Mikey/Pete Manifesto [Turned Primer]
Even though LJ is evil, here it is, finally:
The Summer of LikeLove
Mikey/Pete Manifesto Turned Primer
Thank you so much to theworshipper, iwritesins, mcee, runthegamut, gigantic, addictedkitten, and audrarose. I couldn't have done this without you guys, even if you don't know you helped! The primers/ comment-primers of iwritesins and gigantic deserve the biggest thanks, so I guess this is it: mentioning you guys twice. (Also, thanks to my boyfriend, who will never see this, but has been ignored for 4+hours for this.)
Now, onto the manifesto, which kind of developed into a comprehensive primer, since there isn't really one. (I've been calling it a "manifer" actually.) I wanted to make sure I explored the dynamic of these two fully, so this is extremely involved. I should probably mention, also, that this isn't srs bzns.
You probably already know these boys, but there's no harm in catching up, yeah? Here's Pete Wentz:
Among many other things, he plays bass.
He does that in this band called Fall Out Boy. You've maybe heard of them.
This is Mikey Way:
This is Mikey Way, too, but since I prefer we're dealing with oldschool!Mikey, we'll stick to the glasses-version. But, for reference:
As you may have noticed, he plays bass, too. Here is he is playing bass during his striped-shirt/beanie/glasses phase (known canonically as "Mikeyway's French Pirate Period," thank to Gerard):
He's in My Chemical Romance.
My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy came into contact with each other as early as Warped Tour '04. There's been a lot of band-to-band interaction, including, but not limited to: Patrick playing with MCR, Ray and Mikey playing with FOB, and Patrick living with Bob. This is all outlined wonderfully by runthegamut here.
Pete's made sure to let us know how much he loves MCR, and their music, through the FOB website's Q&As.
Q: Pete, kisses on the forehead or kisses in the rain?
A: kisses on the forehead are for grandmas and sick kids. in the rain. "im so dirty babe"
Q: Pete, whats your take on Jersey?... oh and whos your favorite band ever to come out of jersey?
A: i love new jersey and jersey girls have cute accents. favorite jersey bands in order: bon jovi springsteen lifetime old savestheday my chemical romance the early november new saves the day midtown
Q: are there any bands fob fights with? you know, like a 50 cent ja rule type of thing?
A: yeah... why else do you think my chemical romance wears bullet proof vests? cause we aim ourz gatz at they facez
Q: peter, would you ever date someone 13 years younger then you? or at least be friends with them? p.s you are hot and i love you
A: i don't want to go to jail. im little and i think i would get passed around like a pack of cigarettes. but thank you that is really sweet. i don't really want to do pushups in a drag...
Q: I have a favor to ask. Could you pretty please thank My Chemical Romance for me?! during there set at the tweeter, some asshole punched my friend corey in the ribs w/brass knuckles. gerard noticed him on the floor and the band stopped playing & didnt start again until they were sure he was out safe on a stretcher. anywho... you guys rocked the other day. and the crowd was the best of all the ones i was in throughout the day. everyone was definitly looking out for each other. and it was just... awesomely rad. its tru... theres nothing like driving towards the skyline.
A: i think we're gonna have to set up a seperate q and a just for our my chem questions and requests. good thing they are good friends of ours... and thanks for the nice words.
Q: How do you feel about being nominated for the MTV2 awarad? How do you feel about being nominated along with your friends My Chemical Romance?
A: we're excited that our fans like the video and we are happy for my chem... just a little sibling rivalry but it is all in good fun...
The Pete/Mikey buzz began around April 16, 2005, when FOB played a Fueled by Ramen show at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida. Mikey was spotted at the show, wearing a white denim jacket. Wait, no. The White Denim Jacket, because the jacket is Pete's.
Mikey in The Jacket:
Pete in The Jacket. If it's not his, then he's stolen it for sure.
Oh, hey, look who's at Warped Tour '05. Who else was at Warped that year, you ask? Well, MCR for one:
And this is where it gets better. First, though, Bamboozle. MCR and FOB both played Bamboozle that year, pre-Warped, and from that we get a Livejournal entry from Pete listing things that were getting him "hot and bothered." Two things on the list:
1.having a crush on a person I speak to near daily
2.White denim jackets
I know, right? So you know, Mikey was spotted watching PeteFall Out Boy both days. After Warped started, Pete started posting in his Blogspot. He was cryptic. Well, cryptic for Pete.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Amazing new mexico sunset. I'm hanging on a bridge with my friend mikey way from my chem. Its all orange and pink above us. We went to another waterpark again. I love high fives again. Totally back in love. Saw the most amazing movie... I think its called spirited away. Watch it.
