Best Friends (Ryland/Alex)
There’s a certain level of comfort that comes with knowing someone so well. Knowing them inside and out, knowing what they like, what they think about, what they want. Friends, best friends, know each other in a way that no one else does.
Alex knows Ryland, really knows him. They’ve been friends since high school, they’ve been lab partners and roommates and yes, even lovers. Alex knows all of Ryland’s secrets, or enough of them that the rest don’t really matter. He knows that when Ryland wrinkles his forehead, he’s trying to think of something clever to say and that when Ryland laughs until he coughs it’s because he’s trying to hide something.
When they kiss, Alex can taste each one of Ryland’s ex-girlfriends. They’re not dating now, they haven’t been dating since one very brief stunt during their ‘roommates’ phase. They’ve realized since then that they don’t really work as a ‘couple’ and they work even less as roommates. It’s better for them to have some distance, some space between them. They’re always in each others’ head, writing music and lyrics over and on top of each other.
So they see other people. They date. They have fuckbuddies. Alex moves in with The Butcher and sloppy drunken kisses are exchanged between them. Ryland has his endless parade of serious girlfriends. Alex calls him a serial monogamist, wonders if it’s true. Wonders if you can really be monogamous when you still kiss your best friend.
Really though, they make better friends than lovers. They just still kiss every now and again, because well. They know each other too well not to. Ryland knows that Alex likes having his lower lip nibbled, and Alex knows that Ryland likes having his ear blown on. Just lightly, just a soft little breath, but it leaves Ryland whimpering.
Later, they’ll find other girlfriends or boyfriends or fuckbuddies. They’ll try to teach these other, not-quite-perfect people how to kiss and how to understand. Alex will try to explain things to The Butcher that Ryland just understands instinctively, and it won’t really go so well. That’s why they’ll always come back to each other, in the end. Because they’re best friends.