my slow descent into hsm fanfiction.
Title: T-Shirts and Their Peculiar Slogans
Rating: very light PG-13. Maybe PG?
Length: 2500 words
Pairing(s): Ryan/Chad, and of course mentions of Troy/Gabriella (what is HSM fic without the poster couple?)
Summary: Chad doesn't mind his labels.
Note: HSM FICCCC. :D Because there just isn't much really good Ryan/Chad that isn't disgusting. Okay, so this is kind of disgusting fluffy but do you know how hard it is to make these kids UNcheesy? It is right near impossible. This was betaed by the lovely braindead Maartje, who has reminded me to mention that this fic takes place after High School Musical 2. Right about the time I assume High School Musical 3 will take place, even: near the end of the kids' senior year. :) I hope you like!
Chad does design his own t-shirts. It's kind of a weird hobby, designing t-shirts, but he likes that you can sum things up in a few short words. It's kind of like being profound, which he would like to be but is not.
Some of them are pretty brilliant. There's the one that says something like "I come with my own background music" and he once thought of one that said "I have more kinks than my hair." If he had the guts to put that one on a t-shirt, he would. It would shock Ms. Darbus out of the thea-ter for sure.
He gets a lot of compliments for his t-shirts. He gets his reputation for them too: Chad Danforth is that curly-haired basketball player with the t-shirts. It's an all right rep. Not half as good as that gorgeous blue-eyed kid (Troy) dating the cute, nerdy new girl (Gabriella), but not half as bad as that gay theater kid with the pink beret (Ryan). Even though Chad likes the berets. He does. He wouldn't tell a soul but he thinks it's great how Ryan doesn't even care that he has that kind of a reputation--in fact he even seems to revel in it.
He's wearing a lime green fedora today. Chad chucks a crumpled note at it when Mr. Rovario turns his back. It bounces off and Ryan looks around frantically before Chad catches his eye and nods at the floor.
Chad watches him uncrumple it and read what is inside, which he knows is I'd make this one for you: "Sure I'm swishy--I'll swish my wand and put a charm on you." He watches Ryan's face for his reaction. His expression does not betray a single emotion.
Chad's sworn up and down that it's cool that Ryan is gay, that it doesn't matter, once he even vaguely alluded to the possibility that maybe possibly even though he couldn't be sure he might be a little kind of gay too. It's just such a great idea, the slogan. All right, so maybe he'd been up late watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone last night, because he couldn't find any infomercials that weren't the depressing Feed a Kid in Africa kind, and the only other thing that was actually on was some stupid musical about boring high school kids on the Disney Channel. But it would make a great t-shirt.
Ryan scribbles something on the paper and throws it back at Chad as Mr. Rovario is opening the window a little wider.
Cute, it says. But I'm not into fantasy.
Chad writes, Except that you totally loved being in Into the Woods. Admit it.
The return is, There is a difference between fantasy like dragons and magic spells and epic adventures, and fairytales like princesses and beanstalks. How did you know I was in Into the Woods?
Chad doesn't answer the question. Instead he writes, How about this one: "I'd climb your beanstalk."
Ryan lets out a strangled laugh when he reads it. Mr. Rovario looks at him oddly, but Chad covers it with a well-timed sneeze, and all is well.
Chadpunzel, Chadpunzel, let down your hair, is Ryan's reply, and before Chad can write an equally dorky rebuttal, class is over.
Ryan meets Chad and Gabriella on their way to lunch two classes after the one with Mr. Rovario, the same way they do. They always happen to meet at exactly 11:56 (Chad knows this because he is always looking at his watch when Gabriella is around--it is more interesting than hearing her ramble about the last armadillo she saved from certain death, or whatever it is she talks about). Ryan often has candy with him, which he steals from his math teacher's desk. He gives Gabriella her Tootsie Pop but sticks the other into Chad's back pocket, since Chad always saves his for later anyway. Other people probably think that it is weird that Ryan is always putting candy into Chad's back pocket, especially because of the whole gay theater kid with the hats thing, but Chad thinks it is nice. Ryan is a good friend. He always knows how to make things easier, or at least some permutation thereof, for Chad.
Except for the figuring himself out thing. Chad always wants to ask, "How did you know?" so he'll stop being so worried about it, but Ryan hates talking about it and it's already awkward enough to bring up. So Chad does the one thing that he can do to keep Ryan happy to the cost of his own confusion. He figures he'll get that all cleared up eventually, somehow, anyway.
