A/N: Basically I read cherubs black Friday today, I am suffering withdrawal symptoms now that Cherub is over after four years of reading the books. I also felt sorry for Ryan at the end of black Friday so I wrote something about him and Grace as all they got was one kiss. Starts the day after the ending of the book
Disclaimer: of course I own CHERUB that's why I'm writing FANfiction
Ryan sat on the edge of his bed. He felt better physically after a good night's rest and a good, long, hot shower. However mentally he was devastated. He had done something most other agents had done. He had fallen for a girl he met on a mission. Now that the mission was over and he was back on Campus he would never see her again.
He had spoken to former agent and CHERUB employee James Adams last night, and he had said that he had fallen for a girl on his first mission. Then of course he had never seen her again, then he had done it again and again. He had been through so many relationships and Ryan didn't know how he had gotten over it. James had said that it would take a while to get over it but Ryan just felt he had liked Natalka to much. He couldn't see himself ever getting over her.
Ryan had been sitting on the edge of his bed all day and hadn't eaten or drunk anything since the night before. He didn't feel hungry or thirsty though all he felt was dread and devastation. He was desperately trying not to think of Natalka.
Then there was a knock on his door. He didn't answer and it was locked. But of course to a CHERUB agent that was no obstacle. He heard the door open with a click and he looked up to see his best friend Max Black looking at him, a concerned expression on his face. Max walked over to him and sat next to him. There was a few seconds of silence and then Max spoke, "Ryan mate you need to eat something. I know why you're upset that guy James told me. I understand how you feel, but you need to eat something and move for that matter".
Ryan glared at him. Max had no idea how he was feeling! He had never even had a girlfriend let alone never have to see a girl he had really liked before. He looked Max straight in the eye and spoke with a venomous tone. "Max let me get something straight here. You have no idea how I am feeling. You have never ever had a girlfriend. I really liked her I may have even loved her so please piss off and leave me alone".
Max nodded he had known this may happen he stood up patted his friend on the shoulder once and he walked out. When he was out he looked down at Ryan's little brother Theo and Ryan's other friend Alfie. "He is really upset at the moment mate I wouldn't talk to him give him a couple of days". The boys nodded and walked off. However what they didn't see was someone watching from their own room straighten up and walk to Ryan's room
Ryan meanwhile had actually moved since talking to Max, he was now lying down in bed his face buried in a pillow. He heard his door open and someone walk across to him. Thinking it was one of his brothers or Alfie he opened his mouth to tell them to go away, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder. A hand too small to be his brother, well except Theo or any of his mates and it felt warmer and softer. It had no real grip on him, but it pulled him up and he opened his eyes to see the face of his friend and ex-girlfriend Grace Vulliamy. She was looking at him, not with anger that he had seen in her eyes many times before. But genuine care, concern and something else he couldn't quite make out. She looked at him for a second then spoke, in a gentle, caring voice. "What's wrong"?
Ryan's initial reaction was to tell her to piss off like he had with Max. However, for some reason he found out he couldn't. So he spoke, his voice cracking from lack of use and on the verge of tears. But he was desperate for Grace not to see him cry. "I met a girl on my last mission. We started going out and I really, really liked her. But now I can never see her again and it feels like my hearts been ripped out. I feel like darkness is surrounding me and I can't get out".
Grace understood now. Ryan was suffering from a broken heart. If this had taken place six months ago she would have said that this was how she felt after he dumped her by text. But after taking some counselling sessions she had matured and learnt to control her anger. Tentatively she wrapped an arm around him and laid his head on her shoulder and whispered something in his ear in a gentle, slow barely audible whisper. "Let it out".
That did it. Ryan's barriers broke and tears spilled out of his eyes with a wave of sobs, into Grace's shoulder. She didn't care that her clothes got wet from his tears. He sobbed and cried and she said nothing. She didn't mock or laugh at him, she just held him. Her arm around his shoulder, her hand rubbing soothing circles onto his back. Letting him know she was here for him.
