barrelbrandon

[barrelbrandon]

Even if he didn’t know that agreeing to get up and out of the house was good for his own mental health, just seeing how excited it made Landon would have been a good enough reason to go along with it all. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to lay back down and let you keep going?” he asks teasingly, one of the first genuine smiles in a while growing on his face. He makes a pretend move to do exactly that but stops as soon as his roommate’s arm comes to rest around his neck, holding him in place. It felt good, being back in the boy’s embrace and knowing that they were going to have a normal night together. The grieving had been necessary, Brandon knew that much to be true, but over the last few days it had turned into more of a state of moping than anything of actual use. And that meant it was time to start moving forward, taking the first few steps towards getting back to normal.

He’s ready to say he’s good to just go, having actually showered earlier that morning for the first time in days - but then he thinks it over just a moment and shakes his head. “Let me brush my teeth and do my hair, then I’m good to go.” Of course there wasn’t anyone he needed to impress, like the boy said, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t put in even a bit of effort. The bare minimum, at least. He figured brushing his teeth and throwing his hair up in a man-bun was better than doing nothing. “Yeah, well, I want to keep you on those knees and begging - and one whiff of my breath would be enough to have anyone, even you, running for the hills."

With a wide smile and a kiss on the other boy's lips, Landon practically leapt from the floor. He hadn't been sure his pleading would work, especially since he'd suggested the idea of going out before and had been met with declinations of his offer. As he outstretched his arms, Landon pulled his roommate out of his bed excitedly. "I actually thought that would take way more work than it did," he confessed, releasing Brandon's hands to wrap his arms around his neck. "But, paying and listening to one questionable song sounds easy enough to me." As much as he didn't want to see Annette's miscarriage as a setback to simply get over, moving past at least the depressive state he'd seen Barrel in was a step in the right direction. And, if it meant getting the tab and letting him request a stupid song, so be it.

"Do you need a few, or are you ready?" he asked, looking the other boy up and down as he kept him in his arms. Landon had been prepared to leave at a moment's notice, in his usual black from top to bottom. Besides a few pair of denim jeans, it was really the only color he owned, just in varying shades. "Not that you have anyone to impress but me, anyway, and I was just on my knees begging you to come out with me, so," he pointed out.

[barrelbrandon]

It had been a few weeks since the attack and the premature loss of his child and well, Brandon liked to think that he was handling it fairly well, all things considered. Things hadn’t been exactly going smoothly anyway with Annette, their conflicting opinions on what to do once the baby was born having put a bit of tension between them during the weeks that had led up to the end. So really, maybe it was for the best that they no longer had to fight over what they were going to do, even if that sounded awful to think he couldn’t help but feel that way. Because in the end, one of them was going to be upset about whatever outcome they decided upon. And Barrel knew if she did end up getting her way and they gave their baby to anyone else to raise, he’d never be able to forgive himself. Which would easily turn into resentment towards Annette - and that was the last thing he wanted. So for all this sucked, and it really did, it might have just… been for the best.

But that was a hard pill to swallow and had taken quite some time to come to terms with. Which meant Brandon was hardly being his usual self, only really going to work and doing the bare minimum expected of him around the apartment - sticking to his room and just thinking and thinking and thinking during all of his free time. So maybe Landon was right, as he sat at the edge of his bed and practically begged him to finally get out of the house and go do something other than just laying around. Head tilted to the side, he stared at the older boy for a moment before letting out a loud and dramatic sigh. As shitty as it felt, he really did need to start moving forward with his life. He couldn’t just wallow away forever and a night out with his roommate did actually sound like a good time. ���Alright,” he agreed with a nod, holding out his arms and waiting for Landon to help pull him up despite the fact that he was perfectly capable of standing on his own. “But you’re paying. And I get to beg the DJ to play at least one Poppy song.” Not that it was usually necessary, but after a drink or two he always found it so funny to join the rest of the girlies in their recommendation for the silly bubblegum pop songs.

who: landon & @barrelbrandon where: their apartment

It hadn't been the happiest of times in the apartment shared between the three, but Landon was hoping that things were getting back on track, now that the small problem Barrel had presented him with had been taken care of by fate, nature, or both. It wasn't that he wanted to see his best friend so upset, or devastated that he wasn't going to become a parent, but, if anyone, Landon had always thought that they were going to have children with Sadie. It felt wrong to do it some other way. So, when the news had come that Annette had miscarried, of course he'd been sad for him, but, after the conversation with Brandon, Landon couldn't deny that he had gone and had his own singular celebration for the demise of the thing that was going to potentially break their apartment apart.

