Aw, Sugar 💛Petekey

Chapter 5

Pete leaned back on the park bench and laughs at the energetic 3 year old. Meadow was leaping from the sandpit as Anthony chased her around. Pete watched as Meadow squealed when Anthony caught her and imagined that was him and his own kid. Mikey would probably be scared that they would get hurt every other second. Anthony trudges back over to the bench with Meadow in his arms and falls back onto it.

"Meadow will be the death of me," huffs Anthony, clearly exhausted from the rowdy toddler.

Pete looks over at Meadow,"She's just a little energetic. She can't be worse than I was."

Anthony shakes his head,"She's tiring. You'll understand when you have your own kid."

Pete says nothing but thinks back to all the times he was told "wait till you have kids, then you'll get your payback" from his relatives and teachers.

That was just something everyone said to get you to act better. At least, he hopes so. If this kid was anything like him when he was younger then Mikey and him were in for trouble. Pete hopes the kid takes more after Mikey than himself. Of course they could also take after their uncle Gerard which would be disastrous. He couldn't deal with a sassy, diva child.

Meadow shimmies out of her father's arms and into Pete's. She giggles and boops his nose when he hugs her close to him. She sits complacent for a while, watching the pretty yellow butterfly land on the tulip beside the bench.

Eventually though, like every child, she gets bored. Meadow grins and works her way out of Pets's grasp. As her father begins to try to pick her up, she lightly touches Pete's wrist and giggles," You're it."

She runs as fast as her toddler legs could carry her. Pete smiles and 'runs' after her. He really is just in a casual jog but to a toddler it seems like a run. Meadow screeches happily, looking quite adorable with bambi sized eyes, as Pete gets closer to her.

Pete smiles at the little girl and watches as she runs to the slide. He decides then to sneak up on Meadow. Ever so slowly, her picks her up from behind, earning a surprised squeal from the girl. He then throws her up in the air, but not so high she would be scared, and laughs.

Meadow giggles as Pete catches her and puts her little hands on his cheeks, mushing them together.

"Oh, so that's how we are gonna play this? Well then, I think it's time for my friend the tickle monster," Pete smiles. He tickles Meadow's stomachs and revels in the wide smiles across her face.

The giggles spill from the young girl like a waterfall. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears of joy. Pete grins widely at the toddler and sighs.

In less than a year he would have a kid of his own. A baby of his own, made up of Mikey and his own DNA. A child to love endlessly and teach to be loving as well. A tiny being dependent on him for protection from the cruel world.

Looking down at Meadow he sees innocence in its purest form. Not knowing of the wars fought nor the racism or hatred of the world. He smiles sadly at the thought that one day Meadow will lose that child ignorance.

Pete shakes his head and settles Meadow on his hip. She grabs a fistful of his Panic! t-shirt. (He didn't even know what shirt it was until he looked down. He just threw on the first shirt he found.)

He sits back down next to Anthony who is smiling wide.

"See, you're a natural already."

"I wouldn't say that," Pete watches as Meadow yawns into his chest.

Anthony gives him a pointed look that reads 'please-you-have-this-in-the-bag'. Anthony watches fondly as his youngest daughter curls her still tiny hands into Pete's shirt and nuzzles against him. He knows Pete and Mikey will be amazing parents.