And The Cogs Fall Into Place, 4
Part 3
One week before the wedding, Pete and Patrick were on a walk, just admiring the last vestiges of warmth before the weather grew too cold to walk the grounds in comfort. They had noted the clouds in the distance but disregarded the warning. However, as they got out on the small island just across a beautiful stone columned and covered bridge and walked around to the far side of it, sitting near the water’s edge, they discovered the clouds were ominously darker above them.
Pete sighed. “Smells like a rain is coming,” he said and Patrick chuckled.
“We have a bit of time still. We should make it back to the house before too long, but for now we’re alright,” he said, then smiled, nudging his shoulder against Pete’s as they both faced the water. “Brendon and Spencer are both so eager to be wed,” he said and Pete chuckled.
“If the longing glances are anything to go by, all of this waiting when they’re so close to being married is killing them. Brendon clearly wants so badly to be someone’s husband, it’s driving him to distraction,” he surmised, shaking his head.
Patrick snickered. “For all the joking, I do believe he is finding his own difficulty with remaining as proper as they can still be the closer they are to getting married,” he said and Pete raised an eyebrow before narrowing his eyes.
“What do you know?” he demanded perceptively. “You have a look on your face I recognize as knowing a secret. Tell!”
Patrick shook his head, glancing at the water once more. “Brendon admitted they were taking a walk the first night here and when it was time to part and go to their separate rooms, they held each other for a few moments- nothing more- but they’ve yet to really allow themselves more than hand-holding with decent proximity, which is a feat in and of itself for, if you haven’t noticed, Brendon sort of hugs a lot,” he pointed out and Pete nodded.
“I did notice, it is amusing,” he said, then smirked. “But that isn’t all,” he accused and Patrick grinned.
“No, it’s not. It turns out, the second night, they shared their first kiss as they parted,” he said and Pete whistled playfully.
“Kissing out of wedlock, how dare they,” he teased. “What, did it elevate?” he asked, looking at the expression Patrick’s face held, as if he knew the best secret ever.
“Not much, nothing but kissing, but I walked past the end of the corridor last night and their ‘goodnight kiss’ in between their rooms was…” He grinned impishly. “Heated, for lack of better words. It was far from a chaste peck, I’ll give you that much,” he said with a bark of laughter. “They were in a full on embrace, sharing feverish kisses. I do believe, being young, in love, and so close all the time is taking its toll on them.”
Pete sighed. “I remember being young and in love,” he said, then tilted his head. “Well, young and believing I was in love anyways.”
Patrick hummed curiously. “I was never young and in love,” he commented with a slightly whimsical smile. “What’s it like?” he asked, and Pete looked over at Patrick.
As Pete glanced at Patrick’s profile, from his golden hair, to his long, beautiful eyelashes, to his plump, soft looking lips, he felt his chest tighten unusually. “Nothing nearly as nice as contentment,” he said softly, lost in his gazing. “I have so much more joy in my life at this age, with a person who cares for me as his companion, than I ever did in love,” he said and Patrick turned to offer him a contended smile.
“Yes, but I know that feeling,” he said, nudging him with his shoulder again. “Tell me, Pete, what is it like to be young and in love?” he asked.
Pete shrugged. “You see a person with more than lust, a stronger feeling of yearning, but with the same heat and drive to touch them. However, the passion you share whenever you’re together is more than lust, it’s more than passing fancy.” He smiled distantly, thinking of his past. “It’s… a matter of great affection, intense feelings, and dramatic lust, but it passes eventually,” he said, shaking his head. “If it was true love, the way I believe it is for Spencer and Brendon, it would settle into a long, slow warmth that can be shared for a very long time, the type of affection and tender feelings that don’t need that initial carnal lust for each other physically as much as a need emotionally as companions.” He smiled. “Or so I assume. It was never true love. It was passing love that I grew out of every time.”
Patrick gave him a small, intense frown of confusion before glancing away. “Oh,” he said. Just as Pete leaned forward to inquire as to what was troubling him, they were both startled as a loud roll of thunder crashed above them seconds before the clouds had reached their capacity and released their bounty of cool raindrops upon them in a shocking downpour. “Ah!” Patrick cried in shock, and Pete laughed.
“Come on.” He scrambled up, tugging Patrick up with him. “I’ll race you to the bridge!” he cried and Patrick laughed, rushing after him.
“Pete Wentz, if I fall into the lake running after you in the pouring rain, I will haunt you when I drown!” he vowed, though they both soon fell to laughter as they took turns passing each other for the lead.
As they rushed through the forest, ducking branches and hopping over roots and logs, the rain continued to pour down. A loud crack close by started them both into screams, Pete stopping short and catching Patrick, dragging him back just as the dead tree in front of them fell across the path, having been finally tipped over by the sudden weight of the heavy rain. Patrick looked horrified as he realized it would’ve fallen on him. Suddenly, the storm was frightening. Pete shook Patrick, urging him on. “Let’s go!” he cried, leading the way at a run, Patrick’s hand tightly within his grasp. As they came out at the bridge, they both darted under the shelter of the stone bridge, stopping to catch their breath out of the rain. They shared looks, only to burst out laughing at their predicament.
“My God, we were stupid for coming out with such threatening clouds on the horizon,” Pete declared and Patrick laughed, leaning against the stone column, next to the railing.
“Oh that tree gave me such a fright,” he said, clasping a hand over his chest, sighing as he caught his breath. “Goodness that would’ve been horrible,” he said, smiling over at Pete. “Thank you for saving me,” he said and Pete rolled his eyes.
“Yes, because it was such a hardship to stop my beautiful husband from being smashed by a tree,” he said sarcastically, leaning against the rail next to Patrick.
Patrick’s smile softened and he ducked his eyes, biting his lip. “Why Lord Wentz, did you just call me beautiful?” he asked coyly, making Pete blink as his heart pounded in his chest.
Patrick was glancing up from beneath his wet eyelashes, eyes sparkling a bright green in contrast to his rain-darkened hair. His cheeks showed a flush from either the exertion of the run or the compliment, possibly a combination of both. And as Pete stared at him, he realized something he had always known, but had just really understood.
Patrick was beautiful.
Pete had thought his husband attractive from the time they met, but standing there, wet in the rain and damn near flirting with him, Patrick was one of the most intriguingly beautiful men Pete could remember laying eyes on. And on top of it all, on top of the realization that he was without a doubt the prettiest man he knew, Pete realized something else special that had been brewing for ages, something that had been growing stronger every day, something that had filled him so discreetly that Pete hadn’t noticed what was going on until this very moment, when the mystery warmth and tightness he had experienced around Patrick finally gave itself a name.
He was in love with him.
At this realization, this moment of revelatory excitement when adrenaline and happiness flooded his veins, Pete could not be held accountable for his actions as he stepped closer to Patrick, gazing hungrily into his eyes, barely aware of anything outside the pounding of his pulse throughout his body. Patrick stood frozen in surprise at the look on Pete’s face. “Pete?” he all but whispered, only to gasp as Pete leaned in and kissed him.
Pete feared the moment after he did it that Patrick would hate him, that Patrick would hit him, or worse, that Patrick would be afraid of him. He drew back quickly, hands still clutching Patrick’s shirt. “I’m-“ But Patrick cut his apology off immediately.
What he hadn’t counted on was for Patrick to follow his lips, kissing him back. Pete was almost so distracted that he froze, but the touch of soft, warm lips to his own after so long was too much to not evoke a response. Pete close his eyes, returning Patrick’s kiss. It was a fairly chaste kiss, just a warm, slow slide of lips, but even still, when they pulled apart, it left them both breathless.
Patrick opened his eyes first, so the moment Pete looked up, he was met by bright, shocked eyes inches from his own. “Pete?” Patrick whispered, and Pete smiled weakly.
“Patrick,” he whispered back, and Patrick pulled a bit further back to look at Pete, searching his face. Pete had no idea what he was looking for, but he must’ve found it, for he smiled- a beautiful, joyful smile Pete would likely never forget- and slid his hands from Pete’s upper arms to his shoulders, pulling him in again.
Pete sighed as Patrick kissed him once more, luxuriating in the velvety soft touch of Patrick’s lips. When Patrick’s hands came up to cup his face, thumbs stroking across his cheekbones, Pete couldn’t help but give a soft moan of contentment, sliding his own hands from their violent grip in Patrick’s shirt to smooth along the sloping curve of Patrick’s sides, settling on his waist as they shared a series of slow, happy kisses. “You are beautiful,” Pete mumbled against his lips, making Patrick smile into the kiss.
“You are,” Patrick said, sliding his hands from Pete’s face to the back of his neck, pulling him into a deeper kiss. Pete slid his arms around Patrick, pulling them closer as he chanced flickering his tongue against the curve of Patrick’s lip, only to be rewarded with a low moan from Patrick that caused a his stomach to flip. Patrick curled his arms around Pete’s neck, sighing as he lapped into Pete’s mouth. Pete pushed Patrick back against the column, pressing his body fully against Patrick, eliciting a gasp, only to be rewarded with more passionate kisses.
They were startled apart, however by a sharp crack of thunder as lightning struck quite near them. As they both looked around frantically, clearly frightened, Pete couldn’t help a laugh at the absurdity of the situations. Patrick looked at him, and then smiled brightly, giggling as well. “Perhaps we should rethink our current situation,” he suggested and Pete beamed.
“Yes, while I do enjoy kissing you, I’d really like us to not die by lightning strike,” he said and Patrick grinned.
“Race you inside!” he cried, darting past Pete before he could even react. Pete just gaped, then turned to run after him.
“You cheated!” he shouted, laughing as he raced after his husband towards the house.
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Patrick let out a triumphant laugh as he stumbled over the edge of the rug, turning back at the doors that Pete was just falling through, slamming them behind him against the rain. “I won!” he boasted and Pete growled playfully, rushing forward to grab him around the middle.
“You are a dirty, dirty cheater, Patrick Wentz,” he accused, peppering kisses along his cheek and jaw, making Patrick squeak, laughing as he tried to get away, Pete’s flurry of pecks tickling him.
“Pete!”
Pete nipped at his chin playfully. “You don’t deserve any kisses, cheaters don’t get kisses,” he said and Patrick positively giggled as he clung to Pete, who had him dipped over backwards.
“You like my kisses too much to deny me,” he teased, smirking up at him. Pete grumbled and stole a kiss.
However, as they heard footsteps, they jumped apart, blushing like guilty children, only to fight laughter as they looked at each other’s bedraggled state. The door to the back corridor opened and Dallon came in, then rolled his eyes.
“There you are! We were getting worried about the storm when nobody could find you two and Brendon said you’d gone on a walk,” he said, then gestured behind him. “Come on, Bronx was scared by the storm and he won’t stop pouting for anybody but you,” he said and Patrick immediately sobered.
“Oh dear, is he okay?” he asked, following Pete and Dallon immediately out of the room.
“He’s always been afraid of big storms. I don’t think there’s been one quite like this since you’ve been around,” Pete disclosed, catching Patrick’s hand thoughtlessly. “Poor thing.”
Dallon just waved a hand. “I’ll go pry him away from clinging to Brendon and getting him to sing over the thunder while you two get into some dry clothes. I’ll bring him up in a bit,” he said, walking away at a faster pace.
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Patrick came out of the closet, only to pause as he saw Pete hanging his clothes across a chair near the fire, only wearing dry trousers without a shirt. Patrick bit his lip, stopping at the foot of the bed to look at Pete’s muscles moving beneath his skin as he worked, the dips of his skin highlighted by the firelight. He felt a warmth in his stomach and gnawed harder on his lip to quell a wave of arousal at the sight of Pete’s naked upper body.
When Pete turned back and saw him looking, Patrick flushed, releasing his bottom lip with a pop. “Um-“
Pete snorted, going to grab his clean shirt off the chaise. “No, by all means look at me like you’re going to devour me in one bite,” he teased and Patrick groaned, falling onto the bed with a huff, rolling onto his belly to press his face into the bedding.
“I really hate you sometimes,” Patrick groused.
Pete laughed softly and walked over, falling backwards onto the bed beside him. “You do not,” he teased, sitting up on his elbows to look at Patrick, who was still pressing his face into the sheets at his side. “Really though, you are free to look all you want-“
“Oh stooooop,” Patrick whined, picking up his head to pout at him dramatically. “Peter, you were walking around without a shirt. I’ve actually never seen you without a shirt, so yes, I tend to get a bit distracted,” he defended and Pete smiled, leaning over to peck his lips, shutting him up. “And that!” he cried, proving that Pete’s silencing technique didn’t work. “You can’t kiss a man the way you did and then walk around shirtless! It’s the worst tease-“
Pete smirked knowingly. “My, my, my, a few kisses and suddenly you can barely keep your wits about you,” he teased. “Damn I’m better than I figured!”
Patrick shot him a flat look. “You are so amusing, really,” he droned, then offered Pete a small smile. “Really though, I’d never done that,” he said and Pete gaped.
“Wait, you mean when you say inexperienced you mean completely? You had never kissed anybody before that just earlier?” he asked and Patrick shrugged but shook his head.
