Lines in the Sand Extra Scenes
Here are some scattered scenes from the not-yet-finished Jon/Spencer companion to Lines in the Sand. It looks like it will be a while until I get back around to finishing this fic, if I ever do, so I figured I'd post what I have, just in case. There's every possibility that if you do see a finished copy of this story, that it'll look very different.
Spencer meets Jon
Ryan meets Jon
Spencer and Jon in Jon's bedroom during the Halloween party
Brendon calls Spencer
Ryan mooning
Spencer meets Jon
Taking Statistics 150 was not something Spencer would have chose to do, but it was a requirement for the business major. The class itself seemed okay. The professor was kind of a blowhard, but he was only making them take two big tests, so really, things could be worse.
Spencer took a seat in the back of the room. The girl in the desk beside him had her hair up in one of those messy ponytails that every girl at the school seemed to favor. She gave him a smile and then said something that Spencer couldn’t hear. He popped the earbuds out of his ears and paused his iPod.
“Sorry?” he answered.
The girl leaned forward and gave a little laugh. “I said my name’s Angie.”
“Oh. Spencer.”
“Hey,” she said. “I really like your shirt.”
He looked down at his green Pixies t-shirt and then back up to her. “Thanks.”
“Is that, like, vintage?” she asked.
“Uh…” he said, recognizing the once over she gave him and the way she had her body angled towards him. Gay, gay, so gay, he chanted in his mind, hoping to reach her telepathically. “I’m not sure. I bought it when they played The Vic a couple years ago.”
“Cool,” she answered, apparently not receiving his urgent message. “So are you a big Pixies fan? I love ‘Where Is My Mind.’”
“Yeah, they’re good,” he answered, glancing at the clock. One more minute until class started.
“Is that the kind of music you like? What’s your favorite band?”
“I like a lot of music. I don’t know, probably the Counting Crows?”
“Wow, really? I haven’t heard anything from them in a while.” Whatever, that was not fascinating enough to warrant touching his arm.
“They’re still around,” he said.
“You know who I like? Have you heard that local band, My Chemical Romance? Some of their songs are awesome.”
My Chem were fucking amazing, actually, and they pretty much owned Chambana. “I like them a lot,” Spencer said honestly.
“Really, because they’re playing a show at the Canopy Club on Wednesday,” Angie said, and uh-oh. Spencer did not want to deal with this situation. The bell cut off the rest of what she was going to say, and Spencer jerked forward in his seat.
“Class is starting,” he said, sounding probably a little too excited about the prospect.
“All right,” Professor Coleridge said when everyone was settled. “I hope you all had a good weekend. The first thing I want to do today is get partners sorted out for the project that’s due in two weeks.”
Spencer sorted through the papers on his desk until he found the syllabus for the class. Sure enough, there was a project due in the middle of September that would could for ten percent of their grade.
“I’ll give you about five minutes to figure it out amongst yourselves,” Coleridge continued. “I want to make a note of who’s working with whom, and then we can move on to the homework that was due today.”
Spencer slunk down in his chair and absolutely did not turn to look at Angie. He tried to make eye contact with someone else, but everyone was pairing off quickly, and he could feel her eyes boring into the side of his head. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face her.
She grinned, and okay, she seemed nice. He could probably slip in something about going out with his boyfriend while they worked.
“So,” she said, “wanna work together?”
“Actually he can’t,” a voice behind him said just as Spencer opened his mouth to answer.
He swiveled around to see who spoke and came to face to face with, well. Pretty much the hottest guy he’d ever seen.
“Um…” Spencer said, his eyes doing the same once over that Angie had done on him earlier.
“He already promised to work with me. Didn’t you, Spencer?” the guy prompted, a hint of a conspiratorial smile quirking up at the corner of his mouth.
“Yes,” Spencer said. “Yeah, we talked about it last week. Sorry.”
“Oh,” Angie said, sounding disappointed. “Well, maybe next time.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Spencer said, tamping down his guilt as Angie turned to look for another partner.
The guy took a seat on Spencer’s other side, hauling his messenger bag off his shoulder. He pulled a notebook and pen out of it and then looked at Spencer.
