(no subject)
Title: we are robots
Fandom: Bandom (Panic/MCR)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Bob/Spencer, Ryan/Brendon
Summary: Panic get a Twitter.
A/N: For _princess_han_, since this was her idea, as all good ones are. The title is stolen from Bob's Twitter, because I'm original like that.
"So," Pete says, "who's number should I put in?"
Ryan, without missing a beat, says, "Spencer's."
He hears typing and then Pete says, "Done!" and, hey presto, they have a Twitter.
"Awesome," Ryan replies.
"How are you going to tell him?" Pete asks. "Because I'd really like to be there to see that."
Ryan says, "Shut up, Pete," and ends the call.
---
"Um, Spence?"
Spencer waves an arm out of his bunk and says, "Yeah?"
Ryan doesn't pull back the curtain, or even move closer, just says, "We got a Twitter and we've decided that you're in charge of it."
"What the fuck is a Twitter?" Spencer asks, leaning out of the bunk to glare at Ryan. Ryan resists the urge to flinch; he's long since become immune to Spencer's bitch face, but it still hurts.
"It's like a blog? Like, but you can text to it, so that everyone knows what you're doing no matter where you are." Ryan knows it isn't a perfect explanation and that he's speaking too quickly, but whatever, as long as he gets the information out. "It was Pete's idea."
"I figured that," Spencer says. "The king of the internet always has the best ideas, right?"
Ryan nods. "It's not like you have to do it a lot, it's just an official thing for the fans to follow."
Spencer rolls his eyes and says, "Whatever dude. Send me the details and I'll give it a try."
---
Spencer enjoys it, for a while. He texts a few times a week, just little things that say where they are, or 'doing soundcheck now, should be a good show tonight'. Pete calls a week after the first update and tells them that the fans seem to like it and that Spencer is doing a good job. Spencer just shrugs and says, "It's not like it's hard to do."
The problems start, he thinks, when he first goes online to 'twitter'. They're already being followed by over four thousand people, but Spencer only follows people he actually knows - Pete, Bill, The Cab - in return. He logs in for the first time, clicks the button that says @Replies and finds that there are several pages of messages addressed to the band. Most of them say something like, omg u have 2 come to [insert place name here]. Spencer rolls his eyes at them.
On the third page of replies, he comes across a message that says, Hey, good luck at your next gig. I'm broke right now, but I'll maybe see you next time. x and smiles. He clicks the reply arrow and types, thanks for your support, hope we get to see you soon. S x.
Spencer logs on a few days later and there are hundreds of replies. It seems that word spread quickly about him replying, so everyone wants one now. He works out a system - anybody who types like Pete gets instantly ignored - and spends a couple of hours sending out replies.
He can barely believe his eyes when he gets an e-mail saying 'Bob Bryar is now following you on Twitter' because seriously, Bob Bryar has a Twitter! He instantly regresses back to his fanboy stage - which was all Ryan's fault, by the way - and follows every member of My Chem. Frank and Mikey don't seem to update very often, Ray goes on about video games a lot, and Gerard is completely obsessed with coffee, but Bob seems to be enjoying it. He replies to most people and manages to be sarcastic but truthful in almost every update.
From then on, Spencer logs on as often as possible.
---
He starts checking it on the bus, letting Ryan, Brendon and Jon look in too. The messages are for them too, after all. They never do any replying or updating, but they get the general idea from the replies, and that's all that they ask.
When Spencer gets a reply containing fanfiction, he decides then and there that he's going to be himself from then on. He changes the name from patd_brjs to spencersmithv and tells Pete that if he wants to set up another official one, one of the others can look after it.
Then he gets a direct message from Bob.
hey, I didn't want to message you guys until I knew who was doing the twittering. From the name change I cleverly figured out who you are, Smith. It's been too long man, how are you guys?
PS: this is Bob from MCR, in case you didn't know
PPS: Dix says hi
Spencer should tell Ryan. He knows he should tell Ryan. He doesn't though, because hey, it's not like Ryan told him when Pete Wentz IMed him, is it? Besides, he thinks that his smile could break windows right now, so he should probably stay in his bunk.
He deletes three different replies - because god, Spencer, you've met this man countless (sixteen) times, get over it - before he finally settles on -
Hey! Yeah, it's been me all along. Pete's idea, and Ryan won't let me fight him. We're doing good - Bden's still as spazzy as ever, but we're good. How are you guys?
PS: I know who you are, Bob from MCR.
PPS: *wave*
He regrets the *wave* three seconds after he hits send.
---
"Someone wants to know what you're doing," Spencer says.
"Tell them I'm making out with Ryan," Brendon replies.
Spencer raises an eyebrow at him because he and Ryan are curled together on the couch. "I'll just tell them you're snuggling," he replies. "That okay, Ry?"
Ryan uncoils his hand from Brendon's and sticks his thumb up. Spencer types.
---
Jon rests a hand on his shoulder and says, "Watchadoin?"
"Twittering," Spencer says.
"Well, obviously."
"Then why'd you ask?"
"I'm bored," Jon sighs.
"Wanna see how it works?"
"'Kay."
An hour later, they've wreaked havoc on the Twitter world. The two of them working together means that Spencer's answers are more sarcastic than ever, and Jon is still slightly high, so he comes up with things that Spencer would never have thought of.
"Oh God, I've got an idea," Jon says, giggling. "Tell them - no seriously, this is brilliant - tell them that the rosevest went away because Ryan believed it was like, alive, and too old for touring."
Spencer laughs, because Jon's chuckling is contagious, and types into the box. His inbox pings just after he hits enter, and the pop-up says, 'Direct message received from Bob Bryar'. He closes the laptop quickly, but knows from the way Jon is staring at him that he saw.
