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usagirotten · 2 years

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Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ Is Getting A 50th Anniversary Box Set

50 years ago today, Pink Floyd walked out of Abbey Road studios, satisfied with their 8 months' worth of work. One of the most iconic and influential albums ever, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon celebrates its 50th Anniversary. The album was partly developed during live performances, and the band premiered an early version of the suite at London’s Rainbow Theatre several months before recording began. ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ is the eighth studio album by Pink Floyd, originally released in March 1973. The new material was recorded in 1972 and 1973 at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London. The iconic sleeve, which depicts a prism spectrum, was designed by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis and drawn by George Hardie. ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ has sold over 50 million copies worldwide. A new deluxe box set has been created to include CD and gatefold vinyl of the newly remastered studio album and Blu-Ray + DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions. The set also includes an additional new Blu-ray disc of Atmos mix plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’. Simultaneously, on 24th March, the CD and first ever vinyl issue of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’ will be released independently. It was originally recorded in November 1974 as part of the band’s winter tour and this is the first time it will be available as a stand-alone album, with artwork featuring an original 1973 line-drawn cover by George Hardie. The book Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary, part of the deluxe box offering, will also be published separately by Thames & Hudson on March 24, 2023, to coincide with the box set release. Curated by photographer Jill Furmanovsky and art directed by Hipgnosis co-founder Aubrey Powell, this LP-sized volume showcases rare and previously unseen photographs taken during The Dark Side Of The Moon tours of 1972-1975 and was created with the involvement of the band members. In celebration of the 50th Anniversary release, Pink Floyd also invite a new generation of animators to enter a competition to create music videos for any of the 10 songs on the iconic 1973 album. Pink Floyd has a rich history of collaborating with animators from the beginning of the band (Ian Emes, Gerald Scarfe, etc.), and in some cases, the visuals that accompany the songs have become synonymous with the music itself. The 50th Anniversary will be no exception. The band would like to give all animators an opportunity to present a fresh take on these timeless aural works. Animators can enter up to 10 videos, one per song on the album. A winner will be selected from a panel of experts which will include Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell (Pink Floyd’s creative director), and the BFI (British Film Institute). The deadline for submissions is November 30th 2023. On February 27th, 1973, EMI Records held a press conference for the debut presentation of Pink Floyd’s new album The Dark Side Of The Moon at the London Planetarium. Although the Planetarium dome could only show an array of stars, constellations and images of the cosmos whilst the music played, it was an unprecedented success. Fifty years on, in recognition of the iconic album and with the help of huge strides in technology, an official full dome experience with stunning visuals of the solar system and beyond and played out to 42 minutes of The Dark Side Of The Moon, will be released in Planetariums around the world in March. Contact your local Planetarium for any screening details. The show itself will be divided between the 10 tracks off the album, in chronological order, each having a different theme; some futuristically looking forward and some a retro acknowledgment to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and space experience, embracing up to the minute technology that only a Planetarium can offer. It promises to be immersive; an all-encompassing surround sound and visual treat that will transcend reality and take you way beyond the realms of 2D experience. THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Speak To Me Breathe (In The Air) On The Run Time The Great Gig In The Sky Money Us And Them Any Colour You Like Brain Damage Eclipse Produced by Pink Floyd The Deluxe Box Set includes: CD1 – THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (50th Anniversary) Remastered by James Guthrie in gatefold sleeve with 12-page booklet CD2 – THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON LIVE AT WEMBLEY EMPIRE POOL, LONDON, 1974 Mixed by Andy Jackson in gatefold sleeve with 12-page booklet. Cover design by Aubrey Powell/Hipgnosis and Peter Curzon/StormStudios. Original 1973 line drawn cover artwork by George Hardie LP1 – THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (50th Anniversary) Remastered original studio album 180g heavyweight vinyl, in gatefold sleeve, with original posters and stickers LP2 – THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON LIVE AT WEMBLEY EMPIRE POOL, LONDON, 1974 180g heavyweight vinyl, in gatefold, with 2 posters featuring design by Ian Emes and Gerald Scarfe. Cover design by Aubrey Powell/Hipgnosis and Peter Curzon/StormStudios. Original 1973 line drawn cover artwork by George Hardie BLU-RAY 1 (AUDIO) Original album 5.1 and high-resolution remastered stereo mixes, 1. 5.1 Surround Mix – 24bit/96kHz Uncompressed 2. Stereo Mix – 24bit/192kHz Uncompressed 3. 5.1 Surround Mix – dts-HD MA 4. Stereo Mix – dts-HD MA BLU-RAY 2 (AUDIO) Original newly remastered album Atmos and high-resolution stereo mixes, 1. Dolby Atmos Mix 2. Stereo Mix – 24-bit/192kHz Uncompressed 3. Stereo Mix – dts-HD MA DVD (AUDIO) Original album 5.1 and remastered stereo mixes, 1. 5.1 Surround Mix – Dolby Digital @448 kbps 2. 5.1 Surround Mix – Dolby Digital @640 kbps 3. Stereo Mix (LPCM) – 24-bit/48 kHz Uncompressed 160-PAGE THAMES & HUDSON HARDCOVER BOOK with rare black and white photographs from the 1972 – 1975 tours of the UK and the USA taken by Jill Furmanovsky, Peter Christopherson, Aubrey Powell, Storm Thorgerson 76-PAGE MUSIC BOOK Complete songbook of the original album REPLICAS OF 2×7″ SINGLES 7″ Single 1 Money/Any Colour You Like 7″ Single 2 Us And Them/Time REPLICA OF PAMPHLET AND INVITATION TO THE PREVIEW OF THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON AT THE LONDON PLANETARIUM ON 27TH FEBRUARY 1973 Studio album recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, between May 1972 and January 1973. Produced by Pink Floyd. Engineer Alan Parsons. Assistant Peter James. Mixing supervised by Chris Thomas. Remastered by James Guthrie and Joel Plante at das boot recording. 5.1 and Atmos mixes by James Guthrie. Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974 recorded at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, November 1974 Engineers: Brian Humphries with Phill Brown. Audio Mixing by Andy Jackson, assisted by Damon Iddins. Mastered by Andy Jackson at Tube Mastering. Creative Director 2023: Aubrey Powell/Hipgnosis Design and Art Direction: Peter Curzon/StormStudios 50th Anniversary Concept and Design: Pentagram Read the full article

#AbbeyRoadStudios #music #pinkfloyd

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86stagram · 2 days

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I borrowed these from my friend! I've been watching "Everyone come here please! Prism☆Tours" , "King of Prism by Pretty Rhythm" , "KING OF PRISM -PRIDE the HERO-" this month.

