-1Patrick woke up around one. Which was strange because Pete never let him sleep that late. Unless Pete didn't come home. Patrick glanced around the room no sign of Pete.
'better check my phone' he thought. Sure enough there it was. A voice mail telling Patrick that Pete was crashing at Ryan's. Patrick shrugged he would call Pete later first coffee. Patrick started a pot of hotel coffee, no star bucks today. Patrick leaned against the counter and breathed in the sweet aroma of Columbian coffee beans (even though he knew they weren't from Columbia) He glanced up and noticed the pizza box, 'no I don't need any more of that' Patrick tried to push the thought out of his mind.
"fuck it, I'm already fat what's another 10lbs"
Patrick grabbed the pizza off of the counter and dug in. The pizza was still good if not better. (odd how things taste better the next day) He polished off the last of the pizza. Running a hand over his full round stomach he sighed. 'I better get Pete' he thought. But the warmness of the coffee and the heavy feeling in his stomach told him other wise. Patrick walked to the door of the room and tossed the pizza box (and other garbage) out into the hall way and put the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the door. He laid back down on the couch, his left hand found it way into his boxers. He was erect, he was horny and he was alone. He had the erg, the hot despite need all men get. Patrick was left with two choices, ignore the feeling (it would pass) and be in a terrible mood all day long because he didn't 'relieve' him self, or he could go take care of his while he was alone. Patrick decided the later, he stood up and made his way to the bath room. He squeezed some hotel hand lotion on his palm and turned to lock the door.
Pete entered the room just as Patrick was walking out of the bath room. Patrick had a grin on his face, he was glad he decided to have some "special time" with himself. It defiantly made the difference in his mood. He woke up annoyed and irritable and hating him self for gorging on pizza, now he felt calmer and he didn't care about any thing. Its an amazing thing how sex naturally relived anxiety. That's what doctors should prescribe. Oh you haven't been sleeping, well you need a heaping dose of free love. Patrick grinned as he thought of this. Maybe that would get him to the doctors.
"what"
"what"
"you have a big smile on your face,"
"oh, just some thing I thought of"
"oh…do you wanna got out"
"sorry Pete your not my type"
"no dumb fuck I mean really get out of the hotel for a couple of hours, I haven't left this room in decades"
"I guess your right"
"you guess?"
"ok so you are, but what do you wanna do"
"beach?"
"hate the beach"
"you hate every thing"
"no I don't"
"ok then we're going to the beach, I'll see when the next plane leaves"
"plane what,"
" ya were going to California"
"I have nothing to where to the beach"
"we can stop at your place"
"nothings gonna fit me there"
"why wouldn't it"
"I've gained like 30 pounds, what I have with me now hardly fits me"
Pete looked him up and down it was cleave Patrick had gained weight but it wasn't that much.
"there's no way you put on 30 pounds in a year, so that makes you a liar"
"what ever Pete" Patrick rolled his eyes
"What do you want me to say to that Patrick? You haven't you look fine stop bitching, if you wanna stay here and mope then go ahead. I just wanted to try and have fun with you but apparently you don't do fun any more. I'm sick of this fucking shit."
"what the Fu-"
"no Patrick I'm really tired of doing back flips to try and make you happy, I cant handle these constant mood swings of yours, ever since that bitch Jackie you've been different"
"no I haven't"
"what ever I would just like my best friend back at some point."
Patrick just stood there with his jaw hanging open.
"come find me when your back to normal"
Patrick was now infuriated. He was going to give Pete a piece of his mind. He was going to tell Pete he was wrong about…he was wrong about…about…he was wrong. Was he wrong? No, no he wasn't wrong Pete was right. Patrick had been different. He had been acting like a psycho. Patrick sighed Pete was right. 'I hate when he's right' Patrick thought. He stood up pulled on a pair of jeans (with a bit of trouble) and headed out the door.
Pete was sitting in the hotel lounge feeling particularly guilty. Patrick DID hate the beach. He DID feel like he gained 30 pounds (even though he didn't). He WAS acting different because of Jackie. But it was her fault. She caused him to crawl even further into him self, she caused him to gain weight, she caused his mood swings, she broke him. She smashed him to pieces. It was wrong of Pete to get upset at Patrick for this. It wasn't even Patrick he was mad at. He was mad at himself. He hated him self for not being able to see what Jackie was before it was too late. He hated Jackie for what she did to him. Patrick was trying he truly was. He wouldn't have come all the way to Vegas if he wasn't ready to get over her. Pete looked up and saw Patrick walking over to him. 'lets get ready for round two' he thought with a frown.
