There's No Net

[fabla]

02: There's No Net

Brendon sat in his makeup chair, fiddling with his hair while his stylist ran awkwardly around him. He rolled his eyes, arms crossed over his chest as he watched her. “Damnit Maria,” he said, growing rather frustrated, “I’ve gotta be on in an hour! Can’t you hurry?”

She nodded fervently, as if afraid to say the wrong thing in front of him. Brendon let out an annoyed sigh, finally finding her before his face. She started dabbing his face with a pale concealer, used to work with the stage lights. She had the area around his eyes finished quickly, but then when she went to put more on his face she accidentally dumped some of it onto his dark black jeans.

“For fucks sakes!” he exclaimed, jumping out of his chair and trying to wipe it off.

“I… I am so sorry,” she stuttered before picking up some tissues and dabbing them with makeup remover. She went to clean the concealer off his jeans, but managed to knock over an entire tray of dyes and makeup, causing it all to splatter across his clothing. She froze and looked up.

Brendon stared down at her, his eyes flickering with flames dangerously, “Get... out,” He said; his words almost violent as they lashed out. She picked up her purse and fled, knowing she wouldn’t be welcome again. He looked down at his clothing, wondering how he was going to get this all fixed in time for him to perform.

Pacing around his tent, he muttered under his breath as he ran his fingers over his now stained clothing. His shirt was already stained with bleach, so it didn’t look so out of place. The pants he wore however were brand new, and very expensive, which pissed him off completely.

Looking up, he saw lights flickering from within Ryan’s tent. Walking through his doorway he crossed over to his friend’s. Brendon knocked on the door, rather hesitant to whether or not Ryan would open the door. They hadn’t spoken since his birthday, which was at the very least a month ago.

The door jerked open, revealing his friend. Ryan simply stared at him, not speaking. Brendon was a little worried about the fact he had not shaved, making him look like a beggar. He swallowed nervously before offering a smile that wasn’t returned.

“Can you help, please? My stylist is fired… and my clothing…” he started, unsure if Ryan would help him.

Fortunately, Ryan detested it when Brendon whined. He jerked the door completely open and pointed to the chair, never smiling or showing any emotion. Ryan walked to his table after Brendon sat down and pulled out make up remover, dumping it on Brendon’s pants. Before he could complain, warm water spilled from his hand, soaking the pants and cleaning off most of the damage.

Ryan then moved away, glancing down at Brendon’s still attractive appearance with a dead expression. Brendon gulped, blinking up at him as the younger teenager moved around him without a word. He ran his hands over his pants, drying them with a simple touch of his fingers while he looked around the room.

Wandering over to his makeup kit, Ryan practically ignored as Brendon got up out of his chair. He walked towards a corner in the room, still seeing the box he had left out from of Ryan’s tent and blinked at it. Brendon picked it up, rather baffled.

“Why didn’t you open it?” he asked, looking slightly hurt.

Ryan looked up then, a look of curious bewilderment on his face, before he realized what he was talking about. He scowled briefly, taking the box and tossing it onto the bed before jabbing his finger towards the chair.

Brendon sat down, not wanting to annoy Ryan while he still had to get ready. He watched as Ryan pushed an entire collection of makeup towards him. He picked out a tiny paint brush, one of many he owned. He took out a small bottle of bleach and crouched down. Brendon protested, but didn’t move, as Ryan painted on his pants with the bleach. After several minutes, a rush of warm water went down his legs again. Brendon dried his pants off before blinking in surprise, realizing Ryan had made the pants look better then they had before.

There was an awkward silence between them. Well at least it was awkward for Brendon; Ryan just wanted to hurry up, his feelings for the man in front of him as strong as ever, just buried deeper in the sand. Ryan dug further into his makeup case, finding a bright yellow shadow paste and opened the tube. Getting another paint brush, this one thicker than before, he applied it across Brendon’s face, running over his left eye, across his nose and over his right eye in a large streak.

Taking a smaller brush, he grabbed a red and black pain and drew small little patterns of branches down the left side of Brendon’s face. Still the two remained silent as Brendon closed his eyes, feeling the cold touch of the makeup on his skin. “You know, you should be my stylist.” Brendon said with a smile as Ryan put more paint on his brush.

“Shh,” Ryan said, indicating he close his eyes again as he kept painting.

Brendon held his silence, knowing that that simple sound was the most he’d heard from his friend in quite sometime. Ryan worked quickly and silently, creating a masterpiece of art before stepping back. He looked at his hair before shaking his head. He moved behind him looking in the mirror. Ryan ran his fingers through his hair, dampening it. He picked up some styling gel and carefully formed Brendon’s hair into a messy masterpiece.

