Girl Meets First Date

Ryan was lying on Aidan's bed, doing homework, while Aidan sat at his desk working on another speech.

Ryan looked up from his homework to peer at Aidan's work. He scrunched his nose at it. "How many more speeches until you're done? the end of the year is in, like, a month."

Aidan sat back and stretched his arms in front of him and shook them out. "Sorry, but not all of us lost in the first round of the competition and get to sit out the rest of the year."

Ryan rolled his eyes and shut his textbook. "Okay, rude ass. So, like, one?"

Aidan shook his head with a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, dipshit, one."

"All you had to say," Ryan said, opening his book back up and refocusing on it. Aidan's eyes stayed on Ryan while he wasn't paying attention. Eventually, he turned back to his own work, but couldn't pay attention. He began tapping his pen on the paper, splotching ink all over the words.

"Dude," Ryan called from behind him. Aidan turned to face him, tapping unpaused. "You good?"

"Huh?" Aidan looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Ryan nodded his head at the desk, pointing at where his pen was still inking up the paper. "That. Your speech is probably drowned in the rest of that ink by now."

Aidan stopped the pen and looked down. He was right, the few sentences he had down were covered in ink. Aidan sighed in frustration, balling the paper in his hands and tossing it into the trash.

"Once again, I ask, you okay?" Ryan asked with a small smile. Aidan sighed and bit his lip, staring at the trash can.

"How did you know you weren't straight?" He burst, turning his gaze to Ryan.

Ryan sat up, surprised. He closed his textbook again and put it to the side. "Okay, that's a serious conversation. What makes you ask?"

Aidan rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I dunno. Just curious, I guess."

Ryan nodded, not wanting to pry. "Ok, well for me, the first crush I ever had was on Farkle." Ryan grabbed a small pillow from the head of Aidan's bed to fidget with. "I knew it was a crush because the way all the other boys in the class were talking about girls was how I felt about him."

Aidan gave him a questioning look. "Oh. How old were you when you had your first crush?"

Ryan tilted his head to the side and scrunched his eyebrows as he thought about it. "I don't know, maybe seven? It was around second or third grade, I know that. It was after we met him at the class Halloween party in elementary school."

Aidan nodded, rubbing his hands together nervously. "Cool, cool. Good to know."

"Yeah, but I uh, got over that crush." Ryan smiled at him. "Do you have a crush on a guy?"

Aidan blushed, leaning back into the desk and not meeting Ryan's eyes. "Uh, well, I don't- I don't know. What does a crush feel like?"

Ryan raised an eyebrow at him. "You've never had a crush before?"

Aidan shook his head. Ryan paused to think. "Well," he said after a minute. "A crush can feel different for everyone. But it mostly involves getting nervous around that person, wanting to be around them a lot, and thinking that this person is attractive. Would you say you feel these things about someone?"

Aidan was silent at his desk, he stared at nothing, deep in thought.

"I think so," he answered after a long moment.

"Do you wanna tell me who it is?" Ryan asked gently, heart racing. He couldn't help but think about what Maya was telling him the other night, about how she thought he liked Aidan.

...and maybe he did.

"...it's you," Aidan said quietly, not meeting his eyes. Ryan grinned, leaning forward to catch his eyes. "Really?"

Aidan's blush deepened and he balled a piece of paper up and threw it at Ryan's teasing face, "Shut up!"

Ryan laughed, shielding himself from the assault with the pillow. "No, it's okay! I like you too!"

Aidan stopped and stared at him. "You do?"

Ryan stopped grinning and rubbed his hand on the pillow nervously. "Yeah, I do."

Aidan grinned. "Cool."

"Cool," Ryan laughed, flopping back onto the bed, hugging the pillow to his chest.

"So," Aidan asked awkwardly, spinning his chair slightly. "What do we do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, well, I like you," Aidan began explaining awkwardly. "And you like me," he gestured in a continuous gesture with his hands. "Where do we go from here?"

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Ryan said gently, "but I was thinking we could go out. On a date. Sometime," Ryan proposed, also very awkwardly.

Who knew confessing to your friend would be so awkward? Ryan was certainly glad it was happening, but he couldn't wait for the beginning stage to be over.

"Cool, uh, when?" Aidan said, leaning his arms on the back of his chair.

"Well, we'd have to ask Elena when you're free," Ryan said, gesturing to the closed door. As if on cue, Elena opened the door with a wide grin on her face.

