gift for magickalmolly
Author: likespring
Recipient: magickalmolly
Title: As Long As We're Here
Pairing(s): Chad/Ryan
Summary: Chad's being jumpy, and Ryan can't figure out what it is. Sharpay provides helpful ideas that for some reason Ryan does not heed.
Rating: PG.
Warning(s): None!
Word Count: 1,255
Disclaimer: All High School Musical characters herein are the property of Disney. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Thank you to my lovely beta -- you know who you are, bb!
It started on a Monday.
It always starts on a Monday. Strange things in Ryan's life, that is. They should just be outlawed, but that would make Tuesdays the new Mondays, so that probably wouldn't work.
But back to the important point -- it started on Monday, a few months into the senior year, after they all wound up at Lava Springs together, working, or, in the case of some, bossing and plotting. Regardless, since then, they've become a comfortable group and Troy, who didn't see it but was told by Chad about the now-infamous baseball game, has been trying ever since to get Ryan to join a team. Ryan always declines, but it's still nice to be included.
When Ryan sits down with the rest of the Wildcats at their usual lunch table, Chad nearly jumps out of his seat (or maybe that's Ryan's flair for the dramatic and embellished, but he definitely startles), surprising Ryan as well.
"Relax," Ryan says. "You look like you just realized Mrs. Darbus spotted your cell phone. What's up?"
Chad shakes his head, mouth still full. "Nothing, you just surprised me."
Later in class, Chad takes his seat by Ryan and Troy as usual, but Ryan still feels like Chad is avoiding looking at him directly.
*
The next morning, Ryan pads into Sharpay's room, barefoot and still in his pajamas. "Chad is being weird," he announces, not even bothering to check if Sharpay is awake.
Sharpay sighs heavily and removes a bejeweled sleeping mask from her eyes. "Quelle surprise. Weird how?" she asks disinterestedly, accepting the fact that she is now up for the morning and rising to wander over to her closet.
"I don't know. He's just avoiding getting near me," Ryan says.
"Does this mean he'll stop hanging around?"
Ryan frowns. "No. I don't think so."
"Hmm." Sharpay turns around to face Ryan, asking, "The turquoise or the pink?"
"The dark pink one," Ryan answers. "With the beading," he says, motioning to the neckline of his own shirt.
Sharpay nods, pulling the aforementioned shirt out of her closet. "You're wearing your matching striped one, then," she states, knowing the next time she sees Ryan he'll be wearing that shirt instead of his pajamas. Ryan walks towards the door, and just before he leaves, Sharpay calls out, "Ryan."
"Yeah?"
She tucks a strand of blonde hair behind hear ear, putting an earring in. "I know what you're thinking, and that's not it. Danforth would be an idiot to let that affect your friendship and I don't think even he's that dumb."
Ryan snorts, but gives her a crooked smile. "Thanks, Shar."
*
Thursday, he reaches their lunch table to find Chad playfully scowling and Gabriella and Taylor laughing at him.
"Chad was just refusing to tell us who he's taking to homecoming," Gabriella says, in explanation.
"I haven't even asked anyone yet," Chad replies.
Ryan looks at Taylor, confused. "You two aren't going together? I thought it would be the classic double date."
"Oh, no," Taylor says. "We only went on that one date. Trust me, that was quite enough." she adds, patting Chad's arm affectionately after he shoots her a look. "Alright, I'm shutting up. Not saying anything more."
"Well, I haven't asked anyone either," Ryan tells him. "Maybe we should go together." As soon as the words are out, a number of undecipherable emotions flicker across Chad's face, and Ryan, certain he's somehow upset the other boy, hastily adds, "I'm just joking."
Ignoring Troy looking back and forth between the two of them, Chad says, "I know. I just wouldn't want to make Gabi jealous."
"Ah, but our love is so secret and forbidden!" Gabriella sighs melodramatically.
Troy turns away from Chad and Ryan to look at her. "What?"
"Troy, I'm not serious, really. And Ryan doesn't even like girls, remember? Your number one spot in my heart is safe," she says, kissing him on the cheek.
*
When Ryan reaches the bottom of the stairs, Sharpay looks up and points a carrot stick at him. "Hey, Ry. Didn't you come gushing to me after that baseball game about how Danforth switched outfits with you and it meant that you were destined to be together forever?"
Ryan rolls his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that's not what I said."
"Whatever. The point is," Sharpay says, pausing for effect, "straight boys don't do that. If they do, they're doomed to wild debauchery of the discovering sort in college."
"Why do you seem to know so much about this?" Ryan asks skeptically.