“Sorry if I butted in.”
“You didn’t,” Spencer answered.
“I was sitting behind you, and it kind of looked like you needed a rescue.”
“Yes, thank you,” Spencer said fervently. “It’s not that she isn’t nice or pretty or whatever, but…”
“No gaydar?” the guy suggested.
That elicited a surprised laugh from Spencer, and he re-evaluated the guy quickly. Blue button down, jeans, flip flops, classic emo hair that fell over one eye. Maybe, maybe.
“Exactly.”
“Well, now you’re stuck with me instead, Spencer,” he said.
“And I don’t even know your name,” Spencer replied.
“Hmm…” the guy answered with a teasing grin. “I could tell you, but I kind of like this air of mystery around me right now.”
Spencer upgraded the maybe to a definitely, and added in a hell yeah for good measure. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.
“Jon and Spencer, are you a pair?” the professor asked then, causing them both to jump.
“Uh, yeah,” the guy - Jon - said, wincing good-naturedly when Spencer raised an eyebrow. “Thwarted.”
“It was a good try,” Spencer whispered.
“Wasn’t it, though?” Jon said. “I had this whole plan forming where you would call me Agent Smith for the next two weeks.”
“That would be kind of awkward,” Spencer said.
“For you, maybe,” Jon said.
“No. Well, yeah. But Smith is my last name,” Spencer told him.
“Seriously, what were the odds?” Jon asked. “Spencer Smith, huh? Well, see, you don’t know my last name, so I’m still a little mysterious.”
Professor Coleridge said, “So it’s Walker and Smith…”
“Are you kidding me?” Jon burst out, then added hastily, “I mean, yes, sir, that’s right.”
Spencer hid his face in his hands and laughed.
back up
***
Ryan meets Jon
This should come about two weeks after the first scene.
*
The bell above the entrance jingled, and then he heard Ryan’s voice saying, “Hey, Spencer.”
Spencer turned, pretending to look surprised, and said, “Oh, hey, Ry.”
“So I just took the nastiest Spanish test - I don’t think I even got half of the questions right. Do either of you know how to conjugate ‘ser’ in the present progressive, because I’m pretty sure that’s my TA’s kink or something. When I gave her the test back, I was like, ‘Senorita, lo siento, pero I failed this examen.’” Ryan stopped rambling when he saw the look Spencer was giving him behind Jon’s back. Seriously, he could never stick to the script; he always had to over-sell it. “Anyway. I need coffee or I’m going to be dead before my modern poetry class in an hour.”
Jon gestured to the counter. “Well, you’ve come to the right place.”
“Jon, this is my roommate, Ryan. Ryan, this is Jon. We have Stats 150 together,” Spencer introduced. When Jon leaned forward to shake Ryan’s hand, Spencer raised his eyebrows at Ryan, a silent see what I mean?
“Nice to meet you,” Ryan said. “Does that green apron mean you work here, or are you just a really big fan?”
Jon looked down at his apron and then back up at Ryan with a grin. “Are you kidding? These are the latest fashion craze. Paris Hilton and the Olsen twins have been wearing them since, like, yesterday.”
“That’s hot,” Ryan said drolly, looking unimpressed. “Really, though…”
“Coffee, yes,” Jon said. “My break’s over anyway. It’s lucky you came in or I would have forgotten. Or pretended to forget so that I could keep hanging out with Spencer.”
“You could’ve tried, fucker,” Joe called from behind the counter, prompting Jon to throw a sugar packet at him.
Spencer ducked his head to cover his stupidly happy grin - Jon! Wanted to hang out with him! - but he could still see Ryan smirking at him out of the corner of his eye.
“Coffee, coffee,” Jon repeated, returning his attention to Ryan. “Anything special?”
“Vanilla cappuccino?” Ryan asked. “Small.”
“Got it,” Jon said. “Spencer, how are you doing?”
Spencer held up his half full iced latte for Jon’s inspection. “Fine, thanks.”
Once Jon was occupied with making Ryan’s drink, Ryan dropped his backpack on the floor and sat across from Spencer at the table. They both leaned forward.
“His hair, Spencer, his hair,” Ryan said.
