A/N: So… my 2nd try in the "The Following" fandom, and this time I had 3 people reading over this fic! Thank you so much, all 3 of you! I think they helped me with all the grammar and spelling errors, and I'm now pretty satisfied with my story. And I seriously hope, some of you will enjoy it as well! =) Comments make me very, very happy, you know, so if you found something you like (and even if you don't), please review. I'm always open for advice to make things even better should I decide to write a 3rd One-Shot about TF! =)
Coherence
After finding out Ryan Hardy had shaken off the two FBI agents following him again, Mike Weston knew he had to do something. With putting himself out there like that, Ryan was in danger and Mike wasn't someone to just watch one of his friends go down without a fight, even though Ryan probably didn't see the whole friendship thing the same way.
Ryan had made it more than clear that he didn't want Mike around, but Mike wasn't someone to give up that easily. Especially not when it came to Ryan Hardy. Ryan was convinced death was following him wherever he went. For this reason he kept everyone at arm's-length. But if he really thought Mike would just stand by and watch him destroy his life – and the life of what was left of his family, should he really die while hunting for Joe Carroll's followers – he was clearly wrong.
Mike had made it his mission to show Ryan that he was trustworthy. If Ryan still felt like he couldn't rely on Mike, then Mike just had to prove him wrong. And he would not let Ryan slip away from him. Not after he had managed to be on his heels for the past two hours without being seen by Ryan. Or so he thought, because all of a sudden Ryan stopped at a coffee-to-go booth and only two minutes later approached Mike with two cups, making Mike curse to himself.
"Mochaccino with sugar if I remember right?" Ryan said coolly when he handed Mike the cup.
Rolling his eyes, Mike hesitated for a moment, then he grabbed it.
"How long have you known I've been here?" he asked grumpily.
"How about right away?" Ryan gave back, taking a sip of his own coffee.
"So why didn't you try to shake me off then?" Mike wanted to know. It made no sense, especially knowing that Ryan hated to be watched because it brought back bad memories.
"I did – I thought running around the city with no apparent goal would do the trick but it obviously didn't." There was a light smirk on Ryan's face.
"Besides, you're not as dumb as those two agents you sent after me. You would have found me again easily," Ryan replied truthfully.
Letting out a sigh, Mike nodded.
"I take that as a compliment."
Pointing to the bench a few feet away, the two men started moving almost at the same second, and sat down on it a moment later.
"So… what are you up to?" Mike tried to start a conversation. "Any new clues?"
Ryan sent him a glare that obviously should have made Mike back off, but he wasn't that easy to get rid of. Not anymore.
"Maybe."
"I assume you're not going to tell me what you found," Mike murmured, staring straight ahead.
They had been at this point before; more than once actually. Ryan found something the FBI was too stupid to see, but instead of working with them he would just keep it to himself and try to catch the bad guys all alone. And it was going to get him killed. It was starting to get really frustrating, Mike had to admit, and still instead of just ratting Ryan out to the FBI he was sitting here, trying to get Ryan to open up to him.
"You assume right," Ryan's voice pulled Mike out of his thoughts, making Mike look at him.
"You know, I really thought we've been over this and that you understand by now that you can't do this alone."
"I'm not alone," Ryan clarified. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Instead you'd rather get hurt yourself." It was somewhat a statement instead of a question and Mike didn't really expect an answer.
But he got one.
"Better than watching any more of the people I care for get hurt."
"You can't do this all by yourself," Mike tried to interject. The second Ryan opened his mouth to reply, there was the ringing sound of a mobile phone very close by, causing both men to look at each other.
"It's not mine," Mike noted, but still he pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket, showing it to Ryan.
"It's not mine either," Ryan replied, looking around.
There was nothing to see nearby, aside from the trashcan standing next to the bench. Ryan and Mike seemed to have the same idea because both men jumped up simultaneously. Ryan was quicker to reach their target, though, and only a few seconds later he pulled a burner phone out of the trashcan.
