Hybrid.
The word connoted unnaturalness, negativity, and an inferiority to the human race.
When the mutations first started, the children born with unique animal features added onto their human bodies were the centre of every scientist and doctor's attention. The species of animal varied but the most common were different breeds of dog, cat, rodent, and other domestic creatures. The rarer ones had horns or wings or other unique appendages.
These genetic mutations were seemingly random; anomalies with no set cause.
That still didn't stop humans from shunning hybrids, calling them tainted and dirtied because of the mutations they couldn't control.
When it was clear that it would take years – maybe even decades – for society to openly accept hybrids and treat them as equals, most of them learned to hide their mutations. Whether it was by binding wings, wearing hats to cover ears, or by keeping tails hidden under clothes, hybrids usually found a way to at least appear 'normal'.
The different ways to hide mutations were dangerous, painful and uncomfortable at best, but that didn't stop Ryan from doing all he could to conceal the socially unacceptable cat tail and ears he was burdened with.
It wasn't too difficult to hide the tail; he just kept it wrapped around his waist in his pants and wore a belt as tight as possible in order to keep it from moving. The only thing that made it unsavoury was how much it actually hurt to keep the appendage in that unnatural position for so long. Ryan would always immediately change into a pair of jeans that he'd modified to fit his tail the second he got home, and he would sigh at the relief he felt every single time.
The ears were easier to hide but it still hurt a little. Usually he'd just wear a hat, but if he was having a bad day he would use specially bought clips to keep his ears from twitching or being too noticeable. Then he would tug on a beanie and try incredibly hard to keep them still whenever he felt the urge to react to every little sound he heard.
To top it all off, Ryan was also one of the rare hybrids who also bore some of the instincts of the animal his hybrid mutations resembled. Typically it was easy to repress the urge to bump shoulders with people, or to pretend that he couldn't hear certain things a human wouldn't, or to fight back the instinct to naturally dislike dogs (Michael and Gavin could laugh all they wanted, Ryan still didn't get along with Rebel or Bella or Fly or any of the other canines who occasionally visited the Rooster Teeth building).
Other instincts and innate behaviours, however, weren't as easy to hide; he had accidentally spooked people by walking silently up behind them too many times to count, and most of the office was aware of his odd ability to effortlessly swat any irritating flies that buzzed around. Ryan was just lucky that no one pointed out how much he liked to curl up in the corner of the couch that used to be his work station in the Achievement Hunter office before the big move.
In fact, the move to Stage 5 was another one of those moments where his instincts made Ryan worry that people were starting to cotton on to the fact that he was a hybrid. Mainly because he spent at least a good two hours walking around and investigating each and every room in the new building simply because he couldn't resist the burning curiosity any longer.
All in all, Ryan thought he was doing rather well at keeping the fact that he was a hybrid a secret from everyone he knew.
Because usually when he was around other people, Ryan could ignore the urges and suppress the instincts.
However, there was one exception.
Gavin Free was not like other people.
For some inane reason, Ryan would completely lose control around Gavin. Be it nudging his shoulder against Gavin's own in the affectionate way felines often do, or be it pretending that it was a coincidence every time he and Gavin ended up near each other and in the same room, Ryan would always find that his more cat-like instincts would never fail to break through and practically shine whenever the Brit was around.
He typically caught himself after simply forgetting for a moment and he would always chastise himself for doing so. But no matter how vigilant he was, the feline urges always snuck past Ryan's defences.
For at least a few months, Ryan merely acknowledged the problem and tried his hardest to keep the cat part of him under close wraps.
It only took one rather close-call for Ryan to actually take any action. He and Gavin had been sat at Gavin's desk playing some arcade game together. It was late and Ryan had chosen to keep Gavin company as he waited for Geoff (his ride home). Gavin did something Ryan deemed affectionately friendly and praise-worthy so he had leaned the small distance and all but smothered his face in the crook of Gavin's shoulder, simply nuzzling there for a few seconds.