"Um," Spencer says, because he can't think of anything else to say and his face is warm and Jon is going to tease the hell out of him.
"Aw, does Spencer have a boyfriend?"
"Shut up."
Jon laughs and says, "Dude, your face is all red - oh. Oh, that is the cutest thing ever."
"Shut up," Spencer says again, picking up the laptop and running back to his bunk. He opens the laptop when he's safely behind the curtain and reads Bob's message. It gets addictive, huh? is all it says.
Spencer sends back, Understatement of the decade, and smiles. If he's going to be stuck doing this, at least he has someone fun to keep him company.
---
The pictures leak a few weeks later. They aren't that controversial, just Brendon and Ryan holding hands, Brendon kissing Ryan's cheek - they've done worse on stage - but they look like a genuine couple and once the press pick up on it they don't let it go.
"I don't know what to do," Brendon says, late one night. "Ryan's curled up in his bunk and he won't talk to me. I think he's scared and I'm scared too and what do we do, Spence?"
Spencer sighs. "It'll be okay, Bren. I'll talk to him. It'll be okay."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
---
When Spencer logs on the next day, he finds over six hundred replies waiting for him. Most of them are along the lines of omg i knew it! and when do we get a sex tape?!!! He's about to close the laptop when he notices a new message from Bob.
I know you guys are probably having a rough time right now, it says, but if you need me (or any of us) you know how to get in touch.
His phone number is underneath it. Spencer saves it into his contacts and, for the first time in what feels like weeks, he smiles.
---
Spencer pulls back the curtain of Ryan's bunk and pushes himself in alongside him. It's a tight squeeze, but Spencer isn't as big as he used to be and Ryan is still skinny as hell, so they fit.
"Hey," Spencer says.
"Hey."
"You need to stop being a dick."
Ryan snorts. "Subtle, Spence."
"Shut up, you know it's true," he replies. "This is a bit of a problem, but it's one that we need to get through together. Hiding in your bunk isn't going to help, and you need to get out there and give your boyfriend a kiss before he goes insane, okay?"
"Is Brendon okay?" Ryan asks, and his voice is quieter now, softer.
"He will be. We all will, we just need to get through this first. Besides, most of the internet - and Pete - were expecting it. We'll just be honest, nothing has to change."
Ryan smirks, nodding his head, and Spencer slides out of the bunk. An hour later, Brendon announces loudly that he and Ryan are going to have some alone time, so earphones would probably be a good idea. Spencer shakes his head and opens his laptop.
---
I don't want to pry, Bob's next message starts, but is it true?
Spencer hits reply, then changes his mind. He grabs his phone and texts, it certainly is. they've been together for a while. The phone vibrates a few minutes later with Smith?. Spencer shakes his head and sends, yep, from panic.
i know which band you're in
good. now that we're clear on that, what's up?
press keep asking about them and i don't know what to say
tell them the truth, Spencer sends, that's what we're going to do
---
Pete schedules an interview with some magazine - Spencer isn't sure which one, most of the interviewers are the same anyway - but it gets handled well. The photoshoot is slightly too much - Spencer is pretty sure that Brendon and Ryan have never cuddled together on a blanket and watched Hobo and Dylan play in the park but whatever, it keeps the fans happy.
The magazine arrives two weeks later, and Spencer finds this out when Jon throws it into his bunk and says, "You should read that."
He skips the main interview since he was there and it doesn't look like it's been edited against them and focuses on the blue box at the bottom of the page, just beneath where Brendon's feet are tangled with Ryan's.
What Their Friends Think
They only got together because I told them to. ~ Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy
I don't care as long as my Jonny Walker's good name hasn't been sullied. ~ William Beckett, The Academy Is…
It happened in my basement first. ~ Gabe Saporta, Cobra Starship
Delicious! ~ Guy Ripley, England
I don't know much about them, but it's cool. Besides, me and Smith have had a thing going for a while now. ~ Bob Bryar, My Chemical Romance
Spencer goes red immediately and giggles into his hands. Fucking giggles!
He types since when do we have a thing going on? into his phone, spends ten minutes trying to work up the nerve to send it, then deletes it with a groan. He is so fucking screwed.
---
"You have a thing going on then?" Jon asks, later that day. Spencer feels himself go red again and resists the urge to throw something at him.
He snaps, "No," instead.
Brendon wanders in then and says, "Oh look, it's Mr I'm-Having-A-Secret-Affair-With-The-Hottest-Member-Of-My-Chemical-Romance."
Spencer throws a plastic cup at him as Jon says, "Dude. Mikey is clearly the hottest."
---
"Do we need to have a band meeting?" Ryan asks.
"What about?"
"You and Bob."
"Wha - look, no. There is no 'me and Bob'. There's no 'thing', and we definitely don't need to have a band fucking meeting, okay?"
"Okay, okay," Ryan says. And then, "You know we'll be seeing them in like, a week, don't you?"
"…we will?"
"Yeah, some charity thing in Chicago. You're not going to make it unbearable with your sexual tensions are you?"
Spencer blows his air out of his eyes, exasperated, and says, "Look who's talking."
"Shut up," Ryan replies. "That's different."
"Sure it is."
"We're out and proud, Spence. It's different."
"Yeah, but before you stopped being idiots, me and Jon used to take bets on whether you'd fuck or kill each other first."
Ryan stares at him. "I hate you."
"No you don't."
"Anyway, this isn't about me and Brendon. This is about you and Bob."
Spencer stands up and storms back to his bunk, yelling, "There is no 'me and Bob', god," as he goes.