Grabbing it from him, Mike looked at the display noticing that – of course – the caller ID was blocked. Joe's followers – at least most of them – weren't that stupid, but Mike was still sure it had to be one of them, probably Lilly, since she was the one Ryan had gotten closest to in the last couple of days. Or at least so Mike thought. Ryan had almost caught her right after he had connected the dots and now she was taking the initiative trying to lure him out.
Taking the phone back from Mike, Ryan answered the still ringing phone before Mike had a chance to intervene.
"Who is this?" Ryan asked into the phone while Mike leaned as close as possible. He could tell that Ryan wasn't happy about it but he was here now, whether Ryan liked it or not. And if it was in fact one of Joe's followers he wanted to know.
"Hello Ryan," a female voice carried through the phone.
Ryan let out a sigh.
"Giselle, I assume. What do you want?"
"Vhat everyone vants," the voice gave back with a thick French accent. "You! Joe is gonna be so happy if I welcome him with a little present."
"Who the hell is Giselle?" Mike asked, looking at Ryan who just gave him a sign to shut up. He had really hoped that Ryan had started to become honest with him but obviously nothing had changed; Ryan still kept everything he knew to himself. It seemed to be clear now, though, that Joe Carroll was – in fact – still alive, even though it was somehow hard to believe that he had escaped that fire in the boat house. However, now not only Ryan said it, but also one of his crazy followers. Mike should just have trusted Ryan in this.
"When? Where?" he heard Ryan ask. "Tell me where to meet and I'll be there."
"You think it'z zhat easy?" Giselle laughed, making Mike lean closer again. "I've been watching you, Ryan, and if you don't want your little friend to get hurt, you better come alone. I won't hesitate to shoot him."
"I promise I'll come alone. Just tell me where you are and we can figure something out." Ryan's voice sounded calm and controlled but he was clenching his fist, making Mike notice that he was getting really angry.
"I'll text you ze address, but if I zee anyone else there ze deal's off. Zis is your one chance to set things straight vith Joe," she warned.
"How do I know you're not lying to me right now? How can I be sure you know where he is?" Ryan asked, trying to move away from Mike, but Mike wouldn't let him. Instead, he grabbed Ryan's arm to hold him steady.
"You can't," Giselle gave back. "You vill just have to trust me. The decision is yours. Good-bye, Ryan!"
And then the call ended.
Ryan clutched the phone and stared at the display for a couple of seconds.
Mike could tell that Ryan's thoughts were running on overdrive right now and he was almost afraid to ask his next question, but he knew he had to know the answer.
"You're not really thinking of going to whatever place she's gonna text you, right? You know this is going to be a trap."
"At least it would be over then and I wouldn't have to worry about the people close to me getting hurt anymore," Ryan gave back.
Mike rolled his eyes.
"Yes, because you would be dead."
Ryan turned away from Mike, bringing some distance between them.
"Go home, Mike."
"You know I can't do that," Mike replied, watching Ryan's shoulders slump. "Why don't we bring the phone to the FBI and see if we can trace the call? Maybe we can find out where she is."
"And then what? You really think she's stupid enough to stay in the same place for longer than necessary? I'm sure the phone she called me from was just another burner phone and she probably already dumped it."
Mike had to admit that Ryan was maybe right, but he still couldn't just let Ryan leave and not do anything to help. The mere thought was so completely against his nature that it made the short hair in Mike's neck stand on end.
The beeping sound of the phone Ryan was still holding in his hand pulled Mike out of his thoughts and he was again at Ryan's side right away. He tried to get a look at the address Giselle had chosen as the meeting point, but Ryan's fingers were quicker than Mike's eyes, and before Mike could react in any way, Ryan had already dropped the phone to the ground and stamped on it so any chance of figuring out where Ryan was about to go was destroyed.
"I'm sorry, Mike, but I have to go," Ryan informed him, trying once again to get away from Mike, but again Mike ran after him, grabbing his arm.
"Don't do this, Ryan!" Mike literally begged.
Spinning around Ryan glared at him, and a mere second later Mike felt himself pressed against the wall they had been standing in front of. His back hit the bricks and Ryan's body was so close to his that Mike could feel every breath he took, every little movement in the older man's body. And, he could feel the tension between them.