Peterpan
On July 4th, 2005, Pete ended an entry with:
hot and miserable but totally in love.
Thursday, July 7, 2005
hey beauties.
hotness on warped tour.
checking in. just stealing an internet signal from our friends in My Chem. speaking of, we are really excited to have them on the TRL countdown with us! good music is taking over again.
[cut him talking about TRL such]
i heart leslie simon. go listen to maximo park before you fall asleep. it will make you smile and miss someone/something you love.
"i sleep with my hands across my chest and dream of you with someone else..."
keep on living (forever).
xo peter
Monday, July 11, 2005
Soooo its been a dramafree summer so far which is amazing. Almost as good as swimming pools and sleepovers. I'm watching the notebook does that make me sucky? Circle y or n. I need to take a shower. Nobody likes a dirty boy.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Though I am over hearing your thoughts on haircuts and pants. I'm over us trying to be perfect tens for your little eyes. We don't care what you think of us. Listen to a song and time your heartbeat. Let it be okay to fall asleep slow tonight. Think about a good friend. Think about god. Think about death. Think about someone elses hand clumsily on your belt in the dark. Think it will be okay.
No more rants
No more poetry
Not tonight.
True love for the believers. Thank you. Keep on l i/o ving
posted by: peterpumpkineater
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Sometimes when you're feeling this blue the right smile can save you.
posted by: peter
Quick, keep an eye on the canon that Pete gives us. He and Mikey hung out, watched sunsets together, and went to water parks. Then there's all the the other things he mentions (about being "back in love") that seem to pertain to Mikey. From Pete's FBR journal, on July 19th, 2005:
wrote you a goodbye note (you just wrote me off) on your arm when you passed out. bestfriends, exfriends- better off as lovers not the other way around. racing through the city in the back of yellow checkered cars. the takeoffs are the worst but the skin from your shoulder to your ear makes it all worth it. and im sorry the way my moods flicker on and off like old light on your porch, but i know you wouldn't have it any other way. sneaking in your window instead of out. the way you hold a cigarette cause you don't know what to do with your hands when we are sitting this close. the way the waists of pants feel better at the ankles. the way you always were my best excuse for calling in sick on everyone else. i miss you.
petey
Yes, those are the lyrics to Bang the Doldrums. And also, Bang the Doldrums was originally called Summer of Like. Pete talks about it here in Rolling Stone (scroll down, it's the last bit). A lot of fans have speculated that the "lipstick" bit was added to sound like a "goodbye note" to a girl, since there's nothing gender-specific in the original entry. However, "the waists of pants feel better at the ankles" sounds more masculine to me.
Still in the FOB website Q&As, Pete decides to let us know about The Sweet Little Dudes. (Please to be ignoring the creepiness of the girls asking the question in the first one.)
Q: We want to have sex with Gerard Way. And I mean full blown pumping his gas while he is handcuffed to the bed sex. Care to hook a couple of sistas up?
A: me and mikey way have a gang called The Sweet Little Dudes. you might see us on warped tour.
Q: After your show in Des Moines, during all of the picture taking, squealing, and autograph signing, I took a picture with you (Pete). Upon realizing I was far too tall, I made a comment along the lines of "I am an ogre" or something like that, and you responded in a very sweet way. Anyway, to my question- what is your ideal height for a girl?
A: i have always kind of been a little dude (hence our gang sweet little dudes)- i have no ideal height for a girl. i have dated girls taller and shorter than me. my favorite is the same size so we can share clothes but i'll take a tall lady if she'll spoon me and keep me warm at night.
Q: For real, do you and my chemical romance not get along? If so, this is upsetting
A: no, actually they are some of our best friends, me and mikey have a gang called "the sweet little dudes". that was a joke hence all the use of words with "z" instead of "s"
Q: did mikey rub it in your face that they were number 1 on trl on friday?
A: me and mikey are in a gang called the sweet little dudes. there is no competition. we are happy when our friends are doing well.
The phrase Sweet Little Dudes was Mikey's first. There's an ancient WSOU interview with MCR that has Gerard teasing Mikey about using it (like Bullets ancient). Pete stole it and made it theirs, using it only for the two of them. Guys, guys, they have their own little gang! Actually, they have two, but The Fraternal Order of the Handsome Boy comes later. Pete also made a shirt.
During Warped, no pictures (that are public at least) were taken of Mikey and Pete. According to fan reports, they refused to be photographed together at all. They'd take pictures with fan individually, but never together. They were frequently seen walking the grounds together, though.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Pete Wentz not taking pictures? Isn't this the same guy that has pictures up on his own Buzznet of his ex? Yet, none. It's not until after Warped that we get pictures of them. That'll come later, though.
