wl_fanfiction | Business and Pleasure: Chapter Eight (Reply)

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Title: Business and Pleasure
Rating: PG-13ish for kissing.
Pairing: Brad/Ryan
Summary for the chapter: In which Drew stirs up tension and Ryan and Brad talk.

Overall Summary: Brad's running his own large business and has everything but what he wants the most: someone to be there for him. After 'purchasing' Ryan from the Utopia group to serve the purpose, he slowly realizes that he's breaking their most important rule: he's falling in love with him.

A/N: PLease leave a comment!

Brad fidgeted as he waited for the man sitting opposite to him to say something. He hadn’t expected to see Drew until the end of his and Ryan’s two years and, though he felt that time was slipping at an incredible rate lately, he was sure that only a few months had passed. So why was Drew here? Had he somehow gotten the idea that Ryan was unhappy with him? Or had he changed his mind of letting Ryan go with Brad in the first place?

“Mr. Sherwood,” Drew began, “I must apologize about this sudden visit, but I’m afraid it’s protocol.”

“Protocol?” Brad frowned.

“Yes. When we loan someone, after a few months, we make a surprise round to make sure that person is not being ill-treated. It’s been six months since you’ve purchased Ryan so I’ve allowed you some leeway in that sense.”

“Oh,” Brad looked relieved. However, now a new scary thought was going through his mind. What if Ryan really wasn’t happy? What if he was just pretending to be just so that Brad wouldn’t hurt him like he was expecting? He knew personally that he hadn’t so much as raised his voice at Ryan and would never hurt him, but Ryan couldn’t read minds. He hoped he had shown it through his actions and he could tell just by looking at Ryan that he was happy, but that didn’t lessen his worry.

“I’m not saying that you’re mistreating him,” Drew assured him and Brad started. Had he been showing it on his face? “But I have to check. If he’s fine, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Brad smiled slightly to show that Drew’s words had helped but he still felt his heart beating rapidly. God, he hadn’t planned for this happening so early. If Ryan were to go....

“Why don’t we just go now?” Brad spoke rapidly, grabbing his coat from the stand and moving towards the door. “Sasha, cancel all my appointments today! I have some important work!”

His secretary stared at him in surprise, but smiled and nodded. He was the boss after all. Brad turned back to Drew and gestured towards the door, “Shall we?”

Drew shook his head with a sigh but followed him. He knew the reason for Brad’s odd behavior and that concerned him. Brad wasn’t worried about not getting his money back if Ryan had to be taken from him, but because he didn’t want the other man to leave. Brad was going a dangerous road that would result in pain for both of them and Drew didn’t want that to happen. Looked he’d have to remind Brad about a certain rule of Utopia that he seemed to be forgetting and that wasn’t something he was looking forward to.

“......”

There was complete silence in the car on the way to Brad’s home, both due to Brad’s reluctance to say anything and put his foot in his mouth and due to Drew’s policy of not making small talk with a client. By the time they arrived at the mansion, tensions were at a breaking point and Brad looked like he was going to faint at any moment. Bruce opened the door and his eyes widened at the sight of his boss.

“Master Sherwood, it’s not like you to be home so early! Is everything alright?” Bruce asked.

“Y-Yeah,” Brad tried to smile but it came out strained, “Is Ryan there?”

Drew raised an eyebrow behind him but kept silent. Bruce nodded and moved to allow them in, “He’s with Master Brady, they’re painting his room.”

Brad nodded and led Drew up to Ryan’s bedroom, his heart seemingly beating faster with every step. He stopped in front of the closed door and took a deep breath. This is it. Moment of truth, Brad thought and knocked at the door.

“Come in!” Ryan’s cheery voice came from inside. Brad opened the door and entered the room.....and immediately burst out laughing at the sight that met him.

“Hey, it’s not funny! You have any idea how hard it is to paint high ceilings?” Wayne scowled at him.

“This is the only way I can reach!” Ryan responded, reaching up and continuing his work.

Brad couldn’t respond, breaking into uncontrollable laughter again. The sight of Ryan, a near six and a half foot man sitting on Wayne’s shoulders to reach the ceiling when Wayne himself was not even a full six feet was one of the funniest sights he had ever seen.

“Ever thought about using a step ladder?” Brad chuckled, getting his laughter under control. There was a long pause before both Wayne and Ryan spoke up.

“You have a step ladder?”

“This is more comfortable.”

