Babysitting the Campus Jerk

BCJ 17 • him

***

A/N: events in italics are flashbacks ;)

Pete hid a smile as he watched Peter get along with the other boys by the beach. Even from a distance, he could hear Peter's screams as they took turns in hitting the beach volleyball. Peter still had that same smug look on his face, the very same look he had when Pete saw him at the orphanage years ago. And how could he forgot that? Peter was just as stubborn as he was and even caught him off guard.

"Anything?" Peter asked with his brows raised.

"Yes, certainly anything. That is if you can beat me on a one-on-one match," Pete grinned as he knew there was no way Peter could ever beat him. He was just trying to tease him as the confused look on his face amused him. "You can ask me to buy you anything. I'm loaded, Peter. I can you buy any toy that you want."

"I don't want you to buy me a toy," Peter responded in a low voice.

"Then, what do you want? Food? Fine. Just tell me and I'll get it for you."

"Adopt me."

Pete laughed as Peter finally said what he wanted. He knew Peter was kidding.

"Pfft. I know you have a lot of things you want me to buy for you, okay. Just list everything you want and let's see if you can beat me then."

"I told you, adopt me. You're gonna adopt me if I beat you on that match. Deal?"

Pete just shrugged as he just took Peter's condition too lightly. And besides there was no way he'd let a kid beat him.

"Are you okay?" Celeste's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Y-yeah."

"By the way, I heard Kavine is back in the country. And I heard she's back as well. Did she contact you?"

Pete stayed silent. As much as possible, he didn't wanna hear her name.

"I guess it's high time you reconnect with your mom, Pete. It's been years."

"Reconnect? Tss. She didn't even show up at my dad's funeral. I don't think I'd be able to look at her, Lest. I've got so much hate for her that I'd rather think she's dead."

"Pete. She's still your mom."

"She stopped being my mom when she chose his new family over my dad who was fighting against time, Lest. He knew Dad was dying yet she chose to go on with her life with her new family. And I'll never forgive her for that. I'll never forgive those who left me when I needed them the most, Lest. Never," Pete said with finality as he fought back the tears that were starting to well in his eyes.

***

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you extend our stay here? I don't wanna go back?"

Pete chuckled as he continued rubbing the towel on Peter's hair. As much as he wanted to extend as well for he was surprisingly enjoying their stay, he got a lot of things to do at the company.

"Let's just do this again once you're done with junior high, okay? And besides you still have to go on that community service, remember?"

Peter grumbled his disappointment.

"Fine. But promise me we'll do this again. It's been so long since you actually took care of me, Dad. We can't even talk like this at home since you always leave early and get home late."