Merry Christmas, I Could Care Less - A Geetrick AU

Three: The Parallels

*Day 2*

"Hey man, you awake?" Pete knocked on the door of Patrick's sleeping compartment and pushed the ground door open softly, peering in.

"Jesus, Pete," Patrick grumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Don't you know you can't just open doors on people?"

"We were in a band together for years, Patrick," Pete quipped, narrowing his eyes. "Nothing shocks me. Whatever the worst case scenario of me opening the door on you is, I think I've seen it already."

"Doesn't mean it isn't rude," Patrick yawned loudly, grabbing a pair of black glasses from the night table next to him and positioning them on his face. "It's a shame these doors don't lock."

"Stop complaining," Pete pestered, with a playful sigh. "At least you got to sleep in a bed. It's not like I took you camping or something."

"What're you here for?" Patrick changed the subject quickly, sitting up and pushing the covers off of himself.

"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to join Gerard, Mikey and I for some breakfast," Pete invited, in a delicate yet joyous voice.

"You woke me up to ask me that?" Patrick scoffed, crossing his legs and sitting upright on his bed as he spoke. "You know I'm gonna say no, why bother waking me up?"

"No?" Pete repeated, his smile fading from his face.

"What did you think I was gonna say?Who do you think I am?"

"You're not understanding me," Pete exhaled. "I need you to come hang with us. Breakfast is just a bonus."

"What do you need me for?" Patrick complained.

"Look, I'm gonna be straight with you," Pete affirmed.

"Stop right there," Patrick halted the conversation. "That's a lie already."

"Okay, that was pretty good," Pete chuckled, in spite of himself. "That was good. I do need you there, though."

"Why?" Patrick griped, slouching with annoyance.

"I wanna spend some time alone with Mikey," Pete admitted, with a heavy blush. "I can't do that with his brother looming over us. I need you to keep him company."

"Pete," Patrick sighed. "You've known Mikey for less than twenty-four hours. We're on a train in compartments that aren't soundproof. The doors don't lock. His brother is here. You're really gonna try and have sex with him now?"

"No!" Pete defended. "I never meant it like that! I just want to try and get to know him, you know?"

"You can't do that with Gerard there?"

"Patrick, have you ever tried to talk to someone you're interested in with their brother watching your every move?" Pete asked. "It's nerve-racking."

"Gerard likes you," Patrick spilled. "He told me."

"He can't possibly trust me with his younger brother though," Pete admitted. "On top of the fact that I'm a stranger, Gerard's probably protective. Maybe if you hang out with him, it'll give us a little more freedom."