They both looked at each other again and started laughing again, causing Brad to start as well. A throat being cleared behind him brought his mind back to the present and he felt his chest tighten up again but spoke in a steady voice, “Ry, you have a visitor.”

“Really?” Ryan asked as Wayne moved to the bed, allowing Ryan to simply fall backwards off him onto the mattress. Ryan smiled in thanks and turned his attention back to Brad, “Who is it?”

“Hello, Ryan,” Drew’s voice came from behind and Ryan bounded off the bed to the smaller man, hugging him in greeting.

“Drew! How are you?” Ryan grinned, stepping back.

“I’m fine,” Drew smiled back and glanced at Brad, “I was just visiting to see how you’re doing.”

Brad understood the look behind the glance and looked over at Wayne, tilting his head in a way to say ‘Let them talk alone.’ Wayne nodded and, using the excuse of needing to talk to Brad, walked out with him.

“What’s going on? Why’s Drew here?’ Wayne asked immediately once they were out of earshot.

“Apparently he has some routine check-up system,” Brad explained, “He does it to see if their people are being treated properly.”

“Ah, no sweat then,” Wayne grinned.

“How can you say that? There’s no guarantee that Ryan’s really happy! For all we know, he could be faking it just so that we don’t get angry at him!”

“Brad,” Wayne interrupted, “If you think Ryan’s faking it, you are crazy. He’s as genuine as they come and you’ve given him no reason to be unhappy. Come on, he’s supposed to be like a love slave or something,” his voice dripped with scorn at that, “but you’ve treated him better than most people treat their actual wives. Believe me, Ryan will never be unhappy with you.”

Brad felt the truth in those words and smiled slightly, “You’re right....sorry about the freak out.”

“No problem, buddy,” Wayne grinned, “Now let’s get some lunch.”

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Wayne asked after an hour, munching on a fry.

“Probably about how I’m a jackass,” Brad sighed.

“Will you stop that? He’s not going to leave!” Wayne glared at him, slapping him on the arm.

“Well, I can’t help it! What if he doesn’t like the fact that I’m goofy? Or that I work all the time? Or that I’m allergic to cinnamon?”

“You’re allergic to cinnamon?”

Brad let out a yelp and turned to glare at Ryan who looked back sheepishly, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Never mind, I’m just high-strung today,” Brad sighed, gesturing for Ryan to have a seat.

“I wish you had told me about that cinnamon thing earlier. I put it in the roast for tonight. Saved in the nick of time,” Ryan grabbed an extra cheeseburger and took a bite, “Okay, who remembered how I like it?”

“Brad did,” Wayne pointed at his friend, amused at the flush in Brad’s cheeks.

“Thanks!” Ryan smiled at him before taking another bite and this time Brad could have sworn that he heard a purr coming from the other man. Brad felt his face would suddenly combust and from the look in Ryan’s eyes as he looked over at him, he knew exactly what effect he was having on him. Almost as if he was daring him to so something.

“Brad, can I talk to you now?”

“Yes!” Brad stood up immediately and walked over to Drew, missing Ryan snickering behind him.

“Why did you do that? You knew what it’d do to him,” Wayne laughed at his friend.

Ryan grinned back at him and grabbed a fry, “And you just answered your question.”

“He can stay.”

Brad felt a tremendous weight lift off his shoulders and he let out a relieved breath. Now that he thought about it with a calm mind, there was no chance that Ryan would feel like he was unhappy, therefore no chance of losing him.

“However,” Drew continued, “I’m worried about what’s happening with you two.”

Brad frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Ryan related the last few months to me and I think you and your friend are getting too close to him,” Drew answered.

Too close? Brad swallowed and stammered out an answer, “D-Don’t worry, it’s n-nothing like t-that.”

“Yeah right, Sherwood,” Drew snorted, “Anyone who heard it from Ryan or looked at you guys could tell that you’re getting too close to him. I have to warn you, sir, that you only have a year and a half left with him. Don’t get too attached or you’ll mess yourself and him up.”

“I’m not attached to him!” Brad protested but he himself could detect the lie in that statement.

“You’re getting dangerously close to breaking our law, Mr. Sherwood,” Drew spoke on like Brad hadn’t interrupted, “I’m afraid that if that happens, we’ll have to take Ryan away from you before the contract expires.”

Brad shut up at that. He didn’t have any doubt that Drew meant his words and would take Ryan away if he felt that the law was being broken. That along with the thought that maybe, just maybe, he was falling in love with him was enough to silence him completely.

