strawberry daiquiri

thirteen

ryan jumped in his sleep, startling himself awake, and shane in the process.

"jesus," shane said. "you okay?"

"i just had the weirdest dream?"

"about what?" shane asked too quickly.

ryan gave him a weird look before returning his gaze to the couch in front of him. "i... can't remember? it was so vivid but then i woke up and... bam. it's gone. it gave me a really bad feeling, though."

shane put his arms around ryan and rocked him back and forth. "does wyan need shaney waney to wock him to sleep?"

"shut up," ryan said, but his laughing eased his tension a little bit. he sat up on the couch, shane adjusting to do the same. "ugh. i feel like i haven't done anything these past few days... just slept a lot. and i guess got a boyfriend. demon boyfriend."

"see, that's a lot of stuff. that's not your typical week," shane offered.

ryan shook his head. "i know, but i want to... do something. with you."

shane had barely raised his eyebrows all the way up before ryan said "not that. not right now."

shane's eyebrows retreated. "well, just name it and we'll go do it. as long as it isn't too spooky."

"but what if i wannaaaaaa do something spooky?" ryan whined. "you always let me do those kinds of things before. what changed?"

shane thought for a moment. "well nothing changed, i guess. i've always protected you and always will. i guess i'm a little nervous that you'll overestimate how much i can protect you and get yourself into more trouble than ever before."

"come on, shane, i'm not a child," ryan scoffed. "if anything, i'll be more careful because i know all of this scary stuff exists."

shane sighed, defeated. "so, where do you want to go, my love?"

ryan smiled. "so, i got a few instagram messages last night. apparently, a video went viral a few days ago because this bar not too far from us started to be, like, insanely possessed. like, demons out the wazoo."

shane laughed. "demons out the wazoo, huh?"

ryan nodded. "wanna see the video?"

"please."

ryan pulled it up on his phone and showed shane. the video was only about thirty seconds long, but it showcased two glasses being thrown across an empty room at the same time. the lights went completely out before coming on again, and a shadowy figure seemed to move behind the bar, as if it was the bartender.

shane rewatched the video a few times with ryan, analyzing every bit of it. "that's kinda spooky," he said plainly.

"right? and it still operates. all of this shit is being recorded by some of the late-night patrons and staff, right before closing. i bet we could get in there after hours-"

shane interjected. "how about... we stay here and i flicker the lights on and off and throw some cups at your head."

ryan laughed. "no! i want to see the demons."

"i don't think those are demons, if i'm being honest."

ryan glanced up from his phone. "what do you mean?"

"well, they're probably just young spirits that managed to infiltrate the human world. ghosts, if you will. demons are... more calculated in how they show themselves."

"well..." ryan paused. "that means they're basically harmless, right? so we can go see them? tonight?"

shane thought it over. "i guess. god, i can't say no to you. but i'm making one of them launch a glass in your direction."

ryan laughed. "i'm excited, even though i shouldn't be." he leaned forward and kissed shane, taking him a bit by surprise.

"i feel like i don't kiss you enough," ryan said. he leaned in again and this time, shane was ready, raising a hand to rest on the side of ryan's face.

"a kiss with death," ryan murmured as they finally pulled away.

"you're going to be doing more than kissing death soon," shane replied lowly. ryan felt goosebumps form on the back of his neck. he stood up, knowingly teasing shane by saying, "but first, ghost bar!"

shane sighed, standing up. "i love you but god, i'm tired."

they both laughed. shane put a protective hand on ryan's back as they headed out the door.