"He's free tomorrow night, mijo," Elena said. Aidan stared at her in exasperation. "Tía!"

"What! Ryan's a nice boy and you are free tomorrow," Elena said with no shame. She grinned at them both before leaving, trusting them both enough to shut the door on her way out.

"Man, I love Elena," Ryan laughed. Aidan groaned, "She's the bane of my existence, but thank you for rubbing that in my face. Truly."

--

The next day at school, Ryan was talking with Farkle about the development that had happened the day before.

"I can't say I didn't see it coming," Farkle laughed, grabbing his Belgian flag from his bag. Ryan stared at him, confused. At his look, Farkle rolled his eyes and gestured for Maya to explain.

"Exactly, Ryan. We all saw it. I was just the only one to point it out to you," She shrugged. "Have you told Riley yet?"

Ryan smacked his hand to his face. "I haven't even come out to her yet."

"Ryan!" Farkle berated, kicking his shin. Ryan groaned, rubbing his shin. "I'm sorry, I've been busy!"

At that moment, Cory came running in with Riley over her shoulder and dropped her onto her desk. She sat down in her seat as Cory slammed the classroom door shut.

"Okay, Riley, it's time for the talk," He turned to face his daughter.

"No!" She shouted, hyper-aware of the fact that they were in a public space and she did not want to have this conversation. He looked around as well, seemingly coming to understand this for the first time.

Maya grinned smugly up at him. "Come on, teach, show us what you got."

"Hey, how come you never gave me the talk?" Ryan asked accusingly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"Are we doing this now?" Cory asked. Ryan glared at him. "That's where you draw the line? Not the talk but airing out your bad parenting?"

Cory rolled his eyes. "Okay, both of you, right now. See, when-"

Ryan was laughing at the fact that he could guilt his father into giving them both the talk right then and Riley turned in her seat and stomped on his foot. Ryan dropped his head on the desk and held his foot in pain.

Just then, Cory ran across the room to shut the other door in Lucas' face. As that interaction happened, Ryan brought his head up to glare at his sister, who just smiled smugly back at him.

"You're the worst," He said. Riley flipped her hair and faced the front of the classroom.

Cory speed walked over to the board and erased the lesson on Belgium, the only actual history they would ever learn, off of the board.

"NO!" Farkle cried, waving his flag in despair. Ryan laughed as his cry slowly faded out and he sat back down.

"It's seventh-grade spring fever. Which leads to dating, which leads to movies, which leads to popcorn, which leads to putting your hands together in the dark in the popcorn," Ryan wrinkled his nose at the descriptive thought of food-covered hands touching other food-covered hands. No thanks, he'd be holding Aidan's sanitized hands, thank you. "Which leads to holding hands which leads to that!" Cory ended his frantic, overprotective rant by pointing at Yogi and Darby's relationship, where they were currently rubbing noses.

Cory ran over to them and grabbed Yogi and dragged him back to his seat on the other side of the room behind Ryan.

"Riley, I am begging you, stay in Neverland. Never grow up, okay?"

Ryan glared at his father. "What about me?"

Cory waved his hand dismissively. "It's too late for you."

"Who's fault is that!" Ryan shouted.

After that, Farkle proposed that he ask Riley out by offering Cory some livestock.

"No!" Ryan shouted at his father.

"Don't tell me you're actually considering it?" Riley asked in embarrassment. Cory nodded his head. "It's a good offer."

Ryan shared a look of disbelief with Maya. What. Was. Happening.

Riley stood in anger. "I will decide who I go out on my first date with at such time as somebody asks me!"

"You go, Riley!" Ryan encouraged. Farkle leaned over to him. "What are you doing?" He whispered. Ryan cringed, "I'm hoping if she gets a date now, it'll soften the blow of me getting a date first."

Riley squealed and the two turned to see Lucas' hand in the air, ready to ask Riley out. Cory was glaring at him and Maya was cackling.

Yeah, ok.

--

After classes, the boys had sat together on the wall by the steps and talked about dating.

"Girls have it so easy," Farkle complained. Ryan rolled his eyes and smacked his shoulder. Farkle conceded, "The objects of our affection have it easy."

"Yeah," Lucas laughed at the interaction. "We have to do all the asking."

"All they have to do is say no," Farkle sighed. Ryan rolled his eyes. "Sometimes they say yes."

"Really?" Farkle raised his eyebrows. "When?"

"When you actually like them," Ryan shook his head. He looked at Lucas. "Just ask Riley out, you know she likes you."

