#protective!shane

It was pretty obvious toShane that Ryan was having a rough day. Any day they were filming at asupposedly haunted location was technically a rough day for Ryan, but this oneseemed particularly bad. His boyfriend had been jumpy ever since they reachedthe Silent Movie Theater. Shane was confused, to be honest, because this was asmaller, less built-up location that Ryan had chosen more for personalpreference than for the fans. The believer always said if he could haunt oneplace, it’d be a movie theater, so there they were.

But Ryan should’ve beenexcited. Instead, the man moved restlessly, setting up cameras and adjustingthem obsessively, checking his flashlight batteries every ten minutes, andhovering near Shane when he ran out of things to do. The cameraman kept lookingat Shane with a frown, like he somehow knew what was going on and was supposedto solve it. Shane responded with a glare, wanting to snark back at him thatthe show was called “Unsolved” for a reason, but that would alert Ryan to theirsilent exchange.

What was up with thisplace that freaked Ryan out so much?

“Ry? Hey, you look alittle worse for the wear over there. You okay, buddy?”

The smaller man turned aroundto glance up at Shane, only to look away quickly before ever meeting his eyes.

“Yeah. I’m- ” Ryan pausedfor a moment to sigh, “I’m fine.”

Uhhuh. Shane was not buying that.

Filming was wrapping up.For the cameras, Ryan had put on a good show, hiding his antsy behavior behind hisnormal nerves. But Shane was his boyfriend, and saw right through the mask. Itwas obvious something was bothering the man, but no matter how many times heasked what was wrong in between shooting, Shane received no answer.

When they finally steppedoutside the old silent theater, the believer let out his breathe, the tensionin his shoulders dissipating slightly.

“You glad to be done?”Shane asked, confused.

“So glad. I never want togo back there,” his boyfriend replied, sending him a tiny, tired grin.

The taller man raised aneyebrow. “You ready to tell me what’s going on?”

“Not really,” Ryan said. “You’llthink I’m stupid.”

“How can I think you’restupid when I haven’t even heard what you’re going to say yet? Plus, I couldnever think you’re stupid. Some of your theories, maybe, but never you.”

Looking at him for a moment,as if judging the truth in that statement, Ryan seemed to come to a conclusion.

“It was just, the aura,the feeling I got in there. Normally I get a little scared, or freaked out by theidea that ghosts or demons are nearby, but this felt like the Sallie House. Somethingmore. I sensed something dark in there, and I didn’t like it. It was like itwas calling to me, from the shadows.”

Instead of respondingright away, Shane just wrapped the smaller man up in a tight hug. He squeezedhim close, feeling Ryan bring his arms up to grasp around Shane’s waist andsettle his head against Shane’s chest.

Talking quietly next toRyan’s ear, Shane soothed, “I would never, ever think your feelings were stupid,got it? I know I joke around, cause I don’t believe like you do, but if youever feel unsafe or sense something you don’t like again, tell me please? Iwant to be here for you.”

Ashe leant down further to drop a kiss on Ryan’s neck, he whispered, “You don’t everhave to feel alone.”

The car ride back wasmostly silent. It was just the two of them, the cameraman taking his own car backto the office. Shane had decided that they were finished for the day, and wasdriving Ryan back to their apartment.

The farther away they gotfrom the theater, the calmer Ryan seemed. When Shane finally pulled up in frontof the building, his boyfriend’s head was resting against the window, eyes closed,with his left hand reaching out across the middle to intertwine with Shane’s.

“Ryan, baby, we’re here.”

Blinking his eyes, thesmaller man turned to look at Shane and sent him a sleepy smile.

“Okay,” he answered.

The two of them exitedthe car, heading inside with their things, ready to just relax. After they put awayall the equipment and changed into less dusty clothes, Shane dragged a drowsyRyan over to the couch.

Sitting down, he guidedthe believer until Ryan sat on his lap, head lying on the skeptic’s shoulder.

“Hmmm. This is nice,” Ryanmuttered against his skin.

Shane didn’t answer,simply rubbing his hand across Ryan’s back and letting the other begin tostroke gently through his dark hair.

Ryan wiggled a bit,settling in closer. The taller man began to trace his lips across the other man’sneck, dragging them from his ear to his shoulder, leaving easy kisses as hewent. As he swept back up again, he took a moment to suck a mark above Ryan’scollarbone, biting down a bit before soothing away the pain with his tongue. Hisboyfriend sighed into his neck, Ryan moving his hands to slide them under Shane’sshirt.

Continuing to leave softpecks along the other man’s skin, Shane spoke.

“You still got thatfeeling?”