“I know,” Spencer agreed. Jon had really great hair. “The way it falls across his eyes.”
“And he has a lisp,” Ryan said. “Did you hear it?” Spencer scoffed and didn’t bother to answer, because seriously, did he hear it. “I already like him better than Brent.”
“That was two years ago, god, get over it,” Spencer said. He’d dated Brent for a few months during his junior year of high school before Brent broke up with him that summer. Ryan had never liked the guy, and made his feelings very well known. “No, don’t look! He’s going to know we’re talking about him,” Spencer hissed.
“So?” Ryan asked, turning to look at the counter. “Oh yeah, he’s definitely staring.” He snickered. “Wow, this guy is so gone for you, Spencer. Those are the biggest cow eyes I’ve ever seen. You need to have sex, like, immediately.”
Spencer face felt like it was on fire. “Jesus, shut the fuck up, Ryan. Not everyone is like you, okay?”
Ryan opened his mouth to respond, but Jon was at their table then, coffee in hand. “Vanilla cappuccino.”
“Oh, awesome, thanks.” Ryan picked up his backpack and stood. Spencer did not like the mischievous look on his face. “So, listen, I’m going to be gone all night if you guys wanted to hang out and, you know, study, or whatever.”
Spencer squirmed in his seat and tried to project the many and varied ways he was imagining killing Ryan at that moment. Beside him, Jon laughed. “Good to know.”
“Okay, cool. I’m gonna try to get some of this reading done before class. How much do I owe you for the coffee?” Ryan asked.
Jon waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Any friend of Spencer’s and all that.”
“Wow, really? Thanks a lot, man.” He shot Spencer a pointed look. “So much better than Brent.”
Spencer dropped his head into his hands. The jingle of the bell over the door signaled Ryan’s departure.
“Who’s Brent?” Jon asked, and when Spencer didn’t answer, bumped their shoulders. “Hey, hey, who’s Brent?”
“Just…this guy. That I used to date, whatever. Ryan doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Spencer said.
“So I’m not better than him?” Jon asked.
“No, you are,” he said quickly, finally looking up, and immediately blushed at Jon’s sly grin. “Your break is over and I have to get all the way to Wohlers for Econ, so I’m gonna go.”
“Okay,” Jon agreed. “I’ll call you when I get off.”
“Sure,” Spencer muttered, making his way to the door.
“So did I pass?” Jon asked, when Spencer was halfway there.
“Um, what?” Spencer asked, turning back around.
Jon gave him that same sly look. “The best friend test,” he clarified. “Having Ryan coincidentally show up during my shift to size me up. Did I pass? I mean, saying he likes me more than your ex is a good sign, but I want to make sure.”
At the counter, Joe let out a bark of laughter. The girl sitting at the table in front of Spencer ducked her head to hide her smile and pretended to be very involved in her textbook. Spencer scrubbed a hand over his face and tried not to die. This was getting ridiculous. He was either going to have to stop letting Jon get to him this way, or else buy some green and blue clothes to complement his permanently red face.
“Yeah, you passed,” he admitted.
“Excellent, that’s one point for me,” Jon said.
Spencer was pushing the door open, trying to make a hasty exit to save the last of his dignity, when Jon spoke again.
“You did too, by the way,” he said.
“Um.” Wow, Spencer missed his calling as a Communications major with this kind of talent for improvisational public speaking. “What?”
“Here, last week, with Brendon,” Jon explained.
Spencer remembered the way that Brendon had been hanging out at the counter when he came by to give Jon back his book.
“Yeah?” he said, feeling some of his confidence return. “Then that makes us even again, doesn’t it?”
“I guess it does,” Jon answered as he backed up slowly to the counter.
Spencer left the café grinning.
back up
***
Spencer and Jon in Jon's bedroom during the Halloween party
This is part of a much longer scene, most of which I haven't written yet. To refresh your memory:
“Tell me you at least made out,” Ryan said.
“We watched Rocky Horror,” Jon said, squeezing past Spencer in the doorway and deliberately bumping their hips together.
“Have you discovered some kind of aversion to sex that I don’t know about?” Ryan asked. “Your hair’s not even messed up.”
