[FIC] Compromise
Title: Compromise
Pairings: Ryan/Colin, Ryan/Brad, Colin/Brad
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Certain things are bound to happen.
Author’s Notes: In response to Patricia’s Sloth challenge as well as to something leatharegee said to me concerning Ryan’s feelings on Colin touring with Brad... I don’t think it was ever made into a proper challenge, though I could be wrong. Also inspired by a Brad/Ryan discussion over at whoselineslash
“I am too tired to move,” Ryan whined, stretched out on the hotel bed. He stared listlessly at the muted television, wishing he could turn up the volume but unwilling to get up. The remote sat atop the set. No help there.
“We’re getting too old for this shit,” Colin agreed from his seat in the armchair by the window. They’d had not one, but two shows that evening, and coupled with the hours spent on the bus and subsequent fan placating, it left them all dead on their feet.
Brad stood watching it all, arms crossed over his chest, grinning in amusement. “You two are pathetic.”
Ryan gave a mock bow of the head. “We do try.” He turned to Colin. “Turn up the tv.”
Colin stuck out his tongue. “You do it.”
“I’ll do it,” Brad sighed. He crossed the room to the television, completely missing the rather interesting look Ryan shared with his lover.
“No...” Ryan said slowly, not taking his eyes off Colin, “why don’t you just turn it off?”
“Turn it up. Turn it off. Make up your damn mind already,” Brad groused good-naturedly but did it all the same. He looked up to Ryan when he was done, only to find him still smiling at Colin in a way that said maybe it was time Brad take his leave.
What went on between Ryan and Colin behind closed doors was no secret among their small troupe. It was accepted, expected even, and generally ignored. So when the two had mentioned they were going to leave the bar to head back to their room, Brad should have known better than to ask to join them. He’d gotten so used to spending time with Colin over the past couple of years, however, what with their near constant touring, that he couldn’t imagine spending the night after a show without him. Besides, neither Ryan nor Colin seemed to mind his continued company. Now, however, it looked like it was time for him to go, and he said as much.
Ryan finally looked back to him. “Leave? Why?”
“Well,” Brad shrugged, motioning vaguely to Colin. “You know...”
“Stay a while longer,” Colin said. Brad looked to him, only to find his expression unreadable. Colin nodded to the bed. “Sit down. Make yourself comfortable.” When Brad didn’t immediately move, though, Colin chucked, smiling warmly. “Come on. You look like you’re ready to bolt.”
And Brad wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but it did feel nice to know he was wanted. “Okay.” He shrugged again and sat by Ryan’s feet.
“You know,” Ryan said, catching Brad’s attention once again, “Colin and I were talking.” He smiled at Colin and Colin smiled right back. “You remind me a lot of him.”
“And you remind me of Ryan,” Colin said. “I think that’s part of why we get along so well.”
“Maybe a little too well,” Ryan said.
Brad looked to him in surprise. Was that jealousy he detected in the man’s voice? That was interesting, not entirely unexpected, but interesting nonetheless.
An image suddenly flashed through Brad’s mind - Ryan with a big, shiny ax and then an unmarked grave in the middle of the forest. Ryan was obviously implying that Brad was a threat to his and Colin’s relationship, but that was absurd.
Brad laughed in forced humor and smiled at Ryan. “Don’t worry,” he said, only half joking, “you can trust us.”
“I know,” Ryan affirmed. The jealousy was gone from his tone, which relieved Brad to no end. Ryan looked back to Colin. “Colin’s a good boy, isn’t he?” he laughed. “Good boy; come get your ears scratched.”
Colin smirked, casually flipping him off. Soon they were all laughing, and any tension that may have accumulated was gone in an instant.
“Seriously, though,” Ryan said once the laughter had died down. Brad looked to him to see he was talking to Colin. “Come give me a kiss.”
Colin groaned, smiling. “No. Too far away. You come here.”
“No, I’m lazy. You come.”
Colin laughed. “That’s sad.”
