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Ryan hated airports. Well, quite frankly, Ryan hated most places, but airports were the worst. He was a skinny seventeen year old who hardly had enough muscle to fight someone with a similar body type. Lugging around two twenty pound carry-ons all day in an already stressful and overcrowded environment was just the worst thing Ryan could imagine. Besides that, he was terrified at the thought of flying. He'd gotten over it most of the time on vacations with Spencer as his well-meaning distraction, but flying to LA just to show the bassist for Fall Out Boy their demos didn't require their drummer. No, it required the lyricist/band founder and, for some odd reason, their singer.
Okay, he knew what Pete's reason was. Pete wasn't the straightest guy around and always felt a little tempted by jailbait. It was Ryan's fault for calling Brendon dead sexy, but he couldn't lie to the man who was thinking about signing his band. Spencer and Brent were back at home and just thrilled that this was happening.
"Ryan, Ryan, Ryan," Brendon repeated, yanking Ryan's hand into his and jumping up and down. "Plane! We're flying! Holy shit, this is gonna be the coolest thing ever! I've never been on a plane before, is it awesome? I'm so glad I didn't take my meds today, they make me sleepy. If I did, I would sleep through the flight! Can I have the window seat? That way you can lean on my shoulder if you fall asleep while I look through the window at the-"
"Bren, calm down, baby. You didn't take your meds; you're rambling, sweetie." Ryan spoke softly, trying to beat Brendon's adorable enthusiasm with neutrality. "You can have the window seat, of course. I'm probably going to buy some sleeping pills before the gate so I doze off after my pre-launch freakout. Oh, I forgot to mention. I'm terrified of flying and I've never flown before without Spencer. I'll try not to freak out on you, though."
Brendon smiled at Ryan. "As if you, of all people, could freak me out. Look at me, i'm a jittery mess. Anyway, we don't have any bags to check! Let's go to security," Brendon said with an air of enjoyment Ryan had never heard in an airport of all places. Brendon took in the dull sight, the greying walls and greyer attendees, germ-infested bowls for people to put their keys, wallet, phone, or coins in, and the bulky security scanners that would blink and beep if metal was detected. Ryan could see Brendon's brain at work as the younger boy looked at the people too. Brendon was deep in thought, eyes pacing from one person to another until Ryan had to ask him to stop.
"It's creeping me out, okay!" A sour look donned Brendon's face and he sniffled a little before turning his back to Ryan and dropping his hand.
"Sorry I'm so scary," he snapped, hastily walking alone towards the security check line.
"Brendon, no, wait!" Ryan hastened to catch up with his fleeing best friend. Brendon refused to look at Ryan even when the older boy skidded to a stop next to him. "No, you're not scary, it's just scaring me. How overactive- no- over-attentive you are. It's a new side of you I've never seen before and that creeps me out because we've known each other for months and I was hoping I knew you by now. It's just creepy seeing you act so different, excited. It's creepy that I haven't seen it before. Really, I love it." That last comment forced Brendon to light up in glee and he looked at Ryan with a smile.
"If I'm honest, it can be a real annoyance but sometimes there's so many things to be distracted by anyway. Shit, that service dog is cute. See," he exclaimed, pointing to a cute dog on a leash, "you hate airplanes and ports, but if we weren't here, you would never have seen that dog. And dogs are like, the freaking best, Ry!" And Brendon grins even harder as the line moves forward and Ryan tries to hide the expression fighting to break out- one of adoration and deep affection. Still, Brendon hadn't had a girlfriend in all the time Ryan had known him and he didn't want to advance on Brendon if Brendon wasn't ready for a relationship. Of course it wouldn't occur to him that Brendon wasn't a virgin- look at how innocent he was.
Brendon was currently throwing a bag over his back and grabbing Ryan's hand to steady himself as he looked over the barrier banisters. Cute, Ryan's mind screamed, but he just gave off a tiny smile and kept his lips pressed tight shut. He didn't even mind that he had to drag Brendon through security, didn't mind a lady's dissatisfied grunt at Ryan holding Brendon's hand, certainly didn't mind the whispers of, "emo," wafting through the air. It was all made up for in the smirk and direct stare Brendon gave him as he slowly slipped his belt off. Okay, maybe not that innocent. Not that that really changed how Ryan felt. He wanted all of Brendon, but he'd prefer a romantic relationship to a purely sexual one with him any day.
