Polarbears and Pickup Lines (18/18)

Title: Polar Bears & Pick Up Lines (18)
Author: veggielover (Ashley)
Summary: Brendon has a content job at the zoo, but he enjoys it and
gets to meet new people every day. He may have a bunch of cheesy pick up
lines and a uniform, but that will get him farther than he knows.
Pairing: Brendon/Ryan
Genre: Romance (AU, OBVS.)
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not real, not mine.
Dedication: To anyone who reads and reviews this, I really appreciate
it, and I am very glad to see people taking an interest in this.
♥
Authors Note: This is the final chapter. Thank you all for staying with me on this story, the first real chaptered Ryden story and leaving me such wonderful reviews. Hopefully, you'll all stay on with future stories because I appreciate every comment left. Thank you all so much.

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Thank you: aliciabouvier, xkissxbangx1, i_heart_geeks, scribblednoise, eyesturntogreen, ava_desrosiers, m00fin_mofo3, mandlebars, leighannenoelle, punkangel2254, whyme0311, raye6, iheartnovacaine, like_ya_know, blablabla11, relaxrelapse182, _sofiej_, virgo_girl86, chyeaitschelsea, make_out_clubb, xkim126x, pluginbaby, , crab_apple_kid, barbara_rox, cass_a_daay.


Chapter Eighteen

“Oh Spence! I’m so glad you came today, because I didn’t want to ear lunch alone,” Ryan grinned, hugging his best friend tightly. “Where’s Jon?”

“Bathroom. Where’s loverboy?”

“He doesn’t get lunch until four,” Ryan pouted, waving at Jon who joined them at the table. He hugged Spencer’s boyfriend and then took his seat back once more. “So, how are things with you two?”

Both Jon and Spencer said great, grinning as they leaned in and pecked each other’s lips. Ryan smiled at the couple, loving that two of his friends were so happy together; it was adorable.

“Hey Spence, have you heard anything from Graham?” Ryan asked, resting his head on his hands and sipping on his ice water with lemon.

“Well, last I heard, he was back from Europe and going to visit his best friends whom he has heard are in quite loving relationships,” A voice from behind Ryan said, taking a seat next to the thin framed boy.

“Oh my God! Graham!” Ryan squealed, hugging him tightly, a bright smile on his lips. “How’ve you been? How was Europe? And Sarah?”

“Missed you too RyRo,” Graham laughed, wrapping his arm around Ryan’s shoulders. “Well, I’m fine and Sarah is amazing. Europe, well, Europe was amazing. That’s why I’m moving there to be with Sarah next month,” Graham announced, earning a shocked gasp from the table of friends.

“…What? Graham, are you serious? You’re just going to leave? In a month?” Ryan asked, a little disappointed that his good friend hadn’t said anything earlier.

“I’m sorry Ryan, I just…I love her you guys and I want to be with her for the rest of my life, I do. I’ll be back on Holidays and stuff, and I’ll promise to write and call at least three or four times a month.”

Ryan huffed, a saddened expression lying on his features. “You’d better,” He sighed, a slight quiver in his voice as he leaned over and hugged Graham again.

*
The four men chatted through the hour long lunch, Jon quickly making friends with his new acquaintance, Graham.

“Shit. I have to get back to the store you guys,” Ryan grumbled, bringing out his wallet to pay for the entire lunch, despite the disagreement from his friends. “Just stop by the shop before you guys leave, okay?”

AS he left he hugged off all his friends goodbye and pecked them on the lips. He waved and walked away, wishing that he could see his boyfriend before heading back into work.

“Hey Ryan! Tell loverboy we said hi!” Spencer shouted, wrapping his arms around Jon and blowing Ryan a kiss as he turned around.

Laughing, Ryan shook his head and continued on towards the shop.

“He’s still with the Brendon guy then, right?” Graham questioned, wanting to make sure he still had the name right. He climbed out of his seat to join Jon and Spencer and check out other locations of the zoo.

“You bet, and he’s as happy as ever.”




“Hey Emily, I’m so sorry I’m late. My friend who just got back from Europe showed up today,” He apologized, taking his placed behind the counter and handing Emily the cookie he had gotten her along the way.

“It’s not a problem, we weren’t real busy,” She smiled, taking a bit from the delicious cookie that Ryan bought her everyday. “Oh, and you got this. It was here when I came back from the bathroom.” Emily handed Ryan the long stemmed rose and note addressed to him. “So, you and Brendon are pretty serious, huh?”