“Yeah,” Ryan agreed, smile widening, “but at least I’m man enough to admit it.”
The conversation went on that way for a few minutes more, Brad looking from Ryan to Colin as though he was watching a tennis match. Their eyes were locked as they spoke, a silent conversation passing through the air. It was the kind of thing that, years ago, Brad would have found intriguing, wondering just what was being said, and feeling completely out of the loop. After all his time spent with Colin, though, he’d learned to decipher all the man’s looks, from a quirk of the mouth to a narrowing of the eyes, and it was quite clear what was going on. They were playing a game, but what was really interesting was that the game had absolutely nothing to do with the words being spoken. There was something else. Something only they knew that they weren’t letting Brad in on.
“C’mere, Brad.”
Brad blinked in confusion, realizing he’d totally missed the last couple of sentences.
“What?”
“Come here,” Ryan said again, enunciated clearly, his tone brooking no argument.
“Okay...” Brad said and turned to crawl up along the length of the bed until he was face to face with Ryan. When they were just a foot apart, Ryan grinned and said, “Now kiss me.”
“What?!” Now Brad was sure he had missed something vital.
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Colin’s too lazy to get up and so am I, so I’ll kiss you, and you can transfer it to him.”
This still wasn’t making sense. “What?”
Ryan laughed and shook his head. “Just do it.” But when Brad still didn’t move, just continued to stare uncomprehendingly, Ryan moved to grip Brad’s shoulders, tugging him down, and kissing him.
Brad had never considered Ryan in any way that went beyond platonic, but as he got over the initial shock enough to respond, Brad couldn’t imagine why. The other man obviously knew what he was doing; in fact, he was a damn good kisser, and Brad found himself leaning into Ryan, deepening the kiss. He ran his tongue along Ryan’s lower lip before gaining entrance into his very enticing mouth. Ryan tasted like tobacco, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Rather it was just the way Brad thought the man should taste. It hit him then that he was kissing Ryan - RYAN - and the thought had nearly all his blood rushing south.
Eventually Ryan pulled back, still grinning. He licked his lips. “Mmm. Now go give that to Colin.”
Something akin to common sense was rushing back, however, and Brad frowned. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Get over here, Sherwood,” Colin nearly growled. Brad looked to him.
Colin was lounging in the armchair, eyes half closed, smirking. The first few buttons of his black shirt were undone, showing just a hint of chest hair, and as Brad let his gaze wander lower, he saw that Colin hadn’t minded seeing Ryan kiss Brad. If the tent in his slacks was any indication, then he’d very much liked it. All in all, Colin made for a very appealing picture, painted in a way Brad had never seen before. It was too good to pass up.
He scooted off the bed, eagerly jogging the distance to Colin’s chair. Colin’s eyes never left his the entire way over, and the invitation they held was clear; Brad needed no more prodding to lean down and capture the older man’s lips beneath his.
Colin moaned softly when Brad’s tongue entwined with his, and any blood left in the northern half of Brad’s body took an immediate detour. He wrapped one hand around the nape of Colin’s neck and drew him in closer. As opposed to Ryan, Brad had actually imagined kissing Colin numerous times before. They spent so many nights together holed up in the same hotel room that it was impossible not to imaging taking things further. But Colin was spoken for, and Brad wasn’t about to intrude on that.
Just like Ryan, Colin definitely knew what he was doing. There was certainly something to be said for experience. But that thought reminded Brad that Colin’s potentially ax-wielding boyfriend sat not ten feet away, and he pulled away reluctantly.
Or tried to.
But Colin followed him, pushing himself out of his chair with a sudden burst of energy. He pushed Brad back, pressing him against the drapes, and then Colin’s hands were under his shirt, skirting up his sides, and leaving a warm tingling sensation in their wake. Colin had Brad effectively trapped, not that Brad minded in the slightest. Colin finally left his lips to trail hot, open mouthed kisses down the column of his throat, leaving Brad practically purring. He turned his head to allow Colin better access and met Ryan’s eyes.
