Friend from the wild side ( AePete AU )

Chapter 2

How long has it been since Pete was genuinely excited about coming home? Definitely weeks, if not months or years. His parents were always too busy with work and their own lives that he barely saw them let alone talk to them, but there was one day of the year where they actually sat down with him at the dinner table and talked, and it was his birthday. Pete was trying to remember when was the last time he had a full conversation with his parents that consisted of more than just a greeting. Probably a month ago when they asked him what car he would like, as the one he had was apparently 'outdated and uncool' as his father called it. "Good evening, mom, dad." Pete clasped his hands together in a polite wai before kissing his mother on the cheek and giving his father a hug.

"We thought long and hard what to give you honey, and we decided this would be the most perfect present." His mother smiled with the most vapid expression on her face as she gave him a small gift box. She clapped excitedly as he opened it only to be greeted by new car keys with the Audi logo in gold. "Isn't it amazing? I know you said you're okay with your current car, but this model is just so much better!" Pete put on a smile. If he was to ask how much better the car is, he knew his mother would just say something amongst the lines of 'if it's more expensive it must be better'. "And this is from me; I haven't forgotten about you son." Pete turned to his father who just nonchalantly handed him a plain birthday card with a platinum credit card tucked in its corner with his name on it.

"I checked your grades in school. Your mother and I are very pleased that you're in the top of the class, so it's only natural that you deserve a little treat." His father smiled. Pete tapped the card, trying not to sigh. Expensive car and unlimited money in his account. Did his parents know what his hobbies were? What his favourite colour was? What he was doing every day besides school? He gulped and smiled even wider, nodding. "Thank you so much, I'm very happy." That fake smile seemed to satisfy his parents even more and Pete listened as his mother sang a very out of tune happy birthday while the maid brought a fancy cake and he enjoyed a slice. He didn't even finish it before his parents got up and left the house for some business again, leaving him by the table alone and miserable.

"Young master, would you like me to-" Pete didn't let the maid finish before wrapping a big portion into handkerchief and rushing to the garage to see his new car. He knew where to drive, he knew who he wanted to be with, and he knew his parents wouldn't even look for him. He tried to drive safely and parked couple of blocks from the place he really shouldn't be at just in case. His new black Audi wasn't as noticeable as the previous white Benz after all, but he still wasn't risking it by driving to that place. After all, the man warned him not to come. But they talked, they talked yesterday, and Pete could swear he saw Ae smile a little.

As he got out Pete looked over his shoulder every few steps, but wasn't sure what he would even do if someone attacked him. Cry, probably. He finally reached those few broken up benches infront of an old abandoned factory and sat down, staring at the motorcycles parked at its entrance. Ae's wasn't one of them, but Pete decided to wait, quietly and patiently, until the day turned into night and he felt drowsy. A sound of motorcycle roaring woke him up and he perked up as he saw it was the person he wanted to see the most. Pete's jaw dropped when he noticed Ae unstrapping the baseball bat off and holding it above a flaming barrel, the fire licking the wood for a moment. It was as if he had eyes at the back of his head, Ae turned around, his face turning into a scowl.

He quickly greeted the men inside before stomping over to the silhouette crouched on a bench and tapping his foot impatiently infront of Pete. He was still holding the bat, and Pete noticed it wasn't wood. It was metal, and suddenly the fire made sense. He was disinfecting it from blood. "Ae..." "Stop. Coming. Here." Pete sighed as he held a cloth wrapped cube infront of him. "I brought you a cake." "Wha...?" "Can Ae sit with me? Just for a moment? Please?" Pete glanced to the spot beside him. Ae did a quick look around before hesitantly sitting down beside him and accepting the package. It was slightly smushed but it was still delicious when a smear of cream got on his fingers and he licked it off. He was still mad that this kid followed him again, but for the day he was tired of arguing and shouting. "Why the cake?" Ae asked cautiously, picking at the sweet treat and stuffing little bites into his mouth.

"I'm 17." "You already told me that." "No, I mean today. It's my birthday; I'm 17." Pete shrugged. Ae tossed away the empty cloth before remembering he should have asked if Pete wants it back, but the boy didn't seem to care as the fabric hit the dirty ground. "Your parents will be worried about you if you're here. It's late." "My parents don't care." Pete sighed. "They gave me a car and money because they're too occupied with their own lives to even take any interest in their own son. I once stayed at my friend's house for a week, and they didn't even notice. They don't care about me. No one ever does." As Pete spoke his voice got progressively quieter until the last words came out as a mumble Ae could barely understand. "What about some friends? Or other family members?"

Pete shook his head and suddenly Ae understood. He understood why the boy got so fixated on him. He had no one by his side. But was coming here really a solution? It certainly wasn't safe. Ae tapped the bat against his steel toed boot. "I just beat someone up so badly he won't be able to walk or use his hands for the rest of his life. Do you still think I'm the one you should get close to?" He raised an eyebrow, but Pete didn't flinch. "You must have had a valid reason to do that." He muttered as he stared at the bat. "What if I hit you with it?" "You wouldn't." "How would you know?" "Because you saved me. And I think...I think whoever you hurt, deserved it. He probably did some bad thing. I'm not saying it's legal or that it's right thing to do, but if it's justified, it's quite...understandable."

This time it was Ae who sighed. He dropped the bat to the ground and leaned back on the bench, hiding his surprise about how spot on Pete's deduction was. The guy he and his buddies just roughed up molested two little girls and got away from legal justice by faking mental illness while simultaneously bragging about it to his pub friends. It was there that Techno heard it on accident and told Ae about it. "You should go home, Pete. Go finish up your cake and-" "Please don't chase me away. Please...I want to be with you." "Why?" "I...I don't know." "You must have a reason!" "I don't know!" Pete raised his voice, trying not to cry. "I don't know why. I know I shouldn't be here, I know people here aren't the best bunch, I know! But I just...there's something about you that I can't explain. I can't stop thinking about you. And I got you something..."

Ae watched as Pete reached into his pocket and pulled out an expensive wallet with several credit cards and a stack of highly marked bank notes. It wasn't money he reached for though. It was the ornate fabric patch with the design of a swallow bird and a little spool of thread with needle that matched the colour of Ae's jacket. He looked at the place where he ripped away the old patch few days ago and then at the swallow patch; its size was just perfect even though the threads in it were a little frayed and not exactly neat. "Did you make this yourself?" He asked. Pete bashfully nodded before reaching for the jacket and holding the needle. "Can I?"