Graduation comes around much faster than anyone expected. One second they're barely getting by in their classes then the next everyone's rushing to order gowns and yearbooks. Pete wasn't one of those people though, mostly because he didn't think he'd get this far. He thought he'd be dead before he'd ever get the chance to finish highschool, but he's still standing and he was actually going to graduate.

He still didn't plan on attending college though, still thought it was a waste of time and money, still thought it wasn't necessary. And that was perfectly fine with his friends that actually wanted to go through that mess. It just meant they'd have to make time to hang out whenever they weren't busy studying or whatever.

But over the hectic days of students scrambling to pay for their gowns, matching caps, and pointless yearbooks full of people no one really liked anyway, they rush themselves to fill out college applications as well, mostly for the benefit of their parents or just to say that they went. Others get scholarships to expensive schools in other states and they feel obligated to go or else they'll feel bad for letting a scholarship go to waste. It was a mess, really, and certain students just didn't want to deal with that kind of pressure so they simply skipped out on it.

The graduation ceremony-- as special as they wish it actually was-- was a boring event that caused Joe to dose off to sleep during it and Brendon almost missed his name being called because he decided to chat it up with another kid with the same name as him. Brendon W. he thinks it was, nice kid with thick glasses who was twice his height and liked to talk about anything involving anime.

Tyler ended up tripping as he walked across the stage but it thankfully wasn't anything that'd cause a wave of laughter throughout the whole auditorium. Doesn't make it any less embarrassing, though. But he shakes hands with the principal and accepts his degree, hearing his family shout from their seats to which he responded by holding his diploma up and shouting back, "I love you, mom!" He unknowingly made his mother cry tears of happiness at that moment.

Everything else went on normally after that. The kids walked up, accepted their diplomas, then walked down back to their seat and just waited for it to be over with. They had to listen to speeches and lame jokes varying from students to staff and it was just annoying honestly, so Joe went back to taking his nap after he got his diploma while others talked or scrolled through their phones.

Finally after two hours of pure and utter boredom, they threw their caps in the air, collected the one that they thought was theirs then left the auditorium in an orderly fashion to meet up with their friends and family. All but Pete because, y'know, unfortunate circumstances took his family away so he just settled for sitting on a bench outside and staring at the paper with his full name printed on it. That's all it was to him, really. A piece of paper with his name on it that will determine whether or not he'd be eligible for most jobs. But he knew his mom would be proud to see that he made it through highschool without bailing on it like he did with most other things. He did it for her, otherwise he'd have left school ages ago.

He glances up at someone when their body suddenly blocks the sun and casts a shadow over him, finding that it was someone he didn't expect. His guard automatically goes up and he's getting to his feet just in case he needs to fight real quick.

"Sup." Gabe says, holding his own diploma in his hand. He wasn't smirking or grinning or anything, and Pete didn't know what to think of that. Should he walk away? Should he hear him out? Should he tell him off? He wasn't giving Pete anything to work with here.

"What do you want?" Is what Pete decides on saying, not sure what else he could have said. But he tightens his hand into a fist as a reflex and keeps at least a foot of distance between them.

Gabe doesn't give a spoken answer, instead sighing and putting his hand out as if waiting for a handshake. A fucking handshake? Is this how he says he's sorry or some shit? Pete glares at Gabriel's outstretched hand with a furrowed brow of confusion and uncertainty. The fuck is he supposed to do with a handshake? But he figures that if it is a trap then he'll just have to fight this guy a third time with a graduation gown on.

He hesitantly puts his hand up and reaches for Gabe's, connecting them in a firm handshake. And that's all it was, just a handshake. Pete immediately retracts his hand, still a bit wary of the taller boy. Then he's giving Pete a half smile then says, "You and Patrick are good together." Before giving Pete a nod of acceptance and walking away with who Pete guessed was Gabe's family.

"What the fuck?" Pete says to himself as he watched Gabe walk away, glancing at his own hand as if some kind of residue was left behind on his palm. He shrugs it off and figures it was supposed to be some sort of kind gesture, an apology without actually apologizing. Not what Pete expected but it happened and there's nothing he can do about it.

