Flight of Fancy, part 9/11

[kalimyre.livejournal.com]

Flight of Fancy

By kalimyre

Pairing: Ryan/Colin

Rating: R

Category: First time, romance, AU

Summary: In which Ryan teaches Colin to fly and tells him he has a nice ass.

Notes: Thanks to Clay, who lured me back into this fandom in the first place, Indy who made me glad I was here, and Jen who catches everything I miss.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight

Part 9

Ryan was quiet in the car the next morning, but that was all right; Jamie was speaking enough for everyone. He’d gotten enthusiastic about bringing Ryan on as “co-talent” and was busily making plans of how they’d juggle the flight contract and the performance contract and assuring Ryan that he’d make sure to get the best possible deal. Ryan looked a little dazed by it all, but nodded agreeably, which was all it really took to keep Jamie going.

“It’ll be fine,” Colin said, leaning over to him in the backseat. They’d already swung by Ryan’s hotel to check him out formally; he’d gotten his travel bag from the room days ago, when he’d sort of unofficially moved in with Colin, but the room was still in his name. Now they were on the way to the airfield and Colin wasn’t sure if it was the thought of another flight making Ryan reserved and tense, or if it was the sudden and dizzying rush of information Jamie was laying on him.

Ryan nodded and smiled thinly, covering Colin’s hand with his own for a moment and squeezing.

“Hey, on the Cincinnati hotel arrangements, do you want the same as Detroit, or what?” Jamie asked, one hand covering the mouthpiece of his cell phone headset, the other on the steering wheel. He looked at them in the rearview mirror, eyebrows raised inquisitively.

“By same, you mean...?” Colin asked.

“Same room, or separate?”

“Um.” Colin looked at Ryan and shrugged. “Up to you.”

“Oh, well,” Ryan mumbled, one leg jiggling nervously. “I mean... if you don’t mind, it’s probably more... efficient to share, right?”

“Sure,” Colin said, ducking his head to hide a smile. “Efficient. Good thinking.”

“Got it,” Jamie said briskly. “I’m booking you guys now. You’ll have time to settle in, plan out your show, which isn’t until this evening. I’ll be there by then, but I have to stop off in between for the post-conference evals and to draw up those contracts. You’re doing the all in one blender/juicer, okay? Colin, you know all about it. You can bring Ryan up to speed. It’s a short spot, twenty minutes, live audience, small studio. You’ll need to produce enough for the host and other guests to try, but you won’t need samples for the audience. I’ll have the supplies there and ready by the time the show starts, okay?”

They both nodded dutifully and Jamie went back to talking on his cell, pulling into the small airstrip connected to the main commercial airport. Ryan straightened, peering out the window as the hangar came into sight, and he relaxed visibly when he saw the nose of his plane poking out, bright silver in the morning light, sleek and familiar.

He hopped out of the car the moment they came to a stop and Colin followed more slowly, watching Ryan approach the plane. He put his hands on the fuselage first, fingers spread wide, and then walked around once, trailing a hand along the full body of the craft. Colin met him by the door after he’d waved Jamie off, assuring him they’d be fine and yes, he’d call if there were any problems.

“Ryan?”

“Hey,” Ryan said, smiling.

“You okay?”

Ryan nodded and patted the plane gently. “Sure. She’s just kind of my baby, that’s all. I worry a little about all these places, hangars where I don’t know anyone. I mean, they’re supposed to do the maintenance and make sure to cover her if the weather gets bad and check the fluids and everything, but you can’t know for certain they’re doing all that, can you?”

Colin tilted his head to the side, gauging Ryan’s expression, and then placed his palm on the skin of the plane beside Ryan’s. “I’m sure they took care of her,” he said quietly.

“Yeah.” Ryan flashed him a quick smile. “But we still need to do the preflight. That’s something you can learn, actually.”

“Yay,” Colin said dryly, but he followed along as Ryan walked him around the plane, examining the flaps and struts, checking the connective lines and the hydraulics, making sure there was no damage to the body. They climbed inside and went over the instruments, running the radio through the channels and checking in with the Detroit tower control. They made sure there was enough fuel and that the controls all worked, the flaps and ailerons responding to the foot pedals that Ryan demonstrated for him.

“You do this every time?” Colin asked once they’d finished.

“It’s required,” Ryan said. “Besides, it’s just a smart idea, for safety purposes. Usually I get to the airport first and do it before you get here, so there’s no delays, but since we came together this time...”

Colin nodded. “Right. So, now what?”

