Not!Fic: More Ryan of Green Gables

[skoosiepants]

Okay, now I'm just making shit up. Moreso than the other ones, at least. This is not a fic. Remember that.

Previous part here. Enjoy.

Ryan is Spencer’s very best friend, but Spencer doesn’t always understand him. Spencer pushes at the little rowboat with his foot.

“Doesn’t seem all that sturdy,” he says, because Spencer is rather sensible, and Ryan flips through a slim little book – Ryan has a lot of books. Spencer thinks this is endearing – and shoots Spencer a pointed look.

William has one of his mama’s shawls draped over his arm. “I don’t think it is,” William whispers to Spencer conspiratorially, grinning. William likes trouble. Spencer isn’t sure why they’re friends, except William is occasionally great fun.

Ryan clears his throat and glares at them and William giggles before schooling his face into a properly somber expression.

Ryan reads – “And at the closing of the day She loosed the chain, and down she lay; The broad stream bore her far away, The Lady of Shalott” – overdramatically, with a lovely cast of sorrow curving his mouth, and he climbs into the boat carefully, lying down with his arms folded, and William fusses over the ‘shroud’ and the day lilies until Ryan slaps his hands away in irritation.

And then Spencer and William push off the bank and Ryan and the little boat rock unsteadily out into the river and it’s, well. Spencer concedes it’s all very beautiful and poetic - which Ryan is, more than Spencer, and Spencer honestly does appreciate that quality in him, at least when it doesn’t involve Ryan looking down his nose at Jon, even though Jon never seems to mind very much.

And then William says, “look—oh,” and claps a hand over his mouth, eyes dancing merrily, and Spencer narrows his gaze at the boat as it slides into faster currents.

Ryan squawks, actually squawks, and jerks upright and he’s splashing, because the boat is taking on water at a rapid pace. Not very sturdy at all.

“Oh no,” Spencer mutters. He wishes Jon were there. Spencer doesn’t really want to get wet. He sighs heavily and is thinking about the best way to approach Ryan’s rescue, but then Brendon is there, on the far side of the river, hands on his hips, wide grin on his face - though, to his credit, he isn’t quite laughing. The water is rather dangerous in the middle, after all, and Ryan isn’t the strongest swimmer.

Spencer thinks it’s sort of romantic. Or he thinks Ryan should think it’s romantic – because Spencer isn’t all that fanciful himself - when Brendon slips over the edge of the bridge to grab Ryan as he floats by, hands grasping desperately at a slick pylon. Ryan just seems disgruntled, soaked, pouting, as Brendon pulls him up on dry land.

Spencer’s actually sort of puzzled by Ryan’s entire dislike of Brendon, always has been, but he’d never say a word out loud. It’s best, Spencer has found, to let Ryan do exactly as he wants.

William leans into Spencer’s side – and he’s tall, so he’s sort of folded over him, long arms dangling around his shoulders – and laughs into the back of Spencer’s neck. William thinks Ryan and Brendon are going to marry one day, and he thinks it’s the funniest thing ever when they fight. Ryan once broke a slate over Brendon’s head, and, okay, Spencer thought that was funny, too. Brendon’s stunned face had been hilarious, and Jon had winked at Spencer and that was always good.

Spencer can’t hear what they’re saying, but Ryan is stamping his foot and has his arms crossed and he looks like a drowned puppy and Brendon has a smile on his mouth that even Spencer thinks is infuriating. William just laughs harder.

*

Ryan is excited about the dance for exactly three days, until he realizes he has absolutely nothing to wear. Shiny clasps are all the rage, and Spencer’s even gotten a new jacket – silver clasps and double-breasted, too! – and all Ryan has is his serviceable Sunday wear, with a nice clean cut – as Mikey always tells him, since Mikey’s really very good with fashion – but! Shiny buttons! He can’t be seen without them! Simply everyone is going to be wearing them, and he’ll be mortified beyond measure if he shows up in anything else.

