Snippet: When The Morning Comes (unrequited Brendon/Spencer, FRT, 690 words)
In which Brendon gets married, Spencer angsts, and Ryan is still Spencer's best friend. Warnings for angst and the Panic divorce. Title from OK Go's "This Too Shall Pass."
"Spencer!"
Spencer is totally used to Brendon bursting into his house shouting at him in excitement, so he finishes drying his hands before he wanders out of the kitchen.
Brendon has Sarah with him, and they both hold out their hands. It takes Spencer a moment to register that they're showing him the matching gold rings on their fingers.
"We got married!" Brendon says, all in a rush. "We eloped to Vegas!"
Spencer's stomach drops.
"Wow," he manages after a moment, and then he smiles, so used to faking it that it doesn't even hurt. "Congratulations."
They both rush in to hug him, and then demand he feed them.
Spencer orders pizza in something of a daze, and they hang out on his couch all afternoon, until Sarah looks at her phone or the clock on Spencer's DVD player and says, "Regan's off work. We should go tell them."
They're still giggling when they leave.
Spencer waits until he hears Brendon's car drive away before he lets his smile drop and reaches for his phone to call the one person who knows - other people have guessed, but only one person knows. He hasn't talked to Ryan in months and months, and he doesn't know if Ryan will pick up.
"Spencer?" Ryan says cautiously.
Spencer lets out his breath in an exhale so shaky even he thinks he might start to cry.
"He married her," he says, and his voice shakes too. "They went to Vegas and got married."
Ryan swears, and Spencer remembers why he loves him. "Okay, I'm coming over." There are sounds while Ryan moves around. "I don't know where you live."
Ryan stays on the phone the whole time. Spencer listens to whatever Ryan has on his playlist in the car and gives him directions. They don't hang up until Ryan's actually in his house, and then they hug.
"I'm so stupid," Spencer says. "I knew he was straight."
Ryan does him the courtesy of not saying "I told you so." Instead, they go to bed, even though it's barely seven. Ryan curls up with him and stays the whole night.
*
They're sitting across the table the next morning not talking over coffee and waffles hot out of the toaster when there's the familiar sound of Brendon barging his way into the house.
"Spencer, you have to help Shane throw me a bachelor party. He says he won't do it because-" Brendon cuts himself off when he gets to the kitchen. Shane's right behind him. "Oh. Hi, dude."
Ryan says, "Hi," nods to Shane, and says, "I was just leaving."
"I'll walk you out." Spencer goes with him all the way out to his car. Before Ryan can leave, Spencer throws his arms around him and hugs him tight. "Thank you."
"Any time," Ryan says, and Spencer knows he means it.
Spencer waves at Ryan as he pulls out of the driveway and doesn't go back inside until he's turned the corner and is out of sight.
By the time he gets back to the kitchen, he mostly has himself under control again. "You're supposed to have the bachelor party before you get married."
"That's what I'm saying," Shane says. He and Brendon have poured themselves cups of coffee, and there's a box of Pop-Tarts out on counter.
"What was Ryan doing here?"
It was probably too much to hope Brendon would let that go.
"Visiting." Spencer puts Ryan's plate in the sink and steals one of Brendon's Pop-Tarts when it comes out of the toaster. "If you wanted a bachelor party, you should have told people you were getting married before you did it." Shane's watching him too closely, but Shane does that sometimes and it doesn't necessarily mean he knows anything.
"Why was he visiting?" Sometimes Brendon is like a dog with a bone.
Spencer ignores the actual question and turns around. "I still choose your band."
Brendon's whole body relaxes, but his face still looks worried. "I don't believe you. I think you should throw me a bachelor party to convince me."
Spencer's laugh at that is unforced.
"Spencer!"
Spencer is totally used to Brendon bursting into his house shouting at him in excitement, so he finishes drying his hands before he wanders out of the kitchen.
Brendon has Sarah with him, and they both hold out their hands. It takes Spencer a moment to register that they're showing him the matching gold rings on their fingers.
"We got married!" Brendon says, all in a rush. "We eloped to Vegas!"
Spencer's stomach drops.
"Wow," he manages after a moment, and then he smiles, so used to faking it that it doesn't even hurt. "Congratulations."
They both rush in to hug him, and then demand he feed them.
Spencer orders pizza in something of a daze, and they hang out on his couch all afternoon, until Sarah looks at her phone or the clock on Spencer's DVD player and says, "Regan's off work. We should go tell them."
They're still giggling when they leave.
Spencer waits until he hears Brendon's car drive away before he lets his smile drop and reaches for his phone to call the one person who knows - other people have guessed, but only one person knows. He hasn't talked to Ryan in months and months, and he doesn't know if Ryan will pick up.
"Spencer?" Ryan says cautiously.
Spencer lets out his breath in an exhale so shaky even he thinks he might start to cry.
"He married her," he says, and his voice shakes too. "They went to Vegas and got married."
Ryan swears, and Spencer remembers why he loves him. "Okay, I'm coming over." There are sounds while Ryan moves around. "I don't know where you live."
Ryan stays on the phone the whole time. Spencer listens to whatever Ryan has on his playlist in the car and gives him directions. They don't hang up until Ryan's actually in his house, and then they hug.
"I'm so stupid," Spencer says. "I knew he was straight."
Ryan does him the courtesy of not saying "I told you so." Instead, they go to bed, even though it's barely seven. Ryan curls up with him and stays the whole night.
*
They're sitting across the table the next morning not talking over coffee and waffles hot out of the toaster when there's the familiar sound of Brendon barging his way into the house.
"Spencer, you have to help Shane throw me a bachelor party. He says he won't do it because-" Brendon cuts himself off when he gets to the kitchen. Shane's right behind him. "Oh. Hi, dude."
Ryan says, "Hi," nods to Shane, and says, "I was just leaving."
"I'll walk you out." Spencer goes with him all the way out to his car. Before Ryan can leave, Spencer throws his arms around him and hugs him tight. "Thank you."
"Any time," Ryan says, and Spencer knows he means it.
Spencer waves at Ryan as he pulls out of the driveway and doesn't go back inside until he's turned the corner and is out of sight.
By the time he gets back to the kitchen, he mostly has himself under control again. "You're supposed to have the bachelor party before you get married."
"That's what I'm saying," Shane says. He and Brendon have poured themselves cups of coffee, and there's a box of Pop-Tarts out on counter.
"What was Ryan doing here?"
It was probably too much to hope Brendon would let that go.
"Visiting." Spencer puts Ryan's plate in the sink and steals one of Brendon's Pop-Tarts when it comes out of the toaster. "If you wanted a bachelor party, you should have told people you were getting married before you did it." Shane's watching him too closely, but Shane does that sometimes and it doesn't necessarily mean he knows anything.
"Why was he visiting?" Sometimes Brendon is like a dog with a bone.
Spencer ignores the actual question and turns around. "I still choose your band."
Brendon's whole body relaxes, but his face still looks worried. "I don't believe you. I think you should throw me a bachelor party to convince me."
Spencer's laugh at that is unforced.