P!ATD fic: Chicago in the Winter
Title: Chicago In The Winter
Author: roxierose13 aka
silver_etoile
Rating: PG
Pairing: Ryan/Jon
POV: Third, Jon
Disclaimer: I am Ryan Ross and Jon is mine! Just kidding.
Summary: Jon finds himself dragged along on a trip he hadn't meant to take but it isn't all bad.
A/N: Happy birthday
duendeoflorien! She wanted something fluffy and I did my best :) Oh, and we're ignoring the fact that Jon is from Chicago, kay? :D Betad by
silverdragon87
*
Jon Walker didn’t like shopping. He just didn’t like it. It was that simple. He found it tedious and boring, something to do when all other options were gone. He’d much rather be sitting on his bed, plucking out random chords on his bass than walking through a mall.
That was more of Brendon’s style. Brendon loved to go out and find the most random tourist item he could for his collection. He did this in nearly every single city they hit.
But Jon. Jon didn’t do that. He was a simple guy who had what he needed and he was okay with that.
That didn’t explain, however, how Jon came to be standing in front of a window full of clocks. Yes, clocks. If you asked him what time it was, he could most definitely tell you. Eleven, in case you were wondering.
Yes, it was eleven o’clock on the morning of November the twenty-ninth. The cutting Chicago wind cut through his jacket with a biting force and he sighed as a few flakes of snow began to fall from the sky.
He’d been dragged, or rather enticed with the promise of hot coffee, out of his bed far too early in the morning for a night after a performance. He was ready to sleep, to take full advantage of their two-day break before they headed off to the west coast for the rest of the tour.
He had his coffee now, clutched in his hands as a pathetic attempt to keep warm. It was difficult as the wind whipped past, intent on making Jon as cold as possible.
And here he was, staring at clocks that went tick, tick, tick; a sound that would be engrained in his brain forever. He heard the tinkle of the shop door opening and a body, much warmer than his coffee, slid up to him.
“You should have come inside,” Ryan breathed, his breath turning to a cloud of moisture in front of him, turning to look at the clocks ticking in the window. “It’s cold out here.”
Jon gave a partial shrug and made a noise of agreement. He wasn’t fully awake yet, though the coffee was helping.
He turned with Ryan, ambling down the street, tugging his jacket closer.
It was Ryan’s fault he was up, Ryan’s fault he wasn’t still snuggled under his warm comforter, the smell of coffee on the air, Brendon bouncing around the hotel singing Lady Marmalade, Spencer yelling at him to shut up as he turned the TV up louder. No, Ryan had dragged him away with the promise of Starbucks and time alone.
Jon loved the band, really, but sometimes when Brendon had had just a tad too much sugar, he liked to get away, and Ryan had offered that this morning. What he hadn’t mentioned was that it included traipsing around Chicago in search of Christmas gifts.
So now Jon was stuck for who knows how many hours, wandering around Chicago with Ryan. Ryan seemed a bit livelier than usual, a spring in his step and a smile on his face as he looked in all the shop windows.
“I love Christmas,” Ryan said softly as they passed an old-fashioned toy shop, the window full of red and green decorations, a train set chugging around a small track.
Jon knew Christmas was Ryan’s favorite holiday. It was the only thing that made him truly act like a child. Jon saw his eyes light up every year when the first Christmas song came on the radio. He watched in amusement as Ryan decorated the tour bus with stuffed snowmen and Santa Clause’s, Brendon running around in the background singing I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas in a Perry Como sort of voice.
Ryan paused as they walked and glanced at Jon, who hadn’t said much.
“Don’t you like Christmas?” he asked, his big eyes on Jon.
“Yeah,” Jon said, taking a sip of his now luke-warm coffee. “But I don’t like shopping.”
Ryan sighed. “You need to get into the Christmas spirit,” he said cheerfully.
Jon groaned half-heartedly and allowed Ryan to pull him into a toy shop. Inside, the store was full to bursting with toys. Airplanes hung from the ceiling, an old fashioned train ran the perimeter of the store. Many wooden models stood on shelves around the room.
A pleasant older man sidled up to them as they browsed through the toys on the shelves.
“Good morning, boys,” the man greeted them good-naturedly. “What can I do for you.”
“I think Brendon would like that train,” Ryan said, pointing out a smaller version of the one that ran through the store.
The owner smiled. “A younger brother? Any boy loves trains.”
Ryan and Jon exchanged a glance. “He’s like a younger brother,” Jon replied, smiling at the thought.
The owner just smiled and helped Ryan choose a color, then wrapped up the package in an old-west themed wrapping paper.
Jon lingered in the background, staring idly around him. A mother and her son entered the shop through the tinkling door. The boy made an immediate beeline for the train in the corner.