Mikey frowns at his plea. There isn’t enough money to be spending it on frivolous expenses. Ryan doesn’t need another coat. Mikey himself would kill for a shiny clasped outfit, but you don’t see him pouting about it, do you?

Gerard laughs at them – Gerard laughs at a lot, and it’s one of the things Mikey loves best about him – and then shows up the day before the dance with two similar shaped boxes, and Mikey should really make him take them back, but he’s gotten one for him, too, and Gerard is really the best brother in the whole entire world.

So the three of them troop off to the dance, two replete with shiny buttons - Ryan's even has adorable rosettes fastened at the collar - and one, Gerard, in his serviceable Sunday dress – “Who do I need to impress?” he’d asked, bewildered, when Ryan had wondered why he hadn’t gotten one for himself as well – and Mikey is almost as excited about it as Ryan.

Pete is making a fool out of himself on the dance floor, but that’s nothing unusual. Patrick is standing off to the side with a hand over half his face, bright red, but he laughs whenever Pete waves at him.

Spencer is hiding behind William, because Jon looks so handsome and Spencer has never been shy, but he’s suddenly awkward and flushed and William is probably the last person he should have chosen to hide behind – and not just because he’s so thin he’s not much of a barrier, really, but because William just smiles delightedly and says, “Hey, Jon, Spencer’s over here,” hooking a thumb over his shoulder. Honestly, they shouldn’t be friends, Spencer’s sure of it.

Ryan is busy snubbing Brendon. Brendon is very hard to snub, however, and steals Ryan’s dance card and fills every single line with his name, and Ryan is so angry, except he can’t make a scene. Mikey would strangle him, and Gerard thinks Brendon’s such a nice boy, and he can’t see why Ryan hates him so.

Brendon is annoying and pushy and Ryan sometimes gets exhausted just looking at him – he’s got so much energy! - and he’s always standing too close to Ryan and he always looks like he’s either just done something horrible or is on his way to doing something horrible, and Ryan just. Doesn’t like him. He doesn’t have to have a valid reason for that. It’s just how it is and how it will always be, no matter what William’s always giggling about.

Gerard is content to stand alongside the punch like the other proud parents and let the kids have some fun. He smiles as Jon bows over Spencer’s hand and Spencer fidgets with his shiny buttons until William not-so-surreptitiously shoves him in the small of his back. He lets out a low chuckle as Brendon almost resorts to bodily hauling Ryan out onto the dance floor - since Ryan is as stubborn a boy as Gerard has ever come across – before Ryan huffs out a breath and stomps out into the middle of the room, glaring daggers at Brendon until the boy hastily takes up his hands and spins them into a dance before Ryan can change his mind.

“Having fun?”

Gerard glances to his side and breaks out into a grin. “Frank,” he says, and wraps an arm around him, pulling him into a brisk hug. Frank has the daunting task of teaching all the towns-children manners and times tables and proper sentence structure. Gerard doesn’t envy him, but Frank is possibly his very favorite person besides his brother.

Frank tells Gerard about the baffling but amusing feud between Ryan and Brendon, and how William stays after class every other day to profess his undying love for Frank, and Frank keeps threatening to marry him one day, with a playful smile, because William knows and Frank knows and pretty much everyone in town knows the Frank is going to marry Gerard. Gerard is, in fact, the only one who doesn’t know that plan. This is not for lack of trying on Frank’s part. Gerard is just that oblivious.

Frank says, “Okay, so, you’re not spending the whole night hiding out over here, right? Because I kinda think we should dance. At least once.”

Gerard arches an eyebrow at him. “Only once?”

“At least once. With an option for more.” Frank grins at him winningly. It’s more cheeky than anything else, though, and Gerard, in complete disregard of any social mores, presses a kiss to Frank’s temple and says, “Let’s go.”

*

Mikey is not sure at all what to think about Frank and Gerard. He dislikes change. He thinks adopting Ryan was change enough for the century, and Gerard leaving them is not an option.

