Voodoo Doll 🧸

Calum stood on the back porch, leaning against the sliding glass door and taking a drag of his cigarette. The sun was slowly making its way west as the day rolled into late afternoon. He hadn’t had much to do with his partner gone at work all morning. Fortunately for Calum, the front door of their place opened, and you walked inside, setting down your bag and taking off your shoes. Calum took one last drag before putting out his cigarette and stepping inside. He smiled as he watched you step further into the house.

“Hi, love. How was work?”

“Mh, it was alright.” You sighed a little. Work had been busy, meaning you had to do a lot more than normal, and it was overwhelming. “I’m tired.”

“Do you want to sit for a bit before dinner?”

“No, it’s okay… I’m going to change, then I’ll start dinner.”

Calum gave a small smile, silently worried, but he trusted you. Days like this happened a lot. “Okay, I’ll be on the porch.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek before heading back outside.

You took a deep breath. All that stress from work could finally go away. You walked down the hall to your room, going to change into more casual clothes, still not anything you could really relax in, though. Your brain was going a mile a minute with everything that had been going on in your life recently. There were too many things to do and not enough time. Maybe a quick shower would help. Then you could cook dinner, and a nice meal would definitely make you feel better.

So you got in the shower, going about the normal routine, or at least trying to. Everything truly was too much right now. You just sank down to the floor and started crying. The water came down over your body as you held yourself there. Your head was feeling fuzzy, and all those overwhelming thoughts were starting to be pushed around as you involuntarily dropped down. You didn’t want this to happen now; you had things to do! Unfortunately, you couldn’t help it as much anymore. You tried to finish up in the shower as quick as you could before getting out and getting dressed. Why had you picked these clothes? These were adult clothes; they really weren’t comfy for your headspace right now, but you just pushed through. After getting dressed, you went back to your room, taking a second to breathe. That second ended up turning into almost an hour. An hour of you just sitting on the floor, gathering your toys from the bin they stayed in. It wasn’t until your phone buzzed with a text from Calum that you came out of your thoughts.

‘Hey, are you starting dinner soon?’ Calum’s text read. He was still sitting outside on the porch, but occasionally he would glance back inside, and after a while of not seeing you in the kitchen, he decided to text just in case.

Shoot. You had totally forgotten you were supposed to start dinner. You stood up from the floor and walked down the hallway back to the kitchen. The kitchen felt a lot more intimidating right now. There was something you were supposed to prepare and make, but you couldn’t really remember, and pasta sounded a lot better right now anyway. You grabbed the box of pasta from the cupboard, then found a decent-sized pot and set it on the stove after filling it with water. You had long gotten over your fear of the stove in your littlespace from how much you needed to cook for yourself. Watching the water boil was boring. You moved in circles around the kitchen, not really sure what to do with yourself. Oh! You could get a drink. You opened one of the cupboards, reaching to the far back where your sippy cups were, and pulling out a colourful one. With minimal struggle, the lid got unscrewed, and you filled the cup with juice. Maybe a little got spilled along the way, but nothing too bad. You set some paper towels on the mess, leaving it for now. As you sipped on your juice and went back over to the stove, the water was boiling by now. You carefully opened the box of pasta and poured it in. You felt too small for this stove right now. Oh yes, the stool. You slid over the step-stool that sat by the garage door and brought it in front of the stove. Stepping up onto it, you felt much taller, just the perfect height to see everything in your little mind. You happily stirred the pasta, not even hearing the back door open.

As the sun had finally started to get even lower in the sky, Calum decided it was time to come in. He walked over to the kitchen, standing by the entrance and watching you for a moment. The island in the middle of the kitchen was blocking some of his view from this spot, but that didn’t affect much. At least he thought. Calum glanced at the fresh vegetables left forgotten on the counter, then back at you.

“I thought you were going to make the—“ He cut himself off as he stepped further into the kitchen. The first thing he noticed was you standing on the step stool. The second thing he noticed was the mess on the counter. Juice having almost run across the entire surface by now, with just a small pile of paper towels sitting on the other end, soaking up whatever was there. “Babe?”

You turned back at the sound of his voice, smiling brightly at him. “Hi, Cal!”

Calum watched you for a moment, noticing the tone of your voice, the way your eyes had that glossiness over them. He walked over next to you, speaking gently, about to test the grounds. “Watcha making?”

“Pasta.”

“I thought we weren’t doing pasta for dinner.”

“Oh.” Your face fell. “I can make some- somefing else?

“No, no- it’s okay, pastas fine.” Calum pointed at the clump of paper towels on the counter. “Can you tell me about that? What happened?”

“Oh-! Um.. just spilled a little, but I cleaned it up!”

“There’s juice all over the counter—“

Your frown returned. “Sorry, papa.”

That one word, papa, was all it took for Calum to know you had regressed. He sighed a little, but he knew he could never be mad at you, especially not when you were in this state. “It’s okay, baby. Thank you for cleaning up your mess. Can I ask you a question?”

“Mhm.”

“Are you little right now?” He already knew the answer, but he needed to ask anyway.

“Um… yeah, that okay?”

“Of course it’s okay, I just wish you told me sooner.” He glanced at the pot on the stove. “How about I finish up dinner, then we can do something fun, okay?”

“I can do it, papa.”

“I know you can, bubba, but let me help you out, that’s what I’m here for.”

Ever since you had opened up to Calum about your regression, he had started caring for you. It was taking time for him to be able to understand how everything worked for you, but he was trying his hardest and really doing amazing. He knew you struggled with accepting his help sometimes, though. Before, you would have to take care of yourself in littlespace, so you had never fully dropped before, but with Calum here, he helped guide you through your headspace. It was nice being able to fully regress and be taken care of, but now you were involuntarily regressing more, and it got overwhelming. A small part in the back of your mind said you still had to care for yourself, and when you were fully little like this, it was a lot more difficult to do than when you were half regressed, just doing things on your own to make you feel little and happy. That thought in your mind wasn’t true, though. Calum was here for you now, and he’d do whatever it took to show you that.

“How about-“ Calum thinks for a moment. “Can papa help make dinner with you?”

“Yeah!” You took a step down from the stool, moving aside for Calum. It was just pasta. It wasn’t difficult by any means, but you loved the idea of Calum helping you cook.

“Hm.” Calum pretends to think as he looks over the pot, giving it a small stir. “Seems like we’re only a couple minutes out from dinner. Do you want to make sauce?”

“No.” You spoke softly and politely. You really just wanted some plain buttered noodles, an easy go-to.

“Alright, just pasta it is then.” Calum knew there was sauce in the fridge he could heat up if he really wanted something more for his own dish. “Do you think you can get a strainer and set it in the side sink for me?” Calum ‘helping’ you with dinner in your littlespace normally turned to him doing it and giving you small tasks here and there to be involved. It worked out well, though. He didn’t want you to feel like you had to do all this work.

You smiled and eagerly got to work, crouching down to one of the low cupboards and pulling out the strainer. You set it in the sink like normal. “All done!”

“Good job.” Calum praised as he stirred the pasta one last time. “I’m gonna bring this to the sink, but it’s hot, so be careful, love.” He smiled as you stepped back. He lifted the pot from the stove and went over to strain the water out. You watched him for a moment before moving around him and grabbing your sippy cup, standing idly as you sipped the juice. Calum moved the pot back onto the now turned-off stove after the water was strained from the noodles. “Alright, baby, pasta's just about done. Do you want to grab some bowls or do you wanna go sit?”

You thought for a moment, lightly gnawing on the spout of the sippy cup. “Wanna sit.”

“Okay, love. You can go sit at the table, I’ll bring you your pasta.” Calum watched with a soft expression as you made your way to the dining table, pulling out a seat and waiting patiently.