Ryan discarded his belt, jacket, wallet, keys, and shoes in multiple little containers, walked through the metal detector when directed, and smiled when Brendon easily did the same. Before they reached their gate, they stopped at a McDonald's, both ordering sausage egg biscuits and talking with mouths full on the way to their boarding area.
"Wha' songs we showing again," Brendon asked, voice muffled by the food he was chewing.
"Time t' dan', nails fo breakfas', and Camisa-o," Ryan said, his voice even less coherent than Brendon's. Brendon still understood though, throwing a garbled thank you in Ryan's direction and continuing to scarf down his breakfast. Ryan gripped Brendon's unoccupied hand, explaining that it was purely to keep them together and that Ryan was the only one of the two of them that actually knew where he was going. Brendon's face seemed a little pink when he agreed but Ryan didn't think anything of it. They reached their gate with three minutes before boarding began, forcing Ryan to drop Brendon's soft hand so he could draw out their boarding passes from his back pocket. They were given A14 and A15 status- courtesy of Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy. That got the two teens inside the plane for the first round of boarding. Brendon dove into the first set of empty seats they found, leaving Ryan to put two bags in the overhead carrier.
When he sat down he was met with Brendon and his dopey smile and his soft hands and his excited temperament. Despite having been anxiety ridden earlier at the prospect of flying without Spencer, he found that he was less tense than he had ever been on a plane. Brendon had such a relaxing aura and it always had a really pleasant effect on him.
Despite this, Brendon's first decision when he opened his mouth was to screech loud enough that the surrounding seats had to have heard him. Thankfully the other passengers were all too busy trying to get set up for the plane ride and only a few sent the two of them dirty looks. As they tried to get settled a flight attendant grabbed the microphone for the PA system.
"We will have a full flight today folks and, as such, please fill in from the front before making your way back. Safety procedures will be discussed later." Later Ryan's ass. He was already grabbing for his meds so he could pass out. Brendon noticed and shrugged his left shoulder as an offering. After downing the pills, he took Brendon up on his offer and sank into his chair. The armrest was painful, but mobile, so Ryan pulled back to put it up. He fumbled with his seatbelt and looked at the woman settling next to him a small smile. It grew when he placed his head on Brendon's shoulder and almost hurt when Brendon wrapped an arm around him. It was comforting, protective, and, judging by the fierce force Brendon was tugging him with, a possible hint of jealousy.
Ryan ate this up, snuggling Brendon like it was his only chance and sliding closer to him until they were squashed in the same seat. Hopefully Brendon would let him do this again at the hotel. Pete apparently only got them one bed. Thought it would be funny.
"Okay folks! Now that you've all boarded, I'm going to describe our emergency procedures and safety precautions. Unlikely event that the plane is..." He began dozing off with the exception of trying to pull the middle's seatbelt over him. It was useless considering he wasn't even in that seat. Brendon and Ryan were skinny. It was borderline unhealthy, but it meant that they could easily share. Ryan kind of loved that. He moved back into a seat when the flight attendant came around, buckling the belt, unclasping it as soon as she left. He reattached to Brendon and let the other man slide the seatbelt over him. The only response he got from flicking his eyes towards the woman in the aisle seat was a nod, a smile, and a finger placed over her lips. He proceeded to ignore her without feeling bad about it because Brendon was pulling him close and whispering, singing lyrics that Ryan had wrote and was going to present to one of the most famous people in the country. Despite that, all he could focus on was Brendon. Even when the plane took flight in a horrifyingly shaky fashion, the arm tight around his waist did not loosen.
"This is the scent of dead skin on a linoleum floor, this is the scent of quarantine wings in a hospital. It's not so pleasant and it's not so conventional, it sure as hell ain't normal, but we'll deal, we'll deal." Ryan opened his eyes a fraction and the way Brendon's gaze lingered on him proved that Brendon was singing to him. His eyes drooped and he found himself falling asleep, a slumber that couldn't even be stopped when Brendon whispered, "I love you, Ryan," and a slumber that helped him get through the plane trip and into bed with Brendon Urie, of all people, in a matter of hours.