Categories > Celebrities > Panic! At The Disco > A Heart On The Mend
Ryan didn’t wanna be there. But it was Aiyana’s birthday.
Actually, if Aiyana wasn’t his cousin he wouldn’t have to endure at least a year of having this rubbed in his face and he would probably be at home, watching (or pretending to watch) television while trying to recall his last episode with Faith.
Faith wasn’t there either, which made his interest in the party dimish to just about non-existant. Of all days, Faith had to work on Saturday and the date of the party couldn’t be changed. (It was, after all, supposed to be a surprise party, even when Aiyana knew about it two weeks before)
So there he was, plastering a smile on his face everytime someone got close to greet him, pretending to be alright and trying not to look too miserable. But he was failing horribly. Tired of having Aiyana glare and nudge him everytime she had the chance, Ryan scurried off to the balcony of the apartment. Even after the beer he’d been drinking grew warm in his hand, he refused to return inside. Hell, if he wasn’t on the third floor, he probably would’ve tried jumping to escape.
“Caught you trying to escape, did I?” Aiyana startled him.
“Third floor cousin. There’s no way I’m even trying!” Ryan said with a chuckle.
“You’re not having much fun out here. Alone.”
“Well, I wasn’t having fun in there either.” He pointed out.
“Well thanks.” She answered with a dry laugh. “You did the right thing though, because if you hadn’t shown up I would’ve been mad at you forever. This way you only have to endure a few hours of torture.” She added with a smirk.
“I know, Yana. That’s why I’m still here instead of attempting to climb down the walls and break my neck in the process.” He reciprocated the smirk. “But you’re having a good time...”
“I’m having a great time, actually.” She said not hiding the grin. “Are you disappointed your girlfriend couldn't make it?”
The smile automatically dropped from Ryan’s face as he looked away and said nothing.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Aiyana sighed. “You know, I told Faith I’m staying out of this because both of you are dumb as doorknobs when it comes to each other. But this is ridiculous, Ryan.”
“Doorknobs?” He snorted.
“Yes. They aren’t very smart, are they? If we didn’t have to turn them to enter a room, they’d be pretty useless.”
“I get your point. And I guess you’re right.” He said with a sigh. “This is stupid.”
“Very.” She agreed. “You both need to get over your pride and talk. And you should tell her you love her...”
Ryan looked at Aiyana then. “Am I that obvious?” Aiyana gave him a meaningful look.
“Did you seriously just ask that? And she is too, I have no idea how the two of you can’t pick up on it when everyone else can.”
“Cause we’re doorknobs!” Ryan said with a laugh that didn’t sound happy, but it made Aiyana roll her eyes.
“You’re such a silly ass, Ross.”
Ryan sighed. “I don’t know, Yana... I guess I didn’t-- WE didn’t wanna realize. And now that we do, we’re just-- too proud to admit it? I don’t know...” He ended up rubbing his face.
“You’re too old for pride, George.”
“Am I?”
Aiyana nodded energically. “So get over it.”
Ryan contemplated the street for a while, following the car that ran by with his eyes, thinking...
“Yana, are you sure she...?”
“I’m sure, Ry. I wouldn’t push either of you so hard if I wasn’t.”
Ryan sighed again, biting his lip and had a sudden rush of... something... something that made him come up with the stupidiest and yet greatest idea of all. In a second his mood was completely changed and instead of languid and bored, he was now eager.
“Mind if I leave? I really have to--”
“By all means, go.” She nudged him. “Maybe we can double date sometime.”
“Um, no.”
“Fuck you Ry. Why not?”
“You talk too much! Haven’t noticed?”
“I do not. I only used to talk a lot because I was alone. And I didn’t have any business to keep me out of yours.” She said with a grin.
“Yeah, well, go get your mouth entertained with Mayer.” Ryan said as they both walked back inside. “I seem to have something to do, don’t I?”
“Yes, yes you do. So both of you idiots can stop moping around.” His cousin said, following him.
Ryan rolled his eyes and stood by the door, looking at Aiyana. “Thank you.” He said before leaving the apartment.
.~
Ryan took a deep breath at the end of the stairs. He was already here and he couldn’t back out now, right? Yeah, he had to talk to her and he had to do it before he lost his nerve. Encouraged by Aiyana’s words about Faith’s feelings, Ryan had sped to the hospital cause he felt the sooner he got that out of the way, the better. He took the steps by two and entered the ER doctor’s lounge to find William sitting by the table, having a soda.
“Hey, Beckett.” Ryan said and the boy looked at him.
“Dr. Ross, hi.”
“Um, where is Dr. Ashley?” Ryan asked at the same time one of the bedroom doors opened, letting Mikey out. For one brief second, Ryan panicked, thinking Faith would follow. But that didn’t happen and Mikey was there alone.
“Uh, she said she’d be up.” William said, kind of confused. Mikey just looked on and Ryan half smiled.
“Did she say ‘upstairs’ or just ‘up’?” Ryan insisted. William took a second to think about it.
“Just up.”
“The rooftop.” Mikey and Ryan said at the same time and that bubbling jealousy so familiar in Ryan’s chest was burning his insides again. Both looked at each other blankly.
“Yeah, she likes heights.” Ryan said, while William looked the awkward scene rather uncomfortable.
Shaking his head, Ryan walked away. “Good luck, Ross.” Mikey said, making Ryan turn on his heels and look at him confused. Mikey just gave him a head nod Ryan reciprocated.
