"Thanks." Rachel smirked over her shoulder at them as she went back to the bar.
"I suppose we'd better tell Ryan that Ginger's on his way, too," Matt said to Sammy.
Sammy nodded, absently wiping his lips.
Matt wanted to kiss him again, but felt a wave of shyness descend. "Come on," he said, starting up the stairs.
* * * *
There were some days that Ryan knew he shouldn't have bothered getting out of bed. Well, technically he was back in his bed now. He hadn't managed to untangle himself from Fizz. In fact, the boy seemed to grow distressed when Ryan tried to move away, so he had given up, and laid next to him. Fizz was behaving like a clingy drunk; he nuzzled his face into Ryan's neck, and murmured things that didn't make sense.
At first, Ryan was near paralysed with nerves. What the hell was going on, anyway? Matt had gone downstairs to call Ginger, and Sammy must have gone with him. They'd left him alone with Fizz.
Ginger.
Ryan winced at the thought of Ginger finding him like this, but what could he do? Fizz kissed his neck, pressing himself against Ryan's body. The longer Ryan was trapped on the bed with Fizz, the more his nerves faded, giving way to arousal. Ryan was mortified to find himself with a hard on, and he groaned quietly.
If only he'd gone out and got laid like he'd been telling himself to for months, maybe he wouldn't be feeling randy from a sick boy rutting up against him. Fizz moved his mouth, kissing along Ryan's jaw.
Ryan jerked his face away before Fizz could kiss him on the lips. "Fizz, give me a break," he muttered. "Are you on something?"
"Mmm." Fizz's breath fanned over his face, icy cold. "You're a coward."
"Huh?"
Wide, dark eyes stared back at him. "You're a coward," Fizz stated. He had stopped wheezing, his voice calm and light and... different. "You should have told him by now. I barely interfered, just a little here and there." His lips curved in a smile. "You, however, took any excuse to delay telling him. Which makes you a coward."
Ryan's heart pounded. "Huh? I—I don't know what you're talking about."
Fizz still stared at him, unblinking. The smile disappeared. "Don't fool yourself, Ryan. You're more perceptive than you realise. He, on the other hand, is nearly oblivious to everything. In his own little world, isn't he? You'll have to be the first to make a move. But you know that already, don't you?"
"W-what?" Ryan tried to move away from that unblinking stare, the icy breath. "I—I don't—"
Fizz held onto him, and the smile returned, wickedly taunting. "I wanted to be there."
"Huh? Where?"
"For your first time. I'm sure it will be beautiful." He pressed himself against Ryan's body, and Ryan was shocked to feel arousal there; a hard length mirroring his own. "I wanted to bathe in you. It's strong, so, so strong."
Ryan didn't know what to do. His hard-on had clouded any sensible thought process, and his mind raced around like a spooked chicken. What Fizz had said worried him, but the boy's physical actions smoothed over his worry, calling to his baser instinct. Fizz shifted his hips, aligning their groins perfectly. A moan passed Ryan's lips before he could stop it.
Someone cleared their throat. "Um... Ryan?"
Ryan jerked in surprise, looking up to see Matt in the doorway. "W-what?"
"I just spoke to Ginger. He's coming straight back."
Ryan swallowed. "Okay. Where is he?"
"Over at The Druids."
Ryan nodded. The Druids Arms was by The Level, about halfway up London Road. Knowing Ginger, who walked quickly anyway, he'd hopefully be back within a few minutes.
"Great," Ryan said. "Thanks."
"No problem." Matt retreated again. Ryan could hear his hushed words outside, talking to someone else. Sammy, most likely. With Fizz still attached to him, Ryan wasn't sure what he should do. What would Ginger say when he saw him lying here with his little cousin? Would he be mad?
Well, he was bound to be mad, yet even that thought couldn't make Ryan's hard-on disappear. In his current state, the thought of Ginger made his cock throb harder. His limbs felt weak, his head cloudy. Ryan groaned again in frustration, trying to edge himself away from Fizz.
If he could just escape from the full-body contact, maybe that would help. He rolled onto his back, but Fizz came with him, half-lying on top of him. So that didn't work. Ryan had to concentrate on something else. Work. The bar. He cleared his throat and called out, "Someone should see if Rachel needs help downstairs."
"We already did." That was Sammy's voice. Ryan raised his head to see Sammy standing next to Matt in the doorway of his room.
"And?"