"Being fabulous is a burden as well as a gift, brother dear," she says. "Anyway, it's time for you to start thinking outside the box. Or the closet." Sharpay tilts her head, thinking. "Have you thought of locking yourself in one with him? I hear that works."
"Despite what you may think, Shar, our lives our not movies. Not always, anyway. But thanks for the idea."
*
It's another Monday, and Ryan could still do without them. The drama class is in the auditorium during most of their classes now, building and painting the set for the spring musical. Ryan is painting, as it poses the least amount of a risk of calluses, brushing large strokes of blue and white for a sky backdrop. Gabriella is at the other end, while Chad -- who is relatively quiet, actually concentrating on the task and cracking only a few jokes, and it weirds Ryan out a little -- and Troy and another boy work on building some of the background props.
Ryan sets his brush down. "Chad, Gabi and I need more paint. Would you come grab some buckets with me?"
Gabriella pauses. "Ryan, we don't --" Her eyes light up. "Oh, you're right, we don't have enough. We're going to need a lot more; you better go help him bring some paint cans back, Chad."
Shrugging, Chad says, "I'll be right back, guys," and follows Ryan. They reach one of the supply closets, and Chad picks up a few of the paint cans.
"This should be enough. Here, I'll take that one," Ryan tells him, reaching for one of the cans next to Chad, who stiffens up when Ryan brushes his side. "Chad --" Ryan stops, releasing the can. He stands up straight, then presses his hand to Chad's shoulder, pushing the other boy against the table. Ryan pulls Chad's face down slightly, pressing their lips together quickly.
Chad lets out an "Mmph," fisting his hand in the front of Ryan's shirt and drawing him close again. Chad's lips open willingly beneath Ryan's, and he backs further onto the table behind them, tugging Ryan halfway into his lap.
After a moment, Ryan puts space between them, smiling. "You were driving me crazy, Chad. I thought you were becoming uncomfortable being around me."
"No," Chad says. "It can just be weird being around someone you like without knowing if they return the feeling, you know?"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," Ryan teases, resting his hand on Chad's hip.
*
Ryan relays the story to Sharpay later.
"The closet idea was mine, remember," she says immediately, as she finishes polishing her last toenail. "So you owe me. I'm going to think of a great scheme, just so you're obligated to assist me."
"Sure, Shar," Ryan agrees. "By the way, Chad will be here soon. Let him in when he gets here?"
He enjoys Sharpay's squeak as she processes what he's said and messes up her polish.
Recipient: magickalmolly
Title: As Long As We're Here
Pairing(s): Chad/Ryan
Summary: Chad's being jumpy, and Ryan can't figure out what it is. Sharpay provides helpful ideas that for some reason Ryan does not heed.
Rating: PG.
Warning(s): None!
Word Count: 1,255
Disclaimer: All High School Musical characters herein are the property of Disney. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Thank you to my lovely beta -- you know who you are, bb!
It started on a Monday.
It always starts on a Monday. Strange things in Ryan's life, that is. They should just be outlawed, but that would make Tuesdays the new Mondays, so that probably wouldn't work.
But back to the important point -- it started on Monday, a few months into the senior year, after they all wound up at Lava Springs together, working, or, in the case of some, bossing and plotting. Regardless, since then, they've become a comfortable group and Troy, who didn't see it but was told by Chad about the now-infamous baseball game, has been trying ever since to get Ryan to join a team. Ryan always declines, but it's still nice to be included.
When Ryan sits down with the rest of the Wildcats at their usual lunch table, Chad nearly jumps out of his seat (or maybe that's Ryan's flair for the dramatic and embellished, but he definitely startles), surprising Ryan as well.
"Relax," Ryan says. "You look like you just realized Mrs. Darbus spotted your cell phone. What's up?"
Chad shakes his head, mouth still full. "Nothing, you just surprised me."
Later in class, Chad takes his seat by Ryan and Troy as usual, but Ryan still feels like Chad is avoiding looking at him directly.
*
The next morning, Ryan pads into Sharpay's room, barefoot and still in his pajamas. "Chad is being weird," he announces, not even bothering to check if Sharpay is awake.
Sharpay sighs heavily and removes a bejeweled sleeping mask from her eyes. "Quelle surprise. Weird how?" she asks disinterestedly, accepting the fact that she is now up for the morning and rising to wander over to her closet.
"I don't know. He's just avoiding getting near me," Ryan says.
"Does this mean he'll stop hanging around?"
Ryan frowns. "No. I don't think so."
"Hmm." Sharpay turns around to face Ryan, asking, "The turquoise or the pink?"
"The dark pink one," Ryan answers. "With the beading," he says, motioning to the neckline of his own shirt.
