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kat_lair***
Title: Hauntingly (Meet-)Cute
Author:kat_lair
Fandom: Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Pairing: Patrick/Pete
Tags: Halloween, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Meet-Cute, Fluff
Rating: G
Word count: 1,208
Disclaimer: Make-believe!
Summary: “He’s here again,” Joe whispers, though not nearly quietly enough for Patrick’s liking. “Third night in the row.”
Author notes: Spooktober 2023, Day 23/31. Prompt/theme: haunted house.
Hauntingly (Meet-)Cute on AO3
“He’s here again,” Joe whispers, though not nearly quietly enough for Patrick’s liking. “Third night in the row.” There’s a shit-eating grin on his face, and a toffee apple in his hand.
“Don’t get your sticky paws all over the controls,” Patrick says absently as he scans down the queue that snakes around the corner of the haunted house. And there, just like Joe said, is the same guy Patrick had seen twice already; dark hair with purple tips, dark eyes, a smile that gives Patrick the kind of arrhythmia he’d hoped to avoid at least a few more decades.
“Why does he keep torturing himself like this?” he asks, accepting tickets off the next group of teenagers jostling each other as they step into the attraction. He can’t help but notice that the guy is dressed decidedly… Uh. Sluttier, than previously. His jeans look painted on and sport a distractingly large rip distractingly high on his thigh. He’s wearing a striped hoodie but as Patrick watches, he strips it off despite the biting October wind, revealing a sleeveless white top and – Patrick swallows convulsively, almost fumbling the switch for the canned menacing laughter – a full sleeves of tattoos. There’s also something over his chest but he’s still too far for Patrick to see clearly what it is.
Maybe he’s going to a party after this. There’s probably a lot of those around. A guy like that probably has an invitation to every one of them. Patrick tries not to let the thought sound bitter, even in the privacy of his own head.
Joe rolls his eyes. “Even you can’t be that tense,” he mumbles around his apple, reaching over Patrick to press a button on the lightboard. A scream rises from somewhere in the house. In the queue, the topic of their muttered conversation visibly flinches, his friend – also the same one as on the two nights previous – laughs at him.
Patrick scoffs, trying to focus on asking the woman next in line if she is certain about taking her kids through the house. The age limit is twelve without an adult, but he always makes a point of explicitly asking when the children look younger, even if they are accompanied. It cuts down on the amount of complaints when the experience turns out too much. The lady herself doesn’t look sure at all, but her two girls are determined, all squared shoulders and defiantly jutting chins, so Patrick lets them through. Some lessons have to be learned.
“He’s looking at you,” Joe hisses to his ear, before turning to greet the next people waiting.
Patrick looks down the line and yeah, the guy is looking in his direction, close enough now that when he catches Patrick’s eyes, it’s unmistakable. He gives Patrick a little wave and Patrick has lifted his own hand in return before he even knows what he’s doing.
Next to him, Joe hums the chorus of ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’ by the Ramones.
Patrick is not stupid. He knows what Joe’s not subtly hinting at, but he can’t quite make himself believe it. One, the guy is terrified of the haunted house. Like, to a degree that it bypasses funny and goes straight to pitiful. Patrick honestly thinks he’d cried a little the first time he’d gone through the house, coming out looking shaken and pale with red-rimmed eyes. He’d done better yesterday, clearly anticipating the jump scares and grisly displays. Still, it’s obvious that he doesn’t exactly enjoy the Halloween fun.
The second thing that makes Joe’s explanation implausible, is the guy himself. He is gorgeous. Like, ‘could probably model for living if he wasn’t so short’ gorgeous. And he seems to know at least half of the people in the queue, which means he’s also popular. It could be a reason to dislike him, but Patrick has witnessed him talk to everyone, from little kids in their costumes to grandparents escorting said kids, and leave all of them charmed and smiling, which means it isn’t some empty popularity based only on the guy’s looks.
Someone like that coming to a place he so clearly hates because of Patrick? Not in a million years.
And yet, here he is. Again.
Another large group of teenagers is next in line and it takes all of Patrick’s focus to keep them waiting for their turn. “If you want to go at the same time, then you need to wait until…” He pauses to do a quick headcount, “…twelve previous visitors exit the house.” He glances down at the staff chat on his phone that they mostly use to keep tab of numbers. Nobody wants an overcrowded haunted house.
By the time the teenagers have been collared into something resembling order and allowed to enter the house in pairs, the queue has shortened enough that when Patrick turns around, he’s faced with a familiar smile.
