A/N: Another of my "started as a songfic" fics. This one was to Three Days Grace's (I Hate)Everything about you.
Disclaimer: Not mine!
The Cycle
Ryan ran tentative fingers along the hand-shaped bruise forming on his arm and sighed. He could still feel Eric's grip as he pushed him aside, and the thought of the fight brought angry tears to his eyes. He leaned his head against the bathroom mirror and listened to Eric moving around. He closed his eyes as he listened to Eric pushing things to the floor.
He ran the events of the night over in his mind. Watching as he arrived home to find that Eric hadn't arrived yet. He had set the table and started dinner, but he needn't have bothered. Eric was drunk when he got home; all he wanted to do was drink more. He started yelling before he even reached the fridge, and Ryan had yelled back.
That was when Ryan had retreated to the bathroom.
It happened too often, sometimes every night for a week. One of them would start up about something small and it would erupt into a full-fledged fight. Ryan knew there was more to it than petty arguments, and that's what bothered him the most. It all went back to the beginning of his and Eric's relationship, back when Eric resented him for being Speed's replacement.
Somewhere deep down, Eric still wasn't over it. It was worst when Eric had been drinking; that was when he seemed to forget everything except his buried anger. Ryan wasn't much of a help, even when Eric wasn't drunk. If he was tired enough, Ryan could get annoyed at the smallest thing, which would set Eric off again.
Ryan jumped as he heard Eric's fist collide with the door.
The only thing that kept him from going insane as Eric started to pound on the door was remembering that he had given as good as he'd gotten. He could just imagine the bruises forming on Eric's body, some from sex but most from their fights, and new tears began to form and trickle down his cheeks.
"Wolfe, open this door!" Eric shouted, and Ryan's body began to shake from sobs. His forehead was smacking painfully against the mirror, but he didn't pull away. He let his body punish itself. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks, and it was the name that had done it. Every time Eric called him Wolfe instead of Ryan he knew the fight had reached its peak.
Ryan leaned back and clenched his hand into a fist. He looked down at the curled fingers, sore from punching walls and furniture. He studied the creases in his skin, then looked up at the mirror. He pulled his fist back and threw the punch. As hard as he could, he slammed his fist into the mirror. The glass shattered, falling around him and piercing into his hand. He gritted his teeth, not letting himself cry out, and noticed that Eric had stopped pounding.
"Ryan?" He heard Eric start twisting the doorknob. The frantic clicks of the locked door, and then soft taps reached through the fog in Ryan's brain and brought more tears to his eyes.
"Ryan, open the door," Eric's voice was soft and Ryan crept carefully around the glass and unlocked the door. It swung open and Eric stood before him. The other man took in the scene, then quickly slipped his shirt from his body and wrapped it around Ryan's hand. He cupped Ryan's cheek with his hand and brushed tears aside with his thumb.
"Ryan, I'm sorry," and it was all okay. Ryan slumped into Eric's body, both of them standing silent in the doorway, and the apology hung around them. They knew it wouldn't last, they would fight again. They would yell, slam doors, and one of them would apologize and everything would go back to the beginning.