Brendon was already having a difficult start to his day. In fact, he was still recovering from the arduous ordeal of catching Bogart in order to finally attach him to his leash and bundle him out of the door. At first it seemed to be going well- he almost had the dog convinced that he was just going for a walk, don’t worry, boy, you were hearing things when you heard me say ‘groomer’- but Bogart was no idiot and scrambled around the living room until Brendon finally caught him and scooped him up into his arms, deciding that just carrying him would probably be less bother in the end. After this exhausting trouble with his boisterous puppy, finding out that the groomer was the kid from school that he was useless for- the one he sighed and gushed wistfully about to his friends even though they had barely exchanged a few words- didn’t exactly brighten it. For others, running into a crush unexpectedly might be a good thing, an opportunity; for Brendon, always anxiously excited and wired and awkward to the bone, it was just a window of time in which Brendon would make a fool of himself and never live it down, Ryan would always think he was that weird kid whose dog he groomed that one time. Worse still, they’d be in class and Ryan would look straight through him like he did anyway, not even remembering him.

Shut up, Brendon, you’re being dramatic. He reached the reception and put on his best smile, hoping to good he didn’t look as nervous as he felt. Luckily for him, Ryan took charge of the situation massively but gently, so brendon didn’t have to do much talking other than making passing comments if he so wished. He was even offered the option to leave and simply come and collect Bogart later- and though previously it was true that he’d said this was his personal nightmare scenario, he seemed to have a rapid change of heart now that Ryan’s calming presence has relaxed him a little, even if his heart was still going much faster than usual. He told himself it was mostly because Bogart was a little shit and he didn’t want him to cause trouble for Ryan; Ryan, the classmate he thought was so achingly pretty that he couldn’t look at him directly for long and he often found himself staring wistfully at his hands as he played during class and- [i]Oh, sure. A lot of people do that.[/i] Brendon nodded, in a daze, still stood at a cautious distance away. [b]”Yeah, I’d rather stay. He can be a nuisance- can’t you, Bogart?”[/b] Automatically he launched into baby talk, scratching under his dog’s chin absently and smiling.

[i]But don’t be too worried.[/i] Wow, why hadn’t he thought of that before? [i]I’m good with them, y’know? Dog whisperer, for sure.[/i] Suddenly hyperaware that his insistence on staying with Bogart while he was groomed might seem like he didn’t think Ryan was qualified, or didn’t trust him, or something, he quickly shook his head. [b]”Oh, I don’t doubt you’re good with dogs,”[/b] He said hastily, trying for a nervous laugh, [b]”Otherwise I’d be concerned as to why you were working here.”[/b] A pause. Brendon felt like an idiot and looked down again at Bogart- who was definitely judging him for being so useless and gay, but it wasn’t his fault that Ryan’s eyes were so fucking gorgeous. This was the closest he’d ever been to Ryan, really, he could really see his eyes when their gazes met, and since he knew if he looked for too long them it would be hard not to blurt out some impulsive compliment, something about honey and gold and the embodiment of fall. He spoke again, still not risking it and keeping his eyes fixed determinedly on his dog. [b]”He’s just- disobedient, to, like, everyone, apart from me.”[/b] A hesitant smile broke into his face. Talking about Bogart affectionately calmed him down and he suddenly gained the courage out of nowhere to find out whether Ryan recognised him or not. Maybe it would be rude to ask. As the words came out of his mouth, he had immediate doubts.

[i]Yeah, strings.[/i] He was so close to saying ‘yeah, I know’- [i]so close[/i]- but even Brendon wasn’t oblivious enough to say very stalker-ish things and not see anything weird about it. Instead he nodded in acknowledgement and smiled like an idiot to himself after Ryan placed his hand over his chest and turned around to carry on rooting through the cabinets. Bogart squirmed impatiently in his arms. [i]And you’re Brendon.[/i] Okay, so brendon was ridiculous, he really was, he [i]knew[/i] he was, but the fact that Ryan knew his name made Brendon flush completely, his stomach even fluttering like he was in some goddamn teen romance movie. To stop himself breaking into an atrociously and embarrassingly happy smile he bit down on his lip, hard. Ryan knew his name. This was the best news he’d heard maybe all year. [i]You’re a good singer, you know. Great, actually. I’ve heard you during breaks.[/i] Never mind, [i]that[/i] was the best news he’d heard all year, and Ryan thinking he was great at singing was and would be the best compliment he’d receive all year, too. Considering he’d heard Ryan sing at the odd occasion but only in a low-key voice and only those immediately around him could hear so Brendon wouldn’t be able to say this unless he wanted to blow his cover so- [b]”So are you,”[/b] He blurted out, and Bogart seemed to detect that he was being extra and let out a little growl. Brendon quietened. [b]”Thank you.”[/b]

[i]Bogart agrees, he just told me.[/i] Brendon grinned, briskly brushing over his conversational faux pas. [b]”He’s a little bitch,”[/b] He said, fondly, stroking his ears. [i]Bogart! You want a treat?[/i] Of course he did. Brendon watched as Ryan offered his dog a biscuit and again scratched behind his ears to calm him down a little. [b]”Y’see Ryan, buddy? He’s gonna make you nice and pretty again, you’ll match,”[/b] He mumbled, almost entirely to himself. Suddenly, though, he felt Ryan’s eyes on him and he looked up to see him leaning against the counter. [i]You're not one of those people in band just for the credits, right? You don't seem like it. Why'd you sign up?[/i] Eyebrows furrowing, Brendon adjusted his hold on Bogart so he supported him with one arm, and lifted the other to run through his hair. [b]”I enjoy it,”[/b] He said vaguely, then shrugged a shoulder. [b]”And, I’m not really good at anything else...”[/b]