Bloody-Syren

Ryland parked the car and tossed the keys to Lorenzo. The landlord waved goodnight to the two of them and headed home. Ryland made sure that Alex could stand well enough on his own for Ry to fish his keys out of his pocket. The stoner chuckled softly and lurched forward. Ryland jerked to catch him and Alex's fingers fisted in the front of Alex's shirt. "Oops." Alex slurred, sounding drunk and stupid. He gazed up into Ryland's concerned face with huge glassy eyes. "You doing alright there, buddy?" Ry asked, wrapping a protective arm around Alex who was still riding his Vicodin high, and unlocked his apartment with one hand, balancing his roommate's sleepy form with the other. They stumbled through the door and Ryland barely had the door latched before Alex was all over him again, "Ry-Ry? Have I ever told you that I love you?" Ryland helped Alex move over to the couch and sat him down as gently as he could, working on undressing the lanky stoner. "Only like a million times." Ryland

Ryland was feeling lonely. His new apartment was practically barren. He stretched out on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. He wasn't really a party person, but he figured a little human contact couldn't hurt. He had seen a local bar down the street a few blocks. A stiff drink would do him good. He stood up and stretched, cracking his sore joints. Grabbing his jacket, he pocketed his keys and headed out for a new, slightly hesitant, adventure. The walk was bracing in the cooling air, on the edge of Fall chill. He pushed open the door to the bar and a pleasant hum and warmth flowed through the entrance. The place was nearly packed. A few people turned to see the newcomer, but most were lost in their conversations and beverages. Ryland found an open spot at the end of the bar. There was just one other guy at the short end, his wild mane obscuring his face. Ryland swallowed nervously, "Hey, uh, is anyone sitting here?" He questioned, not prepared for the dark laughing eyes and killer

"Is there something you need to tell me?" Alex's fingers were a tingling distraction as the stoner's hands slid across Ryland's shoulders, pulling the gamer close. Ryland had never been this close to Alex, except that one kiss a few weeks ago. They were both half-drunk and he was buzzed on the lanky stoner's secondhand toking. But now, with both of their heads clear, and Alex dangerous inches from his face, he could finally look into those kind, gentle eyes. Alex was looking at Ryland like he was trying to win a staring contest. Ry could see that his roommate's eyes had flecks of gold in them and his knees nearly caved beneath him. "I..uh..." Ryland's mind was blanking. How could he possibly tell Alex how he felt?! Unless the stoner already knew, then this would go over so much easier. "Uh...Do...is...W-what do you think I need to tell you?" Ryland was just fishing for time, hoping that Alex would catch on to his uncontrollable nervousness. The stoner smirked and pressed a cool hand to

Alex hummed to himself as he puttered around the kitchen. The dishes needed doing and the fridge desperately needed a cleaning. He was clad in only a pair of tight boxers that were definitely a size too small and a worn band t-shirt that he had outgrown but still adored. Ryland was sprawled out on the couch, one foot up on the cushions, the other dragging on the floor. One arm tossed across his face to block out the scathing midday sun. He was secretly sneaking looks at his lanky roommate from under his arm, loving the way that the stoner's hips swayed to the music only he could hear. Ryland had had a really difficult time admitting to himself that he thought of Alex as more than just a friend. They had shared one chaste kiss weeks ago, but Ryland had been too chickenshit to take things any further. He had just been silently consoling himself by fantasizing like it was his second job. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed impossible to get the leggy guy out of his head. The more that

It had been two weeks and they had managed to go on five dates, each one more amusing and fun than the last. Arin's heart fluttered in his chest whenever he got a text from Dan. The lanky guy was always more charming every time they met up. The next date was set for a fancy restaurant. Dan's treat. Arin was sweating after his record-setting shower, he had all of his suit choices sprawled out on his bed and he was trying to piece something reasonable together before Dan showed up. He chose a classy timeless look with a crisp white shirt, black slacks and a fitted jacket, topping it all off with a black silk tie. Just in time, he heard a knock at the door. He opened it to Dan standing there, clean-pressed and shiny, He looked like a walking advertisement for Lamborghini. Sharp and gorgeous. Those dark eyes sparkled knowingly and he murmured a compliment vaguely in Arin's direction, "Man, you clean up really well." Dan tugged nervously on his shirt cuff as Arin locked his door. They slid