He miraculously managed to pass it off as being tired when Gavin smiled fondly but questioned the uncharacteristic act nonetheless; but after that, he tried to distance himself from Gavin in an attempt to secure his acceptance in society.
All things considered, Ryan should have known that wasn't going to work. He wasn't sure why it hadn't been painstakingly and glaringly obvious that his plan was going to backfire.
Although now that he thought about it, he probably ought to have held out a little bit longer when Gavin complained about having to wait forever for Geoff to finish recording his Red vs Blue lines. It barely took a few minutes of woeful sighs, longing glances at the clock and complaints for Ryan to put his car keys back into his pocket and offer Gavin his company (which was readily accepted with excitement and a pleased grin from the younger of the two).
Then all it took was one "c'mon Rye-bread, come sit on the couch with me, you don't have to do more work, just sit and chill while we wait for Geoff," for Ryan to relent and sit down on the other end of the couch to Gavin.
After half an hour, a lot of 'would you rather's, and a lot of tactical and sly questions from Ryan, he was beginning to think that perhaps he could trust some close friends with his secret; he found that Gavin hadn't been adverse to friends keeping secrets if it made them more comfortable, he claimed he wasn't judgemental of things people had no choice about, and he had even admitted to being a cat person.
None of that meant he would be okay with the fact that Ryan was a hybrid, but at least it was something. Perhaps he'd consider telling Gavin another time, most likely after a lot of booze and beating around the bush.
The only other significant thing that happened during that half an hour was the way Gavin had slowly and gradually moved on the couch so he was sitting just that little bit closer to Ryan with his arm draped over the back of the couch, his fingertips occasionally brushing against the hair that peeked out from underneath his beanie.
The deft brush of fingertips slowly grew bolder and Ryan had to suppress a shiver when he felt Gavin actually run his fingers gently against the nape of his neck. He continued to talk (the conversation had shifted into another one of the weirdly sexual 'if I give you a million dollars, would you do this?' questions Gavin liked to come up with) and he gave Gavin a smile as silent permission for him to continue.
Besides, it really did feel nice to have someone pet his hair - or what was reachable of it because of the beanie he constantly wore.
Ryan could almost imagine a perfect scenario in which Gavin knew of his hybrid nature and the hat wasn't there and Gavin's gentle fingers were carding through his hair, running over his ears and back again. His tail would also be free of its confinements, finally able to swish and flick as it saw fit…
Fuck, he needed to stop getting distracted… He couldn't recall when he and Gavin had shifted on the couch so the pair of them were laying down - Gavin on his back and leaning against the arm of the couch with Ryan practically draped over him with his head on Gavin's chest. The calmness of the rise and fall of Gavin's chest was soothing, especially combined with the rhythmic way his hands were working slowly along the back of his neck, occasionally dipping just below underneath his beanie but not venturing any further.
The act was so relaxing, he felt as if all stress and tension was seeping and falling from his very being; Gavin's hands were brushing away all worries and negativity as they brought only comfort and a calm wave of serenity which Ryan welcomed as it washed over him.
Yet again he couldn't recall when he had closed his eyes but nothing else really mattered in that moment when he was so comfortable and relaxed and calm.
He could feel something inside his chest buzzing happily away when Gavin pushed his fingers through Ryan's hair, and the buzzing only grew when fingertips scratched gently and pleasantly just behind his ears.
"Ry, you're purring." Gavin murmured in an amused yet affectionate kind of way that had Ryan almost melting with how much he could get used to this.
He hummed appreciatively in response, no matter how much he wasn't paying attention to Gavin's words. What had he said? Something about him purring? Yeah, that was it…
Wait, shit. That wasn't supposed to be happening - he didn't even know he could do that. Fuck! This was all wrong - this wasn't supposed to be happening. Gavin wasn't supposed to know about this! It was going to be kept a secret, ideally forever. Obviously that wasn't happening anymore.
