turning out [ ryan metzger ]

chapter twenty-two.

When Lydia reawoke, they were still at the hospital, leading her to believe that she was only up for a moment. Sitting up carefully, she squinted her eyes, her head pounding.

Ryan gave her a sympathetic smile as he continued to put things into his backpack. "You ready to go?" he asked, swinging the bag onto his shoulders.

Tentatively, Lydia swung her legs over the side of the stiff bed. Ryan passed her her shoes and she slowly put them on, her movements sluggish. She swung slightly on her feet as she stood up, the room spinning ever-so-slightly.

The pianist set a hand on her shoulder to ground her before swiftly pecking her forehead. As he pulled back, Kat stepped into the room holding a water bottle.

"Drink," she said to Lydia as she and Ryan walked towards the door. Lydia did what she was told without hesitation, hoping the water would help with her raging headache.

The ride was quiet, but Lydia supposed she really wouldn't know, as she was frequently in and out of consciousness. Kat was up front in the driver's seat, and Ryan was in the back with Lydia.

Her head lied on Ryan's shoulder and he gingerly played with her fingers in his lap. The sun shone brightly through the car window, causing Lydia to squint despite her eyes being closed.

When she felt the car come to a stop, the brunette blinked her eyes open. Everything hurt. Signing, she removed herself from Ryan. Kat turned her head around in her seat, looking back to the pair, "You coming up, Ryan?" she asked.

Ryan nodded, unbuckling his belt, "Uh, yeah. I'd like to."

Kat nodded, pulling the keys out of the vehicle. The elevator ride up made Lydia feel queasy and she bit the inside of her cheek. The nurse had told her that she'd probably feel out of it for awhile, she was hit in the head, after all, but that didn't mean she'd enjoy it.

"I'll be in my room if you guys need me..." Kat said, the look she was giving Lydia littered with sympathy. After her door shut, Lydia looked around the apartment. The shelf near the halfway was slightly skewed, but other than that, everything looked as normal.

"Was the guy who broke in able to steal anything?" she asked, still glancing about.

"No." Ryan said, "After he hit you he ran out. The cops looked at the footage from the hallway; he was only in here for a moment."

Lydia just nodded. Her stomach rolled slightly at the thought of someone being in here, even if it was only for a second. The woman turned around and grabbed Ryan's hand and pulled him down the hallway.

Plopping down her bed once they got to her room, she sighed. "I'm really tired," she mumbled, looking up to Ryan, who was still standing.

He frowned and gave her hand a squeeze, "You could take another nap?" he suggested.

"Yeah," Lydia scrunched her eyebrows, "Lay with me?"

Ryan just hummed in response and moved to the other side of the bed.  Lydia scooted up and curled herself into him. As he ran his fingers through her hair, Lydia found herself closer to sleep once again.
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The soft light shining through the window hit Lydia's eyelids. Scrunching her face up, she begrudgingly opened her eyes. The space next to her was empty, but the sheets weren't entirely cold.

Groaning as she stood up, she stretched her arms up above her head. Her head still hurt, but not like it had before she fell asleep.

The brunette crept down the hall, not keeping silent for anyone else, but for her own benefit, even somewhat loud noises making her head shake.

"You're awake," Ryan said from the kitchen, a soft smile. The clock on the microwave told her that in was a little bit past five.

"Mhm," Lydia hummed, sitting down o one of the stools at the island. Looking past Ryan, she could see a pan on the stove. "What are you making?" she asked.

"Oh," Ryan turned back around to the pan, "Cream cheese grilled cheese."

"What?" Lydia asked, knitting her eyebrows together with a curious smile.

Using a spatula to move the sandwich from the pan and onto a plate, he swiftly spun around and sat it in front of his girlfriend, "And this one is for you. You gotta eat something."

Lydia eyed the sandwich for a moment, then Ryan. His eyes opened wide and he crossed his arms, still holding the spatula, "It's good, I promise!"

"I'll be the judge of that," the brunette said, picking up the sandwich unsurely. Taking a small bite, she chewed for a moment before her eyes lit up.

"Wait," she said, "That's super good."

"I know, right!" Ryan exclaimed quietly, "Adam and Jack think it's weird, but it's so good."

The woman just laughed at Ryan getting so passionate over a sandwich and continued to eat her own. After a moment, Ryan sat next to her, his own plate in hand.

"How's your head feeling?" he asked.

"Eh," Lydia shrugged, "Could definitely feel better."

Ryan hummed sadly and nudged her elbow with his own.

After that the pair ate in mostly silence. As the pianist began to put the dishes in the sink, Lydia perked up slightly, "You wanna watch a movie?" she asked.

Ryan gave her a playful glare, "That's a silly question. When do I not want to watch a movie?"

Lydia grabbed the remote from the TV stand before sitting on the couch, "True, true. Now, what do you want to watch is the true question."

"Whatever you want to watch," Ryan said, making himself comfortable next to her.

"You are no help," Lydia complained with minimal annoyance. Surprisingly, it only took her a moment to find something that interested her and she hit 'play'.
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author's note!

i had to include the cream cheese grilled cheese somewhere. :))

also, as far as i know, this story is #1 in the ajr tag right now!! this is super cool? i just really wanted to thank you guys, so thank you. ❤