one more troubled soul » petekey

Nine

A/N: Miss me? Enjoy.

"We keep moving forward,
opening new doors,
and doing new things,
because we're curious
and curiosity keeps leading us
down new paths."
- Walt Disney

They fought their way through traffic for what seemed like an eternity, until finally they emerged on to the back roads once again, and comfort settled upon their tired shoulders. They were outsiders used to the outside, and the bustling city had been like watching a show. It had only taken a change of scene for them to be apart of it. The city was a world and a half behind them now, and Pete was both disappointed and relieved, but mostly excited. In front of him was nothing but dirt and mystery. And Pete was someone who saw mystery, not as a threat, but as an adventure. Unlike most people, he didn't quite fear the unknown. He anticipated it gleefully.

They had stopped for coffee as promised, however Mikey had managed to pull a few wet, wrinkled dollar bills out of his backpack and pay for a bagel, too. Pete glanced at him every so often, chuckling as Mikey balanced the two halves on his criss-crossed knees and tore open the cream cheese with his teeth. A piece of aluminum foil was dangling from his lips when he made fleeting eye contact with Pete. He blushed and swiped it from his mouth quickly, crumbling it and tossing it on the floor in a swift, embarrassed motion.

Pete laughed quietly. It was so strange how they had settled into their peace again. The tension seemed to be nearly lifted; no longer pressing on their shoulders but lingering above their heads, like clouds instead of weights. They had been able to drive in a comfortable silence for a while, not even the sound of a radio between them, nor the rushing air. Mikey had decided the morning wind was too cold for the windows to be rolled down, and instead he pressed himself against it and watched everything roll by. Pete was thankful nobody else was on the road, for sometimes his glances turned into staring, and he would just barely catch himself admiring his sharp jawline, his smooth thin nose and his dark sleepy eyes. He ended up on the other side of the road once. (Well, more than once, but that was hardly a fact he was willing to admit).

But the two of them were mostly wide awake now. Their silence before had been conjured from a mixture of sleepiness and maybe some unspoken sadness. However, they now had tiny smiles tugging at their lips, and the silence began to wilt; gently and calmly, like a flower.

"You laughin' at me?" Mikey asked, his cheeks filled with bagel. Pete laughed again in response, this time louder and looser. Mikey rolled his eyes, a smirk still on his face. He swallowed hard and then reached for the radio, Pete stopping him quickly. "What?" Mikey grumbled, pushing his hand away and beginning to shuffle through endless stations.

"Can't we listen to something.. good?" Pete grumbled, wincing as someone screeched through his speakers. There wasn't much Pete took pride in, but his music taste was something that he did. His ear nor heart had never been swayed by simply catchy tunes, and even the music he drunkenly danced to and got high too had to good. He needed every last note that sank into his ears to be unforgettable; even if he was bound to forget it the next morning. And as much as he despised being as pretentious as he was, he truly could barely stand the mainstream. Part of him wished he did, because being the one to change the radio station or turn off the music completely just because it didn't "mean anything" made him an even bigger douche than he already was.

Mikey glanced at him quickly, smiling softly. "Something good?" he repeated, voice tinged with excitement. Pete just nodded slowly, cautiously, taking a quick moment to glance at Mikey suspiciously. He turned back to the road, hearing Mikey unbuckle his seatbelt. Out of the corner of his eye, Pete watched as Mikey tried to crawl over the center console and into the back, scrambling for his backpack.