Lucas sighed. "I know, but I wanted to do this the right way."

"And that would be?" Ryan asked, confused.

There was a wrong way to ask somebody out?

The girls walked up to them and Maya started talking to Lucas.

"Hey, Ranger Rick. Wanna go out with me?" She asked him, to the shock of everybody.

Maya, you're a lesbian.

"Maya, you don't wanna go out with me," Lucas laughed. Maya sighed. "No, I don't, but you wanna go out with somebody and nobody is making anything happen!"

Lucas shook his head with a smile and left as the bell rang.

Riley, apparently, tuned out past Maya's initial ask. Ryan rolled his eyes when Riley didn't move after everything and steered her toward her next class.

--

"Ryan!" Maya called from Riley's room. Ryan was sitting in the kitchen helping Auggie with his homework. He rolled his eyes and looked at Auggie.

"If I'm not back in five minutes, assume I'm dead," Ryan said before getting up from the table.

Auggie nodded seriously. "Okay."

Ryan laughed as Auggie turned back to his assignment. When Ryan reached Riley's room Riley was still sitting in the bay window looking sad while Maya was sitting next to her, clearly exasperated.

Ryan rolled his eyes and entered the room. "Riley, Maya didn't mean it. She doesn't like Lucas." He sat on the edge of the bed across from the two girls.

Maya smiled, validated. "That's what I said!"

Riley turned to face her, distraught. "Then why ask him out!"

"He needed to be pushed because I knew you weren't doing anything." Maya rolled her eyes.

Riley pouted and crossed her arms. "I still think it's unfair that you would do that when you don't like him. What if he had said yes?"

"He doesn't like me, Riley," Maya said seriously. Ryan nodded. "Yeah, he likes you. Said something about wanting to ask you out 'the right way' or something." He rolled his eyes. Riley jumped up. "Really?"

Just then, the doorbell rang and Riley rushed out of the room. Maya and Ryan shared an incredulous look.

"She's ridiculous. Absolutely insane." Ryan commented, getting up to follow her. They passed by Auggie in the hall, who'd decided to finish his work in his room with Ava.

When the two had caught up to Riley, they found Cory trying to get rid of Lucas before Riley could see him.

"Riley's not here," Cory lied. Riley waved and greeted Lucas from behind him.

"That's right! I lied right in yo' face!" Cory laughed. Ryan rolled his eyes and flopped onto the couch next to Topanga, getting comfortable for the show. Maya laughed and joined him.

"Actually, Mr. Matthews, I'm not here to see her either," Lucas clarified. Ryan raised an eyebrow. Then what was he here for?

"You're not?" Cory asked. Topanga rose to join Cory at the door.

"I wanna do this the right way. So first, I want to talk to you, sir."

Oh. That's what he meant. Ryan rolled his eyes. He couldn't imagine asking for someone's blessing when asking someone out. Then again, Elena had practically shoved Aidan into his arms, so he guessed he technically already had it.

Cory absorbed this information, looked back at Riley and Topanga to see if they saw as well, and turned back to Lucas.

"I want to do this the right way too, Lucas. NO!" Cory slammed the door in the kid's face.

"Dad!" Ryan exclaimed. Cory turned to look at him and screamed, "He's thirty-six!"

Lucas pushed open the door and accidentally shoved Cory into the wall next to it.

"Mr. Matthews, would it be possible to talk to you alone?" Lucas asked.

"C'mon, cowboy, don't deprive me of this!" Maya laughed from the couch. Lucas rolled his eyes with a light-hearted smile.

Cory peered out from behind the door. "Is it about homework?"

"No."

"About a grade?"

"No."

"Then this has nothing to do with me," Cory declared, "you've come to the wrong place, good day."

"Actually-" Lucas tried to stop him but Cory walked away, "I said good day, sir!"

Lucas followed after him further into the living room. "But I need to talk to you!"

"Is this about a historical event?" Cory asked. "I can only speak to you about historical events."

Lucas nodded. "Yes." Cory stopped and allowed Lucas to ask him the question. "Well go right ahead."

"I'm asking you permission to ask out your daughter," Lucas said. Ryan laughed loudly with Maya, "Boom! There it is!"

"You tricked me!" Cory exclaimed. Lucas smiled. "That's right, I lied right in yo' face!"

"Ooh, he's reusing his own words, this is great," Maya commented.

Cory asked his wife for help. "Get him, Topanga!"