Calum made quick work of dishing up two bowls of pasta. He also grabbed some extra napkins and cleaned the rest of the juice spill that had been left on the counter. Satisfied, he walked over to the table, taking a seat next to you and placing your bowl down. “Eat up, darling.”

You both ate in relative silence. The only sounds being your forks against the bowl or soft chewing. Calum was walking the layout of his mind, going through what he’d have to do tonight to take care of you. The only thing Calum had really been planning to do was clean up around the house a bit, but that could wait. He was brought out of his thoughts by your little voice chirping up.

“All done, papa!” You showed your bowl, now rid off all the pasta.

“Good job eating all your food, baby!” Sometimes you struggled with eating, and being in littlespace made it easier. It was also easier for Calum to keep a schedule with you. He was genuinely proud every time. “Would you like seconds?”

“No, ‘m full.”

“Okay, would you like more juice?” He nodded towards your almost empty sippy. He smiled at your nod, getting up and filling the cup. He sat back at the table, handing off your sippy and going to finish his dinner.

Once Calum had finished his own dinner, he took your bowls to the sink and then looked back at you. “What would you like to do now, love? We still got some time before bed.”

“Ummm…” You looked up in thought. “We play?”

“Of course, what do you want to play?”

“Colour?” Maybe not playing specifically, but still a fun activity for you.

“Yeah, we can colour, let’s go get your stuff, yeah?” Calum offered out his hand, but his gaze softened when you reached out to him with both arms. He chuckled and picked you up, holding you close to his chest.

He started walking down the hall to your bedroom, entertaining your little babbles as he went. He opened the door, fully prepared to grab your colouring stuff and leave, but he froze seeing almost all the toys from your toy bin scattered on the floor. “What happened here, love?”

You glanced back, forgetting that you hadn’t put them away, when you abruptly got up to make dinner. You blushed lightly and buried your face in the crook of Calum’s neck. “Sorry, papa.”

“It’s okay, bub, I’m not mad. Can you help me clean this up real quick?” He bounced you slightly. Once you nodded, he set you down, and you both collected all the toys to drop back in the bin. After all the toys were cleaned up, Calum grabbed your colouring books and crayons. “Up we go.” He spoke as he lifted you back into his arms. “We can colour in the living room and watch some cartoons, how does that sound?”

“Yeah! Show!” You happily exclaimed. Calum just smiled down at you, his heart filling with joy.

Once in the living room, Calum set you down by the table, setting out the colouring book options and the box of crayons. While you picked a colouring book, Calum turned on the tv, already finding his way to your favourite kid show. You happily coloured away, occasionally looking up to watch the vibrant show, or to watch Calum. He had his own page he was colouring in, so he could be doing the activity with you. It always felt a lot nicer having someone to do things with rather than them just watching.

You both coloured quietly, aside from your occasional babbles directed at him or about the show. When you were done, you held up the colouring sheet proudly. “Papa! Look!”

Calum set down the crayon he was holding and looked over at you. The page was a simple ocean scene with some bright coloured fish. “Wow, that looks so good, buddy!”

“You like it?”

“Yes, I really like it. You did such a good job.” He reached out to ruffle your hair, his smile growing at your giggle.

Calum let you colour for another episode of the show before deciding it was late and you should be heading to bed. You had woken up early today anyway, so you didn’t need to stay up so late. “Alright, buddy, I think it’s time we clean up and head to bed.”

Unfortunately, that was the wrong move because you did not want to go to bed yet. “Noooooo papa. Not bedtime yet.”

“I think it is, sweetie. It’s late, you’ve been working all day.” He kept his tone calm.

“Noooo! Don’t wanna.” You whined.

Calum sighed a little, thinking over his options. “How about we clean up here first?”

You huffed a little but relented, helping Calum clean up the colouring supplies. However, once that was done, he was right back to bedtime, and you were right back to protesting. “Sweetheart, I know you’re tired, and you don’t want to be all cranky in the morning. Let’s get some rest.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, huffing again and pouting. “No.”

“Why don’t you want to go to bed, sweetheart?”

“Not tired.”

Calum sighed at the response. “Can we at least get changed into some pajamas?”

You were still just not feeling it. Your regressed mind too upset about the idea of going to bed when you really just wanted to stay up with Calum. You whined and sprawled out on the floor. “No!”

“Love-“ Calum started, but was cut off by your whine. He sighed again, trying to keep his frustration down. He went to pick you up, but you whined loudly and squirmed out of his arms, almost making him drop you. “I’m not going to play this game right now, baby. We have to start getting ready for bed.” There was a slight edge to his voice.

“Nooooo!” You whined loudly, tears starting to fall. “Don’t wanna! Want papaaa!” You hit your fists lightly on the ground. This was tantrum territory now, Calum knew this.

“Baby, it’s already past your bedtime, and you’ve had a long day. I know you don’t want to go to sleep yet, but can we try to start winding down? We can read a book or watch a movie?” Calum really didn’t want to deal with a tantrum right now, but he knew he couldn’t just give in to your every word. There had to be limits.

“NO!” You cried harder, squirming on the ground and kicking slightly. Unfortunately, one of your kicks hit the edge of the table and sent a sharp pain through your foot. You cried out even harder.

“Oh, baby.” Calum didn’t want to coddle you too much when you were on the verge of a tantrum, but you had hurt yourself, and he wouldn’t ignore that. “Come here, let me see your foot.” He moved closer, holding his arms out in a silent invitation.

Part of you was upset and wanted to keep protesting bedtime, but your foot hurt, and Calum was the person who was there for you through anything. So you scooted closer, still crying, and held out your leg. Calum gently lifted your foot, checking it for any marks.

“You just got a little bruise, baby. Nothing too bad. Can you tell me how much it hurts?”

“Stingy…” You mumbled out between small cries.

“It’s okay, baby.” He pressed a light kiss to the top of your foot. “You’re gonna be okay.”

“Papa make it better.” You sniffled as he kissed your foot, already feeling a bit lighter.

Calum reached out again, gauging your reaction before lifting you into his lap and rocking lightly. “I know you’ve had a long day, and you’re feeling tired and upset, but you can’t just start throwing a tantrum when you don’t get what you want.” Calum’s heart hurt at the way you frowned from his words. He didn’t like having to lecture you, but he also couldn’t let you get away with stuff like this. “Bedtime isn’t negotiable, love. If you’re upset, we talk about it, remember? You can’t start screaming and crying, that’s not how you get what you want, okay?”

“Otay…” You mumbled out, still sniffling. Calum could hear the guilt in your voice.

“Okay.” He gently rubbed your back. “Now, we’re gonna sit here until you calm down a bit more, then we’re getting ready for bed, alright?”

You were still a bit upset about having to go to bed, but after all the crying and hitting your foot, you were too tired to protest more. You leaned against Calum’s chest, listening to his breathing and calming down. No longer crying or sniffling. Calum was rubbing your back, his other hand on your leg, and looking off into the distance. You knew what he was waiting for. “‘M sowey papa.” He looked down at you, encouraging you to keep going. “Sh-shouldn’t hab reacted like that.. not nice of me…”

“Thank you for apologizing, love. I forgive you.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Are you ready to get settled for bed now?”

At your nod, Calum stood up with you in his arms and made his way to the bedroom. He closed the door behind him with his foot and placed you on the bed, turning towards the closet. “What pajamas do you want for bed, love?”

“Um… can wear papa’s clothes, please?” You asked shyly. He always said yes, but you tended to feel bad asking after making him upset. Even though he really wasn’t upset with you at all.

“Of course, darling. You want one of my shirts?” When you nodded, he turned back to the closet and found a comfy shirt for you to sleep in. The fabric a dark red colour. He also grabbed a soft pair of your shorts. Calum held up the clothes for you, making sure you approved before coming back over. “Do you need help getting changed?” You shyly nodded again, and Calum began to remove your day clothes. Once the new clothes were on, he took a second to look over you, smiling at how cute you looked in his clothes. “There we go, all nice and cozy.” He lifted you back into his arms, lying down on the bed with you in his lap. “What do you wanna do before bed, hm?”