“Now we run the engines up. All the way to full throttle, make sure they can handle the load.” Ryan stood by the pilot seat, but paused, tossing a speculative look at Colin over his shoulder. Then he settled into the co-pilot side and gestured Colin forward. “Here,” he said. “You’re doing it today.”

“Okay,” Colin said slowly, easing into the seat. The view was different from here, and he saw that all the instruments and gauges were tilted to give him the most accurate display, centered on the pilot seat. It was a little like being in the spotlight, actually; everything focused on him.

Ryan leaned over, a hand on the back of Colin’s seat, and pointed out the start engine button. Colin pressed it and the engines whirred to life with a rumble, sending a vibration up through the plane that Colin felt in his bones. “Okay,” Ryan said, speaking quietly but inches from his ear, still audible. “The throttle is that stick by your right hand. Slowly push it all the way forward.”

“Won’t we start moving if I do that?” Colin asked, glancing nervously at the props to either side. They were still, gleaming with the promise of speed.

“No, the engine is disengaged right now. It’s like being in neutral. The props won’t move until you drop it into gear.”

Colin nodded and eased the throttle forward, grinning at the immediate rush of power from the engines, coursing through the little craft. The roar became a shriek and he looked at Ryan in alarm, but the other man was just watching him, seemingly calm.

“That’s enough,” Ryan said, lips almost brushing Colin’s ear so he didn’t have to shout over the engines. “Take her back down now, let her idle.”

Colin shivered at the wash of warm air over his ear and neck, but did as he was asked, the engines subsiding to a low throb. “Wow,” he muttered, a little shakily. “I don’t remember it sounding like that before.”

Ryan laughed a little, still so close to his ear, and Colin closed his eyes for a moment. “I don’t take them that high on a regular flight,” Ryan said. “That’s just for testing purposes; in case I do need full power, I want to be sure it’s there.”

“Okay.” Colin started to get up, but Ryan pressed him back into the seat with a hand on his leg.

“I’m not done with you,” he said, grinning, and the tone of his voice suggested all kinds of things, but Colin wasn’t really paying attention. He was preoccupied with the hand on his thigh, and the ease with which Ryan held him down.

“Oh?” Colin asked, squeaking a little.

“You’re going to take off.”

Colin blinked, staring at the yoke in front of him and the complicated array of tiny dials and switches. He was supposed to work those things and get this big heavy piece of metal into the sky? He turned to Ryan, but the other man was already on the radio, getting clearance for them and being assigned a runway.

“Is this a good idea?” Colin asked once Ryan had finished.

Ryan shrugged. “I think so. I’ll be right here if you run into problems, and it’s not actually that tricky. Landings are much harder; takeoffs are easy.”

“Okay,” Colin said dubiously. “So... how do I start?”

Ryan took his hand and directed it to a large switch. Colin flipped it and heard a sort of low thump, and to either side, the props began spinning lazily, slow with the sleepy hum of the engine. Then Ryan’s fingers were wrapped around his wrist, pressing his palm against the throttle, and they ran it up together, a notch at a time. The props whirred into blurred life and the plane rolled forward, clearing the hangar door. Colin looked around as they came into the open, staring wide-eyed at the sky above, littered with planes in the busy commercial airspace.

“Feel the foot pedals,” Ryan said, one hand still guiding Colin’s on the throttle, the other on his shoulder, Ryan himself leaning half out of his seat and half into Colin’s. “They have a top part and a bottom part, you feel that?”

“I feel it,” Colin said softly, biting his lip. “They’re stiff.”

“That’s so you don’t make a sudden change accidentally. The top controls the ailerons, those are the bits on the ends of the wings. They’re for steering. I’ll handle the rudder, don’t worry about that. You want to go left, you push on the top part of the left pedal, and likewise for going right. You get it?”

Colin nodded, not quite sure he could handle it, but trusting Ryan to keep them on track. Ryan pressed him a little more on the throttle and they taxied along the tarmac, gaining speed. Then Ryan’s hand was on his right knee, pushing gently, and Colin slowly worked the pedals, grinning in amazement when the plane executed a perfect turn. He let up on the pedal as soon as Ryan released his knee and the plane straightened, just slightly off center on the runway.

“Correct for that,” Ryan said, a low rumble in his ear. “Take us just a little to the left, try to get the nose on that center line. We’ve got plenty of room before we need to throttle up, so take your time and get the feel of it.”

