Uncle John.

I wasn't an expert on kids, but I liked to think I was okay with them. When Arrow was first born, I couldn't have been more stoked for my friends Lex and Loren, seeing as it was their first child. He was a cute baby; I'd actually been one of the first people to meet the little guy. Lex had gone into labor while we'd been hanging out at Tim's place, so the whole lot of us ended up going to the hospital that night, and ever since then, I held a soft spot for him.
They'd visited a couple of times on tour, which was a really great feeling knowing that Arrow would be exposed to what we did. Of course as a baby, he couldn't listen to our sets due to the damage it could do to his little ears, so those times we just hung out on the bus. Once he was older he'd be able to rock out sidestage. I called him my little man.
I was fond of the kid, what can I say?
When he first started crawling, I couldn't but feel proud myself. I remember going to Pat for advice a couple times, worried that I wouldn't be a good uncle. Granted, I wasn't biologically related to Arrow but I felt protective over him and was constantly wondering what I could do to make sure he grew up right. The only advice Patrick ever really gave me was just to always put on a smile and be happy when you were with them, no matter what. Little kids were always excited to see you, the least you could do was share that excitement right back.
It was simple enough and it made sense. The way a baby could light up just by seeing you was a special feeling.
Loren dropped by one day while Halvo and I were lounging on the couch. I was amused when I saw that little Arrow was trapped inside a raccoon outfit.
"You're gonna get the little guy eaten by wolves," I chuckle as I sip from my beer.
"Lex dressed him up," he said with a groan. "You gotta admit he's cute though."
Halvo sits up. "Course he is. Hey, little dude!" His arms reach out for him and I scoff as Arrow starts to gurgle and wiggle in his dad's grip.
Loren chuckles, handing him over. "He just woke up from a nap, so go crazy. He's very much well rested."
"Aww he's ready to play," I coo, taking his little fist in my hand. He instantly locks it around my finger and I grin. "You ready to play?!"
His giddy cry makes me laugh and I take him from Eric to stand in my lap. Loren grabs himself a beer before sitting across from us on the other couch.
"He's gotten so big," I mutter as he happily bouncing, wiggling his knees to go up and down. Last time I saw him he couldn't even support his own head. He couldn't be more than 11 months old right now.
"Said his first word the other night," Loren chuckles proudly. "Mama."
Eric nods, reaching over to pat his shoulder. "That's great man. Soon he'll be callin' you dada."
He sighs. "Hopefully. Seems like whenever I hold him to put him down to sleep, he starts crying."
"I'm sure he'll say it soon," I assure Loren as I place Arrow to sit in my lap, bouncing him gently. I didn't need him upchucking all over my jeans; I've already been through that.
He soon climbs off to reach for my beer on the table and my eyes widen as I grab him quickly. "Whoaa, you're too young, little man."
Eric chuckles once he starts crawling over to him, stretching his arm out for the can. "Eager to get started, huh?"
I lean down and nibble on his neck as he sits between the two of us. He laughs, flailing his arms out.
"I feel like he gets along better with you two than me," Loren laughs as he shakes his head. I knew that definitely wasn't the case, though. He was a loving husband and I had no doubt he was equally an amazing father. I was just the fun uncle.
I can't help but smile as Arrow starts to play with my sleeve. I raise it over his head to taunt him. "When does he start walkin'?"
"We're still working on his first steps. He can stand but he always gets scared."
"Aww," Eric coos. "Little bear cub."
Loren smirks, leaning back into the cushion. "We bought him a little onesie suit for his birthday."
"Oh no, he's gonna live up to his nickname, isn't he?" I laugh, watching as he pulls himself up on the couch, my hand instinctively going behind him to make sure he didn't fall.
Loren shoots me an amused looks and I raise an eyebrow. "What?"
He chuckles. "Nothing."
~
A few months had passed, and the guys and I have locked ourselves away to record the next album. It really has been a very focused, determined process. There wasn't one day we weren't recording something, but we liked to wind down every once and a while. With the grandeur of the house we'd rented out, there were plenty of options. My favorite was the indoor pool.
