His Little Boy

chapter 2

Days turned into weeks which turned into months and before long i found myself staring into eyes that reminded me so much of his fathers. Aaron was greatly missed everyday in our home. i never bought the house that we were going to buy when he returned from that mission. I couldn't bring myself to see what he loved everyday and be okay with the constant reminder. I would show that home to Keenan one day and tell him all the great things about his daddy and why he loved the place so much. But for now we stayed in the apartment building that was in spitting distance from a shopping centre and kids play house thing. Keenan loved it, the sounds of all the other kids running around and having fun caused something inside him to rise up and want to play. We spent more time there than we did at home these days, and it was money well spent.

"Honey?" My dad yelled as he walked through the door. More often than not he stayed here with us, leaving his home across the world for his maids to clean. My father, Michael, was a surgeon, allowing him all the great pleasures of life that he gladly took.

"In the kitchen dad!" I giggled as i looked down at my baby boy clinching around my leg as i cooked dinner. His grip was tight as he gripped a hold of my leg and refused to let go. Keenan was a strange little boy, very much attached to me. The specialist i went to spoke about his natural instinct is to be equally attached to both parents, but since Aaron wasn't around, he focused it all onto me. She said that he could grow out of it soon, or will see it as 'not cool' when he's older and around friends.

"Oh wow! Kee what are you doing to your Mumma?"

"Being clingy as usual. But at least he's out of the way this time." He smiled at me as he remembered the time that i was talking about. He tried to keep up with me in the kitchen and accidentally got in the way of my feet. luckily i wasn't carrying hot water or something, otherwise there would have been a nice trip to the ER.

"Come on Keenan, grandpa's turn to spoil you since he's been away all day." The small body on my leg didn't give up much resistance as his grandfather removed him from his mother. He pouted in his cute baby way and looked back at me, but as soon as i smiled and gave him the go he grinned and showed his gandpa his dimples. Damnit Aaron! The dimples? Really?

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Nickolai's POV

"Mate I'm sorry i thought you knew already?" i frowned at my brother standing at the base of the bed. His long shaggy blonde hair constantly obscuring his vision. He would never get away with hair like that in the army. Too much of a hand hold for enemies, that and he couldn't see shit all. which would be a problem if you wanted to stay alive.

"You are the first person i've seen since i woke up Jeremy. None of my squad has been in and i've received no phone call from any superiors." i shook my head and sunk down on the small hospital bed. Normally i would find humour in the fact that my feet hung off the end of the bed, but with the latest news i couldn't find humour in much at all.

"I'm sorry i had to be the one to tell you. I honestly thought that someone would have contacted you already." As he spoke my phone began to vibrate on the bedside table, causing the wood to shake on it's uneven legs.

"Nickolai," i answered swiftly,not quite knowing what to expect.

"Son, we have some bad news for you."

Oh here we go.

"All members of your squad have been sent home, scattered across the globe after the last incident. That was one major shit house and frankly i'm not to keen about fixing your mess. The officials have spoken, kid and they have not done so in your favour."

i took a deep breath. "I'm out i get it." And with that i hung up and hurled the phone across the room, hearing it satisfyingly shatter into pieces on impact.

"Dude don't you think you overreacted a little bit?"

"No Jeremy, i didn't. He's no my boss anymore so he can't do shit about it."

He laughed, pulling his tall frame from the small plastic chair next to my bed to stand. "I meant throwing your phone.That shit was dumb."

i sighed, knowing he was right. "Yeah, i can get a knew one once they release me."

"Which will be as soon as you sign these papers, pick up your stuff and sit in a nice nurses wheelchair." A small compact man spoke as he walked into the room, glasses aimed at the floor. "My goodness," he breathed as he looked up. "They weren't kidding when they said you were big. And it runs in the family i see."

Jeremy flashed a grin at the man. "What can i say, it's a whole new world up here."

"Yes,i'm sure it is son." I laughed as the doctor shook his head at my younger brother. "Anyway since you are well and truly old enough to sign yourself out, i invite you to do so and i'll go grab the information booklets you will need on the recovery process."

"So what's the plan?" i looked at my brother with a sense of hopelessness.

"I honestly don't know."

"You can always come work with me at one of the shops? You can even manage one of them for me since the other one quit when he released the amount of work that goes into each day. What do ya say?"

i sighed. Not because i didn't want to work with my brother, but because i didn't want to be his charity case. There was nothing wrong with either of his shops. Both tattoo parlours were taking off and earning the big bucks for Jeremy. Whenever i was back from tour i usually went in for either more ink or to do some ink. I wasn't bad with the needle, and Jeremy had offered me a job many times, so i didn't feel as useless and charitable when accepting his offer.

"Only if you promise not to take it easy on me? if i stuff up i expect you to fire me."

he laughed. "The only way you could stuff up is if you gave my customers aids or something terrible by not swapping over the needles between people."

i blanched. "Has that ever happened before?"

"No, and i won't let it happen because of you. Now sign this shit so we can go home and spend the retirement money you have yet to clear to your account." He turned to walk out the door before what he said made sense to me.

"You've been in my account!" i yelled, pushing away from the bed, ripping IV cords out left and right as i went after my brother.

"I may have. It depends on what you're gonna do about it?" he taunted as he bolted down the corridor. "Remember who offered you a job and somewhere to live!"

"Hotels really aren't that expensive you know? i can live off that for years. Gotta love army retirement funds."

"Shit. Friends?" He held his hand out for me to shake.

i grabbed the limb and pulled him into a headlock.

"Brothers."

LOVE YA'S.

XXA