Chapter Text
As Ryland, Colt, Jody and Dan entered the bar that week, they were all already begging Ryland to sing this week,
"C'mon, Ry! We've been coming for weeks now and you haven't sung once!"
"Yeah Ryland couldn't you just sing one time today? Please?"
"Don't be ashamed if it doesn't sound good! That's the whole point of coming to places like this! To sing badly!"
"I've already said guy's, I'm not singing! It's so embarrassing!"
After they got sat at they're usual booth, Colt and Jody went to go and sing a duet, Jody being better than Colt by miles. Ryland went up to the bar to find Simon there, they had some semblance of a friendship, although they were more acquaintances than anything
"Hey Ryland! How ya doing this week?" Simon's slightly deep voice asked kindly
"You know, usual business, kids being kids" he laughed awkwardly
"Lemme guess... Two lemonades a spicy margarita and... A glass of water for you?" Simon had began to grab four glasses with his prosthetic arm before Ryland had even confirmed it
"You know us all so well Simon" he smiled before looking towards where Colt and Jody stood and he couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped him as he saw his twins eyes while Jody sang, he was absolutely smitten, although he didn't miss his cue to sing in their duet, it was some song from a musical, Ryland himself had recommend the two watch, seems like they enjoyed it,
"He really does love her huh?" Simon asked while placing the drinks in front of Ryland, he laughed slightly to himself when he saw Ryland's face turn a little pinker,
"Yeah, they honestly make me sick sometimes with how lovey dovey they are" he huffed out a laugh and paid for the drinks before walking back to the booth where Dan was still sitting, he smirked at Ryland before saying
"So, bartender Simon huh?"
"Oh shush! I have no idea what you're talking about"
"Sure you don't" he smiled again before taking his lemonade towards him and speaking again, "Y'know if you sang something" Dan trailed off raising his eyebrows at Ryland
"I'm not going to sing"
"Oh come on! You never sing!"
"For good reason! I can't sing in front of an entire bar!" Ryland's face was heating up and he was sure that he was bright red from embarrassment.
The song Colt and Jody were singing ended and they came over to the booth they both looked at Ryland, they seemed to look at him as though they knew exactly what he was thinking, that was until Colt started speaking
"We saw you over at the bar-"
"Correction, I saw you at the bar" Jody said
"Blushing at the bartender huh?" Colt jabbed at Ryland
"Can everyone stop bringing that up" Ryland huffed out
"If you sing we might consider it"
"Guess I'm gonna have to get used to it then" Ryland sat with a huff at that and crossed his arms, after he sat Jody and Colt sat down next to him, Jody taking the lemonade and Colt taking the spicy margarita and Ryland taking a big sip of his water so he had an excuse not to talk before they started up again.
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As Ryland walked away and Simon got back to work he tried not to think about how cute he was when watching his brother and how adorable his glasses were and- he had to stop thinking about him and get back to work, he could already feel the slightest blush cross his face, he was just glad that Ryland wasn't in front of him to see it, he saw Ryland's friends had finished singing and had walked back over to the booth everyone was sitting at and began to, what looked to be, teasing Ryland relentlessly. He also heard from the huffing and begging that they were once again were trying to get Ryland to sing, and once again, to no avail.
God if he didn't wonder what the man's singing voice was like, if he had to guess he would be amazing but there was only one way to find out and he wouldn't find out this week.
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Two weeks later and Simon watched as Ryland walked in on his own, which considering he always came with at least one other person but to see him on his own was very very unusual.
He came and sat at the bar and Simon came over to him and asked kindly
"No one else with you this week?"
Ryland sighed slumping forwards to lay his head on his arms that were sitting in the bar
"They have work tonight but I still wanted to come so I had something to do rather than sit at home and watch TV all night"
Simon mulled this over in his head, he didn't know what Ryland's friends did for work but if they were working at half six on a Friday night it must be something uncommon, he thought about asking what they did, but felt like it might be a personal question so instead he asked,
"You want a glass of water like usual or something else tonight?" He felt like Ryland wanted to talk about something different,
"Can I have a virgin bloody mary?" He asked quietly
"Yeah sure one virgin bloody mary coming up" Simon quickly got to work mixing his drink, once he was done he placed a lemon slice on the rim of the glass and sliding it towards Ryland who muttered a thanks and payed for his drink, giving Simon some extra cash as a tip and began to sip at his drink solemnly.