“Okay,” Colin murmured, one hand still clutching the throttle, the other squeezing Ryan’s hand where it rested on his leg. He tried the other pedal, going too far the first time and sending them swerving to the left. They wobbled a little, the wings tilting alarmingly, but then Colin made another, smaller correction and they came back to an even keel. The nose still wasn’t perfectly aligned, but it was close.

“Good,” Ryan said, “that’s good. You’re a natural.”

Colin beamed, turning his head to the side to look at Ryan, startled to find his face so close their noses nearly brushed. Ryan met his eyes for a long moment and then looked toward the runway again, Colin following suit a beat later. “Um, is that enough runway?” he asked, seeing the paved area end a few hundred yards ahead of them.

“For a plane this small, yeah,” Ryan said. “She wants to be in the air. That’s what my sister always said, the plane wants to fly. That’s why takeoffs are so much easier than landings.”

Colin nodded, then jumped slightly when Ryan’s hand slid up his leg, stopping high on his thigh. “Now the flaps,” Ryan murmured. “Both sides, equal amounts. Just a tiny bit, to increase the lift.”

Colin did as he was told, and the plane shuddered a little around him, the drag on the wings increasing perceptibly. “Is that what it’s supposed to do?” Colin asked.

“You’re forcing more air under the wings than above them,” Ryan told him. “Now the throttle, and pull back on the yoke. Just a little.” He guided Colin, pushing his hand on the throttle almost all the way forward, then putting both their hands on the yoke and pulling. The plane shot forward, pressing Colin back in his seat and Ryan’s shoulder into his chest. The front wheel lifted, skipped, and then touched the ground again, bouncing. The plane weaved slightly, then straightened.

“Little more,” Ryan said, pressing Colin’s fingers into the yoke, his breathing fast and shallow in Colin’s ear. “Come on, you want to be in the air, just a little more...”

The nose tilted up, their view swinging wildly from ground and horizon and other planes scattered about to nothing but sky. There were a few frightening seconds with the rear wheels still on the ground and air in front of them, revealing nothing about where they were going or how much runway was left, and then the plane lifted smoothly, climbing into the sky with deceptive ease.

“Are we flying?” Colin asked, and then felt silly because of course they were flying.

“Congratulations,” Ryan said, patting his chest. “You didn’t kill us.”

Colin nodded and almost released the yoke, but Ryan quickly pressed his hands back into place. “Not yet,” he said. “I’ll tell you when to let go.”

Together, they held the yoke until Ryan pointed out the altimeter and told Colin to level off. At first he was too quick and the nose dipped, but he pulled them back to straight flight without needing to be told. Ryan checked the instruments, then guided Colin on the pedals a little until they were on course. Then he hit the autopilot switch and carefully peeled Colin’s fingers off the yoke.

“Wow,” Colin sighed, eying Ryan, who was slumped exhaustedly in the co-pilot seat. “That was incredible.”

Ryan nodded and scrubbed a shaking hand over his face, taking a deep breath. “You have a good feel for flight,” he said. “I think you’d learn fast.”

“I really like it. The plane is so responsive, you know? It’s like you touch a few little things and zoom, you get this amazing ride.”

“Hmm.” Ryan smiled at him, eyes sparkling in a way that made Colin wonder what he was thinking.

“What?”

Ryan shrugged. “Just you, I guess. You get so... shiny about things.”

Colin blinked and touched a hand to his forehead self-consciously. “Is that a bald joke?” he asked, feigning irritation.

“No, no,” Ryan said, chuckling. “I can’t quite explain it. It’s like when you were teaching me cooking, or when you get on stage, or just now when you were flying. You light up. You... well, it sounds dumb, but you shine.” He ducked his head, half-hiding an embarrassed smile.

Colin stared at him for a long moment, until Ryan met his eyes again, the other man’s cheeks still holding a tinge of pink. Colin tucked a hand inside Ryan’s elbow and squeezed. “That... that really doesn’t sound dumb.” He gave a half-breath of laughter, then swallowed. “It sounds like the nicest thing I’ve heard in... in a long time. Thank you.”

Ryan nodded and looked away, taking a deep breath. “Hey, you’re welcome. So, um, this show thing we’re doing. Should I be studying or something?”

“I can explain the machine to you,” Colin replied lightly, pulling back and allowing Ryan a moment to regain his cool. “As far as the actual performance, I don’t tend toward rehearsal. It kills the spontaneity of the moment, makes things look dry and practiced. I like to make it up as I go along.”