It was now that he was trying to bring the younger boy's spirits up, practically begging for Brandon to come out with him on their night off. "Come on, we'll have fun. You haven't been out in ages. It'll just be us, too--Sadie's working tonight." As his roommate sat in his bed, Landon knelt himself beside the edge, practically pleading with him to succumb to his plan. "We haven't been out in, how long? Just the two of us. It'll be fun, I promise. We can go wherever you want, and do whatever you want when we get back," he promised.

[barrelbrandon]

While it was at least partially reassuring to hear Annette confirm that she was fine, the fact that she wasn’t quick to also tack on the fact that their baby was fine too immediately raised a warning sign in Brandon’s mind. Before she even officially confirmed it, just simply mentioning the baby and a loss of blood in the same sentence he knew. The baby hadn’t made it. For a moment, he simply lets himself sit with that fact, even as she was still explaining everything. His eyes close and he takes a deep breath, knowing this is something he’ll have to process and deal with later on his own, but can’t allow himself to get dragged down by it right now. No, right now he needed to be there for Annette. Because if he was already hurting this bad at the thought of losing the baby, he could only imagine how intense it must be for her. “Hey, don’t be sorry,” he starts, reopening his eyes and offering a very forced smile, nothing like the easygoing one that almost always graced his face. Moving to finally take the spot beside her on the bed, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. “It’s okay, it’ll be alright. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

༝༝༝ ☾ ༝༝༝

He said it and her stomach's knots doubled over onto themselves. A part of her was convinced if Brandon didn't bring it up then she wouldn't have to say it out loud. While it wasn't the first time the words left her lips, Annette hadn't wanted to taste their bitterness again. The tidal wave of emotions she'd been through over the last few months had all come back to this moment where none of it even mattered. All of the worrying, the planning, and in a second it was gone. "I'm fine, uh..." The girl bit her lip as she tried to keep the floodgates closed but forced herself to say what had happened. He deserved to know, Annette just struggled to find the right way to say it, knowing how delicate of a situation she was in. "The baby... After the attack I lost a lot of blood, I don't know... Um." She pulled her lips back into her mouth with her eyes shutting to hold herself back. "It didn't make it..." The girl finally said, the metallic taste of blood back in her mouth but she wasn't sure if it was from the words or biting too roughly on her cheek. "I am so sorry, Brandon. I didn't know how to tell you."

[barrelbrandon]

It had taken a lot of self-restraint to keep him away once he heard about Annette being shot at during the attack of the festival. But she had asked for some time to recover alone, and he wasn’t about to be the type of asshole that couldn’t respect her wishes. She said she was going to be fine and he had to trust that, at least for now. If she had waited too much longer to get back in contact with him, he might have broken - but thankfully she told him to come by her mother’s house and he was quick to make his way over. Seeing Annette answering the door was a bit of a surprise, Brandon fully having been prepared to speak with her mother for the first time in months, but it was a good surprise. The bright smile that was on his face falters only slightly at the less than enthused expression on her own and he holds back from launching himself at her in a hug, instead following behind towards her room dutifully and waiting to see what was obviously wrong. “Yeah, of course,” he acknowledges the thanks, standing somewhat awkwardly to the side, unsure if he’s supposed to join her on the bed. All of this seemed off, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. “Ann… What’s up? Is everything okay? Are you alright? Is the baby okay?”

