Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > You Make Me Live
House On Fire
3 reviewsLots happens. Not saying anything else. If you read the last chapter you'll be reading this one, won't you? ^^
0Unrated
The streets were gently lit with the neon glow of takeaway signs and cab offices as Patrick got out of the car. He locked up and made his way out of the car park, on his way to some party. He didn’t remember because he didn’t really care, these days. Some big party with celebrities and champagne and fancy outfits and… yawn… It’s a shame, he thought, you can’t see the real stars above all these lights.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he stopped walking for a moment to open the message. It was from Joe, his ‘plus-one’ for the evening.
hey man cant make it tonight ate something dodgy yesterday. be sure to
A noise. Patrick stopped reading, listening for it again. There was a certain ruffle in a side alley, but that wasn’t what he’d heard before. No, it was some sort of… Yes, there it was again. A sobbing sound. It was… it was strangely familiar.
Pocketing his phone, Patrick pulled his jacket closer in the sudden wind and moved cautiously down the alley. He could see bright shoes behind a pair of wheelie bins. They were oddly familiar too… and a suitcase…
He peeked slowly round the bins to find a small man, curled up, dark head resting on his knees, sobbing his heart out. Patrick’s own heart stopped right there and then. Seeing someone once so close to him in so much pain… he couldn’t take it. He bent down slowly to the man’s level, cupped the side of his face and lifted it up, to stare into the huge, welling eyes of Pete Wentz.
Pete’s eyes grew even larger at the sight of his friend, and his mouth fell open a little. Patrick was the last person on earth he’d expected to see. Even little black aliens were a better bet. He opened his mouth to say something, but a little gasp was all he could manage.
‘Hey,’ Patrick smiled weakly. ‘What happened?’
He moaned slightly, the tears still coursing down his cheeks. ‘She… she found out, a-and… and she threw me out, and she doesn’t ever w-want to see me again…’
At this he screwed up his eyes and whimpered with the pain. Patrick watched him breaking down, miserable, and felt a sudden wave of sympathy and total adoration wash over him. With it came flooding all their memories, the good and the bad hand in hand, right through him, down into his legs and piercing through his chest, weaving its way into his brain and seeping into his eyes. It leaked out in the form of a stray tear.
Without thinking Patrick ran a hand gently through Pete’s hair, and spoke softly.
‘Come with me. We’ll go home, get you some dinner and a warm bath, and get you off to sleep.’
Pete looked up, hope flashing across his eyes.
‘Then in the morning we’ll make a plan, and we’ll get this whole mess sorted out. Sound good?’ Pete nodded enthusiastically.
Patrick stood up and offered Pete a hand, and as he grabbed it eagerly he stood and fell into Patrick, sobbing into his neck and clinging to his jacket. It had been over a year, and as he breathed in his friend’s familiarity, felt the same warmth and comfort in him from months before, he knew it was time to forget the past.
‘Oh, Patrick…’ Pete whispered into his neck, ‘you’re no magic trick… you’re a miracle.’
********************************
They arrived home half an hour later, Pete still refusing to let go of Patrick, which made walking quite funny, especially with the suitcase. Patrick had insisted that they were separated for the journey home, though, because two people sharing the driver’s seat wouldn’t have looked good in front of the police...
As they stepped inside, Penny yapping excitedly at their ankles, Pete took in the familiar surroundings and sighed happily, eyes still tear-stained but looking a lot happier than he was before.
‘Go on then, bath time. You know where everything is… And come on, you’ve gotta let go of me now, surely!’
‘Well… just so long as you promise I can cling on again afterwards?’
‘Some tough guy you are,’ he joked, ‘all the tattoos, the six pack… how old are you again?’
’31, with attachment issues, I’ve had no best friend for over a year and this is one of the biggest reconciliations of my life. Plus you’re nice to cuddle.’
Patrick smiled, defeated, and headed for the kitchen as Pete reluctantly let go of him and shuffled up the stairs. But the minute he heard the bathroom door close Patrick felt a pang of regret. He’d let his guard down. Pete was back in his life again, eating his food, using his hot water, like nothing had happened. You were supposed to be mad at him forever! he told himself angrily. What happened to not letting him use you again? It’s just gonna be the same as always, you idiot. He’ll get bored in a few weeks. You could have changed that!
He flopped onto the sofa, rubbing his forehead wearily at the thoughts buzzing around inside. Some time later Pete emerged in pyjamas and a hoodie, grabbing the noodles Patrick had made him and slumping down gratefully next to him.
‘I, uh… I guess I’d better get the spare room ready…’
Patrick stood up suddenly, aiming to give him the cold shoulder, but Pete held onto his wrist. He remained silent but gave Patrick a hopeful smile, one he’d seen many times before when he wanted something. But it soon faded to a worried frown.