"Don't you get it, Mike? This is for your own safety. I can't risk losing someone else. Losing you."
His voice was raspy and if Mike didn't know better he would guess Ryan was drinking again. But he knew he wasn't, and what was present in his voice was pure emotion; there was fear in his eyes. Mike didn't doubt for a single second that this was the real reason Ryan didn't want him to come along, and without being able to control it he felt his heartbeat speeding up.
"But I have to stand by and watch you getting yourself killed?" Mike asked quietly. "I'm sorry, Ryan, but I can't do that. I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not."
"No, you're not!" Ryan almost shouted, his hands clinging to Mike's shirt.
"Yes, I am," Mike clarified, looking straight into Ryan's eyes. "You can't keep me from doing so unless you shoot me right here, right now."
A shocked expression appeared on Ryan's face. "You don't mean that."
"Try me," Mike challenged, trying to get out of Ryan's grip. "We're friends and I'm not letting you meet up with a psychotic killer all by yourself. So where are we going?"
Letting out a sigh Ryan rolled his eyes.
"Please, Mike," he tried again, but immediately Mike interrupted him.
"Either we both go, or neither of us. I can arrest you right here, right now. For obstruction of justice, for not telling the FBI that you were in contact with one of Carroll's followers, and believe me, I will if I have to." It was a warning, but he knew one look into his eyes and Ryan would know he meant it.
This was probably the reason he nodded.
"Okay, fine. But promise me at least one thing," he murmured, finally letting go of Mike completely.
"What?" Mike asked, eyeballing him suspiciously. "Don't try to trick me, Ryan. I'm not gonna leave your side."
"Promise me that you'll stay back. She can't know you're there. She can't see you under any circumstances."
Well, that was at least a compromise Mike could accept and he was damn glad that Ryan had finally given in; even though Mike could tell that he didn't like the idea of dragging him along. It was either that, or neither of them would go to the meeting point, though.
For a moment, Mike considered texting Mendez to request backup, but then he thought better of it. He knew he would lose Ryan's trust completely if he went behind his back like that and besides, they could deal with one psycho bitch together, right? Unless she was bringing backup too, of course – something they couldn't completely rule out – but that was a risk Mike was willing to take.
"Okay, fine!" Mike nodded. "But at the first sign of her trying to make a move you I'm gonna pull you out of there. I'll shoot her if I have to."
"Oh, believe me, me too! I'm not gonna let her get away a second time," Ryan replied, making Mike tilt his head.
"When did you meet her the first time?"
Ryan took a look at his watch. "I'll explain everything later. We don't have the time right now. Let's get going."
Ryan didn't need to ask twice.
Immediately, the two men started walking and, just like promised, Mike stayed a few feet behind him. Even though Mike had no idea where Ryan would lead him, he was not going to let him out of his sight. Especially now, knowing that Ryan had put himself in danger yet again. Some day, his obsession with Joe Carroll would get him killed, even though deep down Mike hoped that day would never come.
They walked down to the underground station and Mike made sure to keep an eye on Ryan despite the distance between them. He just hoped Ryan wouldn't try to get away from him to deal with that Giselle chick alone, but he would just have to trust him in this. Ryan had agreed to let him come along, and he just needed to believe that he would keep his promise.
About fifteen minutes passed until Ryan got off his seat and moved towards the train doors, and when it stopped, he got out. Immediately Mike jumped off his own seat and got out as well, watching Ryan go up the escalator. He just hoped those people were not still watching Ryan, because if they saw him – Mike – they would probably not show up at the meeting point at all and then he would have destroyed Ryan's only lead on finding Joe Carroll. They needed that woman alive because she was obviously one of the few people to be able to tell them more about Joe's whereabouts.
When Mike reached the end of the escalator and looked out for Ryan, he was nowhere to be seen anymore. Clenching his fist, Mike let out a few cuss words waking out of the station when, all of a sudden, he felt someone grab his arm and drag him into a dark alley. A hand was pressed against his mouth, keeping him from screaming – not that he would have done it anyways – and then, he finally recognized Ryan as his attacker, Ryan's blue eyes boring into him.
