Chapter Text
Ryland was having a pretty good day today. His students were rather relaxed after all of their exams, and he had put on some How Its Made for them to watch as he finished up his grades for the semester. Sure, some of them were chatty and a few of them were around a lab table with a box of rocks and an encyclopedia to analyze and identify them, but it was a good day. He was glad there wasn't the cloud of looming anxiety and terror stuck to his students anymore that usually came with exam season.
Oh, and it was nice out today. Driver was already waiting at the front of the school, leaning on his car, as Ryland pulled out of the hi-vis safety vest he had to wear on bus duty. He waved excitedly at his neighbor, coming over to him.
"Hey, give me a second to grab my stuff and we can go? I won't take too long, I know you wanted to get to the bike shop today." Ryland smiled as he looked at the younger man. Driver fiddled with the toothpick between his lips, switching it from side to side, before giving a swift nod. His neighbor was a very sweet and patient younger man from as far as he had seen, and even the car accident wasn't ruining their budding friendship.
Though, who knows how else they would've ended up talking to one another.
In the days between Ryland had found himself easily pulled to the other man, rides to work or stores filling time between them. They'd make meals together on occasions where he'd wrangle Driver in after he had helped with groceries, though the younger man seemed to appreciate doing most of the cooking.
He had burned pasta one time… But that was apparently enough to put him on prep duty.
Still, Ryland slipped back into the school with a soft hum, wandering off to the science hall and then the teacher's lounge. His bag was over his shoulder as he leaned over to shuffle around the fridge, looking to where his container got pushed to.
"Soooo, Mr. Grace." Ms. Jones slipped into the lounge behind him, arms behind her back as she leaned against a table. He let out a yelp as he jumped, hitting his head on the fridge before pulling himself out to look at her for a second. "That young guy with the nice car has been picking you up quiet a bit."
Ah… It was only a matter of time before someone had come forward to discuss this. Ryland frowned a little, trying to decide if Ms. Jones was her usual nosy self or if she was sent here as an olive branch. He didn't see or hear any of the other staff around, and sighed as he went back to the fridge.
"He's my neighbor. My bike got totaled a bit ago and he decided to help me out on his way to and from work." Honest enough, Ryland decided, simple even. Nothing weird about that, especially since people car pooled all of the time.
"Nice looking guy too." Ms. Jones hummed, and there it is. Ryland rolled his eyes as he pulled himself away and crossed his arms, giving her a look. She was a younger teacher, maybe Driver's age based on appearances alone, but he was not going to help fan these flames! She was confident and cocky, he was sure he wouldn't need to play wingman.
"You're eyes are still good, Ms. Jones, what a relief."
"You're still single, Mr. Grace."
"That has literally nothing to do with this conversation." Ryland felt his cheeks flush at her words, even as he tried to push it down. Abort, abort, abort! That was absolutely not where he assumed where this was going, and he did not want to talk about it with a colleague.
"It can though." Ms. Jones held up a bag with her pinky, the one he usually kept his lunch and container in. This was a planned trap then… and she was sneakier than he thought!
"He's just nice!" Ryland groaned as he closed the fridge door. "And since he's nice I don't want him to wait on me, so if you'd give that back I'd be grateful."
Ms. Jones sighed but ultimately handed it over with ease. She pursed her lip as she looked him up and down, seemingly deep in thought. As much as he liked Ms. Jones it was clear she wanted to meddle, especially when it came to her colleagues personal relationships.
Sigh, at least the science teacher and French teacher she got together were happy.
Ryland didn't need that kind of thing though!
"Look, kids these days aren't chivalrous or whatever. They don't go out of their way for that kind of stuff unless they are wooing someone. This guy has been your personal chauffer for over a week, do you really think that's nothing?" She asked him, tilting her head.
Ryland's brows furrowed as he thought about it for a second. He could be bad at social cues, yes, but Driver was… polite to a lot of people. He'd seen Driver help a student pick up a folder of papers they'd drop across the parking lot, he's seen Driver go in on his days off just to help some poor mom who couldn't be without her car. He was quiet but he was nice, and Ryland couldn't let that get his wires crossed.