“I’d never really wanted to,” he said quietly, and Pete’s gaze softened. Patrick returned his fond smile, reaching out to touch Pete’s cheek. “You are… something entirely different from anything I’ve ever known. Not just the way you make me feel, but the way you have entirely become part of me in such a short amount of time,” he admitted.
Pete caught his hand and kissed his palm. “Would it frighten you if I expressed exactly how deeply my affections for you go, Patrick?” he asked earnestly.
Patrick smiled weakly. “Probably, but no more than I’m already frightened by the realization that the growing fondness and contentedness that I’ve felt since the second day of our marriage was most definitely a sneaky occurrence of falling in love,” he all but whispered.
Pete’s breath caught in his throat, and he turned onto his side to fully face Patrick. “The amount of love I feel for you, Patrick Wentz, snuck up on me so quietly that I don’t think I knew it was there until the moment I realized you are truly beautiful to me as a person, not as a face.”
Patrick turned to look at him. “I’ve known it was there.” He shook his head. “I’ve denied what it was. I’ve done all I could to convince myself I was wrong, the feeling was friendship, not love, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t tell you that I’m somewhat terribly in love with you, Pete.”
Pete laughed softly, leaning down to kiss Patrick. Patrick hummed against his lips, slowly pressing closer to Pete. “Patrick,” Pete breathed, curling his fingertips in Patrick’s damp hair.
They were interrupted, however, by the door opening. They jumped apart, sitting up quickly. Bronx came running in, looking terrified. “DADDY!” he cried, and Pete crawled off the bed quickly, catching Bronx as he flew into his arms. “Daddy, it’s loud! I don’t like it, daddy!” he sobbed, crying into his father’s shoulder.
Pete shushed him, holding him close. “I know, Bronx, I know my baby,” he cooed, rubbing his back soothingly.
Brendon knocked lightly, ducking in. “Sorry, he ran at that last thunder crash,” he said, and Patrick walked over to him. “Aww, the poor thing!” he said sympathetically.
Patrick bit his lip. “Tonight, after dinner, can we speak?” he asked softly and Brendon frowned, but nodded.
“Of course, you can come to my room whenever you need,” he said indulgently.
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Patrick smirked when Brendon and Spencer stopped in the hallway to go to their separate rooms and eyed him awkwardly before sharing a brief hug. Patrick rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, I’ll look away,” he said, turning to look at the wall. He heard a small, nervous giggle before he heard nothing else. He snuck a peek after a moment and bit his lip against a laugh when he saw them sharing small, unrushed kisses, clearly reluctant to draw apart fully. He waited a bit longer before he grew impatient and cleared his throat, looking back at the wall as he heard them part.
“Goodnight, Brendon,” Spencer said awkwardly, and Brendon chuckled.
“Goodnight, my love,” Brendon said and Patrick turned back around just in time to see Spencer walking into his room, waving once more before he shut the door.
Patrick smirked. “Why Brendon Urie,” he teased and Brendon gave him an embarrassed pout.
“Do not tease me!” he demanded, leading the way the last few doors to his room. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to know that in only a week I will be his husband and have no reason to be ashamed of kissing him? I am so impatient!” he groaned, walking into his room to fall on his bed with a huff. “I never should’ve kissed him, really,” he said, sitting up to face Patrick, who took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Seriously, it was playing with fire. Now I’m so tempted all the time. Do you know how badly I want to say ‘to hell with it’ and go crawl into his bed at night?” he asked and Patrick smirked. “OH don’t look at me like that, I’m nineteen and about to marry him, I may not be allowed to think those kind of thoughts yet but I can’t help myself!”
Patrick smiled. “Brendon, you know none of us would judge you two if you did… that,” he said, making a face. “You’re getting married. In a week! I mean, as long as you don’t run off and leave Spencer at the altar it wouldn’t really be that wrong, would it?”
Brendon sighed. “I’d judge me,” he said honestly. “I don’t even like to curse, Patrick. I am a man of honor. I want to be honorable. I do not want to know I broke such a rule.” He whimpered. “Stay with me?” he asked desperately. “Just… stay here and make sure I don’t give in to temptation?”
Patrick snorted. “You are insane,” he teased, only to hold out his arms, smiling when Brendon immediately hugged him. “I’m proud of you,” he said, kissing his hair. “You are going to be so happy with Spencer Smith. It’s your own choice and you love him. I couldn’t be happier about your choice of how to spend your life.”
Brendon sighed, leaning against his shoulder. “Patrick, I wish you could feel this happy. I know you are happy, you have a comfortable life here, but I just wish you could know how it feels when I look at Spencer and he smiles and I nearly want to cry I feel so happy,” he whispered.
Patrick ducked his head. “I do, Brendon,” he whispered and Brendon frowned, lifting his head off of Patrick’s shoulder.
“What?” he asked, and Patrick smiled, somewhat bashful.
“I’ve completely lost my senses, Brendon. I’ve been so slowly falling in love that I finally admit it to myself just as I’m so absolutely mad that I don’t know what to do anymore,” he rambled and Brendon gasped.
“What?! With who? Wait- are you having an affair?!” he whispered frantically. “Patrick- Patrick you cannot commit adultery! You will be RUINED-“
“Brendon, Brendon- stop,” Patrick choked out through laughs, holding his hands up to halt Brendon’s rant.
Brendon glared. “You are a decent man, you better not be having an affair-“
Patrick rolled his eyes. “I’m in love with Pete!” he said and Brendon stopped, frowning.
“Oh,” he said, looking more and more confused, before he seemed to come to some sort of realization, a large smile blooming across his face. “OH!” he said, then squealed, bouncing as he grabbed Patrick’s arm. “Patrick! Oh you’re in love!” he gushed and Patrick chuckled, very amused at his young friend’s behavior.
“Yes,” he said softly, then sighed, shaking his head. “God, we’ve both been so blind,” he said honestly. “He more so than I have been,” he pointed out with a smirk. “He had an epiphany and realized he loves me. I’ve known for a while, I’ve just denied it so hard because I don’t think I wanted to fall in love with him.”
Brendon smiled. “So what on earth happened to change it?”
Patrick smiled bashfully. “He kissed me,” he said and Brendon scoffed.
“As a boy who is praying for the days to past faster until my marriage, I cannot comprehend being married for four months and not at least doing some kissing,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Even if you weren’t in love, it’s kissing!”
Patrick grinned. “Brendon, you are in love though. You want to kiss him. I didn’t want to kiss Pete until I suddenly did,” he pointed out.
Brendon giggled. “So what changed?” he asked curiously and Patrick groaned.
“Today we were walking. And somehow we got to the topic of love and you and Spencer being young and in love and I asked Pete what love was like, since I’ve never been in love- or, you know,” He blushed. “had never admitted I was,” he added and Brendon smiled. “Well, he was telling me what young love was like, and then what he suspected real love was like, and how he figured you and Spencer- you would never be like he was. Pete was foolish and thought every boy and girl he was fond of and had attraction for was love. It passed quickly every time, but he said he suspected you and Spencer would probably honestly love each other until the end of your days,” he said and Brendon blushed, though he was smiling brightly. “And I agreed. But… I don’t know, something about the way he kept looking at me made me have butterflies, and I couldn’t really fight it. And then the rain came in a rush and we ran through the forest to get to the bridge. A tree nearly fell on us, and when we finally got to the bridge and caught our breath, we were so hysterical and laughing like mad about our wild run from the storm.” Patrick sighed, shaking his head. “He looked at me and called me beautiful, and I was sort of shy about it, and then he just…” He shrugged, giggling. “He kissed me.”
Brendon squeaked, hands over his mouth. “That is so romantic!” he gushed, sighing. “Oh Patrick, what then?” he asked and Patrick rolled his eyes.
“He got a bit flustered and stopped, but I wanted to keep kissing him, so… I did. And we stood there for God knows how long kissing until the thunder startled us apart and we ran up to the house. I beat him in a foot race and we probably would’ve ended up kissing a lot more inside the door, but Dallon found us and told us Bronx was afraid, so we went up to change.” He bit his lip. “Pete… Pete told me he’s in love with me and I told him the same just before you and Bronx came in,” he said softly and Brendon squealed, throwing his arms around him to hug him.
“THAT IS SO ROMANTIC!” he cried, then giggled, bouncing some. “Oh Patrick, how wonderful is it that you’ve fallen in love with Pete? You were worried your life wouldn’t be happy with him, you were so angry at being forced to marry him, and now you’ve fallen in love!” he gushed, then sighed, falling back across his bed. “So. Romantic.”
Patrick raised an eyebrow, very amused at his friend’s antics. “You are a girl,” he teased, poking his middle as he lay across the bedspread beside him. “It is nice though,” he said and Brendon giggled.
“I’m getting married to Spencer, and you’re married to Pete. We are lucky,” he said, and Patrick sighed.
“Yes, we really are,” he said softly, only to laugh when Brendon squealed and flopped around excitedly.
“Can I die of happiness?” Brendon wondered and Patrick smiled.
“I sure hope not, for if it’s possible, we may both be doomed.”
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Patrick had fallen asleep speaking late into the night with Brendon, only to wake in the early hours of the morning. He tucked Brendon in, as he was still asleep, and let himself out. Patrick headed across the darkened main hall towards his and Pete’s room. When he got there, he frowned as he saw the doors to the balcony open.
Patrick picked up a candle off the table- surprised they were still lit- and headed outside. When he got out, he saw Pete standing at the railing, looking up at the moon. The air was very clear after the storm. “Pete?” he called softly as he walked up behind him.
Pete glanced back and smiled at him. “There you are,” he said, and Patrick smiled bashfully.
“Fell asleep talking to Brendon,” he said, leaning against the damp railing beside him. “Why aren’t you in bed?” he asked softly.
Pete sighed. “You know me, how often do I sleep?” he asked, leaning his head onto Patrick’s shoulder.
Patrick smiled sadly and kissed his temple. “Peter, you need rest,” he whispered, reaching his free hand up to stroke at his hair.
Pete hummed contentedly, pressing into his fingers. “I could maybe fall asleep if you keep petting me like that,” he joked an Patrick laughed softly.
“Come on, let’s go to bed,” he urged and Pete nodded, lifting his head with a sigh. Pete allowed Patrick to take his hand and lead him inside. Patrick released Pete so that he could shut the doors while Patrick put out all the candles.
When Patrick finished changing for bed, Pete was already in bed, curled into a ball. “Will you sing to me?” Pete asked softly and Patrick frowned.
“Are you alright?” he asked, reaching out to curl his arm around Pete’s middle.
Pete hummed, rolling over to lay his head on Patrick’s shoulder. “I can’t shut off my brain.” He pressed a kiss to Patrick’s shirt. “Sing to me,” he whispered and Patrick, smiled, curling his arm around his husband.
Patrick started singing softly, stroking his hand down Pete’s back in slow, soothing touches. When Pete’s breath finally evened out, Patrick slowed to a stop, sighing as he saw the lines across Pete’s forehead. He often wondered if Bronx’s bad dreams were something he got from his father, because Pete rarely slept and when he did, he never seemed very relaxed. Patrick gathered Pete in his arms and held him, kissing his forehead. “I promise, nothing is going to happen to you. Not while I’m here,” he whispered, closing his eyes.
He could almost believe Pete had heard him when he relaxed some in Patrick’s hold.
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When Patrick woke up, he groaned, rolling over in an attempt to find the clock, only to start when, as soon as his vision cleared, he found Pete’s face inches from his own. “AH!” he cried, jerking back, only to groan. “Peter,” he groaned, dropping back to the pillow. “Dear God, I’m having a heart attack,” he moaned and Pete laughed. Patrick rolled his eyes and offered him a rueful smile. “What on earth were you doing?” he asked, rolling on his side to face Pete.
Pete smiled and shrugged innocently. “Watching you sleep,” he said and Patrick laughed.
“Has anyone told you that’s odd?” he teased, then bit his lip, turning his face to the pillow a bit. “Besides, I’ve never waken up to find you staring.”
Pete shrugged. “I’ve done it for a while. I guess I just slept later than usual this time,” he said and Patrick eyed him curiously.
“But why? What’s so interesting about me asleep?” he asked and Pete shrugged, looking over his face.
“You’re beautiful,” he said simply and Patrick smiled. “That especially,” Pete added, leaning over to press a kiss to Patrick’s forehead. “Your smile is gorgeous, but I don’t see it often while you’re sleeping.”
Patrick sighed, stretching his arms above his head, only to leave them there when he relaxed. “I really don’t know what you see of me that is so beautiful,” he said and Pete frowned.
“Are you serious? Have you seen your reflection lately?” he asked and Patrick sighed.
“I’m just… a man,” he said simply.
Pete shook his head. “You are so much more,” he said eagerly, sitting up on his elbow to reach out to Patrick’s cheek. “Your skin is so pale and your figure is so soft,” he said, stroking his knuckles down Patrick’s cheek. “Your eyebrows are… perfect,” he commented, stroking his fingertip along Patrick’s eyebrow. “Your eyelashes are so long and the same golden color as your hair. Your eyes are… magical, I’ve told you of their color-changing properties,” he said and Patrick smiled shyly. “Your lips,” Pete added with a slightly darker tone to his voice, eyes growing more intense as he stroked his thumb across Patrick’s bottom lip. “They are… incredible. I want to kiss you all the time.”