Spencer ran a hand over his perfectly slicked hair. “Let’s go.”
Jon leaned against the wall and said, “Call me when you guys get home. Don’t die, Spencer, it would break my heart.”
*
“Are we going to watch the movie?” Spencer asked, his hand pillowed under his cheek. They were close enough now that Spencer could feel Jon’s slow, moist breaths against his skin.
“Yeah,” Jon said. He made no move toward the remote.
“Okay,” Spencer said. They stared at each other.
“I really like kissing,” Jon said finally, breaking the silence.
Spencer curled his free hand into a fist in an effort to appear uninterested. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“No. I mean, most guys think of it as a formality that they have to get out of the way before fucking. Like, to be polite or whatever. I’m a big fan of hours of hands above the waist making out. Just thought I’d warn you now, because I have a feeling that I’m going to love kissing you, Spencer. So, you know, be prepared. And if you have any objections to that, it would be awesome if you let me know in advance.”
Spencer swallowed, and his tongue peaked out unconsciously to lick along his own bottom lip. Jon’s eyes followed the movement, his gaze hot, as Spencer’s nails dug into the palm of his hand.
“No,” Spencer said, his voice thick. “No objections.”
“Good,” Jon replied, and it sounded to Spencer’s ears like the best kind of promise.
Spencer forced himself to shift away from Jon and fall onto his back. He kept his eyes on the stucco ceiling above him.
After his breathing returned to normal, he said, “You’re not going to win me over by being sexy and charming.” It wasn’t even a lie, since there was no possible way for him to be any more won over than he already was.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jon said. Then, after a moment, “Sexy and charming, huh?”
“Shut up,” Spencer grumbled.
Jon laughed softly, then asked, “Movie?”
“Movie,” Spencer agreed.
back up
***
Brendon calling Spencer
This takes place the Monday after the party, when Brendon and Ryan go to Moonstruck for hot chocolate.
*
Spencer’s cell phone rang and he fumbled around in his bag looking for it while two girls studying at the next table over glared.
“Hello?” he greeted, without even stopping to look at the caller ID.
It was Brendon. “Spencer,” he whispered. “I need your help.”
“Why are you whispering?” Spencer whispered, turning his head away from the girls watching him.
“Ryan’s in the bathroom. Why are you?” Brendon asked.
“I’m at the library,” Spencer said, before what Brendon said caught up with him. “Wait, Ryan?”
“He came into the IUB, and now we’re at Moonstruck. Quick, you have to give me something to talk about. He’s wearing these jeans, Spencer, oh my god.”
Spencer rubbed his eyes with the heel of his free hand. “Brendon, look, this isn’t a good idea, okay?”
“This is a great idea. This is a fantastic idea,” Brendon countered, his hushed voice full of impatience. “Also, you’re not my mother - which is lucky because if you were, you’d be wasting a lot of time praying for my eternal soul instead of helping me win over the hottest guy in the entire world.”
Spencer raised his eyes heavenward and sighed, giving in. “Just pretend you’re interested in whatever he’s saying.”
Brendon laughed. “Wow, that is so not going to be a problem. But, come on, I need something else.”
If Brendon wanted to do this to himself, fine. Spencer tried to warn him. “You could mention the Cute Is What We Aim For concert on Friday. Ryan likes them.”
“That’s what I’m talking about! You make an amazing wingman, for serious. Oh, shit, he’s coming ba - “
The call disconnected.
back up
***
Ryan mooning
Spencer and Jon have already gotten together here, so it's somewhere in early April. After Unofficial, but before the Gabe Incident.
*
“He’s not listening to you at all,” Jon said, the words pressed into Spencer’s neck.
Spencer watched Ryan on the love seat strumming aimlessly away on his guitar. He could make out the beginning of “Tonight, Tonight” in the tentative chords.
“Does he seem pre-occupied to you?” Spencer asked sarcastically. Then, just to be an asshole, he said, “Brendon.”
Ryan’s gaze shot up. “What?”
Jon’s chuff of laughter was mostly silent against Spencer’s throat, but Spencer didn’t bother to hide his own smirk. “I said that Brendon is probably done practicing by now, and we should call him to hang out.”
