Title: Three Times Ryan Says He Loves Kelly.

Pairing: Kelly/Ryan.

Summary: Three times Ryan says he loves Kelly. Obviously. One shot.

He's told me he loved me three times.

001.

He's laying on my bed, his clothes crumpled and smelling like cigarette smoke, his speech slurred, and I can barely make it out. He looks queasy, and his rant on cheesy pitas comes to a stop. "I need to throw up," he murmurs and my previous anger at his intoxication disappears.

I manage to lead him to the bathroom and he falls to his knees, hands resting in his lap. He's patient, waiting for it. Because we go through this a lot. After a few weeks, I learned that the more I talk, the more he wants to sleep. And, I know it's sad, but Ryan is so funny when he's drunk. Sometimes he'll slide across the kitchen floor in his socks, or jump on my bed and sing Kelly Clarkson into a hairbrush.

He always denies it, but I know what I saw.

I hear him moan and his face turns green and his head is hidden in the porcelain, his arms hugging the toilet. I sigh, sitting dutifully on the edge of the bathtub, rubbing his back.

I always hated hearing people throwing up, but I put up with it for Ryan.

He coughs and sputters, emerging carefully. His face is pale and I hand him the water bottle before leaning over and flushing the toilet.

I watch him swallow hard before setting the bottle aside. He wraps his arms around his middle, groaning quietly.

I don't say anything, like the good girlfriend I am. I run a hand gently though his hair, pushing his dark bangs off his sweaty forehead.

He slowly edges himself backwards, leaning against the wall, blinking sleepily up at me. "Kelly, I love you so much," he mumbles almost inaudibly.

But I heard it. God, I heard it.

Before I can say anything, he passes out on the bathroom floor.

002.

The second time we're sitting on his living room floor, the Xbox on pause and a joint circling around, along with a bowl of Doritos. It's me, and him, and his buddy Mark, and other friend Jonathan.

I've smoked weed with Ryan before and I've gotten used to it.

I take the joint from Mark, holding it between my thumb and index finger, like Ryan showed me, inhaling slowly. I only have one or two hits a circle, whereas the rest of them manage to go through two joints an hour.

I cough, blinking heavily and passing it on to Ryan. I watch as he inhales, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Yeah," he says, "that's great." And his friends agree but I don't know what they're talking about and it kind of hurts to try and figure it out.

I feel his heavy arm rest across my shoulders, pulling me to his side. And his breath smells sweet and his eyes are red. His nose is nuzzling my neck, creating goose bumps on my skin.

"I love you," he breathes, kissing my neck gently.

I'd totally be happy about it, but he's kite as a high.

Erm…

003.

Omigod, it's been such an emotionally draining day. I went from super happy, because I looked real hott this morning, to super depressed because the branch was closing, to like, beyond excited because it turns out the branch isn't closing.

And now, I'm so uberly tired, so I tell Ryan I really don't want to go to Poor Richard's with everyone else, and he's actually OK with this. I thought he'd want to get really drunk because he's the one who had to make the hardest choice ever and break it off. He totally doesn't want me to be chained up. He knows I can have anyone.

But now we don't have to break up, thank God, and I just know his nerves are shot. I have his favourite wine at home but he doesn't know that so maybe I'll surprise him.

Yeah, don't tell anyone but, Ryan totally loves wine. He only drinks it with his parents or me. It's so freaking mature like.

He parks the car and we get out. I sling my purse over my shoulder. "Ugh, my feet are killing me," I complain.

"Maybe you shouldn't wear stilettos to work," he offers quietly and I narrow my eyes.

"Whatever," I say, pulling my keys from my purse and unlocking the apartment door. We walk in and he flips lights on as I drop my purse on the table. "Ugh," I mumble again, walking down the hall towards my room.

I hear him follow along after me like a little puppy and I just think that's the cutest thing ever.

I peel my shoes from my feet and he stretches out across my bed, watching me as I exchange my skirt and blouse for a tee shirt and sweats.

I crawl next to him, resting my head against his chest. I sigh. "I'm so glad the branch isn't closing."

He shifts slightly. "Yeah…" He pauses. "Me too."

I kiss his fingers as they rest on my shoulder.

"Hey Kel?" he asks after a moment, his voice uncertain.

"Mm?"

"I love you."

And I sit up, looking down at him laying on my purple pillows, his face nervous, watching me.

"Aw!" I cry, and his face flushes a deep red, which makes my heart melt more. "Oh, I love you too Ry!" I breathe, and he gives a soft smile, pulling me down and kissing me.

"Omigod. We're totally going to get married!"

His face pales. "Don't push it."

I giggle as he pulls the blankets over us.

xxxx

"I dunno," he murmurs, biting the inside of his lip, "can't explain it." He offers a shy smile, almost hiding it, his pale face flushing, his bright eyes watching her through the window.