Like Dreamers Do (Rydon)
Title: Like Dreamers Do
Author: Emmy (noahatthedisco)
Paring: Rydon
Rating: PG13-NC17
POV: 3rd person limited, Ryan
Summery: 1967. The United States Of America is at war with Vietnam and young men across the country are drafted into service for the army. In a small apartment in Sin City, four boys just try to make their way in the world. All they want is the chance to live, love and be loved. Like all dreamers do.
Disclaimer: Panic was not alive in 1967, so this is all lies. Lies, I tell you.
A/N: So Sophie saved me by offering to beta for me... thanks so much chica
Previous Chapters and Master Post
(chapter four)
The UNVL quad was much more crowded than Ryan had expected it to be. He glanced around as they arrived on the campus. Brendon's hand was closed in his right one, his guitar case in the other. Nerves pounded in his blood as he surveyed the scene. Most of the people were their age, in their twenties or early thirties, and dressed similarly to Ryan
"Are all these people here for the protest?" Ryan asked Spencer, a small, proud smile spreading across his face.
Spencer rolled his eyes. "You're not the only rebel in Vegas, Ryan."
Brendon giggled and Ryan shot him a glare. Brendon just smiled, squeezing Ryan's hand. Ryan rolled his eyes, but had to fight himself not to smile back. He led them across the quad, eyes darting from side to side. Most of the protesters were in groups ranging from four to ten people. Ryan scanned the crowd, his eyes falling on a lone figure holding a guitar.
"Feel like making a friend?" he asked, inclining his head towards the man sitting about four yards from them. He had scruffy brown hair and a short beard. His clothes, a maroon sweater and beat up jeans, clashed with the sandals on his feet. What caught Ryan's attention however, was the song the slightly older man was playing. It was one of Ryan's favorite songs.
"Oh, why not?" Spencer said, walking ahead of Ryan. He dropped down onto the ground next to the other man. "Hello, I'm Spencer Smith, and my friends and I shall now be sharing your ground."
The other man looked up as Ryan folded himself down onto the ground next to Spencer. The other laughed, "I don't mind sharing." Ryan immediately liked his laugh.
Then Brendon flopped down on top of Ryan, and his view of the world was obstructed by the middle of Brendon's back. He fought to stay sitting up as Brendon wriggled around in Ryan's lap, back to Ryan's chest.
Spencer sighed. "That's Ryan and Brendon. Ignore them."
"Fuck you, Smith," Ryan growled, nudging Brendon. "Get off my lap, Bren, you're crushing me." Brendon pouted but complied, fitting himself against Ryan's side instead. Ryan looked apologetically at the new man.
He was chuckling softly. "I'm Jon Walker," he said, offering his hand to Spencer, Ryan and Brendon in turn.
"Hi, Jon Walker! You've got an awesome name!" Brendon said happily, and Ryan sighed. He looked at the younger man with a mix of annoyance and affection. Brendon just nuzzled his shoulder, releasing his puppy eyes on Ryan. And maybe Ryan was a little too far gone for his own good.
When Ryan looked back up Jon was watching them with a small smile on his face. He caught Ryan's eye and winked, making Ryan blush.
"So, where are you from?" Jon asked, setting his guitar to the side.
"About three blocks down the road," Spencer answered, flipping his hair our of his eyes.
"No shit. Local boys, huh?" Jon nodded, leaning back so his weight was resting on his hands.
Ryan nodded. "You're not?"
Jon shook his head. "Nah. Chicagoland. I'm just passing through."
"What are you doing here, then? Saw a protest and decided to get your Rebel on?" Brendon joked.
Jon let out an easy laugh. "Pretty much. I'm just drifting, ya know? Trying to find some place to settle. I heard about this and figured I might as well come."
Brendon nodded, impressed, and they sat in companionable silence for a minute, just looking around. Ryan reached around Brendon's shoulder to grab his guitar case. The case was even more battered then the guitar was itself, the stiff leather scratched and dirty. Ryan loved it anyway.
Jon looked over at him as Ryan unsnapped the case. He smiled and Ryan smiled back, pulling the worn leather strapped over his head. Brendon sat up, his face taking on the calm and centered look it only ever took when music was concerned. Ryan fit his fingers against the fret board.
He raised an eyebrow at Jon. "Wanna play?"
Jon smiled, rising to the challenge. "What song?" he asked, reaching side ways to grab his guitar.
"Across The Universe? Can we please do Across The Universe, Ry?" Brendon asked, sitting up on his haunches. Ryan smiled, nodding at Jon. Ryan leaned forward to kiss Brendon quickly before playing the opening chord.