Jon watched, his head tilted to the side as the boy watched, enraptured, as the train made its rounds.
“You ready?” Ryan’s voice startled Jon from his observation of the boy.
Ryan stood next to him, a bag in his hand, his dark hair falling in his eyes.
“Yeah,” Jon said after a minute. They left the shop, the happy laughter of the boy echoing after them.
Outside, there were more people now. The sky was grey and light flakes of snow drifted from above, settling in Jon’s hair and on his jacket.
As they walked, Jon stared aimlessly. The bitter wind cut through his jacket and he shivered. He thought longingly of the cozy hotel room where he could be finishing the third season of The O.C.
One glance at Ryan, though, told Jon that he didn’t really want to do that.
Ryan’s eyes were sparkling and his cheeks were red from the harsh wind, making him look younger than he usually did. His hair was messy and fell into his eyes. His mouth was upturned into a smile as they strolled past all the early Christmas shoppers.
Jon had to admit that Ryan looked like he was having the time of his life and he’d be damned if he’d be the one to ruin it.
“Did you ever have a train?” Ryan asked suddenly as they waited to cross the street. The crowd of people pressed around them and they shuffled closer together.
“Once,” Jon said as the walk light changed and they started across the street. “I played with it everyday until the dog decided to eat the caboose.”
Ryan laughed as they reached the sidewalk, turning right and wandering up a more commercial street. Ryan was silent for a second as they walked. Shoppers jostled past them, but they were content to stroll slowly.
Jon was just thinking that maybe this whole shopping expedition hadn’t been a bad idea after all when Ryan came to a stop in front of a shoe store. Jon looked at the store doubtfully. Shoes were more of Spencer’s specialty.
“What do you want for Christmas?” Ryan asked suddenly, catching Jon completely off-guard.
“I don’t want anything,” he said immediately, hardly giving it any thought.
Ryan didn’t miss a beat. “You must want something.”
Jon shrugged and smiled, throwing an arm around Ryan’s shoulders. He was pleased when Ryan didn’t immediately wiggle out of his grip like he normally would. “I’ve got all that I need,” he said simply. “All I want is a mug of hot chocolate and a warm bed.”
Ryan looked at him fondly for a second before turning and moving away from the shoe store.
They walked for a while in silence, rounding a corner to find a large park that spread out before them. In the middle of the park was a large Ice-skating rink. People wearing brightly-colored coats and scarves were sliding around the ice with much more ease and grace than Jon could ever achieve.
The last time he’d attempted skating had been Katie Harmon’s birthday party in the seventh grade. Needless to say, the ice burns had lasted quite a while and the memory of the party had lingered much longer. He really hoped Ryan wasn’t going to make him skate.
Ryan, it seemed, was just content to watch the skaters, much to Jon’s relief.
They settled themselves at a small fence that stood a few feet back, overlooking the rink.
It was peaceful, Jon thought, overlooking the laughing couples, the smiling children, wobbly on their skates. There was a familiarity to it all, like a comfortable old friend.
“Jon,” Ryan said, breaking their peaceful silence.
“Yeah?” Jon asked, glancing at Ryan. Ryan was looking at him, a glimmer in his eye and the hint of a smile on his lips.
“Thanks for coming with me,” Ryan said quietly, and Jon couldn’t help but smile. Ryan was so soft-spoken for a famous guitarist.
“No problem,” Jon said, “just, could you warn me next time? I could have brought a warmer jacket.”
Ryan just smiled and looked away. Jon watched him for a second, then turned back to the skaters.
He watched a woman fall; she only laughed as her boyfriend skated around her easily before helping her up. Jon smiled at the sight.
His train of thought stalled when he felt a warm hand on his wrist and a pair of soft lips brushing his cheek.
He turned slowly to find Ryan looking at him unabashedly.
“What was that for?” he asked, the words coming out breathless despite the fact that he was standing perfectly still.
Ryan didn’t falter or look away. He just watched Jon intently.
“I just wanted to thank you.”
Jon blinked. “You already did.”
“Not properly.”
“Ryan,” Jon murmured as Ryan leaned in again, his hand on Jon’s chin, their lips pressing together, soft, warm, comfortable.
God, Ryan was so perfect, Jon couldn’t help thinking as they stood there at the fence, their bodies close, sharing warmth.
Ryan pulled back after a second, his hand lingering on Jon’s cheek for a second before falling to his side and being shoved in his pocket.
Jon stared at him for a second, then smiled, wrapping an arm around Ryan’s waist. “Merry Christmas,” he said quietly.
Ryan looked up at him and smiled.
Yes, Jon didn’t like shopping, but he thought he might be able to make an exception, just for Ryan, and just this once.
