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The sun beating down against Bam’s skin, Bam skated leisurely, as if he was gliding right above the surface of the ground. He dipped down with his body and then glided up the side of the park’s bowl, coming back down a little too fast. His board went flying out from beneath him, leaving him on his ass.
Huffing in annoyance, Bam pushed himself up quickly back to his feet and retrieved his board, calling it a day and heading back home. Dark clouds rolled in on his drive home, a summer storm approaching soon. Thunder growled quietly in the distance as Bam hopped out and onto the driveway, fumbling with his keys to open the front door.
The house was quiet when he entered, for Ape and Phil were out of town for the weekend. Everyone else was gone too, except Ryan. That just left the two of them. Not that it mattered. It let Bam be able to relax and let go of the intense persona he presented all the time.
Bam walked to the bathroom and turned on the shower, peeling off his sweaty clothes from the hot, humid summer afternoon. He stepped in the shower, closing his eyes and letting the water pour all over this body. The water was cold, refreshing. After he washed everything, cursing as he got shampoo in his eye, he stepped out and grabbed a towel from the towel rack. What he didn’t expect was a bra to fall on his feet when he grabbed his towel.
Bam’s heart skipped a beat. It for sure wasn’t any of his hookups' belongings, and it was definitely not Ape’s. Wrapping his towel around his waist and gently grabbing the strap of the bra, he left the bathroom and walked into the kitchen, tossing the bra into the trash. He bit his lip, walking into his room and shutting the door behind him.
Bam had girls over all the time, why did it matter if Ryan did?
Bam muttered under his breath and searched through his dresser, finding a clean pair of boxers and a shirt. He didn’t bother putting anything else on. The sun was setting, and Ryan’s room seemed pretty quiet. Heavy rain from the storm fell against the roof, lulling Bam into a tired state as he flopped on his bed, staring up at his ceiling.
Bam woke up from his accidental nap finding his room pitch black. He rolled over and fumbled in the dark, trying to turn on a lamp. Nothing. The storm must’ve made the power go out. Sighing, Bam got out of bed and cautiously ventured out to the hallway, seeing a little bit better due to the night’s moonlight.
Bam was still too confident in the dark, as he accidentally knocked into someone’s chest and stumbled back. “Fuck,” Bam gasped. “Jesus, Ry, I didn’t see you.”
Ryan reached out and grabbed Bam’s shoulder to keep him from falling. “Sorry, it’s my fault. I was going to check the circuit breaker.”
Bam stepped back, eyes focusing now on Ryan. He could see him now, the moonlight illuminating highlights of his skin. He was shirtless, only wearing sweatpants.
Fuck, Bam, why are you staring?
“You okay?” Ryan asked, looking at Bam with furrowed brows.
“Yeah, sorry. Distracted. Was gonna see if I could find any of Ape’s candles. I was too tired to mess with the breaker,” Bam sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He slid past Ryan and went into the kitchen, opening drawers haphazardly, looking for tiny candles and matches.
“Oh, I see,” Ryan began, following Bam into the kitchen. He smiled as Bam found some small candles. “You got a girl over, yeah?”
Bam rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Hah, you fucking wish I did, don’t you? Like you apparently did,” Bam retorted. Grabbing the candles and matches, Bam started back towards his room, but he was stopped by Ryan’s hands grabbing onto his shoulders.
“Hey, wait. What do you mean? I haven’t seen anybody in months, Bam,” Ryan assured, looking at Bam with a concerned look.
Bam pushed forward with his body, having no empty hands and only his body to move him forward. “I don’t like it when you lie, Dunn,” Bam growled, shoving his way out from Ryan’s grip.
Ryan followed Bam into his bedroom, becoming even more confused by Bam’s sudden jealousy. Bam was a moody friend, but he usually would always talk to him about whatever it was that bothered him. “Hey now, Bam, what’s wrong?”
Lighting a few candles and placing them on a table in his room to brighten the darkness of his bedroom, Bam looked down at the floor, a sad look crossing his face. “I just. I found a neon pink bran in the bathroom after my shower. I’m glad Ape didn’t find it, or she’d ask who the girl was.”
Ryan sat down on the edge of Bam’s bed, looking at Bam staring at the floor. “That was months ago. I guess some clothing got left in the laundry and mixed in with the towels.”
