To say Ryan Hardy took possessiveness to a new level would be a severe understatement. Before Chloe and Caiden Ryan might give a second look to someone who flat out flirted with Mike, but Ryan would wait until they got home and 9 times out of 10 they could settle the issue with minimal fighting. But this was just ridiculous, Mike and Ryan were visiting Jenny for the weekend with the twins. Jenny had invited a few friends over as well, and one in particular had taken a liking to Mike.
"I'm Jason, I take it you must be Mike. Jenny talks about you all the time." Mike turned from the window and looked over his shoulder to see a guy about his age with dark brown hair and green eyes staring him like he was his next meal.
"Yeah...can I help you?" He asked feeling a little uncomfortable with the way Jason kept staring at him. Where the hell was Ryan when you needed him?
"You know Jenny told me you were absolutely adorable and she was right, kinda hard to believe you're single." Surely this man was going on his own assumptions, Jenny wouldn't risk hurting her brother by trying to split the two of them up.
"Um...I'm not actually. I'm here with Ryan, Jenny's brother." Jason's eyes darkened and he moved impossibly closer backing Mike into a corner.
"Young thing like you with an old, washed up thing like Ryan? Now that I find hard to believe." Mike gritted his teeth and was about to tell him off before a hand landed on Jason's shoulder. He turned and before he could say anything Ryan's hand had connected with his face.
"I may be old and washed up, but I can still kick your ass." A group of people had clumped around them and were whispering, some telling others what had happened while others just stared in awe.
"I think it's time to leave." Mike whispered grabbing Ryan's arm and trying to drag him out of Jenny's apartment but Ryan had other plans.
"I suggest next time you stay far away from him." Ryan growled low in Jason's ear. Jason looked up, eyes full of anger but he nodded signaling her understood. Ryan walked off and picked up both a sleeping Chloe and Caiden storming out of the apartment. Mike bit his lip and sent an apologetic look to Jenny.
"Go on, make sure he doesn't murder someone." He gave Jenny a hug and waved awkwardly to everyone else before running down the stairs and out to the car where Ryan was just finishing putting Caiden's car seat.
"What the hell was that about?" Mike asked getting in the passenger side and getting himself buckled. Ryan shook his head and motioned towards the car seats.
"Wait until we get home." So Mike settled for biting his tongue and staring at the window for the ride home. Once they got in the house Mike set to undressing Chloe and getting her into her pajamas while Ryan got Caiden ready. Ryan motioned for Mike to walk out first and turned off the light closing the door quietly.
"You wanna tell me what all that was about now?" He asked as Ryan started undressing his button down shirt.
"He wasn't gonna leave you alone...so I stepped in." Mike snorted and rolled his eyes.
"No Ry, stepping in is telling him to leave me alone. You broke the man's jaw." Ryan shrugged and looked to Mike, hurt and anger in his eyes.
"Why do you care so much that I hurt him?" He had to be joking.
"Ryan this isn't like killing a follower, he was an innocent guy who couldn't grasp the concept I wasn't single." Ryan shook his head and a sarcastic laugh followed.
"Or maybe you agree with him." Ryan said walking over pinning Mike into a corner.
"The hell are you talking about Ryan?" A hand slammed into the wall right beside his face and he flinched back a bit. Ryan was seriously pissed off but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.
"If you wanna leave Mike leave, but don't play stupid and act like you don't know what I'm talking about."
"You think I'm gonna leave you for Jason?" Mike's voice sounded small even to him. Ryan flinched hearing the vulnerability in the younger man's voice.
"Or someone like him. Like Jason said, I'm old and washed up so why would you stay?" Mike just chuckled and shook his head.
"If you really have that little faith in me maybe I should go." Ryan bit his jaw and Mike felt his heart sinking when he realised Ryan wasn't saying anything.
"Maybe you should." Mike nodded and wiped a tear that had fallen.
"Right...bye Ryan." He whispered the last part and walked out of their room closing the door quietly. He walked into the nursery and kissed Chloe and Caiden's heads before walking downstairs to the kitchen. He slumped down in a chair and put his head in his hands letting the tears fall. What the hell had happened? Why did this one fight set both him and Ryan on edge?
"Mike?" Ryan's voice came, from somewhere in front of him. He lifted his head and saw Ryan was standing there with an equally broken face. He stood and wiped his tears from his cheeks.
"I was just leaving." He said going to walk around Ryan but a hand on his wrist stopped him.
"Dance with me Mike." Ryan turned the radio on and Stay by Florida Georgia Line softly played from the speakers. Ryan held his hand out and Mike stared for a minute fighting on if he should or not before placing his hand on top of Ryan's. "I'm sorry." Ryan whispered in his ear.
"Sorry doesn't always fix everything Ry." He found himself answering just as softly.
"What do you want me to say Mikey? I'm sorry that I screwed up and I'm an overprotective jerk? You already knew that last part." Despite his best efforts Mike found himself laughing at Ryan's comment. "Don't go Mike, God don't go." Ryan's hands gripped him a little tighter and he could feel a wet trail of tears falling down Ryan's neck onto Mike's shirt.
"You want me to stay?" Mike whispered and he felt Ryan nodding against him. "Tell me Ry." Ryan pulled away and gave him a weak smile.
"I want you to stay Mikey." Mike smiled and nodded kissing Ryan softly.
"Okay." Ryan smiled and kissed him back.
"Okay."