Kitten

The hours dragged by and somehow Brendon managed to fall into an uneasy sleep and was awoken later that evening by a pair of hands roughly shaking his shoulders.

“Wha—?” Brendon mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He blinked when he saw Ryan’s hazel eyes stretched wide before him. “Kitten!” he exclaimed. “What’s going on?”

Ryan grabbed a piece of paper from his pocket and hurriedly unfolded it, holding it up for Brendon to read—

Everything went perfectly. Lizzie’s a star. You’re safe.

“And you?” Brendon asked in a breathy voice. “What about you?”

Ryan smiled and took out a pen to write on the paper’s backside.

I’m safe too.

“And what is going to happen with you and Eric?”

A grimace this time and Ryan wrote: I don’t know. After a moment’s hesitation, he added: I don’t want to be used by him anymore.

“No more sex?” asked Brendon hopefully and Ryan nodded.

Tomorrow’s closing night, he wrote. Only one more show and then we’ll be free of Eric and all this. Safe.

Brendon smiled and Ryan and Ryan smiled back. “God, you’re beautiful,” Brendon whispered and took the older boy in his arms. “I want you to be mine, Kitten. Just mine.”

A soft smile played on Ryan’s lips and he nodded, eyes shining.

“And I want you to do something for me,” Brendon told him. “Can you do something for me?” Another nod. “I want you to play Lucy tomorrow night,” he said. “It will be the final performance and I want you to be the star you really are.”

Ryan frowned. How I can be a star with no voice? he wrote.

“How can you be a kitten with no purr?” Brendon shot back and tenderly kissed the top of Ryan’s head. “I’m sorry I took away your words,” he breathed. “But I love you, Kitten, and I want to bring them back to you.”

Tears brimming in his eyes, Ryan took Brendon’s hand and, giving a small nod of his head, followed the younger boy into their bedroom.

“The last time I did this, I hurt you,” Brendon breathed, hands reaching for the hem of Ryan’s shirt. “And I’d like to replace that memory with a better one, if that’s okay with you.”

Ryan’s only response was to kiss Brendon on the neck and pull the younger boy’s pants down.

As he created more and more friction, Brendon waited for the usual stream of ‘oh fuck, Bren, shit’s to spill from Ryan’s lips, but the stayed silent, aside from the occasional moan or squeak.

Why won’t you say anything?! Brendon thought, gripping Ryan’s shoulders and trying not to scream in exasperation. For me, Kitten, for me? Why won’t you?

And, as if he could feel Brendon’s fury, Ryan’s shoulders tensed and his whole body stiffened before his lips parted. “Oh fuck, Bren, shit, I love you!” he streamed, vocal chords stretching and flexing. “So damn much.”

“I love you too,” Brendon whispered after pulling out and kissed Ryan’s sweaty forehead. “Will you be mine?”

“Yours or none,” Ryan breathed, resting his head on the younger boy’s chest. “Yours or none.”