Ryan stepped back and left the room for a moment, leaving Brendon staring in disbelief as he realized he looked much better then anything his previous stylist ever had done. Ryan returned and held out his jacket he’d made him, his face once again completely blank.

“Two minutes,” was all he said before walking back to the small television in the corner. He sat down and turned it on, ignoring Brendon, knowing he would leave soon.

“Shit!” Brendon exclaimed, jumping to his feet as he scrambled around. Usually he would have to double over to fix his hair and such at this point, adjusting his clothing. But Ryan had done such a good job that he really didn’t need to.

Moving over to the boy in the corner, he wrapped his arms around Ryan from behind and kissed his cheek. “Thanks babe,” he said with a smile before running off towards his own tent.

Ryan reached up and touched his cheek in shocked awe. He bit his lip and rose to his feet slowly, walking to the door that had been left open. He watched as Brendon skidded to a stop before entering the stage with flashes of fire. He shook his head and looked back to his bed. The wrapped gift was still sitting there, untouched. He walked over to it and picked it up. He shook it and frowned before putting it back down. He sighed and looked back towards the stage.

Calling shadows to him, he left his room for the first time in over a month and stood in the shadows, watching. He smiled sadly, tears trapped within his eyes as he gazed upon Brendon. He missed the stage a bit, but he mostly missed the fact that it was on stage when they were the closest. Shaking his head, he turned and walked back to his room, never aware of the fire filled gaze that spotted him.

*****

Brendon bounced around his tent, singing at the top of his lungs to one of his lovers songs that played on the radio. He pulled on a tight red shirt, making himself less exposed as he’d been topless for the last twenty minutes while he danced. He danced in circles, finally making his way to his almost wall-sized mirror as he applied eyeliner underneath of his eyes.

Suddenly the song changed to more upbeat techno song, playing on a mixed tape Brendon had made. He ran his fingers through his hair, making sure it was perfect and straight. After all, Victor was on break from a cross-country tour with his band, opening in a widely known group. And right about now Brendon hardly even cared that he was getting more publicity then himself, because he was finally coming home.

Brendon hummed happily before a knock interrupted his dancing. He paused, waiting, knowing it should be coming. Suddenly, a familiar tapping of knuckles caused him to grin widely and rush to the door, yanking it open. Victor stood there, looking just as handsome as ever. Brendon did not pause as he jerked him into the room and pressed their lips together.

Victor pulled away, laughing softly, “I missed you too, babe.”

“Mhm mhm kiss me.” A demanding smile crossed Brendon’s face as he put his hands on Victor’s cheeks, pulling him to his lips again. Their lips caressed passionately as he kicked the door shut, letting the music flow through the room loudly.

Victor smiled against Brendon’s lips, running his fingers through his hair before wrapping his arms around his lover’s waist. Usually he would have waited to ask how his tour had gone, but he’d gone so long that he couldn’t wait much longer. Brendon pulled him against his body, bringing them both back up against the mirrored wall of the tent and pressing close.

Victor smirked against his lips before pushing him back, onto the bed. Brendon smirked up at him before Victor climbed up him, dropping kisses to torso as he went. Lips latched together violently as tongue battled for dominance. Hands rushed over clothing, desperately trying to undo buttons and pull down zippers.

Rushes of adrenaline were sent through Brendon’s body as he heated his finger tips, causing Victor to moan against his lips. Within what seemed like no time at all both of their pants had been pulled down to their knees, half naked hips grinding against each other in almost a sexual combat.

Soon shirts were being strewn about the room, clothing completely removed. Brendon gasped as Victor slid effortlessly into him. Lips clashed together again, battling once more for dominance. Brendon slid his hand down and gripped himself, pumping in time to Victor’s thrusts.

He moaned at the feeling, small beads of sweat appearing on their foreheads as they pressed their chests together. Brendon titled his head back, his eyes closed as he moved his hips almost in time to the loud base that played around them.

“Brendon…” Victor murmured, biting down on Brendon’s lower lip as he moved harder and faster inside of him.

He was so close, so very close, but it seemed as though the fates were determined to kick him in the balls. His door burst open and Ryan looked in, obviously about to point something out to him. Both Victor and Brendon looked at Ryan, neither caring about their state of nakedness as they stared at him. Ryan’s cheeks flushed deeply, a red hue creeping along his nose to his ears. He bowed his head and mumbled, “You have a show in 40 minutes Brendon,” before he quickly left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Wow, he talks?” Victor asked with a smirk on his face as soon as Ryan had left. Brendon glared at him, pushing his lover lightly off of him so that they were now apart. He reached across the bed, pulling his jeans back on over his legs and zipping them up quickly. “What? What’d I do?”

