Status: let's see how this goes, shall we?

Trace Your Shadows

take one for the team

THEN

“Are you going to follow me like a creepish stalker forever, or are you going to talk to me?” Fiona called out behind her, a half smile on her face when she heard Pete’s defeated sigh before he suddenly appeared beside her, looking sheepish.

“So, hey,” he began conversationally, like he hadn’t followed her around half the neighbourhood during her evening run. “What’s up?”

Fiona rolled her eyes. “The sky, the birds, your inability to be casual about anything ever.”

“Ouch, harsh, uncalled for,” Pete responded but he was looking calmer than before. “Good run then?”

“Besides some weirdo following me around for half of it, yeah, totally,” Fiona answered easily. “Hey, look, I know you’ve probably grilled your brain over what to say about what happened the other day to make things normal between us but news flash, you don’t have to say anything. In case you didn’t realise, you were the one avoiding me, not the other way around. Everything’s cool.”

Pete grimaced at this. “No, everything is not cool. I would break my own legs to prevent that day ever happening, fuck.”

“Slightly over dramatic, Wentz, come on,” Fiona murmured dryly, her tone light as Pete shrugged.

“I mean it though, I hate the fact you had to see that, see me acting like a fucking whackjob,” Pete muttered, his voice full of self-deprecation and it killed Fiona a little on the inside. “If you never want to speak to this crazy again, I understand.”

Fiona stopped walking, throwing her hands up and making a frustrated sound through her teeth. “When are you going to get it, you ass? I’m not going anywhere, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now. Don’t you get it? We’re all fucking crazy, some of us just don’t try to hide it. So what, you didn’t take your pills and things got a little dark. Yeah, okay, I was scared for maybe a minute until I realised it wasn’t something you could control and me walking away wouldn’t help you in anyway other than setting you back.”

Pete looked at her, incredulous. “Did you just swear? That’s fucking adorable, do it again.”

“Fuck off, Pete!” Fiona tried, wanting to sound annoyed but ending in a laugh because he was such a moron. “Why do I put up with you, seriously?”

Shrugging, the dimples appeared at the edges of Pete’s mouth. “I haven’t got a clue, to be honest. But I’m glad you’d take one for the team and deal with this shitty dude who’s decided he wants to drag you down with him.”

“Pete, we’re friends, okay? Things are good, everything’s fine. How are you? I mean, really?”

“I… I think I’m actually pretty good right now. That night, after, y’know, I slept like a fucking baby. But like, the type of baby that’s ideal and sleeps solidly through the night and doesn’t wake up at two in the morning covered in its own shit.”

“Really, Pete? Didn’t need that imagery, thanks,” Fiona responded, scrunching up her nose in disgust. “But I’m glad, you look better. Well rested, even.”

“It’s probably the first time since I was like, eight. But like, you stayed. And that’s crazy. You’re crazy, maybe even crazier than me.”

Fiona didn't really know how to respond to this. “Maybe we can be crazy together.”

“Yeah?” Pete looked over at her, hopeful. “I’d like that. Let’s do it. Come on, you’re coming home with me.”

“Excuse me?” Fiona spluttered, looking at the older boy like he’d just proposed that they go get tattoos then give blood. Two things you couldn't even do anywhere near each other, that’s how absurd it sounded.

It was Pete’s turn to roll his eyes, smirking. “To watch movies and so I can educate you on some proper music, jeez.”

“Oh, well, that’s alright then,” Fiona answered quickly, thankful her blush was hidden by her already flushed face. “Let me go home and shower, I’ll be like half an hour.”

“Cool, I’ll leave the door unlocked so you can let yourself in. Don’t worry, nobody’s home,” Pete told her as a goodbye, before taking off in the direction of his room, most likely to tidy up the messy room Fiona had already seen.

And just like that, Fiona got every part of Pete, good and bad.

Almost like it had been some sort of unorthodox test neither her or Pete knew she was sitting, but she still passed with flying colours. Suddenly it was like the two of them were attached by some sort of invisible string, like one couldn’t be without the other and Pete was sticking to her like she was about to disappear at any moment. Fiona couldn’t believe it, suddenly she had all of Pete and it didn’t dim her interest in the older boy, it only made her curiosity burn brighter than before.

