Ficlet: Always You (Ryan/Spencer, 800 words, Teen)
Disclaimer: Fiction.
Summary: Ryan invites Spencer and Brendon over for the first time in months, which is when they find out he has a baby.
Notes: Written mostly over Twitter to amuse myself.
Story on AO3
Ryan invites Spencer and Brendon over for the first time in months, which is when they find out he has a baby.
Spencer yells, "You couldn't have told me this any time in the past nine months?"
Ryan says, "She's six weeks old," then, thoughtfully, "and Z didn't tell me until she was four months along."
"So you just forgot to tell me about this for six months?"
The baby's crying interrupts them, and Ryan escapes to go get her up.
"I don't believe him," Spencer grouches to Brendon.
"Come on," Brendon says, "you've known him long enough to know he's kind of a dick." Brendon is a lot calmer about Ryan these days. He brightens up when Ryan comes out with a baby whose face is still kind of scrunched up.
Brendon reaches for her, but Spencer pushes him out of the way. "No," he says. "No way do you get to hold her first."
"Do you- You have to support her head," Ryan says.
Spencer glares at him. "I hang out with Pete and Ashlee. I know how to hold a baby." Spencer takes her carefully, and looks down at her. "What's her name?"
"Lydia Rose."
Spencer shakes his head. "She sounds like a grandma." After a moment he adds, "She's beautiful." And then he takes her away, walks outside so he can have a minute with this baby he never knew existed and who's a piece of Ryan.
Brendon comes outside after a while and takes Lydia. "Dude, my turn for some baby time. Go talk to Ryan."
Talk to Ryan, right. And of course the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, "What the hell were you thinking?"
"I don't know where I put the other set of sheets for her crib," Ryan says.
"Oh my God, I swear, you're such a disaster."
Ryan shrugs. "I'm doing okay." He peers around Spencer so he can look out at where Brendon is no doubt making faces at or singing to Lydia.
"Jesus, Ryan, you could have told me." Spencer sorts through the laundry heaped on Ryan's couch until he finds the other set of sheets.
"I, um, called your mom," Ryan says, after Spencer has followed him to Lydia's room, where there are more heaps of laundry.
Spencer swears at him for a couple of minutes, and then notices how Ryan actually looks and stops. "You really are a moron. Go take a nap. Brendon and I will be fine with Lydia for a couple of hours." Ryan hesitates, and Spencer makes shooing motions at him. "Seriously, go. We can handle it. Pete and Ashlee let us babysit."
Spencer gets the laundry - in Lydia's room and the living room - put away, except for the stuff that goes in Ryan's room.
When Brendon comes in with a cranky Lydia, Spencer heats a bottle while Brendon sings to her. Ryan has a rocking chair in his living room that predates Lydia by several years, and Spencer takes her there to feed her.
Brendon, after protesting about having to give her up, snorts. "This is like your dream come true. Ryan and a little Ryan to corral."
"He's not really mine to corral anymore." Spencer looks down at Lydia so Brendon won't be able to see whatever is probably on his face.
"Yeah," Brendon says, "maybe not for a while now, but you're kidding yourself if you think that was anything but a temporary reprieve."
Spencer squints up at him. "Did you get one of those word a day calendars or something? You know your lyrics are good."
Brendon flips him off. "You're both dicks. You deserve each other."
Spencer grins at him.
"Yeah, yeah," Brendon says, "be all charming."
Ryan gets up a couple of hours later and goes straight for Lydia. "I woke up," he says, "and forgot that you were here."
Brendon makes noises about leaving - "Sarah does expect me home sometime" - not much later, and Spencer drove so he has to go too.
"You're also both idiots," Brendon says when Spencer and Ryan try to drag it out. "You can come back."
"Yeah," Ryan says. "Whenever." He looks down at Lydia for a moment. "Do you still have a key?"
Spencer's mouth goes dry because that's one of the ones on his keychain. "Yeah, I still have it."
"Yeah, good. You should use it." Ryan holds up Lydia. "Say goodbye to my kid."
They both take turns saying making faces at and kissing her, and then Spencer takes her away, gives her to Brendon, and hugs Ryan hard. "I'm coming back tomorrow," he says. "We have meetings and crap, so probably not until late. I'll bring dinner."
Ryan seems almost as reluctant to let go as Spencer is. "Yeah, okay." He takes Lydia back. "You know what I like."
Only Brendon's, "Seriously, dude, Sarah's waiting for me," keeps them from drawing out their goodbyes any more than that. Still, Spencer looks back and Ryan's still in the door, holding Lydia's hand up so she can wave goodbye. He grins and waves back.
