FEVERISH [RYDEN] [REPOST]

TO MAKE YOU SMILE

"Rise and shine."

Brendon groaned, throwing his arms up.

"I changed my mind. I don't want to go."

Ryan crossed his arms.

"We came all the way here, Bren..."

Ryan sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him. Brendon was lying there, achingly still, as if he didn't move Ryan wouldn't be able to see him.

"Brendon, get up. Please."

Ryan slipped his hand under the comforter and top sheet, running his hand up Brendon's bare leg.

Brendon's hand met Ryan's as he slipped down and rested his palm on top of the elder's fingers, pressing it into his naked thigh.

"I can't, Ry-"

"You can."

He noticed, then, that a steady stream of tears were flowing down Brendon's cheeks. He was gnawing at his bottom lip, squeezing his eyes shut, almost as if he were in pain.

"Hey- hey."

Brendon pushed the cover aside and slipped out of bed. He was meticulous in the way that he pulled on his shoes, buttoned up his shirt, He ran his fingertips along his neck, searching for something- the ghost of the weight of a chain, a cross.

Wet combs through hair, laces unknotted, tied neatly. Double.

Ryan relaxed his jaw, focusing in on himself in the mirror. He could hear Brendon breathing in the other room, muffled, stalling as he made the bed.

"Good boy, come on. You got this." Brendon's words to himself echoed into the room.

Ryan rotated his shoulders, zeroing in on Brendon's faint reflection farther behind. Listening.

"Good little Catholic boy, come on, play the game. You got this," Ryan muttered.

Exhale.

"Play the game, come on. Back to church, back before. Play the game."

Turning, abrupt, he walked up to Brendon, gripped his shoulder. Strong. Firm. Manly.

Play the game.

"You got this, okay?"

Brendon leaned back for a chaste kiss, pulling his lips away almost instantly.

"Let's hurry the fuck up."

They headed out, backs straight, slipping the key into the tin box by the counter. 'Society Ruler', along with Jade and Sapphire, were giggling as they leaned against the front desk, wagging their fingers as Ryan and Brendon walked past.

Society Ruler snapped her gum as she clicked open an email, branded with an upper management record label logos. There, under attachments, were the pdfs for three NDAs.

"Hey, Brendon?" Sapphire called out.

He shook his sunglasses down over his eyes and refused to turn.

Play the game.

-!-

-!-

-!-

Ryan and Brendon slipped into the back row, Brendon tensing up.

"Deep breath."

"Yeah."

The bishop started, a drawling testimony about how valuable having Jesus' love was, and how much Brendon's grandmother had that in her heart, and this about heaven and this about hell until finally-