Ryan gasped, sitting up in bed in tears, waking up from a dreadful night terror. Tears were streaming down his face, and he was shaking.
Call Shane, his brain told him. Ryan, in a panic, reached for his phone.
It was ass o’clock at night, and moonlight was shining through his window. The sky was pitch black. It was silent, except for Ryan’s hurried, panicked breaths as he went to dial in his best friend’s number. He pressed ‘call’, and waited.
Surprisingly, after a couple rings, Shane picked up. Ryan gasped.
“...Ryan?” Shane sounded extremely tired and confused; he had obviously woken Shane up.
When Ryan spoke, his breaths came out quickly, his voice shaky and teary. “Shane, I-I’m sorry for calling, gosh, it’s so late, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I-”
“Hey, hey,” Shane’s voice grew soft; caring. He could sense something wasn’t right. “Deep breaths, little guy. Deep breaths.” Ryan listened to Shane, trying to catch his breath, and stop crying.
“Shane, I, the night terrors, they’re getting worse, Shane, they’re terrible.” He babbled, all while Shane was trying to hush him over the phone.
“Oh, Ryan,” Shane’s tone was something Ryan hadn’t quite heard before. Or if he had, it hadn’t been for a while. It wasn’t teasing, it was calm, nurturing, and gentle. Like a parent trying to comfort a spooked child. “I’m sorry, Ry. I’m here now, it’s okay.”
Ryan sniffled, the deep, calming tones of Shane’s voice helping him to breathe a little steadier. “Shane,” He simply said, not calling him or asking anything of him, just saying his name out loud.
Ryan nodded, despite Shane not even being able to see him. “Yeah,” He replied. He wasn’t quite having a panic attack anymore, but he was still kinda spooked. “Love you, Shane.” He sniffled again. “’M sorry. I just got scared.”
“I love you too, Ryan.” Shane replied, his voice smooth as silk. “Don’t be sorry, it’s okay, it’s okay to be scared. I can come over and sleep over tomorrow night if you think company will help. Hey,” He asked, “D’ya want me to sing for you?”
Ryan chuckled softly, surprised. “Sing?”
And then, without approval from Ryan, Shane started to sing the lyrics to Mamma Mia. Ryan burst into soft giggles, heart already full of love for his best friend. It was the Mamma Mia soundtrack that Shane and Ryan had sang and danced to together that got Ryan over his shitty breakup. It was those songs that made Ryan realized who he was in love with all along. Though he’d never admit it, Ryan loved Shane’s calm, velvety voice, and he sighed contentedly, head hitting the pillow as Shane continued to sing.
Soon, as the Shane finished singing the song, Ryan had dozed off once again, a smile on his face. “Ryan?” Shane called out softly, and when he got no response, he smiled. His friend had fallen asleep. “Night, little guy. I love you,” He whispered, ending the call.
Both the boys slept soundly for the rest of the night after that.
imagine shane who keeps denying ryan’s evidence even as it becomes more and more compelling because he knows the minute he admits they saw a ghost the show will end
Famous director Shane once worked for Scorsese and got a name of his own at a young age. His he fam has a production company, he made his way up pretty fast and is considered a Cannes fave. He fancies actor and aspiring director Ryan, who at first is not-so-fond of being asked as armcandy to premieres and events, but eventually comes around because the exposure is good for his career. You know what else is good? the dick he is getting, especially when he becomes the face of all Shane's projects+
I did NOT deserve this in my inbox, Nini, but I had a good swim in my own feelings thinking about an upstart director with a prolific history walking in Scorsese’s footsteps. I am INSPIRED!!!
I love the idea it gave me that it gave him a taste for noir and sharp and shaky love stories like Age of Innocence. I love absolutely the idea that Ryan becomes a muse; every lead character he establishes in his script-writing room has Ryan’s features. He sometimes sits in scene watching in awe when Ryan brings his characters to sharp relief, adding his own gestures and mannerisms to what was on the page. Imagine their relationship starts because Ryan is cast in Shane’s most recent oscar-hopeful romantic/noir epic. Shane frustrates him because he pushes Ryan, watches his scenes with a very critical, cynical lens. Ryan is halfway through a broken-hearted declaration, telling his costar he’s loved her his whole life and Shane keeps cutting frequently and telling him to go again. It’s hard coming up out of your character and cutting in again.
“Liar,” he calls Ryan. “I don’t believe you in this scene.”
Ryan tries again, gritting through his irritation until Shane cuts the scene again.
“Stop. Lying, Bergara. I know when you’re acting. I don’t want to know. I’ve seen you tell the truth in your past work and it’s 30 seconds in a long 2hr scene. I’m not buying it.” which for a two-time emmy-nominee and one-time Bennet award winner, you can’t just Say things like that.
Ryan loses it; confronts him. He’s not into being treated like a pawn in this director’s dumb Oscar game; he knows directing. When he makes enough movies; he’s gonna kill the directing game. He has vision. Maybe he’s on the verge of a tantrum, planning to leave the set. He can do so much better than this.
Maybe Shane follows him. A weird thing for a director to do esp with a big production. “I really thought you had it in you. I watched your interviews when you were just starting out and I know you’ve got director’s eyes. I want that. I want to see that and I’ll pull it out of you with my bare hands if I have to. I push because you’ve got the performance in your chest. He is you; I wrote every scripted feature after the way your eyes get wide when you’re hurt; show me that anger and disbelief when you tell her you’ve loved her for years because she’s not gonna believe you either. Get out there and make them believe.”