Bam scooted a bit away from Ryan, picking at his painted nails. He didn’t say anything, just closed his eyes and sighed, thinking of everything he wanted to say but couldn’t really say. It would ruin everything. It would be weird.
Noticing that Bam had increased the distance between them, Ryan frowned, looking down at his own lap. Thinking, he gently moved closer and wrapped an arm around Bam. “This isn’t my Bam. What’s bothering you?”
Bam tensed at the touch, cheeks flushing immediately. He turned his head away from Ryan but eventually leaned into his touch a bit, his side pressing against Ryan’s side. “Sometimes I just… get lonely. What, with you and all your girls, I just don’t stand a chance. At times I wish that… that it could be me.”
Ryan chuckled, shaking his head as he brought Bam closer to him, their legs touching now. “You, without girls? They love you! Are you crazy?”
Bam’s heart sunk in his chest. He shakily flicked off a piece of nail polish from one of his nails, heart beating fast in his chest. But he tried his best to keep his confidence. “Not what I meant, Ry. I meant, I wish that I was with you. Not the girls.”
Ryan felt his cheeks flush, and he squeezed Bam’s shoulder gently. He fell silent for a moment, looking at Bam as Bam was unable to look at him directly. After a moment, Ryan spoke softly. “Kiss me, Bam.”
Bam’s eyes widened. He turned to glance at Ryan, searching his face for any signs of fault. He looked genuine, cheeks red. “What?”
Ryan began to blush even deeper, grabbing at Bam’s shirt and pulling him onto his lap. “I said kiss me.”
Looking at Ryan, Bam cupped a side of Ryan’s face with his hand, leaning in to press a gentle kiss against Ryan’s lips. His eyes fluttered shut, heart racing in his chest. Sure, Bam’s kissed other guys before, but it didn’t really mean anything to him. This was different.
Ryan smiled a bit into the kiss, wrapping a hand around Bam’s waist and leaning back until he was against the bed, Bam on top of him.
Bam broke the kiss as he suddenly felt himself being pulled down, and he looked down curiously at Ryan, seeing his best friend looking up at him, as if he was the best thing he’d ever seen. Bam’s hold body felt like it was on fire.
“Why’d you stop?” Ryan whined, hand on Bam’s waist sneaking up underneath Bam’s shirt, running up his back.
Feeling as if he’d stopped breathing, Bam nuzzled his face against Ryan’s neck. “This isn’t some kinda prank, is it?” Bam mumbled against Ryan’s neck, pressing a tentative kiss against the soft skin.
Ryan felt the hairs on his skin stand up, a buzz on his skin. “You know I love you, Bam.”
Bam felt like his chest was on fire. “You always say that. You’re my best friend.”
Ryan traced Bam’s sides, following the lines of his tattoos. “Mm, but I love you more than a friend.”
Bam pressed another kiss against Ryan’s neck, feeling his chest hurt, as if he was going to cry. “I love you more,” Bam spoke quickly, resting a hand on Ryan’s chest.
Ryan pressed his hands on the small of Bam’s back, pulling him into a deep kiss. Bodies pressed together, Ryan flipped Bam over, so that he was on top now. Ryan broke the kiss, looking down at Bam as his hands now trailed up his chest. With the look Bam gave him, Ryan knew it was okay. Lifting Bam’s arms up, he slipped Bam’s shirt off.
Leaning down, Ryan placed a kiss against Bam’s jaw, then trailed down his neck and to his collarbone. He paused at some places, knowing Bam wouldn’t mind marks being left by him. He kissed down his chest and to his stomach, worshiping every inch of Bam’s body.
Eventually, both Ryan and Bam were tired. Bam crawled under his covers and motioned for Ryan to join him. Ryan situated himself next to Bam, opening his arms for Bam. Bam scooted into Ryan’s arms, resting his head on his warm chest. Bam wrapped an arm around Ryan, shutting his eyes.
Bam fell asleep soon, drifting off to a dreamless sleep. But his biggest dream came true, and he didn’t want to be anywhere else. He was so still, chest rising and falling as he slept. He didn’t even feel the kiss Ryan placed on his forehead and the whisper of “I love you, Bam.”