Just Once - A Peterick Fic

Chapter 2

        The next morning - er, afternoon - I woke up and Pete had already moved back to his own bunk, pulling the curtain back and leaving no trace of what we'd done the night before except in my memory. That was something that could not be covered up no matter how many curtains you pulled back or pants you put back on.

        What the hell was that anyway? I mean, I know what happened but why? What had gotten into Pete? We're best friends, for Christ' sake. As far as I know, it's not normal to fuck your best friend. I couldn't blame it all on him, though. I let it happen and as long as I'm thinking that way, why had I?

        Ugh, my head hurts. No one should think this much immediately after they wake up. I sighed, pulling my pajamas back on, pushing the curtain back, and climbing down from my bunk. I could smell coffee at the front of the bus and headed straight for it, pouring myself a cup.

        "'Morning," I mumbled to the guys sitting on the couch with my back still turned. I didn't even have a clue who, if anyone, was sitting there, actually. I said it out of more habit than anything.

     "I think you mean afternoon," came a voice I instantly recognized as Pete's. I tensed, remembering once again what we'd done last night but by the tone of his voice, he wasn't too concerned about it anymore.

        "Yeah, yeah, whatever," I told him, keeping my tone light and joking. "Doubt you were up much earlier than I was though." Turning around with my coffee in hand, I leaned against the counter of our small kitchenette and saw that it was only Pete sitting there, typing away on his laptop. Joe and Andy must either be out somewhere or still sleeping. I was betting on the former since I typically slept the latest, though.

        "By a couple hours but not much," he admitted with a shrug. Glancing up from his computer screen for the first time since I'd turned around, he must've seen what I was wondering on my face because he said, "Andy and Joe went out to kill some time in the city."

        "Oh, okay," I said, nodding slightly as I took a sip of my coffee. I wanted to talk to him about last night but at the same time didn't. I mean, he didn't seem put of by any of it but I sure as hell was. Maybe I should just wait a bit to see if he'll bring it up so I don't have to.

        By the time I'd finished my coffee, he still hadn't brought it up. "I'm going to go get ready for the day, then," I mumbled before heading towards the back of the bus to change.

        I was half naked, having only pulled off my t-shirt before Pete came through the door without even bothering to knock.

        "Do you mind?" I asked him, slightly angry that he'd just barge in like that.

        "Oh please. I've seen it all," he said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the idea. He did have a point. I rolled my eyes, grabbing the shirt I planned to wear today, pulling it on and buttoning it up.

        "But I came back here because we need to talk about this and no one's going to walk in on our discussion here in case Joe and Andy decided to come back early," he explained, pacing slightly as he spoke. Pete seemed nervous and he was never nervous unless it was huge or he thought he'd really fucked up. If I had to guess, he was thinking the latter. It was like the unconcerned attitude from just minutes earlier had crumbled and fallen to the floor, leaving him a nervous wreck.

        "Well you just did," I mumbled, more to myself than anything about his "no one's going to walk in" idea. Turning my back to him, I slid my pants down and quickly grabbed my skinny jeans, slipping into them and turning back around.

        "Huh?" he asked, sounding distracted, like he couldn't pull himself out of his thoughts.

        "Nothing," I told him, shaking my head. "But, um, since we're back here to talk about it...Why?"

        The question hung there a moment, dangling in the air between is. It was as if Pete didn't want to answer it and I didn't particularly want to hear what he would say. I knew asking was necessary, though, because I enjoyed it and god did I enjoy Pete. I know he said "Just once" but was he talking about the sex or the "Trust me" that had come right before it? I almost hoped he'd been talking about the trust because I thought I wanted to do that again. Did I though? We'd be putting the band at risk and this band meant everything to me. Pete, though. Pete was my best friend. Was friends with benefits really something I wanted, with Pete of all people?

        "I-I don't know, Pat," he finally said, reaching a hand up and rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes were glued to the floor, like he couldn't stand to look at me. "I don't know."

        I shook my head, sighing and making my way over to the mirror to fix my hair, still messy from sleep and, possibly, Pete. "What was going through your head last night that made you jump up in my bunk?" I asked him, rewording the question to be more specific and facing the mirror, running a brush through my hair.

        Again, there was a hesitation before I got an answer. "That I wanted to experiment?" he said, his words coming out as more of a question than an actual statement.

        Even with the uncertainty, they hit me like a ton of bricks. I had nearly convinced myself that he might've wanted a relationship, I had even hoped, but I was wrong. It was a one time thing and I should've realized that, I guess. "Just once," he'd said, referring to the sex and not the trust.

        "Oh," was all I could croak out, not able to speak and even if I could, what would I say to that?

        "Pattyca-" he started, sounding like he was going to apologize but I cut him off.

        "No, it's fine. I should've known," I said, grabbing my fedora and walking out of the room. I couldn't bare to look at him, keeping my eyes glued to the floor. Sadness engulfed me but anger soon took it's place. He had just used me, his best friend, for a stupid little experiment.

        "Look, Patrick-" he tried again, emerging from the back room.

        "No, you look, Pete. I'm not some toy. You can't just use me and expect me to move on like that. I'm not like you; I don't go out and have meaningless sex with people I've never met, let alone my best friend." My words were sharp and forceful, a way in which I hardly ever spoke and with that, I stormed off the bus. A walk around the city would do me good, I decided.

        A/N: Already doing pretty well with my 800word goal. Yay! This one had 1214 without this author's note, if you were wondering.  - SonofaDun