"Are you flirting with me?â for Shyan!!
I actually got the same prompt from @dark-alice-lilith as well so! hereâs some established relationship, fluff without plot set after the Viaduct Tavern episode.Â
~1300 words, on ao3 here.
Itâs safe to say that getting drunk hadnât exactly been part of Ryanâs plan for the evening.
Sure, when heâd been planning the Viaduct Tavern episode out, heâd wanted there to be at least one sequence with them having a pint, just as a fun bit, and when heâd initially pitched the idea to Shane, heâd been totally down for it.
Except one drink had somehow turned into two. And then three. And then six.
And now, itâs nearly three oâclock in the morning, and while the world isnât exactly swaying, itâs a little fuzzy around the edges. The crew are already back at the hotel, probably already fast asleep, but as theyâd been packing up, Shane had had the bright idea to walk back, and even though Ryan had been looking forward to room service and a soft mattress (and, maybe, another beer), once Shane had smiled at him, heâd been unable to say no.
And really, itâs actually quite a nice night. The streets are fairly quiet, although gales of raucous laughter fall out of every pub and tavern they pass, and distant sirens occasionally split the night. When he glances up, if he squints really hard, he can almost make out the stars through the faint orange haze of light pollution swathed across the sky. As they continue to walk, he canât help but notice how the city is both similar and totally unlike Los Angeles. Thereâs enough construction cranes dotting the skyline, enough buildings strapped with scaffolding and tarps flapping in the slight breeze, that he could almost pretend he was at home, if he was a little more drunk, but thereâs so much history here. Every other building seems to have a plaque announcing that it was the scene of some grand historical event, has the year it was built carved into a stone above the entrance-way. Even the streets look old, although Ryan is sure the cobblestones arenât actually the authentic thing and are probably just there for the tourists to ooh and aah over.
But even more so than the history oozing out of every building, what makes London so different from Los Angeles is that itâs fucking cold.Â