(no subject)
Title: This Masquerade of Stars.
Pairing(s): Brendon/Spencer
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Word count: 4800
Summary: Coming out fic. Brendon and Spencer have been hiding their relationship for a while now, but it’s time to break it to their parents.
A/N: Thanks to sunsetmog , playfullips and aredblush for the beta, hand holding and reassurance. A huge thanks to the mods for running the challenge. ♥
Written for gemmi999
Title taken from Birds of Tokyo’s “Plans.”
--
On Monday afternoon, when Spencer is sprawled out underneath Brendon, trying to get Brendon’s shirt off without giving in and rolling over so that he at least has his arms free, unlike now, the last thing he is expecting to hear Brendon say is that he’s going to tell his parents he’s gay. ‘Take it all off, hot stuff?’ Yes. ‘Hi, I’m a crazy person and I’m going to blow our secret and come out to my parents?’ No.
Spencer’s fingers freeze on the button he’s trying to undo and his hand clamps down on Brendon’s hip to stop him wriggling.“You--Bren.”
“Spence.”
“Are--but, why?”
Brendon sighs and sits up, tracing his finger over Spencer’s stomach, “I can’t--I just--” he sighs again. “I’m tired of keeping you a secret.”
“It’s not a walk in the park for me either, but come on.” He frowns. “Your parents?”
“Hey. They might surprise us.” Brendon doesn’t sound convinced.
“Yeah. Maybe.” Spencer isn’t convinced either. In fact, he’s the polar opposite of convinced. Brendon’s parents are going to kill them. Both of them.
“I hate lying. It’s wrong and it’s--us. You and me. We’re not wrong and I shouldn’t have to lie about something that is important to me. I shouldn’t and I won’t. Not anymore.”
“Okay.” Spencer nods. “Okay.” He leans up and kisses Brendon, soft and light. “I’ll come with you.”
Brendon rests his forehead against Spencer’s. “You're incredibly sweet,but I think. I have to do this myself, I think.”
“Okay, but--” Spencer feels dumb even having to ask, “If they react badly. We’ll still--it won’t be the end of us, will it?”
“Spence, hey, of course it won’t. My parents are whatever, but us, we’re solid, yeah?”
Spencer nods. “Yeah, I know. Of course I know.”
“Good.” Brendon kisses his nose, “Now I do believe you were trying to get me out of my shirt.”
Spencer grins, “And your pants.”
--
Brendon doesn’t talk about it when his parents kick him out. He just turns up in the middle of the night, drenched head to toe from the storm outside. When Spencer’s mom asks him what happened, he shrugs and says,“Difference of opinion.”
Spencer’s mom watches him go, and turns to Spencer, giving him an expectant look. Spencer sighs and shakes his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry but--it’s not my place to tell.”
“Spencer.”
“Mom, I can’t.” Spencer rubs at his eyes, “Can he stay though, please? I just--I’ll talk to him.”
“Okay.” She flicks the light off and walks upstairs with him. “Put his clothes in the laundry basket and I’ll wash them tomorrow.”
Something twists in Spencer’s stomach and he just wants to tell her everything. He wants to tell her about him and Brendon dating and being gay and how he thinks he might really be in love with Brendon, that it’s been six months and all he wants is forever, but he doesn’t. He can’t. Not now and maybe--maybe not for a long time.
He must look like he wants to say something, because his mom reaches out and puts her hand on his arm, “Spence? Is there something you want to talk about?”
“No. No, I’m okay. Just worried about Brendon.” He smiles weakly, “Night, Mom.”
“Okay.” His mom gives him a look like she isn’t buying it, but she kisses his temple and gives him a quick hug, “Night, Spence.”
Spencer walks into his bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him and crawls into bed behind Brendon. He wraps his arms around him tight and kisses the back of his neck. “Bren?”
“They kicked me out.” Brendon’s voice cracks, “They--my dad was so angry and my mom--my mom cried and they told me--” Brendon sobs a little, “They told me to get out, that I was no son of theirs.”
Spencer can feel his heart breaking as he pulls Brendon closer. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
Brendon sniffs and shakes his head, “Don’t be. It’s a relief, you know? It’s out there, I’m out there and now I can get on with my life, right?”
Spencer doesn’t have the heart to tell him that he’s pretty sure that this is only the beginning, so he settles for nodding and kissing the back of Brendon’s neck again. “Of course, Bren.”
“Yeah. At least I still have you.”
“Hey.” Spencer turns Brendon over so they’re face to face, “Always, Brendon. Fucking always.”
“Okay, I know.” Brendon swipes his hand across his cheek, wiping away his tears. “I know.”
“Good. Make sure that you do.” Spencer kisses him deep and intense, pulling him in so they’re pressed against each other. Brendon kisses back, and they stay like that trading kisses back and forth until Brendon’s yawning against his mouth and Spencer’s struggling to keep his eyes open.
“We should sleep.”
Spencer nods and pets Brendon’s hair. “Mmhm. Night, Bren.”
“Night, Spence.”
Spencer waits for Brendon to fall asleep before he lets himself drift off.
--
It takes a week for Brendon to stop looking like he’s just waiting for someone to pop around a corner and start yelling at him for being a sinner. A long week of tears and anger and Spencer consoling him, while becoming more and more terrified of what will happen when he comes out to his parents.
It’s not like his parents are religious and it’s not like they’ve ever had opinions on homosexuals that haven’t been positive. It’s just that Spencer is their son. Their only son and his mom has been asking him on and off since he went on a lame movie date with Jenny Perkins in the sixth grade when he is going to get a girlfriend. He doesn’t know how to tell them that he doesn’t want a girlfriend because he’s already got a boyfriend. A boyfriend who is hot and funny and talented and is apparently trying to get his attention judging by the hand being waved in his face.
“Sorry, what?”
Brendon rolls his eyes. “I asked if you want extra mango?”
“Oh, yes, please.” Spencer shreds a paper napkin and pauses. “I think I’m going to tell my parents.”
There’s a crash and when Spencer leans over the counter he can see Brendon picking the blender up and cursing under his breath. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“No, I’m okay.” Brendon stands up and gets the mop to clean up the mess he’s made. “You’re not okay though. You’re crazy.”
“Bren, I want to tell them. I want them to know that we’re together and that--that I’m in love with you.”
Brendon’s eyes widen and he stops moping mid stroke. “Spence?”
