Unfinished Business

The Octopus' Garden (platonic Starrest)

AU where everything is the same except Ringo never joined the Beatles and Pete stayed.

Ritchie works at a pub he also owns ((named either The Yellow Submarine or The Octopus' Garden)), and Pete is a regular throughout 1969, when the band's constantly arguing and everything's falling apart.

Much like Ringo IRL, Pete would use alcohol as a coping mechanism, and this tiny, grimy pub hidden in a dark corner of Liverpool is the only place he can get absolutely pissed drunk without worrying over the press finding out, bc he's a Beatle, and they wouldn't let his sorry arse alone if it was known.

Ritch still remembers him, sorta. The other three were closer to him back in Hamburg, Pete always sorta did his thing and stayed back, but those times are gone and right now they probably don't care about him. Not that Pete does either, he just wants booze and privacy, and Ringo provides exactly that.

Anyways, the more the band argues the more often Pete is at the pub, vocally complaining about his stupid mates and how much he hates them. And Ringo only half listens, he's got work to do after all, but it's enough for him.

Pete comes to even consider him his only real friend, the only one who's away from the disastrous starlet/rockstar life, away from most drugs and gossip and the press and everything.

The pub's the only place where he can feel normal, and Ringo is the only person who makes him feel like a human being and not just Pete Best The Drummer Of The Beatles.

Now, Ringo's personal life kinda sucks too. He's lonely as balls since his wife left him and took the children, not much money and not a lot of friends, the only thing sorta keeping the business afloat is Pete and his continuous intake of expensive drinks (or beer in massive ammounts). He's got enough trouble as is to get involved into Pete's drama.

Still, at some point he gives in because he's Ringo and in every reality existent he's a kind hearted people pleaser, and when Pete needs a place to crash because he doesn't wanna go out while still drunk, he lets him stay at the backroom of the pub and even stays with him, to make sure he doesn't, like, choke on his own puke or smtn.

The thing is, that happens again and again, and Ritchie starts wondering if Pete's doing it on purpose.

Which he totally is. Pete is just so lonely and miserable that he wants to be anywhere that's not his house, and since Ritch gives him the chance to stay he takes full advantage of it. Not that he'll say it out loud, though.

Ringo eventually grows more and more used to looking after Pete, more familiarized with his trouble and more worried over his state.

Mate's seriously killing himself, moving on from just alcohol to heavier shit, which is saying something considering he was the one clean Beatle, at least in that sense. ((((Fun fact: while in Hamburg, almost all the Quarrymen took Prelludine, a drug originally meant to suppress apetite, which pretty much became speed when mixed with beer, to put up with the many shows they had to play every night, courtesy of Astrid Kirchherr. Yeah, Stu's girl was kinda crazy too. Pete was the only one who stayed clean, tho, so I guess in this he wouldn't be down for weed either? Idk))))

The first time Pete stumbles into the pub already high on coke, Ringo immediately refuses to serve him and drags him to the backroom to look after him while the damn thing wears off.

And Pete keeps whimpering about how the goddamned band is his entire life and without it he feels like he wants to die, everything sucks, life is awful, and Ringo helps him through it all, until he finally blacks out and sleeps and Ritch can go back to work.

By the pub's closing time, Pete's nowhere near sober or even conscious, and Ringo doesn't wanna risk driving him back home and getting caught by press/crazed fans. So he takes him to his own house, because of course.

It's really fucking awkward the next morning for Pete to wake up at an unknown place, severely hungover, with his usual bartender looking after him. He runs like hell out of there without so much as a thank you or a goodbye, straight to the studio for today's (yelling) session.

He's not even there the whole time, floating absent-mindedly while Paul and John and George tear each others apart as usual.

Just remembering Ringo's kindness and berating himself mentally for making him pass so much trouble, for not even thanking him.

So, after the session is over, wasted as they all are, he goes back with the intention of apologizing, because he's a decent human being like that.

At first Ringo is surprised Pete would go back to his house. He truly believes Pete doesn't care about him, that he's just that desperate. Unrequited friendship, I mean. Ringo is naturally caring, but he assumes this famous musician only sticks around for the drinks and the fact that he has no one else, and at any given moment the man will stop showing up. So, it's actually quite surprising to see him, not at the pub but at his house, thanking him for looking after him and apologizing for the quick escape.

They hang out a long while actually, just talking. Pete grows anxious from the withdrawal after a while, though, and Ritch tries his best to help him calm down. A few smokes are shared, some deep personal stuff is passed back and forth, Ringo even decides to keep the pub closed for the day, since Pete's his only redituable client anyways.

It's arguably the first good day Pete has had in the longest while, just chatting with a friend without fighting or arguing or yelling even if they disagree on things.