Scott and Ryan

Scott sits alone in the library trying to read his textbook. The words blur through his vision as he focuses too hard on reading the material. After a while, he puts the book aside and looks outside the window.

A light breeze blows across campus. Students walk along the sidewalks and laugh amongst themselves. A group of students stop by a bench where two guys sit side-by-side talking to each other. One of them smiles widely while the other rolls his eyes in annoyance.

Scott wonders what kind of relationship those people have. Are they boyfriends? Friends? Lovers?

Suddenly, he remembers the encounter with Ryan last night. He went to his friend Craig's apartment and turned off his phone since. He couldn't bear to receive any messages from Ryan. Not until today.

As he ponders on whether to text him, his cell rings.

Scott hesitantly answers the call and hears Ryan's voice.

"Hey Scott, I'm worried since you bolted after we kissed yesterday. Are you alright?"

His heart skips a beat upon hearing the concerned tone in Ryan's voice.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Things happened pretty quickly last night."

There is a brief pause before Ryan speaks again. "Did I scare you or something? I don't remember doing anything wrong."

"No no, nothing like that. I guess things just caught me off guard. Sorry if I freaked out on you. I shouldn't have reacted like that."

Ryan sighs in relief. "That's fine, Scottie. I'm just glad you're safe. I almost called the cops since you weren't answering for half a day."

"I thought you'd be mad at me," Scott says apologetically.

"Not at all! You've always been honest with your feelings towards me. And I appreciate that more than you'll ever know."

Scott exhales heavily. Hearing that makes him feel better already.

"I'm in the library right now and can't talk for long. I'll see you later?"

Scott nods and hangs up the phone. He gets lost in his thoughts and finds it difficult to concentrate on his work. It isn't long before he realizes that several hours passed since he started studying here. He packs his bag and leaves the library behind.

***

Scott passes by a nearby coffee shop to buy some pastry that Craig likes as an apology/gift for letting him crash last night. He drops by Craig's apartment.

Craig is sitting on the couch watching TV while eating cereal. He immediately jumps to his feet when he sees Scott enter the living area.

"You scared me!" He exclaims excitedly. "What ever happened to knocking?"

"Sorry," Scott replies sheepishly. "I didn't realize anyone was home. Besides, you gave me a spare key. I brought you an apple danish as reparations for yesterday."

"Wow thanks man! That really means a lot."

The two friends share a quick hug followed by some awkward silence.

"So, have you talked to Ryan yet?" Craig asks curiously.

Scott explains his situation with Ryan.

"Well, it sounds like you had a rough start but I'm sure things will get easier for you soon. Don't worry so much. Just relax and take it slow. If there's one thing I learned from my past relationships, it's not rushing into anything."

"Thanks for your advice, Craig."

Scott and Craig became friends 2 months after the semester started. They met in a literature class and hit it off right away. Craig has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He stands at 5'9'' and weighs around 180 pounds. His body is toned due to his daily workouts at the gym. He's also a huge fan of video games and plays online tournaments every weekend. While Craig has heard a lot about Ryan, he has yet to meet the guy.

"Oh, wait. Do you want to go shopping this Saturday afternoon? There's a new game coming out and I need someone to play it with me."

Scott shakes his head. "Can't do it. Got plans with my mom."

"Ah, well then maybe another time. Anyway..."

Craig takes a bite from his apple danish and continues speaking. "Speaking of Ryan, I think you should give him a chance. I mean, you've been gushing about him since the day I met you. I thought you'd be happier about this development."

Scott smiles. "Trust me, I am happy about it. But I still haven't decided how exactly I feel about it."

Craig laughs. "I bet you are confused. Well, you'll figure everything out eventually. Just don't rush into anything. Take your time."

"Thanks, buddy."

They finish their snacks and leave Craig's place. As they walk back to campus, Scott wonders what he wants with Ryan.

***

Scott walks back to Room 104 and notices that the lights are off. Ryan must have went outside. Scott opens the door and enters the room. The air smells nice inside because of the scented candles burning in the corner.

He heads straight for his bed and sits down on it. A few moments pass before Ryan returns. When he does, Scott watches him carefully.

Ryan looks different today compared to earlier. He wears a tight black t-shirt which shows off his muscular chest and arms. His jeans fit tightly on his thighs, making them appear bigger than normal. Scott doesn't know why but seeing Ryan dressed like this gives him butterflies in his stomach.

Ryan approaches Scott's desk and sits on top of it. "Hey," he greets softly.

"Hi," Scott replies nervously.

Both guys sit in silence until Scott breaks it. "Do you mind if we watch a movie tonight?"

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

Scott thinks hard. "How about 'Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'? We could order pizza and pop some popcorn too."

