#brandon.

Over the last few years Brandon had called Palmview home, there were a few places that had begun to feel more home than the others. The bookstore was simply one of them. It somewhere he could curl up in a corner and be unbothered for a few hours... and if he was lucky, he could even carve out some time to write there. It was his way of justifying the fact that he took home a new book every week -- if he managed to hit his word count for the week, Bran could treat himself to a new book, and in turn add to his never ending TBR. “How about a deal,” he said, turning to the person seated a few feet away from him, a desperate effort to break out of his own shell. “You tell me about the book you’re currently reading and I’ll buy you a coffee.”

This was a small stack of books compared to what Brandon usually donated to the Little Library. He had a problem and that problem was that he couldn't stop buying books. When he'd first started writing his manuscript, he'd spent hours at the bookstore buying "source material" as he called it, and convincing himself that he couldn't rightfully take up space for hours in the store if he didn't purchase at least one thing, but that had quickly become an unsustainable practice. As a result, he'd moved to working from the library. That way, he could access the books without having to purchase them, but that still left him with more books than he had space for. So, now, each week he'd select a few and surrender them to the little library in hopes that they would find better permanent homes.

It had become such a habit that Brandon hadn't really been paying attention to his surroundings, a fact that would usually not bother him but which he now desperately regretted as he stood face to face with Charlie Hughes. It had been a while since he'd seen the other man. After his injury, Charlie had retired and Bran's attention had remained on his own career; he'd hardly had time to keep up with the life of someone who was barely even an acquaintance. Still, he was a bit surprised to see the other man here. "So," he spoke without preamble, "this is where you've gotten up to."

“No.” He hadn’t mean to sound like he was whining but he couldn’t help it. “It’s not better. And it’s not true at all, I always wanna kiss you but I don’t think you’d want me to so…” Brandon slurred before he knocked back a shot, he didn’t need another one not really but it was better than just staring at Ben. Sober Brandon would have recognized right away that He probably shouldn’t of said that but drunk Brandon was more upset over the lack of kisses.

ben didn’t know what to say or do in the moment. he knew brandon was drunk but he really didn’t know that brandon wanted any of this. ben was a good friend. he always wanted to see him happy and if kissing him to calm him down made brandon feel better, he wasn’t opposed to it. “i think this is a conversation we should be having when we’re not surrounded by all these people and drinking.” how was ben so calm and logical right now? his head shook. he didn’t care about all of that right now. he wanted to kiss brandon all the time as well. especially right now. so he did. he reattached his hands to the other’s face before pressing a hard kiss on the male’s mouth. it wasn’t soft like the time before. it was filled with need and want. 

Brandon: Yep, no I’m right with you. Just making a note to go shopping before I head home so I can do some baking with Chris this weekend. 

do you hear HALL OF FAME BY THE SCRIPT playing? oh, that must be BRANDON MURRAY breezing by. i don’t know if you recognize them, but they look like JACOB SCIPIO to me. i heard that HE has been in town for TWO YEARS, which is crazy considering they are 33 years old. yeah, they live over on ELECTRIC AVENUE, and i heard that they work as a RETIRED FOOTBALLER/ NOVELIST ( IN TOWN ). i love that they remind me of GRASS STAINS ON THE KNEES OF HIS TROUSERS, PENCILS TUCKED BEHIND HIS EAR, AND AN INSATIABLE SWEET TOOTH, but … ugh, their playlist is so weird. why are FIRST DAY OF MY LIFE and 365 in the queue?