Brendon was fully aware of the effect he had on Ryan, and being someone driven by any attention he was given, the reaction he got whenever he intended only provoked him into acting out more or working a little harder to charm his husband into doing what he wanted. It was, regrettably for Ryan, an astoundingly easy task; he knew the drill, he could win him over with minimum effort, through things as menial and simple as just catching his bottom lip between his teeth, sending a wink in his direction, running his hands through his own hair and pushing it out of his eyes, looking up at Ryan through his eyelashes, amongst a spread of other things. Like he said, Ryan was easy. Brendon was, too, but it was maybe a little less obvious- though in truth, Ryan had his entire heart in his hand, and Brendon was just as enamoured, just as weak, and even worse at suppressing it. So, together, there wasn’t an obviously constantly thirsty but vaguely irritated Ryan, and a similarly minded Brendon who, once past a certain point, was plain about his feelings. Subtlety was neither of their specialties.

Though he liked to think of himself as adaptable to change, what he suggested then was instantly regretted as he belatedly realised he was way too comfortable how they were to ever consider switching. Brendon was something of a cliche in that department, and therefore the target of gentle mockery by his husband. Who was supposed to love him, he reminded him every time, whining about the very valid teasing. To prevent any further comments (and just in case Ryan was seriously considering anything), Brendon wasted no time in kissing him until he needed air, which was conveniently when he had conjured from the back of his mind a story to tell, one from years ago about drunken misadventures he secretly kind of missed. There was a reason he told them- to reminisce, almost, and the memories were bittersweet. Usually, he would tell these to an amused Holden, but when he was feeling particularly irritating, Ryan was forced to listen.

Ryan didn’t seem impressed, but then, why would he? The lack of obvious reaction disappointed him, though, and he persisted in trying to get a rise out of him. Immediate regret kicked in when Ryan seemed to draw back, shrugging his hands off his shoulders. He was seconds away from sucking up and apologising, but apparently Ryan wasn’t done. Did? [i]Sounds very romantic, baby, thank you for sharing.[/i] Brendon laughed, looking at Ryan admiringly, which was odd considering the nature of the situation. [b]”Well, [i]making love[/i] isn’t [i]exactly[/i] the term I was looking for.”[/b] He paused, considering what was too much. [b]”But you get the picture.”[/b] Brendon shifted to get a little more comfortable, trying not to grin, instead forcing himself to keep a straight face as he raised a suggestive eyebrow, persistently moving his hands back onto Ryan’s shoulders, still a little pissed that suddenly Ryan was stronger than him, something brought to mind when he ran his hands down his boyfriend’s arms and realised the difference only a couple of years had made.

It was weird- it felt only yesterday they’d reunited and Brendon had been somewhat stunned by how much weight he’d lost and how small he looked compared to Brendon- and then the fucker had to go and have a growth spurt and regain lost weight and then some, to the point where Ryan was now a little over two inches taller and Brendon could feel the muscle under his skin when he ran his hands down Ryan’s arms. He wasn’t about to complain. [i]Yeah? If you keep telling me stories about you fucking other people, you might go back to that super fun lifestyle.[/i] Brendon laughed again because the prospect was impossible and ridiculous. [b]”In all fairness to me, it’s been, like, a week. I’m flesh and blood,”[/b] He reasoned, balancing that apparent fairness with evil as he drew a physical reaction from his boyfriend that was quite amusing. [b]”And you would never. Can you imagine?”[/b] Brendon couldn’t, or rather, he didn’t want to. They’d been apart much too long once in the past and they both knew it was not favourable. 

[i]Oh, fuck you.[/i] [b]“If you want to, baby,”[/b] He quipped, laughing again. Ryan made it way too easy. [i]You totally miss Josh and his friend. I love you.[/i] Affectionate, he moved a hand up to cradle Ryan’s jaw. [b]”I love you t-”[/b] Apparently Ryan already knew the rest, because he was being dragged quite forcefully into a kiss, one that he melted into, pulling him closer by wrapping his arms loosely around his neck and leaning forwards against Ryan’s chest. He pulled back reluctantly as Ryan turned his head and spoke off to the side. [i]By the way, I would definitely win that competition, who can chug a beer the fastest. Ever seen a first time drinker? One drink goes so quick.[/i] That was fighting talk if Brendon ever saw it. [b]”Is that a challenge?”[/b] Probably not. Dropping his arms back to his sides, Brendon moved off to the side, shifting to sit cross-legged and reach for his phone again. More messages from Gabe. He grinned. [b]”Check your damn phone.”[/b]