Brendon said nothing, jumping off of the bed as he walked across the room. He didn’t even know why he was suddenly annoyed. It could have been the fact that he had been interrupted for a show, or it could have been the way Victor had made fun of his friend. Either way, it was about Ryan, something he wouldn’t admit to.

“I gotta get ready.” He said, digging around for the jacket Ryan had made for him. “I’ll see you in a couple hours, alright?”

Victor nodded, looking completely confused. Brendon leaned over and planted a small kiss on his lips before leaving his room and hurrying over to Ryan’s. He noted the door was open and the chair was waiting for him, makeup set up and ready to go. He entered the room, noting that the present still had not been opened. He sighed mentally at this, feeling hurt that Ryan obviously still was not over the fact he was the star of the show.

Brendon sat down and Ryan appeared; his face oddly blank. It wasn’t the emotionless mask he often used when upset; it was simply empty, as though there were no emotions to be found within his friends mind. He frowned at this before a freezing cold hand gripped his chin and lifted his face towards the light.

Avoiding his gaze the entire time, Ryan carefully yet quickly applied tonight’s makeup. After what he had seen, he wasn’t quite in the mood to take his time on something unique and intense as he had done a few days before. Brendon tried to look up at him, but still found his face to be completely blank.

Twenty minutes in complete and utter silence (except for the noise that still blared from Brendon’s tent), they had finally finished. Brendon glanced at himself in the mirror, seeing simple black squares around his eyes as he usually preferred. Then Ryan more roughly than usual, though it was unintentional, starting messing about with Brendon’s hair, making it spike up in strange places only to fall back in random locations.

Brendon looked at the time and realized he had less then thirty seconds to get to the stage. He rose to his feet, doing up his jacket and picking up the top hat he was to wear that night. He turned to Ryan and looked him in the eyes, not blinking as he spent five seconds looking for something he couldn’t find.

“After this show, we’re going to talk,” Brendon said rather seriously before sprinting from the room, towards the stage.

Ryan watched as Brendon left, swallowing hard at the sincerity in his friend’s voice. Ryan followed him to the stage, noting he wasn’t the only one intending to watch the man perform. He glanced at Victor momentarily before watching Brendon again, seeing him toss rings of fire from no where, making them disappear again. Then the entire stage lit fire, before evaporating into nothing once more. Ryan knew this performance all to well; having remembered putting a layer of ice underneath the fire Brendon would light. But it was over now, and he’d try his hardest to accept it.

Victor suddenly turned to him, blinking. He offered a small smile that made Ryan blink slowly at him, “So, you can talk, I wasn’t just hearing things?” he asked, his tone light.

Ryan blushed deeply, bowing his head, “No, I can,” he said, his voice still extremely soft, wavering with nervousness. He turned and watched Brendon, biting his lip nervously as Victor stared at him.

The older man smiled at him, looking back out at the stage in awe at what Brendon could do with his abilities. Victor glanced back at Ryan, crossing his arms over his head and nodding slightly. “I’m sorry about earlier,” he said. “Brendon usually can’t keep it in his pants for five minutes, let alone an entire month.” He snickered, looking away as he saw Ryan still look rather blank.

Ryan suddenly giggled, covering his mouth, looking mortified. Victor arched an eyebrow as Ryan giggled again, trying desperately not to. Victor considered it his lucky day, having heard the mysterious Aquarius Cylens speak and giggle. He glanced back at Brendon before leading him away.

Stephen was still giggling over the words Victor had offered, trying desperately not to blush as well. He followed Victor away from the back of the stage, sitting down and giggling helplessly. It took several minutes for him to relax again, and Victor was handing him a glass of spiked cola. He nodded his thanks and sipped it, humming as the vodka tainted beverage slid down his throat.

“So, do you talk often, or is it just a special occasion today?” asked Victor, sipping what looked to be a drink just like Ryan’s.

Ryan shook his head quietly, drinking down his cola so that his throat wouldn’t get so dry from talking. “I only talk to Brendon…” he said quietly, giggling again as he remembered what Victor had mentioned. It’d definitely made the situation a lot less awkward for both of them.

“Really?” asked Victor, raising an eyebrow. “Of all people I didn’t think you’d talk to him. Seeing as he’s so loud and all.”

Ryan grinned slightly before looking back to where Brendon was still performing; columns of fire entwining dangerously above his head before crashing back down like a wave, heading straight towards the audience. He looked back and offered a small smile, looking like he was sharing a deep secret, “Less talking for me,” he explained in four simply words.