Ryan shrugged, trying and failing - oh, so very much failing - to look casual. “That’d be cool.”
back up
Lines in the Sand master post
Spencer meets Jon
Ryan meets Jon
Spencer and Jon in Jon's bedroom during the Halloween party
Brendon calls Spencer
Ryan mooning
Spencer meets Jon
Taking Statistics 150 was not something Spencer would have chose to do, but it was a requirement for the business major. The class itself seemed okay. The professor was kind of a blowhard, but he was only making them take two big tests, so really, things could be worse.
Spencer took a seat in the back of the room. The girl in the desk beside him had her hair up in one of those messy ponytails that every girl at the school seemed to favor. She gave him a smile and then said something that Spencer couldn’t hear. He popped the earbuds out of his ears and paused his iPod.
“Sorry?” he answered.
The girl leaned forward and gave a little laugh. “I said my name’s Angie.”
“Oh. Spencer.”
“Hey,” she said. “I really like your shirt.”
He looked down at his green Pixies t-shirt and then back up to her. “Thanks.”
“Is that, like, vintage?” she asked.
“Uh…” he said, recognizing the once over she gave him and the way she had her body angled towards him. Gay, gay, so gay, he chanted in his mind, hoping to reach her telepathically. “I’m not sure. I bought it when they played The Vic a couple years ago.”
“Cool,” she answered, apparently not receiving his urgent message. “So are you a big Pixies fan? I love ‘Where Is My Mind.’”
“Yeah, they’re good,” he answered, glancing at the clock. One more minute until class started.
“Is that the kind of music you like? What’s your favorite band?”
“I like a lot of music. I don’t know, probably the Counting Crows?”
“Wow, really? I haven’t heard anything from them in a while.” Whatever, that was not fascinating enough to warrant touching his arm.
“They’re still around,” he said.
“You know who I like? Have you heard that local band, My Chemical Romance? Some of their songs are awesome.”
My Chem were fucking amazing, actually, and they pretty much owned Chambana. “I like them a lot,” Spencer said honestly.
“Really, because they’re playing a show at the Canopy Club on Wednesday,” Angie said, and uh-oh. Spencer did not want to deal with this situation. The bell cut off the rest of what she was going to say, and Spencer jerked forward in his seat.
“Class is starting,” he said, sounding probably a little too excited about the prospect.
“All right,” Professor Coleridge said when everyone was settled. “I hope you all had a good weekend. The first thing I want to do today is get partners sorted out for the project that’s due in two weeks.”
Spencer sorted through the papers on his desk until he found the syllabus for the class. Sure enough, there was a project due in the middle of September that would could for ten percent of their grade.
“I’ll give you about five minutes to figure it out amongst yourselves,” Coleridge continued. “I want to make a note of who’s working with whom, and then we can move on to the homework that was due today.”
Spencer slunk down in his chair and absolutely did not turn to look at Angie. He tried to make eye contact with someone else, but everyone was pairing off quickly, and he could feel her eyes boring into the side of his head. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face her.
She grinned, and okay, she seemed nice. He could probably slip in something about going out with his boyfriend while they worked.
“So,” she said, “wanna work together?”
“Actually he can’t,” a voice behind him said just as Spencer opened his mouth to answer.
He swiveled around to see who spoke and came to face to face with, well. Pretty much the hottest guy he’d ever seen.
“Um…” Spencer said, his eyes doing the same once over that Angie had done on him earlier.
“He already promised to work with me. Didn’t you, Spencer?” the guy prompted, a hint of a conspiratorial smile quirking up at the corner of his mouth.
“Yes,” Spencer said. “Yeah, we talked about it last week. Sorry.”
“Oh,” Angie said, sounding disappointed. “Well, maybe next time.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Spencer said, tamping down his guilt as Angie turned to look for another partner.
The guy took a seat on Spencer’s other side, hauling his messenger bag off his shoulder. He pulled a notebook and pen out of it and then looked at Spencer.
“Sorry if I butted in.”
“You didn’t,” Spencer answered.
“I was sitting behind you, and it kind of looked like you needed a rescue.”
