Ugh, what year is it?

I look around once I open my eyes and realise I am in my apartment with a naked brunette resting her head on my shoulder. That sure brings back memories of the night and the needy Kenzie. I first stretch a little, of course very stealthily, then decide I should probably get up and check on my nephew. The last time I saw him he was happy to be home, but still quite in a bad shape. I try to shift and after a few struggling minutes, I break free from her grip and let her sleep in peace. 

It's 10 AM and I put on the bottom part of PJs since Aidan might be awake and running around the apartment. Thank God I remembered to do that in time. 

The moment I open my bedroom door, I see Aidan sitting on a couch and poking his finger at it. At first, I think he's completely lost his sense and I try to explain his behaviour with his age, but when I come close I see what he is poking at. Child, no!

I stop at his side and lift him in my arms "Hello there, buddy. What are you doing, huh?" Aidan looks at me and smiles widely before hugging me. Aw, ya little cupcake!  I am happy he doesn't bother answering my question, let's just hope he won't mention anything to any of his parents, especially not his mother. I quickly make a note in my head to clean the couch before Daniel and Patty show up. I manage to tear Aidan away from the hug and ask him "You hungry, pal? Want uncle Nate to make you something?" 

I get a smiling nod and with him in my arms, I go to the kitchen, which is just a part of my large living room and is hidden behind a long counter. I open the cupboard closets in which I keep everything else, but cups and I pull out a cereal box. And no, I don't eat them, I just have them, 'cause they're supposed to be Aidan's favourite. 

"That gonna be good?" I look at him, pretending I'm giving him a choice and push the cereal box in his hands for him to take a closer look. I'm glad when he doesn't say anything. I sit him at the table and get a bowl, a spoon and a carton of milk for him. He refuses to let go of the box, though. 

He starts eating while I prepare myself some coffee. When I smell coffee for the first time this morning, I realise I'll probably drink more than just one mug - because I like it and because I need it. 

"Mmm, I smell coffee." Kenzie's awake and already dressed in her yesterday's clothes. 

Aidan peers at her, but is soon to busy with his breakfast. He doesn't seem to recognise her but puts in no effort to remember her. The only thing he cares about is his breakfast and that is one of the most beautiful things about him. When food is in the game, he doesn't care about anything else.

"Morning." I wish her and once the coffee is finished I pour her a mug as well. I hope she likes my coffee, cause I like to add lots of sugar. Yep, I'm a sweetie! (Wink, wink)

"Thank you," she says and walks past me, her hand gently brushing my butt. I straighten my back at her touch and give her a suggestive look which is also trying to remind her there's a kid having breakfast right next to us. All I get back is a sexy smile and a wink. She grabs her mug and sits down next to Aidan, looking at him lovingly again. "Is your breakfast any good?" she asks him. 

Aidan nods "Yeah! My uncle made it!" then looks at me with the most adorable and disgusting smile I've ever seen, due to him still chewing on cereal as he does it. 

Kenzie looks at me and speaks to Aidan with enthusiasm "He did? Really? Hm, I might ask for a bowl myself."

I cross my arms and lean against the counter "I'd be happy to oblige, but he adopted the cereal box like a puppy, so good luck with getting that breakfast."

She chuckles and whispers Aidan goodbye. 

"You're leaving already?" I ask her and stalk her through the apartment, for she is already walking to the door. 

She grabs for the door handle and shrugs "Is there a reason for me to stay?" 

I smile widely and lift a brow, licking my lips in the process "We could always take a shower together. If I remember correctly, we were very sweaty after our... hang out."

She takes a step to me, her index and middle finger taking a stroll up my chest "Honey, sweat wasn't the only thing that made us dirty." 

"All the more reasons to stay here with me." 

She thinks a little and when she leans forward I almost believe she's changed her mind and wants to kiss me. But a tease that she is, she only tells me she should really go. "Sorry, Nathan. Some other time."

"You really trying to say this is it?" If the tone of my voice wasn't as steady and deep, she'd probably think last night sex was a start of a relationship, because I sounded like I didn't want us to break up. 

Kenzie rolls her eyes and speaks to me in strict voice "You have to watch over a kid. We had sex in the middle of the night when we were sure he was safe and sound and asleep. Now, that's not the case. If you're the cool uncle, then my best guess is that he'd like to spend some time with you. Last night was great, don't worry about that, you did one hell of a job." She kisses my cheek then she leaves. 

I don't try to convince her to stay, I don't want to look like a horny jerk, even though that's who I may be most of the time. But I put Aidan first - after she convinced my dick isn't the most important thing. 

