Chapter Text
"Shit!" Ryland shot up, almost slipping off of the bed in his surprise. Colt was at the door, loudly ringing the door bell and yelling.
Next to him, Ryder groaned and reached out for him. "Babe… Five more minutes…"
Ryder's protest fell on deaf ears, as panic took hold over Grace. All he could think of was his brother finding out like this—with Ryder in his bed, shirtless. What would he think? What would he say?
Even if he ignored the door bell, Colt had a key for the apartment for emergencies. In this case though, it felt more like the key was causing the emergency.
Ding dong. Ding dong.
Ryland flailed around, pacing the room trying to think of what to do. This wasn't how he wanted Colt to find out, he wanted to tell him when it was right… when it didn't seem like he'd blow up over it.
What could he do though? Tom wasn't waking up and Colt would get suspicious if he tried to shoo him away and if he ignored him, he'd probably just use the key.
His panic was muddling his thoughts, making it hard to thinks straight and rationally.
"Ry…" Tom mumbled still in bed, groggy and completely unaware of the disaster befalling them.
Ryland shook him roughly, whispering with urgency, "Wake up. You need to hide."
Ryder didn't move, his eyes still closed. So, Grace pulled him up by his arm, yanking him into a sitting position. Ryder grumbled and gripped the blankets. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice deep from sleep.
"Shh," Ryland whispered, "Colt's at the door."
Ryder turned to go back to sleep and, at the same time, there was a clicking of his front door opening. "I'm coming in!" Colt yelled out in helpful warning.
It was too late. With only a couple rooms in the apartment, he couldn't exactly keep Colt from hearing someone else moving about… So, he had to keep him out of his bedroom in the least suspicious way possible…
Ryland slipped out of the bedroom, opening the door as minutely as possible. "Colt! What are you doing here?"
Colt stepped inside, glancing around the apartment casually, "Filming's on pause for a bit and I wanted to come check on you."
"It's been a week, I can survive without you."
Out of the corner of Ryland's eyes, he noticed Tom's shoes in the doorway. The expensive trainers massively stood out among Ryland's shoes. "Come in have some coffee!" he offered desperately. As he stepped from the bedroom door, his whole body tensed as if he was in sudden danger.
This made Colt cock an eyebrow. "You okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Ryland's movements were stiff as he turned the coffee machine on.
"You're acting weird…"
Grace tried to put on a fake laugh, which ended up sounding stilted and strange. "I'm the same as always."
"Debatable. You're up late too," he commented, worry in his voice, "It's already afternoon."
Ryland hadn't even looked at the time… He shrugged, "Just having a lazy day…"
"And you haven't- Wait…" Had he noticed something? The shoes? What else had Ryland forgotten? His eyes raced around the apartment, looking for a clue.
Colt squinted, his eyes examining his brother's neck. "Is-is that a hickey?"
Oh, fudge. On reflex, Ryland slapped his hand hard against his neck where Ryder had kissed the night before. "No."
"What is it then?"
"I-it-" Ryland searched his mind for a response, any response, "a burn. It's a burn."
"What did you burn yourself on?"
"… Bunsen burner."
"On your neck? Ry, c'mon, I'm not stupid."
Ryland deflated. "I know…"
Colt's voice softened, "You know you don't have to hide this stuff from me."
Oh, but, he did. Unconsciously, his eyes shifted to the bedroom.
"I know…" He said, rubbing the spot on his neck before he let his hand fall.
Luckily, Colt didn't pick up on the fact he was hiding more, instead asking, "So, is this from the person you're… 'not-dating'?"
"We're dating… You were right."
Colt smiled and clasped his brother on the back, "Congrats! "Here I thought you weren't messaging me because you were going through a hard time."
"Yeah, thanks…" Ryland tried not to wince at the excitement.
The instant he knew who he was dating, the smile would be wiped off his face. He didn't even want to think of what he'd do to Ryder… It'd probably get him fired.
Ryder, who was probably still asleep in bed… He needed some way to make sure they didn't run into each other. He needed Colt out of the apartment, stat.
