Past and Present.

•Past.

"Bryce...I'm so sorry.." Ryan's voice shook as he held onto the others wrist but Bryce jerked away from him and glared. Ryan couldn't blame him if he was honest, he lied and most importantly hurt him deeply. Playing pretend on someone usally wasn't his type and he never expected to fall hard for the man in front of him but he did and there was nothing he could do about it. "Do you know what you done to me Ryan? You've..you lied to me! I sit there and let you build me castles out of those crappy paragraphs I received from you!" Tears began to well up in the others eyes as his words cracked.

Ryan swallowed hard as he watched his lover let tears roll down his cheeks. "Bryce I know and I'm sorry okay? This is what I was afraid of! I-I just..I didn't want to tell you because I was so afraid of this reaction!"

"Sorry don't fix it Ryan! You of all people should know that.."

"I know Bryce. I'm really sorry.."

"Just don't okay? I love you Ryan-I really do but I just..I need time to think this over. I can't even tell you how much damage you've done to me.."

Ryan stayed silent as he watched the younger man turn to leave, his hand grabbed the others wrist and he watched as his blonde hair swayed as his head jerked back to meet his gaze. "Just remeber that I love you Bryce.." To Bryce it was like spoiled milk for the blonde made a face and jerked his wrist back as his glare soften on Ryan he sighed a shaky sigh. "I'll miss you too.."

Ryan watched as his lover left out into the parking lot and that's when everything hit him like a brick. He felt tears swell up in his hazel eyes and he looked away to give a blink and let them fall down his cheeks.

•Present Day.

"Where did you get that?" Columbia asked as her green eyes darted side to side in hopes of not having to look him in the eye. It pained Ryan to see the look of guilt wash all over her face as she realized she had been caught in the act. "Columbia why would you do this? To me of all people.." He could feel his voice crack as he looked at his student who used to be his best friend. She didn't reply for a while.

"Because..I..I didn't have any money okay? I was..I was running off my boyfriends but when we broke up he stopped paying for my school. You and Bryce deserved it anyways.."

"Deserved it? Columbia how did we deserve it?! Bryce and I had been good to you! He even tried to help!"

"Pshh. Tried to help? Do you know what that asshole did?! Now I get my ass kicked every day because my boyfriend thinks I see him. Everyday I go home I literally get a fist for lunch."

"Columbia we didn't deserve this. And sorry to cut it to you but you done that to yourself when you took him back.."

"Tch, what was I supposed to do? I didn't have any money-well not until I got ahold of Bryce's.."

"So you did leave that threat note and steal his shit?"

"You caught me Ohm. Caught me red handed..but think of it as taking what Bryce owed me for everything that happened with my boyfriend and I."

"..So you did it all.."

"Oh no, don't give me all the credit. You think I'd really do it without reason? Hell no. I was helping Ritz out with them photos, had been for a while now."

"Why?"

"Because he was paying off my college fee as well. In exchange I helped him out.."

"You're sick. Both of you." Ryan growled under his breath as he glared at the woman in front of him who just held up her index finger. "Not sick Ryan," she clicked her tongue as a smirk played o her lips. "Just looking out for myself." He couldn't believe what he had just heard from this girl, the one he's known since childhood.

"If you'll excuse me professor Wrecker, I got to talk to Felix about my points since I'm moving." Columbia spun around on her heel and began to make her way upstairs when Ryan stood from his spot. "You're leaving?!" Columbia didn't stop as she hummed in response. Ryan stared at the door where Columbia once stood, his hazel eyes twitched but he looked away and gave a sigh.

Columbia had took everything from Bryce and was leaving with some sort of victory. He could only imagine the taste of victory for this situation. They may never get Bryce's money back but what they would get is Ritz fired. "Goddamn it Ritz," he growled under his breath. "I thought a warning would send you off."

>> TIME S K I P<<

Bryce leaned on the door as he waited for Ryan who had been sitting in his room for a while now. The time ticked on and on. He had told Smitty to go on without him even after the man had insisted it'd be best for him but Bryce wasn't leaving without Ryan.

He wouldn't.

Bryce sighed deeply and closed his eyes but jerked them open when the sound of the door opening and Ryan stepped out with bloody knuckles. "Oh my god Ryan what happened??" Bryce gasped out as he grabbed the olders knuckles and held them in his hand. "Ryan..." The older didn't say anything.

What Bryce didn't know was the brown haired male was staring at him with pain yet relief. Ryan looked away as he fought temptation to kiss Bryce.

"Ryan?"

That was it, the way the blonde said his name made him give in. His hands cupped Bryce's face and pulled him in for a kiss where their lips locked and the younger let out a slight squeak. They held it for a moment before releasing, "Bryce.." Ryan's voice shook. "Please don't leave me.."

Bryce looked up to him with concern floating in his blue eyes, staring up at Ryan he furrowed his brow. "I'm not..I promise.." His whisper nearly reached the olders ear and Ryan knew why. No one was to know of them for it was a sin. "Ryan..you're crying.."

Ryan chuckled lightly as Bryce cupped his cheek, his hand grasped the others and held it there as they stared at each other. Bryce finally broke the gaze and smiled as he untwined his fingers with the olders. "We should probably get home..so was it her? Why were you bleeding??" They walked down the steps and Ryan sighed deeply as he shoved his bloody hand into his pockets. "Tell you when we get home love.."

Far in the distance the sound of a camera taking a photo echoed. A dark figure took the photo the camera spat and grinned darkly.