Flight of Fancy, part 7/11
Feb. 11th, 2006 07:59 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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wl_fanfictionFlight of Fancy
By![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kalimyre
Pairing: Ryan/Colin
Rating: R
Category: First time, romance, AU
Summary: In which there are crossword puzzles and scary teenage stalkers.
Notes: Thanks as always toclayangel, indybaggins, and anesthesiagirl, the alphas, betas, and omegas.
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six
Part 7
The kitchen still smelled like chocolate in the morning.
Colin was up first and he smiled when he caught the lingering whiff of sweetness in the air. They’d had fun with the dessert. Perhaps a bit too much fun, considering the melted chocolate on the floor and the carpet. The cleaning staff was going to hate him. But really, it hadn’t been his fault. Ryan had started it, although Colin supposed he could have just let it go when Ryan had flung a few drips of chocolate at him from the tip of his fondue fork. Throwing a sticky slice of strawberry at his head had probably been unnecessary.
Colin couldn’t quite bring himself to be sorry. Just the expression on Ryan’s face, the strawberry sliding down his cheek, leaving a trail of juice and chocolate--well, Colin thought he’d do just about anything to see that look again. It hadn’t been an all out food fight or anything, just a sly game of subterfuge. First Colin sat down to find a bit of squashed mango on his chair, and he retaliated by sneaking up behind Ryan and swiping chocolate coated banana over the back of his neck. Ryan had yelped and leapt up to find Colin halfway across the room, humming innocently, mouth full of banana.
He’d made it up to Ryan by letting him have the first shower, and by the time he’d finished his own Ryan was sound asleep. Colin had sat for a long time on the edge of his friend’s bed, wondering how lightly Ryan slept. Wondering if he could get away with running his hand over the freshly washed hair. Wondering what it meant that Ryan hadn’t waited to be asked to stay, he’d just sacked out, fully at ease.
In the end, Colin had settled for the barest touch, adjusting Ryan’s blanket, tugging it to mid chest and smoothing the wrinkles. Ryan hadn’t stirred, not even when Colin had rested his open hand on Ryan’s chest for a few breaths, feeling the steady rise and fall.
He’d returned to his own bed with a certain reluctance, but there were still lines, despite how comfortable they’d grown with each other. Colin was willing to toe those lines, to test them, but not to cross them. Not if the consequence was chasing Ryan away.
Colin settled at the table with the morning paper, which had been placed outside the door, and an orange left over from the previous night. He was halfway through peeling the orange, trying to get the peel off in one long spiral when he felt warmth and a slight movement in the air behind him. Colin smiled and leaned back, unsurprised when the back of his head bumped against Ryan’s soft belly.
“Hey,” Ryan said, looking down at him. “You caught me.”
“Can’t sneak up on me. I’m part ninja.”
Ryan laughed quietly, pulling a chair close to his and sitting down. “Really? Where’d you pick that up?”
“It comes naturally,” Colin told him. “It’s a Canadian thing.”
“Ah.” Ryan nodded and stole a section of his orange. “Like the diabolical grinning?”
“Yes, like that.” Colin caught his wrist when he tried to steal another piece and Ryan froze, his arm taut in Colin’s grip. For a moment, it was a contest of strength, playful but not quite, Ryan pulling and Colin holding him still, pinned. Then Colin let him go and Ryan dipped his chin, almost hiding a smile.
“Maybe I should get my own breakfast,” he muttered, rubbing his wrist, but there was no real bite to his voice.
“Nah,” Colin said. He separated half his orange and passed it to Ryan. “You only had to ask.”
Ryan flicked a glance at him and said nothing, concentrating on his orange. Colin started the crossword and soon Ryan was leaning over his shoulder, pointing out answers, solving the clues with an ease that confirmed Colin’s suspicions. Ryan was clearly smarter than he let on.
“So listen,” Colin said after they’d finished the puzzle. “Maybe we could go somewhere tonight.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair. “Somewhere?”
“Well, you know, other than the hotel. I mean, it’s a big city, right? There must be something to do.”
“Getting tired of teaching me to cook?” Ryan asked, and the tone was light, teasing, but his eyes were not.
“Not at all.” Colin grinned and ran a hand through his remaining fringe of hair pointedly. “Although I could have done without the chocolate-covered-cherry hair treatment.”
Ryan snickered. “I figured it couldn’t do any harm. I mean...” He trailed off, then shrugged, rubbing a hand nervously over the back of his neck.
“You mean I couldn’t get any more bald? Gee, thanks.” Colin nudged Ryan’s leg under the table with his bare foot, but he wasn’t angry and that must have shown.
Ryan grinned and nudged back, his ankle brushing the inside of Colin’s knee beneath his robe. “Hey, I wasn’t going to say it.”
“Uh-huh.” Colin gave him a thin smile. “Anyway. Come on, let’s go out. Watch a movie. Do... something. There are things here, right?”
Ryan shrugged. “All I know about Detroit is they make cars.”
“You’re so much help,” Colin said dryly.
“Thanks. I try.”
Colin threw the orange peel at him.
~~~
The conference was winding down and with the big cook-off between the various presenters scheduled for the final day, this second to last day was mostly a place holder, with a shorter list of events. Colin ran his plans for Ryan by Jamie first, as much as he could plan, given that they made up most of the show on the spur of the moment. Jamie seemed mollified by the gesture, though, and when they dutifully kept the jokes on the PG side of things, he smiled and left them to it.
Ryan was slowly gaining confidence on the stage, willing to actually help with the cooking under Colin’s direction, rather than just stand by and cause funny distractions. They had only two shows, and the second one was fondue, so Ryan had a head start. He still fumbled with the knife work though, leading Colin to guide his hands again. Colin told himself it was silly to think Ryan had done it on purpose.
There wasn’t time to do the full menu in order so they had two pots going, one for the cheese and one for chocolate. They distributed samples through the crowd and a line formed, people dipping their food in the appropriate pot and nibbling appreciatively. Ryan snagged a bit of the fresh pineapple and dipped it in the chocolate, then brought it to his mouth, but at the last minute veered off and fed it to a startled Colin. He swiped the corner of Colin’s mouth with his thumb, cleaning up some smeared chocolate, and licked his own hand to mixed cheers and groans from the audience.
