung free, Ryan giggled. Like a fucking schooler, giddy at the sight of another dick.

Shane rolled his eyes.

“What’s so funny, Bergara?”

When he stopped, Shane looked up at his face. He had such a shiny and happy expression, Shane moved his head to one side, waiting for an answer.

He could feel Ryan’s fingers back on his nape, slowly caressing where his hair was covering before kissing him softly.

“I knew your cock was big.”

It made Shane laugh, it also made him trust upwards. Ryan moaned at the touch, bitting his bottom lip as Shane brought their cocks together with one hand. Swallowing visibly, Ryan went back to kiss him, trying to move on his fist.

“Oh, I bet you heard the rumours back in our old office…” Shane murmured, looking at Ryan’s face as he pumped their dicks together. “Of course you’ll be a size queen, always looking for the best, uh?”

“Mmm…” Ryan nodded, hips trying hard to stay still as Shane stroke their cocks together. His arms rounded Shane’s neck, he loosened the grip a little to finally let Ryan move against his cock, fucking into his fist as Shane continued his task. “I always knew, though…”

“Yeah?” He closed his eyes, feelings Ryan’s breathing on his face as they stole kisses between words, movements going faster. 

“Mhm.” Ryan continued, kissing Shane for longer, taking his bottom lip between his teeth. “Since I first saw you…” He moaned, “I thought that… if your head was so big, your dick better be as big.”

Shane snorted, laughing as Ryan kept moving his hips. When he looked at the man’s face, he was smiling, eyes shining bright with lust and want. He stopped moving, Ryan looked down between them and saw Shane bring his hand to his mouth, spitting on his pal and then showing it to Ryan.

“Spit.” Shane said, showing his palm to Ryan.

The man frowned, “What?”

“Spit on my hand, come on…”

“Ugh, you are so fucking weird…” Ryan answered, spitting still and making Shane laugh.

He brought it down to Ryan’s cock, the wet sensation making it easier for his hand to move on his skin, making Ryan moan as he stroke him a few more times before repeating his actions, asking Ryan to spit again and doing the same on his own cock.

“Fuck…” He groaned now, bringing their cocks together again, stroking both faster than before. “Fuck!”

“Shit–” Ryan held himself on his shoulders, looking down to watch their cocks disappear together on Shane’s fist. “Jeeesus fuck–”

“Ry,”

“Don’t stop,” Ryan looked up, his hips moving slightly again. “Shit, I’m close– don’t stop!”

Ryan’s eyes closed, the frown on his face made him look adorable in a way Shane couldn’t truly describe. He wanted to capture this image forever, sure to bring it back a few times for when he was alone and in need of Ryan.

He swallowed, groaning as he felt Ryan’s cock throb in his hand, against his own dick.

“Fuck, I’m–”

Shane nodded, watching as Ryan moved his own hips faster as his neck and shoulders tensed, his grip on Shane’s own shoulders feeling harsh. He was probably going to leave his mark, Shane couldn’t help but feel excited at the thought of finding it later on his skin. He couldn’t wait for both to discover each mark they were sure to make in each other in here and once they were out work.

“Shane–”

“Mmm, are you gonna come for me?” He asked, licking a line on Ryan’s neck when the man arched it with eyes closed hard. “Ry, my angel, are you gonna come for me?”

“Fuck!”

His cock twitched when Ryan came, the sight of his beautiful face frowning with pleasure as his fingers gripped Shane’s shoulders harder was everything Shane needed to find his own release.

Moaning in each other’s mouth with a wet and messy kiss, Shane stroked them both through their orgasms, using their come as lube until they were spent and slowly softening. He held them in his hand, close together and sensitive, as Ryan kept kissing him silly and sloppy.

He couldn’t help but smile, happy this had happened even if they had made a mess or seemed too desperate. They had waited long enough.

“Fuck…” Ryan murmured, forehead against Shane.

“Mmm…” Shane sighed, finally letting their cocks slip from his hand.

Shane hoped their indiscretion wouldn’t be too loud. Thank fuck the bathrooms were far enough from the office, but still, he hoped they wouldn’t find anyone looking at them weird after this.

They needed to clean up.

“Baby?”

“Just another second, please.” Ryan said, kissing him a few times more as Shane kept his hand away from them. “Shane…”

“Uhm?” Shane answered, smiling at him as Ryan peppered his face with little kisses. “Angel?”

He pecked his lips at the end, Shane followed wanting a longer kiss, but the man had other plans, holding him away with a smile.

“I love you.” He said, firm and happy.

Shane blinked as his heart filled with joy, lungs feeling warm again. He couldn’t help but smile like an idiot. “I love you too, angel.”

All Shane knew was, the wait was worth it.

[ryansunsolved]

Request: Stripper AU, but Shane’s the stripper and no one knows until Ryan ends up at the club where Shane works because it’s a new club.

I’ve seen this prompt floating around tumblr recently but I’ve never seen someone make Shane the stripper in this AU, so kudos to you anon for being creative and providing us with some god-tier stripper!Shane content. I mean, look at that boy’s legs!

sweet as wine

There he was, like disco superfly I smell sex and candy here Who's that lounging in my chair?

Read below the cut or here on ao3

Look— none of this would have happened if Steven Lim wasn’t a scheming little weasel who doesn’t respect the sanctity of Chubby Have I Bunnied.

“Never have I ever lived in Arcadia, California,” Steven said through a mouthful of marshmallows.

 It was foul— but fair play, and an obvious payback for Ryan’s earlier targeted question at Steven. Ryan laughed and begrudgingly fit another extra large marshmallow into his cheeks, nudging Shane.

 “I feel like you have” he smiled, pointing a finger at him.

 “Hm? Have I ever lived in Arcadia, California?”

 “Oh, I thought you said slept,” Ryan snorted, a rogue marshmallow falling out of his mouth like a crewmate jumping ship.

 Shane bit his lip, remembering that one time, years ago when he and Ryan had just started working at Buzzfeed as interns, Ryan inviting him to stay at his parents’ house in Arcadia. He remembered that night all too clearly— the night of their first and only kiss.  It was as though they reached some silent agreement to never mention it again, and Shane didn’t dare to, keeping their work relationship and his own feelings separate. But that was ages ago, and even if Shane’s feelings were still virulent in moments like these when Ryan looked soft and sure, leaning into his space, he had gone this long without mentioning it.

 No need to ruin a good thing,  he thought bitterly, and begun to wonder if he would have to dig out that old journal sooner than expected.

 Ryan had lost the game, forced to spit a congealed mess of mashed-up marshmallow into the staff sink, much to the mutual disgust of his co-hosts, and that’s when shit hit the fan.

 “Ryan, since you’re the loser, I think you should face punishment of some sorts,” Steven said thoughtfully, grinning as he reclined back in his chair.

 “Now, now, let’s be civil,” Shane tutted, Ryan rising to meet Steven’s eye beside him.

 “Like what?”

 “Oh, I don’t know...” Steven hummed, twiddling his fingers. Shane could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

 Steven and Ryan had always had this peculiar rivalry of sorts. It was usually victimless and in terms of workplace conflict, relatively mild, but sometimes it got carried away. Shane could think of about ten different instances off the top of his head where the two had gone head-to-head.

 “What about...you have to go to a strip-club—“

 “What?!” Ryan burst into laughter, head tilting towards the ceiling as he snorted into his hands, “Wha—  why?”

 “—for two hours, with the boys,” Steven finished, “Come on, Ryan, it’ll be fun.”

 Shane instantly paled, pulse hot and wild beneath his skin, Ryan’s laughter muffled below the ringing in his ears. He swallowed thickly, only shaken from his thoughts by Ryan’s hand, searing hot on his thigh.

 “What do you say, Big Guy? You, me, Big Apple Steve, and T.J. out on the town this Friday?”

 Shane looked at Ryan’s sunshine smile, those glittering brown eyes, completely unaware of the inner turmoil Steven’s simple gag had sent him into. Ryan’s touch seemed to brand his skin beneath his skinny jeans. He shivered, putting on what he hoped was a composed face.

 “Sorry, boys,” he said breezily, “m’afraid I’ve got plans.”

 “Booooo,” Steven called after him as he hobbled unsteadily to his feet, making a bee-line for the water cooler.

 Ryan laughed, adding a few taunts of his own, but as Shane cooled his burning face against his aluminum water bottle, he noticed Ryan’s curious glance, as if trying to read Shane’s mind

____

Okay—Shane hadn’t lied. He really was busy on Friday night. What important plans he had, he couldn’t say, not even as Ryan continued to pester him for the rest of the week. He supposes that considering the nature of said aforementioned plans, it would have been wiser to cancel them altogether and just tag along. It would be easier right? He could see Ryan get drunk and danced upon by a few scantily-clad women and then Uber it back home after knocking back a few brewskis himself. But it wasn’t his fault— how was he supposed to know that the strip club Steven would drag Ryan to would be the same strip club Shane worked at?

 Look, Shane wasn’t down on his luck by any means— he had recently started a promising new company with two of his closest friends and colleagues, and was still receiving a cushy contracting cheque from Buzzfeed for their Unsolved series. And despite his recent exit out of a long-term relationship, he liked to think he was doing pretty well, co-parenting a cat with a woman he still very much considered a good friend. But Los Angeles was an expensive place to live, and despite his nonchalant attitude in the Watcher Weekly, he couldn’t help but wonder, if it all went south, what would his backup plan be?

 Besides, why did strippers always need some tragic background story to justify what they do? Couldn’t they just dance because they enjoyed it? 

Shane certainly did, and it came as a real surprise. He never actually expected to take his brother’s friend up on the offer when Finn dragged him to a bar one weekend. They were four drinks in, intoxicated by the booze and fluorescent lights of the dim club, but that single passing comment ended up thrusting Shane into what would eventually become his side job and newfound passion.

 “You could probably strip,” he joked, knocking back some fruity drink, “got the legs for it and everything.”

 The guy was piss-drunk and drenched in body glitter— not exactly the kind of person you would take moral advice from, but nevertheless, Shane woke the next morning with a pounding head and an odd curiosity. It was a joke at first— like one of those bizarre hypotheticals your brain sometimes conjures up. But you never actually  act  on them. The only problem was that he did, and by the time he had secured his first gig, he could no longer deny that he was actually  interested  in a job like this. Okay, so what? He was a young, attractive man living in a particularly liberal part of L.A. 

He shouldn’t have to prove himself, or feel ashamed about what he does. Hell, half the people he worked with were gay and heavily involved in the nightclub scene. And yet still, he found himself choosing not to mention this particular part of his life to his coworkers—  especially not Ryan.

 It just never came up, and Shane never thought that it would— that was before Ryan showed up at his strip club.

 ____ 

The atmosphere hit Ryan like a freight train the second two intimidating bouncers begrudgingly lifted up two velvet ropes, letting him, Steven, and T.J. into the nightclub.

 It was rather upscale, and nothing like the sleazy, smoke-filled joints Ryan remembered from his college days. The walls were black marble, lined with tasteful vintage band posters and neon hanging emblems. An authentic-looking jukebox sat nestled in the corner, and along the stage, a line of attractive dancers had started to form.

 “I can’t believe they still I.D’ed me at the door,” Ryan shouted above the music, vibrating intensely through the floor and walls.

 Steven grinned, “Well, you know what they say— Asian don’t raisin.”

 “What—“ Ryan laughed, unaware if Steven could even hear him over the noise, “I’ve never heard that before.”

 Steven smiled and nodded towards a nearby waitress, leaning in closer to Ryan’s ear, “Maybe you can try to get a free drink. You never know!”

 T.J. rolled his eyes, “Meet me at the bar by twelve. And try not to do anything that’s going to get us arrested.”