- timeskip -

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Annette hadn't been able to look at him since the accident. In fact, the girl didn't even send a text message letting him know about the festival. It was better to deal with this without him or at least she'd thought so when she barricaded herself in her mother's home. She could only hide for so long, knowing that Brandon deserved to mourn the loss the way she did. He'd gotten enough information to keep him from coming around and asking questions but today she came at the situation head-on. Annette was anxiously picking at her nail polish on the couch when the doorbell rang and she knew it was time, she couldn't hide behind excuses anymore. "Hey, come in," the brunette waved him in, then leading down the hallway to her room that had been her sanctuary since the attack. "We can talk in here." She tugged at the sleeves of her cardigan as she sat on her bed, unable to find the right way to put the words together. "Thanks uh, you know, for coming. Sorry for going quiet on you. I... I just needed some time."

[barrelbrandon]

“Okay,” he says once more, repeating the same word he feels like he’s said a million times in this conversation. Admitting she was okay-ish maybe was a good start, Brandon supposed. It was better than outright saying she was doing shitty or something was wrong. Okay-ish maybe he could work with, he could probably find a way to turn it into a full on just okay. Or at least, that’s what he was thinking until the real bomb was finally dropped. He’s silent for a moment as his brain almost somewhat short circuits. Fuck. Oh fuck. Sadie’s going to kill him. Landon might even help. Fuck. A few seconds pass before he realizes Annette’s sitting there, waiting for him to respond to the news, and that in itself is more important than worrying about how his partners were going to react. “Okay.” There goes that word again, but really, what else is there to say. “Have you uhmm… Do you – Are you going to keep it? Or do you want to… you know… I mean, I support you either way. It’s your decision, your body, all that stuff, yeah… But uhh… What are you thinking?”

༝༝༝ ☾ ༝༝༝

The knot in her stomach was growing, only adding to the nausea she already felt. No matter how many times she went over what she was going to say nothing could've prepared her for the moment of truth. There was no turning back now, the pregnancy test was an Etch a Sketch that Annette was unable to shake clear. While she wanted to pretend this never happened and take it all back, it was too late to decide to make better choices now. As they sat on the couch and she looked anywhere besides in his eyes the words were starting to bubble out reluctantly. "I mean, yeah, I guess... Okay-ish maybe." Normally it was difficult to keep Annette from saying exactly what was on her mind but this had been a special case. These were words she hadn't expected to say for a long time, if ever. After a deep inhale she ripped off the bandaid and waited for the pieces to fall where they may. "I'm uh, I'm pregnant."

[barrelbrandon]

Though he didn’t outright say it, it was obvious Landon wasn’t excited about the news. Which Brandon hadn’t expected to happen, not by a long shot, but well… maybe a small part of him had hoped that the older boy would be at least a little bit happy about it. But any chance of that happening seemed impossible now. Letting out a groan, Barrel leans over and grabs a pillow from the top of the bed and presses it into his head. Which was a silent confirmation that he was indeed not kidding.

“Three months, I think,” he answers, the words muffled from the pillow. Holding the fabric down into his face with a bit more pressure, he let out a short scream into the stuffed material before removing it and throwing it down next to him. “And… I’m pretty sure she wants to keep it.” Which was where the real trouble came in. There was going to be no hiding it from Sadie if, or more accurately when Annette actually had the kid. And Barrel couldn’t even begin to guess how bad that was going to be.

Whatever Landon had in the back of his mind to expect when the other boy had entered the room, it certainly hadn't been this. Pregnancy was permanent--regardless of whether the child was to be kept by Annette, or even born at all, it still cast a permanency over the girl in their lives. No matter who he'd slept with outside of his roommates, Landon had done his homework in keeping any potential scare at bay, out of fear of this very possibility. He wanted to shake him, to rip him to shreds about how stupid he was, but he had the feeling that would come eventually from Sadie.

"Please tell me you're kidding," he practically begged, though with the genuine panic he could see in Brandon's eyes, he had a feeling this was the unfortunate truth. Landon let out a sigh, his hands running through his hair as his mind raced in the direction of a solution. "How far along?" he asked, hoping it wasn't too late to take preemptive measures to avoid this ever coming to light. Maybe, if they could prevent Sadie from ever finding out, they could save their house from civil war.