“Yes, thank you,” Spencer said fervently. “It’s not that she isn’t nice or pretty or whatever, but…”
“No gaydar?” the guy suggested.
That elicited a surprised laugh from Spencer, and he re-evaluated the guy quickly. Blue button down, jeans, flip flops, classic emo hair that fell over one eye. Maybe, maybe.
“Exactly.”
“Well, now you’re stuck with me instead, Spencer,” he said.
“And I don’t even know your name,” Spencer replied.
“Hmm…” the guy answered with a teasing grin. “I could tell you, but I kind of like this air of mystery around me right now.”
Spencer upgraded the maybe to a definitely, and added in a hell yeah for good measure. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.
“Jon and Spencer, are you a pair?” the professor asked then, causing them both to jump.
“Uh, yeah,” the guy - Jon - said, wincing good-naturedly when Spencer raised an eyebrow. “Thwarted.”
“It was a good try,” Spencer whispered.
“Wasn’t it, though?” Jon said. “I had this whole plan forming where you would call me Agent Smith for the next two weeks.”
“That would be kind of awkward,” Spencer said.
“For you, maybe,” Jon said.
“No. Well, yeah. But Smith is my last name,” Spencer told him.
“Seriously, what were the odds?” Jon asked. “Spencer Smith, huh? Well, see, you don’t know my last name, so I’m still a little mysterious.”
Professor Coleridge said, “So it’s Walker and Smith…”
“Are you kidding me?” Jon burst out, then added hastily, “I mean, yes, sir, that’s right.”
Spencer hid his face in his hands and laughed.
back up
***
Ryan meets Jon
This should come about two weeks after the first scene.
*
The bell above the entrance jingled, and then he heard Ryan’s voice saying, “Hey, Spencer.”
Spencer turned, pretending to look surprised, and said, “Oh, hey, Ry.”
“So I just took the nastiest Spanish test - I don’t think I even got half of the questions right. Do either of you know how to conjugate ‘ser’ in the present progressive, because I’m pretty sure that’s my TA’s kink or something. When I gave her the test back, I was like, ‘Senorita, lo siento, pero I failed this examen.’” Ryan stopped rambling when he saw the look Spencer was giving him behind Jon’s back. Seriously, he could never stick to the script; he always had to over-sell it. “Anyway. I need coffee or I’m going to be dead before my modern poetry class in an hour.”
Jon gestured to the counter. “Well, you’ve come to the right place.”
“Jon, this is my roommate, Ryan. Ryan, this is Jon. We have Stats 150 together,” Spencer introduced. When Jon leaned forward to shake Ryan’s hand, Spencer raised his eyebrows at Ryan, a silent see what I mean?
“Nice to meet you,” Ryan said. “Does that green apron mean you work here, or are you just a really big fan?”
Jon looked down at his apron and then back up at Ryan with a grin. “Are you kidding? These are the latest fashion craze. Paris Hilton and the Olsen twins have been wearing them since, like, yesterday.”
“That’s hot,” Ryan said drolly, looking unimpressed. “Really, though…”
“Coffee, yes,” Jon said. “My break’s over anyway. It’s lucky you came in or I would have forgotten. Or pretended to forget so that I could keep hanging out with Spencer.”
“You could’ve tried, fucker,” Joe called from behind the counter, prompting Jon to throw a sugar packet at him.
Spencer ducked his head to cover his stupidly happy grin - Jon! Wanted to hang out with him! - but he could still see Ryan smirking at him out of the corner of his eye.
“Coffee, coffee,” Jon repeated, returning his attention to Ryan. “Anything special?”
“Vanilla cappuccino?” Ryan asked. “Small.”
“Got it,” Jon said. “Spencer, how are you doing?”
Spencer held up his half full iced latte for Jon’s inspection. “Fine, thanks.”
Once Jon was occupied with making Ryan’s drink, Ryan dropped his backpack on the floor and sat across from Spencer at the table. They both leaned forward.
“His hair, Spencer, his hair,” Ryan said.
“I know,” Spencer agreed. Jon had really great hair. “The way it falls across his eyes.”
