Ryan's Books
Title: Ryan's Books
Author: Corliamat
Chapter: Preface
Summary: Completely AU tale of friendships, first-meetings, endings and new beginnings.
Pairing(s): Leading to Ry/Col, and others will crop up along the way
Rating: G for this particular chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline.
Author's notes: This is the story that got wiped out. Its all hand-written so i'll be posting chapters as I type them up. I decided to do a preface regarding Ryan's background because its less complicated and easier to read than putting it into the chapters.
As I stated, this is completely AU so i've taken a few liberties with ages, birth-places etc.
The main characters in this will be: Ryan, Colin, Greg, Drew, Wayne, Brad, Jeff, Chip and Sandi Toksvig. The majority of it is written already in rough drafts, tho i'm still debating whether or not to bring Tony Slattery into it as a love-interest for Greg. I kinda like the idea of those two together.
Warnings: Lots of plot ahead and it'll be a while before Ryan and Colin get together. There will be angsty times ahead, mainly for Colin who has a pretty hard time of it.
I think that's about it...
Preface
Ryan Stiles was finally living his dream.
He smiled to himself as he stirred his coffee, taking it out to the shop counter and surveying his book store.
Finally, at the age of forty he had pretty much all he wanted in life.
He owned his house and business outright, thanks largely to a very generous settlement from his grandfather's will.
His grandfather had nurtured Ryan's love for the written word since his early childhood.
Ryan's American father was a military man and his Canadian mother did her best at raising him and his four brothers basically on her own.
Needless to say her time was stretched to capacity and he kind of fell by the wayside, being one of the middle brothers.
His grandfather had been his lifeline; sitting with him night after night, teaching him to read, to understand the words he was reading. Ryan could never remember a time when his grandfather had said "I'm too tired" or "I'm too busy"; Ryan would ask and grandpa would smile, stop whatever he was doing and sit with his favourite grandson
"When I grow up, I’m gonna own my own book store and have every book in the world and they'll all be free for people to take and there'll be sandwiches" he proudly announced the night of his fifth birthday.
"Can I be your first customer?" his grandfather had chuckled.
"You can come work for me. I'll pay you a million dollars a week!"
His grandfather hadn't lived to see Ryan finally bring his ambition to life.
Ryan had nervously come out to his parents at the age of eighteen, only to be ordered out of the house by his outraged father.
He'd left the family home in Vancouver, carrying nothing but his favourite book and a hundred dollars, and spent three years drifting from place to place, earning just enough money in each town to move onto the next; finally ending up in San Fransisco.
It was there he met an acid-tongued bitchy young 'queen' called Greg Proops.
"That's your idea of young and attractive bar staff?" Greg had snorted derisively at the manager of his local gay bar, all the time looking Ryan's bony form up and down, curling his lip in disgust.
Smiling brightly at the young man, Ryan slowly and deliberately ran his gaze over the shorter , slender form, stopping briefly to examine the slightly rounded face, black-rimmed spectacles and mousey hair styled into a
Quiff.
"Why Bob" Ryan grinned at the now nervous manager, "you didn't tell me the cabaret tonight would be a Buddy Holly impersonator."
Greg had looked deeply into Ryan's eyes for a few seconds before smirking and nodding. "Can we keep him?"
He had been officially taken under Greg's wing from that night onwards as his new friend steered "the apprentice" through his personal list of do's and don'ts regarding the San Fransisco scene.
Greg had helped him find his first apartment, Ryan finally having an address for his beloved Grandfather to reply to all the letters he had sent him over the years; even opening up a tentative correspondence with his parents.
In turn he'd become a regular 'practice head' for Greg who was training to become a hairdresser, sharing his dream with Ryan to eventually own his own business.
That dream had become a painful reality a few months before Ryan's thirtieth birthday.
Ryan had woken in a cold sweat one night, trying to fuzzily recall a dream about his grandfather, dread circling inside his stomach like a shark round a slowly sinking boat.
A tearful phone call from his mother the next morning had confirmed his fears.
His mentor, hero, the man he loved and admired most in the world had succumbed to a heart attack at the age of eighty-six.
He'd decided to move back to Vancouver permanently after the funeral, feeling an almost desperate need to keep his parents close.
Ryan's grandfather had lived alone during the latter years of his life, subsequently willing his house and most of his life-savings to the young man he had guided; the stipulation being that Ryan would use the money to 'make his dream a reality'.
It was this promise that kept Ryan going through the difficult, early years of setting up his business.
Greg had joined him a year later, needing a fresh start and moving into one of the spare rooms of his spacious town-house.
Dividing the bills had been a tremendous help, for both of them.
Ryan would always be grateful to his old friend for sharing those difficult times with him; Greg's enthusiasm for life making even the need to eat cheap noodles and beans on toast for dinner every night seem like an adventure.
Greg had been more of a brother to Ryan than his own blood.
They had never attempted a romantic relationship, their bond and love running too deeply to even contemplate it. Instead they had been there for each other through countless failed relationships and upheavals.
So, ten years on, Ryan Stiles had pretty much everything he wanted in life.
Pretty much.
Unbeknownst to him however, his mostly-perfect, stable existence was about to be spectacularly turned on its head............
