Work Text:
Joe hated gatherings. Why did he have to attend something boring when there was a football match on the telly? Oh, yes, because his mom told him.
Joe looked around the crowd for other children and noticed a little boy. The little boy was sitting on his mom's arm (or so Joe thought), holding a teddy bear while sucking his thumb. Seeing that meant the little boy was still a baby, something Joe had no interest in, since he was a big boy who would soon be eight years old. So, Joe decided to find something to eat.
The next time Joe noticed the little boy from before was when his mom placed him on the floor with a smile. For a minute, the little boy held onto his mom's thumb before letting go of it. At first, Joe thought the little boy would aim for the cake, but instead, he walked over to Joe's dad and yanked at his pants.
When Joe's dad kneeled to speak with the little boy, Joe decided it was about time to tell him to leave his dad alone. But Joe forgot all about why he had walked over to his dad when he heard the boy ask Joe's dad the following question:
"You have a big tummy like my mama. Are you also having a baby?"
Joe started to laugh and thought it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. It was there that Joe decided to get to know the little boy better, because he was funny, something Joe would forever be grateful for, because that little boy named Nicky would become one of his best friends ever. And Nicky was the friend who always knew how to make Joe laugh.