[barrelbrandon]

There was a moment of hesitation before he responded, the realization that maybe Landon will be upset about this too hitting him like a brick. “Promise you won’t be mad?” he requests, turning his head to look at the older boy with an almost desperation in his eyes. Up until this moment he had been so focused on how Sadie was going to react that he hadn’t even let himself consider what his other partner might think. Which was kind of fucked up, Brandon knew, but he would argue also valid - considering Sadie’s anger would likely be far more volatile and violent.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Barrel’s eyes stayed glued onto Landon to take in every aspect of his reaction. “Annette’s pregnant,” he finally confesses, the words shooting out in a rush. There’s more he could say - tell him that he wasn’t entirely sure what they planned to do or explain how it had been a complete and utter accident, but instead he just simply stares at the other boy, waiting for whatever might be coming.

It had been a longer streak than Landon had anticipated for the drama in the apartment to be continuing. Of course they'd had their fights over the years, like normal people in relationships and roommates did, but this was on another level. He feared that, if it went on much longer, it might take double the time for Sadie and Brandon to bounce back to where they were, but Landon could only do so much to both control Sadie's temper and keep Brandon from pissing her off any further. Being the middle man was getting exhausting, and somehow, he had a feeling in his gut the moment the younger boy knocked on the door that he was going to be given another headache.

Confirming his suspicion, Brandon flopped back on the bed, and with his admission, Landon's mind could only begin to predict and prepare for whatever truth bomb he was about to drop. "What the hell did you do?" he asked before he could go any further, hoping that Barrel hadn't done anything that couldn't be undone. Permanence was where things got sticky.

[barrelbrandon]

For all Brandon wasn’t the smartest guy around, far from it really, he wasn’t a complete idiot. Especially not when it came to other people’s feelings - what he lacked in book smarts he liked to think he made up for in what the internet liked to call emotional intelligence. So it isn’t hard for him to see right through Annette’s facade, to notice the forced nature behind her smile and the very obvious nerves coursing through her. But just because he notices it all, he doesn’t address it or call her out on lying. It was clear that she had something to tell him, likely about whatever was worrying her so much, and the best thing to do was just let her get it all out at her own pace.

“Okay,” he agreed easily, already having put that together. Nodding his head as well, he followed to sit down on the couch as well, keeping a bit more distance between them than he would have on any other occasion. Not because he doesn’t want to be close to her, but just wanting to give her the space she may potentially need to get through whatever this conversation was going to be. There were plenty of scenarios running through his head at what she might want to say, most of them involving ending whatever it was they had between them. And while Barrel would be upset if that were the case, he knew in the long run he’d be okay. They’d both be okay. And it was with that thought that allowed him to remain as relaxed as he currently was, not letting himself stress or worry over whatever might happen. “So… everything okay?”

༝༝༝ ☾ ༝༝༝

Everything was going to change. As much as she'd been silently praying that her hunch was only that, the reality sank in her chest like a capsized cruise ship. Her chest was heavy while scenarios flashed in her head. She'd handle it as best she could but this wasn't something she had done alone, a certain boy playing a part in this catastrophe. This was a conversation she didn't want to have now or really ever for that matter. That wouldn't change what had already been done and the two blue lines that stared her straight in the face. Maybe if she closed her eyes another time and reopened them they would disappear. Annette wasn't so lucky, forced to face the lump that had formed in her throat.

When Brandon arrived she quickly answered the door, having been waiting anxiously since sending the message. The girl thought that seeing him would provide some semblance of comfort but instead brought a whole new wave of reality. Annette put on her best face, finding a small smile and a nod to his initial concern. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," she confirmed verbally in the hopes he didn't see right through her. Even though it was only a matter of minutes before the truth came out she still wanted to live in the fleeting bliss for a moment more. "I - I have to talk to you about something..." Her voice trailed off while her brain fired on all cylinders trying to find the right words. Brandon didn't seem the type but she knew better: anyone could leave. "You might wanna sit down." Annette took her own advice and went to the spot she'd been keeping warm while waiting for him.

