Hell's Jingle Bells (Peterick Holiday Au)

Christmas

He walked through the hypothermic December air, Wilmette was always cold and lonely this time of year. At least it was to Patrick anyway, Patrick hated Christmas. He hated the way that everyone always said they felt so warm when it was freezing, he hated the way hormonal teenagers would kiss underneath the mistletoe like they were in a cheesy movie, but most of all he hated that this fucking holiday reminded him of when he was 9 and he told his mother that he's dad had an affair and after he left her she blamed Patrick for their failed marriage calling him a 'worthless faggot' as he cried himself to sleep every night clutching his pillow in hope of accidental suffocation. But right now none of that mattered, what mattered right now is that Patrick is a 17 year old boy without a home and in danger of losing his fingers to frost bite if a hobo corpse light enough to lift due to starvation doesn't appear in a box soon. Of course even though these odds are likely in favor of him he will also have to fight crazed animals diseased and ferrel for this prime real estate. Giving up after a rabid cat bites his forearm and he is sure that he has only hours to live Patrick decides that he can stop at a bank and get some money to get a warm flannel shirt at the mall or possibly a cheap hotel room for a few days. Passing by groups of carolers and resisting the urge of mumbling 'fucking dumbasses' Patrick walked into the mall getting disgusted looks from other shoppers due to the fact that he had been wearing the same ripped jeans and tattered shirt for months now. Glancing off to the side he notices a dark haired boy starring at him from a far with content eyes. Silently pleading to himself not to walk past the stranger even if there is a warm fluffy blanket giving him a death glare from the display case. Sooner or later Patrick tells himself to 'stop being a bitch' and marches his chubby self into the the small store still watching the dark haired boy who now follows him into the store.

"Hey, excuse me sir you can't be in here." The store clerk said highly annoyed. Patrick turned to face the man and instead of cowering out of the store with a metaphorical tail between his legs which would have been a 99.9% accurate assumption of him he put a hand on his hip with a grimance settled comfortablely on his face.

"And why the fuck not, just because I look like shit, I'll have you know that I am a homeless 17 year old boy with a bank account the size of a grain of salt who just wants one thing for Christmas and you know what that is? To have a fucking home, and the sad part is that despite the fact that your one track mind can't comprehend the concept of being homeless I'm still sitting here wasting my breath on your pathetic ass when I could be using this time to try to find a dumpster or box to sleep in for the night. So next time don't fucking tell me I'm not allowed in this bullshit store because I look like shit because when it comes down to it I'm better than you and a paying customer just like everyone else here so the least you can do is show some false respect and ring up this blanket so I can stop looking at the worthless atrocity you call a face." Patrick spat violently slamming the blanket down on the counter. In a coma of speechlessness the clerk closed his mouth in a thin line and put Patrick's items in a bag even whispering a quiet 'Merry Christmas sir' stirring up phrases from Patrick's mouth starting with the word 'fuck' and ending with the word 'you' as he stormed out of the store bag in hand pulling down his trucker cap.

The dark haired boy who Patrick would later find out was named Pete approached him with shaking nerves.

"Would you stop fucking following me already, jheez man what's your problem." Patrick said aggression tapering throughout his voice.

"Sorry man, when you came in the mall you dropped this". The boy said opening his hand only to reveal a picture of a little girl smiling on a swing set with Patrick smiling behind her.

"Sadie." Patrick whimpered holding the picture delicately in his palm. The boy looked at Patrick curiously.

"She's a beautiful little girl, mind if I ask who she is." Patrick felt his eyes burn wiping a few stray tears away.