#in the trenches trying to get my scheduled saturday evening shift changed

[teabookgremlin]

fucking love how it went from “yeah sorry we don’t have room for you in the schedule” to “sorry there’s no one available to cover for you when you cannot work a shift” in a month

[adamcoled]

change pt. 2 | pete dunne

pt. 1, pt. 3

Tag Friends: @heelturn-timesten, @crookedmoonsaultpunk, @lahey-trash, @xfirespritex, @blondekel77, @nickysmum1909

Count on Pete to be both spontaneous, bold, and awfully good at timing. I could almost be convinced he’d somehow listened in on Tyler and I’s conversation, challenged to prove to the both of us that he could do commitment. I’m sure it’d take a lot more than just a one-off date to prove it to Tyler, though. After all, he’d seen the countless girls that must’ve entered Pete’s life and walked out after one night. There’s no way Pete could erase that, but with enough effort, he could leave that lifestyle in the past.

While I typed back an affirmation, I just had to wonder where this would go- if anywhere at all. Tyler’s confirmation solidified my assumption that his actions were out of character, leaving me much more confused than before. If Pete could change, if he was changing, why was I the reason? He knew a lot about avoiding feelings, about nights forgotten soon after, about nameless women. He knew nothing about opening his heart to someone.

He got there a little early. 6:48, to be exact. Thankfully, his unexpected arrival came just as I was completing my outfit, one I’d wasted too much time debating over. I’d been on dates, of course I had, but for some reason, this felt different. And different was confusing. Honestly, I didn’t know what to wear, afraid of being over-dressed or under-dressed, which surely would make Pete feel awkward if we’d gone opposite routes. What I ultimately decided upon looked on par with his signature trench coat and gray pants, a huge relief.

“So, what do you have planned?” I asked once I’d gotten into his car and realized I truly didn’t know a single thing about this. It was such a surprise that I didn’t even bother to ask about the details, too enthralled by his text.

“Not the place you work at,” he shook his head, “None of that shit.”

I probably should’ve been offended, but it slipped past me in the moment. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin’ bad. Just thought a real date shouldn’t be where you already spend so much time at, you deserve a break.”

His reasoning wasn’t what I’d expected, but you’d think I’d learn by now to never have expectations when it came to Pete. He was proving me wrong constantly, making guesses about his thoughts was such a long-shot. I looked over at him to notice him smiling ahead, proud of his answer. It didn’t seem like a tale he’d concocted on the spot- he’d put thought into it, deliberated over how to make this feel like a “real date.”

Those were his words. He wanted it to be a real date just as much as I did, apparently. Was it too late to embrace Tyler’s proposition? After all, change came mysteriously, making its way into tiny crevices without the victims even noticing, shifting behaviors and attitudes in odd ways. Tyler had noticed these shifts, I had noticed, now it was just a matter of if Pete himself noticed.  

“Real date, huh?” I repeated, “Alright, Dunne. Let’s see what you can do.”

When he pulled into a restaurant I’d never even heard of, the outside appearance looking quite fancy, I’d made a mental note to never challenge Pete again. The interior didn’t disappoint, either; it was a big difference from the casual restaurant I worked at. We were taken to our table and handed menus, full of foods that sounded absolutely appetizing. As I looked over each dish, contemplating what seemed most delicious, I felt Pete’s unwavering stare. For a few seconds, I ignored it, scanning the menu again, before I decided I had to know why he was staring. My eyes tore away from it and landed on the confusing yet intoxicating man in front of me who, sure enough, had his gaze focused on me still. He didn’t even bother looking away when I caught him- or maybe I was supposed to catch him. “What are you staring at?” I questioned, my words coming out over a slight laugh, evoked by how strange his staring was.

A sly smile, his most frequent expression besides the snarl he donned, made its way to his face as he took a quick sip of his drink. “Somethin’ beautiful,” he answered, putting the glass back on the table, “Wish you had the view I have.”

“My view’s better.”

“Are you two ready to order?” the waitress interrupted. Seems she needed a lesson or two about timing from Pete.

Truthfully, I’d gotten too caught up in our war of flirtation to really take in what he said. Of course, he said things similar to it over the past weeks, through both texts and face-to-face interaction, but this time, it seemed full of so much more sincerity. From the way he was staring to the simple way he admitted those words so easily, readily, sincerely, everything was undeniably changing.

We spent the rest of the date chatting over great vegan cuisine and plenty of laughter. Both of us had a knack for teasing each other and telling stories just to make the other laugh, which made for a great night. It would make for a great relationship, too. Maybe I was just getting ahead of myself.

Right as we arrived at my apartment complex, he stopped me before I could get out of the car. “Would you come to a show? Next Saturday? You’ve seen Tyler wrestle, now you gotta see me,” he insisted.

“Hm, I’ll think about,” I joked, to which his face instantly dropped, though he quickly masked it with a look of annoyance, “Kiddin’. Just give me the details this time and I’ll be there.”