"Uh, how about we go get some breakfast to celebrate?" he suggested in spite of the coffee he had just poured.
Grace practically tried pulling him out of the apartment, but Colt stood still, anchoring Ryland. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Ryland's mouth went dry. Did he know? Oh God, he knew. How did he know? Did he mess up? "What?" he asked like his heart wasn't about to jump out of his chest.
"Your clothes, dude."
"Oh!" Ryland glanced down and realised he was still in his pyjamas. "Right…"
He didn't move.
He couldn't move. If he went to the bedroom that ran the risk of Colt seeing Ryder inside. It ran the risk of Ryder accidentally announcing himself. It ran the risk of him finding out.
"So… Are you gonna get dressed?" Colt asked. Ryland hesitated, trying to figure out how to get himself out of the situation.
"I- I changed my mind. We already have coffee anyway, let's just stay here."
"Don't be so silly," Colt stood up and Grace quickly chased after him, "Just get changed. It'll be my treat."
Grace plastered his body against the bedroom door, blocking it from Colt. "I don't have clothes."
"You obviously do, let me just-" Colt reached out for the handle, but Ryland stopped him.
"Why don't you want me to-" Colt paused, realisation setting in on his face, "That hickey is fresh. They're here right now, aren't they?"
Grace was fucked.
The silence was answer enough.
"Well, let me meet them." His voice was so enthusiastic, it made Grace feel even worse. "Ry?"
"You can't."
"Why not?" Colt stared at him, confusion written on his face from his knitted eyebrows. "Are you embarrassed by me or something?"
"No!" he replied fiercely, this time at least he didn't have to lie. "They're sleeping. I don't wanna wake them up. They're still jet lagged."
"Alright," Colt replied, surprisingly forthcoming. "We can wait for them."
Shoot… Grace ground his teeth, unable to think of any way to escape the situation. "Sure…"
"So, tell me everything," Colt said as they sat down at the dining table with their coffee.
Grace paused. The truth played on his mind, taunting him. "Like what?"
"First, what are they like?"
How could he describe Tom Ryder without describing Tom Ryder?
"Sweet," he replied, a word that Colt would never use to describe Ryder in a million years. "Every night he calls me and we just talk and I can relax. In a way I can't with others. He listens to what I say and he cares. Even when I talk about some scientific fact that he doesn't understand but pretends to, thinking I don't notice. It's weird and it's new, you know how I'm not good with people… I still overthink things," he scoffed, "Of course, I still overthink, but he helps. We've had some issues, nothing serious, I just misunderstood something he said is all. I think we're better for it… Even if I-"
Was he rambling? He was totally rambling. Jeez, shut up Ryland, Colt doesn't wanna know everything.
"Yeah. It's good. We're good…"
Colt stared at him in wonder and pride, "You really like this guy…"
"I do," Grace confessed, simultaneously feeling better and worse for saying it. The contradiction of emotions were in conflict in his heart, neither gaining dominance over the other.
There was also a yearning to say more.
Now would be the time. It would be the perfect time—Colt was in a good mood, they were already on subject, and Ryder would soon be discovered anyway. He should just rip the band-aid off. The more he waited, the worse it would get.
"Say it," he yelled at himself in his mind, "Say it."
But, his mouth didn't move. His vocal cords didn't vibrate. He felt like he was drowning, opening his mouth only to let water in.
"I'm glad, I'm really happy for you, man."
Guilt won the battle. An overwhelming sense that he was betraying his brother washed over him. Ultimately, he was selfish and a coward and he didn't want to ruin his brother's mood. He'd flown all this way after all…
"Now, you, tell me about Jody," Grace swiftly changed topics, too uncomfortable by Colt's happiness for him. "Any developments there?"
"What do you mean?" Colt replied, crossing his arms. "We're just friends."
"I didn't say otherwise."
"You implied it."
"Maybe," he admitted, "But, you two do obviously like each other."
"Anyone would be lucky to be with Jody, she's amazing and super talented. She's going to be a famous director one day and I'll be able to brag over knowing her as a camera operator."
