Distance Between Us | Peterick AU

8

"Behind me?" Patrick's voice unintentionally raised an octave higher at his attempt to salvage the situation. "There is nobody behind me Earl."

Pete was at least a whole inch taller than Patrick, and despite his best attempts to stay hidden behind the body in front of him, it was obvious there was more than just two people in the room.

Earl didn't even need to vocally push even further, Patrick crumbled at the sight of the the look painted on his face. The prince grabbed Pete's wrist from behind him and pulled the other man out to be standing next to him. He broke the eye contact he had with his butler and suddenly found the floor to be more interesting.

"Who," Earl questioned sternly. "Is this?"

Patrick took in a deep breath and raised the wrist that he still had a tight grip on. "This. . .is Pete."

"Who is 'Pete' and why is he here?"

Patrick had never heard Earl speak with such an angry tone. He stepped back a baby step or two in fear and pulled Pete back with him. "H-he's my b-"

"Friend!" Pete cut in quickly. "I am one of his friends. I apologize for coming in unannounced like this and causing trouble. I should be leaving." He made a move to break away from Patrick, but the old man quickly stopped him in his tracks.

"You stay right where you are," Earl whisper-shouted. Despite his anger and confusion, it was obvious that he was doing his best to keep the noise down. "Actually," he changed his mind. "You need to come with me."

As the older man came forward to grab Pete's arm and tug him in his direction, Patrick moved his hand from the wrist he was holding on to down to the tan hand below and locked their fingers together. He yanked Pete back from Earl's impending grasp and into his own arms. Patrick pushed them together to be chest to chest, and after a moment, Pete rested his chin on top of the shorter man's head.

"You can't take him," Patrick pleaded. Earl stopped in his tracks and wore a shocked look on his face. Either it was because of the sudden contact between the two or the use of the 'informal language', Patrick truly didn't care enough to know.

"What is the meaning of all of this?"

Patrick took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I met Pete a few months ago at one of the spring town festivals. That one time when I was accidentally pushed into the crowd, he was one of the people who helped me out." He paused to make sure Earl was listening. "After that when Ginny and I were out on one of our educational trips, I spotted him. We talked for a quick moment, and I just had this odd feeling that I really wanted to see him again. We found special ways to meet each other, for months. It was relieving to finally speak to someone outside of the royal mindset for once in my life."

"That does not explain what I had just saw, Patrick." Now Earl was crossing his arms with one foot tapping the wooden floor impatiently. The prince swallowed nervously.

"Not too long ago we decided to start- start. . ." he looked up Pete, who, mind you, was still in his arms, in question. ". . .what was that you called it? Dating?" Pete nodded politely and tried to keep the grin off of his face.

"Dating?" Earl's eyebrows shot up to his receding hairline once again. "Patrick, this is unacceptable. Especially with another boy. That is almost virtually unheard of! Your father will not like the sound of thi-"

"No!" Patrick exclaimed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Absolutely nothing was going how he planned. "You can not tell Father, I can not lose Pete! Please, Earl!"

The silence that followed Patrick's plea was deafening. The two boys held on tight to each other as Earl scanned over both of them with a disapproving look in his eye. Time seemed to completely stop.