Troy and Taylor are already in line for hot lunch, and Kelsi is sitting at the table. She is staring at her unwrapped sandwich as she taps her fingers methodically onto the wood. Chad and Gabriella part from Ryan to join Kelsi. Chad pulls a soda from his backpack.
"Hi, Kelsi," says Gabriella. "How are you?"
"I think I have a roast beef sandwich," says Kelsi, as if roast beef was more normal an answer to "how are you?" than "fine; what about you?"
Chad swallows a giant gulp of his soda and says, "Roast beef?"
"I don't like roast beef," she explains. "I like bologna, and I thought that's what I made this morning. I think this is my sister's."
Troy is the first to join the brownbaggers. "Hey guys! What's up?" He grins at Gabriella. She smiles back. Chad's eyes meet Ryan's as the latter sits down at the seat opposite.
"I do not know what they think they're serving," he says, grimacing at the food on his tray, "but there is no way that it's been approved."
"By who?" Kelsi wants to know.
Ryan shrugs. "Whoever is in charge of approving school lunches, I guess. Are you going to eat that banana, Chad?" Chad barely has time to respond before Ryan has stolen and is peeling it.
"Guess not," he says, laughing.
"I don't know what they think," Taylor begins as she, too, joins the group, but Troy cuts her off.
"Ryan just said the same exact thing."
"Word stealer!" she says, throwing a mock-glare at Ryan. Ryan sticks his tongue out at her.
"I'll be getting my decisions from Bryn Mawr and Barnard today," says Kelsi, who, after two bites of her apple, has given up on eating entirely. "I'm nervous out of my brain."
"You'll be fine," says Taylor, smiling. "You're wonderful!"
"Easy for you to talk," Gabriella teases. "Miss I've Been Accepted at Princeton since December."
"I'm worried too," says Ryan. His hat is sitting on the bench next to him. "NYU only accepts so many people into their acting program, you know?"
Chad smiles at him. "You'll be okay."
"We all will!" agrees Gabriella. "Let's try not to get too down, okay? Hey, Kelsi, I heard you're writing a new musical?"
Kelsi nods excitedly. "Yeah! It's about--well, I don't really want to give it away."
"No, spill!" says Troy.
Chad tries to attend to the conversation, but his mind is wandering through the halls of Will I Get into College. He applied to three schools--Arizona State University, the University of New Mexico, and, secretly, just to see if he could get in, UCLA. He really wants to get into UCLA, even if he doesn't think he'll make it. He doesn't want to be stuck in New Mexico forever. He gets lost in his thoughts and doesn't even realize when the lunch hour is over and he hasn't eaten a single thing. Ryan looks at him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Hey, can I have your muffin?"
"You mean my blueberry rock? Sure." Ryan hands it over. Their fingers brush the same way they have a thousand times before. Chad still likes the feeling it gives him.
"See you later, man," Chad says, lifting his backpack onto one shoulder and nodding as he walks away. He tries to take a bite of the muffin, but Ryan's right--it's hard as rock. He tosses it into a garbage can and hears a dull thunk as it drops to the bottom.
"Later" is after school, when Sharpay drops Ryan off at Chad's house to study around three. Ryan has been over so often in the past year that Chad's parents don't even blink an eye when he lets himself in and up to Chad's room. Chad, on the other hand, always jumps out of his skin when Ryan opens the door without knocking and breathlessly says hello.
"Hi," says Chad, who is at his computer reading a sports blog by a UCLA student. "Wait a second." He minimizes the window and is confronted by a Youtube video of two boys kissing. He just wants to know how it's done and if it's any different than the way he and Taylor did it, that one time under the awning in front of an ice cream shop. He closes that window quickly and hopes that Ryan has not noticed.
"You have pansies outside," Ryan says, from where he is standing at a window. "They're pretty."
"It's spring," says Chad.
"Sometimes I forget there are seasons." They both laugh.
"We don't actually have any homework tonight, you know." Chad opens a graphics program. "Come here, I have something to show you."
It's the t-shirt about his hair and kinks. It's a pretty cool design--there are curls springing out from the word hair and the first k in kinks is holding a whip. It took a long time to make. He doesn't actually want to print it out or send it to the t-shirt-making place on the internet. He just wants to know what Ryan thinks of it.
Ryan thinks it is hilarious, or so it seems to Chad after Ryan has been laughing for about three minutes.