Ryan was smiling at them lazily, and he appeared no better off than Colin. Always watching Brad, Ryan patted the bed beside him. “Why don’t you guys come over here?”
Then Colin was dragging Brad toward the bed, pushing him down on it so that he fell back, his legs tangling with Ryan’s. Ryan pulled Brad up to lay next to him while Colin climbed over them both, settling on the other side.
“What’s going on?” Brad asked. His voice came out oddly weak. It was hard to have much conviction when Ryan was undoing his pants and Colin had once again latched onto his neck.
Ryan paused. He was still smiling, but there was something very serious in his gaze. “I’m giving you permission,” Ryan said. “Both of you. But if this is going to start, then I’m going to be here for it.”
“But...” Brad felt his breath catch as Colin found a particularly sensitive patch of skin just behind the hinge of his jaw. “Why...?”
“It was bound to happen eventually,” Ryan replied. He had temporarily given up working on Brad’s slacks and took hold of his hips, bringing them together so that their still frustratingly clothed erections brushed. His lips were inches from Brad’s, his breath warm, coming out in slow and shallow pants. “You spend so much more time with Colin than I do. Every night you’re with him, I’m with my wife. It wouldn’t be fair to ask him not to give in.”
To Brad’s lust addled mind, that made a certain sort of sense, even if it had the potential to get very messy. He nodded, swallowing thickly.
“Just one thing,” Ryan continued. He took Brad’s chin in one hand, turning him so that their eyes met. Behind the obvious desire, there was a cold slab of something... anger, it almost looked like. “Remember: Colin is mine.”
“Always,” Colin murmured in response. Brad couldn’t see him, but the love and honesty his voice rang clear.
“You’re just borrowing him,” Ryan said. He seemed calm once more, tempered by Colin’s immediate response.
“I would never do anything to get between you,” Brad said. And he meant it.
“Good.” Ryan was smiling again. He kissed Brad then, hard, desperate. “Now we have a partnership to consummate.”
End
10/09/05
Pairings: Ryan/Colin, Ryan/Brad, Colin/Brad
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Certain things are bound to happen.
Author’s Notes: In response to Patricia’s Sloth challenge as well as to something leatharegee said to me concerning Ryan’s feelings on Colin touring with Brad... I don’t think it was ever made into a proper challenge, though I could be wrong. Also inspired by a Brad/Ryan discussion over at whoselineslash
“I am too tired to move,” Ryan whined, stretched out on the hotel bed. He stared listlessly at the muted television, wishing he could turn up the volume but unwilling to get up. The remote sat atop the set. No help there.
“We’re getting too old for this shit,” Colin agreed from his seat in the armchair by the window. They’d had not one, but two shows that evening, and coupled with the hours spent on the bus and subsequent fan placating, it left them all dead on their feet.
Brad stood watching it all, arms crossed over his chest, grinning in amusement. “You two are pathetic.”
Ryan gave a mock bow of the head. “We do try.” He turned to Colin. “Turn up the tv.”
Colin stuck out his tongue. “You do it.”
“I’ll do it,” Brad sighed. He crossed the room to the television, completely missing the rather interesting look Ryan shared with his lover.
“No...” Ryan said slowly, not taking his eyes off Colin, “why don’t you just turn it off?”
“Turn it up. Turn it off. Make up your damn mind already,” Brad groused good-naturedly but did it all the same. He looked up to Ryan when he was done, only to find him still smiling at Colin in a way that said maybe it was time Brad take his leave.
What went on between Ryan and Colin behind closed doors was no secret among their small troupe. It was accepted, expected even, and generally ignored. So when the two had mentioned they were going to leave the bar to head back to their room, Brad should have known better than to ask to join them. He’d gotten so used to spending time with Colin over the past couple of years, however, what with their near constant touring, that he couldn’t imagine spending the night after a show without him. Besides, neither Ryan nor Colin seemed to mind his continued company. Now, however, it looked like it was time for him to go, and he said as much.