Brendon shouts, "Yeah, right!" and Ryan hears something heavy hit the wall. He sighs and gets up to make sure Brendon hasn't been too badly injured.
---
The day of the charity show arrives far too quickly for Spencer's liking, and when Bob sends him a text saying where are you eating after the show? i know an awesome pizza place, Spencer drops his head to the table and groans.
"What's up?" Jon asks.
Spencer wonders how he always manages to show up at the worst time and just holds his phone up for Jon to read.
"I don't think we have any plans," he says.
"I know," Spencer replies. "That's not the big problem, to be honest."
"Oh," Jon says. "Oh!"
"Yeah."
"Tell him we'll meet him after the show. Come on, we're going shopping."
"Why are we going shopping?" Spencer asks, brow furrowed.
"Spence, c'mon. It's your first date with Bob, you have to look good!"
Spencer says, "I hate you," but puts his shoes on and lets himself be dragged from the bus anyway.
---
Spencer likes to think of himself as a shopping extraordinaire. When Brendon first left home, Spencer and Ryan took him out to buy some new clothes. Within an hour Brendon - the boy with endless energy - was exhausted and almost begging for a break. So yeah, he and Ryan shopping together are pretty much unstoppable.
Jon Walker is something else entirely. He is a man with a plan. He storms around the shops, grabbing everything he can from the rails and throwing them at Spencer, then giving his brutally honest opinions on everything when Spencer tries them on.
"I like these," Spencer says about the fifth pair of jeans.
"Nah," Jon replies. "They make your ass look fat."
Spencer glares. "Out."
---
By the time they get home, they have seventeen new pairs of jeans, thirteen new t-shirts and, worst of all, only one pair of shoes. Spencer wants to curl up and sleep for the next three days but Jon insists on going through everything again and making Spencer try them on in as many variations as possible. Spencer already knows that he wants to wear the lilac shirt with the dark blue jeans, but Jon seems to be obsessed with finding the right combination. Ryan would be proud if he weren't busy trying to eat Brendon's face, Spencer thinks.
"I like the red shirt," Jon says, jolting Spencer from his thoughts.
"It’s nice," Spencer replies, "but I think I'm going to wear the lilac."
Jon makes a face. "It's purple."
"So?"
"Spence, you're dressing up for your first date with Bob Bryar-"
"No," Spencer says. "No! It isn't a date! It has never been a date, and it never will be a date. Like you said, he's Bob Bryar; why would he be interested in me?"
"Because you're hot and funny and Mikey already told me that he's totally smitten with you."
Spencer stares at him. "Okay, first of all, nobody says smitten anymore, and secondly, what? Since when are you and Mikey friends?"
"Why do you always forget that I knew Pete and Gabe before you did? I was part of the scene, Spence."
"You're an idiot."
"I'm not the one trying to wear a purple shirt to my first date with a rock god," Jon says, and Spencer makes a mental note to remind himself that Jon is sharp when he isn't high.
"It's not a -"
"Shut up, and wear the red shirt."
Spencer whines, but he wears the red shirt. Jon pats him on the head and says, "Good boy," then leaves. He still has some time left before soundcheck, so he opens up his laptop. He clicks on Bob's picture before he checks anything else, as always, and it says;
chicago pizza and friends tonight. should be fun 3.29 PM Jan 14th from web
The butterflies in his stomach kick up a fuss, but he smiles anyway. Chicago pizza and friends. He can do that.
---
"I can't do this."
Jon and Ryan roll their eyes in unison, and Brendon grabs his hand and drags him backstage. All of My Chemical Romance are waiting there, and Spencer sees a grin spread across Ryan's face when he catches sight of Gerard.
Ray says, "Great set," and Frank immediately lunges for Brendon. Brendon - the traitor - lets go of Spencer's hand and jumps into a wrestling match. He'll lose, but Spencer knows that he's just happy to be around someone as energetic as himself for a while.
Mikey and Jon walk away together, chatting quietly and smiling, and Gerard, Ray and Ryan quickly engage in a conversation and that leaves Bob, who is walking towards Spencer with a shy smile on his face.
"Hi," Bob says. "Long time, no see."
Spencer laughs. It sounds nervous and he tries to force himself to relax. "Yeah. It’s been a while."
"It has," Bob agrees. There's silence for a minute or so as they make their way out of the venue, and it's just verging on awkward when Bob says, "So, pizza?"
"Sounds good to me," Spencer replies. He holds open the door for Bob, and tries not to giggle when Bob smiles at him because apparently Bob actually does turn him into a fourteen year old girl. Then Bob says, "Thanks," as he walks past and Spencer has to block out every filthy thought he's ever had about Bob whispering gruffly in his ear. He says, "Fuck's sake," to himself and Bob stares at him.
"What's wrong?"
Spencer blushes. "Nothing, it's just - nothing." Jon catches his eye from somewhere in front of them and winks. Spencer thinks that he could quite happily punch a wall.
---
"What're you having?" Bob asks. Half of his face is hidden behind a menu but Spencer can still see his eyes, which seems to be enough to reduce him to a shy smile.
He shrugs, "Pepperoni?" and Bob grins at him.
"Me and Spencer are sorted," he tells the others. Brendon and Frank are about to let out a joint wolf whistle until Spencer sees and glares at them. Bob says, "Two pepperonis over here," and passes the menus up the table.
---
By the time the third food fight starts - Spencer doesn't know whether Frank or Brendon started it, but it came from their end of the table - almost everyone is involved. Spencer ducks under the table to hide and is just starting to relax when someone else slides out of their seat and onto the floor and.
And Spencer finds himself three inches away from Bob.
"Hi," he says.
"I think Frank's winning."
"That's not a surprise. Brendon's a lightweight compared to him, I don't think I've ever seen so much havoc coming from someone so little."
