Turn of the Century
Turn of the Century
Jon Walker/Spencer Smith
1,045 // PG
for may 19 07.
The title comes from a gorgeous Pete Yorn song of the same name. (If you'd like, you can download the song here. It set the mood of the story for me.) For Melinda and Joyce, my respective Spencer and Jon.
Sharing hotel rooms is something they do on tour. Usually there are two beds per room, but this room has one bed and the thought of sleeping next to Jon is enough to make Spencer dizzy. He’s sure Jon knows by now. Brendon knows. Ryan knows. Spencer’s liking Jon is something they tease him about when Jon’s not around.
And now here Spencer is, in a situation he never thought he’d be in: sharing a bed with Jon. If Jon even so much as brushes against Spencer during the night, Spencer is sure he’s going to melt into a million pieces. They have a show the next day, so Spencer doesn’t want there to be any awkwardness tonight - he doesn’t want it to affect his behavior tomorrow. Not that he’d let it. He always has his emotions under control when he has to get onstage and play.
After they set their luggage on the floor, Spencer pulls an old t-shirt and pajama pants out of his suitcase. “I’m going to take a shower,” he tells Jon.
Jon nods and flops onto the bed. “Okay. I’m getting room service. You want anything?”
“No, I’m okay.”
Jon grabs the room service menu from the nightstand and flips through it as Spencer goes into the bathroom.
When Spencer emerges from the bathroom in his pajamas, his hair still damp, Jon is sitting on the bed, drinking a glass of red wine (he’s prone to wine-drinking on tour) and watching Letterman. He’s not laughing at the jokes, but he’s smiling.
“Didn’t you get any food?” Spencer asks.
“Cookies.”
“You got cookies from room service.”
“Yeah, and they were ten dollars for five of them, but they were good.” Jon hands Spencer a cookie he wrapped in a napkin. “I saved you one.”
“Thanks.” Spencer sits on the bed tentatively.
“Oh. And bottled water. Even though you said you didn’t want anything, I just figured…” Jon shrugs.
Spencer takes the bottle of water from Jon and says, “Thanks. You didn’t have to.”
“I know.”
Spencer unscrews the bottle cap and takes a sip. He tucks his legs under himself and glances at Jon. He doesn’t want to concentrate on the TV, and as he breaks off pieces of the cookie and pops them into his mouth, he focuses on the way Jon holds that wine glass, how he sighs after each drink.
“Are you going to bed soon?” Jon asks.
“Maybe. Why?”
“Just wondering. ‘Cause if you’re tired, I don’t want to keep the TV on.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Spencer says quietly. He breaks off another piece of the cookie.
Jon finishes his wine and slides the glass onto the nightstand. He lies down on the bed and looks up at Spencer with a goofy grin.
Spencer smiles. “What?”
“You look cute with wet hair.”
“Thanks.” Spencer rolls his eyes. “I guess that means I don’t look cute when my hair isn’t wet.”
“No,” Jon says, turning on his side. “That’s not what I meant. You just look cute right now and I thought I’d tell you.”
“Jon.” Spencer pauses. “What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“Were you. Um.” Spencer blushes. He turns his face so Jon can’t see the pink in his cheeks. “You weren’t…”
“What?” Jon’s grin disappears, and he looks at Spencer intently now.
“Nothing. I’m just out of it tonight or something. Or just tired.”
“We can sleep.” Jon grabs the remote and turns the TV off. “Here. Turn down the covers.”
Spencer moves off the bed and helps Jon pull the covers down on the queen-size bed. He gets in, pulling the sheet up to his chest. Jon is undressing, and Spencer breathes in deeply before taking a cursory glance. Jon pulls his t-shirt over his head, and, just as quickly as he looked over, Spencer turns his attention to the ceiling. Once Jon has undressed down to his boxers, he crawls into bed next to Spencer.
“Are you sure you weren’t going to ask me something a couple minutes ago?” Jon asks.
