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1.
The day that Ryan finally cracks, turning to Brendon half resigned and half amused saying, “You’re in,” Spencer drives him to the open field several minutes away from his school in the middle of the night to celebrate. They lie on the hood of Spencer’s car, looking up at the stars and just talking about everything, from Spencer’s stupid childhood escapades with Ryan to their hopes and dreams and everything they’d ever want to do before they die.
It’s cheesy as fuck, but Spencer can’t bring himself to care when Brendon laughs at every single one of his stupid jokes while becoming tipsier and tipsier off the six-pack of beer that Spencer had bought along. (Don’t tell Ryan, Spencer had warned him as he ripped off the tab and passed the first can to Brendon. Brendon had, of course, nodded solemnly and crossed his heart before tipping his head back and chugging half the can in several gulps. Spencer had done his best to keep his eyes off of Brendon’s bobbing throat.)
They eventually fall asleep, lying side by side.
Brendon wakes him up at 5 a.m., prodding him indignantly in the belly until Spencer rolls over with a groan and realizes that they are still in the middle of a field on a car. “Spencer Smith,” Brendon tells him indignantly, though his eyes shine with suppressed laughter. “I am done with your kidnapping ways! Take me home!”
Spencer knows that Brendon’s family is probably freaking out by now, so he quickly jumps back into the front seat of the car and revs the engine. They drive home in companionable silence, but Spencer feels more content than he’s been feeling for a long while.
Ryan and Brendon start sleeping together a week later, but Spencer is happy enough for the both of them that he decides to lay his feelings to the side and finish school on a high note instead.
2.
Three days after they leave the cabin (and Cricket and Clover) behind and return to Las Vegas thoroughly sick of each others’ companies, Brendon arrives at Spencer’s front door looking sheepish and somewhat muted. Spencer immediately has the urge to wrap him up in a hug, but he manages to restrain himself by holding on to his door handle.
“Hey…?”
“Hey, Spence,” Spencer likes Brendon’s tone of voice even less than his demeanor.
“What’s going on?”
“I…” Brendon kicks absently at the ground before meeting Spencer’s eyes. “It’s, uh, y’know…Ryan and I? We’re…I mean, he…we’re over.”
Spencer grabs his car keys from the table sitting near the door and decides that this, at least, warrants a hug. “We can go somewhere,” Spencer offers.
Brendon mumbles agreement, his voice muffled by Spencer’s shoulder. They end up going to order smoothies (Brendon ends up buying an extra large for them to split).
They park by the freeway, taking sips and passing the giant cup back and forth, before Spencer finally gets up the courage to ask.
“What happened?”
Brendon takes an extra long sip. The cold drink has made his lips very, very red. Spencer determinedly pretends not to notice while he takes the cup back and sticks the straw through his mouth.
“I…he told me that he wanted to be exclusive with Keltie. Liked her too much and all of that.” Brendon shrugs. “It wasn’t messy or anything. It was just…” He trails off. “Sudden? It’s going to be fine, though.”
Spencer isn’t really sure how to reply, so he continues with the train of thought instead. “So…Friday’s going to be okay?” They resolved to meet up and start writing again a week after they got back from the cabin so that they wouldn’t spend too much time away from each other but would be able to catch a bit of a break in between.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s not like we were ever official in the first place, y’know,” Brendon shrugs. Spencer nods in understanding and takes another gulp of smoothie. “Soooo,” Brendon leans forward conspiratorially. “How’s Haley?”
And after what feels like only a little while, Spencer blinks and realizes that three hours have gone by, they are out of smoothie, and they have somehow managed to migrate to the topic of possums versus squirrels.
“I dunno man,” Brendon stretches out languidly along the carseat. A joint in his neck pops. “I feel like possums are creepy little shits that wouldn’t mind murdering you in your sleep. Squirrels, though, are the cutest. Ever.”
“Please,” Spencer replies on reflex, watching Brendon lick his lips and then feigning interest in his shoelaces. Brendon’s mouth has turned very, very orange, and when Spencer looks at his reflection in the rearview mirror, he finds that his tongue is the same color. “Possums could beat the shit out of squirrels. And that’s what matters.”
3.
Three days after Cape Town, Spencer decides to stop feeling shitty about what was going to happen to the band and calls Brendon up.
“Yo,” Brendon’s voice was tight and unhappy. Spencer’s stomach clenches in a familiar way.
“There’s that movie you were talking about on the flight home playing five minutes from my apartment. Let’s go tonight,” Spencer holds his phone tightly while he worries his bottom lip with his teeth. What if Brendon has plans with Ryan, Jon, or some other girl? What if Brendon blames him for all of the fighting?
There’s a pause on the other end of the line. Spencer’s heart thuds painfully in his chest.
“Yeah, okay,” Brendon’s voice still sounds tired, but maybe it’s a little more relaxed than it was before. Spencer feels like he’s imagining things, but hey, hey’s allowed to hope. “Text me the times?”