It took him a couple of seconds to gather his bearings; he was still pretty out of it from how comfortable and sated he had felt with Gavin's hands in his hair. But after those few seconds, he failed to grab his hat (which was now inexplicably on top of Gavin's head instead) but managed to haul himself into a sitting position as his ears stood up, still as ever as he nervously awaited Gavin's response.
Gavin then did something Ryan had never expected anyone to do; not his family, not his friends, not anyone he'd ever met - or ever will meet - in his entire life.
He smiled. He took one look at the blonde furry ears atop Ryan's head and smiled fondly, his hand already heading to resume its previous action, only halting when Ryan's ears flattened instinctively against his head.
"What's up?" Gavin asked, speaking calmly which Ryan was thankful for.
"Everyone hates hybrids." Ryan shifted carefully so he was kneeling facing Gavin who had also moved to sit with one foot resting on his knee, kind of sideways on the couch to get a better view of the occasionally twitching ears on top Ryan's head. "I expected anger, if not disgust upon finding out that I'm a cat hybrid." He almost flinched when he admitted it aloud, almost.
"Ryan, I may be a bit of a dick but I'm not gonna lie when I say that I honestly don't mind that you're a hybrid. I'm not gonna hate you for it or anything." Gavin shuffled forwards a bit so he could catch Ryan's gaze easier and hold it, ensuring he knew that the Brit was serious about this. "It's okay."
"It is?" Ryan's ears pricked up with curiosity, but most of all, confusion. Being accepted wasn't something he'd ever thought possible as a hybrid; they were shunned, outcasted and classed as inferior to the rest of the human race.
"Yeah, I like them." Gavin admitted with a smile, now staring almost intently at Ryan's ears. He almost looked as if he wanted to ask something, but all that did was increase Ryan's nerves by tenfold. Ears twitching and flattening against his head, he decided against voicing his concerns. "Sorry."
"What for?" Fuck, he'd been hoping that Gavin was as bad at reading body language as he was at driving in a straight line in GTA. Although he supposed Gavin had owned cats in the past, he had probably picked up tricks from Lloyd and Egg and the other felines he'd encountered in his life.
"I dunno, it looked like I was making you uncomfortable." One quick unsure glance to the ears had them flattening slightly; he wasn't used to all the attention being on top of his head.
"And that's another thing I hate about these damn ears; they let you read me like a fucking book…" Ryan paused for a moment before complaining even more about his cat-like features. "The tail's worse though."
Two seconds. Two seconds was all it took for Ryan to feel the remorse of confessing that. One second was filled with Gavin visibly processing that information before his face lit up in a euphoric grin.
"No way, show me?" He didn't even try to hide how enthusiastic he was about Ryan's hybrid parts.
Ryan, however, was immensely less enthralled by them. He let out a regretful sigh before giving his answer. "If I show you, you won't tell anyone about it, right? I wasn't even planning telling you about it, I don't really want the whole world knowing." He said with a shrug, although the nervous twitching of his ears gave away his true feelings once again.
He was certainly beginning to remember why he never liked others seeing the furry, almost ginger cat ears that sat on top of his head. Well, there was also the fact that hybrids would often get beaten up and sometimes even killed just for existing, but Ryan could easily ignore that fact for now.
He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost missed it when Gavin smiled - more reassuringly this time - and answered with an honest "of course."
One deep, steadying breath later, Ryan was pushing himself off of the couch and onto his feet so he could fumble for a few seconds with his - admittedly far too tight - belt and a bit longer as he was more careful with gently pulling his soft furry tail from the confinements of his jeans. The sigh of relief that slipped past his lips was inevitable as he allowed the appendage to flick for a few moments before settling into a comfortable and relaxed hanging position, the tip curling upwards slightly.
Instead of letting himself panic over what Gavin was thinking, Ryan busied himself with the re-buckling of his jeans (though this time it was noticeably looser so his tail could poke out of the top of them without causing discomfort) and the smoothing down of his clothes. He ran a hand through his hair and over his ears once in an attempt to tame it before turning to Gavin.
