Can We Keep Time Alive?

by ZakInTheBox (Lightning_Zombie)

Summary:

Pete got called a crybaby a lot in school.

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Prompt fill for Febuwhump 2025 Day 2 - Holding Back Tears

Notes:

hello. im new here. well no im not ive watched this film twelve times in the last year but ive never actually posted a fic lol. anyway i think that the relationships between the other members of the five musketeers (ie not just gary and andy) is fun and interesting and we should do it more. hence a pete and o-man fic.

title from cry for me by hunny

enjoy <3

Pete got called a crybaby a lot in school. To be fair, he cried an awful lot when he was young. Everything scared him - new people, loud noises, maths problems he didn’t understand. He got better with people over time, thanks to Gary and the guys adopting him into their group and socialising him. Loud noises still made him jump but not cry. Him and maths never quite saw eye to eye, though.

His friendship with Gary’s gang didn’t stop the bullying entirely - Shane still treated him like a punching bag. Shane shoved him into lockers and kicked footballs at the back of his head. Now that Gary and Andy come to bat for him, Pete feels safer. One time, Andy caught a rugby ball out of the air that was aimed at Pete’s face. That was cool as fuck.

It’s always Gary and Andy who fight back. Gary because he’s a reckless idiot (Pete wouldn’t say this to his face), Andy because he’s stronger and can get Gary out of shit. Steve usually yells abuse from the sidelines while Ollie drags Pete out of harm's way.

“C’mon.” Ollie grabs Pete’s wrist and pulls him down a different hallway as Gary tries to claw Shane’s eyes out. 

Pete sniffles as they hurry away. Shane throws a can of Appletiser at Pete’s head, hitting him just beside his eye. He keeps the eye shut, pain throbbing in his zygomatic. It’ll bruise like hell, and he’ll have concerned teachers asking him what happened all week. His dad won’t notice, but that’s fine.

He never grasses Shane up. It would only get him treated worse, and probably get Gary and Andy in trouble too. Gary is always in trouble, but Pete doesn’t want him to get expelled. And if Andy gets in trouble, they won’t let him play rugby. That would be the end of the world.

“Here.” Ollie leads Pete to one of the windowsills that gaggles of students like to sit on during their breaks. It’s empty right now, so they can occupy it. “Are you alright?”

“Hurts.” Pete admits. 

Normally he would put on a brave face and say he was fine, but all his energy is focused on not crying his eyes out. Sobbing in the middle of the hall is, as Gary would say, totally not cool, man.

“Let me see?” Ollie asks. Pete pulls his hand away from the darkening bruise on the side of his face. “Ouch, that’s gonna hurt for a while.”

“Yeah.” Pete agrees, then cringes at how pathetic his voice sounds when it hitches.

“That Shane guy is such a prick.” Ollie grabs his water bottle - a metal camping one that his dad gave to him - and presses it to Pete’s bruise.

He hisses as it makes contact, but it helps. The metal is cold against his hot skin. It soothes the ache a little. 

“Thanks, O-man.”

“Don’t call me O-man.” Ollie mutters. He has always had distaste for that nickname. Pete notes that his bruise is on the same side of his face as Ollie’s birthmark, and much more noticeable. 

“Sorry.” Pete giggles. “Thank you, Ol.”

“No problem, P.” Ollie smiles

They sit there for a while in silence. Pete and Ollie don’t have much in common, except that Gary likes them for some reason. Pete likes to think it isn’t just his parents money, or his geography homework answers. He’s a good listener, both to Gary’s dramatic ramblings and the music that he makes with Steve.

Gary likes Ollie because he can talk his way into and out of almost anything. He always had some contact to get them all into a party or hang out or event. His mom is the sort of woman who knows everyone and their business. Ollie takes after her.

“How are you doing?” Ollie asks, after what turns into an awkward amount of silence.

“Better.” Pete takes a deep breath. He’s finally stamped down the tears. “Thank you.”

“S’alright.” Ollie says. “What are friends for?”

Notes:

nothing bad ever happened to these two they went on to be friends forever and oliver got pete his house and pete got oliver his car. i know it in my heart

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thanks for reading! <3

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Febuwhump 2025