How do you justify I'm mystified by the ways of your heart

With a million lies the truth will rise to tear you apart

~~~

"Why do I have to go?" Jon reluctantly followed Ryan to the front door of some random bar.

"Quit complaining. You never go out. This will be good for you." Jon rolled his eyes, but didn't argue. When they got in, Ryan scanned the room, stopping when he spotted his boyfriend. Jon looked to who his friend was smiling at, dread filling him when he spotted the dark haired man.

"You didn't." Ryan nodded, grabbing his wrist. Jon was pulled to the table Brendon and Spencer were sitting at.

"Did we keep you waiting long?" Spencer shook his head, sipping at his beer. He looked uneasy about being there. Jon grimaced when Ryan kissed Brendon's cheek as they sat down.

"I didn't realize Jon was coming so I only ordered one beer."

"That's fine. We'll just another." When a waitress came with a beer, they asked for another which they didn't have to wait long for. Jon nodded in thanks and quickly brought the bottle to his lips, eager to get some alcohol into his body.

"How was work?" Ryan dove into the details of some surgery he had earlier. Jon stayed quiet, quickly finishing his bottle and ordering another. The group had gone through a couple rounds, chatting about anything that came up from the flow of conversation.

Jon was the only one who wasn't engaging, earning himself a few glares from Ryan. He would only roll his eyes at the gesture. He knew the only reason he was dragged to this was to spend time with Brendon. Ryan was getting tired of how his friend was being so cold to his boyfriend. Whenever asked a question, Jon would give short answers and return to silence. It was around the sixth beer that Jon wasn't able to hold back his annoyance as much.

"The dude followed me down a few more aisles before coming up and asking for my number," Brendon spoke about his recent trip to the store.

"Did you give it to him," Jon questioned. The three turned to him, surprised to hear him actually speak.

"No," Brendon said with a chuckle of disbelief. "Of course not." He looked over a Ryan with a confused eyebrow raised.

"Are you sure you're not lying? Wouldn't be the first secret you kept from Ryan," Jon said without thinking.

"Jon," Ryan said in a warning tone.

"You haven't asked him like I told you to have you," Jon addressed Ryan. He took another drink of his beer and turned to Brendon. "Why don't you ask him right now if he has something to share?" Brendon felt his heart slamming in his chest.

"I don't --," Brendon said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"He doesn't need to be forced to say something because you think he's hiding something," Ryan cut him off.

"Brendon," Spencer whispered, worried about how heavy Brendon's breathing was getting.

"He's not perfect!" Jon slammed his bottle on the table, glaring at Ryan. "Stop thinking he is!"

"Hey, look! They have a karaoke machine," Spencer shouted, pointing to the corner of the room hoping to distract everyone from the conversation. Brendon snapped his head up, staring wide eyed at Spencer.

"I'll pass," Jon huffed, seeming to calm down a small amount.

"I don't sing," Brendon mumbled. Ryan wrapped an arm around his shoulder, trying to ignore the tension at the table.

"You don't have to be good. It's still fun to scream your lungs out." Brendon shook his head. He shut his eyes, feeling the room spinning quickly around him. "Just sing one song with me," Ryan pleaded.

"I... don't," Brendon weakly let out.

"Bren," Spencer leaned forward, worried by how pale his friend suddenly looked. Brendon swayed in his seat, struggling to keep himself upright. It felt as if something heavy was on him, weighing him down.

"Spencer," he whispered before collapsing onto the table. The three were quick to their feet. Ryan repositioned Brendon, bringing him down to the floor to lay down. He pressed two fingers to the side of his neck. He sighed in relief and looked up at the other two men.

"He's still breathing. Just unconscious." Spencer nodded and getting on the phone to call for an ambulance. A few employees came over, concern written al over their faces.

"Jon," Ryan looked up at his friend. "I want you to help him when we get to the hospital." Jon was quick to sober up for the situation. He almost refused Ryan's request, not wanting to be a part of the situation anymore. His rejection caught in his through once he took in Ryan's current state.

The man was trembling as the repositioned Brendon's head more comfortably on his lap and stroked the unconscious man's hair. His body was tense, resonating worry that those who didn't know him couldn't see. As a doctor, Ryan was able to stay calm in any emergency and had one of the steadiest hands that Jon had ever seen, which made this more unsettling.

Jon looked over at Spencer who was kneeling beside the couple. It was evident the two were in distress over Brendon, but Jon was surprised at the scene. The amount these two cared about the unconscious man was undeniable.

"Jon." He turned to see Ryan looking up with pleading eyes. Brendon must've been one hell of a boyfriend to make such a well respected doctors look so desperate. "Please," he begged. Jon nodded slowly.

"Okay," he said more surely when some of Ryan's composure returned with the reassurance that someone he knew and trusted would take care of Brendon. Jon's gaze went over to Spencer.

A hint of anger grew in Jon. Ryan was the only one who didn't know why this happened. Both Spencer and Jon had a pretty good idea and would likely need to lie about it later. The thought continued to irritate him. He was tired of Brendon keeping it all a secret, worrying Ryan with uncertainty and being okay with it. He really couldn't stand the bastard.