Dates weren't hard for Brendon. He knows what words to say, he knows the gifts to give to charm his way into a person's heart with ease and confidence.

When Brendon Urie wants something, he knows how to get it. What did you expect? His father is a politician who basically has firsthand experience on sweet talking the nation. Of course, he learned from the best.

The problem here is that, he's not gonna sweet talk the nation, he's gonna sweet talk his way through Dallon's heart. It's one person who matters more to home than he thought.

Brendon's aware, that he did get attached in the end. He did get attached to the stoic brunette with the gentle smile. A month ago, he would have denied all of these and keep telling himself that he's just going to break his heart again.

But now, Brendon knows and accepts that fact. He knows what's at stake of his choices. This is something his parents wanted him to learn. Commit into something you do.

With Ryan, it's different. He thought love was enough. He thought it was enough to maintain their relationship, but it wasn't. Brendon couldn't blame him for leaving.

Everything is different now. Brendon wants to do this. He wants to get to know Dallon better. This is his choice, and this is where he'd rather be.

And besides, whatever heartbreak may come from this, his heart is worth breaking for Dallon.

Brendon looks up, turning his head as a customer enters a café. He beams at the sight of the newcomers. It's Dallon, followed by a suited man with a child holding his hand.

He smiles at Dallon from the counter, and Dallon returns it when his gaze finds Brendon. It didn't go unnoticed how tense the smile was. It churns Brendon's stomach with worry.

"Dallon? Hey!" On cue, Dan appears from the back room, noticing the appearance of the taller man, and greeting Dallon with a warm hug. The other man seems genuinely surprised at Dan's appearance. The suited man behind Dallon smiles fondly at their little scene, while the little girl giggles.

"Wow, long time no see, Dan." Dallon says as he pulls away from the hug, giving the raven haired man an apologetic smile. "Sorry I couldn't visit you much. I was just--"

Dan chuckles as he waves a hand, breaking off whatever apology the brunette has to say. "Come off it, you wanker. It's no problem. Just really glad to see you. We have a lot to catch up." His boss says, giving Brendon a small, mischievous glance before turning to Dallon and his companions behind him.

Brendon tries not to blush at that pointed look.

"What would you lot want for a drink? It's on the house." Dallon tries to open his mouth, probably to disagree but Dan cuts him off, pointing a finger at him to make his point. It made Brendon snicker. "Don't argue with me, Dallon." Dan insisted with a huff, which makes Dallon laugh. Brendon notices how the other man beside Dallon just watches with interest. It's as if he's marveling at the little interactions that Dallon has.

Who is that man, anyway?

After Dan takes their order and prepares their drink, Dallon turns to Brendon with a smile. "How's work?"

Brendon shrugs, turning to look at his watch. "So-so. Like, most of the customers are girls. I swear to god, most of them are just here for Dan." He giggles, remembering a discussion on some girl's table with her friends as he mops the floor beside them. 'He smiled at me and called me 'lovely'!"

Dallon looked tense before but his gossip seemed to have made him feel at ease as he lets out a hearty laugh. "Dan's quite the natural charmer, but he's terribly dense, if you haven't noticed."

"Notice what?" Dan says, appearing by their side with Dallon's drinks on hand.

"Nothing. Dallon was just telling me how charming you are." Brendon teases, which made Dallon shook his head with a chuckle.

Dan wrinkle his nose at that, before letting out a crooked grin. "I can smell sarcasm from a mile away, you jerks."

Dallon laughs, then turns around to crouch in front of the little pigtailed girl. "Hey, Nikki. Do you think he's charming?" He asked cheekily at the little girl as he points at his perplexed boss.

The little girl--Nikki--tilts her head, observing Dan for a moment before she speaks. "He has pretty eyes! I like his eyes."

They all laugh, including the suited man at the girl's response. The blush on Dan's cheeks just makes it more hilarious.

"See? You even charm kids! That's talent right there, Mr. Daniel Smith. Kids never lie." Dallon says teasingly, making his boss more flustered than he already is. Brendon needs to get used at how sassy Dallon can be at times.

It's making him more eager to ask this man out on a date.

"Hey, Bren? Can Nikki stay with you for a bit?" Dallon asked, his eased expression shifting into something grim, taking hold of the little girl beside him. "I need to talk with..." Dallon pauses for a bit, looking hesitant as he glances at the man behind him. Brendon notes that he looks a bit like Dallon himself. "I need to talk to her father for a bit."

"Sure, Dal. We'll keep her company."

Dallon mumbles a 'Thank you', then takes their drinks, and leads himself to a table by the window with the other man following him.

The little girl turns to them with a smile. "Hi! I'm Nikki."

Dan giggles at the adorable introduction, and Brendon can't blame him. It's hard not to return that smile. "Hi, Nikki. I'm Brendon, and I'm Dallon's friend. Nice to meet you."

*****

"They seem nice."

"Y-Yeah, they are."

If Dallon would scale the severity of how fast his heart is beating, he'd give it a 9 out of 10. It could have been 10. It could have, but should give himself a bit of credit for having the strength to not have his knees weaken at the situation.

