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He night was still young for Pete, despite the late hour that chimed on the clocks around him. It was the only time he could exist. It had been the only time he could safely exist for awhile now.
He flicked his tongue over one of his sharp fangs as he looked over the book that sat in his lap. He had been rereading the same page over and over, having none of its content stick by the time he made it back to the end of the page. It was always the same, unmemorable jumble of words. Just like how he was now stuck as this same, unmemorable creature.
His eyes trailed over the words again, though his mind had abandoned any attempt to register them. He wasn’t even sure what the book was about anymore. He wasn’t even sure what he was anymore. Days were now nights and hunger meant potential death for any heartbeat that caught him wrong. What kind of person could last like this?
He wouldn’t know. He wasn’t a person anymore.
“Pete?”
Pete’s head jerked up at the voice off to his side. He was greeted by the nervous wave of his friend, Patrick. The former hunter, turned monster just like him.
Patrick had been turned far more recently than Pete. He still held hope and humanity for himself and his friends. A hope Pete wasn’t sure he could share.
“I thought you were out with Joe and Andy.” Pete pushed himself up in his chair, adjusting slightly to position himself towards Patrick.
Patrick shrugged, a slight nervousness on his face. “I was, but I got an ear worm and I had to write it out.”
Pete let out a laugh as Patrick tugged the brim of his hat down. “Of course you did. Only you.”
Patrick’s eyes were obstructed from view by his hat brim, but his mouth was still visible, twitching at the corners as he pursed his lips. He was still such a shy guy, despite what he was now.
Pete tilted his head at him. “Whatchya got, ‘Rick?” He gave a smile of encouragement, feeling like it was one of his first genuine ones in a few days. He hadn’t been the most receptive to his friends recently. Part of him felt responsible for their turning. Despite that, Patrick still tried to reach out… Make everything seem normal.
Patrick moved across the room, swiftly moving past Pete without making eye contact. He only stopped once he got to the band equipment that sat haphazardly piled in the corner. He carefully moved Pete’s base and Joe’s guitar to the side to pick up his own. He moved slower as he made his way back towards where Pete sat, keeping his eyes down as he began to strum guitar strings.
“I’m still working on it.” Patrick spoke softly, focus more on the rhythm that was starting to form from the way his fingers danced across the strings.
“I like it so far.” Pete continued to smile, closing the book that he had and letting it slide into the wedge between the arm rest and cushion of the chair he sat in.
A smile flashed across Patrick’s lips before he took a breath and began to hum along with the the sounds of his guitar.
Pete tilted his head, taking in the music Patrick was playing for him. Patrick was still so much himself. The bite hadn’t stopped him from being who he was. It made Pete wonder if he should let it continue to haunt him…
That thought was cut short, however, when he noticed that Patrick suddenly seemed taller. He pushed himself upright, brows furrowing as he looked at Patrick.
Patrick’s eyes were closed as he sang along to the rhythm of his guitar. A smile fully pulled at his lips as his head shook softly from side to side. He seemed completely lost in his song, totally unaware that his feet were no longer touching the ground.
“Patrick!” Pete exclaimed, eyes growing wide. “Patrick, you’re-“
The initial exclamation had broken the spell of Patrick’s music, making his eyes snap open. “Hu?” His eyes widened as he found himself looking down at Pete. He cried out, clutching his guitar to his chest and sucking his legs close to his torso. He began to twist in the air as Pete laughed below him. “I’m fucking floating?!”
“Have you done this before?” Pete continued to laugh as he popped up to his feet and moved towards where Patrick was slowly spinning in the air.
“Does it look like I have?” Patrick snapped, eyes still wide as his body involuntarily began to twist to the side.
Pete reached up to try and grab him, but burst out into louder fit of laughter, causing him to double over.
“Stop fucking laughing!” Patrick exclaimed, “Help me!”
“Dude!..” Pete gasped for a breath as he straightened his posture. He took another breath before reaching up towards Patrick. “You’re fine. I’ve got you.” He grabbed hold of Patrick’s arm, stopping his spin and gently pulling him down. Patrick remained in his tucked position until Pete fully brought him back down against the ground.
“You’re fine.” Pete assured him, pushing Patrick’s hat back to get a clear view of the other boy’s face. “Back to earth.”
Patrick looked shaken, avoiding Pete’s eye. He was laying on the ground, guitar still held tight to his chest and legs still tucked close to his torso. “We can float?” He muttered, eyes darting back and forth despite seeming to focus on nothing. “I thought you could just do cool Spider-Man jumps and shit… We can float?”
“You learn something new everyday.” Pete shrugged. He put a hand on Patrick’s shoulder giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Especially like this.”
Patrick shook his head. “I don’t get how you do this.”
Pete tilted his head. “Hu?”
Patrick held his guitar tighter, causing the instrument to squeak with strain under his strength. “It’s been so fucking weird. My teeth hurt so fucking bad all the time. I can’t go out and help people like we used to because I’m afraid I’ll hurt them. That mixture I made to initially help you tastes like ass. I don’t know how you handle this. I’m just trying to keep it together but now you’re telling me we fucking float too?!”
Pete looked down at Patrick in silence for a minute. He couldn’t possibly think he was handling this well. After all his bitchy attitudes and the way they would go at each others throats sometimes…
Slowly, Pete lowered himself to lay beside Patrick. He pushed himself into Patrick’s field of vision, finally catching his darting blue eyes.
“I had you guys.” Pete finally replied. He reached out, placing his hand on Patrick’s wrist. There was a moment where Patrick’s grip seemed to tighten on the guitar, but it slowly eased under Pete’s touch. “And you know you have me, right?”
Patrick bit his lip. His eyes still refused to remain still, now darting to different spots on Pete’s face. Eventually, he nodded.
Pete smiled. “I liked the song.”
Patrick smiled nervously back.
Pete squeezed Patrick’s wrist softly. “Play it again? Maybe without the floating? Though I’d love to see that again, I need to record it for Joe and Andy-”
“Pete!” Patrick tilted his head back before rolling onto his back with a groan. His grip finally fully relaxed from his guitar, letting the instrument breathe as he brought his free hand up to tug down on the brim of his hat.
Pete laughed, pulling his hand away from Patrick’s to push himself upright. It felt right to be teasing Patrick again. It felt right to be laughing beside his best friend. It felt normal. Even if just for a moment, he felt human again.