I sit at the table and watch him eat. It doesn't seem to bother him and I sip my coffee in peace. From time to time I get up to add more sugar to it. To be honest, I enjoyed the semi-silence in my apartment and how the only sound breaking it was Aidan's chewing habits. 

When I drink my coffee and put a mug in the sink so I'll wash it later, I hear Aidan sipping milk from his bowl. I smile at the sound when I remember Daniel and I used to do the same thing. Okay, I still do it. 

"Uncle Nate?" 

"Shoot, pal." 

"What will we do today?" Aidan asks and I want to come up with an idea, but all in vain. 

"I don't know, is there something special you'd like to do?" I ask, begging him not to ask for another amusement park. 

"No." is his answer and I want to drop to my knees and sing hallelujah. 

I take the bowl and spoon and put them in a sink, as well as cleaning the dishes right away. While I do that, I think a little "We could stay at home, if you'd like. Maybe play video games or something."

He smiles widely and screams "Yeah!"

"Yeah?" I ask, smiling small-like "Then that's what we'll do today."

***

Either I suck or Aidan is playing these games 24/7. We played NBA, FIFA, Super Mario even Crash Bandicoot and he won at every single one! I could say I let him win, 'cause he's a small child, but that's exactly the thing that angers me, I wasn't faking it! 

Once my anger reached its peak, I turned off my PlayStation console. Aidan of course protests, but when I look at him he wisely shuts up. Indeed, I don't like losing and I'm a bad loser. That's why I prefer to win every time in everything. 

"Time to get something to eat," I say and get up off my knees. Aidan keeps looking at me after I've already been in the kitchen and remains in the same position. "How about a Vienna steak? You like that stuff, right?" 

The way Aidan runs to me after I mention what I will prepare for lunch reminds me of a song 'My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and they're like: it's better than yours!' just that in my case we're talking about Vienna steaks and kids.

He follows me around the kitchen and I almost trip over the little guy a few times, before I begin thinking how I'd solve this situation. It takes me another four or five trips to get to the bingo. 

"Buddy, you gonna help me cook?" I ask him and look at my legs, just to make sure I don't step on him. 

"Aha!" he yells from a completely different direction. When I look around to see where he went, my heart nearly stops, when he's jumping with one foot on the counter. 

"Aidan, get down, right now!" I tell him in a commanding way. 

"No!"

"Aidan-!"

"But it's fu-" and he trips. And I jump. And before he smashes his head against the ground, I'm there to catch him. 

Before I realise what really happened, I set him down and check if he's sure he didn't break or hit anything. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" I ask while I hold his neck, arms, feet and his belly. When I see everything seems to be in order, I hug him tightly. Don't give me a scare like this one ever again. 

It's a bowl of hot oil that brings me back to reality. My heartbeat seems to be okay, my blood pressure as well and what's most important, Aidan is already following me like a shadow around the kitchen as well, meaning everything is really A-ok! 

He gets in my way plenty of times, but it's not as bothersome as before. He's the one who offers to get frozen fries from the freezer and open the bag full of it. Thankfully, it takes him long enough to do, so by the time I am already finished with the steaks. Patty reminded me plenty of times greasy food isn't good for Aidan's stomach. Supposedly it makes him puke a lot. And I've had enough of puking education by mentor Aidan Price. I let the steaks dry a little, at least what's concerning oil and meanwhile, Aidan brings me the opened bag. I throw some of Pommes Frites in the bowl to fry.

Wow. I'm a terrible uncle. 

It fries and it fries and it fries and Aidan does all sorts of stupid things around me, which also means furiously pulling on my PJ bottoms. Oh God, STOP!

"Lunch!" I exclaim happily, 'cause it means I'll get some peace and that Aidan won't see what he'll grow once he'll enter puberty. Yes, okay? I am not wearing underwear at the moment! Don't be grossed out, 'cause I bet you do it as well!

I choose the smallest piece and cut it in half before serving it to Aidan and offering him some fries as well. He knows better than to complain, though I see him furrow his brows at the plate a little.

"Uncle Nate?"

"What is it, buddy?" I ask when I get a portion for myself. You could double and triple his plate at the same time and you still wouldn't get the same amount as I have right now. 

He looks at the steak, at me and then at the knife. He repeats the same looking manner a few times, sending me a message he'd like me to cut his food into small pieces. 

I beam at him. Jesus, he's not 6 months old. "You want me to cut your food?" By giving me a small nod, Danny could be happy he wasn't here, cause he'd get his face punched off. I decide to play the cool uncle card "Well, I don't ask my Mum or Dad to cut my food." I pass him the knife slowly over the table "Meaning, you can do it yourself as well." Just please, don't cut anything else than chicken meat. 