Colin was glad he had the pineapple in his mouth, since it gave him an excuse not to speak. He just licked the last bits of chocolate from his lips and met Ryan’s eyes, which were dancing merrily. A joke, of course.
They were free early in the afternoon and Jamie swung by to lavish praise about the rapidly selling fondue pots, then zipped off again, apparently having no further objections to Ryan’s part in the show. Then there was the obligatory exit, full of handshaking and congratulations and a few autographs, because Colin hated to say no and it made Jamie happy when he talked to the fans. There were also a lot of questions about Ryan, mostly who he was and if he’d be a permanent addition. Colin identified him as simply “My friend, Ryan,” and avoided questions about how long he’d be staying.
Then they were down the block and around the corner, free of the convention crowds and the mingled scents of a dozen different things cooking that spilled from the event center and halfway across the street.
“So,” Ryan said, nudging his side. “Now what?”
Colin shrugged, face turned up toward the sky, relishing the sunlight. “Now we see what we can find.”
They walked, Colin lengthening his strides a little to match Ryan’s longer legs until Ryan seemed to notice and slowed to a more comfortable pace. They were in a heavily commercial downtown area, with a lot of stores and restaurants and big pay by the hour parking garages, and although nothing looked appealing enough to stop and check out, Colin found himself enjoying the time anyway. Ryan was easy to be with, to just walk beside and look at things and not feel pressured to come up with witty conversation. The day was cool and bright, and it was late afternoon before Colin started to feel tired of walking.
“You hungry?” he asked, and Ryan shrugged, so they turned into the next place with food, which turned out to be a Starbucks. They stocked up on Chai tea lattes and croissants and wound up at a table by the window, watching the street outside. Colin half suspected they’d end up spending part of the night there, talking for hours because that was how these things went, wasn’t it? He’d seen enough movies to recognize a textbook romance when he saw one.
But that was silly. Foolish, really. Even if Ryan didn’t seem to mind a little flirting. Even if he seemed to encourage it sometimes. The speed and ease with which he’d become friends with Ryan was amazing, but he couldn’t let it fool him into seeing something that wasn’t there.
“Shoplifter,” Ryan said, out of the blue, and Colin jumped.
“What?”
“Him.” Ryan pointed at a man hurrying down the street outside, holding his jacket shut, one hand tucked inside the flap. “He’s got DVDs in there. And some other electronics. One of those little palm pilot things.”
“Okay,” Colin said, craning his neck to watch the man until he was out of sight. “I’ll give you shoplifter, but not what he stole. Did you see his hair? Ragged, halfway over his collar, greasy. His jacket was dirty, and the back was torn. Blue jeans with a hole in the knee. I’m betting liquor. Whiskey.”
“You’re stereotyping,” Ryan said, shaking his head.
“And you’re not?”
Ryan shrugged and looked out the window, then pointed to a woman passing by. “She’s having an affair.”
Colin considered the woman, one finger tapping his lips as he thought. “Okay, why?”
“Why is she having the affair, or why do I think she is?”
“Either. Both.”
Ryan chuckled and pressed a fingertip to a crumb of croissant on his plate, then licked it off. “She’s getting close to forty and her husband doesn’t pay attention to her. He’s always commenting on women on TV or their waitress at a restaurant or pretty much any female, anywhere. He’s clueless that way. So she goes out in that little dress and heels that she’s not used to, meeting the co-worker at the hotel around the corner, with her hair down and blowing in her face because she thinks that looks sexy.”
Colin raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Of course, she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring,” he said, although she’d been too far away and moving too fast to see whether she was or not.
“Of course,” Ryan replied. “She took it off for her big date.”
“Nice,” Colin said, smiling. “So far we’ve had a thief and a cheating wife. What’s next, an axe murderer?”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Ryan said. So they watched out the window until a young woman paused and looked back at them. They turned away quickly, Ryan giving a sheepish laugh, but she was already backtracking, coming around to the front door.
“Uh-oh,” Colin muttered. “Busted.”
“We were just looking,” Ryan said. “What’s wrong with that?”
The woman came straight to their table and when she got close, Colin saw that she was more of a girl, maybe seventeen at the oldest. She stood beside him, eyes wide, mouth open and he winced because suddenly he knew what was coming. It was always so weird when this happened.
“Oh my god,” the girl said, the words rushed together, squeaking. “You’re the famous chef, aren’t you? Colin Mochrie, right? Oh my god I love your show so much.”
“Thanks,” Colin said, smiling politely. “It’s nice to meet you...”
She didn’t offer her name, but turned, waving a hand. “Hey, everyone, it’s Colin Mochrie! Isn’t that cool? Look!”
Colin ducked his head, aware of Ryan shifting uncomfortably across from him. Luckily there wasn’t much response from the other customers; a few murmurs of recognition and a couple people called out a greeting, but no one seemed inclined to rush over.
The girl shook her head, making a disparaging noise. “People just don’t know talent, I guess. You’re amazing, really you are. And so funny! I really love you.”
Colin nodded and offered another smile. It was always odd to have perfect strangers say they loved him. Flattering, but odd. “That’s nice of you to say,” he murmured, keeping his voice low in the hopes that she would do the same.
“Hey, can I have your autograph?”
“Sure,” Colin said, scribbling his name on a napkin when she didn’t produce anything for him to write on. She snatched the napkin and beamed at him, then tucked it in her handbag.
“Thanks so much. I didn’t know you were in town or I so would’ve been at your show. Are you doing shows? Or just visiting someone?” Her eyes flicked curiously to Ryan for a moment before focusing that piercing stare back at Colin.
“There’s a conference,” he said. “And I should actually be going, it starts very early in the morning.” He began edging out of his seat, but the girl was standing in the way and the wall was blocking the other side, leaving him trapped.
“What conference? Where is it? Can I get tickets?”
Colin sighed. “The Kitchen Tech annual food and cooking convention,” he said. “It’s in the event center down on Markham street. Open to the public.”
The girl bounced a little on her heels and clasped her hands together. “Great! I’ll be there. Are you staying here in town?”
Ryan caught his eye across the table, looking increasingly unnerved, and Colin couldn’t blame him. Talking to a fan at a show was one thing; it was expected there, part of his job, and there were always safeguards in place in case someone got a little too excited. Suddenly being accosted while he was just hanging out with a friend tended to catch him off guard.
