It's nearly two a.m. when Pete and Patrick return to the house. Patrick is filthy, covered in dirt and the scent of death soaked so deep into his clothes that he smells like a walking corpse. He goes directly upstairs without saying another word, heading to the bathroom for a shower.

Pete stands in the living room and paces a bit, reflecting over everything that's happened tonight. The bodies buried in shallow graves, Ryan being one of them, but despite all of that Patrick is still his Patrick. He's still the sweet kid he met all those years ago, still struggles but tries his best, still beautiful. Pete knows what Patrick does when he loses control, he knows he's hurt and even killed people, but it doesn't change how he feels. He's not perfect, far from it, but he's perfect in a different way. That's how Pete likes to think of it.

He glances out the window and catches sight of the moon, pale and crescent shaped like the sky is smiling at everyone beneath it. There are no clouds but there are a few stars dotted across the midnight blue, it's pretty. And it makes Pete believe that there's something beautiful in everything, it just depends on how you look at it. He compares his newfound belief to Patrick because no matter how Patrick may appear to be, he's still beautiful to him.

He looks away from the window and gazes at the stairs where his love had disappeared and heads toward them. Without a second thought he goes up the wooden steps and turns the corner, the sound of running water getting louder as he approaches the bathroom. He hears Patrick singing, humming actually, a tune Pete doesn't recognize. But it's nice anyway, smooth and gentle like a summer breeze. Pete's missed hearing Patrick's voice everyday, the memory of the sound faded a bit while Pete was gone but he never forgot. He could never forget.

He places his hand on the knob, slowly twists it, then pushes the door open. Steam billows out of the room and Patrick's humming suddenly stops. It takes a moment before Patrick peeks out from behind the curtain and connects eyes with Pete. He doesn't say anything, just looks.

Then Pete shuts the door behind him without breaking eye contact, staring lovingly at the other man. His hair is stuck to his forehead, face flushed from the heat, skin shining from the water he's soaked in. It's quite the sight. He walks over to the shower, toeing his shoes and socks off along the way and stripping off his clothes.

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A/N: well there was gonna be smut but I'm too lazy for that shit right now lol okay bye