They slipped into the song in perfect sync, Jon taking the bass line on his guitar. Ryan had never had such an easy time playing with someone he'd just met. Brendon sang, his voice sure and strong in the way Ryan loved. Spencer kept the beat on his knee, smiling along with the others.
They played through a few more songs, stopping to talk in between. Jon asked them about their lives, families, about Vegas in general. He accepted it easily enough when Spencer steered them away from the subject of families, mostly for Brendon's sake. Brendon hadn't spoken to his parents in years, and it was still a sensitive subject for him. Ryan could feel Brendon tense up next to him and he didn't relax again until they were in the middle of another song.
It wasn't until about noon that Ryan noticed the police cars lining up around the quad. He only saw them because Jon's eyes had kept flicking up towards the street. The older man still seemed relaxed enough to keep Ryan from worrying too much. Still, almost instinctively, Ryan reached out and took Brendon's hand. Brendon barely noticed; he was sprawled out in the grass, eyes fixed on the sky.
"Cops show up at these things a lot," Jon assured him, when Ryan turned his eyes back to their new friend. "It shouldn't be a problem as long as no one tries to start any trouble."
Ryan nodded, but remained slightly uneasy. He could see the closest cop from where they were located. The gun strapped to the man's hip made Ryan's stomach squirm. He felt a tug on his hand, and he glanced down at Brendon. A laugh pushed its way out of Ryan's lips at Brendon's pout. He leaned down to kiss him indulgently.
"Ry..." Jon said, voice suddenly sharp and alert. Ryan looked up to find Jon's eyes fixed at a point over Ryan's shoulder.
Not that far from them, three men where standing. Everything about their postures screamed drunk, and their raised voices could be heard from where Ryan was sitting.
They seemed to have caught the attention of some of the cops too, who were making their way towards the men. The men didn't notice this however, as one of them drew back a fist and punched one of the others in the jaw. Pandemonium erupted all around them.
"Shit!" Jon exclaimed, ducking out of the way as a beer bottle flew past his head. "Shit, shit, shit!" He started to scramble up, grabbing his guitar by its neck.
Panic pushed against Ryan's chest as he watched the once peaceful protest dissolve around them. Jon's frantic voice broke through the cloud of fog in Ryan's mind. "We have to get out of here. NOW!"
Jogged back to his senses, Ryan scrambled up, followed by Brendon and Spencer. Ryan grabbed his own guitar, and was relieved to see Brendon grab his guitar case.
"Come on!" Jon shouted, taking off running quickly towards the street. Ryan followed without hesitation, grabbing Brendon's hand tightly in his as they ran.
They were almost off the quad when Brendon cried out suddenly, and his hand jerked out of Ryan's as he fell to the ground. Ryan skidded to a halt, quickly turning to look at Brendon. He was struggling to stand. Ryan's body locked up as panic truly set into his system. Brendon was bleeding, his cheek cut open by a fly shard of broken glass.
Before Ryan could react Jon was there, pulling Brendon to his feet. They started running again and Ryan followed without a thought. They were at the street in seconds and at the teal VW van in another second.
"In, in, in!" Jon herded them, getting Brendon and Ryan into the back while Spencer dove into the passenger's seat. Jon was just climbing in behind the wheel when they heard the sound of gun shots rent the air.
"Oh god," Ryan groaned, shutting his eyes tightly. Brendon curled up with his head on Ryan's lap as Jon peeled out of the parking lot. Ryan looked down to see blood covering half of Brendon's face.
"Shit, Jon, do you have a rag or-"
"Clean t-shirt next to you," Jon answered quickly, his attention focused on making it off campus without being followed by cops.
Ryan grabbed one of the shirts, tearing it quickly into strips. He started to gently wipe the blood off of Brendon's cheek. The younger man whimpered slightly, his fingers fisting in Ryan's jeans.
"Oh, Brenny..." Ryan whispered as tears started to leak out of Brendon's eyes.
Ryan was dimly aware of Spencer giving Jon directions to their hotel apartment, but his focus was entirely on Brendon. He wiped up all the spilled blood, and then pressed down on the cut until the flow was mostly stopped.
"Ryan..."
Ryan looked up to see that they were parked outside the hotel. Spencer was standing by the open van door. Jon was standing behind him, face masked for the first time.
"Let's get you inside, Bren," Ryan whispered, stroking his fingers through Brendon's hair. The younger man nodded and sat up, crawling over and getting out of the van. Ryan followed, feeling sick to his stomach.
