The Do Over (Peterick)

seven.

When Patrick picks Elisa up at her house, he meets her father. He receives a firm handshake and a warning to, 'Have my daughter home no later than midnight.'

He answers with an, "Of course, sir. I'll have her home by eleven forty-five." At that, the older man smiles and sends them on their way.

"So, we're meeting Ashlee and Pete at the new Italian restaurant downtown. Is that cool with you?" Patrick asks, already putting the address Pete sent him earlier into his maps.

"Yeah, that's fine with me." Elisa smiles at him, and he smiles back, putting the car in reverse and backing out of the driveway.

Once they get onto the highway, Elisa turns the radio down. "What's up?" Patrick asks, keeping his eyes focused on the road.

"You don't really like me, do you?" Elisa asks, and when Patrick takes a glance at her, she doesn't look all that sad.

Patrick stumbles out an answer. "What would give you that idea?"

"I've seen the way you look at him. Why don't you tell him?" Elisa says matter-of-factly. Patrick's eyes widen as he bites his lower lip, trying to think of a response.

"Him?" He tries to play dumb, but when he chances another look in her direction, he knows she's onto him.

"You know he likes you too." Elisa avoids his question, but he already knows she means Pete. "Are you afraid of rejection or coming out?"

"More the first than the second." Patrick answers honestly. "You're right, I do like him. I'm sorry that this is coming out now."

"It's fine. I knew even before you asked me out." Elisa says. "I just wanted to help you and Pete out." And there it is. His name.

"Help us out?" Patrick questions, pulling into the restaurant parking lot.

"You know. Get two people that are clearly meant to be to pull their heads out of their asses." Elisa smirks at him as he looks at her.

"I think we could be great friends." Patrick says, laughing. Elisa nods and joins in.

"We could. But tonight, we're going to make Pete realise that the only person he wants is you."

"Yes, ma'am. Lead the way." They both get out of the car and link arms before walking into the restaurant.

Inside, Ashlee and Pete are already settled down, hands linked on top of the table. Patrick sits to the right of Pete, Elisa to the right of Ashlee.

"Hey, guys. You look nice." Pete says to both of them, but when Patrick looks up, Pete's eyes are trained solely on him. When Patrick looks to his right at Elisa, she's smirking at them, a knowing look on her face.

"You do too." Patrick says, and he realises how lame he sounds about point six seconds after he says it. But when he looks at Pete, the latter is blushing.

"So, Pete and I were thinking after we ate, we could watch Hot Fuzz at my house." Ashlee quickly butts in to change the subject.

"Hot Fuzz?" Patrick asks, clearly excited about the movie choice. "That's one of my favourite movies."

"Mine too!" Pete exclaims, and they share a smile. Ashlee's face drops as she realises that her plan to direct the attention away from the chemistry between the guys failed.

"Or we could watch something else." Ashlee finishes, and Elisa does an awful job at disguising the snort she lets out as a cough.

"What do you think, 'Lisa?" Patrick asks Elisa, whose eyebrows raise at the nickname.

"I've never seen Hot Fuzz. Sounds like a good choice to me." Elisa shrugs, and Ashlee looks really defeated.

"Sorry, babe. Three to one." Pete smiles at Patrick when he speaks to Ashlee, who just mumbles out an 'okay' and directs her attention back to her menu.

—

When the four of them arrive at Ashlee's, Ashlee excuses herself to the bathroom. Elisa makes herself busy in the kitchen, while the guys go into the living room alone.

"So what do you think of Elisa?" Pete asks, shrugging his blazer off and hooking it on the coat rack near the front door. Patrick does the same, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling up the sleeves of his button-up.

"She's cute. I just don't think she's my type." Patrick says, turning back to face Pete, who seems bewildered by the confession.

"What's wrong with her?" Pete asks, and Patrick just swallows the lump forming in his throat, wondering if he's actually about to do this.

"There's nothing wrong with her. She just doesn't have the biological makeup that I'm into." Patrick says, and it takes a second for Pete to realise what he's talking about.

"Oh. Oh, you're. You're gay." Pete says quickly, lowering his voice. "That's. That's cool."

"There's not only that." Patrick says, and he takes a step closer to Pete, mind set on what he's going to do.

"Oh?" Pete asks, staying where he was to begin with. "What else?"

"I.." Before he can speak, Ashlee and Elisa enter the room together. He sighs and takes a step back from Pete, deciding not to piss Ashlee off more than he already has tonight.

Elisa looks sorry when they sit down next to each other on the couch, leaning in to whisper in Patrick's ear. "I'm sorry, I distracted her for as long as I could. Did you tell him?"

"I told him I'm gay." He whispers back, pressing a kiss to her temple when he receives a suspicious look from Ashlee. She looks convinced and directs her attention back to Pete, who is putting the movie in the DVD player.

He flops down on the couch between Ashlee and Patrick when he finishes, throwing an arm around his girlfriend. Patrick clenches his jaw before he can say something he knows he'll regret later: "That should be me."

Elisa just gives him a sympathetic look and grabs his hand with hers, linking their fingers together.

It's gonna be a long night for Patrick.

uuuuupdate

& pete knows patrick is the gay

woo