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Something had been off with Patrick the whole entire day. Pete noticed, of course he did, he always noticed when something was wrong with Patrick.
It started at breakfast.
They were in the hotel that morning, and the four of them had agreed to meet in the lobby for breakfast. Pete had loaded his plate with pancakes and bacon, as per usual. Andy had some weird vegan thing, and Joe was eating as much meat as he was able to find; those two really had polar opposite dietary habits.
Patrick was the last one to join their table, carrying only a muffin and a bottle of water. Pete raised an eyebrow at him, to which Patrick just replied with a muttered, "Too early to eat." Pete believed him, as Patrick had a history of not eating a lot in the morning.
Later, at dinner, a similar event occurred. Patrick wasn't eating nearly as much as he should've been. Now that Pete thought about it, this wasn't even the first day it had happened. Pete sighed, as Patrick managed to escape back to his room briefly before the head to the venue for the show that night.
Pete ran a hand through his bleached hair, sighing. He was determined to talk to Patrick about his eating habits after the show.
~~**~~
The first song they were going to be playing was Centuries, and Patrick did t with no problem, except he seemed more out of breath than usual after a song.
They made it through Novocaine and The Kids Aren't Alright, before moving on to Irresistible, which Patrick was extremely tired seeming by then.
"I give my love a f-f-four letter name," Patrick sang, breathily holding out 'name'. "I love, the way you hurt me," he panted, before his eyes fluttered and he slumped against the microphone stand. His short sleeve black button down was drenched in sweat, and e gasped, before collapsing and nearly falling off the stage.
Everyone in the venue gasped, and Pete ran towards the singer, pulling off his bass. "KILL THE LIGHTS!" He screamed, and the stage went dark, as Andy and Joe rushed over to them. Pete pulled the guitar strap off of Patrick, picked him up bridal style, and rushed off the stage with him. He rushed to their shared dressing room, before gently placing Patrick down onto the couch.
"Okay what the hell?" Andy questioned as he and Joe entered the room.
"I don't know," Pete panicked. "Oh god, Patrick please wake up! Come on Trick! Wake up!" Pete pleaded.
"Our manager called an ambulance, don't worry, they're on the way," Joe assured him, moving behind where Pete was kneeling and placing a hand on his shoulder. The blonde had stationed himself directly next to Patrick's head, and was holding the latter's limp hand in his own. There was a commotion in the hall, and Andy jogged to the door to see what it was.
"The paramedics are here," Andy told them, holding the door wide open for them to bring the stretcher in through.
There was a grown from Patrick, whose eyes fluttered open once he was placed into the gurney. "P-Pete?" He croaked out. "P-Pete? Where's Pete?" He panicked.
"Hey I'm right here, okay?" Pete reassured him. Patrick sighed in relief, smiled weakly, and fell unconscious again.
"I'm assuming you'll be the one to ride in the ambulance with him?" A paramedic asked.
"Yes, definitely," Pete spat.
"Follow us then," she told him. They led him out and to an ambulance stationed where their bus was parked. Paramedics opened the door, loaded Patrick in, and helped Pete climb in.
~~**~~
Pete was pacing the hall outside Patrick's hospital room, like the nervous wreck he was.
"Pete!" Joe screamed, he and Andy rushing towards him. "How is he?"
"They won't let me in!" He screamed, slamming his fist against the wall.
"Hey, calm down okay?" Andy told him, pulling Pete into an extremely tight hug.
"Fuck, I'm so fucking worried," Pete choked out, a few tears sliding down his face. "I didn't notice until today but...he hasn't been eating properly. I don't know how long for, but I noticed at dinner. What if it's too late to save him? I was gonna talk to him after he show, but fuck I should've earlier. I should've found him after he ran to his room and had him at least eat something."
"It's not your fault," Andy whispered to him. "None of us noticed, we really should've when he lost all that weight so quickly."
"He's my best friend," Pete choked out.
"Pete," Andy sighed, pulling away and looking him straight in the eyes. Pete squirmed slightly under his gaze before signing.