 With that he left, striking up a conversation with the bartender. T.J. was a married man with a newborn baby at home— a strip club was the last place he wanted to be, but he obliged to humour Ryan and to provide a ride home if needed.  Ryan, however was recently single. He and Mari had broke things off amicably about a month prior, giving her more freedom to explore her blooming career and Ryan more opportunities to film things for Watcher without feeling guilty about time spent away from home.  They were on good terms, but breakups were never easy, and Ryan was more than happy to get his mind off the situation and get himself back into the dating pool. He suspected Steven’s intentions were as such when he suggested this in the first place, and overcome with a sudden wave of affection for the man, slung an arm around his shoulder.

 “C’mon, Big Apple Steve. Let’s go find us some dancers.”

 _____

 The performances were impressive. Sultry but tasteful, dozens of dancers strutted the stage, winding around glimmering silver poles like black cats, smoky eyes glittering down at the crowd.  There were a few men in the mix too, clad in tight, cropped black clothes, rippling with muscle underneath. Ryan paid no mind to them, used to L.A.’s diverse, open culture, and after knocking back a few drinks, he even found himself eyeing them as much as the girl performers.  It was then that his heart stopped dead in his chest, pushing away the slow haze of liquor from his mind as his eyes zeroed in on one tall figure working the stage.

   The man was unbelievably tall— towering above the rest of the performers, even the ones in six-inch heels. Through the rips in his black jeans, he could see his pale skin, broken up by delicate lace fishnets clinging to his slim long legs.  As the man peeled his shirt off, his collarbones jutted outwards, lean muscle trailing downwards from between his chest. His makeup was minimal— just smudged black eyeliner and a light dusting of glitter down his cheeks and pecs, hair mussed up as if he’d just had sex.  He swayed gracefully to the music, toying with the button of his jeans teasingly, stalking the pole like a predator before swinging around it once, smoothly. Ryan’s jaw dropped, and as he made eye contact with the stranger, the man visibly blanched.

 “I...” Ryan choked out, pants alarmingly tight as a hot coil wound inside his stomach.

 And then Shane was running off the stage, disappearing behind a blue velvet curtain as the music boomed on.

 “Wow,” Steven said, equally as baffled.

 “I...I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” Ryan said shakily, nearly tripping over his seat.

 He stumbled towards the floor, and much to his own surprise, he found himself ignoring the neon green restroom sign, heading straight for the backstage instead.

 ____

He found Shane hunched over a vanity with smudged makeup and a lit cigarette like a tragic Hollywood star drowning in self pity and body glitter.

 “I’m not offering any private dances right now,” he grumbled, voice muffled by his hand.

 “I...” Ryan said, unsure of what the proper protocol was upon finding your friend naked and grinding on a stripper pole.

 He was even less sure about how to gracefully navigate that conversation with a raging boner.

 “Oh,” Shane said softly, taking in a sharp breath.

 “I—“

 “Look—“

 They both spoke at the same time, laughing quietly like it was some kind of Mexican stalement and not the singlehanded most confusing moment of their entire friendship thus far.

 “You first,” Shane said almost shyly, and it occurred to Ryan then that for the first time in their dynamic, Shane might be more scared than him.

 “I had no idea,” he said lamely, and cast his gaze back at his sneakers.

 Nice going, Bergara. Real smooth.

 Shane laughed dryly, “Yeah, that...that was kinda the whole point. Who woulda thought Steven would pick the only strip club I’m working at tonight, huh?”

 Ryan smiled, scratching his neck, “Yeah. Uh— I just...” he looked at Shane, biting his lip, “Why didn’t you tell me? I know it’s none of my business what you do in your spare time but...we’re friends, Shane. You know you can share this stuff with me, right?”

 Shane looked down at his lap, looking guilty, “I know, Ryan, I just...” he sighed, “I don’t know.”

 “I mean,” Ryan shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. It was decidedly hard to have a serious conversation when your incredibly hot friend was half naked and sweaty in front of you. “Is it for money or—“

 “No,” Shane said instantly. He shook his head, “I just...” he trailed off, looking at Ryan and offering a halfhearted shrug, “like it, I guess.”

 Ryan nodded, furrowing his brows, trying to take all this information in through his beer-clouded mind.

 “Okay,” he said finally.

 Shane looked at him, looking surprisingly vulnerable and almost small in his chair, “Okay.”

 Ryan swallowed thickly, “You were really good out there.”

 Shane snorted, scratching at his chin, fingers scraping against his beard with a soft sound that send another confusing jolt of heat towards Ryan’s groin.

 “Yeah?”

 “Yeah,” Ryan said, surprised at how deep his voice sounded. He began to walk towards Shane, seemingly not by his own accord. “Really good.”

 “You already said that,” Shane said smiling, looking amused.

 “Really good,” Ryan repeated, voice husky and thick in his chest. Shane’s eyes were wide, and from their close distance, he could see as they dilated, eyes darkening further.

 He licked his lips, feeling dizzy with the intensity of it all, high on the sight of Shane before him, “Still not doing any private dances tonight?”

 “I...” Shane trailed off, looking at his lips, “I might be able to make an exception.”

 “Yeah?”

 “Yeah.”

 Like moving through water, Shane slowly stood up, drawing up a chair, pushing on Ryan’s chest until he fell back into it, breaths laboured as they tore through his chest.  Shane circled the chair once, twice, dragging his fingertips teasingly against Ryan’s low collar before stopping in front of him, dropping gracefully  to the ground on the balls of his feet, smiling coyly at him, gripping his chin.  He got up again, slowly swinging his hips and trailing his hands along his thighs, dragging them up his hardened pecs before threading them through his hair, giving it a resolute tug. He poised one of his long legs on the arm of Ryan’s chair, the impressive bulge in his jeans in direct eyesight as he dragged Ryan’s gaze up to meet his own.

  Shane slowly pivoted, fully into the dance now, a small smile on his face as he ground back against Ryan, grabbing his hands and placing them on his thighs, where fishnets poked out of the leg of his jeans. Ryan’s breath faltered in his lungs,  “Holy fuck,” he gasped, the air knocked out of him like he’d just taken a football to the chest. His fingers twitched along the exposed line of skin, feeling like a teenager creaming his pants after getting to first base.

  What the fuck.

 And then Shane was pulling away, dragging him by the hand to a small couch in the middle of the room.

 “Shane, wha—“ Ryan was cut off by a strangled moan as Shane pushed him back into the cushions, straddling his lap with practiced ease.

 Shane smiled against his neck, starting to trail soft kisses along his jawline as he began to unbutton Ryan’s shirt.

 “Fuck, Shane, I—“ he panted nonsensically, hands exploring whatever expanse of skin he could reach.

 As Shane sucked a small bruise just under his ear, Ryan’s shirt popped open, nipples immediately hardening under the cool air as Shane began to grind softly down onto him, mouthing a hot line up his neck and clavicles.

 “Please, please,” Ryan moaned, reaching out for him. In his clouded mind, he wasn’t even fully aware of what he was asking for until he found it in between Shane’s parted lips. He  sighed into the kiss, hands cupping Shane’s cheeks as his settled on Ryan’s shoulders, rutting dirtily against the front of his jeans. Ryan gasped into the kiss, a strangled moan torn out of his lips as Shane drew his fingers down to pad at his sensitive nipples.

 “Fuck!” he groaned, thrusting his hips up to meet his movements.

 “Someone’s sensitive,” Shane murmured in his ear, placing a teasing bite along his jaw.

 “Shane, Shane,” he breathed, eyes rolling back into his head.

 And then Shane took one pec into his mouth and Ryan Bergara was a dead man.

 “Ohhh!” he borderline whined, clawing at Shane’s smooth back as he nipped at the bud, laving his tongue over it and mouthing hotly between his sternum.

 He ground down once, twice, and eyes glittering, placing his mouth over his sensitive nipple, he reached down with his free hand and squeezed the bulge pressing against the zipper of Ryan’s jeans. With one plaintive moan and a stuttered,  Shane, Ryan bucked his hips up and stilled, wide-eyed and flushed pink under the soft lights, “I just came in my pants,” he said suddenly. “Oh my god.”

 Shane cracked up, slumping against Ryan and burying his nose in his shoulder, “Oh my god, Ryan.”

 “It’s not my fault you’re so hot!” he said defensively, clinging onto Shane as he blanketed his body warmly, pressing him into the couch. He pressed a small kiss to his exposed neck, and Shane smiled.

 “I’m never letting you live this one down,” he wheezed, clapping him once on the ass, “I guess the viewers were right about your nipple thing.”

 “S-Shut up, Shane,” he muttered, pinching him in the arm.

 Shane huffed out a laugh against his neck and as the air stilled, he shut his eyes, “So...should we talk about this?”

 Ryan shifted underneath him, “Nah,” he said groggily, leaning into his touch, “let’s do that when I haven’t had five brewskis.”

 “Five?” Shane laughed, “Your frat boy habits die hard, Ryan. You’re gonna be a real menace tomorrow.”

 “Well,” Ryan said slowly, tracing a line down his back, “maybe you should come home with me and make sure my morning is tolerable.”

 “Oh yeah?”

 “Yeah,” Ryan said, feeling emboldened with each inch he grew closer to Shane, high off the post-orgasm bliss and the smell of Shane’s cologne warm and sweet against his skin.

 Shane grabbed his ass, “I fuckin’ love Steven Lim.”

 As Ryan dissolved into laughter, he couldn’t help but share the sentiment. And that night when he and Shane walked out of the bar hand-in-hand, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was Steven’s plan all along.

(send me a request!)

[bergarachan]

just let me adore you (oh honey)

rating: T

summary: Ryan, a couple weeks after experiencing a shitty breakup, goes to a bar to take his mind off of things. He quickly realizes the bar is a gay bar. He also realizes that Shane has been hiding some things from him.

read on ao3!

or, read here:

Ryan Bergara had had a long fucking day. 

A long fucking month, to be fair. He hadn’t really told anyone except for his roommates (because it’s hard to hide things from the people you live with), but he and his girlfriend had broken up after a year of being together. They realized together that the affection they were giving each other was just an imitation of romantic love. They wanted to love each other, but honestly, they only thought of each other as friends. It was a relieving and devastating realization for both of them. Ryan cried, he was miserable for a week or two, but after that, friends they had become. It was almost like nothing had changed, that he and Mari were almost meant to be friends. And that revelation had sent Ryan into a spiral of a questioning panic. Ryan had never experimented with guys before… but honestly? Feeling a man’s stubble scratch him while they kissed…shit. Ryan shuddered. Maybe he should go out, get his head out of the gutter for a bit.

Ryan texted Shane, his best friend, asking if he wanted to come. But the latter just texted back with a “busy, sorry lil guy!!!!!!!!!!!!” (yes, with that many exclamation points), so clearly he was going alone for the night.

He threw on a long brown coat over the current black turtleneck he had on, and he looked at himself in the mirror. Holy shit, he looked good. He usually just shoved on a tee-shirt and skinny jeans but recently since the break-up he had been experimenting with style and he realized just how much he liked to dress up. It was quite fun, actually. Running his hands in his hair one last time while looking in the mirror, he decided he looked good enough to go out.

He decided to go to a bar that somehow he hadn’t really gone to before, nor had he heard of. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too crowded; however, it was a Friday night so maybe he was pushing his luck. He booked an uber and was swiftly picked up and driven to the bar.

Walking in, he noticed something was a little different. The people seemed louder, more confident, more lively, which made him frown in confusion to himself as he sat down. He ordered a beer; the bartender gave him a wink as he handed it to Ryan, and Ryan tried very hard to hide the blush that appeared on his face at the action. Jesus, what was happening to him? He had just started questioning his sexuality and he was already blushing like a newborn flower.

“Hey, is that Ryan Bergara?!” A familiar voice shouted from behind him.

Ryan whipped around and, seeing the person in question, he smiled. Finally, some good fucking company. “Hey, Curly!”

Curly, who was wearing a very Curly-typical outfit, slid into the seat next to Ryan. “Hey, Ryry! Didn’t expect to see you here. What brings you to a gay bar on a Friday night?”

Ryan was taking a sip of his beer and he nearly spat it out. “What?”

Curly frowned. “What?”

“This… this is a gay bar?” Ryan exclaimed. Curly chuckled a little in response, almost in disbelief.

