Chapter Text
Where am I going? The thought rang clear in Brendon's head. Brendon had just left his parents house with the small amount of belongings clinging to his back. He didn't know where he was going just that he was lost. He'd been walking for hours...Or was it minutes? He couldn't tell now the sun had got to him. The sun has disappeared now and the moon came out to play hide and seek amongst the clouds. Brendon would have found it a quite pleasing sight if he was not troubled with the thought of him being stuck in the middle of nowhere, next to a dusty road that had clearly not seen a car in years. What was he going to do? It had been another couple of hours before the battle between his legs and the road was finally resolved. His legs gave up and he passed out on the cold dusty ground dreaming of his home with his comfy bed and mum's homemade hot chocolate. The sound of a van thundering down the unused road almost caused him to stir, he could barely acknowledge the silence of this van as it came to a halt. He remained on the brink of unconsciousness as he felt strong hands lifting him and placing him in the backseat. He snuggle into the warmth of the seats and resumed his sleep. Brendon had always had a troublesome sleep schedule so during the night as he tossed and turned he picked up faint murmurs of conversation "What the fuck were you thinking, Stump?" "I couldn't just leave him to die, Pete"
"And what about when he wakes, what then? When he wakes up in a strange van, with 2 older strangers!?!"
"I don't know Pete, I don't fucking know! I couldn't just leave him there, look at him, he looks like he hasn't had a meal in days"
"This isn't going to end well"
*** Introduction
Brendon's POV
I woke with my back aching on a worn out back seat with a blanket tossed over me. I instantly sit up in the seat startled and try to recall the memories from the previous night. I anxiously looked around me and saw that I was the only one in the van ,so I quickly turned to the door. I wasn't surprised when it was locked, I backed up against the wall, my head in my hands. How did it get to this? Just a few days ago, I was sitting, eating dinner with my family and then... I shudder at the thought. With all my hope and energy gone I leaned back and once again went to sleep.
Pete's POV
We were sitting, Patrick and I , in a gas station diner both of us in a shocked silence. It was awkward to sit in an empty diner with the hum of the coffee machine and the cutlery banging on the plate as we ate. I had to do something.
"Are we just going to ignore the elephant in the room?"
I watched as Patrick's eyes left there out focused state which is what, I have come to know, his thinking state. He let the question drift in the air, unanswered. I had to speak out again.
"What are we going to do about our situation" I gestured to the van "In there?"
His eyes looked dazed and replied in a worried voice
" I don't know"
"Well you better fucking figure it out, before he wakes up and we're put in prison"
"What do you suppose I do ?"
"Leave him be, Patrick. Not everyone needs saving."
"Not everyone but he did, didn't you see him, lying shivering on the ground on some abandoned road? He needed someone to help"
"I just don't see why it had to be us"
"Because we're not psychopaths and we won't hurt him"
"He doesn't know that" I pause for a moment "but what if we are?"
Patrick smiles before getting out his wallet ,placing money on the table and walking out the diner, leaving me alone and unanswered. Begrudgingly I got up and followed.
Patrick turned round once we reached the van because he knew that I had followed him back. I would follow him to the ends of the earth and off a cliff if he asked me to. Dammit, it hurts how much I love him.
“So Pete, let's take him back to the apartment, when he wakes up we'll explain things and give him a meal or something and then maybe a lift back to his parents, or wherever he's going”
I nodded slowly, seriously regretting the mess we were getting ourselves into but it was too late as Patrick was already back in the passenger seat and into his thinking mode. Fuck it, I got in the car and started driving back home.