(unfortunately, i forget order in which i was watched) Hi! I'm Ham's servant. I'm sure Kazuki would say : "FREEDOM! it's okay to make mistakes when you learning English" . *1

i saw Laala saying "YES(hai)" NOT "KASHIKOMA" and it made me laugh. please. . . KASHIKOMA surprisingly, but Aloma was very low voice that time. she really look like someone who the "chuunibyou(厨二病)" character. i wonder because maybe her voice actor recorded voice in the middle of 1st season. perhaps character's setting of attention to detail hadn't been determined at that point (?)

let me talk about KinPri. (** not includes spoilers in this post** ) even more i watched up to 2 episodes of "KING OF PRISM -Shiny Seven Stars-" last week. that was great, and I couldn't resist starting continue today! btw when i watched KING OF PRISM -Dramatic PRISM.1- at that time (September 6th) i don't know the general flow of the series of whole very well i'm pretty sure that time was when i watched until half episode of RL.

however I was told by friends to "of course i think you can enjoy the latest installment even if you watch without knowing the whole story! that's because awesome works!" haha

somehow, i was astounded by HIRO's change than other prism stars or anything else. he used to have a very difficult personality and often bothered people around him, including Koji, right? to be honest, my interest in this is the same as when I was following SHO's activities before. because of his change, i found myself looking forward to seeing how HIRO would grow in RL. (i already watched that until the end but I don't know why i felt this way from that time)

However, they has made a striking impression on me by changing so much. . . now they are the completely different person, right? this is not "oshi(推し)" as when I was keeping an eye on Mirei, Falulu, Hibiki, and Shuka activities before. it's hard to put into words. (maybe this is lil different what i wish to mean because i don't have enough English proficiency.)

in either case, i was unwittingly drawn into the narrative and that movie make to oddly mysterious and large impact in a good way. i thinking i'd like write something my impressions but i can't make up my mind which one to how word choose. sometimes i think i don't understand something at the time, but surely then i realize to get many things later that i do after watched works.

i want enough time to read this official setting book for KinPri for that was released in July 2016. ＼idol time is money／ from what i heard, this book hasn't includes little new information and not includes spoiler because to announced 1st work of the whole series. (but I don't pay too much attention to about spoiler)

WOOOO the more i write text the less i understand multiple language become like puzzle to me. i'll write my impressions soon in Japanese. (i'm having a hard time because my arms always have pain for the past half year. . .)

*1 however i can't understand well such as the difference in nuance between freedom / free and liberty. Probably Kazuki can possible to tell me the difference among these words. but i'm not yumejoshi haha that's balderdash. . .

#king of prism #pretty rhythm #pretty rhythm rainbow live

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inkofamethyst · 1 month

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August 18, 2024

Might have to get those goofy prism glasses to stave off neck pain while crocheting. I crocheted for like 6 hours or something one day last weekend and then my neck was in pain for days. I've slowed down a bit since, but I am getting close to finishing the basketweave vest I switched to and omggggg it actually is coming together so nicely! Because I had to design the pattern myself rather than using a video tutorial or written pattern, it's taken like,,,, two and a half weeks or so of trial and error (sooooo much frogging (I'm certain I've frogged every component at least once (but I don't really mind doing so because every time I've made improvements despite the setback))), but I'm super close! Finishing up the bottom band then just need to weave in the ends! Test fits are looking good!!!

Had another DnD game last week and AGH it's so much fun, I'm having so much fun!!!

I also did a guided tour of one of my uni's special rare book collections and it was so lovely! I simply adore a guided tour where someone can just espouse their knowledge for a time and I just soak it up like a sponge. The collection itself was quite beautiful, too.

This weekend I did a bit of a back-to-school Depop spree which I judge as being fairly successful, though the true test will come when I get the items (I think I also want to start a back-to-school depop cleanse where I start selling again, but we'll see). I'm excited about all of the items but especially a true irish cable knit wool sweater! In building up my cohesive closet, I'm also trying to figure out items that could be my equivalent of a sweatshirt and sweatpants for lazier, bloated, or simply more relaxed days and occasions. Things that are just easy to throw on without actually being sweats.

Today I'm thankful that even though my father and I disagree on a fair number of things, that doesn't ever seem to detract from the love we have for each other. He pushes me to make sure I have all my facts in a row, but oftentimes our opinions on how to approach those facts are different. It's just that I feel really lucky not to be one of those unfortunate cases of children who can't have civil conversations with their parents on political topics despite our disagreements. We're very mindful, very demure, one might say ;)

Excited to be going back home soon!

need to pack though lol

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freedformwriter · 3 months

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May the circle be broken

The final morning at Findhorn, I wake from one of my stress dreams. They attack in the light intervals between my mother’s early exit to go walking – often as early as 5.30am - and my definition of morning. A recent one ended with me wandering a desert mall with no tool for escape except some flip phone c.2010. In another, I unrolled a yoga mat, only find it rolled over by other yogis and non-existent when the class started. The theme: under-resourced. My actual yoga mat is on the floor, the only reason I make it there some morning. Today, however, is the grand finale of the trip and I promised to get my aching, cantankerous morning self to an open-air group meditation. Grabbing a blanket, I strike out into the network of wooded paths that connect the community’s various workshops, greenhouses, and eco homes. Quickly disoriented by these meanders, I’m saved by the singing. At the unbroken start of the day, the sound is thin but easy to follow. The door is open, a Hobbit style rounded entranceway with a built-in vestibule full of prayer cushions and music books. Inside, seated on the concentric rings of an earthen amphitheatre, a dozen voices weave in four-part harmony in a prayer that rises without the impediment of a roof.

Though known as a spiritual community, Findhorn wouldn’t exist without the forty-pound cabbages. That’s what our tour guide told us when we first arrived. An American man about my mother’s age, he saw the place through the prism of decades. The land we are on was once a caravan park. Then Peter and Ilene Caddy moved in and they planted a vegetable garden. The couple were spiritualists; they consulted the plants on what they needed. The result? Prodigious cabbages. Peter, with his characteristic savvy, got the British soil association to do a test. The soil was and is sand soil and requires lots of compost. It’s nothing special. With equally characteristic showmanship, Peter broadcast the results. If the soil wasn’t special, something else was. It was a seed planted at the right moment. This was 1969; the boomer generation would soon arrive in droves, done with school and ready to question everything. My mother was among of them, fresh from her California college. She stayed for three years.