Somehow, in his head, that simple gesture made what Aiyana told him even truer.
Actually, if Aiyana wasn’t his cousin he wouldn’t have to endure at least a year of having this rubbed in his face and he would probably be at home, watching (or pretending to watch) television while trying to recall his last episode with Faith.
Faith wasn’t there either, which made his interest in the party dimish to just about non-existant. Of all days, Faith had to work on Saturday and the date of the party couldn’t be changed. (It was, after all, supposed to be a surprise party, even when Aiyana knew about it two weeks before)
So there he was, plastering a smile on his face everytime someone got close to greet him, pretending to be alright and trying not to look too miserable. But he was failing horribly. Tired of having Aiyana glare and nudge him everytime she had the chance, Ryan scurried off to the balcony of the apartment. Even after the beer he’d been drinking grew warm in his hand, he refused to return inside. Hell, if he wasn’t on the third floor, he probably would’ve tried jumping to escape.
“Caught you trying to escape, did I?” Aiyana startled him.
“Third floor cousin. There’s no way I’m even trying!” Ryan said with a chuckle.
“You’re not having much fun out here. Alone.”
“Well, I wasn’t having fun in there either.” He pointed out.
“Well thanks.” She answered with a dry laugh. “You did the right thing though, because if you hadn’t shown up I would’ve been mad at you forever. This way you only have to endure a few hours of torture.” She added with a smirk.
“I know, Yana. That’s why I’m still here instead of attempting to climb down the walls and break my neck in the process.” He reciprocated the smirk. “But you’re having a good time...”
“I’m having a great time, actually.” She said not hiding the grin. “Are you disappointed your girlfriend couldn't make it?”
The smile automatically dropped from Ryan’s face as he looked away and said nothing.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Aiyana sighed. “You know, I told Faith I’m staying out of this because both of you are dumb as doorknobs when it comes to each other. But this is ridiculous, Ryan.”
“Doorknobs?” He snorted.
“Yes. They aren’t very smart, are they? If we didn’t have to turn them to enter a room, they’d be pretty useless.”
“I get your point. And I guess you’re right.” He said with a sigh. “This is stupid.”
“Very.” She agreed. “You both need to get over your pride and talk. And you should tell her you love her...”
Ryan looked at Aiyana then. “Am I that obvious?” Aiyana gave him a meaningful look.
“Did you seriously just ask that? And she is too, I have no idea how the two of you can’t pick up on it when everyone else can.”
“Cause we’re doorknobs!” Ryan said with a laugh that didn’t sound happy, but it made Aiyana roll her eyes.
“You’re such a silly ass, Ross.”
Ryan sighed. “I don’t know, Yana... I guess I didn’t-- WE didn’t wanna realize. And now that we do, we’re just-- too proud to admit it? I don’t know...” He ended up rubbing his face.
“You’re too old for pride, George.”
“Am I?”
Aiyana nodded energically. “So get over it.”
Ryan contemplated the street for a while, following the car that ran by with his eyes, thinking...
“Yana, are you sure she...?”
“I’m sure, Ry. I wouldn’t push either of you so hard if I wasn’t.”
Ryan sighed again, biting his lip and had a sudden rush of... something... something that made him come up with the stupidiest and yet greatest idea of all. In a second his mood was completely changed and instead of languid and bored, he was now eager.
“Mind if I leave? I really have to--”
“By all means, go.” She nudged him. “Maybe we can double date sometime.”
“Um, no.”
“Fuck you Ry. Why not?”
“You talk too much! Haven’t noticed?”
“I do not. I only used to talk a lot because I was alone. And I didn’t have any business to keep me out of yours.” She said with a grin.
“Yeah, well, go get your mouth entertained with Mayer.” Ryan said as they both walked back inside. “I seem to have something to do, don’t I?”
“Yes, yes you do. So both of you idiots can stop moping around.” His cousin said, following him.
Ryan rolled his eyes and stood by the door, looking at Aiyana. “Thank you.” He said before leaving the apartment.
.~
Ryan took a deep breath at the end of the stairs. He was already here and he couldn’t back out now, right? Yeah, he had to talk to her and he had to do it before he lost his nerve. Encouraged by Aiyana’s words about Faith’s feelings, Ryan had sped to the hospital cause he felt the sooner he got that out of the way, the better. He took the steps by two and entered the ER doctor’s lounge to find William sitting by the table, having a soda.
“Hey, Beckett.” Ryan said and the boy looked at him.
“Dr. Ross, hi.”
“Um, where is Dr. Ashley?” Ryan asked at the same time one of the bedroom doors opened, letting Mikey out. For one brief second, Ryan panicked, thinking Faith would follow. But that didn’t happen and Mikey was there alone.
“Uh, she said she’d be up.” William said, kind of confused. Mikey just looked on and Ryan half smiled.
“Did she say ‘upstairs’ or just ‘up’?” Ryan insisted. William took a second to think about it.
“Just up.”
“The rooftop.” Mikey and Ryan said at the same time and that bubbling jealousy so familiar in Ryan’s chest was burning his insides again. Both looked at each other blankly.
“Yeah, she likes heights.” Ryan said, while William looked the awkward scene rather uncomfortable.
Shaking his head, Ryan walked away. “Good luck, Ross.” Mikey said, making Ryan turn on his heels and look at him confused. Mikey just gave him a head nod Ryan reciprocated.
Somehow, in his head, that simple gesture made what Aiyana told him even truer.
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