“Yes,” Colin said shortly, and tried to slide out of his seat again. The girl didn’t move and he doubted anyone could be that dense. She had to know he wanted out, and that meant she was choosing to keep him pinned down.
“Really? Where?”
Colin paused, staring at her. “I, uh... I can’t really give that information out, sorry. For legal reasons.”
“It’s okay,” the girl said brightly. “I won’t tell anyone.”
Colin exchanged another glance with Ryan and the other man got up, moving to the girl’s side. He towered over her and she shot him a slightly annoyed glance, the look sharpening when he put a hand on her shoulder and gently steered her aside.
“Excuse us,” Ryan said, and Colin noticed his voice had gotten lower, rougher. “We really have to get going.”
“Yes,” Colin agreed, quickly standing and edging around the table until it was between him and the girl. “Thanks for the support, and it was nice meeting you.” He offered a brief handshake, pulling his arm back forcibly when she didn’t let go.
Ryan put an arm around his shoulders and moved him out the door, Colin speeding his steps until it was Ryan, with his long legs, who had to hurry to catch up. The day had cooled considerably and the air was sharp and invigorating, calming after the claustrophobic encounter in the coffee shop.
“Wow,” Ryan muttered, glancing back over his shoulder. “That was weird.”
“Yeah. It happens sometimes.” Colin looked back too, and grimaced when he saw the girl step out onto the street and immediately turn in their direction. She walked about a half block behind them and Colin told himself she wasn’t following them. She’d been walking in this direction to begin with, after all.
“Should we be worried here?” Ryan asked, checking to see if she was still behind them.
“I don’t think so,” Colin said. “I mean, she’s just a little more enthusiastic than most fans, that’s all. Probably harmless.”
“Probably?”
“Mostly.” Colin offered a nervous smile. “I think. Come on, she’s a kid. What can she do?”
Ryan shrugged and glanced back again. “She’s still following us.”
Colin took the next corner, heading into a somewhat run down section of the city. For several steps, there was no one behind them, but then the girl appeared at the corner and turned the same way they had. Ryan put an arm around his shoulders again, his hand squeezing Colin’s upper arm. “That could be coincidence, I suppose,” he muttered.
“Could be.” Colin walked a little faster. “Probably isn’t. We may need to tell her bluntly to stop.”
“You think she will?”
“Give it another corner,” Colin said. “If we turn again and she’s still following us, we’ll put a stop to it. I don’t feel like being chased all night.”
So they took a left at the next street and sure enough, the girl stayed right behind them, closing the distance until she was only a few yards back. They’d moved into an industrial area, bracketed on either side by warehouses with dark windows, machine shops, and factories.
“Okay,” Colin said, stopping and facing the girl. Ryan stood beside him, hand on his lower back, and Colin was glad of the support.
“Please stop following us,” he said plainly when the girl stood in front of them.
“I’m not,” she said. “I’m just headed home.”
“You live here?” Ryan asked dubiously, indicating the neighborhood.
“Around here,” she replied.
“Then go ahead,” Colin said, standing aside. She frowned and took a few steps past him, then turned and folded her arms.
“Okay, fine,” she said. “I was following you. I’m just curious, that’s all.”
“I can understand that, but please, stop.” Colin tried his most winning smile, but the girl didn’t seem swayed.
“Why don’t you want to talk to me? I really like you.” And now it seemed like she was trying to flirt, stepping close and trailing a finger down Colin’s chest. Colin leaned back and caught her hand, steering it away.
“And I appreciate that,” he said, gritting his teeth but keeping the polite tone. “But I really can’t... it’s just not appropriate.”
She took another step toward him and Colin found himself half behind Ryan, trying to dodge. Ryan stretched an arm out, blocking her, and she glared up at him. “Look,” Ryan said, and his voice was low and flat again, almost growling. “He’s trying to be nice, but you need to listen. He doesn’t know you. You’re a perfect stranger, and you’re being very pushy. Also, you’re what, fifteen?”
“I’ll be seventeen in May,” she said, giving Ryan a dark look. “So what?”
“So he’s old enough to be your father and it’s just... weird, okay?” Ryan lifted his hands, giving a frustrated sigh. “Please, just go away. Go home.”
“You’re being very rude,” she said, cocking her head to the side and fixing them both with a pointed stare. “You should be nice to your fans. Where would you be without people like me?”
Colin was tempted to answer that he’d still be back in a nice comfortable coffee shop, spending time with his friend, instead of standing on an empty sidewalk as the day rapidly grew darker and colder. He just stared at the girl, half thinking this was some strange and elaborate joke. He’d heard the stories, of course; seen court cases where movie stars had to get restraining orders against their stalkers, fans who just wouldn’t give up, but he found it hard to believe it was actually happening to him. This girl clearly wasn’t going to take no for an answer, but he didn’t know what else to do. A polite refusal had always been enough before.
Then Ryan’s hand was in his, holding tight and Ryan leaned over, murmuring in his ear. “Run,” he said and Colin shook his head, baffled.
He looked up at Ryan, wanting to ask what he meant, because he couldn’t possibly be suggesting they run away, could he? Flee from a teenage girl who was crossing the line from annoying to creepy? That was just... crazy.
Possibly as crazy as being stalked because he was on a cooking show.
Before Colin could ask, Ryan was darting away, pulling him by the hand until he got his feet to cooperate and ran alongside, his coat flying out behind him and his breath rasping in his throat. He could hear the girl shout in protest, and then her footsteps, light and fast, but she was wearing boots with high heels, and that combined with their longer legs soon outdistanced her. Ryan swung them into an alley, then out onto the street on the other end and around a corner and they skidded to a halt in the entryway of a bar, breathing hard and pressed against the wall, watching for pursuit.
“Holy shit,” Ryan panted, running a hand over his face. “Did that just happen?”
Colin laughed weakly, glad for Ryan’s warm presence at his side, shoring him up. He was more shaken than he wanted to admit, his skin crawling unpleasantly, his stomach tight and unsteady.
“We should go inside,” he said, not trusting the open street. He thought they’d lost her, but better to be sure.
Ryan nodded and they went in, the bar hot and full of cigarette smoke and the flat, thick scent of beer. Colin sat on a stool, aware of Ryan ordering something, and he looked up when a glass clinked on the bar in front of him.
