At Last: A Peterick Story

Chapter 1

"I've got a huge favor to ask you," says Pete.

The thing is: Pete asks him for favors at least once a week. They range from can you put your beautiful voice on this song? to what was that place we ate at that time in Fresno in '07, do you remember? to send me that picture of that mouse with the top hat on that you were talking about last week to I need you to make this into a good song for me, please. Pete never calls any of these favors "huge."

Patrick can't resist the flicker of the frown that comes over him at the adjective. What could Pete think was a "huge" favor? "Okay," he says cautiously. He watches the red light he's sitting at and braces himself.

"I need you to be my date to a wedding," says Pete.

The light turns green, and Patrick doesn't move his car. "You need what?" he says finally.

"I need a date to this wedding," says Pete. "A plus-one."

The car behind Patrick starts honking, and Patrick abruptly punches the accelerator. His car jerks forward and he says distractedly, "A plus-one?"

"Yeah, you know how you get invitations, and they say 'Pete Wentz and guest'? Or 'Patrick Stump and guest'? Like that."

"Yeah, I know what a plus-one is, Pete, I'm just..." The car that was behind him passes him, honking its horn. Patrick tosses him his middle finger. Like he's got time to worry about a red light when Pete Wentz is asking him out on some kind of date. "We don't usually go to events as each other's plus-one."

"No, we usually both get invited, but this is a family wedding and so they had no reason to invite you." Pete explains this very calmly, like this makes sense.

"I think they're expecting you to bring your girlfriend," Patrick points out reasonably.

"I don't have a girlfriend," says Pete.

"I bet you could find a girl to be your girlfriend for the night."

"Patrick. Why would I get a random girl when I could go with you?"

Again, he says this like it makes total sense. "Okay..." Patrick says.

"Oh, good, thanks for agreeing," says Pete happily.

"No, no," says Patrick. "That wasn't agreement. That was me...processing...like... Am I supposed to pretend to be your girlfriend?"

"Are you going to wear a dress?"

"No," Patrick says. "No, probably not."

"Then I don't know if you're going to be a very convincing girl," says Pete.

Patrick...really doesn't know what to say. He probably shouldn't still be driving. He says, "So...you just want to take me as your date...because...?" and hopes Pete is going to fill in his reasoning, and that his reasoning isn't aren't we already dating? Which would be...fair reasoning, honestly, Patrick has to admit at this point in their lives together.

Pete says, "Because obviously you'd be more fun to hang out with than anyone else I could take."

Which...does sound a little bit like they're already dating.

"And also," says Pete, "because I maybe kind of need you to sing at this thing for me. Can you?"

What do you think? Will Patrick sing at the wedding for Pete? Comments are love!