Two Weeks In Hawaii [3/14 + Epilogue]
Title: Two Weeks In Hawaii [3/14 + Epilogue]
Author: ipanicdaily
Pairing: Ryan/Brendon, Spencer/Jon, Ryan/Pete (past), Gabe/Will, Nate/Alex
POV: 3rd; Ryan-centric.
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Don't own anyone/anything other than the plot. The title belongs to the band Hellogoodbye.
Summary: "Anything particular you want to see?"
Ryan had to bite back a comment.
"Uh...whatever you want..." Ryan looked down, nervously clawing at his arms. He shouldn't be having these or any thoughts about Brendon because he hadn't even known him an entire day.
Warning: Man/man, language, sex, angst; more to come probably.
Beta: lilrainforest
Author Notes: Ohhh how it's been so long! I'm so sorry I've been gone! I was busy writing stuffs for you!
Hehe sorry. I'm not PATD and therefore can not hack apart "We're So Starving" like that x3
Oh, and, I have no idea the actual rules and whatnot of volleyball, just so you know. I just thought about how I had to play it in school.
Past Parts: Prologue ♥ Day One ♥ Day Two
Day Three
"Spin's sick," Jon said, leaning against the door and frowning at Ryan. "He spent all night throwing up and now has a hangover from hell which he deserves for drinking so much." Jon turned his head towards the beds and spoke loudly, earning a groan of complaint from his boyfriend. "I don't think he'll be able to do much today, Ry."
"What about Brendon?" Ryan asked with a hint of annoyance, arms locked in a folded position over his chest as he glared at the slightly older man. "He'll be here soon expecting to do shit with us."
"You can still go with him." Jon smiled, his eyes sparkling with a hinting shine. Ryan glared harder, the corners of his mouth pulling farther towards the floor. "I'm sure Spence will be fine tomorrow so we can go then but today he's basically confined to the bed. Don't keep your miserable self inside all day, Ryan. Hang out with Brendon. He seems nice enough."
"Fine." Ryan didn't feel like arguing because he was tired, having been up tossing and turning all night. "I hate you, Spencer Smith!" he yelled into the room, looking over Jon's shoulder. "You owe me big!"
"Love you too," Spencer called back, voice groggy and blank. "George." he added, just to make Ryan mad.
"Have fun with Brendon," Jon said. "You deserve a distraction from your life; even if only for today."
"It'll be your fault when they find my mangled, murdered body being pecked at by seagulls on the beach." Ryan bitterly told Jon, making him laugh.
"See you tonight, Ry," Jon said before shutting the door, leaving Ryan all alone in the hall. He didn't fully buy the 'Spencer's Sick' excuse. They just wanted Ryan to be alone with Brendon, determined to make the two a couple. Ryan didn't come to Hawaii to find his next heartbreak though; he came because he was pretty much forced to. Jon and Spencer probably just wanted to fuck all day and therefore found a single, cute, local to dump Ryan on for the day.
Sighing, Ryan left them alone and headed down the hallway towards the lobby to wait for Brendon who, for his own sake, better be on time. If he's not, Ryan will only make the day more miserable. Unfortunately, when Ryan walked into the open space of seating and windows, roughly quarter to ten, Brendon was already there; leaning against the desk and talking happily to the woman behind it. Ryan didn't know what bothered him more; Brendon already there or the face that Brendon was just as happy as ever. They both annoyed him though. The early part because it was bonus points towards the native. Ryan took a deep breath and dropped his arms, heading for the desk with the least miserable face he could manage. Brendon was agreeing to show them around regardless of his other obligations therefore Ryan at least owed it to him to try and be happy.
"Ryan!" Brendon merrily greeted him upon sighting Ryan. He had sunglasses on top of his head, a green shirt with some sort of surfing logo, baggy tan capri's, and flip flops for today's outfit; still wearing the shell necklace as well as a variety of bands around one arm. "Aloha, my mainland friend." Brendon smiled brightly, making Ryan cringe.
"Morning," he said in response. Brendon pushed off the desk, uncrossing his ankles, and headed towards Ryan.
"Where are Spencer and Jon?" Brendon asked, glancing past Ryan towards the hall of rooms. It wasn't a big hotel but it was nice.
"They can't, uh, make it." Ryan told him, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Spencer's not feeling good; drank too much last night I guess."
"That sucks," Brendon said whilst frowning. "I can come back tomorrow if you'd rather."
"No, it's okay." Ryan spoke faster than he would have liked, Brendon's lips starting to turn to a smile again. "I could hang with you for the day...if you'd like..." he tried to keep his voice level and as interested as he could, not wanting to sound forced.
"Sure." Brendon shrugged, hooking his thumbs over the top of his pants. "If you want to, that is."
"Yeah." Ryan nodded, swallowing hard. He could do this; he could survive a day with an overly happy man. "I want to."
"Cool," Brendon said before there was a small moment of awkward silence. "Have you eaten?" Ryan shook his head, encouraging Brendon's peppy attitude even more. "Well I know this great little diner we could grab some breakfast or whatever at."
"Sounds good," Ryan said with as much enthusiasm as he could force out, managing a small smile. Brendon hummed a bit to himself as though he was contemplating something before starting towards the doors; Ryan following a moment later once he realized that Brendon was gone. "So...I guess we should...get to know each other more?" Ryan suggested as they walked through the lobby, a few other tourists passing through as well.
"If you want to," Brendon said, flicking his sunglasses down over his eyes and pushing the door open, holding it for Ryan. "My name's Brendon Urie, I'm twenty-four, an Aries, love to surf, can kick anyone's ass at beach volleyball, can play almost any instrument, can sing better than most people I've met, I spend my free time showing tourists such as yourself around, absolutely love Disney, attended college for the hell of it, have a masters in shit you won't care about, and for some strange reason I'm still single." Ryan couldn't help but laugh a little because Brendon spoke so easily and smoothly about himself; almost in a mocking tone. "I also tried feeding a fish a peanut butter sandwich once."
"Why?" Ryan asked as he followed Brendon towards the recognizable death trap vehicle.
"Haven't you ever seen 'Lilo and Stitch'?" Brendon asked, flip flops smacking against the pavement. Ryan was silent for a moment, a little preoccupied studying Brendon's tanned body. "Well Lilo, the little girl, would always bring this fish she named Pudge a peanut butter sandwich because Pudge controls the weather." Ryan snorted (unintentionally) with laughter. "I know it sounds stupid but I didn't want it to rain that day." Brendon smiled as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Oh come on; you've had to of done idiotic things before."
"Yeah," Ryan said, getting into the passenger seat, a little more confident than the previous night. "I fell in love with an asshole and almost married him," he said quietly, no longer smiling as he buckled up. Brendon stared at Ryan through the tinted lenses before shoving the keys into the ignition; the ring full of random toys that distracted Ryan momentarily.
"The world's full of assholes," he said, buckling then backing up. "That's why I love Hawaii."
"There has to be assholes here too," Ryan said, hands wrapped around the safety device.
"There are." Brendon turned the wheel, shifting the vehicle into drive and heading towards the road. "But Hawaii has things that not everywhere else does to deal with assholes."
"Like what?" Ryan asked, shutting his eyes from the wind because Brendon drove faster than Will did.
"Volcanoes," Brendon said, reaching down between the two seats and extracting a pair of white-framed sunglasses, which he offered to Ryan. "Hawaii is a collection of islands; this one doesn't allow assholes." Ryan accepted the glasses and slid them on, his eyes instantly grateful to be protected from the sun and wind. "So Ryan, anything I should know about you now that you know more about me than you wanted?"
"My last name is Ross, I'm a Virgo, I'm twenty-five, I like to play guitar, and I went to college to be an English teacher which is what I do back in Vegas," Ryan said, figuring the little information wouldn't do any harm. It wasn't his address or phone number or anything. Hell, Brendon didn't even know Ryan was his middle name. "And I'm sure I could kick your ass at beach volleyball." he smiled because for whatever reason, he just couldn't find the strength to be miserable.
"Is that a challenge?" Brendon asked, one eyebrow rose, as he flew along the roads. Ryan was still afraid of falling out; especially since Brendon liked going fast.
"Afraid you'll lose?" Ryan asked with a bit of taunting in his voice.
"No one's ever beat me before," Brendon said, the wind streaming through his hair. "I'm invincible."
"I'm not no one," Ryan said, still challenging Brendon. It would give him a reason to gloat because he's unusually good at the sport. It definitely wasn't because he wanted to see if he could Brendon shirtless.
"No," Brendon laughed, turning into the drive to the small building, "you certainly aren't."
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"So what do you think of Hawaii?" Brendon asked, sitting across from Ryan in the little diner.
"It's nice, I guess." Ryan shrugged, lightly sipping on his drink because Brendon decided that smoothies were a morning drink. It was colorful and had a little umbrella along with a chunk of pineapple on a toothpick. He was half expecting a coconut, really. "I've only been here, what? Two days?"
"So?" Brendon gave a small laugh, sunglasses atop his head again, one arm along the top of the booth-bench and legs crossed beneath the table. "It took me roughly two hours to decide what I thought of Vegas the one time I ventured out there."
"And?" Ryan curiously inquired, relaxed around the still-somewhat-stranger.
"Worst place I've ever been." Ryan laughed that time. "Far too busy and crowded. The lights were pretty though."
"You were on the strip," Ryan said, hands resting in his lap, playing with the sunglasses Brendon gave him to wear. "Of course it's super busy there. Everyone's looking to gamble and destroy their lives. They don't call it the 'city of sin' for nothing, you know."
"Well there wasn't anywhere to surf." Brendon stated, frowning a little.
"Ocean's tend to avoid the middle of continents," Ryan said with some amusement as well as sarcasm. "You could have tried surfing on the sand though; there's plenty of that." Brendon lightly snorted, playfully shoving Ryan's leg with his foot as though the two had been friends forever; and for some reason, Ryan was ok with that. He really hated Spencer and Jon now because they had been right; again. Ryan resents that. "How'd you meet William then if you love Hawaii so much?"
"Believe it or not, Bill grew up here," Brendon said with a soft, reminiscing smile. "He's always been my best friend. It was about four years ago I think that Gabe ended up here for some family event and they ran into each other. Will says it was love at first sight, that he belongs with Gabe, so when Gabe left, Bilvy did." his voice quieted a bit with sadness. "He comes to visit a couple times each year though."
"From what he told me, he and Gabe have an interesting relationship." Ryan didn't want silence to overcome the situation. That and Brendon looked really sad when he was sad; like puppy dog said with droopy eyes and a frown that begged for a hug and-yeah, you get it. Brendon laughed weakly, rolling his eyes.