Author: Emmy (noahatthedisco)
Paring: Rydon
Rating: PG13-NC17
POV: 3rd person limited, Ryan
Summery: 1967. The United States Of America is at war with Vietnam and young men across the country are drafted into service for the army. In a small apartment in Sin City, four boys just try to make their way in the world. All they want is the chance to live, love and be loved. Like all dreamers do.
Disclaimer: Panic was not alive in 1967, so this is all lies. Lies, I tell you.
A/N: So Sophie saved me by offering to beta for me... thanks so much chica
Previous Chapters and Master Post
(chapter four)
The UNVL quad was much more crowded than Ryan had expected it to be. He glanced around as they arrived on the campus. Brendon's hand was closed in his right one, his guitar case in the other. Nerves pounded in his blood as he surveyed the scene. Most of the people were their age, in their twenties or early thirties, and dressed similarly to Ryan
"Are all these people here for the protest?" Ryan asked Spencer, a small, proud smile spreading across his face.
Spencer rolled his eyes. "You're not the only rebel in Vegas, Ryan."
Brendon giggled and Ryan shot him a glare. Brendon just smiled, squeezing Ryan's hand. Ryan rolled his eyes, but had to fight himself not to smile back. He led them across the quad, eyes darting from side to side. Most of the protesters were in groups ranging from four to ten people. Ryan scanned the crowd, his eyes falling on a lone figure holding a guitar.
"Feel like making a friend?" he asked, inclining his head towards the man sitting about four yards from them. He had scruffy brown hair and a short beard. His clothes, a maroon sweater and beat up jeans, clashed with the sandals on his feet. What caught Ryan's attention however, was the song the slightly older man was playing. It was one of Ryan's favorite songs.
"Oh, why not?" Spencer said, walking ahead of Ryan. He dropped down onto the ground next to the other man. "Hello, I'm Spencer Smith, and my friends and I shall now be sharing your ground."
The other man looked up as Ryan folded himself down onto the ground next to Spencer. The other laughed, "I don't mind sharing." Ryan immediately liked his laugh.
Then Brendon flopped down on top of Ryan, and his view of the world was obstructed by the middle of Brendon's back. He fought to stay sitting up as Brendon wriggled around in Ryan's lap, back to Ryan's chest.
Spencer sighed. "That's Ryan and Brendon. Ignore them."
"Fuck you, Smith," Ryan growled, nudging Brendon. "Get off my lap, Bren, you're crushing me." Brendon pouted but complied, fitting himself against Ryan's side instead. Ryan looked apologetically at the new man.
He was chuckling softly. "I'm Jon Walker," he said, offering his hand to Spencer, Ryan and Brendon in turn.
"Hi, Jon Walker! You've got an awesome name!" Brendon said happily, and Ryan sighed. He looked at the younger man with a mix of annoyance and affection. Brendon just nuzzled his shoulder, releasing his puppy eyes on Ryan. And maybe Ryan was a little too far gone for his own good.
When Ryan looked back up Jon was watching them with a small smile on his face. He caught Ryan's eye and winked, making Ryan blush.
"So, where are you from?" Jon asked, setting his guitar to the side.
"About three blocks down the road," Spencer answered, flipping his hair our of his eyes.
"No shit. Local boys, huh?" Jon nodded, leaning back so his weight was resting on his hands.
Ryan nodded. "You're not?"
Jon shook his head. "Nah. Chicagoland. I'm just passing through."
"What are you doing here, then? Saw a protest and decided to get your Rebel on?" Brendon joked.
Jon let out an easy laugh. "Pretty much. I'm just drifting, ya know? Trying to find some place to settle. I heard about this and figured I might as well come."
Brendon nodded, impressed, and they sat in companionable silence for a minute, just looking around. Ryan reached around Brendon's shoulder to grab his guitar case. The case was even more battered then the guitar was itself, the stiff leather scratched and dirty. Ryan loved it anyway.
Jon looked over at him as Ryan unsnapped the case. He smiled and Ryan smiled back, pulling the worn leather strapped over his head. Brendon sat up, his face taking on the calm and centered look it only ever took when music was concerned. Ryan fit his fingers against the fret board.
He raised an eyebrow at Jon. "Wanna play?"
Jon smiled, rising to the challenge. "What song?" he asked, reaching side ways to grab his guitar.
"Across The Universe? Can we please do Across The Universe, Ry?" Brendon asked, sitting up on his haunches. Ryan smiled, nodding at Jon. Ryan leaned forward to kiss Brendon quickly before playing the opening chord.