“I’m seriously in love with him. God Emily, just…he’s so amazing.” Ryan sighed dreamily, smiling at the wonderful scent of the beautiful fiery rose. He opened the note and read it to himself, a confused frown forming on his lips. “I don’t get it…it’s Bren’s handwriting and he signed it…but it doesn’t seem right.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because, it says to meet him around nine-thirty, after he gets off, in front of…the reptile house.” Ryan shivered at just the word ‘reptile house’. Snakes were reptiles. Snakes and Ryan didn’t belong in the same sentence, unless you included ‘scared shitless’.

“So? What’s wrong?”

“The fact that I’m petrified of snakes and Brendon knows it. I freak every time I get near that damn place.”

“Maybe that’s where he has to work last and is just going to meet you there. Don’t freak so much Ryan, it’s not like you’re going to go inside.”

“I just…I don’t understand why he would say that. He knows I’ll freak,” Ryan grumbled, taking out his cell phone to try and get a hold of his boyfriend. He left a voicemail for Brendon to call him as soon as possible.

Sighing, Ryan gave up and went back to work, ringing up various squawking birds, zoo stationary, elephant jewelry, and shark snacks. After every item he rang up, he still couldn’t help but wonder what Brendon was thinking when he wrote the note; already he could feel his chest tightening slightly.

The slight pressure on his chest was relieved though when his friends walked into the gift. He wasn’t expecting them so soon, but with Emily’s permission, he took his ten minute break.

Immediately, he fell victim to the teasing of them, in front of small children, with Graham holding up two polar bears and making loud kissing noises.

“I swear, I don’t know why I’m friends with them,” Ryan laughed to Emily, heading down to the floor to see his friends.

Graham was picking out a pair of jeweled penguin earrings for Sarah and Jon and Spencer were browsing through the racks of t-shirts, hand in hand.

“You think Sarah would like these RyRy?” He smiled, holding up a pair of orange studded penguin earrings.
“Sure. Are you going to stay close before you leave?” Ryan asked quietly, placing the messy piles of jewelry back into their proper place; kids loved to rearrange items on the table.

Graham promised he would and Ryan set a date for all three couples to go out on a dinner date. He wanted to see his friend more, and he wanted Graham to get to know Brendon better.

“Hey! Settle you two,” Ryan laughed, scolding Jon and Spencer for their heated kissing and rough groping session behind the rack of shirts. “A little kid could walk back there.”

“Oh and I’m sure you and Brendon haven’t swapped spit in here,” Spencer chuckled, going back to Jon and cupping his boyfriend’s face.

“Ugh, you sick, sick boys,” Ryan shook his head and walked over to the plush animal section with Graham to say goodbye for the now; he had to get back up to the register.

Graham pecked Ryan’s cheek and went to get his other two spit swapping friends and drag them away so he could get back to his house and see Sarah. Ryan headed back up to his register and chatted with Emily while waiting for new customers and nine-thirty.


**

Wrapping his thin arms around his shivering form, Ryan looked down at his watch and groaned impatiently: 9:40.

He stood with his back to the reptile house and clenched his eyes shut; he couldn’t handle being so close to the creepy building, knowing what lied inside.

About five minutes later of shaking and shivering in the dark night, Ryan felt a pair of unusually strong arms wrap around his tiny waist. He knew those weren’t Brendon’s arms.

Brendon’s embrace was warm and comforting.

As Ryan went to turn around, a piece of cloth was wrapped around his eyes. Laughter and snickers were heard and immediately Ryan began screaming for help; he was scared.

He felt himself being picked up and tossed over a broad shoulder and then he heard the jingling of keys; his heart tightened as if someone were squeezing it roughly in the palm of their hand.

“Have fun you fucking fairy,” The deep voice boomed and the jingling keys were heard again. Ryan was scared.

Shaking and scared, Ryan slowly moved his hands up and removed the tattered cloth from his eyes. He was met with a face full of glass and the sight of multiple glass cages just ahead. The doors next to him were locked from the outside and there was no where else to go except further into the building.

Ryan burst into tears and slumped to the ground. He crawled and slid down into the pit slightly further into the room, the walls around him now about three feet high so he couldn’t see anymore of the glass cages. He curled up, holding his knees and biting down hard on his bottom lip.