“I love you.” Spencer sounds so sure even though his hands are shaking and he’s terrified that Brendon is going to laugh in his face or go away. He doesn’t have to worry though, because Brendon scrambles on top of the counter and kisses him hot and desperate. Spencer laughs against his mouth and wraps his arms around him tight, kissing back until he finally has to break away to breath. They’re in public and Spencer’s brain is screaming at him that it’s a bad idea, that’s this is supposed to be a fucking secret, you idiot, but Spencer can’t bring himself to care.
Brendon’s watching Spencer with dark eyes and he’s practically gasping for air and he has never looked hotter to Spencer in his life. “Fuck. Spence. I love you too.”
“Yeah?” Spencer’s stomach swoops and he can’t help but smile like a goof at Brendon, but it’s cool because Brendon is totally smiling like a goof back at him.
“God, yes.”
“Awesome. That’s--yeah. Totally awesome.”
Brendon nods and gets down off the counter and starts to remake the smoothie. “If you tell your parents, I’ll support you, but you don’t have to just because I did, okay?”
“I know. I’m doing it because I want them to know, and also because I hate lying to them,you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” Brendon smiles. “God, they’re going to hate me for corrupting their only son.”
Spencer snorts. “Corrupting me? I corrupted you, if you remember correctly.”
“As if. I was totally the corrupter in this relationship.”
“Lies. That was me on my knees in the storage closet at school, wasn’t it? Why yes, yes it was.”
“Oh my god, you’re going to tell that story to our grandchildren, aren’t you?” Brendon adopts a croaky voice, “Well sonny, when I was sixteen I blew your Grandpa Brendon in a storage closet and it was awesome.”
Spencer’s stomach swoops again at the idea of growing old with Brendon and he grins. “Fuck you, it was awesome. Except for the bit when you came on my face without telling me. I don’t think my eyes have ever stung like that in my life.”
“Oh my god, oh my god, you fell off balance, dick face. I can’t help it if you decided to be uncoordinated as fuck while I was coming.”
Spencer grins. “But the important thing is that you came. Courtesy of my awesome blow job skills.”
“Shut up, I hate you.” Brendon pushes his smoothie at him. “Drink that, some of us have actual work to do.”
“Pfft you love me.”
“Against my better judgement.” Spencer would be offended, but Brendon leans across and kisses him, so it’s not all bad.
“Liar.”
Brendon rolls his eyes and Spencer sips his smoothie, settling in to watch Brendon work the rest of his shift.
--
The thing is that, of all the ways that Spencer saw coming out to his parents, blurting it out at the dinner table when he meant to ask his mom to pass the carrots didn’t make the list.
Spencer freezes and his mom freezes and Brendon’s foot freezes from its travels up Spencer’s leg, because he sucks at footsies, Spencer has told him this a million times.
“I mean--um. Fuck.”
Spencer can’t look at his mom and he really, really can’t look at his dad and when he looks at Brendon he’s staring at him with wide, terrified eyes and fuck. Fucking fuck fuck sonofabitchfuck.
“Mom. Mom, Spencer said a swear.”
“Crystal. Jackie. Go to your room.” Spencer’s never heard his Mom sound like that, not even when he accidentally broke a window playing tennis with lemons. Twice. His stomach twists up and he feels like hurling and if it wasn’t for the steady pressure of Brendon’s foot against his leg he’d probably try and run for it.
“But, Mom, we didn’t--”
“Go. Now.”
Spencer doesn’t look up from his plate, not when he hears his sister mutter, “Thanks a lot, Spencer,” under her breath and not when the bedroom door slams after quite possibly the noisiest trip up the stairs ever.
There’s silence after that. Terrifying silence and Spencer wonders if there’s any way possible he can laugh this off, wonders if this was what it was like for Brendon, wonders if this is it. If this is the last meal he’s ever going to eat with his parents.
The silence is broken by a sob, and when he looks up at his mom, her eyes are dry and she’s looking at his father. His father who Spencer has never seen cry in his life, who at this very minute is hunched over his plate like--like--like Spencer doesn’t even know.
“Dad.”
“Spencer. Go upstairs, you too, Brendon. Take your dinner and finish it up there.”
“Mom, please I--”
“Come on, Spence.” Brendon wraps a hand around his elbow and tugs gently, guiding him out of his seat. Spencer lets him push his plate into his hand and lead him upstairs. Spencer feels like he’s on autopilot, like he’s on the outside looking in, watching himself make possibly the worst mistake ever and it does nothing to quash the need to throw up, to cry, to run downstairs and apologise and tell his parents that it was a mistake, an accident, a slip of tongue.
Except then Brendon kneels in front of him, smoothing his thumb across Spencer’s forehead and he knows, somewhere deep down, underneath the fear and the hurt that he’s done the right thing. He was honest and wasn’t that what his parents have always asked of him? To be honest, no matter what?
“Spence? Hey, Spence, it’s okay.” Brendon wraps his arms around him, holding him tight and that’s when Spencer realises he’s crying. He fists his hand in the back of Brendon’s shirt and clings to him, trying to get closer.
“I fucked up, I fucked up.”
“Shh, you didn’t. It’s going to be okay, I promise.” Brendon's breath is warm against his neck, his voice soothing.
“How do you know? You don’t know.” Spencer feels panic starts to rise in his chest and he fights against Brendon’s arms, trying to get away, the need to run and hide overtaking.
“Spence, Spence, stop. Stop, you’re okay, I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” Brendon’s voice sounds so far away and Spencer gives one good push and he feels Brendon’s arms loosen enough for him to make his escape. He throws his bedroom door open and runs for the bathroom, getting there in time to empty his stomach into the toilet. Something cool touches the back of his neck and Spencer whimpers softly.
“Shh, you’re okay, you’re okay.” Brendon rubs a soothing circle over his back and Spencer can’t help but start crying again.
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for, Spence.”
Spencer shakes his head and closes his eyes. “I pushed you. I fucked up and I took it out on you.”
“Spence.” Brendon crouches down next to him, “You’re scared. When--when I told my parents and they freaked out? I punched a hole in my wall.”
“You did? You said you fell.”
Brendon laughs softly and kisses Spencer’s temple. “I’m not that uncoordinated. No, they started yelling and I just lost it and lashed out. It didn’t even feel like me, you know?”
“I know.” Spencer sniffs and turns to hug him, “I’m still sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
Spencer clings a little tighter, “I love you.”