Sammy shrugged. "It's quiet, she's fine for now. She did say she wants help soon, though."
"Right," Ryan gritted out. "Well... thanks."
Sammy muttered a reply. Matt said something to him quietly, so Ryan couldn't make it out. He wished they'd both go somewhere else. They weren't exactly helping him. He just knew they were going to hang around to see what Ginger made of all this.
Ryan sighed heavily, with Fizz leaning on his chest. "Poor Ryan," Fizz said with a chuckle. "It's so hard."
Ryan groaned again. Why me?
Minutes stretched on, feeling like hours. Ryan could hear Matt and Sammy talk out in the hall, but he couldn't distinguish their words. Strangely, a bout of tiredness had washed over him, like his energy had drained away. Ryan felt sleepy and, unfortunately, still very, very horny. He tried to think of unsexy things. It didn't help with Fizz pressed up against him, but at least the boy had appeared to doze for now, and he wasn't wheezing any more.
That had to be a good sign, surely?
Finally, Ryan heard the familiar sound of the staff door pull open, and footsteps thumping up the stairs.
"Matt! What's going on? Where's Fizz?"
At the sound of Ginger's voice, Ryan tensed. His hard-on wasn't quite as urgent as before, but it was still there. He bent his legs a little, hoping the fabric of his clothes would disguise it enough. Fizz was still laying on top of him, but if he moved away—
Oh, hell, Ryan thought. This whole situation looked bad. He braced himself for the worst.
"He's in there," Matt's voice said. "With Ryan."
"What? Why?"
Ryan raised his head and saw Ginger appear in the doorway. He didn't have a jacket on. Ryan knew Ginger always left his jacket in the stairwell; he could just picture him flinging it over the bannister as he'd raced up the stairs. Ginger's hair was slightly bigger too, all tangled and windblown. Ryan loved Ginger's hair when it was a bit mussed like that. This isn't helping. Ryan blinked, and tried to focus.
"Ryan?" Ginger approached the bed and stood over them. "What are you doing?" His chest rose and fell as he took deep breaths, his cheeks flushed pink. Ryan wondered if he'd run here. In spite of the situation, as he gazed up at Ginger, he couldn't help think how beautiful he looked. Golden-brown eyes locked with his, and that was all it took for Ryan's hard-on to swell once more.
Dammit.
"I... um... it wasn't me, Daniel, he... um..."
Ginger looked from Ryan to Fizz, and back again. "What are you doing, Ryan?" he asked, irritation lacing his voice. "Fizz, get up. What are you two playing at?"
Ryan swallowed, hoping his voice sounded normal. "He—I think he's ill, Dan. Or drunk, or taken a shit-load of E, or something." His voice wavered, but he kept going. "He's acting really weird, and he gets upset if I move away, all right? So, like, I didn't know what else to do!"
"Shit. Well, why?" Ginger knelt on the bed. The mattress shifted as it took his weight. "Fizz?" He bent down to look at Fizz. Some of his long red hair slipped over his shoulder, brushing Ryan's bare arm. Ryan shivered at the contact, musing that this was one scenario he hadn't envisioned when he'd fantasised about Ginger on his bed.
"Jamie?" Ginger said more urgently. "Jamie, can you hear me?" He had one hand on the boy's throat, checking his pulse, the other hand turned Fizz's face, then laid flat against his fore
head. "He's not hot. Actually, he's pretty cold."
"That's what I thought," Ryan said. "He's freezing."
"Matt?" Ginger barked over his shoulder. "Do us a favour, and make some tea? Not all the way boiled, just half-hot, ready to drink. That might warm him up."
"Sure," Matt said, heading to the kitchen. Sammy followed him.
Ginger was still checking Fizz over, trying to get him to wake up. Fizz groaned, sleepily shoving at Ginger's hands as he snuggled into Ryan.
"Do you think he's drunk?" Ryan asked.
"I don't think so. I can't smell alcohol on him. Did you say he'd taken something?"
"That was just a guess," Ryan admitted. "I asked him, but couldn't get any sense out of him."
Something flashed in Ginger's eyes, and he looked directly at Ryan. "Where's Ash?"
Ryan felt a mixture of dread and fear wash through him, which succeeded in chasing away his hard on. "I—I don't know."
"Fucker," Ginger cursed. "What the hell has he done to Jamie?"
At the tone, Ryan flinched. He didn't know what to do. He shivered against Fizz, who felt even cooler than before.