Later that afternoon, Fiona found herself curled up on the Wentz sofa next to Pete, a bowl of popcorn sitting between them, while they watched Sixteen Candles, Pete’s choice. Fiona was watching intently, always finding herself getting trapped within a movie, while Pete couldn't seem to sit still, shuffling around incessantly and flicking pieces of popcorn into Fiona’s face at random intervals.

“Would you cut it out? John Cusack’s on the screen,” Fiona grumbled in mock annoyance, and Pete stared at her.

“Really? You have a thing for the weirdo’s sidekick friend, rather than the lead, Chisel McHunk?”

Fiona snorted loudly. “Chisel McHunk? I can’t believe you said that. And no, I don’t have a thing for either of them, I just have a thing for John Cusack.”

“Whoa, really? You’re drooling all over John Cusack? What gives?” Pete asked, attention captivated by his intrigue.

“I don’t know, I mean, he’s just John Cusack! The ultimate unconventional hero, the underdog that you can’t help but love,” Fiona responded with a shrug, grabbing up a handful of popcorn to shovel ungracefully into her mouth while Pete watched, scrunching up his nose and giving a laugh.

“What about me, am I the underdog you can’t help but love?”

“Get off it, Wentz, like you could ever come close to John Cusack,” Fiona teased and there was a moment of silence before the popcorn bowl was knocked to the floor as Pete launched himself at Fiona, collapsing on top of her as she let out a squeal of surprise and tried to fight off his fingers as they dug into her sides, causing her to squirm and laugh uncontrollably.

“P-Pete, stop!”

“Never! Not until you say I’m better than Cusack!” Pete yelled, grinning madly as his fingers continued to move up and down Fiona’s ribs, his knees coming around her legs to lock her into place.

“Wha – no! Pete, no, no, no, oh come on!”

“I can’t hear you, tell me what I wanna know!” Pete called out in a sing song voice.

“Fine, fine!” Fiona spluttered, breathless and red faced. “You’re better than Cusack, you’re better than Cusack!”

Pete flopped onto his back beside Fiona, squishing the two of them together on the narrow couch. “It’s like music to my ears,” he told her smugly, his arm falling over Fiona’s stomach and she grabbed it in the off chance he tried to tickle her again.

Neither of them speak for a time after that, both trying to regain their breath as Fiona begun to take more interest in Pete’s tattoos than the movie on the screen, her fingertips trailing over the details carefully.

“You thinking of getting one, little?” Pete questioned, ignoring Fiona’s scowl at the nickname.

“Just because I’m shorter than you doesn’t make that nickname clever or cute,” she seethed playfully. “And heck no, I haven’t even got my ears pierced. Partly because of my parents, but mostly because I’m a bit of a wimp.”

“What? Say it ain’t so!” Pete cried out dramatically. “We have to change this, let me do it! Body modification and teenage rebellion is like, my thing. I’ve got alcohol and a safety pin upstairs.”

Fiona lurched into a half sitting position, eyes wide. “Whoa, whoa, settle down rock and roll. If I’m ever going to get it done, it’ll be by a professional so my ear doesn’t turn green and fall off, alright?”

Pete made a face at this. “You’re no fun.”

“And yet, you keep coming back for more,” Fiona reminded him cheekily, settling back down against the warmth of Pete’s side and letting him wrap himself around her. He hummed into her shoulder and she could almost hear his brain working away beside her.

“You know, I don’t know how I’m gonna be able to give you back, Fi,” Pete whispered into her hair, voice low.

Fiona turned slightly, her face so close to Pete’s it was almost hard to see each other clearly. “Where do you think I’m off to?”

Pete hid his face in Fiona’s hair, nuzzling his nose into her neck. “Summer break doesn’t last forever, silly. I don’t know if I can bear knowing I can’t have unlimited access to you.”

“You’re such a moron,” Fiona laughed, her eyes fluttering shut in content and sleepy warmth. “Well, we’ve still got time yet.”

That seemed to appease Pete, if only for a little while.
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i fiiiiinally got my fall out boy preorder today and realised i hadn't updated this story in quite a while! so, here we go! sorry about the wait. and thank you for reading!