Next
Author: Corliamat
Chapter: Preface
Summary: Completely AU tale of friendships, first-meetings, endings and new beginnings.
Pairing(s): Leading to Ry/Col, and others will crop up along the way
Rating: G for this particular chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline.
Author's notes: This is the story that got wiped out. Its all hand-written so i'll be posting chapters as I type them up. I decided to do a preface regarding Ryan's background because its less complicated and easier to read than putting it into the chapters.
As I stated, this is completely AU so i've taken a few liberties with ages, birth-places etc.
The main characters in this will be: Ryan, Colin, Greg, Drew, Wayne, Brad, Jeff, Chip and Sandi Toksvig. The majority of it is written already in rough drafts, tho i'm still debating whether or not to bring Tony Slattery into it as a love-interest for Greg. I kinda like the idea of those two together.
Warnings: Lots of plot ahead and it'll be a while before Ryan and Colin get together. There will be angsty times ahead, mainly for Colin who has a pretty hard time of it.
I think that's about it...
Preface
Ryan Stiles was finally living his dream.
He smiled to himself as he stirred his coffee, taking it out to the shop counter and surveying his book store.
Finally, at the age of forty he had pretty much all he wanted in life.
He owned his house and business outright, thanks largely to a very generous settlement from his grandfather's will.
His grandfather had nurtured Ryan's love for the written word since his early childhood.
Ryan's American father was a military man and his Canadian mother did her best at raising him and his four brothers basically on her own.
Needless to say her time was stretched to capacity and he kind of fell by the wayside, being one of the middle brothers.
His grandfather had been his lifeline; sitting with him night after night, teaching him to read, to understand the words he was reading. Ryan could never remember a time when his grandfather had said "I'm too tired" or "I'm too busy"; Ryan would ask and grandpa would smile, stop whatever he was doing and sit with his favourite grandson
"When I grow up, I’m gonna own my own book store and have every book in the world and they'll all be free for people to take and there'll be sandwiches" he proudly announced the night of his fifth birthday.
"Can I be your first customer?" his grandfather had chuckled.
"You can come work for me. I'll pay you a million dollars a week!"
His grandfather hadn't lived to see Ryan finally bring his ambition to life.
Ryan had nervously come out to his parents at the age of eighteen, only to be ordered out of the house by his outraged father.
He'd left the family home in Vancouver, carrying nothing but his favourite book and a hundred dollars, and spent three years drifting from place to place, earning just enough money in each town to move onto the next; finally ending up in San Fransisco.
It was there he met an acid-tongued bitchy young 'queen' called Greg Proops.
"That's your idea of young and attractive bar staff?" Greg had snorted derisively at the manager of his local gay bar, all the time looking Ryan's bony form up and down, curling his lip in disgust.
Smiling brightly at the young man, Ryan slowly and deliberately ran his gaze over the shorter , slender form, stopping briefly to examine the slightly rounded face, black-rimmed spectacles and mousey hair styled into a
Quiff.
"Why Bob" Ryan grinned at the now nervous manager, "you didn't tell me the cabaret tonight would be a Buddy Holly impersonator."
Greg had looked deeply into Ryan's eyes for a few seconds before smirking and nodding. "Can we keep him?"
He had been officially taken under Greg's wing from that night onwards as his new friend steered "the apprentice" through his personal list of do's and don'ts regarding the San Fransisco scene.
Greg had helped him find his first apartment, Ryan finally having an address for his beloved Grandfather to reply to all the letters he had sent him over the years; even opening up a tentative correspondence with his parents.
In turn he'd become a regular 'practice head' for Greg who was training to become a hairdresser, sharing his dream with Ryan to eventually own his own business.
That dream had become a painful reality a few months before Ryan's thirtieth birthday.
Ryan had woken in a cold sweat one night, trying to fuzzily recall a dream about his grandfather, dread circling inside his stomach like a shark round a slowly sinking boat.
A tearful phone call from his mother the next morning had confirmed his fears.
His mentor, hero, the man he loved and admired most in the world had succumbed to a heart attack at the age of eighty-six.
He'd decided to move back to Vancouver permanently after the funeral, feeling an almost desperate need to keep his parents close.
Ryan's grandfather had lived alone during the latter years of his life, subsequently willing his house and most of his life-savings to the young man he had guided; the stipulation being that Ryan would use the money to 'make his dream a reality'.
It was this promise that kept Ryan going through the difficult, early years of setting up his business.
Greg had joined him a year later, needing a fresh start and moving into one of the spare rooms of his spacious town-house.
Dividing the bills had been a tremendous help, for both of them.
Ryan would always be grateful to his old friend for sharing those difficult times with him; Greg's enthusiasm for life making even the need to eat cheap noodles and beans on toast for dinner every night seem like an adventure.
Greg had been more of a brother to Ryan than his own blood.
They had never attempted a romantic relationship, their bond and love running too deeply to even contemplate it. Instead they had been there for each other through countless failed relationships and upheavals.
So, ten years on, Ryan Stiles had pretty much everything he wanted in life.
Pretty much.
Unbeknownst to him however, his mostly-perfect, stable existence was about to be spectacularly turned on its head............
Next