After Pete had finally managed to get a girlfriend, he had to fuck it up somehow, and it resulted in the end of the relationship. He never really thought that his ex-girlfriend would find someone else after just a month, which obviously made him mad. But at least he had his great friend by his side, and Pete was aware of the crush his friend had on him but never acted on it, mostly due to his internalized homophobia. Because Pete was totally straight, or at least he forced himself to be.

The scent of cigarette smoke clung to his clothes as he stood outside the mall entrance, the autumn air cool against your skin. You could hear distant chatter from shoppers and the faint jingle of a store bell as Pete shifted his weight impatiently, the toe of his white sneaker scuffing against the concrete.

But as time passed, Pete just couldn't get over his ex, he missed her and felt that it was unfair how quickly she got over their six month relationship. And what better than to take advantage of the crush that his friend has on him, making him buy him any and all kinds of things since he knew that he couldn't say no to him in order to make Pete happy—basically making his friend think that maybe he had a chance.

“Hey, man!” He greeted just as he arrived at the entrance of the mall they had agreed to meet at, the sound of his voice loud over the ambient noise. He looked as confident as always as he gave his friend a pat on the back with more force than necessary, his hand lingering just a second too long. “Ready to find some good horror flicks?” He chanted with a laugh, the smell of beer faint on his breath as he spoke, already knowing that his friend would be the one to pay for everything.

While making their way towards the shop where Pete had a few movies already eyed, and as they both walked he made sure to keep his friend close to him. Even as their arms touched unconsciously, a warmness spreading across his chest every time they were together—a feeling he quickly dismissed as just being glad to have company.