He was racked with sobs and shook uncontrollably; he was panicking. His chest kept on getting tighter and tighter, and it was becoming quite difficult to breathe at all. Any noise made him jump even higher and cry even harder; he’d never been so scared in his life.

Why? Why was it him? Why did he even come? Who did it? Was he even going to make it out without having a heart attack?

Ryan had an inclination to knowing who the who was: Jay. He was the only one with a set of keys and a problem with homosexuals.

The letter was what confused Ryan because it was Brendon’s handwriting and signature…it looked so much like it.

Holding onto his chest and trembling, Ryan managed to pull out his cell phone and pushed number one for Brendon, so he wouldn’t have to fumble around with trying to push anymore buttons. Speed dial was difficult enough. He was praying that Brendon had finally turned his cell back on.

“Hello?”

“B…B-b-bren, please get me!” Ryan stuttered, tears still streaming down his angelic face.

“Honey, calm down. Where are you and what’s wrong?” Brendon questioned worriedly, panic running through his own voice.

“T-they…put me with the s…s-s-snakes…please, Bren!”

Brendon dropped his phone and ran out of the aquarium, grabbing his set of keys and sprinting across the terrace, through the big cats park, past the petting zoo, and finally to the reptile house.

He was out of breath and he tried pushing the doors open, but they were locked. He was going to kill whoever did this to Ryan.

Fumbling with his keys, he finally got the doors unlocked and shoved his way in, running in and shouting out for Ryan. He heard loud crying and looked into the small pit with informational plaques around the outside, and saw his petrified boyfriend.

“Sweetie, come on, let’s get out of here,” Brendon cooed, wanting nothing more than to hold and kiss his boyfriend.

“N-no…I can’t go up there Bren.” He quivered, wrapping his arms even tighter around himself.

“Baby, please.” Do you trust me Ryry?” Glancing up at his boyfriend with his tear stained face, Ryan nodded faintly. “Give me your hand and then I want you to shut your eyes tightly and don’t open them until I say,” Brendon instructed, grabbing onto his boyfriend’s trembling hand once Ryan had found the strength to stand up.

Carefully and quickly, he pulled his boyfriend out and covered his head, making sure that nothing was visible, just incase. He picked Ryan up and wrapped his legs around his waist so he could safely carry Ryan out of the wretched reptile house.

Brendon carried him all the way across the park and into the artic exhibit so he could try and calm Ryan down and figure out what had happened. He walked along the dark, iceberg path and into the polar bear room, out of breath and tired from carrying his petite boyfriend.

Gently, he set Ryan down on the bench and sat beside him, removing his hands from his eyes and wiping the tears from Ryan’s soft face. “Oh Ry…”

“Bren,” Ryan sniffled, burying his head in Brendon’s chest. Brendon laid back on the bench and pulled Ryan back into his arms, running his hands through Ryan’s soft locks and begging him to tell him what had happened.

“I…I got your letter after lunch, at least it was your writing and signature,” Ryan cried, still shaken and breathing heavy. “It said to meet you there at nine-thirty…at the r-re…-”

“Oh Ry, I’m sorry.” Brendon apologized, clinging onto his shaking boyfriend. “I promise you I never wrote any letter baby, never…” Ryan nodded and wrapped his arms tightly around his Brendon.

“Thank you Bren, for getting me,” Ryan whispered, wiping his nose and eyes. “I’m sorry for being so scared.”

“Don’t you dare apologize Ryan. I love you and I’ll always make sure to come when you need me,” Brendon said sweetly, kissing the top of Ryan’s head. “…Who did this Ryan?”

Biting his lip, Ryan looked up at Brendon nervously. “I…I don’t know,” He lied, not wanting to make Brendon upset right now.

“Tell me when you’re ready, but I’m going to have to know Ryan,” Brendon sighed, knowing Ryan just needed to rest for now.

They sat quietly and peacefully in the exhibit, consumed in silence and wrapped up in each other.

Brendon smiled when he heard a faint ‘I love you’ leave Ryan’s lips. He had no idea that just months ago, in the very same room, that his life would change for the better with some cute boy and cheesy pick up line.

He was sure glad it worked though.

“Hey, you know the biggest polar bear ever found weighed 2,210 pounds? They actually range only from about 700 to 1300 pounds in most cases though,” Brendon smirked, lacing his fingers tightly with Ryan’s.

Smiling softly, Ryan leaned up and placed a soft, sweet kiss to Brendon’s plump lips. “And that’s just enough to break the ice.”




The End



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