Bob laughs then. He says, "You're pretty tiny yourself, Smith."
"I am not! You're just a huge tall man-beast thing."
"'Man-beast thing'?" Bob asks. He's still laughing, and Spencer can't help noticing the way his eyes are lit up.
"Well, you are!"
Bob pushes him, and Spencer falls onto his side. He's laughing, and he barely notices when Bob pulls him back into a sitting position. He does notice Bob's breath on his cheek though, and when he turns back to find Bob staring at him, there isn't an inch between them. Spencer opens his mouth to say something, but Bob interrupts him when he says, "You're my opposite, Smith."
"Am I?" Spencer asks, confused. "Why?"
"Well, I'm a 'man-beast thing', and you're not. In fact, I'd even say that you're pretty."
Spencer is fairly sure that his brain has just stopped working. He can still feel Bob breathing against his skin and the way that they're pressed together along one side and he knows that if he turns his head just a tiny bit, he'd be able to press their lips together and they'd be kissing.
He's almost worked up the courage to do it when somebody - fucking Frank - kicks the table over and they lose their hiding place.
---
"So," Ray says, settling into his seat in the booth. They'd been thrown out of the pizza place ten minutes after the table went over and five minutes after Ryan accidentally threw garlic bread at the manager, and they're now settled into the biggest booth of a bar they've never been in. "Is one of us going to have to take you aside and say, 'dude, my friend really likes you, can he have your number?'"
Ray is looking directly at Spencer and when Mikey snorts next to him and says, "Spencer already has his number, Toro," Spencer doesn't hear it because he's busy trying to make his face cool down and be a little less red. Really, an inexplicable shade of purple would be more acceptable than the colour he knows his face is right now. He doesn't dare glance at Bob, but he thinks he has a good idea of what the expression on his face is. Judging by how Frank and Brendon are gigging, he's probably right.
"Come on," Brendon says. "They already have a 'thing' going, right?"
Spencer catches Gerard grin out of the corner of his eye. Gerard says, "Oh, you guys heard about that?"
Jon, because he is evil and Spencer hates him, says, "Are you kidding? Man, Spencer sleeps with the article underneath his pillow."
"Dude," Ryan, who has been inexplicably quiet until now, hisses to the group. "Spencer is right there. He's going to kill you all." Spencer looks at him - thankfully, he's at the opposite side of the booth, so he doesn't have to look at Bob - and sees that he has the biggest grin Spencer has ever seen covering most of his face. He knows that Ryan doesn't smile like that very often, so he's either extremely drunk, or he's still giddy from throwing garlic bread and is genuinely enjoying this. Either way, Spencer is going to disown him.
But then Bob gets up and walks away from the booth. Spencer would say that he stormed away, but Bob isn't built for that, really. Spencer hasn't looked at him the whole time, so he doesn't know whether he's angry, embarrassed, or both. None of the options would be good though, so Spencer stands and follows him. He hears catcalling and whistles coming from the booth - because their bands are both fourteen years old at heart - but he's basically on autopilot right now.
He finds Bob standing outside. He's leaning back against the wall smoking and fuck, if that isn't one of the hottest things he's ever seen.
"I'm sorry," Spencer says. "They're all children and seriously, I'll go back in there and kill them if you want me to." He's pleasantly surprised that he didn't get stuck on any of those words, if he's honest with himself. That's probably the most he's said since he got off stage, so he thinks he's doing well.
"Nah," Bob says, waving his hand. Spencer follows the light of the cigarette back and forth. "It's fine." He doesn't say anything else, and the silence gets kind of awkward. Spencer turns to go back inside and Bob says, "Under your pillow, huh?"
"Um, not exactly," Spencer replies. He's telling the truth - it's in a shoebox at the end of his bunk. Bob quirks an eyebrow at him. "It's in a shoebox at the end of my bunk," Spencer says. He instantly regrets it.
Bob laughs. "Nice," he says. And then, "Your shoes are cool."
Spencer stares at him, and it takes him a second to link ‘shoes' and 'shoebox' together because Bob is looking at him and fuck, his eyes really are that blue. God, he's totally screwed. He ends up saying, "Thanks. They're - uh, they're new."
"Money well spent," Bob replies.
"Yeah." Spencer shivers - the red shirt isn't the warmest thing in his collection.
"Cold?"
"A bit," Spencer says, truthfully, and then. Oh God. And then Bob is taking off his jacket and slipping it onto Spencer's shoulders. "Um, thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Bob goes back to his cigarette and Spencer watches the smoke swirl in the air. It's dark, and the only thing lighting them is the dull street light a few buildings down. It bounces sharply off of Bob's (thin) white t-shirt and Spencer says, "Hey, won't you be cold?" when he notices it.
"Nah." He takes one last puff and throws the cigarette down. It's quiet, and Spencer hears it hiss as the end hits the wet ground. "Listen, Smith," Bob says. "I like you. I'm pretty sure you like me, so I'm going to kiss you in about ten seconds. Now would be a good time to object, if you want to."
Three thoughts run through Spencer's head. The first is wow, blunt, much?, the second is god, he's so brave, I really couldn't have done that, and the third is holy fuck Bob Bryar is kissing me.
Spencer thinks that the third thought might be the best he's ever had.
---
When they get back to the booth, they sit down as if nothing happened. Both of them look ruffled, and Spencer's mouth is red and swollen, but they don't say anything. Frank and Brendon stare; Ray looks on, proud; Gerard and Ryan grin at each other, and Mikey leans over to Jon and says, "Oh my God, is Spencer wearing Bob's jacket?"
Jon just nods and replies, "I told him the red shirt would be good."