"Shht!" he whispered, pressing him against the wall and looking around suspiciously removing his hand. "We're almost there, and we need to find you a hiding spot."
"Are you sure this is gonna work out?" Mike said just as quietly, watching Ryan frown.
"It has to. But if you have any doubts I'm gonna get you out of here right now. I'm not risking exposing you to those psychopaths."
"No, I'm good," Mike reassured him. "We're going to get through this together. We'll catch this bitch and then we'll question her."
"It might get you in trouble doing this without informing the FBI," Ryan warned.
Shrugging, Mike looked into his eyes.
"I don't care. Let's do this."
They walked a small distance together until Ryan stopped in front of a huge construction site that looked like it was about to become an office building or the like. There were no workers there – but considering it was late, and already getting dark there was no real surprise – and there were also a lot of hiding spaces. Mike just knew being here was dangerous for both of them, and if Giselle really brought someone else in there it would be difficult to make it out.
"We're here," Ryan whispered. "Giselle wanted to meet me on the second floor of the building. You better stay down here."
"No way!" Mike disagreed immediately. "I told you I'm not gonna let you out of my sight. I need to be there just in case she tries something."
Ryan let out an exasperated sigh, reaching for his gun.
"Okay, then come on!"
Starting to run towards the stairway Mike followed him on the heels. When they stood in front of the door that would lead them to the meeting point, Mike took out his gun as well, just in case, even though Mike seriously hoped he wouldn't need it.
"She's probably already here, so stay out here. I'm going in there alone," Ryan decided. Before Mike had even the slightest chance to object, Ryan had already opened the door and then he was gone, making Mike curse quietly.
"Idiot!"
He had a bad feeling about this and he wasn't sure if staying here in hiding – not knowing what was happening out there – was really a good idea because he couldn't see or hear anything from where he was.
Hesitating for a moment, Mike finally made a decision and slowly opened the door, peering outside. He saw Ryan right away, standing in the middle of the otherwise empty area, looking around.
"Giselle! Come out! I'm here to talk."
"Viz your gun in your hand?" a female voice asked. Then a dark haired woman appeared from behind one of the pillars.
She carried a gun as well and didn't hesitate to point it at Ryan, making Ryan take a step back.
It took a lot for Mike to stay calm and stay in hiding, watching Ryan trying to defuse the situation. If she tried something, though, anything, Mike would not hesitate to put a bullet into her head, only lead to Joe or not. Ryan's life was more important than whoever that chick was. Besides, Mike was sure she wasn't working alone anyways and they just needed to find whomever she was connected to.
"Look who's talking," Ryan gave back, placing the gun back in his holster and lifting his hands in defense. "I'm not here to arrest you, I swear. I'm not even working for the FBI anymore."
"And yet you're alvays on our heels and seem to know a lot more about us than anyone of those stupid agents," Giselle stated matter-of-factly, walking towards Ryan. The clicking sound of her releasing the gun's safety catch made Mike frown. "Vhat makes you think I'm not gonna shoot you right here, right now?"
"If you wanted to shoot me, you would have already done it." Ryan's voice sounded calm, but the way his shoulders tensed proved otherwise. Mike just hoped Giselle wouldn't catch onto it.
"Maybe…" Giselle leaned against one of the pillars, trying to stare Ryan down. "I can bring you to Joe, you know."
"And then what? Let him have all the fun with me?" Ryan asked, tilting his head.
"You have no idea," Giselle replied. "If I bring you to him I'll scale up in 'is 'ierarchy. I'll be 'is number two and ve can finally get rid of zhat bitch Emma. She seems to be under 'is personal protection, but if I prove myself more useful zan 'er, 'e'll finally see zat she's noting more zan a pretty face."
"So you're jealous?" Ryan challenged, walking towards the woman until she grabbed her gun with both hands, pointing it at him again.
"One more step and you're dead. I'm sure Joe will be 'appy with you vhether I bring you alive or just your body."
Again, Ryan raised his hands, taking a step back again. All of a sudden Mike heard steps and then he saw another person with a gun sneaking up behind Ryan. That was it. Enough was enough.
