A few days after our sunrise at the desert Brendon, Spencer and I were hanging at the mall. Spencer leaned onto the railing outside as I smoked a cigarette, and Brendon was cuddling on my side. After I had finished my cigarette we went inside to head to some café.
In the middle of the crowded hallway we almost ran into Cor, who raised his eyes from his Sidekick and stopped on the spot.
"Hey," he muttered.
"Hey," we muttered back. Spencer resorted to a nod.
"How are you guys?" Cor asked after an awkward silence.
Brendon shrugged and looked at me as if expecting me to do the talking.
"We're good," I stated simply and grinned. "And you?"
Cor didn't have time to respond as there was a shout from behind him.
"Cor!"
All of us turned simultaneously to look at a small boy, whose dark brown hair hung over his eyes and who also had two piercings on his lower lip. The boy stepped to Cor's side and wrapped an arm around his waist.
"This is Andreas," Cor said, pointing at the boy. "And these are Ryro, Brendon and Spencer," he pointed at us.
We nodded and exchanged the usual nicetomeetyous and howareyous. Then Andreas looked at Cor, pouting.
"Corbieeee, c'mon now, I wanna show you those shoes I talked about," Andreas said, and Cor laughed, kissing his head.
"Okay, so we'll have to go," Cor said to us, waving his hand.
As Cor and Andreas turned to leave, Spencer, who had been quiet until now, cleared his throat.
"Um," he begun, and the two boys turned back.
"Yeah?" Cor asked.
"I just have to ask this." Spencer blushed a bit. "But, I mean, don't you two get stuck from your lips as you kiss with all that metal?"
For a moment everyone just stared at Spencer, but then I burst out laughing and the others followed suite.
"No, Spencer, we don't get stuck," Cor said as he finally stopped laughing. "Would you like us to demonstrate?" he grinned mischievously, and Spencer hurried to assure that there was no need for that, not at all. The laughter begun again, and then Cor and Andreas left, waving at us, and we headed to the nearest cafeteria so I could get my caffeine fix.
Brendon seemed relieved as the threat called Cor was now permanently wiped away, and he showed it with endless displays of affection. Spencer seemed uncomfortable and was discreetly looking away, until I pushed Brendon further with a laugh. This caused an adorable 'I'm sulking with a pout' fit, which I had to stop by tickling Brendon's side. Brendon snatched a toothpick from the table and threw it at me so I'd stop, and finally we managed to settle drinking our coffee in an almost-civilized manner, and even Spencer ventured to look at us.
"Ryro..." Brendon shook his head suddenly. "I'll never like that nickname."
I grinned. "You don't have to," I whispered and ruffled his hair, aiming a kiss onto his temple.
"Oh, geez, get a fucking room already!" was Spencer's frustrated snort to this, and we pulled apart to start bombing him with toothpicks.
"You're just jealous!" Brendon poked his tongue out at Spencer.
"He is," I confirmed. "We'll have to get him a girl or something, so he'll settle... Or perhaps a boy?" I grinned and Spencer paled a few shades.
"Yesss, a cute little emo boy to cling onto Spencer's arm," Brendon teased and Spencer shook his head.
"You're crazy, both of you." Spencer slammed his mug onto the table and laughed.
"Possibly," I admitted. "But at least we're having fun."
Spencer muttered something about crazy people getting their fun easily, and Brendon and I just laughed.
***
We paced along the quiet street, Brendon's hand in mine. It was drizzling a bit, which usually would've gotten me staying inside, but for some reason Brendon wanted to gather a layer of mould by walking aimlessly in the rain. I stopped for a while to light a cigarette - yes, I was a guy, I couldn't do it while walking - and Brendon stopped under the street light to watch me. I smiled. He looked so adorable as his hair hung onto his face, dripping wet, and all in all he looked just pathetic and small.
"What are you sneering there?" Brendon asked.
"You look like some pathetic little mouse, all wet and cute."
"Thanks a lot, but you're not exactly Mr. Universe yourself right now," Brendon snorted and raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, I'm not?"
"Nah, but you're good enough for me anyways. Just about," Brendon giggled. I snorted and blew some smoke to his direction, and Brendon stepped a pace away for the smoke, but then closed in two steps and wrapped his arms around me. Brendon leaned in to kiss my lips softly, and the half-smoked cigarette fell to the ground as I wrapped my arms around his waist, deepening the kiss.
A lonely bird flew past us, being the only witness for our kiss under the street light. The rain was starting to pour down, but it seemed secondary right now.
Eventually we pulled apart, breathless. I looked at Brendon, and the familiar warm feeling spread from my stomach all the ways to the tips of my toes and fingers. His brown eyes met my gaze, calm and warm, and there was a small smile on his face; cheeks flushed a bit. There was a drop of water hanging from his hair, ready to drop onto his cheek any moment. Ever detail was clear and vivid and so fucking adorable, and I felt how the walls inside me begun crumbling and collapsing. I could nearly hear the crashing noise as the dam inside me broke down and the masses of water flowed into every direction, freeing every hidden truth inside.
"I love you."
When the words finally sunk into Brendon's head, he begun smiling. A big, wonderful smile that caused the warmth inside me to grow into a burning heat of happiness.
There. Now I'm officially an unbearable romantic and an idiot.
"I love you too."
A mere whisper, but it was there. And I think the happiness just exploded my insides.
~~~
The End