"He's just like that." Ryland huffed, shoving his lunch container into his shoulder bag. "Plus, he's in the prime of his life right now, he doesn't need some old man boring him about the microscopic creatures in a piece of moss late at night or something."
Ryland stepped passed Ms. Jones who had this look on her face, almost pity. It was the kind of look Marissa used to give him after another failed date, the kind of look Jody would throw him when he joined their wrap up parties with nobody at his side. Ryland huffed at the idea of it all, the concern, the need of company.
There was nothing to pity about being single! He was happy and he was content with that!
"What about what you want?" Ms. Jones spoke up as he pulled away. Ryland couldn't bare the idea of turning around, of seeing the look on her face asking that question.
"What do you want?" Linda had asked him once, hands clenching the edge of the counter. She'd just gotten back from an environmental science workshop that some acclaimed professor she knew was holding, having gone there with a few close friends. She'd come back in a mood he though was due to something going wrong, but it seemed it was just a realization on her part. "We've been dating for how long and it just feel like nothing has changed! You have your head in the clouds, Ryland, you can't make up your mind. I need more than that, I need excitement, I need someone pushing me forward, why are you so… stagnant?!"
"I'm fine where I am, Ms, Jones. Its not something to worry about." He grumbled as he pulled away, walking down the hall. He felt his eyes burning a little, maybe it was shame, maybe it was fear. This was all some stupid thing that was getting into his head for no reason, and he just had to let it go.
That was always the easy part of being alone anyways.
Ryland let out a small huff as he stepped outside, the sun on his face. He buried his chin into the high collar of his pull over, walking down the stairs. Driver had gone to sitting in the car by now, leaning over as soon as Ryland came close to open the door.
He was just nice.
"Thanks." Ryland mumbled as he slid into the familiar seat, pulling the door closed behind him. He let his bag slip off of his shoulder and onto the ground, sniffling to himself. He could feel Driver's stare on him, concerned eyes and tightly knit brows. Nothing was said, unsurprising, but the man shifted ever slightly closer.
Driver held a tissue box in one hand and grabbed Ryland's face with the other. Glasses were carefully and tenderly pulled up onto Ryland's forehead, pushing back his hair as it sat up by themselves. Then the man carefully grabbed a single square with a gloved hand, pressing it to Ryland's cheeks. The teacher felt himself hiccup a little at the action, his throat burning as he tried to stop his eyes from running.
He just carefully wiped every tear away, pressing gently on Ryland's face. It was like watching the man do detailing work, or gluing things together. Careful and steady hands, just the right amount of pressure to back things up. Driver was like that, meticulous, clean, thoughtful.
He was just nice like that. That was Driver.
"Thanks." Ryland finally snapped out of his teary haze long enough to take a dry tissue and finish wiping his own face up. It felt embarrassing now, like he'd forgotten how to take care of himself. He hated it, he hated being a crybaby and hated bubbling over from such a stupid but low stakes conversation. He jerked his head forward to let his glasses fall back down, a little awkward on his nose but at least back in place.
Driver looked at him carefully, eyeing him up. Icy blue eye's met Ryland's, traveling over the crow's feet that had started to come in, the apple of his cheeks, the scruff on his jaw. Ryland saw the toothpick go still in the other man's mouth, lips pursed as if deep in thought.
"It was just something stupid with my coworker." Ryland tore his gaze away, shifting in his seat. He hunched up his shoulders as he looked out the window, turning away for the moment. "Just a stupid conversation I've had before with other people. I'm… Just tired of the concern."
"Talk about it to me?" Driver murmured softly, twisting the key with his hand. His left hand lingered on the wheel as the other hovered over the gear shift, pulling them out of park as his foot hit the gas.
"It's not the kind of thing I want to repeat." Ryland sighed softly, watching Driver from the corner of his eyes. The younger man's jaw visibly clenched at that, his knuckles white where Ryland could see them through the driving glove's holes. The teacher gulped as he realized how that sounds, tilting his head towards the windows. "I… It's just dumb. People my age have already settled down, maybe have a few kids, so when people see me they just pity me. I don't need the pity but that's always the first reaction to it."