"I've yet to figure that one out," he said. "Bill knows what Gabe does when he's not around, but doesn't seem to mind. He won't touch another person though, regardless of what he may have told you. William's hopelessly devoted to Gabe who's like thirty now; William being twenty-five like yourself." Ryan's eyebrows rose a bit. That was an age difference. Pete was only twenty-seven, almost twenty-eight. "I worry about him, you know?" Brendon removed his arm from the bench and played with the umbrella in his drink. "Bilvy's strong, but he's a little impressionable and all Gabe likes to do is party, drink, and fuck; sorry if that offends you or anything." He looked up to Ryan with shame. Ryan just smiled and shook his head; he's heard and said the word plenty of times before. "I love him like a brother."
"That's how Spin and I work." Ryan nodded with understanding. "That's why I hated Jon at first; it was like he was taking Spencer away from me. But Jon's a really good guy and good friend of mine now."
"Gabe's my friend and everything," Brendon said as though he made it sound like he despised the man. There was some silence after that; both looking at the table, window, anywhere but each other. "Can I ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer."
"I guess," Ryan said, a little afraid of what Brendon would ask.
"I know it's not my business or anything, we still don't really know each other, but why do you wear the ring if you never got married?" Ryan's breath caught in his throat, his thumb instantly going to the gold band and turning it. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked. I can be really stupid some-"
"No, it's okay," Ryan cut him off quietly. "It's my own fault. I wear it but I'm obviously lacking someone wearing the other." he continued to play with the ring, staring at the table, telling himself not to cry. "I honestly don't know why I still wear it. I guess...I just haven't been able to convince myself to take it off. It all seems so...unreal still. I mean, I was supposed to get married like a week ago." Ryan laughed dryly, mainly to fool himself into believing the situation wasn't horrible.
"This is probably over stepping boundaries, but, you can't let go or move on if you still wear that." Brendon carefully spoke, trying not to upset Ryan although it didn't work. Ryan got upset anyway; even if Brendon was right.
"That is over stepping boundaries," he coldly replied. "My life is my business." Ryan looked up at Brendon. "I don't ask you why your obnoxiously wealthy grandparents left everything to you instead of your parents or something or why you never take off that necklace since there are tan lines around it." Again Brendon's face fell as Ryan harshly spoke to him; Ryan instantly regretting opening his mouth as Brendon looked almost ready to cry. "Fuck; I'm sorry."
"The necklace was my mothers, given to her by my father as an engagement present, because the shell stands for true love." he reached towards his neck and grabbed a hold of it. "The house was left to me because my parents were killed in a car crash when I was four and living with them in Florida. My grandparents raised my sister and I here in Hawaii." Ryan bit his tongue before he said anything else stupid. "I wear the necklace to remind myself that true love does exist out there for everyone if we just believe."
"I'm really sorry." Ryan practically whispered, voice drowning in regret. "I feel like I should go walk into a volcano or something now."
"Why?" Brendon dropped his hand back down.
"Because I'm an asshole," he said, leaning back and sighing.
"No you're not." Brendon smiled a little again. "You're just feeling a lot of pain right now. I've had twenty years to come to terms with my parents deaths; you've had a week."
"Yeah but Pete didn't exactly die."
"Doesn't mean you can't be as upset." Ryan shut his eyes and exhaled slowly because Brendon was really too good to be true. Twice now Ryan's really upset him, in a span of twenty four hours, not even, yet Brendon still manages to smile and be nothing but kind. "Then again, I've never really been in love."
"Trust me; it's not all that great," Ryan said as the waitress arrived with their food.
"Clearly you and I have different definitions of love." Brendon told Ryan before thanking the waitress. "That or maybe you just fell in love with the wrong person." Ryan scoffed silently, opening his eyes and grabbing a fork, staring at the stack of pancakes. He's not a big eater. "So," Brendon exhaled and smiled more, starting fresh again, "Ever been surfing?"
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"The key is obviously to keep your balance." Brendon stood on the long board, facing Ryan, legs spread and body turned. "To do so, you have to move along with the water and guide the board." Ryan stood a few feet away in the sand, arms crossed over his chest and the borrowed sunglasses over his face as the warm afternoon sun shone down.
"I can't keep my balance in the sand," Ryan said with a slight frown. "There's no way I'll be able to on water."
"Well at first you'll fall all the time." Brendon dropped his arms back to his sides. "But when you get the hang of it then it's rather easy." he stepped off the board and into the sand. "You try."
"On the sand?" Ryan raised an eyebrow. "I'll look like a retard."
"It's ten times harder to do it on the water if you don't know what you're doing," Brendon said, beckoning Ryan towards him and the two boards laying in the warm sand. "I give lessons and I have people who think they can manage by just going out. All they do is basically drown themselves. Now come here." Ryan sighed but gave in, walking slowly towards Brendon with a small scowl. "Now, shoes off and on the board."
"I don't like water," he mumbled, bending down to undo his sandals.
"If William can do it, anyone can," Brendon said with a joking tone, watching Ryan.
"I heard that!" Will called from farther up the beach where he sat beneath a large umbrella, phone in hand, texting Gabe. Brendon had taken Ryan to the little private section of beach down the hill from his backyard and William decided to just tag along with them.
"Okay; stand like I was." Brendon instructed Ryan as the older boy got onto the board, the surface sleek with wax. He spread his legs a bit, sticking his arms lazily out, an annoyed look on his face. "Almost." Brendon smiled, stepping closer to Ryan. He put his hands on Ryan's hips, turning him a little more, Ryan trying his hardest not to blush. Next, Brendon bent down, Ryan cheeks really trying to burn, and grabbed Ryan's left ankle to pull it forward so his legs spread more.
"Way to frisk him, B!" Bill called with a smile as Brendon stood back up.
"I'll banish you to the house if you don't stop!" Brendon answered, pointing at Will warningly. "Ignore him," he said to Ryan after. "If you don't want me to touch you then tell me. I just find it easier than repeatedly telling you how to do it because you're obviously not getting it right for a reason."
"I-it's okay," Ryan said, hoping Brendon didn't notice his cheeks that he could feel were red. And he was wearing plenty of sunscreen so it wasn't sunburn.
"This is the easiest stance to control the board with." Ryan nodded, swallowing and shutting his eyes as Brendon put his hands back on Ryan's waist. "This," he lightly shook Ryan, "is where the control is; your core." Again Ryan nodded, not trusting words to come out. "You just bend your knees a little and try to keep your upper body still, using your waist to control the board."
"Not all you use it for." William spoke loud enough for them to hear, bent over the phone again.
"One more comment Bill and you can walk everywhere the remainder of your stay!" Brendon reprimanded him. "I have no idea what his problem today is." Brendon muttered, releasing Ryan (to Ryan's slight disappointment). "Want to try some small waves?" Ryan shook his head. "Come on Ry; the only way you'll learn is to try."
"I never asked to learn," Ryan said, dropping his tired arms and standing straight.
"Surfing's a really good way to relieve stress and clear you mind." Brendon hinted. "At least get a feel for how the board feels against the water."
"I think I should watch you do it first," Ryan tried to save himself. "You know, see exactly how it works."
"I suppose," Brendon said, disappointment filling his face. He reached his hand out and helped Ryan off the board (not that stepping to the side would have been a difficult task), walking alongside him up the beach towards William who's fingers were flying rapidly over the small keypad of his phone.
"Gabey says 'hi'," Will said as they approached, smiling proudly. "He also says not to kill Ryan before you fuck him." Brendon kicked him.
"You're being a brat," Brendon said to his friend as Ryan bit his lip.
"I try," Bill said with a happy grin. He took Brendon's sunglasses as Brendon removed them, sliding them onto his face for 'safe keeping'.
"Sure you don't want to try it?" Brendon asked, peeling off his shirt to reveal the best abs that Ryan had ever seen; defined muscles beneath perfectly tanned skin. Ryan definitely wasn't trying to keep himself from getting hard.
"Y-yeah," Ryan said eventually, mouth dry from hanging open a bit. William smiled to himself and lightly pushed his foot into Ryan's leg to tell him that Ryan was staring and potentially drooling. "I...it'll be better for me to watch..." Ryan's pants helped keep himself. "You know...to see how to do it...right."
"Sure." Brendon smiled, pulling his pants off. "I'll try to stay close enough to shore for you to see." he tossed his clothes behind Will's chair, adjusting his swim trunks which already rested low on his body. "Be nice to him, Bill." Brendon teasingly pushed Will's head to the side, looking back to Ryan. "Anything particular you want to see?"
Ryan had to bite back a comment.
"Uh...whatever you want..." Ryan looked down, nervously clawing at his arms. He shouldn't be having these or any thoughts about Brendon because he hadn't even known him an entire day.
"Tell him that and he'll just show off more," William said with amusement. Brendon shoved Will again as Ryan looked back up. "Brendon's very conceded and loves showing off for the attention." Bill joked.
"Shut your mouth." Brendon told Will, unable to keep himself from laughing. "If he annoys you just smack him." Brendon looked back to Ryan. "Or take away his cellphone." Ryan absently nodded as Brendon ran his hand through his hair.
"Oh just go impress him already." Will frowned, protecting his phone from any possible danger that could prevent him from texting his boyfriend who he was amazed was even up. "Come sit down, Ryan!" he beamed after, patting the chair beside him. Ryan walked through the sand towards the chair and sat down, crossing his ankles, arms hugging himself. Brendon jogged back down towards the water where the boards sat, bending down to grab one, glancing back at Ryan and smiling before stepping into the ocean. "He really likes you."
"Oh...uh..."
"You like him too." Will smiled, glancing away from the screen towards Ryan. "You stare at him, you know. And last night when I got back to the house he kept asking about you."
"R-really?" Ryan refused to look at Will, his cheeks coated in blush because he's never been told someone who likes him asks about him; not that he's ever been told someone liked him. "Why?" his eyes were glued to Brendon who sat on his knees on the board, arms cutting through the water to pull himself farther into the ocean where the waves were bigger.
"He thinks you're cute and smart regardless of what you say to him." Ryan's cheeks got even redder, thinking back to the previous night as well as breakfast where he upset Brendon. "And you love music as much as him which is like an instant connection with him."
"Oh," Ryan said, paying far more attention watching Brendon grow smaller than listening to William talk. Brendon rocked some as small waves moved him, waiting for a larger one to come. Ryan watched how his body bent and moved with the waves, biting the inside of his mouth to keep it closed. He was very happy that neither Spencer nor Jon was there, Spencer more so, to comment.
"And you're pretty into him since again you're staring." Will was almost as bad though. Ryan just hummed, not even hearing Will, watching Brendon ground himself as a larger wave approached, trying to keep his balance on the board. When he made it about halfway on the water, Brendon stood, sliding his feet along the waxed surface, forming his body exactly how he had showed Ryan. "This is how it started with me and Gabe."
"What?" Ryan snapped from his trance and looked at Bill, keeping his head turned enough to still see Brendon. "There's nothing between Brendon and I," he said as firmly as he could, Will scoffing. "He's showing me how to surf right now. He does it all the time, I thought."