Topanga walked over to face Lucas. "Lucas, you are about the most charming young man I have ever met." Here is where Cory misplaced some encouragement. "But as delighted as I am that in this day and age you would come to get our blessing, do you really think Riley is ready-?"

Riley came running over, cutting Topganga off, "Yes!"

Topanga laughed. "Riley, be cool."

Ryan rolled his eyes, "Come on, mom, you didn't raise her to be cool. Look at that," He said, gesturing to how Riley responded to her mother's command. She lowered her eyes and nodded, pointing a finger gun at Lucas and saying in a lowered voice, "Yes."

Topanga nodded, "Yeah, that's true."

Cory looked at her over Lucas' shoulder. "Topanga, we really need to talk."

Maya got up and led Cory away from the group, "Mr. Matthews, we really need to talk." She sat him down on the kitchen bench. "When a father turns a certain age," she started. Ryan laughed loudly and got up to sit Maya back down on the couch.

"We're not having the talk today. Not in the classroom, and not here. I eat here, be decent," Ryan said to her. She rolled her eyes. "Not what I was gonna do, but whatever."

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, don't think of it as a date!" Ryan proposed, smirking at his sister. She narrowed her eyes, knowing he was going to make this worse. "Think of it as a step into the world that only includes the two of them and nobody else! Especially you," he said, ending it by looking at Cory, who was in distress.

"Ryan?" Riley called. Ryan looked back at her, an innocent look on his face. "Yeah?"

"I hate you."

"That's homophobic," Ryan laughed before slapping his hands over his mouth and shutting his eyes in mortification.

"What?" Riley shouted, completely confused. Ryan turned on the bench and smacked his head on the table. Maya laughed, no, cackled as she patted Ryan on the back.

"How am I being homophobic?" She asked, looking from Lucas to Topanga, neither of which would meet her gaze. She was both glad Ryan had completely derailed the situation and seriously confused. Just then, Josh walked into the apartment, greeting them."Josh, am I being homophobic?" Riley asked him. Josh took an uncomfortable step back. "Who said that to you?"

Everyone pointed to Ryan, who was still embarrassed at the table.

"Ryan, why?"

"I made a joke, it was a bad joke with no setup and now I've insulted Riley," Ryan told him, noise muffled with his face still on the table. Josh covered his face with his hands. "Ryan, I hate you."

"I'm aware."

"No, because I said that and he called me homophobic," Riley explained, still upset. Josh wheezed, walking over and smacking Ryan on the back. "Explain, dude!"

Ryan sat up and looked at Riley, who was genuinely distressed. "Riley, no, I didn't mean to call you homophobic, I'm sorry."

"What did I even do?"

Ryan sighed. "No, no. Uh, I should've told you a while ago, but I'm bisexual. So, it was a joke. A bad joke and I'm sorry."

Riley's eyes widened. "Oh. Ok. So, I wasn't being homophobic?"

Ryan smiled, "No, Riles. You were not." She smiled, reassured. Ryan, still completely embarrassed, and wanting to turn the attention back on his sister, faced Lucas.

"So, Lucas, you wanted to ask Riley out on a date?"

"Welcome to the party! What kept you so long? Enjoy!" Josh encouraged, uncaring of how his brother was completely breaking down in front of him.

"Get out of my house!"

Ryan laughed, sharing a look with Maya. "Dad, you can't kick him out because he's encouraging Riley to date."

"Yeah, Mr. Matthews. Didn't you go out on your first date with Mrs. Matthews when you were like, seven?" Maya added. Topanga smiled. "Yes, actually. So, Cory, you need to calm down about this."

"I'm not going to calm down!" Cory defended. "She's just not ready for this!"

"She's not ready or he's not?" Maya whispered to Ryan. He laughed quietly. "Him, definitely."

Josh pulled his phone out of his pocket to check something. "Uh, I have to head out now. I just came to tell you all that I've been accepted into the NYU summer program, and my first meeting with my advisor is right now, so I'm gonna go."

They congratulated Josh on his way out and Ryan hugged him goodbye.

"So, I have everyone's permission except for Mr. Matthews?" Lucas checked. Cory pointed desperately to Ryan. "He hasn't given permission yet!"

"Oh, no, they have to go on this date today because I have a date today and if she goes then it'll make mine easier for her to accept," Ryan revealed. Maya smacked his arm. "Aidan asked you out?"

Ryan smiled sheepishly. Riley gasped. "Aidan? Like, debate team, new friend, Einstein Aidan?"

"Yep."