Driver let out a grunt of understanding, nodding his head. His hands at least unclenched where they were directing the car, slightly calmer now that he's gotten some kind of context.
"How… old are you?" Driver bit out carefully as he turned onto the main road, carefully looking around. Ryland blinked in surprise for a moment, thinking about how they didn't really know a lot about each other but still snapped together so easily.
"Thirty-Six." Ryland felt himself say, turning to look at Driver fully. He saw the nearest hint of a smile on the man's face at the response and his eyes narrowed. It was a cheeky look the man had gotten on occasion, like when he'd sneak toothpicks into Ryland's groceries even if they weren't going to be taken out in the first place.
"You're young and ." Driver hummed, making a turn. Ryland groaned at that, shaking his head as he tried to fight down a blush. "Noble though."
Ryland snapped his head to look at Driver at that. He leaned in over the center console to huff, the other man's arm now pressed against his abdomen. "Oh?"
"I didn't expect that to get much of a reaction." Driver whispered softly, keeping his eyes on the road. Ryland brows raised as he let out a slight gasp, a smile crossing his lips.
"You read my science pun book!" He clapped his hands together in delight, pulling away. Driver's face pinked a little as he nodded, trying not to look coy.
"A worthy sacrifice if it makes you smile." Driver shrugged as he turned onto another street. This was the way back to their shared apartment, not the cycle shop that had been recommended to them. Ryland frowned but decided it might be for the best as long as Driver didn't mind, too exhausted from the small amount of tears he shed.
"Careful now, get any better at the dad jokes and all the girls around you will start running thinking you're taken." Ryland teased a little, a wry smile on his face. Driver turned to look at him at that, a full, long look. Ryland felt his heart pounding in his chest, and could only assume it was the paranoia of Driver not paying attention to the road.
Yes. Paranoia and anxiety. Nothing else.
Ryland decided to pointedly ignore the fact that he hadn't ever felt nervous in the other man's car, not like he would usually. He never got comfortable being in cars, yet Driver had an aura around him that was tolerable and calming.
Ryland just awkwardly laughed off his own line, peeling his eyes away. He could've sworn Driver had fully smiled as he turned back to the road but Ryland wouldn't know. He didn't know anything! Driver was just nice, and they were friends and teasing was normal. Even non verbal teasing.
Driver pulled into the usual parking spot he kept, parking the car. Ryland practically flung himself out of the vehicle, grip on his shoulder bag harsh as he kept his feet on the ground.
"Dinner?" Driver offered as he rounded the car, pulling at the strap of Ryland's bag. The teacher couldn't even let out a polite no need before it was taken away, Driver already walking to the dingy set of stairs.
Ryland smiled to himself.
He trotted over to follow the other man, at least opening the door for him. They walked up the stairs side by side in comfortable silence. It felt different somehow, seeing the harsh shadows fall across Driver's face as he turned to look over his shoulder. It was almost entirely silhouetted and Ryland blinked, looking at the sharp edges of the man's nose, the slope of the man's neck. Driver was all sharp lines and edges for such a kind man, his jacket helping to cover it some at least.
"Oh hey, the landlord finally replaced the light in here!" Ryland finally realized what was different, satisfied with the realization. Driver turned an looked at the light, letting out a soft hum of acknowledgement. The climbed up the stairs up to Ryland's floor all the same, stepping out into the hallway. It was as normal as ever, nobody standing there, doormats all in place.
Except for the flowers.
Ryland's pace faltered as he walked forward, staring at the vase on his doorstep. He wasn't fully unfamiliar with flowers, his students would pick them for him sometimes, his brother had send a small bouquet when Ryland was in the hospital with a small bout of pneumonia, and he'd also bought a few for others or to light up his own space.
But big bouquets like this? Already pre-arranged, in an expensive looking vase and probably big enough to be a centerpiece at a wedding table. Over the top, elaborate, expensive, but somehow(miraculously, even, all things considered) it was not tacky.