"Sounds good to me. Let's move to the living room."

Both guys settle on the sofa. After putting the remote control aside, Scott turns to Ryan. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...why wouldn't I be?" Ryan says awkwardly.

Scott sighs. "It's just that I noticed you're acting differently now compared to the other times we hung out."

"Like what?"

"For instance, you seem nervous whenever I talk to you."

"That's only natural, considering our circumstances."

Scott nods. "I guess I understand. It's going to take time for us both to adjust. You probably don't even remember all the details of last night. In fact, neither do I."

"No, I remember most parts of it clearly."

Scott blushes. "Okay...but can I ask you something?"

Ryan shrugs. "Go ahead."

Scott clears his throat. "Why did you kiss me last night?"

Ryan furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

Scott frowns. "You kissed me! Why would you suddenly do such a thing?"

Ryan chuckles. "Well...it wasn't really planned. But it just felt right at the moment. To tell you the truth, I haven't felt attracted to a man before, but I really like what we have."

Scott stares at Ryan with wide open eyes. "Really?!"

"Yes, I'm serious."

"But...you said you didn't feel any attraction towards men!"

Ryan smirks. "Not until you, I suppose."

Scott bites his lip. "So...what will happen between us?"

"We'll see. Right now, I'd rather not make any commitments or promises."

Scott nods slowly as he recalls what Craig told him earlier. "I agree. No commitment yet."

Ryan tilts his head curiously. "Is there something wrong?"

Scott shakes his head. "Nope, nothing. Thanks for answering my question."

The two sit silently while watching the movie. A New Hope is one of Scott's favorite sci-fi movies. He has watched it several times already. However, this time around feels different somehow. Maybe it's because he's watching it with Ryan. Or perhaps it's due to the scent coming from Ryan's body. Whatever it may be, Scott finds himself getting distracted more often than usual. Whenever he tries focusing on the screen, he ends up looking at Ryan instead.

As the movie continues, Scott keeps glancing over at Ryan. Every now and then, he sees Ryan staring back. Their gazes lock every once in awhile, causing Scott to blush. Eventually, Scott stops paying attention altogether and starts daydreaming. He imagines kissing Ryan again and how it would feel. He also thinks touching Ryan, feeling his skin beneath his fingers.

After an hour, the movie comes to its end. They turn off the TV and get ready to go to sleep. Before they leave, Ryan stands up first and moves closer to Scott. "Is it okay if I kiss you tonight?"

Scott gasps quietly. "Uh...sure."

Their lips touch gently and Scott moans softly into Ryan's mouth when the latter touches his tongue against his own. Ryan pulls away slightly, breathing heavily. "Wow..." he breathes.

They stare at each other for a few seconds before Ryan leans forward and places another soft kiss on Scott's lips. The second one lasts longer this time. Both boys moan softly, their hands roaming over the other's bodies. When they finally part ways, Scott's breathless.

"That was even better than last night." Ryan smiles shyly.

"Me too," Scott whispers. "Let's take it slow though, okay?"

Ryan nods. "Of course."

Once they reach their rooms, the two lie down on separate beds. Neither of them wants to rush things since they're still adjusting to everything. Instead, they spend the rest of the evening separately. As soon as darkness falls outside, both fall asleep.

***

In the morning, Scott wakes up early. He takes a shower and changes clothes, preparing for class. While doing so, he looks at his phone. There are no missed calls nor texts from anyone today. He decides to call Craig afterwards just to check in.

"Hey, buddy!"

Craig answers quickly. "Hiya, Scotty. How ya been? Everything alright?"

Scott grins widely. "Yeah, thanks for asking."

"Good! Everything good with Ryan? Did you guys talk things out? Are you two still cool?"

Scott sighs happily. "Everything's great! We talked about our situation yesterday. And yeah, we're fine. For now anyway. So far, at least."

"Great! That's awesome news. I'm glad that you guys got your shit sorted out. You know, I've always thought that you two belong together. It's just unfortunate that neither of you realized it sooner. Now, I don't think either of you will ever let anything come between you two."

"Thanks, bud. Really appreciate it."

"No problem! Listen, I gotta go now. I need to prepare myself for class."

"Okay, bye, Craig. See you soon!"

Once he finishes changing, he walks to the living room. Scott waves at Ryan as he heads towards the kitchen. "Morning, sleepyhead."

Ryan yawns. "Mmmph."

Scott giggles and sits next to him. "How long have you been awake?"

Ryan blushes. "Long enough."

"Oh? Well, here I am waking up late."

Both smile sheepishly at each other. After a moment of silence passes by, Ryan clears his throat awkwardly. "Did you want breakfast?"

"Sure, why not?" Scott replies.

