So nice to see you [M]

[Ryland Ren]

"Will you please just stop?" Ryland hissed, pressing against Aldon's chest and bending away from him like a kid who didn't want kisses from his great auntie.

What was Aldon doing? It was like he wanted to embarrass the crap out of him! (Well, of course he did and Ryland was dumb enough to hand him the tools to do it, too.) Saying that he didn't want people think Aldon was perving on him was like holding up a great big neon sign that said "HEY ALDON, PERV ON ME PLZ."

"If you don't stop talking about It, I'm going to give It another whack!" Ryland threatened--only too late realizing just how that sounded. Oh god. He just wanted to walk into a corner and die.

[Aldon Huang]

"What if I end up liking it?" Aldon grinned impishly, leaning further into Ryland. They looked like they were about to play limbo or something, both tilting so far that Aldon almost wobbled off his feet. He had no doubt that Ryland would 'defend' himself if pushed too far but c'mon. He already made Aldon crush that part of his body, how much more damage did he want to do?

The girl flashed them an amused smile and turned away, since the elevator had arrived and people were shuffling inside. Aldon stepped forward too, towing Ryland along because a crowded elevator meant that he could crowd up on Ryland—a ready-made excuse for his rowdy behavior.

"You're so hostile now," he did grumble as the doors closed, stepping into Ryland. They weren't nose-to-nose but they were close enough for Aldon to see the individual lashes of Ryland's eyes. Pretty. But his whole face was pretty; there wasn't much to criticize with a face like that. Aldon missed when he could get right up close and just stare, smiling almost benignly, memorizing every feature (before Ryland invariably got embarrassed and told him to cut it out).

[Ryland Ren]

"You would."

And that was just where he was going to leave that comment, even as he briefly glanced over at the girl watching them. His ears might have heated up a little but he didn't full on blush or anything.

Once he entered the elevator with Aldon and half the apartment complex, he squished himself into a front corner. And Aldon squished into him. If he didn't think it would actually hurt Aldon, he would have secretly given Aldon's offended junk a squeeze of punishment but since he didn't actually know how hurt Aldon was, he didn't chance it.

"Am not," he argued as he turned to look him in the eye. Now they were nose to nose, brushed up against one another. Ryland couldn't help it. He smiled, which progressed into a little laugh as he remembered the half torturous, half amusing accident.

"You smacked yourself on the table. I just threw ice cream at you."

[Aldon Huang]

"Are so. You're older, you're supposed to be nice to me!"

Look at him, all mean-looking. All close. The tips of their noses brushed inadvertently with the shift of Aldon's head and his expression softened. "Meanie," he said, but gave Ryland's hand a gentle little squeeze knowing that Ryland was kind of a sucker for these things. The soft touch; the display of care and affection that Aldon was always only too happy to give him... when he wasn't spooked by what those gestures meant or the reaction that they invariably invoked inside of himself.

As the elevator ascended, Aldon laughed a little too--though his was tinged with the slightest hint of ruefulness. After all, it was his nuts that got squished. Ryland got to be all jovial about it but Aldon was the one suffering the consequences of his mischievous streak! (Then again what could one expect from a fox?)

"Yeah, well..." Aldon looked down meaningfully between them. He didn't actually care to lower his voice and his comment was accompanied by a muffled snicker from somewhere behind them. "Now you gotta rub it cause that's the only way I'll feel better."

Which Ryland knew didn't mean the squished area--they both knew his one weakness and it wasn't actually South of the belt--but the other people in the elevator? Probably not.

[Ryland Ren]

"You--" His gaze had followed that meaningful look downward. No. Nope. There would be no showing of that thing and he definitely wasn't going to... to...

He heard the laughter. Yeah, it sounded dirty. Jerk. Now he really wanted to deliver his punishment but it might end up backfiring him. It was too crowded to do much more than Stare at him. Not a killing stare. More like a playful killing stare.

Not even bothering to explain to any of the people in the crowded elevator, he continued to Stare until the elevator dinged to let them know they had arrived at somebody's floor. Then he glanced over. His floor. He quickly grabbed onto Aldon's arm and dragged him out and down the hall.

"I'm not rubbing anything better, by the way!" he declared loudly as the elevator doors shut behind them--just in case the snickering strangers thought they knew what was happening.

He let go of Aldon when he arrived at his door so he could fish out his keys.

"You think you're really cute, don't you?" he asked as he unlocked the door and then pushed it open.

[Aldon Huang]

Aldon smiled the whole time that Ryland death-glared, his biggest and brightest winning smile. It was a stale-mate until the elevator reached Ryland's floor and they tumbled out into the hallway, with two other people also exiting but immediately heading toward their own units. Probably didn't want to know too much about what was going to get rubbed--or where.

