Title: Revelations
Fandom: The Following
Pairing: Ryan Hardy/Mike Weston
Rating: PG.
Warnings: inappropriate language, minor violence.
Summary: While having an unpleasant conversation with Joe, Ryan has some revelations.
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me and this didn't happened. Made only for fun.
A/N: + This happend during S01E12. Written for a prompt kink-following:
"Ryan thinks less and less about Claire and more about Mike as days go by. On one particular moment he realizes he has feelings for Mike. Bonus: -Ryan realizes he likes him in a very akward moment (talking to FBI assholes, with Carroll, drinking coffee with Parker, etc)."
+ Also Unbetae'd. Sorry about any mistakes you may find here! And please comment! :)

Seeing Claire go was hard. Even more so because she went by free will after everything that Ryan has done to protect her and the people he involved for that.

Many people were injured in the process. People that Ryan cared about and have risked themselves to protect her. Be it by friendship or duty, whatever, they did so without hesitation. The blame he felt for having caused damage to Mike and his best friend Tyson weighed on his shoulders. Loving the former wife of a psychopath who was obsessed by him was not easy, especially when there was so much at stake.

And then Claire just went into that car after all the effort that Ryan did to avoid that. He felt betrayed at first to see her go without kicking or struggling to get free. She never once shouted his name for help, Claire was just gone. But days later, Ryan found that a maternal extinct is something strong enough to make foolishness like this, to go straight to the lion's den without thinking of the consequences.

Now that she was gone, the only thing Ryan was focused on was finding Joe. It was not an easy task, not with so many crazy people helping him and hindering their work. But then Mike was back after weeks away to recover from the beating he took. Ryan saw him and smiled slightly, noticing his still bruised and battered face. Having Mike around helped somewhat. The younger man became a connection with reality that Ryan did not know he could have with someone. Not after so much fucked up things that happened in his life.

And then Joe struck again.

Ryan looked shocked through the glass window as Mike was stuck in a chair with Joe behind him, holding a knife in his hand. This could not have happened, not so soon after Mike barely recovered! Ryan silently cursed Mike's bad luck and gritted his teeth when Joe began passing his hands all over Mike's face in false kindness.

"Does it hurt, Mike? Did my boys did this to you? "Joe asked, only to then stick his nails on Mike's still healing wound on his forehead, causing him to scream in pain.

"Kill him Ryan! I'm not afraid to die. Kill him! "Mike said between grunts. Ryan looked helplessly at everything, but then he remembered that he knew the sick mind of Joe better than anyone. He would not kill Mike. But that didn't mean that Joe wouldn't make him feel pain. Joe hit Mike's wounded forehead with the knife handle when he spat in his face. Ryan flinched and something snapped inside him.

"Hey! Why not come here and deal with me? Come on!" Ryan shouted with both hands pressed to the glass. Mike didn't have to go through this anymore, not now. It was too soon for him to be going through so much. And he was not the target, after all.

Joe of course, did not give a damn about his plea. He started talking and talking, wanting to know things that were not his business. All because of a damn book that he was obsessed with writing. And when Ryan refused to help, Joe threatened to kill Mike again. Even though he needed him alive, Ryan panicked and jumped into the glass again. He agreed to help the bastard.

Mike looked at Ryan with apology on his face. Ryan did not want his apology; he just wanted him to left alone. He wanted Mike to be fine. Ryan he took a deep breath and began to answer every goddamn question. What else could he do if every time he refused to help he hurt Mike? To listen Mike screaming in pain went straight to his heart. He could not bear to see him suffer.

So Ryan spat out everything about his past. Once satisfied, Joe approached the glass to look closely at Ryan and all long Ryan kept his gaze fixed on Mike still stuck in the chair.

"Well well well. Look at that. It seems there is some changes in you since the last time I saw you."

Ryan blinked and looked at Joe. "I don't know what you mean."

"Do not play dumb with me, Ryan. I can see it. You care about this kid." Joe grinned. Ryan looked at him with hard eyes. "You may not even have noticed it, because it is something unexpected and unwanted for you. That sentiment was not in your plans after all, am I right?"

Ryan swallowed hard. He could not let Joe destabilize him. "Are you done?"

"Almost. But this is very interesting to pass up. This changes everything! It changes the course of history in a way that I would never predict. So thank you. Our conversation was very enlightening. Maybe I'll even add a new chapter with a new young character, and can even have sex involved."

Ryan closed his eyes. Joe sneered and then Jacob Wells appeared holding Parker. They escaped again.

~~

Ryan sat with Mike in the ambulance watching as the paramedics examined him. Mike heard the whole story from his fucked up past but that was not what worried him. The insinuations Joe said did not go unnoticed and Ryan could see it in the way that Mike was avoiding looking at him.
Ryan cleared his throat and asked if he was okay. Mike said he was fine and Ryan watched him some more. "You had me worried today." Ryan said with his head bowed. Mike finally looked up.

"I went too far, I know that. I'm just not used to almost dying."

Ryan understood the feeling. He was the same way when he almost died for the first time years ago. He tried to comfort him and Ryan was relieved when Mike looked at him with that same open look that he looked at him on the first day. Maybe things have not changed between them, after all.

"It's true what he said?" Mike spat out of nowhere. Ryan blinked, caught off guard. "What part?" He knew what part, just wanted to buy time. For what he did not know.

"All of it."

Ryan looked down, not knowing how to answer. He did not want to lose Mike, not now. This was way too hard to do all alone and Ryan needed Mike to go through all this. Ryan did not want things to happen like this, not by Joe's hand of all people. He did not plan to say anything because neither Ryan admitted it to himself. For Ryan Claire was the one. He dared not dream of anything else. Only he was wrong.

A hesitant touch in Ryan's hand brought him back from his thoughts. He looked up and saw Mike staring at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. "Ryan?"

Ryan closed his eyes and slowly began stroking the injured hand with his thumb. The soft and warm skin felt good on his hand. Still looking at Mike, Ryan felt his heart pounding in his chest. He knew what that meant.

Ryan risked and laced their fingers, noting how his blue eyes widened slightly and then softened. Ryan smirked. "It's true."

Mike smiled back with shining eyes. Ryan was relieved and let out a breath he did not realize he was holding. A paramedic passed in front of them and Mike quickly released his hand, but when he left Ryan could not resist and approached to brush his knuckles on a stubbled cheek.

Mike looked at him with surprise but did not complain. Which was good because from now on Ryan would find it hard to remain from touching him, even if it was such a light touch like this.