Ryan makes them pancakes and bacon. Afterwards, he brings the food over to the dining table where Scott is sitting. Once they finish eating, they clean up and both head out.

***

Scott and Ryan fall into a routine. Every morning they either cook in the dorm room or go to the cafeteria for breakfast. During weekends, they usually hang out together and watch movies. Occasionally, they'll visit the beach nearby or do some shopping at local stores. Eventually, Scott brings Ryan with him to meet Craig. Ryan and Craig hit it off and became fast friends. Soon enough, it was almost time for winter break.

The week before Christmas, Ryan asks Scott what he plans on doing during the holidays.

"Well, my family's going to be visiting me, but I'd like to stay around campus for New Year's Eve."

"I see. Do you wanna invite me along?"

Scott laughs. "You sure you wouldn't mind spending a holiday with my family?"

Ryan shrugs. "Not really. It's not like my parents and I are on good terms. You think your parents won't mind having me there? I mean, I'm pretty much an orphan right now, so..."

"Nah man. My dad doesn't care anymore. He knows I'm gay. Besides, I've already talked their ears off talking about you recently."

Ryan smirks. "So, what did you tell them about us?"

Scott chuckles. "Just how we met and stuff. Nothing else."

Ryan nods, looking thoughtful for a few seconds before he speaks again. "Alright then. If you're sure, I would love to join you for Christmas.

Scott grins widely. "Awesome! I'm excited!"

***

In a few days, Scott's family arrives to Alcatraces. They live in a small town called Marrow Falls, which lies roughly four hours away from Alcatraces University. The drive itself isn't bad; however, the roads aren't exactly smooth. To make matters worse, this year's weather has been unusually cold. This causes traffic jams every day as everyone tries to get home safely. Luckily, Scott's family owns a large SUV capable of handling all kinds of road conditions. Despite these setbacks, Scott and his family arrive safe and sound. Scott's family rented a hotel room near the university for their visit to Scott.

As promised, Scott invites Ryan along with him when he meets up with family. Scott's mom fusses over him as soon as she sees her only son. She hugs him tightly, kissing his cheek. Scott's father smiles warmly at him. His brother, Greg, gives him a hug too. Then comes Ryan.

"It's so nice to see you all again. I want you to meet Ryan, he's my roommate and we're dating." Scott says sheepishly.

Everyone turns to look at Ryan, who stands tall and proud. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson," Ryan says politely.

His mother gasps softly. "My goodness! A real gentleman. And such a handsome young man as well!"

Mr. Nelson laughs. "He certainly seems that way. I must say, I didn't expect any less from my eldest son."

Greg nods. "Yeah, he's pretty awesome."

Afterwards, they spend a couple more minutes catching up. Finally, it's dinner time. Everyone gathers in the hotel restaurant, ordering a variety of dishes. Scott gets his favorite dish: fried chicken wings. While waiting for the meal to come, Scott and his family chat happily amongst themselves. Mrs. Nelson brings out a photo album filled with Scott's childhood photos and shows them to Ryan. Ryan looks through the pictures intently, smiling at the cute pictures of Scott.

"I can't believe you brought these, Mom!" Scott says, embarrassed.

Mrs. Nelson giggles. "We just happened to have them lying around. We thought maybe you wanted to show them to Ryan".

Ryan smiles shyly back at them. "Thank you very much for sharing those memories with me."

Once dinner is served, they eat heartily. As they leave the restaurant, Scott takes Ryan aside.

"Hey, thanks for coming tonight. Sorry if my family made you feel uncomfortable."

Ryan shakes his head. "No no, I enjoyed meeting your family. In fact, I had fun seeing those old photos of you."

"Oh yeah?! What was your favorite one?"

"That picture of you sitting on Santa Claus' lap."

They both laugh.

***

After saying their goodbyes to Scott's family for the night, they returned to their dorm room. While watching television in their dorm room, Ryan leans against Scott's shoulder. He sighs contentedly as he watches TV. After some time passes, he suddenly speaks.

"By the way, I know this might seem weird, but... do you think we could cuddle sometimes?"

Scott blushes bright red. "Umm, I don't mind if you want to hold me or anything, but-"

"But nothing. Please, let's share a bed sometime. Even just once."

Scott swallows hard, unsure what to say next. However, he decides to go ahead and take a chance anyway. "Okay. Yeah. Sure. Why not? Just give me a second though..."

The two move into Scott's bedroom where they lay down side-by-side on the bed. Both are still nervous at first, until finally Scott wraps an arm around Ryan's shoulders and pulls him closer. Ryan returns the gesture with another soft smile. They continue like this for several moments, enjoying each other's company. They fall asleep peacefully in each other's arms.