"Pete I'm sorry"
"don't be I'm not even mad at you, I know your trying"
Patrick smiled and playfully punched him in the arm.
"you know the next plane leaves in 25 minuets"
"you don't have to go"
"I don't have to do any thing, besides who knows I might even have some fun"
"you will" Pete had a big childish grin on his face, making him look 20 years younger then he was.
Communication, cooperation and compromise. Those three things are needed to make every and all relation ships work. Patrick pondered this on the 45 minuet flight from Vegas to Californian. They were such different people. Pete was outgoing and crazy and would say what ever he felt like. Patrick was shy, quiet he thought before he did some thing and normally kept what he really wanted to say in him head. But at the same time they were the same. They were both unsure of them selves and needed some on to lean back on for support. They had always gotten alone perfectly, of course there were the little fights they got in to from time to time. They were always forgotten about or resolved. Of course there were the roomers that they were gay. They of course came to them as no surprise. With Pete grinding against him kissing his neck the side of his mouth, and of course the few times they had kissed on the lips. It never meant any thing. It was the way you would kiss your sister. They did love each other but they weren't in love. Pete was with Ashley and he was nothing but faithful to her, whether they were dating or not.
Patrick had always been jealous of that. He wanted nothing more then to have some on who loved him at his worst and at his best. The truth was he was a nice guy. He was sweet, a gentlemen, romantic. And because of this he always seamed to attract the wrong people. People were always trying to take advantage of him and Pete was always trying to make sure that didn't happen. Of course some people slipped through the cracks, but Pete always had his back. And if it took a trip to the beach to make Pete happy then Patrick could suck it up (and in) to make Pete's day.
The plan landed and they stepped off and into the warm California sun. They rented a car and drove up to Patrick's beach house. It was a cozy little bungalow with a beautiful view of the ocean.
"I haven't been here in for ever"
"it's been what two years"
" maybe less but it sounds about right"
Pete nodded. He had never taken Jackie here. There was this strange feeling the beach house had. Maybe it was the staleness in the air, maybe it was the dust on the table maybe it was the dry heat or the sound of Patrick starting the AC but Pete knew what it was. It was the lack of painful memories the lack of hate and humiliation. It was calm
Pete pulled on a pair of swim trunks and sat out on the porch and waited for Patrick. Who was rummaging through his clothes trying to find something to where that would fit over his new belly. He finally found a pair of dark green board shorts with white trim. They were snug very snug he had to hold his stomach in the buttoned them, his love handles stuck out over the sides but Patrick wasn't planning on going in the water or taking his shirt off. Besides this late in the season no one would really be there other then a few surfers. He adjusted his hat and stepped back and took a long look at his self in the mirror. His stomach stuck out being squeezed by his to tight shorts. They were snug around his but and thighs. They didn't look ridiculous on him, more like he was still in denial about his weight. He toyed with the idea of just taking them off and telling Pete nothing fit him. That seamed like it would be less embarrassing but in the end he walked out on to the porch and joined Pete.
Pete smiled when Patrick joined him.
"I was wondering what took you so long, I told you would have some thing here"
"just barley, I'm not sure about these, if I breath they may rip"
"they look ok" Pete said giggling
"I don't know, I'm gonna have to loose so weight."
"I think you look fine they show off that sweet ass of yours."
"your so weird Pete"
"I would never lie to you, you can do what ever you want it's your body"
"I will"
"so I blew off Ryan and them again"
"I'm starting to think the reason nothing is getting done is your fault not theirs"
"I cant help it that you and your sexy self distract me."
"once again you're a weird one Pete"
They walked down to the beach and played in the sand talked and joked around like they use too. Pete pulled off his shirt and headed into the water. And once again Patrick compared him self to impossible standards. Pete was at least 2 inch's taller, he had tan skin and a perfect body. He was trim with muscled arms and perfect abs. He also had a face that could have been chiseled by the hands of god himself. The totally opposite of Patrick. Who had pale Irish skin, a round face with a double chin, not to mention his stomach which stuck out over the waist band of his board shorts. He did how ever have a nice lower body, thick strong thighs and a round firm butt not to mention the heat he was packing in between his legs. What Patrick had failed to notice time and time again when comparing himself to Pete was the difference in there bone structures, Pete had a slender build while Patrick was big and solid. Patrick was handsome. He had beautiful gray blue eyes. Plump red succulent lips. Beautiful pale porcelain skin, strong facial features. He had a adorable body soft in all the right places. He was handsome. He just couldn't see it.
