Business and Pleasure: Chapter 15

[saiya-tina.livejournal.com]

Title: Business and Pleasure
Pairing: Brad/Ryan
Rating: PG!
Summary for the chapter: Goodbye is the hardest word. 

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. After two years together, two years of love, the time has come for Ryan to be taken away. The rules will change, the game will too and the three friends are going to go through the ultimate test.

A/N: Yes, I know two updates of the same story in a week from and I'm sure most of you must have gone into shock. Well, I guess I got excited because this officially marks the end of half the story. Now, like it says in the summary, it's different, the game will change and there's no telling what'll happen in the end! Hope you lot enjoy!

Ryan tried to not let his emotions show on his face beyond a smile as he and Wayne took a bow before a wildly applauding audience. They had declared this as Ryan’s final show to loud protests and the audience seemed to be more responsive today than they had been before. Of course, their show was enjoyed by everyone every time, but it seemed that Ryan had managed to take the show to a different level, one that could not be reached without him. Wayne knew that their audience was going to the tall guy and he also knew that he would have to endure a lot of inquiries so as to when Ryan would return. The truth was that he really didn’t know. And that was the part that upset him the most.

 

When Brad had gone to Utopia and brought back a ‘spouse’ in the form of a scrawny kid barely into his adult years, he had never expected that he would know anything beyond the kid’s name. Now, that ‘kid’ was his best friend, his improve partner and his confidant. Days when Brad was ushered out of town on business trips were spent with Ryan and Wayne ordering take-out, putting on a movie and making fun of the actors. They would laugh, talk, play small improve games or just sit around and watch the movie. Never did Wayne ever feel that Ryan was just there because he had to be. He had become part of the family. Hell, he had made the family.

 

Wayne couldn’t remember a time when he and Brad had been closer than they had become after Ryan’s entry into their home. Brad spent his days and nights in the office and Wayne spent his in his bar or at the house. On Ryan’s insistence, they had started coming home earlier and he was surprised at how much they still didn’t know about each other after living for God knew how many years together. He never felt that anymore.

 

He had no idea how they would go on without Ryan with them. It was like being a body without a soul. It could still function, but there was no feeling. It was like living and not living at the same time. He knew he and Brad could still hang out, talk and maybe even take trips as friends, but would they be able to do that without the bitter fact that the most important part of their heart was absent? Would he be able to get up on stage again, knowing the ‘Neon Love Chicken’ wasn’t beside him? Would Brad stand to come back home when Ryan wasn’t there to greet him with a smile and a hug?

 

Wayne felt subdued as he and Ryan stepped down from the stage and made their way to the bar where Brad was sitting, also quiet, and staring at the drink in his hands. He saw Ryan give Brad a pained look, but silently took his seat to the right of him. Wayne took the seat next to him so that Ryan was in the middle of both of them and they just sat there, quietly waiting for someone to break the silence.

 

Ultimately, Ryan was the bravest, “Brad?”

 

“Yeah?” Brad’s voice sounded hoarse and he still would not turn towards Ryan.

 

“Brad, I...” Ryan took a deep breath and then placed his hand on top of his, “Please look at me?”

 

“I can’t,” Brad’s voice came out weak and quiet this time.

 

“Why not?” Ryan asked softly.

 

“Because I’ll see what I’m losing....and I don’t know if I can bear it,” Brad’s hand turned under Ryan’s to take the longer hand into his own and giving it a squeeze.

 

“Brad,” Ryan’s sigh was pained, “It’s three years....after that, you can....buy me again and next time maybe, I dunno, renew that contract?”

 

“I can’t, Ry,” Brad grit his teeth, “What hurts me most is the fact that I have to pay for you. Not that I don’t think you’re worth it- your worth my entire enterprise and more- but it makes me feel like it’s putting your worth in money and I hate that!”

 

“Brad,” Ryan leaned forward in his seat, “This is why falling in love is forbidden in Utopia. But my fate was sealed the moment my parents abandoned me there. Utopia took me in, raised me, made me who I am and I can’t just turn my back on them. I have to repay my debts.”

 

“What debts?” Brad turned to Ryan, looking at him for the first tie since they had started speaking, “How much do you think they spent on you, Ry? You told me what life was like. You were living on bare necessities! You make a million times more than what they spend on you! The number for raising you probably didn’t even go over half a million, but Drew charged me more than four times that amount! Your debt was paid the moment I brought you home!”

 

“Brad, I can’t back out of the contract! Please don’t make this hard,” Ryan pleaded.

 

“It’s hard already, Ry....I’m losing you. I’m not going to see you for three years. How can you think that I can go back to what I used to have when you’re not there anymore?” Brad responded.

 

“What about me? I have to give myself to another man, when I don’t want anyone to touch me but you,” Ryan was trying to keep his voice low, “I have to live with another man who probably won’t treat me better than a slave! I won’t be allowed to have friends or even leave his house! I’m going to kept a prisoner, do you think that’s easy for me after the way you and Wayne have treated me?”