For now, know that Mikey filled in for Pete on bass a few times so Pete could take his mic and go into the crowd.
And Pete was spotted watching Mikey play (look for the Love Can't Save You black hoodie):
Also, Mikey was frequently seen sidestage watching Fall Out Boy play, usually singing along. Pete was known to dedicate songs to Mikey while he was watching. For instance, saying, "This song is about revenge. Right, Mikey? Revenge!" before launching into Grand Theft Autumn. On another date, he sent out a song to "Mikey Revenge." Obviously, Pete relates "Mikey" with "revenge." It probably has something to do with MCR's album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, which was huge that summer.
To make sure we understood his obsession with revenge (and Mikey), Pete made this shirt for Clandestine (his clothing line):
Speaking of Clandestine, Mikey likes to sport it:
And sometimes he looks insanely happy to be doing so.
Keep in mind that it's the same shirt, or at least the same design, as the one Pete was wearing in The White Denim Jacket pictures. No one knows if they share the shirt, or if Pete gave one to Mikey, or what. I'm partial to the first option. You guys can decide on your own.
Pete showed his love for Mikey in other ways, too. Like away messages:
And buttons, like was mentioned in the Gerard/Lyn-Z manifesto.
Cropped:
He also wore Mikey's glasses:
This picture is from Pete's Friends or Enemies account (entry here):
He captioned it with:
i wish you were my bass
not just my friend
Which is saying something, coming from a guy who routinely does that whole hip-thrust motion with his bass, and lick it, among other things. Also, he posted it on August 26th, which was after Warped ended (and he and Mikey weren't in the same place/on the same tour anymore).
Among the fan reports of Mikey and Pete hanging out together (and not taking pictures), is the following, which takes it to an all new level. I'm pasting it verbatim, because, well, you'll see:
at my warped date i got there early in the morning and hung out by the fob bus because i wanted to get a pic with patrick and around 10 am the door opened and a very tired looking mikey stepped off with pete right behind him and they appeared to be holding hands until they saw the people around and they both refused to have their pictures taken together :[
Yeah. It pretty explicitly suggests that Mikey spent the night on the FOB bus. Once Warped ended, we finally get some pictures, but it took a long time. It's quiet for awhile, just some blogging that can, of course, be speculated on. Feel free to head over to the FBR Journal to make up your own mind.
There's this, from the Q&As:
asked by Meghan! on 2005-11-13 17:05:00
hey! i was just wondering, how good are you friends with mikey way??
answered by peter on 2005-11-13 17:07:00
me and mikey are not in just one gang together, we are in two: the sweet little dudes and the fraternal order of the handsome boy. i call him the duke of handsomeness.
On February 19th, 2006, we suddenly get this from Pete's FOE journal (entry):
been spending most my life...
living in a gangstas paradise...
dear dj booth,
i love old friends.
thanx for the party.
sincerely, peter
And from his FBR journal:
2/19/2006 - 4:02 AM EST
i feel like howl from howls moving castle embodies every single feeling that goes through my head.
that is all. i am in the lobby of a hotel in new york city waiting for something that isn't ever going to happen.
i am calculating all of the legs and drunken stutters. i am precise. i am a machine. i am a hot mess.
- petey
I've never seen the movie or read the book, but Wikipedia tells me that Howl strives to keep to himself, and to keep his personal life very, very private. If any of you are Howl fans, please share your character analyses! Also, note how he's in a hotel lobby, and just the rest of the entry, honestly.
Remember how I mentioned that Mikey would fill in for Pete on bass? He did so again on March 5th of '06, when Fall Out Boy played a secret show (under the name Saved Latin). Here's a short video of Mikey playing Dance, Dance. And then, photos:
He's giving himself bunny ears. How so adorable?
Yeah, that's the Boyfriend Picture. As if the black and white one wasn't boyfriend-y enough. Notice that Mikey's wearing Clandestine fingerless gloves. I don't know if these are all from the same night, but they seem to be. Mikey's glasses change, but I don't think that's out-of-character for him. If anyone knows for sure, please let us all know.
Also in March, the Naked Pictures leaked of Pete. Around the same time, HeyChris (of Grenade Jumper fame, hey Chris, we love you back) posted his famous open letter to Pete. It called Pete out on stealing and/or trying to steal HeyChris's girlfriend. HeyChris swears he didn't leak the pictures. (Obviously, we'll never know if it was Chris, Pete himself, or someone else.) Shortly after that entry, HeyChris posted again, saying that he'd found a new love. He also put up the following pictures of him and Mikey.
Pete put up an angry away message (which I unfortunately don't have). The consensus, from what I've heard, is that Pete pretty much freaked. HeyChris posted later that day saying that it was just a sick joke.