“Mhm. I love you so much and--” Brendon kisses his forehead and helps him to his feet, “I’m proud of you. You’ve been so brave, Spence.”
“I threw up and cried. I’m not exactly slaying dragons.”
“Well, no. Although that’d be an interesting role play.”
Spencer half laughs, half sobs, and he feels something loosen the smallest bit in his chest, “Perv.”
“You know it.” Brendon leads him into the bedroom and helps him into bed, pulling his shoes off and tugging the blanket up over him. “Seriously, though. That took a lot of bravery, Spence, to just tell them like that.”
“I meant to ask for carrots.”
“Huh?”
“Carrots. I meant to ask my mom for carrots and instead--well. Instead I--fuck.” Spencer wipes angrily at his eyes when he starts to cry again. “They hate me.”
“They don’t hate you. Hey,” Brendon pulls his hands away from his face and holds them, “they don’t hate you.”
“You don’t know.”
“I do. You have to trust me Spence.”
“My dad was crying, Bren. You say they don’t hate me but I made my fucking dad cry. He didn’t even cry when he fell of the roof that time, and now he is, and it’s my fucking fault.” Spencer sits up. “I have to--I should just go, right? Make it easier for them.”
Brendon stops him with a hand to the chest. “Spencer, stop it, okay? Just--just please, stop.”
Spencer takes a deep breath, and then after a long moment where he takes in Brendon’s pale face and shaking hands, he nods. “Okay.”
“Thank you.” Brendon kisses the corner of his mouth and pushes him back down on the bed, “Do you think you can sleep?”
Spencer doesn’t think he will ever sleep again, not if he’s going to feel this shitty for the rest of his life. “No.”
“Okay, that’s okay.”
Brendon sits next to him and starts to run his fingers through Spencer’s hair. Spencer shifts a little so his head is resting on Brendon’s chest. “Do you think--what will we do? If they ask me--us to leave. What will we do?”
“We could start a band. Or, you know, realistically I could take on more shifts at the Smoothie Hut. It might be shitty but I could probably afford an apartment for us if we stretched my pay enough.”
“You’d do that?” Spencer asks, instead of ‘you’d still stay with me?’. Brendon must hear the unasked question in his voice, because he tilts Spencer’s face up and kisses him long and slow and deep.
Spencer kisses back and he feels his chest loosen even more, feels something like hope settle in his stomach. Brendon hums softly as they kiss and Spencer relaxes, his eyes starting to droop closed.
--
Spencer doesn’t know what time it was when he fell asleep, but when he wakes up there’s a pop tart next to him on his pillow and Brendon’s sitting at the end of the bed, reading a textbook and sucking the filling out of his own pop tart.
“Nrgh.”
Brendon looks up and smiles a little. “Hey, you’re awake. I made you a pop tart.”
“‘m not hungry.” Spencer feels like he wants to go back to sleep for a week. Hopefully by that time everything will have blown over and his parents won’t want to disown him. Maybe.
“Okay, well it’s there if you--” Brendon is cut off by a knock at the door, and Spencer curls in on himself when he hears his mom’s voice asking if they’re awake.
The door opens when Brendon gives the all clear, and Spencer wants to cry all over again when he sees his mom. She’s pale and her eyes are puffy and Spencer can’t help but think that this is it. He’s about to be disowned by his parents while wearing his Backstreet Boys shirt with a pop tart sitting next to him.
“You boys need to get dressed and get in the car.”
Brendon clears his throat, “Both of us?”
“Yes. You and Spencer. You’ve got ten minutes.”
His mom turns and leaves, and Spencer pulls the covers over his head. “Fuck.”
The covers are pulled away and Brendon looks down at him. “Hey, come on. She didn’t even look mad.”
“She didn’t look anything, because she wouldn’t even look at me.” Spencer tries to pull the covers out of Brendon’s hand, “They’re going to drive us out to the desert and leave us there.”
“Spencer.” Brendon snaps his name out. “I love you but you’re being a drama queen. If they were going to kick you out like that, you’d be gone already. Now eat your pop tart and get dressed.”
“You are so insensitive.”But Spencer sits up, and starts to get dressed.
Brendon snorts. “Uh huh.”
“See if I blow you behind a cactus.” Spencer mutters, pulling his shirt over his head. When he gets it on Brendon is watching him. “What?”
“I love you, yeah?”
“I know. I love you too.” Spencer reaches out and takes his hand, “We--I guess we probably shouldn’t hold hands, huh?”
“Probably not.”
Spencer sighs and rests his forehead against Brendon’s for a moment. “No matter what, promise you’ll stay with me.”
Brendon kisses him short and hard. “Promise. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay.” Spencer nods. “Okay, we should go.”
“Yeah. We really should.”
--
The car ride is awkward as fuck. No one says a word and Brendon fidgets the whole way. Spencer’s parents keep exchanging these loaded looks and Spencer wants to die. He wants to run until he can’t anymore and then he wants to die.
Eventually the car comes to a stop and Spencer realises that the whole time they’ve been driving they’ve been heading out of the city, and now they’ve stopped at the best pancake place in the whole of Nevada.
Spencer gives Brendon a look when his parents get out of the car, and Brendon shrugs, “I don’t know.”
“They’re going to kick me out over pancakes. It’s going to--they’re going to feed me up so I have a chance at survival and then they’re going to dump me on the side of the roa--” Brendon’s hand clamps over his mouth, muffling his rant.
“Spence, stop. Just--enough, okay? I know you’re scared and upset, but just--enough.”
Spencer shakes Brendon’s hand off. “You don’t know what this feels like.”
He regrets it as soon as the words come out of his mouth. Brendon’s face drops and he straightens, pulling himself up to full height. “Your parents are waiting.” He walks into the restaurant, and doesn’t wait for Spencer.
--
By the time Spencer works up the courage to walk into the restaurant and slide into the vacant spot next to Brendon, the waitress is already walking away with the menus. He frowns a little, and then looks over at his mom when she says, “I ordered for you.”
He nods. “Oh. Um--thank you.”
She nods and then silence falls across the table. Spencer feels like he’s going to scream and he resists the urge to run again. He presses his knee against Brendon’s and he doesn’t even--he can’t care if Brendon is mad at him, he needs to feel something, anything but fear.
“Spencer.” His dad is quiet. “Spencer, we--your mom and I owe you an apology.”
“I--what?” Spencer looks from his dad to his mom and back again. “But why? I’m -- I’m the one who--I’m the disappointment.”
