Confliction ; Joetrick

six; of good buddies and mistletoe

Was it weird that Patrick was still moping over the events of over a week ago? He hoped not.

He hadn't seen or heard from Joe since he drove off and left him there, but it wasn't like Joe was avoiding him. He was the one avoiding Joe, because he still hadn't processed what to say. For over a week, Patrick spent every waking minute mulling over what Joe had said.

He wanted Joe, he did, but he also wanted to stay with Elisa. He needed to.

He watched her sit across from him at the table, reading the sheet of paper in her hands, which was adorned with little snowflakes and reindeer. They'd sat there for nearly an hour, Elisa planning her Christmas dinner gathering thing, like every year, and she finally looked up and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Patrick, love, are you sure you're not inviting anyone this year? What about that friend you told me about? Joe?" She glanced through her guest list once more, probably noting how everyone on there were her friends, and although it would be torturous for Patrick to have Joe there, five of Elisa's friends drunk on wine was worse torture. Inviting Joe meant he didn't have to talk to them.

He knew this was coming, and he had dreaded the whole gathering ever since he first mentioned Joe to Elisa. Well, he dreaded the gathering every Christmas, but he couldn't complain. This was Elisa's thing, her way of being one of the 'cool' moms that got invited to countless baby showers and therefore actually had a social life, so it would seem plain sad that Patrick had no friends there.

"I guess we could." Patrick sighed reluctantly. He didn't know what he was more worried about: Joe having to come to his house and meet Elisa, or the possibility of one of the single moms flirting with Joe. Just because he didn't want to flirt with Joe didn't mean anybody else could. Patrick didn't need to provide an explanation for this, he just decided it was a ground rule. It was totally fine if someone else wanted Joe, Patrick had no problem with that, none at all, but he just didn't--

"Patrick, are you okay? You just suddenly started breathing weirdly." Elisa looked at him, concerned, but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

It was pretty damn obvious -- he definitely had a problem with that.

***

Patrick had every right to be nervous, he had been for almost two weeks now, ever since he invited Joe to this stupid thing. He fiddled with the decorative Santa on the shelf beside him while he waited for the guests to arrive, and he ran a hand through his hair one last time. Declan was fast asleep in his room and Elisa was hanging mistletoe anywhere she could.

He really wasn't looking forward to this, but he still wanted to look good. Or at least, the best he can in a tacky Christmas jumper.

When he asked Joe to come -- he remembers Joe joking about how Patrick had finally unblocked him, which he didn't (he did) -- he had to mention the dress code; a Christmas jumper. He just hoped Joe didn't go all out and wear the most embarrassing jumper he had, because he seemed like the type of guy to have multiple embarrassing jumpers, what with the fact that he fishes out marshmallows from his hot chocolate, and he hoped Joe wouldn't be himself around Patrick's wife. Meaning, he doesn't fit in some sort of flirtation towards Patrick in every other sentence.

He was also worried about if there were any hard feelings about that time almost three weeks ago, now, when he just left Joe hanging.

"Patrick," Elisa twirled into the room, making sure the decorations were perfect, adding one more piece of mistletoe in the doorframe, and she sat on the armrest of the chair he was sitting in. "I don't know what you're worrying about, but whatever it is, you need to channel your inner Taylor Swift and just Shake It Off. One week until Christmas!" She giggled, rubbing one of his tense shoulders.