Land Down Under // Rydon AU

It's like a gay fiesta

- Brendon's POV -

"Hey Geetard!" Ryan runs up to a redhead playing with his sister, pushing him over playfully.

"Ryan!" I watch as he wraps his arms around Ryan, grinning broadly. "How's school been?"

"I got what I signed up for," he replies, a chuckle lighting up his face. "I met this guy, so that's a plus." He pulls me over to greet his friends snaking an arm round my waste.

"I'm Gerard. But call me Gee." He offers me his hand, so I shake it. I've never seen Ryan so confident around anyone, even Pete or Spence. He's only ever been like this when it's been him and I alone.

"Hey there. I'm Brendon, and uh, call me Brendon?" I let the tone of my voice rise at the end of my remark. It was one of those things that sounded better in my head. Then again, most things I say sound better in my head.

"Hi Brendon." He answers, before smirking at Ryan. I watch him blush slightly, making me wonder why on earth Gerard's smile makes Ryan blush. Only my smile makes Ryan blush. I mean, it was a theory I was yet to formally test, but I was 99% sure that my hypothesis was right. 

"Yes, Gee." Ryan runs a hand through the mop of brown curls on his head, a giggle breaking up his sentence. "This is the idiot Mikey's told you about."

Oh. That's why Gerard was looking at Ryan like that. Fuck. I need to calm down, jealousy won't make me any friends. Gee grins at me, his eyes crinkling at the sides, before opening his mouth again.

"You two are real cute together." I shoot Ryan an inquisitive look. I'm not sure who know's he's gay, and I don't want to out him to anyone. He looks down at his sister, who had wandered down the sand hill out of ear shot, and nodded at me, his eyes warm and thankful. 

"It's going to be like a gay fiesta when Frankie boy gets back from town. He's picking up Mikey." Gerard finishes talking, waggling his eyebrows for dramatic flair.

"Did Mikey tell you about Pete?" Ryan looks over at Gerard, who had obviously not heard about Mikey's blossoming relationship with Pete Wentz. I came to this revolutionary conclusion from observing that his face that previously boasted an overgrown smirk had transformed into a confused and slightly hurt expression, like if you asked your friend for a coke, but they came back with a diet one.

"No... no he hasn't." His tone was quieter than it was before. I watched Ryan stroke his forearm in an attempt to calm his nerves, which was seeming to work.

"Hey, it's alright Gee. Pete's a great guy, he wouldn't do anything to Mikes. He's one of my best mates. I know Mikey doesn't always make the best choices about what to do, or, who to do, in this case," 

I couldn't help but laugh at Ryan's comment. He'd said it with such a serious face too. Like this was an actual real issue the Mikey had. I've hung out with Mikey quite a bit in the last term, and maybe it was the fact that he may as well have been surgically attached to Pete at the mouth, but his judgement didn't seem that bad.

Ryan glares at me momentarily, making me quickly stifle my laugh. Once I do, his face melts into a half smile, before he resumes his speech.

"Plus, Pete is practically the definition of chaotic good, so he might be able to balance out Mikey's craving for generalised chaos. Slightly. Or at least, some good will come out of it. Sometimes."

Gerard was smiling by now, only the shadow of his anxiety loomed over his face, every other physical sign of tension was gone.

---

Walking back to the house from the beach with Ryan is really nice. It's so pretty here. Ryan's so pretty here. I'm not saying Ryan's not pretty wherever he is, he's just especially pretty here, because he seems so at home, like just being here completes him. When the first caravans come into view, I feel his hand slip out of mine.