Spencer swallows. “Brendon and Ryan have probably told you things.” Jon is silent; Spencer can smell the wine on his breath. “About me.”
Jon is still quiet. Spencer turns to look at him and says, “You need to say something.”
“I’m not oblivious. I didn’t need them to tell me anything.”
“So if you know, why’d you just do that?”
“Do what?”
“Compliment me like that, kind of flirtatiously or whatever. Were you just playing off the fact that you know I like you, or did you mean it?”
“Spencer,” Jon says softly. “You’re overthinking this. It was a compliment, and I meant it.” He reaches out and brushes some of Spencer’s hair from his forehead.
“What are you doing?” Spencer whispers, realizing that’s the second time he’s asked that question within the past few minutes. He withdraws from Jon’s touch without meaning to. “Just because you know I like you doesn’t mean you have to say things.”
Jon’s fingers brush against Spencer’s cheek, and Spencer is certain he’s going to pass out.
“I want to,” Jon says.
“You’re not just doing this.”
“No. Stop saying things like that.”
“Then why…?”
“Maybe I like you, too.”
“Oh my god, are we really having this conversation?” Spencer mumbles, covering his eyes with a hand.
Jon laughs and moves Spencer’s hand away. “Yes.”
“I can’t stop thinking you’re just telling me this. I mean… you picked now, when you’re in bed with me, to tell me you like me.”
“It’s been on my mind. And you brought it up.”
“I didn’t.” Spencer turns so his back faces Jon. He feels too awkward to look at him.
Jon moves closer, wrapping an arm across Spencer’s waist. “Don’t ask me what I’m doing,” Jon instructs him. “And yes, I want to spoon you, so don’t ask me if I’m ‘just doing this.’”
Spencer looks over his shoulder and is surprised by how close Jon’s face is to his. He turns so he can face Jon.
“What?” Jon asks.
Spencer gives Jon a quick kiss before he returns to his previous position. He rests one of his hands on top of Jon’s, and falls asleep with soft breaths against the back of his neck.
Jon Walker/Spencer Smith
1,045 // PG
for may 19 07.
The title comes from a gorgeous Pete Yorn song of the same name. (If you'd like, you can download the song here. It set the mood of the story for me.) For Melinda and Joyce, my respective Spencer and Jon.
Sharing hotel rooms is something they do on tour. Usually there are two beds per room, but this room has one bed and the thought of sleeping next to Jon is enough to make Spencer dizzy. He’s sure Jon knows by now. Brendon knows. Ryan knows. Spencer’s liking Jon is something they tease him about when Jon’s not around.
And now here Spencer is, in a situation he never thought he’d be in: sharing a bed with Jon. If Jon even so much as brushes against Spencer during the night, Spencer is sure he’s going to melt into a million pieces. They have a show the next day, so Spencer doesn’t want there to be any awkwardness tonight - he doesn’t want it to affect his behavior tomorrow. Not that he’d let it. He always has his emotions under control when he has to get onstage and play.
After they set their luggage on the floor, Spencer pulls an old t-shirt and pajama pants out of his suitcase. “I’m going to take a shower,” he tells Jon.
Jon nods and flops onto the bed. “Okay. I’m getting room service. You want anything?”
“No, I’m okay.”
Jon grabs the room service menu from the nightstand and flips through it as Spencer goes into the bathroom.
When Spencer emerges from the bathroom in his pajamas, his hair still damp, Jon is sitting on the bed, drinking a glass of red wine (he’s prone to wine-drinking on tour) and watching Letterman. He’s not laughing at the jokes, but he’s smiling.
“Didn’t you get any food?” Spencer asks.
“Cookies.”
“You got cookies from room service.”
“Yeah, and they were ten dollars for five of them, but they were good.” Jon hands Spencer a cookie he wrapped in a napkin. “I saved you one.”
“Thanks.” Spencer sits on the bed tentatively.
“Oh. And bottled water. Even though you said you didn’t want anything, I just figured…” Jon shrugs.