HeyChris's way of "getting back" at Pete for stealing his girl was to post pictures of himself in bed with Mikey. It seems to suggest that HeyChris viewed Mikey as someone Pete was either with, or had been with at some point.
Mikey got engaged to his now-wife Alicia in December of '05. However, Alicia's blatantly said that she and Mikey weren't together during Warped '05. Also, Alicia may have, at some point, dated Pete; it's been said that it's true, and that it's just a rumor. It's kind of strange that Mikey ends up marrying a girl Pete may or may not have dated before.
Something else to consider: Mikey is the only person that Pete has ever been linked to that is Pete's age (Mikey's about a year younger). Ashlee, Patrick, Jeanae, et cetera are all (much) younger than Pete. People have suggested that it's Pete's insecurities (and possibly his immaturity) that keeps him from dating people his own age.
Aside from the way Mikey smiles when he's with Pete, we don't have much from his side. We do have this, though, which he posted in his blog:
5) Me and pete wentz aren't dating. We are both heterosexual males....sort of...maybe...umm...next!
Doesn't exactly squash the rumors, now does it? It doesn't even sound like he's serious about denying it. Mikey also posted in his blog after the Naked Pictures business. He told people to lay the hell off, and basically supported Pete in all his endeavors.
A cute fact: Pete obviously has a Peter Pan obsession. We can tell by the way he signs his blogs and Q&As, and also this tattoo:
(You find Neverland by the second star to the right.)
Mikey's full name is Michael (duh), and who's one of the children Peter Pan leads to Neverland? Michael Darling. If you want to go farther into the "wow, that's a weird coincidence," check out the guy who Barrie named his Michael character after. I know, I know. You're now thinking, Hey, this has nothing to do with the real Mikey and Pete. You're right. I'm sorry. I just think it's interesting.
Also. Pete has stated that he's "gay above the waist," and you can find things everywhere alluding to his supposed homosexuality. The same things have been said about Mikey. There's pictures of him with boys in precarious situations, like Gabe Saporta. And, take this how you will, he lived with bandmate Frank while they were recording Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.
A lot of what seems to draw Mikey/Pete shippers is the tragic romance of it all. Their relationship, whatever it is, has been debated as though it really happened. It's gone out of just slash communities into "normal" fan conversations. They're definitely friends (or were); they've both confirmed that. How private Pete kept it all is a little suspicious, no matter what went down. That they're not close anymore, as far as anyone can tell, is a little sad. They were basically BFFs for a summer, and then nothing. That's where the term Summer of Like comes from, by the way. Though it's canon thanks to the RS article, fans use it describe the summer of '05, mostly Warped Tour, and it has a connotation of "it all ends once autumn comes."
Recs (finally). I'm not linking every single Mikey/Pete fic that I love. This is partly because that would be insane, and partly because I tend to enjoy the ones where they're a side pairing. Frankly, the dynamic is better explored in some, like Synchronik's The Scene Is Dead. Overall, though, there's a sad lack of really good, really heartbreaking fic of them.
lovebashed's Between the end and where we lie and Sleep Hard Dream Fast. Excellently creepy apocalypse fic. I don't want to give anything away! Also includes Frank/Gerard.
fluffontop's The Holly Golightly Club. I'm Not Okay video AU. If you haven't read this, I don't even know. They're in high school, basically, trying to figure out their feelings. Good with Pete and Mikey trying to figure out their sexualities and such. Guys, it's one of the only multi-chapter/part thing I've actually read while it was going (and loved). Also includes Frank/Gerard (another point for Mikey/Pete; meshes well with other pairings).
gigantic's Our Spirit Ain't Wrinkled. Probably my favorite ever. It covers Warped, and excellently portrays the two trying to figure out what they have and whether they should have it.
snakevsladder's the end of the rainbow. Silly and cute. Gerard discussing sexuality with Pete earnestly, but really, Pete just wants in Gerard's brother's pants. AND also radio static. Much more serious. Includes a little Frank/Pete. Just. It's really good, okay?
jezzabe's better off as lovers {you're wrong}. Deals with the whole Band the Doldrums being written about Mikey thing, in a phone call. It's very emotional, and it hurts a little (in a good way).
paloma_cayendo's Summer Into Dust. Has a lot of canon bits in it, like the waterparks and sunsets. Very heartfelt, very good.
So. I guess that's finally it. Thanks for reading! Now go! discuss! Rec! Post more Q&As or blog entries!
But most of all: WRITE MORE FIC OF THEM, PLEASE.
EDIT: I looked up "Natalia Portman gangsta rapping" to try to date Pete's away message. It puts it at the same time as the secret show in early March or '06, so everything else fits as well, since he was in New York at the time, hanging with Mikey. Thought you all should know.