Ryland stepped past Driver before the man could get any closer, quickly scooping up the vase. It felt shameful to have this kind of thing at his doorstep, he was a grown man after all, and it was just out of nowhere. He can't think of a time that he would've had anything… like this in his house while Driver was there, and felt strangely uncool.
"Hahaha, probably for my neighbor, its so easy to mix up the doors here." Ryland mumbled, shifting to step to the other side of Driver. The man raised his brow and leaned closer, plucking out a letter. Ryland felt his face pale as the man turned it around, his name neatly scrawled across it.
"They're pretty." Driver murmured as he took the vase suddenly, warm hands lingering on Ryland's before they were tugged away. The teacher stood their awkwardly frozen before Driver grunted, jerking his chin to the side. "Door?"
"Ah, yep. Got to… unlock it." Ryland nodded his head way too fast to be normal, fishing in his pockets for his keys. He had to get that letter back from Driver, and fast. Only one person would give him such stupidly expensive flowers out of nowhere, and its someone Ryland wanted to keep far away from the poor man.
He fumbled his door open and let Driver step in, watching the man toe off his shoes. Ryland fumbled around with his laces for a second, hands a little shaky in his panic. Driver was entirely calm, just as he always was, putting the vase down on the coffee table.
"This happen often?" Driver asked suddenly, the letter pinched between his fingers. The paper slightly bent at the edge but it remained unopened, just sitting there. Ryland stood up and shrugged, sucking in his bottom lip to bite between his teeth.
"They're.. Just flowers." Ryland shrugged it off. Expensive flowers, to his taste flowers, but still just flowers. "Sunflowers and lilies and some other stuff. Not all that interesting. Friendly."
They were not friendly.
Ryland had a phase when he was younger, full of hope for someone to stand beside him. In that period of his life he looked into all sorts of romantic gestures, what was best for what type of people, when to recognize it was time to start them, why they were done, how to do them without being awkward. He might have been a bit obsessive to understand them, a bit hyper-focused on something that wouldn't mean much in day to day life.
Well, Colt usually asked him for advice with it actually, but that was besides the point.
Anyways, in that silly time of pointless fixation he learned a lot about flowers. Too much about flowers maybe.
Sunflowers, like the name would suggest had positive connotations. From wishes of positive experiences and good luck it was easy to see why it was Ryland's flower. It was like the sun, bright and searching, ever cheerful in its vibrant colors. Feelings of admiration and strong bonds also belonged to it, which was rather tame.
The rest?
Well…
Pink lilies were thought to be gentle and appreciative, and the small buds of red lilies that were nestled in the in between were raw desire. The purple snapdragons often went along with mystery, a longing to know more. There was some general greenery. The lavender cushion palms were there to heighten the bouquet in general, neatly filling up the space and creating a cohesive visual.
It was a very cheerful bouquet, very beautiful, but Ryland knew it wasn't a friendly gesture.
Because it was some Ryder.
Tom. Ryder.
Ryland gritted his teeth at the thought, shifting from foot to foot. He was the only person who'd ever just drop half of a band on flowers from some guy who didn't want to talk to him. He was stupid, persistent, thoughtful and annoyingly romantic. Tom Ryder had done this before, random pretty flowers or gifts Ryland found it hard to track the price of sent to him.
And Ryland knew that Tom Ryder was coming to San Francisco. Colt and Jody had both called him excitedly, begging for him to meet up. They wanted him to be on set so they could see him, and he wanted to see them too! Seeing them meant Ryder though, and seeing Ryder meant the man would talk his ear off about these flowers to make sure he got them and trying to rekindle something that was never really there!
Ryland glared at the letter. His jaw and shoulders felt tense and he didn't even know how long he was standing there silently. Driver at least shifted him to the couch and let him glare at the letter all he wanted, giving space to work through his thoughts. Ryland didn't even realize he was sat down with a quilt on his back before he had snapped out of it, a soft sigh leaving his lips.
He opened the letter.
"Was looking for flowers and this bowque boquet bouquet vase of flowers was called 'Full of Grace' XD hope ur not still mad at me 😜seeing you soon?"
Tom Ryder haven't even signed the dang thing.