~~**~~
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Please review!
Author: roxierose13 aka
silver_etoile
Rating: PG
Pairing: Ryan/Jon
POV: Third, Jon
Disclaimer: I am Ryan Ross and Jon is mine! Just kidding.
Summary: Jon finds himself dragged along on a trip he hadn't meant to take but it isn't all bad.
A/N: Happy birthday
duendeoflorien! She wanted something fluffy and I did my best :) Oh, and we're ignoring the fact that Jon is from Chicago, kay? :D Betad by
silverdragon87
*
Jon Walker didn’t like shopping. He just didn’t like it. It was that simple. He found it tedious and boring, something to do when all other options were gone. He’d much rather be sitting on his bed, plucking out random chords on his bass than walking through a mall.
That was more of Brendon’s style. Brendon loved to go out and find the most random tourist item he could for his collection. He did this in nearly every single city they hit.
But Jon. Jon didn’t do that. He was a simple guy who had what he needed and he was okay with that.
That didn’t explain, however, how Jon came to be standing in front of a window full of clocks. Yes, clocks. If you asked him what time it was, he could most definitely tell you. Eleven, in case you were wondering.
Yes, it was eleven o’clock on the morning of November the twenty-ninth. The cutting Chicago wind cut through his jacket with a biting force and he sighed as a few flakes of snow began to fall from the sky.
He’d been dragged, or rather enticed with the promise of hot coffee, out of his bed far too early in the morning for a night after a performance. He was ready to sleep, to take full advantage of their two-day break before they headed off to the west coast for the rest of the tour.
He had his coffee now, clutched in his hands as a pathetic attempt to keep warm. It was difficult as the wind whipped past, intent on making Jon as cold as possible.
And here he was, staring at clocks that went tick, tick, tick; a sound that would be engrained in his brain forever. He heard the tinkle of the shop door opening and a body, much warmer than his coffee, slid up to him.
“You should have come inside,” Ryan breathed, his breath turning to a cloud of moisture in front of him, turning to look at the clocks ticking in the window. “It’s cold out here.”
Jon gave a partial shrug and made a noise of agreement. He wasn’t fully awake yet, though the coffee was helping.
He turned with Ryan, ambling down the street, tugging his jacket closer.
It was Ryan’s fault he was up, Ryan’s fault he wasn’t still snuggled under his warm comforter, the smell of coffee on the air, Brendon bouncing around the hotel singing Lady Marmalade, Spencer yelling at him to shut up as he turned the TV up louder. No, Ryan had dragged him away with the promise of Starbucks and time alone.
Jon loved the band, really, but sometimes when Brendon had had just a tad too much sugar, he liked to get away, and Ryan had offered that this morning. What he hadn’t mentioned was that it included traipsing around Chicago in search of Christmas gifts.
So now Jon was stuck for who knows how many hours, wandering around Chicago with Ryan. Ryan seemed a bit livelier than usual, a spring in his step and a smile on his face as he looked in all the shop windows.
“I love Christmas,” Ryan said softly as they passed an old-fashioned toy shop, the window full of red and green decorations, a train set chugging around a small track.
Jon knew Christmas was Ryan’s favorite holiday. It was the only thing that made him truly act like a child. Jon saw his eyes light up every year when the first Christmas song came on the radio. He watched in amusement as Ryan decorated the tour bus with stuffed snowmen and Santa Clause’s, Brendon running around in the background singing I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas in a Perry Como sort of voice.
Ryan paused as they walked and glanced at Jon, who hadn’t said much.
“Don’t you like Christmas?” he asked, his big eyes on Jon.
“Yeah,” Jon said, taking a sip of his now luke-warm coffee. “But I don’t like shopping.”
Ryan sighed. “You need to get into the Christmas spirit,” he said cheerfully.
Jon groaned half-heartedly and allowed Ryan to pull him into a toy shop. Inside, the store was full to bursting with toys. Airplanes hung from the ceiling, an old fashioned train ran the perimeter of the store. Many wooden models stood on shelves around the room.
A pleasant older man sidled up to them as they browsed through the toys on the shelves.
“Good morning, boys,” the man greeted them good-naturedly. “What can I do for you.”
“I think Brendon would like that train,” Ryan said, pointing out a smaller version of the one that ran through the store.
The owner smiled. “A younger brother? Any boy loves trains.”
Ryan and Jon exchanged a glance. “He’s like a younger brother,” Jon replied, smiling at the thought.
The owner just smiled and helped Ryan choose a color, then wrapped up the package in an old-west themed wrapping paper.
Jon lingered in the background, staring idly around him. A mother and her son entered the shop through the tinkling door. The boy made an immediate beeline for the train in the corner.