The Brit's hazel eyes were transfixed on Ryan's tail - which had taken to casually swishing from side to side as he stood still - and yet another wide grin was painted on his features.
"They suit you." Gavin stated almost factually as he raked his gaze over Ryan's body, starting with the tip of his tail to the tops of his ears.
"What? No they don't, I'm-" Ryan was about to explain exactly why he'd be better off without them when Gavin interrupted.
"You're a very cat-like person." Gavin said as if he were stating a fact more than making an observation; but he wasn't wrong either.
"Yeah, well that's because I'm one of the rarer hybrids and I've actually got some of the instincts and behaviours of the animal my extra parts come from…" Ryan explained with a certain disdain towards the subject. Having to control his instincts was probably the most difficult thing he'd ever had to do in his entire life. He'd even previously considered outing himself as a hybrid just so he didn't have to deal with the struggle of acting as little like a cat as possible.
Yet again Gavin decided to surprise Ryan with a smirk and a contemplative and understanding nod. "Now that I think about it, it does make a lot of sense."
"Really?" Gavin nodded his confirmation and Ryan cursed under his breath. "Fuck, I thought I'd done well with hiding it… obviously not."
"Well, I kind of guessed you were bad at hiding your instincts when you started purring." Gavin's sly grin gave away how amusing he thought the whole situation was.
"I didn't even know I could do that!" Ryan confessed in all honesty, but it wasn't as if he'd had anyone be as affectionate with him as Gavin had done in order to figure it out.
Gavin cocked his head to one side confusedly and in disbelief. "Really?"
"Yeah really!" Ryan replied, and he could only smile in anticipation when a cheeky smirk grew on Gavin's face. It was his 'I have a great plan' smirk and if Ryan was completely honest, he loved that smirk.
"C'mere then." Gavin leaned back onto the couch a bit more and draped one arm across the back of the couch whilst letting the other hang over the edge of the arm of the couch. It provided enough space on the couch so that Ryan could easily curl up into Gavin's side and stay there comfortably.
"What? Why?" Ryan raised an eyebrow and cocked his head - and he must have also twitched his ears because Gavin was glancing at them and smiling appreciatively again.
"I'm gonna see if I can make you do it again." Gavin said it as if it was a challenge, as if Ryan purring would be the reward for stroking his hair again (even if that was rewarding in itself). But he had to admit that the offer was quite tempting.
"Why would you want to?" Ryan furrowed his brow in an almost taken-aback way. He was still pretty unused to the idea that not everyone hated hybrids, it was certainly going to take him a while to grow accustomed to the fact that Gavin actually liked and appreciated Ryan's cat hybrid nature.
Gavin gave him a look as if the answer was obvious. "Because it's bloody adorable, that's why."
His statement had the faintest of blushes forming on Ryan's cheeks - and he was sure his ears were flattening in a slightly timid way too. "I am not adorable." He stated with the sternest tone he could muster at the time. Obviously it wasn't serious enough because it still had Gavin fighting back a giggle at the way Ryan's ears flattened and the way his tail flicked agitatedly from side to side intimidatingly.
"Ry, I think it's now physically impossible for you to not be adorable. I mean, you're cute even when you're hiding the kitty ears and fluffy tail." Gavin informed with a soft admiring smile as he looked from Ryan's tail (which would be floor length if the tip didn't curl upwards ever so slightly) to his ears.
One eyebrow was raised expertly by Ryan upon hearing Gavin's statement; although he still point-blank refused to believe he was cute.
"So do I get to hear this purr again or what?" And that was the sentence that resulted in Ryan rolling his eyes but smirking affectionately all the same; Gavin always had been his number one weakness.
He paused, pretending to contemplate it for a few seconds before the temptation to curl up next to Gavin was far too overwhelming. Kneeling on the couch between Gavin's legs, he was caught off-guard when Gavin tugged him downwards by the shoulder, but he still wasn't complaining. Especially not when he was finally allowed to nuzzle his face against Gavin's chest all but melt into the addictively soft touches he was receiving the offer of to his hair and ears.