"Shut up! When did he ask you out!" Riley came over to sit on his other side, completely invested in the love life of her brother now that she had one of her own.

"Uh, this morning, actually. We're going on a date tonight, which is kind of why I'm pushing you to go on this date tonight as well."

"Okay, Lucas," Cory said, bringing the attention back to him. "I'll give you my blessing."

"Whoo!" Riley celebrated.

"On one condition."

"Boo," Riley pouted. Ryan laughed, patting her on the shoulder.

"It has to be a double date. With Aidan and Ryan." Cory stated, crossing his arms and giving a pointed look to his son. Ryan scoffed and got off of the bench.

"Hey, why am I being punished?"

"Do you want Riley to go out with Lucas?" Cory asked him. Ryan nodded, crossing his arms as well, mirroring his father.

"Yeah."

"Did you ask us permission to go out with Aidan tonight?"

"I don't have to, it's my life and I'm not Riley!" Ryan shouted, dropping his arms.

"Ryan, come on, please?" Riley begged. Ryan looked from Cory to Riley and sighed. "Sure. Whatever."

Cory clapped his hands, "Great! Then it's settled. It'll be a double date."

"Riley, would you like to go out with me?" Lucas asked Riley quickly, trying to avoid bringing more attention to them. Riley smiled and accepted, seconds before Ryan scoffed and stormed up to his room.

Riley gave a disappointed look to her father. "Did you really have to do that, dad?"

"I'm just trying to protect you," He said earnestly. She shook her head. "Yeah, and hurting Ryan in the process."

She walked up the steps to the hall and Maya followed her. She turned back to look at Lucas. "I'll text you later?"

Lucas nodded and the two girls went to go find Ryan.

--

In his room, Ryan was ripping apart his closet. He and Aidan hadn't really decided on one thing to do, just that it would be that night. Ryan was also figuring out how to break it to him that he would be dragging his sister and her date along.

Riley and Maya entered the room, hearing it, Ryan stopped what he was doing to breathe. Riley sighed and sat next to Maya on his bed.

"I'm sorry about Dad making you take us on your date," Riley apologized. Ryan sighed, laying down between the two girls and shaking his head. "No, Riles, it's not your fault. Dad's just, I dunno, crazy I guess."

Maya got up and started sorting through his clothes to make herself busy. "Mr. Matthews has always been crazy, Ryan. You know this."

Riley wanted to protest but stopped when Ryan and Maya gave her identical looks. "Yeah, no, he's not the best with stuff like this."

"Like what?" Ryan scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Change."

That made Ryan pause. "Dad sucks with change."

Riley giggled. "Yeah, so try to take it easy on him, okay?"

Ryan sighed. "Sure."

Maya tossed an outfit onto his face. "Wear that tonight, you wanna make a good impression."

Ryan frowned and pulled the clothes off of his face, sitting up to look at her. "Aidan's my friend, he already knows who I am."

Maya shrugged. "And? That doesn't mean you have to look like a slob."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Okay, out!"

The girls left, giggling now that they've brought Ryan's mood back up.

--

Ryan had Aidan meet with Lucas at the subway station to wait for the twins beforehand so they could make a grand entrance. Surprisingly enough, while this wasn't Riley's idea she did go along with it.

The two boys were conversing when the twins came down the steps into their line of sight. They both stopped to stare at the two as they came up to them. Riley was in her purple sparkly dress with a black vest over it, her hair pinned back, and as much makeup as her mom would allow her (which wasn't a lot).

Ryan was in a dark purple shirt, a formal black jacket, and dark wash blue jeans. Formal, but not too much. They met the guys at the other end of the station.

"Hey," Ryan greeted, running his hand through his hair anxiously. Aidan smiled, already flustered. "Hey."

"So, what were we planning on doing?" Aidan asked the group, pulling his eyes away from Ryan. He saw Lucas and Riley just staring at each other, seemingly not hearing his question.

Ryan rolled his eyes and put his arm around Aidan's shoulders casually. "And this is what we're gonna have to babysit all night."

Aidan blushed at the action. "Uh, I-i don't mind, really." Ryan raised an eyebrow at him, but Aidan wouldn't look at him directly, given the close contact. "Ok, whatever."

Ryan removed his arm as the group made their way onto the subway, and tried not to notice how Aidan rushed ahead of him to grab a handhold instead of a seat. Riley and Lucas sat down next to each other but Ryan grabbed onto the pole a few steps away from where Aidan was.