Fandom: Bandom (Panic/MCR)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Bob/Spencer, Ryan/Brendon
Summary: Panic get a Twitter.
A/N: For _princess_han_, since this was her idea, as all good ones are. The title is stolen from Bob's Twitter, because I'm original like that.
"So," Pete says, "who's number should I put in?"
Ryan, without missing a beat, says, "Spencer's."
He hears typing and then Pete says, "Done!" and, hey presto, they have a Twitter.
"Awesome," Ryan replies.
"How are you going to tell him?" Pete asks. "Because I'd really like to be there to see that."
Ryan says, "Shut up, Pete," and ends the call.
---
"Um, Spence?"
Spencer waves an arm out of his bunk and says, "Yeah?"
Ryan doesn't pull back the curtain, or even move closer, just says, "We got a Twitter and we've decided that you're in charge of it."
"What the fuck is a Twitter?" Spencer asks, leaning out of the bunk to glare at Ryan. Ryan resists the urge to flinch; he's long since become immune to Spencer's bitch face, but it still hurts.
"It's like a blog? Like, but you can text to it, so that everyone knows what you're doing no matter where you are." Ryan knows it isn't a perfect explanation and that he's speaking too quickly, but whatever, as long as he gets the information out. "It was Pete's idea."
"I figured that," Spencer says. "The king of the internet always has the best ideas, right?"
Ryan nods. "It's not like you have to do it a lot, it's just an official thing for the fans to follow."
Spencer rolls his eyes and says, "Whatever dude. Send me the details and I'll give it a try."
---
Spencer enjoys it, for a while. He texts a few times a week, just little things that say where they are, or 'doing soundcheck now, should be a good show tonight'. Pete calls a week after the first update and tells them that the fans seem to like it and that Spencer is doing a good job. Spencer just shrugs and says, "It's not like it's hard to do."
The problems start, he thinks, when he first goes online to 'twitter'. They're already being followed by over four thousand people, but Spencer only follows people he actually knows - Pete, Bill, The Cab - in return. He logs in for the first time, clicks the button that says @Replies and finds that there are several pages of messages addressed to the band. Most of them say something like, omg u have 2 come to [insert place name here]. Spencer rolls his eyes at them.
On the third page of replies, he comes across a message that says, Hey, good luck at your next gig. I'm broke right now, but I'll maybe see you next time. x and smiles. He clicks the reply arrow and types, thanks for your support, hope we get to see you soon. S x.
Spencer logs on a few days later and there are hundreds of replies. It seems that word spread quickly about him replying, so everyone wants one now. He works out a system - anybody who types like Pete gets instantly ignored - and spends a couple of hours sending out replies.
He can barely believe his eyes when he gets an e-mail saying 'Bob Bryar is now following you on Twitter' because seriously, Bob Bryar has a Twitter! He instantly regresses back to his fanboy stage - which was all Ryan's fault, by the way - and follows every member of My Chem. Frank and Mikey don't seem to update very often, Ray goes on about video games a lot, and Gerard is completely obsessed with coffee, but Bob seems to be enjoying it. He replies to most people and manages to be sarcastic but truthful in almost every update.
From then on, Spencer logs on as often as possible.
---
He starts checking it on the bus, letting Ryan, Brendon and Jon look in too. The messages are for them too, after all. They never do any replying or updating, but they get the general idea from the replies, and that's all that they ask.
When Spencer gets a reply containing fanfiction, he decides then and there that he's going to be himself from then on. He changes the name from patd_brjs to spencersmithv and tells Pete that if he wants to set up another official one, one of the others can look after it.
Then he gets a direct message from Bob.
hey, I didn't want to message you guys until I knew who was doing the twittering. From the name change I cleverly figured out who you are, Smith. It's been too long man, how are you guys?
PS: this is Bob from MCR, in case you didn't know
PPS: Dix says hi
Spencer should tell Ryan. He knows he should tell Ryan. He doesn't though, because hey, it's not like Ryan told him when Pete Wentz IMed him, is it? Besides, he thinks that his smile could break windows right now, so he should probably stay in his bunk.
He deletes three different replies - because god, Spencer, you've met this man countless (sixteen) times, get over it - before he finally settles on -
Hey! Yeah, it's been me all along. Pete's idea, and Ryan won't let me fight him. We're doing good - Bden's still as spazzy as ever, but we're good. How are you guys?
PS: I know who you are, Bob from MCR.
PPS: *wave*
He regrets the *wave* three seconds after he hits send.
---
"Someone wants to know what you're doing," Spencer says.
"Tell them I'm making out with Ryan," Brendon replies.
Spencer raises an eyebrow at him because he and Ryan are curled together on the couch. "I'll just tell them you're snuggling," he replies. "That okay, Ry?"
Ryan uncoils his hand from Brendon's and sticks his thumb up. Spencer types.
---
Jon rests a hand on his shoulder and says, "Watchadoin?"
"Twittering," Spencer says.
"Well, obviously."
"Then why'd you ask?"
"I'm bored," Jon sighs.
"Wanna see how it works?"
"'Kay."
An hour later, they've wreaked havoc on the Twitter world. The two of them working together means that Spencer's answers are more sarcastic than ever, and Jon is still slightly high, so he comes up with things that Spencer would never have thought of.
"Oh God, I've got an idea," Jon says, giggling. "Tell them - no seriously, this is brilliant - tell them that the rosevest went away because Ryan believed it was like, alive, and too old for touring."
Spencer laughs, because Jon's chuckling is contagious, and types into the box. His inbox pings just after he hits enter, and the pop-up says, 'Direct message received from Bob Bryar'. He closes the laptop quickly, but knows from the way Jon is staring at him that he saw.
