Madness of Two ~ a Peterick AU

Seven

It was a hot, sticky day when Pete first got hit.
Throughout the week the teasing had worsened; and now, on the hottest day of the year so far, Dallon punched him. Hard. In the chin. Red hot pain stemmed through Pete's nerves, shooting though his face.

"Are you even listening to me, fuckboy?" Dallon screeched.

He towered above Pete, fists clenched.
In that moment, where the old Pete would have got in a full on fist fight, the current Pete backed down. And he knew that he had changed.

Pete caught Patrick's eye, and said, "Yes."

Dallon kicked Patrick - once, twice, three times, punctuating his words.

"Look at me when I speak to you, you fucking worthless emo!"

Pete's eyes kept flickering back to Patrick for hope. He noticed Patrick was looking a lot slimmer than usual - and he wore a stylish navy shirt dotted with birds, and skinny jeans, and his usual fedora. He had new glasses with a trendy frame, and a new hairstyle. He looked... different.
He really liked Patrick. When they kissed it was electrifying. Patrick was the only person who currently talked to him, even if it was only out of school. He needed him.
But when they were here, Patrick was as bad as the others.

When they'd done with Pete, got bored for the day, and Pete and Patrick had to go to advanced English together, Patrick looked around cautiously before speaking.

"Pete, I'm so sorry. I want to do something, really I do... but this is the first time I haven't been on the receiving end of it, you know?"

But what about me! Pete wanted to scream. If you know how this feels, why do you want it happening to me?!

But he just said, "yeah, I get it."
As they turned into a near empty corridor, Patrick slipped his hand into Pete's.

"Come on." He smiled, yanking Pete through a door to their left. The space they ended up in was dark and stuffy. It was a cupboard, and they were pressed up against each other. Pete's heart was beating like it was trying to break his ribs.
Their lips smashed together in a heated, passionate kiss. Pete hoped Patrick could feel the emotion behind it.
He missed Patrick during the day, when he needed him most.
Patrick's hands ran through his hair and the only thing he could see clearly was the glint in his eye.
Their breaths were snatched between kisses.

Suddenly Patrick stopped.
"Shit." Patrick breathed, statue still.

"What is it?" Pete whispered. Patrick's head tilted to the side like he was listening to something. It was then Pete noticed the crowd of footsteps passing outside their cupboard, accompanied with Elisa's lilting giggle and comments from Dallon, of which they couldn't make out the words but could hear the snarky tone.

Patrick held his breath, desperately hoping not to be discovered. If they opened the cupboard at this point, he'd be excluded forever.

But their steps passed, and after waiting a minute, Patrick opened the door and left with a hasty, "Bye, Pete. After school, yeah?"

Pete needed to cut class. The emotions he felt at that moment were too much, too mixed, too extreme.
He needed a hit.

He tracked down Brendon, who was in his usual spot at lunch, behind the school with his gang of theatre kids, who were usually high.
Pete got the pot he was after - and the blissful afternoon falling around with Brendon and his friends in the wonderful, warm sunlight. Before he knew it he had missed his classes and his date with Patrick. But he didn't care. He didn't care about anything.
He had missed this so badly.

When all of it was gone, he asked for something stronger to take home. Brendon smiled devilishly and pressed something into his hand.

"My special favour to you, Petey. Try these." He winked, and disappeared in a literal puff of smoke -
So maybe the weed hadn't completely worn off.

He unfurled his fist and saw a baggie of small white pills. They looked like prescription drugs. He hasn't had these before.
When he got home parents wasn't there - his mom was probably with the latest boyfriend, his dad at a bar somewhere.
So he popped one of the pills.
It was like nothing he'd ever felt before, it was like floating above the world and seeing it in high definition at the same time. His brain was like a clear pool of water, and he was tuned out of the world.

When he came to, it was one in the morning, and he was lying on the grass in his back yard. He had no recollection of going there. He returned to his room and counted the pills he had. Only 4 more.

The next days were painless. He couldn't feel the bullies' words anymore, and make out sessions with Patrick in cupboards became more frequent - but he often missed their after school dates. Patrick was hurt, but trying not to show it.
When he returned to Brendon to beg for more, the boy showed his another mischievous smile.

"I have more... but, darling, it'll cost you."

"How much do you want?" Pete asked, planning on taking his moms credit card and getting some cash out - he doubted there was much there, but it would probably be enough...

"I don't want money. I want you." Brendon's eyes glinted and flirted.

"What do you want with me?" Pete asked, already resigned to doing whatever it was.

Brendon leaned into his ear.
"One... night." He breathed.

Oh.
Well... Pete would have to do it. It meant cheating on Patrick, but he wouldn't have to know; and when Pete thought of the incredible sensation the drugs gave him, he agreed.

The next morning Pete had bruises in places he never thought he would. The night had been unbelievable, but he knew it was wrong. It was just another thing the drugs would wash away. Brendon had payed up, ten pills this time. Pete promised himself to make it last.
Before he has the chance to pop one like he really needed to that morning, Dallon and the others rounded on him.

"What's this?" Dallon laughed, pointing to the new hickeys on Pete's neck, not quite covered by his hair. "Pete the Whore's been sleeping around again?" He grabbed Pete's ear and whispered into it, tugging it roughly with every word:

"You. Dirty. Little. Fuckboy!!" He let go and the others all laughed.

"I wonder what lowlife shit had so little self esteem they needed to sleep with this worthless emo?" He said.
"Who was it? One of the desperate losers?" He asked.
Pete mumbled something.

"What was that, Petey? Might need to speak up a bit." Dallon mocked.

"It was Brendon Urie."
Dallon threw his head back and laughed.

"Poor little Pete. Fucked and thrown aside by the infamous Brendon. He must have slept with nearly everyone in the school by now, isn't that right? Why'd you do it? Drugs? Or was he just too irresistible?"
They were all laughing now. All but one.

Pete's eyes sought out Patrick in the gang. He wasn't laughing - but he looked angry. Angrier than Pete had ever seen before.
Skinnier too.

Patrick stepped forwards so he was next to Dallon, and did something Pete thought would never happen. He slapped Pete hard across the face, and it stung unbelievably badly. Tears prickled in Pete's eyes.
"You worthless fucking whore." Patrick said quietly, but with a burning anger.

Pete felt like he'd been stabbed with a million knives. How could he say something like that? So he'd slept with someone else. Patrick didn't understand. He had to.

They started into each other's eyes. Pete's were desperately begging for forgiveness. Patrick's were stony and angry. There, Pete thought he could read Patrick's thoughts in his eyes: so this is where you've been disappearing to! I hate you. Everyone hates you. You're worth nothing to me.
With that, Patrick turned and walked away, trying not to let anyone see the tears on his face.