You thought for a moment, really more focused on snuggling into Calum’s embrace, before speaking up. “Book?”

“Yeah? Alright.” He patted your side and lifted you off his lap. “How about you pick a book to read, and I’m going to go get your bottle, okay?” He grinned at your nod, watching how you immediately got up to find a book. Calum left the room and went to the kitchen, quickly preparing a warm bottle. It always helped calm you down and pull you further into sleep mode. After testing that it wasn’t too hot, he walked back to the room. He had the sweetest smile on his face seeing you sitting on the bed with your book of choice, waiting for him. “Alright, bubba, I got your bottle.”

“Baba!” You made grabby hands, he wasn’t really sure if it was towards him or the bottle, likely the bottle by your exclamation, but he walked over and brought you back into his lap, gently holding the bottle up to your lips and letting you grab on and start drinking. He picked up the book, running his hand over the cover for a moment before opening it and starting to read.

Calum kept his voice steady and gentle as he read to you, occasionally looking back to check on you. He watched as your eyes started to droop with every sip from the bottle, and once it was finished, he gently pulled it back and set it aside. Quickly reaching for your pacifier and settling it between your lips before you could start sucking your thumb. You let out small yawns and nuzzled further into him, trying to take all of his warmth. Calum kept reading until he heard your breath even out and could tell you were right on the edge of sleep. He closed the book, setting it aside on the nightstand near the bottle. They could be put away later. He lay down more, pulling the blankets up, and adjusting so it’d be comfortable for both of you. He pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. “Goodnight, baby. I love you.”

The boys were all chatting quietly when Luke began to stir in Michael’s lap. His eyes fluttered open, and he let out an adorable yawn, stretching his arms up far. Their attention was all quickly diverted to the little one, faces softening, seeing how cute he looked when he first woke up.

“Mornin’, baby,” Michael spoke up.

Luke let out a sleepy hum in response, still trying to blink away the sleep from his eyes. He shifted again, this time stretching his long legs out. He peered up at Michael. “Mmmorning.” His voice was groggy and slightly slurred.

“Did you have a good nap, baby boy?” Ashton asked, hand already rubbing Luke’s back.

Ashton could feel Luke lean back into his touch, but the boy's fingers gripped Michael’s top tighter. “Mhm… slept good.” Baby was half asleep still anyway, and he clearly wanted to stay right where he was, secure and warm.

“That’s good, take your time, bubba.” Ashton smiled.

“Looks like he’s not planning on letting go anytime soon.” Calum teased lightly, absolutely in love with the sight of his boyfriend, all sleepy and cozy. “He’s clinging on like his life depends on it.”

Michael just chuckles and bounces Luke slightly. “Let’s start waking up, darling. Then we can do fun things!”

A small whine slipped as Luke was bounced, making him snuggle closer to Michael in an attempt to protest getting up. He didn’t even lift his head up to respond to Michael. “No… wanna stay here.”

“Aw, you don’t wanna move from my lap, baby?”

“No wanna… comfy.”

“Hmm..” Michael pretended to think. “Well, I don’t know how we’re supposed to… play.. if you don’t want to get up.” He made sure to put extra emphasis on the word play just to get the boys' attention.

It took him a minute, but Luke’s sleepy mind finally processed the words spoken to him. He really did want to play and have fun, but he was reluctant to leave the comfy warmth of Michael’s lap. He turned his head up, gazing at Michael with pleading eyes and a pouty lip, his usual combo. “Can’t we play here?”

“That depends on what you want to play.”

Luke looked back down, mind running through options. He was determined to stay in Michael’s, or at least one of the boys' laps, even if it meant having to play where they were at. He had a small, tired smile on his face as he looked up again with big, hopeful eyes. “Umm… I want- uhh..” He stopped again, struggling to think of something while still half-asleep.

All three boys could see the internal struggle displayed on Luke’s face. It made them smile fondly.

“Come on, buddy, use your words.” Calum prompted with a small chuckle.

Luke’s pout returned at Calum’s words, not liking his teasing remarks. However, he knew he needed to think of a game or something to do, so he tried again, still struggling to form his thoughts into words. “Uhh..” His brows furrowed in concentration, trying to recall what it was that he wanted to do.

Michael watched with an amused expression, enjoying the sight of his sleepy boy trying so hard. He couldn’t just leave him on his own, though, so he helped. “We have all of your Legos, and your toys, there’s some board games, we could colour…” Michael listed off options just to jog the boy's memory.

He listened to the suggestions carefully, his eyes lighting up as he considered each option. They all sounded so good. He was too sleepy still to really make a choice, not when the only thought on his mind was how cozy it was with his daddies. He let out a little huff, expression frustrated. “Can’t.. choose, dada.”

“Hm, well, if you want to be able to stay in dada’s lap, maybe we can colour?”

Luke’s grumpy frown faded at the suggestion, already perking up at the idea. He absolutely loved colouring. He nodded quickly in agreement, excitement already growing on his face as he looked back up at Michael. “Colouring.. in lap.. wanna do that.”

“Alrighty.” Michael looks over to Ashton. “D’you mind getting his colouring stuff? I doubt he’s gonna let me move.”

Ashton chuckled, knowing exactly what Michael meant. Luke was really clingy, and he had no intentions of leaving Michael’s lap with the way he was curled up to him. “Yeah, no worries, I got it.” Ashton stood from the couch and went to grab the supplies.

“You hear that, Luke? Ashy’s getting your colouring books, then you can colour with your daddies.”

“Colouring with daddies gonna be fun!”

“Yeah, it’s gonna be so fun, baby boy.” Michael nuzzled Luke’s neck. His little body relaxed even further into Michael’s embrace because of it.

Ashton came back with a handful of different colouring book options and a pack of crayons, setting them on the table, then scooting back onto the couch. He laughed a little at how tightly Luke was hanging onto Michael. “Looks like someone isn’t letting go anytime soon.”

“Yeah, I’m just stuck here.” Michael laughed, bouncing Luke slightly.

“Better buckle up, mate.” Calum chuckled.

Michael turned Luke around in his lap, sitting the boy between his legs, and facing him towards the table where all the colouring stuff was laid out.

Luke hummed as he was maneuvered, still pretty sleepy and not caring that much as long as he was still close to one of his daddies. However, he smiled seeing the colouring supplies, letting out an eager noise, clapping his hands slightly.

“Go ahead, baby.” Michael patted his side.

He quickly reached out for the colouring supplies once given permission, his hands a bit clumsy, but his eagerness to colour was clear. He picked up a dark blue crayon, holding it in a little fist, and looking back up at Michael. “I colour now?” The dyed redhead hummed in confirmation. A giddy little grin spread across Luke’s face, and he immediately flipped open a page in his colouring book and got to work. His fingers moved slowly but eagerly, scribbling away with the crayon in his hand. He worked diligently on the page, his tongue sticking out slightly in concentration as he tried his best to colour within the lines. Every now and then, he would glance up at Michael for approval.

Michael noticed Luke’s glances back at him, and he’d always smile and nod, encouraging him to keep going. He ran his fingers through Luke’s curls, keeping his other hand on the boy’s waist. “Good job, baby.”

Luke’s body practically melted into Michael’s touch, his mind reveling in the attention. He loved being praised, no matter what it was for, really. Each time one of his daddies would praise him, he’d always look up at them with a proud smile, eyes sparkling with joy.