"Um," Spencer says, because he can't think of anything else to say and his face is warm and Jon is going to tease the hell out of him.
"Aw, does Spencer have a boyfriend?"
"Shut up."
Jon laughs and says, "Dude, your face is all red - oh. Oh, that is the cutest thing ever."
"Shut up," Spencer says again, picking up the laptop and running back to his bunk. He opens the laptop when he's safely behind the curtain and reads Bob's message. It gets addictive, huh? is all it says.
Spencer sends back, Understatement of the decade, and smiles. If he's going to be stuck doing this, at least he has someone fun to keep him company.
---
The pictures leak a few weeks later. They aren't that controversial, just Brendon and Ryan holding hands, Brendon kissing Ryan's cheek - they've done worse on stage - but they look like a genuine couple and once the press pick up on it they don't let it go.
"I don't know what to do," Brendon says, late one night. "Ryan's curled up in his bunk and he won't talk to me. I think he's scared and I'm scared too and what do we do, Spence?"
Spencer sighs. "It'll be okay, Bren. I'll talk to him. It'll be okay."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
---
When Spencer logs on the next day, he finds over six hundred replies waiting for him. Most of them are along the lines of omg i knew it! and when do we get a sex tape?!!! He's about to close the laptop when he notices a new message from Bob.
I know you guys are probably having a rough time right now, it says, but if you need me (or any of us) you know how to get in touch.
His phone number is underneath it. Spencer saves it into his contacts and, for the first time in what feels like weeks, he smiles.
---
Spencer pulls back the curtain of Ryan's bunk and pushes himself in alongside him. It's a tight squeeze, but Spencer isn't as big as he used to be and Ryan is still skinny as hell, so they fit.
"Hey," Spencer says.
"Hey."
"You need to stop being a dick."
Ryan snorts. "Subtle, Spence."
"Shut up, you know it's true," he replies. "This is a bit of a problem, but it's one that we need to get through together. Hiding in your bunk isn't going to help, and you need to get out there and give your boyfriend a kiss before he goes insane, okay?"
"Is Brendon okay?" Ryan asks, and his voice is quieter now, softer.
"He will be. We all will, we just need to get through this first. Besides, most of the internet - and Pete - were expecting it. We'll just be honest, nothing has to change."
Ryan smirks, nodding his head, and Spencer slides out of the bunk. An hour later, Brendon announces loudly that he and Ryan are going to have some alone time, so earphones would probably be a good idea. Spencer shakes his head and opens his laptop.
---
I don't want to pry, Bob's next message starts, but is it true?
Spencer hits reply, then changes his mind. He grabs his phone and texts, it certainly is. they've been together for a while. The phone vibrates a few minutes later with Smith?. Spencer shakes his head and sends, yep, from panic.
i know which band you're in
good. now that we're clear on that, what's up?
press keep asking about them and i don't know what to say
tell them the truth, Spencer sends, that's what we're going to do
---
Pete schedules an interview with some magazine - Spencer isn't sure which one, most of the interviewers are the same anyway - but it gets handled well. The photoshoot is slightly too much - Spencer is pretty sure that Brendon and Ryan have never cuddled together on a blanket and watched Hobo and Dylan play in the park but whatever, it keeps the fans happy.
The magazine arrives two weeks later, and Spencer finds this out when Jon throws it into his bunk and says, "You should read that."
He skips the main interview since he was there and it doesn't look like it's been edited against them and focuses on the blue box at the bottom of the page, just beneath where Brendon's feet are tangled with Ryan's.
What Their Friends Think
They only got together because I told them to. ~ Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy
I don't care as long as my Jonny Walker's good name hasn't been sullied. ~ William Beckett, The Academy Is…
It happened in my basement first. ~ Gabe Saporta, Cobra Starship
Delicious! ~ Guy Ripley, England
I don't know much about them, but it's cool. Besides, me and Smith have had a thing going for a while now. ~ Bob Bryar, My Chemical Romance
Spencer goes red immediately and giggles into his hands. Fucking giggles!
He types since when do we have a thing going on? into his phone, spends ten minutes trying to work up the nerve to send it, then deletes it with a groan. He is so fucking screwed.
---
"You have a thing going on then?" Jon asks, later that day. Spencer feels himself go red again and resists the urge to throw something at him.
He snaps, "No," instead.
Brendon wanders in then and says, "Oh look, it's Mr I'm-Having-A-Secret-Affair-With-The-Hottest-Member-Of-My-Chemical-Romance."
Spencer throws a plastic cup at him as Jon says, "Dude. Mikey is clearly the hottest."
---
"Do we need to have a band meeting?" Ryan asks.
"What about?"
"You and Bob."
"Wha - look, no. There is no 'me and Bob'. There's no 'thing', and we definitely don't need to have a band fucking meeting, okay?"
"Okay, okay," Ryan says. And then, "You know we'll be seeing them in like, a week, don't you?"
"…we will?"
"Yeah, some charity thing in Chicago. You're not going to make it unbearable with your sexual tensions are you?"
Spencer blows his air out of his eyes, exasperated, and says, "Look who's talking."
"Shut up," Ryan replies. "That's different."
"Sure it is."
"We're out and proud, Spence. It's different."
"Yeah, but before you stopped being idiots, me and Jon used to take bets on whether you'd fuck or kill each other first."
Ryan stares at him. "I hate you."
"No you don't."
"Anyway, this isn't about me and Brendon. This is about you and Bob."
Spencer stands up and storms back to his bunk, yelling, "There is no 'me and Bob', god," as he goes.
Brendon shouts, "Yeah, right!" and Ryan hears something heavy hit the wall. He sighs and gets up to make sure Brendon hasn't been too badly injured.
