Gonna Be the Death of Me (adopted by Brendon Urie)

//four - fight through to see tomorrow//

Song for the Chapter: Gravity by With Confidence

Tyler had left his car at the venue yesterday when Pete came by and picked him and Josh up before going to the Urie's. They'd stay over one more night and leave the next day so Tyler decided to take his car and leave it at the Urie's house so he and Josh could easily make it to their next venue around LA. 

"I'm gonna drive my car separately. Wanna tag along?" Tyler asked Eva as he piggy-backed her from the venue to the car. "Sure," she shakily replied. Brendon nodded as Tyler looped back around to the back of the alley and sat the girl in the passenger seat. The lean man started the car and slowly pulled out of the back, driving the opposite way of the house. "Where are we going, Ty?" Eva tiredly asked, not really up to dealing with shenanigans. "Just driving," he started, sighing and rubbing his eyes with his hand as he spoke, "Pete told me, about the scratching." She just looked down at her hands and begged her eyes to hold back the tears and her voice to hold back the sobs. "Eva, you need to talk about stuff like this." 

"No I don't Ty!" Her voice was surprisingly strong as she looked back at her hands and felt a single tear roll down her raw cheeks. Tyler was in complete shock, and slightly saddened by it. "Eva, you can't do this alone." The words simmered through the car. "Well, that's how I do these things. Tonight hurt Tyler. But, I'm going to pretend like it doesn't. That's how I do this Tyler. I pretend it's not real, and that's so stupid but I don't care, okay?"

"It's not okay!" he yelled back, his voice carrying the same surprising amount of force as Eva's once did. "You just came in our lives and made us care about you. Then this happens and you're just ignoring it. People fall apart from stuff like this. How you survive it is talking, Eva." His voice had quieted down and carried less anger. She kept her gaze down as Tyler's eyes flicked over to her a few times. The girl knew he was right, but it scared her so much to admit it. "It's hard when people depend on you." It was a whisper into the cool January air. 

Tyler took a turn and parked the car in an empty lot that looked out to a horizon line of the city. "The pressure sucks, E. But, that pressure makes things more worth it in the end." Eva's eyes finally lifted up to meet the vocalists and his concerned expression made her tears harder to hold back. "It's so comfortable to be sad, Ty. We all know that. I miss the dark days because I had no ways of getting worse. I had the security that anything was me getting 'better.' But, now, I have people to get better for. It's terrifying." Without answering, Tyler opened his door and went to the other side of the car, pulling the fifteen year old out and hugging her while walking to the hood of the car and pulling both of them up. 

"Fear is sometimes the greatest reason to do anything." She nodded knowingly and apologized quickly to Tyler for what she said. They sat there for awhile before he laid the now sleeping Eva in the back seat and he drove them home. 

When Tyler returned to the Urie residence, he came in with Eva in his arms and laid her down on the couch. "I don't think she'll want to be alone tonight." was all Ty said before walking to the guest room he'd stayed in. 

Josh ran to talk to him as Sarah and Brendon looked at each other, trying to figure out what happened. "Dude, what's wrong?" Josh asked as he closed the door behind him. "Just, I drove around with Eva and she talked about all the pressure of getting better and hiding her feelings." Tyler felt tears in his eyes. "She's just like all of us were at her age. Desperate for a way out." Josh walked over and hugged his best friend tightly. "We're all here for her now. She just has to get used to things and she'll open up eventually. None of us had support like us." Tyler nodded, but was still not fully satisfied. "She was scratching at her arms after the incident." That took Josh by complete surprise. Eight months clean was hard, and she almost gave that up for that idiot in the pit. "It's a defense mechanism. It was not intentional. Eva's okay now, Ty. She needs us, even if she doesn't know it yet." The red haired man rubbed his friend's back and thought deeper about how much she needed this family. 

Meanwhile, in the living room, Brendon and Sarah were discussing what had happened. Brendon started, "I shouldn't have let her go." 

"How were you supposed to know it would happen? Evil is everywhere in the world. She got lucky, but it could have happened anywhere and ended much differently." Sarah replied trying to comfort her husband. "I know, and she seems to be better. But, we're supposed to protect her from all this shit now. She's had it so rough." The woman could do nothing but agree as she leaned her head on her husbands comforting shoulder. They continued talking for a long time, ending up with small smiles of the idea of having a daughter to protect. Pete walked in not too much later. "I talked to Josh. Tyler's fine. They just talked in the car and he's worried about her. He knows she's in a position like a lot of us were and that she really needs us. I think he just got overwhelmed in the role." Brendon nodded understandingly, knowing that all their friends and family would play a huge role in Eva's life. And she was so much like how all the artists they surrounded themselves started. Brendon breathed in and answered after thinking. "It's a lot to take in. Plus, I think he feels responsible for tonight. He shouldn't, but you know how Tyler overthinks." All the bassist could do was nod and hug his friend tightly. The night wore them all out. "I'll take her up to her room. I might just sit in there tonight in case she needs something. That okay?" Pete asked, carefully pulling away from Brendon and looking between him and Sarah. She nodded gently, thanking him by pulling him into a hug. With their blessing, Pete lifted up the young girl from the couch and walked up the stairs.

"What's happening?" Eva stirred, seeming to start panicking slightly. "Shh. It's okay. It's Pete. I'm just taking you to bed, sweetie." Her tensed body relaxed a bit at his voice and her groggy eyes shut again. He laid her down and pulled the covers up. He spoke softly to the sleeping teen. "I'm so happy you're okay, E. I just wish you didn't have the past you do. You don't deserve it. You deserve the family you have now. I hope you never forget that." Pete gently kissed the top of her head and turned towards the door to get things before returning. "Don't go." a broken voice spoke from the sheets. He turned back and threw his arms around Eva. "I'll be right back. I'm not going anywhere, okay?" She nodded hesitantly. He turned back and rushed to get his things, thinking about what Tyler was upset about the whole time. He couldn't get it out of his head. Deep down, everyone in that house had the same thoughts. 

a/n: i love this song man. hope you like the chapter (if you want to cry listen to keys by this band, fuckkkkk)