CASUAL AFFAIR; brendon urie

Chapter Thirty-Four

I brushed my thumb across the screen and let go, watching the red bird sail through the air, and crash into the rickety tower structure, immediately sending three pigs toppling and poofing into their doom. But there was one, still nestled in the ruins. "Goddammit." I muttered, readying the last bird I had left. This pig was always the one that got me, preventing me from levelling up.

"I'd change the angle of trajectory a bit." A voice startled me, and I let go too early, the bird only going a few feet before plopping down. Brendon sat down on the step beside me, and gently plucked the iPhone from my hands. "Instead of aiming straight ahead and using speed." He went through the ritual of killing the three pigs. Then he aimed the sling with the new bird in it down. "Use height and the curve should smack straight down." He let go, and just like he said, the bird curved down, and smashed through the wreckage, right on top of the remaining pig. "Also." He nudged my shoulder with his, smiling. "How'd you get on my phone?"

"You left it in your pocket." I patted the side of the suit jacket for emphasis. "And I, uh ... guessed the code. Sorry. But I swear I didn't look at anything else! Just ... Just Angry Birds, I promise." I bit my lip guiltily.

Brendon laughed softly, shaking his head. "No need to apologise. And I trust you. Not that I'd be all that bothered if you had." He shrugged. "Not like you'll find anything too scandalous ... aside from your naked pictures."

When I looked up at him, he was giving me the same smug look he'd given me earlier that night, when he'd mentioned how proud he was of the whole hood of his car ... thing, and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. I shook my head, and snorted, nudging the toe of his shoe with mine. The fact that he'd kept them ... the southern woman in me was clutching at her chest with one hand, fanning herself with the other and braying 'oh, I do declare!' "What you and your hand get up to in your spare time doesn't concern me," I poked my tongue out at him. "But that doesn't excuse the bone I have to pick with you right now, mister."

Brendon nudged my toe back. "Which is?"

Nudge. "You're a whole five minutes late."

Nudge back. "So you're not bothered about the nude pictures I have of you on my phone, but more about my time-keeping?" he shook his head, snorting with laughter. "Linda grabbed me as I went to the door. Woman can talk the ass off a donkey."

Nudge, nudge, nudge. "I hear you."

Brendon moved his foot as though he were going to nudge me back again, but instead he pushed himself up, dusting and patting his butt to get rid of any dust. "As nice as it is out here," he extended a hand down to me. "Do you think we could move this on inside?"

And for the second time that night, I put my hand in his. Except this time, instead of giving me an inventive pick-up line, he tugged me up to my feet.

And just before he unlocked the door, he turned to me, and cocked his head to the side. "Um. I've just realised. You didn't get me a birthday present."

I stuck a hand on my hip. "Who says I haven't?"

He held out his hand demandingly, and I shook my head, pushing his back, and saying "Wait until we get inside, sheesh. Hold your horses."

He pouted. "But I want it na-ow." He fake-whined.

"Hold. Your. Horses."

He continued to pout for a second, before realising I wasn't gonna budge on that one, and making a little 'hmpf' noise. He unlocked the door, and gestured toward the darkened hallway. "Ladies first."

I arched an eyebrow. "You really think I'm that dumb?"

"Of course not!" he acted offended, clutching a hand to his chest. "Now get." And he pushed me into the mouth of the darkened doorway, following a second later, and concluding with the door being slammed shut.