Ryan sat in the car with his eyes closed dozing, he was exhausted after being called in on his day off, investigating a crime and then ending the day in the ER after having a nail shot through his head. Today was supposed to be his day off, the first one in nearly 2 weeks and he got called in because his coworker didn't respond to his page. If this had been the first time, hell if it had been the tenth time he wouldn't have cared but it wasn't. He had been called in to cover for Eric so many times that he had lost count.
He didn't blame Eric for his injury no that was his own damn fault for not following protocol. He's mad at Eric because Eric won't tell him what's wrong. Initially when Eric showed up at the lab Ryan was upset that Eric had messed up his plans for some rest and a quiet day off. Once Eric started saying how Ryan wouldn't understand so he wouldn't explain it, then Ryan had a whole other reason to be upset with Eric, and hurt that he wouldn't tell Ryan what was wrong.
Ryan thought that the relationship that he share with Eric was growing. He knew that their professional relationship had gotten much better than it was a year ago. They didn't argue as much and Ryan thought that Eric had gotten over his resentment that Ryan had replaced Eric's best friend after he was killed line of duty.
Personally they had started a relationship too. Initially just hanging out, sometimes going for a drink after work. About 4 months ago that changed and they became lovers.
Oh how they mighty have fallen Ryan thought to himself. He had cautioned Tony when the older man had started sleeping with his boss to be careful, that being in a one sided relationship he was only letting himself in for pain. Too bad Ryan couldn't follow his own advice. Here he was a year after tell Tony to be careful that maybe a fuck buddy relationship would only lead to heartbreak and now Ryan finds himself in the same situation.
He isn't surprised; not really, Eric is a well known ladies man not like he was going to abandon that for a gay lifestyle. They rarely spend the whole night together, Eric leaving long before Ryan arises in the morning. The older man not wanting their colleagues to become aware of their relationship, not wanting their families to know. Ryan went along with it for the most part. He did tell Tony, but his cousin wouldn't tell anyone else.
Eric's statement in the hallway of the lab just cemented in Ryan's mind what he already knew. Eric really didn't place any value on whatever relationship they had. Now the young CSI needed to decide what he was going to do. Did he have the inner strength to hang on and try to see if Eric could come to love him as he loved Eric. Or should he cut his losses and try to salvage the friendship they had built in the lab. He feared that if he did the former and it didn't work out he would lose the later.
When Ryan exited the ER after his discharge the last person he expected to see was Eric. He was planning on taking a cab back to his place. Instead he found himself in Eric's car and after a stop to get his prescriptions filled on his way home. Maybe he should go with the first option after all.
Chapter End Notes:
No Tony this chapter. Ryan doesn't know his cousin is coming to Miami...YET