Tripping Down 12 Steps Into Malibu

He's Back

It was Friday.

Visitor's Day.

Dallon was back.

The thought was making him unnervingly anxious. He had a difficult time falling asleep last night thinking about it. Even under Ryan's warm hold his body couldn't relax.

It could be due to the fact that Ryan was part of the problem. He was finally opening up more to him since their special night. Brendon couldn't help but smile at the memory. The images kept replaying in his head like a slide show. The memory of Ryan's face. His smell. His moans. His labored breathing. The way he felt in Brendon's hand. It was magical.

And it was confusing.

Where did that leave them? What did that make them? How did it effect their relationship? Friendship. Friendlationship.

How would Ryan feel about Dallon visiting today? Should he even tell him? He had to! Ryan would be curious as to where he'd disappeared to since it wasn't outside activity time. Of course he should tell him. He didn't have to hide seeing Dallon from him. It wasn't like they were still together. They'd barely spoken in the last weeks. He didn't peg him as the jealous type. And besides, what reason would he even have for being jealous? He and Ryan weren't together either. Were they?

Brendon wanted to ask more than anything but that was such an embarrassing, childish thing to bring up. Maybe it wasn't important. Ryan seemed happy with their unspoken arrangement. He should be too.

"That goddamn hot water cut off again." Speaking of the devil. Ryan came storming out of the bathroom. Soaking wet. His thin frame shaking slightly while he folded his towel around his waist. "Next time I'm showering first."

"Then you'd better wake up first." He was all talk and both of them knew it. All Ryan had to do was ask and Brendon would let him have the shower whenever he wanted.

"Whatever." Ryan noticed a puddle forming at his feet. He tugged the towel down towards his legs. Ridding them of dampness.

Brendon let his eyes wander for no more than a second. Now that Ryan was this comfortable around him, he didn't want to fuck it up by staring and making him uncomfortable.

"I'm going to head out."

"Oh?" He looked up at him but didn't stop drying. "Where you going?"

"It's visitor's day and Dallon is probably waiting." There was no point in lying.

"He's back already?" Ryan nodded more to himself than to Brendon. He stood up straight. Re-wrapping himself with the towel. Making it easier for Brendon to focus on his words. "I told you the time would fly by. It didn't feel like that long at all, did it?"

"Uh no?" It felt like years. So much had happened in the meantime.

He didn't know what he was expecting from the man. But it sure as hell wasn't that. Ryan walked to Brendon's side of the room. A soft smile decorating his face. Brendon flinched when the taller man's hand came down on his shoulder.

"Go." His hand squeezed gently. "Don't let me keep you. I know you want to get down there."

"There's no rush-"

"Go." The hand on his shoulder moved between his shoulder blades. Pushing him towards the door. "Reunite."

Brendon's head was still spinning when he entered the cafeteria. What the hell was that? Ryan was encouraging him to see Dallon? He didn't care at all? He wasn't just a little bit jealous? Didn't they have something? They shared a moment that night. That should have meant something to him. Brendon should mean something to him.