8. hiraeth (noun) - a homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past.

!PSA: There's a 'Thanks, Pete' reference, please don't spam the comments. Thank you!

"So you finally got me to come out with you guys after work," Ryan says with a soft laugh as he and Patty walked down Harem Boulevard after closing the shop. "How do you feel about yourself, Mr. Walters?"

Patty laughed loudly, tipping his head back. "I'm quite proud, if I do say so myself," he said with a warm smile as he mimed adjusting a tie around his neck, causing Ryan to roll his eyes playfully. "It's not like we're actually doing anything along the lines of what we usually do, though. Ashley and her boyfriend are doing some kind of karaoke-slash-open-mic-night thing at this little club a few blocks over. This is the first time she's invited us, so it's kind of a big deal."

Ryan raised his eyebrows a little. "I guess I don't know her that well," he said with a shrug. "I didn't know she sang or that she had a boyfriend."

Patty nodded at him as they rounded a corner. "Dom is fucking awesome," he said with full sincerity. "I think you you two are gonna get along pretty well."

Ryan nodded back at him as they walked for a few more blocks until they reached a tiny little club called The Back Room. It seemed like the kind of niche, underground kind of dive bar that fit Ashley's personality pretty well - at least upon first glance. Patty paid Ryan's cover to get in - even though he told him not to - and they went straight to the bar. Ryan tapped on his shoulder and he turned to look at him with a soft smile. "I actually don't drink," he said softly, but loud enough for him to hear.

Patty smiled even wider and out a hand on his chest. "Thank god," he said with a light laugh. "Yeah, I don't either, so that's cool. Hey, Pete?" He calls a name and the bartender turns around, so I'm guessing that's his name. "This is Ryan, he's here with us to see Ash. You mind if we both get water?"

Pete waved at Ryan upon introduction and nodded at Patty as he motioned to the three small tables closest to the stage. "Everyone else is already over there, so we'll bring you your drinks."

Patty smiles and hands him a twenty dollar bill - most likely a tip for the night. "Thanks, Pete," he says gratefully before leading Ryan to the tables where their coworkers were seated. "Look who I brought, guys!"

Everyone cheered and welcomed him as they sat at a table with Ryan and Dallon. They all fell back into their rhythm of conversation, this time including him as they waited for Ashley to appear on stage. The sound of a chair pulling out beside Ryan caused him to turn his head, his eyes immediately greeted with a broad smile. "Good evening, Ryan Ross," Brendon said as he sat next to him. "I see everyone finally got you to join them on a night out."

Ryan laughed gently as he nodded. "Well," he started softly, "Patty said this was important for Ashley, so I figured one night out and away from home couldn't hurt."

Brendon nodded just as Pete came to the table and handed Ryan and Patty their waters and handed Brendon a bottle of IPA. Ryan watched as Brendon brought the bottle to his lips, taking a small drink before addressing him again. "You're having a good time, I'm hoping?"

Ryan smiled as he looked around the small bar. "It's not too loud or cramped in here," he said. "I can actually hear myself think and it doesn't smell like sweat and too much alcohol."

Brendon motioned to the glass of water residing in Ryan's hand. "I'm taking it you don't drink, then," he said earning a nod from Ryan. He rotated the bottle in his hand slowly before looking at Ryan with a guilty expression. "It doesn't bother you that I am, does it?"

Ryan was quick to shake his head. "Absolutely not," he said sincerely. "It's just a personal preference that I don't. Don't feel bad just because you are."

Brendon nodded and turned back to the stage just as Pete walked up to the mic and addressed everyone. "How's everyone doing tonight?" A few cheers erupted from the rest of the bar but the main commotion came from where all of the Empty Gold crew were seated. "I take that as you're all doing well, awesome. Well, I hope you guys are ready to have your ears and eyes blessed for the rest of the evening. Please welcome to the stage Ashley Frangipane and Dominic Harrison!"

Everyone clapped and some let out loud whistles as Ashley and a man with floppy - that's the only way Ryan can think to describe it - brown hair enter on stage and take their places. Ashley sits on a bar stool and Dominic sits at the piano adjacent to her as she adjusts the mic in front of her. "Hey, guys," she says happily. "This is kind of a special performance, tonight. First off, this is the first time Dom and I are performing together, and we're doing both a cover and an original song before I do some of my own songs. Also, this is the first time my little chosen family is here to see me perform, so, let's hope I don't fuck it up."

Everyone let's out soft laughs as Ashley looks at Dominic and nods gently. A few seconds of silence pass before he starts playing the opening of the song softly, earning a few scattered cheers as he starts singing. This was one of Ryan's favorite songs when he was younger, and hearing it done this way is settling a feeling in the pit of his stomach and the bottom of his heart that he'd never felt before. This song used to make him emotional growing up, and he had no idea that it could sound more beautiful than it already did.

Everyone had their eyes completely fixated on the stage, never once wandering as Dominic carried the verse into the first chorus. His voice sounded like something you'd hear in an old school, early 2000s alternative rock group, and it fit very well with the feel of this version of the song. He kept true to the lyrics, his eyes wandering to meet Ashley's every few lines and it made Ryan's heart soar at how much love it was apparent he had for her.

As the first chorus ended and Ashley started singing the second verse, the bar was completely silent, no one daring to break the sound of these two singing for any reason whatsoever. Ashley's voice carried like fog, thick and hazy over the crowd of people watching her, and it seemed like she was meant for this. Singing on stage, carrying the people watching her is something that just comes naturally, and it made Ryan's heart ache happily.

The bridge came up and Ryan felt tears gather in his eyes. The meaning of the song mixed with the voices carrying it out made the impact ten times stronger, and he couldn't contain my emotions. He looked over to his coworkers to see their similar reactions, like Hayley wiping at her eyes and Josh wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. The height of the bridge came up and Ashley's held high note emitted a string of cheers from everyone in the bar as a tear softly slipped down Ryan's cheek.

As he wiped it away with one hand, he felt another hand slipping at his other. His eyes cast towards Brendon, who wore a soft smile as he kept his eyes on the stage, his fingers slipping through Ryan's. Ryan didn't hesitate to link his fingers with Brendon's, feeling his thumb brush softly over his as the end of the song came and everyone began cheering loudly. As the night went by and Ashley sang the rest of her songs, Brendon never let go of Ryan's hand, sending him soft smiles every few minutes.

Ryan didn't let go either.