The emerging community was a bit like the roundhouse now filled with meditative song. Both started as the vision – literally – of a few individuals, only to catch the eye of outsiders. When the roundhouse ran foul of the new building oversight, the architect simply took the roof off. An old friend of my mother who invited us to the open-air meeting admits attendance varies with the weather. Yet the faithful few sit singing with their umbrellas every morning. I try to imagine starting every day like this, in cross-legged communion with others rather than performing my own private practice. We move from singing to silent meditation; I surreptitiously uncross and recross my legs as my feet alternatively fall asleep. At the end, an older man with a sonorous voice and a knit cap worn in what I can only think of as a hipster style reflects that we have done our bit to steady the world today by steadying ourselves.

The Caddys, who claimed an intentional community was never their intent, were likewise ready to open things up. To a point. Their undisputed leadership of the community and their firm legacy surprises me; it’s so far from the egalitarian instincts I expect from intentional communities. Also, Peter ran off to Australia with a young woman in the late seventies. But then there are those cabbages. Their spiritual heirs, the Findhorn Foundation, are struggling after a long reign. As my mother and I leave the singing circle and cut across the park, she returns to a running theme. Why don’t they do a garden rota, she wonders. With so many people, they’d only have to do a few shifts a year. She’s still trying to sort through the central conundrum of Findhorn today: hundreds of people live in the new experimental eco housing that rings the old community and yet the centre feels hollowed out of life. We pass the old caravans, most screened by a heavy curtain of wild garden. For me, it’s hit just the right level of decay where it feels decadent rather than depressing. But the disuse makes my mother uneasy. Peter Caddy wouldn’t have stood for this, our guide told us. He used to say he’d give fifty pence to anyone who could find a weed in his garden.

A few hours later, I’m circling a new round structure and my new soundtrack is the bagpiper who’s suddenly struck up a tune in the carpark beside the coaches full of well-managed tourists. It’s a stone cairn and its centre too reveals the lip of a long-vanished roof. It wasn’t planning permission that did it in, but extreme old age. The Clava Cairns were built by Neolithic people 4,000 years ago. Three mounds stand in the manicured park, but as many as eighty more lie in the adjacent farmers’ fields. Each narrow entranceway aligns perfectly with the winter solstice sun. My mother bristles at interpretive accounts suggesting they built solstice alignments in the superstitious hope of encouraging the sun’s return. She often drives ridiculous distances in the States to see Neolithic sites I’d never heard of like Serpent Mound and Poverty Point and returns newly amazed by prehistoric people’s acumen and ambition. They weren’t idiots, she says now. The cairns were their calendars. I have a little more sympathy for our contemporary incredulity. Why would people invest so much energy piling up so many stones? Shouldn’t they have been busy, you know, surviving? The Stone Age Highlands cannot have been the easiest place from which to eek an existence. And yet everywhere, the circles. Spaces of commemoration, ceremony, and community.

That's a final snapshot of my Scottish Highland tour, but I have gone down the rabbithole of community history, including a search for the game changing book 'The Magic of Findhorn', and now have so much more I want to write about Findhorn and their emblem the phoenix.

#writerslife #writersinspiration #findhorn community #findhorn #clava cairns #scottishscones

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soizickjaffrecomicsblog · 3 months

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💥My graphic memoir about international friendships, sports, fun, the Gay Games, freedom... And the meaning of life... To be released this summer, by @stackeddeckpress

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🌎 Https://soizickjaffrecomics.com/agoodsport

...

🏁I am a French comic artist soizickjaffrecomics.com with

🏁This book is also about my experience of the Paris 2018 Gay Games (first edition of the GG in 1982, San Francisco, CA).

🏁 Bowling : if you love bowling, you need this book

...

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❤️ A GOOD SPORT

BOOK TOUR ❤️

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🗯️

July 10: Bureau of General Services – Queer Division, New York City, NY

🗯️

July 17: Comic Asylum Bookstore, Palm Desert, California

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July 18: Desert General Bookstore, 29 Palms, California

🗯️

July 19: Nuclear Comics Bookstore, San Diego, California

🗯️

July 27: SDCC 2024 - San Diego Comic-Con, Prism Comics Booth, San Diego, California

🗯️

July 30: Page Against the Machine Bookstore, Long Beach, California

🗯️

August 1: California College of the Arts, San Francisco, California

🗯️

August 3: Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco, California

🗯️

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literaryspaces · 1 year

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Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

951 W. Chicago Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 (312) 994-4000 [email protected] flwright.org In August 2020, I visited Oak Park in Chicago’s West Side. The neighborhood is known for its Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.

Wright, a native of Spring Green, Wis., and a Chicago architect, designed more than 400 homes and public buildings throughout the United States during the first half of the twentieth century.

Wright is known for his residential structures, which feature low roofs, open floor plans, and furnishings to match the home designs. His public building designs echo the natural landscapes surrounding them.

To prepare for the trip, I purchased a book on Amazon called Hometown Architect by Patrick F. Cannon. I learned from Cannon's book that Wright designed twenty-three residences and three civic structures in Oak Park. He designed five residences and two civic structures in nearby River Forest.

Some of Wright's favorite books, on shelves above the children's playroom of his home The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio was built in 1889 in the Shingle Style. The museum was giving tours during COVID-19. I was able to obtain a museum map from the studio’s gift shop to take on a walking tour after exploring the museum.

As Wright noted in An Autobiography, Oak Park was called “Saint’s Rest.” The community of families and church workers made his mother feel at home. “The quiet village looked much like Madison to mother,” he wrote.

Wright's father, a former preacher, taught at a conservatory in Madison. After a brief sojourn in New England, Wright lived and worked on the farm of his uncle and aunt. He escaped to Chicago and began to apprentice as an architect. Wright's mother moved from Madison to be closer to her son.

Wright reflected on the Queen Anne architecture in the neighborhood while taking a walk one day. The homes, built on tiny lawns, featured a masonry foundation, wood walls with shingles or siding, decorative brackets, bay windows, and gabled roofs. "Simplicity," Wright wrote, "was as far from this scrap-pile as the pandemonium of the barnyard is far from music. But easy enough for the architect."

