Pictures on Silence

I uncrossed my legs and propped my feet up on the table in front of me, adjusting Ryan's computer in my lap. We both had slept in much longer than the day before (though not too much because I hate getting up after 9:30) and were in sufficiently good moods. I was currently typing instant messages to Beth in Chicago, having commandeered Ryan's laptop, and he was upstairs doing whatever it was he did when I wasn't around.

...Not thinking about that one.

Unfortunately though, with him MIA I had nothing to do and was excruciatingly bored.

PenelopeDreadful: so bored. this is abot as interesting as my own house.
innocentsubterfuge: ?
innocentsubterfuge: Where are you?
PenelopeDreadful: my boyfriends house :)
innocentsubterfuge: ...
innocentsubterfuge: You have a tounge. You have a mouth. Are you that much of a prude that you can't use that + boyfriend to entertain yourself?!

I actually laugh out loud at that. Yes, I LOLed. I'm a loser, but at least I'm a loser with a hot boyfriend and lovable friends in other states.

PenelopeDreadful: lol. You shut up. I don't know where he is.
PenelopeDreadful: Besides, unlike you, I maintain that licking does not solve boredom.
innocentsubterfuge: ;) Only one way to find out, darling.

Still smiling, I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back against the couch. I could hear Ryan somewhere in the house playing the piano. It was nice, so I decided not to ruin it my screaming for him. (Though in other circumstances he would very much enjoy that.)

innocentsubterfuge: So what does the boy who's stolen away my Angie look like?

I opened up the web browser and went to my deviantArt account; I opened up the sketch I did of Brendon and Ryan on tour, copied the link, and sent it to her, marking him as 'the one being slept on'. After a noticeable stretch of time, Beth replied.

innocentsubterfuge: ... Is it a coincidence that he looks like Ryan Ross?
PenelopeDreadful: Nope.
innocentsubterfuge: ...
innocentsubterfuge: You're dating Ryan Ross, are currently in his house, and you mean to tell me that you're bored? What the hell is wrong with you? Go enjoy the deliciousness NOW!
PenelopeDreadful: lol
PenelopeDreadful: Him being delicious does not solve my boredom as of this moment.
innocentsubterfuge: As I said, you've got a tongue.
PenelopeDreadful: [eyeroll] Fine.

"Ryan!" I called, rolling my head back. "Some deranged lunatic told me to try something! Can you come here for a sec?" After a second, his footsteps became audible and Ryan appeared, sauntering over to stand beside my seat on the couch.

"What did you say?" he requested curiously.

Aww. Polite boy doesn't yell conversations across the house. How sweet.

Laughing to myself, I put the laptop on the seat beside me and stood up. With Ryan giving me am inquisitive look, I ran my tongue up the side of his face and sat back down, picking up the laptop again. Grinning, I glanced up at him. At the bewildered expression on his face, I giggled and turned back to the computer.

PenelopeDreadful: Ryan: @_@ ?!
innocentsubterfuge: lmao

"What... the hell?" Ryan asked, blinking. Suppressing my laughter, I told Beth I had to go now, because the poor dear was in danger of his brain overheating, and with her insinuating encouragement, I quit AIM and shut the computers top.

Standing up, I smiled innocently. "Let's go ice skating," I decided, walking towards the door and shaking with silent laughter.

Ryan didn't move, even as I strolled down the hall. "I'm so confused!" I heard him shout when I was halfway to his room.

I love ice-skating. I love anything that graceful and cold, really. This is why I like psychological thrillers, but thats neither here nor there. Ice-skating, though I don't go often, really makes me feel alive. Cutting through the air gracefully or falling on your butt and realising how cold ice really is.

Ice-skating is an accurate metaphor for life, actually.

"Have I mentioned that I suck at this?"

Yep. Very accurate.

Swinging my hair out of my vision, I grinned over at Ryan, standing awkwardly on the thin blades. "No, but you won't when I'm through with you," I remarked. He raised his eyebrows apprehensively, and I stood up, grinning. "Just have fun, babe."

I pressed my lips together and offered my hand to help Ryan up. We'd both fallen down, him more than me, but that doesn't matter. "You're doing much better," I complimented once he was on his feet again.

"My ass hurts," he grumbled, holding onto my hand.

I laughed and tossed the scarf back over my shoulder. "I'm gonna go get something to drink," I informed. "You want anything?"

Ryan shook his head and planted a kiss on the corner of my mouth. "Just hurry back. My ego can't take the bruising."

Grinning, I skated through groups and pairs of people and hopped off the ice. Hobbling slightly, I went to the vending machine, bought a green tea, and sat down on a bench to watch the people. As I sipped my beverage, my eyes slid lazily across the people streaming by. Children with parents, groups of pre-teen girls, a collection of high school boys, couples skating hand in hand...