Pushing the door open with a loud sound, Mike unlatched his gun, causing not only Ryan but also Giselle and the other guy to stare at him.
"One more step towards him and you're dead!" Mike warned.
Giselle's eyes sparkled angrily.
"I zought you were a man of honour, 'ardy, but I obviously vas wrong. I'm gonna kill you!" she spat out, and then everything happened pretty quickly.
Giselle tried to shoot Ryan, but before she could, Mike had already pulled the trigger, and only a few seconds later she sank to the ground. There was another shot and Mike felt a sharp pain pass through him like a bolt, making him sway.
"Mike!" he heard Ryan shout. There was another bang before his legs gave away underneath him, and everything went black.
...
He had no idea how long he had been out, but when he regained consciousness again he felt something soft underneath his head, and a hand was on one of his cheeks. Slowly, he started opening his eyes. At first it was just a blurry vision, but then the features became clearer and he recognized Ryan's face looking down on him. It almost felt like some kind of déjà-vu, and Mike could only imagine how pissed Ryan must be with him.
"Mike, thank god!" Ryan blurted out. There was so much relief in his voice that it made Mike's stomach flutter.
"Giselle?" Mike managed to say. His mouth was dry and his shoulder hurt.
"She got away. And the guy's dead," Ryan informed him, not looking very happy about those facts.
"I'm sorry," Mike apologized, trying to sit up, but immediately he felt the sharp pain in his shoulder again and hissed.
"The ambulance should be here any second," Ryan murmured, his eyes meeting Mike's. "Try to not move too much."
"I don't need an ambulance," Mike rejected, getting to his feet and taking a few deep breaths before he touched his shoulder. It hurt, but it wasn't that bad. He probably just blacked out because of the pain. He was still bleeding, though, and so he pressed his hand against the injury instinctively.
"If this guy had been a better shot, you would be dead right now," Ryan pressed out through gritted teeth.
"It's just a graze; I'll survive." Mike replied, looking around, before he walked towards the dead body. "Who is he?"
"I don't know," Ryan gave back. "He didn't have any ID on him, but I informed the FBI. I'm gonna let them deal with him for now. Let's get you out of here."
Letting out a sigh, Mike looked at Ryan.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen."
"Save it," Ryan spat out, walking towards the door they came in through.
Mike followed him right away, and when they were about to leave the building, the first police cars showed up. Mike watched Ryan talk to Mendez for a moment, and he could tell that she wasn't really happy about their solo attempt. One look in her eyes was enough for Mike to know that this would have consequences for him, but he would deal with that tomorrow. Right now he just wanted to go home and take a shower. And he also really wanted to make things right with Ryan.
"You should really let a paramedic check your arm," Ryan said when he came back to Mike, looking at him.
There seemed to be a huge distance between them all of a sudden, despite the close proximity they were standing in currently, and the tone of Ryan's voice sent uncomfortable shivers down Mike's spine. He had messed up, and he knew it, but if he hadn't reacted Ryan would probably be dead by now and Mike couldn't let that happen.
"Yeah, okay," Mike agreed before walking over to the ambulance and sitting down so the doctors could examine him. It took only a couple of minutes and when they were done with him he had a thick bandage around his arm. Other than that, everything seemed to be fine again. They had also given him something for the pain and advised him to go home and get some rest.
Hopping off the stretcher, Mike watched a few of his colleagues enter the crime scene, considering for a moment to go in there and help, but he was sure Mendez didn't want him in there at all. He could give his statement tomorrow, even though he couldn't tell them much anyway. He had barely seen the guy that shot at him and he had only seen Giselle from a very far distance.
"Ready?" he heard Ryan's voice all of a sudden, tilting his head.
"Oh, you're still here!" Mike couldn't deny that he was surprised, but then again, Ryan had never left him hurt, even if that meant letting the suspects get away. When he had been shot by one of Joe's followers wearing a bulletproof vest, Ryan had stayed with him until he had made sure Mike was really okay. When he had been beaten up, Ryan had even ridden with him in the ambulance. Or so they had told him afterwards. And Ryan had been by his side when he had finally woken up again after a few days of unconsciousness. He had just always been there.