"I don't think I'm cute." He loitered, side-shuffled, took a chance and slipped behind Ryland for a loose back-hug while Ryland was occupied with opening the door. Mostly he was using Ryland as a prop. Chin resting gently on Ryland's shoulder, Aldon glanced over with another rather winning smile. "I know I'm cute. You told me on our second date, remember?"

Yeah, yeah, he was being glib now. Then again, when was Aldon not glib? He always had a ready answer--unless talk turned to himself. Then he clammed up. But right now it was easier to deal with a Ryland stewing in righteous indignation instead of a Ryland who wanted to get to know the real him, and all of that real Aldon's fears and insecurities.

"Ry. If you don't do the thing I'm not going inside."

[Ryland Ren]

"Uh-huh." Right. Aldon didn't think he was cute. A moment later, Ryland groaned. Oh, all right. Because he knew he was cute. Ryland edged his gaze toward Aldon without moving his head. Of course, he saw nothing but he felt Aldon's arms around him and the way he leaned against him.

Yeah, he wasn't that badly hurt. In fact, Ryland was pretty sure that Aldon's nether regions were working just fine right about now.

"That was when we were dating," he said, as if somehow the cute switch turned off when they were no longer dating. (And switched back on when they did? How did that work, anyway?)

Oh come on. Ryland tried to walk through the door, despite the man sized monkey on his back.

"Then you can stay out here," he said stubbornly, although that didn't seem to be happening, what with the back hug thing and all.

[Aldon Huang]

First of all, Ryland was the one who unilaterally decided that they would break up so as far as Aldon was concerned, he was still cute. And never-the-hell-mind about the fact that he still didn't consider them officially 'broken up' because he was not getting into that.

"Nnno!" Dragging his heels, Aldon did everything he could to stop Ryland from entering his own apartment. No way he was letting Ryland get away and slam the door in his face! Knowing him, he'd keep Aldon out forever and Aldon was not about to be put in the doghouse, thanks!

"Do the thing! Or neither of us go in!"

He raised his voice, too, to make sure that it was as embarrassing a scene as possible, just in case the neighbors decided to come out and investigate. What? Nobody said Aldon wasn't underhanded. He also had a pretty thick skin, plus he didn't live here. He didn't have to look people in the eye every morning afterwards, or get stuck with them in the elevator.

[Ryland Ren]

"You're acting like a child!"

Ryland still attempted to drag himself into his home and safely away from prying eyes. However, Aldon was clinging on tight and doing his damnedest to keep Ryland from getting anywhere. Seriously though! He was acting like a toddler who didn't want his mom to leave him at daycare or something! Ryland tried to shake him off.

"I'm not doing it," he said. "Even if I wanted to... hello?"

He gestured down at their current situation. Did Aldon really expect him to do anything from his current position?

[Aldon Huang]

"Am not! And I didn't mean HERE and NOW Ry, geez!" Aldon huffed, like Ryland was the with a few screws loose. Like it was obvious that he wasn't going to lay down in the hallway just so that Ryland could do the thing he always did that made Aldon feel... good.

"Inside. Do it inside!" Pushing Ryland along, he awkwardly shuffled them inside and then kicked the door shut with a resounding BANG with the heel of one foot. Not bothering to toe off his shoes—who had time for that?—Aldon continued hustling Ryland along. There, the living room was in sight and 'lo and behold, there was even a convenient couch there.

"I'm not an exhibitionist." Lie: he was one. That incident in the changing room was proof positive of that but who was really keeping track anyway? Aldon tried to keep his goofy grins to himself as he locked his hands together to stop Ryland from wiggling away. Unless he shifted into a fox, Aldon was hanging on tight!

[Ryland Ren]

"What?"

Before he knew what was happening, he was being ushered into his own apartment. He barely even knew what to make of what Aldon just said. Of course his initial thought was that Aldon wanted it outside. Why, though? He didn't know. He just thought it was some kind of weird ultimatum. (Which it still sort of was, if you asked him.)

Ryland's apartment was still pretty sparsely decorated since he'd barely moved in a short time ago. There were still a handful of smaller boxes littering the living room but they were filled with things like books or DVDs--things he didn't need immediately.

"Yes! Yes you are!" Ryland argued as he tried to wriggle free from Aldon's grasp. Honestly, he had been hoping that pointing out their current position would loosen Aldon's grasp so he could weasel his way out of his arms. Not so clever, apparently.

