Just Once - A Peterick Fic

Chapter 11

A/N: So I know I don't usually put these at the beginning of chapters but I just wanted to thank you guys. This story reached 100 votes after I posted the last chapter and whoa, that's a lot. I really didn't expect to get more than maybe 10 at the most. You guys are the best. The response almost immediately after I posted the last chapter was overwhelming. Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks.

        The plane landed in St. Louis before too long, a few fans at the airport to greet us. We signed a few things, chatted for just a bit, before we had to rush off. A couple of them asked questions about what was going on between Pete and I, why we hadn't been friendly to each other on stage lately, and we just shook them off, not really answering. It's not like we could tell them the truth and we hadn't come up with a lie yet.

        Our hotel wasn't too far from the airport, but even closer to the venue, which would definitely be nice. I was dreading the conversation I'd have to have with Pete soon after we arrived, though. I wanted to hear what he had to say, but at the same time, I didn't. The internal battle fought on through the entire ride to the hotel. I don't think there ever was quite a resolution, though. Maybe both sides just agreed on a truce.

        I hauled my bags up to my room and collapsed onto the bed. I could only imagine Andy, Joe, and Pete were doing about the same thing. Traveling was tiring, even just small amounts of it. You'd think we'd be used to it by now, but each flight was just like the last and jet lag still killed us just as much. Granted,there wasn't a time change between here and home so that was helpful, but something about climbing on a plane was exhausting.

        I might've dosed off but I wasn't sure. Either way, the next thing I remembered was a knock on my door. My bones creaked as I got up, making noises as if I were popping the joints. I must've been lying there longer than I'd thought. Yawning, I opened the door without even thinking to check who it was.

        Just the person I wanted to see stood on the other side.

        Pete.

        "Oh, hey," I said sleepily, a little caught off guard by his appearance. I shouldn't have been, though. I'd told him not to avoid me so here he was. Perfect.

        "Hey," he said, shooting me a tired smile like he'd just woken from a nap too. Oh how I wish I'd woken up to that smile in the bed next to me. Stop it, Patrick. He left you. Get that through your head.

        "Well come on in," I told him, stepping aside to allow him past me. He did just that, awkwardly shuffling past me into the small room before I shut the door behind him.

        "So..." he started, sitting down at the end of the bed. I wasn't sure there had ever been this much tension between us before and I sure as hell wasn't a fan of it's presence.

        "So..." I repeated, forcing out a little laugh at the end, and earning a slight smile from Pete.

        An awkward silence settled over us then as I moved to sit in a chair directly across from the bed.

        Finally, I was the one to break it. "So why are you so mad at me?" I asked, asking the same thing I had on the plane earlier.

        He sighed rubbing his face with his hands. "I'm not mad at you, Patrick," he told me simply, almost as if he were specifically trying to avoid telling me what he knew I wanted to know.

        "Then what is it?"

        "I'm mad at myself," he admitted, still not clearing anything up.