Flexible--Rydon--35

Brent's eighteenth birthday isn't that big of deal, except that it means that they're that much closer to getting signed.

Emily Wilson makes Brent's favorite breakfast of scrambled eggs and orange juice, and then Ryan surprise-drives him, along with Spencer and Brendon, to a carnival fair on the outskirts of town. "Where are we going?" whines Brent, gazing out the window.

"Patience," Ryan tells him and taps his fingers against the steering wheel when they stop at a red light. Spencer laughs at him, because Ryan? Patient? Yeah, right.

Brendon, on the other hand, can hardly contain his glee. "Omigod, omigod, omigod!" He bounces up and down in the backseat, eliciting an irritated scowl from Spencer. "Can we tell? Please, can we? Can we?"

"Yes, yes," agrees Brent. "Can we?"

Ryan laughs. "No."

Brent pouts. Brendon pouts. Spencer puts on a pair of headphones. And Ryan bitchfaces the rest of the drive.

"A carnival?" gasps Brent, eyes wide with excitement. "You guys are the best!"

Ryan smirks. "I know, right?"

They spend the day going on rides, eating greasy carnival food, and playing arcade games. Spencer wins a giant, inflatable banana and, unsure what to do with it, gives to to Brent ("Uh. Happy birthday, I guess …"), who gives it to Brendon, who carries it around all day with a big grin on his face. Until--

"Oh my god, Ry! It's a roller coaster!"

And then Brendon's handing the banana back to Spencer and dragging a little-less-than-willing Ryan off the ride the coaster.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," mumbles Ryan under his breath, eyes squeezed shut as Brendon squeals and throws his arms in the air.

So really it's Brendon's own fault, when Ryan barfs on his lap.

"Ewww, Ryan!"

One emergency trip to nearest bathroom later, Brendon emerges with his wet--and clumsily washed--t-shirt slung over one shoulder and a very sick looking Ryan clinging to his arm. Spencer raises his eyebrow at the duo and silently hands the banana back to Brendon.

Brendon grins. "Oh, thanks for holding this for me, dude."

Laughing, Brent buys some garlic fries and offers them to everyone.

"No. Thank you," whispers Ryan in a hoarse voice, managing a quest smile, and Spencer just cracks up.

"Oh, man, Ryan. You look so sick off your ass."

"You try braving a coaster with Brendon sometime--see how you handle it!" Ryan snaps back.

Brendon bites his lip. "Sorry, Ryro," he murmurs, awkwardly patting the taller boy on the shoulder. "I didn't realize that you would, uh … lose your lunch."

Brent and Spencer roar with laughter while Ryan scowls. "We're going home," he tells them in a snippy voice.

That gets their attention. "What? No!" protests Brent. "I'm having fun."

"Fine. Have it your way." Ryan flaps a limp wrist and Brendon wonders if he knows just how obvious his gayness is at the moment. "Walk home."

"Nooooooo!"

Scowling, Ryan ends up lurching to the car with Brent, Spencer, and Brendon clinging to him to make sure he won't leave them behind. "You're all asses," he tells them in a mutter, once they're safely back in the car.

Brendon grins. "Aw, come on, Ryry," he says. "You know you love us."

Keeping a glower on his face for a couple more seconds, Ryan finally allows himself to smile sheepishly at his friends as he pulls out of the parking lot. "Yeah," he agrees. "I totally do."

They all spend the night at Brent's house; Spencer and Mr. Birthday-Boy in the sleeping bags, and Ryan and Brendon curled together on the bed, as per usual. "Happy birthday, Brent," murmurs Brendon in the darkness, pressing his face into Ryan's chest and warming his cold feet on the older boy's bare legs.

"Oh, Jesus-fuck, Bren!"

"What? My feet are cold!"

"I'll say."

"Oh my god! We forget to sing happy birthday to Brent! How could we forget something like that?"

So they sing Happy Birthday to Brent, and for the first time, Ryan wonders if maybe Brendon isn't the straightest ruler in the drawer.

"Happy birthday, dear Bre-ent! Happy birthday to you!"

But really? Brent's eighteenth birthday isn't that big of deal, except that it means that they're that much closer to getting signed.