---
The day of the charity show arrives far too quickly for Spencer's liking, and when Bob sends him a text saying where are you eating after the show? i know an awesome pizza place, Spencer drops his head to the table and groans.
"What's up?" Jon asks.
Spencer wonders how he always manages to show up at the worst time and just holds his phone up for Jon to read.
"I don't think we have any plans," he says.
"I know," Spencer replies. "That's not the big problem, to be honest."
"Oh," Jon says. "Oh!"
"Yeah."
"Tell him we'll meet him after the show. Come on, we're going shopping."
"Why are we going shopping?" Spencer asks, brow furrowed.
"Spence, c'mon. It's your first date with Bob, you have to look good!"
Spencer says, "I hate you," but puts his shoes on and lets himself be dragged from the bus anyway.
---
Spencer likes to think of himself as a shopping extraordinaire. When Brendon first left home, Spencer and Ryan took him out to buy some new clothes. Within an hour Brendon - the boy with endless energy - was exhausted and almost begging for a break. So yeah, he and Ryan shopping together are pretty much unstoppable.
Jon Walker is something else entirely. He is a man with a plan. He storms around the shops, grabbing everything he can from the rails and throwing them at Spencer, then giving his brutally honest opinions on everything when Spencer tries them on.
"I like these," Spencer says about the fifth pair of jeans.
"Nah," Jon replies. "They make your ass look fat."
Spencer glares. "Out."
---
By the time they get home, they have seventeen new pairs of jeans, thirteen new t-shirts and, worst of all, only one pair of shoes. Spencer wants to curl up and sleep for the next three days but Jon insists on going through everything again and making Spencer try them on in as many variations as possible. Spencer already knows that he wants to wear the lilac shirt with the dark blue jeans, but Jon seems to be obsessed with finding the right combination. Ryan would be proud if he weren't busy trying to eat Brendon's face, Spencer thinks.
"I like the red shirt," Jon says, jolting Spencer from his thoughts.
"It’s nice," Spencer replies, "but I think I'm going to wear the lilac."
Jon makes a face. "It's purple."
"So?"
"Spence, you're dressing up for your first date with Bob Bryar-"
"No," Spencer says. "No! It isn't a date! It has never been a date, and it never will be a date. Like you said, he's Bob Bryar; why would he be interested in me?"
"Because you're hot and funny and Mikey already told me that he's totally smitten with you."
Spencer stares at him. "Okay, first of all, nobody says smitten anymore, and secondly, what? Since when are you and Mikey friends?"
"Why do you always forget that I knew Pete and Gabe before you did? I was part of the scene, Spence."
"You're an idiot."
"I'm not the one trying to wear a purple shirt to my first date with a rock god," Jon says, and Spencer makes a mental note to remind himself that Jon is sharp when he isn't high.
"It's not a -"
"Shut up, and wear the red shirt."
Spencer whines, but he wears the red shirt. Jon pats him on the head and says, "Good boy," then leaves. He still has some time left before soundcheck, so he opens up his laptop. He clicks on Bob's picture before he checks anything else, as always, and it says;
chicago pizza and friends tonight. should be fun 3.29 PM Jan 14th from web
The butterflies in his stomach kick up a fuss, but he smiles anyway. Chicago pizza and friends. He can do that.
---
"I can't do this."
Jon and Ryan roll their eyes in unison, and Brendon grabs his hand and drags him backstage. All of My Chemical Romance are waiting there, and Spencer sees a grin spread across Ryan's face when he catches sight of Gerard.
Ray says, "Great set," and Frank immediately lunges for Brendon. Brendon - the traitor - lets go of Spencer's hand and jumps into a wrestling match. He'll lose, but Spencer knows that he's just happy to be around someone as energetic as himself for a while.
Mikey and Jon walk away together, chatting quietly and smiling, and Gerard, Ray and Ryan quickly engage in a conversation and that leaves Bob, who is walking towards Spencer with a shy smile on his face.
"Hi," Bob says. "Long time, no see."
Spencer laughs. It sounds nervous and he tries to force himself to relax. "Yeah. It’s been a while."
"It has," Bob agrees. There's silence for a minute or so as they make their way out of the venue, and it's just verging on awkward when Bob says, "So, pizza?"
"Sounds good to me," Spencer replies. He holds open the door for Bob, and tries not to giggle when Bob smiles at him because apparently Bob actually does turn him into a fourteen year old girl. Then Bob says, "Thanks," as he walks past and Spencer has to block out every filthy thought he's ever had about Bob whispering gruffly in his ear. He says, "Fuck's sake," to himself and Bob stares at him.
"What's wrong?"
Spencer blushes. "Nothing, it's just - nothing." Jon catches his eye from somewhere in front of them and winks. Spencer thinks that he could quite happily punch a wall.
---
"What're you having?" Bob asks. Half of his face is hidden behind a menu but Spencer can still see his eyes, which seems to be enough to reduce him to a shy smile.
He shrugs, "Pepperoni?" and Bob grins at him.
"Me and Spencer are sorted," he tells the others. Brendon and Frank are about to let out a joint wolf whistle until Spencer sees and glares at them. Bob says, "Two pepperonis over here," and passes the menus up the table.
---
By the time the third food fight starts - Spencer doesn't know whether Frank or Brendon started it, but it came from their end of the table - almost everyone is involved. Spencer ducks under the table to hide and is just starting to relax when someone else slides out of their seat and onto the floor and.
And Spencer finds himself three inches away from Bob.
"Hi," he says.
"I think Frank's winning."
"That's not a surprise. Brendon's a lightweight compared to him, I don't think I've ever seen so much havoc coming from someone so little."