This startles Ryan, who thought he was just working for a catty, no-nonsense erratic director. The guy maybe has vision and he clearly sees Ryan as a performer, not a pawn. This imbues scenes with a quick emotionally charged left-turn. It’s his best performance. After that, Ryan refuses to work with anyone else. The first time Ryan wins Best Actor next year is because Shane kissed him full on the mouth before Ryan delivers a murderous monologue. Reviews and critics say the flush on him, and the mad light in his eyes during the scene terrified and moved them. Shane drags Ryan into every project he does and Ryan is happily along for the ride. Odd that Hollywood’s strongest lead and notable acclaimed actor keeps so private about his love life when Shane’s directing resume is making him Shine.
When he does his first film; it’s an ode to Shane but no one knows; people speculate because so many stylings and shots are like mocking tributes to scenes in any of Shane’s films but brighter, used out of context. It’s alarming. Shane writes a long response and lets the Rolling Stone publish it. He states ostentatiously and a little ironically that everyone else needs to stop working on film right now because Bergara killed it.
What a great series of asks; what a superb headcanon. I lived today.
woah yeah, what about that pantherverse? it's kinda become a part of the long and winding story i tell myself to fall asleep but i would love to see where you're taking it
That’s so sweet of you Anon, holy shit! 💖 This AU is our baby with @josemorningstar (well he comes up with most of the stuff i just help in)
But! If any of you would like me to write anything based around it my inbox is open because this AU is my favorite thing ever.
Also if anyone has more questions or wants more headcanons shoot @josemorningstar an ask! (Or just in general, give him some love, he deserves it)
In the meantime, we can give you some headcanons if you’re interested? In no particular order because organizing is not my passion.
So, Ryan in this AU is a black panther/jaguar, a big beautiful boi who is actually a sweetheart and wouldn’t hurt a fly despite him looking intimidating as hell.
For Shane we have different variations, but usually he’s a parrot (the types are versatile, I think we go for budgie, or green-cheeked concure) or he’s a barn owl! Shane is deeply afraid of flying too high, or flying at all, so Ryan often carries him around on his shoulder, or on his back, in his shifted form.
It’s the most bizarre, adorable sight to see a small little bird perched between this huge panther’s shoulderblades being transported around.
Ryan’s technique to battle his intimidating nature is to make his eyes huge and innoncent and poke the tip of his tongue out. Shane nearly melted at the sight when he first experienced that sight, despite being terrified.
If Shane isn’t a bird, he’s a cat (orange tabby, oriental shorthair) with long legs and the most goofy, little shit energy. His voice is also very scratchy and squeaky, like some cats have this fucked up, broken meow, that’s him! And Ryan adores it more than anything, it’s quite literally his favorite sound.
Shane also makes a “mrrp” sound when touched or startled, even in his human form. Ryan would sneak up on him on purpose, when Shane is neckdeep into editing, just to coax that sound out of him. Ryan does the same, so Shane can have and absolutely has his revenge any given time.
Ryan can purr because big cats in this universe purr, we’re only making the world better here, guys. And Ryan’s purring is loud. It’s loud and Shane loves falling asleep to it. He loves when after a long, stressful day Ryan wraps him up in his arms, or drapes over him in his shifted form and purrs like a fucking engine. The sound vibrates through his chest, his whole body almost, it relaxes Shane immediately, until he starts drifting off.
Concept: Ryan and Shane being an absolute menace at boring meetings, each trying to make the other person crack and laugh by pulling progressively more ridiculous stunts. They leg wrestle under the table until one of them accidentally knees it and they get into trouble for it. Then they banter-argue about whose fault it was but the other party also asks and makes sure that the one who hit his knee can walk fine.
Ryan strolls into BuzzFeed in a short skirt and Shane is like //confused horny gay noises// and asks if it's for a video, Ryan winks and says "no :)" and teases him the entire day
BROOO YESSSSS
i am imagining ryan being more touchy with shane, and sometimes shane would just catch ryan looking at him with this look in his eyes that gets shane all hot and bothered. shane finds that he cannot stop looking at ryans thighs and the small bit of ryans ass he can see through the short skirt. lowkey gives him a gay panic, but he tries to act cool so he can keep up the “i feel no emotion” facade.
OKAY but one day Ryan invites Shane over to his new place and gives him a room tour and closet tour. Shane notices a box that he's a little curious abt so he asks Ryan what's in it, Ryan nervously opens it and reveals a plethora of skirts and crop tops. he says he bought them online but never had the guts to actually wear them and Shane is like "??!?!!?! dude you would ROCK them" and Ryan goes all happy blushy and ends up doing a fashion show with Shane
OMG THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE CUTEST IDEA EVER
im imagining ryan showing shane his outfits and whistling and hyping him up while ryan is all blushy D: they’re so adorable.
Ryan and Shane are gonna be all over each other once quarantine ends. Like both are gonna be grabby at the other and just want the other with them. Steven just stares into the camera like he’s on the office when they start grossly and obnoxiously flirting again for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. He eventually just gets fed up with it and tells them to go makeout in a corner somewhere. Much to his horror, they take that as permission to do so and swiftly run away, giggling. Steven sighs
LMAO the first watcher weekly back in the office will be.. Very Fun To Watch, one would say.