“Figure we can both use a drink,” Ryan said, smiling at him. He looked a little frayed around the edges too, which Colin found comforting. At least he wasn’t the only one rattled.
“Yeah,” he said, taking a long swallow. It was some cocktail he didn’t recognize, mixed strong, and he shuddered a little. “So. Maybe we should have stuck to the hotel room, huh?”
Ryan laughed and leaned close, nudging their shoulders together. “Eh, it was all right. An adventure.”
“Hmm.” Colin considered his drink and for a long moment, thought about having a few more. Enough to calm his nerves and still his trembling hands, to let him relax with Ryan and bring some of the easy pleasure he’d taken in his friend’s company back. But he had the cook-off in the morning and they still had to get back to the hotel. “Hey,” Colin said, lifting his head and looking around. “Where are we, anyway?”
“Um. Good question.” Ryan glanced out at the dark street, and shrugged. “Maybe we should call a cab.”
Colin nodded. He could call Jamie, of course, and that would mean a free ride back to the hotel, but it would also mean a lecture. He wasn’t quite ready to explain his evening to his manager, especially not the bit about the girl. Jamie would either hover and ask a hundred times if he was okay or dismiss the whole thing entirely as an overreaction. Colin wasn’t sure which would bother him more.
So Ryan found a phone book and got their address from the bartender, and Colin used his cell to get a cab. He felt calmer by the time it arrived, with the cocktail in him and half of another he’d stolen tastes of from Ryan, and they piled into the backseat laughing about their rapid dash from the bar, as if the girl might have been lying in wait just outside. She wasn’t, which was just as well, Colin thought.
He was very tired, maybe from the long day and maybe from the letdown after the adrenalin rush of the chase. Ryan took up much of the backseat, leaving Colin pressed against his side and Colin could no longer kid himself that it wasn’t deliberate. When Ryan’s arm slid around his shoulders he went with it easily, resting his head in the hollow of Ryan’s shoulder and letting his eyes close.
Ryan was quiet and still beside him, his chest rising and falling steadily beneath Colin’s cheek, and Colin wondered if he was falling asleep. It wouldn’t be so bad if he was, Colin decided. It was comfortable and calming and he could always claim the small backseat as an excuse. He knew when they got to the hotel, it would be separate beds again, watching Ryan sleep and wondering if the space just beside him was as warm and cozy as it looked.
Maybe he’d find out one of these days. There was time, after all. No need to rush. The thought was a good one and Colin smiled, his lips still curved upward as he sank into a doze, safe at Ryan’s side.
~~~
On to part 8
By
kalimyrePairing: Ryan/Colin
Rating: R
Category: First time, romance, AU
Summary: In which there are crossword puzzles and scary teenage stalkers.
Notes: Thanks as always to
clayangel, indybaggins, and anesthesiagirl, the alphas, betas, and omegas.Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six
Part 7
The kitchen still smelled like chocolate in the morning.
Colin was up first and he smiled when he caught the lingering whiff of sweetness in the air. They’d had fun with the dessert. Perhaps a bit too much fun, considering the melted chocolate on the floor and the carpet. The cleaning staff was going to hate him. But really, it hadn’t been his fault. Ryan had started it, although Colin supposed he could have just let it go when Ryan had flung a few drips of chocolate at him from the tip of his fondue fork. Throwing a sticky slice of strawberry at his head had probably been unnecessary.
Colin couldn’t quite bring himself to be sorry. Just the expression on Ryan’s face, the strawberry sliding down his cheek, leaving a trail of juice and chocolate--well, Colin thought he’d do just about anything to see that look again. It hadn’t been an all out food fight or anything, just a sly game of subterfuge. First Colin sat down to find a bit of squashed mango on his chair, and he retaliated by sneaking up behind Ryan and swiping chocolate coated banana over the back of his neck. Ryan had yelped and leapt up to find Colin halfway across the room, humming innocently, mouth full of banana.
He’d made it up to Ryan by letting him have the first shower, and by the time he’d finished his own Ryan was sound asleep. Colin had sat for a long time on the edge of his friend’s bed, wondering how lightly Ryan slept. Wondering if he could get away with running his hand over the freshly washed hair. Wondering what it meant that Ryan hadn’t waited to be asked to stay, he’d just sacked out, fully at ease.
In the end, Colin had settled for the barest touch, adjusting Ryan’s blanket, tugging it to mid chest and smoothing the wrinkles. Ryan hadn’t stirred, not even when Colin had rested his open hand on Ryan’s chest for a few breaths, feeling the steady rise and fall.
He’d returned to his own bed with a certain reluctance, but there were still lines, despite how comfortable they’d grown with each other. Colin was willing to toe those lines, to test them, but not to cross them. Not if the consequence was chasing Ryan away.
Colin settled at the table with the morning paper, which had been placed outside the door, and an orange left over from the previous night. He was halfway through peeling the orange, trying to get the peel off in one long spiral when he felt warmth and a slight movement in the air behind him. Colin smiled and leaned back, unsurprised when the back of his head bumped against Ryan’s soft belly.
“Hey,” Ryan said, looking down at him. “You caught me.”
“Can’t sneak up on me. I’m part ninja.”
Ryan laughed quietly, pulling a chair close to his and sitting down. “Really? Where’d you pick that up?”
“It comes naturally,” Colin told him. “It’s a Canadian thing.”
“Ah.” Ryan nodded and stole a section of his orange. “Like the diabolical grinning?”
“Yes, like that.” Colin caught his wrist when he tried to steal another piece and Ryan froze, his arm taut in Colin’s grip. For a moment, it was a contest of strength, playful but not quite, Ryan pulling and Colin holding him still, pinned. Then Colin let him go and Ryan dipped his chin, almost hiding a smile.
“Maybe I should get my own breakfast,” he muttered, rubbing his wrist, but there was no real bite to his voice.
“Nah,” Colin said. He separated half his orange and passed it to Ryan. “You only had to ask.”
Ryan flicked a glance at him and said nothing, concentrating on his orange. Colin started the crossword and soon Ryan was leaning over his shoulder, pointing out answers, solving the clues with an ease that confirmed Colin’s suspicions. Ryan was clearly smarter than he let on.
“So listen,” Colin said after they’d finished the puzzle. “Maybe we could go somewhere tonight.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair. “Somewhere?”
“Well, you know, other than the hotel. I mean, it’s a big city, right? There must be something to do.”
