A/N: I've decided to add pictures of whoever's POV begins the chapter. Also, slight trigger warning; suicidal thoughts but not really. Idk
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[Frank]

I should really learn to multitask better. I tend to run my mouth when I try to do more than one thing at a time. Not sure why, it just happens. I nearly blabbed about Patrick's business to Pete just now, I know they're not a thing but I do know that Pete likes him. That was obvious. When he mentioned that he only kissed Patrick one time he sounded a bit disappointed. He tried to hide his tone but he didn't mask it very well. I felt bad for him, not because he was watching Patrick and Joe be friends and being left out. No. I feel bad because Patrick is keeping him in the dark. He hasn't told Pete anything other than his name. He won't be able to hide it forever. He can't hide what we did and at some point he's going to have to tell Pete about it. It's not my place to tell, but of he doesn't say anything to him, I will.

"Patrick." I say as I save my work and close the laptop, setting it down on the coffee table.

He's gluing down a piece of paper labeled 'skull' then looks up at me expectantly.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I get up from the couch and head over to the kitchen. I wait for Patrick and as he walks over both Pete and Joe look at one another with the same confused look, then they shrug and go back to what they were doing. Joe continues to work and Pete is doing...whatever Pete does.

"Wassup?" Patrick says.

"I nearly blabbed." I blurted out.

"Okay...?"

"About what happened two weeks ago."

His eyebrows shoot up in realization. "Ohh. Right, that."

"You have to tell him."

"Who, Pete? Why would I-"

"I've seen the way he looks at you, Patrick. If anything else happens between you two or things are taken further, then Pete should know about it. He should know a lot more than that actually. He should know everything."

"Okay, Frank, why don't we make a deal then? I'll tell Pete if you ask out Gerard."

Is that a joke? That has to be a joke, I'm not stepping within a ten foot radius of that silver-haired sex god. He's out of my league, he doesn't even know that I exist. How am I supposed to ask him out? I laugh at Patrick's words like he's actually joking. I know he's not but I'm giving him a chance to change it. "Yeah, no. That's not happening."

Patrick smirks. "Okay fine, then I won't tell Pete what happened."

I actually grin at him. I've got him now. "If you don't, I will."

His expression goes serious. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

Patrick narrows his eyes at me, like he's thinking of something else to get me back. I hope he draws a blank. "You tell Pete, I tell Gerard about your crush on him." His smirk returns.

Shit. "Fine." I groan. "But you better tell Pete. If you don't I will tell and you'll owe me twenty bucks."

"Deal. Same goes for you with Gerard." And with that he leaves out of the kitchen and goes back to working with Joe. I return to the couch, open the laptop, and pick up where I left off.

[Patrick]

Joe and I had only got a third of our assignment done because we kept goofing off, but at least we finished some of it. It's not due for another week or so, so we made good progress.

Pete ended up falling asleep on the couch beside Frank, he must have been bored or something. It's not like he had much else to do while he was here. I go over to wake him so I can take him home but Joe stops me before I get the chance.

"Be careful waking him." Joe says as he sweeps up stray paper clippings. "He doesn't sleep as often as he should."

"Why, something wrong with him?" I ask.

"I guess you could say that. He's probably been awake too long if he's passed out like that."

Frank looks over at Pete and sees his face screw up a bit before settling back down. "Insomnia?"

Joe nods. At that moment Pete groans and squeezes his eyes shut, his breaths are no longer steady or even and become ragged gasps. Frank actually looks scared and I'm a little worried, until his actions calm down once again.

"Oh yeah," Joe says. "He has nightmares, too. Which is another reason why he doesn't sleep much." He says nonchalantly, sweeping the paper bits into the dustpan and dumping them in the trash. "It's best not to wake him but he can't stay here. I have to be somewhere and Pete shouldn't be left alone."

"What about his roommate?"

Joe shrugs. "He's never home."

Hm. I guess I could take him back to mine for a while, at least until he wakes up. It's six-thirty so whenever he does, he'll probably be up for the rest of the night. "I'll take him back with me to the dorms then."

I go over to the couch and place one arm under his back and the other beneath his legs, lifting him up carefully as not to wake him. He whines a little but otherwise stays asleep. I carry him bridal style to my car with a little help from Frank and Joe who open doors on my way out and help me get him in the back seat of my car. He stays asleep the whole time. Man, he must be exhausted.

"Thanks guys." I say as I shut the back door as quietly as I can. "I'll see you at school."

"See ya." Frank says and Joe simply waves.

[Pete]

My heart. I can feel it beating in my chest, thumping against my ribcage so hard that I can feel it in my fingertips. I can hear it too. It's loud. Too loud. It doesn't sound right, it sounds uneven, irregular like...fuck, I don't know. The thrum of the rain is steadier than my goddamn heart, beating in a steady rhythm that my heart can't find. Keeping time like a clock or a bomb that could blow away anything within a fifty mile radius. Tick, tock, tick, tock. I want it to stop. If it won't stop on its own then I have to make it stop, it has to stop. It's too fucking loud, too un-fucking-steady, the feeling is too fucking intense. Stop. Make it stop.

Why won't it stop, make it stop!

"Make it STOP!"

"Pete! Pete, wake up! What...make what stop? What are you talking about?"

Patrick? Is that him? What's he doing here, I thought I was alone with the sound of my heart. I never want to be alone with that sound ever again, the damn thing could never give me any peace. "Make it stop." I whispered. "Please."

"What are you- Pete, open your eyes, look at me."

I do what he says, I hadn't even realized that my eyes were closed to begin with. I was consumed in darkness. I can feel it beating. Thump. Thump. Thump. I see Patrick's blue-gold eyes peering into mine. They're beautiful and full of worry and concern, but why? Is his worry directed at me, is he scared for me? He should be, because I'm scared for myself.

"Make what stop?" Patrick asks. His hands are on me, one is gripping my bicep but the other is cupping my cheek. I don't want to give him an answer, he might judge me if I tell him or think I'm suicidal, what if he thinks I'm crazy? "Pete, tell me. Make what stop?" He repeats. I don't want to lie to him.

"My heart." I finally say. Patrick's face turns to absolute horror. Unshed tears begin to sting my eyes as I try to hold them back.

"I want it to stop." I whisper. "Just make it stop."