Ashton and Calum were doing their own colouring. They had a couple of more ‘mature’ colouring books, alongside the kid ones for little Luke, that they could work on, so as to not leave Luke playing on his own. He liked when they could all do activities together. Ashton was colouring in a pretty flower while Calum was filling in a mandala. Luke was having the time of his life, completely immersed in his art and colouring away with full determination. Each time he reached for a new crayon, he would glance back at Michael with an excited expression, awaiting praise. Ash and Calum would watch Luke with affectionate gazes; they thought he was adorable whenever he would look back to Michael for approval.

From time to time, Luke would lean back into Michael’s embrace, clinging to his arm and melting into the embrace. The colouring was keeping him entertained just as much as the comfort was. With every passing moment, Luke would just get more and more invested in his little art piece. The room was filled with the gentle sound of crayon on paper and the bus rolling through the streets outside.

After what seemed like hours, at least for Luke, he had finally finished colouring his page. He giggled and held up the page for Michael to see, eyes wide and expectant, waiting for his daddy’s reaction. His expression was full of pride. “Finished! Look, daddy.”

Michael leans forward, putting a hand on his chin like he’s examining a famous art piece. “That looks so good, Lukey! You did such a good job.”

Luke’s smile grew even bigger, and he held the page up higher, clearly wanting him to continue admiring it. “You liiiikkeeee it? I drawed a kitty.”

“Yeah, it’s a very cute kitty.”

Luke kept beaming, pointing at different parts of the drawing. “Look! There’s the tail, and the whiskers, see? See?”

Michael smiled and laughed a little, rubbing Luke’s back. “I can see that, baby.”

Luke leaned into the touch, practically melting at all the affection he was getting. Michael swore his heart was going to melt from how much Luke was smiling. The younger boy pointed at more details. “And there’s the eyes.. and the paws. I drawed them so good!” His finger traced over every part as he spoke.

“It looks so good, bubba, you wanna show the others?”

His eyes lit up even more. He loved showing off his artwork! He nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes! I wanna show daddy!!”

Ashton and Calum chuckled at Luke’s excitement. They knew how excited he got over his drawings in this state.

Ashton leaned forward and ruffled the blonde's hair. “Someone’s excited to show off his art, huh?”

“He’s gonna make us admire his masterpiece for the next fifteen minutes,” Calum spoke up, sounding more sarcastic than he meant to, making Michael smack his arm. Calum let out an exaggerated gasp of pain, feigning offense.

“Hey! No hitting!” Ashton teased in a lighthearted tone.

“Just look at his drawing.” Michael rolled his eyes.

Ashton held up his hands in surrender. He knew they were joking, but he played along anyway. He turned his attention to Luke, his expression softening into a sweet smile. “Alright, let’s see this masterpiece you made, Lukey.” Calum nodded along to Ashton’s words, also directing himself to Luke.

Luke got a little shy with all the attention now on him, but he still held the pride over his drawing. “Here… look.” His voice was small as he held the page up for Cal and Ash to see. A simple coloured in cat with a fluffy tail and big, round eyes. Luke had also drawn a little blue bow on it.

The boys cooed at how shyly he held up his art. Calum was the first to speak up. “Look at that, someone has got some real artistic talent here.”

Ashton gave Luke a gentle pat on the head. “Better watch out, Picasso. We got a prodigy over here.”

“You did such a great job, kiddo.” Calum leaned over and pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead. Luke squealed.

“How about we put this one on the fridge, hm?” Ashton offered to Luke. The blonde boy gasped, mouth forming an ‘o’ for a moment before quickly nodding. Ashton grinned at how excited his little one was. He carefully took the colouring book from Luke to take the page out, and he walked over to the fridge, pinning it on with a silly star magnet. “There we go! How’s that look?”

Luke let out an over-the-top “yay!!” Making the other boys giggle. Calum added in his own little compliment. “Yknow, we might have to start charging admission for this gallery. You’re gonna be the next Van Gogh at this rate.”

Michael could definitely tell Luke was a lot more active and awake now than he had been when they started colouring. The two other boys could tell too. All their praise was really affecting Luke. He looked like a puppy that had just gotten a new toy. He was all bright smiles, swinging his feet back and forth. It was really nice to see him like this.

“Looks like someone’s perking up a bit,” Ashton said.

“The little artist is finally starting to wake up.” Michael quipped. “We might have to get him some coffee or something at this point.” Michael was joking anyway; they didn’t let Luke have a lot of caffeine or sugar when he was little. He consumed enough while big.

“Speaking of, I do think it’s time for lunch.” Calum chimed in. “What do you think, baby boy?”

Luke was content to cling to Michael for longer, but at the mention of lunch, his stomach let out an audible growl.

The others chuckled at Luke’s pout when his stomach gave away his hunger. “Guess that answers that question.” Ashton smiled.

“Damn, kiddo, sounds like a wild animal’s in there.” Calum couldn’t resist poking fun at Luke a little.

Luke pouted a bit more, a slight hint of embarrassment crossing his face. He placed a hand on his stomach as if to silence the noise.

“It’s okay, buddy. Daddy’s just teasing you.” Michael reassured the boy.

Luke’s pout faded slightly, his blue eyes meeting Michael’s bright greens. He knew deep down that Calum was just joking around, but in his regressed mind, he still found the teasing embarrassing. “Stomachs just hungwy… that’s all.” He mumbled out.

“It’s alright, bud.” Calum intervened. “What do you want for lunch?”

Luke was silent for a minute, thinking over the question. They all waited patiently for his response, hoping it was actually something they had on the bus, cause they couldn’t really stop for food. They were driving in the middle of nowhere right now to get to the next city.

Luke’s eyes lit up with excitement as he finally thought of what he wanted. “Pizza! I mean.. um.. pizza.. please?”

Calum giggles at Luke’s correction, appreciating the boy's attempt at manners. “Pizza? Hm… yeah, I think we have a frozen pizza we can make.”

The thought of food seemed to give Luke a burst of energy; he nodded eagerly, bouncing slightly in place. “Yes, pizza! Want pizza!”

“Alright, do you wanna stay here with your daddies while I make food?”

Luke was silent for a moment. Part of him didn’t want Calum to leave his side, but his hunger for pizza won out. He had Michael and Ashton to sit with anyway. “Okay… just want pizza.” Ashton giggled a little at his cute reply.

“Good boy.” Calum kissed his forehead before getting up and walking to the small kitchen of the bus.

Even if Luke had been attached to Michael the whole time, his clingy nature made him not like the idea of any of his daddies leaving. He pouted and reached out slightly as Calum walked off, wishing he could bring him back.

“Someone’s not happy about being away from daddy.” Michael teased lightly.

Ashton chuckled at Michael’s comment, nodding along. He knew all too well how attached Luke got. The little boy was practically a barnacle, always clinging to the nearest person. “Yeah, he’s a clingy little thing.” His voice was full of affection. Ashton scooted over next to Michael, putting a hand on Luke’s side.

“Aw, don’t pout, Lukey. Daddy will be back before you know it.” Michael ruffled his hair.

He recognized the reassurance in the older boy's voice, his frown fading slightly. He was still sad Calum couldn’t be right by his side. He leaned a bit further into Michael, seeking some comfort. “Miss daddy.” Luke’s eyes were glued to the kitchen.

“You’ll survive, kiddo, daddy’s just making pizza.” Ashton pressed a kiss to his temple. “Then you’ll get to stuff your face with food in no time.”

Within a minute, Calum was back on the couch. “Alright, pizza’s in the oven.”

As soon as Calum was back in the small living area, Luke’s eyes darted to him, a small smile spreading across his face. He was trying to be good and patient as he sat with Michael, but he missed Calum nonetheless. Hearing that the pizza was in the oven made him smile wider. “Pizza soon?”

“Yeah, buddy, pizza soon. It’ll be like twenty minutes.”

Twenty minutes seemed like a long time in the little boy's eyes, especially when he was hungry. “Twenty minutes?” He let out a small whine. “But I want pizza now…” He mumbled, tone holding impatience.