I looked into the bottle. Ryan and I weren't one of those cute couples, were we? I might have to shake things up if we were. Hmm... I wonder how he'd feel about public displays of lunacy.

Speaking of whom, wasn't that my lovely Ryan being followed not so surreptitiously by a group of burly meatheads? I was on my feet in a second when I watched them crash into him and laugh like buffoons. I tossed the bottle into the bin and skated down the ice quickly, trying not to fall on my face.

Chunks of ice sprayed onto a passing teenybopper with my stop; I ignored her and attached myself to Ryan's arm. He smiled grimly. "Some guys don't outgrow high school tendencies," he pronounced dryly, rolling his eyes.

I blinked at him when he shrugged. I could feel my eye twitching. Momentarily squeezing his arm, I looked from Ryan to the cluster of clods screwing around not even halfway around the rink. I let him go and smiled viciously at him. Ryan's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"You tired of this?" I asked sweetly. His shoulder jerked upwards once, gaze still steeled on me. If anything my tone made him more skeptical. "Well, I'm about done too. So you take your skates off, and I'll join you in a minute."

We skated to the nearest hole in the rinks short wall and Ryan headed off to a bench, sending one last glance at me. I smiled at him, and when he turned his head, I looked down the ice and took off. I lowered my stance and picked up more speed, eyes fixed on a blue and tan jacket.

Even then it amazed me that I didn't go Wile E. Coyote on the skates. As my target zoomed closer, I turned my shoulder forward and braced myself. This might hurt a bit.

Miraculously I managed to stay on my feet when I hurtled into the guy in the middle with a slam that would make a hockey player proud. And luckily, the guy either was a klutz or a bigger jerk than last perceived, because he took down his three friends as well.

"Oops," I simpered, twirling my hair and biting my lower lip. They removed their faces from the ice to stare, agog, back at me. "Soooooorrrry."

Ryan stared at me as I sat down beside him, cackling maniacally. Regaining composure, I yanked off my skates and tied my shoes. When I straightened, he was still staring at me. I cocked my head at him, laughing.

He shook his head. "You are a strange, strange woman," he stated.

I leaned in close, smiling. "And you love it," I purred.

What was I turning into?

Ryan's breath tickled my lips. "I really do."

"I'm thinking 'bout going for a run," Ryan's voice announced. I cracked a knuckle and returned my hands to their former position of folding on my stomach. His words barely registered, really; I was too busy staring at the ceiling in utter ennui. "Rhi? Where are you?"

Languidly I lifted an arm to wave and let it flop back to the floor. His face appeared over the back of the couch and split in a grin. "What're you doing on the floor?"

"What aren't you doing on the floor?" I questioned back.

"Touché." Ryan leaned on the couch. "Wanna come?"

I shook my head, eyes shut. "I hate running. My ankles are all screwed up and my feet end up killing me. I much prefer swimming as physical activity."

"Well, that's always an option," he reminded, giving me a wave. "Back in a while." The room became quiet and I raised my head. All alone in a strange house. Whatever would I do?

...Meh. Brain's on vacation from ideas. Swimming it is.

I realised that I'd left my top down on the deck after I'd already put on the bottoms. With a shrug, I left my earrings in a pile on the bathroom counter and traipsed downstairs, pulling off my t-shirt as I crossed the cement. The late afternoon sun felt nice. I picked up my bathing suit top and twisted my arm behind me to undo my bra clasp.

A cough sounded behind me. I crossed my arms over my bare chest and turned my head to look at Ryan, standing in the doorframe grinning. "Forgot my iPod."

I tossed him a teasing glare. "Sure you did," I stated in dry disbelief. Still grinning, Ryan waved again and ducked into the house. Rolling my eyes, I tied on the halter-top. "Of course I believe you."

I'll probably sound like a broken record when I describe my love of being in the water: sliding through in gracefully, feeling the muscles in my legs and arms contract and relax, the warmth around my body versus the chill of the air. Every time I came to the end of the pool, I'd flip over and swim the other way. A continuous stream of consciousness. It was one of those things where you could take the time to think about things.

Although, I had to steel myself several time to not think about sexy things. Sexy things are very distracting, you know.

I discovered that I'd be spacing out again when I heard my name being called. Stopping in the middle of the pool, I lifted my head out of the water and spun around. My man's back! a squeaky voice in my head shrilled as I swam to the edge of the pool.

My eyes went wide as I took Ryan in: standing with one hand on his hip, he smiled down at me, gleaming. I mean, literally, gleaming. His whole body glowed and glistened with a sheen of perspiration. I gripped the lip of the concrete tightly as my eyes stuck on his naked chest, exaggerated shadows highlighting soft ripples.

