Chapter Text
For the record, Tom was painfully and totally aware that he should've said something.
The cashier looked at him up and down before she started to scan the products he handed her. "Your total is 18.36" She said.
He took a twenty dollars bill out of his wallet and handed it to her. The young lady grabbed it as she popped the bubblegum she was chewing. Just when she was about to put the money on the registrador, a man stepped in.
"That's not right" The man stated. "He's got a sixty percent off in that product" He signaled to a bottle of wine Tom had bought. "Should be 14.20, young lady. And your machine should've done the calculation, Lizzy" He declared with a stern frown.
The cashier, Lizzy, froze like a deer caught up in the highlights. She bit her lip sheepishly, avoiding their eyes. "Sorry, Mr. Grace. That'll be 14.20, sir" She addressed Tom.
In all honesty, he could have paid full price. Twenty bucks was pocket change for him. Besides, it wasn't like Tom was going to do the math. Lizzy would have gotten away with her little scheme had Mr. Grace kept quiet. But it was nice that someone had helped him instead of taking advantage of him.
Later that night, while he was nuzzling the cheap wine, laying on the bed of an even cheaper motel room. Tom wondered if he could see that nice stranger again if he went to the store tomorrow. Maybe he could thank him for the help.
So Tom came back the next night, at the same time. He waited for a few minutes until he heard the sound of someone entering the store. And, in front of him, there he was. A blonde man with messy hair, glasses sitting askew on his nose, dressed in jeans, a shirt, and a fox cardigan. The man was buying what it looked like frozen dinner with discounts.
Their eyes found each other for a second, but there wasn't any sort of recognition in the other's expression. Unlike the spark of surprise Tom had noticed in the cashier a night before. This man didn't know who he was. Neither that night nor the following one, not even after six days of Tom coming back only to see him.
He didn't understand why he still came back to the store during other two weeks. Perhaps the fact that he didn't have where to go was the reason. But somehow, watching that nice stranger was the highlight of his nights.
"Did you know that smoking is a significant risk factor for lung cancer?" Grace asked. Tom pondered the name on his mind. It was fitting, that's for sure. Just perfect for a nice person who was worried about him having lung cancer out of a single cigarette.
He let out a chuckle. "Did you know being so nice might get you in trouble?" Tom made his own question.
Grace blinked. "I wasn't being all that nice. Just stating a fact" He declared.
"Oh no, you were being real nice. Like the other day. You saved my wallet from that little thief of a cashier, Lizzy? Huh, never mind, you were nice. Just stating a fact" Tom couldn't help but ramble. He knew what chatting with Grace meant. Their time together would come to an end as soon as he introduced himself.
But once again, the man didn't show recognition in his face. "Sorry, I don't remember. Lizzy does that a lot. She's a good girl, don't get me wrong. But her family is so low on money she dropped out of school... used to be my student, which sucks" Grace explained. Suddenly, he gasped. "Oh! Where are my manners. My name is Ryland Grace" He extended his hand. Tom shook it.
This was it. This was where it ended. "Tom Ryder" He said.
When Ryland didn't automatically request an autograph, Tom should've said something. When they became friends with the passage of time, Tom should've said something. When they had their first date at a flat restaurant, Tom should've said something. When they kissed for the first time under the light of the moon, Tom should've said something. When they began officially dating, Tom should've really said something.
Overall, there were lots of times when he should've at least mentioned that he was a movie star. Tom just... couldn't. Not when he was so happy pretending to be a normal guy that Ryland met at the store. A simple life, with his wonderful boyfriend was more alluring than any prize he had won.
Putting things on perspective, Ryland was meant to find out eventually. However, Tom had hoped time was merciful to him and granted them a long while together.
"Oh god, what's Tom fucking Ryder doing at your house, Ry?"
—
For the record, Ryland didn't watch many movies. No, he preferred documentaries.
Had the man he met at the store been Steve Irwin –not that it was possible but one can dream– or Fernando Trujillo from National Geographic. Geez, had he been Bear Grylls, that stupid fool, Ryland would have recognized him. But Tom Ryder? Didn't ring a single bell.
"Tom Ryder" The guy said it with such a confidence that could only be attributed to an extrovert. Good for him. Ryland had to put more effort into initiating conversations, but fake it until you make it, they say.
"What brings you here, Tom?" Ryland asked. He had never seen this guy at the store before. Perhaps he was a new neighbor.
"I'm... taking a sabbatical, I suppose" Tom shrugged.
