I've seemed to have abandoned my baby for a bit, and my excuse for that is because I've just finished Brendon., I've started Dallon., and I've been updating everything I've neglected over the last 5 months to make it look like I'm semi-active before I go on hiatus.

Anyway! Look who's back with a new chapter with CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, PLOT MOVEMENT, EMOTIONAL SHIT

"I don't know about this, Gee..."Pete nibbles on their bottom lip anxiously, rubbing a hand nervously at the back of their neck as a blush dashes over the bridge of their nose, down their neck and to the tips of their ears. Petes head is dizzy as they stare at the items that Gee has sprawled on his bedroom floor, items that look like they belong in the comfort of Gee's bubblegum pink walls and collection of fat stuffed animals and colourful blankets and pillows and Pete is so out of place and they're uncomfortable.

Which they shouldn't be, because Pete has every right to belong in this room, but their clothes say a different thing. Petes skin tight black jeans and ripped band t-shirt contrasts so badly to the surrounding of pastel colours and soft items that are neatly placed around the room, with everything having a place and every colour part of the scheme that Gee has obviously worked hard on maintaining. Pete just looks like he taints the room, that he acts like a stain amongst perfection and it makes his skin itch and his chest tight because maybe he shouldn't be doing this at all.

Pete just doesn't fit into the atmosphere, the stereotype of what it means to be involved in this type of lifestyle and every fibre of their body is telling them to stop being stupid because Pete is the pure walking and talking definition of beating stereotypes and being different. But maybe this is just a barrier that Pete can't jump and that frightens Pete more than actually going ahead and following through with the plan.

As if reading Petes thoughts, there's suddenly an arm looping around their own, pale soft skin contrasting against the blackness of Petes clothes and bright red hair brushed behind his ear delicately. Gee gives Pete a small smile when they turn to face them, touching Pete reassuringly as they speak.

"You don't have to do anything if you don't want to, Pete. You can sit back and read a book, or join in if you like, when you like, or leave if that's what you want to do."Gee shrugs his shoulders, following Petes fearful stare at the items that are spread out on the blanket that's been draped onto the floor as if they're going to bite them.

To anyone else, the items on the floor are innocent; wonderfully soft, fat stuffed toys, colourful crayons and a box of toys. But to Pete, they look a challenge that Pete isn't ready to face and one that they're not sure that they will be able to fight against either.

"I-I don't know."

"Hey, shh, that's fine."Gee is so soft and caring and sweet as he presses a soft hand against Petes cheek and kisses their nose reassuringly, in one of the most sweetest and platonic ways that someone can. Pete can feel the tightness in their chest begin to become unloose, a heat traveling in its place and the small gesture makes Petes entire being feel like they're floating on a cloud of happiness.

"I'm just gonna do my thing and you sit there,"Gee is pushing Pete towards the bed that is pushed up against his bedroom wall, pressing a paperback book into their hands."And read this. You don't even have to pay attention that I'm here."

Hesitantly, Pete nods their head obediently, Gee smiling brightly at their friend before plopping himself down into the floor where they had both previously been standing. Pete gives a cautious look towards the open bedroom door, knowing that there is nobody else in the house because Mikey is working but that doesn't stop people from coming home. Glancing at Gee, the red haired teenager doesn't seem to notice as they rumble through a plastic box that's on the floor.

Trying to regulate their breathing, Pete directs their eyes to the first page of the old paperback that Gee had shoved into their hands, the pages dogeared and blue ink stains down the edges of the paper from being forgotten about in a school bag. Pete reads, or they try to anyway, because the paragraphs begin to adjoin and the sentences connect and the words start to blur the longer that Pete looks at the page until they can no longer make out the smudge of black ink that blobs the dirty pages.

The whole idea of being little, as Gee has put it many times, frightens Pete, not because it's something new but Pete hates the idea of getting involved in something that they may not have control over. Pete fears the unexpected, the unsaid, that what if Pete caves into the lifestyle and then suddenly doesn't know how to crawl out of it. The fear that maybe Dallon would find out, or worse, Ryan and they judge, the sneer at them, mock them.

