The World's Not Waiting (For Two Tired Lovers In A Crummy-Ass Apartment Block)(6/?)

"Uh, a talk?" Patrick gulped. "What about?"

"Let's go outside." Kirsten said in the same dark tone she'd greeted him with.

Now Patrick was really scared. Slowly, he opened his front door, still watching Kirsten suspiciously as he followed her in.

"I‘m going to kill Pete when I find out what he‘s done…" he thought. Kirsten was stood in front of him with her arms folded.

"Uh, do you want to sit down?" Patrick asked nervously.

Ignoring him, Kirsten said,

"You and Pete, you're pretty close for two people that have known each other for two weeks."

"Uh, yeah," Patrick shrugged. "I'm pretty easy to get along with, or at lest that's what I’m told."

"Yeah..." Kirsten sighed. "We could've been friends."

Patrick was confused and still worried.

"Why can't we be?" he asked even though if they could be friends, there would be no way in hell he would even consider it.

"Because you're not going to like me very much after I leave." she said darkly, walking up to Patrick's face so they were millimetres apart. "I want you to back off my Pete. Permanently."

Patrick cocked an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't like how you two are. Always draped over each other. Anyone would think you two were a couple!" Kirsten said with disgust.

"And that would be a bad thing because...?" ran through Patrick's head but he shook it out and remained sensible.

"We're not that bad." Patrick insisted. "It's like, brotherly I guess. I think you're just being a little paranoid."

"I'm not worried." Kirsten lied blatantly. "It’s just; I don’t want you to have any feelings for my Pete."

"Too late sugar," Patrick thought but continued listening, or wondering where Pete was, while understanding some of the gibberish coming from the mouth of the girl in front of him.

“Why would I?” Patrick asked.

“Well you’re… you know, you’re…” Kirsten tried to explain and Patrick rolled his eyes at her.

"Firstly, I'm gay Kirsten; you won't catch it if you say it. Secondly, you're delusional and paranoid." Patrick retorted.

"I'M NOT FUCKING PARANOID! WHY SHOULD I BE?? MY BOYFRIEND LOVES ME!!!" Kirsten shrieked at Patrick.

"No shit..." Patrick muttered sarcastically. Kirsten exploded with rage and slapped Patrick across the face. He gasped in pain and looked at Kirsten, slack-jawed and scandalised.

“You say a word about this to Pete, and Decaydance dies! Now, you be a good little fag and stay away from my Peter.” She hissed coldly, turned on her heel and walked out, slamming Patrick’s door as she left.

“I’ve met a couple screwed up people in my life… but that girl is like fucking three-straight-jackets-locked-in-a-padded-room-that’s-been-bolted-shut-for-the-safety-of-humanity kind of crazy…” Patrick thought, still holding his cheek.

Xxx

“At least now I have an incentive to keep away from Ti-- Pete now, don’t I…” Patrick said to himself, turning up his Saves the Day album while he drove to work. His first day of hell. Plus, he couldn’t take sick leave because he’d gotten a text from Greta saying she really needed to go over some vocals with him. He stopped at a red light and looked around while he was waiting.

He looked through the window to the right of him and he suddenly saw Pete strolling down the road. His heart jumped into his throat and he felt his palms getting sweaty.

“What the fuck?” Patrick muttered to himself. “Isn’t he at the studio yet?!”

He rolled down the window and was about to shout if Pete wanted a ride, but it wasn’t Pete, it was just some scene kid with the same big headphones Pete insisted on using, which would have usually made Patrick laugh out loud. But in that instance, he only worried more about how he was going to deal with work. How the hell was he going to look at the real thing all day, and have Pete hugging and poking him all day when he went back to “awkward teenage crush” mode as soon as he saw some look-alike?

“I’m going to die…” Patrick thought. The light turned green, and he drove on.

X

Patrick walked down the hallway, trying hard to steady his pulse and his breathing.

“Relax Patrick, you’re just going to work, no big deal. You’ll just have to grin and bear it… for the rest of your life… I’m going to die…”

“Hey ‘Trick!” Greta and Bob called simultaneously to Patrick who waved sheepishly. He walked further in and there was Pete, having a conversation with Chris. He turned to face Patrick, waved, cracked a small smile then turned back to Chris.

“Okay… um, not what I was expecting but whatever…” Patrick thought. “I guess this is going to be easier than I thought.”

Something was wrong, Patrick could feel it. Pete was being distant, he wouldn’t sit next to Patrick and whenever Patrick tried to speak to him, he’d either say yes, no, or mumble something unintelligible.

”What is this?” Patrick thought. “I was prepared to try and deal with all the touching and hugging and stuff but, this is worse!

“Something’s bothering him, I know it is and I want to ask like, right now. He’s thinking of something and the way he’s avoiding my eyes is suspicious.”