“Hi!” the guy says. Next to him, his long-haired friend looks long-suffering. He too seems to be sporting multiple tattoos but his are mostly covered by a weather-appropriate jacket.
“Hi,” Patrick replies. It’s really hard not to smile back. “Again,” he adds.
The guy… Well, he kind of blushes. Patrick can feel his hear skip a beat, maybe a whole verse. God damn.
“Uh, yeah, I… Really love the whole…” He gestures at the attraction behind Patrick. “Haunted. Thing. Spooky fun!”
And it’s so blatantly a lie, the guy practically shuffling in his converse, and this close Patrick can see the make-up he’s wearing, carefully applied and also new, he can see the tattoo of thorns draping over the guy’s collarbones that Patrick wants to…
“I’m Patrick,” he says, extending a hand. Fuck it. Maybe Joe is wrong, but maybe he isn’t and Patrick will kick himself up and down the carnival if he doesn’t take the chance.
The guy stares at Patrick and Patrick’s hand long enough for tendrils of doubt start to form, but finally he reaches out to shake it. “Pete,” he says. The grin he sends Patrick’s way is blinding.
“Pete,” Patrick repeats, tasting the name. Off to the side Joe and Pete’s friend are high-fiving like they’re fans at some sports match and their team is winning. Patrick chooses to ignore them. “It’s time for my break,” he says instead. It absolutely is not, but Joe is just going to have to cope for a bit. “I was wondering if you’d like a tour behind the scenes. Of the Haunted House, I mean. Since, you know, you love it so much.”
Pete barks a laugh, clearly realising his spiderweb thin ruse is up. “What if I get scared though?” he asks. “I might need to hold your hand.”
Somewhere behind them Pete’s friend makes a fake gagging sound.
Wordlessly, Patrick takes off his walkie-talkie and passes it to Joe who to his credit crumbles only slightly. Then he holds out his hand to Pete. “Deal. But only if you let me buy you a shake and fries after my shift ends.”
Pete lights up like a bonfire, the warmth of his eyes bringing an answering flush to Patrick’s face. “Sounds like a perfectly haunting date,” he says and takes Patrick’s hand, lacing their fingers.
***
Title: Hauntingly (Meet-)Cute
Author:
kat_lair Fandom: Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Pairing: Patrick/Pete
Tags: Halloween, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Meet-Cute, Fluff
Rating: G
Word count: 1,208
Disclaimer: Make-believe!
Summary: “He’s here again,” Joe whispers, though not nearly quietly enough for Patrick’s liking. “Third night in the row.”
Author notes: Spooktober 2023, Day 23/31. Prompt/theme: haunted house.
Hauntingly (Meet-)Cute on AO3
“He’s here again,” Joe whispers, though not nearly quietly enough for Patrick’s liking. “Third night in the row.” There’s a shit-eating grin on his face, and a toffee apple in his hand.
“Don’t get your sticky paws all over the controls,” Patrick says absently as he scans down the queue that snakes around the corner of the haunted house. And there, just like Joe said, is the same guy Patrick had seen twice already; dark hair with purple tips, dark eyes, a smile that gives Patrick the kind of arrhythmia he’d hoped to avoid at least a few more decades.
“Why does he keep torturing himself like this?” he asks, accepting tickets off the next group of teenagers jostling each other as they step into the attraction. He can’t help but notice that the guy is dressed decidedly… Uh. Sluttier, than previously. His jeans look painted on and sport a distractingly large rip distractingly high on his thigh. He’s wearing a striped hoodie but as Patrick watches, he strips it off despite the biting October wind, revealing a sleeveless white top and – Patrick swallows convulsively, almost fumbling the switch for the canned menacing laughter – a full sleeves of tattoos. There’s also something over his chest but he’s still too far for Patrick to see clearly what it is.
Maybe he’s going to a party after this. There’s probably a lot of those around. A guy like that probably has an invitation to every one of them. Patrick tries not to let the thought sound bitter, even in the privacy of his own head.
Joe rolls his eyes. “Even you can’t be that tense,” he mumbles around his apple, reaching over Patrick to press a button on the lightboard. A scream rises from somewhere in the house. In the queue, the topic of their muttered conversation visibly flinches, his friend – also the same one as on the two nights previous – laughs at him.