Walter H. Gale House -- Wright's version of the Queen Anne style, before his Prairie School architecture Wright stated, "I had an idea that the horizontal planes in buildings, those planes parallel to the earth, identify themselves with the ground -- make the building belong to the ground. I began putting this idea to work."

Wright's homes were designed with low ceilings to fit someone about 5'8" -- the size of Frank Lloyd Wright. Instead of rooms side by side, he designed a large room with a central fireplace, and dining, kitchen, and sleeping areas around it. Wright made furniture and decorative objects for his homes with the overall design aesthetic of "organic simplicity."

Unlike Louis Sullivan, his former boss, who believed that "form follows function," Wright believed that "form and function are one." Buildings, he wrote, favored "the expressive flow of continuous surface."

Wright had a studio in the home and worked from there until 1895. He converted it into bedrooms in 1895 to accommodate his six children by Catherine Tobin Wright.

Drafting room Wright built a new studio in 1898, located down the hall from his living quarters. He paid for the studio with money made from designing glass for the American Luxfor Prism Company.

Wright chose an octagonal shape for his studio. The wing featured a drafting room, office, and library. The studio had a waiting area with a desk. Clients could view Wright's plans in the waiting area without entering the drafting room and disturbing the workers.

Waiting room According to Briar Owens, museum manager, Wright sold his studio and did not return to it after the sale. The books he published in later years were written from Taliesin, a home he designed in Spring Green.

Wright moved to Taliesin in 1911. He converted his studio, again, into living quarters. The dwelling was further divided into apartment units during World War II.

During his studio days, he wrote his articles, "A Home in a Prairie Town" and "A Fireproof House for $5,000" and published them in Ladies Home Journal.

Studio office On a walking tour of the neighborhood, I took pictures of several Wright houses.

Included on the tour is the Prairie Style home of Willam H. Copeland House. Copeland's son-in-law, Walter Pratt Beachy, was a business partner with John Wright, Frank's son, in the company that made Lincoln Logs.

William H. Copeland House Notable is the brick archway over the front entrance of the Arthur B. Heurtley House. Frank Lloyd Wright's sister, Jane Porter, bought the home from Wright's clients and lived there from 1920 to 1946.

Arthur B. Huertley House I returned with a driver in an SUV another day. I asked him to drive me through the neighborhood to look at more of the homes.

At 520 N. East Ave., in a dark walled compound, an author named Mamah Cheney lived with her husband Edwin, a Chicago engineer, and their two children. Wright and Cheney had an affair toward the end of his marriage to Catherine. So the story goes, they used to ride around Oak Park in Wright's yellow sports car.

Mamah Cheney House Cheney lived with Wright at Taliesin until a tragedy happened on August 15, 1914. Julian Carlton, a disgruntled worker, murdered Mamah Cheney, her two children, and four of Wright's workers, with a hatchet and burned them.

Wright and Edwin Cheney were in Chicago at the time. While there was an aura of suspicion around them, Carlton was blamed for the crime. He was arrested and died in jail. To get an idea of the public apathy at the time for Carlton, his corpse was dismembered and incinerated after his death.

Wright escaped to Japan before World War II and spent extended periods of time in Russia as well. These sojourns seemed to prevent him from gaining further public scrutiny regarding the murder case.

A sign to recruit volunteers for the museum

The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio was renovated in 1974. It is open to the public for tours. Hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are $20 to view the home inside and $30 to tour the inside and outside of the home. Book online at flwright.org/tour.

Sources

Cannon, Patrick F. Hometown Architect: The Complete Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright in Oak Park and River Forest, Illinois. Petaluma, Calif.: Pomegranate Communications, 2006.

Wright, Frank Lloyd. An Autobiography. Petaluma, Calif.: Pomegranate Communications, 1943.

#authors #architecture #franklloydwright

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leanstooneside · 2 years

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Wheelbarrow hold top rope legdrop combination (PRISM)

THE COLOSSAL BRONTOSAUR

THE YOUNG MAN

THE ACUTE IDEA

THE COMMON LAW

THE DEAD LANGUAGES

THE NEEDFUL BOOKS

THE ORIGINAL COLLECTION

THE PROVINCIAL TOURS

THE NOBLE TREATISE

THE ABOVE EXAMPLES

THE GREAT GLOBE

THE MIRACULOUS HISTORIES

THE MOST I

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bouwrites · 2 years

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And Your Bird Can Sing: Chapter 8

Step 4-1

First, Previous, Next.

Ao3.

Story under read-more.

As they get older, Derek only grows busier. Still, he sees Jamie, Cove, and Ryer when he can, and he stays in contact even when he can’t.

After the summer they spend together, all the parents do follow through on the process of reporting Ryer’s parents for abuse. The process is unfortunately slow, and the agency that deals with that kind of thing has to investigate, but by the new year Ryer is removed from the Finch home for his own safety.

Not long after that, the Lasts get approval to serve as foster parents and take Ryer in. It’s a complicated affair that most of the kids don’t know much about, but even though they do manage to get him away from his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Finch never lose parental rights, and fight constantly for Ryer to return to them.

Seeing the struggle he causes, and still uncomfortable in his new home, Ryer begins working not long after he moves in with the Lasts, offering services as an instrumentalist. It’s during this time that he meets Mathias in person, and the rest of the band Archetype, who often commissions him for tracks to back their own music, or to hop into the studio with them to record live.

When he finishes high school, Ryer uses the money he saves throughout his teenage years and the business he’s built thus far to move into a small apartment in Prism Vista City and attend a local community college.

When it’s Derek’s time to find a college, he attends an out-of-state one on a sports scholarship, and it gets even harder to see his friends.

That’s why, when he finally returns to Prism Vista City to help his dad with his business and figure out his own career prospects, he’s so ecstatic that Jamie visits. Even if it’s only three days, it’s three days of just him and one of his best friends that he doesn’t see almost at all for four years.

And Ryer even longer.

In fact, it’s as Jamie gets ready to leave that he reminds Derek of that very thing. Jamie is unusually quiet, pensively clutching his old, tattered suitcase and not-so-subtly eyeing his phone.

“Something wrong?” Derek asks. They’ll be seeing each other again soon. Jamie is resolved to move back to Sunset Bird, and even if he doesn’t move soon, he’ll be back to visit again near the end of summer along with Cove this time.

But Jamie isn’t thinking about Cove, or Derek. He sighs, frowning. “I’m so glad Liz was able to make it, but… Ryer never came back. He was supposed to be here two days ago.”