“What? What? Spencer, no. No, baby, no. Not at all. You’re not a disappointment, you’re never a disappointment.”
“I made--I ruined--Dad cried.” Spencer looks at his dad. “Dad I made you cry.”
“That’s not your fault, Spencer. That is on me. I wasn’t prepared and I reacted badly and I’m so sorry for making you feel--for making you feel anything but pride in yourself and who you are.”
Spencer’s never heard his dad sound so--fierce and broken but proud at the same time. He shakes his head. “I thought you hated me.”
“Spencer James Smith, we will never, ever hate you. You are our son and we love you. We might need time and we might not always show you but if there is one thing you can always be sure of, it’s that we love you, and we are proud of you.”
“So this isn’t just a plan to fatten me up and dump me in the desert?”
Spencer feels the tight knot in his stomach disappear when his parents start laughing. He smiles a little and then leans into Brendon, just the tiniest bit, “I--in the spirit of full disclosure I--Bren and I. We’re like--we’ve been dating. For six months.”
Spencer’s mom laughs softly. “Yeah, we figured. I take it your coming out was less than successful, Brendon?”
“That’s putting it mildly. I understand if you don’t want me staying with you guys anymore. Under the circumstances.”
Mr. and Mrs. Smith exchange a look. “Actually. We wanted to--we want you to stay. We’ve got the spare room and there’s the old desk in the garage that we can bring inside for you to do your schoolwork. I mean obviously there will be rules--”
“--no making out in front of your sisters. I don’t want them getting any ideas about getting boyfriends.” Mr. Smith interrupts and Spencer’s mom rolls her eyes.
“There will be rules and you will be expected to follow them but. If you want to stay there is a place for you in our family.”
Brendon’s hand slides into Spencer’s and holds tight. “I’d--thank you Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I’d like that.”
“Great, then it’s settled. And just in time for pancakes.” Mrs. Smith smiles. “Eat up boys, we’ve got a lot of shopping to do today.”
“Shopping?”
Mrs. Smith smiles, kind of evilly, “Mmhm. Shopping. We need to buy Brendon some clothes and I suppose I can squeeze a new pair of shoes for you into my budget”
Spencer grins and leans into Brendon. “Dude, eat up. It’s going to be a long day.”
Brendon kisses Spencer’s temple. “I can handle that.”
Spencer smiles happily and eats his pancakes, holding Brendon’s hand. He looks across the table at his mom and dad and grins when his dad winks at him. For the first time, everything feels alright. No secrets and no lies.
--
Brendon squeezes Spencer’s hand, “Are you sure about this?”
Spencer scrunches his nose and looks around. The auditorium is covered in crepe paper and glitter and fucking Christmas lights hanging everywhere and no, he isn’t sure about this. In fact, it’s like walking into a nightmare, but it’s prom and his mom was so damned excited about it so. Here he is.
“Ugh, I guess. What the fuck is this theme anyway?”
Brendon laughs a little, “Triton’s Garden.”
“Triton’s Garden. Are you fucking serious? Why not make it Under the Sea and be done with it? Fucking prom.”
“You’re so hot when you’re cranky.”
“Seriously though, who decorated this shit? The local kindergarten--oh my god is Mrs. Grinshaw wearing a mermaid tail? Oh my god, she is. That is actually--oh my god.” Spencer doesn’t know whether to be horrified or gleeful so he settles for a combination of both. He’s awesome at compromise.
Brendon laughs. “Come on, let’s get some punch and judge people.”
“Gosh, I love you. It’s like you know me.” Spencer lets Brendon lead him to the punch table, still casting glances over his shoulder to where the eighty year old English teacher is dressed like Ariel’s great grandmother.
--
The punch, it turns out, is spiked. Which is probably why Spencer started out quietly judging people, but by the time the announcement of prom king and queen rolls around, ends up judging people at the top of his lungs. It’s completely possible that Mrs. Grinshaw wants to strangle him with her mermaid tail. Spencer welcomes the challenge.
“Shh, Spence.” Brendon slaps his arm when Sarah Peabody and Nicholas Xavier are crowned King and Queen.
“But, Bren. I’m pretty sure that dress is a crime against fashion. I’m pretty sure if real royalty wore that they’d be forced to abdicate the throne.”
Brendon snorts. “Yeah, well. I’m pretty sure that our new prom King is way too drunk to realize the damage all of that peach taffeta is doing to his eyes.”
“They’re not even cute.” Spencer groans, tipping over to rest his head on Brendon’s shoulder. He watches Nicholas drunkenly fumble his hands with Sarah’s, and makes a disgruntled hmph noise. “Royalty should be cute. Like you, you’re cute.”
“Aww, do you wanna be my Queen, Spence.”
“I’d be better dressed then them. I’d wear blue, I look awesome in blue.”
Brendon tugs Spencer’s tie, blue and hanging crookedly around his neck, “You do look very good in blue.”
“‘s ‘cause I’m hot.”
Brendon laughs. “You’re so drunk right now.”
“Maybe.” Spencer tilts his head so he can see Brendon’s face. “Dance with me?”
“What?” Brendon frowns and Spencer reaches up, smoothing his thumb across his forehead.
“Do you trust me?” It’s cheesy as fuck, quoting Aladdin at him but whatever, Spencer rocks it. Plus it’s totally worth the smile Brendon flashes him.
“You know I do.”
“Then dance with me.” Spencer stands and holds his hand out to Brendon and then, remembering that he is in fact a gentleman sometimes, adds, “Please?”
Brendon looks around the room and then takes his hand. Spencer grins and leads him out to the floor, ignoring the stares from their classmates. He pulls Brendon in close and starts swaying to the music.
“Everyone’s staring.”
Spencer shrugs, “Fuck them. It’s my prom and if I want to dance with my hot ass boyfriend in a tragically decorated auditorium to shitty Top 40 music, then I will.”
“You know, that was almost romantic.”
“Hey, I’m romantic, I’m totally romantic.” Spencer grins, twirls Brendon and then dips him. “See, totally romantic.”
Brendon rolls his eyes and leans up to kiss the corner of Spencer’s mouth, “Well. Okay, then.”
Spencer laughs a little and leans down, kissing Brendon soft and a little hot, a preview of things to come, and then pulls Brendon upright, holding him close. “Hey. I love you.”
“I love you too, Spence.” Brendon rests his chin on Spencer’s shoulder and Spencer smiles. Maybe prom isn’t so bad after all.
