FIC: Celebrations (Part 1)
Title: Celebrations (Part 1)
Rating: PG
Pairing: Ryan/Colin (friendship or pre-slash, really: take your pick, I guess)
Summary: He's always hated birthdays.
Author's Notes: Something I wrote at 10 o'clock last night *sighs* It wouldn't leave me alone. *looks pitiful* ... and yeah. This is meant to be set pre-WL altogether. Second City, maybe? I don't actually know. Just a long time ago, at any rate. And (in case it's not clear ... which I suspect may be true for a lot of what I write, lol), the flashbacks are all separate. And in chronological order. If you were wondering ;)
He's always hated birthdays - or, to be more specific, he's always hated his birthday. He hates the false smiles and he hates the half-hearted renditions of "Happy Birthday" - especially the way everyone seems to mumble when they get to his name (he'd swear on his life that he's been regaled with versions that go something along the lines of, "Happy Birthday dear nuh-nah.")
He'd actually rather have to sing a hundred Hoedowns than be humiliated like that, so he rarely tells anyone that his birthday's even approaching.
He'd eyed the stiff, white envelope dubiously - he didn't have to check the postmark or even look too closely at the handwriting to know it was from his mother.
Ryan had knocked on his door, then, and he'd let him in while he'd searched for his jacket. Ryan had stood - a little awkwardly - in the tiny kitchen-and-dining-room (his apartment had been roughly the size of one of Ryan's shoeboxes, he remembers) and explored the place with his eyes.
"What's that?" he'd asked, nodding at the slightly creased-around-the edges envelope that sat, deceptively innocently, on the otherwise bare tabletop. "Um," Colin had covered most of it with his hand. "It's from my parents."
"Oh," Ryan had replied, surprised. "Aren't you going to open it?"
Colin had opened his mouth as he'd tried - valiantly - to come up with a plausible reason for not: he'd found none. So, with a sigh, he'd carefully peeled the flap open and pulled the card out. He'd dipped it quickly, so that Ryan couldn't see the front of it, but the taller man had been too quick for him. He'd grabbed the top of the card and had pulled it up. "'Happy Birthday'?" he'd read, the faint laughter lines around his eyes deepening for a moment. "Colin, is it your birthday soon?"
"Uh, yeah. Today actually," Colin had muttered, trying to shove the card back into the envelope. Ryan had gently whacked his bicep. "Happy Birthday!" he'd exclaimed, and Colin had grimaced. "Yeah. Thanks," he'd replied, putting the envelope back on the table. "Now, are we right to go?"
"We should go out and celebrate!" Ryan had said, far too enthusiastically for Colin's liking. "No! It's - it's OK. We have rehearsal," he'd pointed out, as he'd bent down and grabbed his jacket from behind the sofa.
Ryan had looked at him for a moment before shrugging. "OK."
He hates people making a fuss, granted - but a tiny part of him hates, even more, people not remembering, and he can't blame everyone for not knowing whether or not to make a big deal out of his birthday or not.
He confuses himself, sometimes.
He'd zipped up his jacket, and hugged himself tightly, shoving his hands deeper into his armpits. "Colin!" he'd heard, from behind him, and he'd turned, surprised, and had seen Ryan peering out of an only slightly open car window. "Need a lift?" he'd smirked, and Colin had bumped his shoulder in the direction of the road. "I was gonna catch the bus," he'd called back, and Ryan had jerked his head to the right. "Get in," he'd laughed, and Colin had paused for a moment.
"You'll freeze to death!" Ryan had exclaimed, and Colin had finally hurried around to the passenger side of the car; Ryan had leant over and silently unlocked his door.
He'd pulled the door shut behind him, quickly, and had breathed on his hands. "Kinda cold out there," he'd deadpanned, and Ryan had snorted. "Really." Colin had grinned, and Ryan had added, "Have you eaten?"
"No," Colin had admitted, and Ryan had turned to look at him. "You wanna go grab something?" he'd asked - and , after a beat, Colin had nodded.
Ryan had pulled into the local burger place - they'd actually been there before, together - and had looked at Colin a little sheepishly. "It's about all I can afford," he'd explained, and Colin had grimaced his agreement. "Tell me about it," he'd sighed.
Ryan had opened his door. "I know it's not much of a birthday dinner," he'd trailed off, a little awkwardly, and Colin had stared at him.
Ryan had shrugged. "I have a good memory?" he'd offered, and Colin had blushed a tiny bit - he'd always loathed his pale skin - and Ryan had politely looked away. "We should," he'd nodded towards the front entrance, and Colin had cleared his throat.
"Yeah," he'd agreed, quietly, before adding, hesitantly, "Thanks."
He has a problem with big deals being made of his birthday; he hates the owlish way people peer at him when balloons or extravagant gifts arrive.
Still.
It's nice to know someone's been thinking about him.
He'd been only halfway through his first coffee when Ryan had knocked on the door. He'd pulled it open, and had stared at the taller man. "Hi?" he'd offered, and Ryan had smirked. "Hi," he'd replied. "You ready?"
Colin had blinked. "Did we have plans?" he'd asked, carefully, and Ryan's smirk had only grown. "Not officially, no," he'd allowed, and Colin had simply waited. "I just thought we should do something on our day off," he'd explained, with a shrug, and Colin had pursed his lips. "OK," he'd agreed, taking another sip of his coffee.
"Where are we going?" he'd asked, and Ryan had smiled - a little enigmatically - at him. "Out."
Colin had laughed a little. "That's it? Just 'out'?" he'd gestured with his free hand, and Ryan had smiled again. "Uh huh. Now, have you got everything you need?"
Colin had frowned at him, with mock annoyance. "I don't exactly know what I need, do I?" and Ryan had pretended to glare at him. "Well ... ice skates, actually," he'd admitted.
"Ice skating?" Colin had asked, and Ryan hadn't been entirely sure what tone he'd asked that with. "Well ... yeah." he'd replied, and Colin had grinned. "Let's go, then."
Ryan had driven - "Be careful," Colin had warned, eyeing the icy roads warily, and Ryan had sighed, good naturedly - and he'd pulled into a car park reasonably familiar to both of them.
Colin had actually opened his door first, and Ryan had smirked at him. "Eager, aren't you?" he'd asked, almost proudly, and Colin had narrowed his eyes at the taller man. "Shut up," he'd replied, easily, and Ryan had laughed.
They'd perched on a cold bench - he'd felt it, even through his jeans - and done up their skates, and Colin had rubbed at his face as they'd stood, a little shakily. "My nose is cold," Colin had complained, and Ryan had grabbed his shoulders and tugged him closer. He'd ducked his head and breathed on the shorter man's red nose, and Colin had made a face. "God," he'd said, pretending to gag, and Ryan had knocked him softly on the shoulder. "Just 'cause you're the birthday boy," Ryan had trailed off, threateningly, and Colin had given him a startled smile, and Ryan had only smirked again.
"You wanna get out there?" he'd asked, vaguely amused, nodding towards the ice, and Colin had blinked. "Yeah," he'd replied, slowly, after a slight pause. "Yeah, I do, actually."