“Getting tired of teaching me to cook?” Ryan asked, and the tone was light, teasing, but his eyes were not.
“Not at all.” Colin grinned and ran a hand through his remaining fringe of hair pointedly. “Although I could have done without the chocolate-covered-cherry hair treatment.”
Ryan snickered. “I figured it couldn’t do any harm. I mean...” He trailed off, then shrugged, rubbing a hand nervously over the back of his neck.
“You mean I couldn’t get any more bald? Gee, thanks.” Colin nudged Ryan’s leg under the table with his bare foot, but he wasn’t angry and that must have shown.
Ryan grinned and nudged back, his ankle brushing the inside of Colin’s knee beneath his robe. “Hey, I wasn’t going to say it.”
“Uh-huh.” Colin gave him a thin smile. “Anyway. Come on, let’s go out. Watch a movie. Do... something. There are things here, right?”
Ryan shrugged. “All I know about Detroit is they make cars.”
“You’re so much help,” Colin said dryly.
“Thanks. I try.”
Colin threw the orange peel at him.
~~~
The conference was winding down and with the big cook-off between the various presenters scheduled for the final day, this second to last day was mostly a place holder, with a shorter list of events. Colin ran his plans for Ryan by Jamie first, as much as he could plan, given that they made up most of the show on the spur of the moment. Jamie seemed mollified by the gesture, though, and when they dutifully kept the jokes on the PG side of things, he smiled and left them to it.
Ryan was slowly gaining confidence on the stage, willing to actually help with the cooking under Colin’s direction, rather than just stand by and cause funny distractions. They had only two shows, and the second one was fondue, so Ryan had a head start. He still fumbled with the knife work though, leading Colin to guide his hands again. Colin told himself it was silly to think Ryan had done it on purpose.
There wasn’t time to do the full menu in order so they had two pots going, one for the cheese and one for chocolate. They distributed samples through the crowd and a line formed, people dipping their food in the appropriate pot and nibbling appreciatively. Ryan snagged a bit of the fresh pineapple and dipped it in the chocolate, then brought it to his mouth, but at the last minute veered off and fed it to a startled Colin. He swiped the corner of Colin’s mouth with his thumb, cleaning up some smeared chocolate, and licked his own hand to mixed cheers and groans from the audience.
Colin was glad he had the pineapple in his mouth, since it gave him an excuse not to speak. He just licked the last bits of chocolate from his lips and met Ryan’s eyes, which were dancing merrily. A joke, of course.
They were free early in the afternoon and Jamie swung by to lavish praise about the rapidly selling fondue pots, then zipped off again, apparently having no further objections to Ryan’s part in the show. Then there was the obligatory exit, full of handshaking and congratulations and a few autographs, because Colin hated to say no and it made Jamie happy when he talked to the fans. There were also a lot of questions about Ryan, mostly who he was and if he’d be a permanent addition. Colin identified him as simply “My friend, Ryan,” and avoided questions about how long he’d be staying.
Then they were down the block and around the corner, free of the convention crowds and the mingled scents of a dozen different things cooking that spilled from the event center and halfway across the street.
“So,” Ryan said, nudging his side. “Now what?”
Colin shrugged, face turned up toward the sky, relishing the sunlight. “Now we see what we can find.”
They walked, Colin lengthening his strides a little to match Ryan’s longer legs until Ryan seemed to notice and slowed to a more comfortable pace. They were in a heavily commercial downtown area, with a lot of stores and restaurants and big pay by the hour parking garages, and although nothing looked appealing enough to stop and check out, Colin found himself enjoying the time anyway. Ryan was easy to be with, to just walk beside and look at things and not feel pressured to come up with witty conversation. The day was cool and bright, and it was late afternoon before Colin started to feel tired of walking.
“You hungry?” he asked, and Ryan shrugged, so they turned into the next place with food, which turned out to be a Starbucks. They stocked up on Chai tea lattes and croissants and wound up at a table by the window, watching the street outside. Colin half suspected they’d end up spending part of the night there, talking for hours because that was how these things went, wasn’t it? He’d seen enough movies to recognize a textbook romance when he saw one.
But that was silly. Foolish, really. Even if Ryan didn’t seem to mind a little flirting. Even if he seemed to encourage it sometimes. The speed and ease with which he’d become friends with Ryan was amazing, but he couldn’t let it fool him into seeing something that wasn’t there.
“Shoplifter,” Ryan said, out of the blue, and Colin jumped.
“What?”
“Him.” Ryan pointed at a man hurrying down the street outside, holding his jacket shut, one hand tucked inside the flap. “He’s got DVDs in there. And some other electronics. One of those little palm pilot things.”
“Okay,” Colin said, craning his neck to watch the man until he was out of sight. “I’ll give you shoplifter, but not what he stole. Did you see his hair? Ragged, halfway over his collar, greasy. His jacket was dirty, and the back was torn. Blue jeans with a hole in the knee. I’m betting liquor. Whiskey.”
“You’re stereotyping,” Ryan said, shaking his head.
“And you’re not?”
Ryan shrugged and looked out the window, then pointed to a woman passing by. “She’s having an affair.”
Colin considered the woman, one finger tapping his lips as he thought. “Okay, why?”
“Why is she having the affair, or why do I think she is?”
“Either. Both.”
Ryan chuckled and pressed a fingertip to a crumb of croissant on his plate, then licked it off. “She’s getting close to forty and her husband doesn’t pay attention to her. He’s always commenting on women on TV or their waitress at a restaurant or pretty much any female, anywhere. He’s clueless that way. So she goes out in that little dress and heels that she’s not used to, meeting the co-worker at the hotel around the corner, with her hair down and blowing in her face because she thinks that looks sexy.”
Colin raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Of course, she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring,” he said, although she’d been too far away and moving too fast to see whether she was or not.
“Of course,” Ryan replied. “She took it off for her big date.”
“Nice,” Colin said, smiling. “So far we’ve had a thief and a cheating wife. What’s next, an axe murderer?”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Ryan said. So they watched out the window until a young woman paused and looked back at them. They turned away quickly, Ryan giving a sheepish laugh, but she was already backtracking, coming around to the front door.
“Uh-oh,” Colin muttered. “Busted.”
“We were just looking,” Ryan said. “What’s wrong with that?”