“Was that not obvious, chico?” Curly asked, and watching Ryan shyly shake his head no, he smiled. “Oh, Ryan. Sweet, innocent Ryan. What would Mari say?” Ryan knows this was a complete joke, that Curly didn’t know, that he was just playing around and expected Ryan to laugh. But it kinda stung. Ryan immediately looked down to his lap.

“Oh. Uhm… actually,” Ryan stammered, “Her and I… we… split. About a month ago.”

Curly’s face immediately turned from playful to sympathetic. “Oh, no, Ryan…” And no, Ryan didn’t want to have this conversation.

“No, no… it was mutual. Besides… I’ve kinda been, uh, wanting to… experiment… lately?” He blushed as he said it out loud.

Curly’s eyebrows raised. “Oh?”

Ryan smiled shyly. “Yeah… I’ve been thinking about it and…”

“You realized boys are actually really pretty and hot and you want to get that D?” Curly finished for him.

Ryan laughed, embarrassed, cheeks flushing. “Yeah, I do, I guess.” He started to take a sip of his beer.

“It’s okay, mi principito,” Curly said, patting Ryan’s head as if he were a silly child. “We all knew you were a bottom, anyways.”

Ryan choked on his beer. “WhAT?” He coughed a couple times while Curly laughed, trying to regain the ability to breathe.

After laughing, Curly ignored him. “Anyways,” he turned towards the stage towards the back wall of the bar. “Usually on Fridays we have a music guest or two. I’ve come a couple times to listen, they’re usually really good.”

“Cool,” said Ryan. “When do they come on?”

“Around, like, eight, so in…” Curly checked his watch. “Ten minutes. You should stay and listen!”

Ryan shrugged. “Sure! It sounds like fun, and I’m planning on having a lot more beers than one tonight.” Curly laughed.

The two men talked for the next ten minutes, Curly asking lots of questions about Ryan discovering his sexuality, and Ryan answered as best as he could. It wasn’t a long story, really. After his breakup, he had just thought “Huh. Men are hot too. I should try dating one. I want a boyfriend. Wait what?” and that’s basically how it went. Curly asked Ryan if there were any guys he was interested in, and Ryan thought for a moment. As much as he didn’t really like to admit it, Shane was the first person that came to Ryan’s mind. Shane was always there for him, was there through his breakup with Helen, there through his recovery, supportive of him and Mari and their breakup respectively. He was there to care for Ryan when he felt down, they sang songs together, ran a show together, ran a goddamned business together, and not to mention, as much as Ryan hated it, Shane was hot. Ryan even caught himself staring at his scruffy beard, his shiny brown eyes, and the muscles he liked to pretend he didn’t have but definitely did have. Shane wasn’t fucking ripped like Ryan was (according to all his friends), but he had muscles. Shane was strong. And Ryan wondered what his strong hands would look like wrapped around Ryan’s ne- nope, nope, Ryan, you’re in public.

Choking kink aside, Ryan really did like Shane. Maybe Ryan even loved Shane. It wasn’t likely Shane had ever, or will ever feel the same back.

“What’re you thinking about, my friend?” Curly asked from beside him.

Ryan shook his head. “Nothing important.” It wasn’t important, really. Ryan would go on pretending he didn’t have feelings for Shane, just like he had probably been pretending for the past five years, and life would go on. Had it really been five years? Yeesh.

Curly looked like he was about to say something, but a loud mic feedback from across the room stopped them both. They turned their heads to a man at the mic. He had dark hair, smoothed back; but he also looked like he came here literally every day. He was wearing a hawaiian t-shirt, as you do, and worn-down jeans.

“Hey, everyone,” said the man as the people went quiet, “I’m Jared, I run this place. I hope you’re all having a great time so far.” He cleared his throat, then continued. “So, uh, today we have a musical guest. I think he should introduce himself actually, so…” He looked to his side, seemingly looking for someone standing at the side of the stage, then turned back. “take it away!” Jared exclaimed, and everybody started to clap. Ryan did, too.

Jared hastily came off the stage, and then another man walked onstage. He was wearing a white button-down, with the first couple of buttons undone, showing off his chest and collarbone. He wore black dresspants and clear framed glasses. He was tall and his hair was a light brown and his beard was neatly trimmed and oh my fucking god, that’s Shane. Ryan realized. His eyes widened like golf balls, and he turned to exchange a look with Curly, who’s eyes were equally as wide.

“Hey,” Shane said (oh my god, it’s fucking Shane) into the mic. “I uh, have a song to sing. I wrote it myself, actually.” The crowd cheered a little, and Shane laughed bashfully. “Yeah.”

As Shane continued talking to the crowd Ryan leaned into Curly and hissed, “Did you know anything about this?!”

Curly whispered back, “No, I would’ve told you. Holy shit, Ryan, he looks good.” And Ryan couldn’t argue with that. Jesus, Shane looked downright incredible in that outfit, and he must’ve gotten another haircut, because he looked like a sophisticated lawyer. For whatever reason, Ryan was into it.

“So, uh, this song is called ‘adore you’,” Shane continued, “It’s about one of my friends. He’s… he’s incredible, really. Inside and out. And, in our friendship we don’t get to, like, express our feelings a lot. It’s mostly jokes and bits. And… I wrote this when I was feeling emotional one day and I just wanted to tell him that- you know what? I’ll just sing it for you.” Shane cut himself off from his story, and in the back of his mind, Ryan wondered who the song was about. Shane had a lot of friendships that were more joking than emotional.

The band behind Shane started to play, and as the intro to the song faded in Shane vocalized with this “Ahh…” that was beautiful and controlled and incredible and how did Ryan not realize that Shane was that good at singing. It made Ryan’s heart do a flip-flop in his chest.

The drums kicked in, and Shane started to sing.

“Walk in your rainbow paradise Strawberry lipstick state of mind”

Holy shit. This song was lovely so far, in Ryan’s opinion. Whoever Shane had written the song about was the luckiest person in the world.

“I get so lost inside your eyes,” Shane continued to sing, “Would you believe it?”

“Never took Shane as a romantic,” Curly nudged Ryan in the shoulder, and Ryan shrugged.

“Me either.” Ryan dazedly wished it was him Shane was singing about. He’d pay good money to get a song as good as that, written just for him.

“You don’t have to say you love me You don’t have to say nothin You don’t have to say you’re mine honey,”

Ryan sighed, smiling. What a sap Shane was. Ryan always knew Shane was a sweetheart. He couldn’t wait to tease him about this.

The chorus kicked in, and Ryan’s breath caught. Shane sang this soft “ahhh” with backing harmonies from the band, and Ryan refused to believe Shane had that much talent. Maybe Ryan was less straight than he originally assumed.

“I’d walk through fire for you, Just let me adore you, oh honey, I’d walk through fire for you, Just let me adore you Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do,” Shane gripped the mic stand with both his hands, started to tap with his feet, gaining a little bit of confidence as the crowd wooed a little bit. It made Ryan smile even wider to see Shane so happy, so relieved the crowd was enjoying what he’d made.

Shane started to sing the second verse. “Your wonder under summer skies Brown skin and lemon over ice Would you believe it?”

Curly nudged him again. “What?” Ryan asked. Curly just wiggled his eyebrows in response, causing Ryan to flush and shove him playfully. “Curly, you think he’s-? Oh god, dude, no. No. No.” Ryan giggled, embarrassed at the thought.

“I’m just saying,” Curly said, smug, and Ryan decided to give him a shove again.

“You don’t have to say you love me I just wanna tell you something Lately you’ve been on my mind,” The crowd had started to clap along with Shane’s song as the short instrumental in between the bridge and chorus started. Shane laughed bashfully, looking among the crowd of hands clapping. His smile fell ever so slightly as his gaze landed, consequently, on Ryan. Ryan’s breath hitched. Their eye contact was intense, full of an emotion Ryan couldn’t place. He quickly broke the eye contact by shyly looking down at his shoes. Shane’s voice didn’t waver, even if his expression did. He just continued to sing as beautifully as he ever had. The music faded to a simple base as Shane sang the chorus again,

“I’d walk through fire for you Just let me adore you Oh, honey,” The drums and guitar with the lovely melody and the rest of the instruments started to play again. Shane’s gaze flicked to Ryan’s again, and stayed there as he sang the rest of the chorus.

“I’d walk through fire for you Just let me adore you Oh, honey I’d walk through fire for you just let me adore you Like it’s the only thing i’d ever do,” Shane bounced along to the beat as the crowd started to clap again and cheer. Shane was smiling again, and this time the smile didn’t waver as he looked Ryan deep in the eyes and crooned, “Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do,”

Ryan’s heart skipped a beat. This song couldn’t be about him, it just couldn’t. Shane could never like Ryan. Ryan was… a lot, emotionally. Ryan’s face wasn’t as symmetrical as it could be. Ryan talked too much about sports, his smile was wonky, his-

And with the last kick of the bass drum, the song ended. The crowd, including curly, whooped and cheered and clapped, and Ryan swore he’d never seen Shane smile wider. Ryan clapped too, laughing and smiling. He felt like a proud mother, even though he literally had never seen Shane sing like that.

“Alright, well,” Shane gripped the mic again, and the crowd settled down. “That was a cheese-show, wasn’t it? Gross,” Shane was clearly joking, and the crowd laughed along with him, including Ryan. “Anyways, here’s a song I did not write. Here’s What You Know by Two Door Cinema Club.” The band started to play again, and the crowd cheered as Shane started to sing.

Shane sang a bunch more songs, the rest of them just being covers of other songs that Ryan knew Shane liked. Ryan was genuinely enjoying himself too, and so were the rest of the people in the bar. He even saw some of the bartenders bobbing their heads and tapping their fingers along to the beat of whatever song Shane was singing. Every once in a while, Shane and Ryan would make eye contact, Ryan would flush, and Shane would smile as if he knew something Ryan didn’t; a secret. It was exhilarating to see Shane look at him like that. Ryan didn’t want Shane to stop doing that.

Once Shane finished his last song, he said in the mic to the crowd, “That’s it for tonight, folks. I, uh, I don’t sing often in front of a crowd,” Unless you count creating and singing a song about moonlight and french fries in front of people, Ryan thought to himself, making himself smirk.”So this was really special for me. Thanks to the band back here,” He motioned to the band, and people started to clap, “And thanks for clapping along and stuff. This was fun. Goodnight, enjoy the rest of your night!” And with that, the band started to pack up and Shane walked off of the stage.

Ryan locked eyes with Curly, and they shared a smile. “Should we go up and see him?”

Curly nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, omigod, yes, I am going to tell him to get on the radio, oh my gosh, that was amazing!” He gushed, and grabbed Ryan’s hand and pulled him through the crowd to get to the side of the stage where Shane would be putting away his gear.

When they got to the side of the stage, Shane was standing there, fixing his hair (as if it didn’t look gorgeous already, Ryan thought) and Curly pushed Ryan forward, having him face Shane up close.

“Hey there, Ryan,” Shane said with a soft smile, as suave and as cool as ever, and Ryan couldn’t do anything but gaze up at him amazedly, knowing full-well he looked like a swooning 15 year old girl, and giggle a little bit. God, what was Shane doing to him? He had literally never reacted like this, and yet, after Shane’s whole show, seeing him singing like that, looking like that, dressed like that, Ryan really could do nothing but swoon in his presence.

“Uh, Shane?!” Curly gushed from behind Ryan, taking a step forward and saving Ryan from any more embarrassment. “That was incredible! I didn’t know you could sing like that?!”

“Oh, hey, Curly!” At Curly’s response, Shane blushed a little bit, rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, “Well, uh, yeah. I’ve been writing and singing for a while now, just never got the chance to, like, perform. I struck up a conversation with the guy who owns the place and he brought up the musical guest thing, I told him about my songs, and… yeah. It went from there.” Shane turned back to Ryan, “Now what I want to know, is what you’re doing here.”