The Summer of LikeLove
Mikey/Pete Manifesto Turned Primer
Thank you so much to theworshipper, iwritesins, mcee, runthegamut, gigantic, addictedkitten, and audrarose. I couldn't have done this without you guys, even if you don't know you helped! The primers/ comment-primers of iwritesins and gigantic deserve the biggest thanks, so I guess this is it: mentioning you guys twice. (Also, thanks to my boyfriend, who will never see this, but has been ignored for 4+hours for this.)
Now, onto the manifesto, which kind of developed into a comprehensive primer, since there isn't really one. (I've been calling it a "manifer" actually.) I wanted to make sure I explored the dynamic of these two fully, so this is extremely involved. I should probably mention, also, that this isn't srs bzns.
You probably already know these boys, but there's no harm in catching up, yeah? Here's Pete Wentz:
Among many other things, he plays bass.
He does that in this band called Fall Out Boy. You've maybe heard of them.
This is Mikey Way:
This is Mikey Way, too, but since I prefer we're dealing with oldschool!Mikey, we'll stick to the glasses-version. But, for reference:
As you may have noticed, he plays bass, too. Here is he is playing bass during his striped-shirt/beanie/glasses phase (known canonically as "Mikeyway's French Pirate Period," thank to Gerard):
He's in My Chemical Romance.
My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy came into contact with each other as early as Warped Tour '04. There's been a lot of band-to-band interaction, including, but not limited to: Patrick playing with MCR, Ray and Mikey playing with FOB, and Patrick living with Bob. This is all outlined wonderfully by runthegamut here.
Pete's made sure to let us know how much he loves MCR, and their music, through the FOB website's Q&As.
Q: Pete, kisses on the forehead or kisses in the rain?
A: kisses on the forehead are for grandmas and sick kids. in the rain. "im so dirty babe"
Q: Pete, whats your take on Jersey?... oh and whos your favorite band ever to come out of jersey?
A: i love new jersey and jersey girls have cute accents. favorite jersey bands in order: bon jovi springsteen lifetime old savestheday my chemical romance the early november new saves the day midtown
Q: are there any bands fob fights with? you know, like a 50 cent ja rule type of thing?
A: yeah... why else do you think my chemical romance wears bullet proof vests? cause we aim ourz gatz at they facez
Q: peter, would you ever date someone 13 years younger then you? or at least be friends with them? p.s you are hot and i love you
A: i don't want to go to jail. im little and i think i would get passed around like a pack of cigarettes. but thank you that is really sweet. i don't really want to do pushups in a drag...
Q: I have a favor to ask. Could you pretty please thank My Chemical Romance for me?! during there set at the tweeter, some asshole punched my friend corey in the ribs w/brass knuckles. gerard noticed him on the floor and the band stopped playing & didnt start again until they were sure he was out safe on a stretcher. anywho... you guys rocked the other day. and the crowd was the best of all the ones i was in throughout the day. everyone was definitly looking out for each other. and it was just... awesomely rad. its tru... theres nothing like driving towards the skyline.
A: i think we're gonna have to set up a seperate q and a just for our my chem questions and requests. good thing they are good friends of ours... and thanks for the nice words.
Q: How do you feel about being nominated for the MTV2 awarad? How do you feel about being nominated along with your friends My Chemical Romance?
A: we're excited that our fans like the video and we are happy for my chem... just a little sibling rivalry but it is all in good fun...
The Pete/Mikey buzz began around April 16, 2005, when FOB played a Fueled by Ramen show at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida. Mikey was spotted at the show, wearing a white denim jacket. Wait, no. The White Denim Jacket, because the jacket is Pete's.
Mikey in The Jacket:
Pete in The Jacket. If it's not his, then he's stolen it for sure.
Oh, hey, look who's at Warped Tour '05. Who else was at Warped that year, you ask? Well, MCR for one:
And this is where it gets better. First, though, Bamboozle. MCR and FOB both played Bamboozle that year, pre-Warped, and from that we get a Livejournal entry from Pete listing things that were getting him "hot and bothered." Two things on the list:
1.having a crush on a person I speak to near daily
2.White denim jackets
I know, right? So you know, Mikey was spotted watching PeteFall Out Boy both days. After Warped started, Pete started posting in his Blogspot. He was cryptic. Well, cryptic for Pete.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Amazing new mexico sunset. I'm hanging on a bridge with my friend mikey way from my chem. Its all orange and pink above us. We went to another waterpark again. I love high fives again. Totally back in love. Saw the most amazing movie... I think its called spirited away. Watch it.
Peterpan
On July 4th, 2005, Pete ended an entry with:
hot and miserable but totally in love.