"Yeah but he doesn't go shirtless for anyone else." William smiled, tapping a response to Gabe. "He usually wears that body suit." Ryan definitely didn't feel something inside his stomach flutter strangely. "Brendon's trying to impress you because he's into you and wants to at least fuck you if nothing else. He's never really done this before." Will laughed lightly.
"So he's a virgin?" Ryan asked with raised eyebrows.
"Oh god no." William laughed harder. "Brendon's far from virgin." Ryan frowned some at the comment though he's sure it wasn't meant how it sounded. "He's just never done the whole dating thing because he's never really been overly interested in anyone. I've only ever seen him actually do anything with anyone maybe four times, but never has he shown interest like this. And like I said, I had the pleasure of hearing him go on about you all night until I was fortunate enough to pass out." Ryan looked back at Brendon, blushing even more, watching him move so flawlessly on the board as he guided it along the water, looking like there was nowhere else in the universe he belonged.
"He's just being friendly," Ryan said quietly, adjusting the sunglasses on his face even if they weren't in the sun. The ridiculously large umbrella they sat beneath made sure of that.
"Friendly would have been some tours, quick lessons, a couple of polite smiles, and occasional small talk. Trust me, Ryan; Brendon's really into you." Bill looked out to his friend on the water. "It's about time he had someone to be happy with."
"That someone for him to be happy with isn't me." Ryan mumbled as Brendon rode the wave back to the calmness of the ocean.
"It's not if you don't want it to be," William said.
"Or because I'm only here for two weeks." Ryan scoffed.
"So you do want it to be?" Again Will was smirking, looking at Ryan.
"N-no," Ryan said quickly in denial. "I was just s-saying that I leave in...twoish weeks..."
"Yeah I know when you leave." Will rolled his eyes behind the sunglasses, moving them onto his head. "I leave the same time. You don't have to be ashamed or anything to fuck Brendon. When Gabe showed up here, I fell for him. A week later I was on the plane back to Vegas with him, leaving Hawaii and everyone behind." Ryan bit his lip as he watched Brendon come back to shore. "And I've never been happier."
"I'm not you," Ryan said. "Those things don't happen to me."
"It's happening right now!" Will exclaimed, throwing his arm towards the water where Brendon was exiting, shaking his head so he soaked hair sent water flying everywhere, his body dripping wet. "You just don't want it to happen because you're afraid of being vulnerable again." Ryan wanted to say something back but his mind was too busy focusing on the way Brendon's abs moved as he walked, laying the board back in the sand and jogging up the beach; shining in the sunlight. "Just realize that he'll only try for so long. If you're interested, let him know, before it's too late."
"What'd you think?" Brendon asked Ryan, having some difficulties moving through the sand as the little grains clung to him.
"Very nice," Ryan said back with a small smile. "No way I can do that." Ryan sat up as Brendon approached, Brendon bending down and grabbing a towel.
"I've seen better." William teased, grinning at his friend. Brendon dried his hair then threw the towel at Will. "Ryan may be easily entranced but I've seen you do far better." He threw the towel back. "At least Ryan's eyes didn't falter away from you."
"I'd hope not." Brendon looked back at Ryan. It felt like the sun was on Ryan's cheeks. "Best way to learn is to watch, right?" Ryan nodded, gathering himself again. "Do you want to try now?"
"Uh, I should probably go back to the hotel to, you know, get something else on for tonight." Ryan stared at the sand while Will immediately gained heavy interest in the conversation, ignoring his phone as it vibrated in his hand with a message.
"What's tonight?" he asked with a devilish smirk and immense curiosity.
"Ryan thinks he can beat me in beach volleyball," Brendon said while drying the rest of his body. Will looked at Ryan, eyebrows raised, smile near breaking his jaw in half. "We'll find out tonight."
"How do I not know about this?!" Will asked with shock. "Everyone needs to know about this!" he instantly went back to his phone, typing faster than anyone Ryan had ever seen before.
It was going to be another long night.
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Ryan stepped out of the bathroom, towel around his waist and drying his hair with another when he unintentionally screamed upon seeing Spencer and Jon on his bed; legs crossed in a matching pose with identical smirks. "What?" Ryan asked, taking the towel he was drying his hair with to cover his body from slight embarrassment. He has problems with exposing his body to people; even his best friends.
"How was your day?" Spencer asked, grinning so wide it looked strangely like the Joker from Batman.
"I thought you were sick," Ryan said with a frown, staying close against the wall.
"I got better." Spencer dismissed it with a shrug. "So, a day with Brendon; I need the juicy details here, Ryro."
"Stop being a gossip queen." Ryan told him. "How'd you even get into my room? I thought I locked the door..."
"Did you have fun?" Jon asked, hands folded over his bent knee. "You look less miserable."
"What I did today isn't any of your business." he replied, still frowning. "Can you go so I can get dressed?"
"Your pajamas are a pair of boxers and a shirt; just throw them on and spill." Spencer was a little annoyed, apparently completely over his hangover; if he even had one. Ryan knew they just wanted him alone with Brendon in hopes he would fill their crazy sex or whatever fantasies.
"I'm not...getting ready for bed..." Ryan quietly spoke as he cast his eyes to the floor.
"Well where else are-" Spence stopped, eyes widening and jaw dropping a bit. "Do you have a date, Ryan Ross?"
"No!" Ryan quickly replied because it wasn't a date. "I'm going back to the beach."
"At sundown?" Jon inquired, one eyebrow raised up in suspicion. "That's strangely romantic sounding."
"The sunset's pretty," Ryan said with an unconvincing shrug.
"You can easily watch the sunset from here," Spencer said. His face was still over-illuminated. "Seeing Brendon again?" Ryan bit his lip and looked back to the floor. "You are! I knew it! You like him!"
"It's not what you think." Ryan looked up with an aggravated face. "I sorta...challenged him to volleyball..." he played nervously with the towel in his hand now.
"Then why did you come back here to shower?" Spencer asked, uncrossing his legs. "You shouldn't have left him!"
"I had to get out the sand I obtained in my pants earlier." Ryan defended, earning a double-raised eyebrow look from Spencer. He instantly regretted his words. "It's not what you're thinking, Spin!"
"Then pray tell, Ryan, what is it?" he asked, Jon matching his boyfriend’s expression.
"He was teaching me to surf and then-"
"You went surfing?!" Spencer's eyebrows were nearly in his hair now. "What the fuck, Ryan? I mean, it's good you're doing shit but you're miserable as hell for awhile and suddenly Brendon comes along and you're all alive again?"
"I thought you wanted me to do shit with Brendon!" Ryan became angry. "He's nice, okay?! He doesn't know every fucking detail of my life and what he does know he doesn't judge or comment on!"
"Spencer's only saying that it's a sudden jump from your previous state last night." Jon defended Spencer.
"Whatever;" Ryan mumbled. "I have to get ready." He turned and disappeared into the bathroom again, shutting the door and hoping his friends would just go away.
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Ryan stood on the beach where he was being given surfing lessons earlier that day, the sun sinking behind the ocean which was calming down for the night, clawing nervously at his forearm as people gathered around the make shift court for his game against Brendon. Music drifted out of two large speakers farther up the beach by the little bar hut aligned with various alcohols now filling everyone’s classic red plastic cups. On the other side of the long woven stood Brendon, shirtless once again, talking to two men Ryan didn’t know as he stretched out his arms and legs. “I’m proud of you, Ryro,” Spencer said as he walked up to Ryan and slung an arm over the man’s shoulders, leaning on him lightly.
“Why?” Ryan asked with a knit brow and small frown, eyes glued unwillingly again on Brendon’s abs. Okay, so it was willingly. Half of his brain wanted to be staring at Brendon’s body, watching every muscle twist and tighten so perfectly. The other half, the more rational side as Ryan liked to believe, told him to avert his eyes before he ended up with an unfortunate problem in the lower part of his body. That and his rational side was fighting the willing half against thoughts of tackling Brendon to the ground to feel his body which was most definitely not something Ryan wanted to do overall.
"Because you initiated social, and in this case physical, contact with another human being!” Spencer smiled. Ryan rolled his eyes and pushed Spencer’s arm away so the cup the younger man was holding wouldn’t slosh alcohol all over him. He hated the smell of alcohol and didn’t want it to linger on his body for hours later. “Sure, you’re going to get your ass kicked, but you’re learning how to be a human being again.”
“Thanks for the support.” Ryan scoffed, a small smile evident on the corners of his mouth. He knew that Spencer didn’t mean his words as actual insults but rather as just fun teasing, usually cheering Ryan up a bit. They were close enough to do that; pick on each other, occasionally get a little violent with flying objects, and still be best friends at the end of the day. Very rarely was anything ever said or done between the two that actually offended either. “Where’s your boyfriend? He forgot to put you on your leash.”
“Jon’s taking pictures of something.” Spencer shrugged, used to losing Jon when the camera was involved. Jon’s camera was his life. But Spencer was okay with that, to a certain extent, and let him be. “Who’s Brendon talking to?” he asked, letting go of Ryan and supporting his own weight as he looked through the net.
“How am I supposed to know?” There was a bit of bitterness in Ryan’s voice as he spoke. Spencer shrugged cramming one hand into the pocket of his shorts and taking another sip from the cup.
“You spent all day with him.” Spencer smiled against the rim of plastic pressed between his lips.
“We’re not getting into that again,” Ryan said with a hint of warning. “I told you that nothing happened. He just took me to this nice place for breakfast then attempted to teach me to surf.”
“Bill said that you spent more time drooling over him than learning any surfing.” Spencer smirked. Ryan scowled and pushed on the bottom of the cup so that the liquid rushed forward, spilling over the edge and all down Spencer. “What the fuck, Ryan?!” he choked a little, brushing his mouth from the liquid.
“Get off my court.” Ryan commanded, crossing his arms. “And don’t listen to William. He has no idea what he’s talking about,” he mumbled, noticing Brendon looked pretty much done talking to the two men.
“I hope you get your ass kicked.” Spencer frowned, looking down at his wet shirt as he turned and stalked through the sand to the sideline, probably to find Jon for comfort. Brendon nodded to whatever was said to him, his laughter being carried along the wind to Ryan, before giving a small wave and jogging towards the net while the two men headed for the sideline.
“You all set?” Brendon asked Ryan, sliding his fingers through the holes of the net and lightly holding onto it.
“Yeah.” Ryan nodded, forcing his eyes to meet Brendon’s instead of falling farther down.
“So all basic rules apply; serve behind the line, two hits per side, no touching the net;” Ryan nodded. It may have been years since he played but he still remembers how; he hopes. “Game to five? Just because it’s getting late and I don’t know about you, but I am not one who does well in the dark. I’ll trip over air at the best of times.” He joked, Ryan unable to contain a small laugh, missing how Brendon’s face lit up more as Ryan did so. “Just so you know, everyone’s probably going to make a lot of noise too.” He gave Ryan a nervous smile, Ryan’s gut twisting some.
“That’s okay; I don’t mind.” Ryan lied quickly, not really knowing why. “Living in Vegas isn’t exactly quiet.”