He based his concern for Pete being different towards him on suspicion, but he couldn’t hide the real basis of his concern. He missed it, a lot. Pete always draped himself over him; poking him, resting his head on Patrick’s shoulder, and that thing he did where he’d just stare. For minutes on end, just stare at him until Patrick poked him or moved so he fell over. It was… cute. Patrick had expected today to be pretty awful but, not like this…

“Something on your mind Mr. Producer man?” A female voice cooed from above Patrick. He looked up and saw Greta leaning over him with a concerned look on her face.

“Huh?” he grunted.

“You seem kind of down,” Greta said. “Plus you and Pete aren’t all not-quite-lovey-dovey today. What’s happened?”

“Oh, nah we’re cool.” Patrick lied. “I think he’s just having a bad day so I’m going to leave him alone.”

Greta didn’t seem convinced, so Patrick changed the subject.

“What did you say about going over vocals?” Patrick asked her.

“Oh! Yeah I need help on Wine Red and Bob needs help on this new song Sweet Tangerine.”

“Sweet what?” Patrick laughed.

“I told you he’d love the title.” Bob grinned.

“It’s… interesting? Okay Greta, you come with me first.” Patrick said hastily and Greta followed him so they could sit in the recording booth together.

Xxx

“Why be so… amazing? Why?” Pete thought when he watched Patrick in the recording booth with Greta. He was going to start singing soon and Pete would have to leave. The sound of that voice…  Well, it affected him the last time, and now he’d accepted his feelings he didn’t know what would happen.

He'd heard Kirsten yesterday. Everything she'd said to Patrick and he was pretty much furious. She thought that she could threaten everyone and get away with it because she was rich! Well even rich people have flaws, hers being that she's pretty stupid. Had she not learned that the walls in their apartment were paper thin after like, 2 years?! Well, Pete didn't want to make life difficult for Patrick, so he let him stay away, but he'd planned to tell Patrick he knew after a while. But he hadn't counted on Patrick being so... okay. He was laughing with Greta now even. Maybe the lack of Pete always touching him made him happier?

That was a painful and saddening thought.

“Great…” he thought angrily. “Patrick’s happy, I’m miserable, win fucking win!!”

“Fuck him…” he muttered.

“Fuck who?” Chris asked, fiddling with Darren’s drumstick’s while Chris was sending some pictures to Pete’s sidekick.

“What?” Pete asked then shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Hey Pete?” Darren called. “Your mistress summons you.” He threw Pete his sidekick. Pete winced and answered the call. He wasn’t really in the mood to talk to her.

“Hey Kirst,” he sighed.

“Don’t sound so disappointed!” Kirsten snapped. “I want to speak to Patrick anyway.”

That made Pete mad. He knew what she was going to do, and he had a mind to tell her to fuck off.

No, that would be stupid. Fine, she could talk to him...

"Oh, yeah whatever..." he mumbled ad called. “Patrick!!"

He could have sworn he saw Patrick wince as he called him, but ignored it and continued, "Kirsten wants to talk to you."

Patrick nodded, walked out of the booth and up to Pete, took the sidekick, and for about 5 seconds, their eyes locked and Pete was sure he saw a flicker of pain. Then Patrick walked out and took the call in the hallway, and Pete was stunned.

"Whoa... What was that?" he thought. "What if he does care? I want to talk to him. No, I have to talk to him."

He would've waited until Patrick was finished the call, but he was curious as to what he and Kirsten were saying, so he pressed his ear to the door while The Hush Sound watched him, slightly worried about his mental state.

"Yeah, yeah I've pretty much not spoken to him all day. Happy, Princess?" Pete heard Patrick say, his voice full of sarcasm.

"Yeah... Of course they've noticed! Don't think he has though." Patrick continued. "I'll bet that's made your day hasn't it?"

Patrick didn't think he'd noticed? Hadn't the huge rain cloud over his head given it away at all?! He continued listening

"I swear to God... Just shut the fuck up okay?! Yes I fucking know what will happen! Decaydance records dies! Cue ominous music! I'm done with you."

Pete was furious. Beyond furious. Furious with himself for thinking Patrick didn't mind being distant with him, and with Kirsten. He was even ready to march back down to his house and kick Kirsten out that very second.  But there were more important things to deal with.

Xxx

Patrick rested head on the wall behind him and let out a heavy sigh. He'd never been so angry with someone before, but he'd decided to deal, so he would. But, to fucking check up on him was just... She made him want to punch something.

Suddenly, Pete burst through the door and wrapped his arms around Patrick tightly without warning, and Patrick could feel all the anger that was boiling in his veins, slip through his fingers.

"I kind of, overheard." Pete mumbled and Patrick nodded.

"I guessed.” He shrugged.