"Guys!" Tim calls from the dining room, entering the dome with a smirk. "Guess who's visiting?"
His two guests round the corner and we all smile at the plus one in Lex's arms.
"The gang's all here," Kennedy chuckles. We get up to greet them one by one, and I gasp once I'm standing in front of Arrow. Good thing I had my shades off or he probably wouldn't recognize me with the stache. "Hey, little man!"
"Jah!" he giggles, making grabby hands for me. Oh, good, no tears.
"What's up, Row," I chuckle as Lex happily hands him to me. He laughs when I nuzzle his cheek with my face, the facial hair tickling him. That laugh could melt anyone's heart.
Loren chuckles at my encounter with the boy. "We thought you'd appreciate us bringing him with."
Lex scoffs and smacks his chest. "As if I'd let us go anywhere without my baby."
"I know, honey," he says before pressing his lips to hers. They were as in love as they were when they first got together and it was a relationship any of us would be envious of. Well, if I had one.
I grin. "Well, we're more than happy to you guys, too."
Jared guffaws. "Says the one that made a beeline for the baby."
"Did not," I mumble, Arrow's hands feeling my scruffy chin. Needless to say I hadn't shaved since this whole thing started. The guys seemed to give me more shit about it than the kid at this moment. I think he liked it.
Once we all got reacquainted, I got comfortable across the carpet and let Arrow crawl over to me. Apparently he knew how to walk now, but he still preferred that others carried him. It was probably due to Lex's motherliness and her spoiling him, but I was guilty of babying him too, so I couldn't blame her. The kid was adorable, who'd wanna ruin that by letting him start walking?
"I think you've only gotten cuter, lil cub," I tell him as I reach an arm behind. He was trying to hook onto my back but I was not about to play horsey.
He smiles and giggles before grabbing my nose. "Fuzzy."
I chuckle, assuming he was talking about my mustache. He tries to pull on it, but I push his arm away. When he tries again, I hold my arm out in front of me to block him as his arms still try to grab it. He laughs and the corners of my mouth slant up. Ever since he was little I liked to keep what he wanted out of reach.
"You'd make such a good dad," I hear Lex sigh. "When are you gonna find a nice girl and knock her up?"
I blush, grunting as Arrow succeeds at hopping and wriggling onto my back. Little worm.
"Haven't met the right one," I say plainly. That was a question I wasn't too interested in answering right now. I was focusing on my career with the band, and finding ways to better myself to be the best of my ability and that I'm capable of. If I met a girl along the way of that, well then great. But seeing as the next few months would be spent finishing the album and then heading off on our first tour of the year, a relationship wasn't a major priority.
"It's a shame," she mutters. "You're really adorable with kids."
"I am?" I ask, Arrow's arms locking around my neck and I try to wrestle him off.
Lauren points his finger at me. "Yeah, dude, look at you. I've seen it a buncha times. You're a total papa bear to our little cub."
I raise an eyebrow as I look over at the one and a half year old, who'd rolled off me and was giggling to himself. I hoped they didn't think I was intruding any way on their parenthood, I just really enjoyed spending time with him.
"I'm sorry," I tell them and watch him make his way over to Pat, who was probably more fit for the role than me.
"What for?" Lex asks. "Now we know we can count on you for babysitter."
I laugh, sitting up as I run a hand through my hair. "I don't know about that." Next to jostling and tickling, I knew next to nothing on taking care of a child. You fed and changed their diaper, that was about it as far as my knowledge.
"Believe me, you'd be an expert."
The thought that I could be a good father one day comforts me, causing my mind to wander. What would it be like to settle down? I tried picturing a nice house of my own, with a dog and a girlfriend that I planned on marrying one day. I wondered what the moment would be like when she looked at me and told me she was pregnant. Months of excitement and equal terror would eventually lead to the fateful moment when I'd hold our baby in my arms, feeling the love and pride that only a father could comprehend.
I chuckle to myself as Arrow makes his way back over to me, straddling my lap. Hopefully one day I'd have one like him running around.
For now, I'd keep the title of Uncle. That was enough.