Patrick doesn't understand why Pete wanted him to come out to his mother so badly, it was Patrick that had to go through this, not Pete. Sure Patrick's thought about doing it for a while now, ever since he first realized he wasn't attracted to the opposite gender. Might as well do it now. Now's as good a time as any, right? But the closer he got to the actual moment he had to say those words, the more he wanted to back out of it and forget the whole thing.

Although there is a part of him that believes he might just be getting worked up for nothing, because there is a chance that his mother won't react negatively. She's quite open minded about most things, and she absolutely loved Joe's moms, they were practically conjoined at the hip and trusted each other with their lives. So Patrick coming out to his mother shouldn't phase her in the least if he tries to predict her reaction based on that.

Well, he won't know for sure until he tells her.

"Ms. Stump, Patrick has something to tell you." Pete announces, and hearing him say those words out loud already causes Patrick's heart to work overtime. He can feel his palms begin to prick with sweat just as his mother makes eye contact with him.

"Well what is it, hon?" She dries her hands off on a towel then goes to take a seat on the couch, inviting the other two to sit with her. Patrick plops down beside his mom and thinks of last minute ways to think over his words.

"Um... well, uh-" He glanced at Pete who was quietly seated behind his mother, gesturing for him to continue. Pete seemed sure that everything would be fine, no matter how Patrick's mom will react. He gives him a reassuring smile and it slightly calms Patrick's nerves. "I'm... I-"

He couldn't get his mouth to form the exact words 'I'm gay', maybe those two tiny, simple words were too blunt for his liking. So he thought of an alternative that would get the point across just as well as anything else.

"Pete's my boyfriend." He blurts out, glancing between Pete and his mother, both silent with wide eyes. But he felt a lot better after saying it, like a crushing grip around his heart had been released. It felt good, but he hasn't thought about whether or not Pete even wanted that kind of relationship with him. And now he's feeling the strain of an entirely new issue that's probably not nearly as bad as he thinks.

Ms. Stump turns to face Pete then, looking for some kind of confirmation. "Is that so?" She asks, and Pete glances at Patrick who refused to make eye contact, staring down at his lap instead.

"Uh," Pete clears his throat and puts a quick, convincing smile on his face, looking into Ms. Stump's eyes that look strikingly like Patrick's. "Well, yeah. Only for a couple days or so but Patrick thought it'd be better to tell you now rather than later."

Patrick nods in agreement just as his mother looks back his way, giving Pete a silent 'thank you' for going along with it. Now all that was left was to wait for his mom's reaction. She looks back and forth between the two, working everything together. Her brow was furrowed at first and then a smile began to spread across her lips.

"Wonderful!" She says, getting to her feet then looking at the two boys as they sat confused on the couch. "What do you want for dinner then?"

"Wait, that's it?" Patrick questions, also standing so he could properly look her in the eye. "I tell you that Pete is my boyfriend and all you say is 'wonderful. what do you want for dinner?'?"

"What, did you expect me to kick you out or something?"

"Yeah, or something of that nature." He complains, almost angry that she's being so nice and understanding about this.

"Patrick," She sighs, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You're my son and I love you. You could be gay, blind, deaf, or whatever else, and I'll still love you." She smiles, kissing him on the forehead. "You're my little boy and nothing can change that. Okay?"

Patrick nods, rubbing away the lipstick print that he knows is on his skin.

"Good. Now, dinner?"

***

Ms. Stump insisted that Pete stay for dinner since he is 'dating' her son after all. Chicken Alfredo is what they had, which was all Pete's idea since Patrick couldn't decide.

She asked the typical parent questions while they sat around the table and ate dinner together. Pete answered honestly and sweetly all while taking quick looks at Patrick's blushing face then smiling like an idiot, unable to help himself. Ms. Stump thought it was the most precious thing she'd ever seen. It reminded her of when she first met Patrick's father, he used to look at her the same way Pete did Patrick. Those sweet memories came rushing back to her like a wave, and just for a moment she was reliving them all over again. Only this time she was on the outside looking in and it made her happy. She hopes deep down that it doesn't end the same way for them as it did for her.

The boys helped her clean up after they've all finished their meal, washing the dishes and putting away the leftovers. Ms. Stump tells them she's going to shower then sit herself in front of whatever Lifetime movie that was on TV, leaving the boys to stand alone in the kitchen. Patrick's just drying his hands off when he looks in Pete's direction and finds that he's already looking back at him.

"What?" He puts the small towel down after folding it neatly.

"Nothing, just..." Pete steps closer, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms. "If this is what being your boyfriend will be like then I'm all for it." He smiles.

"Dude." Although it's only one word, it comes out with a skeptical tone and a matching facial expression. As if Pete would never want to have anything like that with Patrick. But come on, Pete's world was beginning to revolve around this kid so why wouldn't he want to be with him?

"No, seriously. I mean it." Pete assures, reaching for Patrick's hand and pulling him closer. He wraps his arms around him then presses their foreheads together. "I'd want nothing more than to be your boyfriend."

Patrick's lips spread into an infectious smile. "Guess it's official then, huh?"

"Officially official." Then Pete's leaning in and closing the gap between them, kissing Patrick as if he'd never get the chance again. He cups his face as the kiss deepens, absently tangling his fingers in the hair at the nape of Patrick's neck. They break apart soon after, but stay as close to each other as possible. "And you thought coming out to your mom would be a disaster."

"It was a rational thought." Patrick playfully rolls his eyes. "Why'd you want me to tell her so bad anyway?

"Because if you didn't, you would have missed your chance." He says seriously, a hint of something in his eyes that Patrick couldn't put his finger on. "Just like I did."

Patrick understood at that moment. Pete never got to come out to his own mother, so being there for when Patrick came out to his was the next best thing. Pete waited too long to tell her and he didn't want Patrick to go through the same thing he did. It was one of his biggest regrets in life that will forever weigh heavily in his chest.

"Thank you." Patrick whispers, reaching a hand up and brushing his knuckles across the other's cheek. "I'm glad you were here for it."

"Me too. I got a boyfriend out of it." He kisses Patrick again but only briefly because they hear Patrick's mom exit the bathroom. No need for her to walk in and see them kissing, it'd just be awkward for everyone.