Social Norms (Synacky)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Practice went smoothly; it was as if there had never been any sort of argument in the first place. Brian and Zacky added a few licks into Thick and Thin, tweaking and perfecting, and Matt and Jimmy brainstormed ideas for a new song. Justin was muttering something to himself, writing furiously off to the side. Brian caught him mumble something like "Overdose and indulge until you die."

Dark. Was he writing a song?

After they finished for the day, Brian and Zacky went down to the park to swing some. Brian laced his fingers through Zacky's and he caught the small smile flicker across Zacky's lips.

"Hey." Brian said, "I'm sorry about yesterday."

"It's okay. I overreacted. They're not gonna kick me off the band, the guys like me." Zacky sighed, "I guess I just didn't like watching you fight. I don't like seeing you hurt and I don't... I don't like seeing you hurt other people."

"It was just Justin." Brian replied, "But I'm sorry."

"It's fine." They reached the park and Zacky motioned for Brian to settle on the swing.

"Do you want to meet my family?" Brian asked as Zacky began to push him. "I was thinking, maybe you'd like to come over for dinner tomorrow night."

Zacky was silent, but Brian didn't repeat himself. He knew Zacky had heard him.

He looked over the playground, suddenly wondering why it was almost always bare. He hardly ever saw kids here, and it was a decent playground. Swings, a slide, a set of monkey bars. How much did a kid need to be happy?

"Okay." Zacky said, "I'll ask my parents if I can."

"But don't tell them I'm your boyfriend unless you're sure it's okay for them to know..."

"Yeah, I know. I'll say I'm going to a friend's house. I don't think my mom will mind."

Brian couldn't help but feel butterflies, of both nervousness and excitement flutter about in his stomach. "Good. It'll be a good thing. I think my family will like you. Well, it's just my parents, really. You already know Brent from school, and McKenna..."

"Yeah, maybe it'll be fun." Zacky said, "Besides, I need to make a good first impression on them. Better meet them this way than to meet them while we're doing something we're not necessarily supposed to do..."

Brian laughed, "Yeah, that might give them a bad first impression. But you don't have to go overboard, though. Just be yourself and stuff, I'm sure they'll love you. Everyone who gets to know you loves you."

Zacky sighed, and Brian could practically hear him roll his eyes. "You don't see the whole picture, Bri..."

"Okay, well maybe I don't." Brian scuffed his shoes in the mulch so he could stop, then turned to look at Zacky. "How'd you get that scar on your side?"

Zacky looked taken aback, blinking a couple times. "What...?" he asked, eyes wavering over Brian uncertainly.

"This." Brian got of the swing and lifted Zacky's shirt, pointing to the white mark. "I noticed it before. What happened to you?"

Brian saw the realization and a wince flicker over Zacky's features, but they were gone in a second. "I-I don't know, it happened when I was a baby."

Brian frowned, tracing over the skin. "Really?"

"Uh, yeah." He tugged his shirt down quickly, "It might be a birthmark, I don't know."

"Oh. I thought... I don't know... that maybe something had happened to you..."

"Nope, nothing I can remember. Besides, I don't like it when people worry about me."

"But I need to worry about you." Brian kissed Zacky gently, "If I'm not worrying about you, then who is? Your family? Besides, I like to worry about you, because it reminds myself that you're mine." Brian kissed his nose. "You're all mine."

"Do you ever wish you were dating a girl instead?" Zacky asked, folding himself into nearly nothing so he fit neatly against Brian's chest.

"No. Not for one second." Brian didn't have to think twice about his answer, and he wrapped his arms around Zacky tightly. "No one else has even crossed my mind."

He looked down at Zacky to see his eyes closed, "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, yeah that no one has. Not yeah, I've been thinking about other people. Because I haven't. Isn't that what love is, anyway? When you've got your sights on one person, and everyone else suddenly doesn't matter anymore? Because that's how I feel. I mean, I care about my family and friends, but no one else has my attention the way you do. And no one ever will."

Brian watched Zacky's lips turn up in a smile, even though his eyes remained closed. "Yeah." He sighed softy, "Yeah, I think you're exactly right."

"What about you?" Brian asked. "I'm the only guy you ever think about... right?"

"Absolutely." Zacky smiled wider, opening his emerald eyes. "You're my everything, Brian." He slid his arms around Brian's waist and hugged him tight.

Brian liked that Zacky loved hugs. When he had been dating Michelle, she was all for the awkward side hugs or sometimes a little fleeting one if they hadn't seen each other in a long time. Zacky was the complete opposite. He gave the best hugs Brian ever had, and he felt bad for anyone that was missing out on them. Every time he saw Brian he gave him a hug like they'd been away for months. And it made Brian feel so special.

"You're my everything too, Zee." Brian kissed the top of Zacky's head, holding him close. "I love you."

Zacky kissed Brian gently, lips lingering against his skin, "Well aren't I a lucky guy?"

"Hey, break it up, you two." Brian looked up to see a man with his son standing there. "This isn't the place to do that, this is a park. I don't want to have that kind of influence on my son."

Zacky pulled away, blushing madly, "Oh, um, we-we're sorry, uh..."

"Your kid needs to get used to it. There's nothing wrong with this." Brian laced his fingers through Zacky's. "There's only something wrong with judgmental fucks like you."

"We're going, we're sorry."Zacky covered quickly, tugging Brian's hand and pulling him away from the swings.

"What the hell, Zacky, we don't have to bend to everyone's whim all the time." Brian muttered to Zacky as they reached the sidewalk.

"I don't like trouble." Zacky replied. "I'd rather just leave them be. Besides, that kid is like five. I don't want his dad to be a bad example in front of him."

Brian just rolled his eyes, but he shouldered Zacky playfully. "Sometimes you're too perfect, you know that?"

"Yeah." Zacky replied, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket. "I guess I do."