The days came and went with hardly any excitement, the only interesting events being my encounters with Pete and Tyler, cut short by their busy schedules. They were both gaining more and more rightful fame and attention, but it still sucked being stuck in a routine life with a normal job while the people I was closest with were out exploring the world with devoted fans chanting their names. I didn’t want them to feel obligated to spend their rare free time with me, but each of them made sure to make even just a quick appearance.

Pete had already given me all the information I needed for Saturday, reminding me throughout the week even though I hadn’t forgotten. There was no way I could possibly forget when I had been thinking about it since he asked me. When the day came, I’d woken up to a text from him.

From: Pete

Hope you’re excited for tonight xx

I’d responded with, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you have something else planned.” With the way he brought it up so frequently, it’d only make sense that he had something up his sleeve.

From: Pete

Guess you’ll just have to wait and see ;)

Oh no. I couldn’t tell if I was looking forward to it or dreading it- perhaps a combination of both. After all, he could definitely pull strings and make things happen as he wanted to. And to make matters worse, he was such a complicated guy that I didn’t even have a clue what ideas he could have.

I knew better than to even ask for a hint, since he would more than likely opt for changing the subject, sending a cryptic, deceptive response, or sending no response at all. He was a man of many surprises, which was the one thing I had learned for certain over the time I’ve known him. But not the kind of surprises where you already have a pretty good idea of what’s to come, or where blabbermouths leak a clue or two about it. Pete was all locked away secrets and a tendency to lock his feelings away with them.

Since that would be the end of our discussion about his plans, I decided to busy myself with other tasks I’d put off in exchange for well-spent time with Pete or Tyler or both. A mound of clothes had accumulated in the corner of my room, not big enough to be considered heaping but more than a few shirts thrown haphazardly, and grocery shopping that should have been done a week ago had been forgone by takeout and a few visits to casual restaurants with Pete (though they weren’t my own, did they count as real dates?) I had insisted they devote their time to other things for their own enjoyment, but I suppose I needed to be thinking about my own responsibilities as well. Adulting was even harder with these two by my side.

At the time, it seemed like a good idea to catch up with all of those forgotten chores, but when 6:45 rolled around and time slipped my mind completely, I realized it may have been a mistake. The issue was truly just my poor time-keeping skills, but that was the last of my concerns now. I couldn’t dwell on it yet, instead I had to make it to the show in time and be thankful that it wasn’t too far away.

Pete had told me to let him know when I arrived, so imagine his thoughts when it was ten minutes until it started and he’d still hadn’t heard a word from me. I’d even forgotten to shoot him a text saying I was running a little late. Well, he knew now.

The traffic wasn’t on my side, either. It was too difficult to contain my road rage; at some point, I gave up on even trying. Instead, I let my colorful vocabulary free as my eyes rapidly went back and forth between the clock and the road. Just as traffic was letting up and my anticipated arrival was set for five more minutes, my phone buzzed in the passenger seat and one glance at it revealed that, of course, it was Pete. Reaching over, I answered it and pressed speakerphone quickly, allowing him to speak before I tried to spew out my story of negligence.

“Where are ya at?” he asked gruffly as soon as I picked up. If only he was here to see the smile I’d usually resorted to in situations like these- the one that could save my ass most of the time. Something tells me Pete wouldn’t succumb to it like all the others.

“Funny story,” I began, “I lost track of time. I’ll be there soon.”

“What’s ‘soon’?”

I laughed, hoping it would add some humor to the circumstances I was in. “Couple of minutes. I’ll be there, Pete,” I assured him, relying solely on the directions on my phone that said it’d only take four more minutes now. Oddly enough, hearing how thrown off he was by my tardiness left me feeling…satisfied? Poor word choice, maybe, but knowing he wanted me there so much was a good feeling. Another act to add to the list of his unusual behavior, the list that was growing longer and longer each day.

He let out what sounded like a sigh; I wasn’t sure over the phone. “How did you even forget when…you know what, nevamind. I betta see you in that front row,” he lectured.

“You will. I’ll be there cheering you on,” I smirked, even though he couldn’t see it, knowing full well he had his own plastered on his face as well.

“I’d quite like you screaming my name.”

“Hm, maybe,” I chuckled, “I’ll cya soon.”

By the time we had said our goodbyes and ended the call, I was pulling into the parking lot right on time. Hopefully, after this incident, Pete would never doubt me again. I’d have been here regardless; there’s no way I could have missed it.

Just as promised, there I was, in the front row, watching each match with studious eyes but looking most forward to Pete. The atmosphere was amazing, which I must’ve not fully appreciated the one other time I was at a show. Something about being in the crowd, joining in with the thunderous chants and shouts, surrounded by people all at the same place for a common adoration, had me in utter awe.

And when Pete came out, I decided right then and there that this was the place I wanted to be many more times in the future. The crowd was louder than ever for him, my voice drowned out by everyone else. But yet he still spared a glance in my direction, our eyes meeting for a brief second before the corner of his mouth turned upwards into a snarl.