“The point of this is to have fun.” Ryan nodded. “I’ll try to go easy on you,” Brendon said with a teasing smile, Ryan once again giving a small laugh. It scared him how easily he was finding it to be around Brendon; how much he felt as though he could be himself. “William; ball!” Brendon turned towards the people standing on the sideline, William bending down to grab the white ball on the ground in front of him and sending it as hard as he could towards Brendon.
Brendon frowned as the ball smacked him in the chest, barely keeping it in his arms as he turned back to Ryan. He gave the ball a light squeeze then reached under the net to offer it to Ryan. “Check,” he said, holding it up. Ryan took the ball, the surface being rougher than he remembered, and pressed his palms into either side, feeling the pressure in his forearms since the ball was tightly blown full of air. “Okay?” Brendon asked, watching as Ryan tossed it a few inches up, giving it a bit of a spin before nodding. “Since you’re a guest you can serve first. Whoever gets the point, gets the ball.”
“Sure.” Ryan blankly agreed, continuously tossing the ball a few inches up in amusement. It had been so long since he played with something as simple as a volleyball; an object he could easily find at Wal Mart.
“Fair game?” Brendon smiled, offering his hand beneath the net that time. Ryan stopped playing with the ball and tucked it beneath his arm, laughing lightly again because it was rather stupid. How could one possibly cheat at volleyball? Especially when a good thirty or so people were all aligned along the court watching? Regardless, Ryan stuck his hand in Brendon’s and gave it a small shake, Brendon’s fingers slowly clawing along Ryan’s palm as he pulled away, sending shivers through Ryan’s body.
And the bad thing was that he kind of liked it.
“Get on with it!” Will called, cheers of agreement rippling throughout, breaking the little trance the two had established between them; completely on accident. Well, accident in Ryan’s case. He wasn’t too sure about Brendon.
“So, game to five?” Brendon asked again, having never really received an answer from Ryan earlier.
“Sure.” Ryan shrugged, tugging his shirt down as Brendon shook the hair from his head. Brendon’s eyes stayed locked with his a moment longer, the setting sun catching in their glossy surface, before he turned and jogged back some, leaving Ryan to turn and head for the service line, cheers breaking out amongst the crowd to the side.
“Kick his ass, Ryan!” Bill yelled, throwing his arm and drink into the air, smiling. Ryan ignored him and stood behind the line drawn in the sand, which was the service line, turning his body towards the ocean. He turned his left foot at a roughly forty degree angle, stepping back a bit with his right, holding the ball in front of his body with his left hand, about waist height, making a fist with his right hand. Ryan glanced up to see that Brendon was nodding, the Hawaiian standing in the middle of the right half of his court, left hand wrapped around his right with his thumbs pointing down, waiting for Ryan to serve the ball.
“Zero serving zero.” Ryan called out, not bothering with the formalities of an actual game as he swung his right arm forward, contacting the ball with his palm, sending the white sphere soaring through the air and over the net to Brendon. Ryan quickly mirrored Brendon’s arms and stepped over the line into the sand, eyes following the ball as it dropped down towards the other man. Brendon had to move forward some, watching the ball, smacking the ball with his wrists, sending it back towards Ryan.
What Ryan soon came to realize was that, while his movements were small, Brendon put a considerable amount of force behind the ball as it came soaring back at him. Ryan had to move back in the sand, head tilted back to watch the ball; slightly afraid at the speed it traveled at. He released his hand to break the standard form, reaching over his head and swinging a fist forward, smacking the ball back towards Brendon but losing his footing in the sand and falling onto his butt. There was some laughter from the bystanders, Brendon smiling, trying not to laugh, as he followed the ball’s landing point, giving it the lightest tap he could to get it back over the net, barely, and gaining a point. “My point.” He called with amusement, Ryan frowning as he leaned back on his elbows.
“Nice, Ryan!” Spencer called to his friend through his laughter from his standing spot between William and Jon.
“Fuck off!” Ryan called back, grabbing a handful of sand and throwing it towards Spencer, of course failing since sand is just a bunch of tiny little grains, which traveled along the light breeze. He pushed himself into a sitting position then getting off the ground as Ryan bent beneath the net and grabbed the ball.
“You okay?” Brendon asked, watching Ryan brush himself of the sand.
“Fantabulous.” Ryan sarcastically replied, shaking his head some. He would have to be a lot more careful with his footing, having to realize the ground beneath him was very impressionable, and also be ready for Brendon’s returns which were rather forceful.
“Come on, Ryan!” Bill yelled as both men took their places to continue their game. “Kick his ass!” Ryan, having ended up in a rather sour mood from falling, glared at William for a brief moment, scowling, then took the stand as Brendon prepared to serve.
“One serving zero.” he emphasized the second number, that teasing look upon Brendon’s face again, giving Ryan a smirk that made him want to do two things; tackle Brendon to the ground to beat the living fuck out of him, and tackle him to the ground to have his dirty way with him. Neither option Ryan really found as an acceptable course of action though so he just had to step up his game. It may have been awhile since Ryan played, but he had been unbeatable the summer he had done it at camp and knew he could do far better than he could. He liked to believe that he could beat Brendon too.
Brendon served the ball with ease, stepping back onto his makeshift court as Ryan readied himself for the ball, which came flying for him. He quickly stepped back some, almost to the middle of the right half, half bent over with eyes glued on the object. When the volleyball dropped down to Ryan, he lifted his arms up enough to make contact and send it back, hissing to himself as its strike left his skin with a bit of a sting. Brendon acted as though he was bored, practically taunting Ryan, waiting for the ball to come back to him. Ryan clenched his jaw and shook his head because Brendon’s cockiness, if only for fun, was starting to annoy him.
Again with ease Brendon hit the ball, sending it towards the opposite side of Ryan’s court to make him move, with the goal of getting Ryan to fall again no doubt, but he quickly made his way there, jogging up towards the net to intercept the ball before it got to far. Ryan waited as the ball came towards him, jumping up just as the ball was over the net and slamming it with his fist to send it flying towards the ground in a spike. Brendon dove in attempt to hit it but missed, obtaining only a mouthful of sand with the ball creating a small crater in the sand just in front of him. Ryan smiled with satisfaction as the crowd erupted with a mix of laughter and cheering, everyone seeming to be on Ryan’s side.
Brendon pushed himself to his knees, spitting out sand and running the back of his hand over his lips. “You okay?” Ryan asked with a smirk, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he looked down at Brendon.
“Oh.” Brendon smiled, spitting out more sand and grabbing the ball. “It’s on.”
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The beach was bathed in a warm array of bright red and orange as the sun was giving its last rays of lighting. Torches sticking up from the sand had been lit, giving extra light to the surrounding beach area where the music continued to pulse, everyone’s heart rates elevated in anticipation. It had come down to the final show down, the score of the game being 4-4, meaning whoever got the next point was the winner. No one spoke a word or moved a muscle, afraid to miss it.
Brendon stood in the center of his court, hands on his knees and doubled over, breathing heavily. His body glistened in the sunlight from the sheet of sweat covering him, Ryan proving a very worth opponent in deed. No one had ever kept up with him for so long, even when Brendon added slight spins and twists to the ball, increasing the speed, tossing in some spikes, and even tapping the ball just light enough to get it over the net to other side. But Ryan for the most part returned almost everything, Brendon usually only gaining a point when Ryan hit it out of bounds or the one time he accidentally touched the net. He was by far the best opponent, and work out for that matter, that Brendon had ever had.
On the other side of the court, Ryan was just as exhausted. He was amazed he kept up with Brendon, constantly running between sides and just barely able to get the ball back over. He had fallen again but still managed to get up in time to return the ball to Brendon, his shorts and hair filled with sand. Ryan could feel his own heart pounding against his chest, his lungs slightly burning as he repeatedly inhaled the chilling air, barely exhaling in the process, with his clothes sticky with perspiration. They were taking a temporary break amongst themselves, both rather exhausted but knowing they couldn’t just leave it at the final stand.
William had text Gabe who was just as anxious in Vegas to hear about who won, routing for Ryan as was everyone else. Spencer was practically frozen, amazed at how well Ryan could actually play since Brendon was extremely good himself. “Whenever… you’re ready…” Brendon stood back up, wiping the sweat from his eyes so he could see. Ryan gave a few quick nods, breathing heavily as he straightened himself, taking the ball from between his eyes and trying not to let his sweaty hands drop it.
“F-four…four serving…yeah.” Ryan was truly out of breath but stood behind the service line nonetheless, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath to steady himself before swinging his arm forward. The ball went flying through the air, everyone’s heads following it, both Ryan and Brendon obtaining a rush of adrenaline as Brendon went for the ball and Ryan running onto the court. Brendon hit the ball just like every time he did, sending it soaring back at Ryan who returned it just as easily; far too used to Brendon’s little tricks by now.
All the heads of everyone standing on the side moved in perfect sync with the ball which was flying back and forth with only the noise of rapid breathing, small grunting noises, and smacking skin drowning out the music. Drinks had warmed in people’s hands as they kept their bodies still to watch, not wanting to miss a single second. Both men looked ready to pass out at any moment, their swings becoming weaker and weaker with every hit, eyes half lidded but neither giving up.
It wasn’t just for fun; it was purely for the score.
Ryan gave the ball a hard smack, his skin so red it nearly matched the sky of the setting sun, no longer able to feel the sting each blow delivered. His whole body was starting to ache from having little to no rest for the good hour they had been at it, both moving constantly and quickly through the sand; the once drawn lines long filled with kicked and shifted sand. He wanted to lay down and rest, but there was no way he was giving up to Brendon; especially not when Brendon had continuously worn that taunting smirk that tore Ryan in two. He had to finish it; he had to win.
As the ball soared back to Brendon, he ran forward with the last bit of energy he had and jumped from the ground to spike it, seeing that Ryan was too probably too exhausted to return it. He balled his hand into a fist and, everything suddenly playing in slow motion as though it was a movie to everyone watching, gave the ball all he had before dropping back down to the sand. Ryan didn’t even have time to think as the ball came flying back at him; smacking him right in the fast and sending him backwards.
Everyone’s jaws dropped as they watched Ryan fall unconscious to the ground, the ball flying forward and skimming the net as it dropped down; right in front of Brendon’s feet.
Day Four
A/N--- think I died?
Sorry it's been so long! I started school again and I'm a senior ohmehgawd. It's harder than you think, you know. Ok, so I might be taking a college course and have lots of work....that's beside the point.
But my college course comes with a loaner lap top which means I can type stuff instead of handwriting constantly >D
For those of you who didn't read Day Two, I'm sorry but s@td wouldn't accept it no matter what I tried and I gave up.
And those two men Brendon was talking to? Nate + Alex ^^ You'll officially meet them next chapter.
