Folie

Act II, Scene 10

"I've got troubled thoughts and the self-esteem to match..." Patrick sang quietly to himself as he sat in his room editing some music. His mind wandered to all his troubles as he worked. A few weeks had passed since he made up with Brendon and decided to stay friends with Dallon and Joe. Now March was almost over, which meant that performance time for Folie loomed quickly ahead, and Patrick's own senior recital and graduation would happen soon after.

Despite all these things, however, Patrick couldn't help but dwell on the overwhelming sadness and loneliness he had felt for weeks now. Though he was still friends with all of them, Dallon and Brendon seemed to grow closer and closer, and he couldn't help but notice the growing distance between him and Joe since they decided not to date. Patrick even thought he might want to date Joe after all, but Joe didn't really seem interested anymore. Despite all the monumental things happening in Patrick's life, he didn't have anyone to share them with, and that made him feel utterly alone.

Yet, he wasn't actually alone.

He decided to take a break from his work to walk over to Pete's room. As he approached the door, he could hear a soft voice singing.

"What a catch, what a catch."

He opened the door without knocking, startling Pete.

"Jesus, Patrick, give me some warning first. You fucking scared me," Pete gasped, his hand on his panting chest.

"Sorry, Pete," Patrick said, laughing, "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just distracted. Did you hear me singing earlier?"

"No, why?"

"Because I was singing that song too."

"Oh. I guess that means we were meant to be," Pete joked dramatically, "what's up?"

"Nothing, just feeling down," Patrick replied as he made his way through piles of trash and laundry to sit on Pete's bed.

"Same old crap. I just feel really lonely."

Pete got up to sit next to Patrick, taking the shorter boy into his arms.

"You must be to come in here. Wanna talk about it?"

Patrick laughed, "I'm holding my breath as I speak. Nah, nothing's changed since the last time I told you about this."

Pete sighed. "'Trick, if you think you're ready to date after all, why don't you talk to Joe?"

"I don't think he feels the same way about me anymore. Besides, I don't know, I have so much I have to worry about, do I really want to add a relationship?"

"I don't think you're worried about that. I think you're just too scared to date period, for whatever reason."

"Is that what you're going through?" Patrick asked curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"Like why you don't really seem to be attracted to people, or why you can't figure out your feelings for me?"

"Oh, right, that. I think I'm starting to have an idea, but I don't think it's that. I still can't put it into words though."

"Oh," Patrick replied, "well, I kinda' understand. I think I'm starting to feel a little confused too."

Nerves started firing in Pete's body.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I think you're partially right. I am scared to date Joe because I guess I'm afraid once he starts dating me, he'll realize I'm not that special and want to break up with me. I'd rather just avoid rejection."

"Patrick-"

"But that part I can talk myself out of," he continued, "but I'm also confused about us."

"You are?"

"Yeah, like, did we really give each other a fair chance? I mean, you might like me,"

"Maybe," Pete corrected

"And I don't know, like I know I love you, and I'm comfortable with you, and I feel safe and secure and the closest with you. You're safe. What if I do like you? What if I just haven't given us a fair chance?"

"I don't know," Pete replied simply, as he looked into those emerald eyes.

"I don't know either," Patrick said, looking back into Pete's amber eyes.

Without words, without hesitation, they both leaned in simultaneously, and for the first time in four years, they kissed. This wasn't a passionate kiss, or a kiss of desire, but a loving one. Like the embers of a warm, family fire in the hearth of a home, this kiss was slow-burning, tender, and affectionate. Their lips pressed gently together, not even opening, but remaining closed, soft, and chaste, as the two expressed their long-held love for each other in one intimate, meaningful gesture.

End of Act II

A/N: Lol forget what I said about being one of the first people to reference Young and Menace, because someone's already writing a whole fanfic based on it, haha