Ah. Derek rubs his neck. “They stopped in Vegas. He said they’d managed to book a show there last minute and decided to go for it since it was on the way back anyway, so they’re postponed until Tuesday.”

“Yeah…” Jamie sighs. “I know. I’m happy for him and all, I just… Ever since he moved out, I’ve hardly seen him. And part of that’s my fault since I moved so far away for college, but… I was really hoping he’d be in town.”

“Hey,” Derek says gently. He takes Jamie by the shoulders. “You’ll be moving back soon, and he’s not going to be going on tour again for a while at least. You’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Just- soon.”

That pulls a smile from Jamie. “Soon,” he echoes. “Yeah. You’re right! We’ll be seeing each other again in no time! That goes for you, too. I’ll see you again soon, so wait for me, alright?”

Derek laughs. “Always. I’ll be here.”

“And when are you finally going to ask him out?” Jamie teases. Derek’s face pinks. “I mean, he’s off traveling with Archetype right now. Think about the groupies! If you don’t get on that, you might lose your chance! People are probably throwing themselves at the super-cool musician!”

“So you want me to be one of them?”

“I want you to finally be my step-brother! Then we can all finally be official family!”

Officially, Ryer was only Jamie’s foster brother and now that he’s an adult has absolutely zero legal ties to the Lasts. So, marrying Ryer won’t make Derek and Jamie step-brothers anyway. Jamie doesn’t care. Derek doesn’t blame him, though. Living under the same roof, cared for by the same parents, even if it’s only for a few years, it’s not at all surprising that Jamie considers Ryer his brother.

(Liz feels the same way. When Derek brings her to the city for Jamie’s visit, she asks after Ryer as well, but though Derek does reach out to him, Ryer just informs him about the extension of their tour. There’s no way he can make it back to the city before Jamie leaves.)

The sour note hanging over it all is that Derek thinks Jamie is probably right about the groupies. Ryer isn’t the front man or anything. It’s technically Archetype’s tour, and Ryer is along as a hired instrumentalist, not even technically part of the band, and to occasionally perform as part of a pre-show.

But Ryer has a close relationship with Archetype. Even though their music is quite different, with Archetype generally having a metal-leaning rock sound and Ryer as a soloist prefers folkier tunes, they work together, collaborate, and mention each other publicly often enough that most people aware of one knows of the other.

Archetype’s big break coincides, therefore, with a rise in Ryer’s popularity as well, and now that Archetype is relatively well known, at least within their genre, Ryer is undeniably successful, even if he’s not some superstar.

Actually, it’s a collaboration, one of Archetype’s songs that feature Ryer as a singer rather than just an instrumentalist, that hits the charts and gives them their big break. So, even though it’s Archetype’s song, technically, Ryer’s name is right there in the title.

Derek still remembers how shocked – and proud – he was the very first time he walks through the supermarket and suddenly hears Ryer’s voice on the radio.

Ryer’s not a household name or anything, but he’s successful, especially for how young he is. Palling with the more established band in Archetype really gives him a boost. He is certainly popular, and cool and handsome and mysterious (mostly shy) enough to have ravenous groupies on a tour like this. It twists his gut, but Derek knows better than to let something like that bother him. It’s not like he ever finds the nerve to actually ask Ryer out, even after ten years.

And their promise… well, it’s dependent on Ryer not finding someone else of his own accord. It’d be dishonest to get in the way of that, and more than that, Derek will he happy enough so long as his friend ends up happy, too.

“Come on, Derek,” says Jamie teasingly. “You know you’ve always wanted another brother. And I’ll even throw in a sister to sweeten the deal for you.”

Derek snorts. “I have more than enough brothers, thanks. They’re already little punks. I don’t need a third one on top of that. Liz, though… I might be able to handle a big sister.”

Jamie gasps in mock offense. “Betrayed by my best friend! For my own sister!”

“Seriously, though,” Derek snickers. “Try tying down Cove before you worry about us all being family. Even if I do marry Ryer. If you don’t get married we’re still a man down.”

“Hey, at least we’re dating. Besides, I’m so past done just waiting for him to put together my very obvious hints.” Jamie rolls his eyes. “He’ll literally never notice. I’ll ask him when the time is right. With the move and all that, though, it’s better to wait until we’re more established. Not just together, but… you know… in Sunset Bird. Or maybe the city, I don’t know yet. I’ll talk it over with Cove.”

Jamie huffs. “You, though…”

Derek rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” The truth is the date that time is up on their deal is rapidly approaching. And Derek…

Just three days ago, he would probably panic and wait silently, then awkwardly try to avoid Ryer and forget all about that stupid, childish agreement. Never bring it up, never put any pressure on Ryer to make good on it.

But he’s done with that. He’s done letting opportunities pass him by. Sure, he’s not going to hold Ryer to a deal he makes ten years ago, but this is a chance that Derek is going to grab by the horns.

When Ryer returns from his tour, Derek is going to talk to him about it. He’s going to give Ryer every chance to back out without a fuss if he doesn’t want to be with Derek like that, but he’s not going to be the one to push this chance away.

“Don’t worry,” Derek says. “I’ll talk to him about it soon.”

Jamie blinks. “Wait, really? You know I was just teasing, right?”

Derek laughs. “I know. But… I’m done waiting. I can’t put this off any longer.” And time is up, anyway. Even if Derek wants to, it’s sort of an unspoken part of their deal that asking each other out is a bad idea. The deal is supposed to give them time, and cutting that time short ruins the whole idea of it.

But Derek doesn’t care anymore. He’s tired of holding back. No more waiting to be good enough. No more moving the goalposts. And this close to the ten-year mark, he thinks he’s okay on disrespecting the deal, anyway.

Jamie still doesn’t know about the deal. Derek doesn’t tell a soul about it, and the very idea of Ryer doing so is… hilariously unlikely. So, he’s pretty sure that he and Ryer are still the only ones with any idea that the deal exists.

With that in mind, it is a little surprising for Jamie that it takes Derek this long. Or maybe not, considering everything that happens during this visit of his. And the better part of five years that they barely see each other.

Actually, even with hindsight, Derek thinks now is really the better time to be doing this. A lot of their separation before college is self-inflicted, which Derek is still angry with himself about, but he doesn’t regret his college years or choices at all, so that time of being in long distance is still there.