[barrelbrandon]

@landonlocks

CHALLENGERS (2024) Dir. Luca Guadagnino

[barrelbrandon]

CHARLIE GILLESPIE Suze (2023)

[barrelbrandon]

At the way that the man repeated his name, asking for confirmation as if he hadn’t just heard Barrel introduce himself, an eyebrow raised ever so slightly but he knew better than to question Hopper out loud. Especially not in this moment when he was trying so hard to make a better impression than the ones he knows he’s left on the man in the past. “Brandon, yeah. That’s me. I go by Barrel too, but Brandon’s the official name,” he confirms, knowing he probably sounds like a dumbass but also refusing to fully change himself just to get Hopper’s approval. It probably would have been smart, but well, he’s never been the sharpest in the bunch - that was always Sadie or Landon.

Slowly nodding his head, Brandon understood exactly what this was. A threat - one that he probably thought was going to scare him away from Annette. Or maybe it was more of a promise. Both were likely. And warranted, considering Barrel and his group had indeed crossed the Locust. In a very open and direct way, at that. “Yeah… I know that. You cut off fingers too,” he adds, again stupidly. “But I also know that you care for your daughter. And I do too. So I was kind of hoping, that maybe perhaps I could kind of get a chance at a do-over on all that? I know you don’t usually ever let anyone get second chances… But I figured it was worth a shot to ask?” Oh this was so dumb, and not at all what he had practiced with Landon earlier, but it was like the words just tumbled out of his mouth without his permission. “I’ve known Annette for a long time, and she’s always been really cool. But now I’ve been like actually hanging out with her and I want to keep doing that - for as long as she’ll let me stay around. I hope that’s okay.”

Hopper regarded the young man with a stony expression, his face unmoving, devoid of any hint of amusement or reaction. Yet, it was his deep blue eyes that seemed to pierce through the boy, scrutinizing him as if he were a specimen under intense surveillance. One thing was certain: Hopper didn't like the boy, and his words were only exacerbating the situation. The urge to reach for his gun and vanish the boy from his presence surged within him. Yet, he knew better than to shatter any remnants of his daughter's happiness. She bore the Hopper name, and that alone was burden enough.

As the boy prattled on, Hopper remained standing, his demeanor akin to that of a judge awaiting the moment to deliver his verdict. He exuded an eerie aura, tinged with a palpable sense of boredom. "You're Brandon, right?" he repeated, his tone flat, showing no interest in the boy's ramblings. "Tell me, do you know what happens to someone who crosses the Locust?" Hopper's piercing blue eyes contrasted sharply with the darkness of his countenance. "I feed them to the dogs."

[barrelbrandon]

~ timeskip ~

Coming back home after a few hours with Annette, Brandon had never been happier to see the shared space of the apartment empty. And thankfully it seemed as if Sadie weren’t home, if the darkness of her room was any indicator, unless she was with Landon. But after a moment of standing outside of the older boy’s door, he decided that probably wasn’t the case - there wasn’t any talking or other types of noises coming from inside, which left him to believe and hope that he was alone. After a knock on the door and a come on in called from inside, Barrel thankfully confirmed that assumption when he made his way into the room. The news he had to break wasn’t going to be pretty for either roommate - but he knew Landon was going to be the far easier of the two.

Walking further into the room, Brandon heaved what might be the heaviest and loudest sigh he’s ever let out as he flopped backwards onto the other boy’s bed. “I think I did it,” he starts off, being purposefully vague as he works up the nerve to get around to dropping the bomb. “I think I might have finally found what’s gonna push Sadie over the edge to murdering me.” Or Annette. That was actually more likely, but Barrel didn’t want to think on that. It was easier to focus on his own part and blame for the situation.

If it wasn't for the fact that his roommate was here with a date, Landon would've kissed him after that comment. Sadie would've perhaps encouraged it, too, but it wasn't worth risking the consequences on Brandon's behalf and leaving him with a black eye, heartbroken, or both. Instead, he hummed in satisfaction, a smirk coming to his lips to replace the frustration he'd shared about the other boy's decision to want to meet the father of the girl he was seeing.

Landon hadn't meant to encourage him, but it seemed like his suggestion had done just that. At the very least, he could have an eye on Brandon when he approached him, to be sure he would make it out of the conversation alive. "I wouldn't put anything past that man," he disclaimed, "but you probably have a better chance of nothing happening to you in front of an entire crowd of people, yeah." Landon let out a sigh, knowing this was probably too far from saving at this point. "Alright, what are you even gonna say? We're rehearsing. I'm not letting you go in there cold."