In just a few short years Ryan will be away at college – he won’t delude himself into thinking Ryan won’t go, because Ryan is smart and needs more than just this poorly-farmed plot of land to live on – and Mikey and Gerard will be alone again, or Mikey will be alone again, and that’s just tragic. Mikey is not a big fan of tragedies. Ryan is, but Ryan’s a little fanciful, and a little touched in the head.

“What are you pouting about,” Gerard says, ruffling Mikey’s hair.

Mikey ducks and scowls at him and says, “Love.”

“Oh. Oh, love’s a terrible thing, I agree.” Gerard is grinning at him, eyes crinkled up at the edges. Gerard is teasing him, Mikey can tell.

Mikey doesn’t say that he loves him, and that he loves Ryan – who can’t love Ryan? – and that he doesn’t know what he’ll do when either or both of them are gone. He just says, “Love,” again, like a swear, lips pursed, and Gerard just hugs him to his chest.

Mikey’s forehead drops down onto his shoulder.

“Ryan,” Gerard says, slowly, thoughtfully, hands gripping the back of Mikey’s shirt, “is good for us,” and he’s said that before, but right then, right that moment, Mikey thinks he finally understands what he means.

They were honestly going to have to get rid of the cow, though.

continues here

Comments

[prettykitty-aya.livejournal.com]

*grabby hands* i love you. i am serious here.

...and you have, like, the greatest ending lines ever. :D

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*g* thanks! I was gonna end it at the dance scene, but it didn't feel wrapped enough to me - bring on the cow!

[gweneiriol.livejournal.com]

This is just WONDERFUL! Sweet and sappy and funny and I LOVE it!

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

Thank you muchly!

[kalpurna.livejournal.com]

Eeeeee! I love it! Oh, Ryan is so Anne, I cannot even. Shiny buttons! ♥ And all the incidental characters are wonderful, too.

One day you will write full-on Frank/Gerard, and I will DANCE WITH GLEE.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

Thank you! *laughs* Ryan's such an Anne Shirley it's ridiculous :)

I know, I know, I have to take on Frank and Gerard full force soon *g*

[notshybutsly.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, this is so amazing. I can't stop grinning.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*grins* thank you!

[wistfuljane.livejournal.com]

I've been following your P!atD not!fic and they're such a pleasure to read. And I agree with prettykitty_aya, you have the best ending line ever: They were honestly going to have to get rid of the cow, though. Poor cow.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*g* thank you, hon! I know, I feel a little bad for the cow. Maybe they'll just give it to Patrick and Pete :)

[temporalrose.livejournal.com]

Oh, you did the rowboat and the dance!!!! I worship at the feet of this "not" fic.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*beams* thank you! The dance and rowboat scene are some of my favorites :)

[clumsygyrl.livejournal.com]

this is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. anne of green gables is one of my all time favourite stories... well of all time.


pitch perfect and lovely.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*grins* thank you! I love Anne, too. I'm thinking I should tackle some of the later Anne books :) Ryan at teachers college!

[insipid-paragon.livejournal.com]

*clings to you* The Lady of Shalott scene is the best thing in the world and it always makes me smile and my heart go pitter-patter and William. And Frank and Gerard and so Gerard WON'T DIE, he'll just fall in love and get married and go away *that* way, right?! Right. No dying here.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

I love that scene, too! And Gerard will not die, you are right! I'm sly. I put Frank in just for that :)

[absitively.livejournal.com]

I just keep reading this and wondering why no one else saw that Anne of Green Gables is obviously a great AUverse?

And the cow! and Mikey afraid of being lonely! And Frank and Gerard! and Pushy!William! :)

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*grins* I have no clue why no one else has seen the Ryan-Anne connection, it's so obvious! William was my favorite little piece in this :)

[kws136.livejournal.com]

Even if you are just making shit up, it's incredibly enjoyable not!shit!

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*grins* thank you, hon!

[softlyforgotten.livejournal.com]

skghkshgskgh I have no words. The boat scene is one of my favourite's in Green Gables and you did it so well. ♥!

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*beams* thank you, m'dear! It's one of my favs, too, and I just picture Ryan with his weird romantic notions :)

[wordsindreams.livejournal.com]

WHAT?