Ryan blushed even more. Usually when he blushed it didn’t show too much under slightly dimmed lights like these and under his tanned skin, but he probably looked like an anime girl at this point. “I didn’t know it was a gay bar. Whoops.”

A short silence fell upon the three, and finally Ryan, feeling awkward, softly said, “You were incredible.”

Shane said, “You look incredible.” Ryan looked down, shy. Fuck Shane for making him so bashful.

“Hey, Ryan?” Shane asked. His brown eyes looked so deep, yet so bright and full of emotion.

“Yeah, big guy?” Ryan responded, breath taken away.

“Can we… head outside for a moment?” He looked to Curly for permission, and Curly, the bastard, nodded, a smirk growing on his face. Fuck you, Curly.

“Oh,” Ryan blinked, taken aback by the question, “Yeah. Of course. Sure.”

Shane led the way, and he and Ryan stepped outside the bar. The air was slightly chilly, the sky was dark, devoid of stars, and the wind blew slightly. Ryan shivered, and he felt a large, warm hand on his shoulder.

“Uh,” Shane started, and Ryan glanced at Shane. He seemed… nervous. He was looking at his feet, hands in his pockets. “So… the song… the one I sang in the beginning.” He said, looking unsure/

Ryan nodded, goading him on. “Yeah, that was such a beautiful song, Shane. Whoever you wrote it about is super lucky.” Oh, god, I just said that out loud. Of course. “Uh… it was really good. I liked it. A lot.”

Shane smiled at that, a beautiful smile that Ryan was glad to see on Shane’s face. “Remember when we were filming tourist trapped?”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah?” He remembered it clearly. It was one of the best days of his 2019, hands down.

“I really loved those few days we were filming. It… it was amazing. I loved eating hotdogs and gin with you, going on stupidly scary roller coasters with you, hugging Snoopy with you,” That got a laugh out of both of them, “And it really was some of the greatest days of my life.” That makes two of us. “So… I got home, and… I wrote a song about it.”

Ryans breath caught. He couldn’t mean… “You…” Ryan stammered.

“Adore You is about you, Ry.”

Ryan’s face turned red. “Really?” He practically whispered. Shane nodded. “Shane…”

“Shh,” Shane shushed him, placing a hand on his cheek softly and swooping down to kiss Ryan.

Ryan gasped into the kiss, going still for a few moments before going Oh, yeah, your super hot super cute super sweet best friend is kissing you, you should probably kiss back, and kiss back he did. Shane wouldn’t let the kiss go beyond anything but chaste and sweet, wrapping his arms around Ryan’s waist to pull him closer as Ryan (on his tiptoes) wrapped his arms around Shane’s neck. “Shane,” Ryan sighed dreamily into the kiss, and Shane smiled against his lips in response.

When they finally broke apart for air, Shane smiled, pressing one last kiss to Ryan’s cheek. “Shane.” Ryan said, out of breath.

“Ryan.” Shane replied.

Ryan played with Shane’s collar. “Wanna go back inside?” He shot Shane with his classic puppydog eyes, glancing at him through his lashes. He knew Shane was a sucker for them, kiss or no kiss.

“If you insist,” said Shane, and the two went back inside, blushes on their cheeks and smiles on their faces. Ryan wondered what this meant for them. That kiss was something Ryan didn’t even know that he wanted, until tonight. He shook his head, deciding they’d discuss it later. Right now, he was happy, he was with Shane, and Curly, and this is where we wanted to be.

As they walked back inside, Ryan caught himself humming the ever-so-familiar tune,

just let me adore you, like it’s the only thing i’ll ever do.

[lovinmullen]

the pacific: part one, live blog because i said so

he looked so pissed when he has to make the sign of the cross to mary..... I KNOW ITS BECAUSE HES FALLING AWAY FROM HIS RELIGION but all i can think is undercover protestant????? i hate that i find myself funny stfu tom like he’s some angsty protestant like ‘this is fucking bullshit why the fuck DO THEY PRAY TO MARY’ which..... is a huge missconsperion but i’m not gonna get into that right now but hey if anyone needs an rs teacher? i got you

are you telling me i could have heard the most BEAUTIFUL monologue about the saint mary’s church and her plans for the day as well as being able to see that sweet sweet smile on vera’s face for longer but it was cut short because bobo went ‘i joined the marines’ GOOD FOR YOU BUT.....

rOBERT...... you really gonna give her THAT look...... IN GODS HOUSE is this allowed? is THIS ALLOWED???? if you don’t say it in the voice of the vine we can not be fteejssn sorry i don’t make the rules

#BOB: i wanna catholic girl that go to church AND READ HER BIBLE (is that even right??? omg i can only remember the jewish one *in the voice of ryan reynolds severely slowed down* FUUUUUCCCKKK)

on a real note this man saw her at church ONCE and his ass went finna wife up like........ take her out to dinner first. OR AT LEAST ASK HER HOW SHE IS IN THE LETTERS like we get it you’re emo, the aussie won’t shag you anymore and you keep pissing your pants. i understand it’s a hard not life or how ever that song in annie goes but bro.........(this is obviously a joke i am dumb of ass please ignore me i love you m8 and i’m sorry you’re gonna embarrass yourself in front of everyone but chuckler shifts to momma mode so you good)

can we please acknowledge jon’s acting..... sir? PHENOMENAL he’s not even saying anything??? he’s just looking at the lt yet i’m near tears

gentle reminder i love the basilones🥺🥺🥺 the way they are so supportive even though they don’t understand and they are scared for him but they accept and respect that john wants more, needs more and they’re putting their own fears aside so he can spread his wings for no better turn of phrase.

‘just get the job done, and come home to us’ the way his head falls and he has to stop his voice from breaking. i’m s fucking bitter

THE HAND HOLD MY GOD

leckie:((( look hes a bastard and he pisses me off but no matter how much i bully him i do love him a lot and the complete disregard and uncaring nature from his dad breaks my heart. a handshake then gone just like that? HIS FACE BEFORE ‘there’s a war on everybodies got to make sacrifices’ he looks so hurt and broken baby

GENE MY SWEET SWEET BABY GOD THIS SO SAD ALEXA PLAY DESPACITO. my baby just wants to do his part :( CUT THE CAMERAS DEAD ASS I WILL CRY BABY PLEASE DON’T CRY JUST WAIT A FEW MORE EPS my heart really do be looking like: <eugene3

‘gene, supper’s ready’ ma’am i’m sorry but he does not give a shit

SIDNEY MY SWEET SWEET BOY get in a pram if you’re going to be so baby. look while i love him so much and i know he didn’t mean it to be !!!!! he’s just small of brain !!! but when he says “i wish we where going together” that lowkey rubs it in man......... like he’s already heartbroken PLEASE STOP but the “yeah well you take care of yourself greaser” - “you don’t have to worry about me” IM SOFT🥺

“wOWoWOoOOO COME ON GUYS I WORKED HARD FOR THESE ORANGES”

“guadal...kenel...guadal BLEEHHH” didn’t realise hoos was recreating the audience of my english speaking exam. LOOK I REALISE NOW TALKING ABOUT STOICISM TO A BUNCH OF 15 YEAR OLDS WHO DON’T CARE WAS A BAD IDEA BUT I GOT A DESTINCTION SO FUCK YOU TO THAT ONE KID

chuckler baby..... i’m in love with a dumbass. also the hit across the head. i’m soft (lads lets take a shot every time i say i’m soft in this liveblog ITS GONNA BE A FUN NIGHT jk drink responsibly and all that jazz or be dick winters that’s cool too!! heck do a babe heffron and get yourself a caprisun you deserve it)

“professor leckie” please don’t fuel his ego HE DOES NOT NEED IT

HOLD UP I NEED TO SWITCH FROM THE TV TO MY LAPTOP TO SCREEN CAP THIS SHIT LEW MY SON HAVE YOU BEEN BITING INTO AN ORANGE LIKE IT IS AN APPLE??? I WOULD BE MAD BUT HE LOOKS SO CUTE on a real note though can you eat the skin???? will he be okay?????

okay two hoos things: 1.) he looks SO DONE and i’m living for it 2.) can we talk about jacobs nose..... IM DYING TO TALK ABOUT JACOBS NOSE

okay the boats scene give me saving private ryan flashbacks i came out here to have a good time AND I AM NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME oh wait never mind runner just went ‘i could really use a stiff one right now’ i hate that but he saved the day with his dumbassery so thank you good sir i love you with all my heart

fun fact my how co ranking goes chuckler, runner, hoos, leckie

OH FUCK I FORGOT SID SJAKSJSJ y’know for someone who talks about how much they love sid i forget about him a lot. thank you for blessing my screen with your pretty face it helped me remember you exist LMAO guys my memory is not okay i’m actually concerned...... but more importantly i’d put him between hoos and leckie in the ranking :,)

call it what it is. babyism. y’all better stop before i cuddle you LOOK AT THIS SHIT THEY’RE ADORABLE

runner is the only bitch i respect in this house he’s so fucking funny

‘they’ve? poisoned? a? billion?! coconuts?’ that poor son of a bitch BLESS HIM don’t shoot the messenger okay? he seems like a sweet bean

that shot of hoos, leckie and chuckler looking down at the camera into the bunker? my sexuality. my left brain: tomas stop thirsting it’s an intense and serious show. my righ brain: but?? they’re pretty?? me nodding smugly and in agreement: BUT THEY’RE PRETTY.

THIS MAN AND HIS GUM I CAN’T why is that me. i am the gum man at my school that sounds so weird ajsksjsj i just always have gum. ALSO spearmint is superior to normal mint. NORMAL MINT BURNS LIKE ITS SPICY BRO. bubblemint is superior superior but that’s more expensive rip😭😭😭😭😭😭

‘it’s like the fourth of july’ nice to my boy sufjan getting some rep he is king of the gays after all mr i can’t explain the state that i’m in the state of my heart he was my best friend. we all owe him EVERY parallel on this goddamn app. jk there’s one other king of the gays and that is demon! shane (bfu). no this is not up for debate

the shot of the ships is phenomenal. that’s one thing i do have to credit hbo on. the special effects and cinematography are beautiful and so fucking impressive like???

‘we’re killing them’ - ‘where’s the navy?’ / ‘gone we lost four cruisers’ GOD I HAVE SUCH A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP FOR FORSHADOWING LIKE SOMETIMES ITS SO SEXY AND OTHER TIMES IM LIKE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GO AWAY

WHY DOES SID LOOK OVER HIS SHOLDER BEFORE TAKING THE WINE SIR NO ONE IS GONNA TELL YOU OFF AT WAR FOR DRINKING UNDERAGE like???? i don’t think an 18 year old having a swig is their biggest problem bless his heart

‘can’t fight em drunk don’t fight em at all’

bill if you are reading this i’m free on thursday night and would like to hang out. please respond to this and then hang out with me on thursday night, when i am free😌😘🥰😳🥺👉👈😤💘💓🙄🥴

FUCK I FORGOT HOW LOUD THE GUN SHOTS WHERE THINK I JUST WOKE THE WHOLE NEIGHBOURHOOD JC

‘skipper? skipper are you okay?? goddamnit he’s lost it come on’ :(((((

god the shots in this show really are phenomenal. i know it’s very gory and very hard to watch at times but it definitely has the best shots of the three en mi opinion. i’m a slut for the close up of dick screaming ‘move out’ with rounds flying. like who’s ever call that was? outstanding but like that’s just one? the pacific has so many emotive and excellently shot scenes.