‘What’s up? Is something wrong?’
Silence.
‘Oh… Are you… are you – regretting all this?’
Silence. But it gave Pete the message stronger than words ever could.
‘Patrick?’
He shook his wrist free and went into the kitchen. Pete followed determinedly, more afraid than ever. There was no way he was getting a repeat of their last fall out.
He cornered Patrick at the sink.
‘Why would you let me stay with you in the first place if you weren’t willing to forgive me?’
Patrick sighed, looking at his shoes. ‘Well… you just looked so… so vulnerable, and I – I guess it just… triggered old feelings.’
‘But I am vulnerable, Trick! You know that better than anyone!’
‘It’s not my problem any more! You made it quite clear that you didn’t want me in your life.’
‘But I DO!’
‘You lied to me, Pete! You stole my girlfriend! Not only do you know full well my strong views on that sort of thing, but you’ve also betrayed your wife, your poor wife who did everything to help you after I left! And now she’s found out, and you’ve got what you deserved! So don’t expect me to be there to pick up the pieces!’
He gasped, surprised at his own outburst. There was a pained silence. Then Pete gulped nervously.
‘If you wanted me to stay away, you would never have come looking for me down that alley way. If we weren’t meant to be friends those old feelings wouldn’t have been there to start with, let alone come back.’
He rested his hands on Patrick’s shoulders, the tears pricking his eyes again. ‘Please, don’t say you’ve given me all this new-found hope just to rip it away from me again. I felt so guilty, you know I did. And on top of it I missed you like crazy, Trick. And I know you missed me too. I saw my letter on the mantelpiece. Please, don’t do this to me again, I can’t take it again…’
Patrick suddenly pulled him into a comforting hug. ‘Ssssh. It’s OK now. I’m sorry, buddy. I’m so sorry. It’s been a hard day, hasn’t it? There we go... there… That’s feeling better, isn’t it? Here, why don’t you come with me? Let’s tuck you up, shall we? Hey, ssssh. Don’t you worry now, I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Let’s turn off this light… That’s right, you snuggle in close, Petey. It’s OK now. I’ll take good care of you…’
He started to sing softly as Pete buried his face into Patrick’s neck, just the way he used to, his tears seeping into the shirt, his fingers entwined with the ends of his hair. They’d missed their old habits. Joe and Andy used to joke that they were too close for friends, but Pete craved the comfort that Patrick gave him, and Patrick enjoyed being the cuddle blanket in Pete’s attachment emergencies.
He stroked the hair out of Pete’s eyes and rubbed his back gently, both holding each other tight as they fell into a contented sleep. Silence. But it gave the message stronger than words ever could.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he stopped walking for a moment to open the message. It was from Joe, his ‘plus-one’ for the evening.
hey man cant make it tonight ate something dodgy yesterday. be sure to
A noise. Patrick stopped reading, listening for it again. There was a certain ruffle in a side alley, but that wasn’t what he’d heard before. No, it was some sort of… Yes, there it was again. A sobbing sound. It was… it was strangely familiar.
Pocketing his phone, Patrick pulled his jacket closer in the sudden wind and moved cautiously down the alley. He could see bright shoes behind a pair of wheelie bins. They were oddly familiar too… and a suitcase…
He peeked slowly round the bins to find a small man, curled up, dark head resting on his knees, sobbing his heart out. Patrick’s own heart stopped right there and then. Seeing someone once so close to him in so much pain… he couldn’t take it. He bent down slowly to the man’s level, cupped the side of his face and lifted it up, to stare into the huge, welling eyes of Pete Wentz.
Pete’s eyes grew even larger at the sight of his friend, and his mouth fell open a little. Patrick was the last person on earth he’d expected to see. Even little black aliens were a better bet. He opened his mouth to say something, but a little gasp was all he could manage.
‘Hey,’ Patrick smiled weakly. ‘What happened?’
He moaned slightly, the tears still coursing down his cheeks. ‘She… she found out, a-and… and she threw me out, and she doesn’t ever w-want to see me again…’
At this he screwed up his eyes and whimpered with the pain. Patrick watched him breaking down, miserable, and felt a sudden wave of sympathy and total adoration wash over him. With it came flooding all their memories, the good and the bad hand in hand, right through him, down into his legs and piercing through his chest, weaving its way into his brain and seeping into his eyes. It leaked out in the form of a stray tear.
Without thinking Patrick ran a hand gently through Pete’s hair, and spoke softly.
‘Come with me. We’ll go home, get you some dinner and a warm bath, and get you off to sleep.’
Pete looked up, hope flashing across his eyes.
‘Then in the morning we’ll make a plan, and we’ll get this whole mess sorted out. Sound good?’ Pete nodded enthusiastically.
