Strictly Under the Influence

Brendon thinks Ryan is different. Different than anyone he's ever met, that is. He never really smiles, Brendon's never heard him laugh, and he's so thin. Really, is that even healthy? Brendon's glad he has his mother's curves, even if it means wearing girls pants. He doesn't really mind though, girls have it lucky. There's so many styles of jeans.

On the way to the zoo (Brendon in his favorite skinny jeans) Ryan says, "Dude, what's up with that bar? Do you own it, or what?"

Brendon shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and replies, "Half of it."

Ryan tilts his head and looks at Brendon, "How do you own half of it?"

Brendon turns his gaze to the sky, thinking that maybe Ryan just needs something else in his life. Maybe a girl. Maybe a friend. Brendon doesn't know. A cloud floats by that, to Brendon, looks an awful lot like a heart. But his reasoning says he's seeing things, so Brendon ignores it. He says, "I've owned half of it since I was, like, nineteen, but I've never been able to actually serve drinks and stuff 'till I turned twenty-one-which was a few months ago, actually."

_

The sun was starting to set and the temperature was slowly dwindling down to a more comfortable feel. There's still one thing Ryan wants to see before they leave. "Please?" He asks, clasping his hands together in front of his face and shaking them back and forth, "Can we please, see the koala?"

But Brendon was refusing and Ryan really wanted a picture with that koala everyone was talking about. "No," Brendon says firmly.

Jutting out his lower lip in a small pout, Ryan whispers, "Pwetty pwease wit sugar on top?"

Brendon has to cross his arms over his chest and look away while Ryan pouts, but he sneaks a glance every other second. Finally, he uncrosses his arms and sighs, "Fine, but I'm not getting anywhere near that thing."

Ryan smirks and asks, "Are you scared, Urie?" He jumps in front of Brendon, who's looking at the ground, and starts walking backwards, that smug grin still tracing his lips.

Brendon rolls his eyes and scoffs, "You wish, Ross. It's only a um... God, what are they called-?"

"Marsupial," Ryan finishes, his smirk still growing. He takes his place back beside Brendon and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and continues with a swagger, which, he really doesn't own.

"Yeah, whatever, but I'm not getting near it, because they're gross," Brendon explains.

Ryan thinks Brendon's eyes might fall out of his head, he rolls them so much. But as always, Ryan has to get the last word, and says, "I think they're pretty cool."

The dark haired boy cracks a grin and says, "There's your problem, Ryan, you thought."

Bumping his hip against Brendon's, Ryan replies, "You're just jealous that I'm smarter than you."

"Are you calling me stupid," Brendon mock gasps and puts a hand in front of his face. "I know you just did not call me stupid."

Scrunching his nose as he shakes his head, Ryan tells Brendon, "I would never call you stupid."

"Oh yo-"

"We're here!"

_

The koala is soft and fuzzy to the touch. Its fur is grey with white patches, and Ryan wonders why they didn't name it Patches, because that's obviously a suitable name. But, no. The zoo had to name it George. Ryan doesn't even like the name George. But he smiles and holds George close as the cameraman says, "Say cheese."

"Cheese!" Flash.

Ryan can see Brendon watching from afar, arms crossed with a look of disdain covering his features. He looks back and takes a seat on a nearby ledge as Ryan sets the koala back on the ground and all but skips out of the cage. "See, Brendon, that wasn't so bad," he says to a not too happy looking Brendon. He just sighs and stands up, starting to walk in the direction of the photo hut where Ryan can get his picture.

Ryan pulls out the little card that tells the person behind the counter which picture to give him as he bounds up to the counter to purchase his photo. "That'll be five-fifty, sir," a teenager says from a stool behind the counter.

Ryan puts a five and a one in front of her and she presses a few buttons on her keyboard. Something starts printing and a cash register opens up. She takes the cash and hands him two quarters, a receipt, and a picture back. Stuffing the change and receipt into his pocket, Ryan studies the picture. "Are you happy now," Brendon asks.

He nods as the pair walk back to Ryan's apartment.

_

Stars were dotting up everywhere. One there, and there. And even there.

Brendon sighs, seemingly content, and continues walking to his car so he can drive home. He feels nasty and sweaty, and just wants a shower.

Finally making it to his car, Brendon unlocks the door and slips himself in, thinking; maybe Ryan just needs excitement in his life.

Maybe, but Brendon doesn't know.

_

Ryan can't sleep. Ryan has to work in the morning. The people next door won't shut up, again.

He tosses and turns in his bed, thinking if he gets in a comfortable position, he'll be able to sleep. But every time he comes close to falling asleep something crashes in that same apartment and Ryan thinks someone just needs to break up with that not so significant other. He sits up in his bed and swings his feet over the edge, his bottle of sleeping pills in mind.

Stumbling into his bathroom he opens the mirror/medicine cabinet. The linoleum is chilly under his bare feet as he rummages through allergy medication, pain pills, toothpaste and toothbrush, and other personal hygiene products looking for his sleeping pills. He pulls out a small pharmaceutical bottle and shakes out two small pills into his hand. Ryan throws his head back and tosses the pills into his mouth.

Ryan doesn't use these often, just when he can't sleep, like tonight, because they really make him sleep.

But he thinks, that if he oversleeps, the manager at Port of Subs will understand.

At least, Ryan hopes the manager will.

_

When Brendon woke up his covers were astray and he couldn't remember his dream. He knew it had something to do with Ryan, but he didn't know why or what Ryan's part was. He only knows that it had something to do with Ryan and koalas. But now that Brendon thinks about, it might have been a nightmare.

Brendon shudders and rolls out of bed to get dressed because he has to run some errands for his sister, Kara. Rummaging through his closet, he thinks that he might need to start seeing a therapist if he has another dream/nightmare thing like that again. It freaked him out.

Brendon pulls out a pair of grey basketball shorts, because he just doesn't feel like jeans today, and a white t-shirt, aiming for the casual look. He throws them on his bed and starts stripping his clothes off for a shower. Once in, Brendon leans his head into the water and runs his hands through his dark locks, thinking that he's been thinking too much about Ryan lately. In his thoughts, it's just been Ryan this and Ryan that, and Brendon thinks he needs something else to keep his mind occupied. He squirts some shampoo/conditioner into the palm of his hand and lathers it into his hair. Focusing on the movements to wash himself to keep his thoughts from wandering, Brendon takes a loofa and puts some Sensual Amber onto the surface and mixes it in.

Before long, Brendon's stepping out of the shower and reaching for a towel to dry off with. He leans over and dries out his hair, then wraps the towel around his lower half, after drying that off, too. Wiping the mirror with his hand so he can see, Brendon reaches for his toothbrush. He puts some toothpaste on it and starts brushing, still going through the mechanics of his morning routine to keep his mind focused.

To take in the aspect of his features, Brendon leans closer to the mirror as he scrubs his teeth. The way his hair always falls to the same side. The way his big, brown eyes just pop against his fair skin. He spits out a wad of minty toothpaste and rinses his mouth out. Leaning close to the mirror again, Brendon notices that he has a bit of stubble and makes a mental note to shave tomorrow.