"I was thinking we could just see a movie, then grab something to eat afterward?" Ryan suggested. Once he got the group's approval, Riley smiled. "I like this! This is easy, it's just like hanging out outside of school."

"That's because we're all already friends," Lucas smiled at her.

"Let's stay friends no matter what happens, okay?" Ryan asked, giving a meaningful look to Aidan. He smiled and nodded, but didn't move from where he was.

Ryan tried not to react and leaned his head on the metal pole. Riley and Lucas shared a look. Clearly, this wasn't easy for all of them.

--

When they got to the movie, Aidan wouldn't sit next to him. He wouldn't sit next to him, he wouldn't look directly at him while talking to him, he wouldn't even share a popcorn bucket with him!

(That last part Ryan was okay with, but it's the principle of the thing, really.)

Ryan had finally had enough when they got to the pizza place that they were going to eat dinner at. When they got to the booth, Aidan made sure he sat as far away from Ryan as possible. Ryan rolled his eyes and left the table, exasperated, to go sit outside.

Aidan stared at his empty seat, then looked back up to where Riley and Lucas were glaring at him.

"What're you doing, man?" Lucas asked harshly. Aidan sighed, putting his face in his hands. "I don't know."

"Well, I hope you figure it out because that's my brother and your date that you've been avoiding all night. Go after him." Riley demanded, hands in fists. Aidan nodded and left the table in a rush.

Lucas put his hand on top of Riley's fist and loosened it so he could hold her hand. Riley sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, shutting her eyes. "I just don't want Ryan to get hurt."

"I know."

--

Aidan found Ryan sitting outside the pizza place sitting on a bench, shivering in the cold. He frowned and shrugged off his jacket, placing it around Ryan's shoulders. The boy jerked in surprise at first, then wrapped it further around his shoulders and continued glaring at the ground in front of him. Aidan sat down next to him, trying not to leave much space between each other this time.

"I'm sorry," Aidan started. Ryan scoffed, "You should be."

Ryan turned to face him. "Wh-wh-why even ask me out, why even tell me you like me if-if you were just gonna ignore me all night! Not even, like, ignore, but just completely avoid!" He stuttered a few times, too angry to speak properly. 

Aidan sighed, crossing his arms to gain warmth. "I guess I was just... I don't know. Nervous?" At Ryan's incredulous look, he doubled down. "No, I'm serious. I like you, like a lot. And I've never had a crush before or been on a date or anything like that. And I just don't know how to act on a date but I know I'm doing it wrong but I didn't know how to stop because I know I'm not meeting any of your expectations so it just got worse and worse and..." he sighed, stopping his small rant.

"I'm sorry," Ryan frowned. Aidan raised an eyebrow. "What do you have to be sorry about?"

"I didn't realize that this would be so hard for you or that you thought that I'd have any expectations," he laughed. Ryan bumped their shoulders together. "How's about this? We head back in there, no expectations?"

Aidan grinned and nodded. Ryan got up first and before Aidan could follow, he leaned down to place a kiss on his head and left his jacket on his lap, leading the way back inside. Aidan paused and took a deep breath, incredibly flustered. Ryan was making this really, really difficult.

--

After getting home, the two of them let Riley and Lucas go back to the Matthews' apartment while Ryan walked Aidan back to his. This time, he let Ryan walk with his arm around his shoulders.

"Well, at least the last half of the night was a success," Ryan joked once they reached Aidan's apartment, leaning against the wall next to the door. Aidan laughed, mirroring him on the opposite wall. "Yeah, uh, I'm still really sorry about that, by the way."

Ryan shook his head. "No, seriously, don't worry about it. We know better for next time."

Aidan raised a teasing eyebrow at him. "Next time?"

Ryan blushed. It was his turn to be flustered, now. "Uh, yeah, I was kinda hoping?"

Aidan laughed. "Yeah, of course. Next time."

Ryan grinned, staring at the ground in sudden embarrassment. "I know I said I didn't have any expectations for tonight, but, uh, there was one thing..."

Ryan didn't get the chance to say anything before Aidan pushed himself off of the wall and kissed him.

It was quick, nothing more than a peck. But it was still a kiss, and it left him grinning long after Aidan pulled away.

"I'll see you later," Aidan said before finally going inside. Ryan was left grinning dumbly after him.

After the door closed, Ryan leaned back and touched his fingers to his lips, absolutely ecstatic. 

and that's that! second story already up!

Girl Meets Ryan Matthews Oct 2019 - Sept 2021