Give Me Envy, Give Me Malice, Give Me Your Attention *Ryden*

The Mess That We'll Become Leaves Something to Talk About

Fifteen mintues later, Ryan pulled into his driveway, checking his rear-view mirror to make sure Brendon was still right behind him.

One drink, he thought, climbing out of his car and striding towards his house.

At his front door, he fumbled with his keys, allowing Brendon a chance to catch up to him. He could hear Dottie just inside, whining excitedly at his return.

"Aww, is that Dottie?" Brendon said. He DOES check my Instagram, Ryan thought, amused.

"Yep, that'd be her."

Brendon pulled his phone out of his pocket and used it as a flashlight to help Ryan find the right key. In that moment, everything felt so normal, like the past 6 years hadn't happened and they were still best friends, stumbling home from a show or a night of partying.

Ryan opened the door and Dottie came running at them like a steamroller. Brendon dropped to his knees, letting the dog lick his cheeks while he scratched behind her ears. "I knew she'd like me," he said.

"Yeah, everyone fucking likes you, Brendon," Ryan said, but there was no malice behind it. He was kidding, and it had been a long time since he'd last been able to do that when it came to Brendon.

"Not my fault I possess such natural charm."

Ryan pushed the door all the way open and they walked into the kitchen. Brendon started to laugh and Ryan looked at him, annoyed. "What??"

"Dude. It smells like incense in here! You still burn incense? What are we, 18 still?"

"Fuck you, you're the one who got me liking it back then. It calms me down!"

Brendon kept laughing and Ryan crossed his arms defiantly and said, "I knew bringing you here was a mistake."

"Okay, okay, I'll stop, I'll stop." Brendon's eyes swept the room and he took in all the dark wood, all the red accents. "This is really nice, Ry. Very you."

Ryan relaxed his stance. "Thank you. I took forever decorating it. One piece here, one piece there."

"You always did that. Even picking out rugs for the tour bus. You and your fashion sense." Brendon smiled, feeling nostalgic for a minute. Maybe it was the incense going to his brain, bringing back memories of burning it on the bus while they sat and passed around a joint.

Ryan's phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was a text from Dan, just two words: Be careful. He darkened the screen and set it down on the table.

Ryan walked over and opened a cabinet under the counter, revealing a built-in wine refrigerator. "Red or white?"

"Red. To match your decor."

"You mean in case you spill it in a typical klutzy Bden move?"

Brendon gave a start, his eyes going wide. "Holy shit. Nobody's called me that in years!"

Ryan tilted his head and smirked. "I can't believe I just called you that. Shit. Old habits. Do you prefer Beebo now?"

Brendon burst out laughing. "Fucking Beebo. Can you believe that shit? Thing is, it's kinda grown on me."

Ryan selected a bottle of merlot and took down two wine glasses from an upper cabinet. He opened the wine, filled the glasses generously, and handed one to Brendon, who swirled it around gently and breathed in the aroma like a wine aficianado.

Ryan raised his glass. "A toast?"

"Yeah. To..." Brendon thought for a minute. His brain was suddenly flooded with words, so many things he wanted to say but didn't know where to begin.