And ch.5 is full of surprises so just hold in there <3
xoxo Tabi
ps--- how do y'all feel about mpreg? Cuz like, I have an idea in my head for a story...(I already know your standpoint, wiffeh, so stfu)
Author: ipanicdaily
Pairing: Ryan/Brendon, Spencer/Jon, Ryan/Pete (past), Gabe/Will, Nate/Alex
POV: 3rd; Ryan-centric.
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Don't own anyone/anything other than the plot. The title belongs to the band Hellogoodbye.
Summary: "Anything particular you want to see?"
Ryan had to bite back a comment.
"Uh...whatever you want..." Ryan looked down, nervously clawing at his arms. He shouldn't be having these or any thoughts about Brendon because he hadn't even known him an entire day.
Warning: Man/man, language, sex, angst; more to come probably.
Beta: lilrainforest
Author Notes: Ohhh how it's been so long! I'm so sorry I've been gone! I was busy writing stuffs for you!
Hehe sorry. I'm not PATD and therefore can not hack apart "We're So Starving" like that x3
Oh, and, I have no idea the actual rules and whatnot of volleyball, just so you know. I just thought about how I had to play it in school.
Past Parts: Prologue ♥ Day One ♥ Day Two
Day Three
"Spin's sick," Jon said, leaning against the door and frowning at Ryan. "He spent all night throwing up and now has a hangover from hell which he deserves for drinking so much." Jon turned his head towards the beds and spoke loudly, earning a groan of complaint from his boyfriend. "I don't think he'll be able to do much today, Ry."
"What about Brendon?" Ryan asked with a hint of annoyance, arms locked in a folded position over his chest as he glared at the slightly older man. "He'll be here soon expecting to do shit with us."
"You can still go with him." Jon smiled, his eyes sparkling with a hinting shine. Ryan glared harder, the corners of his mouth pulling farther towards the floor. "I'm sure Spence will be fine tomorrow so we can go then but today he's basically confined to the bed. Don't keep your miserable self inside all day, Ryan. Hang out with Brendon. He seems nice enough."
"Fine." Ryan didn't feel like arguing because he was tired, having been up tossing and turning all night. "I hate you, Spencer Smith!" he yelled into the room, looking over Jon's shoulder. "You owe me big!"
"Love you too," Spencer called back, voice groggy and blank. "George." he added, just to make Ryan mad.
"Have fun with Brendon," Jon said. "You deserve a distraction from your life; even if only for today."
"It'll be your fault when they find my mangled, murdered body being pecked at by seagulls on the beach." Ryan bitterly told Jon, making him laugh.
"See you tonight, Ry," Jon said before shutting the door, leaving Ryan all alone in the hall. He didn't fully buy the 'Spencer's Sick' excuse. They just wanted Ryan to be alone with Brendon, determined to make the two a couple. Ryan didn't come to Hawaii to find his next heartbreak though; he came because he was pretty much forced to. Jon and Spencer probably just wanted to fuck all day and therefore found a single, cute, local to dump Ryan on for the day.
Sighing, Ryan left them alone and headed down the hallway towards the lobby to wait for Brendon who, for his own sake, better be on time. If he's not, Ryan will only make the day more miserable. Unfortunately, when Ryan walked into the open space of seating and windows, roughly quarter to ten, Brendon was already there; leaning against the desk and talking happily to the woman behind it. Ryan didn't know what bothered him more; Brendon already there or the face that Brendon was just as happy as ever. They both annoyed him though. The early part because it was bonus points towards the native. Ryan took a deep breath and dropped his arms, heading for the desk with the least miserable face he could manage. Brendon was agreeing to show them around regardless of his other obligations therefore Ryan at least owed it to him to try and be happy.
"Ryan!" Brendon merrily greeted him upon sighting Ryan. He had sunglasses on top of his head, a green shirt with some sort of surfing logo, baggy tan capri's, and flip flops for today's outfit; still wearing the shell necklace as well as a variety of bands around one arm. "Aloha, my mainland friend." Brendon smiled brightly, making Ryan cringe.
"Morning," he said in response. Brendon pushed off the desk, uncrossing his ankles, and headed towards Ryan.
"Where are Spencer and Jon?" Brendon asked, glancing past Ryan towards the hall of rooms. It wasn't a big hotel but it was nice.
"They can't, uh, make it." Ryan told him, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Spencer's not feeling good; drank too much last night I guess."
"That sucks," Brendon said whilst frowning. "I can come back tomorrow if you'd rather."
"No, it's okay." Ryan spoke faster than he would have liked, Brendon's lips starting to turn to a smile again. "I could hang with you for the day...if you'd like..." he tried to keep his voice level and as interested as he could, not wanting to sound forced.
"Sure." Brendon shrugged, hooking his thumbs over the top of his pants. "If you want to, that is."
"Yeah." Ryan nodded, swallowing hard. He could do this; he could survive a day with an overly happy man. "I want to."
"Cool," Brendon said before there was a small moment of awkward silence. "Have you eaten?" Ryan shook his head, encouraging Brendon's peppy attitude even more. "Well I know this great little diner we could grab some breakfast or whatever at."
"Sounds good," Ryan said with as much enthusiasm as he could force out, managing a small smile. Brendon hummed a bit to himself as though he was contemplating something before starting towards the doors; Ryan following a moment later once he realized that Brendon was gone. "So...I guess we should...get to know each other more?" Ryan suggested as they walked through the lobby, a few other tourists passing through as well.
"If you want to," Brendon said, flicking his sunglasses down over his eyes and pushing the door open, holding it for Ryan. "My name's Brendon Urie, I'm twenty-four, an Aries, love to surf, can kick anyone's ass at beach volleyball, can play almost any instrument, can sing better than most people I've met, I spend my free time showing tourists such as yourself around, absolutely love Disney, attended college for the hell of it, have a masters in shit you won't care about, and for some strange reason I'm still single." Ryan couldn't help but laugh a little because Brendon spoke so easily and smoothly about himself; almost in a mocking tone. "I also tried feeding a fish a peanut butter sandwich once."
"Why?" Ryan asked as he followed Brendon towards the recognizable death trap vehicle.
"Haven't you ever seen 'Lilo and Stitch'?" Brendon asked, flip flops smacking against the pavement. Ryan was silent for a moment, a little preoccupied studying Brendon's tanned body. "Well Lilo, the little girl, would always bring this fish she named Pudge a peanut butter sandwich because Pudge controls the weather." Ryan snorted (unintentionally) with laughter. "I know it sounds stupid but I didn't want it to rain that day." Brendon smiled as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Oh come on; you've had to of done idiotic things before."
"Yeah," Ryan said, getting into the passenger seat, a little more confident than the previous night. "I fell in love with an asshole and almost married him," he said quietly, no longer smiling as he buckled up. Brendon stared at Ryan through the tinted lenses before shoving the keys into the ignition; the ring full of random toys that distracted Ryan momentarily.
"The world's full of assholes," he said, buckling then backing up. "That's why I love Hawaii."
"There has to be assholes here too," Ryan said, hands wrapped around the safety device.
"There are." Brendon turned the wheel, shifting the vehicle into drive and heading towards the road. "But Hawaii has things that not everywhere else does to deal with assholes."
"Like what?" Ryan asked, shutting his eyes from the wind because Brendon drove faster than Will did.
"Volcanoes," Brendon said, reaching down between the two seats and extracting a pair of white-framed sunglasses, which he offered to Ryan. "Hawaii is a collection of islands; this one doesn't allow assholes." Ryan accepted the glasses and slid them on, his eyes instantly grateful to be protected from the sun and wind. "So Ryan, anything I should know about you now that you know more about me than you wanted?"
"My last name is Ross, I'm a Virgo, I'm twenty-five, I like to play guitar, and I went to college to be an English teacher which is what I do back in Vegas," Ryan said, figuring the little information wouldn't do any harm. It wasn't his address or phone number or anything. Hell, Brendon didn't even know Ryan was his middle name. "And I'm sure I could kick your ass at beach volleyball." he smiled because for whatever reason, he just couldn't find the strength to be miserable.
"Is that a challenge?" Brendon asked, one eyebrow rose, as he flew along the roads. Ryan was still afraid of falling out; especially since Brendon liked going fast.
"Afraid you'll lose?" Ryan asked with a bit of taunting in his voice.
"No one's ever beat me before," Brendon said, the wind streaming through his hair. "I'm invincible."
"I'm not no one," Ryan said, still challenging Brendon. It would give him a reason to gloat because he's unusually good at the sport. It definitely wasn't because he wanted to see if he could Brendon shirtless.
"No," Brendon laughed, turning into the drive to the small building, "you certainly aren't."
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"So what do you think of Hawaii?" Brendon asked, sitting across from Ryan in the little diner.
"It's nice, I guess." Ryan shrugged, lightly sipping on his drink because Brendon decided that smoothies were a morning drink. It was colorful and had a little umbrella along with a chunk of pineapple on a toothpick. He was half expecting a coconut, really. "I've only been here, what? Two days?"
"So?" Brendon gave a small laugh, sunglasses atop his head again, one arm along the top of the booth-bench and legs crossed beneath the table. "It took me roughly two hours to decide what I thought of Vegas the one time I ventured out there."
"And?" Ryan curiously inquired, relaxed around the still-somewhat-stranger.
"Worst place I've ever been." Ryan laughed that time. "Far too busy and crowded. The lights were pretty though."
"You were on the strip," Ryan said, hands resting in his lap, playing with the sunglasses Brendon gave him to wear. "Of course it's super busy there. Everyone's looking to gamble and destroy their lives. They don't call it the 'city of sin' for nothing, you know."
"Well there wasn't anywhere to surf." Brendon stated, frowning a little.
"Ocean's tend to avoid the middle of continents," Ryan said with some amusement as well as sarcasm. "You could have tried surfing on the sand though; there's plenty of that." Brendon lightly snorted, playfully shoving Ryan's leg with his foot as though the two had been friends forever; and for some reason, Ryan was ok with that. He really hated Spencer and Jon now because they had been right; again. Ryan resents that. "How'd you meet William then if you love Hawaii so much?"
"Believe it or not, Bill grew up here," Brendon said with a soft, reminiscing smile. "He's always been my best friend. It was about four years ago I think that Gabe ended up here for some family event and they ran into each other. Will says it was love at first sight, that he belongs with Gabe, so when Gabe left, Bilvy did." his voice quieted a bit with sadness. "He comes to visit a couple times each year though."
"From what he told me, he and Gabe have an interesting relationship." Ryan didn't want silence to overcome the situation. That and Brendon looked really sad when he was sad; like puppy dog said with droopy eyes and a frown that begged for a hug and-yeah, you get it. Brendon laughed weakly, rolling his eyes.
"I've yet to figure that one out," he said. "Bill knows what Gabe does when he's not around, but doesn't seem to mind. He won't touch another person though, regardless of what he may have told you. William's hopelessly devoted to Gabe who's like thirty now; William being twenty-five like yourself." Ryan's eyebrows rose a bit. That was an age difference. Pete was only twenty-seven, almost twenty-eight. "I worry about him, you know?" Brendon removed his arm from the bench and played with the umbrella in his drink. "Bilvy's strong, but he's a little impressionable and all Gabe likes to do is party, drink, and fuck; sorry if that offends you or anything." He looked up to Ryan with shame. Ryan just smiled and shook his head; he's heard and said the word plenty of times before. "I love him like a brother."