“I know, buddy, but you gotta wait. Do you want some juice?”

That seemed to momentarily distract him from the wait for pizza. He nodded, pout fading. “Yes, please, Cal Cal.”

Calum’s smile turned warm so fast from the little nickname for him. He adored it when baby Luke called him that. It was absolutely adorable. “What kind of juice would ya like, love?”

“Can I have ummm… apple juice! Please?”

“Apple juice? Good choice, little man.” Calum got up, grabbed one of Luke’s sippy cups, the one with the Disney princess design, and filled it with juice. Before Calum was even halfway back to the couch, Luke was eagerly grabbing for it. He loved that sippy cup as well. The princess design made his inner child extremely happy. He kept reaching out until finally Calum handed off the cup. It was brought to Luke’s lips within seconds, and he was now making tiny sounds and looking a lot more content as he drank the juice. “Such a sweet boy.” Calum cooed.

It wasn’t long before the pizza was finally done. Calum had gotten up again to get it, while the others stayed on the couch. Luke was sitting next to Michael, and Ashton was on Michael’s other side. The scent of the pizza wafted through the air, making their mouths water.

Luke, who had finished all of his juice, set the empty sippy on the counter and leaned over to look at Calum in the kitchen. “Pizza ready yet?”

“Almost, bud. I gotta let it cool a bit before we can dig in, don’t want you to burn your mouth.”

“But I’m hungryyyy, want pizza now.” He was getting more and more eager to eat, and his stomach was starting to protest with small growls.

Calum knew Luke was getting cranky because he was hungry, but he wasn’t going to let Luke eat yet, just to get burnt immediately, then it’d all be worse. “It’ll only be a couple more minutes, okay? Can you be patient for daddy?”

His pout deepened for a quick moment, but he just huffed and sat back against the couch. “Otay… will be patient for daddy.”

“Thank you, baby.”

Ashton and Michael exchanged looks; they smirked a little, finding the whole scene adorable. Ashton couldn’t resist teasing Calum a little. “You spoil him too much, you know that, right?” Of course, the usual statement shared between the boys.

“Shut it, you do the exact same thing.”

Ashton chuckled, knowing he was right. It was very true. He was just as guilty of spoiling the little blonde boy as Calum was. They were all suckers for Luke’s sweet charm. “Guilty as charged,” Ashton admitted with a sheepish grin.

Calum rolled his eyes and got up to get the pizza. He brought plates over for everyone, and the older boys immediately dug into their slices. Luke was practically drooling at the sight. The hot, cheesy food made his stomach growl, the smell filling the air not helping at all. “Alright, buddy, I got your pizza!”

The little one instantly reached out to the plate Calum was handing him. He wanted to devour it as soon as possible, but before he could grab the slice, he stopped. He remembered Calum’s words from earlier about it being hot. “Can I eat it now? Please?”

“Yeah, buddy, go ahead, just be careful, it’s still pretty hot.”

As soon as Calum gave the go-ahead, Luke wasted no time in taking a big bite of his pizza slice. However, just as he had been warned, the pizza was still hot, causing Luke to pout slightly and stick out his tongue. “Ow… hot..” He mumbled, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“You okay?” Michael asked quickly.

Luke nodded sheepishly, his tongue still stinging a little. His eyes softened as he saw Michael’s concern, touched by how much he cared. “‘M okay.” He mumbled. Despite almost being burned, he was determined to keep eating. His fingers clutched the slice again.

“If you say so, just don’t hurt yourself.”

Luke nodded obediently, taking the words to heart. Despite his determination and hunger, he made sure to be careful with his next bite. He blew on the pizza before taking a smaller, more cautious bite.

Calum spoke up in a lighthearted tone. “Slow down, love. Don’t burn that cute mouth.”

Luke blushed a little at Calum’s words, covering his mouth as he swallowed the bite he was working on. “I’m being careful..” He mumbled as he took another bite.

“Looks like someone’s got a bit of a blush there, Lukey boy,” Ashton commented, chuckling lightly.

“You can’t burn your mouth, baby, you need it for kisses,” Michael said.

Luke’s blush deepened even more, his face bright red. It made him look even cuter with the way he was trying to keep a neutral expression.

“Ah, yes.” Calum couldn’t resist commenting again. “Gotta protect those adorable lips for all the kisses, right?”

Luke’s face was a deep shade of crimson by now. He averted his eyes back down to his plate, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about his blushing. His reply was so soft it was almost inaudible. “Sh-shut up..”

All the others chuckled again. They were thoroughly enjoying the reactions they could pull from their little one. It was entertaining to tease him in this state, as he was so easily flustered.

“Someone’s shy today,” Ashton said.

Luke was practically a cherry at this point with how red he was. He pouted slightly, feeling playfully annoyed at all the teasing. He was struggling to come up with a comeback, and all he could manage was a simple protest. “Am not!”

“Oh, you so are.” Calum giggled.

“Aw, our precious baby.” Michael cooed.

“Precious blushing baby,” Ashton added.

Luke’s pout intensified, face still red as ever, but his heart was also fluttering at the attention. “‘M not precious… and ‘m not a baby!”

The boys chuckled softly at his denial, not believing it for a second. Calum smirked slightly. “Sure looks like it to me.”

“Oh? You’re not a baby? I thought you were our little baby boy, though?” Michael spoke in an overly sweet voice.

Luke’s pout persisted, but he continued to get more and more flustered. He tried to maintain a tough act, but the blush was giving him away. His heart was beating a little faster, his regressed mind very much enjoying the care and attention he was receiving.

“You’re definitely our little baby boy, and we all know it.” Michael continued with a bright smile.

“You know we’re just teasing you, darling, showing how much we love you.” Ashton decided to chime in just in case it was actually getting too much for a little Luke.

The pout on Luke’s face softened a bit, Ashton’s loving words calming his mind. He knew the boys were only teasing him, and deep down, he also knew he loved their attention and affection when he was showered with it. His blush slowly faded, his heart warming at the thought of being so loved.

Calum spoke up with a smile, his tone gentle and affectionate. “You know we adore you, buddy. We just enjoy teasing you a bit when you’re being extra cute.”

Luke nodded slightly, the blush on his face almost fully faded by now as he absorbed their words. He could never stay mad at his boys, even if he wasn’t really mad, especially when they were being this loving and caring. He still felt that kick of his heart fluttering as he mumbled out a reply. “I know… I don’t m-mind being teased. Just sometimes it too much..”

“We’ll tone it down a little, buddy.” Michael kissed Luke’s temple.

A small, involuntary smile tugged at the corners of Luke’s mouth at the kiss. Even small gestures like kisses made his heart feel full. It soothed any lingering embarrassment or upset feelings he may have had from the teasing. He leaned into Michael, seeking out the affection he adored so much. Everyone’s hearts swelled at the sight of Luke being so happy. They all felt very protective towards their little one.

After Luke had calmed down more, the boys continued their lunch. When they finally finished, Ashton started to clean up, but Luke wanted to be helpful. He couldn’t just let Ashton clean up all by himself without contributing something. So, Luke pushed himself off the couch and wobbled over to the kitchen, where Ashton was about to start dishes. Luke tugged on Ashton’s sleeve and looked up with shimmering eyes. “Can I help?”

Ashton looked down at Luke with a surprised but affectionate expression. His heart melted at the sight of his baby boy wanting to help. He chuckled softly, setting down the dish that was in his hands to give all his attention to Luke. He tousled the already messy blonde hair as he spoke in a warm and encouraging voice. “Sure thing, buddy. You wanna help me clean up?”

