Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time

Locked eyes and an easy smile leant itself to being quite the successful form of flirtation, at least for Brendon. Of course after the departure of two of his band members, the atmosphere in bars was nothing more than a gentle ringing in his ears and a faded light. A girl with short black hair and and beautiful big eyes steps in his peripheral vision. It's Sarah. Of course he remembers Sarah. He stole her away from another man; a successful and almost forceful attempt to mask the inevitable emotional downfall that would soon crash down on him. They had shared kisses and a bed, but the heavyset thump in his chest couldn't make room for her, because he wanted that, to feel. He still does.

She smiles at him and he attempts to give one back. She must have noticed the lack of honesty because the next time he looks at her, the smile has turned into a small frown.

She asks, "You alright?"

"No," He says immediately.

A hand is placed on his back, but Sarah is silent until a few seconds go by and she asks the bartender for some drinks.

Brendon says, "I can pay for those."

Sarah says, "No, I'm gonna treat you."

He wonders why she's being so kind. Just because he looked upset? He hadn't called her in days, in fact they had barely seen each other lately. She raises her shot glass and Brendon does the same. The musician takes the alcohol down quickly.

"Thanks." He says, giving Sarah a more genuine smile.

"Of course." She replies.

Nothing too significant comes from the night. They talk for a while, and Brendon avoids talking about why he was upset. Sarah never asks, but there are moments where Brendon wishes she had. The one thing before they depart consists of Sarah suggesting that they should see each other again, because she had missed him. There were no conversations about a boy or girl in her life at the moment, so Brendon dares to think she had stayed single for him. But how could she even love him, he thinks. As much as he loved the touch of her hand and the kiss of her lips, he doesn't think he would be good for her. At least not now.

As weeks go by, Brendon spends the free time he has with Sarah. He even brings her along to watch a photoshoot for his band's upcoming album Vices and Virtues. Most of the time he couldn't help but think the cameras should have been on her instead of him. It's the way her fingers intertwine with his as they walk down busy streets. He thought the only thing his digits would find comfort brushing against was the keys of an old fashioned piano. Touching her... seemed so dangerous to him. His heartbeat pounding against his chest; how embarrassing if she heard. It took time to find that Sarah was her own symphony. The inspiration he got from her emitted the most beautiful sounds on a guitar; a piano. Her smile would be the center focus. He'd write about his feelings; his honest hesitation. His words had to speak the truth even if the result wasn't tied in a pretty gold ribbon.

It's the night he'd show her the song. He had been working tirelessly trying to make it sound perfect. He didn't want to just show her the track, but play it for her. Of course in the message he sends to her, he doesn't quite mention it. He hopes it will surprise her.

He hears the doorbell ring and he's quick to get up from his seat. He takes a breath before opening the door. Sarah stands there with an eager smile, "Hey, Bren."

"Hey." He says with a smile.

She walks in and he leads her into the livingroom. She takes a seat as Brendon grabs his guitar. Before the musician starts, he says, "Sarah, this song I wrote for you, uh," He pauses, "Yeah, I hope you like it."

Brendon begins to play. He looks up to Sarah who's already smiling ear to ear. He shakes off the oncoming butterflies and begins to sing, "I was fine just a guy living on my own...."

After the song is over, Brendon places the guitar to the side. Sarah gets up from her seat and embraces him. He breathes in her scent as his face becomes buried in the crook of her neck.

She says, "I love it, I love it so much."

Brendon wonders if this is what pure happiness feels like. They look at each other now and slowly move in for a kiss. The musician tries to catch her lips in his, but he feels a smile placed there instead. He laughs, and so does she. They come together once more with a very long kiss. Her fingers gently brush against the back of his neck. His lips are soon enough nipping at her earlobe and moving down to her collarbone.

In that moment, he isn't just thinking about her, but so many other things... He stops kissing her. He attempts to turn away just slightly, because in such happy moments, there is always something else to weigh him down. He tries to shake it off.

He says, "Shit, sorry. Just, all the other things on my mind."

"Talk to me about it, will you?" She says looking concerned.

They sit down on the couch and he does. He tells her everything. She was always a good listener, and he is especially thankful for that. He spills his heart out mixed with his sadness and insecurity. All the things he was so afraid to say earlier. The tears he feels welding up in his eyes couldn't have been anymore embarrassing, but there was some part of him that said that this was a good thing. That it was now or never with his whole heart exposed to the one he was truly feeling a deep love for.

It's a couple months, and they love each other like teens. Tipsy eager mouths mixed with risque touches in public places. Brendon explored Sarah as though she was a map of the world. It was like falling in love over and over again, each time the sun shined just right over Sarah's features. He ignored the idea that he couldn't be happy, of course he could. His band's latest album had done well, and the touring was refreshing.

It didn't stay perfect, however, when Spencer brought up the idea of leaving the band. He had been struggling with the addiction of prescription meds. Brendon of course was there for him, but he worried what would come if Spencer left. He wondered if they would become distant like everyone else, or if he'd push him away. The overthinking didn't help anything. In this time he had pushed himself to write more music and complete a couple songs Spencer had worked with him on. He also got help from Dallon as well who actually pitched pretty solid ideas for the new record. Before he knew it, Spencer was off to rehab and Brendon had to keep working hard.