"That," says Ryan, "is fabulous."
Chad grins. "Really?"
"Yeah. When are you going to make it?"
"I'm not."
"What? Why not?"
"I don't really have the guts."
"But it's so great."
Chad shrugs. He opens another file. "Here's another one--I made it when I was in computer lab earlier this afternoon."
It's a very rough graphic, with a bright red lollipop on one side. The words next to it read, Is that a lollipop in your pants or are you just happy to see me?
"Chad Danforth," says Ryan. "I think you have a dirty mind."
"I got the idea when you gave me the Tootsie Pop earlier," Chad explains, ignoring Ryan's accusation. "It was good, by the way. Thanks."
Ryan smiles. It is a different smile than the kind he usually gives. Chad doesn't know what kind of smile it is. "You're welcome," he says. He says it differently than he usually says things. Chad doesn't know what that means.
"Does Mr. Gregory ever realize that you are basically taking all of his candy?" Chad asks, not thinking about the different smile and the different voice. "Ryan, you heinous thief."
"I don't take it!" protests Ryan. "He offered it to me the first day of class. I just assume that the offer still stands."
Chad laughs. "You," he says, "are insane."
"Yeah, but you know you love me."
That point kicks them across the field from friendly to flirting in point seventeen seconds, and everything in the room turns a little more awkward.
"Yeah," Chad replies. It is something like an admission, though neither of them are about to willingly recognize it as such.
It is quiet for a few seconds before Ryan grabs onto the back of Chad's chair and leans down to see the computer better. He smells nice. Not in any specific way--nothing "uniquely Ryan Evans"--just nice.
"You could, like, be a graphic artist or something," says Ryan, scrutinizing the lollipop image. "You're really good."
Chad might blush were he capable of doing so. As it is, he rubs the back of his neck nervously and says, "Thanks. I guess."
"What are you going to do after school? Like when you grow up and stuff?"
"I--" Chad is taken aback by the question. It's not that he's never thought about it. It's just that neither he nor anyone else have actually asked the question. It's just always been… assumed. "I guess I'm going to play ball."
"What if you get injured or something?"
"Then--I don't know."
Ryan frowns at him. "You should do something with design, I'm serious. You're good."
Chad doesn't remember the last time he has ever been good at anything besides a sport. He tells Ryan that.
Ryan rolls his eyes and then, with unprecedented boldness, kisses Chad on the cheek.
Chad sits there for a moment and then he says, blankly, "Thanks."
Ryan looks pink. "You're welcome," he replies. He moves away and sits down on the bed. They are quiet again until, at the same moment, each of them begin to say something, and then interrupt each other's you firsts.
Finally, Ryan says, "I'll go first."
"Okay," agrees Chad.
"I think you're gay," says Ryan.
"What--?"
"It's just a hunch--"
"I--"
"I don't have very good gaydar; I thought Jason was gay but he's got that thing with Martha, so if you think I'm wrong, that's totally fine. I just, I think you might be, and I don't know why I had to tell you but maybe you feel like you can't tell anyone. I mean, I know how that feels except I had Shar--"
"Ryan?"
Chad laughs. "Dude, chill."
Ryan looks like he is about to say something else but he closes his mouth.
"I am," Chad says. "Or kind of. Anyway, I--"
"You are?"
"Kind of."
"What does that mean?"
"It means--I don't know for sure. I just, like--I have a crush, maybe. On one boy. Not all of them."
"That's not what--"
"I know. Look. Ryan, listen. I think I want to kiss you."
Ryan nearly falls off the bed. "What?"
"I think I want to kiss you," Chad repeats. It takes all of his false, nonexistent courage to make himself stand up, walk across his room, and sit down on the bed next to Ryan. "Can I?"
Ryan seems to consider it. He nods.
When Chad leans in closer, Ryan suddenly shakes his head frantically. "Wait," he says, holding up a hand. "Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Why?"
"I like your hats," Chad explains, and then he presses his lips to Ryan's.
It is a kiss that is almost like Ryan: in other words, just about fabulous. Chad relays this thought to Ryan when they finally pull away from each other.
"That needs to be a t-shirt for me," Ryan says. "It should be pink."
"Coming right up." Chad almost moves away to actually start work on it.
"Not right now," says Ryan. "This is better right now." And they kiss again, and again, and again, and it doesn't matter that Chad is the kid with the t-shirts and Ryan is the kid with the hats when neither of them are wearing the things that are supposed to define them.