Ryan finally looked back to him. “Leave? Why?”
“Well,” Brad shrugged, motioning vaguely to Colin. “You know...”
“Stay a while longer,” Colin said. Brad looked to him, only to find his expression unreadable. Colin nodded to the bed. “Sit down. Make yourself comfortable.” When Brad didn’t immediately move, though, Colin chucked, smiling warmly. “Come on. You look like you’re ready to bolt.”
And Brad wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but it did feel nice to know he was wanted. “Okay.” He shrugged again and sat by Ryan’s feet.
“You know,” Ryan said, catching Brad’s attention once again, “Colin and I were talking.” He smiled at Colin and Colin smiled right back. “You remind me a lot of him.”
“And you remind me of Ryan,” Colin said. “I think that’s part of why we get along so well.”
“Maybe a little too well,” Ryan said.
Brad looked to him in surprise. Was that jealousy he detected in the man’s voice? That was interesting, not entirely unexpected, but interesting nonetheless.
An image suddenly flashed through Brad’s mind - Ryan with a big, shiny ax and then an unmarked grave in the middle of the forest. Ryan was obviously implying that Brad was a threat to his and Colin’s relationship, but that was absurd.
Brad laughed in forced humor and smiled at Ryan. “Don’t worry,” he said, only half joking, “you can trust us.”
“I know,” Ryan affirmed. The jealousy was gone from his tone, which relieved Brad to no end. Ryan looked back to Colin. “Colin’s a good boy, isn’t he?” he laughed. “Good boy; come get your ears scratched.”
Colin smirked, casually flipping him off. Soon they were all laughing, and any tension that may have accumulated was gone in an instant.
“Seriously, though,” Ryan said once the laughter had died down. Brad looked to him to see he was talking to Colin. “Come give me a kiss.”
Colin groaned, smiling. “No. Too far away. You come here.”
“No, I’m lazy. You come.”
Colin laughed. “That’s sad.”
“Yeah,” Ryan agreed, smile widening, “but at least I’m man enough to admit it.”
The conversation went on that way for a few minutes more, Brad looking from Ryan to Colin as though he was watching a tennis match. Their eyes were locked as they spoke, a silent conversation passing through the air. It was the kind of thing that, years ago, Brad would have found intriguing, wondering just what was being said, and feeling completely out of the loop. After all his time spent with Colin, though, he’d learned to decipher all the man’s looks, from a quirk of the mouth to a narrowing of the eyes, and it was quite clear what was going on. They were playing a game, but what was really interesting was that the game had absolutely nothing to do with the words being spoken. There was something else. Something only they knew that they weren’t letting Brad in on.
“C’mere, Brad.”
Brad blinked in confusion, realizing he’d totally missed the last couple of sentences.
“What?”
“Come here,” Ryan said again, enunciated clearly, his tone brooking no argument.
“Okay...” Brad said and turned to crawl up along the length of the bed until he was face to face with Ryan. When they were just a foot apart, Ryan grinned and said, “Now kiss me.”
“What?!” Now Brad was sure he had missed something vital.
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Colin’s too lazy to get up and so am I, so I’ll kiss you, and you can transfer it to him.”
This still wasn’t making sense. “What?”
Ryan laughed and shook his head. “Just do it.” But when Brad still didn’t move, just continued to stare uncomprehendingly, Ryan moved to grip Brad’s shoulders, tugging him down, and kissing him.
Brad had never considered Ryan in any way that went beyond platonic, but as he got over the initial shock enough to respond, Brad couldn’t imagine why. The other man obviously knew what he was doing; in fact, he was a damn good kisser, and Brad found himself leaning into Ryan, deepening the kiss. He ran his tongue along Ryan’s lower lip before gaining entrance into his very enticing mouth. Ryan tasted like tobacco, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Rather it was just the way Brad thought the man should taste. It hit him then that he was kissing Ryan - RYAN - and the thought had nearly all his blood rushing south.