Patrick grinned slyly. “Care to do something about that?” he asked and Pete smirked, ducking in to press a small kiss to Patrick’s lips. Patrick hummed, smiling into the kiss. “Good morning,” he whispered and Pete giggled, pressing his forehead to Patrick’s.
“Good morning to you,” he said, then sighed, curling a finger in Patrick’s hair playfully. “Is it mad that I just… I want to sit here and watch you be happy?” he asked and Patrick’s heart fluttered.
“If it is, then I have to say, your madness is beautiful,” he said breathlessly. “Because the way you speak of your affections for me makes me want to never stop smiling.”
Pete kissed him sweetly and whispered simply, “Then I’m doing my job.”
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Pete caught Patrick’s hand after breakfast and smiled. “Come with me,” he said, tugging Patrick to the main hall. When they walked to the passage behind the stairs, Patrick gasped.
“Oh yes, I forgot!” he said, and Pete grinned, pulling out a key. “The ballroom.”
“Yes,” he said, kissing Patrick’s hand before curling their hands together at his side, putting the key into the lock. He turned the key and opened the doors, stepping back to let Patrick go through.
Patrick gasped in shock as they walked in. “Oh!” he whispered, then turned walked up to the top of the stairs, standing between the columns as he looked down at the dance floor and up at the ceiling. “This explains a void of space in the third floor,” he said and Pete nodded.
“It also explains why the wash rooms and quarters downstairs have lower ceilings,” he pointed out.
Patrick touched the tall, mottled brown, gold, and cream colored marble columns that surrounded the sunken dance floor, the gap between each column connected by a decorative iron rail. He gazed up at the coffered gold and green ceiling in wonderment, barely able to breathe for how beautiful the room was. The tap of his steps down the stairs echoed off the white-marble flooring as he descended only to gape as he found a beautiful black grand piano tucked away clear of the dance floor. “My God,” he whispered as he walked straight to it, stroking his fingers along the top, cringing at the dust on such a beautiful instrument. “I could strangle whoever let this get so dusty,” he said out loud, blushing when he remembered he wasn’t alone.
Pete smiled. “Yeah, I always thought that thing was pretty,” he said. “We just had no use for it this year. Some of the staff downstairs play music on the upright in the servants quarters so there’s really been no point-“
Patrick couldn’t help ignore Pete as he sat at the bench and touched the keys. He closed his eyes and started playing a soft melody, one he had written with Brendon long ago, only to stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and Pete just stared. “Yes?”
Pete sat down beside him, straddling the bench to look at him with wide eyes. “You… you play?”
Patrick frowned. “Yes, you don’t?” he asked, and Pete shook his head. “Really? Your parents didn’t train you on instruments-“
“I was horrible so they never bothered,” he said, then smiled. “My dear, how are you real?” he asked, kissing him sweetly. “You… you sing beautifully, and now you show me you can play the piano?”
Patrick nodded, chuckling. “And other things. Brendon plays better than me. He also taught me how to play the accordion, since it’s more of a poor person’s instrument.” He smiled. “We actually built a new type of accordion. One that has little motors for a stronger, more sustained sound. And we combined a guitar and an accordion once. It was quite interesting.”
Pete chuckled. “You build mechanical pets, you make beautiful clocks, you invent tiny little odds and ends that are cute, and now you tell me you combined an accordion and a guitar?” he asked and Patrick grinned.
“Peter, Brendon and I invented many things, several of which were never offered to the public.” He smirked. “Do you know we had this idea for a blow torch so large it required a canister of fuel that would go on your back and a torch on a wand so that you didn’t burn yourself? It was for starting fires in fields to clear off the grass before a crop change.”
Pete just snorted. “Sounds like a device that should never be in the hands of Brendon Urie,” he said, then smirked. “Patrick Wentz, you are magical,” he said, leaning in for another kiss.
Patrick chuckled, ducking his head away. “Pete, anybody could walk in,” he said, looking up at him through his eyelashes.
Pete growled playfully, pecking his cheek. “I don’t care,” he said, scooting closer so that he could rest his hands on Patrick’s waist, kissing along his jaw. “We’re alone in a room nobody goes into and you’re my husband,” he said, mouthing at his chin.
Patrick sighed. “Pete, anyone- oh God,” he gasped as Pete bit down lightly at the skin at the base of his neck.
Pete smirked, curling his arms around Patrick to pull them as close as the awkward position worked. “You were saying?” he asked, undoing the top buttons of Patrick’s shirt to nip at his collar bones.
Patrick laughed sharply but turned, pulling Pete’s lips to his own. “You’re lucky I love your kisses,” he teased, letting Pete kiss him again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patrick was surprised when Ian came to get him and Pete- complete with smirking as he found them kissing- with news that someone had showed up.
Patrick and Pete followed him to the main hall, only for Patrick to stop still as his eyes landed on the woman facing them. “No,” he said weakly, staring with wide eyes. There was a group of people standing at the door, two men and three women, all waiting with uneasy looks. The woman facing them, however, had a face with features that were very familiar.
Pete frowned. “What?” he asked and Patrick started walking, turning to whisper one thing to Pete before heading right for the group.
“Brendon’s sister.”
When Patrick got to them, the one facing them smiled, noticing them. “Hi, um… Lord Wentz?” she ventured and Pete caught up with Patrick, smiling.
“Yes, that would be me,” he said, and Patrick just stared at her, still shocked at how much she looked like Brendon.
She smiled uneasily. “I hope this is… correct, if not this will be rather embarrassing,” she said, holding out a letter. “We- well we all got these invitations and- well, we met and decided to come early, just in case it was- that they were real,” she said, biting her lip. “Is- Is Brendon Urie really getting married here?”
Patrick just smiled weakly, almost shocked beyond belief that any of them had got the letters and shown up. “Yes, yes he is,” he said, laughing happily. “You have to be his sister,” he said earnestly and she gave him an amused look.
“Yes… how did you know?”
Patrick shook his head. “You look just alike. I mean… your hair is longer, and your face is more feminine, but it’s like if someone magically turned him into a lady-“ He cringed. “Where are my manners, I’m Patrick Wentz. I’m Brendon’s friend and employer,” he said, offering the others smiles.
“So he has a job? That’s good,” one of the men said, then cringed. “Sorry, I’m Scott Urie. I’m Brendon’s brother. This is my wife, Amelia,” he gestured to the girl with the curly red hair at his elbow. “And this is our sister, McKayle,” he said, and the other dark haired girl smiled and nodded.
Kara caught the arm of the tall, blond man next to her. “This is my husband, Albert,” she explained.
Albert nodded, patting his wife’s hand on his elbow. “When we got the letter, Kara was almost worried it wasn’t true,” he confided and she gave him an embarrassed look.
Scott frowned. “When we contacted our parents, they said not to bother, but… well I went to see Albert and Kara and McKayle happened to be there. We had to,” he said shrugging. “It made no sense. I don’t know why they wouldn’t want us at our brother’s wedding. I mean, he was at all of ours. I was just surprised it was here. I mean, we had no clue he had a friend so we assumed mother and father would make him marry in the same church we all got married in.”
Patrick frowned. “Your mother and father… they didn’t bother telling you Brendon ran away ages ago?” he asked, shocked.
They all exchanged shocked looks and McKayle spoke up. “What?!” she asked fearfully.
Patrick nodded. “He ran away from home and showed up at my shop not long after he turned eighteen. I gave him a job and let him stay in the rooms above the shop, since I lived with my parents and nobody else used them. He’s been living there for over a year.”
McKayle and Scott exchanged looks. “Then how is he getting married at ninet-“
Scott’s words were cut off by a sharp cry from the landing up at the top of the stairs. They all turned and Patrick smiled when he saw Brendon stopped, staring in shock. “W-What-“ He glanced at Patrick and Pete, face drained of color. “What is-“
“Brendon!?” McKayle cried, losing any sense of manners as she turned and ran towards her brother. Brendon seemed to snap out of it and he beamed, running down the stairs, flying into her near the bottom.
“McKayle!” he cried, twirling the small girl around, laughing happily. “Oh I never thought I’d see you again,” he laughed out and she squealed, clinging to him as they spun.
He put her down and she stepped back, smoothing the shoulders of his shirt lapels. “Good word, only four years and you’ve grown up!” she choked out, laughing wetly.
Brendon just nodded. “You too,” he said, then glanced over at the others. His eyes widened more when they landed on his oldest sister. He hadn’t seen her since he was six years old. “K-Kara?” he asked, eyes filling with tears as he stared at her.
She nodded, walking towards him. “It’s me,” she said, shaking her head. “My God, where is that little boy I knew?” she whispered and he let out a sob, rushing over to throw his arms around her neck, holding onto her as he cried through his tears. She curled her arms around him, shushing him as she petted his hair. “Hey, none of that,” she chastised and he pulled back, tears on his face as he looked at her face, then laughed.
“I’m taller than you,” he noticed, and she beamed.
“You’re nearly a man, my dear little brother,” she said, stepping back to look at him, shaking her head. “You’re beautiful,” she said and he laughed wetly.
“So are you,” he said earnestly, shaking his head. “Oh God, Kara, I didn’t think I’d ever see any of you again,” he cried, shoulders shaking as his face crumpled. He put his face in his hands, fighting to regain composure. Kara just rubbed his arm, shushing him as he cried.
“Brendon?! Brendon, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” Patrick and Pete turned from the touching scene to see Spencer rushing down the stairs. “Bren?” he asked as he rushed to his side, ignoring the strangers. “Brendon?”
Brendon just stood straight, wiping at his face as he smiled. “Did… Did you do this?” he asked, and Spencer frowned. “Was- it had to be, nobody else would’ve-“ He laughed softly. “Spencer, this is my oldest sister, Kara,” he said, and Spencer suddenly noticed the woman at Brendon’s side. His cheeks colored and he bit his lip, ducking to hide behind his bangs some.
“Um… maybe?” he said and Brendon just stared at him with a blinding smile. Spencer eyed him uneasily, smiling tentatively. “Is… are you angry?”
Brendon snorted. “You stupid man,” he whispered, catching his hands. “Spencer, you- how did you even find my family?” he asked, and Spencer smiled softly, shrugging.
“Patrick and I did it together. We got Pete’s friends with connections to find them and send them letters inviting them to the wedding,” he said and Brendon gave him a look so loving even Patrick couldn’t fight a blinding smile.
Brendon just shook his head. “You are something else, Spencer Smith,” he said fondly, giggling as he turned to his sister, opening his mouth, only to stop when he noticed the others, including his brother. “Oh Scott! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you!” he said, and his brother smiled in amusement, wandering over.
“A man, huh?” he teased affectionately, reaching out to ruffle Brendon’s hair, making him pout.
Brendon giggled. “You guys, this is my fiancé, Spencer Smith,” he said, curling his arm through Spencer’s. He bit his lip as he shared a look with Spencer. “We’re getting married in three days,” he said eagerly.
Spencer greeted them all, and Pete cleared his throat. “Not to intrude, but perhaps you would like to go somewhere to talk? Standing around the main hall isn’t nearly as nice as a parlor or sitting room. Possibly out in the garden?” he suggested to Spencer.
Brendon colored. “Of course!” he said, then darted over to hug Patrick. “You’re coming with me, I have to introduce you properly,” he said, taking Patrick’s arm in his. Patrick just shot Pete an amused look and Pete chuckled.
“I’ll bring you guys tea,” he said, smiling as he watched Brendon tug Patrick around.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pete and Dallon brought tea and pastries out to where Brendon had taken Patrick and the others to sit at one of the outdoor tables on the veranda. “Thank you, Dallon,” Pete said, and Dallon smiled, leaving them. Patrick tugged Pete to sit beside him.
Brendon smiled. “Thanks Pete,” he said, then leaned against Spencer’s arm. “Now, where was I?” he asked and Patrick snickered.
“You were waxing poetic about all of Spencer’s best attributes, I believe you were on his eyelashes,” he said and Brendon blushed.
“Oh shut up, I’m allowed to be proud of my soon-to-be-husband!” he defended.
Kara sighed. “However did you end up so much of a grown-up?” she asked and Brendon smiled sadly.
“I had to be when I ran away. I was lucky I found Patrick and didn’t end up on the streets,” he said.
Scott shook his head. “But why did you run away?” he asked and his wife put a hand on his arm.
“Dear, maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it,” she suggested and Brendon smiled.
“It’s alright,” he said, then cringed. “Well… I don’t want- I don’t mean anything bad by this,” he started, then chuckled weakly. “But I simply did not intend on being forced into marriage,” he said simply. “I’d watched every single one of my siblings married off at a young age, Scott’s the only one who really got a choice,” he pointed out. “And I just didn’t want it. And when they tried to make me, I left,” he said simply. “I was prepared to live on the streets before I was forced into something I didn’t want to do. I couldn’t have ever been happy with a girl. Not ever. I have never found them attractive in the least.”
McKayle smiled. “You always were so strong-willed,” she said and he shrugged shyly.
Kara smiled. “Well, it worked out alright for me,” she said and her husband chuckled. “But I can see what you mean.” She eyed Spencer. “So, you ran away from home to escape marrying a girl and met a boy instead?” she teased.
