The Noble Desire (Peterick)

.•°Eleven.•°

A/N: I'm supposed to be doing homework, but I decided updating this was a better idea.

Patrick hadn't heard about the girls being sent home until he had gone down to the ballroom to play piano and Meagan was the only one to arrive. The ring mocked him. It sat so beautifully upon her thin finger, and yet he hated the sight. He didn't understand why. Perhaps it was because he hadn't thought Pete would go through with the arrangement. It felt like a lie, a stab in the back to know that despite their talk he had done it anyway.

"Congratulations," he uttered, indicating to the ring with his eyes.
"Oh. Thank you," she chimed, "I'm absolutely thrilled. Isn't it lovely?"
"Yes. Very lovely."

"What are you going to play today?"
"Nothing. I thought I'd just sit and think by myself."
"Tell me what's on your mind," she spoke.
"Oh. No. I couldn't burden you with my thoughts. Why don't you go spend some time with your new fiance?"

"It's really no bother. Besides, Pete is still sleeping. He's tired out from last night."
Patrick raised a brow, knowing what that implied because he had seen them kissing in the tennis court from the outlook in his balcony and heard them macking on each other in the hallway. He didn't care about them.

In fact, he cared so little he couldn't even find it worth his time to think about what they had gone up to when he went to bed, didn't care to wonder if Pete made the same face when he climaxed just as he did when he'd came inside Patrick's fisted hand. Not at all. Not even slightly.

"Well...it's nothing. I just-I technically slept with a friend, and I don't know how to feel about it."
"How do they feel about it?"
"He said he didn't want things to change between us, and I don't either. I guess I'm confused as to what it defines us as or why I even did it in the first place. We were both intoxicated, y'know. I'm stupid for giving into it."

"Some say alcohol brings out our true feelings. It was meant to happen, Patrick. Let it come naturally."

"But he's taken"

"Oh. That's a different story now, isn't it? If he really likes you then he'll make the right choice."

"What if we don't know what the right choice is? I mean I like him. It just might not work between us. We're both vastly different people. He'd probably be better off with someone else."
"But you don't know for sure until you try it out."
How ironic, Patrick thought, that she was practically giving him permission to pursue her fiance.

Patrick left her to herself and wandered into the parlor where he found Pete lounging on a love seat in his pajamas, reading a book. He was about to walk out when the prince peered out from behind the pages and smiled at him.
"Hey," he said, "What are you up to?"

"Oh, I don't know... I had a conversation with your fiancee a few minutes ago."

Pete lowered the book onto his lap and closed the cover, letting his gaze fall upon the faint ash stains in the hearth that the servants were unable to get out.
"About that-"
"What's wrong with you? I thought you said you didn't love her, and now you're going to put that poor girl through a passionless marriage all because you like it when she opens up her legs," Patrick scolded, folding his arms over his chest.

"I didn't mean to let her see the ring. It fell out of my pocket, and then I couldn't stop her from assuming. I didn't want to break her heart after seeing her so overjoyed."

"You're despicable, you know that?"
"Patrick, it was an honest mistake. I don't need you to turn against me when I'm trying to fix it."

"Really? How are you going to manage to do that? You'll end up hurting her even more."
Pete rose from the couch and walked over to Patrick, gently grabbing his hands and sending a chill down his spine.
"That's why I need you. I can't do it alone."
Patrick's breathing hitched when he saw the gleam in the prince's eye and felt his stare bore deep into him. It didn't make sense to him- how easily he had let himself go against his thoughts.