The Church Boys ➸ Peterick/Brentrick

13: Swings are for Heartbreakers

pattycakesxoxo: Bren we need to talk

birdbob: what about? talk to me baby

pattycakesxoxo: In person. Where do you want to meet?

birdbob: i dunno...irvine park? that's close and it's big.

pattycakesxoxo: I can be there in twenty minutes, you?

birdbob: same. i'll see you there- the swingset that nobody is ever on because there are drug deals there.

-

Patrick had his hands in his coat pockets as he walked to the swings that Brendon was talking about, and though he didn't want to have to do it, it was now or never. He stood behind the swing that Brendon was sitting on for a moment before taking a seat himself in the one next to it.

"Hey..." he said softly, running his fingers through his hair slowly. "We need to talk."

"Yeah, I gathered that from your texts." Brendon chuckled gently. "Is everything okay?"

Pause. "I...did you ever consider getting into a relationship with anyone else?"

At this, Brendon seemed surprised. "No...?" It was the actual truth, at least.

"Then why are you fucking people on the side?" The words were laced with such a delicate venom that it took Brendon by surprise. He hadn't heard Patrick legitimately swear something that he actually meant whole heartedly.

Still, Brendon didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked, mostly because there was no other response he could muster besides that.

"You heard me." Patrick didn't even look at him, just stared at the ground.

"You...you can't tell me what I can and can't do."

"Bren, I'm your boyfriend. That means that I'm yours and you're mine and that's it. There's no room for anyone else, and there's no place for having sex with people on the side." Patrick looked up and over now- Brendon noticed that he was crying. "I...I can't do it, if you can't respect the fact that I don't want sex and have to go off to other people to make it happen, then we can't make this work."

"No, it's not that, it's-"

"It's what, Brendon? Tell me, what is it?" He shook his head. "You have an active desire for sex, I don't. It controls you sometimes, you know, and you can't control it enough to keep your dick in your pants. How many times have you had sex with Ryan while we were together?"

"Patrick-"

"How many times?!" He'd almost yelled, Patrick had, and with such an aggressive tone it easily scared both present.

Taken aback by the sudden outburst, Brendon found himself silent again. "Twice," he answered, yet again telling the truth.

He shook his head, looking down at the ground. "I think we should break up," Patrick said simply. "Maybe...maybe we can still be friends, or try this again at some point in the future, but I can't deal with this kind of crap. I can't deal with you cheating for sex...I don't blame you, but I can't deal."

Brendon couldn't physically argue. If anything, he was the heartbreaker, and now he was the heartbroken? It was a lot to process. Honestly- he thought it would be like a cheat day once or twice and nobody would have to know about it. But now Patrick knew about it, and seeing the small boy so torn up wasn't a pretty picture. "Patrick..."

"Don't. Please." Patrick stood up from the swing, glancing at Brendon once. "I can't. I just...I can't."

The other boy had bowed his head. "Okay" was mumbled at a very soft tone, but otherwise they remained silent until Patrick had left to go wander the large park. It was cool, leaves had started changing color and falling off the trees late as they did in Southern California. It was simply a sign that winter was on the doorstep. Thanksgiving Break was coming up soon, too. Week after next, if Patrick recalled correctly.