What It Means To Be A Man, Chapter 7
Title: What It Means To Be A Man (7/?)
Author: x_if_i_left_x, Dawn Marie
Rating: PG-13.
Pairing: Joncer w/a tiny bit of not-quite-Rockett
POV: 3rd with a focus on Brendon
Summary: Brendon unexpectedly crashed Spencer's pity party with a bizarre request. Is a ride to the airport really what he wants, or does he have something even more unpredictable up his sleeve?
Disclaimer: I still don't own them, what with modern anti-slavery laws as they are. It's unlikely to change, really.
Author Notes: Sorry about the wait, but I promise the next one will be up as soon as I'm back from vacation. Speaking of which...please forgive me if I don't reply to your comments as quickly as usual, but I'll be away from the internet until next Sunday if you comment later than tonight.
Dedication: blackeyedwicca = endless love, I tell you.
All Previous Chapters & Companion Pieces
January 25, 2010 (One Hour And Twenty-Three Minutes Ago).
The pause that follows his plea is not as long as Brendon thought it would be. It almost seems like Patrick was hoping for the question - unlikely, Brendon thinks, but he clings to idea nonetheless.
"I can't give you forever."
"So give me until your flight leaves."
Silence. Five, four, three, two -
"Okay."
Click.
It isn't much, but it's everything.
October 26th, 2009 (The Aftermath of a Good Time)
Brendon is used to this floor. He's used to the scratchy carpet, the awkward pauses, and the voice Ryan uses when he's trying to make being hurt sound more like being annoyed, but that doesn't mean that he wants to be here.
"I hate this stupid floor."
"We have two couches."
Ryan tilts his head the other way and continues like he didn't hear Brendon's remark. He's been doing that more as the singer coddles him less.
"That shoe thing was so stupid. They ruined the whole night."
"Jon was just staying in character. Cinderella's supposed to lose her shoe," Brendon muttered.
"Not everywhere she goes. He was being a jerk."
'He was making Spencer happy,' Brendon doesn't say. It's all the same to Ryan now anyway.
November 9th, 2009 (And We Walked Uphill to School. Both Ways.)
"And what's with all this Baby Einstein shit? In my day, kids learned by -"
"Did you just say 'in my day'?"
"He did! Oh my God, you're such a grandpa," Brendon giggles.
"Shut up."
"Or what? Huh? Whatcha gonna do, pops? Whack me with your cane?"
"Fight nicely, kids," Jon admonishes jokingly over an armful of Dr. Seuss books and stuffed animals.
"Or we'll put your names on the lame presents," Spencer adds, piling some socks onto the precarious mountain in his boyfriend's arms. He frowns when Jon pulls his phone out of his pocket to read a text message and subsequently drops some of the gifts.
"'siskybusiness: staring at iamjonwa - ... SISKY!" Jon shrieks, letting the remainder of Bronx's birthday loot hit the floor.
"What are you - AAAAH!" Ryan screams as he finds himself being lifted into the air from behind.
"Oh..."
"I sweep you off your feet and all I get is an 'oh'?" Bill asks, grinning down at his captive.
Adam has Jon in a bear hug and Spencer is dramatically tossing the presents into a basket that a huffy saleswoman has brought over, so Brendon is the only witness to Ryan's shy, pink-cheeked smile and breathless hello.
November 14th, 2009 (See That Line Behind You? Yeah, Please Step Back And Don't Cross It Again)
"I smell sustenance," Jon mumbles, scrubbing a hand over his face sleepily.
"That's the addiction talking, you know," Ryan informs him as Brendon sets the cardboard cup holder on the table.
"Sweet, sweet sustenance," Jon continues without acknowledging the comment.
"Has anybody seen Jon? He was - ah, coffee. That explains it," Spencer chuckles. He picks up his strawberry frappuccino - evidence, Pete claims, that Spencer is the bottom - and leans against the doorframe.