Or, at least, he doesn’t regret going to college, anyway. The whole sports thing falling through and turning all his effort for more than ten years into little more than a waste of time is… definitely still frustrating. But going out of state to college, making his life on his own for the first time in that environment, even the people he befriends and the team he plays with… he doesn’t regret any of it.

“That’s the spirit,” says Jamie. He gently squeezes Derek’s shoulder. “I know you can do it. And I expect you to call me as soon as he agrees to a date.”

Derek blushes. “We don’t know that he will. We don’t even know if he likes guys.” Derek knows he considers it. Ten years ago. And has some kind of feelings for Derek at that time. But it’s been a long time since then, and Ryer never brings up the topic ever again.

That makes Jamie hesitate. He sighs. “As much as I’d like to say, ‘I’m his brother; I know he definitely likes you back’ I… He’s always been kind of closed off from me. I think it actually got worse when moms started fostering him. You’d think he’d be comfortable sharing that much with us. I mean… moms, plus I’m dating a guy. But… the truth is he hardly talks to us about anything. There was never any chance he’d tell us.”

Derek’s heart melts because Jamie actually lets the hurt onto his face. It’s a long-standing complaint from Jamie, that from the moment Ryer enters the Last home he seems to act like he’d rather be anywhere but. Like he avoids bonding with them any more than strictly necessary. Avoids spending any unnecessary time with them, even.

And from what Derek can tell, he does. Ryer is always busy when the Lasts come around. Jamie is so happy to have a brother, foster or not, especially one he already likes so much, but Ryer actually puts distance between them once their status is confirmed.

And since he moves out… well, Derek isn’t around much, either, but he doesn’t ever hear about Ryer visiting, or even allowing them to visit, and he lives in just the neighboring city. In Jamie’s words, Ryer stays the closest to home of any of them, but he feels the furthest away.

“I’ll let him know you miss him,” Derek says. It’s weak, a pittance of an offer, but all he has to cheer Jamie up with.

It’s enough. Jamie straightens, sighs, and shakes his head, casting away the mood. “Yeah. Thanks. I’ll be waiting for your call. Whichever way it goes. But… I do think you’ve got a good chance.”

Derek sure hopes so.

“I need to go,” Jamie says quietly. “God, I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Jamie,” Derek says just as softly, stepping forward to hug his best friend. “Have a good flight. And I’ll definitely call you as soon as I have news.”

Jamie’s arms wrap tight around Derek’s ribs. “Can’t wait,” he says. “I’ll text you when I land, too.”

“And when you get back to your apartment.”

Jamie snickers into Derek’s chest. “And when I get back to my apartment.”

Reluctantly, they peel apart. Jamie takes a deep breath. “Alright. Time’s up. Until next time, Derek. See you later.”

Derek stands there, watching Jamie turn and walk away, consoling himself with the knowledge that Jamie will be back soon, and eventually for good.

And once he’s out of sight… Derek finally lets out the breath he’s holding and slowly shuffles away.

He stuffs his hands into the kangaroo pocket on his shirt and trails his eyes on the ground. He’s all alone again. It’s nice having someone else in his apartment. Having a roommate. And Derek knows that it’s a temporary thing and that even when Jamie comes back he’s going to be getting his own place with Cove, as he should, but…

Derek still misses having someone just down the hall. Someone to put away groceries with, or to leave a note for when he goes out early in the morning.

All the little things that only happen when cohabiting with someone else that remind Derek of all the times he does those exact same things with, or for, his family.

Now that Jamie is gone, Derek’s apartment feels so much lonelier.

And it’s a lonely few days indeed. There’s not much but the mundanity of everyday life and quiet anticipation for what he plans to do once Ryer is back.

Derek takes advantage of the time to plan, because of course he does, but he’s still not exceptionally confident. It’s a hard thing to do, to put one’s heart out there, but Derek finally feels strong enough to do it.

Plus… it’s a little embarrassing. It’s not like they lose contact or anything, but ten years is a long time to hold onto a crush. It’s just that from the start Derek always hopes that they’d run out of time and have to fall back on their deal. That’s why he proposes the deal in the first place. He’s long over his crush on Jamie, probably because that’s actually resolved.

With Ryer, though… one way or another, resolution is coming soon. Derek can finally move on, or get a boyfriend, depending. And that’s a good thing, because either way, Derek isn’t just watching life pass him by anymore.

Derek smiles at his smartphone, at Ryer’s contact there. He stamps down the fluttering in his gut and taps the call button.

“Yeah?”

It’s still strange being on the phone with Ryer. Hearing his music all the time means Derek hears Ryer’s voice all the time, so hearing him through the phone is at once too similar and oddly different. “Hey!” Derek chirps, summoning all his enthusiasm. “You’re getting back tomorrow, right?”

A soft hum. “Yeah, we’re actually already back in California. We should be back around four-ish.” Ryer sighs. “Last night on the road. It’s going to be weird being home again.”

“But I bet you won’t miss being surrounded by old people all the time.”

Ryer snickers. Distantly, a shout of, “I’m not old!”

“Sorry,” Ryer laughs. “Should’ve told you you’re on speaker.”

Oops. “Sorry!” Derek says, not really feeling sorry at all.

“Tell us how you really feel, you little punk!” Mathias shouts.

Ryer adds, “There’s no privacy here, anyway, so I didn’t think it’d matter. Sorry again for not telling you.”

“That’s alright,” Derek says quickly. Knowing there’s an audience does spike his nerves, but Archetype is cool. The worst that’ll happen is they’ll tease a little. And it’s not like Derek is actually asking him out right this moment. “It’s not a big deal. I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure. Shoot.”

Derek grins. “Have you been eating properly? I bet you’ve been eating out a lot, haven’t you?”

Ryer makes a strange noise. “We’re not children, Derek,” he says, though it comes across amused. “Well, most of us. We have at least one responsible adult here.”

“Not you!” Mathias shouts.

“I mean Alex, obviously!” Ryer shouts back.

“Not me!” the somewhat less familiar voice of Archetype’s drummer, Alex, carries from somewhere further away.

Yeah, he says that, but he’s absolutely the band’s mom. Even Derek knows that much.

“Anyway,” Derek says. “I figure you can use a home-cooked meal. Call it a welcome home. Want to come to my place for dinner tomorrow? I’m sure you’re tired, too, so you’re welcome to crash here. I’ve got that extra bedroom.”

There’s a moment of silence, then, “That sounds great.” And there’s legitimate relief and gratitude in Ryer’s voice. Derek hums softly. As much as he knows Ryer loves being on this tour, it must be so exhausting. Coming home to a warm meal and a quiet place to sleep… is the least Derek can give him. “I’d love that.”