He cried until he had no more tears and his sobs had slowly stopped. He looked up at Grace his eyes red and puffy. He didn't feel ashamed that he had cried in front of her. He felt completely comfortable. If it had been Natalka in place of Grace, she would have mocked him or used her sarcastic sense of humour to make herself feel better. That was one thing he didn't like about her, that and her forty fags a day habit that made her stink, making kissing her gross. He didn't know what he was feeling with Grace but he felt more comfortable around her than he had around Natalka. And she was making him feel things he hadn't with Natalka, she couldn't control him with a simple touch.
After what felt like an age Ryan spoke. "Thanks Grace I needed that".
Grace was expecting more but Ryan said nothing. She stood up to leave and she was halfway towards the door, fighting off her tears that were threatening. They were there because she still loved Ryan, even if they had broken up twice and he had done it by text, and there fights had been the stuff of legend. As people said love had a curious way of behaving.
But then Ryan spoke, "Grace"?
Grace turned around her hopes alive again. "Yeah".
Ryan took a breath, his emotions still shaky. "I am really sorry for dumping you last year, it was a shitty thing to do I was only thinking of myself not about your feelings. I'm sorry".
Grace could tell he meant it and spoke, "Its ok Ryan I forgave you for dumping me by a text ages ago".
Ryan looked up. "I didn't say about dumping you by text, I meant breaking up with you I the first place. I shouldn't have done it."
Grace's heart was speeding up. Did this mean he loved her to? She sat down next to him and asked, "What do you mean Ryan"?
Ryan sighed, "Grace I really regret dumping you. I never realised what a great girl you are. I have never felt this about anyone not even Natalka. I guess what I'm saying is, I love you".
Grace's heart went into overdrive and she clutched his hand in hers. "Ryan how do you know this isn't just to get over that Natalka girl".
Ryan shook his head. "No to be honest I thought I loved her but what I felt for her is nothing to what I felt for you. Yes I liked her but to love someone you have to love them for themselves and disregard the things you don't like about them. Natalka smoked like a chimney and I hated that no matter how much I tried to ignore it, it was kind of hard to when I kissed her. She would also never have comforted me like you just did she would have laughed at me and called me a baby. So I don't think she liked me for me and to be honest I didn't for her. So am I wasting my time her or"? He trailed of hoping Grace would answer.
Grace smiled and ran her hand through his hair. "Ryan I have always loved you I didn't realise it when we were going out but I did. I realised that's why I was so obsessive over you I didn't want you to leave me, for someone else".
Ryan gaped for a moment. Then he spoke, "Grace if I had any idea you felt like that I wouldn't have dumped you. I just found your obsessiveness annoying but now I know why I feel really bad".
Grace smiled and stroked his cheek with her thumb. "You have nothing to feel bad about Ryan. Maybe if I had told you why I was obsessive we wouldn't have broken up".
Ryan smiled mesmerized by her touch. "Yeah maybe. So would you like to give it another go"?
Grace smiled so wide her face looked like it would crack. She leaned into him and whispered, "What do you think". As she leaned back she stared into Ryan's eyes and they leant forward and they kissed. It was passionate but simple. No bruised or bleeding lips and no tongues. But the simple passion for each other blew the couple away. As they pulled apart Grace smiled and said, "Now that is a kiss". Then she grabbed Ryan's hand and pulled him out of his room and down the stairs. "Now Mr Sharma you haven't eaten all day and I can see that you have gained a lot of muscle this past year. I would like that to stay there so I can enjoy it. So you are going to go into the canteen now and eat everything I put on your plate do hear me".
Ryan said nothing but let his new girlfriend lead him downstairs. He smiled. Maybe getting over Natalka wouldn't be so hard after all. As he stopped and pulled Grace into a hard kiss he knew that it wouldn't be hard at all. Not with the girl he loved and his best mates by his side.
A/N: Done! Yay I wrote something. Hope it was believable I just didn't want it to sound like Ryan was on the rebound or whatever. It was great writing Grace because she didn't have a big role in Black Friday so I made it so that she got over her anger problems even if it was fun to read.