The woman came straight to their table and when she got close, Colin saw that she was more of a girl, maybe seventeen at the oldest. She stood beside him, eyes wide, mouth open and he winced because suddenly he knew what was coming. It was always so weird when this happened.
“Oh my god,” the girl said, the words rushed together, squeaking. “You’re the famous chef, aren’t you? Colin Mochrie, right? Oh my god I love your show so much.”
“Thanks,” Colin said, smiling politely. “It’s nice to meet you...”
She didn’t offer her name, but turned, waving a hand. “Hey, everyone, it’s Colin Mochrie! Isn’t that cool? Look!”
Colin ducked his head, aware of Ryan shifting uncomfortably across from him. Luckily there wasn’t much response from the other customers; a few murmurs of recognition and a couple people called out a greeting, but no one seemed inclined to rush over.
The girl shook her head, making a disparaging noise. “People just don’t know talent, I guess. You’re amazing, really you are. And so funny! I really love you.”
Colin nodded and offered another smile. It was always odd to have perfect strangers say they loved him. Flattering, but odd. “That’s nice of you to say,” he murmured, keeping his voice low in the hopes that she would do the same.
“Hey, can I have your autograph?”
“Sure,” Colin said, scribbling his name on a napkin when she didn’t produce anything for him to write on. She snatched the napkin and beamed at him, then tucked it in her handbag.
“Thanks so much. I didn’t know you were in town or I so would’ve been at your show. Are you doing shows? Or just visiting someone?” Her eyes flicked curiously to Ryan for a moment before focusing that piercing stare back at Colin.
“There’s a conference,” he said. “And I should actually be going, it starts very early in the morning.” He began edging out of his seat, but the girl was standing in the way and the wall was blocking the other side, leaving him trapped.
“What conference? Where is it? Can I get tickets?”
Colin sighed. “The Kitchen Tech annual food and cooking convention,” he said. “It’s in the event center down on Markham street. Open to the public.”
The girl bounced a little on her heels and clasped her hands together. “Great! I’ll be there. Are you staying here in town?”
Ryan caught his eye across the table, looking increasingly unnerved, and Colin couldn’t blame him. Talking to a fan at a show was one thing; it was expected there, part of his job, and there were always safeguards in place in case someone got a little too excited. Suddenly being accosted while he was just hanging out with a friend tended to catch him off guard.
“Yes,” Colin said shortly, and tried to slide out of his seat again. The girl didn’t move and he doubted anyone could be that dense. She had to know he wanted out, and that meant she was choosing to keep him pinned down.
“Really? Where?”
Colin paused, staring at her. “I, uh... I can’t really give that information out, sorry. For legal reasons.”
“It’s okay,” the girl said brightly. “I won’t tell anyone.”
Colin exchanged another glance with Ryan and the other man got up, moving to the girl’s side. He towered over her and she shot him a slightly annoyed glance, the look sharpening when he put a hand on her shoulder and gently steered her aside.
“Excuse us,” Ryan said, and Colin noticed his voice had gotten lower, rougher. “We really have to get going.”
“Yes,” Colin agreed, quickly standing and edging around the table until it was between him and the girl. “Thanks for the support, and it was nice meeting you.” He offered a brief handshake, pulling his arm back forcibly when she didn’t let go.
Ryan put an arm around his shoulders and moved him out the door, Colin speeding his steps until it was Ryan, with his long legs, who had to hurry to catch up. The day had cooled considerably and the air was sharp and invigorating, calming after the claustrophobic encounter in the coffee shop.
“Wow,” Ryan muttered, glancing back over his shoulder. “That was weird.”
“Yeah. It happens sometimes.” Colin looked back too, and grimaced when he saw the girl step out onto the street and immediately turn in their direction. She walked about a half block behind them and Colin told himself she wasn’t following them. She’d been walking in this direction to begin with, after all.
“Should we be worried here?” Ryan asked, checking to see if she was still behind them.
“I don’t think so,” Colin said. “I mean, she’s just a little more enthusiastic than most fans, that’s all. Probably harmless.”
“Probably?”
“Mostly.” Colin offered a nervous smile. “I think. Come on, she’s a kid. What can she do?”
Ryan shrugged and glanced back again. “She’s still following us.”
Colin took the next corner, heading into a somewhat run down section of the city. For several steps, there was no one behind them, but then the girl appeared at the corner and turned the same way they had. Ryan put an arm around his shoulders again, his hand squeezing Colin’s upper arm. “That could be coincidence, I suppose,” he muttered.
“Could be.” Colin walked a little faster. “Probably isn’t. We may need to tell her bluntly to stop.”
“You think she will?”
“Give it another corner,” Colin said. “If we turn again and she’s still following us, we’ll put a stop to it. I don’t feel like being chased all night.”
So they took a left at the next street and sure enough, the girl stayed right behind them, closing the distance until she was only a few yards back. They’d moved into an industrial area, bracketed on either side by warehouses with dark windows, machine shops, and factories.
“Okay,” Colin said, stopping and facing the girl. Ryan stood beside him, hand on his lower back, and Colin was glad of the support.
“Please stop following us,” he said plainly when the girl stood in front of them.
“I’m not,” she said. “I’m just headed home.”
“You live here?” Ryan asked dubiously, indicating the neighborhood.
“Around here,” she replied.
“Then go ahead,” Colin said, standing aside. She frowned and took a few steps past him, then turned and folded her arms.
“Okay, fine,” she said. “I was following you. I’m just curious, that’s all.”
“I can understand that, but please, stop.” Colin tried his most winning smile, but the girl didn’t seem swayed.
“Why don’t you want to talk to me? I really like you.” And now it seemed like she was trying to flirt, stepping close and trailing a finger down Colin’s chest. Colin leaned back and caught her hand, steering it away.
“And I appreciate that,” he said, gritting his teeth but keeping the polite tone. “But I really can’t... it’s just not appropriate.”
She took another step toward him and Colin found himself half behind Ryan, trying to dodge. Ryan stretched an arm out, blocking her, and she glared up at him. “Look,” Ryan said, and his voice was low and flat again, almost growling. “He’s trying to be nice, but you need to listen. He doesn’t know you. You’re a perfect stranger, and you’re being very pushy. Also, you’re what, fifteen?”
“I’ll be seventeen in May,” she said, giving Ryan a dark look. “So what?”