Gavin boldly snaked one hand up Ryan's back to tickle gently at the nape of his neck causing Ryan to shiver slightly. But once Gavin slowly began to run his hand through the soft hair and ears, he found himself relaxing into the movement.
He was still immensely surprised at how much control his instincts had in that moment, however what shocked him even more was how incredibly close Gavin wanted him. Their closeness was almost intimate and it was something Ryan had never experienced before; not from friends nor family. Yet again, Gavin was something different altogether.
Barely ten seconds had passed before Ryan recognised the deep vibrations in his chest as the rumbling he had felt before - he could feel his instincts taking over even more, silently urging him to completely surrender all control - only this time he did nothing to stop it.
In fact, he did the exact opposite; he slowly dragged himself up Gavin's body a little bit more so he could plaster himself over the Brit even more than he was before. He was about to nuzzle his head into the crook of Gavin's shoulder when he caught himself in the middle of the act, realising what he was actually doing.
"Shit… sorry, I don't actually know what I'm doing." Ryan mumbled, though the sound was almost foreign to his ears and he was convinced his voice was slurring from how much enjoyment and relaxation he was getting out of this. "You're really fucking good at that, don't stop."
Ryan both felt and heard Gavin chuckle; his chest moving slightly as he giggled. "That's alright Rye-bread, you've been too bloody worried about showing your instincts for too bloody long. Just do what feels right… besides, you're too goddamn cute for me to tell you off."
The cat hybrid hummed his appreciation as he relented, allowing himself to nuzzle his face into Gavin's shoulder, the hand in his hair not even stilling for a second as the deft fingers switched from gentle strokes to satisfying scratches behind his ears to running all the way along his ears and back down to his neck again.
As if to reward Gavin for his kindness, Ryan swished his tail upwards to bat gently at Gavin's free hand; the one that was dangling over the edge of the couch. He felt Gavin's hand practically freeze as if he was unsure of what to do, in that time of inactivity Ryan decided to flick the tip of his tail minutely to lightly brush from the tips of Gavin's fingers to his wrist and back again. After what felt like an age, Gavin finally got the hint and began to gently and carefully run his fingers along Ryan's furry tail as well.
In that moment, Ryan could honestly say that he had never felt more relaxed or sated in his entire life. It was still a struggle to believe that he'd been accepted and even welcomed as a hybrid, but all he could think about was how amazing the sensation of Gavin's hands were. It was incredible, to say the least.
It took a few moments of silently trying to compose himself - and mostly failing - but Ryan finally managed to utter one short sentence. "You're the first person to see the tail and ears who isn't family or doctors." Ryan shifted slightly so he could watch Gavin's face without stopping him or his hands from carding through Ryan's hair and running along the fur of Ryan's tail.
He was glad he leaned back simply because it meant he got to see the faint smile tug at Gavin's lips before he spoke, and Ryan continued to watch Gavin's lips form the words. "I'm honoured."
"And you're the first person who hasn't insulted or rejected me for it." Ryan announced after a few more seconds of contemplating his thoughts.
Ryan watched in curiosity as an almost hurt look crossed Gavin's features. "Well maybe we could have some more time together and you can actually walk around without your tail stuffed down your trousers." He proclaimed, letting the pad of his thumb gently swipe along one of Ryan's ears in a way that had him holding back another grin. He still hadn't quit purring and he doubted he'd stop any time soon, but at least now he was aware of his actions. "How the hell do you even keep something like that hidden?"
Ryan was answering before he'd even thought through what he was going to say. "Far too much effort and a lot of pain, trust me." Judging by the expression on Gavin's face, perhaps that hadn't been the correct thing to say.
"If it hurts then don't bloody hide it!" He insisted, albeit in an unforceful way that was more casual than anything. It sounded as if he was pointing out what should have been the obvious.
