Bluebirds Fly [14/14]
Title: Bluebirds Fly
Author: silver_etoile
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Ryan/Brendon [Pete/Patrick, Alex/Ryland, Frank/Gerard, Tom/Keltie, Gabe/William, and a few surprises]
POV: Third
Disclaimer: Not true.
Summary: The KATU news station is getting a new anchor. Resident meteorologist, Brendon Urie, is beyond excited, but a new anchor is not all that is in store for the station.
A/N: Oh Em Gee. We made it to the end! I'd just like to thank everyone who stuck around and read it, who stuck through despite Ryan's stupidity and Maja's evilness. Congratulations! Now, you get the ending :]
Reread: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
*
Ryan woke up on his couch, the light streaming in from the balcony window, nearly blinding him, and a nice cap to the raging headache that flared the moment he opened his eyes to the sun. Pushing himself up slightly, he glanced around, realizing he was in the living room.
“Couch,” he muttered, shielding his eyes from the light and sitting up. As he did so, a newspaper fell off of him and onto the floor.
Frowning, he leaned down and picked it up, noticing that it was the classified section, open to the Jobs section. Confused, he set it aside and winced as he looked up. The clock on his wall read that it was nearly noon
Swallowing through the bunch of cotton balls in his mouth, Ryan glanced around. Everything looked the same except his laptop that wasn’t in its usual place on the counter. Instead, it sat in front of him, the internet browser open to several windows.
Frowning, Ryan scooted forward, clicking to each one. One by one, job search sites clicked by; Monster, Career Builder, Jobing.com. Each was opened to broadcast positions, many in Phoenix or nearby.
Ryan was confused, and the headache wasn’t going away. He turned to head to the kitchen, but was surprised to find a glass of water and two aspirin sitting on the table next to the laptop.
As Ryan picked up the pills, he glanced around. There was no one in his apartment that he could see, although the front door was unlocked. But his keys were on the coffee table as well. Nothing was missing.
Blinking slowly, Ryan pushed himself off the couch, regretting this as the pain in his head throbbed with each step towards the kitchen. He paused at the counter where his laptop usually sat and picked up a note scribbled on a napkin. Reading it, he frowned and glanced at the couch, the newspaper crumpled on the floor and the laptop still open to the many job sites.
Reading the note over again, Ryan sighed and winced at the pain in his forehead before refilling his glass of water and heading back to the computer.
*
Brendon didn’t want to talk to anyone. He came to work because he had to, because he’d been spared being fired, no thanks to Maja or anyone else. He smiled at the camera because he was the highest-rated meteorologist in the state. It didn’t matter that it was fake, that all he thought about was getting out from in front of the camera and away from Ryan.
He couldn’t stand to look at Ryan, to remember that once, Ryan had wanted him, had liked him, had talked to him. Now, Ryan just ignored him, acting as though nothing had happened, and it killed Brendon.
Brendon didn’t joke with anyone. He didn’t climb on Jon or bother Patrick after his set. He let Pete lecture him about staying sharp and attracting the viewer, but he wasn’t really listening. His eyes were always trained on Ryan when Ryan wasn’t looking, his teeth worrying his bottom lip to keep it from trembling whenever he thought about it.
It had been almost a month since they’d broken up, two months since they’d met, and a week before Brendon gave up completely and sacrificed himself to the weather gods.
Brendon had very little hope that Ryan was pretending anymore. He’d been on a date; Jon had told him. Brendon had heard Ryan saying that it was just for fun and meant nothing. That had stung, but he couldn’t stop Ryan from doing what he wanted, even if what Brendon wanted was nothing more than for Ryan to announce that he had been wrong and he wanted to be together.
It was a Thursday that Brendon saw Ryan whispering to Pete and then disappearing into his office. His natural curiosity overpowered his manic depression as he watched them enter Pete’s office and shut the door. His neck craned to watch the door from behind his Doppler radar.
Jon ambled up to him casually. “What’cha lookin’ at?” he asked simply, following Brendon’s gaze to the office.
“Ryan and Pete just went in there,” he replied, his gaze not wavering.
“Hm.” Jon paused. “I wonder what they’re doing.”
Brendon shrugged and continued watching the door until Pete and Ryan emerged ten minutes later. They didn’t look any different, and Brendon quickly ducked his head when Ryan glanced his way.
As before, he didn’t find out what the news was until the next day when Pete called a staff meeting.
Brendon picked the only empty seat next to Jon and shied away from Ryan’s eyes, keeping his gaze firmly on the table before him.
“Happy Friday, everyone,” Pete greeted them from the front of the room. “You’re probably wondering why I called this meeting.”
A murmur ran around the room and several people exchanged worried glances.
“Well, we have announcement.” He paused and his eyes moved to Ryan, who stood in a back corner. “Ryan informed me yesterday that he’ll be leaving us.”
