New iMessage from:

Pepe (Daddy) Wentz [2]

i need to tell u something

in person

Patrick frowns, looking at the time on his phone. It's later than the usual time they text. In fact, they'd already exchanged the usual 'one day, I'm going to bang you so hard' texts for the night.

New iMessage to:

Pepe (Daddy) Wentz [2]

At two in the morning?

Look, if it's important, I'll be there. Just tell me.

It doesn't take Pete long to reply. About twenty seconds later, Patrick receives a new text from Pete.

it's seriously important..

Something doesn't feel right down in Patrick's belly. Something's wrong with Pete.

Patrick doesn't text back. He jumps up and throws on the first shirt he sees, glad that he decided to wear his sweats to bed for once in his whole life.

He doesn't bother with piercings or contacts, grabbing his glasses and slipping them on. As he grabs his keys right before walking out of the door, he wonders if Pete's okay.

Gosh, Patrick hopes he is. Pete's becoming a lot to him lately. Quickly, too. Way quicker than any of Patrick's other relationships.

It took him eight months to get in Elisa's pants. And she wasn't even that good of a fuck, honestly. He thinks Pete could give him better. Knows it.

As he reaches Pete's place, he knows better than to think that Pete's inside. Not when he has a perfectly good backyard that he could be stargazing in right now.

So Patrick hops out of his Jeep and runs around back, sure enough finding Pete lying on the grass, eyes fixated on the sky. Patrick lies down next to him, throwing an arm over Pete's slim waist.

"You weren't here when I needed you," Pete says, and Patrick thinks he's crying. Why would he be crying?

"Pete, babe, what are you talking about?" He whispers because he doesn't think the time is right to be talking at full volume.

"He answered. When I -- fuck, Patrick -- when I called earlier. He.. he answered and said that you deserved better than what I could give you. And I needed you right then, Patrick, because I believed him. I still do," Pete's voice cracks at that, and Patrick hears the exact moment when Pete breaks apart.

Patrick's seriously going to fucking kill Urie. He had no right to do any of that shit to anyone. Much less Pete.

"Shh, baby, I'm here now," Patrick holds Pete in his arms as he continues to sob.

That's how Patrick Stump ended up in the Wentz's yard at just past three thirty in the morning with the oldest son crying in his arms.