[barrelbrandon]

~ timeskip ~

Ever since the night of that fancy engagement party, Brandon had found himself spending even more time with a certain brunette girl. If he wasn’t at work chances were high he was likely with Annette rather than at his own apartment. Which he felt guilty about and had been trying to fix in some kind of way, but it was hard to want to be around there when Sadie was clearly still pissed at him. And he knew that his avoiding her was only adding fuel to that fire, but he’d yet to find the right thing to say or do to appease her, which just made hanging out with Annette instead seem like the far easier option. So when she texted him asking for him to stop by her place after his shift ended, it wasn’t anything new or surprising. No red flags or worry signs had flared off quite yet and it remained that way until he was at her place and he took one look at her face when she opened the door.

Instantly, he knew something was up. Her usual smile was there, but it wasn’t as big nor did it quite reach her eyes the way it normally would. There was a tension in her shoulders and something brewing under the surface in her expression that Barrel couldn’t quite decipher, but he knew was there. “You okay?” he asks before he can stop himself. He’d long since learned that typically asking that to someone who very clearly wasn’t okay was a surefire way to only make things worse - but in the moment he didn’t quite know what else to do. Not until he knew what was happening or why she was so off right now. His eyes searched hers as he tried to pinpoint exactly what she might be feeling other than just the general sense of stress he was getting from her.

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Annette didn't know what brought about the confidence that night but she wore it proudly in the moment. Maybe tomorrow she'd regret the way she had acted, only if Brandon hadn't liked her boldness. It wasn't like her to care what a boy thought but to her, he wasn't just any other boy. The brunette didn't know why fate had put them in the same basement that night and what it had done to her brain that made her unable to stay away from him. Even when everything was against them, she couldn't help but find her way back. "Maybe you do and you could put in a good word for me." It was simple banter and she found sanctuary in that. Things didn't need to be so serious all the time, Barrel helping her realize that. He was her escape from her family, her work, and the reality of what they'd one day have to face. Annette thought she could be making headway with Sadie after their conversation on the dancefloor. That was the biggest hurdle she could see, knowing his roommates were the most important people to him, and without their approval, nothing would ever come to fruition.

She wanted to enjoy the time they had together without worrying about the future, only tonight having been so forward with her feelings. Right now she knew one thing for sure and it was that she didn't want to be anywhere else than with him. "And I trust you," her words were soft before his lips silenced her. It was a moment she'd been waiting for without even knowing. She got onto her toes, her arms draping over his shoulders as Annette gave into her desires. A girl usually so calculated had turned spontaneous when it came to the boy in front of her. "Do you wanna get out of here?" She pulled away enough to speak but not where she couldn't still feel their breaths mixing. Her words had come out almost without her realizing, something else taking over her. All she knew for certain was that she wanted to be with him.

[barrelbrandon]

And that was where she had him, and they both knew it. Because for all Annette was technically just a friend at this point, they’d yet to really label themselves as anything else, there was no denying that there was something between them. Something far stronger than anything he’d felt with any of the others he had casually hooked up with before. “She’s important to me,” he finally settled on saying, the simplest form of the truth. Barrel may not know what Annette was to him completely, but he could at least admit that she was an important part of his life now. Shaking his head at the rest of her questioning, he refused to think that negatively. Which may have been naive and dumb of him - but he wasn’t ready to face that hard of a reality yet. “I know what side I’m on. And it’s not Oogie’s or Hopper’s - it’s yours and Landons. You know that. That’s always where I stand.” Those words were said with a confidence that his earlier sentiments had lacked, for that was one thing in his life that Brandon never felt conflicted or confused on. It was the three of them against the world always and they would absolutely, without a doubt, always be the top priority in his life. Reaching out to place his hand on her shoulder, he offered her one of his dopey grins as he shook his head once more. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m a big boy, Sades, I can handle myself.”