The boy stirred. "Ash didn't do anything."
"What?" Ginger turned his attention to Fizz. "Jamie, what's going on? What's the matter with you?"
"Pills." Fizz breathed the word. His eyes were half-lidded, looking up at Ginger. "It's the pills."
"Pills?" Ginger looked furious. "What pills? What have you taken, Jamie? Tell me!"
Fizz chuckled. "Pre-scrip-tion pills," he enunciated slowly, his tone implying Ginger was stupid for even asking.
"Prescription pills?" Ryan repeated. "You mean, your own ones?"
Fizz didn't answer. He chuckled again and turned his face inwards, trying to plant a kiss on Ryan's mouth.
"Fizz, stop it." Ryan moved his face away, conscious of the fact that Ginger was watching.
"Jamie." Ginger tried to hold him still. "Jamie. What the hell? Have you taken the wrong dose or something? Tell me what you've taken, dammit."
"Mmm." Fizz's hands left Ryan and he sprang up, latching onto Ginger. Ryan watched in mute shock as Fizz landed a full-lipped kiss on his own cousin. Ginger was momentarily stunned, then grabbed Fizz's shoulders, shoving him back down on the bed. While they were distracted, Ryan took the opportunity to escape and carefully slid himself off the bed.
His head felt woozy as he stood up. He watched Fizz try to pull Ginger down on top of him, much the same as he'd done to Ryan earlier. Ginger managed to prise himself free. He stood on the other side of the bed, staring at Fizz with wide eyes, and a stark expression.
Ryan opened his mouth, but words failed him. Ginger turned to him, glaring. "Get Ash on the phone," he snapped. "I want to talk to him, now."
Chapter 14
"Come on, come on," Ryan uttered under his breath. He stood in the back bar, clutching the telephone to his ear, growing more nervous with each unanswered ring. "Shit." Ash wasn't answering. Ryan replaced the handset.
Now what?
In desperation, he pulled out his mobile phone. The screen was still blank. He pressed and held down the power button, willing it to come on. Amazingly, it flashed to life. Well, at least that was something. Ryan quickly scrolled through the call lists stored on his phone. Ash wasn't answering his mobile, but he might be at home. Ryan didn't know Ash's home number by heart, however, he was fairly sure Ash had called him from there a few times. Ryan prayed it was saved somewhere on the received calls list.
"Hi, Ryan!" someone trilled at him. Ryan glanced up at the front of the bar. Sheila, one of the regulars, was there, waving and smiling at him. Her boyfriend, Steve, was by her side, chatting to Rachel at the bar.
Ryan waved back, trying to muster a smile. "Hi, Sheila."
"You on shift, hun?" she called.
"Um..." Ryan was technically on shift, although it would be finishing soon. It was fast approaching six. The bar would get busy, and Rachel would start griping about being on her own. Ryan bit down his panic as he stared ahead into nothing.
"Ryan?" Sheila startled him by appearing at his side, leaning over the out-of-use back bar. "You all right, hun?"
Ryan saw the concern in her eyes. He liked Sheila a lot. She was one of Ginger's friends, which was probably why Ryan liked her. "I'm fine," he insisted. "Just trying to call Ash."
Sheila looked at the mobile phone in his hand. "Okay. Well, we're staying for a couple of pints, then heading out to the beach soon with our lanterns."
"Oh, right." Solstice. Oh, no. That meant the bar would be even busier than normal. Ryan forced out a smile. "I probably won't make the beach, but I'll try and catch you before you leave here."
"Sure. Come find me if you want a chat." Sheila smiled back warmly, then disappeared.
Ryan breathed a sigh, then walked out back to the relative quiet of the stairwell. He longed to sit down, but he didn't dare. If he did, he probably wouldn't get up again. Ginger's leather jacket was hanging on the bannister, on top of a few other coats, including Rachel's leopard-print one. Ryan resisted running his hand on the leather, as he often did when he was sure no one saw him. He concentrated on scrolling through his call lists.
At last, a piece of good luck found him. He recognised Ash's home number, and pressed connect, holding the phone to his ear. After three rings, it picked up. Ryan's ear was greeted by several noises at once; Indian music tinkling away in the background, the crash of pans, and a deep voice speaking in Hindi right next to the phone, obviously caught mid-sentence. Then the voice said in English, "Hullo?"
"Um, Mr Singh?"
"Yes?"