Luke’s face lit up with a mixture of excitement and determination. He nodded eagerly, his heart filling with a sense of pride and usefulness. Luke loved to be helpful when he could in his little space; it made him not feel as bad about being cared for all the time. He reached his hands out, wanting to grab something to help clean up. Ashton had Luke stack some of the dirty dishes by the sink, something simple to start out. Then, he had the boy help him scrub some of the plates and put them into the small dishwasher. Simple things for little Luke.

The others watched from the couch, finding Luke’s eagerness to help endearing.

“Looks like someone’s feeling extra helpful today,” Calum spoke to Michael.

“God, I love him.”

“He’s just too adorable for his own good.”

“Agreed. He’s got all of us wrapped around his cute little finger without even trying.” Michael could have had hearts circling his head with how sweetly he was watching Luke.

As the cleanup tasks were done, Luke made his way back over to the couch, his feet stumbling over each other slightly due to his sleepy and uncoordinated steps. He wobbled over to the older boys, his eyes slightly hazy with drowsiness. Once he reached Michael, he tugged softly on his sleeve, also letting out a yawn. “Tired…”

“Again, baby? You’ve been napping like half the day.”

That pout Luke knew how to wear all too well came back once again. He knew Michael was right. He had already taken a nap today. Could you blame him, though? His regressed state always made him extra tired and in need of frequent naps. He tugged on Michael’s sleeve again. “I knoww, but still tired.” His voice was small and whiny, his eyes looking up at Michael sleepily.

Michael sighed, thinking over his options. He didn’t really want Luke to go back to sleep just yet, but he also didn’t want the boy to be fussy because he was tired. “How about we watch a movie, and you can cuddle up with all of us, how does that sound?”

The pout began to fade as the idea of a movie was brought up. He loved the idea of snuggling up with his daddies and watching a movie. His eyes had a glimmer of excitement in them as he nodded and let out a small, “mhm.”

Everyone was very on board with the idea, so they started to grab what they needed for their little cuddle session. Michael was gathering blankets and pillows to make the couch space extra comfy while Calum pulled up Disney plus on his laptop.

Ashton noticed Luke had started to squirm in his spot a little. “Hey, what’s up, buddy?”

Luke glanced over when Ashton spoke up, his brows furrowed slightly with a hint of discomfort. “Need to pee…” He murmured. Although, by the way he was squirming, he had already gone. Ashton knew what it meant anyway.

“Oh- you need a nappy change, buddy?”

It took Luke a moment to register what was asked, before his eyes widened and a look of embarrassment crossed his face. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, his bottom lip jutting out into a soft pout again. “No..” He protested, but the fidgeting and obvious signs of discomfort on his face told a different story. Calum had noticed Luke’s behaviour and glanced over at Ashton, silently agreeing that yes, he probably did need a change.

“Come here,” Ashton spoke softly, not wanting to make Luke feel more embarrassed than he already was.

Luke continued to pout, but he knew there was no use putting up resistance. His body was screaming for a change, so he reluctantly shuffled over to Ashton, trying to conceal his discomfort despite the obvious. He stopped in front of Ashton, looking up at him with a sad, pouty look.

Ashton gently reached under his waistband to feel the nappy. Feeling it was wet, he pulled his hand back. “Yeah, baby, don’t worry, we’ll get you changed. Who do you want to change you?” All three boys had done it many times, but it was still a sensitive thing for Luke, so they let him take control.

Luke’s face flushed a bit while his nappy was checked, but at the question, he hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to burden anyone with the task, even though that’s not how they felt about it at all. He avoided eye contact with Ashton as he spoke. “Want you to.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Ashton stood up and offered out his hand.

Without hesitation, Luke stretched out his own hand to grab Ashton’s, lacing their fingers together. He then started shuffling his way towards the bathroom. He was still feeling embarrassed and slightly self-conscious about the whole ordeal, but he knew he needed to be changed, and he definitely couldn’t do it himself.

“I’ll be right back, you guys get the movie set up,” Ashton said to Michael and Calum before taking Luke to the bus's bathroom. The boys nodded and kept preparing everything, starting to discuss what movie Luke might want to watch.

Ashton ushered Luke into the bathroom, closing the door behind them. Ashton could see the abashed look on the boy’s face. He fidgeted a bit, hand still clutching tightly onto Ash’s.

“It’s okay, buddy. You don’t have to be embarrassed.” Ashton spoke in a sweet tone as he had him sit on the lid of the toilet seat. He crouched down in front of the blonde.

The boy chewed on his bottom lip, still feeling very self-conscious. He knew Ashton was right; they had gone through this process a million times by now, he had no reason to feel shy about it, but his brain wasn’t quite on board yet. “I know..” He looked up at Ashton finally, but quickly diverted his eyes.

“Can I take your pants off, is that okay?” Ashton needed to get Luke changed sooner rather than later, but with how upset he already was, he didn’t want to overwhelm him at all.

Luke kept chewing on his bottom lip and fidgeting with his hands, but after a moment, he finally nodded. He lifted his hips a little bit, giving Ash permission to remove his pants. He looked down at his lap as he waited. Ashton gently tugged down Luke’s pants before working on removing the nappy.

Luke was being very patient, even though he was fidgeting a lot. He took in a breath of air as he felt the cold air hit his exposed lower half. “I’m sorry.”

Ashton’s hands paused for a moment. “Why are you sorry? You don’t have to apologize for anything, baby.”

His heart fluttered a bit at the caring tone of Ashton’s voice, but his mind was still making him feel ashamed. His baby blue eyes darted away again before he spoke quietly. “I feel bad.. l-like I’m being a bother.”

“Oh… sweetie, you’re not a bother at all, okay? All of us love taking care of you; it makes us happy to see you happy.”

“Really? You all really like taking care of me?” He was still shy about it, but the sincerity in his tone was making the words settle in his mind.

“Of course we do, you’re our little baby. You’re so sweet and adorable, you’re amazing to be around and take care of.” Ashton was ready to sit there and reassure Luke as long as he needed.

Luke’s face flushed a light shade of pink, his pout all but gone now. He was melting under the words. The sweet reassurances made his heart flutter with happiness. He knew he could be a handful sometimes, but hearing that they all still loved and enjoyed taking care of him filled him with joy. “Even though I’m a crybaby and a little needy..?”

“Hey,” Ashton put a hand on the side of Luke’s face, gently rubbing the skin with his thumb. “There’s nothing wrong with showing emotions or being needy; we all love you so much.”

“You.. you guys don’t think I’m annoying?”

“Not at all. You’re anything but annoying. We love taking care of you.”

Luke was slowly starting to relax and accept the love. His pout was almost completely gone now, replaced by a small smile. “You really mean that?” There was a hint of wonder to his voice. “Even when I cry and throw tantrums.. and get whiny… You guys still don’t get tired?”

“Sure, sometimes it can be a little tiring, but that doesn’t make it bad. We love you no matter what. There’s nothing you could do that would make us love you any less, baby. We’re here for you through it all.”

Luke’s eyes widened slightly at Ashton’s dedication and unwavering love for him. Luke was always a bit insecure about his regression, wondering if there was a limit to how much he could act up before they all decided that he was too much to handle. But all of Ashton’s reassuring words soothed his worries completely. “You promise? You won’t leave me..?”

“Promise.” Ashton kissed Luke’s forehead.

His face flushed at the kiss, a wave of warmth surging through his mind. The gesture made him feel safe and loved, and hearing Ashton promise just sealed the deal. The last traces of worry and insecurity completely melted away. “Okay, I believe you.”

“Good, because it’s all true. We love you so much, and we love taking care of you, so don’t you ever worry about being a burden, okay?”

Luke was smiling now; he felt safe and secure. “Yeah, I twust you. I’ll try not to worry… and be a good boy.”

Ashton had gone back to finishing what he needed to do in the first place, grabbing the baby wipes. “You’re a very good boy, Lukey.” Ashton gently wiped down Luke’s upper thighs and private area.

