tattoos || c.h.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ

calum

i stand in the kitchen with everyone, but keep my eyes glued to julian who's dragged mia to watch his favorite show. julian keeps talking to mia about the show and pointing things out, while eating the ice cream mia helped me find.

she seems genuinely interested in julian and what he's saying. she also seems to be having a great time with him. julian already seems so attached to mia and it's kind of worrying me, but i've never seen him this happy with sierra, crystal or gigi. i really hope mia wants to be friends now. she's really cool, chill and nice and is the kind of person you want as a friend. but i also hope she wants to be friends because i know julian will want to see her again. i guess it's a win, win. i get a good friend and julian does too.

michael moving to stand next to me erases me from my thoughts and back to reality.

"what's going on inside that brain of yours?" michael asks me and i roll my lips into my mouth as i take a deep breath. "if you're worrying about julian becoming attached to mia, don't worry. june's already brought up how mia likes you, ash and zayn and thinks it'd be nice to be friends."

"really?" i look at michael surprised. never thought she would actually talk about me in general. just about how i did her tattoos.

"yeah." he tells me as i look back to mia and julian. julian's bowl of ice cream is placed on the coffee table as he points out mia's tattoos. she's probably telling him the stories or meaning behind the tattoo or if they're just a tattoo she got for fun. "don't worry too much about it." michael places his hand on my shoulder. "you're a single dad who's running his own business and trying to be as present as possible, give yourself a little break and pat yourself on the back for doing all of this."

somehow michael always knows what to say which makes me really lucky to have him in my life and as my best mate. he's also the one who'll babysit julian sometimes and teach him how to play different kid video games. took julian almost an hour to learn mario kart.

"thanks." i appreciate his words and he nods before walking back over to his girlfriend, crystal. all the couples seem to be indulged in a conversation that i don't care to listen into. i just keep my full attention on julian and how mia and him are interacting.

i see julian start to lean on mia and still point at tattoos as his eyes become droopy. before i could even get up to ask if he's tired, mia's already picking him up, his arms wrapped around her neck and legs around her waist as he rests his head in the crook of mia's neck. she strides over to me and before she could say anything i just walk to julian's room, hoping she's following behind me.

stepping inside julian's, i turn the lights on and lead mia to julian's bed as i lift the covers up for him to place him down. after she does so we make our way out and turn the lights off as we do so.

"you didn't have to do all of that tonight." i tell her and she gives me a shrug.

"i like kids. they're entertaining and they care more about your life than any adult or teenager does." she admits to me. "but i've never met a kid as energetic and curious as julian, which makes hanging out with him even better."

"yeah. he's something else." i grin at the fact she liked hanging with julian tonight and didn't feel forced to do so.

"he told me you're his best friend." she informs me on julian's words. i'm his best friend. he's mine.

"well, he's my best friend too." i tell her as i lead her to the balcony instead of the kitchen where everyone is hanging around. "what's in your locket?" i ask mia and she gives me a confused expression on the random question. "you showed julian what's in there and he seemed to really like it."

mia opens her locket to show me her and her two dads. "took the picture before the graduation ceremony." she says. "he got happy when i told him i have two dads. he's a nice kid, most just think it's weird and some bring their kids up to say gay people go to hell, so that happens."

"only thing i teach julian is respect and kindness." i explain to mia as i now face the view from my balcony. "there's manners too, but you know what i mean."

mia leans against the railing of my balcony to join me at looking out to the city in front of us. it's quite beautiful and julian loves looking at it during the night time.

"you know he's a great kid because of you, right?" she bumps my shoulder and i grin at her comment. met like a week ago and she keeps telling me i'm a great dad. the thing is, is that i also take it as a huge compliment as she's seen her dad be a single parent when she was at a young age.

"how many tattoos did you explain to him?" i face her now, taking in her side profile.

"i think 11 before he started falling asleep on me." mia now faces me. "and i did not know they still play blue's clue on tv." her last comments makes both of us start laughing. "i'm being serious is the thing! i loved that show and i haven't seen it on tv for a little over ten years!"

"are you going to watch it now?" i joke with her and she looks at me with a serious facial expression.

"yes."