༝༝ ✂ ༝༝

"Is she really just a friend though and nothing else?" Sadie questioned his words, eyeballing him as she spoke. Even his tone had shifted into one that she never heard and the brunette was happy to return the favor. If he wanted to point fingers then hers was already outstretched. She'd had a bad taste in her mouth ever since he started hanging around Annette and that wasn't going to change just because he trusted her. Whether her boys wanted her to or not, she'd taken it upon herself to protect them at all costs, though it appeared that Barrel couldn't see the danger of his new friend. "It didn't seem complicated when we were kidnapping her," the brunette muttered, her eyes for a moment going back to the papers on the coffee table. Things made sense when they were working and doing what they did best but recently his chaos had come in a different package. This one was a short brunette who Sadie considered to be a threat to her family dynamic. "It's not just about that." The girl's gaze shot back to him, hoping he saw the worry beneath the jealousy. "You're going to have to pick a side sooner or later. She's a Hopper, whether you think it matters or not. And I don't expect him to take it well when he finds out it's one of Oogie's boys hanging around his little princess." Sadie understood doing things for the chaos but this was one that she couldn't comprehend, knowing what could could come when the inevitable happened. "What about me, and Landon? What are we going to do if something bad happens to you because of her?"

[barrelbrandon]

As she starts to sell herself short and insist she wouldn’t know how to dance, Brandon’s just about to promise they don’t have to do anything fancy or more than just sway to the music but before he has a chance to even open his mouth she’s deciding to go for it. And that puts a grin back on his face as he nods and interlocks their fingers to follow out to the dance floor, settling in easily with his hands on her waist as they begin moving to the rhythm of the song. “You’re doing great,” he encourages her, despite the fact that they were barely even dancing. It was all fine with him, he’d much prefer to simply just sway and talk with her than do anything too fancy or impressive.

“Oh, yeah? Tell me about this guy. Maybe I know him,” he teased, looking down at her with a bright smile of his own - one he didn’t even try to hide. Brandon was never one to push aside his emotions, when he was happy everyone knew it. That’s partially why he was always walking around with the stupid grin on his face, content with all the small things in life that he strongly believed if you enjoyed long enough would add up to something far bigger. “You are pretty. And safe with me. I won’t let anything happen to you again,” he promises, a fact that it still amazes him that she believes. After everything that had happened, Annette had ever reason to hate him or even be terrified of what he and his partners were capable of - but somehow she still trusted him. And that meant far more to Barrel than anyone could realize. Her trust was something he never wanted to break again. Which was also part of why he hadn’t made a move on her yet, like she just called him out on - having wanted to keep the ball in her court, afraid of moving too fast or pushing her away. But now as they stood so close together, swaying on the dancefloor, she had all but given him the widest opening and invitation - and who was he to deny that? Removing one hand from her waist, he brought it up to lift her chin ever so slightly as he slowly leaned in, giving her time to pull back or change her mind. But when she didn’t falter in the slightest, he gently pressed his lips against hers, a grin still present on his own.

༝༝༝ ☾ ༝༝༝

Annette had never been all too good at dancing, feeling like she had two left feet after almost taking out her dance partner at a middle school dance. Most of it was now saved for her shower concerts and bedroom breakdowns. Annette looked at him and then back to the people who moved to the music. "I don't know if I'd be any good..." The brunette bit her lip for a second before shrugging. "I do love this song though and fuck these people if they think we suck, right?" She reached for his hand, journeying to the dancefloor together to brave the waves of people. Whatever had gotten into her that night gave her an extra skip in her step as well as a wandering eye with only one destination. Even as she attempted to move to the beat, mostly just swaying with the occasional head bob, her eyes kept falling back onto Brandon.

"You think so?" Annette's eyes brightened and she looked down at her dress once more to hide her blush. Usually, she didn't get like this but tonight she couldn't help it. "There was this cute guy I wanted to impress actually," she confessed biting back her smile. It was almost like she couldn't help it from forming, pushing through her insecurity and into the open. "You make me feel pretty." There was a silence for a moment as she realized her own words. They'd come out without thinking, as if her subconscious took over. "I just guess I mean to say like I don't know... I feel safe with you or whatever." It was like her confidence had been upgraded and her heart laying bare unexpectantly. "Even if you have no idea when you make a move."

