Continuation of Fighting - Mitrick

Pete pulls Mikey closer into his chest, hushing away his quiet sobs and rubbing his back gently with his thumb.

"I sh-shouldn't b-be doing th-this..." Mikey chokes through his sobs, "I didn't... h-he didn't h-have a ch-choice."

Pete sighs and sits up, pulling the poor boy so he's hugging the shorter's chest, "he's not worth it, Mikey. If he wanted to keep you in the first place, he should have quit the job. Should have paid more attention to you, okay? None of this is your fault. He's the one who fucked up here."

"What if it wasn't him, though." Mikey breathes, "And what if he really was trying to-"

"Mikey, listen to me. I'm not just saying this because I want to keep you, but because I need to tell you the truth. He really doesn't care for you as much as you care for him. He should have been there for you when you needed it, understand? I love you and I don't like seeing you hurt like this..."

Mikey smiles the slightest, wiping away his tears and eventually just falls forward, hugging Pete tight.

"I love you, Panda."

"I love you, too, Mikes. Always have and always will."