"But?" Grace prompted, waiting for his point.
"What?"
"I just thought you were going to come up with some excuse on why you can't be together…"
"Well, I-" Colt paused, "Whatever. We're just friends."
"If you say so…" he replied, smirking minutely to himself.
"I-" Colt went to say more when his phone began to ring. "One second, it's Gail." He stood up, walking slightly away to quietly talk over the phone. His hushed whispers becoming stronger and angrier.
Eventually, he slid his phone back into his pocket. "Sorry, just got called back into work… I'll have to meet this boyfriend of yours another day."
"Oh, that's too bad…" his attempt at sounding genuine was passable, helped by the fact he was sad to see him go. It wasn't often that he got to spend time with his brother.
"Unless…" Colt said as he went to the door, "I can have a little peak into the bedroom?"
"Uh…" Ryland tried to think of something, "He's not… clothed…"
Colt's face scrunched up, taking the implication at face value.
"No! Wait! Not like that-it-well-"
Colt gestured erratically for Grace to stop talking, "I shouldn't have asked. What you do is your business."
Since he was so distracted, Colt didn't even notice Ryder's shoes at the entrance as he went to leave. Colt pulled him into a hug and they said their goodbyes.
As soon as the front door closed, the door to the bedroom opened. Ryder, who was now fully changed, had a devious smirk on his face and his phone in his hand. "Tom Ryder saves the day."
"That was you?" Ryland gaped, "I thought you were asleep."
"The bed was too lonely without you," he pouted, stepping forward to bring Grace into his arms.
Grace pretended to roll his eyes, "And you couldn't wake up earlier?"
"I'm a heavy sleeper…" he frowned, "I'd love to argue with you all day, but, I've got to go back to set too… It was the only way to get Gail to play along…"
"… Does Gail know about…"
"No," Ryder replied quickly, seeing the nervousness on Grace's face. "She has no idea. I think."
"You think?"
"I really have to go," Ryder didn't explain further, instead pecking Grace on the lips and rushing out the door.
Ryland flopped down onto his sofa, breathing out a deep sigh, finally, blessed with a silent home. Yet, also cursed with the knowledge that Gail most definitely knew about them.
Everything calmed down after Ryder left. Everything but Ryland's guilt.
Each day, each week, each month that past only dug him deeper and deeper. The hole becoming so deep that he could no longer see the sky. He had no idea how he was supposed to claw his way out.
Each time he got close to confessing the truth, he found, or more accurately made, a new excuse to avoid it.
He couldn't do it over the phone, that would be unfair. He couldn't do it in person, he'd have to face Colt's disappointed face. He couldn't do it on set, Colt would rip Ryder to shreds. He couldn't do it one-on-one, it'd ruin their rare alone time.
Reason after reason after reason. The art of procrastination.
While his relationship to his brother was feeling more strained, Ryland had never felt closer to Ryder. Despite their physical distance.
Boyfriends… It felt immature to hold the word in such regard, like a teenager with a crush. Still, it meant a lot. It meant security, and commitment. Two things that had once felt antithetical to Ryder.
Tom Ryder, the famous womanizer.
The news that he had settled down at all, let alone with a random middle school science teacher, would truly be shocking. It was especially a reason to be so protective and secretive over their relationship. Ryder's reputation was on the line.
To a lesser extent so was Ryland's. While Ryland didn't have a womanizing reputation, naturally, he did have a more professional, down-to-earth look to him. If everything got out, all he'd be known for was dating a movie star.
He was currently known to be single across the school. This was evident to him since every year he had a new collection of parents hitting on him. At first, he had been terrible at differentiating flirting from kindness from the parents that talked to him. Either way he rejected house visits or lunches. Over time he learned the signs.
The only person less subtle than them in terms of flirting had been Ryder. Grace had been great at telling when Ryder was flirting with him, his problem had instead been about realising it was genuine.
With the importance of their relationship staying secret, Ryland had thought Tom would become more subtle and make less noise.
This, however, was Tom Ryder. Nothing he did was subtle.