[barrelbrandon]

“That’s too bad, you look better without it,” he commented with a smug grin, leaning over to flick one of the buttons of said shirt. It was for the best that Landon was actually fully dressed tonight, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to pretend to be disappointed in it. Brandon himself hadn’t even thought of coming in any state of undress, but then again - he had a date he was trying to impress tonight. Or well, actually he didn’t think Annette would care how little he might be wearing, but surely her family would have thoughts on it.

Taking back the beer, Barrel simply nodded his head in affirmation of everything he’d just said. It made sense in his head - he was going to have to face the man eventually, wouldn’t it be best to do so in a public place like this? Where Hopper couldn’t really take the risk of just killing him on the spot? “I mean, best to rip the bandaid off, right?” he phrased again, taking a sip of the drink now that it was back in his own hand. At the mention of bringing Annette along though, he practically lit up. “That’s so smart! No way he’d do anything to me if she was right there in front of us. Right?”

He knew he was giving Brandon shit, but he also knew that he wouldn't care. "I know. I actually wore a shirt this time, too," Landon boasted, the last time not showing up as put-together to one of these. This time, though, he'd showed up uninvited and needing to keep a low profile after the stunt they'd pulled at the last marriage-related function. With the possibility of the man they'd pissed off being present, Landon had to be sure that he was there, too, in case shit were to hit the fan and his roommate required backup.

Of course, the easiest way to ensure his night went smoothly was to firmly discourage him talking to his date's father, but something told Landon that he wasn't going to get his way. "You want to go out of your way to speak to him?" he questioned, being sure that he understood his intentions correctly. "Like, you want to introduce yourself and hope that he doesn't just freak the fuck out?" Landon let out a sigh, taking another needed sip of the beer before returning it. "I don't know, dude. I mean, it's your call, obviously, but I don't know if I'd go up to him alone. Maybe have Annette introduce you, or something?"

[barrelbrandon]

“Did you want to dance? I heard you singing - if you like this song we can go dance to it,” he offered, despite never really being much of a dancer himself. But if that was what Annette wanted he’d happily suck it up and figure it out. His smile never faltered in the suggestion and only grew at the way she seemed to be unable to look away from him. If it weren’t for the smile and light flush that was on her face, Brandon might have thought he had something in his teeth or his hair had gotten messed up somehow - but he was pretty sure everything was fine and his date just wanted to look at his pretty face. He might not have an ego as big as Landon’s, but he was at least aware enough that he was a fairly good looking guy. And his suspicion was confirmed with her compliment, one that he gratefully accepted with a chuckle.

“You look really good tonight as well,” he returns the sentiment, genuinely meaning it and hoping that she understood that. “You always look beautiful, obviously, but it’s like enhanced with the fancy clothes and makeup.” It wasn’t the most romantic of compliments in the world, but it was true to Barrel and his heart. He might not be the best at explaining what he means or putting his words together elegantly, but he meant everything that he said and he thought that counted for something.

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It was unusual for Annette to come with a date, until recently when she'd finally found someone she didn't mind being around all the time. Most people got on her nerves after a while but Brandon hadn't even gotten close. No one else understood it and she didn't care. That was with the exception of his roommates, specifically Sadie who had it out for her since the moment she started hanging out with Barrel. She was jealous, that much was clear, which was why it surprised Annette that she'd approached her at the party without anyone forcing her to. The small talk was just that and it ended with Sadie offering her one of the candies that sat on the silver tray in her palm. It seemed like a harmless gesture but Annette was about to learn how wrong that was.

Nothing felt awry as she sat on the edge of the dancefloor, her hips gently swaying to the music. Most of the songs they'd been playing hadn't been her style but this one had actually got her to sing along to herself. That was until her date reappeared with a drink in hand that she was happy to accept. "Thanks," the brunette replied smiling up at him. That was when something shifted, her head tilting in observation of the boy in front of her. "Nope, nothing to report." She couldn't get herself to stop staring at him. So much so that a blush even came to her cheeks, forcing her to look down at the liquid she swirled around in its glass. "You look like really good tonight, by the way." Annette wasn't sure what had gotten into her but she finally felt like saying all of the things she'd kept to herself.