Patrick scoffs, trying to focus on asking the woman next in line if she is certain about taking her kids through the house. The age limit is twelve without an adult, but he always makes a point of explicitly asking when the children look younger, even if they are accompanied. It cuts down on the amount of complaints when the experience turns out too much. The lady herself doesn’t look sure at all, but her two girls are determined, all squared shoulders and defiantly jutting chins, so Patrick lets them through. Some lessons have to be learned.
“He’s looking at you,” Joe hisses to his ear, before turning to greet the next people waiting.
Patrick looks down the line and yeah, the guy is looking in his direction, close enough now that when he catches Patrick’s eyes, it’s unmistakable. He gives Patrick a little wave and Patrick has lifted his own hand in return before he even knows what he’s doing.
Next to him, Joe hums the chorus of ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’ by the Ramones.
Patrick is not stupid. He knows what Joe’s not subtly hinting at, but he can’t quite make himself believe it. One, the guy is terrified of the haunted house. Like, to a degree that it bypasses funny and goes straight to pitiful. Patrick honestly thinks he’d cried a little the first time he’d gone through the house, coming out looking shaken and pale with red-rimmed eyes. He’d done better yesterday, clearly anticipating the jump scares and grisly displays. Still, it’s obvious that he doesn’t exactly enjoy the Halloween fun.
The second thing that makes Joe’s explanation implausible, is the guy himself. He is gorgeous. Like, ‘could probably model for living if he wasn’t so short’ gorgeous. And he seems to know at least half of the people in the queue, which means he’s also popular. It could be a reason to dislike him, but Patrick has witnessed him talk to everyone, from little kids in their costumes to grandparents escorting said kids, and leave all of them charmed and smiling, which means it isn’t some empty popularity based only on the guy’s looks.
Someone like that coming to a place he so clearly hates because of Patrick? Not in a million years.
And yet, here he is. Again.
Another large group of teenagers is next in line and it takes all of Patrick’s focus to keep them waiting for their turn. “If you want to go at the same time, then you need to wait until…” He pauses to do a quick headcount, “…twelve previous visitors exit the house.” He glances down at the staff chat on his phone that they mostly use to keep tab of numbers. Nobody wants an overcrowded haunted house.
By the time the teenagers have been collared into something resembling order and allowed to enter the house in pairs, the queue has shortened enough that when Patrick turns around, he’s faced with a familiar smile.
“Hi!” the guy says. Next to him, his long-haired friend looks long-suffering. He too seems to be sporting multiple tattoos but his are mostly covered by a weather-appropriate jacket.
“Hi,” Patrick replies. It’s really hard not to smile back. “Again,” he adds.
The guy… Well, he kind of blushes. Patrick can feel his hear skip a beat, maybe a whole verse. God damn.
“Uh, yeah, I… Really love the whole…” He gestures at the attraction behind Patrick. “Haunted. Thing. Spooky fun!”
And it’s so blatantly a lie, the guy practically shuffling in his converse, and this close Patrick can see the make-up he’s wearing, carefully applied and also new, he can see the tattoo of thorns draping over the guy’s collarbones that Patrick wants to…
“I’m Patrick,” he says, extending a hand. Fuck it. Maybe Joe is wrong, but maybe he isn’t and Patrick will kick himself up and down the carnival if he doesn’t take the chance.
The guy stares at Patrick and Patrick’s hand long enough for tendrils of doubt start to form, but finally he reaches out to shake it. “Pete,” he says. The grin he sends Patrick’s way is blinding.
“Pete,” Patrick repeats, tasting the name. Off to the side Joe and Pete’s friend are high-fiving like they’re fans at some sports match and their team is winning. Patrick chooses to ignore them. “It’s time for my break,” he says instead. It absolutely is not, but Joe is just going to have to cope for a bit. “I was wondering if you’d like a tour behind the scenes. Of the Haunted House, I mean. Since, you know, you love it so much.”
Pete barks a laugh, clearly realising his spiderweb thin ruse is up. “What if I get scared though?” he asks. “I might need to hold your hand.”
Somewhere behind them Pete’s friend makes a fake gagging sound.
Wordlessly, Patrick takes off his walkie-talkie and passes it to Joe who to his credit crumbles only slightly. Then he holds out his hand to Pete. “Deal. But only if you let me buy you a shake and fries after my shift ends.”
Pete lights up like a bonfire, the warmth of his eyes bringing an answering flush to Patrick’s face. “Sounds like a perfectly haunting date,” he says and takes Patrick’s hand, lacing their fingers.
***