Pete finds Patrick easily, the latter laying on one of the benches on the football field. He's staring up at the sky, drawing random shapes with his finger in fire.

Pete stands over him, blocking the sunlight. Patrick squints up to see who it is, and when he realises it's Pete, he rolls his eyes and moves to get up. Pete doesn't let him, pushing a hand back on his chest and climbing on his lap.

"Pete, get off of me." Patrick says, but his hands grip Pete's waist tightly so Pete doesn't fall.

"No." Pete says simply. "We're going to talk about this, and neither of us are running away this time."

"Fine." Patrick sits up, one hand on Pete's back and the other on his waist to stable him. Pete sits in Patrick's lap, and they stare into each other's eyes. "Talk. I'm listening."

"I love you." Pete says. Almost immediately, Patrick's face softens, and his jaw unclenches.

"I love you too. But that doesn't change the fact that you've pissed me off to hell and back." Patrick says, re-clenching his jaw and swallowing the lump in his throat.

"I know it doesn't. But I don't want Horacio or anyone else. I want you. It's been you since I met you, and it'll be you tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. It'll always be you." Pete says, moving his hands up to cup Patrick's face. "You're mine. And I'm yours. And no one is going to change that."

Patrick smiles, squeezing Pete's waist. He kisses Pete's cheek. "I love you, Pete. God, I love you so much."

"I miss my parents. And my siblings. That's why I was so upset the other day." Pete blurts out. Patrick gives him a sympathetic look before hugging him close.

"I know it's tough. But just wait, you'll get to see them soon, I promise." Patrick pulls back and smiles at Pete, but this time, it doesn't reach his eyes.

Pete's mind flashes back to what Patrick's file said. The only one Patrick has left is his mother. His father is dead, his brother is in jail and will likely die there, and his sister has been missing so long, she's presumed dead as well.

His mother must not have been too enjoyable if the way Patrick is avoiding Pete's gaze as he mentions his own mother is any indication. "You've got to meet my mother." Pete says, and Patrick's smile falters for a moment before he's back to full on grinning.

"I'm sure she's wonderful, Pete." Patrick says, taking Pete's hand in his own. He squeezes his boyfriend's hand before bringing it to his lips to place a kiss on it. "I want you to eat Christmas dinner with Gavin, Trevor, Cate, the dude they're fostering, and I."

"Okay." Pete says, and he's not going to lie and say he's not happy about not having to eat cafeteria food for Christmas. He'd much rather have a home-cooked meal.

Patrick smiles and kisses Pete before they get up and walk back to Pete's dorm.

—

The next morning, Patrick is at Pete's door bright and early. "Good morning, sunshine. Merry Christmas."

"Morning, baby." Pete yawns, walking back to his bed and flopping back down. Patrick chuckles at his boyfriend, following him to his bed and sitting beside him.

"How'd you sleep?" Patrick asks, placing the present he was so carefully hiding behind his back on Pete's nightstand.

"I actually slept really good." Pete says, and Patrick smiles, even though Pete is face down on the bed with his eyes closed.

Patrick lies down next to him, curling around his boyfriend and throwing his arm over Pete. Pete smiles, snuggling into Patrick.

"I love you." Patrick whispers, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend's forehead.

"And I love you." Pete replies, the grin he had earlier going wider when he looks into Patrick's eyes.

"I got you something." Patrick says, turning over to grab the gift. He presents it to Pete, and Pete's almost positive he knows what it is.

"Oh, baby. You shouldn't have." Pete says when he takes the present, shaped like a necklace box.

"Technically, I got you two gifts, but you're going to have to work for the other one." Patrick clarifies, smiling at his boyfriend. "But go ahead and open it."

Pete does, tearing the paper off of the box. He takes the lid off and finds a silver necklace with Patrick sprawled across the bar of the necklace. It's easily the cutest thing Patrick ever could've gotten him. Underneath it is a note.

Pete takes it out and reads aloud, "I can't exactly give you my last name yet, so I'll settle with giving you my first. I love you. Patrick, this is so sweet!" Pete kisses Patrick's cheek and sets about trying to put the necklace on.

Patrick laughs at his clumsy boyfriend that can't hook the necklace. "Come here." Patrick says, taking the necklace from Pete. He hooks it on the first try.

"I love you so much." Pete says, kissing Patrick on the lips. Patrick smiles.

"Alright, you want to see if you can find your other present?" Patrick asks, a big grin on his face. He hopes Pete likes the second gift just as well or even more than the first one.

"Yes! Give me a hint." Pete says, smiling at Patrick. The latter's eyebrows raise as Pete tries puppy dog eyes on him. It works, and Patrick sighs, giving in.

"Your present is on something in this room. That's all I'm telling you." Patrick says, sitting back in the bed. Pete jumps up and begins to look for it.

(( y'all comment rn what u think the gift is))

After a good twenty minutes of searching and not finding anything, Pete returns to Patrick. The latter looks amused as he sits up.

"Give up yet?" Patrick asks smugly. Pete narrows his eyes and shakes his head.

"Not a chance."

Pete checks some places again, and he even searches places he knows Patrick didn't go before it dawns on him. Patrick said the gift was on something in the room.

Pete returns to his boyfriend. "Take your shirt off." Patrick looks taken aback but begins unbuttoning his shirt.

Once it's all the way unbuttoned, Pete reaches up and pushes it from his boyfriend's shoulders. Patrick winces when Pete presses in on the new tattoo, Pete.

"You.. you got my name." Pete's mouth drops open. His hand finds the tattoo again, and he traces the raised skin. His name is directly over Patrick's heart, while the three sets of initials are on his right shoulder.

"Yeah. I did. I figured that since I'm pretty bad at keeping up with things, like necklaces, I could get a tattoo instead. I won't lose it that way." Patrick smiles, finding Pete's hand that isn't tracing his tattoo. "Do you like it?"

Tears begin streaming down Pete's face as he nods. Patrick smiles, pressing a kiss to Pete's forehead and hugging him, tucking Pete's head under his own chin.

"I love you." They both say at the same time, and then they laugh. This Christmas is already better than Pete ever could've thought.

—
hi it's been a while but hello what's up