"I knew. I was in my room and the walls are paper thin. I heard what she said to you." Pete explained.

"You knew?! Didn't think to tell me or anything?" Patrick exclaimed. Pete let go of Patrick, shrugged and looked at his shoes. If it had been anyone else, Patrick would have been mad but, he guessed Pete had his reasons no matter how stupid they were.

“Why did you think I hadn’t noticed you being distant?” Pete asked

“You seemed pretty tangled up in your own thoughts I guess…" Patrick shrugged. "You okay?”

 Pete moved so he was stood beside Patrick.

"Yeah, I was pissed off because of Kirsten, you know? What she did to you." He shrugged. "Plus I thought you were kind of happy I was being distant..."

He then locked eyes with Patrick. He looked like he was searching for something... in Patrick's eyes? No, that sounded stupid.

"Why would I be happier?" Patrick asked Pete, and Pete just stared like he did. Right into his eyes and it made Patrick uncomfortable, but he felt like he shouldn't break the gaze for some reason.

"You're a bitch, you know," Pete grinned suddenly. "Remind me never to get on your bad side! You just like, totally struck Kirsten down in one sentence."

Patrick laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah well," he smirked. "Takes one to know one."

Pete laughed and gently punched Patrick in the arm and they both laughed awkwardly for a few seconds, and then fell into an even more awkward silence.

"You should have told me." Pete said, staring straight into Patrick's eyes that had still wouldn't shine.

"I had my reasons..." Patrick muttered and looked at his shoes. Pete lifted Patrick's face back up by his chin and said firmly,

"Look at me."

Patrick slowly met Pete's eyes and Pete laughed quietly.

“I can’t believe I thought you didn’t care either…” he said.

“I guess we’re both a couple of morons…” Patrick shrugged. “Since there’s no hope for you, I promise I’ll get smarter for the both of us.”

Pete laughed.

"Just promise me this," he said. "No one can ever make you that mad again, except me."

Patrick laughed and nodded.

"Now, what to do about our little situation..." Pete pondered.

"I think I have an Idea," Patrick said thoughtfully, then looked at Pete. "How good are you at acting?"

Xxx

"Fuck you."

"Same to you buddy."

"Bitch!"

"Takes one to know one."

"What are you, in pre-school?"

"I must be some pre-schooler to be smarter than a college drop-out."

"Fuck you."

"And we're back to the beginning again! How about I speak your language Petey-boy? Shut the fuck up! Understand that?"

Kirsten and Travis were talking inside, when they could suddenly hear this argument coming from the hallway.

"Shit, what's going down out there?" Travis asked.

"I don’t know," Kirsten said, just as confused. "Let's listen."

"Get the fuck away from me!" Pete roared.

"Suits me just fine, Petey-boy." Patrick said bitterly.

"Don't fucking call me that!" Pete barked.

 "Stop being so pissy." Patrick sighed.

"I'm not being fucking pissy!"

"Oh what a fucking honour! Talking to the first boy to discover PMS!"

"Ouch, burn." Travis said to himself. Kirsten hit his arm and shushed him.

"I'm sorry I ever fucking spoke to you." Pete growled.

"I'm sorry I ever let you into my house!" Patrick spat back

"Well you can rest assured you won't have to make that mistake again."

"I won't be. Ever."

"Fucking fag."

"And what a way to end an argument! Let's all give Petey-boy a hand!"

THUMP!

"He punched Patrick?! Dude..." Travis said, stunned and almost speechless. Kirsten didn't say anything, because she was tangled up in her own thoughts.

"Yes!! Fuck, YES! Now no one gets their claws into Pete except ME! Teaches that stupid Patrick to be so rude to me of all people! YES!" she thought gleefully.

"Should we go see?" Travis asked Kirsten.

"Nah, let Pete cool off." Kirsten decided and she and Travis continued talking.

Xxx

"Sorry about, like, what I’d said last 'Trick." Pete whispered to Patrick so Kirsten and Travis wouldn't hear them.

"It's cool," Patrick shrugged. "Hey, you're a pretty good actor! And the punching yourself was genius. But it must have hurt!"

"I just had really good lines to run off man. And yeah, it aches." Pete grinned. "You really are a bitch."

"I'll take that as a compliment..." Patrick sighed. Pete smiled and pulled Patrick's glasses off his face.

"I've never seen you with out these you know." he said thoughtfully and stared at Patrick. "You don't look like you know so much now."

"Uh, thanks?" Patrick said, trying to grab back his glasses but Pete wouldn't let him get at them. He pushed Pete against a wall so he couldn't move and grabbed the glasses out of his hand that way.

"Thanks Petey-boy." he smirked.

"You're welcome, bitch." Pete grinned back. His hazel eyes were locked with Patrick's green ones, and they were shining like stars. The pain was gone, and Pete was content.

7