"Where else would I be?" Ryan pulled him out of his thoughts, looking at him.
"Well – you could have gone home," Mike replied, looking down on the ground. "But thanks for staying."
"Don't worry about it." Ryan waved dismissively. "Now let's go."
And there it was again, the distance in Ryan's voice. It made Mike feel really uncomfortable. Still, he was too scared to say anything, and so they spent the ride to Mike's apartment in unusual silence.
As soon as the door shut after Ryan, however, Mike just couldn't remain silent any longer.
"Okay, what's wrong?" he asked directly, looking at Ryan. "I get that you're angry and that I messed up, but you can't just ignore me."
"Have you any idea what you have done?" Ryan pressed out, moving towards Mike so quickly that Mike stumbled back, staring at him in surprise.
"I'm sorry about Giselle, I-" he tried to say, but Ryan cut him off mid-sentence.
"Who cares about Giselle? I found her once; I can find her again. I'm talking about you. Are you weary of life or something? Why did you feel the need to show yourself to those psychopaths?" There was an angry glint in his eyes, and when he walked closer to Mike, Mike instinctively walked back until he felt his shoulders hit the wall. "You wanna get killed? Is that it, Mike? They had guns for fuck's sake."
"I know!" Mike said out loud. "But if I hadn't done anything you would be dead now, so a simple 'thank you' would do the trick."
"Thank you for what?" Ryan shouted, pressing his palms against the walls, trapping Mike. "Have you any idea what I felt when I heard the shot and saw you pass out? I thought you were dead. I thought they had managed to take another person from me."
Tension was building between them, and Mike had no idea what to do or say anymore. There were so many emotions showing in Ryan's eyes and he had no idea how to read them.
"But I'm not dead. I'm here, Ryan. I'm alive," Mike said, gently grabbing one of Ryan's wrists and guiding it towards his chest, where his heart was beating rapidly through his skin. "I'm alive," he repeated, whispering.
Ryan's eyes started shining as if he was about to cry any second, but, just like typical Ryan, he blinked them away. His face moved towards Mike's.
"You could have died," he spoke under his breath.
The look on his face made Mike's knees go weak and his gaze wandered to Ryan's lips. As if Ryan had read his thoughts, his lips slid firmly against his, as if testing the waters.
Mike's eyes snapped open in surprise. He had never kissed a guy before, not once, and the feeling was new and strange. But in that exact same moment, he realized that it was what he wanted, what he had wanted all along. Maybe for a very long time, even though he hadn't been aware of it.
When he didn't pull back, Ryan saw this as a sign and increased the pressure, while the hand that had just been on Mike's chest came to rest on his hip. Ryan's tongue started licking over his bottom lip and Mike didn't hesitate and opened his mouth right away to let it in. A moan escaped Mike's throat and he relaxed against the kiss, returning it tentatively.
Mike wasn't sure if they were doing the right thing, if Ryan wouldn't regret it as soon as whatever this led to was over, but he also couldn't bring himself to stop it. In fact, quite the opposite. He was already a shivering mess, clinging to Ryan as if his life depended on it. Nothing else mattered anymore and all he wanted in this very moment was to get his hands on Ryan's body, everywhere on his body.
Over and over again Ryan kissed him, fighting a battle with his tongue neither of them were about to win. He was breathing in heavily through his nose as if he was about to dive under water as he pulled Mike closer to his body, and the little groan that was coming out of his mouth made the blood rush into Mike's groin. Damn! It had been way too long since somebody had kissed him this way, and he felt like his whole body was on fire. He had always been very sensitive to touches, especially when it was someone that meant something to him, and even though Mike wasn't completely sure what exactly Ryan meant to him, he knew it was deeper than friendship. He trusted him with his life and once again, Ryan had probably saved his life. It seemed to become a thing between them.
Shaking off his thoughts, Mike's hands wandered to Ryan's shoulders and he pushed his suit jacket off before his fingers started opening the buttons on Ryan's shirt. He had just placed both of his hands on Ryan's chest when suddenly Ryan caught both of his wrists, pulling back from the kiss.
