Fic! Finally!
Lies, all lies. None of this happened, except for Pete marrying Ashlee, and I don't claim to know or properly represent facts here. If you got here by googling yourself or someone you know, well. This isn't really that bad. But you still may want to turn back.
Warnings: Het!
Rating: who gives a damn.\
This is part one of my thirteen days of Christmas fic. <3
It's a little late. I don't even care.
One day, Patrick looks up from GarageBand and his spreadsheets and his newsfeeds and his schedules and his guitar and realizes Pete's gone. Pete's been gone for a while. Patrick knew about the wedding, and the tour break, and he and Pete texted each other and called each other a ridiculous amount of times. It's not like Patrick has been living under his laptop for the past year and a half; he knows Pete has had stuff going on. Patrick likes Ashlee, he really does. She's smart and funny and a little jagged and she's goddamn adorable and she's exactly what Pete needs. Patrick didn't notice for a while, and he doesn't know if Pete's noticed yet, but since Ashlee came in Pete's stopped talking so much about Patrick being his heterosexual soul mate and started talking about Ashlee being his heterosexual soul mate.
Not that Patrick minds. In his heart of hearts, Patrick knows Pete needs someone like Ashlee, knows Pete needs the kid and the house and the dog and the Sunday Paper. He'll always be Pete, but he needs those things because Pete can't stay twelve steps away from the Best Buy parking lot for the rest of his life. Patrick is genuinely happy for him, and dives back into managing his pet bands and his own band.[there's a really, really sweet interview with patrick in the latest Rolling Stone. He is such a sweetie]Then Patrick looks up and it's November, and hey, he remembers the wedding announcement and the summer drama and September, he remembers September, and he remembers Halloween and breaking a world record with Pete and dressing up as Brendon Urie for Halloween night (Pete was Ryan Ross. There were a lot of things that should've gotten said that Halloween that never did.). Patrick remembers the baby being born and remembers Pete being stupidly excited over that art show he put on with Travis, telling all the magazines who would listen, which weren't many, and all the kids on the internet who would listen, which were many, about "getting locked up with your best friend for a week." Patrick doesn't remember how he got demoted to "friend".
Patrick doesn't remember how it switched from Pete in Patrick's bunk every other night, from Pete needing lullabies over shitty phone lines because Patrick's halfway across the country and Pete needs, from Pete's constant presence to finding out things second hand, to a fucking Christmas phone call, to cold sheets in the guest bedroom because Pete sleeps just fine next to Ashlee. Patrick's not going to begrudge Pete his new family, but he might secretly begrudge Pete his new friends.Ashlee is his best friend and the love of his life and his equal in arguments and somehow, somehow she knows him just as well as Patrick does and can give Pete what Patrick couldn't give and what Pete didn't want from him, and Patrick knows that last part is not what he's angry at.Patrick always knew that Pete knew the "destiny" and "epic love story" that was the two of them was too damn perfect to last. Patrick always knew that Pete was terrified it would come crashing down because of Pete. Patrick always knew Pete was holding his breath and sneaking cuddles and spare time against the day when Patrick wouldn't want him anymore.But Patrick's here, in the studio, recording a song with Brendon Urie, and Pete's over there behind the glass on the couch with Travis. Laughing. Patrick's first clue maybe should have been when Pete came up with the one idea that would set this album apart from their others.
"Dude, dude, it would be so awesome! We know a shitton of people now, we could totally get them to sing on it too. We could switch it up with some of this new shit, and then that song I sent you with the old shit mixed in? We could get maybe Beckett to sing...."
Patrick's heart maybe breaks a little that he isn't Pete's voice anymore, but Patrick's so dulled to it that it doesn't register quickly enough for Patrick to do anything about it. Brendon totally reads Patrick like a book, though, and gives him a pat on the butt as they walk in to their recording booths
Pete picks Brendon to sing on that song, 20 Dollar Nosebleeds, and Patrick maybe hates this album a little because he can't tell anymore how much of which song is written about him, or how much of each song is written for him, or how much of each song is written around him.