Once he had all but finished it, Ryland looked up at Simon a slight pink tint to his cheeks,
"You alright there dude?" Simon prayed that what he thought has happened, hadn't. Sadly, Simon's suspicions were confirmed when Ryland ordered an actual alcoholic drink, which he never did,
"Hey, heh, hey Simon, can I have a spicy margarita, Colt always gets them and I've never tried one" he was all but giggling in his seat as he asked it,
"You sure? I can make you a normal one if you would like?"
"No I wanna try what Colt had every week"
"Ok, one spicy margarita coming up" Simon went and grabbed a martini glass from under the counter and began to make the drink.
"Hey Simon?"
"Yeah?"
"You're really really pretty"
what? Simon coughed and spluttered "what?"
"You're really pretty"
"Oh! Uhm you're very handsome yourself Ryland"
Ryland giggled, he giggled what on earth is going on and why was Simon's face heating up and why was that happening and he needs help because why was this getting him so worked up!
Once he set it down for Ryland, and calmed the fuck down, Ryland took it towards himself and began to drink it, as he was doing so three familiar faces came into the bar
"Hey Ry how you doing?"
Simon answered for him saying "just a warning, he's a little bit drunk"
"What?" Jody gaped "he willing drank alcohol?"
Simon began to stammer "Well originally no, I, accidentally! Have him an alcoholic drink when he asked for virgin, but then he went and asked for another drink with the alcohol so I made it and please don't report me"
"Don't worry this is hilarious" Colt laughed "C'mon Ry let's go sing" as he began to drag his twin behind him, Ryland was once again giggling and can Simon calm down please!
"So, Ry, what song are we singing?"
"Under pressure and I'm taking Bowie's part"
"Alright!" Colt gave a thumbs up and Jody rolled her eyes
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As the intro music began and Colt began to horribly sing the intro his mind wandered to why Simon had looked so red when the three of them had come in, he had some ideas but he really wanted to know from Simon himself,
Ryland began to sing as the first verse started and like usual he was amazing, only he and Court knew that Ry could sing and, of course, Court had died recently from what they knew it was because of a gang fight in the prison he was being kept at, Colt knew Ryland hadn't taken it well, Court was more of a father than that piece of shit 'father' the three of them had, Colt didn't remember much but he knew that Ryland remembered even less than him so when some of their last living relatives died Ry didn't take it well at all, he practically drank himself to death, so did Colt but Ryland was different when he was drunk, he was flirty and giggly and would do practically anything anyone asked him, it was bad, so to say he was surprised to see his twin drunk as a sailor was an understatement.
When Colt looked towards the bar as his twin was singing along to the music he saw Jody, who smiled at him, Dan, who was slack jawed, and Simon, who was absolutely love struck if he had to guess from the look of him, Colt knew that his twin had the biggest crush on him the world had never seen, so to see this was the cherry on top
"puts people on streets"
It was once again Colt's turn to sing (spew nonsense) before the chorus with he and Ryland singing together again
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Holy shit, Simon knew that Ryland was probably a good singer from his constant denial to sing saying that it was "too embarrassing" but holy shit he was incredible not to mention how he seemed to be staring at Simon while he was singing, he sounded like an Angel.
"it's the terror of knowing what this world is about"
Simon already liked Queen but this might make him love the band more, he still had that feeling while Ryland was singing, the feeling from earlier when he got shamelessly flirted with, if you could call it flirting, he didn't know what to call it, he didn't know what it was, it made him feel warm and flustered, he already knew he was probably some shade of red but this was worse, his stomach felt like it had butterflies inside it and his heart could leap from his chest to Neptune if he wasn't careful,
Then Colt began to sing again, Simon still kept his gaze on Ryland though, he was getting lost in the song and was no longer staring at him, which Simon was glad for, but now he had an entirely different problem. He couldn't look away from Ryland, he was transfixed on the man and as the outro began Ryland hadn't even opened his eyes to see the lyrics before he was singing again
"cause love's such an old fashioned word and love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night and love dares you to care for ourselves"
Simon knew Ryland had chosen the song, but had he chose it on purpose? Was he choosing the song based on lyrics or was it his outlook on the singers who made the song? Did he just like the song? And why was Simon so interested in why he chose the song damn it!