“I rather that not happen and I hope you can remember this is nothing more but a business transaction,” Drew continued, “we have other clients waiting for Ryan after you and I rather you not put ideas of ‘love’ in his head. Goodbye,” with that Drew grabbed his coat and headed out the door, leaving behind a speechless Brad.

Brad looked at the now closed door and then back at the dining room where he could hear Wayne and Ryan laughing at something. He moved a bit to look inside and he could see Ryan laughing at Wayne’s impression of George. W. Bush and felt his heart shatter just a bit. This entire time they had been together, he had completely forgotten that the only reason Ryan was here was because he had purchased him. After this, Ryan would go on to be wonderful with someone else, he would make another man or woman happy and forget about him. He may even make love with another person.

The thought of anyone knowing Ryan in that intimate way, kissing the lips that Brad had so often kissed before, was enough to make his heart shatter. With another look at the gorgeous man in the dining room, he made his way up to his bed, flopping onto it as he tried to calm his mind and heart.

Ryan knocked softly at Brad’s door, not wanting to disturb him. He hadn’t seen him since the afternoon and it was nearly dinner time now, meaning Brad had been upstairs for nearly six hours. He opened the door to see Brad still face down on the bed, seemingly not moving or awake. He walked over to the still man and sat down on the bed next to him, placing a hand on his back.

“Brad?” he asked softly.

Brad let out a mumble and turned onto his back, squinting up at him, “What?”

“Uh,” Ryan hesitated for a second before speaking up, “are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Brad smiled slightly, grasping Ryan’s hand in his own.

“I know that Drew said something to you,” Ryan said gently, clasping Brad’s hand lightly in his fingers, “and whatever it was, I know you’re upset because of it.”

“He just....reminded me of something,” Brad knew that there was no point in lying to Ryan and that any further denial would just be a waste of time.

“He reminded me of it too,” Ryan responded, lying down on his side next to Brad, “but we’ve still got over a year. I don’t want this to make things awkward between us.”

“Can we really ignore that, Ry?” Brad asked, looking him in the eyes.

“I....don’t know,” Ryan admitted, “But I do know that I don’t want our time left to be affected because of it. You knew what this was from the beginning, Brad, and so do I. If you can’t handle this, tell me and I can go-”

“No.” Brad pulled Ryan tightly to his chest, “You’re not going anywhere.”

Ryan smiled against his neck and kissed his jaw line lightly, “I hoped you’d say that. Let’s just enjoy the here and now, huh? We’ll worry about the future when it’s the present.”

Brad smiled, “Live for today, huh?”

Ryan laughed, “Yup. It’s something I came up with in Utopia. The heart is weak and a coward. When there’s a problem that the heart can’t take, you have to lie to it and tell it that everything’s alright. All is well, if you will.”

“And that solves the problem?” Brad asked, playing with a strand of hair.

“No, but it gets the will to bear it,” Ryan responded, closing his eyes.

Brad tilted his head up and kissed him lightly, feeling Ryan respond. After that small talk, Brad felt that he needed to be sure that Ryan was still here and that he hadn’t gone anywhere. Feeling his warmth against him and his lips kissing him gently, Brad finally felt the last of the day’s tension melt away and smiled into the kiss, stroking Ryan’s hair and back.

“You want to see my room now?” Ryan asked breathlessly, pulling back, “we finished it a few minutes ago.”

“Sure,” Brad let Ryan stand up and followed him to his room. Ryan flicked on the lights and Brad stared at the room in amazement. Each wall was painted a different color, one red, the other blue, another green and the last one white. The ceiling was a bright yellow and overall, the room looked bright and cheerful, much like Ryan himself.

“It’s amazing!” Brad said, looking around.

“We kept one wall white as a ‘drawing board’ if you will,” Ryan grinned, walking up to it. “We ran out of ideas, but if we come up with one, we’ll paint it on this!”

“Great idea,” Brad walked up to him and stood next to him, looking at the wall as well. Then another thought struck him and it escaped his lips before he knew it, “Are you sleeping here tonight?”

“Uh, no. Wayne said the paint fumes are toxic so I should avoid it. Actually, I need to talk to you about that,” Ryan nervously pulled at his hair with his fingers, “Can I stay in your room tonight?”

Brad blinked, his mind blank for a second before it started working again, “Of course!”

“Great!” Ryan smiled, “So how about dinner then?”

“Okay, but nothing with cinnamon.”

“How about take-out instead?”