"Fuck, I love him Andy. I'm in love with Patrick okay? I can't fucking lose him," he sobbed.
Joe came up behind him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "We thought so," Joe told him. "It seems to us like Patrick loves you too. More than he loves himself."
"A-Are you saying he...he starved himself so he could be...good enough for me?" Pete demanded.
"Well, he told me a year ago he thought he was in love with you. Pete, I held him as he sobbed, saying you'd never want him because he was too fat. I should've noticed but...I should've expected it but I didn't. It completely passed my mind," Joe told him.
"B-But that's not true!" Pete shrieked. "It's so not true!"
"Tell him that, make sure he knows," Andy told Pete.
"Excuse me? You're Andrew Hurley, Joseph Trohman, and Peter Wentz correct?" A doctor asked.
"Yeah, just minus a few middle names," Pete muttered.
Andy elbowed him in the ribs slightly, before telling him that that was them.
"One of you is allowed to see him now, he's awake, but extremely weak," the doctor said. Pete looked to Andy and Joe, to ask if either wanted to go first, but they both rolled their eyes, and pushed Pete's towards the door. "I'll leave you alone," the doctor told him, opening the door and closing it after Pete walked in.
"Hey Pete," Patrick muttered weakly, scratching absentmindedly at the tube that was putting nutrients into his body.
"Why? Why would you do that Patrick?" Pete breathed out, trying not to break down crying again.
"I was way too fat, you knew what the fans said. 'Fatrick's back', 'oh Patrick, you're getting fat again'," Patrick spat out.
"They're wrong, you were just right the way you were," Pete sighed, walking over towards his bed, and hugging him tightly.
"What does even that mean?" Patrick sighed, burying his face into Pete's shoulder.
"It means you aren't perfect," Pete told him sincerely.
"Wow thanks," Patrick sassed.
Pete pulled away from their hug, and cupped Patrick's face in his hands, "No one's perfect Patrick, so I'm not going to say you are. I'm not perfect, Andy isn't, Joe isn't, no one is. But the weight you used to be, wasn't overweight, it was the weight that made you just right."
Patrick's lip trembled, and a few tears slipped out. Pete leaned forward, brushing the tears away with his thumb, before gently pressing their lips together. Patrick kissed back, and the bleached blonde felt a few tears slip their way into the kiss. He pulled away, and continued to wipe Patrick's tears away.
"I love you," Pete told him, staring right into his eyes, before resting their foreheads together.
"I love you too," Patrick whispered.
"Then promise me one thing," Pete's voice was quiet. "Don't starve yourself. Joe told me what happened, what you told him last year. I'm not worth it, okay? Promise me you'll eat when they discharge you. Please."
"Okay, I-I'll try. It's gonna take time, but I'll try," Patrick sighed.
"Good, thank you," Pete breathed in relief, before connecting their lips again. "I love you, be my boyfriend? Please?" He begged.
"I love you too, so yes," Patrick giggled, a complete change of mood from earlier. "The fans probably hate me even more for not getting a full show."
Pete laughed. "Fuck what they think, you getting help is much more important." Patrick just nodded, and kissed his now-boyfriend again. "Are you okay now though?" The singer nodded again. "Okay good, I was freaking out earlier, Joe and Andy aren't gonna ever let me live that down." The other man just giggled at him, before the other two band members walked in.
"Patrick! You're okay!" Joe cheered, beaming, before crushing Patrick in a hug. Andy joined him, before Pete scolded them for crushing his boyfriend. "Boyfriend? Aw yay finally!" Joe cheered, high-fiving them both.
"Sweet! Just don't fuck in my bunk," Andy teased, causing all three of them to laugh.
"No promises," Pete teased. Patrick smacked his arm weakly, before yawning. "Let's let little Tricky get his sleep." Andy and Joe laughed, before leaving the room. Pete went to follow them, but Patrick grabbed his wrist.
"Stay?" He called, sliding over and pulling Pete into the hospital bed next I him.
"Always."