Patrick wonders if Pete is still subconsciously looking out for him, or if it's just a fluke. Patrick doesn't really care, apart from the surprising pang at not being the center of Pete's attention. He's been used to living in it for so long, for breathing Pete's attention and living in Pete's space (Pete living in his space). Brendon's a dose of cheer and excitement and--and outside life. Patrick needs it. Brendon's like an IV of sunshine and rainbows. With side effects of ass-slapping and monkey-like clinging, among other things. When Brendon drapes himself over Patric, Patrick might love him a little bit because even though it looks exactly like Pete cuddles, it feels absolutely nothing like it. Pete clings like a lifeline, attaches too strongly and hurts everyone too much when he's ripped off. Brendon is nice and easy and constant, hugging and sauntering off for a joint and hugging and taking a nap with his head in Patrick's lap and demanding a piggyback ride and laughing his ass off when Patrick stumbles into the doorframe and knocks them to the ground. Brendon likes to sneak in gropes and ass slaps and loud, smacking kisses on the cheek whenever Patrick looks too sad or emotionless. Brendon shows up at the studio every morning with a grin like Christmas lights and a coffee like a wake-up blowjob. Patrick is stupidly grateful and sometimes wonders if this, this taking-care thing Brendon is doing, if that wasn't part of what Pete likes (liked) about Patrick.
Brendon is half in Patrick's lap on the couch, singing Mariah Carey style improvisations, rubbing Patrick's shoulder at the same time. Patrick is laughing for the first time in a while. Finally Brendon pokes Patrick enough so that he starts singing, too. Patrick can actually hit a few notes higher than Brendon, which pisses Brendon off and so Brendon decides to hug tackle him. Pete's sitting there, smiling, but it's not his usual, genuine smile. But for the first time in a while Patrick does not notice because he's laughing so hard his insides might explode as Brendon is singing operatically in his ear, trying to tickle him.
(Pete isn't used to the luxury of having someone to leave behind.)
Warnings: Het!
Rating: who gives a damn.\
This is part one of my thirteen days of Christmas fic. <3
It's a little late. I don't even care.
One day, Patrick looks up from GarageBand and his spreadsheets and his newsfeeds and his schedules and his guitar and realizes Pete's gone. Pete's been gone for a while. Patrick knew about the wedding, and the tour break, and he and Pete texted each other and called each other a ridiculous amount of times. It's not like Patrick has been living under his laptop for the past year and a half; he knows Pete has had stuff going on. Patrick likes Ashlee, he really does. She's smart and funny and a little jagged and she's goddamn adorable and she's exactly what Pete needs. Patrick didn't notice for a while, and he doesn't know if Pete's noticed yet, but since Ashlee came in Pete's stopped talking so much about Patrick being his heterosexual soul mate and started talking about Ashlee being his heterosexual soul mate.
Not that Patrick minds. In his heart of hearts, Patrick knows Pete needs someone like Ashlee, knows Pete needs the kid and the house and the dog and the Sunday Paper. He'll always be Pete, but he needs those things because Pete can't stay twelve steps away from the Best Buy parking lot for the rest of his life. Patrick is genuinely happy for him, and dives back into managing his pet bands and his own band.[there's a really, really sweet interview with patrick in the latest Rolling Stone. He is such a sweetie]Then Patrick looks up and it's November, and hey, he remembers the wedding announcement and the summer drama and September, he remembers September, and he remembers Halloween and breaking a world record with Pete and dressing up as Brendon Urie for Halloween night (Pete was Ryan Ross. There were a lot of things that should've gotten said that Halloween that never did.). Patrick remembers the baby being born and remembers Pete being stupidly excited over that art show he put on with Travis, telling all the magazines who would listen, which weren't many, and all the kids on the internet who would listen, which were many, about "getting locked up with your best friend for a week." Patrick doesn't remember how he got demoted to "friend".