JOG ON. STOP. IM SO SOFT IM GOING TO CRY THIS IS NOT OKAY. MOMMA CHUCKLER I CAN’T🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

how seemlessly the scenes flow one after the other despite being opposite ends of the spectrum i DID NOT GIVE TP ENOUGH CREDIT like yeah it makes me sad as fuck but from a production point of view the writing? the acting? the cinematography? DAMN

how visibly torn and pissed off hoosier looks over the other marines tormenting the japanese soldier, stringing out his death when he’s obviously in a lot of mental as well as physical pain? the only bitch i respect in this house.

okay so like? while the shot is scarring both for him and the audience to see that kind of effortless murder it was the right thing to do? it’s better then have him be tormented and it will help leckie in the long run? how broken he looks though? like the distance is his eye and the way he swollows....... WHO IS CUTTING ONIONS HUH???? brilliant james BRILLIANT

the way i just said ‘if biology would have permitted it i would be asking you to have my babies’ at the sight of a man shoving smokes up his nose....... now ladies theyzies and gents, a prime reason to show why you should do your work. this is tom. tom didn’t do his work. with nothing to do all day tom became bat shit..... don’t be like tom. okay like it is cute though COME ON

HOW PROUD AND SMUG AND HAPPY HE LOOKS AT HIS PREMOTION ‘yes ma’am i am a corporal’ HE IS SO BABY AND FOR WHAT. oops sorry lads looks like i dropped this:

the shot of leckie swimming in the water fading off to the shot of the dead bodies mirroring his movement but obviously a life less version OOOH IMMA SUE

god love me some men with black lungs LECKIE DO BE LOOKING GOOD LIGHTING THAT CIG DAMN

“i have a girlfriend lucky me” HOOS IS LIKE MY GAY ASS YOU SURE????

“you guys step aside the real marines are here now” “AND I’VE BEEN HERE FOR SOME TIME” that shuts iconic even i said wahayyyy

also runner..... i am looking RESPECTFULLY👁👁

you’re not special leckie we all want hoosier

sister👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

baby gene :,( YOU GINGER LIL BEBE I LOVE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH

can you really call yourself a hbo war an if you don’t sing along at the end... ITS A TUNE also hoos’ voice...... its about the drawl....... 

[ghostyprince]

if you’re in love, you are the lucky one

word count: 1.193 rating: T fandom: BuzzF. Uns. relationship: Ryan B./Shane M. summary:  Ryan never thought his life could be like this, falling for a demon, but he wouldn't trade it for anything.

author’s note: A snippet of their lives after they started dating if you will. It’s just cuddling. That’s it. I wrote this because I needed to get back on track, but I love the idea of demon-Shane/Goldsworth, so... I hope someone else does too.

[READ ON AO3]

Or read more here

"Look at you, acting like an overgrown cat." Ryan coos, lips twitching into a smile as he's pushing his hands through Shane's grown out hair that has no right to look that hot on him and yet... He's thrilled by how goddamn soft it is, and how Shane tilts his head into Ryan's hand, purring loudly, there is a huge, blissed-out smile on his face and he looks so soft, the sight nearly melts Ryan's heart. It's more like a growl, radiating up deep inside from Shane's chest but Ryan just calls it purring, because sometimes it annoys Shane and to be fair, it is like purring. His cheap, gold-colored rings they picked out together catch on Shane's hair sometimes and Ryan feels him shiver. There are goosebumps breaking out on Shane's arms against Ryan's chest, where he has them crossed and Shane's eyes flutter closed as turns into jelly on top of him. He's still purring fiercely, practically radiating heat too and Ryan would rather die than be in any other place right now. This one week without Shane was pure torture. How dare he visit his family and leave Ryan all alone, anyway? Completely unacceptable. He keeps looking at him, tracing careful fingers over Shane's horns, one and then the other, light, delicate strokes over the ribs of them. He's still fascinated by them, even though it's been many months after Shane's Big Demon Reveal (as ryan6 fondly refers to it) and them finally getting their shit together and dating. Shane tilts his head up where it's resting on top of his hands on Ryan's chest. That pitch-black stare still sends a shiver down Ryan's spine every now and again, although there is more arousal in it than fear now. He has to admit, there is something so appealing in the look of hunger in those black eyes when Ryan rides him or pounds him into the mattress, their fingers intertwined and Shane's claws dig into the back of his hands. Or scratch down Ryan's back, his arms, leaving their mark there. Ryan quickly learned to not let the eyes intimidate him though, he just focuses his attention on other parts of Shane's face. And oh fuck, what a beautiful face he has. Ryan loves every bit of it, from the crinkling of his eyes to his Cheshire smile. He loves Shane's stubble, that's rarely a beard, the scratch of it against any part of his skin. He loves his nose, kissing the side of it, or the tip, grinning at the sight of a pretty blush climbing up high on Shane's cheekbones and spreading down to his chest. It's easy to come around liking those black eyes too, when smiles up at him so mischievously, so in love even though none of them said it yet. They almost don't need to, Ryan is aware of how he looks at him the same way. "Yuck it up, Goldsworth," Shane says, making him laugh. "Oh, are we still doing this, Madej? Can't get enough of the Golden Boy, can you?" There is a ridiculous posh drawl to his voice when he speaks, it's nothing like the one he used in the episodes or the one he moaned into Shane's ears with only mere minutes ago, begging him to fuck him harder. Shane reacts just as Ryan thought he would, letting out a deep, groan and burying his face into Ryan's shoulder who catches the same painful expression on his face when they're turning on the spirit box on location. "The more you do that voice the less I want to fuck Ricky and that's really bad news for the both of us," Shane informs him, a matter of factly, slightly muffled by the kisses he's pressing to Ryan's exposed shoulder. It's really not his fault that it's right there, way too damn kissable, like every part of Ryan. Ryan answers with a wheeze again, his hands are pushing through Shane's hair once more and oh, the purrs are back! Ryan is delighted. "Oh, please, you love it. There is no need to deny it, big guy." He hums, watching Shane's hair gently fall over his hands, the rings on his fingers. It's somehow unfairly hot. Ryan doesn't remember which one of them brought up the idea of him pretending to be Goldsworth in bed, he thinks it started as a joke, Ryan using his unsolved voice in bed that most certainly wrecked Shane a little and he somehow ended up as Ricky. Next thing he knew they were shopping for rings and gold chains and it was definitely one of the best decisions of Ryan's life. Neither of them expected their little roleplay to be such a hit, especially mixed with Shane's demon form, it's their go-to when they've been riling each other up all day, seeing just how annoying they can be before one of them ended up pushed against the nearest surface, exchanging rough, biting kisses. It's a marvelous thing, it does wonders to lower their stress level after a particularly long and frustrating editing session, even if Shane ends up with bruises sucked into his inner thigh, or there is a particularly deep mark left by Shane's sharper than average teeth just above Ryan's collarbone. It's worth it all. "I love it as much as you love my Australian accent." Shane looks up at him again, Ryan wants to kiss the smug smile off his stupidly attractive face. "First of all, that incoherent mumbling hardly counts as an accent, secondly, I hated that." Ryan instantly knew he fucked up because Shane's now brown eyes lit up. "Oh, you hated it, huh? Just like you hated the way I ripped my glasses off this one time? Or the mustache?" He leans closer, right into Ryan's personal space, their nose almost touching. "That mustache was a fashion disaster." Ryan murmurs, suddenly flustered and breathless. He stands by his point though, maybe the bowl-cut was the only thing that was worse than the two. At least it made Ryan laugh every single time he caught Shane without a hat on. "We all know 'I hated that' is Ryan speak for 'That turned me on', baby." Shane's voice is barely above a whisper, their lips brushing as he speaks, but not kissing him, even backing up a little. Why is Shane not kissing him already? It's ridiculous. Ryan lets out a truly shameful noise that sounds an awful lot like a whine, but it's certainly not a whine. "The bowl-cut was even better!" Shane continues, a big, smug grin stretching across his face, reading Ryan's mind like he always seems to do, so effortlessly and Ryan's heart does a flip. Despite his belief in the supernatural he never really gave soulmates too much thought, but he might have to reconsider. "Shut the fuck up, Shane." He's going for frustrated, annoyed, but it comes out soft, love-struck and a little in awe as he pulls Shane into a kiss, wondering if it's possible to know that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone after such a short period of time.  

[ghoulboyboos]

How about Ryan wearing Shanes clothes and he looks so adorable. And fluff or smut and fluff occur. Or Hypothermia where Ryan runs onto some thin ice over a pond or something to escape from a ghost or demon and falls through. And needs cuddles and panicked!shane to make him feel better. Great stuff so far! I really like all the prompts you've answered :D

Oh god that is like… all of my favourite tropes nonnie! It got really long as well, whoops…

Bigfoot hunting in the woods had gone well, so why would huntingin the snow be any different

Ryan knows why. Because the world hates him and wants him dead.With the filming crew gone for the evening, he and Shane do one lastloop around the cabin they have rented out, trudging through the snowin silence, worn out after a day of trekking and keeping their eyesopen for any Foot activity. Shane wants to take the long way back butRyan outright refuses. He’s tired, he wants to sit in front of thehard-to-light fireplace of the cabin and fall asleep and not thinkabout snow and cold anymore. Shane calls him a delicate lily that’stoo used to soaking up the California sun and Ryan flips him off andstomps down the short path. He faintly hears Shane shout after him toremind him to stay on the path but he ignores him. It’s not likeShane really cares anyway.

The last thought stings and he knows he’s being unfair. Shanedoes care about him. They’re friends, best friends even. But it’sso easy to get frustrated with the big guy, especially when he keepsup his jokes and nicknames and the way he needles Ryan about somethinks, unaware he sometimes mentions stuff Ryan is insecure about.

“What if you ever fall for a Midwesterner,” Ryan repeatsShane’s statement in a mocking voice. “They would never bring youhome to meet the family during Christmastime in fear of you justdying out there.” Ryan shoves his hands in his pocket and stompson. What if, indeed. His brain conjures up the sight of Shaneearlier. Wrapped in a warm coat and a soft beanie, face a littleflushed from the cold but eyes wide and bright as he trudges throughthe snow, stomps his feet in his boots to keep them warm- He lookedlike he was home. And Ryan knows it’s a great opportunity to make aShane-is-Sasquatch joke but his mind has already interfered with.

Shane wouldn’t take me home to meet his parents.

Which is dumb. They’re not together. Of course Shane won’t.Although he might if Ryan were to ask, because Shane is a sweetheartand if he heard that Ryan was going to spend Christmas alone, hewould drag him along in a heartbeat. Somehow, the thought doesn’tlift Ryan’s mood.

He stops and picks up a rock to toss it at the small lake next tothe path. It hits the ice with a low “tock” and then starts toskip across the ice, making a strange, chirping noise whenever ithits the ice. Ryan stares ahead. A tiny part of his monkey brainwants to go out and grab it but he is smarter than that. Just becausethe ice can hold a tiny rock didn’t mean that he wouldn’t breakthrough and land in ice water. It’s not necessarily deep, but heshudders at the thought of the cold water lapping at him. Ryan turnsto go back to the cabin. Maybe he can fall asleep before Shane comesback. That way he can’t put his foot in his mouth and accidentallyinsult him more.

Ryan is so lost in thought that he screams when suddenly, a smallbody breaks out of the underbrush next to him and crosses his path,he stumbles back, catches a glimpse of the shape of a small animalbouncing off – probably a rabbit – when his foot slips on thesnow and he drops down the slope.

He barely manages to should before he hears a crack and ice coldwater seeps into his jeans and jacket. Ryan gasps for air and triesto grab onto the slope in front of him, but the few dead plants thatgrow there are to weak and all he manages is ripping pieces off as heclaws at something for support. He slips lower, snow sliding up hisshirt and he gasps for breath, yelping as he drops deeper into theriver.

As it sometimes is, his braininstantly sends him a feeling of relief because he didn’t bring anyequipment or a camera on the walk, so he didn’t just ruin a GoProor something, but at the same time, ice cold water is now seepinginto his underwear andit starts to hurt, burn even. Ryan’s teeth are chattering as hetries again, to push himself out of the lake heis stuck in. His muscles tense and it’s fucking painful. Ryangrunts as he pushes himself forward, landing face first in the snowand shuddering. He thinks about calling for Shane, but he is out ofbreath from dragging himself up.