Their conversation evolved over the next precise hour, finding they had more to talk about then they thought. Of course the top started off with talking of Brendon, but then eventually lead into talk of Ryan’s ability and Victor’s work. It turned out that Victor had the strange ability to make fall asleep at will, as well as controlling air movements.

“I always thought me and Brendon were the only ones!” Ryan said, rather enthused. Victor smiled, topping off another drink, so indulged into the conversation that neither of them had noticed people filing in from the stage.

“Oh yeah,” Victor told him. “My family was the same way!”

Brendon walked off of the stage, grabbing a towel from one of his assistants when suddenly he spotted his friend and his boyfriend conversing. His eyes narrowed, suddenly moody for reasons he didn’t yet understand. Brendon darted forwards, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched down on both of them.

Ryan noticed a shadow over him and looked up at Brendon, blinking slowly at the look on his face. He assumed he was annoyed with him and his smile disappeared as he shrunk into himself, trying to make himself a smaller target. This action was not lost on the other two men, who barely glanced at each other to see if they had seen it.

Brendon sighed, still annoyed, even if he wasn’t entirely certain as to why, “Ryan, can you remove my makeup please?”

The younger man nodded and rose to his feet, a little unsteady from the alcoholic beverage he’d just consumed. He wished Victor a good evening before heading to his tent. Brendon offered a somewhat chilled smile to his lover before telling him he’d meet him in his tent before following Ryan.

They walked through the doorway of the tent, and Ryan instantly started walking towards their usual chair. He dug about his makeup kit and looked for his ingredients, while Brendon simply stood near the door and watched him. Ryan finally noticed this and looked up, a puzzled look on his face while he wondered why he hadn’t sat down. He couldn’t have annoyed him that much, could he?

“Why didn’t you open my present?” Brendon asked, hoping for a real answer this time.

Ryan bit his lip, looking at the unopened box before looking at Brendon, “I’ve been… busy.”

Brendon snorted and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him. He didn’t see Ryan’s eyes widen for a second, looking slightly afraid, before he looked at him, “Ryan, you’ve been in here for over a month. What the bloody hell could you have been busy with?”

Ryan bowed his head then, knowing it was useless to argue, especially since Brendon seemed intent on an answer. He bit his lip, causing it to bleed slightly before answering, “Didn’t want to.”

Brendon blinked, noticing the blood on Ryan’s lower lip before really realizing what he had just said. He stepped closer, looking rather hurt as he avoided Ryan’s gaze momentarily. He knew that it had been about what had happened, but he didn’t think it would have affected him that badly; though Brendon never thought of anyone but himself anyways.

“Is this about what happened? You know that wasn’t my choice,” he said, answering his own question before Ryan had a chance. Of course it was Brendon’s choice, but he didn’t think that would help much in the conversation.

Ryan shrugged, ignoring the question completely as he pushed Brendon into the chair. He remained silent as he carefully removed his makeup, making sure not to smear it across his face like his old stylist had at times. He took several seconds to even fix his hair so it would be easier to manage later before stepping back. Brendon sat still as Ryan’s eyes checked every feature, making sure nothing had been left behind.

Finally Ryan sighed and nodded before turned and picking up the box. He sat on the bed and glanced at Brendon. He’d already read the note, it was hidden in his dresser, where he couldn’t see it. He carefully removed the wrapping, frowning at the box. He knew the place it was from and he looked at Brendon in confusion before lifting the lid.

Brendon ran his fingers nervously through his hair, tilting his head to the side as he looked away momentarily as he always did. Then he shoved his hands back into his pocket and sat on Ryan’s bed, making sure to sit a small bit away from him as he opened the box. “Brendon… isn’t this…” said Ryan, completely baffled as he pulled out the jacket.

“Mhm,” Brendon said, smiling at his reaction.

“But isn’t it… expensive…?” he asked, still staring at the jacket.

“Yeah, it was.”

Ryan stared in disbelief at the jacket. It had been one he’d wanted for a long time, but had never managed to save up enough money for it. He always had to buy something to design a new costume with, often needing to patch something of Brendon’s. He was about to move the box when he realized there was something else in it. He reached in and pulled out a bag of candy. He stared at it for a moment before laughing; a cheerful sound that seemed to escape the deepest parts of the young man.

Ryan moved the box to the other side of him, dropping the bag of candy into it before standing and pulling on the jacket. He cooed softly at it, turning around and looking in the mirror, almost unbelieving that he actually had been given the jacket. He turned to Brendon and hugged him tightly, thanking him quietly under his breath.