Pairing(s): Brendon/Spencer
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Word count: 4800
Summary: Coming out fic. Brendon and Spencer have been hiding their relationship for a while now, but it’s time to break it to their parents.
A/N: Thanks to sunsetmog , playfullips and aredblush for the beta, hand holding and reassurance. A huge thanks to the mods for running the challenge. ♥
Written for gemmi999
Title taken from Birds of Tokyo’s “Plans.”
--
On Monday afternoon, when Spencer is sprawled out underneath Brendon, trying to get Brendon’s shirt off without giving in and rolling over so that he at least has his arms free, unlike now, the last thing he is expecting to hear Brendon say is that he’s going to tell his parents he’s gay. ‘Take it all off, hot stuff?’ Yes. ‘Hi, I’m a crazy person and I’m going to blow our secret and come out to my parents?’ No.
Spencer’s fingers freeze on the button he’s trying to undo and his hand clamps down on Brendon’s hip to stop him wriggling.“You--Bren.”
“Spence.”
“Are--but, why?”
Brendon sighs and sits up, tracing his finger over Spencer’s stomach, “I can’t--I just--” he sighs again. “I’m tired of keeping you a secret.”
“It’s not a walk in the park for me either, but come on.” He frowns. “Your parents?”
“Hey. They might surprise us.” Brendon doesn’t sound convinced.
“Yeah. Maybe.” Spencer isn’t convinced either. In fact, he’s the polar opposite of convinced. Brendon’s parents are going to kill them. Both of them.
“I hate lying. It’s wrong and it’s--us. You and me. We’re not wrong and I shouldn’t have to lie about something that is important to me. I shouldn’t and I won’t. Not anymore.”
“Okay.” Spencer nods. “Okay.” He leans up and kisses Brendon, soft and light. “I’ll come with you.”
Brendon rests his forehead against Spencer’s. “You're incredibly sweet,but I think. I have to do this myself, I think.”
“Okay, but--” Spencer feels dumb even having to ask, “If they react badly. We’ll still--it won’t be the end of us, will it?”
“Spence, hey, of course it won’t. My parents are whatever, but us, we’re solid, yeah?”
Spencer nods. “Yeah, I know. Of course I know.”
“Good.” Brendon kisses his nose, “Now I do believe you were trying to get me out of my shirt.”
Spencer grins, “And your pants.”
--
Brendon doesn’t talk about it when his parents kick him out. He just turns up in the middle of the night, drenched head to toe from the storm outside. When Spencer’s mom asks him what happened, he shrugs and says,“Difference of opinion.”
Spencer’s mom watches him go, and turns to Spencer, giving him an expectant look. Spencer sighs and shakes his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry but--it’s not my place to tell.”
“Spencer.”
“Mom, I can’t.” Spencer rubs at his eyes, “Can he stay though, please? I just--I’ll talk to him.”
“Okay.” She flicks the light off and walks upstairs with him. “Put his clothes in the laundry basket and I’ll wash them tomorrow.”
Something twists in Spencer’s stomach and he just wants to tell her everything. He wants to tell her about him and Brendon dating and being gay and how he thinks he might really be in love with Brendon, that it’s been six months and all he wants is forever, but he doesn’t. He can’t. Not now and maybe--maybe not for a long time.
He must look like he wants to say something, because his mom reaches out and puts her hand on his arm, “Spence? Is there something you want to talk about?”
“No. No, I’m okay. Just worried about Brendon.” He smiles weakly, “Night, Mom.”
“Okay.” His mom gives him a look like she isn’t buying it, but she kisses his temple and gives him a quick hug, “Night, Spence.”
Spencer walks into his bedroom, closing and locking the door behind him and crawls into bed behind Brendon. He wraps his arms around him tight and kisses the back of his neck. “Bren?”
“They kicked me out.” Brendon’s voice cracks, “They--my dad was so angry and my mom--my mom cried and they told me--” Brendon sobs a little, “They told me to get out, that I was no son of theirs.”
Spencer can feel his heart breaking as he pulls Brendon closer. “I’m so sorry, baby.”
Brendon sniffs and shakes his head, “Don’t be. It’s a relief, you know? It’s out there, I’m out there and now I can get on with my life, right?”
Spencer doesn’t have the heart to tell him that he’s pretty sure that this is only the beginning, so he settles for nodding and kissing the back of Brendon’s neck again. “Of course, Bren.”
“Yeah. At least I still have you.”
“Hey.” Spencer turns Brendon over so they’re face to face, “Always, Brendon. Fucking always.”
“Okay, I know.” Brendon swipes his hand across his cheek, wiping away his tears. “I know.”
“Good. Make sure that you do.” Spencer kisses him deep and intense, pulling him in so they’re pressed against each other. Brendon kisses back, and they stay like that trading kisses back and forth until Brendon’s yawning against his mouth and Spencer’s struggling to keep his eyes open.
“We should sleep.”
Spencer nods and pets Brendon’s hair. “Mmhm. Night, Bren.”
“Night, Spence.”
Spencer waits for Brendon to fall asleep before he lets himself drift off.
--
It takes a week for Brendon to stop looking like he’s just waiting for someone to pop around a corner and start yelling at him for being a sinner. A long week of tears and anger and Spencer consoling him, while becoming more and more terrified of what will happen when he comes out to his parents.
It’s not like his parents are religious and it’s not like they’ve ever had opinions on homosexuals that haven’t been positive. It’s just that Spencer is their son. Their only son and his mom has been asking him on and off since he went on a lame movie date with Jenny Perkins in the sixth grade when he is going to get a girlfriend. He doesn’t know how to tell them that he doesn’t want a girlfriend because he’s already got a boyfriend. A boyfriend who is hot and funny and talented and is apparently trying to get his attention judging by the hand being waved in his face.
“Sorry, what?”
Brendon rolls his eyes. “I asked if you want extra mango?”
“Oh, yes, please.” Spencer shreds a paper napkin and pauses. “I think I’m going to tell my parents.”
There’s a crash and when Spencer leans over the counter he can see Brendon picking the blender up and cursing under his breath. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“No, I’m okay.” Brendon stands up and gets the mop to clean up the mess he’s made. “You’re not okay though. You’re crazy.”
“Bren, I want to tell them. I want them to know that we’re together and that--that I’m in love with you.”
Brendon’s eyes widen and he stops moping mid stroke. “Spence?”