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

HAHAHHAHAHAH! I keep stunning you, don't I?

[edincoat.livejournal.com]

This is a fun not!fic (though I honestly do not understand how this qualifies to have "not" attached to it, since it is so awesome), and you are doing wonderful with it.

Especially how you just interpret the going-ons of the book with the characters, and make it your own. This isn't Anne of Green Gables with band!slash thrown in, this is band!slash with cows XD

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*laughs* oh god, thank you, bandslash with COWS! Hee.

[littlerhymes]

This is so charming and funny I want to hug it and feed it little lollipops until it grows big and strong, and yes, more would be so nice.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*beams* thank you muchly! I just might write more *g*

[i-amthecosmos.livejournal.com]

You wrote Anne of Green Gables bandslash.

My mouth is hanging open, in the good way.

That's it, I'm friending you. Also, you are awesome.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*laughs* thank you so much! I don't know why no one else saw this connection before :)

That's it, I'm friending you. Also, you are awesome. *g* thanks! I would love to have a new friend :)

[yetunknown.livejournal.com]

oh gosh, that is the most gorgeously funny not!fic ever.

my mind just keeps replaying scenes in my head (blushing!Spencer. the re-enactment of Lady of Shalott! Gerard hugging Mikey!) like I just watched a really good movie.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*grins* thank you! this is, like, the best world to play in :)

[silverakira.livejournal.com]

So I have never read Anne of Green Gables (gasp! I know, it was one of the few YA book series I never read), but I am enjoying your not!fic tremendously. I basically love everything you write, so that's not surprise (and hopefully I will catch up on feedbacking you this weekend [g]), but seriously, I adore these not!fics beyond all reason, and I love how you can show Pete and Patrick's absolutely hysterical and adorable relationship with just a few lines, and this:

because William knows and Frank knows and pretty much everyone in town knows the Frank is going to marry Gerard. Gerard is, in fact, the only one who doesn’t know that plan.

makes me flail around ridiculously, and Spencer and Jon. Eeeeee. Just -- love. :)

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*BEAMS* thank you, hon! And I'm really glad these work even without having read the Anne books - not like I stick too close to the story or anything :) They are all just so cute in this world!

William was totally my favorite in this *nods*

[castoffstarter.livejournal.com]

*smiles too wide for this little of sleep and being at work for 5 hours already* I want to lay in a pile of Skooz fic and just be. You make me very happy.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

thank you, hon *hugs* It's probably criminal how much enjoyment I'm getting out of this universe :)

[kurasuperson.livejournal.com]

This is fantastic. Just hilarious. :-)

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*g* thank you!

[bluefuzzyelf.livejournal.com]

I really love you. And the way you write. And, and....muah! *grabs at you* It's kind of perfect.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

Hee! thank you!

[callsigns.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, oh dear, this is too wonderful to be believed! Gerard got them coats! Ryan's pale hands folded dramatically around the day lilies! This is genuinely delightful; I will be thrilled if there is more (particularly if Brendon gives up his teaching position so that Ryan may stay with the Ways! Aieee!)

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

Thank you! *g* I'm thinking about writing the part where he wins the advert contest and is disgusted that his work of art has been so sullied!

Oh, and Brendon and the teaching position - I must write that, yes, although I might have to reread some of the books because I completely forget what happens during the teachers-college years. Hmmmm.

[squigglewiggle.livejournal.com]

all three of these stories have been so sweet and cute, i just want to cuddle them!

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

darn it, lj ate my reply! Anyways, thank you so much! More to come, too :)

[belladonnalin.livejournal.com]

I LOVE that Ryan is the overdramatic kinda brat. Best Anne of Green Gables EVER.

Simply everyone is going to be wearing them, and he’ll be mortified beyond measure if he shows up in anything else.
Oh RyRo. He's so SHINY.

[skoosiepants.livejournal.com]

*grins* thank you so much! I was reading over some of this today and I think it's close to my favorite thing I've ever written, because Ryan is SO much fun as Anne, seriously :)