Work Text:
“I’m so sorry, Ryland ..”
Colt’s voice whispered through Ryland’s phone.
“It’s not your fault.”
Ryland hardly managed to get the words out.
He placed his phone on his cold apartment tiles and sat down beside it.
He put his legs up and sighed, placed his head in his lap and began to sob.
Colt couldn’t do anything, after all he was in a completely different state to his twin brother.
He stayed silent while Ryland let everything out.
He had heard Ryland cry many times, but this time it was so different.
Ryland looked up for a moment, red puffy eyes and a wet lap.
He sniffled and looked around his dark apartment, who was going to comfort him anyways?
Colt sighed on the phone,
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Ryland rubbed his eyes, and blinked slowly. His lip was trembling.
He struggled to get the words out, he felt so sorrowful.
“no.”
Colt knew Ryland could be stubborn, but he wasn’t going to make him speak about this right now if he wasn’t feeling up for it.
All he could do was be there for his brother.
He never got to see Ryland as much after taking up such large stunt roles, Colt was sure Ryland needed some comfort right about now.
He could hear Ryland sniffling and crying quietly, and there was nothing he could do about it.
There was absolutely nothing Colt could do about this situation.
All he could do was speak to his brother over the phone and reassure him everything was going to be okay.
Ryland was trembling, all he needed was two arms tightly wrapped around him reassuring and comforting him.
He placed his palms into his face and rubbed his eyes.
The words lingered in the back of his mind like an echo.
Those very few words that would ruin his life forever.
“Mr Grace, you are infertile.”
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Kids yells and echoes filled the hall.
You would be able to hear the children from five blocks away. Everyone was delighted
Laughter and happiness lingered in this class, after all this was Mr Grace’s classroom.
No student had ever been unhappy in Mr Grace’s class.
No student had ever said anything bad about Mr Grace.
No student disliked Mr Grace.
Except, no student actually knew deep information about Mr Grace.
Did he have family?
Did he have kids?
Did he have a wife?
Nobody had thought to ask him.
Mr Grace lingered around the front of the class and held three beanbags. Everyone knew what this meant.
Ryland tossed a beanbag up, caught it and shouted
“Lightning round!”
Students cheered.
“Nova!” Mr Grace chucked her a beanbag and pointed at her.
Nova held the beanbag like it was hot, tossing it side to side.
“How long does it take for light from the sun to reach earth?”
“8 minutes!” Nova yelped.
Mr Grace chuckled and smiled at Nova.
“Correct!”
He then threw another beanbag at a student.
“Nox! What is the closest star to earth?”
Nox looked around the classroom, switching the bean bag to each hand.
He looked around for a while and then said,
“Alpha Centauri?”
Mr Grace frowned and shook his head. His hair flicked over onto his glasses, which he had to push up.
“I know Mr Grace!” A student lifted his hand high up, eager to answer.
Ryland looked over at the student and smiled,
“The sun!”
Mr Grace threw the student a beanbag.
“Correct!”
The student was delighted with himself and put the beanbag onto his table.
Ryland had one more beanbag left after the failed attempt of Nox.
All the students held their hands up high, excited to try and guess an answer to win a beanbag.
Mr Grace pushed his glasses down and looked around at all the children. He was thinking of a good question.
He peered around the classroom, seeing who was most eager. He turned slowly and would grin if he and the students made eye contact.
The students found Ryland hilarious, and that made him enjoy teaching.
Since he had no kids of his own, it was nice to have that small bond with some of the kids at the school.
He giggled and pointed to a student
“Artemis!”
The child pointed at herself and smiled, then fiddled with her hands.
“What are the gas giants in our solar system?”
The student pounced up from her seat
“Jupiter and Saturn, Sir!”
Ryland clapped and laughed, then threw the student her beanbag.
“Correct!”
The student celebrated with her friends and held the beanbag close.
Then, the bell rang.
The class erupted as students grabbed their stationary and filled their bags up. Mr Grace tried to speak over the loud rumble of the class.
“Don’t forget to cash in your beanbags at the end of the week for toys and other prizes!”
Ryland stood by the door and said goodbye to his students.
He made sure he said bye to every single one, he didn’t want anyone to be left out.
There was one student who lingered around a bit longer after the bell rang.