“I’ve noticed that,” Ryan said, smiling slyly. “Does it ever backfire?”

“On occasion. I’ve drawn a blank a few times, but usually I can mess up in such a way that it’s still funny. People like it if you aren’t perfect all the time.”

Ryan nodded and unfolded himself from the co-pilot seat, dropping onto the couch with a sigh. “So,” he said, waving Colin over. “Tell me about the wonders of juicing.”

“Oh, it’s thrilling stuff,” Colin said dryly. “Are you sure you can handle that much excitement?”

“I’ll let you know if I need a break to catch my breath.”

Colin dug in his travel bag, certain that Jamie would have slipped some of the product information in there before he left. Jamie was thorough that way. He pulled out a few pamphlets and settled on the couch beside Ryan, passing them over. Ryan seemed to take the idea of studying seriously, reading the pamphlets front to back and focusing especially on the suggested recipes.

Colin found himself drifting a little, the motion and hum of the plane soothing, Ryan’s warmth and breathing a steady, reliable presence. He shifted against Ryan’s side, letting the touch seep into his skin, warming him through. Ryan moved to accommodate him without being aware of it, and Colin dozed to the sound of his faint murmurs, reading the important parts to himself.

He woke to a feeling of falling sideways, a gradual slide, and by the time he opened his eyes he was lying on his back, blinking up at Ryan, who smiled at him.

“Morning,” Ryan said.

“Mmm. Yeah.” Colin yawned, and then realized he’d slid into Ryan’s lap, his cheek pressed against the other man’s shirt, head on Ryan’s thighs. “Oh,” he said, watching Ryan carefully.

“Oh?”

“I, uh... slipped.” Colin couldn’t quite resist turning his head a little, letting his cheekbone rub against Ryan’s belly. He was soft there, pliable and smooth in this one place, bony and angular everywhere else.

“I see that.” Ryan didn’t seem bothered, still smiling faintly, eyes light and calm.

“Better for my back,” Colin suggested, wriggling a little to get more comfortable.

“I’ll bet,” Ryan replied. “Can’t be a good idea, sleeping sitting up like you were.”

“Yeah.” Colin thought for a moment, and decided if Ryan didn’t mind, he wasn’t moving. He felt perfectly content right where he was. “So. All studied up?”

“Well, it is pretty complex material,” Ryan began, lifting the pamphlets as if they were heavy. “Especially the bit where it’s very careful to tell you not to put your fingers in the crushing part. Because I really wouldn’t have known that.”

Colin snorted and whapped Ryan in the chest with his knuckles. “Smartass.”

“I’ve accepted the smartness of my ass,” Ryan said seriously. “It took years of therapy, but I’ve come to terms.”

“Is there a support group for that?” Colin asked.

“We should form one.” Ryan’s hand rested on his chest, warm and heavy. “We could be the before and after examples.”

“Are you saying my ass isn’t smart?”

Ryan snickered, shaking his head. “It’s far too nice to be smart.” Then he frowned, seeming to catch what he’d just said. “I mean... okay, that sounded wrong.”

“Sounded all right to me,” Colin said quietly.

Ryan shrugged and shifted uncomfortably, and Colin took the hint, sitting up. He dusted his hands together briskly and straightened his shirt. “So. Are we there yet?”

“Pretty soon,” Ryan replied. He leaned forward and snagged the radio headset from the co-pilot seat, checking in. Then he sighed and climbed into the cockpit, holding the yoke and turning the auto-pilot off.

“Time to land?”

“Yeah, you should buckle up.” Ryan paused for a moment, then waved a hand dismissively. “Or not. I mean, if we fall out of the sky, a seatbelt isn’t going to make a hell of a lot of difference.”

“You’ll get us down fine,” Colin said, slipping into the co-pilot seat. “And... thanks for letting me fly earlier. I loved it.”

Ryan smiled at him, fleeting and sweet, before focusing intensely on their descent. “Yeah, well, I figured you’d do all right.”

Colin nodded, settling back in his seat. Ryan had been casual about it, and Colin didn’t want to embarrass him with a lot of gushing thanks, but he had the feeling being trusted enough to fly Ryan’s baby was rare.

As they drifted down, Ryan handling the plane like a feather riding the wind, Colin didn’t look out the window. He watched Ryan, who held the plane steady despite his trembling. Ryan, who ran from creepy teenage stalkers with him and made him laugh and who was, after years of looking, an equal on stage, finally someone to play with. Ryan, who was teaching him to fly.

~~~

On to Part 10