Rating: very light PG-13. Maybe PG?
Length: 2500 words
Pairing(s): Ryan/Chad, and of course mentions of Troy/Gabriella (what is HSM fic without the poster couple?)
Summary: Chad doesn't mind his labels.
Note: HSM FICCCC. :D Because there just isn't much really good Ryan/Chad that isn't disgusting. Okay, so this is kind of disgusting fluffy but do you know how hard it is to make these kids UNcheesy? It is right near impossible. This was betaed by the lovely braindead Maartje, who has reminded me to mention that this fic takes place after High School Musical 2. Right about the time I assume High School Musical 3 will take place, even: near the end of the kids' senior year. :) I hope you like!
Chad does design his own t-shirts. It's kind of a weird hobby, designing t-shirts, but he likes that you can sum things up in a few short words. It's kind of like being profound, which he would like to be but is not.
Some of them are pretty brilliant. There's the one that says something like "I come with my own background music" and he once thought of one that said "I have more kinks than my hair." If he had the guts to put that one on a t-shirt, he would. It would shock Ms. Darbus out of the thea-ter for sure.
He gets a lot of compliments for his t-shirts. He gets his reputation for them too: Chad Danforth is that curly-haired basketball player with the t-shirts. It's an all right rep. Not half as good as that gorgeous blue-eyed kid (Troy) dating the cute, nerdy new girl (Gabriella), but not half as bad as that gay theater kid with the pink beret (Ryan). Even though Chad likes the berets. He does. He wouldn't tell a soul but he thinks it's great how Ryan doesn't even care that he has that kind of a reputation--in fact he even seems to revel in it.
He's wearing a lime green fedora today. Chad chucks a crumpled note at it when Mr. Rovario turns his back. It bounces off and Ryan looks around frantically before Chad catches his eye and nods at the floor.
Chad watches him uncrumple it and read what is inside, which he knows is I'd make this one for you: "Sure I'm swishy--I'll swish my wand and put a charm on you." He watches Ryan's face for his reaction. His expression does not betray a single emotion.
Chad's sworn up and down that it's cool that Ryan is gay, that it doesn't matter, once he even vaguely alluded to the possibility that maybe possibly even though he couldn't be sure he might be a little kind of gay too. It's just such a great idea, the slogan. All right, so maybe he'd been up late watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone last night, because he couldn't find any infomercials that weren't the depressing Feed a Kid in Africa kind, and the only other thing that was actually on was some stupid musical about boring high school kids on the Disney Channel. But it would make a great t-shirt.
Ryan scribbles something on the paper and throws it back at Chad as Mr. Rovario is opening the window a little wider.
Cute, it says. But I'm not into fantasy.
Chad writes, Except that you totally loved being in Into the Woods. Admit it.
The return is, There is a difference between fantasy like dragons and magic spells and epic adventures, and fairytales like princesses and beanstalks. How did you know I was in Into the Woods?
Chad doesn't answer the question. Instead he writes, How about this one: "I'd climb your beanstalk."
Ryan lets out a strangled laugh when he reads it. Mr. Rovario looks at him oddly, but Chad covers it with a well-timed sneeze, and all is well.
Chadpunzel, Chadpunzel, let down your hair, is Ryan's reply, and before Chad can write an equally dorky rebuttal, class is over.
Ryan meets Chad and Gabriella on their way to lunch two classes after the one with Mr. Rovario, the same way they do. They always happen to meet at exactly 11:56 (Chad knows this because he is always looking at his watch when Gabriella is around--it is more interesting than hearing her ramble about the last armadillo she saved from certain death, or whatever it is she talks about). Ryan often has candy with him, which he steals from his math teacher's desk. He gives Gabriella her Tootsie Pop but sticks the other into Chad's back pocket, since Chad always saves his for later anyway. Other people probably think that it is weird that Ryan is always putting candy into Chad's back pocket, especially because of the whole gay theater kid with the hats thing, but Chad thinks it is nice. Ryan is a good friend. He always knows how to make things easier, or at least some permutation thereof, for Chad.
Except for the figuring himself out thing. Chad always wants to ask, "How did you know?" so he'll stop being so worried about it, but Ryan hates talking about it and it's already awkward enough to bring up. So Chad does the one thing that he can do to keep Ryan happy to the cost of his own confusion. He figures he'll get that all cleared up eventually, somehow, anyway.