She was a delightful and smart student, Ryland enjoyed talking to her and her friends when they had time to in class.
He walked over, to make sure she had everything and if she was alright.
“How are you Adrien? Are your parents here to collect you yet?”
Adrien smiled at Mr Grace, she seemed to enjoy his company.
“I’m alright Sir. My parents will be here eventually. How are you?”
She readjusted the strap on her bag while it was on her back.
Ryland smiled and pushed his glasses up,
“I’m good, thank you for asking. Would you like to sit in here while you wait for your parents?”
He was used to having Adrien in here before or after school, sometimes a friend joined her.
They would ask Ryland all kinds of questions, nobody ever cared to ask him anything.
Not even the school staff cared, they all just ignored him. He felt there was some unspoken hatred toward him.
Adrien nodded and smiled at Mr Grace, and followed him to his desk.
The two sat for about ten minutes chatting, Adrien mostly talked to Ryland about her pet dog. What is with kids and dogs?
It’s not that Ryland didn’t like dogs, he adored them.
He guessed maybe he had fomo of people always talking about their pets. Ryland had no one. Not even a canine companion.
“Sir, can I ask you something?”
Adrien looked up at Mr Grace, and smiled.
Ryland pushed his office chair closer and raised an eyebrow. He flung his lanyard around with his teacher ID on it.
“Do you have children? ”
Ryland stopped. It felt like he had just been struck right in the heart.
He grabbed his collar and pulled it, and his leg began to shake.
He cocked his neck and awkwardly laughed.
After his appointment a few months ago, he hadn’t been the exact same. He was still the same at school, but that was all roleplay.
All Ryland had ever wanted in life was to have his own kids. He loved kids.
They were fun to talk to and actually listened to him!
Maybe Ryland never actually grew up and always stayed a kid.
Ryland had tried to have his own kids many times. The relationship either didn’t work out or..
Nevermind that.
Maybe he wasn’t cut out for relationships.
But he decided maybe it was time to check up on himself and make sure nothing was wrong.
Well, he had a feeling something was wrong.
And wouldn’t you know it three weeks after getting a checkup he got a call from his doctor.
The call that changed his life forever.
Ryland was infertile.
The lowest he had ever been in his life.
Daily he would sob for hours on end.
He didn’t even have anyone to reassure him.
To hold him.
To love him.
He needed someone he could lay his head on their chest and they would brush their fingers through his dirty blonde hair.
He needed someone who would hug him and he could cry into their shoulders till he was okay.
He had no dog, no lover, no family.
He had asked Colt many times to come to San Francisco so he could actually have someone to talk to, rather than over a phone.
Instead, Ryland had to sob over a phone to him.
Alone in his apartment every single night.
“No I don’t.”
Ryland looked at his hand, to see it was trembling.
Adrien looked up and smiled at Mr Grace,
“What about a wife?”
Ryland laughed,
“Definitely not.”
Adrien cocked her head, then shook it.
She fiddled with the small earth beanbag Ryland would use to play silent ball.
“I find it funny you think I would have a wife.”
Ryland turned to his desk and lay his head on it for a moment.
After a while of dating. he didn’t like the thought of it at all.
He wanted to find someone to have his children for him, he didn’t necessarily want to be in a relationship and have kids.
Ryland thought he may have made a good dad. He would have been a much better dad than his own.
He likes to think of himself as the dad of the classroom instead.
Each child he had a specific connection with. Every child was different in their own unique way.
He never had favourites, he knew how that felt.
Adrien giggled a bit, then threw the beanbag on Mr Grace’s desk.
A buzz came from Adrien’s bag. She zipped open her bag and grabbed her phone.
“Oh, my moms here..” Adrien sighed.
Ryland got up from his chair and walked over to the door with Adrien.
“Thank you for letting me stay for a while after school, Mr Grace.” Adrien looked up at Ryland.
Ryland smiled and pushed his glasses up,
“No worries. I’m always happy for you to stay in my class after school and have a chat.”
Adrien looked away and began to walk out into the hall.
She then turned around,
and hugged Ryland.
‘Oh!’
Ryland smiled and gently put his arms around Adrien.
She smiled and waved at him, and began to walk down the hall.
Ryland snickered a little, and turned around into his class to collect his equipment.
He picked up his phone and dialed Colt’s number, finally excited to give him a happy story.