"It's not that simple, Gavin." Ryan retorted, but he was met with a disbelieving sigh from Gavin… although he thankfully continued to pet Ryan's hair and tail so he couldn't have been too mad. "It really isn't simple at all… I wish I didn't fucking have them in the first place."
Gavin's eyes widened in shock and he looked positively aghast at the mere suggestion of Ryan not wanting to be a hybrid. "You may not like it but I do. You really shouldn't be ashamed to be a hybrid."
"Huh, that's weird." Ryan commented simply because it wasn't something he heard all the time. In fact, it was something he'd never actually heard before. Not from his family, not from anyone. "I've been taught all my life to hide it because being a hybrid is socially unacceptable and it'll get me beat up if people see the tail or the ears or see me doing anything vaguely cat-like. So I learnt to hide it and now I don't know anything different."
An expression of sorrow crossed Gavin's face and he moved his hand from Ryan's hair to his shoulder just to pull him that little bit closer again. Only once he resumed his movements in Ryan's hair did Ryan wrap his arms loosely around Gavin's shoulders and lean into the comfort provided by the Brit. "That's really crappy, Ry. People are crappy in general, you really shouldn't have to deal with that shit."
"You're not crappy." Ryan couldn't help but let that one slip past his filter, weakened by all the affection he was currently being mesmerised by.
Gavin smirked kindly as he met Ryan's gaze again. "I'm glad you think so… But it just sucks that people have such a shitty view on hybrids; it's not like they're dangerous or anything. I mean, the worst thing you can do is probably snuggle someone to death." He and Ryan both chuckled at that, but Ryan still had to correct him on that.
"Hey, I don't get all close like this with just anybody." He informed with his patent all-knowing smirk. Only this time Gavin was the one with the confused expression on his face.
"So I'm not just anybody?" Gavin asked softly, cocking his head to one side ever so slightly with curiosity.
"No, you're… you're different."
"A good different?"
"For a while I thought it was a bad different because whenever I was with you I'd end up losing control over my instincts, but now I know it's a good different." Ryan smiled, reflecting on just how good that different was; he was the one person who Ryan actually felt comfortable enough around to actually take off his hat and let his tail free from its confinements, he was the only person Ryan felt able to be himself around.
"Top." Gavin smiled affectionately at Ryan who returned the gesture with a fond smirk of his own.
As they fell back into their comfortable silence once again, Ryan found himself a little less ashamed of enjoying the attention Gavin was laying upon him. In fact, if he was honest, Ryan was practically basking in it; the opportunity to admire the affectionate quirk of Gavin's lips, the soft expression, and the kind eyes the Brit had wasn't one Ryan was about to waste.
Ryan returned Gavin's smile with a confident one of his own to show how much he appreciated this. He was still a little surprised at how quickly Gavin had accepted that Ryan was a hybrid, but he certainly wasn't about to complain.
It was a slow change, but something certainly shifted in Gavin's expression. His hand had slowed to a stop and it was resting at the nape of Ryan's neck, his fingers occasionally intertwining with the flicks of Ryan's hair. Ryan recognised the look in Gavin's eyes as one that showed he was deep in thought - and with Gavin, that typically meant it was important.
"What is it, Gav?" Ryan asked, breaching the silence with his smooth voice (his relaxed state only enhanced the calmness conveyed through his tone, and it seemed to prompt Gavin into action).
As Ryan's eyes curiously scanned Gavin's face for any hint of what was going on, his tail began to slowly brush along Gavin's bare arm again in a movement that was almost a caress. Gavin's eyes, however, had dropped to Ryan's lips and oh, that made a lot of sense because as soon as Ryan had realised what was about to happen, Gavin was already kissing him chastely and tentatively.
Ryan's ears suddenly pricked upwards, his tail stilled and his eyes widened in surprise; Gavin almost took that as a sign of Ryan not reciprocating but he was quickly persuaded out of that idea when Ryan leaned forwards into the kiss. His lips were pressed firmly against Gavin's and the Brit's hand was tangled in Ryan's hair, carefully minding his ears.