Years have passed, and his brother is still as 'dashing', as his mother would say. His brother's face is what the norm would consider as masculine and dominant. But underneath that strong build, Dallon wonders if the soft-hearted brother he admired is still there.

'You have such a gentle face.' Weston would tease back when they were younger, poking him in his cheek. It was that time where Dallon thought he was being called 'girly'. It used to annoy him as a child. But now that Dallon notices the fond look in his older brother's eyes, he realized that the meaning of it is different from what he thought it was whenever his brother teases him about it, while flashing him that cheeky, white smile.

With a shaky breath, his brother smiles. The fond gaze remains, as he gives out a tearful, genuine smile and wistfully says: "You truly have mother's face."

That's what makes Dallon chuckle, which sounded more like a sob than an act of humor. He rubs a hand over his eyes, trying his best to hide the tears that uncontrollably spill from his eyes as his mouth can't keep itself from laughing. Laughing and crying at the same time seems like the only response he could give out.

Is he suppose to be angry at him? Yell at him for leaving him and his brothers? Is he suppose to hate him? Anger? Yes. Hate? He never could.

Deep in the very pit of his mind, he feels like a kid again, crying over a scratch on his knee. And there, he sees Weston, ruffling his hair and says assuring things that would make him feel better.

He missed his brother more than he ever thought he did.

"I thought you'd grew out from being a crybaby, Dal." Weston teases with a laugh, but Dallon could hear the tremble and weight in his voice. It seems he's not the only one overwhelmed in this reunion.

"S-Shut up." He sniffs, refusing to lift the hand over his eyes. It's a bit embarrassing, being so emotional in such a public setting. He knows Dan and Brendon are staring at them with concern. But they know him well enough when he needs to face these things himself.

They stay silent for a bit, trying to calm down the emotions as they both dwell on what they should say next. It's not that Dallon doesn't know what to say. He has a lot of things he wants to tell him.

"You look well." Weston says, breaking off the silence.

Should he says thank you or something? Dallon finds the whole talk a bit too much for him to process, but he wants to make up for lost time. He just doesn't know where to start.

Weston seems to understand him all too well, even with the years of separation, only his brother had seen him at his weakest point and never judged him for it.

"So, how long have you been teaching?"

Dallon clears his throat, hoping it doesn't sound too croaky. He gingerly removes the hand over his eyes, as his gaze immediately sets on his coffee. "A f-few months."

"And... Do you enjoy it there?"

Dallon nods eagerly, trying to control the warmth that start to form on his cheeks. He blinks, trying to wipe out the remaining tears that stay in his eyes. "Y-Yeah. Being with the kids makes me happy and they--"

"Dallon, look at me."

He bites his lip, a nervous habit. Dallon's bad enough with other people, and now even to his own brother. Why can't he be outspoken like Jordan? Why can't he--

"I'm sorry, Dallon."

Dallon blinks, turning to his brother's words with genuine shock. He noticed how his brother's eyes seem to be so deep in thought. It looks familiar. The furrowed eyebrows, his lips set into a thin line, the grim expression.

'He looks like Dad.' He thought, as he sees Weston straightening himself before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry for...everything. I know Mom and Dad weren't pleased with my choice, and I know that you or your brothers might have a grudge against what I did. I can't blame you for that."

Weston turns away from his gaze, a dark expression sets on his face. "I-I couldn't... I couldn't even go to our parent's funeral because I was too ashamed to face them as their son who left them behind. They must hate me for being selfish."

Dallon has always seen Weston as a confident, independent and resilient man. He has never seen his older brother so defeated.

"They don't hate you, you know?"

His brother raised an eyebrow at that, looking doubtful. Before Weston could even counter that, he continues.

"They miss you everyday, you know? Mom would sometimes wonder 'How's Weston doing?', 'Is he eating well?', Is he happy?'" Dallon smiles wistfully at the memory of his mother mumbling to herself while cooking dinner.

"Dad doesn't say much, but he does this thing often where he would look at your picture for a while." He says softly, as he remembers the memory of his Father looking at their family pictures. "I know he missed you a lot. Both of them did. They could never hate you."

Weston sat silent for a moment, trying to process the words that Dallon told him. Dallon's attention turns to his friends at the counter. Dan continues to accommodate the customers, while Brendon is talking softly to the little girl beside him, coloring in a blank sheet of paper for her amusement.

"Do you hate me, Dallon?"

He turns his attention back to his brother, who's staring at him sternly, waiting for his answer.

The only thing he could do is close his eyes, and lean against the cushions of his seat. He takes a deep breath, mentally counting to keep himself calm, and then, he responds:

"Hate, is such a deep word, you know?" Dallon opens his eyes, and sees the shift of Weston's expression. Nervous, afraid, worried.

"I was angry with you." He says calmly, without any hint of malice. It's just his words reminiscing a memory. "I was angry that you left us. You left us, and we were all devastated. It wasn't like you. You were always the favorite son. Mom and Dad spent their money to bring you to a great school. I was just there, helping around the house. Believe me, I was jealous of you."

