Brendon just couldn’t understand how Ryan believed that he ‘just wasn’t much’- the first time they’d met Brendon had instantly been hooked on him, the light scruff along the defined line of his jaw, the aureate hue of his eyes, and this long, slender fingers, just how tall and how powerful a presence he was despite having such a generally relaxed disposition. As he got to know him better, things perhaps beyond what might be considered typically attractive  stood out more to Brendon- the lines at the side of his mouth and how his lips quirked when he smiled, properly, the unruliness of his hair caused by the many cowlicks, even the simultaneous roughness/gentleness to his voice. Brendon thought he was breathtaking and refused to hear otherwise when  Ryan went on some self-depreciating rant about how he ‘didn’t understand how he had so many fans’ because he was ‘so average’. Sure, before Brendon had come along and tidied things up a bit, sharpened up his appearance, he had been a little rough around the edges- an uncut diamond- he just needed a little more cut and clarity and voila, he was a new man. Just as pretty, in a more refined way. 

[i]Hey-y.[/i] Brendon raised his eyebrows and held up his hands defensively, because come on, it’s not like Ryan could really deny it at this point. In about half an hour he’d admitted that his favourite pastime was letting his eyes wander to Brendon, specific parts of Brendon, there was no use trying to hide it any longer. And Brendon relished the fact. He got excited just thinking about all the ways he could exploit this, tease Ryan now that he knew exactly what was going through his head whenever Brendon was innocuously at certain stages of undress, when he dropped something, maybe, and had to bend over to pick it up. Brendon was slightly evil, but he was more than willing to own that. [i]But, you’re right.[/i] [b]”What, about the constant boner?”[/b] Pursing his lips, Brendon turner and let his eyes drift down, then he simply lifted his eyebrows, his mouth twisting into a smirk. [b]”I know.”[/b] [i]I’ll just start acting like I hate you. That’ll work, right?[/i]

Snorting, Brendon turned back around to root through the shopping bags again, not even close to having seen everything Ryan had decided to buy him for like, no reason. Again- he wasn’t complaining. Just dumbfounded. He hoped Ryan didn’t think that he had to buy his affection, but also- there was [i]Gucci[/i] here. Brendon would be anyone’s goddamn whore for that. It was just an added bonus that the man who treated him to all this crazy expensive shit was a man that he adored. [b]”Sure it will. But then, like, Spencer’ll hate me even more, like, ‘dude, why does Ryan hate you now’, and I’ll be all ‘not a clue, homie’, And you’ll need a cover story about your sudden shift in attitude. Too complicated, I say just stick with the staring.”[/b] Brendon was smiling to himself about it. He didn’t need to turn around to know that Ryan was likely preoccupied. Honestly, that man. [i]Good thing you have plenty of assets for me to look at otherwise. Hey, [/i]assets. Yes, Ryan, you’re hilarious. Brendon looked over his shoulder and tried to flash him an unimpressed glare but he broke into a grin almost immediately and turned all the way around, pile of gifts forgotten. [b]”Ha, funny.”[/b]

But, yeah, shopping could wait, because Brendon sensed that something was about to happen here and he was all for that, even encouraging it, coaxing him gently as he stepped closer. Ryan, apparently, didn’t need much persuading to cut the subtextual bullshit, and he interrupted him halfway through his sentence, kissing him so that Brendon had to finish what he wanted to say in a rushed, stuttered way against his mouth before he reciprocated the kiss and moved both his hands up to cradle the sides of Ryan’s jaw, eyes fluttering shut contently. He felt so peacefully distant with Ryan’s hands at his waist that he didn’t realise at first that Ryan was trying to curl their fingers together, so he dropped his hand to make it easier. [i]Look, we’re holding hands.[/i] Brendon burst into affectionate laughter, and cut himself off by kissing him again hastily. [i]Getting through a few steps all at once.[/i] [b]”What do you mean, getting through?”[/b] He raised his eyebrows, breaking their hands apart to smooth his own against Ryan’s chest and up to cradle his jaw again. [b]”I intend to take my time, sir.”[/b] Sir. He hadn’t been that formal with Ryan in a long while. Now it was just playful.