Troy and Taylor are already in line for hot lunch, and Kelsi is sitting at the table. She is staring at her unwrapped sandwich as she taps her fingers methodically onto the wood. Chad and Gabriella part from Ryan to join Kelsi. Chad pulls a soda from his backpack.
"Hi, Kelsi," says Gabriella. "How are you?"
"I think I have a roast beef sandwich," says Kelsi, as if roast beef was more normal an answer to "how are you?" than "fine; what about you?"
Chad swallows a giant gulp of his soda and says, "Roast beef?"
"I don't like roast beef," she explains. "I like bologna, and I thought that's what I made this morning. I think this is my sister's."
Troy is the first to join the brownbaggers. "Hey guys! What's up?" He grins at Gabriella. She smiles back. Chad's eyes meet Ryan's as the latter sits down at the seat opposite.
"I do not know what they think they're serving," he says, grimacing at the food on his tray, "but there is no way that it's been approved."
"By who?" Kelsi wants to know.
Ryan shrugs. "Whoever is in charge of approving school lunches, I guess. Are you going to eat that banana, Chad?" Chad barely has time to respond before Ryan has stolen and is peeling it.
"Guess not," he says, laughing.
"I don't know what they think," Taylor begins as she, too, joins the group, but Troy cuts her off.
"Ryan just said the same exact thing."
"Word stealer!" she says, throwing a mock-glare at Ryan. Ryan sticks his tongue out at her.
"I'll be getting my decisions from Bryn Mawr and Barnard today," says Kelsi, who, after two bites of her apple, has given up on eating entirely. "I'm nervous out of my brain."
"You'll be fine," says Taylor, smiling. "You're wonderful!"
"Easy for you to talk," Gabriella teases. "Miss I've Been Accepted at Princeton since December."
"I'm worried too," says Ryan. His hat is sitting on the bench next to him. "NYU only accepts so many people into their acting program, you know?"
Chad smiles at him. "You'll be okay."
"We all will!" agrees Gabriella. "Let's try not to get too down, okay? Hey, Kelsi, I heard you're writing a new musical?"
Kelsi nods excitedly. "Yeah! It's about--well, I don't really want to give it away."
"No, spill!" says Troy.
Chad tries to attend to the conversation, but his mind is wandering through the halls of Will I Get into College. He applied to three schools--Arizona State University, the University of New Mexico, and, secretly, just to see if he could get in, UCLA. He really wants to get into UCLA, even if he doesn't think he'll make it. He doesn't want to be stuck in New Mexico forever. He gets lost in his thoughts and doesn't even realize when the lunch hour is over and he hasn't eaten a single thing. Ryan looks at him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Hey, can I have your muffin?"
"You mean my blueberry rock? Sure." Ryan hands it over. Their fingers brush the same way they have a thousand times before. Chad still likes the feeling it gives him.
"See you later, man," Chad says, lifting his backpack onto one shoulder and nodding as he walks away. He tries to take a bite of the muffin, but Ryan's right--it's hard as rock. He tosses it into a garbage can and hears a dull thunk as it drops to the bottom.
"Later" is after school, when Sharpay drops Ryan off at Chad's house to study around three. Ryan has been over so often in the past year that Chad's parents don't even blink an eye when he lets himself in and up to Chad's room. Chad, on the other hand, always jumps out of his skin when Ryan opens the door without knocking and breathlessly says hello.
"Hi," says Chad, who is at his computer reading a sports blog by a UCLA student. "Wait a second." He minimizes the window and is confronted by a Youtube video of two boys kissing. He just wants to know how it's done and if it's any different than the way he and Taylor did it, that one time under the awning in front of an ice cream shop. He closes that window quickly and hopes that Ryan has not noticed.
"You have pansies outside," Ryan says, from where he is standing at a window. "They're pretty."
"It's spring," says Chad.
"Sometimes I forget there are seasons." They both laugh.
"We don't actually have any homework tonight, you know." Chad opens a graphics program. "Come here, I have something to show you."
It's the t-shirt about his hair and kinks. It's a pretty cool design--there are curls springing out from the word hair and the first k in kinks is holding a whip. It took a long time to make. He doesn't actually want to print it out or send it to the t-shirt-making place on the internet. He just wants to know what Ryan thinks of it.
Ryan thinks it is hilarious, or so it seems to Chad after Ryan has been laughing for about three minutes.
"That," says Ryan, "is fabulous."