Jon watched, his head tilted to the side as the boy watched, enraptured, as the train made its rounds.
“You ready?” Ryan’s voice startled Jon from his observation of the boy.
Ryan stood next to him, a bag in his hand, his dark hair falling in his eyes.
“Yeah,” Jon said after a minute. They left the shop, the happy laughter of the boy echoing after them.
Outside, there were more people now. The sky was grey and light flakes of snow drifted from above, settling in Jon’s hair and on his jacket.
As they walked, Jon stared aimlessly. The bitter wind cut through his jacket and he shivered. He thought longingly of the cozy hotel room where he could be finishing the third season of The O.C.
One glance at Ryan, though, told Jon that he didn’t really want to do that.
Ryan’s eyes were sparkling and his cheeks were red from the harsh wind, making him look younger than he usually did. His hair was messy and fell into his eyes. His mouth was upturned into a smile as they strolled past all the early Christmas shoppers.
Jon had to admit that Ryan looked like he was having the time of his life and he’d be damned if he’d be the one to ruin it.
“Did you ever have a train?” Ryan asked suddenly as they waited to cross the street. The crowd of people pressed around them and they shuffled closer together.
“Once,” Jon said as the walk light changed and they started across the street. “I played with it everyday until the dog decided to eat the caboose.”
Ryan laughed as they reached the sidewalk, turning right and wandering up a more commercial street. Ryan was silent for a second as they walked. Shoppers jostled past them, but they were content to stroll slowly.
Jon was just thinking that maybe this whole shopping expedition hadn’t been a bad idea after all when Ryan came to a stop in front of a shoe store. Jon looked at the store doubtfully. Shoes were more of Spencer’s specialty.
“What do you want for Christmas?” Ryan asked suddenly, catching Jon completely off-guard.
“I don’t want anything,” he said immediately, hardly giving it any thought.
Ryan didn’t miss a beat. “You must want something.”
Jon shrugged and smiled, throwing an arm around Ryan’s shoulders. He was pleased when Ryan didn’t immediately wiggle out of his grip like he normally would. “I’ve got all that I need,” he said simply. “All I want is a mug of hot chocolate and a warm bed.”
Ryan looked at him fondly for a second before turning and moving away from the shoe store.
They walked for a while in silence, rounding a corner to find a large park that spread out before them. In the middle of the park was a large Ice-skating rink. People wearing brightly-colored coats and scarves were sliding around the ice with much more ease and grace than Jon could ever achieve.
The last time he’d attempted skating had been Katie Harmon’s birthday party in the seventh grade. Needless to say, the ice burns had lasted quite a while and the memory of the party had lingered much longer. He really hoped Ryan wasn’t going to make him skate.
Ryan, it seemed, was just content to watch the skaters, much to Jon’s relief.
They settled themselves at a small fence that stood a few feet back, overlooking the rink.
It was peaceful, Jon thought, overlooking the laughing couples, the smiling children, wobbly on their skates. There was a familiarity to it all, like a comfortable old friend.
“Jon,” Ryan said, breaking their peaceful silence.
“Yeah?” Jon asked, glancing at Ryan. Ryan was looking at him, a glimmer in his eye and the hint of a smile on his lips.
“Thanks for coming with me,” Ryan said quietly, and Jon couldn’t help but smile. Ryan was so soft-spoken for a famous guitarist.
“No problem,” Jon said, “just, could you warn me next time? I could have brought a warmer jacket.”
Ryan just smiled and looked away. Jon watched him for a second, then turned back to the skaters.
He watched a woman fall; she only laughed as her boyfriend skated around her easily before helping her up. Jon smiled at the sight.
His train of thought stalled when he felt a warm hand on his wrist and a pair of soft lips brushing his cheek.
He turned slowly to find Ryan looking at him unabashedly.
“What was that for?” he asked, the words coming out breathless despite the fact that he was standing perfectly still.
Ryan didn’t falter or look away. He just watched Jon intently.
“I just wanted to thank you.”
Jon blinked. “You already did.”
“Not properly.”
“Ryan,” Jon murmured as Ryan leaned in again, his hand on Jon’s chin, their lips pressing together, soft, warm, comfortable.
God, Ryan was so perfect, Jon couldn’t help thinking as they stood there at the fence, their bodies close, sharing warmth.
Ryan pulled back after a second, his hand lingering on Jon’s cheek for a second before falling to his side and being shoved in his pocket.
Jon stared at him for a second, then smiled, wrapping an arm around Ryan’s waist. “Merry Christmas,” he said quietly.
Ryan looked up at him and smiled.
Yes, Jon didn’t like shopping, but he thought he might be able to make an exception, just for Ryan, and just this once.
~~**~~
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Please review!