One Hundred Sleepless Nights
Night Eight ~ I'm A Walking Nightmare
[WARNING! In case you didn't see it before, this chapter contains suicide themes that could possibly be triggering to someone. They aren't very graphic at all, but be careful anyway!]
It's been four days since the incident with Patrick. Pete had barely gotten up from the bed since then. Kat, his girlfriend, had gotten irritated with his sulky act, yelled at him, and left yesterday. He cried even more after that.
**
Pete slides down to the floor in the corner of his bedroom. It's late, and he knows Patrick will be coming home from work right about now. He stares at the phone his hand. He knows Patrick will answer the phone without looking at who it is, if he's driving. Patrick had been ignoring all his other phone calls, now was his chance. He dials in the number he knows by heart, and sticks the phone to his ear.
Ring.
Ring.
Ri-
"Hello?"
"Patrick," Pete chokes out, tears already forming in his eyes. "Don't hang up. Please."
"What do you want?" Patrick asks, sounding irritated already.
"Why do you hate me? Do I mean anything to you anymore? Do I... Do I mean anything to anyone anymore?" Pete's voice became soft by the last sentence.
"Where are you?" Patrick asks, his voice full of fear and concern.
"I'm at home."
Patrick heard a familiar click on the other line. The click of a gun when you turn the safety off. Pete's crying in earnest now, sobbing into his cellphone.
"Y-You know that... whatever I did, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Patrick."
"Peter, you need to stop right now. I'm coming over."
"I'm sorry, Patrick."
The line clicks dead, and Patrick drives faster. He pulls into Pete's driveway so fast he almost crashes into the house. He finds the spare key to the house under the mat, and runs inside. He slides down the hallway into Pete's room, where Pete is curled up in the corner, gun pressing into his head. Patrick kneels down beside him, turning the safety back on and throwing the gun across the room. Pete's crying himself hysterical, and Patrick holds him for the first time in what feels like forever.
"It's okay. It's alright. Shh, darling."
Patrick rubs the older boy's back, holding him to his chest. Pete is clinging to Patrick's shirt for life, his hands twisting the fabric. The blond manages to pick him up, tucking him into bed. Pete keeps his grip on him.
"Don't go," He says quickly.
"I won't," Patrick promises. "I'm just going to get your sleeping pills."
Pete hesitantly lets Patrick go. The blond gets up and walks to the kitchen, leaving Pete by himself. A minute ticks by, and Pete worries that Patrick left him. He's about to cry when Patrick shows up in the doorway. He hands Pete the pills and a glass of water, petting his hair affectionately.
"Don't leave," Pete whispers after a couple minutes.
Patrick can tell the pills are already taking effect, and he runs a hand through Pete's hair.
"I won't."
"Will you be here when I wake up?"
Patrick kisses Pete's forehead.
"Yes. Now go to sleep."
Pete tugs on Patrick's hand, pulling him over to cuddle. Patrick rolls his eyes with a smile on his lips. The dark haired boy puts his head on the blond's chest, listening to the soft thud of the younger one's heartbeat.
"Sleep," Patrick says again.
And this time, sleep comes.
It's been four days since the incident with Patrick. Pete had barely gotten up from the bed since then. Kat, his girlfriend, had gotten irritated with his sulky act, yelled at him, and left yesterday. He cried even more after that.
**
Pete slides down to the floor in the corner of his bedroom. It's late, and he knows Patrick will be coming home from work right about now. He stares at the phone his hand. He knows Patrick will answer the phone without looking at who it is, if he's driving. Patrick had been ignoring all his other phone calls, now was his chance. He dials in the number he knows by heart, and sticks the phone to his ear.
Ring.
Ring.
Ri-
"Hello?"
"Patrick," Pete chokes out, tears already forming in his eyes. "Don't hang up. Please."
"What do you want?" Patrick asks, sounding irritated already.
"Why do you hate me? Do I mean anything to you anymore? Do I... Do I mean anything to anyone anymore?" Pete's voice became soft by the last sentence.
"Where are you?" Patrick asks, his voice full of fear and concern.
"I'm at home."
Patrick heard a familiar click on the other line. The click of a gun when you turn the safety off. Pete's crying in earnest now, sobbing into his cellphone.
"Y-You know that... whatever I did, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Patrick."
"Peter, you need to stop right now. I'm coming over."
"I'm sorry, Patrick."
The line clicks dead, and Patrick drives faster. He pulls into Pete's driveway so fast he almost crashes into the house. He finds the spare key to the house under the mat, and runs inside. He slides down the hallway into Pete's room, where Pete is curled up in the corner, gun pressing into his head. Patrick kneels down beside him, turning the safety back on and throwing the gun across the room. Pete's crying himself hysterical, and Patrick holds him for the first time in what feels like forever.
"It's okay. It's alright. Shh, darling."
Patrick rubs the older boy's back, holding him to his chest. Pete is clinging to Patrick's shirt for life, his hands twisting the fabric. The blond manages to pick him up, tucking him into bed. Pete keeps his grip on him.
"Don't go," He says quickly.
"I won't," Patrick promises. "I'm just going to get your sleeping pills."
Pete hesitantly lets Patrick go. The blond gets up and walks to the kitchen, leaving Pete by himself. A minute ticks by, and Pete worries that Patrick left him. He's about to cry when Patrick shows up in the doorway. He hands Pete the pills and a glass of water, petting his hair affectionately.
"Don't leave," Pete whispers after a couple minutes.
Patrick can tell the pills are already taking effect, and he runs a hand through Pete's hair.
"I won't."
"Will you be here when I wake up?"
Patrick kisses Pete's forehead.
"Yes. Now go to sleep."
Pete tugs on Patrick's hand, pulling him over to cuddle. Patrick rolls his eyes with a smile on his lips. The dark haired boy puts his head on the blond's chest, listening to the soft thud of the younger one's heartbeat.
"Sleep," Patrick says again.
And this time, sleep comes.