A voice inside of Petes head tell them that they're stupid because Dallon and Ryan may be unbelievable assholes but they both have equally as large hearts and open minds. But that doesn't stop Petes fears, and what Pete fears most in the world is to loose that mean a lot to them, and Dallon and Ryan are their entire world.

"You cry a lot for someone who says they don' cry."Comes a voice suddenly, causing Petes shoulders to tense and to freeze momentarily. Gee is clambering up onto the bed, crawling across to his distressed friend with a frown tugging at his lips.

Gee had just gotten the action figures he was looking for out of toy box when he has heard the very familiar sounds of someone stiffening tears. Pete had been very quiet, but Gee didn't expect them not to be, especially with how sad they've been lately, but to actually see how upset Pete was made little Gee very protective and worried.

"M'not crying."Because they aren't, emotions are so hard for Pete and everything is just becoming far too surreal for them to handle. Pete didn't realise how much that they fear until now, of how they fear the unknown, of not having control, of being in control, of being alone and the reality of it all makes Petes feel so vulnerable.

"My Daddy says that 'ou shouldn't leave someone to cry alone."Gee says almost proudly at his statement, curious fingers peeling away the book that Pete has now pressed up against their face to hide their tears."Daddy says hugs are the best cure!"

"I don-"

"But sometimes people don' like hugs so maybe we should colour instead! Yeah, let's colour! Daddy bought me these colours and there's like lots of many of them, come look, come look!"Gee is now tugging at Petes hand anxiously, wanting the teenager to follow them off of the bed and onto the blanket on the ground.

Gee is tugging at Petes hand under they finally comply and kneel down onto the blanket beside him, much to the great big smile that spreads onto Gees face. They're crayons and markers sprawled out onto the soft blanket with every colour imaginable contrasting against the pastel coloured blanket. By Gees thigh, Pete can spot a mountain of colouring books that Gee grabs, shoving one at Pete.

"This one is animals."He pushes the thick papered book into Petes fumbling hands, a colourful animated picture of a lion and zebra printed onto its shiny front cover. Pete stares dumbly at the front cover, unsure really on what to do with it, something that makes Gee sigh and roll his hazel eyes, flipping the cover to reveal an outline drawing of shaggy puppy in a puddle."You take some colours an' you colour it in, like this."

Gee demonstrates with his own colouring book, flipping to a page that outlines the drawing of some cartoon character that Pete has no idea of. They grab a crayon and start to colour as best as they can between the lines of the outline, tongue poked out between pink lips in concentration as they colour. Pete watches with wide brown eyes, hesitant to follow Gees actions until the little looms up.

"C'mon, Pete. Copy me."Gee orders not unkindly, motioning towards the colours that are spread out on the soft, pastel coloured blanket. Before Pete can even answer, Gee has already turned their attention back to his colouring, leaving Pete to stare between the colours and the colouring book in their hands.

Pete can't remember a time that they coloured a picture, and maybe that's because Pete hadn't had the opportunity when growing up to be sitting indoors and colouring pictures of their Mom and Dad because they had never been home for them to colour the picture for. Petes parents worked so hard and were there so little, and Pete knows that their Mom loves them an awful lot but it doesn't hurt any less to realise how little she was there for them.

Grabbing a pen, Pete uncaps the marker and begins to colour one of the Puppy dogs ears a light brown colour and suddenly, everything just feels so right in that moment. As if there's been a switch all along in their head and it has finally been switched to the correct setting, a feeling washing over them that they can't exactly describe but one that seems to complete Pete without even knowing it.

They can't have been colouring in for long but Gee is on this third picture by the time that Pete has finished their colouring in of the puppy playing in the mud. To Pete, it looks pretty damn good because they spent so much time making sure not to colour outside of the lines and Pete is very very proud, and Gee looks pretty proud too from the smile on his face.