“And he has a lisp,” Ryan said. “Did you hear it?” Spencer scoffed and didn’t bother to answer, because seriously, did he hear it. “I already like him better than Brent.”
“That was two years ago, god, get over it,” Spencer said. He’d dated Brent for a few months during his junior year of high school before Brent broke up with him that summer. Ryan had never liked the guy, and made his feelings very well known. “No, don’t look! He’s going to know we’re talking about him,” Spencer hissed.
“So?” Ryan asked, turning to look at the counter. “Oh yeah, he’s definitely staring.” He snickered. “Wow, this guy is so gone for you, Spencer. Those are the biggest cow eyes I’ve ever seen. You need to have sex, like, immediately.”
Spencer face felt like it was on fire. “Jesus, shut the fuck up, Ryan. Not everyone is like you, okay?”
Ryan opened his mouth to respond, but Jon was at their table then, coffee in hand. “Vanilla cappuccino.”
“Oh, awesome, thanks.” Ryan picked up his backpack and stood. Spencer did not like the mischievous look on his face. “So, listen, I’m going to be gone all night if you guys wanted to hang out and, you know, study, or whatever.”
Spencer squirmed in his seat and tried to project the many and varied ways he was imagining killing Ryan at that moment. Beside him, Jon laughed. “Good to know.”
“Okay, cool. I’m gonna try to get some of this reading done before class. How much do I owe you for the coffee?” Ryan asked.
Jon waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Any friend of Spencer’s and all that.”
“Wow, really? Thanks a lot, man.” He shot Spencer a pointed look. “So much better than Brent.”
Spencer dropped his head into his hands. The jingle of the bell over the door signaled Ryan’s departure.
“Who’s Brent?” Jon asked, and when Spencer didn’t answer, bumped their shoulders. “Hey, hey, who’s Brent?”
“Just…this guy. That I used to date, whatever. Ryan doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Spencer said.
“So I’m not better than him?” Jon asked.
“No, you are,” he said quickly, finally looking up, and immediately blushed at Jon’s sly grin. “Your break is over and I have to get all the way to Wohlers for Econ, so I’m gonna go.”
“Okay,” Jon agreed. “I’ll call you when I get off.”
“Sure,” Spencer muttered, making his way to the door.
“So did I pass?” Jon asked, when Spencer was halfway there.
“Um, what?” Spencer asked, turning back around.
Jon gave him that same sly look. “The best friend test,” he clarified. “Having Ryan coincidentally show up during my shift to size me up. Did I pass? I mean, saying he likes me more than your ex is a good sign, but I want to make sure.”
At the counter, Joe let out a bark of laughter. The girl sitting at the table in front of Spencer ducked her head to hide her smile and pretended to be very involved in her textbook. Spencer scrubbed a hand over his face and tried not to die. This was getting ridiculous. He was either going to have to stop letting Jon get to him this way, or else buy some green and blue clothes to complement his permanently red face.
“Yeah, you passed,” he admitted.
“Excellent, that’s one point for me,” Jon said.
Spencer was pushing the door open, trying to make a hasty exit to save the last of his dignity, when Jon spoke again.
“You did too, by the way,” he said.
“Um.” Wow, Spencer missed his calling as a Communications major with this kind of talent for improvisational public speaking. “What?”
“Here, last week, with Brendon,” Jon explained.
Spencer remembered the way that Brendon had been hanging out at the counter when he came by to give Jon back his book.
“Yeah?” he said, feeling some of his confidence return. “Then that makes us even again, doesn’t it?”
“I guess it does,” Jon answered as he backed up slowly to the counter.
Spencer left the café grinning.
back up
***
Spencer and Jon in Jon's bedroom during the Halloween party
This is part of a much longer scene, most of which I haven't written yet. To refresh your memory:
“Tell me you at least made out,” Ryan said.
“We watched Rocky Horror,” Jon said, squeezing past Spencer in the doorway and deliberately bumping their hips together.
“Have you discovered some kind of aversion to sex that I don’t know about?” Ryan asked. “Your hair’s not even messed up.”
Spencer ran a hand over his perfectly slicked hair. “Let’s go.”
Jon leaned against the wall and said, “Call me when you guys get home. Don’t die, Spencer, it would break my heart.”
