Until Death Due Us Part

Alcohol

Bright, flashing lights flooded Way's vision. The bass from the music made his whole body shudder. Who knows how long he'd been there, he practically lives in the club now. The disgusted looks from the bartenders and the other customers didn't bother him anymore. He has learned to give up on feeling anything. Even the alcohol has stopped giving him the sensations he'd been looking for. He felt empty -- he had waited his whole life for Babe and yet Babe had chosen Charlie over him in the blink of an eye. It was not fair. God, it pissed him off. He took another swig of whiskey he was holding. The burning taste of alcohol had become dull to him. Fuck.

The tears had started falling again. That's all he'd been doing for the past week, crying, drinking, and throwing up. He hated himself for hurting the one he loved most. He hated the fact that he wasn't good enough for Babe. He hated Charlie for swooping in and taking his Babe away from him. He had drained yet another glass of whiskey. The glass was always empty, always so empty. He was tired of trying to fill it when in the end it would still be empty. He reached for the bottle, ready to pour himself another glass hoping to escape into his own world, when a hand took the bottle away from him. Damnit, what now?

"You know if you keep drinking like this you're gonna kill your liver. Are you trying to die young?" That voice. It was all too familiar. Pete. Fuck. Of course, he couldn't catch a break from him. Every time he came out here to drink, which was almost every day at this point, Pete would appear out of nowhere and bless Way with his presence. Pete would always swoop in in the nick of time to stop Way from going overboard with his drinking, pay for the bill, and then drag him home. It was routine at this point. They never really talked to one another, just drinking in silence, secretly enjoying each other's company. It was nice, having a drinking buddy -- Pete had offered himself to Way the first time they met at the bar as a drinking buddy -- and Way couldn't ask for more.

"So what if I die young? Who would even care anyway if I died?" He said, snatching the bottle back from Pete.

"I would," Pete said nonchalantly. Pete said that like Way was supposed to know that Pete cared for him. Way's ears and cheeks flushed at that. Though it was dark enough that no one could tell that he had gotten red at that simple comment, Way was still very conscious of Pete's eyes on him. Pete seemed to know that Way had gotten red at that because he then turned away from Way to allow Way to recover before they drank again.

Way liked Babe. Babe was his. He loved Babe. He loved Babe and only Babe... right? The more he tried to tell himself that the more Pete invaded his mind. Godamnit. He knew Pete was trying to flirt with him and he had been flirting back, not expecting to catch feelings. Feelings are dangerous. They make people do stupid things. They make people act and certain way, and that scared him. In all of his past relationships, which mostly consisted of sex and nothing else, he had ever had feelings for the other person. Yet Pete was different. He wouldn't mind catching feelings for him. He wouldn't mind taking Pete, all of Pete, to be his. Fuck. He'd fallen for him. Pete had slipped into his heart. And Way wasn't all too upset about that. He wasn't upset at all.

"Way? You okay?" Pete asked curiously. Pete had his glass of whiskey pressed against Way's forehead. The cold brought Way back to his senses. He was at the bar with Pete, and they were drinking buddies -- nothing more, nothing less.

~~~

He had drank too much again. His head was pounding, his body was limp and acting on its own. Pete was once again dragging him out to his car, the cold night air was refreshing but Way was still super drunk. Stumbling along they both made it to the car. Pete opened the door for Way to get in, putting a hand on the door frame to protect Way's head from hitting it. Way smiled uncontrollably, even though he was very drunk he could pick up on the small things Pete did for him. Once he was safe and sound in the car, Pete made his way into the car. Way was fluttering in and out of consciousness, but could still feel and hear perfectly fine. He felt like he was on cloud nine, Pete had never taken care of him this much before. Way was starting to understand what getting butterflies meant. Pete had started the car but hadn't moved yet. Way could feel Pete looking at him, and he tried not to stare back at him.

"You know you're beautiful, right? You are so damn pretty. Every day I fall in love with you more and more. I'm so glad you've allowed me a place in your heart. Even if it is only as drinking buddies." Pete said breaking the comfortable silence between them. Pete shifted in his seat to face Way, reaching out to brush a stray piece of hair out of Way's eyes. Way, to say the least, was stunned. He had never heard such kind words come from someone's mouth to him like that before. He had never been called pretty, or beautiful before. His heart was beating so loudly, that Pete must have been able to hear it. He was flushed and smiling like a maniac. Pete loved him. Pete had fallen for him. The butterflies in his stomach became more active and gave such endorphins he never knew he needed.

"What if I don't want to be just drinking buddies?" Way asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth. Damnit. His mind couldn't stop his heart from spilling out his feelings. Shit.

Way turned his head to face Pete whose hand still lay on Way's cheek. Pete's eyes were wide and he looked shocked but in a good way. There was a certain sparkle in his eyes that wasn't there before. He knew Pete was holding himself back, and to be honest, he was also holding himself back too. But they had been holding back for long enough. The tension was growing, and the rope holding them back was bound to snap.

"Pete, what would you say if I wanted to take us further? What if I wanted us to be more than casual friends? What if I had feelings for you too? Would you take me to be yours, Pete?" Way said breathlessly, his hand reaching up to grab Pete's tie and pulling Pete closer to him. Their eyes never left each other's, the air around them was filled with lust, love, and passion. The breathing rose, and their hearts beat for each other harder than ever.

The rope snapped.

"Yes, I will be yours if you'll be mine, Way."

"Of course, I was always yours."