Pete stared down at Patrick. He had two suitcases and a bag over his shoulder. So he was really going to just leave without saying goodbye to him?

Patrick's heart fluttered in his chest at the sight of Pete. But he still glared at the man. What did he mean he wasn't letting him leave? They weren't together anymore.

And Patrick wasn't going to be tricked into staying. No matter how good Pete looked in his black skinny jeans and chest hugging, white T-shirt.

Literally fuck suits! They all deserved to be burned.

"What are you wearing?" The words slipped from his mouth.

"I uh, just threw anything on-"

"Why are you here, Pete?"

"Because I'm not letting you leave me."

"Just like you weren't letting me leave you at Gerard's party?" Pete didn't answer. Patrick rolled his eyes and lifted his suitcases back into his hands. "I have to go."

"Patrick no. Just listen to me. I-I'm sorry."

"Is that supposed to fix what you said?"

"I didn't mean any of that shit. You- we- I miss you."

"So what? You come bursting into this house minutes before I'm supposed to leave to confess your feelings to me? And then I'm supposed to just forgive you and live happily ever after?"

Yes. That's exactly it. "I, uh-"

"Because if that was your plan, I'm sorry to tell you it isn't going to work. This isn't some gay, generic fanfiction written by some hopeless romantic teen. This is real life. And I really don't want to hear anything you have to say."

"Patrick, please-"

"No, Pete. You hurt me. So fucking bad! And I'm done!"

"You can't pretend to be the innocent party in all of this. I walked in on you kissing Andy!"

"He kissed me! I didn't kiss him."

"You didn't move away either."

"You're one to talk! You think I didn't see Mikey all over you? You think I don't know what he meant by a personal deal?"

"Who cares if he was all over me? I was all over you. And, yes, he offered me sex. Lots of people do. But that doesn't mean I agreed to it!"

"Maybe I don't want to be with someone who's always surrounded by sex offers."

"I can't control who wants me, Patrick. I can only control who I want. And I want you."

"Pete-"

"Nobody talks like you." Pete gently pried the suitcases from Patrick's hands. Tossing them back on the floor. "Nobody makes me smile like you do." He reached over to trace Patrick's bottom lip with his thumb. Patrick smiled slightly before frowning. "Nobody is as nice as you. And nobody is as hot as you-"

"Now, I know that one's a lie."

"Not to me." Pete pulled Patrick closer by his waist. "Nobody feels like you do." His hands traveled upward, slipping under Patrick's shirt. Patrick shivered under his touch. "And nobody taste like you."

He pressed his lips agaisnt his softly. Once. Twice. He let his mouth move downward. To the base of Patrick's neck. His fingers slid forward under the shirt. Tracing a line down Patrick's stomach. Patrick's back arched. Pushing him closer.

"Pete-" he groaned the name.

"Nobody moans like you, Patrick."

Patrick reached up to tangle his fingers into Pete's hair. Forcing the man's mouth back down on his.

God, he missed this so fucking much. Pete was a master at anything sex related. Patrick's head was spinning. He couldn't even remember why he was mad. All he could think of was tearing Pete's jeans off and dragging him into the bed. Maybe he'd even convince Pete to let him top.

He groaned at the thought. Just imagining it was enough to get him off. He and Pete were so sexually compatible.... But maybe he and Pete were only sexually compatible. That thought made him pause.

That was just for sex. I would never love someone like you.

"Stop."

"What?"

Patrick pushed him away. "You're just using sex to manipulate me."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is! I loved you. And you just threw me away. Now you think kissing me will make that better."

"Loved? Past tense? As in not anymore?" Pete frowned.

Patrick almost laughed. Almost. He wished he didn't love Pete anymore. He wished he could just make it go away like that. Then be wouldn't hurt.

"Yes, loved." He winced at his own lie.

"You fell out of love that easily?"

Patrick shrugged.

"Well then you never really loved me." Pete said sadly. "Because the love I feel for you won't go away in just a few days, weeks or even years."

"W-What?"

"I l-love you, Patrick." The words sounded foreign on his tongue.

Patrick felt his eyes water. He shook his head quickly. "D-Don't say that."

"Why not? It's true."

"Stop saying things you don't mean!" He snapped, pushing Pete.

"Why do you always want to fight me?" Pete tried not to laugh as he grabbed Patrick's arms to keep him still. "I love you. All the hitting in the world won't make it go away."

"Why are you lying to me?" The tears began leaking from his eyes. "It's not funny, Pete!"

He let go of Patrick. Staring into his face. Watching the man he loved cry in front of him was making his eyes water too.

He took a deep breath. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans, and pulled out what he'd purchased earlier that day. He flipped the lid open on the small, black box and held it out to Patrick.

"Does this look like I'm joking?"

Patrick gasped. His hands coming up to cover his mouth.

"I love you, Patrick. I swear I do. I wake up and think about you. I go to sleep thinking about you. I even dream about you every night. I don't know exactly when I started loving you but I know I'll never stop."

"Pete-"

"And I understand if you don't love me. And that's okay. I'll love you enough to make up for it."

"I-"

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Watching you paint. Listening to you sing. Loving you." A ruined sob rose from Patrick as Pete slipped down to one knee. "W-Will you marry me, ghost buster?"

Patrick couldn't speak. His hands shook against his face. Pete took that as a negative sign.

"I-uh. Shit. This is awkward." He stood up. Scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "I-It's okay if you don't-"

"Pete?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut the fuck up."

The blow was taken from the words as Patrick pushed his lips against Pete's. Pete sighed into the kiss. His anxiety began to ease. But then he pulled away.

"You ruined my romantic moment."

"Stop whining or I'll take my yes back."

Pete's eyes lit up. "So that was a yes?"

"I love you." He kissed him again.

Pete pulled away again.

"And I love you. But is that a yes?"

"Yes, Pete." He grinned.

And then Pete kissed him again. Letting all the love, he didn't know he was able to feel, out into the kiss.

And those sparks every one talks about... The ones that happen when you kiss your true love and know you're going to be together forever.

Well, they didn't happen. Because they were in the house. And sparks weren't safe in a house. They could cause fires. And also because human beings shouldn't feel sparks in their bodies. That wasn't fucking normal.

But what they did feel was love. So much love that someone could suffocate in it. A love that could melt a frozen heart.

Patrick pulled away to catch his breath. Pete pressed their for heads agaisnt each others. And he laughed. He didn't know why. He just felt too happy not to.

Patrick laughed too. He laughed because Pete was laughing. He laughed because he wasted ten years of his life on someone. And then found the man he'd love forever in only a few weeks.

Life was funny like that.