“Am I going to die fromHypothermia…?” He blinks as the thought goes through his painaddled mind. Part of him says no, his chest is still relativelydry, except for the snow that is slowly seeping in, but at the sametime, he is shaking hard now and his legs feel like he ran amarathon. Ryan gasps and army crawls further, trying to pull himselfup the slope. He really wants to rest, but that would be the worstdecision, so he keeps pushing forward. He is about half way up whenhe hears footsteps.

He takes in a gulp of air.

“Hello? Shane?”

Ryan shudders as he realizes his voice is shaking and way tooquiet but the footsteps pause. He is about to suck in a deep breathto shout when the steps suddenly pick up and then he sees snow anddirt rain down the slope next to him and Shane slides into view,stumbling as he tries to keep on his feet on the steep incline.

“Ryan! Ryan what happened?!”

Shane rolls him onto his back andRyan winces as the back of his head lands in the snow and soaks hishair. His beanie got lost somewhere… huh. He tries to push Shaneoff who is touching him, holding his face and reaching for his neckwith cold, naked fingers while babbling questions and Ryan doesn’twant him to fuss all over him because he still has somepride but then Shane hauls him up and half drags Ryan on his back.Ryan should push off of him, but Shane’s back is warm and eventhough he knows he is soaking the other guy’s coat, he clings tohis shoulders and back while Shane struggles up the slope more orless on hands and feet while balancing Ryan on his back.

Ryan doesn’t remember how Shane made it, but he pulls him to hisfeet once they’re back on the path and drags him along, clearly notcaring that Ryan can barely move his legs. Ryan stumbles, but Shanegrabs onto him and presses him against his body to steady his stepsand Ryan flushes.

He is glad that Shane will think it’s just the cold.

-

The cabin door closes behind them and Ryan stands in the entryway,teeth not chattering anymore – which he guesses could be a bad sign– but his whole body is still shaking. He is so cold and so inpain, all he wants to do is lie down. Before he can even lowerhimself however, Shane grabs him.

“What happened, Ryan? God, I told you to stay on the fucking-”

“It w-wasn’t me. S-saw ssssssomething.” He sounds so stupid,but he can’t control his mouth and teeth and tongue like this.“M-maybe a rabbit. Stumbled and fe-fell.”

He is still shaking and Shane pulls off his soaked gloves andunzips Ryan’s jacket.

“Startled by a rabbit?! God, Ryan. Scared of your own shadow…”

Ryan whines. He wants to tell Shane to shut up but his head ispounding.

“Sorry.”

It’s so quiet that Ryan isn’t even sure he heard it. He staresat Shane.

“I’m sorry I made you walk back alone. We shouldn’t havesplit up. And I’m sorry I made fun of you. I… I didn’t wantthis to happen.”

Ryan is stunned. He really would like to tell Shane that it wasn’this fault, but words are still tough. He has almost gathered enoughcourage to thank Shane for the rescue when his brain screeches to ahalt. Shane has pushed his hands under his sweater and t-shirt andundershirt and starts to push all three upwards. Ryan yelps and grabsat Shane’s hands, trying to pull his clothes down again.

“Ryan.” Shane sounds tense. “You’re soaked to the bone!You can’t stay in those clothes or you will get hypothermia.”

Ryan shudders again. Shane’shands have warmed up since they left the cold and they are stillbrushing his stomach. This is bad, very bad. But Shane has a point,so Ryan grits his teeth and lets him go. Theclothes get pushed up and he brings up his arms to allow Shane totake them off. He can’t look the other man in the eye, so he looksto the side as Shane pulls the shirt and undershirt out and throwsall three over the back of a chair. Then he turns and opens Ryan’spants and Ryan screws his eyes shut because he has already seen thatcoming.

“Ryan?”

He realizes he is holding his breath.

“Yeah?”

At least his voice was back.

“I’m really trying to help you here, I know it’s awkward butI just want you to put on something dry. Can you… maybe help me alittle?”

Ryan looks down. Shane is half crouched in front of him with hishands on Ryan’s hips. Fuck it. If he didn’t die fromembarrassment, he wouldn’t dare die from the cold.

“Okay.”

Shane seems to relax at that. He helps Ryan on a chair and thentakes his shoes, socks and jeans off. He throws the soaked clothesaside and then runs to grab the blanket from the sofa. He wraps itaround Ryan’s shoulders and it’s kind of scratchy but at leastit’s warm. Ryan pulls it around himself and Shane starts to rub therough fabric over his back and shoulders and arms, then his legs andRyan feels pins and needles, not unlike when a limb falls asleep. Hehisses and hears Shane murmur an apology.

“You gotta lose the underwear too, by the way. Don’t want thatspace to freeze.”

Ryan flushes and throws a look at Shane, but his friend is notlooking at him. The tips of Shane’s ears are pink and Ryan wondersif it’s from the cold or the awkward situation. Shane gets up.

“I’ll grab you some fresh clothes, be right back.”

Ryan nods. Once Shane is out of sight he wiggles out of hisboxers, keeping the blanket tightly wound around himself. He migratesto the sofa and sits down on it, feet tucked under himself as herocks and shivers. He can feel how his body tries to heat him upagain, but his wet clothes in the cold air have drawn a lot of bodyheat from him and he doesn’t really know if it’s working.

He nearly flinches when a stack of clothing is dropped next tohim. Shane had come back without Ryan noticing.

“I got you your sweatpants and underwear, but you don’t haveanother warm thing so- uh.” Shane gestures to the soft red sweateron top of the pile.

Ryan stares. It’s one ofShane’s. It’s pretty much just a red sweater with thin blackstripes but… it’s Shanewho it belongs to and it’s kind of large and Ryan feels terriblethat the thought of wearing Shane’s clothes fills his stomach withwarmth.

“Get yourself together, Ryan.” He thinks. “It doesn’t meananything. He’s your friend and doesn’t want you to die.”

-

Shane moves to the kitchenette and Ryan ducks behind the sofa toget dressed with at least some modesty. Underwear, socks, sweatpantsand… Shane’s sweater. It’s a bit too long for Ryan, of courseand the sleeves cover his hands. He doesn’t push them up, becausehis hands are still fucking cold and the sweater is fluffy and warm.He buries himself in it, up to his chin and it is mostly to warm upbut also because he noticed Shane’s smell. He swallows hard. Thiswasn’t good. Ryan wraps himself in the blanket and tries not tothink about it too much.

-

Shane is still freaking out. He doesn’t show Ryan, but he isvery close to losing his shit.

When he had returned to the cabin and found it locked he hadinstantly turned and rushed up the short path. He had a feeling thatsomething bad had happened. Ryan wouldn’t just walk off into thewinter woods, he’s smarter than that. When he had seen thedisturbed snow and the shape of a body he had nearly chocked with howhard his heart had jumped into his throat.

And now, he has a shaking Ryanwrapped in a blanket and Shane’s sweater on the sofa and he triesto make tea with the old kettle on the counter. Shane had grabbed thesweater as an afterthought, when he couldn’t find any of Ryan’swarm clothes, but he has made the mistake and looked over after Ryanput it on and… fuck him gently with a chainsaw Ryan looks so cute.His hands are pulled into the sleeves and he has put his glasses onthat luckily survived the fall and he looks soft but also miserableand Shane’s heart hurts. The click and whistle of the kettle ripshim out of his thoughts and he quickly grabs the tea pot, two mugsand returns to Ryan.

“Here.” He fills one of the mugs, even though the tea probablyhasn’t steeped enough yet. “Hold this, it’ll help your hands.”

Ryan takes the mug, sweater still pulled over his palms and triesto hold it straight despite the shaking. Shane swallows and quicklyturns away to light the fireplace. For all the failure the two ofthem had with the thing earlier, he somehow manages to do everythingright on the first try, this time. The small lighter cubes burnbright and the paper around the wood that’s stacked in the placequickly catches the wood on fire and Shane shuts the small glasswindow, too stunned to feel proud right now. He looks over hisshoulder at Ryan. His friend seems a little calmer. His lips, bluebefore are slowly regaining the healthy reddish tone and his skinlooks less icy and more the usual bronze now. Shane stands up, grabsthe towel he brought earlier when he got the clothes and steps behindRyan to carefully towel his hair dry. He feels Ryan stiffen under histouch and Shane bites his bottom lip, feeling guilty. If he’s trueto himself, he really isn’t trying to use the situation to touchRyan more. But he can’t deny that he feels happy taking care ofRyan like this.

Of course, Ryan doesn’t like it if the way he freezes wheneverShane touches him is anything to go by. Shane doesn’t want to becreepy, but he has to make sure that Ryan will be okay, that Ryanwon’t get sick or harmed because of the silly little “fight”they had earlier about Ryan being too weak for the cold.

Shane has already tried to apologize, but he feels like he shoulddo it again, now that both their brains aren’t occupied with thefear of Ryan freezing. He allows Ryan to ruffle his almost dry hairand puts the towel down, unsure how to proceed. Ryan turns a bit andlooks up at him.

“Thanks…” He whispers.

“Hey… Ryan. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“I know.”

Ryan looks up at him and then shuffles on the sofa to make roomfor Shane. Shane sits down and instinctively reaches out to rub apalm over Ryan’s back.

“How are you feeling?”

Ryan looks into his mug.

“A little better. Thanks again for … well, rescuing me.”

Shane swallows.

“Of course.” He should make a joke, something about keepingUnsolved alive or not wanting to give up the only other hugekernelhead in the office. But he can’t get himself to. Ryan islooking at him, hair ruffled and face slowly reddening. Maybe hereally is warming up.

“I feel… too hot now.” Ryan grunts and pushes at theblanket, but Shane is quick to hold it in place.

“Don’t. Your body is trying to heat you up. You’re stillcold.” He reaches out and touches Ryan’s forehead. Ryan is indeedstill a little cool.

Ryan scoffs and shoves the blanket off anyway and Shane sighs andleans in to wrap it around him again. Ryan struggles for a moment andthen jerks to the side to put his mug away. He is now half lying onShane’s arm and Shane grunts and pulls Ryan back to wrap theblanket around him. When Ryan grabs his shoulder however, he pauses.

Ryan is half lying down now, blanket trapped under his body and heis holding onto Shane who is braced over him. He looks better, lessdying, but also a lot more soft. Ryan blinks up at him from behindhis glasses, wearing Shane’s oversized sweater and Shane swallowshard. He looks… beautiful and Shane really wishes he could justlean in and kiss him. But he can’t because that’s not what theyare. Still, Ryan keeps staring at him, as if searching Shane’s facefor something.

He nearly jumps when a hand settles on the back of his neck.Ryan’s fingers are warm from where he clutched the mug and Shaneglances over quickly. No matter how weak the tea had been, Ryan drankit, which is good. He really hopes he has done what he could to helpagainst the cold. The hand on his neck tugs and Shane leans down alittle. He’s not sure what Ryan is doing and he is definitelygetting nervous being so close, but he assumes Ryan wants to saysomething and his voice is still too unstable.

“You could help me warm up.”

Shane frowns. His nose is almost touching Ryan, and despite hisnose being pretty big, they are very close by now. He searches Ryan’sface for an explanation, but only sees how Ryan pulls an arm to hischest, hand still adorably hidden in Shane’s long sleeves.

“Uh… I- I think I did what I could?”

Ryan blinks.

“I … You’re probably right.Maybe I’m being stupid. You wouldn’t take me to meet your parentsanyway.”

Shane blinks, dumbfounded.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Ryan looks at him, face hardened and he seems almost… accusing?

“You said it yourself. No Midwesterner would take me to meettheir family on Christmas. I’m too weak for the cold. Clearly thatwas proven right afterwards because I’m too dumb to walk a pathwithout falling in a lake.”

Ryan swallows hard and Shane realizes with horror how upset helooks.

“I just thought… maybe… you took such good care of me. Iguess you were just being a great friend and I’m the creep hittingon you just because you gave me your sweater.”

He isn’t looking at Shane anymore. He has both his arms drawn tohis chest and stares to the side.

“Just… forget it. It’s dumb.”

Shane swallows hard. His hands are still fisted in the blanket,but he lets it go. Slowly, carefully he places them on Ryan’s hips.His fingertips slip under the sweater and brush warm skin and hehears Ryan gasp. The man underneath him turns his head and glances upat Shane.

