Bandom Oneshots

Condemn The Nearly Witches 》 Ryden

Published: July 4, 2019

Pairings: Brendon Urie/Ryan Ross

Summary: Brendon's family doesn't take his coming out well. They force him to pretend and lie about how he feels. And he meets Ryan, who understands how he feels. They hide, because it's the only way for them.

Notes: This has been a draft for so long, and it all started with my fascination for the Nearly Witches demo and one of Ryan's livejournal posts. Enjoy.

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If Brendon didn't know any better, he would say that the ground has fallen out from underneath him. He would say that he is levitating off the ground, just barely avoiding the fall into Hell. If he didn't know any better, he would say that nothing has changed. But he does know better, and he knows the truth standing before him. Didn't he always?

Indifferent mothers and toxic fathers. How she claims it's all a phase that'll go away with some prayer and a gorgeous girl. The fire in his father's eyes as he stares down at his son with poison falling from his lips.

"You're not a son of mine," his father spits, the bitterness of the words hitting him with a certain ache. That's all he ever wanted to be; he always wanted to make his father proud, but being true to himself seems to make everyone angry.

"Nothing has changed," Brendon pleads, and it's something he is saying for himself more than anything else. How can they remove a familial tie so recklessly? Isn't blood supposed to be thicker than water?

"Oh, how it has," his mother answers. She's normally not so strict on him like his father is, but this sin must be too condemning for mercy. "We'll pray it away."

"And if that doesn't work," his father says roughly, "we'll make it go away." The threat is clear, and the malicious gleam in his eyes tells more than his words ever could. Brendon gulps, the hollow feeling in his chest sinking in to assist the ominious mood.

He knows that obedience is the only thing that can save him now. "Yes, sir," he says. "May I be excused?"

His father looks like he wants to interject, but his mom leans in to whisper something into his ears. If he had any guess, she probably said they needed time to figure out what to do. "Alright," his father decides. "You may. Don't let us regret that."

Brendon practically runs out of the room. He leaves the house, and runs to somewhere they will never bother him: the woods. The woods are said to be cursed from the generations before, and even though it's always been just an outlandish rumor, his mother and father wouldn't be caught dead here.

Brendon found it creepy too. The trees seem to be never ending, and the wolves farther inside the forest howl warning calls. The darkness made it seem mysterious, but for some reason, on this particular night, it was comforting. At least this was something he could deal with, something that didn't hurt.

And a wolf howled his pain to the moon, as if the moon would ever listen.

---

In the morning, his mother tells him that they came to an agreement. "We need your cooperation to get rid of this sickness of yours. Then, we can love you again."

Their love is so fickle. Shouldn't the love for a son be unconditional? Doesn't their God preach about love and forgiveness of sin? He pushes those thoughts aside and says, "What shall I do?"

"There's this beautiful young lady we know who would be perfect for you," his mother chirps, probably forgetting his sin. How could she be perfect for him, when no woman is? Yet again, he pushes that thought aside.