They slipped into the song in perfect sync, Jon taking the bass line on his guitar. Ryan had never had such an easy time playing with someone he'd just met. Brendon sang, his voice sure and strong in the way Ryan loved. Spencer kept the beat on his knee, smiling along with the others.
They played through a few more songs, stopping to talk in between. Jon asked them about their lives, families, about Vegas in general. He accepted it easily enough when Spencer steered them away from the subject of families, mostly for Brendon's sake. Brendon hadn't spoken to his parents in years, and it was still a sensitive subject for him. Ryan could feel Brendon tense up next to him and he didn't relax again until they were in the middle of another song.
It wasn't until about noon that Ryan noticed the police cars lining up around the quad. He only saw them because Jon's eyes had kept flicking up towards the street. The older man still seemed relaxed enough to keep Ryan from worrying too much. Still, almost instinctively, Ryan reached out and took Brendon's hand. Brendon barely noticed; he was sprawled out in the grass, eyes fixed on the sky.
"Cops show up at these things a lot," Jon assured him, when Ryan turned his eyes back to their new friend. "It shouldn't be a problem as long as no one tries to start any trouble."
Ryan nodded, but remained slightly uneasy. He could see the closest cop from where they were located. The gun strapped to the man's hip made Ryan's stomach squirm. He felt a tug on his hand, and he glanced down at Brendon. A laugh pushed its way out of Ryan's lips at Brendon's pout. He leaned down to kiss him indulgently.
"Ry..." Jon said, voice suddenly sharp and alert. Ryan looked up to find Jon's eyes fixed at a point over Ryan's shoulder.
Not that far from them, three men where standing. Everything about their postures screamed drunk, and their raised voices could be heard from where Ryan was sitting.
They seemed to have caught the attention of some of the cops too, who were making their way towards the men. The men didn't notice this however, as one of them drew back a fist and punched one of the others in the jaw. Pandemonium erupted all around them.
"Shit!" Jon exclaimed, ducking out of the way as a beer bottle flew past his head. "Shit, shit, shit!" He started to scramble up, grabbing his guitar by its neck.
Panic pushed against Ryan's chest as he watched the once peaceful protest dissolve around them. Jon's frantic voice broke through the cloud of fog in Ryan's mind. "We have to get out of here. NOW!"
Jogged back to his senses, Ryan scrambled up, followed by Brendon and Spencer. Ryan grabbed his own guitar, and was relieved to see Brendon grab his guitar case.
"Come on!" Jon shouted, taking off running quickly towards the street. Ryan followed without hesitation, grabbing Brendon's hand tightly in his as they ran.
They were almost off the quad when Brendon cried out suddenly, and his hand jerked out of Ryan's as he fell to the ground. Ryan skidded to a halt, quickly turning to look at Brendon. He was struggling to stand. Ryan's body locked up as panic truly set into his system. Brendon was bleeding, his cheek cut open by a fly shard of broken glass.
Before Ryan could react Jon was there, pulling Brendon to his feet. They started running again and Ryan followed without a thought. They were at the street in seconds and at the teal VW van in another second.
"In, in, in!" Jon herded them, getting Brendon and Ryan into the back while Spencer dove into the passenger's seat. Jon was just climbing in behind the wheel when they heard the sound of gun shots rent the air.
"Oh god," Ryan groaned, shutting his eyes tightly. Brendon curled up with his head on Ryan's lap as Jon peeled out of the parking lot. Ryan looked down to see blood covering half of Brendon's face.
"Shit, Jon, do you have a rag or-"
"Clean t-shirt next to you," Jon answered quickly, his attention focused on making it off campus without being followed by cops.
Ryan grabbed one of the shirts, tearing it quickly into strips. He started to gently wipe the blood off of Brendon's cheek. The younger man whimpered slightly, his fingers fisting in Ryan's jeans.
"Oh, Brenny..." Ryan whispered as tears started to leak out of Brendon's eyes.
Ryan was dimly aware of Spencer giving Jon directions to their hotel apartment, but his focus was entirely on Brendon. He wiped up all the spilled blood, and then pressed down on the cut until the flow was mostly stopped.
"Ryan..."
Ryan looked up to see that they were parked outside the hotel. Spencer was standing by the open van door. Jon was standing behind him, face masked for the first time.
"Let's get you inside, Bren," Ryan whispered, stroking his fingers through Brendon's hair. The younger man nodded and sat up, crawling over and getting out of the van. Ryan followed, feeling sick to his stomach.