JANUARY 1 - 13, 2004
Ronnie returns to the apartment the night of New Year's Day and finds it empty-Brandon still on his pilgrimage in Utah. It's always a little strange to be there alone and he isn't sure when Brandon is planning on getting home, but life goes on.
They haven't spoken since Ronnie departed on the twenty-third, but they had texted a few times during the break. At first, it had just been Brandon assuring him that he'd made it in one piece since Ronnie had silently fretted about his long drive, especially after how weary they were from the tour. Brandon had still been a little shaken up after that flight, too. He hid it well, but Ronnie could tell that it had continued to bother him.
The texting continued throughout the week at increasing volumes, Brandon at one point lamenting to Ronnie about how the change in climate from cold-London to warm-Vegas to cold-Utah had left him feeling a little worse for wear. Ronnie's family had caught on to it at some point and he ended up spilling all the beans about his and Brandon's strange circumstantial relationship. His mom, of course, had loved every little detail she could get out of him regarding it. And then he had made the mistake of showing them some photos he had taken during the tour, which contained a good amount of shots of you-know-who.
Needless to say, Ronnie's got someone rooting for them in his corner. And it had felt pretty good to get everything off his chest. Still, his mind wandered to Brandon in Utah and whether or not he had anyone to talk to about it if he even wanted to talk about it at all.
After his night alone in the apartment, he decides to be productive the next day and go grocery shopping because he knows that Brandon would happily live on take-out if he could. And since money isn't really an issue at the moment, he splurges a little. Ronnie wouldn't say that they're rich, but with their weekly allowance for food on tour, there really isn't much of a reason to count each nickel and dime as he had before. Especially at home, where he will only get to stay for a week and a half, so he'll get name-brand shit if he wants to. He also stocks up on some non-perishable essentials so that when they are briefly allowed home at the end of the month, they won't starve.
And supermarket sushi, because Brandon had complained about there being no sushi in Utah. At least, none that was worth his time.
He's cleaning up after dinner when the lock on the front door begins to jiggle, which gives him pause. After a moment, the door swings open to reveal a disheveled-looking Brandon who wastes no time hauling himself and his luggage back to the bedroom after a brief hello.
Ronnie decides to finish up what he's doing, figuring that Brandon will come out when he's ready. Once the dishes are done, grabs the stack of photos he had printed at CVS and settles onto the couch with a pen. There are a lot of landscapes and cityscapes and plenty of shots from inside venues and the van, which he labels as such on the backs of the photos. As he flips through them, he stops on one of Brandon he had taken the last time they were at Hyde Park. The photo depicts Brandon a few steps ahead of him in the park's rose garden, which had been barren of any roses since it had been December. There had been this long tunnel covered in greenery (and if not for winter, the roses), and the colors of the plants complement his complexion. It had been cold and a little overcast that day, and it was one of those occasions where Ronnie wondered how different things would be if...
In their time apart, Ronnie has found that he thinks of them more. Because when he does it and Brandon is around, it feels wrong. Disrespectful, somehow. He flips the photo over and scrawls 'Brandon under the Rose Arch, Hyde Park', dates it, and moves on.
Just as he's finishing, Brandon appears once again at the mouth of the hallway, having changed into something more comfortable for the evening.
"Sushi in the fridge," Ronnie notes as he waves the last photo in the air to dry the ink. Brandon sags, a smile gracing his face, and goes to grab his dinner. He watches as Brandon moves about the kitchen, taking note of everything new. He does notice that Brandon spends a little longer at the fridge than he probably should, seemingly looking for something that isn't present.
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Hopeless Haze - Volume I: Hot Fuss (Remastered)
Roman d'amour"If Brandon cared, he would wonder if Ronnie was also deep in thought about something and has only just absentmindedly found something for his hands to play with. But as Ronnie runs his fingers through his hair, Brandon finds that he does not care a...
