FIC: All I Ever wanted

[ally-pops.livejournal.com]

Here's the next chapter. Comments and criticism would be lovely!
Title: All I Ever Wanted
Author: Ally
Pairings:None as yet.
Characters:Ryan, Greg, Colin
Rating: Not bad! I don't know.
Beta: Molly (glitterglue_21)
Chapter: 2
Disclaimer: Not mine, these boys, most unfortunately.

Chapter 2
“…. And that’s why the French don’t wash!” Ryan hiccupped. Greg looked at him.
“I don’t geddit,” he said slowly, tripping over each syllable.
“Me neither.” Ryan admitted with a giggle. “But it sounds funny! Don’t ya think? French? Washing?”
Greg snorted into his drink. “I still don’t geddit, though.” He stood up before falling back down. Ryan giggled and got to his feet unsteadily. Holding on to Greg’s shoulder for support, he straightened himself.
“Two beers! Over here!” He called to the bar.
“Hey man! We’re becoming alcoholics here!”
Ryan nodded at Greg. “You’re right. 4 BEERS! OVER HERE! THANKS!”
Greg chuckled. Ryan spun around to look at him and fell over his own feet.
“Hey Greg? Dude, what am I doing on the floor? Ooh look! A penny!”
Greg flopped to the floor beside Ryan. He lay on his back like Ryan was, looking at the ceiling.
“Seriously, man, I just found MONEY…”
They lay in silence for a while, with Ryan occasionally letting a hiccup escape.
“Do you wanna hear a joke, Ry?” Greg whispered.
“Yeah.”
“A brunette is walking through the country, when she finds a bottle. She rubs it and, you guessed it, a genie appears.
The genie says, "You are allowed three wishes. But, I must warn you, anything you get, all the blondes in the world get twice as much."”
“But that’s just stupid, Greg, genie’s don’t exist.”
“It’s a joke, Ry.”
“Sorry. Carry on.”
“Ok. So the woman says, "Okay. Give me a nice house."
The genie replies, "You now have one nice house and all the blondes in the world have two."
The the lady says, "Give me a gorgeous man."
The genie replies, "You now have one gorgeous man, while all the blondes have two."”
“Greg? This isn’t that funny, you know.”
“Well I haven’t reached the punchline yet have I?”
“Is it going to take much longer? I think my French joke was better…”
“It’ll take ages if you keep interrupting. Shut up. So, the lady says, "For my last wish, Genie, see that stick over there? Beat me half to death with it.”” Greg goofed. “It’s funny as anything!”
Ryan looked at Greg in confusion. “I don’t really get it, why would you want to be beaten half to death?”
“Because…” Greg shook his head. “I think we need some more drinks. Where are those bloody beers?”
His phone began to beep. He scrounged in his deep pockets until he found it.
“Hello?”
Ryan joined in, shouting at the phone. “HELLO?”
Greg giggled and waved Ryan to be quiet.
“Oh hey, Jen.” He suddenly became more serious.
“Who’s that?” Ryan asked loudly. Greg waved a hand again, but with a grim look on his face. He addressed the phone.
“Oh hon, it’s just a friend of mine, Ryan, Ryan Stiles. He’s on Whose Line. I met him years ago.” He paused. Ryan tapped Greg.
“Shut up, Ryan!” Greg hissed. He had sobered up quickly. Ryan stood up, annoyed, and started to walk towards the bathroom in a wobbly manner.
* * * *
Ryan looked at his reflection for the second time that day. He started the tap running and splashed the cold water in his face. He needed to sober up, and quickly. He could sense that something was wrong with Greg, he could read him like an open book. Being drunk would not help the matter.
* * * *
“No, Jen, I don’t care! I’m allowed to stay out as long as I bloody want! You’re not the bloody boss of me!” Greg paused. “I’m meeting up with an old friend…. I do not!”
Ryan walked back into the bar and headed for Greg.
“… fine. I won’t. Fine.” Greg threw his phone on the table. Ryan sat down.
“Do you need a place to stay, Greg?”
Greg nodded.
“Was that your wife?”
Greg nodded again.
“Come on.”
Ryan grabbed Greg’s hand and led him out of the door.
“It’ll be ok.”