Patrick stood up and offered Pete a hand, and as he grabbed it eagerly he stood and fell into Patrick, sobbing into his neck and clinging to his jacket. It had been over a year, and as he breathed in his friend’s familiarity, felt the same warmth and comfort in him from months before, he knew it was time to forget the past.
‘Oh, Patrick…’ Pete whispered into his neck, ‘you’re no magic trick… you’re a miracle.’
********************************
They arrived home half an hour later, Pete still refusing to let go of Patrick, which made walking quite funny, especially with the suitcase. Patrick had insisted that they were separated for the journey home, though, because two people sharing the driver’s seat wouldn’t have looked good in front of the police...
As they stepped inside, Penny yapping excitedly at their ankles, Pete took in the familiar surroundings and sighed happily, eyes still tear-stained but looking a lot happier than he was before.
‘Go on then, bath time. You know where everything is… And come on, you’ve gotta let go of me now, surely!’
‘Well… just so long as you promise I can cling on again afterwards?’
‘Some tough guy you are,’ he joked, ‘all the tattoos, the six pack… how old are you again?’
’31, with attachment issues, I’ve had no best friend for over a year and this is one of the biggest reconciliations of my life. Plus you’re nice to cuddle.’
Patrick smiled, defeated, and headed for the kitchen as Pete reluctantly let go of him and shuffled up the stairs. But the minute he heard the bathroom door close Patrick felt a pang of regret. He’d let his guard down. Pete was back in his life again, eating his food, using his hot water, like nothing had happened. You were supposed to be mad at him forever! he told himself angrily. What happened to not letting him use you again? It’s just gonna be the same as always, you idiot. He’ll get bored in a few weeks. You could have changed that!
He flopped onto the sofa, rubbing his forehead wearily at the thoughts buzzing around inside. Some time later Pete emerged in pyjamas and a hoodie, grabbing the noodles Patrick had made him and slumping down gratefully next to him.
‘I, uh… I guess I’d better get the spare room ready…’
Patrick stood up suddenly, aiming to give him the cold shoulder, but Pete held onto his wrist. He remained silent but gave Patrick a hopeful smile, one he’d seen many times before when he wanted something. But it soon faded to a worried frown.
‘What’s up? Is something wrong?’
Silence.
‘Oh… Are you… are you – regretting all this?’
Silence. But it gave Pete the message stronger than words ever could.
‘Patrick?’
He shook his wrist free and went into the kitchen. Pete followed determinedly, more afraid than ever. There was no way he was getting a repeat of their last fall out.
He cornered Patrick at the sink.
‘Why would you let me stay with you in the first place if you weren’t willing to forgive me?’
Patrick sighed, looking at his shoes. ‘Well… you just looked so… so vulnerable, and I – I guess it just… triggered old feelings.’
‘But I am vulnerable, Trick! You know that better than anyone!’
‘It’s not my problem any more! You made it quite clear that you didn’t want me in your life.’
‘But I DO!’
‘You lied to me, Pete! You stole my girlfriend! Not only do you know full well my strong views on that sort of thing, but you’ve also betrayed your wife, your poor wife who did everything to help you after I left! And now she’s found out, and you’ve got what you deserved! So don’t expect me to be there to pick up the pieces!’
He gasped, surprised at his own outburst. There was a pained silence. Then Pete gulped nervously.
‘If you wanted me to stay away, you would never have come looking for me down that alley way. If we weren’t meant to be friends those old feelings wouldn’t have been there to start with, let alone come back.’
He rested his hands on Patrick’s shoulders, the tears pricking his eyes again. ‘Please, don’t say you’ve given me all this new-found hope just to rip it away from me again. I felt so guilty, you know I did. And on top of it I missed you like crazy, Trick. And I know you missed me too. I saw my letter on the mantelpiece. Please, don’t do this to me again, I can’t take it again…’
Patrick suddenly pulled him into a comforting hug. ‘Ssssh. It’s OK now. I’m sorry, buddy. I’m so sorry. It’s been a hard day, hasn’t it? There we go... there… That’s feeling better, isn’t it? Here, why don’t you come with me? Let’s tuck you up, shall we? Hey, ssssh. Don’t you worry now, I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Let’s turn off this light… That’s right, you snuggle in close, Petey. It’s OK now. I’ll take good care of you…’
He started to sing softly as Pete buried his face into Patrick’s neck, just the way he used to, his tears seeping into the shirt, his fingers entwined with the ends of his hair. They’d missed their old habits. Joe and Andy used to joke that they were too close for friends, but Pete craved the comfort that Patrick gave him, and Patrick enjoyed being the cuddle blanket in Pete’s attachment emergencies.
He stroked the hair out of Pete’s eyes and rubbed his back gently, both holding each other tight as they fell into a contented sleep. Silence. But it gave the message stronger than words ever could.
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