“What are you-”

“Fuck.” Shane hisses. “I’msorry I made you feel like that. I didn’t- I didn’t even knowwhat I was saying. Are you sureyou want this? Or are you having some sort of cabin fever or was itbecause you could have gotten killed out there or-”

Ryan grabs his shirt and pulls him down. Shane nearly falls on topof him and barely manages to catch himself before he’s crushingRyan. Ryan doesn’t seem to care, he wraps both arms around Shane’sneck and kisses him and Shane jolts when Ryan’s warm and soft lipsmeet his own.

Shane’s hands slip under the sweater and up Ryan’s sides andRyan groans encouragingly into his mouth before his tongue slips into meet Shane’s and Shane gasps.

For a couple of minutes, theyjust make out and Ryan’s hands find their way under Shane’s shirtand they explore each other’s skin with their fingers. Ryan doesn’tseem like he wants to stop kissing Shane and Shane is downto just keep making out, but Ryan has other plans. They are chest tochest now, legs entangled and Ryan presses his hips up and the lineof his hard dick brushes Shane’s thigh. Well, if Ryan was able toget a boner, his body heat is probably doing pretty okay. Shaneactually starts to sweat now, which probably is also because Ryan ismaking needy noises against his mouth. Fuck. They didn’t haveenough clean clothes for this kind of stuff and Shane disentangleshimself for a moment, despite Ryan’s protests.

“Let me- Fuck. Ryan.”

He grabs the blanket and pulls it over Ryan’s middle. Then heducks under it and wiggles in the little blanket tent till he cankiss a strip of Ryan’s exposed stomach. He is rewarded with agroan.

Shane hasn’t planned this, but once Ryan had asked him to “warmhim up” even more, they have been heading for this moment,apparently. Before soon, he is bobbing his head under the blanket,making sure that Ryan’s exposed middle is covered by it while hehears those delicious groans and moans from above his head and feelsRyan’s hands on the back of his covered head. When Ryan comes, it’swith the whisper of Shane’s name and both hands shoved under theblanket to fist in his hair. Shane’s hands are on Ryan’s stomach,brushing against his sweater and he feels the soft material pressedagainst his cheek before long. He swallows as he comes up from underthe blanket and Ryan’s eyes are gleaming and his face is flushed, aclear improvement to the stiff, cold and blue face Shane had draggedin earlier. He is tugged into a kiss and while Ryan nips on his lips,Shane can hear him murmur things.

He catches “thank you” and “wonderful” and “stay here”and Shane tries to kiss back while also tucking Ryan back into hispants and making sure he is fully dressed.

“What about you?” Ryan gasps against Shane’s cheek as Shanepulls him in his arms and throws the blanket over them.

“Not tonight. Another time.” He kisses Ryan’s forehead, butRyan leans away to look at him. He is smiling widely.

“What?” Shane frowns. “What is it?”

“Another time.” Ryan echoes and he smiles at Shane so widelythat Shane feels like is stomach is doing a somersault.

“Ah. Right. Yes I would like to do that again if-”

“Oh hell yeah.”

Shane chuckles.

“Great.”

He pulls Ryan in his arms and is wrapped in the warmth of hissweater in return and he is sure he can’t ever wear it again. It’sRyan’s now. A hand tangles in his hair and Ryan kisses him again.

“Huh,��� Shane thinks. “Probably not the only thing in hislife that is Ryan’s now.” He smiles as he kisses back, drags theblanket up over them and holds onto the other man, safe and warm onceagain.

[spoopybruh]

Tinsel City || Chapter 1

Chapters: 1/?

Fandom: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)

Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej

Characters: Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej

Summary: Taunting the ghouls and demons are all fun and games until they aren’t. In which Shane Madej is forcibly possessed by a demonic entity and must now seek out a solution or risk losing everything in the process. But reversing a possession requires hefty sacrifices, and Shane’s always sucked at making a good bargain.

Additional Tags: Demon!Shane 

Read on Ao3: Here

The people of Tinsel City are a bunch of peculiar folk. For starters, one can easily locate Tinsel City within their maps or search engines but any searches for videos and pictures of the place turns up blank. Except for the few standard ones that are commonly used to draw in tourists and potential residents. In fact, any form of photography and video recording is strictly prohibited unless pre-approved by the governing sectors of Tinsel City itself. 

There had been accounts of people who were caught and made to delete everything before they were allowed to leave. No matter how ingenious their plans were to hide their recording material. To date, no one is successful of bringing back anything that hasn’t been approved. It’s as if the people of Tinsel City just knew. 

That alone was enough to keep someone as suspicious as Ryan on edge. And if Shane were to be honest, this entire deal seemed a little too cultish to be nothing. Still, everyone that had visited Tinsel City returned safely, each with beautiful stories to tell. Judging from the information they do have, it’s worth a trip as long as one approaches with added caution. 

This season’s demon episode leads them to an unoccupied manor, half shrouded with vegetation and trees from the surrounding forests. A forgotten existence. They were specifically told not to film the roads leading to said manor, but permission had been granted for them to record the interior and exterior of the place. 

Admittedly, it took a while for them to regain their usual pace in things, given how unusual of an arrangement they had to honour. But soon enough, things were in full swing and Shane was having the time of his life watching Ryan progressively lose more of his shit with each imagined spook. 

“Come at me, horny boys! Rip my heart out! Give me a purple nurple or something!” He’d taunted with a massive grin, accompanied with a litany of laughing wheezes and Oh my gods from his companion. “What are you? Scared? I took the Goatman’s bridge and I’ll take your pretty little house too!” 

For the most part, things go smoothly and soon enough, they’ve filmed enough to get a decent episode going. All that’s left to do was for the ‘ghouligans’ to stay and ‘survive the night’. Content to sleep on the bed in one of the spare rooms of the manor and well fed on pizza, Shane has no trouble dozing off on his end of the bed. 

He wakes up choking, unable to move despite being fully alert. Ryan’s instantly at his side, concerned and voice distant despite their proximity. His touch burns when he sets a palm against Shane’s back, trying to rub soothing circles and Shane would say something about it except for the fact that he’s doubled over the second he recovers mobility, trying to force his lungs to intake oxygen. 

Shane’s dimly aware that he’s shaking. Had it not been for Ryan and his support, arm draped against his back burning burning burning as he forces Shane to sit up and lean against the headrest, he’d probably have fallen over. Sitting up helps with the breathing though, and he does exactly that, watching Ryan rummage through their various equipment bag before he produces a water bottle with a triumphant ‘Aha!’ 

“Jesus dude, you alright?” Shane doesn’t miss the concern in Ryan’s voice when he hands the bottle to him. “What happened? Are you sick?” 

Is he? His skin itches in a way that makes Shane restless, as if it’s two sizes too small for him. He presses a hand to his forehead, realising belatedly that even his hair is damp from sweat and heat. Why is it so warm? Didn’t the townsfolk mention that the nights here are typically colder? 

“I’m fine. Probably a fever.” His voice is still a little winded when he speaks but apart from a few minor details, Shane feels alright for the most part. “Might be something in the pizza that didn’t sit right with me. Or. You know, sleep paralysis.” His eyes crinkled with amusement. “Think one of your ghosties tried to cuddle me in my sleep.”

His attempt at a joke seemed good enough to quell some of the mounting anxiety on Ryan, because he’s graced with a snort and a “Shut up Shane” which only served to make him grin. His companion does force him to take some of the medication they had stashed within their emergency supplies before letting up though. 

By the time Shane settles down again, he’s feeling more or less right again. If one doesn’t count the way his skin still feels way too small for someone his height and he feels like a sunbaked potato despite it not having reached daybreak just yet. 

“You know I’ve never seen you do that from all the times we’ve done this. You sure you’re alright? I mean we can get Teej to come get us if it gets worse.”

“It’s fine, Ryan. I’ll let you know if there’s really a need for that.” He reaches out in the dark to idly pat at his companion, stifling another snort of laughter when it so happens that his hand thwacked him in the face. “It’s fine. I just need to get more sleep and it’ll be out of my system in a bit.”

As it turns out after a few more hours of rest, whatever overnight fever bug Shane caught did not subside. 

Because he wakes up with red blotches for vision. The scleras of his eyes were so prominently covered with blood vessels that were congested with blood, his eyes almost looked entirely red, a sickly sheen covering it’s surface. Yikes. Now ain’t that a doozy?

[ghoulboyboos]

Could you write angel!ryan healing Shane after he got a bit scraped up from a demon attacking him from all his taunting (Ryan had to reveal his angelic nature to protect him before he got actually hurt) and just the conversation that would happen after now that Shane has, not only conformation that the supernatural exists, but that Ryan himself is actually and angel

That was a super interesting prompt, Anon! Hope you like it :D

“Comeon, demon! Rip out our spines! Burn us! Scratch us! My…” Shanethinks for a second, trying to pick an appropriate body part. “Myliver is yours for the taking!” Sure, why not.

It stays quiet for a moment. Next to him, Ryan scoffs loudly.

“You’re insane.” He states and Shane could laugh at it. “Youreally do want to die, do you?”

Shanesmiles over at his ghost-hunting companion. Of course he doesn’t.When it comes to the real world, Shane is easily scared. He can thinkof many unlikely but deadly scenarios he might be afraid of, anddespite Ryan’s jokes, that includes getting injected with heroinagainst his will, choking on an avocado pit and getting decapitatedby a cannonball. But ghostsand demons aren’t real, so taunting them will have no effect on hiswell-being, of course. Ryan might believe they are and while Shanethinks that’s definitely wrong, he respects Ryan’s beliefs. Andusually, he doesn’t quite go too farwith taunting thin air, at least in his book. By the end of the day,he does it to help Ryan, to make him laugh or distract him from hisown panic. Anything that makes Ryan either laugh or snap at him helpswith the terror he sometimes sees in his friend’s eyes.

Speaking of which, Ryan looks pretty worried this time. His eyes aredarting from side to side and he seems… on edge. 

Shane blows a raspberry into the air and shines his flashlightaround, looking for the next room.

“Come on, this room is boring.”

Ryan doesn’t protest at first, but when Shane starts walkingtowards the kitchen, Ryan quickly scampers after him.

“Wait! Shane let me-”

“Really?” Shane turns around, shining his flashlight sort of overRyan’s shoulder so he doesn’t blind him or flash the GoProstrapped to his chest. “You’re really doing this!” He huffs.“What you think- Elinor is gonna shove me into the oven like shedid with her kids? Hansel and Gretel style?”

Ryan opens his mouth as if to say something, but then he pauses andsnarls for a moment.

“No that isn’t my concern, you’d never fit in there. Butwatch out, the door-”

“Yeah yeah the door’s haunted the floor’s haunted the dust ishaunted, the toilet paper is probably haunted. Everything is hauntedto Ryan Steven Bergara.”

He rolls his eyes as he turns and steps right through the doorwaywithout letting Ryan answer or retort. For a moment, he could swearhe hears his friend shout a warning-

Something hits him in the side. A flicker of confusion hits him,because at first he assumes Ryan shoved him or something, but then hehears the tear of fabric and feels the burning pulse of pain in hisside and he gasps and drops to one knee, his flashlight falling outof his fingers and clattering to the ground where it goes dark. Shanebrings a hand to his ribs and feels something wet and the skin burnsand throbs even more. Did he get caught on something? But he hadn’teven reached the door, yet. This made no sense-

He looks up. Ryan is standing next to him and Shane, despite the lowlight can see his face set into an angry grimace.

“I fucking told you, Shane. I told you to wait, for fuck’s sake.”

Shane wants to retort something but Ryan holds up a finger towardshim as if shushing him. Under normal circumstances Shane would laughincredulously and get even louder, but Ryan holds up his other hand,palm forward and fingers splayed wide as he faces the doorway.

