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I can’t sleep tonight, wide awake and so confused.
He cannot stop replaying the moment over and over in his head, wondering what the hell he was thinking. He was trying to be nice, offering David a place to stay while his sister had lice, but he had suggested it so quickly that he hadn’t thought about the logistics of it.
He was rooming with Ray, where in the world would David even sleep? On the couch? In his bed while Patrick slept on the couch? In bed with Patrick?
God, he was such an idiot.
Patrick turned onto his side, pulling his duvet up to his chin. He let out a long sigh as he saw the neon numbers of the clock reading 11:37 pm. He had been lying in bed for over an hour and a half but he was still wide awake.
He squeezed his eyes shut, willing sleep to come over him because he really didn’t want to start thinking about David being in bed with him.
Well, guess he’s thinking about that now.
Patrick groaned and moved to lie on his back, eyes staring straight at the ceiling. Wanting David to sleep in his bed wasn’t even sexual (though, if he was being honest, it was a little sexual; he would love to see what was under those leggings and tight pants). It would be nice to occupy the same bed as David, even if it was just as friends. He could already imagine using David’s breathing to lull him to sleep.
Fuck, how creepy was that?
Patrick flopped onto his side again, burying his face into his pillow the best he could at the awkward angle.
This whole situation was getting out of hand.
---
How’s Stevie’s?
She’s passed out and I can’t sleep, so what does that tell you?
Are you still awake because you’re thinking about all those lice crawling around in your hair?
I hate you.
You’re fired.
No I’m not
No you’re not
Why are you still awake if it’s not the lice keeping you up?
STOP
Just can’t sleep. My head won’t be quiet
Why are you still up? I feel like you’re one to go to bed at like 8 so you can be up with the sun or whatever the fuck morning people do
My mind is also keeping me up
Hey! I’ve been known to stay up pretty late in my day
You sound like an old man
An old man who definitely doesn’t have lice though
Okay, why am I even continuing this conversation??
Because you can’t sleep and it’s something entertaining to do
Would you call it entertaining or would you call it bullying?
[Picture attached]
WHY THE ACTUAL FUCK WOULD YOU SEND ME A PICTURE OF LICE
PATRICK MIDDLE NAME BREWER
NOT OKAY
YOU KNOW I’M IN A FRAGILE STATE
I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist.
My middle name is James, just for future reference when you need to yell at me in text
And most likely in person
I will forgive you for that offending picture because it is always nice to have a middle name to use when yelling at you. So thank you
Do I get to know your middle name? What if I need to yell at you?
You won’t ever need to yell at me
And if you must know, I don’t think I have a middle name
You don’t think you have a middle name?
I thought I didn’t but then I found out Alexis had one, so I’m assuming I do too, but my parents don’t know what it is
Um...wow
Can’t you check your birth certificate?
Yeah, my parents haven’t been the best. Before we moved here, we barely spoke unless me and Alexis needed money.
God, that makes me sound like a great person, doesn’t it?
And no, I can’t. My birth certificate was in all of the stuff the government took from us when we lost all of our money.
It does not make you sound like a great person, but clearly you’ve changed. You started your own business all by yourself without using a cent of your parents’ money.
Shit, I’m sorry, David. They shouldn’t be allowed to take things like that.
Well my parents don’t have any money I could borrow from them, so I don’t know how much that helps your point, but thank you
It is what it is, I guess. I’ve come to terms with it, well not all of it. I’d still rather not live in a motel.
Because of the lice, right?
Jokes on you because Alexis didn’t get lice from the motel, she got it at school.
Yes, I suppose the joke is on me
Just like the lice are on you
Okay, how long are you going to do this for?
Until I find something else to tease you about
I can stop though if it’s upsetting you. I’d hate to think I’m teasing and actually be hurting you.
You’re not upsetting me. Well, you are, because now I feel like I have lice crawling all over me, but you aren’t hurting my feelings or anything. I actually like when you tease me.
Oh really?
Don’t get too cocky. I just like our banter. It’s enjoyable
Enjoyable?
Okay. I’m going to bed before this conversation gets embarrassing.
Thanks for helping me clear my head
Thank you for helping me clear mine. And putting up with the teasing. Obviously you don’t have lice.
That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me all night
Goodnight, David
Night, Patrick
---
David’s head continued to keep him up for another hour after he stopped texting Patrick, Stevie’s words ringing in his thoughts whenever he closed his eyes.
She liked this for him. What does that even mean?
Obviously, he knows she means that he and Patrick would be a good pair, but what does it mean ?
Stevie didn’t know any more than he did about Patrick and his sexuality, so who was she to say that something more was going on? She had met Patrick once and she was suddenly acting like she knew that both were harboring secret crushes. And sure, one of them was harboring a secret crush (though a little less secret than he thought because Stevie had called him out on it as soon as they were alone), but that didn’t mean he and Patrick were a good fit.
David turned onto his side and sighed. Talking to Patrick had helped calm him for a small amount of time before he started to overthink everything he had texted about with Patrick.
Did Patrick now think that David was a spoiled brat? No, he would have picked up on that by now, right? Did he really think that he was hurting David’s feelings? Was Patrick currently overthinking what David had said about enjoying their banter? Could Patrick guess that David had feelings for him?
“Fuck,” David couldn’t help but breathe out, immediately looking over at Stevie to see if he had woken her up, but she stayed asleep.
David ran a hand over his face. God, this whole thing was a fucking mess.