Thursday, July 7, 2005
hey beauties.
hotness on warped tour.
checking in. just stealing an internet signal from our friends in My Chem. speaking of, we are really excited to have them on the TRL countdown with us! good music is taking over again.
[cut him talking about TRL such]
i heart leslie simon. go listen to maximo park before you fall asleep. it will make you smile and miss someone/something you love.
"i sleep with my hands across my chest and dream of you with someone else..."
keep on living (forever).
xo peter
Monday, July 11, 2005
Soooo its been a dramafree summer so far which is amazing. Almost as good as swimming pools and sleepovers. I'm watching the notebook does that make me sucky? Circle y or n. I need to take a shower. Nobody likes a dirty boy.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Though I am over hearing your thoughts on haircuts and pants. I'm over us trying to be perfect tens for your little eyes. We don't care what you think of us. Listen to a song and time your heartbeat. Let it be okay to fall asleep slow tonight. Think about a good friend. Think about god. Think about death. Think about someone elses hand clumsily on your belt in the dark. Think it will be okay.
No more rants
No more poetry
Not tonight.
True love for the believers. Thank you. Keep on l i/o ving
posted by: peterpumpkineater
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Sometimes when you're feeling this blue the right smile can save you.
posted by: peter
Quick, keep an eye on the canon that Pete gives us. He and Mikey hung out, watched sunsets together, and went to water parks. Then there's all the the other things he mentions (about being "back in love") that seem to pertain to Mikey. From Pete's FBR journal, on July 19th, 2005:
wrote you a goodbye note (you just wrote me off) on your arm when you passed out. bestfriends, exfriends- better off as lovers not the other way around. racing through the city in the back of yellow checkered cars. the takeoffs are the worst but the skin from your shoulder to your ear makes it all worth it. and im sorry the way my moods flicker on and off like old light on your porch, but i know you wouldn't have it any other way. sneaking in your window instead of out. the way you hold a cigarette cause you don't know what to do with your hands when we are sitting this close. the way the waists of pants feel better at the ankles. the way you always were my best excuse for calling in sick on everyone else. i miss you.
petey
Yes, those are the lyrics to Bang the Doldrums. And also, Bang the Doldrums was originally called Summer of Like. Pete talks about it here in Rolling Stone (scroll down, it's the last bit). A lot of fans have speculated that the "lipstick" bit was added to sound like a "goodbye note" to a girl, since there's nothing gender-specific in the original entry. However, "the waists of pants feel better at the ankles" sounds more masculine to me.
Still in the FOB website Q&As, Pete decides to let us know about The Sweet Little Dudes. (Please to be ignoring the creepiness of the girls asking the question in the first one.)
Q: We want to have sex with Gerard Way. And I mean full blown pumping his gas while he is handcuffed to the bed sex. Care to hook a couple of sistas up?
A: me and mikey way have a gang called The Sweet Little Dudes. you might see us on warped tour.
Q: After your show in Des Moines, during all of the picture taking, squealing, and autograph signing, I took a picture with you (Pete). Upon realizing I was far too tall, I made a comment along the lines of "I am an ogre" or something like that, and you responded in a very sweet way. Anyway, to my question- what is your ideal height for a girl?
A: i have always kind of been a little dude (hence our gang sweet little dudes)- i have no ideal height for a girl. i have dated girls taller and shorter than me. my favorite is the same size so we can share clothes but i'll take a tall lady if she'll spoon me and keep me warm at night.
Q: For real, do you and my chemical romance not get along? If so, this is upsetting
A: no, actually they are some of our best friends, me and mikey have a gang called "the sweet little dudes". that was a joke hence all the use of words with "z" instead of "s"
Q: did mikey rub it in your face that they were number 1 on trl on friday?
A: me and mikey are in a gang called the sweet little dudes. there is no competition. we are happy when our friends are doing well.
The phrase Sweet Little Dudes was Mikey's first. There's an ancient WSOU interview with MCR that has Gerard teasing Mikey about using it (like Bullets ancient). Pete stole it and made it theirs, using it only for the two of them. Guys, guys, they have their own little gang! Actually, they have two, but The Fraternal Order of the Handsome Boy comes later. Pete also made a shirt.
During Warped, no pictures (that are public at least) were taken of Mikey and Pete. According to fan reports, they refused to be photographed together at all. They'd take pictures with fan individually, but never together. They were frequently seen walking the grounds together, though.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Pete Wentz not taking pictures? Isn't this the same guy that has pictures up on his own Buzznet of his ex? Yet, none. It's not until after Warped that we get pictures of them. That'll come later, though.
For now, know that Mikey filled in for Pete on bass a few times so Pete could take his mic and go into the crowd.
