Ryan's POV

The rest of the day we all played around inside, since it was too cold outside to function. I had loosened up, but only to Brendon and Gerard though. Now we were taking turns on Call Of Duty, right now it was Patrick and Pete (yes they were the same character) against Gerard. He was good, I have to say. Really good. Pete and Patrick just screamed at the tv, running around and shooting aimlessly. Pete had the controller and the other was leaned over his back, grabbing his shoulders and yelling directions. None of it was working. I laughed.

Right now It was about 10 pm, and I sat across the room with Brendon. He stood up, telling Spencer he was going to show me the rats.

Rats?! My breath stopped. I'd never held a rat, from what my mom said, I should be scared of them!

I followed him into a room across the hallway, almost empty except a couple gaming chairs, a table and a tv. In the corner was a big cage, two fluff balls in it. One gray, one white. Oh god, those are rats. Actual rats.

Brendon closed the door, speeding to the cage and opening it. Reaching in with little struggling, he pulled out both rats. He set the gray one on his shoulder and it automatically curled up. That was actually kinda cute...

"Wanna hold her?" he held the white one out to me. I winced, sitting on the ground right next to Brendon. He smelled sweet, and his body was really warm. I scooted closer to him, just to feel his heat and smell him stronger. Noticing my leg was pressed against his already, I stopped getting any closer. Smiling at him nervously, I held my hands out. He laughed, setting her down gently. I couldn't take that, it startled me and I screamed, half standing up. Brendon pulled me back down, taking the rat.

"Hey hey hey it's okay." He whispered. He was surprisingly extremely calming. I sighed, settling back in the same position as earlier, biting my lip. He was so gentle! His touch, his voice, everything. I smiled an okay, holding my hands back out again. This time he looked at my face while he lowered the rodent into my palms. I flinched a little and he drew back, but I calmed myself and he set it down. It's claws surprised me a bit, not gonna lie. I smiled a little, noticing how cute she was. Why was my mom so afraid of these things, rats are actually adorable!

"Awwh." I whispered, trying not to scare her. I glanced up at Brendon. "She's cute."

Brendon's POV

Ryan looked up at me, extraordinary curiosity in his shiny eyes. He looked so happy, so content as the rat clawed its way up and down his arm. He giggled and every time he did it was like candy. His voice had the perfect edge, and he smelled so nice. Did I have a crush on him? No, no it couldn't be a crush. I just thought he was cute, that's all.

Oh wait, that's a crush.

So I do. I do have a crush on Ryan...Ryan...what was his last name?

Furrowing my eyebrow I held the gray rat Yuka in my hands. "Hey what's your last name?"

"Ross." He whispered, not taking his happy face off of Yumi, the white rat.

"Cool, two r's." I smiled as I made eye contact with him. "My last name's Urie."

"Urie...Urie...." he repeated my name. Why was he doing that? it looked like he was thinking. Suddenly realization hit his face and he curled up in a little huddle. He looked...frightened?

I took the rats and put them on the floor, letting them wander around. I rested a hand on Ryan's shoulder, frowning.

"What's wrong, Ryan?"

"Urie...Don't you have a brother that's a junior?" he whispered.

"Yeah, why?"

"He bullies me a lot..." He pulled his knees to his chest. Immediately I felt horrible, and responsible for it.

"He WHAT?" My anger built up. "He BULLIED you!?!"

Ryan started to look upset, so I lowered my voice back down to a whisper. He nodded.

"But why would he? What's there so bad about you that people have to make fun of?!"

Ryan swallowed, looking at my lap. It seemed like he was holding back tears.

"I like boys."

Ryan's POV

Oh great, I'm about to cry in front of Brendon Urie AND I just told him that I was gay. Well, this night /was/ going good...

I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to see Brendon's face.

"Hey, that's no reason they should hurt you, mentally or physically...I just can't believe my brother would do that to...to.../you/. You're so nice and sweet, not to mention you're adorable and smell good."

Did he mean all of that? I opened my eyes to check. Brendon's sympathetic face was next to me still, no surprise at all either. He just wrapped his arms tightly around me, laying his head on my shoulder. I rested my cheek on the top of his head sadly.

"I'm gonna hug you every time I see you, I feel like you need it." Brendon hummed.

He was right. I did. I had just met him, yet I felt so close to him.

"Thank you, Brendon." I whispered, my throat not working.

"Hey, I'm gonna be your friend, okay Ryan?" He smiled. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it. I smiled back, knowing he could feel it. I'd never been hugged before. I liked it.

"I've never been hugged before." I hesitantly said. Brendon lifted his head, eyes wide with shock.

"You've never been hugged!?" he said in astonishment. "That gives me another reason to hug you all the time then! I'll tell you what, next year are you going to LawrenceBurg high school? Because I am."

I was!! I would be able to go high school with Brendon!? Without thinking, I squealed. A little louder than I intended to... Brendon jumped slightly and then giggled and layed his head back down on my shoulder. This was a super long hug, was this what all hugs were like? I wonder.

I hope hugs were like that, because Brendon said he would do it all the time. So that means I would get hugs like this all the time?

I wonder...does Brendon like guys?

'Shut up Ryan' I force the thoughts out of my mind. 'Of course he doesn't like guys. You're just weird.'

And I always will be.