Eventually Ryan pulled back, still grinning. He licked his lips. “Mmm. Now go give that to Colin.”
Something akin to common sense was rushing back, however, and Brad frowned. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Get over here, Sherwood,” Colin nearly growled. Brad looked to him.
Colin was lounging in the armchair, eyes half closed, smirking. The first few buttons of his black shirt were undone, showing just a hint of chest hair, and as Brad let his gaze wander lower, he saw that Colin hadn’t minded seeing Ryan kiss Brad. If the tent in his slacks was any indication, then he’d very much liked it. All in all, Colin made for a very appealing picture, painted in a way Brad had never seen before. It was too good to pass up.
He scooted off the bed, eagerly jogging the distance to Colin’s chair. Colin’s eyes never left his the entire way over, and the invitation they held was clear; Brad needed no more prodding to lean down and capture the older man’s lips beneath his.
Colin moaned softly when Brad’s tongue entwined with his, and any blood left in the northern half of Brad’s body took an immediate detour. He wrapped one hand around the nape of Colin’s neck and drew him in closer. As opposed to Ryan, Brad had actually imagined kissing Colin numerous times before. They spent so many nights together holed up in the same hotel room that it was impossible not to imaging taking things further. But Colin was spoken for, and Brad wasn’t about to intrude on that.
Just like Ryan, Colin definitely knew what he was doing. There was certainly something to be said for experience. But that thought reminded Brad that Colin’s potentially ax-wielding boyfriend sat not ten feet away, and he pulled away reluctantly.
Or tried to.
But Colin followed him, pushing himself out of his chair with a sudden burst of energy. He pushed Brad back, pressing him against the drapes, and then Colin’s hands were under his shirt, skirting up his sides, and leaving a warm tingling sensation in their wake. Colin had Brad effectively trapped, not that Brad minded in the slightest. Colin finally left his lips to trail hot, open mouthed kisses down the column of his throat, leaving Brad practically purring. He turned his head to allow Colin better access and met Ryan’s eyes.
Ryan was smiling at them lazily, and he appeared no better off than Colin. Always watching Brad, Ryan patted the bed beside him. “Why don’t you guys come over here?”
Then Colin was dragging Brad toward the bed, pushing him down on it so that he fell back, his legs tangling with Ryan’s. Ryan pulled Brad up to lay next to him while Colin climbed over them both, settling on the other side.
“What’s going on?” Brad asked. His voice came out oddly weak. It was hard to have much conviction when Ryan was undoing his pants and Colin had once again latched onto his neck.
Ryan paused. He was still smiling, but there was something very serious in his gaze. “I’m giving you permission,” Ryan said. “Both of you. But if this is going to start, then I’m going to be here for it.”
“But...” Brad felt his breath catch as Colin found a particularly sensitive patch of skin just behind the hinge of his jaw. “Why...?”
“It was bound to happen eventually,” Ryan replied. He had temporarily given up working on Brad’s slacks and took hold of his hips, bringing them together so that their still frustratingly clothed erections brushed. His lips were inches from Brad’s, his breath warm, coming out in slow and shallow pants. “You spend so much more time with Colin than I do. Every night you’re with him, I’m with my wife. It wouldn’t be fair to ask him not to give in.”
To Brad’s lust addled mind, that made a certain sort of sense, even if it had the potential to get very messy. He nodded, swallowing thickly.
“Just one thing,” Ryan continued. He took Brad’s chin in one hand, turning him so that their eyes met. Behind the obvious desire, there was a cold slab of something... anger, it almost looked like. “Remember: Colin is mine.”
“Always,” Colin murmured in response. Brad couldn’t see him, but the love and honesty his voice rang clear.
“You’re just borrowing him,” Ryan said. He seemed calm once more, tempered by Colin’s immediate response.
“I would never do anything to get between you,” Brad said. And he meant it.
“Good.” Ryan was smiling again. He kissed Brad then, hard, desperate. “Now we have a partnership to consummate.”
End
10/09/05