“I love you.” Spencer sounds so sure even though his hands are shaking and he’s terrified that Brendon is going to laugh in his face or go away. He doesn’t have to worry though, because Brendon scrambles on top of the counter and kisses him hot and desperate. Spencer laughs against his mouth and wraps his arms around him tight, kissing back until he finally has to break away to breath. They’re in public and Spencer’s brain is screaming at him that it’s a bad idea, that’s this is supposed to be a fucking secret, you idiot, but Spencer can’t bring himself to care.
Brendon’s watching Spencer with dark eyes and he’s practically gasping for air and he has never looked hotter to Spencer in his life. “Fuck. Spence. I love you too.”
“Yeah?” Spencer’s stomach swoops and he can’t help but smile like a goof at Brendon, but it’s cool because Brendon is totally smiling like a goof back at him.
“God, yes.”
“Awesome. That’s--yeah. Totally awesome.”
Brendon nods and gets down off the counter and starts to remake the smoothie. “If you tell your parents, I’ll support you, but you don’t have to just because I did, okay?”
“I know. I’m doing it because I want them to know, and also because I hate lying to them,you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” Brendon smiles. “God, they’re going to hate me for corrupting their only son.”
Spencer snorts. “Corrupting me? I corrupted you, if you remember correctly.”
“As if. I was totally the corrupter in this relationship.”
“Lies. That was me on my knees in the storage closet at school, wasn’t it? Why yes, yes it was.”
“Oh my god, you’re going to tell that story to our grandchildren, aren’t you?” Brendon adopts a croaky voice, “Well sonny, when I was sixteen I blew your Grandpa Brendon in a storage closet and it was awesome.”
Spencer’s stomach swoops again at the idea of growing old with Brendon and he grins. “Fuck you, it was awesome. Except for the bit when you came on my face without telling me. I don’t think my eyes have ever stung like that in my life.”
“Oh my god, oh my god, you fell off balance, dick face. I can’t help it if you decided to be uncoordinated as fuck while I was coming.”
Spencer grins. “But the important thing is that you came. Courtesy of my awesome blow job skills.”
“Shut up, I hate you.” Brendon pushes his smoothie at him. “Drink that, some of us have actual work to do.”
“Pfft you love me.”
“Against my better judgement.” Spencer would be offended, but Brendon leans across and kisses him, so it’s not all bad.
“Liar.”
Brendon rolls his eyes and Spencer sips his smoothie, settling in to watch Brendon work the rest of his shift.
--
The thing is that, of all the ways that Spencer saw coming out to his parents, blurting it out at the dinner table when he meant to ask his mom to pass the carrots didn’t make the list.
Spencer freezes and his mom freezes and Brendon’s foot freezes from its travels up Spencer’s leg, because he sucks at footsies, Spencer has told him this a million times.
“I mean--um. Fuck.”
Spencer can’t look at his mom and he really, really can’t look at his dad and when he looks at Brendon he’s staring at him with wide, terrified eyes and fuck. Fucking fuck fuck sonofabitchfuck.
“Mom. Mom, Spencer said a swear.”
“Crystal. Jackie. Go to your room.” Spencer’s never heard his Mom sound like that, not even when he accidentally broke a window playing tennis with lemons. Twice. His stomach twists up and he feels like hurling and if it wasn’t for the steady pressure of Brendon’s foot against his leg he’d probably try and run for it.
“But, Mom, we didn’t--”
“Go. Now.”
Spencer doesn’t look up from his plate, not when he hears his sister mutter, “Thanks a lot, Spencer,” under her breath and not when the bedroom door slams after quite possibly the noisiest trip up the stairs ever.
There’s silence after that. Terrifying silence and Spencer wonders if there’s any way possible he can laugh this off, wonders if this was what it was like for Brendon, wonders if this is it. If this is the last meal he’s ever going to eat with his parents.
The silence is broken by a sob, and when he looks up at his mom, her eyes are dry and she’s looking at his father. His father who Spencer has never seen cry in his life, who at this very minute is hunched over his plate like--like--like Spencer doesn’t even know.
“Dad.”
“Spencer. Go upstairs, you too, Brendon. Take your dinner and finish it up there.”
“Mom, please I--”
“Come on, Spence.” Brendon wraps a hand around his elbow and tugs gently, guiding him out of his seat. Spencer lets him push his plate into his hand and lead him upstairs. Spencer feels like he’s on autopilot, like he’s on the outside looking in, watching himself make possibly the worst mistake ever and it does nothing to quash the need to throw up, to cry, to run downstairs and apologise and tell his parents that it was a mistake, an accident, a slip of tongue.
Except then Brendon kneels in front of him, smoothing his thumb across Spencer’s forehead and he knows, somewhere deep down, underneath the fear and the hurt that he’s done the right thing. He was honest and wasn’t that what his parents have always asked of him? To be honest, no matter what?
“Spence? Hey, Spence, it’s okay.” Brendon wraps his arms around him, holding him tight and that’s when Spencer realises he’s crying. He fists his hand in the back of Brendon’s shirt and clings to him, trying to get closer.
“I fucked up, I fucked up.”
“Shh, you didn’t. It’s going to be okay, I promise.” Brendon's breath is warm against his neck, his voice soothing.
“How do you know? You don’t know.” Spencer feels panic starts to rise in his chest and he fights against Brendon’s arms, trying to get away, the need to run and hide overtaking.
“Spence, Spence, stop. Stop, you’re okay, I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” Brendon’s voice sounds so far away and Spencer gives one good push and he feels Brendon’s arms loosen enough for him to make his escape. He throws his bedroom door open and runs for the bathroom, getting there in time to empty his stomach into the toilet. Something cool touches the back of his neck and Spencer whimpers softly.
“Shh, you’re okay, you’re okay.” Brendon rubs a soothing circle over his back and Spencer can’t help but start crying again.
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for, Spence.”
Spencer shakes his head and closes his eyes. “I pushed you. I fucked up and I took it out on you.”
“Spence.” Brendon crouches down next to him, “You’re scared. When--when I told my parents and they freaked out? I punched a hole in my wall.”
“You did? You said you fell.”
Brendon laughs softly and kisses Spencer’s temple. “I’m not that uncoordinated. No, they started yelling and I just lost it and lashed out. It didn’t even feel like me, you know?”
“I know.” Spencer sniffs and turns to hug him, “I’m still sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
Spencer clings a little tighter, “I love you.”
