Paper Hearts [Brallon-ish]

150 days

Brendon grabbed the digital clock sitting on the table, and the blanket slipped down to the floor without the other hand to successfully keep it wrapped around him.

"I want to go to the coffee shop." He said finally after staring at the blinking numbers for a good 15 seconds.

I wasn't sure if he'd read the time right or even looked out his window, because it was pitch black outside, and the clock read 11:04pm. Definitely not the time for caffeine. Well it was always time for caffeine, just not for him.

"You won't be able to sleep tonight then." Patrick told him, and Brendon narrowed his eyes at him, face scrunching up and lips twisting to a frown like he's just been denied access to eternal happiness.

"With you two being this fucking in love, I'll never be able to sleep a wink again. Like seriously, just date already." Brendon glared and Patrick's eyes widened in humiliation. He shoved Pete off of him, who was sharing the same look in his eyes as Patrick, and glared up at his friend. If looks could kill, I'd be a witness for murder.

And then I finally realized that Pete and Patrick werent a couple; I'd just assumed they were dating judging by how close they always sat next to each other or by the way they literally slept in the same bed no matter if there was another one in the room.

"Are you trying to tell me you guys aren't a thing?" I laughed and their glares turned over to me. I stopped laughing. After all this time, all the nights they spent together, every hug lasting longer than they should; I must say, I was pretty disappointed yet intrigued at the same time.

Brendon started tapping his foot impatiently on the carpet, although I wasn't sure why because he hadn't asked for a response to a word he said. The tension in the air was suffocating me slowly. I wonder if you could die from being caught in the crossfire of a wordless battle. What a way to go out.

"Well, I'm going to the coffee shop. Y'all can sort this out." I smiled as pleasantly as I could and picked up Brendon, swinging him over my shoulder and carrying him out of the room before he could put up a fight.

I set him down as soon as we left the building and almost immediately I stepped into a puddle, which made me realized I'd forgotten my $1 target flip flops, and I'd have to drive in my fuzzy socks because Brendon had already had his few semi-supervised drinks of the day. So him driving in the shoes he'd bothered to wear was out of the question. 'Never let me drive, Dal pal' he'd tell me 'because one drink is too much, and I've always had more than one.'

Brendon wiggled his arm to my side so he was hanging onto my elbow with his murky blue colored cast which he claimed was not the color he'd expected and demanded a refund. He didn't get the refund.

"May I escort you to your car this fine evening?"

"You may, my good sir, but do hurry; I've an important place to be." He huffed, trying to sound as professional as possible while still joking around, and followed me over to Patrick's car. He didn't know I'd grabbed his keys from the table, mainly so 1) I would have a vehicle to drive and 2) so he wouldn't leave the dorms on a hasty decision that would be regretted as soon as he left.

Brendon swung open the passenger door, claiming shotgun once again, and happily buckled his seat belt across his lap and over his chest.

"Take me to the coffee shop; I'm tired and I refuse to sleep without a fight."

..:..::..:::..::..:..

Brendon sat down across from me, holding his coffee cup in the hand that was still usable. Each time he took a sip he'd shiver like he was being jolted back to life all over again before nearly drifting off back to sleep and repeating the process.