"What's the Joncer headline today?"
"Let's see...," Brendon murmurs, fanning out the stack of gossip rags he bought that morning. "Looks like the usual...break up, secret wedding, next album is a tribute to your epic romance...oh, these are new."
"What?"
"People seems to think that you're adopting."
"How'd they get that idea?" Jon asks.
"They've got pictures of us shopping for Bronx's presents. Must have forgotten that his birthday's coming up," Brendon shrugs. He turns the magazine so that the cover is facing away from him and pushes it towards Ryan, who is laughing so hard that he's trying not to snort. "If you think that's funny, check out the story underneath it."
"'Could Rockett be the next...,' oh my God," he giggles.
"'...Decaydance couple? The Academy Is...'s William Beckett sweeps RyRo off his feet,'" Jon finishes, leaning over Ryan's shoulder to read it.
"Dude, he's gonna love this. We should call him," Ryan grins.
"Yeah, c'mon, let's go outside where the service is better."
Jon grabs his phone and the two of them head for the door, abandoning the magazine on the table. Spencer slides in across from Brendon now that there's room on the bench. The singer watches as he turns to the cover story and looks at the pictures. There's a sadness in his eyes that doesn't fit in with the way he was smiling when he saw Jon.
"They come up with some crazy stuff, huh?" Spencer offers lamely when he notices that Brendon is watching him.
"I don't know. Bill and Ryan might be a good match," Brendon smiles.
"Yeah, maybe. Rockett sounds a lot cuter than Joncer, too."
"I think Joncer is pretty good. The real deal and all of that other sentimental shit."
"I don't know much about that kind of thing."
"You don't think you guys will settle down with a kid or two? Not now, but when the band is done or something?" he asks curiously.
Spencer's shoulders tense and the atmosphere in the bus follows suit almost instantly.
"You have no idea how unfair that question is," Spencer hisses. His eyes are as icy and venomous as his tone and Brendon knows better than to say what he's thinking as the younger man throws the magazine at him and storms out.
Author: x_if_i_left_x, Dawn Marie
Rating: PG-13.
Pairing: Joncer w/a tiny bit of not-quite-Rockett
POV: 3rd with a focus on Brendon
Summary: Brendon unexpectedly crashed Spencer's pity party with a bizarre request. Is a ride to the airport really what he wants, or does he have something even more unpredictable up his sleeve?
Disclaimer: I still don't own them, what with modern anti-slavery laws as they are. It's unlikely to change, really.
Author Notes: Sorry about the wait, but I promise the next one will be up as soon as I'm back from vacation. Speaking of which...please forgive me if I don't reply to your comments as quickly as usual, but I'll be away from the internet until next Sunday if you comment later than tonight.
Dedication: blackeyedwicca = endless love, I tell you.
All Previous Chapters & Companion Pieces
January 25, 2010 (One Hour And Twenty-Three Minutes Ago).
The pause that follows his plea is not as long as Brendon thought it would be. It almost seems like Patrick was hoping for the question - unlikely, Brendon thinks, but he clings to idea nonetheless.
"I can't give you forever."
"So give me until your flight leaves."
Silence. Five, four, three, two -
"Okay."
Click.
It isn't much, but it's everything.
October 26th, 2009 (The Aftermath of a Good Time)
Brendon is used to this floor. He's used to the scratchy carpet, the awkward pauses, and the voice Ryan uses when he's trying to make being hurt sound more like being annoyed, but that doesn't mean that he wants to be here.
"I hate this stupid floor."
"We have two couches."
Ryan tilts his head the other way and continues like he didn't hear Brendon's remark. He's been doing that more as the singer coddles him less.
"That shoe thing was so stupid. They ruined the whole night."
"Jon was just staying in character. Cinderella's supposed to lose her shoe," Brendon muttered.
"Not everywhere she goes. He was being a jerk."