He seems to be confused, but eventually grabs the knife and tries it out. He Regrabsit after it accidentally falls from his hands, smashing against the porcelain or the floor. The same thing happens for a few times, causing me to slowly lose my damn nerves. But I cut him some slack since Patty must be spoiling the hell out of him.

I leave him to struggle some more and eventually gets the hang of it, but he doesn't look too thrilled about it. That's why I lean forward and whisper him to make it look like a big important secret "You know, my first girlfriend liked me because I knew how to cut my food."

He blinks at me with wide, curious look. He's not impressed. Nate, he's a little kid. He thinks girls are stupid.

***

After lunch, Aidan takes a 2-hour long nap in my lap. I'm sitting on a couch and watching some TV I grew to like, as he is resting his eyes a little bit. I'm watching one of Bones episodes and I finally see Booth and Brennan becoming a legit couple. Sadly, in the next episode, she is pregnant.

I turn off the TV and sigh in exasperation, but I try to do it quietly not to disturb Aidan's sleep.

I glance down at him and observe his facial characteristics.

"-then maybe Aidan could be your son.."

Not just that Patty's words have been haunting me while I was with women, now I am being tormented while spending some time with my nephew.

But whenever I glanced at Aidan, I saw something. Maybe the way he curled to sleep or how he smiled and knew how to argue back.

I cover my eyes to recollect my thoughts and sigh. Patty knows what to say, she chooses her words very carefully, she is smart, therefore she wouldn't just blurt a thing like that. Now, either she wanted to hurt me and convince to "get my shit together", even though I have always been the only one in the family who had any sense of what he wants or what he'd like to become. The other possibility why she said what she said is because maybe... Maybe Aidan... You know, is mine? 

I run my thoughts through the timeline of moments when Patty and I did the deeds. High school, college, then I moved, but still came over. She celebrated with me when I got my job and bought the apartment. And when I say celebrated, I mean celebrated.

One question has remained unsolved, when did she hook up with Daniel? What if I knocked her up and she told Daniel it's his? That would also explain why she wants me to hang out and look after Aidan all the time.

"Hey, Nate, Danny and I are going to a weekend house, could you watch over Aidan?"

"Nate, I need a favour. Could you look after Aidan as Danny and I visit my/his and your parents?"

"I was wondering, do you have time? I need someone to watch over Aidan as Danny and I go to get some ice cream."

An unpleasant shiver runs down my spine when I think of Daniel's adoration of Aidan and his belief he is his son. I looked at the tired boy in my lap and realised I wasn't that terrified of him being my offspring, but how crushed Daniel would've been if that were the case. Also, why do I keep thinking about this and wondering if he is my son? Do I want him to be that? 

"Nate!" Patty giggles and throws her arms over my chest before she kisses me deeply "You're such a dork."

I chuckle and cup her face with my free hand, the other one is resting just above her buttocks "Can't argue with that, but you gotta confess-" I lean forward, kissing her some more "-you love your dork."

She pretends she has to think about it and I know she is just teasing me as she usually does "Well, maybe one day I will."

"What? Love me?" I exclaim, hurt by her words. 

She giggles again, 'cause apparently, I make girls giggle. Not that I am complaining, it's very cute. "No, silly!" She rests her head on my shoulder, right beneath my jaw and sighs deeply "Confess it."

"That you love your dork?" I smile, but it soon fades after I hear what she has to say to me.

"Confess it." She is slowly dozing off, I recognise it in her words. Usually, I would kiss her forehead or cheek or hair or chin or maybe all of the above, but I don't out of one simple reason. "I'll be probably wearing a white dress and you'll be wearing a tuxedo and we'd exchange important words... I don't know, just one of the possibilities."

She's always been implying to the wedding and that memory was just one out of many of similar ones. Patty also has her ways of creeping into my head, giving me weird ideas and I probably became her loyal puppy because of so many pleasant memories we've created in high school. And no, not all of them are connected to sex, but most of them are. 

Maybe I am just overthinking it, making myself believe something that would seem like a total bullcrap to me. Because I love my nephew I wish he were my son? No, I just like taking care of the kid and that could be because it reminds me of Daniel even though Aidan is nothing like his father. And so I return to the first question, is Aidan actually mine or is my mind playing some weird games with my conscience?

A/N: I thought I'd give you a different side of Nathan to see. What do you think of it? And what do you think about parental issues he faced towards the end of the chapter?

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~Blackie