Spencer takes the bottle of water from Jon and says, “Thanks. You didn’t have to.”
“I know.”
Spencer unscrews the bottle cap and takes a sip. He tucks his legs under himself and glances at Jon. He doesn’t want to concentrate on the TV, and as he breaks off pieces of the cookie and pops them into his mouth, he focuses on the way Jon holds that wine glass, how he sighs after each drink.
“Are you going to bed soon?” Jon asks.
“Maybe. Why?”
“Just wondering. ‘Cause if you’re tired, I don’t want to keep the TV on.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Spencer says quietly. He breaks off another piece of the cookie.
Jon finishes his wine and slides the glass onto the nightstand. He lies down on the bed and looks up at Spencer with a goofy grin.
Spencer smiles. “What?”
“You look cute with wet hair.”
“Thanks.” Spencer rolls his eyes. “I guess that means I don’t look cute when my hair isn’t wet.”
“No,” Jon says, turning on his side. “That’s not what I meant. You just look cute right now and I thought I’d tell you.”
“Jon.” Spencer pauses. “What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“Were you. Um.” Spencer blushes. He turns his face so Jon can’t see the pink in his cheeks. “You weren’t…”
“What?” Jon’s grin disappears, and he looks at Spencer intently now.
“Nothing. I’m just out of it tonight or something. Or just tired.”
“We can sleep.” Jon grabs the remote and turns the TV off. “Here. Turn down the covers.”
Spencer moves off the bed and helps Jon pull the covers down on the queen-size bed. He gets in, pulling the sheet up to his chest. Jon is undressing, and Spencer breathes in deeply before taking a cursory glance. Jon pulls his t-shirt over his head, and, just as quickly as he looked over, Spencer turns his attention to the ceiling. Once Jon has undressed down to his boxers, he crawls into bed next to Spencer.
“Are you sure you weren’t going to ask me something a couple minutes ago?” Jon asks.
Spencer swallows. “Brendon and Ryan have probably told you things.” Jon is silent; Spencer can smell the wine on his breath. “About me.”
Jon is still quiet. Spencer turns to look at him and says, “You need to say something.”
“I’m not oblivious. I didn’t need them to tell me anything.”
“So if you know, why’d you just do that?”
“Do what?”
“Compliment me like that, kind of flirtatiously or whatever. Were you just playing off the fact that you know I like you, or did you mean it?”
“Spencer,” Jon says softly. “You’re overthinking this. It was a compliment, and I meant it.” He reaches out and brushes some of Spencer’s hair from his forehead.
“What are you doing?” Spencer whispers, realizing that’s the second time he’s asked that question within the past few minutes. He withdraws from Jon’s touch without meaning to. “Just because you know I like you doesn’t mean you have to say things.”
Jon’s fingers brush against Spencer’s cheek, and Spencer is certain he’s going to pass out.
“I want to,” Jon says.
“You’re not just doing this.”
“No. Stop saying things like that.”
“Then why…?”
“Maybe I like you, too.”
“Oh my god, are we really having this conversation?” Spencer mumbles, covering his eyes with a hand.
Jon laughs and moves Spencer’s hand away. “Yes.”
“I can’t stop thinking you’re just telling me this. I mean… you picked now, when you’re in bed with me, to tell me you like me.”
“It’s been on my mind. And you brought it up.”
“I didn’t.” Spencer turns so his back faces Jon. He feels too awkward to look at him.
Jon moves closer, wrapping an arm across Spencer’s waist. “Don’t ask me what I’m doing,” Jon instructs him. “And yes, I want to spoon you, so don’t ask me if I’m ‘just doing this.’”
Spencer looks over his shoulder and is surprised by how close Jon’s face is to his. He turns so he can face Jon.
“What?” Jon asks.
Spencer gives Jon a quick kiss before he returns to his previous position. He rests one of his hands on top of Jon’s, and falls asleep with soft breaths against the back of his neck.