Neither man minded when Ryan relaxed into Gavin's touch, returning it with some of his own; one hand cupping Gavin's jaw gently and his tail nervously curling around Gavin's wrist. Ryan could've sworn he felt Gavin smile into the kiss when he did that.
The kiss was soft and filled to the brim with emotion. Ryan had never been kissed in such a way that made him feel so cared for and so important. He hadn't really experienced much unconditional love in his life - platonic, romantic, or otherwise - but whatever Gavin felt for him, Ryan certainly wanted to feel more of it.
The emotion was conveyed with every touch of fingers to his hair, every time their lips found each other again, every moment Gavin carried on unloading affection on Ryan. He felt drunk on Gavin's love but he realised he wouldn't have it any other way.
The kiss certainly wasn't short and had lost all sense of being chaste a long time ago, and when Ryan pulled away for air - his forehead resting gently against Gavin's - there was an affectionate smile on his face as he felt Gavin's warm breath on his lips.
"I told you that you weren't just anybody to me," Ryan muttered, the sudden urge to hide building up inside of him. He'd never been given that much affection in his life and Ryan was sure he'd made at least a little bit of a fool of himself, especially with the way the end of his tail was still curled loosely around Gavin's wrist. But with the way Gavin wasn't moving his arm, Ryan had a feeling that he didn't mind.
After a few more moments of silence brought on by the awe they both shared after the kiss, Gavin's voice broke it and Ryan listened attentively to what he had to say.
"Hey Ry?"
"Yeah Gav?"
"D'you think you'll ever tell the others?"
"About what?" The only two secrets they shared that Ryan could think of was the fact that they'd just kissed and were now cuddling on the couch, and the fact that Ryan was a hybrid.
"That you've got a fluffy kitty tail and ears." Ryan chuckled softly at Gavin's wording - probably the most positive way anyone had ever described his hybrid parts, and definitely something he could get used to.
"Maybe." Ryan answered truthfully before smothering his face once again in the crook of Gavin's shoulder, a wide grin forming on his face when Gavin pressed a kiss behind one of his ears.
"Do you mean that or are you just saying that to get me to shut up?" The smile on Gavin's face could be heard loud and clear in his tone. It was one of the things Ryan loved about him - because, upon reflection, Ryan was almost certain that he loved Gavin in one way or another - as it meant he knew exactly when to turn around in his seat during a Let's Play to watch Gavin grin as he inevitably fucked something up in whatever game they were playing.
After a moment's consideration, Ryan answered with "I mean it." He paused for another second before deciding to elaborate. After all, it kind of was all Gavin's fault that telling the others was now an opportunity. "Before, the idea had been ridiculous. I probably would've kept quiet about it forever had you not shown that you don't care whether I'm a hybrid or not."
"Honestly? I think it's top. You're bloody adorable, Ryan." Gavin brought one hand up to bury his fingers in Ryan's silkily soft hair. "And besides, I'm pretty sure absolutely no one would mind."
"Well, before I thought I'd only get shit for being what I am... now I think I'm beginning to see where you're coming from."
"What, that you're cute as hell?"
"No, god no. I am not cute." Ryan tried to put on his most demanding voice but the only reaction he gained from Gavin was amused giggling. Ryan chose to ignore him in favour of explaining his original point. "What I meant was that I don't think people would be too pissed if they found out that I'm a fucking cat hybrid."
"Good." Gavin declared before barely managing to stifle a yawn which Ryan mirrored mere seconds later.
Ryan, meanwhile, had found himself smiling into Gavin's shoulder as he thought of how pleased he was with the world in that moment. He'd honestly never expected to be accepted as a hybrid, let alone have someone who genuinely wanted to be with him even after finding out about his true nature. It was reassuring and confidence-building and Ryan felt infinitely less self-conscious about having his ears and tail on display - even if it was just for Gavin.
Then again, Gavin had always been an exception, hadn't he?