"That's how Spin and I work." Ryan nodded with understanding. "That's why I hated Jon at first; it was like he was taking Spencer away from me. But Jon's a really good guy and good friend of mine now."
"Gabe's my friend and everything," Brendon said as though he made it sound like he despised the man. There was some silence after that; both looking at the table, window, anywhere but each other. "Can I ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer."
"I guess," Ryan said, a little afraid of what Brendon would ask.
"I know it's not my business or anything, we still don't really know each other, but why do you wear the ring if you never got married?" Ryan's breath caught in his throat, his thumb instantly going to the gold band and turning it. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked. I can be really stupid some-"
"No, it's okay," Ryan cut him off quietly. "It's my own fault. I wear it but I'm obviously lacking someone wearing the other." he continued to play with the ring, staring at the table, telling himself not to cry. "I honestly don't know why I still wear it. I guess...I just haven't been able to convince myself to take it off. It all seems so...unreal still. I mean, I was supposed to get married like a week ago." Ryan laughed dryly, mainly to fool himself into believing the situation wasn't horrible.
"This is probably over stepping boundaries, but, you can't let go or move on if you still wear that." Brendon carefully spoke, trying not to upset Ryan although it didn't work. Ryan got upset anyway; even if Brendon was right.
"That is over stepping boundaries," he coldly replied. "My life is my business." Ryan looked up at Brendon. "I don't ask you why your obnoxiously wealthy grandparents left everything to you instead of your parents or something or why you never take off that necklace since there are tan lines around it." Again Brendon's face fell as Ryan harshly spoke to him; Ryan instantly regretting opening his mouth as Brendon looked almost ready to cry. "Fuck; I'm sorry."
"The necklace was my mothers, given to her by my father as an engagement present, because the shell stands for true love." he reached towards his neck and grabbed a hold of it. "The house was left to me because my parents were killed in a car crash when I was four and living with them in Florida. My grandparents raised my sister and I here in Hawaii." Ryan bit his tongue before he said anything else stupid. "I wear the necklace to remind myself that true love does exist out there for everyone if we just believe."
"I'm really sorry." Ryan practically whispered, voice drowning in regret. "I feel like I should go walk into a volcano or something now."
"Why?" Brendon dropped his hand back down.
"Because I'm an asshole," he said, leaning back and sighing.
"No you're not." Brendon smiled a little again. "You're just feeling a lot of pain right now. I've had twenty years to come to terms with my parents deaths; you've had a week."
"Yeah but Pete didn't exactly die."
"Doesn't mean you can't be as upset." Ryan shut his eyes and exhaled slowly because Brendon was really too good to be true. Twice now Ryan's really upset him, in a span of twenty four hours, not even, yet Brendon still manages to smile and be nothing but kind. "Then again, I've never really been in love."
"Trust me; it's not all that great," Ryan said as the waitress arrived with their food.
"Clearly you and I have different definitions of love." Brendon told Ryan before thanking the waitress. "That or maybe you just fell in love with the wrong person." Ryan scoffed silently, opening his eyes and grabbing a fork, staring at the stack of pancakes. He's not a big eater. "So," Brendon exhaled and smiled more, starting fresh again, "Ever been surfing?"
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"The key is obviously to keep your balance." Brendon stood on the long board, facing Ryan, legs spread and body turned. "To do so, you have to move along with the water and guide the board." Ryan stood a few feet away in the sand, arms crossed over his chest and the borrowed sunglasses over his face as the warm afternoon sun shone down.
"I can't keep my balance in the sand," Ryan said with a slight frown. "There's no way I'll be able to on water."
"Well at first you'll fall all the time." Brendon dropped his arms back to his sides. "But when you get the hang of it then it's rather easy." he stepped off the board and into the sand. "You try."
"On the sand?" Ryan raised an eyebrow. "I'll look like a retard."
"It's ten times harder to do it on the water if you don't know what you're doing," Brendon said, beckoning Ryan towards him and the two boards laying in the warm sand. "I give lessons and I have people who think they can manage by just going out. All they do is basically drown themselves. Now come here." Ryan sighed but gave in, walking slowly towards Brendon with a small scowl. "Now, shoes off and on the board."
"I don't like water," he mumbled, bending down to undo his sandals.
"If William can do it, anyone can," Brendon said with a joking tone, watching Ryan.
"I heard that!" Will called from farther up the beach where he sat beneath a large umbrella, phone in hand, texting Gabe. Brendon had taken Ryan to the little private section of beach down the hill from his backyard and William decided to just tag along with them.
"Okay; stand like I was." Brendon instructed Ryan as the older boy got onto the board, the surface sleek with wax. He spread his legs a bit, sticking his arms lazily out, an annoyed look on his face. "Almost." Brendon smiled, stepping closer to Ryan. He put his hands on Ryan's hips, turning him a little more, Ryan trying his hardest not to blush. Next, Brendon bent down, Ryan cheeks really trying to burn, and grabbed Ryan's left ankle to pull it forward so his legs spread more.
"Way to frisk him, B!" Bill called with a smile as Brendon stood back up.
"I'll banish you to the house if you don't stop!" Brendon answered, pointing at Will warningly. "Ignore him," he said to Ryan after. "If you don't want me to touch you then tell me. I just find it easier than repeatedly telling you how to do it because you're obviously not getting it right for a reason."
"I-it's okay," Ryan said, hoping Brendon didn't notice his cheeks that he could feel were red. And he was wearing plenty of sunscreen so it wasn't sunburn.
"This is the easiest stance to control the board with." Ryan nodded, swallowing and shutting his eyes as Brendon put his hands back on Ryan's waist. "This," he lightly shook Ryan, "is where the control is; your core." Again Ryan nodded, not trusting words to come out. "You just bend your knees a little and try to keep your upper body still, using your waist to control the board."
"Not all you use it for." William spoke loud enough for them to hear, bent over the phone again.
"One more comment Bill and you can walk everywhere the remainder of your stay!" Brendon reprimanded him. "I have no idea what his problem today is." Brendon muttered, releasing Ryan (to Ryan's slight disappointment). "Want to try some small waves?" Ryan shook his head. "Come on Ry; the only way you'll learn is to try."
"I never asked to learn," Ryan said, dropping his tired arms and standing straight.
"Surfing's a really good way to relieve stress and clear you mind." Brendon hinted. "At least get a feel for how the board feels against the water."
"I think I should watch you do it first," Ryan tried to save himself. "You know, see exactly how it works."
"I suppose," Brendon said, disappointment filling his face. He reached his hand out and helped Ryan off the board (not that stepping to the side would have been a difficult task), walking alongside him up the beach towards William who's fingers were flying rapidly over the small keypad of his phone.
"Gabey says 'hi'," Will said as they approached, smiling proudly. "He also says not to kill Ryan before you fuck him." Brendon kicked him.
"You're being a brat," Brendon said to his friend as Ryan bit his lip.
"I try," Bill said with a happy grin. He took Brendon's sunglasses as Brendon removed them, sliding them onto his face for 'safe keeping'.
"Sure you don't want to try it?" Brendon asked, peeling off his shirt to reveal the best abs that Ryan had ever seen; defined muscles beneath perfectly tanned skin. Ryan definitely wasn't trying to keep himself from getting hard.
"Y-yeah," Ryan said eventually, mouth dry from hanging open a bit. William smiled to himself and lightly pushed his foot into Ryan's leg to tell him that Ryan was staring and potentially drooling. "I...it'll be better for me to watch..." Ryan's pants helped keep himself. "You know...to see how to do it...right."
"Sure." Brendon smiled, pulling his pants off. "I'll try to stay close enough to shore for you to see." he tossed his clothes behind Will's chair, adjusting his swim trunks which already rested low on his body. "Be nice to him, Bill." Brendon teasingly pushed Will's head to the side, looking back to Ryan. "Anything particular you want to see?"
Ryan had to bite back a comment.
"Uh...whatever you want..." Ryan looked down, nervously clawing at his arms. He shouldn't be having these or any thoughts about Brendon because he hadn't even known him an entire day.
"Tell him that and he'll just show off more," William said with amusement. Brendon shoved Will again as Ryan looked back up. "Brendon's very conceded and loves showing off for the attention." Bill joked.
"Shut your mouth." Brendon told Will, unable to keep himself from laughing. "If he annoys you just smack him." Brendon looked back to Ryan. "Or take away his cellphone." Ryan absently nodded as Brendon ran his hand through his hair.
"Oh just go impress him already." Will frowned, protecting his phone from any possible danger that could prevent him from texting his boyfriend who he was amazed was even up. "Come sit down, Ryan!" he beamed after, patting the chair beside him. Ryan walked through the sand towards the chair and sat down, crossing his ankles, arms hugging himself. Brendon jogged back down towards the water where the boards sat, bending down to grab one, glancing back at Ryan and smiling before stepping into the ocean. "He really likes you."
"Oh...uh..."
"You like him too." Will smiled, glancing away from the screen towards Ryan. "You stare at him, you know. And last night when I got back to the house he kept asking about you."
"R-really?" Ryan refused to look at Will, his cheeks coated in blush because he's never been told someone who likes him asks about him; not that he's ever been told someone liked him. "Why?" his eyes were glued to Brendon who sat on his knees on the board, arms cutting through the water to pull himself farther into the ocean where the waves were bigger.
"He thinks you're cute and smart regardless of what you say to him." Ryan's cheeks got even redder, thinking back to the previous night as well as breakfast where he upset Brendon. "And you love music as much as him which is like an instant connection with him."
"Oh," Ryan said, paying far more attention watching Brendon grow smaller than listening to William talk. Brendon rocked some as small waves moved him, waiting for a larger one to come. Ryan watched how his body bent and moved with the waves, biting the inside of his mouth to keep it closed. He was very happy that neither Spencer nor Jon was there, Spencer more so, to comment.
"And you're pretty into him since again you're staring." Will was almost as bad though. Ryan just hummed, not even hearing Will, watching Brendon ground himself as a larger wave approached, trying to keep his balance on the board. When he made it about halfway on the water, Brendon stood, sliding his feet along the waxed surface, forming his body exactly how he had showed Ryan. "This is how it started with me and Gabe."
"What?" Ryan snapped from his trance and looked at Bill, keeping his head turned enough to still see Brendon. "There's nothing between Brendon and I," he said as firmly as he could, Will scoffing. "He's showing me how to surf right now. He does it all the time, I thought."
"Yeah but he doesn't go shirtless for anyone else." William smiled, tapping a response to Gabe. "He usually wears that body suit." Ryan definitely didn't feel something inside his stomach flutter strangely. "Brendon's trying to impress you because he's into you and wants to at least fuck you if nothing else. He's never really done this before." Will laughed lightly.