“Great!” Derek says. “I’ll see you then?”

“For sure.”

“Awesome. Well, that’s what I wanted to ask, so I’ll let you go. Good night!”

“Yeah, night.”

As Derek drops his phone, he can’t fight the grin spreading across his lips. He’s still absolutely terrified to bring up their deal and ask Ryer out for real, but he’s also ecstatic to have plans to finally see him in person again.

It takes him a while to fall asleep. His mind races with what to make tomorrow and what he needs to get to prepare. Nothing fancy, no need to go all out. He’ll have time for that if Ryer agrees to go on an actual date with him. Just something that he knows Ryer likes.

But in no time at all, tomorrow comes. Derek is excited all day for it, nervously cleaning and organizing and preparing even though he knows he doesn’t need to for Ryer of all people.

Then, in the early evening, a knock comes at his door.

Derek flings the thing open. He barely spares the time to confirm it’s Ryer in front of him before he throws his arms wide, grinning and inviting.

Ryer rolls his eyes. He adjusts his weathered backpack for just a moment before he steps into Derek’s space and accepts the hug.

They part. Ryer brushes the dangly bit of his hair out of his face – it’s still there, and is actually longer now, though Ryer can’t bring himself to let his hair get long enough that he can tie it back with the rest. (He can’t keep it tied up for long, since he never gets out of the habit of running his hand through it. He always ends up knocking any ties out of his hair by accident. But he does do so on occasion if he has reason to.)

“Long time no see,” Ryer says passively. “How’s everyone?”

“Everyone’s great!” Derek eagerly reports. “Come on in. Make yourself at home.” He vacates the doorway so that Ryer can obey, which he does graciously, dropping his bag and kicking off his shoes in the entryway and beelining for Derek’s couch.

Derek can only chuckle at him. He must be exhausted. “How’re you?” Derek asks.

Ryer lifts his head. It’s all there on his face. Not the kind of tiredness that comes from lack of sleep, but the kind that comes from a busy, busy day. Or many of them. Derek can’t even imagine being on the road for as long as Ryer is, and that’s not even counting the actual shows he participates in and helps set up.

But even with the tiredness, Ryer smiles. Content is the best word for it. Nothing less.

“Good,” Ryer answers simply. “I’m going to sleep for a week, but I’m good.”

“The tour was fun, then?”

“Oh, yeah. Tons. And I heard you had fun, too. Is Jamie still doing alright?”

Derek pauses in the kitchen, just for a moment. “Yeah, he’s good,” Derek says. “He was kind of sad that he missed you. Liz, too. She managed to visit for a day when Jamie was here.”

Ryer hums. “So, the Lasts were all back together? Good for them. Must’ve been nice.”

…Is Ryer actually ignorant, or…? It’s a hard thing for Derek to bring up, especially right now, but if Ryer isn’t just avoiding it and actually doesn’t realize how the Lasts feel about him…

“…Yeah,” Derek says carefully. “Though… it didn’t feel like… everyone.”

“Ah…” Ryer sighs. “Was Jamie upset?”

“A little,” Derek admits.

“Sorry. It really was just a last-minute opportunity,” Ryer mumbles. “I didn’t mean to miss Jamie’s visit.”

“He understands,” Derek says. “Don’t worry. It was a good opportunity. None of us would’ve wanted you to miss it.”

“Still,” Ryer says, “I should try to make it up to him. Hey… do you know what he’s doing on Saturday?”

Saturday? “Uh? I don’t think he’s doing anything? But he can’t come back so soon.”

“Nah, not to come back, but Archetype and I are planning a kind of… celebration? For finishing our tour. Since the tour couldn’t have happened without the fans, we thought it’d be appropriate to do a little livestream for everyone. Jamie could listen, if he has the time?”

Gathering the food up on the plates, Derek grins. “I think he would’ve listened anyway. What’re you doing? Just a concert, basically?”

Ryer grins, and it’s mischievous in a way that sets Derek’s heart. “No, we just did a whole bunch of those! You can find video of a lot of them. Nah, we’re going to record a kind of special cover album together.”

“Yeah? How’s that work?”

Ryer, seeing Derek with the plates, gets back up to join him at the counter, even taking one of the plates so Derek doesn’t have to serve it himself.

“Remember when we were kids and we’d go to the beach and sing around a campfire?” Ryer asks, smiling. “I was telling the others about that, and somewhere along the way we had the idea to do a sort of… campfire session. Go down to the beach, just us, some instruments – only things anyone could bring. A guitar, a ukulele, some kind of shaker, maybe? Things like that. Really strip down the music and have an acoustic session. Unedited, or very lightly. Just friends around a fire having fun. We think our fans would like that.”

“That sounds awesome,” Derek breathes. “I’ve always loved when you do that kind of thing.”

“A lot of people do.” Ryer shrugs. “Acoustic sessions are more… intimate. Mathias and I were even talking about doing a studio session with just us two. Really strip it all down. But Saturday is a celebration, so it’ll be the whole band just enjoying themselves.”

“What are you going to play?”

Ryer winks. “That’s a surprise. I picked half the setlist, Archetype agreed on the rest. Should be ten songs total. We’ll be going back and forth. Ironically, one of the ones I’m most excited about is one of their picks.”

“Really?” Derek leans in. “Come on, you got to tell me at least that one.”

Ryer grins. “I’ll give you two,” he says. “The one I’m super excited about is going to be mostly Mathias. You heard, Slow, Love, Slow by Nightwish?”

“I haven’t.”

“Honestly, Nightwish has such an incredible lineup, but that’s got to be one of my favorites. And then Mathias is taking advantage of this to do a duet with me that we’ve been teasing each other about for a while. That’s Battle Cries from The Amazing Devil.”

“Isn’t that a love song? With that old geezer?”

Ryer snorts. “Sort of? It’s sort of a breakup song. But our personalities are perfect for it, so… just be glad he didn’t choose Fair. And he’s not that old.”

Derek laughs. “Well, be sure you let Jamie know when you plan on streaming that. I’ll have to watch, too.”

“If you’re free, you’re welcome to come,” Ryer says casually, shrugging into his meal. “The whole stream should only be an hour – an hour and a half or so? We’ll just be hanging out for at least some time afterwards, and honestly, we’ll probably sing more, too, so you’re more than welcome to join.”