Brendon ducked his eyes. “Spencer was one of the customers,” he said, giving him a bright smile. “Spencer is captain of his own airship and we fixed it a lot.”
Spencer smiled. “Well, I was a customer long before you showed up,” he pointed out. “Also, we didn’t properly meet until about six months ago,” he said and Brendon giggled.
“Oh you know I was smitten with you long before you knew my name,” he said sweetly, making Spencer smile at him affectionately, noses nearly touching as they looked into each other’s eyes. “Patrick teased me all the time about how you made me blush and drop things.” He finally turned back to his brother and sisters. “After Patrick got married, I was at the shop alone most of the time- at least until recently when I hired some boys- but Spencer, you see, he’s such a gentleman,” he said, smiling at him sideways. “He always came by because he worried about me alone all the time, and we got along so well he would spend so much of his time he wasn’t on his ship at the shop and we were both pretty stupid,” he admitted and Patrick snorted.
“They didn’t even admit they were both stupidly in love until Spencer nearly got into a fight with a customer for Brendon’s honor and they were fighting and right there in front of me when I was visiting, he just proposed to him,” he said with an evil smirk.
Spencer and Brendon both blushed, looking away from everybody. “Patriiiick!” Brendon whined and Pete smirked.
“Oh hush, the way Patrick tells it, you both made dramatic declarations of love and intentions to get married all at once,” he teased.
Kara shook her head. “You seem so happy, Brendon,” she said and he beamed, leaning his head against Spencer’s shoulder.
“I am,” he said simply, then rolled his eyes. “I’m marrying this!” he said, gesturing to Spencer. “Why would I be anything other than ecstatic?!” He laughed softly. “The most beautiful, honorable, wonderful man in the world fell in love with me. I am so lucky. And even before that, Patrick’s been an amazing friend. He was able to pass as my guardian to sign for our marriage. And he got really lucky with Pete- they never met before the wedding and yet Pete was sweet enough to offer to let us marry here,” he gushed, gesturing around them. He just sighed. “I’m so lucky.”
Scott smiled. “I’m just happy we get to see how far you’ve come, Brendon,” he said, giving his brother a warm look.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone had been given their own rooms, but McKayle and Brendon were too busy talking to bother with sleep. McKayle had come to Brendon’s room and together they sat knees to knees on the bed, just giggling and chatting, clearly happy to see each other again.
It was getting late what a knock sounded at the door. Brendon slid out of bed and padded over to open it, only to bite his lip shyly when Spencer smiled at him. “I was just going to say goodnight,” Spencer said softly, aware of the others asleep all around them.
Brendon giggled but stood on his toes, leaning in to meet Spencer’s lips for a small, tender kiss. Spencer seemed all too aware about Brendon’s sister being there, however, so he kept the kiss chaste, reaching out to stroke Brendon’s cheek gently as he fell back to his heels. “Goodnight, Spence,” he whispered, leaning against the door casing with a loving look on his face.
Spencer smiled brightly, nodding. “Goodnight, Bren,” he said, then gave in and leaned in to peck his lips once more before turning to walk away.
When Brendon closed the door and headed back into the room, McKayle smirked at him. “Well now, is my presence interrupting?” she teased and Brendon flushed.
“McKayle! NO!” he squeaked, covering his face as he flopped onto the bed. “God, if anything, it helps,” he said honestly and she raised an amused eyebrow.
“And why is that?”
Brendon sighed. “Do you know how hard it is to remain proper when the man you love- the one you’re about to marry- is sleeping a few doors down every night?!” he whined. “My God, he’s a gentleman, and I’m a very proper boy, but even we are suffering the temptations of only having two doors and a few yards between you every night,” he admitted.
She smiled, amused. “You’re both men. Men aren’t quite as pressed to remain chaste, you know,” she pointed out and Brendon shook his head.
“We are very proper men,” he said honestly. He snickered. “My God, Spencer has been working on an airship since he was a boy and he’s never done anything improper before. How did I meet a man with such honor?” he laughed, shaking his head. “But no, we have but a few days before we’re married. The fact we gave in to kissing is bad enough,” he said and she smiled.
“You love him, don’t you? I mean, really,” she asked and he nodded, curling his arms around his pillow as he curled his legs under him.
“I was… very fond of him from the start. He’s such a wonderful man. He’s so nice and such a gentleman. And then Patrick went away and I was left without anybody around, and Spencer took time out of his weeks to stay at the shop just to keep me company.” Brendon giggled softly. “He’s probably loved me longer than I loved him,” he admitted.
McKayle shook her head. “I should probably be telling you that it was wrong to run away from home, but to be honest, I’m glad you did what you needed to in order to make yourself happy, she said and he smiled bashfully.
Brendon eyed her. “What about you? I mean, you got married,” he said pointedly
McKayle snorted, shaking her head. “Oh that bastard went and got killed,” she said and Brendon gaped at her. “What?! He was horrible. I hated that man so much,” she said honestly. “I don’t want it to seem I wished harm on him, but let’s just say I wasn’t too terribly upset when he got ran over by a team of horses, if you know what I mean,” she admitted. She smiled. “I found Kara and she and Albert took me in. They haven’t had any children so they have the room for her poor, widowed sister,” she said and Brendon frowned.
“Kara and Albert have no children?” he asked and McKayle shook her head sadly.
“They’re not sure if they can. It would seem after all these years, Kara must be barren,” she said forlornly.
Brendon pouted. “Oh no,” he said, shaking his head. “Poor Kara. She would be an amazing mother,” he said sadly.
She shot him a look. “Oh speaking of children, what on earth?! Lord Wentz is married to a man?! What about an heir?” she asked and Brendon grinned slyly.
“Oh he has a son, from his first marriage,” he said, and she raised an eyebrow. “Well, his wife died, so whenever people started pressuring him to give his son a mother, he decided to say ‘to hell with it’ and married a man!” he said and she gasped.
“No! Oh that is too funny!” she cried, giggling into her hands.
Brendon nodded. “Patrick was tricked into it, he didn’t want to get married, but it has all worked out so well because just recently they admitted to each other that they’ve fallen in love,” he gushed and she sighed.
“Oh it’s like a fairytale,” she said and he nodded.
“It really is.” Brendon sighed. “Patrick never had a mind for love before and now he’s fallen in love with is arranged husband.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t hurt that he adores the little boy. Pete Wentz is a father like you would never expect and he and Patrick treat that child like he’s the center of the universe. They both love that little one more than most parents ever do.”
McKayle just squealed, hugging Brendon. “Your life has turned into a storybook tale since I saw you last, and I couldn’t be more proud,” she said, and Brendon closed his eyes, clinging to his sister.
“I missed you all so much. Seeing you three again has made me nearly as happy as getting married,” he admitted and she just turned and kissed his cheek.
“You’re our baby brother. We always loved you, no matter how long we were apart,” she said and he closed his eyes, almost afraid he would cry again if he spoke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If Patrick was honest, Brendon and Spencer’s wedding was beautiful. It was just a plain old ceremony, but the beautiful part was how happy they clearly were. Patrick had never seen a couple who looked so honest and excited when they repeated the vows the priest prompted them with. He had never seen anybody who was so earnest with their words. Brendon and Spencer both looked moments from either tears or hysterical laughter (possibly both) the entire time.
Pete nudged him and whispered softly in his ear, “I doubt I’ve ever seen anybody so happy.” All Patrick could do was nod and smile.
After the wedding, Pete had ordered a massive dinner at Lewiston Hall for everyone in attendance. He had a massive feast planned, all the most expensive dishes, and he’d invited everyone he knew, even those friends who hadn’t attended the wedding because they only knew Pete, not Patrick or his friends.
At the house, Patrick was finally able to meet the rest of Spencer’s crew, having only met his first-mate before. Frank and Ray were very funny men. Brendon’s brother and sisters didn’t seem as amused by their loudness, but they were still nice and conversed with them politely.
Pete kept dragging people over to meet Patrick, making Patrick blush when he realized Pete was showing him off. After a while, when the meal was served, everyone took spaces at the long, giant formal dining room. Patrick loved the room. It had red, velvet walls and portraits and gold accented molding everywhere. It was very lavishly decorated and it very much fit the tone of their enormous feast.
The entire day was only as extravagant as Brendon and Spencer’s enthusiasm, however. Their happiness seemed more grand and dramatic than any of the clothes of Pete’s wealthy friends, the exotic dishes they were served, or the splendor of the formal rooms in Lewiston Hall. Patrick had to admit, their bright, loving smiles seemed to be more than enough to cast a shadow on their surroundings every time they shared a look.
Patrick only hoped his and Pete’s surprise was enough to make their day the absolute best day ever.
“Brendon, Spencer,” Pete said, after most everyone was finished with their desert.
“Yes?” Brendon asked, giving him a curious look.
Patrick smiled, squeezing Pete’s hand. “We have a gift, of sorts, for you two,” he said, grinning. “You see, Pete has a house in Town that has been vacant for quite some time, nothing more than a housekeeper living there.” Pete smiled at him and he bit his lip. “It happens to be located quite conveniently between the airfield and the shop,” he said and he saw Brendon’s eyes widen with realization.
Pete chuckled. “We have no use for that house. It’s a nice house, but we’ve got this place, and nobody else is living there so…” he trailed off and Patrick chuckled at the shocked look on both of Brendon and Spencer’s faces.
“We want you two to have it,” Patrick said simply.
“Patrick, we can’t possibly-“
“We couldn’t accept it-“
“It’s just too much-“
Pete held up a hand. “Oh hush, like we’re sending you two back to London newly married to live in a two-room flat with three other people,” he said, chuckling. “I’ve had it furnished and the kitchens stocked by the housekeeper. She’s a kind old lady who only asks that you two keep up after yourselves, since she hasn’t the energy anymore to look after a family by herself anymore.”
Spencer started to object and Patrick leaned over, holding out a ring of keys. “These are yours,” he said firmly, pressing them into Spencer’s hand.
Spencer just looked down at them, then looked at Brendon, who shared his look. “I-“ He shook his head, smiling gratefully. “Thank you,” he whispered softly, and Brendon squeezed his hand.
“Thank you Patrick, Pete,” he said, then giggled. “Spencer we have a home,” he said softly, and Spencer beamed, pressing a kiss to his husband’s hand.
“I daresay we do,” he said softly, voice bubbling with happiness as they shared a long look.
Pete smirked and whispered to Patrick. “Although the chances they make it all the way back to London is very unlikely-“
Patrick shushed him, glaring. “Pete!” he hissed, looking around, grateful to see nobody had noticed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was very near dawn when the party wound to a close and everybody saw Spencer and Brendon off. The grayness of the sun rising in the distance the only light available as they stood and waved as Spencer and Brendon (as well as the crew) took off in Spencer’s airship, which Spencer’s crew had flown up to meet them.
When Pete and Patrick had seen everyone else off in carriages, they both headed up to bed, leaning against each other tiredly. They both stopped in to check on Bronx, smiling at how peacefully he slept, before heading to bed.
When Patrick came back from changing for bed, he found Pete standing at the door to the balcony, watching the sun rise. He smiled and walked up behind him, curling his arms around his middle, kissing his shoulder. “Come to bed, Pete,” he mumbled tiredly, kissing his neck afterwards.
Pete leaned back, turning to catch Patrick’s lips. “Watch the sunrise with me,” he said, and Patrick smiled and nodded, sliding under Pete’s arm to lean into his side. Pete curled his arm around Patrick and smiled contentedly as he leaned their heads together, enjoying the silence as they watched the sun come up over the horizon.
“Do you think Brendon and Spencer will like their new house?” Pete wondered and Patrick chuckled.
“Of course.” He smiled. “They deserve it, they’re amazing people. Brendon deserves all the happiness in the world, in my opinion,” Patrick said and Pete turned to kiss his cheek.
“You deserve all the happiness in the world. You’re the best friend to him that I’ve seen anybody be to anyone else.” He nuzzled Patrick’s hair, kissing his temple. “I wish I could give you everything you could ever want to make you happy.”
Patrick lifted his head and caught Pete’s lips. “I have everything I could want,” he answered against his lips. He opened his eyes and was met with a bright, loving look in Pete’s warm brown eyes. “You, Peter, are the only thing I need,” he whispered, cupping his cheek.
Pete smiled bright and wide. “Well then, you are in luck, since I never plan to be parted from you,” he said, meeting Patrick’s lips for another lazy peck. “Since I love you and all, I figure I’ll stick around,” he said and Patrick chuckled.
“Hmmm, seems like a good plan,” he muttered, before nodding towards the door. “Bed?” he asked and Pete made a face.
“Go on without me, I’m just not really sleepy,” he said simply.
Patrick, however smirked, tugging at Pete’s hand as he stepped back into the bedroom. “Who said anything about sleep,” he asked and Pete’s jaw dropped as Patrick turned and headed across the room without a backwards glance.
Pete glanced out at the sun on the horizon and scoffed before turning to follow Patrick. “Who needs to see a sunrise anyways.”