Something scrambles around in the dark, like a rat rushing overwooden floorboards and then Shane sees the shadows in the doorway…move. That makes no sense. They aren’t moving, the film team isn’tmoving. Their lights are all in one place and yet the shadows slipover the floor and merge.

And then a shape bursts out of the ground where the shadows tightenedand Shane catches a glimpse of a pale face in the darkness andburning eyes before two clawed hands reach out towards them. Heinstinctively cowers down and thrusts out his hand to grab Ryan andpull him down, get him out of the way but Ryan actually steps forwardand Shane hears another shriek. It’s ear piercing and he brings hishands up to press the palms to his ears. He hears the crew behindthem groan and yelp in pain and something falls to the ground overthere. The shadow thing however stops in its tracks, shuddersand then the darkness tears apart and they are left with the room asit was before, empty and with all the shadows in place.

Shane’s mouth stands open and he slowly looks over at Ryan only tosee the man glowing. Not as he sometimes does when thesunlight catches his skin in the right way, no. Ryan’s eyes arebright and shine golden, there is a corona of gleams around his headand face and Shane thinks he might pass out so he closes his eyes andtries to steady himself.

It doesn’t really work.

His eyes are closed but despite everything, he sees the light. Notthe way a person sees light with their eyes closed: Red and tinted bythe capillaries in their eyelids. He only sees bright, golden light.It should sting in his eyes, the way looking into the sun does, butinstead, it feels soothing. Even welcoming. He can hear Ryan abovehim muttering words. Shane tries to listen in, but he doesn’tunderstand. His first thought is that Ryan might be speaking Spanish,but while Shane doesn’t know Spanish, he heard enough to be able totell that that’s not it. He wrecks his brain about what languagesRyan speaks. Japanese, maybe? Whatever people speak on thePhilippines? Does Ryan even know these languages? Shane isn’tsure. However, while he has been worrying about languages, the painins his body is lessening.

Shane opens his eyes and looks down. His shirt is still ripped andthere is quite a bit of blood caked there, but while he is stilllooking, warmth spreads through his sides and he can see thedeep scratches knitting together again until they close, not evenleaving a small scar. He looks up and notices that Ryan has placedhis fingertips against his temple. His face is focused and Shaneswallows under the scrutinizing glare.

When Ryan pulls away, Shane realizes that he is still on his knees,looking up at Ryan with a stunned expression. He glances around realquick and notices that he isn’t the only one. TJ, Mark and Devonare all on their knees, some of them still with their hands hoveringover their ears. Mark has a shaking camera pointed at both of themand his mouth is standing open, eyes fixed on Ryan. Devon makes anoise that sounds a little like a sob and Shane can absolutelyunderstand the sentiment. He glances at Ryan again, suddenly afraidto meet his eyes. Ryan looks pained, eyes flicking from one person tothe other.

“I… I can explain…”

He takes a step towards the others and stops when Mark scrambles tohis feet and backs away a little.

“I’m not gonna- guys it’s still me, I won’t hurt you!”

Going by the expressions of the team, they seem to want tobelieve him. However, what he said doesn’t erase the fearcompletely.

Shane finally gives himself a push and slowly gets up. His knees hurtfrom the hard floor and even though the pain in his side is gone, heis still shaken up about the sudden, tearing scratches. Ryan turns ashe notices Shane stand and looks at him guiltily, almost as if inpain. Shane swallows and decides to take initiative.

“I don’t even want to pretend I know what exactlyhappened.” He starts. “But this episode is over. We’re leaving.Any questions can be answered later, I’m not staying here.” Hebites his bottom lip. “Just blame it on me in the cut. Tell them Ilost it and ran. I’ll play that all you want for the camera, later.But for now, let’s leave.”

For a second, nobody moves, but then TJ nods. Mark lowers the cameraand Devon slowly gets up from the floor. Shane looks over at Ryan andRyan tries to give him the tiniest of smiles and nods.

Thankyou, hemouthes at Shane and Shane grits his teeth and just walks out. Hecan’t right now, he needs a moment.

Theypile in the two cars and Shane wordlessly takes the driver’s seat.Usually it’s Ryan driving, but he can’t let him right now,because when Shane drives, he can focus on the road instead offreaking out and he also can call a stop to the conversation andpretend he needs to concentrate on driving. Ryan doesn’t protest.He sits down next to him and buckles in, looking miserable anddistracted. Shane suddenly feels guilty. Whatever exactly happened,the one thing he is sure about is that Ryan saved him. Maybe all ofthem, even. He also has no other explanation for the injury goingaway than Ryan making it go away.He can’t push it on a hallucination because his shirt is stillripped and blood stained while his skin underneath is fine.

He pulls out of the driveway of the house and shuts his mouth tight.He doesn’t look at Ryan, doesn’t turn on the radio, barely movesin his seat when his bunched up jacket starts to dig in his bag. Inthe rearview mirror, he can see Mark driving and from what he canspot, the faces of their crew are pale and confused. They stay closeto the other car, as if afraid that Shane and Ryan would suddenlyvanish. Shane sighs. There is no reason to push it away any longer.

“So.” He finally breaks the silence and out of the corner of hiseye he sees Ryan flinch and sit up very straight. “Congratulations,I guess.”

It’s quiet for a moment. Then Ryan speaks.

“What do you mean?” His voice is quiet, as if scared.

“I finally saw some hard evidence with my own two eyes. Whateverway I want to explain it, I just… can’t. We’re all drug-free,we all saw it, I felt it. This isn’t a lie or manipulatedfootage or some radio frequency. As long as you are not a secrethypnotist who made all of us believe we saw a demon andthis here is-” he lets go of the steering wheel for a second togesture to his ruined shirt- “just in my head…” He lets thesentence run out without really finishing it. Shane tries to start anew one.

“I guess I saw that demon I always wanted. You were right, Ryan.Congratulations. I just want to mention, though, that it seems to meyou had an unfair advantage.”

Ryan is silent for the next mile. Then he begins to speak.

“I’m sorry I lied to you, Shane. I never wanted to, but I had to.Part because… you shouldn’t know these things about me. And partbecause…” he huffs a laugh. “You wouldn’t have believed meanyway.”

“I do believe you.” Shane says softly. “I never said I didn’tbelieve you that you think ghosts are real.”

“I know that.” Ryan’s voice sounds flat now. “But I still wasafraid. And bound to a couple of rules on top of that. Despite all ofthat, I’m sorry.”

Shane hums.

“So, what exactly… are you. An angel?”

He looks over and Ryan stares wistfully out of the front window.

“You could say that, yes. It’s a bit more complicated, with therebeing different… ranks if you will. I’m not exactly a strongwarrior of the heavens. I’m just here to… help, I guess.”

Shane frowns.

“Please tell me you’re not my guardian angel.”

Ryan laughs. It sounds a little more relaxed.

“No. I would work overtime for that. I’m just here to seek outevil spirits and seal them.”

“That’s why you started Unsolved, I get it.”

The car is quiet for a second.

“Ryan…” Shane says slowly. “That is why you startedUnsolved, right?”

“Well… nooo? This is going to sound strange but… I just reallylove True Crime and the Supernatural. It’s fascinating.”

Shane thinks about stopping the car.

“You’re shitting me.”

“I’m really not! I mean I won’t tell you I can’t lie becausetechnically, I can. But I’m telling the truth! I just find theHuman view on all of this even more fascinating. And … I’m notomniscient, you know. I really try to find out about thesemysteries…”

Shane groans.

“Great. A nerd angel.”

“Shut up, Shane.”

Something warm and happy rolls through him at the familiar“comeback”.

“But why the fuck are you afraid of ghosts if you can just… Idon’t know, smite them?”

Ryan sighs.

“I told you. I’m not exactly powerful. And just because I’m nothuman doesn’t mean I am incapable of fear. I … when I’m out onlocation I sometimes forget what I really am. I just like spendingtime there, with you… So I allow myself to pretend I’m human. Andas a human, I get scared of spirits trying to interact. But I’malso curious. By the end of the day, the ghosts are creepy, butalright.”

He takes a deep breath.

“It’s the demons that worry me. That’s why I didn’t want todo anything demonic more than once per season.” Shane can hear himswallow.

“So.” The taller man says again, thinking about how to continue.“When I taunted the demons, you were afraid they would attack you?”

Ryan’s no is so soft that Shane turns down the AC tounderstand him better.

“Shane, when you taunt the demons I get so afraid… so scared. Imean, I’m always afraid of them. They taunt me all the time aboutme not being able to control my powers as well here. They tell methey are going to kill you and make me watch. That is whatreally scares me.”

“Then why did it… this time…”

“I guess, I was too focused on protecting you. The others, too, ofcourse. Just- You got injured and for a second I was scared that shewould take you up on your taunting and actually kill you. I couldhave never forgiven myself just standing there and not helping.”

Shane is so stunned that he almost misses the exit to their hotel. Herucks the steering wheel around a little too harshly and feels thejostle as they hit the dirt road. The next minute they spend incomplete silence as Shane finds a spot and puts the car in park. Thenhe leans back and flexes his fingers that feel stiff after beingclutched around the wheel for too long.

“You saved my life, Ryan. I can’t imagine what a demon could do,because until earlier I thought it was all bullshit. But I assume, itwouldn’t have been pretty. Even if… even if all she could do wasscratch me… You still protected all of us. And you fixed me up.”

He looks over at Ryan.

“I don’t know how much that means from a lowly human but I thinkyou’re doing a really good job as an angel… And, as embarrassingas it sounds: I’m glad you were the one who presented me with thatevidence of the Supernatural. I sure hope you don’t have to wipeour minds now and leave because that would suck really bad.”

Ryan laughs. It’s his usual laugh, head thrown back and a happy,wide grin on his face.

“I don’t know where you get that idea. No, I will not do that. Imight have to wipe the tape, however. Not quite the evidencebut… the aftermath.”

Shane swallows.

“Will you… Leave? Now that we know, I mean.”

Ryan meets his eyes.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No!” That came out a little too quickly, but Shane is shakenenough from the night to ignore possible shyness. “I would muchprefer you stay. Despite this shit…” he lays a hand on his ribs.“I want to keep doing Unsolved. I want to stay friends with you.Not… sure if that does anything for angels but-”

“Shane. I told you, we are not incapable of emotions. I’m veryhappy you’re here with me. I’m also glad you know now… becauseI hated lying to you.”

Shane stares at the other man.

“Would it be blasphemy to tell you that I’ve been kind of intoyou for a while?”

Ryan blinks.

“What?”

Shane shrugs.

“I can’t help it. You’re handsome and funny and… well, we gota lot in common. And today you saved my life by being a total badassand my entire world view got sort of flipped on its head.” Hesighs. “I guess I just want all the cards on the table, now that Iknow all of this about you.” Shane feels his mouth turn down in anunhappy grimace. “I wont mention it again, so don’t worry. Butyou have the right to know and I thought that- maybe-” He breaksoff.

“You think that maybe I could have feelings for you as well?”

Shane winces and curls up in the car seat.

“I know it’s stupid, you don’t have to point it out. All Iwanted was to be honest with you, because you answered all myquestions.”

A warm hand settles on his shoulder and he looks over. Ryan’s eyesand face seem to be glowing again, but not in the bright, heavenlysunlight Shane saw earlier. It’s the kind of warm and openexpression Shane has been hoping to see directed at him for more thana year, now. Ryan smiles widely as he reaches up and cups Shane’sface into his hands.

“For the record: There is nothing blasphemous about love, Shane.”

Shane freezes as Ryan leans up and gives him a soft kiss.

“Oh… That’s… good. Very good.”

Ryan chuckles.

“But I would suggest that we talk about this later. I still owe theothers an apology and explanation.”

Shane nods slowly and when Ryan’s hands slip from his face, hecatches and holds them.

“I’ll come with you. I’ll help if I have to. Demons, Iapparently can’t handle. But I’m okay with humans.”

Ryan laughs again.

“Alright. Then let’s go.”

Shane nods. He lets go of Ryan so they can leave the car, but hishands carry a lingering warmth that just won’t quite fade.

It’s soothing.