"Broken" | Ryden

Chapter Four

"Brendon!" Ryan called from behind. Brendon only walked faster, desperate to get home now that school was over.

Unfortunately, Ryan caught up to him. Well, not without playing a little dirty. He tackled Brendon down onto the grass of some random person's lawn in their neighborhood. "Damn it," Brendon groaned.

Ryan was above Brendon, his hands on either side of him. His honey eyes were looking at Brendon intently, a frown on his lips. "Brendon, why did you think it would change things?" he asked quietly, his eyes burning into his soul.

Brendon gulped, nervous by the position they were in and the conversation that was forming. "Because it's been the deal breaker before," Brendon said weakly, recalling his previous lovers. Maybe it was unfair to compare them to Ryan, but they were all he had to base things on. "As soon as they realize I don't want sex, they leave. Sex rules the world."

"Brendon, I'm not them," Ryan insisted. "They didn't truly love you. Love means looking past certain things." His hands clenched on a piece of grass. "And although I like sex as much as the next guy, it's not a deal breaker." His eyes softened, looking at Brendon so fondly that he wanted to cry. "I love you."

And god, all of those feelings Brendon repressed hit him quickly. It had always been Ryan. He wanted to be with him so bad, but he was too afraid to bring it up, to try it out. The possiblity of them breaking up and losing their friendship frightened him, but like Ryan said, it was a risk to take in the name of love.

"I love you too," Brendon breathed, putting his hands on each side of Ryan's face as he pulled him down the short distance for their lips to meet.

Yes, Brendon was still afraid, but he felt fearless when he thought about how Ryan would be by his side. Maybe Brendon could actually have a healthy relationship with someone he loved. Maybe he'd actually found love.

Maybe Brendon wasn't broken after all.