~fin~
Bonus Materials
Fanart:
Art (VERY mild spoiler) by
aredblush
Fanmix(es):
Mix by piratekitten
One week before the wedding, Pete and Patrick were on a walk, just admiring the last vestiges of warmth before the weather grew too cold to walk the grounds in comfort. They had noted the clouds in the distance but disregarded the warning. However, as they got out on the small island just across a beautiful stone columned and covered bridge and walked around to the far side of it, sitting near the water’s edge, they discovered the clouds were ominously darker above them.
Pete sighed. “Smells like a rain is coming,” he said and Patrick chuckled.
“We have a bit of time still. We should make it back to the house before too long, but for now we’re alright,” he said, then smiled, nudging his shoulder against Pete’s as they both faced the water. “Brendon and Spencer are both so eager to be wed,” he said and Pete chuckled.
“If the longing glances are anything to go by, all of this waiting when they’re so close to being married is killing them. Brendon clearly wants so badly to be someone’s husband, it’s driving him to distraction,” he surmised, shaking his head.
Patrick snickered. “For all the joking, I do believe he is finding his own difficulty with remaining as proper as they can still be the closer they are to getting married,” he said and Pete raised an eyebrow before narrowing his eyes.
“What do you know?” he demanded perceptively. “You have a look on your face I recognize as knowing a secret. Tell!”
Patrick shook his head, glancing at the water once more. “Brendon admitted they were taking a walk the first night here and when it was time to part and go to their separate rooms, they held each other for a few moments- nothing more- but they’ve yet to really allow themselves more than hand-holding with decent proximity, which is a feat in and of itself for, if you haven’t noticed, Brendon sort of hugs a lot,” he pointed out and Pete nodded.
“I did notice, it is amusing,” he said, then smirked. “But that isn’t all,” he accused and Patrick grinned.
“No, it’s not. It turns out, the second night, they shared their first kiss as they parted,” he said and Pete whistled playfully.
“Kissing out of wedlock, how dare they,” he teased. “What, did it elevate?” he asked, looking at the expression Patrick’s face held, as if he knew the best secret ever.
“Not much, nothing but kissing, but I walked past the end of the corridor last night and their ‘goodnight kiss’ in between their rooms was…” He grinned impishly. “Heated, for lack of better words. It was far from a chaste peck, I’ll give you that much,” he said with a bark of laughter. “They were in a full on embrace, sharing feverish kisses. I do believe, being young, in love, and so close all the time is taking its toll on them.”
Pete sighed. “I remember being young and in love,” he said, then tilted his head. “Well, young and believing I was in love anyways.”
Patrick hummed curiously. “I was never young and in love,” he commented with a slightly whimsical smile. “What’s it like?” he asked, and Pete looked over at Patrick.
As Pete glanced at Patrick’s profile, from his golden hair, to his long, beautiful eyelashes, to his plump, soft looking lips, he felt his chest tighten unusually. “Nothing nearly as nice as contentment,” he said softly, lost in his gazing. “I have so much more joy in my life at this age, with a person who cares for me as his companion, than I ever did in love,” he said and Patrick turned to offer him a contended smile.
“Yes, but I know that feeling,” he said, nudging him with his shoulder again. “Tell me, Pete, what is it like to be young and in love?” he asked.
Pete shrugged. “You see a person with more than lust, a stronger feeling of yearning, but with the same heat and drive to touch them. However, the passion you share whenever you’re together is more than lust, it’s more than passing fancy.” He smiled distantly, thinking of his past. “It’s… a matter of great affection, intense feelings, and dramatic lust, but it passes eventually,” he said, shaking his head. “If it was true love, the way I believe it is for Spencer and Brendon, it would settle into a long, slow warmth that can be shared for a very long time, the type of affection and tender feelings that don’t need that initial carnal lust for each other physically as much as a need emotionally as companions.” He smiled. “Or so I assume. It was never true love. It was passing love that I grew out of every time.”
Patrick gave him a small, intense frown of confusion before glancing away. “Oh,” he said. Just as Pete leaned forward to inquire as to what was troubling him, they were both startled as a loud roll of thunder crashed above them seconds before the clouds had reached their capacity and released their bounty of cool raindrops upon them in a shocking downpour. “Ah!” Patrick cried in shock, and Pete laughed.
“Come on.” He scrambled up, tugging Patrick up with him. “I’ll race you to the bridge!” he cried and Patrick laughed, rushing after him.
“Pete Wentz, if I fall into the lake running after you in the pouring rain, I will haunt you when I drown!” he vowed, though they both soon fell to laughter as they took turns passing each other for the lead.
As they rushed through the forest, ducking branches and hopping over roots and logs, the rain continued to pour down. A loud crack close by started them both into screams, Pete stopping short and catching Patrick, dragging him back just as the dead tree in front of them fell across the path, having been finally tipped over by the sudden weight of the heavy rain. Patrick looked horrified as he realized it would’ve fallen on him. Suddenly, the storm was frightening. Pete shook Patrick, urging him on. “Let’s go!” he cried, leading the way at a run, Patrick’s hand tightly within his grasp. As they came out at the bridge, they both darted under the shelter of the stone bridge, stopping to catch their breath out of the rain. They shared looks, only to burst out laughing at their predicament.
“My God, we were stupid for coming out with such threatening clouds on the horizon,” Pete declared and Patrick laughed, leaning against the stone column, next to the railing.
“Oh that tree gave me such a fright,” he said, clasping a hand over his chest, sighing as he caught his breath. “Goodness that would’ve been horrible,” he said, smiling over at Pete. “Thank you for saving me,” he said and Pete rolled his eyes.
“Yes, because it was such a hardship to stop my beautiful husband from being smashed by a tree,” he said sarcastically, leaning against the rail next to Patrick.
Patrick’s smile softened and he ducked his eyes, biting his lip. “Why Lord Wentz, did you just call me beautiful?” he asked coyly, making Pete blink as his heart pounded in his chest.
Patrick was glancing up from beneath his wet eyelashes, eyes sparkling a bright green in contrast to his rain-darkened hair. His cheeks showed a flush from either the exertion of the run or the compliment, possibly a combination of both. And as Pete stared at him, he realized something he had always known, but had just really understood.
Patrick was beautiful.
Pete had thought his husband attractive from the time they met, but standing there, wet in the rain and damn near flirting with him, Patrick was one of the most intriguingly beautiful men Pete could remember laying eyes on. And on top of it all, on top of the realization that he was without a doubt the prettiest man he knew, Pete realized something else special that had been brewing for ages, something that had been growing stronger every day, something that had filled him so discreetly that Pete hadn’t noticed what was going on until this very moment, when the mystery warmth and tightness he had experienced around Patrick finally gave itself a name.
He was in love with him.
At this realization, this moment of revelatory excitement when adrenaline and happiness flooded his veins, Pete could not be held accountable for his actions as he stepped closer to Patrick, gazing hungrily into his eyes, barely aware of anything outside the pounding of his pulse throughout his body. Patrick stood frozen in surprise at the look on Pete’s face. “Pete?” he all but whispered, only to gasp as Pete leaned in and kissed him.
Pete feared the moment after he did it that Patrick would hate him, that Patrick would hit him, or worse, that Patrick would be afraid of him. He drew back quickly, hands still clutching Patrick’s shirt. “I’m-“ But Patrick cut his apology off immediately.
What he hadn’t counted on was for Patrick to follow his lips, kissing him back. Pete was almost so distracted that he froze, but the touch of soft, warm lips to his own after so long was too much to not evoke a response. Pete close his eyes, returning Patrick’s kiss. It was a fairly chaste kiss, just a warm, slow slide of lips, but even still, when they pulled apart, it left them both breathless.
Patrick opened his eyes first, so the moment Pete looked up, he was met by bright, shocked eyes inches from his own. “Pete?” Patrick whispered, and Pete smiled weakly.
“Patrick,” he whispered back, and Patrick pulled a bit further back to look at Pete, searching his face. Pete had no idea what he was looking for, but he must’ve found it, for he smiled- a beautiful, joyful smile Pete would likely never forget- and slid his hands from Pete’s upper arms to his shoulders, pulling him in again.
Pete sighed as Patrick kissed him once more, luxuriating in the velvety soft touch of Patrick’s lips. When Patrick’s hands came up to cup his face, thumbs stroking across his cheekbones, Pete couldn’t help but give a soft moan of contentment, sliding his own hands from their violent grip in Patrick’s shirt to smooth along the sloping curve of Patrick’s sides, settling on his waist as they shared a series of slow, happy kisses. “You are beautiful,” Pete mumbled against his lips, making Patrick smile into the kiss.
“You are,” Patrick said, sliding his hands from Pete’s face to the back of his neck, pulling him into a deeper kiss. Pete slid his arms around Patrick, pulling them closer as he chanced flickering his tongue against the curve of Patrick’s lip, only to be rewarded with a low moan from Patrick that caused a his stomach to flip. Patrick curled his arms around Pete’s neck, sighing as he lapped into Pete’s mouth. Pete pushed Patrick back against the column, pressing his body fully against Patrick, eliciting a gasp, only to be rewarded with more passionate kisses.
They were startled apart, however by a sharp crack of thunder as lightning struck quite near them. As they both looked around frantically, clearly frightened, Pete couldn’t help a laugh at the absurdity of the situations. Patrick looked at him, and then smiled brightly, giggling as well. “Perhaps we should rethink our current situation,” he suggested and Pete beamed.
“Yes, while I do enjoy kissing you, I’d really like us to not die by lightning strike,” he said and Patrick grinned.
“Race you inside!” he cried, darting past Pete before he could even react. Pete just gaped, then turned to run after him.
“You cheated!” he shouted, laughing as he raced after his husband towards the house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patrick let out a triumphant laugh as he stumbled over the edge of the rug, turning back at the doors that Pete was just falling through, slamming them behind him against the rain. “I won!” he boasted and Pete growled playfully, rushing forward to grab him around the middle.
“You are a dirty, dirty cheater, Patrick Wentz,” he accused, peppering kisses along his cheek and jaw, making Patrick squeak, laughing as he tried to get away, Pete’s flurry of pecks tickling him.
“Pete!”
Pete nipped at his chin playfully. “You don’t deserve any kisses, cheaters don’t get kisses,” he said and Patrick positively giggled as he clung to Pete, who had him dipped over backwards.
“You like my kisses too much to deny me,” he teased, smirking up at him. Pete grumbled and stole a kiss.
However, as they heard footsteps, they jumped apart, blushing like guilty children, only to fight laughter as they looked at each other’s bedraggled state. The door to the back corridor opened and Dallon came in, then rolled his eyes.
“There you are! We were getting worried about the storm when nobody could find you two and Brendon said you’d gone on a walk,” he said, then gestured behind him. “Come on, Bronx was scared by the storm and he won’t stop pouting for anybody but you,” he said and Patrick immediately sobered.
“Oh dear, is he okay?” he asked, following Pete and Dallon immediately out of the room.
“He’s always been afraid of big storms. I don’t think there’s been one quite like this since you’ve been around,” Pete disclosed, catching Patrick’s hand thoughtlessly. “Poor thing.”
Dallon just waved a hand. “I’ll go pry him away from clinging to Brendon and getting him to sing over the thunder while you two get into some dry clothes. I’ll bring him up in a bit,” he said, walking away at a faster pace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patrick came out of the closet, only to pause as he saw Pete hanging his clothes across a chair near the fire, only wearing dry trousers without a shirt. Patrick bit his lip, stopping at the foot of the bed to look at Pete’s muscles moving beneath his skin as he worked, the dips of his skin highlighted by the firelight. He felt a warmth in his stomach and gnawed harder on his lip to quell a wave of arousal at the sight of Pete’s naked upper body.
When Pete turned back and saw him looking, Patrick flushed, releasing his bottom lip with a pop. “Um-“
Pete snorted, going to grab his clean shirt off the chaise. “No, by all means look at me like you’re going to devour me in one bite,” he teased and Patrick groaned, falling onto the bed with a huff, rolling onto his belly to press his face into the bedding.
“I really hate you sometimes,” Patrick groused.
Pete laughed softly and walked over, falling backwards onto the bed beside him. “You do not,” he teased, sitting up on his elbows to look at Patrick, who was still pressing his face into the sheets at his side. “Really though, you are free to look all you want-“
“Oh stooooop,” Patrick whined, picking up his head to pout at him dramatically. “Peter, you were walking around without a shirt. I’ve actually never seen you without a shirt, so yes, I tend to get a bit distracted,” he defended and Pete smiled, leaning over to peck his lips, shutting him up. “And that!” he cried, proving that Pete’s silencing technique didn’t work. “You can’t kiss a man the way you did and then walk around shirtless! It’s the worst tease-“
Pete smirked knowingly. “My, my, my, a few kisses and suddenly you can barely keep your wits about you,” he teased. “Damn I’m better than I figured!”
Patrick shot him a flat look. “You are so amusing, really,” he droned, then offered Pete a small smile. “Really though, I’d never done that,” he said and Pete gaped.
“Wait, you mean when you say inexperienced you mean completely? You had never kissed anybody before that just earlier?” he asked and Patrick shrugged but shook his head.
