Listen (Patrick Stump / Fall Out Boy Fanfic)

Chapter 5 - Let's Be Alone Together

                  

I was in Barnes and Noble again, the same one where I had met Aria. It's been almost a week since I last saw her, but I've called Meagan a few times to see how she was doing. Meagan says she misses me, and it kills me a little bit every time that I have to tell her I'm too busy for another date. This weekend though, things were about to change. I had finished another couple of songs for the album, and Joe and Andy were reading them over and making whatever changes they wanted, and Pete had already read them. Pete wrote a few songs as well that I'd already read, and they were also with Joe and Andy at the moment, so we were basically stuck in limbo until we heard back from them.

            Now that I had spare time, I decided that going to Barnes and Noble and picking up a few books about sign language was my top priority. I was determined now to learn how to communicate with Aria. As much as I loved the notes we passed to each other, I knew we couldn't build much of a relationship on that. We needed to actually be able to speak to each other, and I wanted to be able to sign to her when I officially asked her to be my girlfriend.

            No, I hadn't asked her yet. That night after she'd kissed me, we'd decided to rejoin Pete and Meagan in the living room. They, of course, had been in the middle of sucking each other's faces off, but they were kind enough to stop when Aria and I walked into the room. We ended up simply curling up on the loveseat together, with Aria laying her head on my chest and I wrapping an arm around her to hold her to me. I didn't want to let her go, and more than anything I wanted to kiss her again. I tried not to pay attention, but I'm pretty sure Pete and Meagan resumed their face sucking while we weren't paying attention. I didn't actually get to kiss Aria again until the girls left. And even then, it was just a soft, quick, goodbye kiss at the door. When they'd gone, Pete and I fell back into the couches together and just sighed. We were both helplessly infatuated with them.

            Now, I stood at the cash register, three fairly large books in hand, and passed my money across the counter. The man behind it put my books into a bag and handed them to me. As I walked back out into the cold Chicago morning, I pulled my jacket a little tighter about my shoulders and adjusted my scarf. It was the middle of November, and it was already freezing outside. My feet crunched in the thin layer of snow all the way to the car, and my fingers were numb as I set my bag on the passenger seat before sitting down.

            I quickly turned the heat on full blast, and began to pull out of the parking lot. When I got home, I carried my things into the house and brought the books straight up to my office. I set them on my desk, a slight smirk crawling over my face as I remembered the first kiss I'd shared with Aria here. I needed to kiss her again.

            For much of the day, I sat there at my desk, pouring over my books and trying to learn something. I memorized the way she had asked permission to kiss me. I knew I would use that soon enough. And then I memorized her name, and how to ask her to be my girlfriend. I memorized a few short, simple phrases, and then I couldn't wait any longer. I put the books away, hiding them, because I didn't want her to see them, and then I called Meagan. She picked up immediately, used to my regular calls by now. "Patrick?"

            "Meagan," I breathed, "Is Aria busy today?"

            "No, she's free all afternoon. She's been asking about you."

            "She has?" I asked, somewhat incredulous at the thought that she really was interested in me. I blushed a little as Meagan giggled over the phone.

            "Nonstop. She wants to see you, Patrick."

            "Tell her she'll see me tonight," I said, pacing as I spoke. I was beyond excited at the prospect of seeing her again. "I'll pick her up at six."