"A sabbatical from what?" He kept on making conversation. In Ryland's experience as a teacher, every conversation that didn't involve AI generated characters was a good conversation.
He saw Tom hesitate before answering. "I help make movies" He ended up saying. A clearly fake smile on his face, but Ryland thought nothing of it.
"Hey, my brother is in that industry too. Maybe you two met at some point"
It felt like a totally normal conversation with a totally normal guy. At the moment it was. And as the days passed, it continued to be. Tom was animated but not overbearing, a little bit obnoxious but not rude, flirtatious but not extremely gross. With each simple conversation, he started to like Tom, until what began as a friendship turned out to be romantic feelings.
Ryland knew it's impossible to know every detail of someone, but he also thought he knew Tom well enough. More so because his boyfriend always appeared to be an honest person. And technically he still was. Tom had never lied to him, but omitting information was just as dishonest.
He couldn't say what hurt the most.
"You don't like pictures neither?" Ryland chuckled the moment Tom swayed the phone away from his face. They had been friends for about a month then.
"I just like privacy, sweetheart" Tom winked. What kind of privacy could a common person need?
"I'm pretty sure you're on the clear. I don't have many followers, just close friends" Ryland tried to convince him.
"Just show me off in real life, baby" Tom joked.
If having having been so blind.
"We can divide the bill, I don't mind" Ryland offered during their fourth date.
"Why do you say that?" Tom smiled tenderly.
Ryland returned the smile. "I know if you aren't an actor the pay in Hollywood it's not so generous. You don't have to worry. We can divide it" He explained.
Tom looked like he was pondering his options in his head. "Ok, let's do that".
If letting himself be so obviously fooled.
"How was your work trip? Anything interesting?" Ryland was happy that his boyfriend was back home from his two month trip. Tom's job was very demanding.
"It was nice. We had to record at a snowy place, and I remember how much you hate snow. So I bought you this" Tom gave him a snow globe with a cute white fox in it. It was a beautiful gesture from him to constantly think of Ryland.
"Aw, thanks! I take it you had fun helping the big shots make a movie. Maybe we can watch it sometime, what's its name?" He asked.
"Pff, don't bother! It was a really boring movie. I'd rather watch that documentary you mentioned the other day!" Tom affirmed.
Or if realizing that all this time, he had merely been a part of Tom's perfectly curated play of a normal life. Ryland had been so sure about the life they had together. His boyfriend of almost two years was a permanent fixture in his apartment, in his plans, in his future. And yeah, maybe Tom sometimes had to work away for many months, maybe he hadn't actually met his family, maybe he had run with the idea that he was a PA for a director or something like that.
Maybe Ryland was at fault for not asking more. Or at all, for that matter.
It wasn't like someone could blame him for that. Ryland was never one to analyze people, nor sense their auras. That one was...
"Colt?" He couldn't believe he was listening to his brother's voice again. After some freaky accident in the set of a movie, Colt had broken his back and promptly pushed everyone away. Including Ryland.
"Hey, Ry. I know you must be fucking mad at me. I just... I'm sorry" His twin sighed repented. "I shouldn't have acted like a dick. I know I hurt you, but please. I love you" Ryland didn't know what he was pleading for. He would forgive Colt a million times if necessary.
They had arranged a meeting on Ryland's new apartment he had been renting with Tom for the last year. When Colt stepped through the door he got the tightest hug Ryland could give. And just when they were ready to talk the sound of his phone interrupted them.
"I'll be back, I have to take this. Is my boyfriend" Ryland excused himself to take the call in the kitchen. "You forgot your keys again?" He opened the front door to let Tom in. "Hey, you" The smile in his face didn't last more that ten seconds.
"Oh god, what's Tom fucking Ryder doing at your house, Ry?" At the sound of Colt's voice, Tom froze. His boyfriend face was the one of a thief caught stealing, a murdered above their victim. A liar facing the truth.
Oh. Oh.
Ryland did knew what hurt the most.
It was his ego.
With a bit of perspective, he could see that Tom's lie didn't change the outcome of their life together. Had Ryland been aware of his fame, nothing would've been different. But wasn't it humiliating? To have every clue almost right in front of him. Billboards, magazines, social media. Ryland should've known. And it stung. So, just for his amusement, he was going to put Tom through hell for a while.
"Don't tell me you didn't know, Ry"
Tom and Colt, he decided.
Forgiveness was not a problem for him. Not with the people he loved. But giving them a bad time was going to be their price to pay for making a fool out of him.