He eventually walks off as well, searching for his friends and their families. Shouldn't be too hard to find them, most of the time they were in pairs so if Pete found one then he'd also be bound to find someone else with them. He runs into Patrick as he talks with his mother, Joe, and his parents. Pete doesn't want to just walk up and interrupt them, so he slows himself down and looks around for another spot to sit before he hears Patrick's voice shouting out to him.

Patrick smiles wide as he ducks out of whatever conversation he was having and goes over to Pete, nearly tackling him to the ground as he ran to hug him. Patrick lays a big kiss on Pete's lips as the people he was talking with make their way over as well.

"Hey, lovebirds, stop sucking face and come sign my yearbook." The two break apart to find Joe walking toward them with a diploma and a yearbook in his hands. He opens up the book to one of the blank pages and hands Patrick a blue sharpie.

"You actually bought one of those?" Pete asks as Patrick uncaps the maker and writes something on the page full of other signatures.

"Yeah, mostly for sentimental reasons. Y'know, nostalgia and stuff." Joe shrugs while Patrick finishes signing, handing the marker off to Pete who just draws a dick. "'Course you'd be the one to put a dick in my book."

"Had to put a dick somewhere." He waggles his eyebrows and Patrick rolls his eyes.

"Okay, gross. Our parents are here." Joe grimaces. "You guys just do whatever it is that you do, I'm gonna go get the others to sign this and then I'm gonna kiss Andy so hard that he passes out." Then he's walking off while his parents continue to talk with Patrick's mom, leaving Pete and Patrick to stand together.

"Is he really gonna kiss Andy?" Pete asks Patrick and he doesn't have a clue either so they just run off to find Joe, hoping to snap some pictures of him kissing Andy if he actually does plan on going through with it.

But Joe was not someone who backed out of things at the last second. If he said he was going to do something then, goddammit, he was going to do it. So he does in fact kiss Andy, not so hard that he passes out like he originally planned, but he did make him a little breathless. Pete and Patrick were blessed enough to catch sight of it, Ryan took pictures, and the others cheered happily for them because it was about fucking time those two kissed.

After the hype had died down and people were starting to go home, the outside of the auditorium was looking quite scarce, leaving only Pete, Patrick, Joe, Andy and their parents. The rest had said their goodbyes and promised to meet up again soon before going home or to celebrate. But Tyler was having a graduation party at his house and, of course, everyone was invited so they'd probably just meet over there later on.

Joe was talking animatedly with Andy while his parents talked and laughed with Patrick's mom. Pete and Patrick were seated on the stairs leading up to the auditorium's entrance, hands clasped together as they watched the world go on around them. It gives Pete time to think, glancing down at his and Patrick's intertwined fingers and thinking about how much this boy means to him.

He comes to the conclusion that he might be in love, and it almost makes him sick. Love? What the hell does Pete know about loving someone? He could never love anyone before, they were just a convenient body to toy with in his spare time. He didn't mean for it to be that way, but he just couldn't force himself to feel something that he didn't, no matter how much he wanted to. But this time is different. He kisses one boy a handful of times and suddenly he's understanding what all those romance movies are about.

Patrick's all he ever thinks about now rather than his own demise, and he wants to do things to him that he should probably keep to himself. He believes Patrick deserves better though, that he's not what Patrick needs, but a little voice in the back of his head keeps telling him to 'shutup and let yourself be happy'. And he is happy, happier than he's been in a long time and he had Patrick to thank for all of it.

"Pete?" The soft voice breaks him out of whatever trance he was just in, and all he can see is Patrick's bright eyes staring back at him and feel his warm palms on his face. "Are you okay?"

He answers Patrick's question by leaning in and pressing his lips to the boy's before him, sweet and gentle in a way that Pete never knew he could pull off. It's probably because of the simple fact that he's kissing Patrick, because this kid just brings out an entirely different side of him. The best side of him if he's honest.

"One of these days, I'm gonna marry the fuck out of you." He promises as they part for only a moment then going back in for another kiss. And in the years to come, he'll make good on his promise and then some. A bond held together with silver rings individually engraved with the words 'forever' on Patrick's, and 'always' on Pete's.

If only his mom could see him now.

-Fin-