Like A Pheonix - peterick fic

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(Pete pov)

After our little private talk in the hallway, I've noticed patrick has been a little distant. He's not ignoring me, but he just doesn't talk as much as he used to and he doesn't laugh as much. Like he's hiding something. He's definitely acting different. I understand if he doesn't trust me enough to tell me if its a secret, because we have only known each other for a few months, but it still hurts a little.
But I'm going to give him a few weeks and try to not intrude, because if I'm really his friend I won't try and push myself into his problems if he doesn't want me to help.
Although I really really want to help.

- time skip 3 weeks -

It's been a while since patrick started being distant, but now it's gotten so much worse. He barely speaks, and he rarely even looks me in the eye. This needs to change, I miss my Patty.

....No, not my patty. Not even my Patrick. Just patrick. Just patrick.

I've been overthinking it a lot recently. It's driving me insane. Did I do something wrong? Is it all my fault? Is it a family problem? Is it a school problem? Has he been super stressed and I haven't realised? Or does he just think I'm weird? Has he realised I'm a complete loser?
I can't take this anymore.

I decide to slip a note in his locker for him to find at the end of the day, and I really hope he comes. I need to find out what's going on and how I can have my- how I can have patrick back.

Patrick, meet me under the cork tree at half 3. I need to talk to you about something. It's really super duper important. Please?
-P x

I fold the note and slip it into his locker, then run to my next class. I can just tell these next few hours are going to go by agonisingly slow.

~a few hours later~

(3rd person pov)

Pete checked the time for the 4th time in under a minute. It was 3:35 and there was no sign of patrick.
Pete slumped against the tree and sat in the grass, still looking around hopefully. There were flowers everywhere, and usually he loves flowers, but right now all he could think about was patrick. Patrick. The patrick who doesn't like him anymore. The patrick that could always make him smile, make him laugh. The patrick that would take his mind off of the nights when his head was too full of bad words and bad voices. Pete put his head in his hands, devastated that he lost someone like Patrick. Patrick that could always cheer him up-

"Pete?"

Pete's head shot up. Patrick. Patrick was standing right in front of him.
Pete scrambled to his feet. They were both silent for a minute, before pete launched himself at patrick into a bone crushing hug.

Patrick stumbled, but kept is balance and stayed on his feet. he didn't do anything for a moment, before slowly putting his arms around Pete too.
"Are you ok?"
Pete asked muffled into Patrick's shoulder.
Patrick couldn't vocally reply. He just whimpered and shook his head as tears rolled down his cheeks, and onto Pete's shirt. But pete didn't care.

Pete separated himself from patrick, but he kept his arms around him, holding the smaller boy close. This meant that pete could look at him while still reassuring patrick that he was here and he wasn't going anywhere.

"Please don't cry trick" pete whispered, wiping away Patrick's tears with his thumb. Patrick nodded. He still wasn't looking pete in the eye.

Pete decide to be brave, and put two fingers under his chin and lift it up. Patrick finally met his eyes.

His eyes were glassy from crying, but it made the blue in them look like the ocean in the summer, and all pete wanted to do was stare at them forever. But he couldn't, because patrick was looking away again.

"S-sorry, I know I must look a mess" patrick stutters out.

"No you don't" Pete says. Patrick mumbles a disagreement under his breath, but pete interrupts him.

"You look perfect."