Summary: Ryan invites Spencer and Brendon over for the first time in months, which is when they find out he has a baby.
Notes: Written mostly over Twitter to amuse myself.
Story on AO3
Ryan invites Spencer and Brendon over for the first time in months, which is when they find out he has a baby.
Spencer yells, "You couldn't have told me this any time in the past nine months?"
Ryan says, "She's six weeks old," then, thoughtfully, "and Z didn't tell me until she was four months along."
"So you just forgot to tell me about this for six months?"
The baby's crying interrupts them, and Ryan escapes to go get her up.
"I don't believe him," Spencer grouches to Brendon.
"Come on," Brendon says, "you've known him long enough to know he's kind of a dick." Brendon is a lot calmer about Ryan these days. He brightens up when Ryan comes out with a baby whose face is still kind of scrunched up.
Brendon reaches for her, but Spencer pushes him out of the way. "No," he says. "No way do you get to hold her first."
"Do you- You have to support her head," Ryan says.
Spencer glares at him. "I hang out with Pete and Ashlee. I know how to hold a baby." Spencer takes her carefully, and looks down at her. "What's her name?"
"Lydia Rose."
Spencer shakes his head. "She sounds like a grandma." After a moment he adds, "She's beautiful." And then he takes her away, walks outside so he can have a minute with this baby he never knew existed and who's a piece of Ryan.
Brendon comes outside after a while and takes Lydia. "Dude, my turn for some baby time. Go talk to Ryan."
Talk to Ryan, right. And of course the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, "What the hell were you thinking?"
"I don't know where I put the other set of sheets for her crib," Ryan says.
"Oh my God, I swear, you're such a disaster."
Ryan shrugs. "I'm doing okay." He peers around Spencer so he can look out at where Brendon is no doubt making faces at or singing to Lydia.
"Jesus, Ryan, you could have told me." Spencer sorts through the laundry heaped on Ryan's couch until he finds the other set of sheets.
"I, um, called your mom," Ryan says, after Spencer has followed him to Lydia's room, where there are more heaps of laundry.
Spencer swears at him for a couple of minutes, and then notices how Ryan actually looks and stops. "You really are a moron. Go take a nap. Brendon and I will be fine with Lydia for a couple of hours." Ryan hesitates, and Spencer makes shooing motions at him. "Seriously, go. We can handle it. Pete and Ashlee let us babysit."
Spencer gets the laundry - in Lydia's room and the living room - put away, except for the stuff that goes in Ryan's room.
When Brendon comes in with a cranky Lydia, Spencer heats a bottle while Brendon sings to her. Ryan has a rocking chair in his living room that predates Lydia by several years, and Spencer takes her there to feed her.
Brendon, after protesting about having to give her up, snorts. "This is like your dream come true. Ryan and a little Ryan to corral."
"He's not really mine to corral anymore." Spencer looks down at Lydia so Brendon won't be able to see whatever is probably on his face.
"Yeah," Brendon says, "maybe not for a while now, but you're kidding yourself if you think that was anything but a temporary reprieve."
Spencer squints up at him. "Did you get one of those word a day calendars or something? You know your lyrics are good."
Brendon flips him off. "You're both dicks. You deserve each other."
Spencer grins at him.
"Yeah, yeah," Brendon says, "be all charming."
Ryan gets up a couple of hours later and goes straight for Lydia. "I woke up," he says, "and forgot that you were here."
Brendon makes noises about leaving - "Sarah does expect me home sometime" - not much later, and Spencer drove so he has to go too.
"You're also both idiots," Brendon says when Spencer and Ryan try to drag it out. "You can come back."
"Yeah," Ryan says. "Whenever." He looks down at Lydia for a moment. "Do you still have a key?"
Spencer's mouth goes dry because that's one of the ones on his keychain. "Yeah, I still have it."
"Yeah, good. You should use it." Ryan holds up Lydia. "Say goodbye to my kid."
They both take turns saying making faces at and kissing her, and then Spencer takes her away, gives her to Brendon, and hugs Ryan hard. "I'm coming back tomorrow," he says. "We have meetings and crap, so probably not until late. I'll bring dinner."
Ryan seems almost as reluctant to let go as Spencer is. "Yeah, okay." He takes Lydia back. "You know what I like."
Only Brendon's, "Seriously, dude, Sarah's waiting for me," keeps them from drawing out their goodbyes any more than that. Still, Spencer looks back and Ryan's still in the door, holding Lydia's hand up so she can wave goodbye. He grins and waves back.