Better Off As Lovers | Petekey AU

Comeback Of The Year

"Can you tell what they're saying?" Ryan asked, craning his neck so he could try and see Pete and Mikey at their table across the room. Joe rolled his eyes, pushing Ryan back into his seat in the booth.

"No, I've already told you!" he complained, taking a sip of his soda. Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, you're so helpful."

"Think it's important?" Ray asked, looking at the people sitting with him. "You know, what they're talking about?"

Patrick sipped his water. "Maybe, I don't know. They could be talking about the stock markets, knowing Pete."

"I heard they're going well," Andy said, "the stock markets, I mean."

"I'm so glad you're educated about the stocks," Joe said sarcastically, looking at the boy sitting across from him.

"At least I'm educated," Andy remarked, raising his eyebrows. Joe frowned, looking back at Pete and Mikey sitting at their table.

"Are you all ready to order?"

The waiter looked at the group, snapping them out of trying to decipher the conversation across the room. Patrick smiled up at the waiter.

"Ah, yeah, I'd like the orange chicken, with steamed rice," he handed her his menu.

"Do you have any vegan options?" Andy asked.

"Dork," Joe mumbled. Andy kicked Joe from under the table as the waiter listed some vegan options.

- - -

Mikey tapped his fingers on his glass. "The truth hurts worse than anything I could bring myself to do to you."

"I'm a douche," Pete said. He'd said that a few times already in that conversation.

"Kinda." Mikey looked down at the table, then back up to Pete. "Why do you do it?"

"I don't know. I get scared. You're - you're different than everyone else I've been with. With them, we get wasted and then get alone. I mean, being alone with you is great, don't get me wrong. But, like, I've never wanted someone as much as I want you. And I get scared because I'm scared that I'm gonna mess something up." Pete bit the inside of his lip. "And then I do."

"Don't overthink it, because when you do, it kinda," Mikey lowered his voice, "kinda fucks things up."

Pete laughed. "Yeah, thanks, Mikey."

"But I can't take you taking pills and being with," Mikey bit his tongue, "Gabe. You can't desert your problems when they begin to haunt you. You could, like, write songs about them."

"I'd have a lot of songs about you, then."

"Then so be it," Mikey smiled, drinking his water.

-  -  -

"So stocks didn't come up once?" Ray asked through the phone. Mikey rolled his eyes, laying down in his bed.

"No, Ray, for the last time, stocks didn't come up in our conversation."

"Whatever. Okay, my mom is yelling at me from upstairs, gotta go. See you at school on Monday!"

And Ray hung up as soon as a female voice rang through the line, something about dirty laundry.

"Was that the elusive Pete Wentz?" Frank asked, sitting on Mikey's bed. Mikey rolled his eyes.

"Why are you always here? And no, that was Ray. Way to be nosy," Mikey said, setting his phone down on his bedside table.