*
The shower turned off.
“Jesus Greg! Are you finished yet?”
The shower turned back on.
“You, my friend, are taking the piss…”
Ryan was stood outside his bathroom, dressed in his blue and yellow striped pyjamas. The trousers were inches too small, and Ryan’s long leg protruded from the bottom before disappearing into his old, worn green slippers. Greg had disappeared into the bathroom about an hour ago and Ryan was getting rather annoyed. It was like their college days all over again.
The shower turned off again.
“GREG! WILL YOU GET OUT OF MY BLOODY SHOWER?”
The door swung open to reveal a cheekily grinning Greg, naked apart from the white towel that hung loosely about his waist. He saluted.
“Sorry, Ry, I like to be squeaky clean and all that…”
“And use up all my bloody water? I doubt there’s any left! Jesus…”
Ryan went into the bathroom muttering under his breath. Greg smiled broadly before knocking the door.
“Ry, I left my-“
“JESUS GREG!” Ryan opened the door, holding a pair of dark blue boxers at arms length. He had a look of disgust mingled with amusement on his face. “Get the bloody boxers out of here. I suppose you need clean ones. In my top drawer. The red ones. And you can borrow some of my jeans.” Ryan said this all in one breath, before slamming the door. His muffled voice emerged from the other side, cursing quietly.
Greg grinned and shuffled off into Ryan’s room. He pulled on the red boxers and a pair of Ryan’s jeans. He sniggered. The trousers were way too long and they carried on past Greg’s legs.
He hopped back to the bathroom, tripping over his feet. Knocking sheepishly on the door, Greg explained his predicament.
“… and they’re just so damned long, Ryan! I can hardly walk!”
Ryan opened the door, still wet from his shower. Greg noticed how the beads of water still stuck to his lean frame, dripping slowly. He noticed how his wet hair, styled in a mullet, was spiked up in different directions. He saw how the towel was slowly coming undone at Ryan’s waist…
“Ok Greg? So I’ll do that now, you make some breakfast.”
Greg nodded. What? Had Ryan been talking? “Shall I do eggs, Ry?”
“Sure,” Ryan called back. He emerged from his room in jeans and a green t-shirt, with his hair still wet. “I’ll be back in a minute with some jeans. What size would you say you were?”
Greg relayed his details and watched Ryan go out the door and turn down the street towards the shop.
Why am I more comfortable here than at home? Greg asked himself. He made his way to the kitchen and started cooking the eggs, wondering how Ryan wanted his done. Poached. He started to fry the eggs. I just wanted to get away from that bitch for a while. Greg shook himself and gave the breakfast his full attention.
“GREEEEEG!” Ryan’s voice carried from the front door.
“I’M IN HERE, RY!” Greg yelled back, determined not to leave the eggs alone.
Ryan’s figure appeared in the doorway. “I’ll go get your clothes in a minute. But you’ll never guess who I ran into!”
Greg’s heart stopped. Jen?
“It’s Colin! You know! Colin Mochrie? I used to do Second City with him?”
A slightly balding man appeared next to Ryan.
“RY! I’m hardly decent, I’m only wearing a towel…” Greg garbled, pulling his towel up higher.
“Hey, Greg.” Colin smiled and offered his hand. Greg accepted it with some difficulty, trying to keep his towel above his waist.
“Hi, Colin. I’m Greg. I don’t live here. I’m just a temp!” He tried to smile.
“But Greg!” Ryan jumped in, bouncing like a dog on heat. “Don’t you see? Colin could come and do Whose Line with us! Dan told me he wants more Americans, Colin is from Canada-“
“Which is hardly American!” Colin interjected.
“-But it’s more American than English! And it’ll put the show on Canadian TV as well!”
Greg forced a smile. “Yeah. Good idea.”
Colin beamed. “Thanks, man. Means a lot that you think I would be good enough, Ryan has told me all about your amazing improvising!”
Ryan’s face split into a smile again. “Ok, Greg, we’re just going to see Dan, I know it’s Saturday but he’ll be so excited!”
“But what about my clothes?” Greg’s face fell.
“I’ve got some of mine,” Colin answered, “I’ll bring them over?”
“But that’s going to be ages!” Greg spluttered.
“Don’t be bloody ungrateful, Greg!” Ryan said angrily. “We’ll see you later!”
Ryan stormed out. Colin offered a small smile and left.
Greg stood dumb struck. He looked over he past few days- Ryan, the man who he hadn’t seen in years! He just turned up out of the blue, surprising Greg but cheering him up no end. He had expected it to be uncomfortable, but Ryan had seemed not to remember anything that had ever happened between the two. Maybe Greg had been making too much out of it. But to him, there was no forgetting the last time Greg and Ryan had seen each other…
*
“Dude! What have you got now?” Greg, dressed in his black trousers and his purple shirt, yelled from the kitchen.
“Chemistry,” Ryan replied, appearing in the doorway. His lanky frame was dressed in beige shorts, a white shirt and sandals.
“Cool look man,” Greg smirked.
Ryan flipped him off. “Have you got any classes today?”
Greg grinned and shook his head.
“Well, I’ll catch you later, yeah?”
Greg settled himself on the sofa. “I’m not moving from this spot.”

Greg was lying on the sofa watching some programme on the TV. Ryan walked in, causing Greg to sit up and turn the TV off.
“Good day, man?”
Ryan glared at him.
“No?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
“It was her again.”
“Pat?”
“Yeah.”
It was common knowledge that Ryan wanted to get to know Pat, a pretty girl who took Chemistry, a bit better. It was also common knowledge that Pat didn’t want to get to know Ryan at all.
“She’ll come round. You’re gorgeous.” He winked.
Ryan stared at his feet and nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, whatever.” He stood up suddenly.
“I just get so confused! I mean, everyone knows I like Pat, but sometimes I look at…” he shook himself suddenly.
“What?” Greg urged.
Ryan suddenly leant forward and kissed him full on the lips. The kiss was laden with meaning, and as Ryan broke away Greg found himself following.
Ryan looked down again. “I get so confused…” He walked towards the door.
“I’ll see you… later… sometime…” He slammed the door.
*