A Fuckton of Polygrumps

Egobang: Lost Pt.4

Synopsis: Brian and Suzy take matters into their own hands, making difficult decisions in the process of helping Arin and Dan. Super corny and a little shorter than I anticipated.

Another month of silence went by and the painful distance had taken its toll. Dan and Brian's tour was a hit, but offstage, Dan could barely force himself to get out of bed. Even so, he insisted it was 'better this way'. He refused to call Arin and got to a point where he barely even touched his phone. The concerts coupled with depression left him weak and absolutely miserable. Brian did his best to take care of him, but there's no amount of bandaids for a broken heart.

On Arin's side, he and Mark began doing Game Grumps. Reddit exploded with outrage over having another Not So Grump replaced. Off camera, the chemistry between them was just fine, but Mark wasn't Dan. Even so, he deflected Suzy's worried inquiries with a forced 'it's better this way'.

Perhaps both were just too afraid to try reconnecting after all the damage they created already. Maybe they just hated admitting they were wrong. Out of sight, out of mind didn't seem to work.

"Where're we headed to next," Dan asked, shimmying out of his kimono.

"Los Angeles," Brian replied, his hands tense on the steering wheel of the car.

Dan said nothing, but the discomfort was blatant as he shifted awkwardly. He tossed the kimono into the backseat and kicked into a pair of jeans.

"That's the last stop on our tour," Brian continued.

"What are you talking about?"

"We're flying into LAX and I'm leaving you there," he explained, grip even tighter on the polished wood steering wheel. "With Arin."

There was another pause, leaving his words in the air like dampness on a muggy summer's day. Dan looked over at him, a mixture of emotions sweeping through him. Brian stared straight ahead, his blue eyes fixed to the car ahead of them.

"Bri..."

"And the thing is, I guess I always knew it would come back to you and him. It doesn't have to do with me or anything I did, but you two are inseparable"

"I'm sorry..."

Brian shook his head as if the apology was unnecessary. Neither said a word to each other as they shuffled into the airport, dropped off the rental car, went through airport security, and boarded the plane. Brian had knocked out shortly after takeoff, his arms crossed over his chest as he snored. Dan leaned his head against the window, scanning the sky for some type of answer. When they finally landed, he could see Arin standing near the gate with Suzy. His face was sullen as they spoke.

"There he is," Suzy said, her voice solemn in tone. 

"Maybe we should just leave-"

"This is what you always wanted, honey. Everything'll finally work out."

Arin shook his head, running his fingers through his silky hair. Suzy smiled, kissing his cheek and rubbing his back reassuringly. It hurt to know their relationship was coming to an end, but she took comfort in knowing he would be with his best friend. He'd still be around, just with Dan. And that was pretty okay.

"Alright, just breathe and go talk to him," Brian advised, his face its normal sullen expression. 

"What...what about you," Dan asked, half turned to face Arin and half still with Brian. "Like, I feel so fucking bad-"

"I'll be just fine. Just go before I change my mind."

Dan took a deep breath and shuddered, nerves crawling through his entire body. Yes, this was what he wanted, but it felt unbelievably painful. Brian was never one to talk about his feelings, but his expression made it more than clear that he was either not pleased or prepared to murder someone. The shitty thing about love is that people tend to get hurt more often in the process than do get repaired. 

"You weren't just a buffer until now," Dan murmured, yanking Brian into a tight hug. "I didn't think you were like, a second choice or anything, okay?"

"Just go to him. I promise I'll be okay," Brian insisted, wincing uncomfortably. 

"A-are you crying?"

"No. Fuck off."

Dan smiled pathetically, his own eyes brimming with tears as Brian buried his face into his chest to hide his watering eyes. It wasn't like they wouldn't be around each other all the time. It wouldn't be the same, if that made any sense. He shouldn't have cared. Dan was just another guy. But that wasn't fucking true. Dan was the boyfriend anyone could ever imagine. He was like a John Green protagonist, but not nearly as pretentious. He was imperfect, but in a charming, stoner way, ya know?

"We're still a band," Dan sighed, finally wiping his eyes. "You're still my homicidal ninja baby. No one could replace you. And Arin's not going to. I promise."

Brian nodded calmly and gestured to Arin. It was time to face the music. Suzy did the same. Up until now, Dan hadn't looked at Arin full on. When he did, he instinctively ran into his arms, wrapping his arms and legs around him.

"God, I'm so fucking sorry," Arin breathed, holding Dan like a toddler. "I missed you so much, dude. Don't ever leave me again or I'll fight you."

"Shut the fuck up! You're gonna make me cry," Dan murmured, burying his face into Arin's shoulder. "Just tell me you fucking love me and we'll work the rest out later..."

"Look, man, I mean it. I was a selfish dick and I-I...I was wrong. If you wanna travel and do music full time, I'm on board one hundred percent."

Dan used the sleeve of his black leather jacket to dry his tears. Arin rested his forehead against Dan's and kissed his nose.

"I fucking love you, dude."

"I love you too."

"Now, stop being a sappy bitch. Let's go get some In N' Out. I'm starving like a hooker caught stealing money from her pimp."

"Dude, what the actual fuck-"

They stared at each other for a moment before permeating the air with the sounds of familiar hysterical laughter. It'd been months since they'd been in the same area together and that alone was worth smiling about. Arin grabbed Dan's hand awkwardly, a doofy smile on his face as they walked toward the airport exit. And it was like nothing had changed between them. None of the angst of the last seven or so months seemed to mean anything anymore. Everything behind them faded into a past that could easily be forgotten.

At least that would be the case for Dan and Arin, anyway.