A shocked silence followed this information and all eyes flicked to Ryan, who was doing his best to hide in the corner.
“Seems he’s found something better over at KPHO, CBS five. I’m sorry to see you leaving us, Ryan, but I think it’s for the best.”
Ryan quirked a small smile, ducking his head and trying to ignore the whispers that swept up around him.
“So this is all just to let you know that yes, we’ll be looking for another co-anchor.”
Brendon wasn’t listening as Pete explained more. He was too busy staring at Ryan, who was tucked away in the corner, carefully ignoring the eyes that still flickered to him. He didn’t understand. Why would Ryan leave after everything?
The staff meeting ended and people filtered out, most patting Ryan’s shoulder and saying something to him. He nodded at them all and cracked a few smiles, especially when Keltie hugged him tightly before leaving.
Brendon lingered back until the room was empty and it was just him and Ryan. He opened his mouth to speak a few times, but nothing came out.
Ryan just sighed and glanced at him.
“So, I got another job,” Ryan said finally, his voice quiet in the large room. “It’s not very far away, maybe an extra five minutes from my apartment.” He shrugged. “So I get to stay in town at least. I thought I’d have to go back to Vegas.”
“You didn’t want to go back?” Brendon asked cautiously.
“Not really. I kind of like it here, when I’m not being spied on by revengeful one-night stands, and when I actually have someone I care about.”
Brendon didn’t say anything to Ryan’s hopeful tone.
Sighing, Ryan took a step forward. “Okay, it’s time to be honest,” he said slowly. “I only broke up with you because Zack told me I had to or I’d lose my job.”
Brendon glanced up as Ryan spoke, his eyebrows furrowing.
“And I know that I shouldn’t have caved, but it was my job, and my job is important. And I thought since we’d only been dating for a few weeks that it wouldn’t be that bad.” He sighed. “I was really wrong, though. Really wrong. But then I thought that there was no way it would work out. Because I’d get fired and we’d get in trouble, and it just would be bad.”
Brendon frowned, taking a tentative step forward.
“So I got really drunk, which I hate because I hate alcohol in more than a glass or two. It brings back bad memories, but anyway. I got really drunk and I don’t know how, but something must have happened, whoever helped me home really did help. And so, I decided there was only way to fix everything.” He paused, watching Brendon carefully. “I had to quit. I had to get a new job with a different station.”
“And you did?” Brendon asked, searching Ryan’s face for the truth.
“I start next Monday.” Ryan smiled slightly. “I’m kind of nervous, but I figure it can’t be any worse than here.”
“So you’re just leaving?”
Ryan took another step forward. “Yeah, but I’m still here, and I know I was all sorts of wrong for what I did, but I kind of hoped that you would believe me. I do like you, Brendon. I always did since I first met you. And you weren’t just a casual thing. I get that now. And I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I thought it had to be done.”
“I heard you dated someone, though.” Brendon was still hurt, and as much as he had longed to hear Ryan say these words, he had to know it was the truth before he could do anything.
Ryan groaned slightly. “Oh God. Yeah, Keltie set me up with some guy, but I just kept thinking how he wasn’t you and how much you would hate me if you knew.”
“I don’t hate you,” Brendon offered quietly. “I was upset and mad and really sad.”
“Me too.”
Brendon shifted nervously. “So it did mean something?”
“Of course it did,” Ryan insisted. “I just couldn’t let you think it.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you have a new job.”
Ryan nodded. “I do have a new job, in a different station. It was pretty easy since I was with CBS before.”
“The ratings are going to go down,” Brendon muttered vaguely, still glancing at Ryan carefully.
“I’m sure you can bring them up,” Ryan said. “After all, you’re the highest-rated meteorologist in the state.”
Brendon’s lips quirked into a smile as Ryan said “meteorologist”, and he rocked forward slightly on his toes.
“The studio’s just a few minutes away?” he asked after a second and was relieved when Ryan smiled.
“Yeah, just around the corner.”
Brendon nodded, closing the last bit of distance between them. “And you don’t have any evil exes I don’t know about?”
Ryan shook his head. “No.”
“Oh, good,” Brendon murmured, pressing his lips to Ryan’s.
Ryan accepted the kiss gratefully, wrapping his arms around Brendon and pulling him closer. He sighed happily when they parted and smiled as Brendon hugged him tightly.
“What if Maja comes back?” he asked, his voice muffled against Brendon’s shoulder.
“We deal.”
“I still think we should try the bucket of water thing,” Ryan mumbled and he could feel Brendon’s soft laughter.
Brendon moved back, kissing him softly again, and smiling when they pulled away.
“There’s no place like home,” he whispered into Ryan’s neck and Ryan smiled.
“No, there certainly isn’t.”