Patrick doesn't remember how it switched from Pete in Patrick's bunk every other night, from Pete needing lullabies over shitty phone lines because Patrick's halfway across the country and Pete needs, from Pete's constant presence to finding out things second hand, to a fucking Christmas phone call, to cold sheets in the guest bedroom because Pete sleeps just fine next to Ashlee. Patrick's not going to begrudge Pete his new family, but he might secretly begrudge Pete his new friends.Ashlee is his best friend and the love of his life and his equal in arguments and somehow, somehow she knows him just as well as Patrick does and can give Pete what Patrick couldn't give and what Pete didn't want from him, and Patrick knows that last part is not what he's angry at.Patrick always knew that Pete knew the "destiny" and "epic love story" that was the two of them was too damn perfect to last. Patrick always knew that Pete was terrified it would come crashing down because of Pete. Patrick always knew Pete was holding his breath and sneaking cuddles and spare time against the day when Patrick wouldn't want him anymore.But Patrick's here, in the studio, recording a song with Brendon Urie, and Pete's over there behind the glass on the couch with Travis. Laughing. Patrick's first clue maybe should have been when Pete came up with the one idea that would set this album apart from their others.
"Dude, dude, it would be so awesome! We know a shitton of people now, we could totally get them to sing on it too. We could switch it up with some of this new shit, and then that song I sent you with the old shit mixed in? We could get maybe Beckett to sing...."
Patrick's heart maybe breaks a little that he isn't Pete's voice anymore, but Patrick's so dulled to it that it doesn't register quickly enough for Patrick to do anything about it. Brendon totally reads Patrick like a book, though, and gives him a pat on the butt as they walk in to their recording booths
Pete picks Brendon to sing on that song, 20 Dollar Nosebleeds, and Patrick maybe hates this album a little because he can't tell anymore how much of which song is written about him, or how much of each song is written for him, or how much of each song is written around him.
Patrick wonders if Pete is still subconsciously looking out for him, or if it's just a fluke. Patrick doesn't really care, apart from the surprising pang at not being the center of Pete's attention. He's been used to living in it for so long, for breathing Pete's attention and living in Pete's space (Pete living in his space). Brendon's a dose of cheer and excitement and--and outside life. Patrick needs it. Brendon's like an IV of sunshine and rainbows. With side effects of ass-slapping and monkey-like clinging, among other things. When Brendon drapes himself over Patric, Patrick might love him a little bit because even though it looks exactly like Pete cuddles, it feels absolutely nothing like it. Pete clings like a lifeline, attaches too strongly and hurts everyone too much when he's ripped off. Brendon is nice and easy and constant, hugging and sauntering off for a joint and hugging and taking a nap with his head in Patrick's lap and demanding a piggyback ride and laughing his ass off when Patrick stumbles into the doorframe and knocks them to the ground. Brendon likes to sneak in gropes and ass slaps and loud, smacking kisses on the cheek whenever Patrick looks too sad or emotionless. Brendon shows up at the studio every morning with a grin like Christmas lights and a coffee like a wake-up blowjob. Patrick is stupidly grateful and sometimes wonders if this, this taking-care thing Brendon is doing, if that wasn't part of what Pete likes (liked) about Patrick.
Brendon is half in Patrick's lap on the couch, singing Mariah Carey style improvisations, rubbing Patrick's shoulder at the same time. Patrick is laughing for the first time in a while. Finally Brendon pokes Patrick enough so that he starts singing, too. Patrick can actually hit a few notes higher than Brendon, which pisses Brendon off and so Brendon decides to hug tackle him. Pete's sitting there, smiling, but it's not his usual, genuine smile. But for the first time in a while Patrick does not notice because he's laughing so hard his insides might explode as Brendon is singing operatically in his ear, trying to tickle him.
(Pete isn't used to the luxury of having someone to leave behind.)