Hell's Reign (Patrick Stump/Fall Out Boy Fanfiction)

Chapter 14 - Black Car

            When Pete first suggested that he take his frustration out on zombies, Patrick was a little unsure. He wasn't normally one to solve problems with violence, and he didn't think the apocalypse had changed that about him. However, as he stood behind the sales counter in the middle of the local hardware store, blowing the heads off of every walker that came his way with Pete's sawed-off shotgun, he couldn't deny that the adrenaline rush was exhilarating. The rest of the guys were currently in the back of the store, gathering all of the supplies they could carry, leaving Patrick to create a distraction at the very front of the zombie-infested store.

As he shot the head off of yet another zombie, Patrick pumped the gun in the air over his head and let out a loud cheer for himself. "Come and get it!" He screamed, immediately firing at the couple of zombies that were left. It wasn't long before he had felled exactly twenty-seven zombies, leaving the store empty and a ringing in the air from the multiple gun shots. Patrick, spent, dropped the gun carelessly onto the counter and slumped back against the wall. Just as he did, Joe and Andy came walking around the corner of one of the aisles, pushing a cart full of thick planks of wood towards the front door.

"Feel better?" Andy laughed, smiling at Patrick as he straightened up.

"Yeah," Patrick sighed, "I needed that." They both laughed softly, and Andy led them out the door just as Pete came by, pushing another, slightly less loaded cart of wood. He also had a few power tools on the cart, along with three huge boxes of batteries and some flashlights. Patrick smirked at him and hopped back over the counter, carelessly stepping through blood and chunks of dead flesh as he sauntered toward his best friend. "Want some help?" He asked, taking the opposite side of the cart and pulling.

"Thanks," Pete sighed, wiping his sleeve over his forehead. It was unnaturally hot out again, and humid inside of the store. "Hey," Pete added as they neared the front door, "You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah," Patrick sighed, not looking Pete right in the eyes. "That was a nice stress reliever, but you know...I like her, Pete. I like her a lot."

"I know you do, lunchbox," Pete said, smiling warmly at him. "She likes you too, don't forget that. She's just scared."

"I am too," Patrick mumbled.

"We all are," Pete told him, with an air of finality as they pushed the cart out of the building. "Andy, Joe," he called, "Load up the van. I'll start it, and Patrick, you're on watch." They all nodded, Joe grumbling something about nobody electing Pete their leader, and Patrick simply hid a smile as he walked around the van. He looked around cautiously, especially once Pete slammed the driver side door of the van, but he saw nothing. It seemed his shooting had drawn all of the zombies in the area to him already, and now they all laid dead inside of the hardware store. He leaned idly against the front bumper of the van, crossing his arms over his chest and sighing.

He knew Pete was right about Tori having feelings for him. He knew he could never deny the fact that his feelings for her weren't going to disappear. He knew what he felt when he'd kissed her last night. Every time their lips met was like a fire igniting in his chest, and even now, that fire was still sparking furiously just thinking about her. Of course, all of that could just be teenage hormones. He hadn't told her, but he'd never kissed anyone quite like that before. He'd kissed a girl once in high school, but nothing more than gentle, nervous pecks. Tori was different; There was passion when he kissed her, and something else that he couldn't explain. He knew he wanted to feel it again.

The slamming of the back doors of the van wrenched Patrick from his thoughts, and he pushed himself languidly off the vehicle. "Let's go, Patrick!" Pete called, waving him towards the passenger side. He climbed in, Joe and Andy already situated in the back, and they all settled in for the short drive back to the house. Patrick watched out the window to his right, curiously wondering what Tori was doing while she waited for them. Briefly, he let himself wonder if anything had happened while they were gone; If any zombies had broken in, or if she'd had to shoot any by herself. He shook the thought from his head and leaned back, closing his eyes tightly.