Broken Down // Brallon

Scattered into the Floor

Kenneth thinks about what changed between two of his band mates that used to be such good friends.

He remembers joining Panic! after Spencer left the band. It was only Brendon and Dallon left back then. It's noteworthy to address that the said men were almost attached in each other's hip. There was probably never a time Brendon isn't with Dallon.

Brendon had a lot of good things to say about the taller man. "He's really talented.", "I don't think I can find any bass player that could ever replace him.". It was all good things.

But recently, he noticed that something shifted between the two. He rarely sees them together now, and Brendon would always ask him first to hang out and not Dallon.

Kenneth wonders if it was because of Dallon's demotion to touring member. It doesn't seem to be it, but then again, who knows what goes through Dallon's head? Did he take the demotion badly that he was angry at Brendon?

"Well, I'm surprised he even has fans."

Brendon jokes as a fan fawns over Dallon's works during The Brobecks.

Dallon just laughs at it as if it was nothing.

But in Kenneth's eyes, he can see the hurt in the taller man's eyes each time the vocalist does it in every meet and greet.

Dallon doesn't seem to be the type of person to hold grudges, but he realizes that the taller man tends to hold insults inside himself and pretend that it's nothing. He hides in a laidback facade as if these words don't hurt him. It does hurt, with a sign of resignation in his features that he accepts as an undeniable fact.

He's used to it.

Just the thought pains him to know that the bassist hold such depreciation to himself.

He couldn't help himself, as he puts a hand in Dallon's shoulder that made the taller man jump in surprise.

"You okay, Dal?" He whispers to the bassist while Brendon and Dan are talking to the next fan from the meet and greet queue.

Dallon gives him a smile. A tired smile, he notes. He wonders when has it been since he saw a genuine smile on the brunette's lips.

"I'm fine." He mumbles, then turns his head to grin at the fan acknowledging him.

It's so easy to mask yourself in to this image where you have to make people believe you're not on the verge of breaking down. Fake smiles are the greatest armor, forced laughs are your strongest shield.

But who exactly is the enemy?

From what Kenneth sees, Dallon's greatest enemy is himself.

It's sad to see how Dallon never seems to win each time.

*****

"Don't you think you're being too harsh on Dallon?"

Over a drink of whiskey inside the cacophonous noise of the hotel club, he asked the question that he didn't think he'd ask to the younger man.

It's probably the bit of alcohol in his system, or perhaps it's remembering the bassist's forced replies of assurance that fuels the question.

"What makes you say that?" Brendon responds. He drank more than he's suppose to, and Zack might not like that when they get back.

He responds with a shrug, taking a sip of his drink before answering. "I'm surprised he has fans?' Well, maybe you're just joking but what you said to that fan earlier about Dallon was pretty harsh. You always do that during meet and greets. What's up with that?"