“Mhm. I love you so much and--” Brendon kisses his forehead and helps him to his feet, “I’m proud of you. You’ve been so brave, Spence.”
“I threw up and cried. I’m not exactly slaying dragons.”
“Well, no. Although that’d be an interesting role play.”
Spencer half laughs, half sobs, and he feels something loosen the smallest bit in his chest, “Perv.”
“You know it.” Brendon leads him into the bedroom and helps him into bed, pulling his shoes off and tugging the blanket up over him. “Seriously, though. That took a lot of bravery, Spence, to just tell them like that.”
“I meant to ask for carrots.”
“Huh?”
“Carrots. I meant to ask my mom for carrots and instead--well. Instead I--fuck.” Spencer wipes angrily at his eyes when he starts to cry again. “They hate me.”
“They don’t hate you. Hey,” Brendon pulls his hands away from his face and holds them, “they don’t hate you.”
“You don’t know.”
“I do. You have to trust me Spence.”
“My dad was crying, Bren. You say they don’t hate me but I made my fucking dad cry. He didn’t even cry when he fell of the roof that time, and now he is, and it’s my fucking fault.” Spencer sits up. “I have to--I should just go, right? Make it easier for them.”
Brendon stops him with a hand to the chest. “Spencer, stop it, okay? Just--just please, stop.”
Spencer takes a deep breath, and then after a long moment where he takes in Brendon’s pale face and shaking hands, he nods. “Okay.”
“Thank you.” Brendon kisses the corner of his mouth and pushes him back down on the bed, “Do you think you can sleep?”
Spencer doesn’t think he will ever sleep again, not if he’s going to feel this shitty for the rest of his life. “No.”
“Okay, that’s okay.”
Brendon sits next to him and starts to run his fingers through Spencer’s hair. Spencer shifts a little so his head is resting on Brendon’s chest. “Do you think--what will we do? If they ask me--us to leave. What will we do?”
“We could start a band. Or, you know, realistically I could take on more shifts at the Smoothie Hut. It might be shitty but I could probably afford an apartment for us if we stretched my pay enough.”
“You’d do that?” Spencer asks, instead of ‘you’d still stay with me?’. Brendon must hear the unasked question in his voice, because he tilts Spencer’s face up and kisses him long and slow and deep.
Spencer kisses back and he feels his chest loosen even more, feels something like hope settle in his stomach. Brendon hums softly as they kiss and Spencer relaxes, his eyes starting to droop closed.
--
Spencer doesn’t know what time it was when he fell asleep, but when he wakes up there’s a pop tart next to him on his pillow and Brendon’s sitting at the end of the bed, reading a textbook and sucking the filling out of his own pop tart.
“Nrgh.”
Brendon looks up and smiles a little. “Hey, you’re awake. I made you a pop tart.”
“‘m not hungry.” Spencer feels like he wants to go back to sleep for a week. Hopefully by that time everything will have blown over and his parents won’t want to disown him. Maybe.
“Okay, well it’s there if you--” Brendon is cut off by a knock at the door, and Spencer curls in on himself when he hears his mom’s voice asking if they’re awake.
The door opens when Brendon gives the all clear, and Spencer wants to cry all over again when he sees his mom. She’s pale and her eyes are puffy and Spencer can’t help but think that this is it. He’s about to be disowned by his parents while wearing his Backstreet Boys shirt with a pop tart sitting next to him.
“You boys need to get dressed and get in the car.”
Brendon clears his throat, “Both of us?”
“Yes. You and Spencer. You’ve got ten minutes.”
His mom turns and leaves, and Spencer pulls the covers over his head. “Fuck.”
The covers are pulled away and Brendon looks down at him. “Hey, come on. She didn’t even look mad.”
“She didn’t look anything, because she wouldn’t even look at me.” Spencer tries to pull the covers out of Brendon’s hand, “They’re going to drive us out to the desert and leave us there.”
“Spencer.” Brendon snaps his name out. “I love you but you’re being a drama queen. If they were going to kick you out like that, you’d be gone already. Now eat your pop tart and get dressed.”
“You are so insensitive.”But Spencer sits up, and starts to get dressed.
Brendon snorts. “Uh huh.”
“See if I blow you behind a cactus.” Spencer mutters, pulling his shirt over his head. When he gets it on Brendon is watching him. “What?”
“I love you, yeah?”
“I know. I love you too.” Spencer reaches out and takes his hand, “We--I guess we probably shouldn’t hold hands, huh?”
“Probably not.”
Spencer sighs and rests his forehead against Brendon’s for a moment. “No matter what, promise you’ll stay with me.”
Brendon kisses him short and hard. “Promise. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay.” Spencer nods. “Okay, we should go.”
“Yeah. We really should.”
--
The car ride is awkward as fuck. No one says a word and Brendon fidgets the whole way. Spencer’s parents keep exchanging these loaded looks and Spencer wants to die. He wants to run until he can’t anymore and then he wants to die.
Eventually the car comes to a stop and Spencer realises that the whole time they’ve been driving they’ve been heading out of the city, and now they’ve stopped at the best pancake place in the whole of Nevada.
Spencer gives Brendon a look when his parents get out of the car, and Brendon shrugs, “I don’t know.”
“They’re going to kick me out over pancakes. It’s going to--they’re going to feed me up so I have a chance at survival and then they’re going to dump me on the side of the roa--” Brendon’s hand clamps over his mouth, muffling his rant.
“Spence, stop. Just--enough, okay? I know you’re scared and upset, but just--enough.”
Spencer shakes Brendon’s hand off. “You don’t know what this feels like.”
He regrets it as soon as the words come out of his mouth. Brendon’s face drops and he straightens, pulling himself up to full height. “Your parents are waiting.” He walks into the restaurant, and doesn’t wait for Spencer.
--
By the time Spencer works up the courage to walk into the restaurant and slide into the vacant spot next to Brendon, the waitress is already walking away with the menus. He frowns a little, and then looks over at his mom when she says, “I ordered for you.”
He nods. “Oh. Um--thank you.”
She nods and then silence falls across the table. Spencer feels like he’s going to scream and he resists the urge to run again. He presses his knee against Brendon’s and he doesn’t even--he can’t care if Brendon is mad at him, he needs to feel something, anything but fear.
“Spencer.” His dad is quiet. “Spencer, we--your mom and I owe you an apology.”
“I--what?” Spencer looks from his dad to his mom and back again. “But why? I’m -- I’m the one who--I’m the disappointment.”