Luke remained still and cooperative as he was wiped down. He felt a lot better now because of Ashton’s words, so he was very content to just be looked after. “I wanna be a good boy for you. I wanna be a good boy for all of you.”

“And you are, buddy. Now hips up.” Ashton grabbed a new nappy.

Luke nodded and lifted his hips up obediently. “Am I being good?”

The new nappy was slid under Luke, and Ashton started securing it onto him. “Yes, baby, you’re being so good. I’m almost done.”

Luke let out a soft sigh, the feeling of the nappy material on him was making him feel extra little and cared for. He tried his hardest not to move as the nappy was secured, just eagerly waiting for the moment he could be cuddled. “You almost done? Will you hold me soon?”

“Of course. Once I’m done, we’ll go back to the couch, and we can cuddle with everyone.”

“Promise..? You’ll hold me all nice and tight?” Luke was definitely feeling needy for attention now.

“Promise.” Ashton patted Luke’s side as he finished putting on the nappy.

Luke was already picturing himself being held by everyone. Being surrounded by his caregivers, all snug and safe. Feeling needy and clingy, he suddenly ached for a different kind of affection. “Can I ask something..?”

“Mhm.”

Luke fidgeted in place, his fingers messing with the hem of his shirt as he tried to find the words to ask for what he wanted. “Can I.. um.. get a kiss? On- on the lips.. please?” Luke really wanted kissies. The boys were allowed to kiss Luke, but one of his main boundaries in little space was no kisses on the lips unless he specifically asked for them. He called those ‘big boy kisses.’

“On the lips? Yeah, of course.” Ashton was just confirming with the boy.

Luke nodded shyly, chewing on his lip for only a moment. “Yeah.. on the lips. I want a kiss like you give to daddy.”

Ashton smiled softly. “You’re adorable.” He slowly leaned in, allowing Luke to back away if he changed his mind, but the boy didn’t, and Ashton pressed a light kiss to his lips. Even when Luke asked for big-boy kisses, they were always very gentle. They’d let Luke set the pace if he wanted more.

A tiny gasp left Luke as Ashton leaned in and kissed him. The boy's cheeks flushed a soft pink as his mind processed the moment. His mind and body felt all warm and fuzzy from the simple kiss. His eyes were wide and fixed on Ashton when he pulled back. “Again? Please?”

“Someone’s greedy, huh?” Ashton teased.

Luke pouted, feeling shy about his desire for more affection. “Pleaseee? Just one more..”

“I’m joking, baby, you can have as many kisses as you want,” Ashton says before gently pressing his lips to Luke’s again.

Luke’s pout faded completely and was replaced by a warm, happy smile that Ashton could feel against his lips. Luke giggled slightly, kicking his legs a little from the feeling. “All the kissies, I want all of them.” This made Ashton giggle. “Don’t laugh..” His lip went out in an exaggerated but adorable pout. “I’m being sewious, I want all the kissies.” Luke’s voice was filled with playfulness.

Ashton just smiled, ruffling the boy's hair, and finished pulling his pants back up. “Let’s get back to the others, and you can get kisses from them too, alright?”

“Okay!” The little one’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I want lots and lots of kisses from everyone.”

“And you’ll get them, baby boy. I’m sure they have the movie pulled up by now.” Ashton made sure Luke was all cleaned up and ready before lifting him into his arms. He pressed a couple more kisses to the blonde's head as he walked out of the bathroom and back down the bus to the couch.

Luke wrapped his arms around Ashton’s neck, snuggling against him and already feeling much sleepier. He was still very excited thinking about all the potential kisses and cuddles he was going to get. Calum and Michael looked up as the two re-entered the room. They instantly melted at the sight of Luke clinging to Ash, cooing and letting out small ‘aww’s ready to shower him in affection.

Ashton sat back down on the couch between Michael and Calum, letting Luke settle down on his lap. He lightly pat the boy’s back. “You wanna tell them, baby?”

Luke lifted his head from Ashton’s shoulder, his eyes flickering between the others as he noticed them watching him. He whimpered slightly as he realized what Ashton was hinting at. “Tell.. tell them what?” He mumbled, still clinging to Ash.

“What you told me?”

Luke flushed a bright pink as he realized what Ash was referring to. He fidgeted a bit before mumbling in a bashful voice. “I’m- I’m a needy little boy who- who wants all the kisses and cuddles fwom everyone..”

Ashton almost giggled at how Luke phrased it, but Calum and Michael were already leaning closer. They absolutely adored Luke and the way he admitted to wanting attention. Calum was the first to speak up. “Awww, our baby wants cuddles and kisses from us, hm?”

Michael immediately added to Calum’s comment, a playful smirk on his face. “Well, who could say no to that sweet little face?” He leaned over to press a kiss to the boy’s cheek.

Calum was already reaching out for the little boy, his arms ready to snatch him up from Ashton’s lap and cuddle him to pieces. Ashton let him take Luke, and Calum was quickly wrapping his strong arms around Luke’s thin frame, holding him against his chest and whispering soft words to him. “Such an adorable, clingy little boy, aren’t you? Wanting kisses and cuddles from all your daddies like a needy baby.”

Luke instantly melted in Calum’s arms, his mind completely overwhelmed with affection as the bassist's arms held him securely. He could feel Calum’s strong, muscular build against his own soft, small body. Even if Luke was actually a lot bigger than he thought he was in this state, the comfort and safety made him feel extra tiny. He buried his face into Calum’s chest. “N-not a baby.” His voice was muffled against Calum’s shirt.

“You sure, buddy? I think you’re our precious little baby right now.” Ashton spoke up.

Luke’s cheeks darkened with a blush, his mind too sleepy to come up with a good argument. He wanted to protest and insist he wasn’t a baby, but at the same time, he was thoroughly enjoying the attention and being held like this. A small pout tugged on his lips as he mumbled again, torn between protesting and giving in to his regressed, needy side. “I’m not a baby.”

“No?”

Luke shook his head stubbornly. His hands still clutched at Calum’s shirt as he spoke to Ashton, trying to act like the grown-up that he very much wasn’t right now. “Nuuu… not a baby.” His cute little drawn-out ‘no’ wasn’t helping his case.

“Are you sure about that?” Ashton was enjoying seeing Luke like this. “'Cause, if you’re not our little baby then I think we gotta go do some adult things, huh?”

The mention of adult activities made Luke flush again, and suddenly the idea of not being babied and cared for sounded less and less appealing. He whined loudly, slightly kicking his legs, causing Calum to put a hand on his thigh to stop them from moving. “Nooo… don’t wanna do adult things, wanna be babied!”

“I thought you said you weren’t a baby, though.” Ashton was just messing with Luke at this point; he loved seeing his baby all shy and asking to be coddled.

Luke huffed, knowing he was caught in his own words. He pouted for a moment more before finally giving in completely. He was too sleepy and needy to continue to protest. His lip trembled slightly as he admitted the truth. “I- I lied… I wanna be baby.”

“That’s what I thought. You’re our precious baby boy.” Ashton kissed Luke’s forehead, giving a loud ‘mwah!’ for dramatic effect.

Luke blushed at the kiss, and his pout dissipated. A small, shy smile appeared in its place as he repeated Ashton’s words to himself. “Your precious baby boy..”

“Yknow,” Ashton leans in to whisper to Luke, “if you ask nicely, Cal and Mikey will give you all the kisses you want.”

His eyes widened slightly. He was already desperate for attention, and Ashton reminding him of that sparked excitement. He spoke softly, trying to keep his voice low so only Ashton could hear him. “I can ask for kissies?”

“Mhm. You just gotta ask, and they’ll give you as many as you want.”

“Can I ask right now?”

“Of course.”