It wasn’t until he had won, standing proudly in the center of the ring, that he looked in my direction again and shot me a wink. At least, I could assume it was meant for me. When he walked by me, muttering out at “Wait ‘ere” that I almost missed, that I was absolutely certain. Truthfully, I didn’t have a clue what that meant- I mean, he was on last and people were going to be piling out soon enough, but was I just supposed to wait around for what, I had no idea?

He sure was good at surprises, leaving out vital details. That’s exactly what I did, though. I watched as people filed out, some looking at me strangely as I stood glued in my spot. Finally, he made his way back to me, grinning all the while.

“So? What’d ya think?”

He offered his hand, an act I raised my eyebrow at, unsure if it was his true intention. When he titled his head and looked down at, I got my answer. I placed my hand in his, smiling down at our intertwined fingers while he led us to, I presumed, where his car was parked.

“It was alright,” I joked, holding the door that he pushed open, leading us into the fresh air.

The sun had set, leaving behind a beautiful, bright moon and dark blue sky lit up by the buildings all around us. Everything about the scenery looked more breathtaking than usual, for a reason unknown to me. Any other time, I would disregard it entirely and consider it no different than other night. Right now, it just left me speechless. It was a starless night and still held just as much beauty as ever.

It seemed like I was admiring the sky for hours, when in reality, it was just mere seconds. “’Alright?’ Couldn’t tell by how loud you were- you were the loudest one, I think,” Pete teased, letting go of my hand, the lack of contact shaking me out of my sky-driven stupor for good, as we approached his car I’d gotten to know so well. “You fine leaving your car here for a bit? I just wanna take ya somewhere.”

Immediately, I wanted to answer yes, but I was so taken back that the words wouldn’t form. I was right in my thinking- indeed, he did have something planned. “Yeah, of course,” I nodded, climbing into the passenger seat and thinking of any reasonable ideas of where we could be headed. Dinner, maybe? It was a common theme for us. It wouldn’t be anything new.

When we passed all the restaurants I knew, I concluded we weren’t going to dinner, unless he had intended to try somewhere new, which was entirely possible. Though, when we came upon a relatively obscure area, the idea was scratched off entirely. Instead, I noticed benches and trees and bushes- a park, with only a few pairs and a couple of lone souls exploring up and down the path.

I half-expected him to keep driving, but he pulled up and got out without wasting a second. I thought once we’d arrived, I’d be able to determine what his plans were, but right now, I was completely dumbfounded. He must’ve noticed my hesitation because he stuck his hand out once more, heading to one of the benches. Usually, I’d make a remark about how this didn’t seem like something he would do. The idea alone of Pete Dunne, holding a girl’s hand as he led her to a bench in the park, sounded absurd.

But here we were, sitting on the bench in silence, neither of us daring enough to speak the first words, instead opting to stare up at the sky.

“It’s pretty,” I said suddenly, breaking the tranquility, “This place. It’s calm, peaceful.”

He didn’t say anything; out of my peripheral vision, I saw him swallow hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he did. “Yeah. You didn’t think I’d take you here, did you?”

“Honestly, no. This just…doesn’t seem like you, you know?”

It wasn’t him, but not in a bad way. Sitting here in peaceful stillness felt nice, especially with him, because of him. I can’t imagine enjoying it this much with anyone else. The entire world seemed irrelevant right now, us the only two beings in the universe, sat squarely in a tiny pinpoint of a place in comparison to the great big world out there. Months ago, I would have imagined being in a place like this with a person like him foolish. Impossible, even.

Right now, it felt right.

“It isn’t me. Or at least, it wasn’t. I woulda called this stupid months ago. But then I met you and…” he paused, his arrogant façade faded for once, “I knew I couldn’t make you mine acting like I did.”

If I had known he would confess something like this, I’d have considered hundreds of different responses. Anything is better than silence, sitting with my mouth slightly agape as my mind fumbled for words that didn’t seem on par with his. Thankfully, he continued his own speech, saving me from mine.

“I want to make you mine.”

“Okay,” I agreed simply, no second thoughts or apprehension or reasoning, “I’m yours.”

I knew Pete Dunne didn’t know relationships. It was entirely new territory to him. It’d be a journey, for both of us, him adjusting to commitment and me adjusting to dating someone who was gone more often than not. But that definitely doesn’t mean it was impossible. If he was willing to try, I was willing to try; that mutual effort, which he had clearly demonstrated time and time again with me, was all I needed to be sold. I wasn’t anticipating smooth sailing. I was preparing for timezones, large distances apart, petty arguments. We made it official, a term I never thought could be in the same realm as Pete, and of course there were things to talk about and sort out.

All I wanted to do right now, though, was kiss him like I should’ve a while ago. And before I could even act upon my desire, he was pulling me closer himself, his hand wrapped around the back of my neck. From the start, it was hungry and deep, making up for all those weeks of ignored wishes. I didn’t want to pull away, and neither did he, and if we kept it up we’d be sitting here all night, breathing heavily from unrelenting liplock. That was fine by me. That was more than fine by me. Judging by the way Pete pulled back, pressing his forehead against mine before a smirk graced his lips, it was fine by him too.