The Rhythm of the Rain (Patrick Stump / Fall Out Boy Fanfic)

Chapter 9 - Now I'm Just Numb

Lily Matthews

Patrick stopped coming to my room for hair and makeup before concerts. He avoided me wherever he could, even if it meant getting off the bus a little earlier to do his own hair. He stayed locked in the dressing room right up until curtain call, and even skipped sound check some nights. Pete always made sure Patrick's microphone and instruments were working properly, but it made me feel guilty when I saw the entire band warming up together, and Patrick was nowhere to be seen.

The rest of the band still talked to me, though I could tell it was becoming sparse. Maybe it was just because we'd had concerts every night for a week now and they were just busy, but maybe it was because they blamed me for the way Patrick was acting. Still, Pete tried every now and then to get me to go out with them, but I didn't even bother making excuses anymore; I simply told him I couldn't.

Today, however, would be a little different. Today, nobody could avoid anybody, and Patrick couldn't get out of coming to me for makeup. We had two days off from touring to finish another video for the Youngblood Chronicles, so we were forced to put our pettiness behind us and simply work through the weekend. At the moment, Pete was sitting quietly in my chair, on time for once, and I was splattering fake blood on his face and arms. When I finished, he opened his eyes and blinked at himself in the mirror. "Damn," he chuckled, leaning forward to look at the work I'd done. "I'm a mess, Lily. You're awesome."

"Well, I do try," I sighed, wiping my hands on a towel before tossing it onto the counter and relaxing into the sofa for a moment. We were back in Illinois, and I had my trailer for the short video shoot. I leaned back and closed my eyes for a moment, gathering myself before Patrick showed up. Pete swiveled the chair around to face me, smiling sympathetically.

"Lily," he said, making me lift my head to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Pete," I sighed, laying my head back down, "I'm just tired."

"That's a lie," he mumbled, getting up to come and sit beside me. "I know he's kind of being a prick lately, but -"

"He's not a prick," I stated, covering my face with my hands as I let out a frustrated groan. I really didn't want to talk about this with Pete. "It's my own fault."

"It's not your fault," Pete assured me, setting his hand on my knee consolingly. "It's nobody's fault. I think you guys just need time to work it out, away from the stress of tour and everything."

"Yeah, well, we're not getting that chance anytime soon, are we?" I said, looking down at his hand on my knee. When Pete didn't say anything, I knew he agreed with me. I slowly looked up at him, and he silently pulled me into a tight hug. It's been a while since the last time Pete hugged me, and I realized suddenly how much I missed this. I buried my face in his shoulder just to stop myself from crying, and then we both heard the door slam shut. I looked up quickly, seeing Patrick standing there watching us from over Pete's shoulder. He hadn't knocked this time. I pulled away and Pete looked behind him. Patrick stared at me as I stood up.

"Alright, well, I'll be waiting on set with Andy," Pete said, getting to his feet and starting for the door. "I'll see you later, Lily." I smiled at him as he closed the door, and started mixing some more blood for Patrick's makeup without looking at him. He silently walked over to sit in the chair and stared blankly at himself in the mirror.

When I was ready to start, I stood in front of him and leaned forward. "Close your eyes," I instructed, careful not to show any emotion as I spoke to him. He did as I asked, but not without flicking his bright blue eyes up to meet with my green ones for a second. I started his makeup like normal, but without any conversation flowing between us. When I finished splattering blood on his face, I asked him to open his eyes. He did, and looked up at me coldly.