"What do we have here?"There's a new voice in the bedroom and it runs Petes blood cold because they know that voice. It's a voice that Pete has heard screamed, shout, laugh, slur at all sorts of oddities across the many years that Pete has known them and that fear comes rushing back like a tidal wave because their newly founded secret is out before it's even a secret and-

"Daddy!"Gee is jumping up from the ground and dashing towards Frank who has entered further    Into the bedroom, the look of curiosity and wonder that had been etched onto their face now replaced by a grin as they open their arms for the little who comes crashing into them.

"Hey baby,"Frank greets, pressing a loving kiss to Gees forehead as they ask,"Have you been having a good morning?"

"Yeah, like really cool! Pete came over an' I was showing them how to colour and come look at Petes drawing! Show him Pete! Show him!"Gee doesn't even blink at the oddity of it all, of how having Pete in his bedroom and colouring in pictures of animals shouldn't be as normal as he makes it out to be. To Gee, it feels like he has known that Pete has been a little for a while and actually having them little makes so difference to his idea.

"N-no, I-It's not go-"Petes voice comes out too quiet to be heard over Gees excited yells, voice unheard as Gee makes a grab for the coloured picture that Pete has just finished working on and is now showing it excitedly to his Daddy, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Pete is like really good at keeping between the lines."Gee boats for Pete, pointing out how good that Pete is indeed at colouring between the lines, even for a little as young as Pete seems to be.

"It's really rad, isn't it?"Frank admires the coloured in picture in his hands and Pete can feel the heat rush from their cheeks all of the way to the tips of their ears.

"Yeah! Put it on the fridge! Put it on the fridge!"Because that's where all of his drawings go.

"I think we should give it back to Pete now, baby. Let Pete decide what they want to do with it, hmm?"

"But it's really good!"

"I know it is, but it's Petes drawing."Frank explains gently, kneeling down in front of a bewildered looking Pete who stares dumbstruck at Frank. Frank Iero. A guy that Pete has physically seen with their own two eyes dive fist first into a fight that he didn't even belong to, has seen do numerous lines of coke plenty of times in strangers bathrooms, who dared himself to piss on a passed out Dallon Weekes just for the kicks of it.

Who is now, seemingly so calm and so natural in his element, bending down in front of them with the most earnest, trustworthy look upon his face, speaking to Pete as if they're the most delicate thing on earth. Holding out the coloured sheet that Pete unknowingly put so much work into with a smile spread across his face that's so soft and kind that it makes Petes entire body tingle with warmth, pushing out that embarrassment and fear that had nestled there to begin with.

"You're secret's safe with me,"Frank whispers, lips barely moving but Pete can hear him loud and clear. A weight that has seemed to be weighing on their chest seems to ease just a little, enough to allow them to breath a bit clearer again, to know that a sneer of disgust has yet to pass his lips or a threat to spill their secret.

"Thank you,"Pete whispers because this is a secret that they want to keep, a secret that Pete has only just deemed for themselves and the other two occupants of Gees bedroom. It's a secret that Pete doesn't even know all of the crooks and crannies to yet, has yet to explore, has yet to find the right comfort form.

"Now, I think it's time to get some food into two little boys stomachs."Frank winks, patting Pete on the knee before he stands and holds a hand out to help the newly adapting little up onto their feet.

"Ice cream!"

"Gee, you know the rules."

"But Daddy, it's a special day! Pete is a little, I-I think that means ice cream for lunch."Gee declares, looking excitedly between his Daddy and Pete who is happy enough to eat anything as long as it's food because thinking back, Pete hasn't had food since yesterday lunch time and even at that, Ryan had stole half of their sandwich.

"Fine, but only this once."Frank sighs but there's a smile on his lips as Gee wastes on time with planting a kiss upon Franks lips before scampering out of the room and towards the kitchen so he can fetch the bowls for their ice cream lunch. Frank gives Petes hand a small squeeze, smiling softly at them."C'mon, lets get you ice cream before Gee eats it all."

Pete could get use to this.

Please tell me your thoughts and opinions on this chapter!

Barely anyone reads this but for those that do, I would really like your opinions!

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Peace✌🏼