And Pete was spotted watching Mikey play (look for the Love Can't Save You black hoodie):
Also, Mikey was frequently seen sidestage watching Fall Out Boy play, usually singing along. Pete was known to dedicate songs to Mikey while he was watching. For instance, saying, "This song is about revenge. Right, Mikey? Revenge!" before launching into Grand Theft Autumn. On another date, he sent out a song to "Mikey Revenge." Obviously, Pete relates "Mikey" with "revenge." It probably has something to do with MCR's album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, which was huge that summer.
To make sure we understood his obsession with revenge (and Mikey), Pete made this shirt for Clandestine (his clothing line):
Speaking of Clandestine, Mikey likes to sport it:
And sometimes he looks insanely happy to be doing so.
Keep in mind that it's the same shirt, or at least the same design, as the one Pete was wearing in The White Denim Jacket pictures. No one knows if they share the shirt, or if Pete gave one to Mikey, or what. I'm partial to the first option. You guys can decide on your own.
Pete showed his love for Mikey in other ways, too. Like away messages:
And buttons, like was mentioned in the Gerard/Lyn-Z manifesto.
Cropped:
He also wore Mikey's glasses:
This picture is from Pete's Friends or Enemies account (entry here):
He captioned it with:
i wish you were my bass
not just my friend
Which is saying something, coming from a guy who routinely does that whole hip-thrust motion with his bass, and lick it, among other things. Also, he posted it on August 26th, which was after Warped ended (and he and Mikey weren't in the same place/on the same tour anymore).
Among the fan reports of Mikey and Pete hanging out together (and not taking pictures), is the following, which takes it to an all new level. I'm pasting it verbatim, because, well, you'll see:
at my warped date i got there early in the morning and hung out by the fob bus because i wanted to get a pic with patrick and around 10 am the door opened and a very tired looking mikey stepped off with pete right behind him and they appeared to be holding hands until they saw the people around and they both refused to have their pictures taken together :[
Yeah. It pretty explicitly suggests that Mikey spent the night on the FOB bus. Once Warped ended, we finally get some pictures, but it took a long time. It's quiet for awhile, just some blogging that can, of course, be speculated on. Feel free to head over to the FBR Journal to make up your own mind.
There's this, from the Q&As:
asked by Meghan! on 2005-11-13 17:05:00
hey! i was just wondering, how good are you friends with mikey way??
answered by peter on 2005-11-13 17:07:00
me and mikey are not in just one gang together, we are in two: the sweet little dudes and the fraternal order of the handsome boy. i call him the duke of handsomeness.
On February 19th, 2006, we suddenly get this from Pete's FOE journal (entry):
been spending most my life...
living in a gangstas paradise...
dear dj booth,
i love old friends.
thanx for the party.
sincerely, peter
And from his FBR journal:
2/19/2006 - 4:02 AM EST
i feel like howl from howls moving castle embodies every single feeling that goes through my head.
that is all. i am in the lobby of a hotel in new york city waiting for something that isn't ever going to happen.
i am calculating all of the legs and drunken stutters. i am precise. i am a machine. i am a hot mess.
- petey
I've never seen the movie or read the book, but Wikipedia tells me that Howl strives to keep to himself, and to keep his personal life very, very private. If any of you are Howl fans, please share your character analyses! Also, note how he's in a hotel lobby, and just the rest of the entry, honestly.
Remember how I mentioned that Mikey would fill in for Pete on bass? He did so again on March 5th of '06, when Fall Out Boy played a secret show (under the name Saved Latin). Here's a short video of Mikey playing Dance, Dance. And then, photos:
He's giving himself bunny ears. How so adorable?
Yeah, that's the Boyfriend Picture. As if the black and white one wasn't boyfriend-y enough. Notice that Mikey's wearing Clandestine fingerless gloves. I don't know if these are all from the same night, but they seem to be. Mikey's glasses change, but I don't think that's out-of-character for him. If anyone knows for sure, please let us all know.
Also in March, the Naked Pictures leaked of Pete. Around the same time, HeyChris (of Grenade Jumper fame, hey Chris, we love you back) posted his famous open letter to Pete. It called Pete out on stealing and/or trying to steal HeyChris's girlfriend. HeyChris swears he didn't leak the pictures. (Obviously, we'll never know if it was Chris, Pete himself, or someone else.) Shortly after that entry, HeyChris posted again, saying that he'd found a new love. He also put up the following pictures of him and Mikey.
Pete put up an angry away message (which I unfortunately don't have). The consensus, from what I've heard, is that Pete pretty much freaked. HeyChris posted later that day saying that it was just a sick joke.