"Hi, it's Ryan," he said in a rush. "Is Ash there, please?"
"Ah!" Mr Singh exclaimed. "Hello, Ryan. What happened, hm? You boys have a tiff?"
"Um... what do you mean?"
Mr Singh's deep voice chuckled in his ear. "Ash stormed in earlier, slamming around, now he's sulking in his room!"
"Oh. Um, no. I mean, it wasn't with me," Ryan said, heart hammering. "Can I speak to him, please?"
"Hold on, hold on," Mr Singh said, his accent making the words sound clipped. The music and kitchen noises grew quieter. Ryan assumed Mr Singh was walking around with a cordless phone. "Ash!" Mr Singh barked, then spoke a quick stream of Hindi. Ryan heard Ash's voice answer in Hindi, sounding somewhat sulky. Mr Singh laughed, then Ash's voice was on the phone.
"What?"
"Ash, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he said shortly.
He was definitely in a mood, Ryan thought. "Er, that's good. Um... can you tell me what happened with Fizz?"
Ash paused before saying, "Nothing."
"Come on, mate," Ryan urged him. "What happened?"
"Why?" Ash snapped. "What's he said?"
"He hasn't said anything." Ryan tried to keep calm. "He's asking for you, and he doesn't seem right. Was he acting strangely when you were with him?"
Silence.
"Ash?"
"Yeah." A quiet admission. "Yeah, he was a bit."
"But you don't know why?"
"No, I don't know what happened," Ash said. "One minute he was fine, and the next...." He trailed off.
Ryan breathed in and said, "Apparently, he's taken pills."
"What?" Ash sounded genuinely surprised. "What do you mean, pills?"
"His own medication, apparently," Ryan said. "But he's acting so... weird."
"Like what?"
"Um... like, all huggy. Like he's drunk, or something, you know?"
Silence. Ryan could hear Ash's breathing on the line.
"Was he like that with you?" Ryan asked.
Ash sighed. "Yeah, he was. I don't know what happened, honest. He was all over me, then suddenly he freaked out, and told me to get lost. So I left."
"Really? That's it?"
"I'm not lying!"
"Okay, okay," Ryan placated. It wasn't like Ash to snap at him. He felt sure Ash was telling the truth, but he had to ask. Ginger was only going to interrogate A
sh more. "Look, we're all worried about him," Ryan said. "Would you come back here? He's been asking for you." And Ginger wants to wring your neck.
"Really? But Fizz told me to leave him alone."
"He's asking for you now," Ryan said. "He's... I don't know, Ash. I think we'll have to take him to hospital or something."
"Shit," Ash said. "Okay, I'll come straight over. But don't wait for me if you have to go, all right? I can follow you."
"Okay, thank—" Ash had already hung up. Ryan put his phone back in his pocket and breathed in. He gripped onto the bannister, then paused. Giving into temptation, mostly for reassurance, he brushed his fingers on Ginger's jacket. Please, he thought to himself. Please be all right, Fizz. He took another deep breath, then slowly ascended the stairs.
Rachel appeared in the stairwell when he was halfway up the stairs. "Ryan!" She looked at him incredulously. "The bar's getting busy, and I'm supposed to finish in an hour."
"Okay, I'll send Sammy down."
"Oh, great." Rachel rolled her eyes. "Like that'll help."
"I'll tell him to pull his weight," Ryan said.
Rachel disappeared again, the irritation radiating off her. Sorry, Rach, he thought. Ryan trudged up the stairs, trying to think what else he could do. Why did everything always happen at once? He hadn't even had a chance to say sorry to Ginger for annoying him earlier. Ryan shook his head, remembering all too clearly the way Ginger had shrugged his hand off. Never should have done it, he thought. Never should have touched him.
Ryan walked in a daze, step after step after step. When he reached the already-open staff door, he heard voices. He looked up as he put his foot on the bottom step, pausing. Sammy and Matt were at the top of the stairs, on the landing. They stood at the entrance to the pigeon loft. Ryan wondered what was happening now. He walked up the stairs, and it was only when he reached the top he heard Ginger's voice, and a thump come from inside the pigeon loft.
"What's happened?" he asked.
Sammy pulled a face as if to say, isn't it obvious?
Matt said, "Ginger tried to get Fizz downstairs. Wanted to take him to casualty."
"Right," Ryan said, glancing into the pigeon loft as he heard another crash, followed by shouts. "So, what happened?"
The Haunted Pub Page 17