“What? What? Spencer, no. No, baby, no. Not at all. You’re not a disappointment, you’re never a disappointment.”
“I made--I ruined--Dad cried.” Spencer looks at his dad. “Dad I made you cry.”
“That’s not your fault, Spencer. That is on me. I wasn’t prepared and I reacted badly and I’m so sorry for making you feel--for making you feel anything but pride in yourself and who you are.”
Spencer’s never heard his dad sound so--fierce and broken but proud at the same time. He shakes his head. “I thought you hated me.”
“Spencer James Smith, we will never, ever hate you. You are our son and we love you. We might need time and we might not always show you but if there is one thing you can always be sure of, it’s that we love you, and we are proud of you.”
“So this isn’t just a plan to fatten me up and dump me in the desert?”
Spencer feels the tight knot in his stomach disappear when his parents start laughing. He smiles a little and then leans into Brendon, just the tiniest bit, “I--in the spirit of full disclosure I--Bren and I. We’re like--we’ve been dating. For six months.”
Spencer’s mom laughs softly. “Yeah, we figured. I take it your coming out was less than successful, Brendon?”
“That’s putting it mildly. I understand if you don’t want me staying with you guys anymore. Under the circumstances.”
Mr. and Mrs. Smith exchange a look. “Actually. We wanted to--we want you to stay. We’ve got the spare room and there’s the old desk in the garage that we can bring inside for you to do your schoolwork. I mean obviously there will be rules--”
“--no making out in front of your sisters. I don’t want them getting any ideas about getting boyfriends.” Mr. Smith interrupts and Spencer’s mom rolls her eyes.
“There will be rules and you will be expected to follow them but. If you want to stay there is a place for you in our family.”
Brendon’s hand slides into Spencer’s and holds tight. “I’d--thank you Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I’d like that.”
“Great, then it’s settled. And just in time for pancakes.” Mrs. Smith smiles. “Eat up boys, we’ve got a lot of shopping to do today.”
“Shopping?”
Mrs. Smith smiles, kind of evilly, “Mmhm. Shopping. We need to buy Brendon some clothes and I suppose I can squeeze a new pair of shoes for you into my budget”
Spencer grins and leans into Brendon. “Dude, eat up. It’s going to be a long day.”
Brendon kisses Spencer’s temple. “I can handle that.”
Spencer smiles happily and eats his pancakes, holding Brendon’s hand. He looks across the table at his mom and dad and grins when his dad winks at him. For the first time, everything feels alright. No secrets and no lies.
--
Brendon squeezes Spencer’s hand, “Are you sure about this?”
Spencer scrunches his nose and looks around. The auditorium is covered in crepe paper and glitter and fucking Christmas lights hanging everywhere and no, he isn’t sure about this. In fact, it’s like walking into a nightmare, but it’s prom and his mom was so damned excited about it so. Here he is.
“Ugh, I guess. What the fuck is this theme anyway?”
Brendon laughs a little, “Triton’s Garden.”
“Triton’s Garden. Are you fucking serious? Why not make it Under the Sea and be done with it? Fucking prom.”
“You’re so hot when you’re cranky.”
“Seriously though, who decorated this shit? The local kindergarten--oh my god is Mrs. Grinshaw wearing a mermaid tail? Oh my god, she is. That is actually--oh my god.” Spencer doesn’t know whether to be horrified or gleeful so he settles for a combination of both. He’s awesome at compromise.
Brendon laughs. “Come on, let’s get some punch and judge people.”
“Gosh, I love you. It’s like you know me.” Spencer lets Brendon lead him to the punch table, still casting glances over his shoulder to where the eighty year old English teacher is dressed like Ariel’s great grandmother.
--
The punch, it turns out, is spiked. Which is probably why Spencer started out quietly judging people, but by the time the announcement of prom king and queen rolls around, ends up judging people at the top of his lungs. It’s completely possible that Mrs. Grinshaw wants to strangle him with her mermaid tail. Spencer welcomes the challenge.
“Shh, Spence.” Brendon slaps his arm when Sarah Peabody and Nicholas Xavier are crowned King and Queen.
“But, Bren. I’m pretty sure that dress is a crime against fashion. I’m pretty sure if real royalty wore that they’d be forced to abdicate the throne.”
Brendon snorts. “Yeah, well. I’m pretty sure that our new prom King is way too drunk to realize the damage all of that peach taffeta is doing to his eyes.”
“They’re not even cute.” Spencer groans, tipping over to rest his head on Brendon’s shoulder. He watches Nicholas drunkenly fumble his hands with Sarah’s, and makes a disgruntled hmph noise. “Royalty should be cute. Like you, you’re cute.”
“Aww, do you wanna be my Queen, Spence.”
“I’d be better dressed then them. I’d wear blue, I look awesome in blue.”
Brendon tugs Spencer’s tie, blue and hanging crookedly around his neck, “You do look very good in blue.”
“‘s ‘cause I’m hot.”
Brendon laughs. “You’re so drunk right now.”
“Maybe.” Spencer tilts his head so he can see Brendon’s face. “Dance with me?”
“What?” Brendon frowns and Spencer reaches up, smoothing his thumb across his forehead.
“Do you trust me?” It’s cheesy as fuck, quoting Aladdin at him but whatever, Spencer rocks it. Plus it’s totally worth the smile Brendon flashes him.
“You know I do.”
“Then dance with me.” Spencer stands and holds his hand out to Brendon and then, remembering that he is in fact a gentleman sometimes, adds, “Please?”
Brendon looks around the room and then takes his hand. Spencer grins and leads him out to the floor, ignoring the stares from their classmates. He pulls Brendon in close and starts swaying to the music.
“Everyone’s staring.”
Spencer shrugs, “Fuck them. It’s my prom and if I want to dance with my hot ass boyfriend in a tragically decorated auditorium to shitty Top 40 music, then I will.”
“You know, that was almost romantic.”
“Hey, I’m romantic, I’m totally romantic.” Spencer grins, twirls Brendon and then dips him. “See, totally romantic.”
Brendon rolls his eyes and leans up to kiss the corner of Spencer’s mouth, “Well. Okay, then.”
Spencer laughs a little and leans down, kissing Brendon soft and a little hot, a preview of things to come, and then pulls Brendon upright, holding him close. “Hey. I love you.”
“I love you too, Spence.” Brendon rests his chin on Spencer’s shoulder and Spencer smiles. Maybe prom isn’t so bad after all.