“I’d never really wanted to,” he said quietly, and Pete’s gaze softened. Patrick returned his fond smile, reaching out to touch Pete’s cheek. “You are… something entirely different from anything I’ve ever known. Not just the way you make me feel, but the way you have entirely become part of me in such a short amount of time,” he admitted.
Pete caught his hand and kissed his palm. “Would it frighten you if I expressed exactly how deeply my affections for you go, Patrick?” he asked earnestly.
Patrick smiled weakly. “Probably, but no more than I’m already frightened by the realization that the growing fondness and contentedness that I’ve felt since the second day of our marriage was most definitely a sneaky occurrence of falling in love,” he all but whispered.
Pete’s breath caught in his throat, and he turned onto his side to fully face Patrick. “The amount of love I feel for you, Patrick Wentz, snuck up on me so quietly that I don’t think I knew it was there until the moment I realized you are truly beautiful to me as a person, not as a face.”
Patrick turned to look at him. “I’ve known it was there.” He shook his head. “I’ve denied what it was. I’ve done all I could to convince myself I was wrong, the feeling was friendship, not love, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t tell you that I’m somewhat terribly in love with you, Pete.”
Pete laughed softly, leaning down to kiss Patrick. Patrick hummed against his lips, slowly pressing closer to Pete. “Patrick,” Pete breathed, curling his fingertips in Patrick’s damp hair.
They were interrupted, however, by the door opening. They jumped apart, sitting up quickly. Bronx came running in, looking terrified. “DADDY!” he cried, and Pete crawled off the bed quickly, catching Bronx as he flew into his arms. “Daddy, it’s loud! I don’t like it, daddy!” he sobbed, crying into his father’s shoulder.
Pete shushed him, holding him close. “I know, Bronx, I know my baby,” he cooed, rubbing his back soothingly.
Brendon knocked lightly, ducking in. “Sorry, he ran at that last thunder crash,” he said, and Patrick walked over to him. “Aww, the poor thing!” he said sympathetically.
Patrick bit his lip. “Tonight, after dinner, can we speak?” he asked softly and Brendon frowned, but nodded.
“Of course, you can come to my room whenever you need,” he said indulgently.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patrick smirked when Brendon and Spencer stopped in the hallway to go to their separate rooms and eyed him awkwardly before sharing a brief hug. Patrick rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, I’ll look away,” he said, turning to look at the wall. He heard a small, nervous giggle before he heard nothing else. He snuck a peek after a moment and bit his lip against a laugh when he saw them sharing small, unrushed kisses, clearly reluctant to draw apart fully. He waited a bit longer before he grew impatient and cleared his throat, looking back at the wall as he heard them part.
“Goodnight, Brendon,” Spencer said awkwardly, and Brendon chuckled.
“Goodnight, my love,” Brendon said and Patrick turned back around just in time to see Spencer walking into his room, waving once more before he shut the door.
Patrick smirked. “Why Brendon Urie,” he teased and Brendon gave him an embarrassed pout.
“Do not tease me!” he demanded, leading the way the last few doors to his room. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to know that in only a week I will be his husband and have no reason to be ashamed of kissing him? I am so impatient!” he groaned, walking into his room to fall on his bed with a huff. “I never should’ve kissed him, really,” he said, sitting up to face Patrick, who took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Seriously, it was playing with fire. Now I’m so tempted all the time. Do you know how badly I want to say ‘to hell with it’ and go crawl into his bed at night?” he asked and Patrick smirked. “OH don’t look at me like that, I’m nineteen and about to marry him, I may not be allowed to think those kind of thoughts yet but I can’t help myself!”
Patrick smiled. “Brendon, you know none of us would judge you two if you did… that,” he said, making a face. “You’re getting married. In a week! I mean, as long as you don’t run off and leave Spencer at the altar it wouldn’t really be that wrong, would it?”
Brendon sighed. “I’d judge me,” he said honestly. “I don’t even like to curse, Patrick. I am a man of honor. I want to be honorable. I do not want to know I broke such a rule.” He whimpered. “Stay with me?” he asked desperately. “Just… stay here and make sure I don’t give in to temptation?”
Patrick snorted. “You are insane,” he teased, only to hold out his arms, smiling when Brendon immediately hugged him. “I’m proud of you,” he said, kissing his hair. “You are going to be so happy with Spencer Smith. It’s your own choice and you love him. I couldn’t be happier about your choice of how to spend your life.”
Brendon sighed, leaning against his shoulder. “Patrick, I wish you could feel this happy. I know you are happy, you have a comfortable life here, but I just wish you could know how it feels when I look at Spencer and he smiles and I nearly want to cry I feel so happy,” he whispered.
Patrick ducked his head. “I do, Brendon,” he whispered and Brendon frowned, lifting his head off of Patrick’s shoulder.
“What?” he asked, and Patrick smiled, somewhat bashful.
“I’ve completely lost my senses, Brendon. I’ve been so slowly falling in love that I finally admit it to myself just as I’m so absolutely mad that I don’t know what to do anymore,” he rambled and Brendon gasped.
“What?! With who? Wait- are you having an affair?!” he whispered frantically. “Patrick- Patrick you cannot commit adultery! You will be RUINED-“
“Brendon, Brendon- stop,” Patrick choked out through laughs, holding his hands up to halt Brendon’s rant.
Brendon glared. “You are a decent man, you better not be having an affair-“
Patrick rolled his eyes. “I’m in love with Pete!” he said and Brendon stopped, frowning.
“Oh,” he said, looking more and more confused, before he seemed to come to some sort of realization, a large smile blooming across his face. “OH!” he said, then squealed, bouncing as he grabbed Patrick’s arm. “Patrick! Oh you’re in love!” he gushed and Patrick chuckled, very amused at his young friend’s behavior.
“Yes,” he said softly, then sighed, shaking his head. “God, we’ve both been so blind,” he said honestly. “He more so than I have been,” he pointed out with a smirk. “He had an epiphany and realized he loves me. I’ve known for a while, I’ve just denied it so hard because I don’t think I wanted to fall in love with him.”
Brendon smiled. “So what on earth happened to change it?”
Patrick smiled bashfully. “He kissed me,” he said and Brendon scoffed.
“As a boy who is praying for the days to past faster until my marriage, I cannot comprehend being married for four months and not at least doing some kissing,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Even if you weren’t in love, it’s kissing!”
Patrick grinned. “Brendon, you are in love though. You want to kiss him. I didn’t want to kiss Pete until I suddenly did,” he pointed out.
Brendon giggled. “So what changed?” he asked curiously and Patrick groaned.
“Today we were walking. And somehow we got to the topic of love and you and Spencer being young and in love and I asked Pete what love was like, since I’ve never been in love- or, you know,” He blushed. “had never admitted I was,” he added and Brendon smiled. “Well, he was telling me what young love was like, and then what he suspected real love was like, and how he figured you and Spencer- you would never be like he was. Pete was foolish and thought every boy and girl he was fond of and had attraction for was love. It passed quickly every time, but he said he suspected you and Spencer would probably honestly love each other until the end of your days,” he said and Brendon blushed, though he was smiling brightly. “And I agreed. But… I don’t know, something about the way he kept looking at me made me have butterflies, and I couldn’t really fight it. And then the rain came in a rush and we ran through the forest to get to the bridge. A tree nearly fell on us, and when we finally got to the bridge and caught our breath, we were so hysterical and laughing like mad about our wild run from the storm.” Patrick sighed, shaking his head. “He looked at me and called me beautiful, and I was sort of shy about it, and then he just…” He shrugged, giggling. “He kissed me.”
Brendon squeaked, hands over his mouth. “That is so romantic!” he gushed, sighing. “Oh Patrick, what then?” he asked and Patrick rolled his eyes.
“He got a bit flustered and stopped, but I wanted to keep kissing him, so… I did. And we stood there for God knows how long kissing until the thunder startled us apart and we ran up to the house. I beat him in a foot race and we probably would’ve ended up kissing a lot more inside the door, but Dallon found us and told us Bronx was afraid, so we went up to change.” He bit his lip. “Pete… Pete told me he’s in love with me and I told him the same just before you and Bronx came in,” he said softly and Brendon squealed, throwing his arms around him to hug him.
“THAT IS SO ROMANTIC!” he cried, then giggled, bouncing some. “Oh Patrick, how wonderful is it that you’ve fallen in love with Pete? You were worried your life wouldn’t be happy with him, you were so angry at being forced to marry him, and now you’ve fallen in love!” he gushed, then sighed, falling back across his bed. “So. Romantic.”
Patrick raised an eyebrow, very amused at his friend’s antics. “You are a girl,” he teased, poking his middle as he lay across the bedspread beside him. “It is nice though,” he said and Brendon giggled.
“I’m getting married to Spencer, and you’re married to Pete. We are lucky,” he said, and Patrick sighed.
“Yes, we really are,” he said softly, only to laugh when Brendon squealed and flopped around excitedly.
“Can I die of happiness?” Brendon wondered and Patrick smiled.
“I sure hope not, for if it’s possible, we may both be doomed.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patrick had fallen asleep speaking late into the night with Brendon, only to wake in the early hours of the morning. He tucked Brendon in, as he was still asleep, and let himself out. Patrick headed across the darkened main hall towards his and Pete’s room. When he got there, he frowned as he saw the doors to the balcony open.
Patrick picked up a candle off the table- surprised they were still lit- and headed outside. When he got out, he saw Pete standing at the railing, looking up at the moon. The air was very clear after the storm. “Pete?” he called softly as he walked up behind him.
Pete glanced back and smiled at him. “There you are,” he said, and Patrick smiled bashfully.
“Fell asleep talking to Brendon,” he said, leaning against the damp railing beside him. “Why aren’t you in bed?” he asked softly.
Pete sighed. “You know me, how often do I sleep?” he asked, leaning his head onto Patrick’s shoulder.
Patrick smiled sadly and kissed his temple. “Peter, you need rest,” he whispered, reaching his free hand up to stroke at his hair.
Pete hummed contentedly, pressing into his fingers. “I could maybe fall asleep if you keep petting me like that,” he joked an Patrick laughed softly.
“Come on, let’s go to bed,” he urged and Pete nodded, lifting his head with a sigh. Pete allowed Patrick to take his hand and lead him inside. Patrick released Pete so that he could shut the doors while Patrick put out all the candles.
When Patrick finished changing for bed, Pete was already in bed, curled into a ball. “Will you sing to me?” Pete asked softly and Patrick frowned.
“Are you alright?” he asked, reaching out to curl his arm around Pete’s middle.
Pete hummed, rolling over to lay his head on Patrick’s shoulder. “I can’t shut off my brain.” He pressed a kiss to Patrick’s shirt. “Sing to me,” he whispered and Patrick, smiled, curling his arm around his husband.
Patrick started singing softly, stroking his hand down Pete’s back in slow, soothing touches. When Pete’s breath finally evened out, Patrick slowed to a stop, sighing as he saw the lines across Pete’s forehead. He often wondered if Bronx’s bad dreams were something he got from his father, because Pete rarely slept and when he did, he never seemed very relaxed. Patrick gathered Pete in his arms and held him, kissing his forehead. “I promise, nothing is going to happen to you. Not while I’m here,” he whispered, closing his eyes.
He could almost believe Pete had heard him when he relaxed some in Patrick’s hold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Patrick woke up, he groaned, rolling over in an attempt to find the clock, only to start when, as soon as his vision cleared, he found Pete’s face inches from his own. “AH!” he cried, jerking back, only to groan. “Peter,” he groaned, dropping back to the pillow. “Dear God, I’m having a heart attack,” he moaned and Pete laughed. Patrick rolled his eyes and offered him a rueful smile. “What on earth were you doing?” he asked, rolling on his side to face Pete.
Pete smiled and shrugged innocently. “Watching you sleep,” he said and Patrick laughed.
“Has anyone told you that’s odd?” he teased, then bit his lip, turning his face to the pillow a bit. “Besides, I’ve never waken up to find you staring.”
Pete shrugged. “I’ve done it for a while. I guess I just slept later than usual this time,” he said and Patrick eyed him curiously.
“But why? What’s so interesting about me asleep?” he asked and Pete shrugged, looking over his face.
“You’re beautiful,” he said simply and Patrick smiled. “That especially,” Pete added, leaning over to press a kiss to Patrick’s forehead. “Your smile is gorgeous, but I don’t see it often while you’re sleeping.”
Patrick sighed, stretching his arms above his head, only to leave them there when he relaxed. “I really don’t know what you see of me that is so beautiful,” he said and Pete frowned.
“Are you serious? Have you seen your reflection lately?” he asked and Patrick sighed.
“I’m just… a man,” he said simply.
Pete shook his head. “You are so much more,” he said eagerly, sitting up on his elbow to reach out to Patrick’s cheek. “Your skin is so pale and your figure is so soft,” he said, stroking his knuckles down Patrick’s cheek. “Your eyebrows are… perfect,” he commented, stroking his fingertip along Patrick’s eyebrow. “Your eyelashes are so long and the same golden color as your hair. Your eyes are… magical, I’ve told you of their color-changing properties,” he said and Patrick smiled shyly. “Your lips,” Pete added with a slightly darker tone to his voice, eyes growing more intense as he stroked his thumb across Patrick’s bottom lip. “They are… incredible. I want to kiss you all the time.”