“I’d love to. That sounds like so much fun. That’s Saturday?”

“Mhm. Probably in the evening. Towards sunset, or even at night.”

Derek bites his lip, thinking hard. There’s still nearly a whole week until Saturday. He has Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday completely free… And he doesn’t think Ryer’s up to anything really except maybe rehearsal for this campfire session livestream.

“I’ll be there,” Derek says. “What are you up to in the meantime?”

“Not much,” Ryer admits, stretching languidly. “I’ve got to do some social media hyping, make sure everyone knows this campfire session is happening, but other than that it’s just the usual practice.”

“Then,” Derek says, “want to do something tomorrow?”

“Like what?”

Good question. Derek’s plan to go to the water park with Jamie falls through for the business luncheon for his dad, so he does still want to go sometime. Ah, but, “Well… You probably don’t want to go out and do some big thing since you just got back, so… we could settle in and watch Disney movies?”

“You want to have a lazy day in?” Ryer raises his brow.

“I can have a lazy day in if I want to,” Derek protests proudly.

“We’ll see about that. Sure, I’m down. Maybe I just shouldn’t leave tomorrow.”

Oh, please. In an effort to not sound desperate as all hell, Derek keeps that pleading thought to himself. Still, he rubs his neck awkwardly and bites his lip, wondering how to approach the next topic.

“By the way,” Derek says eventually, “Jamie reminded me of something.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. This summer is… ten years since that first summer when we met.”

“Ten years, huh?” Ryer hums. It takes a second. Just one second where he turns his attention back to his food and takes another bite, then his eyes blow wide. He chokes down his mouthful, then stammers, “Wait… ten years?”

Now blushing, Derek slowly nods.

“Holy shit. You’re talking about… that, right?”

Again Derek nods.

Ryer runs a hand through his hair, then nervously tugs at the bandanna tied tight around his neck. “The deal…” he murmurs. “Shit, you’re actually still single?”

“…What?”

“How the hell are you still single?”

“Uh, Ryer?”

Ryer closes his eyes to measure a breath. “Sorry. No, I’m fine. Totally fine. I just… didn’t expect we’d actually end up here. I guess we should… talk about it?”

That would be for the best. “Yeah,” Derek says, releasing his own held breath. “I-”

“Hold on,” says Ryer suddenly, shifting in his seat to fully face Derek. All sincerity on his face. “Just- you don’t have to, you know. We were teenagers and… honestly pretty stupid when we made that deal. I’m not going to hold you to anything.”

Derek blinks, then he laughs. Loud and clear. “I was just about to say that to you!”

“Wha- huh?”

Swallowing down his nerves, Derek steels himself. “Actually, I want to say something first, if that’s alright.” Ryer tensely nods. Derek breathes in. “So… yeah, the deal was really stupid. I think that goes without saying now that we’re actual adults. But… I’m glad that we made it. I think we made it for the right reasons. I’m… kind of proud of little me. Even though I know he was just running away and buying time… he might’ve done it for stupid reasons, but it was the right thing to do at the time.”

“I agree,” Ryer says, surprising Derek. Ryer laughs a little weakly. “Again, I never thought we’d actually have to face up to the terms of the deal, but… putting a date there, even one so far away… respecting both of our time and our feelings… it put things into perspective for me. It made it easier. I think I told you once that where I grew up, and when, I guess – things have changed so much – things like two boys dating just… didn’t happen. I didn’t know it was an option. Then, even when I met the Lasts and started figuring all that out, even after I’d realized I’m attracted to guys, it still never occurred to me that it was an option for me, if that makes any sense.”

“That makes perfect sense.”

“So, yeah. I’m really glad we made that deal. I’d never had anyone… respect my feelings like that? I guess? And… and honestly… it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but… there were times throughout these ten years that I’ve thought… ‘Is this the kind of person that I want to stick Derek with?’ The deal sort of inspired me to be my favorite me. One I’d be proud to present to you when the day came like, ‘This is it. This is what was worth ten years.’ You know?”

Derek doesn’t know how to feel. Partly he’s so beyond flattered and flustered to hear Ryer admit all this, but also… he knows exactly what Ryer is saying. “Yeah,” Derek says. “I do. There were times that I thought the same. Knowing there was someone waiting for me inspired me to be better. To be good enough for you.” Derek might even have taken that too far, but regardless, he knows the feeling. “And, Ryer… what I really want to say is… I still like you. I never stopped. And teenage me passed the buck on this one – and I can respect that. I do think in hindsight it was a smart move, even though my reasons were stupid. But I’m not going to move the goalpost again.”

Derek breathes deeply and looks into Ryer’s dark eyes. “Our deal says that, at the end of the summer, we should get married. I say… forget the deal.”

Ryer’s eyes widen. Derek doesn’t give him time to express whatever flashes across his face, or even figure out whether it’s good or bad.

“Ryer Finch,” Derek says, forcing a smile, and feeling happy even beneath all his nerves, that he’s finally doing this, “with absolutely no deal, or pact, or obligation to do so… will you go out with me?”

Ryer sucks in a breath.

“I want…” Derek admits hesitantly. “I want you to choose me. Not to run out of time and end up with me. And I want you to be honest. I want you to choose what you’ll be happy with, not suffer through some attempt at something because of a deal. So…”

“Yeah.” Ryer sounds like he’s run a marathon. A little stronger, and with a surprise reappearance of his accent that he’s mostly rid of (and which, shamefully, kind of does things for Derek) he repeats, “Yeah, I, uh… yes. Honestly… I figured out my feelings a long time ago.” His eyes go everywhere but Derek. “Surprise! Kissing you back then definitely meant I liked you. Like you. Still, that is. Uh… Hm. I’m horrible at this.”

Derek laughs. “Does that mean tomorrow can be a date?”

Pink colors Ryer’s cheeks. “…Sure?”

Derek leans in closer, so his face is near Ryer’s. He might not ordinarily be so forward, but he’s learning to allow himself to do things he wants to, plus… Ryer is the one that crosses this line first. At least Derek will do it properly. He grins giddily, exuberant, and asks, “Does that mean I can kiss you?”

He feels an unreasonable burst of pride as he watches Ryer’s eyes dart down to his lips. “Yeah,” Ryer says, soft and quiet. “Please.”

Derek wastes no more time in doing what he wishes he’d been doing for the last ten years.

#our life: beginnings & always #Our Life Fanfiction #fanfiction #write

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