Somehow that only made Ryland calmer. It was good, a little more untraceable. Nobody would assume that some a-list actor would send a random school teacher this.
"Drink." Driver grunted out, holding out a mug of hot tea. Ryland folded the card in half and tossed it onto the table, taking the drink. Driver tilted his chin down with a soft noise from his throat and Ryland nodded, letting the man sit down next to him. He was holding another mug for himself in one hand and put his other arm on the back of the couch.
Ryland let himself lean back into it.
There was silence between them for a period of time, a bit tense on Ryland's end as the younger man just sat there. They both sipped the tea in silence, bodies just close enough to touch. It was calming, just having a person there. It was always calming for Ryland to have someone with him when he was on the edge of spiraling and more and more often it ended up being Driver.
"Talking?" Driver asked softly, the tone of his voice gentle. The man was never particularly harsh when he spoke, maybe blunt but not mean, but this felt different. Ryland huffed out a heavy sigh of dismay, tilting his head back onto Driver's bicep. The younger man shifted closer to offer his shoulder and Ryland closed his eyes. "You don't like them?"
"I like flowers." Ryland mumbled, fumbling around with closed eyes to take a sip of his drink. "I really like flowers, they're gorgeous. I just… I don't like who sent them."
"I can get rid of them." Driver mumbled softly, turning to face Ryland. He could feel the other man's breath on his ear and it tickled. For a brief moment Ryland thought Driver had meant to get rid of Tom Ryder, before realization hit him.
"You don't have to get rid of the flowers. They're nice to look at and I don't think getting sunflowers this time of year is cheap. They're just overly expensive which makes me uncomfortable and T- he usually gets weird about these things. He's a stubborn jerk, always has been, but when it comes to things like this its stupidly sweet and I feel like he expects something." Ryland rambled softly, opening his eyes to look at his mug.
Driver let out a hum, arm curling slightly. He slid fingers into Ryland's hair, playing with it gently. Ryland gave ample time for the man to think about his words, just accepting the touch for now. He could tell Driver wanted to say something but he always seemed to struggle with words. But if Driver wanted to say something then it was important and Ryland just wanted to let it happen in his own time.
"You deserve nice things." Driver eventually decided on, rather firm in the first sentence before continuing. "And flowers are just plants, they only have arbitrary meanings. And fuck that guy if he's trying to be nice to get something out of it."
Ryland sputtered into his tea at the blunt way Driver put it, his shoulders shaking. He wanted to chastise the man but not only was it funny but Driver was a grown man who could swear if he wanted to. Ryland let the laugh grow more as he shook his head, watching the smile bloom on Driver's face.
"Yea. He's not just nice for the sake of it like you." Ryland shook his head, tilting it back against Driver's hand. The man's fingers froze for a moment, brows slightly raised, but he just let out a hum before slumping into the older man.
Ryland looked at the bright bouquet of flowers with a hum as he made himself comfortable next to Driver. Neither of them talked, neither of them had to now. The mugs eventually were empty yet they stayed right there in each other's arms, their subtle bond feeling a little stronger now.
Ryland waved at the last of the students as he walked to Driver's car, the man standing outside it. It was nice out today, sunny enough to warm his skin. Ryland smiled just seeing his neighbor though, standing outside with his arms behind his back.
"Hey." Ryland slowed down as he got closer, tilting his head. Driver tilted it the other direction and that made the teacher laugh. Before he could ask Driver to move the man pulled out a bouquet with half a dozen sunflowers wrapped in simple paper, holding it out wordlessly.
"Oh!?" Ryland gasped softly as he reached out for them, pulling them closer. They were bright and simple like this, the sole focus of his eyes, Ryland slid his finger across petals before looking up back to Driver, the man's face looking pleased. "You didnt have to do that, thank you."
"Haven't I told you that you deserve nice things?" Driver huffed out, rolling his shoulders as a nervous tic. Ryland laughed at that, holding the flowers to his chest as he shook his head.
"You'll have to remind me." Ryland let out a soft hum, making Driver roll his eyes. The younger man stepped away from the door and opened it for Grace, even going as far as buckling him in.
Driver was a really nice man.