"this is ourselves, under pressure, under pressure, pressure"
And that was it, Ryland and Colt finished the song and came down from the stage to come towards the bar where Jody and Dan were standing, Simon too but he wasn't including himself in thir group when he was just the bartender.
"Holy shit Ryland!" Jody exclaimed, reasonable reaction in Simon's opinion Dan still stood slack jawed, gaping at Ryland before he said
"You were hiding those pipes the entire time we've been coming here!"
Ryland giggled, again, and it was making Simon lose his goddamned mind, then he said
"I mean I guess, but it's embarrassing to sing in public!"
"Ry, my brother, my twin, drop the modesty! You're amazing!"
"I'm really not!" Simon was going to kill this man if he didn't stop being modest and so damn polite, so he cut in before Jody or Dan could,
"You really were incredible" his voice was quiet, soft, something it never usually was, especially working in a bar, his face once again went red when the four of them turned to look at him, especially when Ryland's own face turned brighter shade of pink, from embarrassment or drunkenness he didn't know,
"Thanks, Simon, you guys" it must've been from embarrassment, Simon would not get his hopes up, he refused to.
"Right, it's my turn now, no clue how I'm going to follow you up, but I'm going" Dan said confidently as he began to walk away
Ryland came up to the bar once more, Simon assumed to get his drink, which he did, but he didn't expect Ryland to stay there, he sat at the bar in front of Simon, Colt and Jody shrugging and sitting next to him before they began to chat to each other,
"Simon?"
"Yes?"
"Did you mean what you said just then?"
"Of course, I really thought you were amazing"
"So it's not just custourm- couster- uhm, people service, you know the word-"
"Customer service?"
"That one yeah!" He paused, "It's not just because you have to? cause you're working a customer service job?"
"Not at all" he sighed and inhaled "you really were fantastic, stop doubting yourself"
Ryland's eyes lit up, he smiled widely, so wide it reached from ear to ear, and poked Colt in the side
"You hear that Colt! Si thinks I sing fantastically!"
Colt snorted at his brother's drunken state and words before he said "fantastically isn't a word, I thought you were meant to be the smart one with your doctorate, Dr. Ryland Gentry"
Colt smiled, he had meant it as a joke, Simon knew that, Jody knew that, Colt knew that, even Ryland knew that, but at the minute he didn't know, all he heard was "Gentry" and he had tears welling in his eyes, Simon wasn't too far out of his depth but he for sure didn't know what was going on
"Shit Eu I'm sorry" Colt stammered out before Jody elbowed him in the ribs
"Ow! I really am sorry, I forgot!"
What did Colt forget? Now Simon was sure he was out of his depth.
As Ryland began to cry Simon swore something in him broke, he sobbed slightly, burying his face in his hands and putting his elbows on his knees so that he was practically folded over, Colt stood and came over to his side and gave him a hug saying slightly,
"I'm sorry Ry I'm so so sorry, I didn't know you'd feel this bad, it was meant to be a joke, I'm sorry" Ryland cried harder, Dan quickly finished the song and once he did he rushed over to the three of them,
"What's up guys?" His voice laced with genuine concern, his brow furrowed, he and Simon seemed to be in the same boat of misunderstanding and confusion, Jody pulled him aside with her as she left, he assumed to tell him what was going on, God did Simon wish he knew as well
Once Ryland gained back most of his composure, after almost ripping out some of the hair from his head, he said
"I just" he sniffed "I miss him" who this 'him' was Simon didn't know, but he did feel an immense sense of guilt for whatever reason,
"I know Ry, I do too" Ryland cried and sniffled some more this time into Colt's arms, he had began to shake
"I don't- I don't even remember him that well" he sniff's again before Colt says
"I know, neither do I, we barely got the chance to know him"
Oh so it was a family member, Simon felt less guilty now, knowing it wasn't... someone else, but now he just felt like he was eavesdropping on a very personal conversation, so he quickly got back to work, behind the bar, like he should've been doing the entire time,
God he was so getting fired for this.