Saturday // Peterick Oneshots

74. Sparks

Was the fourth a week ago? Yes. Am I going to write fluff about it anyway? Yes. TTTYG era.

Eventually, Pete gets tired of watching his cousins chase each other around, throwing snappers at whoever's feet are closest. As fun as it is listening to them scream and shout at each other, he has other plans for the night; he didn't drag Patrick to his family's house for the Fourth of July for nothing.

He finds Patrick at the other side of the yard, talking to Pete's mom about how their last tour went. He pulls Patrick away, making an excuse about wanting to see the fireworks show on Navy Pier.

"I didn't know you were so patriotic," Patrick says, climbing into the passenger seat of Pete's car.

"I'm not," Pete says, buckling up and turning the car on.

Patrick raises an eyebrow at him. "So where are we going?"

"Oh, we're still going to Lake Michigan. Just not Navy Pier."

Patrick waits for Pete to continue. He doesn't. "Is that all you're going to tell me?" Patrick asks.

"Yep."

Patrick rolls his eyes.

Patrick hums along to the radio while Pete drives, and soon enough they're on Lake Shore Drive. Pete parks the car and they both climb out. Pete stops to grab a blanket and a white grocery bag out of the backseat, then motions for Patrick to follow him.

Immediately, Patrick asks "What's in the bag?"

Pete grins and hands it over.

"Pete! These are illegal!" Patrick whisper-shouts, staring at the pile of fireworks.

"I never understood why," Pete says conversationally.

"To keep idiots like you from blowing their hands off!"

"Relax," Pete says, taking the bag back from Patrick. "I only have stuff that I know we can handle on our own, like Roman candles and shit. There's only two or three really big ones."

Patrick is quiet for a moment. "Where'd you even get all that?"

"I know a guy."

"Of course you do."

Pete finds the perfect spot on the beach and lays down the blanket. He and Patrick toe off their shoes and socks and spend the first half hour wading in the water, trying to splash each other. Then they come up out of the water, and Pete takes the first box out of the bag: sparklers.

"These aren't illegal," Patrick points out. "Your parents had those at the house."

"Yeah, but they'll look prettier out here."

Patrick frowns. "What makes you think that?"

Pete shrugs and hands him a sparkler. He digs his lighter out of the plastic bag and ignites it, holding the flame out for Patrick. Patrick stops asking questions and lights his sparkler. It crackles and starts emitting blue sparks. Patrick grins, and Pete takes it as a good sign.

They burn through the sparklers fast, chasing each other around and pretending to duel; the pinprick burns on the backs of Pete's hands are worth hearing Patrick's laughter fill up the silence around them. They stick the burnt sticks in the sand next to their blanket and resolve to throw them away before they leave.

Next, Pete pulls out the Roman candles. He's got four, so they each only get two before they're out of those.

Finally, Pete gets to pull out the big guns.

"Did you know that there's like, eight hundred different kinds of fireworks with a bunch of weird names?" Pete asks, setting up the base that the fireworks will shoot out of.

"Literally? Or are you exaggerating?"

Pete rolls his eyes. "I'm exaggerating. But seriously, there are names for all the firework shapes. I always thought they were all just 'fireworks,' you know?"

Patrick hums. "Neat."

Pete finished getting the first fireworks set up, then ushered Patrick to sit on the blanket. He lit the fuse and scrambled back to sit next to Patrick.

Pete doesn't always know exactly how he feels about Patrick. Sometimes he thinks their connection is simply the normal bond between best friends, and the reason it feels so strong is because he's never had a real best friend before Patrick.

A yellow spiral firework goes off, followed by a red one and a purple one, and Patrick smiles. Pete waits a moment to let the base cool, then loads the next set of fireworks.

This pack is ring fireworks; they remind Pete of UFOs, or of Saturn. The first one is orange, the second one is green.

Sometimes, Pete's feelings for Patrick feel a little too strong to be platonic. Those feelings make him want to kiss Patrick until his face is red, make him want to wrap Patrick in his arms and keep him warm until the end of time.

When Patrick looks up at the sky, at the fireworks Pete had bought just for him, with wonder in his eyes and a smile on his face, then looks at Pete with the same awe-struck expression, he thinks this is one of those times.

Pete grins back, then moves to load up the spider fireworks. He sits closer to Patrick when he goes back to the blanket.

"You know," Patrick starts. Pete looks at his profile, illuminated beautifully in the half-light. "I don't want to jinx it in case we get caught, but this was actually a really good idea."

Pete grins from ear to ear. "Thanks, Patrick," he says softly.

Pete shuffles closer and lays his head on Patrick's shoulder. To his utter delight, Patrick wraps an arm around him in response.

"Happy Fourth of July," Patrick whispers as the fireworks continue to explode over the lake.

"Yeah. You too." Pete closes his eyes and soaks up the warmth of Patrick beside him.