"We… we shouldn't do this," he breathed out. "You're hurt."
"I'm… I'm good," Mike assured him, moving towards Ryan's body. "I want this, Ryan. I want you."
"This is going to put a huge target on your back. If anyone finds out-" Ryan murmured, but Mike interrupted him right away.
"I don't care. Stop talking!"
And before Ryan could say another word, Mike had already rushed forward and captured his lips in another fiery kiss. Ryan's hands slid down his back and came to rest on Mike's ass, making Mike moan again. Without warning, Ryan heaved him up and all Mike could do in response was wrap his legs around Ryan's waist and let him carry him to the bedroom. He found himself on his back with Ryan right on top of him a moment later. Feeling Ryan's body so close to his made him shiver in anticipation, and all he wanted was more. So much more of this. So much more of Ryan.
Ryan seemed to have overcome all of his doubts, because he made short work of undressing Mike. First his jacket had to go, then he pulled his shirt over his head, and before Mike even knew what was happening Ryan's hands had already unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down the zipper.
Mike was putty in Ryan's arms and all he wanted was to feel Ryan, feel him deep inside of him, no matter the consequences he would have to face afterwards. Ryan seemed to know exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it, making Mike enjoy every single second of his foreplay. He could feel Ryan's hands everywhere on his body; his lips were caressing and nuzzling him with a tenderness Mike had never experienced before, and when Ryan started preparing him for what was about to come, when he felt the first of Ryan's fingers breaching him, he was a whimpering mess.
He hadn't even been aware when Ryan had gotten rid of the rest of his clothes; he only noticed it when Ryan was leaning over him, his hard cock rubbing against Mike's.
"Are you ready?" Ryan asked gently, looking deep into his eyes.
In this moment, Mike knew he had never wanted something or someone as bad as he wanted Ryan, and he knew not stopping Ryan when he had first kissed him had been the right decision.
"Yes! Yes, I'm ready," Mike replied, capturing Ryan's lips in another kiss and spreading his legs even further than before to give Ryan a better access.
The moment Ryan finally entered him it felt like someone was lifting a weight off Mike's shoulders. It was like what was happening right now was something that had been destined to happen for a long time, even though neither of them realized it. It was neither extremely gentle, nor romantic; it was just the right amount of pleasure and pain and it made Mike feel alive again. More than he had felt in a very long time, and when Ryan started thrusting into him, first slowly, then harder and harder, all Mike could do was cling to the sheets and move with him.
Over and over again their hips met. Mike's hands buried into the skin on Ryan's shoulders and he arched his back, trying to push up against him. Each of Ryan's thrusts sent jolts of pleasure through Mike's body and he tried desperately to hold on as long as possible, knowing he would soon lose this battle.
Sweat was covering his whole body and he felt like he was on fire. Ryan's moans became louder, his movements more and more erratic, letting Mike know that he wouldn't last much longer either, and it made Mike give up on the little bit of control he had left. Ryan's hand found his cock, starting to rub and massage it in time with his thrusts, and that was the last straw for Mike.
"Ryan," Mike managed to say hoarsely as he felt his body tighten in warning.
"Mike, oh god, Mike," Ryan hissed as he went over the edge, his hips losing their rhythm and jerking erratically as he emptied himself in Mike's body, dragging Mike with him over the edge.
Mike cried out in pleasure as Ryan rode out his orgasm. Every muscle in his already tense body tightened and his toes curled involuntarily. Sinking down onto the mattress he closed his eyes, enjoying the aftershocks of his climax.
Wrapping his arms around Ryan's body as he nuzzled against him, he started stroking his back absently, not wanting to let go ever again, even though he knew he probably had to. They probably needed to talk about this eventually, just not now. Not tonight. He just wanted to fall asleep in Ryan's arms and not think about tomorrow. When he felt Ryan pull him closer and press a soft kiss to his lips before he pulled the blanket over them, he knew that Ryan felt the same. There were no words needed, and when he closed his eyes and drifted off to a light slumber, he just wished that Ryan would still be there when he woke up again.