Never Before-Ryan Reeves Fanfiction

Midnight Meetings

Maria POV

I tossed and turned around my bed. I just couldn't sleep. Thoughts were niggling in my mind, scratching at my brain. I'd had a nightmare about my family again. I get them sometimes. Normally when I'm stressed or need to sort something out, but I had nothing to be stressed about at the moment-it was weird. I sat up covered in cold sweat. I couldn't sleep like this.
I got up and tiptoed to the bathroom and snapped on the light. I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
My hair was a massive big curly thick mess stuck to my face with sweat and my eyes were red and tear stained. What had I been dreaming about?
I splashed cold water on my face and brushed my hair out so it looked a lot better. I changed my pyjamas and sprayed deodorant under me before looking and feeling a lot better and fresher. But I still couldn't sleep.
So I strolled downstairs slowly and carefully and made my way towards the living room where i slipped into the kitchen for a glass of water. I'd barely raised my water to my lips when I heard a voice, "What you doing?" I jumped so hard I sent all the water flying over my clean pyjamas.
"Nice one," smirked Ryan stepping out of the shadows watching me furiously wipe at my top.
"Don't do that!" I said, "I jumped a mile!"
"I can see," he said grabbing a cloth from the table, "I'll help," he offered.
Most of the water was around my chest area, "Haha, nice try," I laughed sarcastically and did it all myself.
"So why are you here?" I asked, "And how long had you been watching me?"
He laughed, he actually had a really nice laugh. I just didn't hear it often enough.
"I couldn't sleep," he explained, "So I crashed in the kitchen for a bit. I wasn't watching you. I just wanted to know what you were doing,"
I nodded, "I get it. I can't sleep either. I had..a nightmare."
"Hate it when that's happens," he said softly, smiling slightly so I could tell he meant it.
I smiled back and placed my glass in the sink before turning to the cupboard to find a cup.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"Making a coco," I said, "Helps me relax and as all my water went flying.."
He smirked so I offered him one but he shook his head. I shrugged and gently heated the milk on the hob as the microwave would wake everyone up. I added the powder and leaned against the counter. He was watching me.
"What?" I asked him.
"Nothing," he said smiling slightly, "It's just..well you're not like the others are you?"
I furrowed my eyebrows, "Umm..I don't know, I didn't notice I was significantly different from them. We're all still stuck in care."
He grinned, "No I mean you think differently. You actually think."
"Um..thanks?" I replied uneasily. What on earth was he talking about? "This is an unusual conversation to have at 2:45 in the morning Ryan. Do you always have conversations like this with your friends?"
"Well no," he admitted looking me straight in the eye, "But I've never had many friends."
"Ah," I watched him intensely. I had no idea what I liked about him, I just did. He got me. He understood I wasn't needy like the others and appreciated attention probably significantly less than the average person. Others saw him as arrogant yet I saw intense intelligence. Yeah ok he thought highly of himself but he didn't make sob stories and crave attention like some people I could mention....(Carmen)
"Who's that?" he asked and I snapped out of my thoughts and saw he was pointing at a charcoal drawing of Danny I'd left on the table when I'd been drawing it last night.
"Oh," I said setting my cup down and picking it up, "That's my brother-Danny. I don't see him anymore."
"Oh." He fell quiet and traced the outline of Danny's face, "Its very good."
"Thanks," I whispered before pulling myself together, "So, do you have any siblings?" Then I instantly regretted it.
"Sorry!" I said quickly, "That was insensitive."
"It's ok," he said shrugging, "I have a sister but..I can't see her."
"Oh," I decided to keep quiet but am ashamed to say I was incredibly curious, "That's..unfortunate."
"I want to see her," he said, "I mean..I can..but..no I can't."
He seemed to argue with himself and I saw the sadness in his eyes.
"Allergies," he said quickly wiping his eyes.
"Hmm." I said in the way we both knew  it wasn't.
"Do you know what helps against allergies?" I said smiling a little.
He looked up, "What?"
I slid my cocoa towards him, "Hot chocolate."
I patted him on the shoulder and walked into the living room feeling a little more relaxed and collapsed straight on the sofa.

Ryan POV

I watched Maria walk out of the room and into the living room and heard the door close behind her with a soft clunk. I smiled to myself and drank the cocoa she made. It was nice of her to give to me and she made it perfectly too. With an extra tiny teaspoon of sugar for that extra bit of sweetness, unless she believed it would make me any sweeter. Fat chance. Though having said that, she was certainly having a weird effect on me. And I mean weird. I've never ever felt like this before. Girls were just annoying, some of whom could be mildly attractive. But she was different. Well she was attractive. Definitely. She had the most amazing eyes I'd seen on any human being. But she's still different from the rest. I knew from when we had to wash up together that she saw me differently from other people. She actually sees the real me though hopefully not all of it cause I need to keep some things completely private. I nearly told her about Chloe which I always vowed I'd never do. Somehow she nearly effortlessly got it out of me. Could I say I admired her? Maybe. I admired her ability to see the best in people, her wit and her humour. Most people would admire her art and intelligence however I don't think like most people; and she doesn't either. I was starting to like her more and more. This isn't good, I thought, you need to stay focused on your schemes. So why was I giving in?

I walked into the living room where she was lying on the sofa. Her eyes were closed and her hair spread over the sofa pillow. I wasn't convinced she was asleep, she was a pretty atrocious sleeper, but she looked so peaceful I didn't dare disturb her.
I sat on the end of the sofa and watched her sleep a little more before I felt my own eyes droop. I leaned to the side slightly and before I knew it, must have fallen asleep.

Maria POV
I awoke slowly and groggily as the room came into focus. I rubbed my eyes and saw light streaming through the window and realised I was on the living room sofa. I decided to get up but then realised I couldn't. Ryan was asleep next to me but his arm was wrapped around my waist so I couldn't move without waking him. I tried to recollect what happened and then remembered the chat in the kitchen. I was suddenly desperately worried the rest would wake up and find us down here unintentionally entangled on the sofa, and sat up so vigorously Ryan woke up with a start.
"What's wrong?" he mumbled,
"What's the time?" I asked looking around. I spotted the small clock on top of the mantle piece. 5:30am.
I breathed a sigh of relief, it was summer so of course the sun was up earlier.
"May-Li'll be up in an hour," I said leaning back relieved.
"I'd better go back to bed," he said getting up, "I'm tired still."
"Same," I agreed and followed him as we sneaked upstairs. He stopped by his room as it was the first from the stairs, he turned around to face me.
"Maria?" he said, "listen I'm..um..sorry."
"For what?" I said surprised, partly because he had no reason to be sorry but also because he was notorious for not saying sorry. At all.
He stared at me with those brown eyes that make me so unstable, as if I knew what he was apologising for but then he realised I didn't and straightened up.
"For..um, spilling your water," he smirked.
I laughed, "You should be." I said and walked off back to my room and crawled into bed, not sleeping a wink despite my sleep deprivation, knowing that only a few minutes ago I'd been lying in Ryan Reeves arms.