 

Brad was shocked into silence now, but Ryan continued, “You guys treated me like one of you. Like a human. But you have no idea what others like are treated like. We’re slaves, Brad! No more, no less! I have to adjust to that after being treated like a Prince! From a prince to a pauper, isn’t that ironic?” Ryan laughed bitterly.

 

Wayne finally broke his silence, placing a gentle hand on Ryan’s shoulder and turning him towards him, “Well, if he ever says that to you, you better not believe it, okay? You’re a Prince, Ry, never anything worse. Hell, even Prince isn’t good enough for you. You’re worth a lot, Ry, don’t ever forget that.”

 

Ryan slipped his free hand to clasp onto Wayne’s for a second and trying to bite back his tears, “Thanks, Wayne.”

 

“No, thank you,” Wayne responded, squeezing his hand, looking a little teary himself.

 

“I’m sorry, Brad,” Ryan choked out, looking back at him, “I’m really sorry.”

 

Brad finally looked him in the eye, clasping his hand in both of his, “Please don’t go.”

 

Ryan shook his head and threw his arms around Brad’s neck, hugging him tightly and sobbing into his neck. Brad returned the embrace whole-heartedly, holding on tightly enough to surely crack a rib. Wayne also joined in the hug and the three of them held on to each other as tightly as possible, each praying that their group would stand this test of time and distance.

 

“Mr. Stiles?”

 

Ryan looked up to see a man dressed in a formal suit looking at the three of them in discomfort and he knew what he was there for. He tried to tug himself from the grips of Brad and Wayne, but they were refusing to let go. He looked over at the man, pleading for just a little more time and he nodded, going a bit away and standing in the corner.

 

“I need to go, guys,” Ryan coaxed them, “You have to let me go.”

 

“Promise we’ll see you again,” Wayne responded, holding him even tighter.

 

“I promise,” Ryan smiled slightly, “Once this contract is over, you’re the ones I’ll see. Just promise that you’ll be my next clients.”

 

“We won’t be your next clients,” Brad spoke up seriously, pulling away and looking at him. Ryan looked a little shocked and hurt and Wayne just looked like someone had hit him with a sledgehammer.

 

“Next time, you’ll be with us as a permanent part of the family,” Brad promised, taking his hand and placing a light kiss on it. Ryan’s face broke into wide smile at that and he placed his hands lightly on Brad’s face, pulling him forward and touching their lips. Brad, however, wasn’t content with that light contact. He pulled Ryan forward until he nearly fell off his seat and captured his lips in deep, passionate kiss. At that moment, he said all he could through his actions. Through his lips, he said ‘We are connected’. Through his embrace, he said ‘I will never let you go’. Through his fingers, intertwined with Ryan’s, he said, ‘We are part of each other.’

 

Ryan pulled away slowly, loathing the fact that he had to let go of the man in front of him. He knew without looking that Drew’s man was getting impatient and he knew that the time for stalling was over. He had to go.

 

“Goodbye, Brad,” Ryan whispered, kissing him lightly again, “Thank you for everything.”

 

“No, thank you,” Brad responded, kissing back, still trying to get in as much contact as he could, “Thank you for being everything.”

 

Ryan blushed and turned to Wayne, hugging him tightly, “Thanks for being the best friend I could ever have.”

 

“Thank you for giving me two,” Wayne whispered back, exchanging a quick glance with Brad as well, “We’ll see you again okay?”

 

Ryan nodded against his shoulder and pulled back, “Goodbye, guys.”

 

“This isn’t a goodbye,” Brad shook his head, “You only say goodbye when you won’t meet again. This is a ‘see you later’.”

 

“I’ll see you later then,” Ryan smiled. He began to move back, away from them, but Brad refused to pull his hand away, instead letting it trail along Ryan’s until Ryan moved back enough that their hands couldn’t reach. He let his arm fall as Ryan turned and walked towards the man waiting for him, exchanging a few short words before making their way to the exit.

 

“Do you think we’ll see him again?” Brad asked Wayne, watching as Ryan left.

 

“Let’s leave it up to him and the luck,” Wayne smiled, also watching, “If we’ll see Ryan again, if he loves us, he’ll turn back to see us again. Just watch.”

 

Brad let out a half smile and continued to watch Ryan. Internally, he was repeating Wayne’s words as if expecting them to come true. If he loves me, he’ll turn back. Any second now. Ryan didn’t turn back, still going his way. Turn. Nothing and Brad began to feel a slight pang of irrational fear as they reached the exit and Ryan opened the door, stepping outside. Turn.

 

Ryan turned back just before stepping out completely, his eyes immediately seeking out Brad’s and he smiled, wide and true and Brad knew that it was just for him. He told Ryan numerous times how much he loved his smile and he knew that was Ryan’s gift to him to last the long nights until they met again. That was Ryan’s promise to him.

 

“We’ll see him again for sure.”