HeyChris's way of "getting back" at Pete for stealing his girl was to post pictures of himself in bed with Mikey. It seems to suggest that HeyChris viewed Mikey as someone Pete was either with, or had been with at some point.
Mikey got engaged to his now-wife Alicia in December of '05. However, Alicia's blatantly said that she and Mikey weren't together during Warped '05. Also, Alicia may have, at some point, dated Pete; it's been said that it's true, and that it's just a rumor. It's kind of strange that Mikey ends up marrying a girl Pete may or may not have dated before.
Something else to consider: Mikey is the only person that Pete has ever been linked to that is Pete's age (Mikey's about a year younger). Ashlee, Patrick, Jeanae, et cetera are all (much) younger than Pete. People have suggested that it's Pete's insecurities (and possibly his immaturity) that keeps him from dating people his own age.
Aside from the way Mikey smiles when he's with Pete, we don't have much from his side. We do have this, though, which he posted in his blog:
5) Me and pete wentz aren't dating. We are both heterosexual males....sort of...maybe...umm...next!
Doesn't exactly squash the rumors, now does it? It doesn't even sound like he's serious about denying it. Mikey also posted in his blog after the Naked Pictures business. He told people to lay the hell off, and basically supported Pete in all his endeavors.
A cute fact: Pete obviously has a Peter Pan obsession. We can tell by the way he signs his blogs and Q&As, and also this tattoo:
(You find Neverland by the second star to the right.)
Mikey's full name is Michael (duh), and who's one of the children Peter Pan leads to Neverland? Michael Darling. If you want to go farther into the "wow, that's a weird coincidence," check out the guy who Barrie named his Michael character after. I know, I know. You're now thinking, Hey, this has nothing to do with the real Mikey and Pete. You're right. I'm sorry. I just think it's interesting.
Also. Pete has stated that he's "gay above the waist," and you can find things everywhere alluding to his supposed homosexuality. The same things have been said about Mikey. There's pictures of him with boys in precarious situations, like Gabe Saporta. And, take this how you will, he lived with bandmate Frank while they were recording Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.
A lot of what seems to draw Mikey/Pete shippers is the tragic romance of it all. Their relationship, whatever it is, has been debated as though it really happened. It's gone out of just slash communities into "normal" fan conversations. They're definitely friends (or were); they've both confirmed that. How private Pete kept it all is a little suspicious, no matter what went down. That they're not close anymore, as far as anyone can tell, is a little sad. They were basically BFFs for a summer, and then nothing. That's where the term Summer of Like comes from, by the way. Though it's canon thanks to the RS article, fans use it describe the summer of '05, mostly Warped Tour, and it has a connotation of "it all ends once autumn comes."
Recs (finally). I'm not linking every single Mikey/Pete fic that I love. This is partly because that would be insane, and partly because I tend to enjoy the ones where they're a side pairing. Frankly, the dynamic is better explored in some, like Synchronik's The Scene Is Dead. Overall, though, there's a sad lack of really good, really heartbreaking fic of them.
lovebashed's Between the end and where we lie and Sleep Hard Dream Fast. Excellently creepy apocalypse fic. I don't want to give anything away! Also includes Frank/Gerard.
fluffontop's The Holly Golightly Club. I'm Not Okay video AU. If you haven't read this, I don't even know. They're in high school, basically, trying to figure out their feelings. Good with Pete and Mikey trying to figure out their sexualities and such. Guys, it's one of the only multi-chapter/part thing I've actually read while it was going (and loved). Also includes Frank/Gerard (another point for Mikey/Pete; meshes well with other pairings).
gigantic's Our Spirit Ain't Wrinkled. Probably my favorite ever. It covers Warped, and excellently portrays the two trying to figure out what they have and whether they should have it.
snakevsladder's the end of the rainbow. Silly and cute. Gerard discussing sexuality with Pete earnestly, but really, Pete just wants in Gerard's brother's pants. AND also radio static. Much more serious. Includes a little Frank/Pete. Just. It's really good, okay?
jezzabe's better off as lovers {you're wrong}. Deals with the whole Band the Doldrums being written about Mikey thing, in a phone call. It's very emotional, and it hurts a little (in a good way).
paloma_cayendo's Summer Into Dust. Has a lot of canon bits in it, like the waterparks and sunsets. Very heartfelt, very good.
So. I guess that's finally it. Thanks for reading! Now go! discuss! Rec! Post more Q&As or blog entries!
But most of all: WRITE MORE FIC OF THEM, PLEASE.
EDIT: I looked up "Natalia Portman gangsta rapping" to try to date Pete's away message. It puts it at the same time as the secret show in early March or '06, so everything else fits as well, since he was in New York at the time, hanging with Mikey. Thought you all should know.