#milaskutcher

With an apologetic smile, Ryan said goodbye to his parents and drove away, thinking of home as he listed every little detail he knew of Shane.

He thought about how Shane liked baseball growing up, was a good player, had a good arm but ended up almost hating the sport because his grandfather had made him join a team and practice every Saturday without fail.

How he made his coffee, the ridiculous amount of maple syrup he put on his pancakes, that he preferred waffles, that breakfast was his favorite meal of the day, that he loved to sleep with almost no blankets because, even when he was no longer that used to the cold of his hometown, he still missed it and hated the heat in Los Angeles with a passion.

Ryan sighed, parking besides Shane’s car in his building’s lot. He looked up at the third floor where his friend’s apartment was and where Shane was probably listening to his indie rock while working or reading something he found interesting after seeing it in a video.

He had meant to drive to his apartment and yet, he found himself at Shane’s.

**

“Gosh, little guy, you are on another planet today!” Shane chuckled. Ryan looked at him at his side as they watched the first Conjuring film without actually paying attention to it. 

Ryan blinked, trying not to look too much into how close Shane was to him and how he had simply smiled when he showed up uninvited to his apartment, letting him in without needing an excuse beyond “so I was close by and decided to see if you were home”.

“Uhm, just…” He sighed. “I don’t know. I had, like, a life changing revelation in mom’s kitchen and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

“Oh.” He blinked. “What’s up?”

“Shit, I’m not telling you.”

“Own.” Shane frowned, poking his side to make him look back. “Come onnnn, it can’t be that bad.”

“No, it’s not. I just think it needs more cooking.”

Shane smiled, suddenly laughing like a little shit at his phrasing. “That’s why you were in the kitchen, then?”

“Jesus Christ…” Ryan rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at his lips

His friend laughed for a few more seconds, eyes closed and those known wrinkles making his face look younger. Ryan had never noticed before how they looked like half moons, all bright and beautiful, changing his life with a wave of his hand.

It came to him like lighting – the reason why he was waxing poetry for Shane since he realized their closeness earlier that morning.

“Shane.” He called, and the other man leaned his head to one side with a smile.

Ryan’s lips were on Shane’s before he could say anything else.

He didn’t hesitate to kiss him, immediately covering his mouth with his, softly moving his lips over Shane’s with closed eyes. Shane didn’t move, but his lips parted after Ryan’s coaxed them open gently with his tongue, his warmth welcoming as Ryan was let in to wander the new territory of their relationship.

Finally, Shane responded, moving his head to one side to deepen the kiss and letting himself become familiar with Ryan’s mouth after taking a deep breath through his nose. 

They both tasted of beer and popcorn, the nights that seemed to never end and the silent road trips where one looked through the window and the other made himself comfortable against his shoulder or, as of late, laying on his lap.

Shane’s beard itched in all the right places and Ryan couldn’t help but moan a little as Shane’s tongue took initiative and played with his before exploring his mouth.

A kiss had never lasted this long for him, and Ryan opened his eyes to Shane’s face still in awe at it when they went apart, eyes closed and mouth open. He wanted to keep this image forever, have a picture of it, but Ryan found himself unable to move away or say anything.

“Okay.” Shane smiled, looking down before licking his lips and opening his eyes. He cleared his throat. “Uuuhh…”

Ryan chuckled, heart beating fast inside his chest. “I can’t believe I finally left you speechless!”

“Well, you–” Shane’s cheeks were red when he looked up, one hand on his mouth as the other crossed his body over his chest. “You, you just went and kissed me. Warn a guy next time!”

The sudden shyness reminded Ryan of yet another thing he knew of his friend: that despite his sarcasm and confidence in front of the camera and other people, he was still shy. He didn’t speak unless prompted to, almost never said what he was actually feeling. Feelings, it seemed, were hard for him for some reason and Ryan smiled, thinking of his mother telling him to go home.

“Sorry, I had to.” Ryan said, hands cradling Shane’s face. The man removed his hand and put one on Ryan’s neck. “I just… thought of how much we know of each other.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it because… no one knows me like you do.”

Shane smiled at him. His cheeks were still showing color but he had noticeably relaxed. “I do?”

“Mhm.” Ryan went in for another kiss, enjoying the easy way they fit together and how good of a kisser Shane really was. “Mom told me to go home, but I…” He put a finger on Shane’s chest, making him look down then back at Ryan’s face. “Drove right to you.”

The man smiled, pushing his head towards Ryan’s face again.