Chad grins. "Really?"
"Yeah. When are you going to make it?"
"I'm not."
"What? Why not?"
"I don't really have the guts."
"But it's so great."
Chad shrugs. He opens another file. "Here's another one--I made it when I was in computer lab earlier this afternoon."
It's a very rough graphic, with a bright red lollipop on one side. The words next to it read, Is that a lollipop in your pants or are you just happy to see me?
"Chad Danforth," says Ryan. "I think you have a dirty mind."
"I got the idea when you gave me the Tootsie Pop earlier," Chad explains, ignoring Ryan's accusation. "It was good, by the way. Thanks."
Ryan smiles. It is a different smile than the kind he usually gives. Chad doesn't know what kind of smile it is. "You're welcome," he says. He says it differently than he usually says things. Chad doesn't know what that means.
"Does Mr. Gregory ever realize that you are basically taking all of his candy?" Chad asks, not thinking about the different smile and the different voice. "Ryan, you heinous thief."
"I don't take it!" protests Ryan. "He offered it to me the first day of class. I just assume that the offer still stands."
Chad laughs. "You," he says, "are insane."
"Yeah, but you know you love me."
That point kicks them across the field from friendly to flirting in point seventeen seconds, and everything in the room turns a little more awkward.
"Yeah," Chad replies. It is something like an admission, though neither of them are about to willingly recognize it as such.
It is quiet for a few seconds before Ryan grabs onto the back of Chad's chair and leans down to see the computer better. He smells nice. Not in any specific way--nothing "uniquely Ryan Evans"--just nice.
"You could, like, be a graphic artist or something," says Ryan, scrutinizing the lollipop image. "You're really good."
Chad might blush were he capable of doing so. As it is, he rubs the back of his neck nervously and says, "Thanks. I guess."
"What are you going to do after school? Like when you grow up and stuff?"
"I--" Chad is taken aback by the question. It's not that he's never thought about it. It's just that neither he nor anyone else have actually asked the question. It's just always been… assumed. "I guess I'm going to play ball."
"What if you get injured or something?"
"Then--I don't know."
Ryan frowns at him. "You should do something with design, I'm serious. You're good."
Chad doesn't remember the last time he has ever been good at anything besides a sport. He tells Ryan that.
Ryan rolls his eyes and then, with unprecedented boldness, kisses Chad on the cheek.
Chad sits there for a moment and then he says, blankly, "Thanks."
Ryan looks pink. "You're welcome," he replies. He moves away and sits down on the bed. They are quiet again until, at the same moment, each of them begin to say something, and then interrupt each other's you firsts.
Finally, Ryan says, "I'll go first."
"Okay," agrees Chad.
"I think you're gay," says Ryan.
"What--?"
"It's just a hunch--"
"I--"
"I don't have very good gaydar; I thought Jason was gay but he's got that thing with Martha, so if you think I'm wrong, that's totally fine. I just, I think you might be, and I don't know why I had to tell you but maybe you feel like you can't tell anyone. I mean, I know how that feels except I had Shar--"
"Ryan?"
Chad laughs. "Dude, chill."
Ryan looks like he is about to say something else but he closes his mouth.
"I am," Chad says. "Or kind of. Anyway, I--"
"You are?"
"Kind of."
"What does that mean?"
"It means--I don't know for sure. I just, like--I have a crush, maybe. On one boy. Not all of them."
"That's not what--"
"I know. Look. Ryan, listen. I think I want to kiss you."
Ryan nearly falls off the bed. "What?"
"I think I want to kiss you," Chad repeats. It takes all of his false, nonexistent courage to make himself stand up, walk across his room, and sit down on the bed next to Ryan. "Can I?"
Ryan seems to consider it. He nods.
When Chad leans in closer, Ryan suddenly shakes his head frantically. "Wait," he says, holding up a hand. "Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Why?"
"I like your hats," Chad explains, and then he presses his lips to Ryan's.
It is a kiss that is almost like Ryan: in other words, just about fabulous. Chad relays this thought to Ryan when they finally pull away from each other.
"That needs to be a t-shirt for me," Ryan says. "It should be pink."
"Coming right up." Chad almost moves away to actually start work on it.
"Not right now," says Ryan. "This is better right now." And they kiss again, and again, and again, and it doesn't matter that Chad is the kid with the t-shirts and Ryan is the kid with the hats when neither of them are wearing the things that are supposed to define them.