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I am completely overwhelmed with how amazing this is! You somehow managed to seamlessly combine a high school first crush with pretend boyfriends and failboats in love. All of those are my favorite things.

And there are some lines that are just so perfect they made me actually giggle or clap my hands together or just squee, they were so fantastic. Like calling his jazz class an awkwardfest of humiliation. Perfect.

Ryan says he has to go to class, but he stays on the phone with Spencer until Spencer finishes his lunch anyway, just so Spencer doesn't eat alone.

Oh, Spencer. My heart totally broke for him right there.

On Thursday, Spencer is picked third-to-last in gym class, which, haha, legitimately freaks him the fuck out.

And that detail is amazing because it's not like he's magically picked first, but third to last, which is huge and says so much about how people have treated him before his place in the ridiculous (and completely realistic) high school hierarchy changed just because people think he has a college boyfriend.

"That's not really fair to my grandma," Brent says, which, fair point, Brent's grandma owns the prototype of the Panic! t-shirt.

Another small but perfect detail.

"Girlfriends are nice. This is like, the point of all our songs."

Maybe my favorite line in the whole fic? Hilarious because it's true.

And then, oh, Ryan actually being the voice of reason and Brendon understanding and not making Spencer suffer and feel like even more of a loser than he did when he was lonely and brokenhearted and just expected everyone to be an asshole to him? I'm so glad you didn't draw out the angst and pain, because at that point Spencer'd had enough suffering and feeling like a tool. I really love how the telephone conversation between Brendon and Spencer goes, how it's so obvious to the reader that Brendon honestly cares about Spencer and can tell just by the tone of his voice that he has something important to say. I was holding my breath waiting for Brendon's response, and, "It would be my honor," was just such a wonderful, lovely response.

I also love Brendon's confidence in this. Like, he's nervous enough to bounce on his toes, but he's also charming and self-assured and really careful with Spencer, gentle with his heart the way you are when it's someone you love. And then Spencer can't even tell, thinks Brendon's just playing a character when he's got his hand on Spencer's hip and when he gets possessive about Mike. I was so worried there was going to be a lot more angst and misunderstandings that came next.

"I'm glad you and Ryan left, but sometimes I hate you for leaving," he admits.

Oh that was just painful in its honesty.

Then the conversation at the front door actually made me swoon, Brendon asking if Spencer's been kissed, asking for permission, not getting pissed when Spencer says no but just looking at him fondly like, "Of course I'm into you, you idiot." And how it ended with them just making each other happy, and Spencer being thrilled with that felt perfect and so real.

Thank you so much for writing me such a gorgeous, tender love story.