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Being a single parent isn't easy. North knows this very well. He's had plenty of experience in his moderately short life. He practically raised his twin sister (who somehow always got into fights with one of the girls that lived on the same street as them). His mother was always either at a bar, trying to pick up a guy (it never lasted), or at one of her multiple jobs she had to try and pay the rent for that month. North never met his father and frankly, he didn't want to.
The day after North and South graduated from high school they both pulled the money they had gathered from summer jobs (South) and helping neighbors with odd jobs (North) and moved into an apartment in the city. They didn't tell their mother until after they were finished packing and were out the door. She didn't care. They knew she wouldn't (it was better that way).
North ended up going to community college part-time with a job as a server at a local restaurant on his non school days. South ended up working at a café down the street as the ice cream girl (in the summer) and cashier. They had a pretty nice life. They hung out with their friends Washington, York, Connie, and Carolina pretty much every week. They were never alone. They always had each other.
One hot summer night North, South, and the rest of their group attended a party hosted by some girl that Carolina knew in high school. North had been taking double shifts at the restaurant (catching up for the hours he lost during the school year) and it was his first day off in more than a week.
He ended up getting so trashed that the next day he woke up in bed with some girl he didn't recognize. He left in a hurry, hoping to god that they at least used some sort of protection.
They didn't. Two months later a woman about his age came knocking, her brother not far looking very annoyed. Apparently she was pregnant and he was father. She told him she didn't want it (North cringed at how she kept calling their child it like he was an object and not an actual human) and that her brother was forcing her to give the child a chance at life with North.
He ended up agreeing to take care of him and on April 9th, he was a father. He named him Theta.
He never saw nor heard from Theta's mother and uncle again.
North ended up dropping out of college and getting a full time job in a mechanic shop, fixing vehicles with Wash. It payed a lot more than his restaurant job (North frequently thanked Wash and his boss, Sarge, for the job opportunity. Sarge eventually told him to 'can it and get back to work'). The extra money helped with paying for everything Theta needed as a baby, including a baby sitter. He took him to the local childcare center up until age four he came home one day, crying about one of the new kids being mean to him. After that South took him to work with her and he occupied one of the tables with a pad of paper and a pack of crayons, drawing whatever his little heart desired (their fridge was practically made of his drawings after a month of this). North always joked about South babying him too much. During the hotter summer months, when the ac just wasn't enough, she always bought him a small cup of chocolate ice cream. During the colder months, when the heat was on full blast but never warmed his small hands fast enough to South's liking, she fixed him a small hot chocolate and made sure he wore a scarf at all times.
North was grateful to his sister for taking such good care of Theta. He did feel down sometimes that it was his sister taking care of his son and not him and that Theta didn't have very many friends. He quickly realized that either way, Theta was happy, and that made him happy.
When Theta turned six, he asked for a skateboard. North was against it, being 'way too overprotective' as his twin put it. He ended up getting him a red and blue skateboard (with matching protective gear of course) in the window of the athletic shop that he saw on his walk to work a week before the ninth. North and South took the day off on April 9th and took Theta to the closest skate park with his new board and gear. He was shaky at first, but turned out to be a natural. North almost had a heart attack every time Theta tripped or fell onto the pavement and rushed over, flitting his hands around, asking him multiple times if he was okay (Theta brushed himself off and smiled at his father like nothing had happened and continued skating). South joked that he could go professional when he grew up and North glared at her.
That fall Theta started school at Blood Gulch Elementary. He made a few friends in his class, and each day came home with a new and exciting story to tell his father and aunt. In October he made a new friend named Epsilon who skated at the same park as him. Epsilon told him about a skateboarding contest the park held in March for kids and teens and that he wanted to enter. North told him he would think about it. Theta asked him everyday after dinner until North gave in. North and York took him to the park every Saturday starting in January so that Theta could 'perfect his technique' ('it's gotta be perfect dad, or else I wont win!' Theta would tell him whenever North told him it was okay if he made a mistake. North would smile and pat his head before letting him get back to practice).
When the competition arrived, Theta had practiced his routine so much, he could probably do it in his sleep. South made her and North both matching shirts that read 'TEAM THETA!' in purple letters. North gave Theta a tight hug and kissed the top of his helmet (Theta whined out a 'dad, ew!' at this) before letting him join Epsilon among the group of kids that were also competing. North watched him talking with his friend for a minute before walking back to where South was keeping their spot on the grassy hill in the park. He was surprised to see Connie, Carolina, Wash, and York sitting with her all wearing the same shirt that he and South were wearing. He sat between his sister and York and waited for Theta's turn.
When he came up, the whole group stood up on their feet and started shouting encouraging words and 'i love you's at him. He waved at them and started his routine. Almost immediately, he face planted at the bottom of a ramp. North's heart stopped in his chest and he grabbed one of the hands at his side, squeezing it hard. He let out a sigh of relief and loosened his grip when Theta stood, brushed himself off and performed the rest of his routine without a hitch. When he finished, North felt someone squeeze his hand and looked at York who was smiling at him softly. His face heated up and he pulled his hand away, rushing away to where he left Theta before the competition to see if he was okay.
Theta rushed over to him bubbling with excitement about how nervous he was and that after he fell he didn't feel nervous anymore. North smiled and bent down to take his helmet off, ruffling his hair before taking his hand and leading him back to the group to wait for the medal ceremony. "I'm so proud of you, Theta."
"Yeah, I know dad, you tell me every day!" They smiled at each other and continued their walk back to the rest of their family.
Theta ended up not placing in his age group, just barely. He got fourth, Epsilon third. He almost cried when Epsilon ran to him with his bronze medal congratulating him and saying 'maybe next year' before running off to his own family. He didn't though and he puffed out his chest, stood tall and said 'I'll just have to practice twice as much until next year!' York noogied him while saying "Give it a rest for awhile kiddo, you have a year."
They sat in the park while Theta talked to some of his new skate friends. Right when they were about to leave, Carolina mentioned that she had bought some fireworks and was planning to set them off tonight in an empty field outside of the city. Theta's eyes grew big with wonder and he looked to his father who shrugged. "We just can't stay out too late." Theta hugged North's legs before running to Carolina to ask her everything he could about the fireworks before they split up in their cars and left the park.
The fireworks were amazing. Well, Theta thought so, even if he fell asleep in his dad's arms near the end. They were the best because he spent it with everyone he cared for, and who cared for him. He was happy, and to North, that was all that mattered.