Spencer makes some noise in agreement, and they hang up.
--
Spencer is barely paying attention to whatever’s happening on screen because he’s doing his best to valiantly win the epic footsie war he’s managed to keep up for a good hour now while also trying not to snicker too loudly when Brendon spills his popcorn all over his lap.
They also end up grabbing dinner at a crappy diner next door to the theater because they don’t feel like walking far for dinner.
“Soooooooooo,” Brendon begins with an exaggerated wink in Spencer’s direction over their half-finished burgers. “Haley is a month behind you. How are things in that department?”
Spencer resists the urge to roll his eyes before he realizes what exactly Brendon is asking about. He coughs lightly and maybe, maybe blushes a bit. “I…uh…I dunno. I mean. Yeah. I guess.”
Spencer had broken up with Haley a few months back. It hadn’t been messy at all; Spencer hadn’t thought that she was going to work out long-term, anyway, and she claimed she was tired of living in someone else’s shadow. Spencer refused to entertain any ideas of what that was supposed to mean.
“Mm,” Brendon turns his attention to his fries, but there’s something different in his voice, now. Confused, Spencer tries to accurately gauge what Brendon’s feeling, but Brendon isn’t meeting his eyes right now.
The check comes around and Brendon beats him to the chase, slapping down a credit card with a triumphant crow of laughter. Spencer splutters in protest.
--
Later on, as they trade spit-slick kisses in the backseat of Spencer’s car, while they’re parked outside of Spencer’s place, Brendon’s phone beeps several times. He hastily reaches for his back pocket to shut the damn thing off, but he has it out long enough for Spencer to see the name that flashes across the screen: Ryan Ross.
Spencer turns back to face Brendon, who meets his gaze evenly before leaning back in.
“How long?” Brendon mumbles against Spencer’s lips.
“Years,” Spencer mutters. “Brendon, god—“
Spencer can feel the smile in response as Brendon slides further down his body.
4.
Several months after New Perspective comes out, Spencer decides on a group date with Jon and Ryan. The latter pair is so head-over-heels in love that Spencer and Brendon can’t help but grin knowingly at each other every time Ryan laughs obnoxiously loudly at something that Jon says or when Jon accidentally jostles either Brendon or Spencer in his attempts to retaliate against Ryan’s footsie.
It’s like old times, except even better in some new and altogether unexpected ways. Ryan and Jon talk animatedly about their plans for Take A Vacation! and Brendon tosses out ideas for Panic’s new album (they’ve tentatively decided to call it Vices & Virtues) while teasing Ryan about his flair for superfluous punctuation.
5.
Spencer can’t count this one as a date. Not really.
They’d planned on showing up to Pete Wentz’s Halloween party as a couple (at Spencer’s insistence, so, hey, give him some credit).
Brendon barely makes it down the stairs in his costume before Spencer decides to ditch the party and fuck Brendon instead, because seriously, whoever told Brendon that an all-leather costume was a good idea was a genius (Spencer had a sneaking suspicion that it was Dallon).
1.
Brendon had quietly, quietly whispered into Spencer’s ear the previous night (Spencer was currently the little spoon): “I’m taking you out tomorrow night.”
Spencer had been too drowsy (and too fucked-out, if he was honest with himself) to care.
He begins to get apprehensive at 5:00 that night when Brendon shoves a suit at him.
“Wha—“
“Hush. Do it.”
Brendon will not say a word to him in the car on the way over to wherever the hell they’re going. During the stoplights, he repeatedly shakes his head and emphatically shushes him before Spencer can ask another question.
Fifteen minutes later, they pull up in front of the most extravagant restaurant Spencer had ever seen.
Spencer laughs, though his eyes are wide. “Brendon Urie. Are you trying to bribe me with good food in order to have your wicked way with me?”
Brendon chuckles in response, getting out of the driver’s seat. There is something strained around his eyes, but Spencer figures that he’d better not ask. For now.
They walk in and are immediately led to a curtained off corner with a single table for two. Before he can say another word, the waiter and Maître-D are at their table taking their order and talking about the wine list.
“So, what’s this about, then?” Spencer nudges Brendon in the calf with his dress shoe. Brendon only wiggles his eyebrows enigmatically as the first set of appetizers are brought out.
“Maybe I felt like you took me on too many dates back in the day and wanted to return the favor.”
Spencer sighs and sits back. Whatever it is, he’ll probably find out after dinner.
He ends up finding out after the main course.
“Spencer James Smith.”
Spencer looks up from his chicken to find that Brendon is no longer in his seat, but is rather in front of him on one knee, with a small, square box in his right palm.
“Will you—“
Spencer has already leaned forward and crushed their lips together before Brendon can finish.
“Yes,” he responds fiercely. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“I haven’t even finished, dumbass.” Spencer can feel Brendon’s grin against his teeth while whatever tension there is left sinks from his shoulders.
“I have a pretty good feeling about where this one is going, B.”