Admire

Six

It didn't make any sense. Why would gerard way be inviting Pete out? And without Mikey? He was completely lost.
...not to say he wasn't going.
Of course he was going! Pete hadn't gone out with friends in over a month. He needed this. Plus, he heard there'd be live music. Which, sue him, was totally his weakness.

So yeah, sure, Pete was passed out drunk on the couch twenty minutes late, but he was still definitely going, of course. On his way. Totally. Thanks to Joe.

"Pete! Get the hell up man," Joe shook him awake and sighed as pete dropped the bottle in a startled wake.
"Aren't you supposed to be at Bogley?"

Pete let out a few quite grumbles before his eyes burst rapidly open and he sat up so quickly that he felt dizzy. He muttered a train of curses as he rushed to the bathroom, spritzing on some cologne and fixing his hair with the help of his saliva. He threw on a hoodie and of course, just a touch of eyeliner, before stepping out for Joe's approval.

"How do I look?"

Joe quickly glanced at Pete then went back to picking shattered green glass from the carpet next to the couch.
"Like shit."

Pete bitterly tossed his hood over his head and flicked Joe off before heading for the door.

"Hey," Joe called, "Please don't get so hammered that I have to come pick you up. I'm meeting a friend tonight and would rather not have to leave in order to save your drunk ass."

"What friend?" Pete asked.
Joe was silent for a moment.

"Just...a friend. We'll talk about it later. You're late."

Pete narrowed his brows, suspect of Joe, but decided he didn't have time for any more questioning and headed out.

***

"Pete! So glad you could make it!" Gerard exclaimed, flinging his arms around Pete. Pete was certainly taken back, considering everything that had gone down with Pete and Mikey. Pete's eyes landed on the man who was sat next to Gerard- Ryan. Pete had only met Ryan once before, but as far as he could remember he was nice enough. He saw the three empty chairs.

"..Is someone else coming?"

"Oh, just some friends of ours. They're getting ready to go on for open mic night, they should be out any second." Ryan smiled. Pete smiled back and sat down, excited to hear them. This is nice, Pete thought, this is really nice.

And then he heard his voice.
"Uh-hi, everyone. My name's Patrick."

Pete's head jerked around and he almost spit out his water when he saw the man seating on the stool, mouth too close to the mic. His eyes went wide as he took in the sight.
His caramel hair stuck out of his solid black fedora in a feathery and spiky swoop over his forehead. Soft, pale skin glowing in the purple-tinted light. His smile was small, uncertain, and sue him, hot as hell. And his eyes-the angel blue eyes-they were so much prettier in person. He knew his voice too well.
Patrick Stump.

Pete furrowed his brows at the sight of the man on the stool next to him. He wasn't exactly Pete's type- but he was very attractive. A few ideas burned Pete's mine.
Who was this? Patrick's best friend? Band mate? Boyfriend??

"And I'm Brendon,"

He shook the thoughts away as he came to a realization-
Patrick was Gerard's friend.
Patrick was about to sit down next to him.

Pete turned to Gerard quickly.
"Is-is that them? Your friends?" He tried to hide the panic in his voice. What if this was a set up? What if he Gerard only invited him out to meet Patrick? What if this was Mikey's doing?

"Yeah. They're really good." Gerard said.
Pete gulped.
Holy shit.

"So, this song's called 20 Dollar Nose Bleed."
Patrick said, starting to strum a tune that Pete was already far too invested in.
Pete had to leave. He couldn't stay here! He couldn't talk to Patrick, hell no! Suddenly Pete felt a rush of panic, fear, and he couldn't figure out why until reality hit him and he realized-
Patrick was his stalker.
He could be dangerous.

But the thought slipped Pete's mind when Patrick started singing, lyrics that made Pete's heart beat faster and his skin grow cold.
"Have you ever wanted to disappear?"
Pete was far too invested to leave now, he was hooked on Patrick's growls and the movement of his fingers- Pete was glued go his seat.
All he could do was listen and stare in amazement at the boy with the angel blue eyes. The other boy's part in the song came up and- Fuck. Patrick's eyes met Pete's.

He could see it. The same panic and fear Pete felt in his gut, Patrick felt too. And just as Pete was thinking, "there's no way this kid is dangerous," Patrick stopped strumming, and suddenly he was rushing out the back door of the bar. Pete blinked, stunned. One moment Patrick was playing and signing and staring at Pete and the next the room was silent. The other man on the stage, (Brendon, was it?) looked aggravated as hell. Pete turned to Gerard and Ryan, who seemed just as shocked as him.

"What just happened?"
Pete asked. Gerard blinked.

"I-I don't know-"

"God dammit!" The dark haired boy with the flawless voice, who was seated next to patrick less than a minute ago, approached their table and grabbed Pete's beer, taking a long swig before slamming it back on the table. He looked at Pete, then chuckled.

"Well I'll be damned." He said, placing his hands on his hips and grinning. Pete wasn't amused, just confused.

"Brendon, this is Pete." Ryan said.

Brendon extended a hand, which Pete reluctantly shook. "Oh, I know who you are. Patrick talks about you non stop."

"Is-Is he okay?" Pete asked, ignoring Brendon's comment.

"Oh yeah, he's fine," Brendon smirked, eyeing Pete from head to toe, "I think he just got a little nervous once he saw you."

Pete swallowed. They had never even made eye contact until just now, what the hell did he do to catch Patrick's interest? Not to say he didn't like it, but...

As if on cue, Patrick walked back in, immediately making eye contact with Pete again. They both froze, and reality smacked Pete in the face. Get out, he thought, Get out!!

So he did.

"I-I'm sorry. I have to go, I-" Pete looked at Patrick again, then back to the table, "S-Sorry."

Pete whipped his hoodie over his head and rushed to the door, not daring to look back at Patrick as he left. It was raining- of course it was fucking raining. Pete looked over his shoulder at the bar, and just as he did so he could've sworn he saw the angel blue eyes-

Flash.

(What even. I. This chapter was really shitty and confusing and poorly written i am so sorry w o o p s)