Patrick grinned slyly. “Care to do something about that?” he asked and Pete smirked, ducking in to press a small kiss to Patrick’s lips. Patrick hummed, smiling into the kiss. “Good morning,” he whispered and Pete giggled, pressing his forehead to Patrick’s.
“Good morning to you,” he said, then sighed, curling a finger in Patrick’s hair playfully. “Is it mad that I just… I want to sit here and watch you be happy?” he asked and Patrick’s heart fluttered.
“If it is, then I have to say, your madness is beautiful,” he said breathlessly. “Because the way you speak of your affections for me makes me want to never stop smiling.”
Pete kissed him sweetly and whispered simply, “Then I’m doing my job.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pete caught Patrick’s hand after breakfast and smiled. “Come with me,” he said, tugging Patrick to the main hall. When they walked to the passage behind the stairs, Patrick gasped.
“Oh yes, I forgot!” he said, and Pete grinned, pulling out a key. “The ballroom.”
“Yes,” he said, kissing Patrick’s hand before curling their hands together at his side, putting the key into the lock. He turned the key and opened the doors, stepping back to let Patrick go through.
Patrick gasped in shock as they walked in. “Oh!” he whispered, then turned walked up to the top of the stairs, standing between the columns as he looked down at the dance floor and up at the ceiling. “This explains a void of space in the third floor,” he said and Pete nodded.
“It also explains why the wash rooms and quarters downstairs have lower ceilings,” he pointed out.
Patrick touched the tall, mottled brown, gold, and cream colored marble columns that surrounded the sunken dance floor, the gap between each column connected by a decorative iron rail. He gazed up at the coffered gold and green ceiling in wonderment, barely able to breathe for how beautiful the room was. The tap of his steps down the stairs echoed off the white-marble flooring as he descended only to gape as he found a beautiful black grand piano tucked away clear of the dance floor. “My God,” he whispered as he walked straight to it, stroking his fingers along the top, cringing at the dust on such a beautiful instrument. “I could strangle whoever let this get so dusty,” he said out loud, blushing when he remembered he wasn’t alone.
Pete smiled. “Yeah, I always thought that thing was pretty,” he said. “We just had no use for it this year. Some of the staff downstairs play music on the upright in the servants quarters so there’s really been no point-“
Patrick couldn’t help ignore Pete as he sat at the bench and touched the keys. He closed his eyes and started playing a soft melody, one he had written with Brendon long ago, only to stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and Pete just stared. “Yes?”
Pete sat down beside him, straddling the bench to look at him with wide eyes. “You… you play?”
Patrick frowned. “Yes, you don’t?” he asked, and Pete shook his head. “Really? Your parents didn’t train you on instruments-“
“I was horrible so they never bothered,” he said, then smiled. “My dear, how are you real?” he asked, kissing him sweetly. “You… you sing beautifully, and now you show me you can play the piano?”
Patrick nodded, chuckling. “And other things. Brendon plays better than me. He also taught me how to play the accordion, since it’s more of a poor person’s instrument.” He smiled. “We actually built a new type of accordion. One that has little motors for a stronger, more sustained sound. And we combined a guitar and an accordion once. It was quite interesting.”
Pete chuckled. “You build mechanical pets, you make beautiful clocks, you invent tiny little odds and ends that are cute, and now you tell me you combined an accordion and a guitar?” he asked and Patrick grinned.
“Peter, Brendon and I invented many things, several of which were never offered to the public.” He smirked. “Do you know we had this idea for a blow torch so large it required a canister of fuel that would go on your back and a torch on a wand so that you didn’t burn yourself? It was for starting fires in fields to clear off the grass before a crop change.”
Pete just snorted. “Sounds like a device that should never be in the hands of Brendon Urie,” he said, then smirked. “Patrick Wentz, you are magical,” he said, leaning in for another kiss.
Patrick chuckled, ducking his head away. “Pete, anybody could walk in,” he said, looking up at him through his eyelashes.
Pete growled playfully, pecking his cheek. “I don’t care,” he said, scooting closer so that he could rest his hands on Patrick’s waist, kissing along his jaw. “We’re alone in a room nobody goes into and you’re my husband,” he said, mouthing at his chin.
Patrick sighed. “Pete, anyone- oh God,” he gasped as Pete bit down lightly at the skin at the base of his neck.
Pete smirked, curling his arms around Patrick to pull them as close as the awkward position worked. “You were saying?” he asked, undoing the top buttons of Patrick’s shirt to nip at his collar bones.
Patrick laughed sharply but turned, pulling Pete’s lips to his own. “You’re lucky I love your kisses,” he teased, letting Pete kiss him again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Patrick was surprised when Ian came to get him and Pete- complete with smirking as he found them kissing- with news that someone had showed up.
Patrick and Pete followed him to the main hall, only for Patrick to stop still as his eyes landed on the woman facing them. “No,” he said weakly, staring with wide eyes. There was a group of people standing at the door, two men and three women, all waiting with uneasy looks. The woman facing them, however, had a face with features that were very familiar.
Pete frowned. “What?” he asked and Patrick started walking, turning to whisper one thing to Pete before heading right for the group.
“Brendon’s sister.”
When Patrick got to them, the one facing them smiled, noticing them. “Hi, um… Lord Wentz?” she ventured and Pete caught up with Patrick, smiling.
“Yes, that would be me,” he said, and Patrick just stared at her, still shocked at how much she looked like Brendon.
She smiled uneasily. “I hope this is… correct, if not this will be rather embarrassing,” she said, holding out a letter. “We- well we all got these invitations and- well, we met and decided to come early, just in case it was- that they were real,” she said, biting her lip. “Is- Is Brendon Urie really getting married here?”
Patrick just smiled weakly, almost shocked beyond belief that any of them had got the letters and shown up. “Yes, yes he is,” he said, laughing happily. “You have to be his sister,” he said earnestly and she gave him an amused look.
“Yes… how did you know?”
Patrick shook his head. “You look just alike. I mean… your hair is longer, and your face is more feminine, but it’s like if someone magically turned him into a lady-“ He cringed. “Where are my manners, I’m Patrick Wentz. I’m Brendon’s friend and employer,” he said, offering the others smiles.
“So he has a job? That’s good,” one of the men said, then cringed. “Sorry, I’m Scott Urie. I’m Brendon’s brother. This is my wife, Amelia,” he gestured to the girl with the curly red hair at his elbow. “And this is our sister, McKayle,” he said, and the other dark haired girl smiled and nodded.
Kara caught the arm of the tall, blond man next to her. “This is my husband, Albert,” she explained.
Albert nodded, patting his wife’s hand on his elbow. “When we got the letter, Kara was almost worried it wasn’t true,” he confided and she gave him an embarrassed look.
Scott frowned. “When we contacted our parents, they said not to bother, but… well I went to see Albert and Kara and McKayle happened to be there. We had to,” he said shrugging. “It made no sense. I don’t know why they wouldn’t want us at our brother’s wedding. I mean, he was at all of ours. I was just surprised it was here. I mean, we had no clue he had a friend so we assumed mother and father would make him marry in the same church we all got married in.”
Patrick frowned. “Your mother and father… they didn’t bother telling you Brendon ran away ages ago?” he asked, shocked.
They all exchanged shocked looks and McKayle spoke up. “What?!” she asked fearfully.
Patrick nodded. “He ran away from home and showed up at my shop not long after he turned eighteen. I gave him a job and let him stay in the rooms above the shop, since I lived with my parents and nobody else used them. He’s been living there for over a year.”
McKayle and Scott exchanged looks. “Then how is he getting married at ninet-“
Scott’s words were cut off by a sharp cry from the landing up at the top of the stairs. They all turned and Patrick smiled when he saw Brendon stopped, staring in shock. “W-What-“ He glanced at Patrick and Pete, face drained of color. “What is-“
“Brendon!?” McKayle cried, losing any sense of manners as she turned and ran towards her brother. Brendon seemed to snap out of it and he beamed, running down the stairs, flying into her near the bottom.
“McKayle!” he cried, twirling the small girl around, laughing happily. “Oh I never thought I’d see you again,” he laughed out and she squealed, clinging to him as they spun.
He put her down and she stepped back, smoothing the shoulders of his shirt lapels. “Good word, only four years and you’ve grown up!” she choked out, laughing wetly.
Brendon just nodded. “You too,” he said, then glanced over at the others. His eyes widened more when they landed on his oldest sister. He hadn’t seen her since he was six years old. “K-Kara?” he asked, eyes filling with tears as he stared at her.
She nodded, walking towards him. “It’s me,” she said, shaking her head. “My God, where is that little boy I knew?” she whispered and he let out a sob, rushing over to throw his arms around her neck, holding onto her as he cried through his tears. She curled her arms around him, shushing him as she petted his hair. “Hey, none of that,” she chastised and he pulled back, tears on his face as he looked at her face, then laughed.
“I’m taller than you,” he noticed, and she beamed.
“You’re nearly a man, my dear little brother,” she said, stepping back to look at him, shaking her head. “You’re beautiful,” she said and he laughed wetly.
“So are you,” he said earnestly, shaking his head. “Oh God, Kara, I didn’t think I’d ever see any of you again,” he cried, shoulders shaking as his face crumpled. He put his face in his hands, fighting to regain composure. Kara just rubbed his arm, shushing him as he cried.
“Brendon?! Brendon, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” Patrick and Pete turned from the touching scene to see Spencer rushing down the stairs. “Bren?” he asked as he rushed to his side, ignoring the strangers. “Brendon?”
Brendon just stood straight, wiping at his face as he smiled. “Did… Did you do this?” he asked, and Spencer frowned. “Was- it had to be, nobody else would’ve-“ He laughed softly. “Spencer, this is my oldest sister, Kara,” he said, and Spencer suddenly noticed the woman at Brendon’s side. His cheeks colored and he bit his lip, ducking to hide behind his bangs some.
“Um… maybe?” he said and Brendon just stared at him with a blinding smile. Spencer eyed him uneasily, smiling tentatively. “Is… are you angry?”
Brendon snorted. “You stupid man,” he whispered, catching his hands. “Spencer, you- how did you even find my family?” he asked, and Spencer smiled softly, shrugging.
“Patrick and I did it together. We got Pete’s friends with connections to find them and send them letters inviting them to the wedding,” he said and Brendon gave him a look so loving even Patrick couldn’t fight a blinding smile.
Brendon just shook his head. “You are something else, Spencer Smith,” he said fondly, giggling as he turned to his sister, opening his mouth, only to stop when he noticed the others, including his brother. “Oh Scott! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you!” he said, and his brother smiled in amusement, wandering over.
“A man, huh?” he teased affectionately, reaching out to ruffle Brendon’s hair, making him pout.
Brendon giggled. “You guys, this is my fiancé, Spencer Smith,” he said, curling his arm through Spencer’s. He bit his lip as he shared a look with Spencer. “We’re getting married in three days,” he said eagerly.
Spencer greeted them all, and Pete cleared his throat. “Not to intrude, but perhaps you would like to go somewhere to talk? Standing around the main hall isn’t nearly as nice as a parlor or sitting room. Possibly out in the garden?” he suggested to Spencer.
Brendon colored. “Of course!” he said, then darted over to hug Patrick. “You’re coming with me, I have to introduce you properly,” he said, taking Patrick’s arm in his. Patrick just shot Pete an amused look and Pete chuckled.
“I’ll bring you guys tea,” he said, smiling as he watched Brendon tug Patrick around.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pete and Dallon brought tea and pastries out to where Brendon had taken Patrick and the others to sit at one of the outdoor tables on the veranda. “Thank you, Dallon,” Pete said, and Dallon smiled, leaving them. Patrick tugged Pete to sit beside him.
Brendon smiled. “Thanks Pete,” he said, then leaned against Spencer’s arm. “Now, where was I?” he asked and Patrick snickered.
“You were waxing poetic about all of Spencer’s best attributes, I believe you were on his eyelashes,” he said and Brendon blushed.
“Oh shut up, I’m allowed to be proud of my soon-to-be-husband!” he defended.
Kara sighed. “However did you end up so much of a grown-up?” she asked and Brendon smiled sadly.
“I had to be when I ran away. I was lucky I found Patrick and didn’t end up on the streets,” he said.
Scott shook his head. “But why did you run away?” he asked and his wife put a hand on his arm.
“Dear, maybe he doesn’t want to talk about it,” she suggested and Brendon smiled.
“It’s alright,” he said, then cringed. “Well… I don’t want- I don’t mean anything bad by this,” he started, then chuckled weakly. “But I simply did not intend on being forced into marriage,” he said simply. “I’d watched every single one of my siblings married off at a young age, Scott’s the only one who really got a choice,” he pointed out. “And I just didn’t want it. And when they tried to make me, I left,” he said simply. “I was prepared to live on the streets before I was forced into something I didn’t want to do. I couldn’t have ever been happy with a girl. Not ever. I have never found them attractive in the least.”
McKayle smiled. “You always were so strong-willed,” she said and he shrugged shyly.
Kara smiled. “Well, it worked out alright for me,” she said and her husband chuckled. “But I can see what you mean.” She eyed Spencer. “So, you ran away from home to escape marrying a girl and met a boy instead?” she teased.