Brendon felt himself pushing Sarah away. Less touches, less kisses. Even more things started becoming darker, regardless of the fact that he would soon release a new album. A good friend goes missing, a man he barely met commits suicide. He barely got through a few festivals before everything seemed to fade.

~~~

Zack tells Brendon there's officially one month before tour, which feels like a bit of a rush for the musician, but he has to handle it. Making up for lost time is something he strives to be on top of. Press, interviews, and planning seemed to be a focus with the new album now out. Even with the attempts of a few small dates with Sarah, it seems too rushed. He remembers their disconnect, and wants to make it all up to her before the tour.

It's a little over a week before tour, and in the midst of chaos, Brendon plans a special date with Sarah. They would have lunch at her favorite restaurant and go a few hours up the coast to a beautiful beach. The evening would be filled with some of her favorite things, and he was excited to show her a good time and treat her like he used to.

"Almost ready?" Brendon beams down the hallway.

"Yeah, B. Almost." Sarah replies.

The musician sits at his piano, his fingers flying over the keys playing something upbeat; almost old-timey. Sarah comes around the corner in a beautiful red summer dress. Brendon stops playing and just looks at her.

"Ready." She says, a small smile on her lips.

"You look beautiful." Brendon says. She never fails to take his breath away.

They get everything together in the car and begin to head upstate. Words are rarely spoken between the couple as music emits through the speakers. Brendon knows this date won't make up for everything, but he hopes it can at least begin to.

When they get to the restaurant, they are seated fairly quickly. They both order their meals, and Brendon decides to at least say something.

"So how's work?" He asks.

"It's alright, kind of tedious switching jobs like this, but I'm not totally complaining." She looks tired, but it wasn't just that. She radiated a type of unsteadiness Brendon could pick out from a mile away.

He reaches his hands over the table and takes her fingers in his, "It'll work out, babe. You got this."

She doesn't look him in the eyes, "Yeah, I know."

Their food comes and it's silence yet again. He hates this. He couldn't just snap his fingers and make everything okay, but he'll give her the world in time.

When they're finished eating, they head to the beach. It's a beautiful day, and Sarah always enjoys walking the shoreline when they get the chance.

"Fuckin' beautiful out today." Brendon says enthusiastically.

Sarah smiles a little, "Mhm."

"C'mon, darling." He says, throwing out a hand for her to take.

She does, and he begins to run. She gets out a small laugh and keeps up the pace with him. They get closer and closer to the water.

"Bren, Brendon no!" Sarah playfully shrieks as a wave crashes against the shore.

He steps in front of her so the water catches the top of his legs and only splashes against her feet. He pulls her in for a hug and kisses the side of her head. He looks at her face and she has a bright smile. He doesn't want that smile to fade. As another wave comes in, they are quick to getting to a dryer part of shore.

Brendon sings, "Sarah smiles like Sarah doesn't care." and his radiant girlfriend is still smiling. He goes in for a kiss, and it's so gentle. He could always manage to get lost in her.

When they stop kissing, Brendon looks to the short cliffs behind them.

"Hey, let's go up there!" He says excitedly.

She turns and looks at the cliffs, "You're crazy."

Brendon pouts, "We don't have to go really high up, there's a little place we can sit. Doesn't look like you have to climb much at all!"

She looks skeptical and then glances back at the cliff, "Okay."

"Hell yeah!" Brendon cheers.

And Brendon is right, there isn't much of a climb and they find themselves on a little platform with a fantastic view. They sit there, Sarah in between Brendon's legs as they watch the waves roll in. Brendon moves the hair from the back of Sarah's neck and kisses her skin. His lips trail to the side of her neck. He breathes her in. The light scent of her perfume mixed with her sweet pheromones was the most infectious concoction.

Sarah reaches a hand behind her and her fingers brush through his hair slightly. Okay, he thinks, he may be getting carried away. He stops and just places his chin on her shoulder.

"I really like today." Sarah says.

Brendon could feel his heart skip a beat, "Yeah?"

"Mhm." She replies.

There's a beat of silence.

"Marry me." Brendon says.

"What?" Sarah says, she turns her body to look at Brendon.

"Sarah, I think... we should get married."

She giggles, "You're serious."

"I'm dead serious." He looks at her with the most earnest expression.

She looks down as though she is thinking about it. Every second that passes causes a strong pull in his chest. What was he even thinking? He didn't know, but for some reason, the moment just seemed perfect.

She shakes her head, with a growing smile, "Okay."

"Okay?" He says, just for clarification.

"Yes, I'll marry you." She says, there are happy tears appearing in her eyes.

He pulls her into a tight hug and says, "Holy shit, I love you so much."

"Love you too."

They remove from the hug, Brendon says, "I just, it just feels like the right time. Something just compelled me, I don't know." He blushes.

"This means I can pick the ring, right?" Sarah says, through a couple more happy giggles.

"You can pick whatever your heart desires. We can get married as soon as this upcoming tour is over. Fuck, I wish we could get married tomorrow-"

She silences him with a kiss, "After the tour is perfect. We would need to plan and everything."

"Yeah, you're right." Brendon says, smiling from ear to ear.

They kiss a couple more times, and Brendon redefines happiness once again.