*
“Are we going to watch the movie?” Spencer asked, his hand pillowed under his cheek. They were close enough now that Spencer could feel Jon’s slow, moist breaths against his skin.
“Yeah,” Jon said. He made no move toward the remote.
“Okay,” Spencer said. They stared at each other.
“I really like kissing,” Jon said finally, breaking the silence.
Spencer curled his free hand into a fist in an effort to appear uninterested. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“No. I mean, most guys think of it as a formality that they have to get out of the way before fucking. Like, to be polite or whatever. I’m a big fan of hours of hands above the waist making out. Just thought I’d warn you now, because I have a feeling that I’m going to love kissing you, Spencer. So, you know, be prepared. And if you have any objections to that, it would be awesome if you let me know in advance.”
Spencer swallowed, and his tongue peaked out unconsciously to lick along his own bottom lip. Jon’s eyes followed the movement, his gaze hot, as Spencer’s nails dug into the palm of his hand.
“No,” Spencer said, his voice thick. “No objections.”
“Good,” Jon replied, and it sounded to Spencer’s ears like the best kind of promise.
Spencer forced himself to shift away from Jon and fall onto his back. He kept his eyes on the stucco ceiling above him.
After his breathing returned to normal, he said, “You’re not going to win me over by being sexy and charming.” It wasn’t even a lie, since there was no possible way for him to be any more won over than he already was.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Jon said. Then, after a moment, “Sexy and charming, huh?”
“Shut up,” Spencer grumbled.
Jon laughed softly, then asked, “Movie?”
“Movie,” Spencer agreed.
back up
***
Brendon calling Spencer
This takes place the Monday after the party, when Brendon and Ryan go to Moonstruck for hot chocolate.
*
Spencer’s cell phone rang and he fumbled around in his bag looking for it while two girls studying at the next table over glared.
“Hello?” he greeted, without even stopping to look at the caller ID.
It was Brendon. “Spencer,” he whispered. “I need your help.”
“Why are you whispering?” Spencer whispered, turning his head away from the girls watching him.
“Ryan’s in the bathroom. Why are you?” Brendon asked.
“I’m at the library,” Spencer said, before what Brendon said caught up with him. “Wait, Ryan?”
“He came into the IUB, and now we’re at Moonstruck. Quick, you have to give me something to talk about. He’s wearing these jeans, Spencer, oh my god.”
Spencer rubbed his eyes with the heel of his free hand. “Brendon, look, this isn’t a good idea, okay?”
“This is a great idea. This is a fantastic idea,” Brendon countered, his hushed voice full of impatience. “Also, you’re not my mother - which is lucky because if you were, you’d be wasting a lot of time praying for my eternal soul instead of helping me win over the hottest guy in the entire world.”
Spencer raised his eyes heavenward and sighed, giving in. “Just pretend you’re interested in whatever he’s saying.”
Brendon laughed. “Wow, that is so not going to be a problem. But, come on, I need something else.”
If Brendon wanted to do this to himself, fine. Spencer tried to warn him. “You could mention the Cute Is What We Aim For concert on Friday. Ryan likes them.”
“That’s what I’m talking about! You make an amazing wingman, for serious. Oh, shit, he’s coming ba - “
The call disconnected.
back up
***
Ryan mooning
Spencer and Jon have already gotten together here, so it's somewhere in early April. After Unofficial, but before the Gabe Incident.
*
“He’s not listening to you at all,” Jon said, the words pressed into Spencer’s neck.
Spencer watched Ryan on the love seat strumming aimlessly away on his guitar. He could make out the beginning of “Tonight, Tonight” in the tentative chords.
“Does he seem pre-occupied to you?” Spencer asked sarcastically. Then, just to be an asshole, he said, “Brendon.”
Ryan’s gaze shot up. “What?”
Jon’s chuff of laughter was mostly silent against Spencer’s throat, but Spencer didn’t bother to hide his own smirk. “I said that Brendon is probably done practicing by now, and we should call him to hang out.”
Ryan shrugged, trying and failing - oh, so very much failing - to look casual. “That’d be cool.”
back up
Lines in the Sand master post