Sighing, he dropped his head. Why oh why did he lead Aldon right to his new apartment?

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

[Aldon Huang]

Since it was currently exposed, Aldon kissed the back of Ryland's neck when he dropped his head. Then he nuzzled against it with his cheek, like an overfond pet who had been separated from its master for far too long. "Am not," he said in a softer tone, since they were inside now and there was no need to shout. Nobody but them here, anyway; a scene was unnecessary.

"You wouldn't let a jerk into your apartment."

Which was true because Ryland could've fought a lot harder to keep him out! And earlier he didn't even knee Aldon in the (already crushed) groin when they were inside the elevator. Grinning, he loosened one hand so that he could gently pat Ryland's stomach. "C'mon. For old times' sake? Please? It still hurts you know." Although now it was beginning to hurt for a whooole different reason.

Well, what could he say? Aldon was a healthy, virile young man and being this close to the object of his affections couldn't leave him completely unaffected.

[Ryland Ren]

Jerk. Aldon was such a jerk. He knew exactly how to manipulate Ryland into feeling sorry for him or doing favors for him. He always had that ability to get right underneath his skin or stab him straight in the heart with a single look. Hell, even a single sound from him could make Ryland feel something.

"...Aldon, don't..."

He felt helpless against the assault of old emotions that swelled in his heart; this was exactly why he didn't want to be alone with Aldon. It was too easy to just slip right back into the relationship, forgetting all about the reasons they had to break up in the first place. Or Ryland had to break up with Aldon--as Aldon was all too fond of reminding him.

It was always Ryland doing the breaking up because he couldn't stand the games Aldon seemed to play. One minute they were close, the next minute Aldon didn't want to say what was really on his mind. One minute they were laughing together and the next they were arguing because Ryland caught the bastard hitting on somebody else.

Ryland might be the one doing the breaking up but Aldon was the one who kept pushing Ryland away when he needed him most.

Reaching out, he took hold of Aldon's hand on his stomach to stop it from continuing.

"You know I have a boyfriend."

It was probably the only reason Aldon had come back around. Invariably, this always seemed to happen. Ryland would do a decent job at moving on, find a nice person to settle into a relationship with, and then Aldon would come around and destroy it just by virtue of being there. (So what did that say about Ryland? He didn't want to know.)

[Aldon Huang]

Aldon didn't respond but pressed his lips to the back of Ryland's neck again, this time fervently. He couldn't do it. Couldn't stand there and not want to put his arms around Ryland. The fire never died out; it was always there in the depths of his lying little heart, in a low-grade simmer, just ready to be stoked to life with a single word or a look or a--don't.

Because he couldn't stop. He couldn't not want Ryland, couldn't help himself from being skittish and jealous and flighty and irresponsible and... and amorous. His lips trailed down the back of Ryland's neck, along the exposed portion of warm skin to the edge of his jacket collar. His fingertips tried in vain to slip up Ryland's shirt but a hand stopped his hand, halting the petting motions as well.

"I'm your boyfriend," he said as a harder, possessive note crept briefly into his voice. Don't get him wrong--Aldon wasn't a green-eyed monster. He didn't go around forbidding Ryland to associate with other people or fly into rages over a smile or a nod. But the thought of someone else's lips on Ryland and someone else's hand exploring his body struck a nerve. Made him feel hot all over--unpleasantly so.

"C'mon Ry." His lips--no longer smiling--drifted coaxingly to the side of Ryland's throat, across his jaw. Aldon's voice grew yet softer, quieter in the privacy of the apartment like he was sharing a secret just for the two of them. Maybe he was; maybe this could just be their little secret. "Please?"

[Ryland Ren]

"Seriously Aldon..."

It would be a lie to say that it didn't feel good to have arms wrapped around him, lips against his neck, a hand moving toward his shirt... Okay, that part he had to put a stop to. He even wounded his fingers tightly through Aldon's as he moved his hand away, to stop that wandering hand from trying anything else.

"You're not."

He heard the hard edge in Aldon's voice. Did he not remember the argument that led to the last breakup? Did he not recall the lengthy time spent apart? Aldon didn't even know he'd moved. That was how out of the loop he was. Yet. Somehow. Here he was. Right when things were happening with his real boyfriend. Like he knew. Like he knew he was in danger of being kicked out of his heart.

His lips parted but nothing passed them. Eyes closed for a moment, letting the sensations have their way with him. He might have even nuzzled Aldon slightly in response before realizing what he was doing. Then his eyes quickly flashed open and he pulled back and away, using the hand he held to free himself.

"No! I know exactly where this is leading." Now he tried to extricate his hand from Aldon's.