“So he’s old enough to be your father and it’s just... weird, okay?” Ryan lifted his hands, giving a frustrated sigh. “Please, just go away. Go home.”
“You’re being very rude,” she said, cocking her head to the side and fixing them both with a pointed stare. “You should be nice to your fans. Where would you be without people like me?”
Colin was tempted to answer that he’d still be back in a nice comfortable coffee shop, spending time with his friend, instead of standing on an empty sidewalk as the day rapidly grew darker and colder. He just stared at the girl, half thinking this was some strange and elaborate joke. He’d heard the stories, of course; seen court cases where movie stars had to get restraining orders against their stalkers, fans who just wouldn’t give up, but he found it hard to believe it was actually happening to him. This girl clearly wasn’t going to take no for an answer, but he didn’t know what else to do. A polite refusal had always been enough before.
Then Ryan’s hand was in his, holding tight and Ryan leaned over, murmuring in his ear. “Run,” he said and Colin shook his head, baffled.
He looked up at Ryan, wanting to ask what he meant, because he couldn’t possibly be suggesting they run away, could he? Flee from a teenage girl who was crossing the line from annoying to creepy? That was just... crazy.
Possibly as crazy as being stalked because he was on a cooking show.
Before Colin could ask, Ryan was darting away, pulling him by the hand until he got his feet to cooperate and ran alongside, his coat flying out behind him and his breath rasping in his throat. He could hear the girl shout in protest, and then her footsteps, light and fast, but she was wearing boots with high heels, and that combined with their longer legs soon outdistanced her. Ryan swung them into an alley, then out onto the street on the other end and around a corner and they skidded to a halt in the entryway of a bar, breathing hard and pressed against the wall, watching for pursuit.
“Holy shit,” Ryan panted, running a hand over his face. “Did that just happen?”
Colin laughed weakly, glad for Ryan’s warm presence at his side, shoring him up. He was more shaken than he wanted to admit, his skin crawling unpleasantly, his stomach tight and unsteady.
“We should go inside,” he said, not trusting the open street. He thought they’d lost her, but better to be sure.
Ryan nodded and they went in, the bar hot and full of cigarette smoke and the flat, thick scent of beer. Colin sat on a stool, aware of Ryan ordering something, and he looked up when a glass clinked on the bar in front of him.
“Figure we can both use a drink,” Ryan said, smiling at him. He looked a little frayed around the edges too, which Colin found comforting. At least he wasn’t the only one rattled.
“Yeah,” he said, taking a long swallow. It was some cocktail he didn’t recognize, mixed strong, and he shuddered a little. “So. Maybe we should have stuck to the hotel room, huh?”
Ryan laughed and leaned close, nudging their shoulders together. “Eh, it was all right. An adventure.”
“Hmm.” Colin considered his drink and for a long moment, thought about having a few more. Enough to calm his nerves and still his trembling hands, to let him relax with Ryan and bring some of the easy pleasure he’d taken in his friend’s company back. But he had the cook-off in the morning and they still had to get back to the hotel. “Hey,” Colin said, lifting his head and looking around. “Where are we, anyway?”
“Um. Good question.” Ryan glanced out at the dark street, and shrugged. “Maybe we should call a cab.”
Colin nodded. He could call Jamie, of course, and that would mean a free ride back to the hotel, but it would also mean a lecture. He wasn’t quite ready to explain his evening to his manager, especially not the bit about the girl. Jamie would either hover and ask a hundred times if he was okay or dismiss the whole thing entirely as an overreaction. Colin wasn’t sure which would bother him more.
So Ryan found a phone book and got their address from the bartender, and Colin used his cell to get a cab. He felt calmer by the time it arrived, with the cocktail in him and half of another he’d stolen tastes of from Ryan, and they piled into the backseat laughing about their rapid dash from the bar, as if the girl might have been lying in wait just outside. She wasn’t, which was just as well, Colin thought.
He was very tired, maybe from the long day and maybe from the letdown after the adrenalin rush of the chase. Ryan took up much of the backseat, leaving Colin pressed against his side and Colin could no longer kid himself that it wasn’t deliberate. When Ryan’s arm slid around his shoulders he went with it easily, resting his head in the hollow of Ryan’s shoulder and letting his eyes close.
Ryan was quiet and still beside him, his chest rising and falling steadily beneath Colin’s cheek, and Colin wondered if he was falling asleep. It wouldn’t be so bad if he was, Colin decided. It was comfortable and calming and he could always claim the small backseat as an excuse. He knew when they got to the hotel, it would be separate beds again, watching Ryan sleep and wondering if the space just beside him was as warm and cozy as it looked.
Maybe he’d find out one of these days. There was time, after all. No need to rush. The thought was a good one and Colin smiled, his lips still curved upward as he sank into a doze, safe at Ryan’s side.
~~~
On to part 8
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Date: 2006-02-12 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-12 10:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-12 05:21 pm (UTC)I gotta go to work soon so I don't have time for a big detailed feedback. But I wanted to let you know that I read this. And I will be back later with more! :D
Emily :)
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Date: 2006-02-12 10:21 pm (UTC)(And I'll get back to you with that next Survivor bit soon, I promise.)
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Date: 2006-02-13 12:53 am (UTC)Stupid work was dead anyway so it was a total waste of time even being there, but gahhhhh... Whatever. *sighs*
Oh darn, I had to reread your story so I could remember everything that I liked! :) First of all, of course I *loved* the moment where Col was watching Ryan sleeping! I was dying! I wanted him to just say screw caution and join him in bed anyway. *g*
But I will be patient, 'cause I'm hoping that you will have a little sleepy cuddly scene later on down the road. What am I saying? Of course you will. LOL.
And the show! Ryan was totally flirting with Colin when he wiped off the chocolate, no matter what Colin thinks. :)
The stalker part was appropriately creepy, but I loved how Ryan was all protective of Colin, of course. I can't blame her for wanting to flirt with Colin! *g* Unfortunately, I guess he doesn't swing that way, but eh. *shrugs* Still can't blame her. *g*
And the scene at the end made me melt... :)
Emily :)
P.S. I have will more 'Survivor' soon for you, too! *g*
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Date: 2006-02-13 01:38 am (UTC)Also, out of curiousity, I pasted all the Survivor bits into one document, and we're up at 19 pages. Should we maybe link it here so people can watch it in progress?