Previous Chapter
FIN.
Author: silver_etoile
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Ryan/Brendon [Pete/Patrick, Alex/Ryland, Frank/Gerard, Tom/Keltie, Gabe/William, and a few surprises]
POV: Third
Disclaimer: Not true.
Summary: The KATU news station is getting a new anchor. Resident meteorologist, Brendon Urie, is beyond excited, but a new anchor is not all that is in store for the station.
A/N: Oh Em Gee. We made it to the end! I'd just like to thank everyone who stuck around and read it, who stuck through despite Ryan's stupidity and Maja's evilness. Congratulations! Now, you get the ending :]
Reread: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
*
Ryan woke up on his couch, the light streaming in from the balcony window, nearly blinding him, and a nice cap to the raging headache that flared the moment he opened his eyes to the sun. Pushing himself up slightly, he glanced around, realizing he was in the living room.
“Couch,” he muttered, shielding his eyes from the light and sitting up. As he did so, a newspaper fell off of him and onto the floor.
Frowning, he leaned down and picked it up, noticing that it was the classified section, open to the Jobs section. Confused, he set it aside and winced as he looked up. The clock on his wall read that it was nearly noon
Swallowing through the bunch of cotton balls in his mouth, Ryan glanced around. Everything looked the same except his laptop that wasn’t in its usual place on the counter. Instead, it sat in front of him, the internet browser open to several windows.
Frowning, Ryan scooted forward, clicking to each one. One by one, job search sites clicked by; Monster, Career Builder, Jobing.com. Each was opened to broadcast positions, many in Phoenix or nearby.
Ryan was confused, and the headache wasn’t going away. He turned to head to the kitchen, but was surprised to find a glass of water and two aspirin sitting on the table next to the laptop.
As Ryan picked up the pills, he glanced around. There was no one in his apartment that he could see, although the front door was unlocked. But his keys were on the coffee table as well. Nothing was missing.
Blinking slowly, Ryan pushed himself off the couch, regretting this as the pain in his head throbbed with each step towards the kitchen. He paused at the counter where his laptop usually sat and picked up a note scribbled on a napkin. Reading it, he frowned and glanced at the couch, the newspaper crumpled on the floor and the laptop still open to the many job sites.
Reading the note over again, Ryan sighed and winced at the pain in his forehead before refilling his glass of water and heading back to the computer.
*
Brendon didn’t want to talk to anyone. He came to work because he had to, because he’d been spared being fired, no thanks to Maja or anyone else. He smiled at the camera because he was the highest-rated meteorologist in the state. It didn’t matter that it was fake, that all he thought about was getting out from in front of the camera and away from Ryan.
He couldn’t stand to look at Ryan, to remember that once, Ryan had wanted him, had liked him, had talked to him. Now, Ryan just ignored him, acting as though nothing had happened, and it killed Brendon.
Brendon didn’t joke with anyone. He didn’t climb on Jon or bother Patrick after his set. He let Pete lecture him about staying sharp and attracting the viewer, but he wasn’t really listening. His eyes were always trained on Ryan when Ryan wasn’t looking, his teeth worrying his bottom lip to keep it from trembling whenever he thought about it.
It had been almost a month since they’d broken up, two months since they’d met, and a week before Brendon gave up completely and sacrificed himself to the weather gods.
Brendon had very little hope that Ryan was pretending anymore. He’d been on a date; Jon had told him. Brendon had heard Ryan saying that it was just for fun and meant nothing. That had stung, but he couldn’t stop Ryan from doing what he wanted, even if what Brendon wanted was nothing more than for Ryan to announce that he had been wrong and he wanted to be together.
It was a Thursday that Brendon saw Ryan whispering to Pete and then disappearing into his office. His natural curiosity overpowered his manic depression as he watched them enter Pete’s office and shut the door. His neck craned to watch the door from behind his Doppler radar.
Jon ambled up to him casually. “What’cha lookin’ at?” he asked simply, following Brendon’s gaze to the office.
“Ryan and Pete just went in there,” he replied, his gaze not wavering.
“Hm.” Jon paused. “I wonder what they’re doing.”
Brendon shrugged and continued watching the door until Pete and Ryan emerged ten minutes later. They didn’t look any different, and Brendon quickly ducked his head when Ryan glanced his way.
As before, he didn’t find out what the news was until the next day when Pete called a staff meeting.
Brendon picked the only empty seat next to Jon and shied away from Ryan’s eyes, keeping his gaze firmly on the table before him.
“Happy Friday, everyone,” Pete greeted them from the front of the room. “You’re probably wondering why I called this meeting.”
A murmur ran around the room and several people exchanged worried glances.
“Well, we have announcement.” He paused and his eyes moved to Ryan, who stood in a back corner. “Ryan informed me yesterday that he’ll be leaving us.”
