The Church Boys ➸ Peterick/Brentrick

12: Coffee With Someone a Foot Taller Than You

Patrick and Brendon had dinner together again on the Tuesday night before they were supposed to play for middle schoolers, and while Patrick was genuinely enjoying himself for the first half hour, he started to realize Brendon wasn't very responsive. He would stare off into space for awhile, then come back with a sort of dismissive tone.

He was different.

He almost looked like a predator, searching for its prey and disappointed to not find it. At first, Patrick wished Brendon would look at him like that. Then, he wished he would actually focus on anything about their date: the food, the waiter's terrible sense of humor, fucking hell, he wanted Brendon to focus on him.

But he just couldn't.

"What's on your mind?" Patrick inquired at one point, halfway through his pasta. "You're off tonight."

"Just thinking."

"Well, yeah, obviously." Patrick gave him a little grin. "But what're you-"

"Brendon!" Patrick had never heard this voice before. It belonged to someone that looked close to Brendon's height with mousy hair and a scent of fresh marijuana. Not to mention the hideous hipster fashion sense. Patrick wasn't fond of him from the start. "Who's this?"

"Patrick. We're on a date."

"Didn't know you could handle a nonsexual relationship," the boy mused.

At this, Patrick's jaw almost dropped as he stared directly at the new stoner's remark. He didn't care that it was true, it was the assumption that annoyed him.

"Play nice, Ryan, he's my date."

Ryan gave Patrick a quick once over. "Uh-huh. Sure," he said, looking back to Brendon.

Patrick wasn't sure if he felt violated or just straight up uncomfortable. Maybe both.

"Ryan, we've been together for almost two months." Brendon looked up at the...Ryan dude. Why did he keep repeating statements he'd already made? "Our sex life isn't your concern."

"So, there is no sex life, I see." Ryan shook his head and leaned on the table, almost blocking Patrick from Brendon's line of sight. "What a pity. Waste of talent."

Now Patrick was really uncomfortable.

"Well, y'know, it's sometimes better to focus on a stable relationship and staying happy before doing all the sexual stuff."

"I'll bet you miss it, hm? The gays live for sex, Brendon, for you of all people it's true. You're an overly sexual person, and it's been two months?"

There was a knot twisting in Patrick's stomach.

"So what if I do miss it every now and then?" That was a painful blow. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Sex is binding. You know it's true." Ryan settled back so Brendon could see Patrick again. "So why are you wasting the lack of it when you've only got fifteen to twenty more years of the best sex of your life?"

Patrick cleared his throat, but it went ignored.

"I...well..."

It was now that Patrick spoke. "Brendon?"

"Hm?" His focus was still on Ryan, he didn't even look over at Patrick until it had been about thirty seconds of intense staring, to then his facial expression grew annoyed. "What?"

"Are we-"

"Hotcakes," Ryan purred, pulling Brendon's chin back to face him.

At this, Patrick felt like he was going to be nauseous. He tossed his napkin onto the table and stood. "Call me when you get home, Brendon," he said, a firm and clearly annoyed tone to his voice as he straight up left the restaurant.