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Date: 2006-02-13 01:43 am (UTC)Maybe we could separate it by day and post it that way? We already have one full day written, and most of the second one...
I can't believe we wrote that much already. LOL.
What should we call it?
Emily :)
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Date: 2006-02-13 01:52 am (UTC)Posting one day at a time would be fine, but doesn't the show last for weeks? That's be one long story. (Not that it's a bad thing.)
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Date: 2006-02-13 02:00 am (UTC)*ponders* Maybe we could post it by day... But still keep posting it in the comments? Y'know what I mean? Like, when a new day begins, whoever's turn it is starts a new post... And then we add to it with comments going down until the day is over. That way the text boxes won't get too small, and people won't be overwhelmed with parts to read. It will be broken up a bit.
And the beauty of 'Survivor' is, we can get Ry-N-Col voted out at any time. LOL. It's not like they have to go all the way to the end... *g*
That's a good idea about an obscure word for 'Survivor'. I'm really not picky about titles, 'cause most of mine suck anyway... LOL.
Emily :)
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Date: 2006-02-13 02:07 am (UTC)And for a title, I've been sifting through synonyms and I like Overcome. It's not that obscure, but it has good meanings. To win, to prevail, to struggle through, and also to affect deeply, as with emotion. Plus, a second meaning of feeling overwhelmed or lost.
(Sorry to be constantly interrupting your writing!) ^_^
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Date: 2006-02-13 02:12 am (UTC)That's probably why it takes me so long to get stuff written. Hmm. *sits on hands*
I think we should post it here, 'cause this is where our audience is! :) And my journal's Friends Only, so no one would be able to read it. Although if we need to talk about plot or something, we could do it there. Or email. Or whatever. *g* SHOULD we talk about the plot? *poke*
Overcome sounds okay. :) Are you going to change the beginning a bit? 'Cause we really didn't have a proper beginning, we just kinda fell into it... *sheepish grin*
Emiliy :)
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Date: 2006-02-13 03:07 am (UTC)We'd have to somehow transfer the first two days over here. I suppose pasting them together in fic form would be simpler. I even know the first chapter summary: Colin and Ryan on Survivor. No, really. No. Really.
I already have it pasted together, so I can post it if you like. Did you want to change anything first? Or maybe wait a bit? I know you're still posting your ESP series, and I'm still posting flight, but if we're going to keep going in comments, it should be here.
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Date: 2006-02-13 03:17 am (UTC)That's a good idea about just pasting the first day over here... Maybe we can do that with the second day too, once it's finished. And then we can do the comment thing for subsequent days?
I'm not too fussed about the editing, to be honest. It's already a ridiculous idea. LOL. So if there's ridiculous stuff in the story, well... all the better. *g*
I'd prefer not to wait to post. I don't mind working on two things at once. It's just little bits of the story... So it's not like we're writing a ton at a time. I can still work on the Extrasensory Series without any trouble. As soon as I actually figure out what the hell I want to do with it, that is. *g*
Emily :)
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Date: 2006-02-13 03:20 am (UTC)Speaking of which, I'm currently working on the latest bit. Right now, Colin is seriously tempted to pounce on Ryan and tickle him. *g*
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Date: 2006-02-13 03:25 am (UTC)Oooooooh, tickling... I can't wait to see!
6 more minutes till 'Whose Line' is on tv. And 36 more minutes until 'Ravenous Boa'! *g*
Emily :)
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Date: 2006-02-13 03:42 am (UTC)PS: Enjoy the Ravenous Boa! It's awesome.
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Date: 2006-02-13 03:53 am (UTC)Emily :)
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Date: 2006-02-13 04:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-13 04:52 am (UTC)emilyfairy@excite.com
Emily :)
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Date: 2006-02-12 09:20 pm (UTC)Though it probably shouldn't, the crazy stalker made me laugh... don't look at me like that! That doesn't mean what you think! Lol...
The ending almost left me in tears, it was just so sweet and beautiful! Marry me! xD
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Date: 2006-02-12 10:23 pm (UTC)And yay for sweet and beautiful endings with snuggling and sleepiness! Those are my favorite kinds.
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Date: 2006-02-13 08:55 pm (UTC)Now if somebody would just put a muzzle on creepy fan girl before she attends the conference and give Jamie a handful of chill pills before he comes in contact with Ryan again, then everything would be just peachy. ;>)
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Date: 2006-02-13 11:43 pm (UTC)Also, don't worry, creepy fangirl won't be attending the conference. Maybe she rethought things and realized she didn't have a chance. Not with the way Colin and Ryan were looking at each other. *g*
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Date: 2006-02-15 06:16 am (UTC)I know I've told you this before - at least, I think I have (-_-). Hopefully I have - but I read this too quickly. I'm always, "AHHHOMGWHAT'SHAPPENINGNOW?". And I'm not sure if that's good or bad *cracks up* - but I figured I'd share anyway. ^_^
*just smiles* eeep!
Loved them looking out the window! So, so much. Because it's something that I don't think has been written before in a fic ... I don't know. I just like firstly, reading really original things now and then, and secondly, reading sort of - not mundane but normal? things. Things that other, regular (lol) people would do. Not just Ryan and Colin. *pauses* Uh, anyway.
*mutters darkly* Scary, scary girl. ;)
I still love this :D In case, you know, you were wondering.
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Date: 2006-02-15 07:33 am (UTC)Thanks so much! I grin a lot at your comments because they always sound so happy and excited and dancing around gleeful. And hooray that you liked the looking out the window bit. I wasn't sure if that was a bit too first date cliche but I figured, these two haven't done it. Of course, they can't just have a normal evening, they have to incorporate running from creepy fangirls as well. *g*
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Date: 2006-02-21 03:26 am (UTC)You know, I don't know why I keep missing the updates to this, I'm really sorry it takes me so long to review, I just, I don't even know. I guess I don't see them on my f'list or something. I'm gonna go read part 8 now. Oi. lol.
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Date: 2006-02-21 07:05 pm (UTC)And hey, don't worry about missing updates, I'm just glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks!
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Date: 2006-02-21 09:18 pm (UTC)...who *isn't*?
:P
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Date: 2009-07-24 04:48 am (UTC)I really loved Ryan just 'reading' the people walking by, knowing about them. Very cool scene.