"Have you been in there since I left?" he asked lightly, making me start nervously.

I blinked rapidly up to his face. Somehow I seemed to have lost the ability to speak properly, because all I could do was nod. Get a hold of yourself, woman! I demanded, swimming over to the ladder. Hormones be damned, you have to gain the upper hand. Turn on some o' that frontwoman charm.

Slowly climbing out of the water, I ran my hands through my hair and rumpled it up satisfactorily. I grinned to myself as I sauntered towards him, seeing that his eyes had expanded and were swivelling up and down. They settled on my hips as I drew closer and tucked a foot behind an ankle.

"You were gone for a long time," I noted in a low tone, locking my hands together behind me. Ryan's eyes snapped up, and then up again at my face. I smiled coyly. "I thought perhaps you'd gotten lost."

"I, um..."

In the world of Magick, a turn-boy-to-jelly spell would be a girl's best friend. Luckily, we have one in the normal world.

"Aren't you cold?" he managed. "I mean, d'you...?" He gestured towards the house, and I shrugged, still smiling. Ryan licked his lips and started inside, myself trailing closely.

"Although," I mused, gesticulating up at the house as we entered, "It's awfully large." His head snapped to me, and I repeated the hand-twirling gesture, eyes fixed on him. Ryan brushed some hair back out of his face and blew loud a breath. I beat down my smirk and stepped closer casually. "I don't see how you might be able to not find it, but sometimes getting a little lost can be interesting." I trailed a finger down his abdomen. "A really fulfilling experience."

I think I actually felt him shiver. I bit my lip and smiled. Why did no one tell me teasing boys was this much fun? I rather enjoyed it, really. And Ryan certainly seemed to a little, judging by his expression.

"Know what I think we both need?" I asked in a whisper.

He swallowed visibly. "What?" he breathed anxiously.

"I think we both need a shower." Still wearing a small smile, I trailed my fingers down his arm and led him by the hand up the stairs. I let his hand slip from mine in the hallway and continued walking towards the door even when he stopped; I didn't shut the door before I undid the knot of my swimsuit top and tossed it into the sink. My heart was pounding as I slid out of the bottoms and slipped past the glass door into the rectangular prism.

I turned the faucets and paused when I heard the door shut. The water turned warm with my body temperature. Behind the bubbled glass, I could see Ryan taking off his clothes, and I immediately turned the water colder.

The cold water was running down over my head when the glass door opened again. Eyes shut, I listened to the second shower head spray water against skin and porcelain and tried not to be embarrassed. We were all born naked. Naked is natural and good... Just don't look down and you'll be fine.

Ryan was pouring apple-flavoured shampoo into his hand. He smiled, handed me the bottle, and rubbed the shampoo into my scalp. I shuddered when his finger massaged the back of my head, and in retaliation, I poured out some shampoo and did the same to him.

As we rinse out each other's hair, Ryan laughed slightly and said, "For someone so shy and modest, you certainly are handling this well."

I quirked a grin and shrugged casually. "This was my idea, after all," I reminded, combing conditioner into my hair with my fingers. "And so long as I ignore that I'm naked and don't look down, I'm fine."

He laughed, flashing that gorgeous smile. I tossed my hair back over my shoulder and noticed a piece still clinging to my skin, so I peeled it off. However my eyes were captured by a stray droplet of water slipping down Ryan's chest. Enraptured, I keenly watched it slip down and down and down... and felt my face heat up. "Oops," I slurred slowly, moving my gaze up.

Ryan tilted his head at me. "Oops?" he repeated.

A tiny smile crept onto my lips. "I looked." His expression remained blank before a smile tugged at the corner of his own lips and he glanced down and back up at me.

In a moment of psychic ability (or just having the same desire at the same time), we both went for the others mouth simultaneously. My mind became awash with the intense need for physical contact. No words or solid ideas. Just me wanting Ryan to touch me. Love me.

My skin burned beneath his. Lips, tongue, mouth in junction with mine, slipping away to tease and suck and bite. Hands roaming wherever they please, stomach, breasts, legs. The heat of him contrasted sharply with the chill of the wall against which I was pressed. I sucked in a breath, head back, leg held up around his waist.

And then all of a sudden Ryan stopped. I swear to God, I was so irate I almost cussed him out. However his reasoning negated that before it started. "Condoms."

I made a desperate whimpering noise and freed my leg. "Then to bed with you, creature," I ordered in a husky tone. Within seconds, the showers were off and I was running after Ryan towards his room in a blaze of slippery white skin.