Fall Out Boy

If It Means A Lot To You (Peterick AU) (part 1)

(Basically, they live in a place where their job is to pick cotton for Frank Iero, who owns the place and Peterick is a thing. Based off the song If It Means A Lot To You by A Day To Remember)

Pete kissed Patrick goodbye one last time, sighing as he wiped the tears from Patrick's face. Patrick sniffled, wiping his eyes with his sweater sleeves.

"I know you don't feel right when I'm leaving, baby...." Pete said softly, "but I don't have a choice...." Patrick cuddled him one last time.

"I don't want you to go.... It's not fair...." Patrick said through tears. Pete nodded, remembering the trial that was held for him two days prior. He pulled away, waving to Patrick before walking off quickly so it hurt less. He didn't look back until he was out of the border of the town- then the shield locked down. He was officially banned, for something he didn't even do.

As Pete walked into the unknown, he remembered why he was being banished.

~flashback~

"Patrick, toss it here!" Pete called, holding his hands up. Patrick giggled, throwing the cotton ball over to Pete. Pete jumped up and caught it, puffing up the pound and beginning to pull the sharp seeds and leaves out. He looked over at Patrick, who had begun picking the cotton bulbs again with a smile on his face.

Pete had gotten about halfway through his pound of cotton when a man he knew well came over to him.

"Urie," Pete said with a glare. Brendon was known around as the troublemaker, and he didn't like Pete too much. Brendon smirked.

"Hey, Wentz. Nice cotton you got there- how much is that? Half a pound?" He asked. Pete rolled his eyes and began pulling again.

"Doesn't matter to y- hey!" Pete bolted up and raced after Brendon, who had run off with his clean cotton. "Give it back!" Pete yelled, grabbing Brendon's shirt and pulling him backwards. Brendon fell, dropping the cotton with a grunt. Pete picked it back up, pulling out a few leaves and twigs that rolled into it.

"Hey! What in God's name are you doing!?" Pete looked up to see Frank, the farm owner, walking toward him. Pete looked at Brendon, who was now on his feet again.

"Brendon took my cotton," Pete said simply, holding his half pound close. Brendon scoffed in surprise.

"Did not! I was cleaning my own, he took it from me!" Brendon objected. Pete stared at him. How stupid could this guy be?

"Pete?"

Pete turned around to see Patrick, a worried look on his face. "Did you get your cotton back....?" He asked softly. Patrick, being the shy boy he is, was always nervous and quiet around Frank. Pete nodded, looking at Frank.

"See? This is mine." Pete said calmly. Frank rolled his eyes, then saw Brendon making a gesture to a few of his buddies, who smirked.

"That's Brendon's!" One of them called out. "Pete just came over and took it!" Patrick stared at him, shock in his eyes as he shook his head.

"We'll settle this in the courtroom- that's 3 strikes for you, Urie- 1 for Wentz." Frank said, dragging the boys by their arms to the courtroom. Patrick followed, as well as Andy and Joe, a few of Pete's friends who saw it happen. A few of Brendon's followers went with them too.

~~~~~~~~

"Wentz, it has been said you were stealing Urie's cotton from him. How do you plead?" The judge asked. Pete shook his head.

"Not guilty." Pete stated. The judge nodded, shifting in his seat. Pete stood.

"Patrick, Andy, Joe. These three saw what happened." He said calmly. The three stood up. The judge nodded his approval for them to speak. Patrick spoke first, shy and quiet, but firm.

"I was there, P-Pete didn't take anything. We were doing our job alone and Brendon came over and took Pete's cleaned cotton." Patrick finished. One of Brendon's friends- one with bright red hair- sprang up immediately.

"Objection!"

"Overruled!" The judge called to him. The red-haired boy sat down again, crossing his arms. Andy and Joe nodded their agreement to Patrick's statement. "You all say this is true?"

"Yes, your honor." All three said in sync. The judge nodded, dismissing them to sit down again. Patrick sat first, Andy and Joe being a little more hesitant. The judge then gestured for Brendon and his friends to speak.

They told a ridiculous story about Pete and Brendon getting into this ridiculous fight with tree branches and shovels, and it was outrageous and there was no way it could be believable.

"Is this true?" The judge asked Pete. Pete shook his head.

"No! That's ridiculous, and they all said different things!" Pete stated firmly. The judge slammed his tiny hammer on the desk.

"I declare Peter Wentz guilty!"

"What!?" Patrick, Andy and Joe yelled. Pete just stared at the judge.

"He shall be banished for good.... With one exception," the judge said, "as silly as it sounds, until everyone is singing, he may not return. You have two days to leave."

~end flashback~

Pete sighed, wanting to go back home to Patrick and his boyfriend already. He knew Patrick wouldn't last long without him either.

He headed over to a more sheltered and covered part of the forest he was walking toward as it started to rain, angling some of the huge leaves to cover him as he made a pretty decent sized place for him to live out here. He stretched out some of the bushes and branches, and in about an hour's time he had a nice house for himself, an extra large leaf for a door.

He set up some soft moss and feathers he found as a bed, and the place was pretty insulated from the cold. He fell asleep to the steady beating of the rain in his ears, and Patrick on his mind.