A Time And Place

Brendon’s not exactly sure how it happens, but somewhere in New York he accidentally starts dating a guy. Brendon is totally not gay, and this dude’s into basketball, of all things, and baseball, maybe? Seriously, it’s the weirdest thing ever.

“Do you know anything about basketball?” Brendon asks Spencer, dropping down onto the couch. Brendon knows basketball is a bunch of tall people running around a court and dribbling and, like, making free throws or whatever. Plus, their shorts are baggy.

Spencer arches an eyebrow at him over a DSW circular. “Why?”

Brendon doesn’t exactly know how to answer that. He settles on, “I think I have a boyfriend.”

Spencer does not actually start cracking up until Brendon adds, “His name’s Chad.”

*

It’s not like they talk all the time, but Chad’s always texting him about college and Brendon’ll fake knowing what he’s talking about when he texts him back. Brendon doesn’t know anything about college that he hasn’t seen in the movies. He’s not sure if Road Trip is accurate.

“What’s it called when, like, they’re all up in their faces?”

Ryan blinks at him. “Are you—what?”

Brendon tugs on the end of Ryan’s scarf, leans in on the couch so his knee is digging into Ryan’s hip, bone against bone. “Basketball, Ross, pay attention.”

“Guarding?” Jon says.

“Awesome, thanks,” Brendon says, then goes back to his cell. It’ll help if he, you know, at least pretends.

*

They met at a bar. Which bar, Brendon doesn’t remember. They were at a few.

Late, late, after concert late, and Brendon had been steadily drinking for hours and there was this guy. This guy with impressive hair, and Brendon enjoys hair with some personality, so he’d gone over to say hello. To let this guy know: hey, I dig your hair.

And then, like, something went horribly wrong.

*

Jon takes it best. Jon takes everything best, except it’s kind of annoying how he refuses to believe that Brendon is not actually gay.

“Alright, but,” Jon spreads his hands out, “dating a guy? Kinda gay.”

“It’s completely platonic,” Brendon says, although Brendon can’t be sure. There’s a block of time that’s missing and, okay, his lips were kind of raw when he woke up the next afternoon, and he had Chad’s number scrawled on his arm in black sharpie with a little lopsided heart.

Jon’s eyes say I don’t believe you, but also, like, I don’t care, and he gives Brendon a hug, so. So Brendon forgives him.

*

Spencer won’t stop laughing. “Chad Danforth,” he says, like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard ever, and what the fuck Spencer James Smith the fifth, people with numbers in their names should just shut the fuck up.

*

Ryan looks like he ate a wedge of stinky cheese every time Brendon brings up sports or college – Brendon tried to watch a baseball game once, and Jon did his very best to, like, get him excited about the balls and fouls and runs or whatever, but Jesus God, baseball is the most boring thing on earth to watch, and then there’s, like, extra innings – and he makes disapproving throat sounds whenever Brendon opens up the ESPN website.

Brendon thinks maybe Ryan’s one step away from lecturing him on being true to his self or something, but hobo-carnie-gambler-cowboy-hippie guy has no room to talk.

*

Chad flies out for their concert in New Mexico. He says he can visit his mom and his friends so it makes total sense and it’s just bonus that he gets to see Brendon. Brendon totally shakes his ass on stage and works it and all that jazz and he’s got fake flowers in his hair because Jon likes to rip them off his mike stand in soundcheck and present them to him in a truly awesome and hilarious way, down on one knee. Brendon’s looking pretty fantastic.

So Chad meets them backstage afterwards. He’s got a guy with him. And not just any guy - a guy in pink and white, with tassels on his shoes and a pink plaid fedora tilted rakishly over, from what Brendon can see, lovely, shiny blond hair. He’s like a doll. Brendon’s afraid to touch him.

Chad says, “Hey, Brendon, this is Ryan,” and Brendon’s momentarily confused, until he realizes he’s talking about the dressy dude.

Brendon says, “Heh,” and snickers a little.

The Ryans size each other up.

Finally, Ryan - Brendon’s Ryan - says, “Nice hat.”

And Ryan - Chad’s Ryan - says, “Your scarf is inappropriate,” and, “There is no way you actually thought that matched, not unless you’re blind, in which case I apologize for being insensitive.”

Chad just beams and wraps an arm around Ryan’s – Chad’s Ryan’s – shoulder and squeezes him into his side.

*

“My boyfriend is dating another boy,” Brendon laments to Jon. He does this with much hand wringing and, like, drapes himself all over Jon’s lap for maximum effect.

Jon nods and moves around so Brendon fits more comfortably on top of him. He says, “Sorry, buddy.”

Brendon ducks his head to snuggle against Jon’s chest and makes, like, ridiculous purr-y sounds that he knows Jon loves when Jon scritches his fingers through his hair, because Brendon likes to encourage that sort of behavior.

“Nice,” Brendon says.

Jon says, “Good.”

*

They meet Chad and Chad’s Ryan and this really tan guy for breakfast before they leave town.

“I’m Troy,” the tan dude says, and Brendon is sure Spencer’s gonna bust something. He’s, like, completely hysterical, but not really making any sounds, just red-faced and bright-eyed and he’s gripping his knife like maybe he should stab himself in the thigh to keep from laughing out loud. Brendon kicks him under the table.

Chad’s Ryan is wearing a scarf, like he’s trying to prove to Brendon’s Ryan that scarves can be worn fashionably, with the correct matching colors.

Brendon’s Ryan is sporting a hat capped with a feather and a mustard yellow ascot tucked into his shirt. Brendon, as always, appreciates Ryan’s sense of the absurd. It helps to distract him from all the cozy Chad and Chad’s Ryan action going on, like maybe they don’t realize they’re in the middle of a restaurant.

When Chad’s Ryan leans into Chad’s shoulder and narrows his eyes at Brendon, Brendon makes a grab for Jon. He laces their fingers together and Jon doesn’t even give him any weird looks, just eats his pancakes and bacon and coffee and everything one-handed.

Jon can be sort of a douche when he’s high, but he’s still Brendon’s very favorite.

*

Brendon gives Chad a big hug when they leave and Chad hugs him back, because Chad is pretty awesome, even though he’s dating another boy. Their love is just not meant to be.

He hums sad songs all day, like Help Me, Ronda and Gold Digger and the theme to Mr. Belvedere.

He sighs a lot. Brendon knows if he sighs enough in Jon’s presence he’ll rub his feet or hug him or make him hot chocolate or something. But Brendon’s in his bunk, far, far away from Jon Walker, so it’s not like he’s fishing for anything.

His curtain swishes back, though.

“Hey, little buddy,” Jon says. He hooks his chin on the edge of the mattress and makes faces at him. “Okay?”

Brendon smiles. “Yeah.”