"So he's a virgin?" Ryan asked with raised eyebrows.
"Oh god no." William laughed harder. "Brendon's far from virgin." Ryan frowned some at the comment though he's sure it wasn't meant how it sounded. "He's just never done the whole dating thing because he's never really been overly interested in anyone. I've only ever seen him actually do anything with anyone maybe four times, but never has he shown interest like this. And like I said, I had the pleasure of hearing him go on about you all night until I was fortunate enough to pass out." Ryan looked back at Brendon, blushing even more, watching him move so flawlessly on the board as he guided it along the water, looking like there was nowhere else in the universe he belonged.
"He's just being friendly," Ryan said quietly, adjusting the sunglasses on his face even if they weren't in the sun. The ridiculously large umbrella they sat beneath made sure of that.
"Friendly would have been some tours, quick lessons, a couple of polite smiles, and occasional small talk. Trust me, Ryan; Brendon's really into you." Bill looked out to his friend on the water. "It's about time he had someone to be happy with."
"That someone for him to be happy with isn't me." Ryan mumbled as Brendon rode the wave back to the calmness of the ocean.
"It's not if you don't want it to be," William said.
"Or because I'm only here for two weeks." Ryan scoffed.
"So you do want it to be?" Again Will was smirking, looking at Ryan.
"N-no," Ryan said quickly in denial. "I was just s-saying that I leave in...twoish weeks..."
"Yeah I know when you leave." Will rolled his eyes behind the sunglasses, moving them onto his head. "I leave the same time. You don't have to be ashamed or anything to fuck Brendon. When Gabe showed up here, I fell for him. A week later I was on the plane back to Vegas with him, leaving Hawaii and everyone behind." Ryan bit his lip as he watched Brendon come back to shore. "And I've never been happier."
"I'm not you," Ryan said. "Those things don't happen to me."
"It's happening right now!" Will exclaimed, throwing his arm towards the water where Brendon was exiting, shaking his head so he soaked hair sent water flying everywhere, his body dripping wet. "You just don't want it to happen because you're afraid of being vulnerable again." Ryan wanted to say something back but his mind was too busy focusing on the way Brendon's abs moved as he walked, laying the board back in the sand and jogging up the beach; shining in the sunlight. "Just realize that he'll only try for so long. If you're interested, let him know, before it's too late."
"What'd you think?" Brendon asked Ryan, having some difficulties moving through the sand as the little grains clung to him.
"Very nice," Ryan said back with a small smile. "No way I can do that." Ryan sat up as Brendon approached, Brendon bending down and grabbing a towel.
"I've seen better." William teased, grinning at his friend. Brendon dried his hair then threw the towel at Will. "Ryan may be easily entranced but I've seen you do far better." He threw the towel back. "At least Ryan's eyes didn't falter away from you."
"I'd hope not." Brendon looked back at Ryan. It felt like the sun was on Ryan's cheeks. "Best way to learn is to watch, right?" Ryan nodded, gathering himself again. "Do you want to try now?"
"Uh, I should probably go back to the hotel to, you know, get something else on for tonight." Ryan stared at the sand while Will immediately gained heavy interest in the conversation, ignoring his phone as it vibrated in his hand with a message.
"What's tonight?" he asked with a devilish smirk and immense curiosity.
"Ryan thinks he can beat me in beach volleyball," Brendon said while drying the rest of his body. Will looked at Ryan, eyebrows raised, smile near breaking his jaw in half. "We'll find out tonight."
"How do I not know about this?!" Will asked with shock. "Everyone needs to know about this!" he instantly went back to his phone, typing faster than anyone Ryan had ever seen before.
It was going to be another long night.
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Ryan stepped out of the bathroom, towel around his waist and drying his hair with another when he unintentionally screamed upon seeing Spencer and Jon on his bed; legs crossed in a matching pose with identical smirks. "What?" Ryan asked, taking the towel he was drying his hair with to cover his body from slight embarrassment. He has problems with exposing his body to people; even his best friends.
"How was your day?" Spencer asked, grinning so wide it looked strangely like the Joker from Batman.
"I thought you were sick," Ryan said with a frown, staying close against the wall.
"I got better." Spencer dismissed it with a shrug. "So, a day with Brendon; I need the juicy details here, Ryro."
"Stop being a gossip queen." Ryan told him. "How'd you even get into my room? I thought I locked the door..."
"Did you have fun?" Jon asked, hands folded over his bent knee. "You look less miserable."
"What I did today isn't any of your business." he replied, still frowning. "Can you go so I can get dressed?"
"Your pajamas are a pair of boxers and a shirt; just throw them on and spill." Spencer was a little annoyed, apparently completely over his hangover; if he even had one. Ryan knew they just wanted him alone with Brendon in hopes he would fill their crazy sex or whatever fantasies.
"I'm not...getting ready for bed..." Ryan quietly spoke as he cast his eyes to the floor.
"Well where else are-" Spence stopped, eyes widening and jaw dropping a bit. "Do you have a date, Ryan Ross?"
"No!" Ryan quickly replied because it wasn't a date. "I'm going back to the beach."
"At sundown?" Jon inquired, one eyebrow raised up in suspicion. "That's strangely romantic sounding."
"The sunset's pretty," Ryan said with an unconvincing shrug.
"You can easily watch the sunset from here," Spencer said. His face was still over-illuminated. "Seeing Brendon again?" Ryan bit his lip and looked back to the floor. "You are! I knew it! You like him!"
"It's not what you think." Ryan looked up with an aggravated face. "I sorta...challenged him to volleyball..." he played nervously with the towel in his hand now.
"Then why did you come back here to shower?" Spencer asked, uncrossing his legs. "You shouldn't have left him!"
"I had to get out the sand I obtained in my pants earlier." Ryan defended, earning a double-raised eyebrow look from Spencer. He instantly regretted his words. "It's not what you're thinking, Spin!"
"Then pray tell, Ryan, what is it?" he asked, Jon matching his boyfriend’s expression.
"He was teaching me to surf and then-"
"You went surfing?!" Spencer's eyebrows were nearly in his hair now. "What the fuck, Ryan? I mean, it's good you're doing shit but you're miserable as hell for awhile and suddenly Brendon comes along and you're all alive again?"
"I thought you wanted me to do shit with Brendon!" Ryan became angry. "He's nice, okay?! He doesn't know every fucking detail of my life and what he does know he doesn't judge or comment on!"
"Spencer's only saying that it's a sudden jump from your previous state last night." Jon defended Spencer.
"Whatever;" Ryan mumbled. "I have to get ready." He turned and disappeared into the bathroom again, shutting the door and hoping his friends would just go away.
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Ryan stood on the beach where he was being given surfing lessons earlier that day, the sun sinking behind the ocean which was calming down for the night, clawing nervously at his forearm as people gathered around the make shift court for his game against Brendon. Music drifted out of two large speakers farther up the beach by the little bar hut aligned with various alcohols now filling everyone’s classic red plastic cups. On the other side of the long woven stood Brendon, shirtless once again, talking to two men Ryan didn’t know as he stretched out his arms and legs. “I’m proud of you, Ryro,” Spencer said as he walked up to Ryan and slung an arm over the man’s shoulders, leaning on him lightly.
“Why?” Ryan asked with a knit brow and small frown, eyes glued unwillingly again on Brendon’s abs. Okay, so it was willingly. Half of his brain wanted to be staring at Brendon’s body, watching every muscle twist and tighten so perfectly. The other half, the more rational side as Ryan liked to believe, told him to avert his eyes before he ended up with an unfortunate problem in the lower part of his body. That and his rational side was fighting the willing half against thoughts of tackling Brendon to the ground to feel his body which was most definitely not something Ryan wanted to do overall.
"Because you initiated social, and in this case physical, contact with another human being!” Spencer smiled. Ryan rolled his eyes and pushed Spencer’s arm away so the cup the younger man was holding wouldn’t slosh alcohol all over him. He hated the smell of alcohol and didn’t want it to linger on his body for hours later. “Sure, you’re going to get your ass kicked, but you’re learning how to be a human being again.”
“Thanks for the support.” Ryan scoffed, a small smile evident on the corners of his mouth. He knew that Spencer didn’t mean his words as actual insults but rather as just fun teasing, usually cheering Ryan up a bit. They were close enough to do that; pick on each other, occasionally get a little violent with flying objects, and still be best friends at the end of the day. Very rarely was anything ever said or done between the two that actually offended either. “Where’s your boyfriend? He forgot to put you on your leash.”
“Jon’s taking pictures of something.” Spencer shrugged, used to losing Jon when the camera was involved. Jon’s camera was his life. But Spencer was okay with that, to a certain extent, and let him be. “Who’s Brendon talking to?” he asked, letting go of Ryan and supporting his own weight as he looked through the net.
“How am I supposed to know?” There was a bit of bitterness in Ryan’s voice as he spoke. Spencer shrugged cramming one hand into the pocket of his shorts and taking another sip from the cup.
“You spent all day with him.” Spencer smiled against the rim of plastic pressed between his lips.
“We’re not getting into that again,” Ryan said with a hint of warning. “I told you that nothing happened. He just took me to this nice place for breakfast then attempted to teach me to surf.”
“Bill said that you spent more time drooling over him than learning any surfing.” Spencer smirked. Ryan scowled and pushed on the bottom of the cup so that the liquid rushed forward, spilling over the edge and all down Spencer. “What the fuck, Ryan?!” he choked a little, brushing his mouth from the liquid.
“Get off my court.” Ryan commanded, crossing his arms. “And don’t listen to William. He has no idea what he’s talking about,” he mumbled, noticing Brendon looked pretty much done talking to the two men.
“I hope you get your ass kicked.” Spencer frowned, looking down at his wet shirt as he turned and stalked through the sand to the sideline, probably to find Jon for comfort. Brendon nodded to whatever was said to him, his laughter being carried along the wind to Ryan, before giving a small wave and jogging towards the net while the two men headed for the sideline.
“You all set?” Brendon asked Ryan, sliding his fingers through the holes of the net and lightly holding onto it.
“Yeah.” Ryan nodded, forcing his eyes to meet Brendon’s instead of falling farther down.
“So all basic rules apply; serve behind the line, two hits per side, no touching the net;” Ryan nodded. It may have been years since he played but he still remembers how; he hopes. “Game to five? Just because it’s getting late and I don’t know about you, but I am not one who does well in the dark. I’ll trip over air at the best of times.” He joked, Ryan unable to contain a small laugh, missing how Brendon’s face lit up more as Ryan did so. “Just so you know, everyone’s probably going to make a lot of noise too.” He gave Ryan a nervous smile, Ryan’s gut twisting some.
“That’s okay; I don’t mind.” Ryan lied quickly, not really knowing why. “Living in Vegas isn’t exactly quiet.”