Brendon ducked his eyes. “Spencer was one of the customers,” he said, giving him a bright smile. “Spencer is captain of his own airship and we fixed it a lot.”
Spencer smiled. “Well, I was a customer long before you showed up,” he pointed out. “Also, we didn’t properly meet until about six months ago,” he said and Brendon giggled.
“Oh you know I was smitten with you long before you knew my name,” he said sweetly, making Spencer smile at him affectionately, noses nearly touching as they looked into each other’s eyes. “Patrick teased me all the time about how you made me blush and drop things.” He finally turned back to his brother and sisters. “After Patrick got married, I was at the shop alone most of the time- at least until recently when I hired some boys- but Spencer, you see, he’s such a gentleman,” he said, smiling at him sideways. “He always came by because he worried about me alone all the time, and we got along so well he would spend so much of his time he wasn’t on his ship at the shop and we were both pretty stupid,” he admitted and Patrick snorted.
“They didn’t even admit they were both stupidly in love until Spencer nearly got into a fight with a customer for Brendon’s honor and they were fighting and right there in front of me when I was visiting, he just proposed to him,” he said with an evil smirk.
Spencer and Brendon both blushed, looking away from everybody. “Patriiiick!” Brendon whined and Pete smirked.
“Oh hush, the way Patrick tells it, you both made dramatic declarations of love and intentions to get married all at once,” he teased.
Kara shook her head. “You seem so happy, Brendon,” she said and he beamed, leaning his head against Spencer’s shoulder.
“I am,” he said simply, then rolled his eyes. “I’m marrying this!” he said, gesturing to Spencer. “Why would I be anything other than ecstatic?!” He laughed softly. “The most beautiful, honorable, wonderful man in the world fell in love with me. I am so lucky. And even before that, Patrick’s been an amazing friend. He was able to pass as my guardian to sign for our marriage. And he got really lucky with Pete- they never met before the wedding and yet Pete was sweet enough to offer to let us marry here,” he gushed, gesturing around them. He just sighed. “I’m so lucky.”
Scott smiled. “I’m just happy we get to see how far you’ve come, Brendon,” he said, giving his brother a warm look.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everyone had been given their own rooms, but McKayle and Brendon were too busy talking to bother with sleep. McKayle had come to Brendon’s room and together they sat knees to knees on the bed, just giggling and chatting, clearly happy to see each other again.
It was getting late what a knock sounded at the door. Brendon slid out of bed and padded over to open it, only to bite his lip shyly when Spencer smiled at him. “I was just going to say goodnight,” Spencer said softly, aware of the others asleep all around them.
Brendon giggled but stood on his toes, leaning in to meet Spencer’s lips for a small, tender kiss. Spencer seemed all too aware about Brendon’s sister being there, however, so he kept the kiss chaste, reaching out to stroke Brendon’s cheek gently as he fell back to his heels. “Goodnight, Spence,” he whispered, leaning against the door casing with a loving look on his face.
Spencer smiled brightly, nodding. “Goodnight, Bren,” he said, then gave in and leaned in to peck his lips once more before turning to walk away.
When Brendon closed the door and headed back into the room, McKayle smirked at him. “Well now, is my presence interrupting?” she teased and Brendon flushed.
“McKayle! NO!” he squeaked, covering his face as he flopped onto the bed. “God, if anything, it helps,” he said honestly and she raised an amused eyebrow.
“And why is that?”
Brendon sighed. “Do you know how hard it is to remain proper when the man you love- the one you’re about to marry- is sleeping a few doors down every night?!” he whined. “My God, he’s a gentleman, and I’m a very proper boy, but even we are suffering the temptations of only having two doors and a few yards between you every night,” he admitted.
She smiled, amused. “You’re both men. Men aren’t quite as pressed to remain chaste, you know,” she pointed out and Brendon shook his head.
“We are very proper men,” he said honestly. He snickered. “My God, Spencer has been working on an airship since he was a boy and he’s never done anything improper before. How did I meet a man with such honor?” he laughed, shaking his head. “But no, we have but a few days before we’re married. The fact we gave in to kissing is bad enough,” he said and she smiled.
“You love him, don’t you? I mean, really,” she asked and he nodded, curling his arms around his pillow as he curled his legs under him.
“I was… very fond of him from the start. He’s such a wonderful man. He’s so nice and such a gentleman. And then Patrick went away and I was left without anybody around, and Spencer took time out of his weeks to stay at the shop just to keep me company.” Brendon giggled softly. “He’s probably loved me longer than I loved him,” he admitted.
McKayle shook her head. “I should probably be telling you that it was wrong to run away from home, but to be honest, I’m glad you did what you needed to in order to make yourself happy, she said and he smiled bashfully.
Brendon eyed her. “What about you? I mean, you got married,” he said pointedly
McKayle snorted, shaking her head. “Oh that bastard went and got killed,” she said and Brendon gaped at her. “What?! He was horrible. I hated that man so much,” she said honestly. “I don’t want it to seem I wished harm on him, but let’s just say I wasn’t too terribly upset when he got ran over by a team of horses, if you know what I mean,” she admitted. She smiled. “I found Kara and she and Albert took me in. They haven’t had any children so they have the room for her poor, widowed sister,” she said and Brendon frowned.
“Kara and Albert have no children?” he asked and McKayle shook her head sadly.
“They’re not sure if they can. It would seem after all these years, Kara must be barren,” she said forlornly.
Brendon pouted. “Oh no,” he said, shaking his head. “Poor Kara. She would be an amazing mother,” he said sadly.
She shot him a look. “Oh speaking of children, what on earth?! Lord Wentz is married to a man?! What about an heir?” she asked and Brendon grinned slyly.
“Oh he has a son, from his first marriage,” he said, and she raised an eyebrow. “Well, his wife died, so whenever people started pressuring him to give his son a mother, he decided to say ‘to hell with it’ and married a man!” he said and she gasped.
“No! Oh that is too funny!” she cried, giggling into her hands.
Brendon nodded. “Patrick was tricked into it, he didn’t want to get married, but it has all worked out so well because just recently they admitted to each other that they’ve fallen in love,” he gushed and she sighed.
“Oh it’s like a fairytale,” she said and he nodded.
“It really is.” Brendon sighed. “Patrick never had a mind for love before and now he’s fallen in love with is arranged husband.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t hurt that he adores the little boy. Pete Wentz is a father like you would never expect and he and Patrick treat that child like he’s the center of the universe. They both love that little one more than most parents ever do.”
McKayle just squealed, hugging Brendon. “Your life has turned into a storybook tale since I saw you last, and I couldn’t be more proud,” she said, and Brendon closed his eyes, clinging to his sister.
“I missed you all so much. Seeing you three again has made me nearly as happy as getting married,” he admitted and she just turned and kissed his cheek.
“You’re our baby brother. We always loved you, no matter how long we were apart,” she said and he closed his eyes, almost afraid he would cry again if he spoke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If Patrick was honest, Brendon and Spencer’s wedding was beautiful. It was just a plain old ceremony, but the beautiful part was how happy they clearly were. Patrick had never seen a couple who looked so honest and excited when they repeated the vows the priest prompted them with. He had never seen anybody who was so earnest with their words. Brendon and Spencer both looked moments from either tears or hysterical laughter (possibly both) the entire time.
Pete nudged him and whispered softly in his ear, “I doubt I’ve ever seen anybody so happy.” All Patrick could do was nod and smile.
After the wedding, Pete had ordered a massive dinner at Lewiston Hall for everyone in attendance. He had a massive feast planned, all the most expensive dishes, and he’d invited everyone he knew, even those friends who hadn’t attended the wedding because they only knew Pete, not Patrick or his friends.
At the house, Patrick was finally able to meet the rest of Spencer’s crew, having only met his first-mate before. Frank and Ray were very funny men. Brendon’s brother and sisters didn’t seem as amused by their loudness, but they were still nice and conversed with them politely.
Pete kept dragging people over to meet Patrick, making Patrick blush when he realized Pete was showing him off. After a while, when the meal was served, everyone took spaces at the long, giant formal dining room. Patrick loved the room. It had red, velvet walls and portraits and gold accented molding everywhere. It was very lavishly decorated and it very much fit the tone of their enormous feast.
The entire day was only as extravagant as Brendon and Spencer’s enthusiasm, however. Their happiness seemed more grand and dramatic than any of the clothes of Pete’s wealthy friends, the exotic dishes they were served, or the splendor of the formal rooms in Lewiston Hall. Patrick had to admit, their bright, loving smiles seemed to be more than enough to cast a shadow on their surroundings every time they shared a look.
Patrick only hoped his and Pete’s surprise was enough to make their day the absolute best day ever.
“Brendon, Spencer,” Pete said, after most everyone was finished with their desert.
“Yes?” Brendon asked, giving him a curious look.
Patrick smiled, squeezing Pete’s hand. “We have a gift, of sorts, for you two,” he said, grinning. “You see, Pete has a house in Town that has been vacant for quite some time, nothing more than a housekeeper living there.” Pete smiled at him and he bit his lip. “It happens to be located quite conveniently between the airfield and the shop,” he said and he saw Brendon’s eyes widen with realization.
Pete chuckled. “We have no use for that house. It’s a nice house, but we’ve got this place, and nobody else is living there so…” he trailed off and Patrick chuckled at the shocked look on both of Brendon and Spencer’s faces.
“We want you two to have it,” Patrick said simply.
“Patrick, we can’t possibly-“
“We couldn’t accept it-“
“It’s just too much-“
Pete held up a hand. “Oh hush, like we’re sending you two back to London newly married to live in a two-room flat with three other people,” he said, chuckling. “I’ve had it furnished and the kitchens stocked by the housekeeper. She’s a kind old lady who only asks that you two keep up after yourselves, since she hasn’t the energy anymore to look after a family by herself anymore.”
Spencer started to object and Patrick leaned over, holding out a ring of keys. “These are yours,” he said firmly, pressing them into Spencer’s hand.
Spencer just looked down at them, then looked at Brendon, who shared his look. “I-“ He shook his head, smiling gratefully. “Thank you,” he whispered softly, and Brendon squeezed his hand.
“Thank you Patrick, Pete,” he said, then giggled. “Spencer we have a home,” he said softly, and Spencer beamed, pressing a kiss to his husband’s hand.
“I daresay we do,” he said softly, voice bubbling with happiness as they shared a long look.
Pete smirked and whispered to Patrick. “Although the chances they make it all the way back to London is very unlikely-“
Patrick shushed him, glaring. “Pete!” he hissed, looking around, grateful to see nobody had noticed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was very near dawn when the party wound to a close and everybody saw Spencer and Brendon off. The grayness of the sun rising in the distance the only light available as they stood and waved as Spencer and Brendon (as well as the crew) took off in Spencer’s airship, which Spencer’s crew had flown up to meet them.
When Pete and Patrick had seen everyone else off in carriages, they both headed up to bed, leaning against each other tiredly. They both stopped in to check on Bronx, smiling at how peacefully he slept, before heading to bed.
When Patrick came back from changing for bed, he found Pete standing at the door to the balcony, watching the sun rise. He smiled and walked up behind him, curling his arms around his middle, kissing his shoulder. “Come to bed, Pete,” he mumbled tiredly, kissing his neck afterwards.
Pete leaned back, turning to catch Patrick’s lips. “Watch the sunrise with me,” he said, and Patrick smiled and nodded, sliding under Pete’s arm to lean into his side. Pete curled his arm around Patrick and smiled contentedly as he leaned their heads together, enjoying the silence as they watched the sun come up over the horizon.
“Do you think Brendon and Spencer will like their new house?” Pete wondered and Patrick chuckled.
“Of course.” He smiled. “They deserve it, they’re amazing people. Brendon deserves all the happiness in the world, in my opinion,” Patrick said and Pete turned to kiss his cheek.
“You deserve all the happiness in the world. You’re the best friend to him that I’ve seen anybody be to anyone else.” He nuzzled Patrick’s hair, kissing his temple. “I wish I could give you everything you could ever want to make you happy.”
Patrick lifted his head and caught Pete’s lips. “I have everything I could want,” he answered against his lips. He opened his eyes and was met with a bright, loving look in Pete’s warm brown eyes. “You, Peter, are the only thing I need,” he whispered, cupping his cheek.
Pete smiled bright and wide. “Well then, you are in luck, since I never plan to be parted from you,” he said, meeting Patrick’s lips for another lazy peck. “Since I love you and all, I figure I’ll stick around,” he said and Patrick chuckled.
“Hmmm, seems like a good plan,” he muttered, before nodding towards the door. “Bed?” he asked and Pete made a face.
“Go on without me, I’m just not really sleepy,” he said simply.
Patrick, however smirked, tugging at Pete’s hand as he stepped back into the bedroom. “Who said anything about sleep,” he asked and Pete’s jaw dropped as Patrick turned and headed across the room without a backwards glance.
Pete glanced out at the sun on the horizon and scoffed before turning to follow Patrick. “Who needs to see a sunrise anyways.”
~fin~
Bonus Materials
Fanart:
Art (VERY mild spoiler) by
aredblush
Fanmix(es):
Mix by piratekitten