Chapter Seven
"Do you think she's here? I told her we would be here! Do you see her?" Brendon asked in anguish, peeking past the stage, scanning the noisy crowd for a familiar face.
"I don't know, Bren. There's too many people out there to find anyone," Ryan replied, ignoring his bouncing friend.
"She's here! She has to be!" Brendon confirmed to himself as he stepped back and disappeared into one of the smaller rooms leading off into the hallway.
"You okay?" Spencer asked, coming up behind Ryan.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Ryan said, answering Spencer's question with another question, staring after Brendon. His expression was empty, hoping Spencer would drop the subject of his emotions.
"You guys, look! She sent this backstage for me!" Brendon screamed to no one in particular but still managed to grab everyone's attention who happened to be backstage or even passing by. He was carrying a sizable bag filled with chocolate covered gummy bears, adorning a card slightly hidden beneath the fluffy pink bow that read, 'Bears for my Brenny Bear. Love Sarah,' in purple loopy writing followed by a heart she had drawn.
"How in the hell does she even know you like those disgusting things? You guys only talked for three seconds!" Spencer half shouted at the grinning idiot.
"It just happened to come up," Brendon said, turning the bag over in his hand, inspecting each bear.
Whatever. Let's just do this thing and go home," Spencer replied coldly before turning away.
"What's his issue?" Brendon asked Ryan. "I don't know, Brendon. I really don't fucking know," Ryan's flat tone accompanied a glare before he, too, turned away. Brendon stared after him with a look of hurt and confusion etched on his face before replying.
"You guys are just jealous of my awesome bears of love!"
"He's an ass. A complete fucking ass," Spencer said once he turned around to see Ryan had followed him into the dressing room. He shot Ryan a glare which slowly turned into a concerned look.
"I'm fine, Spence, really," Ryan said with an attempt of a smile just as Spencer opened his mouth to ask.
He stared at Ryan, not sure what to say. His mouth closed and opened once more, trying to think of something. "Let's just get this shit over with before I bust my drum over his head on stage," Spencer finally sighed out.
"Yeah," Ryan said somberly, smiling nervously at the ground when Spencer passed him.
"Hello?" Brendon sounded from the partially opened door to the dressing room after the concert. "Ry?"
"Yeah, Brendon?" Ryan answered from the lighted mirror. He was taking of the eyeliner and clown colored blush he had put on before the show with a wad of cotton dampened with makeup remover.
"Are you okay?" Brendon asked, stepping into the room, closing the door behind him. "You seemed... I don't know, it seemed like you were somewhere else tonight."
"Yeah, sorry. I was... thinking," Ryan said quickly. He mentally slapped himself, unable to come up with a better excuse, still facing his reflection.
"Now I owe Jon five bucks," Brendon said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I bet him I could grope you twelve times on stage," he finished with a laugh.
Brendon had attempted much more than twelve, though. Ryan usually allowed a couple ass grabs and sometimes even a haste kiss on his neck, but tonight, he had backed away almost every time.
"I'm sorry," Ryan lied, still facing his reflection and scrubbed off the last of the blinding pink blush.
"Hey, can I have a kiss?" Brendon asked, stepping closer to Ryan.
"Wh-What?" Ryan whirled around to face Brendon.
Brendon snaked his arm around Ryan and pulled the bag of chocolate kisses from the counter in front of the mirror and held it in front of Ryan. "Calm down, Ryan. It's just chocolate. Quit being greedy and share," Brendon laughed out as he reached his hand into the bag to retrieve a silver wrapped chocolate.
Ryan let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, closed his jaw that he hadn't even noticed shot open, and averted his eyes to the floor. Brendon really needed new shoes. "Yeah, right. Chocolate." Ryan shook his head turned back to the counter, smiling shyly.
"Hey, Ryan?" Brendon asked from behind Ryan. Ryan could feel his warmth of his presence on the back of his neck. Ryan turned slowly away from the mirror to face Brendon, once again.
"Yeah, Bren?"
Brendon grabbed the back of Ryan's neck as soon as he turned to look into his eyes. He pulled their lips together in a heavy, almost bruising kiss. He wrapped his arm around Ryan's waist and tilted his head to the side, deepening the kiss. He ran his tongue along Ryan's bottom lip. Ryan parted his lips, granting Brendon's request for entrance. Brendon plunged his tongue into Ryan's mouth, tasting every bit of it. He flicked his chocolate-laced tongue against Ryan's and caressed the roof of his mouth, determined to reach every crevice of Ryan's mouth. Ryan whimpered, causing Brendon to smile into the kiss. Without parting, he pushed Ryan backward to sit on the counter in front of the mirror, throwing off anything that was on top. Ryan sat down obediently, wrapping his legs around Brendon's waist. Brendon reached a hand between them to palm the growing bulge in Ryan's pants, causing him to gasp into Brendon's mouth. Smirking smugly, Brendon began to place small kisses along Ryan's jawline, stopping to nibble slightly at the skin below his ear.
"Ryan! Come on! What're you doing in he-" Spencer blurted as he entered the room. The two jumped apart, with Ryan hitting his head on the glass of the mirror. "Oh. Uh, sorry. I'll just... Yeah," Spencer stated awkwardly before leaving the doorway.
Brendon doubled over into laughter as soon as the door was shut. Ryan, red as a tomato, managed to finally get out a few giggles after he removed his hands from his face and hopped off the counter, rubbing the back of his head where he had hit the mirror.
"We should probably get back," Brendon said, finally able to speak.
"Yeah," Ryan agreed with a small smile, his face still pinked. Ryan was the first out the door, frantic to keep his embarrassment hidden from Brendon's sight. Brendon didn't let Ryan out of his sight for long. He chased after him and caught Ryan's hand in his, lacing their fingers together. He threw a smile to Ryan, forcing his pink complexion back to the vibrant red it had been before.
"Brendon!" a shrill voice erupted from behind them. Brendon dropped their hands at once and turned around to face the source.
"Sarah! Hey, you made it!" Brendon exclaimed before running over to embrace the bimbo.
Disgusted, Ryan turned to leave Brendon to his Satan. Ryan didn't know if Brendon had seen him storm off, nor did he care. Both his head and heart were racing. He couldn't decide who he loathed more: Brendon or Sarah.
Oh no she di-n't! What is our poor Ryan to do? Again, sorry for the slow update. I'll update as soon as I can :) ~Ember