“The point of this is to have fun.” Ryan nodded. “I’ll try to go easy on you,” Brendon said with a teasing smile, Ryan once again giving a small laugh. It scared him how easily he was finding it to be around Brendon; how much he felt as though he could be himself. “William; ball!” Brendon turned towards the people standing on the sideline, William bending down to grab the white ball on the ground in front of him and sending it as hard as he could towards Brendon.
Brendon frowned as the ball smacked him in the chest, barely keeping it in his arms as he turned back to Ryan. He gave the ball a light squeeze then reached under the net to offer it to Ryan. “Check,” he said, holding it up. Ryan took the ball, the surface being rougher than he remembered, and pressed his palms into either side, feeling the pressure in his forearms since the ball was tightly blown full of air. “Okay?” Brendon asked, watching as Ryan tossed it a few inches up, giving it a bit of a spin before nodding. “Since you’re a guest you can serve first. Whoever gets the point, gets the ball.”
“Sure.” Ryan blankly agreed, continuously tossing the ball a few inches up in amusement. It had been so long since he played with something as simple as a volleyball; an object he could easily find at Wal Mart.
“Fair game?” Brendon smiled, offering his hand beneath the net that time. Ryan stopped playing with the ball and tucked it beneath his arm, laughing lightly again because it was rather stupid. How could one possibly cheat at volleyball? Especially when a good thirty or so people were all aligned along the court watching? Regardless, Ryan stuck his hand in Brendon’s and gave it a small shake, Brendon’s fingers slowly clawing along Ryan’s palm as he pulled away, sending shivers through Ryan’s body.
And the bad thing was that he kind of liked it.
“Get on with it!” Will called, cheers of agreement rippling throughout, breaking the little trance the two had established between them; completely on accident. Well, accident in Ryan’s case. He wasn’t too sure about Brendon.
“So, game to five?” Brendon asked again, having never really received an answer from Ryan earlier.
“Sure.” Ryan shrugged, tugging his shirt down as Brendon shook the hair from his head. Brendon’s eyes stayed locked with his a moment longer, the setting sun catching in their glossy surface, before he turned and jogged back some, leaving Ryan to turn and head for the service line, cheers breaking out amongst the crowd to the side.
“Kick his ass, Ryan!” Bill yelled, throwing his arm and drink into the air, smiling. Ryan ignored him and stood behind the line drawn in the sand, which was the service line, turning his body towards the ocean. He turned his left foot at a roughly forty degree angle, stepping back a bit with his right, holding the ball in front of his body with his left hand, about waist height, making a fist with his right hand. Ryan glanced up to see that Brendon was nodding, the Hawaiian standing in the middle of the right half of his court, left hand wrapped around his right with his thumbs pointing down, waiting for Ryan to serve the ball.
“Zero serving zero.” Ryan called out, not bothering with the formalities of an actual game as he swung his right arm forward, contacting the ball with his palm, sending the white sphere soaring through the air and over the net to Brendon. Ryan quickly mirrored Brendon’s arms and stepped over the line into the sand, eyes following the ball as it dropped down towards the other man. Brendon had to move forward some, watching the ball, smacking the ball with his wrists, sending it back towards Ryan.
What Ryan soon came to realize was that, while his movements were small, Brendon put a considerable amount of force behind the ball as it came soaring back at him. Ryan had to move back in the sand, head tilted back to watch the ball; slightly afraid at the speed it traveled at. He released his hand to break the standard form, reaching over his head and swinging a fist forward, smacking the ball back towards Brendon but losing his footing in the sand and falling onto his butt. There was some laughter from the bystanders, Brendon smiling, trying not to laugh, as he followed the ball’s landing point, giving it the lightest tap he could to get it back over the net, barely, and gaining a point. “My point.” He called with amusement, Ryan frowning as he leaned back on his elbows.
“Nice, Ryan!” Spencer called to his friend through his laughter from his standing spot between William and Jon.
“Fuck off!” Ryan called back, grabbing a handful of sand and throwing it towards Spencer, of course failing since sand is just a bunch of tiny little grains, which traveled along the light breeze. He pushed himself into a sitting position then getting off the ground as Ryan bent beneath the net and grabbed the ball.
“You okay?” Brendon asked, watching Ryan brush himself of the sand.
“Fantabulous.” Ryan sarcastically replied, shaking his head some. He would have to be a lot more careful with his footing, having to realize the ground beneath him was very impressionable, and also be ready for Brendon’s returns which were rather forceful.
“Come on, Ryan!” Bill yelled as both men took their places to continue their game. “Kick his ass!” Ryan, having ended up in a rather sour mood from falling, glared at William for a brief moment, scowling, then took the stand as Brendon prepared to serve.
“One serving zero.” he emphasized the second number, that teasing look upon Brendon’s face again, giving Ryan a smirk that made him want to do two things; tackle Brendon to the ground to beat the living fuck out of him, and tackle him to the ground to have his dirty way with him. Neither option Ryan really found as an acceptable course of action though so he just had to step up his game. It may have been awhile since Ryan played, but he had been unbeatable the summer he had done it at camp and knew he could do far better than he could. He liked to believe that he could beat Brendon too.
Brendon served the ball with ease, stepping back onto his makeshift court as Ryan readied himself for the ball, which came flying for him. He quickly stepped back some, almost to the middle of the right half, half bent over with eyes glued on the object. When the volleyball dropped down to Ryan, he lifted his arms up enough to make contact and send it back, hissing to himself as its strike left his skin with a bit of a sting. Brendon acted as though he was bored, practically taunting Ryan, waiting for the ball to come back to him. Ryan clenched his jaw and shook his head because Brendon’s cockiness, if only for fun, was starting to annoy him.
Again with ease Brendon hit the ball, sending it towards the opposite side of Ryan’s court to make him move, with the goal of getting Ryan to fall again no doubt, but he quickly made his way there, jogging up towards the net to intercept the ball before it got to far. Ryan waited as the ball came towards him, jumping up just as the ball was over the net and slamming it with his fist to send it flying towards the ground in a spike. Brendon dove in attempt to hit it but missed, obtaining only a mouthful of sand with the ball creating a small crater in the sand just in front of him. Ryan smiled with satisfaction as the crowd erupted with a mix of laughter and cheering, everyone seeming to be on Ryan’s side.
Brendon pushed himself to his knees, spitting out sand and running the back of his hand over his lips. “You okay?” Ryan asked with a smirk, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he looked down at Brendon.
“Oh.” Brendon smiled, spitting out more sand and grabbing the ball. “It’s on.”
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The beach was bathed in a warm array of bright red and orange as the sun was giving its last rays of lighting. Torches sticking up from the sand had been lit, giving extra light to the surrounding beach area where the music continued to pulse, everyone’s heart rates elevated in anticipation. It had come down to the final show down, the score of the game being 4-4, meaning whoever got the next point was the winner. No one spoke a word or moved a muscle, afraid to miss it.
Brendon stood in the center of his court, hands on his knees and doubled over, breathing heavily. His body glistened in the sunlight from the sheet of sweat covering him, Ryan proving a very worth opponent in deed. No one had ever kept up with him for so long, even when Brendon added slight spins and twists to the ball, increasing the speed, tossing in some spikes, and even tapping the ball just light enough to get it over the net to other side. But Ryan for the most part returned almost everything, Brendon usually only gaining a point when Ryan hit it out of bounds or the one time he accidentally touched the net. He was by far the best opponent, and work out for that matter, that Brendon had ever had.
On the other side of the court, Ryan was just as exhausted. He was amazed he kept up with Brendon, constantly running between sides and just barely able to get the ball back over. He had fallen again but still managed to get up in time to return the ball to Brendon, his shorts and hair filled with sand. Ryan could feel his own heart pounding against his chest, his lungs slightly burning as he repeatedly inhaled the chilling air, barely exhaling in the process, with his clothes sticky with perspiration. They were taking a temporary break amongst themselves, both rather exhausted but knowing they couldn’t just leave it at the final stand.
William had text Gabe who was just as anxious in Vegas to hear about who won, routing for Ryan as was everyone else. Spencer was practically frozen, amazed at how well Ryan could actually play since Brendon was extremely good himself. “Whenever… you’re ready…” Brendon stood back up, wiping the sweat from his eyes so he could see. Ryan gave a few quick nods, breathing heavily as he straightened himself, taking the ball from between his eyes and trying not to let his sweaty hands drop it.
“F-four…four serving…yeah.” Ryan was truly out of breath but stood behind the service line nonetheless, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath to steady himself before swinging his arm forward. The ball went flying through the air, everyone’s heads following it, both Ryan and Brendon obtaining a rush of adrenaline as Brendon went for the ball and Ryan running onto the court. Brendon hit the ball just like every time he did, sending it soaring back at Ryan who returned it just as easily; far too used to Brendon’s little tricks by now.
All the heads of everyone standing on the side moved in perfect sync with the ball which was flying back and forth with only the noise of rapid breathing, small grunting noises, and smacking skin drowning out the music. Drinks had warmed in people’s hands as they kept their bodies still to watch, not wanting to miss a single second. Both men looked ready to pass out at any moment, their swings becoming weaker and weaker with every hit, eyes half lidded but neither giving up.
It wasn’t just for fun; it was purely for the score.
Ryan gave the ball a hard smack, his skin so red it nearly matched the sky of the setting sun, no longer able to feel the sting each blow delivered. His whole body was starting to ache from having little to no rest for the good hour they had been at it, both moving constantly and quickly through the sand; the once drawn lines long filled with kicked and shifted sand. He wanted to lay down and rest, but there was no way he was giving up to Brendon; especially not when Brendon had continuously worn that taunting smirk that tore Ryan in two. He had to finish it; he had to win.
As the ball soared back to Brendon, he ran forward with the last bit of energy he had and jumped from the ground to spike it, seeing that Ryan was too probably too exhausted to return it. He balled his hand into a fist and, everything suddenly playing in slow motion as though it was a movie to everyone watching, gave the ball all he had before dropping back down to the sand. Ryan didn’t even have time to think as the ball came flying back at him; smacking him right in the fast and sending him backwards.
Everyone’s jaws dropped as they watched Ryan fall unconscious to the ground, the ball flying forward and skimming the net as it dropped down; right in front of Brendon’s feet.
Day Four
A/N--- think I died?
Sorry it's been so long! I started school again and I'm a senior ohmehgawd. It's harder than you think, you know. Ok, so I might be taking a college course and have lots of work....that's beside the point.
But my college course comes with a loaner lap top which means I can type stuff instead of handwriting constantly >D
For those of you who didn't read Day Two, I'm sorry but s@td wouldn't accept it no matter what I tried and I gave up.
And those two men Brendon was talking to? Nate + Alex ^^ You'll officially meet them next chapter.
And ch.5 is full of surprises so just hold in there <3
xoxo Tabi
ps--- how do y'all feel about mpreg? Cuz like, I have an idea in my head for a story...(I already know your standpoint, wiffeh, so stfu)