'He was making Spencer happy,' Brendon doesn't say. It's all the same to Ryan now anyway.
November 9th, 2009 (And We Walked Uphill to School. Both Ways.)
"And what's with all this Baby Einstein shit? In my day, kids learned by -"
"Did you just say 'in my day'?"
"He did! Oh my God, you're such a grandpa," Brendon giggles.
"Shut up."
"Or what? Huh? Whatcha gonna do, pops? Whack me with your cane?"
"Fight nicely, kids," Jon admonishes jokingly over an armful of Dr. Seuss books and stuffed animals.
"Or we'll put your names on the lame presents," Spencer adds, piling some socks onto the precarious mountain in his boyfriend's arms. He frowns when Jon pulls his phone out of his pocket to read a text message and subsequently drops some of the gifts.
"'siskybusiness: staring at iamjonwa - ... SISKY!" Jon shrieks, letting the remainder of Bronx's birthday loot hit the floor.
"What are you - AAAAH!" Ryan screams as he finds himself being lifted into the air from behind.
"Oh..."
"I sweep you off your feet and all I get is an 'oh'?" Bill asks, grinning down at his captive.
Adam has Jon in a bear hug and Spencer is dramatically tossing the presents into a basket that a huffy saleswoman has brought over, so Brendon is the only witness to Ryan's shy, pink-cheeked smile and breathless hello.
November 14th, 2009 (See That Line Behind You? Yeah, Please Step Back And Don't Cross It Again)
"I smell sustenance," Jon mumbles, scrubbing a hand over his face sleepily.
"That's the addiction talking, you know," Ryan informs him as Brendon sets the cardboard cup holder on the table.
"Sweet, sweet sustenance," Jon continues without acknowledging the comment.
"Has anybody seen Jon? He was - ah, coffee. That explains it," Spencer chuckles. He picks up his strawberry frappuccino - evidence, Pete claims, that Spencer is the bottom - and leans against the doorframe.
"What's the Joncer headline today?"
"Let's see...," Brendon murmurs, fanning out the stack of gossip rags he bought that morning. "Looks like the usual...break up, secret wedding, next album is a tribute to your epic romance...oh, these are new."
"What?"
"People seems to think that you're adopting."
"How'd they get that idea?" Jon asks.
"They've got pictures of us shopping for Bronx's presents. Must have forgotten that his birthday's coming up," Brendon shrugs. He turns the magazine so that the cover is facing away from him and pushes it towards Ryan, who is laughing so hard that he's trying not to snort. "If you think that's funny, check out the story underneath it."
"'Could Rockett be the next...,' oh my God," he giggles.
"'...Decaydance couple? The Academy Is...'s William Beckett sweeps RyRo off his feet,'" Jon finishes, leaning over Ryan's shoulder to read it.
"Dude, he's gonna love this. We should call him," Ryan grins.
"Yeah, c'mon, let's go outside where the service is better."
Jon grabs his phone and the two of them head for the door, abandoning the magazine on the table. Spencer slides in across from Brendon now that there's room on the bench. The singer watches as he turns to the cover story and looks at the pictures. There's a sadness in his eyes that doesn't fit in with the way he was smiling when he saw Jon.
"They come up with some crazy stuff, huh?" Spencer offers lamely when he notices that Brendon is watching him.
"I don't know. Bill and Ryan might be a good match," Brendon smiles.
"Yeah, maybe. Rockett sounds a lot cuter than Joncer, too."
"I think Joncer is pretty good. The real deal and all of that other sentimental shit."
"I don't know much about that kind of thing."
"You don't think you guys will settle down with a kid or two? Not now, but when the band is done or something?" he asks curiously.
Spencer's shoulders tense and the atmosphere in the bus follows suit almost instantly.
"You have no idea how unfair that question is," Spencer hisses. His eyes are as icy and venomous as his tone and Brendon knows better than to say what he's thinking as the younger man throws the magazine at him and storms out.