the train wasn't too busy. okay, it was nearly full, but it was pretty empty compared to how crowded it normally was.
the train wasn't too late either. okay, it was running half an hour behind schedule but for southern rail that wasn't too bad. they were fairly lucky it had turned up at all.
Pete Wntz is dad {jish.x, reub.x, ty.x, ry.x, bren.x, susa.x, dally.x, emma.x, patrick, trohmosexual, andy.x, gee.x, dad.x, toro19, spencerrr, jonnn, xofrnkie}
ry.x: for all he spoke about me trying not to break any bones
ry.x: bren thought it would be a good idea to take the brakes off of his skates
ry.x: he rolled his ankle trying to stop
ry.x: it's broken and he's currently high on pain killers but other than that he's fine
"what's up?"
reuben looked up from where they were scrolling up and down through the last few messages on the group chat.
"nothing really," they replied. "b broke his ankle because he's too cool for brakes on his skates"
susa rolled her eyes.
"he's honestly too weird to live," she sighed.
"yeah," reuben responded. "but he's too rare to die."
susa looked at her friend for a moment longer, noticing the tense, closed posture and the way they were turning their phone over again and again in their hand.
"you're nervous."
"i'm going to meet some of the most important people in my life, i think it's justified."
susa went to speek again but was cut of by a sharp trill from reuben's phone.
it was a text from their mum.
mother: I'm still not happy about this. neither is your dad. we're going to have a chat when you get home. don't be late.
reuben let out a breathy half-laugh half-sigh and shut off their phone, tucking it into the pocket of their hoodie.
"who knew it was going to be so hard to convince my mum to let me go to london for the day. i'm seventeen, i've been before and i'm not even going alone."
"I'm sorry," susa replied.
"it's not your fault, don't apologise."
susa looked up as the automated voice happily trilled out that the next station would be king's cross.
"that's our stop," she pointed out, beginning to gather the few things that had been scattered about the small train table during the hour long train ride. she actually had homework she needed to get done that before school on monday, unlike reuben who probably did but wasn't going to do and somehow probably wouldn't get in trouble for it either. lucky bastard.
the train slowed to a stop and the two teenagers exited onto the platform, reuben pulling the straps of their backpack tighter as they followed behind their more confident best friend.
pete, patrick, joe and andy were all huddled together just outside of the station, joe lounging across an entire bench while andy and patrick look down at him, andy's arms crossed tightly across his chest. pete was sat on joe's stomach, looking content and comfortable as he settled his entire weight on the younger boy.
upon spotting susa and reuben emerge from the station, pete hurled himself off of joe and across the paved ground towards them, leaving joe to curl up on himself in pain and almost roll off the bench. andy reaches out to stop him but patrick just rolls his eyes and follows after pete, loudly announcing that 'that's what you get for being a jackass and not letting any of the rest of us sit on the bench'.
pete threw himself at reuben with enough force to send them flying to the floor. they were lucky susa was standing there to stop them or the two of them probably would've ended up on the ground.
"hello child of mine," pete said, finally taking a step back from reuben. "you're taller than i thought you'd be."
reuben looked down at their shoes flushing a guilty red. pete followed their gaze to the three-inch platform trainers they were wearing and gave them a playful shove.
"cheat."
"hey," patrick said, holding a hand out for reuben to shake but they ignored it and pulled patrick into a quick tight hug.
"thank you," they whispered. "for ignoring me telling you i didn't want to meet you."
"this is cute and all," susa interrupted. "but people are looking and i was definitely promised a go on pete's bass, although i'm not sure it's gonna be as sexy as emma's new one."