Sharpay nods, pulling the aforementioned shirt out of her closet. "You're wearing your matching striped one, then," she states, knowing the next time she sees Ryan he'll be wearing that shirt instead of his pajamas. Ryan walks towards the door, and just before he leaves, Sharpay calls out, "Ryan."
"Yeah?"
She tucks a strand of blonde hair behind hear ear, putting an earring in. "I know what you're thinking, and that's not it. Danforth would be an idiot to let that affect your friendship and I don't think even he's that dumb."
Ryan snorts, but gives her a crooked smile. "Thanks, Shar."
*
Thursday, he reaches their lunch table to find Chad playfully scowling and Gabriella and Taylor laughing at him.
"Chad was just refusing to tell us who he's taking to homecoming," Gabriella says, in explanation.
"I haven't even asked anyone yet," Chad replies.
Ryan looks at Taylor, confused. "You two aren't going together? I thought it would be the classic double date."
"Oh, no," Taylor says. "We only went on that one date. Trust me, that was quite enough." she adds, patting Chad's arm affectionately after he shoots her a look. "Alright, I'm shutting up. Not saying anything more."
"Well, I haven't asked anyone either," Ryan tells him. "Maybe we should go together." As soon as the words are out, a number of undecipherable emotions flicker across Chad's face, and Ryan, certain he's somehow upset the other boy, hastily adds, "I'm just joking."
Ignoring Troy looking back and forth between the two of them, Chad says, "I know. I just wouldn't want to make Gabi jealous."
"Ah, but our love is so secret and forbidden!" Gabriella sighs melodramatically.
Troy turns away from Chad and Ryan to look at her. "What?"
"Troy, I'm not serious, really. And Ryan doesn't even like girls, remember? Your number one spot in my heart is safe," she says, kissing him on the cheek.
*
When Ryan reaches the bottom of the stairs, Sharpay looks up and points a carrot stick at him. "Hey, Ry. Didn't you come gushing to me after that baseball game about how Danforth switched outfits with you and it meant that you were destined to be together forever?"
Ryan rolls his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that's not what I said."
"Whatever. The point is," Sharpay says, pausing for effect, "straight boys don't do that. If they do, they're doomed to wild debauchery of the discovering sort in college."
"Why do you seem to know so much about this?" Ryan asks skeptically.
"Being fabulous is a burden as well as a gift, brother dear," she says. "Anyway, it's time for you to start thinking outside the box. Or the closet." Sharpay tilts her head, thinking. "Have you thought of locking yourself in one with him? I hear that works."
"Despite what you may think, Shar, our lives our not movies. Not always, anyway. But thanks for the idea."
*
It's another Monday, and Ryan could still do without them. The drama class is in the auditorium during most of their classes now, building and painting the set for the spring musical. Ryan is painting, as it poses the least amount of a risk of calluses, brushing large strokes of blue and white for a sky backdrop. Gabriella is at the other end, while Chad -- who is relatively quiet, actually concentrating on the task and cracking only a few jokes, and it weirds Ryan out a little -- and Troy and another boy work on building some of the background props.
Ryan sets his brush down. "Chad, Gabi and I need more paint. Would you come grab some buckets with me?"
Gabriella pauses. "Ryan, we don't --" Her eyes light up. "Oh, you're right, we don't have enough. We're going to need a lot more; you better go help him bring some paint cans back, Chad."
Shrugging, Chad says, "I'll be right back, guys," and follows Ryan. They reach one of the supply closets, and Chad picks up a few of the paint cans.
"This should be enough. Here, I'll take that one," Ryan tells him, reaching for one of the cans next to Chad, who stiffens up when Ryan brushes his side. "Chad --" Ryan stops, releasing the can. He stands up straight, then presses his hand to Chad's shoulder, pushing the other boy against the table. Ryan pulls Chad's face down slightly, pressing their lips together quickly.
Chad lets out an "Mmph," fisting his hand in the front of Ryan's shirt and drawing him close again. Chad's lips open willingly beneath Ryan's, and he backs further onto the table behind them, tugging Ryan halfway into his lap.
After a moment, Ryan puts space between them, smiling. "You were driving me crazy, Chad. I thought you were becoming uncomfortable being around me."
"No," Chad says. "It can just be weird being around someone you like without knowing if they return the feeling, you know?"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," Ryan teases, resting his hand on Chad's hip.
*
Ryan relays the story to Sharpay later.
"The closet idea was mine, remember," she says immediately, as she finishes polishing her last toenail. "So you owe me. I'm going to think of a great scheme, just so you're obligated to assist me."
"Sure, Shar," Ryan agrees. "By the way, Chad will be here soon. Let him in when he gets here?"
He enjoys Sharpay's squeak as she processes what he's said and messes up her polish.