Bob laughs then. He says, "You're pretty tiny yourself, Smith."
"I am not! You're just a huge tall man-beast thing."
"'Man-beast thing'?" Bob asks. He's still laughing, and Spencer can't help noticing the way his eyes are lit up.
"Well, you are!"
Bob pushes him, and Spencer falls onto his side. He's laughing, and he barely notices when Bob pulls him back into a sitting position. He does notice Bob's breath on his cheek though, and when he turns back to find Bob staring at him, there isn't an inch between them. Spencer opens his mouth to say something, but Bob interrupts him when he says, "You're my opposite, Smith."
"Am I?" Spencer asks, confused. "Why?"
"Well, I'm a 'man-beast thing', and you're not. In fact, I'd even say that you're pretty."
Spencer is fairly sure that his brain has just stopped working. He can still feel Bob breathing against his skin and the way that they're pressed together along one side and he knows that if he turns his head just a tiny bit, he'd be able to press their lips together and they'd be kissing.
He's almost worked up the courage to do it when somebody - fucking Frank - kicks the table over and they lose their hiding place.
---
"So," Ray says, settling into his seat in the booth. They'd been thrown out of the pizza place ten minutes after the table went over and five minutes after Ryan accidentally threw garlic bread at the manager, and they're now settled into the biggest booth of a bar they've never been in. "Is one of us going to have to take you aside and say, 'dude, my friend really likes you, can he have your number?'"
Ray is looking directly at Spencer and when Mikey snorts next to him and says, "Spencer already has his number, Toro," Spencer doesn't hear it because he's busy trying to make his face cool down and be a little less red. Really, an inexplicable shade of purple would be more acceptable than the colour he knows his face is right now. He doesn't dare glance at Bob, but he thinks he has a good idea of what the expression on his face is. Judging by how Frank and Brendon are gigging, he's probably right.
"Come on," Brendon says. "They already have a 'thing' going, right?"
Spencer catches Gerard grin out of the corner of his eye. Gerard says, "Oh, you guys heard about that?"
Jon, because he is evil and Spencer hates him, says, "Are you kidding? Man, Spencer sleeps with the article underneath his pillow."
"Dude," Ryan, who has been inexplicably quiet until now, hisses to the group. "Spencer is right there. He's going to kill you all." Spencer looks at him - thankfully, he's at the opposite side of the booth, so he doesn't have to look at Bob - and sees that he has the biggest grin Spencer has ever seen covering most of his face. He knows that Ryan doesn't smile like that very often, so he's either extremely drunk, or he's still giddy from throwing garlic bread and is genuinely enjoying this. Either way, Spencer is going to disown him.
But then Bob gets up and walks away from the booth. Spencer would say that he stormed away, but Bob isn't built for that, really. Spencer hasn't looked at him the whole time, so he doesn't know whether he's angry, embarrassed, or both. None of the options would be good though, so Spencer stands and follows him. He hears catcalling and whistles coming from the booth - because their bands are both fourteen years old at heart - but he's basically on autopilot right now.
He finds Bob standing outside. He's leaning back against the wall smoking and fuck, if that isn't one of the hottest things he's ever seen.
"I'm sorry," Spencer says. "They're all children and seriously, I'll go back in there and kill them if you want me to." He's pleasantly surprised that he didn't get stuck on any of those words, if he's honest with himself. That's probably the most he's said since he got off stage, so he thinks he's doing well.
"Nah," Bob says, waving his hand. Spencer follows the light of the cigarette back and forth. "It's fine." He doesn't say anything else, and the silence gets kind of awkward. Spencer turns to go back inside and Bob says, "Under your pillow, huh?"
"Um, not exactly," Spencer replies. He's telling the truth - it's in a shoebox at the end of his bunk. Bob quirks an eyebrow at him. "It's in a shoebox at the end of my bunk," Spencer says. He instantly regrets it.
Bob laughs. "Nice," he says. And then, "Your shoes are cool."
Spencer stares at him, and it takes him a second to link ‘shoes' and 'shoebox' together because Bob is looking at him and fuck, his eyes really are that blue. God, he's totally screwed. He ends up saying, "Thanks. They're - uh, they're new."
"Money well spent," Bob replies.
"Yeah." Spencer shivers - the red shirt isn't the warmest thing in his collection.
"Cold?"
"A bit," Spencer says, truthfully, and then. Oh God. And then Bob is taking off his jacket and slipping it onto Spencer's shoulders. "Um, thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Bob goes back to his cigarette and Spencer watches the smoke swirl in the air. It's dark, and the only thing lighting them is the dull street light a few buildings down. It bounces sharply off of Bob's (thin) white t-shirt and Spencer says, "Hey, won't you be cold?" when he notices it.
"Nah." He takes one last puff and throws the cigarette down. It's quiet, and Spencer hears it hiss as the end hits the wet ground. "Listen, Smith," Bob says. "I like you. I'm pretty sure you like me, so I'm going to kiss you in about ten seconds. Now would be a good time to object, if you want to."
Three thoughts run through Spencer's head. The first is wow, blunt, much?, the second is god, he's so brave, I really couldn't have done that, and the third is holy fuck Bob Bryar is kissing me.
Spencer thinks that the third thought might be the best he's ever had.
---
When they get back to the booth, they sit down as if nothing happened. Both of them look ruffled, and Spencer's mouth is red and swollen, but they don't say anything. Frank and Brendon stare; Ray looks on, proud; Gerard and Ryan grin at each other, and Mikey leans over to Jon and says, "Oh my God, is Spencer wearing Bob's jacket?"
Jon just nods and replies, "I told him the red shirt would be good."