It's an admission that he never told anyone. Dallon has always been jealous of his brother. All the things he got were just passed down to him from Weston.

"When you left, I was mad at you for letting our parent's trust in you get wasted. I was mad at you for leaving us, and I was mad at you when you didn't go to our parent's funeral. You did all of these and yet..." Dallon trails off, his voice getting louder at every point. And then, he sighs. "You did all of these, and yet... I could never hate you. "

He could hear a sob in front of him, then he realized it came from Weston. "Y-You should." His brother's voice is heavy with guilt. "You should hate me. I was a coward. I just--"

"Yes, you were a coward." Dallon interjects, his tone was hard and direct, but it softened once he continued. "But you should never be hated for loving someone. You loved that girl with all your heart, and now..." He trails off, turning his gaze to Nikki. Weston's daughter, and his niece. "You're blessed with the little bundle of joy."

Dallon smiles at his brother, and it feels like it's his genuine one. It's as if all of his burdens we're lifted in that one admission. "And besides, you're my brother no matter what, Weston. Remember what Mom and Dad tells us whenever we get into a fight?"

Weston nods, returning his smile with a tearful, genuine grin.

"Don't let fights make you sway, we'll always be a family in any way."

The brothers chant it simultaneously, and they both laugh. It's heartfelt, deep and true. Dallon has never felt this free for such a long time. Free of burdens, free of aches.

As he watches his older brother laugh in such a carefree manner along with him, he's assured that things are starting to look up for him.

He plans to make it that way, one step at a time.

*****

If watching two people crying in a soap opera feels like a joke, seeing one in person is not.

Brendon couldn't help but look back at Dallon's table with whatever chance he could get. He could see Dallon laughing with the other man now. That's good.

He was still trying to let go of the shock, seeing the older man that he depended on with tears falling from his eyes as he was laughing. That's not a normal reaction, but what does he know? Whoever that person he's talking to must be important.

"Brendon? I'm hungry."

Brendon turns to the little girl beside him, looking up at him with her adorable eyes. She was pouting, which made her even more adorable.

"Do you want some bread? I could make you a chocolate drink too." He offers to the pigtailed girl. He grins when Nikki nods eagerly at the offer.

He left the girl at the counter, telling her not to leave as he makes her food. Brendon goes to the back room and almost bumps into Dan.

"Oh, hey. Looks like Dallon's having quite a talk there, huh?" Dan notes, looking worried as well for his friend. Who wouldn't be?

"Do you know who that guy is?" He asked, as he collects a mug from the cabinet.

His boss hums in thought. "If... That person is who I think it is..." He trails off, as his expression seems to look more concerned. "Matty would not be pleased."

"What do you mean?"

Dan leans against the arch of the doorway, his eyes furrowed in worry. "That person who Dallon is talking to might be his older brother. Matty is really pissed at him, and I don't think I could stop him from punching his brother."

Brendon doesn't get it. He did remember Matty mentioning that Dallon had an older brother who was missing. What did Dallon's brother ever do to Matty?

"Well, Matty treats Dallon like a brother, right? He won't hesitate beating the crap out of anyone who hurts him. That's how far Matty is willing to go for Dallon." Dan shrugs, looking helpless at the situation. "Did Dallon not tell you about his older brother?"

Brendon shook his head, feeling lost at the events. He wished he knew what was going on.

"That's not really something for me to tell you. Sorry, mate. I just hope Matty doesn't come back again while Dallon's making up lost time with brother." Dan concludes with an apologetic smile as he returns to the counter.

He tries to keep his thoughts in control, and keeps himself busy in making the little girl's food instead.

As he sets Nikki's food in front of her, the little girl gives him a lovely, thankful smile. Brendon coos at her, giving her a pat in her little head.

"She smiles just like Dallon." He smiles at the thought. His smile morphs into a grin at the realization that this kid may be Dallon's niece.

He learns a lot about Dallon each day.

*****

[A/N: this might be some long filler for you guys but this chapter made me emotional. And it's probably one of my favorite things that I have ever written. I value character development that doesn't just involve the main pairing.

In this case, I wanted you to understand why my characters act the way they are and I make back stories/side stories. Dallon hasn't had relationships because he's afraid to be like his brother, and at the same time, he wanted to be the better brother, better son (*kudos if you got the reference*) because of the little jealousy he had for Weston. I want my characters to be imperfect. I see so much potential in characters that aren't perfect. I hope you all got my point when I wrote Dallon's relationship with his brothers. I also wanted to give all the extra people some memorable characters that you won't forget. They deserve some spotlight too, and I admit Dan and Matty are my favorite characters to write even if it's kinda out of character hahaha!

I'll write one for Brendon soon enough. I told you this is gonna be a long fic hahaha!

Thank you for reading! Sorry for the mistakes and have a great day!

P.S. Not sure what day it is today in your countries but it's my birthday today! (October 6), so here's my gift for you guys!]