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"You look like you're thinking about something," Dylan said, the Skype connection making his voice skip a bit.
"I mean – I guess." Ryan was thinking about something. He wasn't sure he wanted to bring it up. "Look, can I ask you something?"
The Dylan that Ryan met a year ago at Hackett's Quarry would have made a joke right about now. This Dylan stayed quiet, fidgeting with his fingers in a way Ryan had started to recognize. "Hit me," he said after a bit.
"What does love feel like? Like, what is love? And if you start singing I swear to God I'll find a way to kill you through this computer screen." Ryan meant to leave room for Dylan to actually answer that, but now that he'd started talking, everything he'd been thinking started to come out in a nervous rush. "Because I don't know that I've ever like, loved anyone? I mean, I'm really happy with you. I don't want anything to change. But if you want someone who loves you - "
"I'm gonna stop you there." Dylan didn't look mad. "You're fine, man."
It was a little anticlimactic. "...You're sure?"
"I definitely love you. I don't know how to describe it, but I do. But if you don't, it doesn't really change much from my end. Our relationship was already weird, right? This doesn't even rate next to the whole chainsaw amputation thing."
Ryan laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Of all the bombs I thought you were about to drop on me, this was pretty damn good. I was worried you were going to tell me that my prosthetic wasn't doing it for you, and you were leaving me for someone who'd committed to the hook." Dylan waved his plastic hand in front of the camera. "Or that you needed a relationship break so you had the time to yourself you needed to go hunt for Bigfoot or something, and then I'd have to pretend to be supportive and not mention how fake Bigfoot is."
"I can't believe a fucking werewolf almost killed you and Bigfoot is a bridge too far."
"People saw the werewolves, man!" Dylan was laughing now too. "Where's Bigfoot hiding?"
"People have seen Bigfoot!" Ryan had to stop to catch his breath from laughing too hard. "You really don't mind?"
"I definitely don't. I mean, if you want to talk about this any time, just let me know? But you're all good on my end."
"And for the record, your hand is cool as hell."
"I'm glad you like it, because you're stuck with it." Dylan leaned back. "Did you listen to the latest Bizarre Yet Bonafide? Because I've got some thoughts."
They spent the rest of the call arguing comfortably about the Flatwoods monster, and by the time they both signed off, Ryan could barely remember why he'd been so nervous to bring up the whole love thing. Dylan was great. They were great together. He'd gotten so lucky.