A shocked silence followed this information and all eyes flicked to Ryan, who was doing his best to hide in the corner.
“Seems he’s found something better over at KPHO, CBS five. I’m sorry to see you leaving us, Ryan, but I think it’s for the best.”
Ryan quirked a small smile, ducking his head and trying to ignore the whispers that swept up around him.
“So this is all just to let you know that yes, we’ll be looking for another co-anchor.”
Brendon wasn’t listening as Pete explained more. He was too busy staring at Ryan, who was tucked away in the corner, carefully ignoring the eyes that still flickered to him. He didn’t understand. Why would Ryan leave after everything?
The staff meeting ended and people filtered out, most patting Ryan’s shoulder and saying something to him. He nodded at them all and cracked a few smiles, especially when Keltie hugged him tightly before leaving.
Brendon lingered back until the room was empty and it was just him and Ryan. He opened his mouth to speak a few times, but nothing came out.
Ryan just sighed and glanced at him.
“So, I got another job,” Ryan said finally, his voice quiet in the large room. “It’s not very far away, maybe an extra five minutes from my apartment.” He shrugged. “So I get to stay in town at least. I thought I’d have to go back to Vegas.”
“You didn’t want to go back?” Brendon asked cautiously.
“Not really. I kind of like it here, when I’m not being spied on by revengeful one-night stands, and when I actually have someone I care about.”
Brendon didn’t say anything to Ryan’s hopeful tone.
Sighing, Ryan took a step forward. “Okay, it’s time to be honest,” he said slowly. “I only broke up with you because Zack told me I had to or I’d lose my job.”
Brendon glanced up as Ryan spoke, his eyebrows furrowing.
“And I know that I shouldn’t have caved, but it was my job, and my job is important. And I thought since we’d only been dating for a few weeks that it wouldn’t be that bad.” He sighed. “I was really wrong, though. Really wrong. But then I thought that there was no way it would work out. Because I’d get fired and we’d get in trouble, and it just would be bad.”
Brendon frowned, taking a tentative step forward.
“So I got really drunk, which I hate because I hate alcohol in more than a glass or two. It brings back bad memories, but anyway. I got really drunk and I don’t know how, but something must have happened, whoever helped me home really did help. And so, I decided there was only way to fix everything.” He paused, watching Brendon carefully. “I had to quit. I had to get a new job with a different station.”
“And you did?” Brendon asked, searching Ryan’s face for the truth.
“I start next Monday.” Ryan smiled slightly. “I’m kind of nervous, but I figure it can’t be any worse than here.”
“So you’re just leaving?”
Ryan took another step forward. “Yeah, but I’m still here, and I know I was all sorts of wrong for what I did, but I kind of hoped that you would believe me. I do like you, Brendon. I always did since I first met you. And you weren’t just a casual thing. I get that now. And I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I thought it had to be done.”
“I heard you dated someone, though.” Brendon was still hurt, and as much as he had longed to hear Ryan say these words, he had to know it was the truth before he could do anything.
Ryan groaned slightly. “Oh God. Yeah, Keltie set me up with some guy, but I just kept thinking how he wasn’t you and how much you would hate me if you knew.”
“I don’t hate you,” Brendon offered quietly. “I was upset and mad and really sad.”
“Me too.”
Brendon shifted nervously. “So it did mean something?”
“Of course it did,” Ryan insisted. “I just couldn’t let you think it.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you have a new job.”
Ryan nodded. “I do have a new job, in a different station. It was pretty easy since I was with CBS before.”
“The ratings are going to go down,” Brendon muttered vaguely, still glancing at Ryan carefully.
“I’m sure you can bring them up,” Ryan said. “After all, you’re the highest-rated meteorologist in the state.”
Brendon’s lips quirked into a smile as Ryan said “meteorologist”, and he rocked forward slightly on his toes.
“The studio’s just a few minutes away?” he asked after a second and was relieved when Ryan smiled.
“Yeah, just around the corner.”
Brendon nodded, closing the last bit of distance between them. “And you don’t have any evil exes I don’t know about?”
Ryan shook his head. “No.”
“Oh, good,” Brendon murmured, pressing his lips to Ryan’s.
Ryan accepted the kiss gratefully, wrapping his arms around Brendon and pulling him closer. He sighed happily when they parted and smiled as Brendon hugged him tightly.
“What if Maja comes back?” he asked, his voice muffled against Brendon’s shoulder.
“We deal.”
“I still think we should try the bucket of water thing,” Ryan mumbled and he could feel Brendon’s soft laughter.
Brendon moved back, kissing him softly again, and smiling when they pulled away.
“There’s no place like home,” he whispered into Ryan’s neck and Ryan smiled.
“No, there certainly isn’t.”
Previous Chapter
FIN.