Luke glanced between Calum and Michael, who were definitely hearing the conversation but acting like they weren’t for Luke’s sake. The blonde's expression was both excited and a little nervous as he thought about who to ask first. After a few moments, he looked back to Ashton, slightly pointing at Calum, finger almost poking him because he was literally in Calum’s lap, and he spoke softly. “Want kisses from Calum, please.”

Ashton almost rolled his eyes, smiling brightly at how cute Luke was right now. The blonde absolutely loved physical affection, but he’d get so shy asking for it sometimes, when other times he’d be practically jumping on the boys to get cuddles. “You gotta ask him, buddy.” Ashton encouraged.

Luke flushed again as he was corrected, reminded to ask Calum directly. He shifted shyly in Calum’s lap, looking up at the older boy. “C-cal cal? Can I have kisses, please?”

Calum’s heart melted at the shy but sweet way Luke asked for kisses. He didn’t hesitate at all before replying, his voice warm and affectionate. “Of course, sweetheart. Come here.”

Luke pressed further against Calum’s chest, looking up at him hopefully. Calum held his hands on Luke’s waist and started showering his entire face with kisses. He moved his lips across the boy's face, kissing around his cheeks, the tip of his nose, on his forehead, along his jawline. Every single spot of Luke’s adorable little face, Calum was going to make sure had a kiss.

Michael had scooted over the laptop to finish pulling up Tangled and get the movie started. Luke was completely enveloped in Calum’s kisses, giggling and squirming in the bassist's lap. He was completely oblivious to one of his favourite movies being put on. Ashton chuckled softly as he watched Michael quietly set up the movie. They were content to let Calum take care of Luke for the moment. They enjoyed the sight of the regressed boy being so spoiled and happy by their bandmate.

As the movie started, Luke’s attention was slowly pulled away from the kisses and towards the computer screen, eyes widening with excitement as he realized his favourite movie was playing. He let out a soft gasp, body turning in Calum’s lap to watch the opening scene. Calum chuckled, placing one last kiss on Luke’s forehead before pulling back. He found it adorable how quickly his attention was stolen by the movie.

“There you go, baby, movie time,” Michael said sweetly, getting up quickly to dim the lights.

Luke was instantly captivated by the movie, with wide eyes locked onto the screen as the colourful scenes played. He was fully engrossed in the movie, body snuggled against Calum. Michael leaned on Ashton’s side, silently watching as well. Ashton wrapped an arm around Michael, his free hand going to rest on Luke’s back. He let out a soft sigh, gaze fixed on the movie as he relaxed into the couch. They all watched the film together, occasionally getting distracted by the adorable sight of Luke. They couldn’t help but smile at the way he cuddled into Calum.

Michael was really tired. From touring and taking care of Luke. He didn’t have any problem with taking care of his boyfriend, but on days when Luke mostly clung to him, it did get tiring, and Luke had been doing that a lot recently.

Ashton had noticed how tired Michael looked, his concern growing as he saw the signs of exhaustion on the redhead’s face. He knew taking care of a little Luke was a lot of work, especially during tours, and he could see the toll it was taking on Michael.

He gently squeezed Michael’s shoulder, leaning in closer to speak only to him. “Hey, you okay? You look exhausted.”

“Mm, yeah… I’m just tired.”

Ashton nodded sympathetically, hand rubbing Michael’s shoulder. He could hear the exhaustion in the boy's voice. He knew Michael was trying to be strong, but he also knew when he was reaching his limits. “You’ve been taking care of Luke so much recently. You need a break, babe. You’re pushing yourself too hard.” His voice was soft but filled with genuine concern. “You need to take care of yourself, too, you know. You’re just as important as Luke, baby.”

“I know, I know. It’s fine.” Michael still leaned into Ash’s touch.

Ashton frowned at the response, his concern growing every time Michael would insist it was fine. Michael would downplay his needs, and it was something Ashton worried about often. “No, it’s not. You’re not fine. You’re exhausted, honey. You look like you’re about to pass out right here.”

Calum glanced over, having heard parts of the conversation. He leaned over slightly, trying not to bother Luke, who was oblivious to their conversation with eyes on the movie. “He’s right, babe. You don’t need to push yourself so hard. We can take care of Luke, just… take a break.”

Michael let out a huff of air, a bit frustrated with how they were acting, but he couldn’t deny the tiredness he felt anymore. “Imma just take a nap here, okay?”

Ashton pulled Michael a bit closer; his voice was a mix of concern and love. “Okay, love. You do that, but you’re taking a long nap, got it? No waking up after an hour to start working again. You need proper rest.” Michael just nuzzled into Ashton’s side and closed his eyes.

Ashton’s expression softened as Michael drifted off against him. He ran his long fingers through the dark red strands. “Just rest, baby. We’ll be here when you wake up.” A small smile appeared on his face as he saw that Michael was fully asleep now.

They all sat quietly in the dim light of the tour bus. Luke was snuggled in Calum’s lap, still happily watching the movie, while Michael was now asleep on Ashton.

“He’s really out, huh?” Calum spoke up quietly after a few minutes.

“Yeah. He was practically falling asleep sitting up earlier. Dude really overworks himself sometimes.” Ashton said.

“Look at him, he’s so cute when he’s asleep.”

“Definitely cute, but he’s also a dumbass for working himself half to death all the time.” Ashton almost corrected his curse word, but Luke really wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.

Calum nodded in agreement. “He’s too selfless for his own good, that’s for sure. Always putting everyone else first and forgetting that he has his own needs too.”

Luke started to squirm a bit in Calum’s lap, growing restless as he wanted attention again, no longer distracted by the movie. He tugged on Calum’s shirt, a little pout on his face as he looked up. Calum chuckled, turning his attention to Luke. “What’s up, buddy? Do you need something?”

Luke’s bottom lip was stuck out in a childish manner as he gazed up at Calum. His hands tugged at the shirt again. “I want.. want dada.”

“Dada’s right here, bud.”

“Noooooo,” Luke whined. “Dada!”

“Oh- do you mean Ash?” Luke would always use ‘dada’ and ‘daddy’ interchangeably between all of them, so sometimes they didn’t know who specifically he meant.

“Noo..” The boy’s pout deepened. “Dada-!” He pointed over at Michael.

Calum let out a soft sigh, a small smile growing on his face, seeing that Luke wanted Michael’s attention. However, he knew Luke couldn’t have it right now. “He’s sleeping, buddy. We gotta let him rest, he needs it.”

This only made Luke whine more. He was not pleased with the fact Michael was sleeping. He was determined to get his daddy’s attention, even if it meant disturbing Michael’s much-needed rest. “But- but I want him now! Wake him up.”

Calum glanced over at Michael, chuckling lightly at the sight of him drooling on Ashton’s shoulder. His eyes moved back down to Luke, his expression growing firmer. Even as much as he wanted to give in to Luke’s every demand, he had to stand his ground sometimes. “No, buddy. Mikey’s tired, you need to let him sleep.”

Luke’s pout became a full-on frown as Calum denied him again. He didn’t like being told no. He gritted his teeth and tugged at Calum’s shirt again. “But I want dada! I wanna wake him up!” His voice grew louder as he started to get more restless. If Luke wasn’t little right now, he would totally understand Michael needing rest, but right now, it just didn’t compute in his mind. Why was Michael sleeping and not awake to give him attention?

Ashton sat silently next to the two. He was making sure Michael stayed asleep, but he was ready to step in if needed with Luke’s impending mini tantrum.

Calum was trying to keep his patience, but the constant tugging and whining was starting to test his limits. “Buddy, I said no. He needs his sleep. You can talk to him later.” He tightened his grip only slightly on Luke’s hips. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. It wasn’t Luke’s fault; he knew that. He knew simply saying no right now wasn’t going to cut it, so he tried to explain a bit. “Look, baby. I know you want to talk to dada, but he’s really tired. He’s been working so hard lately, and he really needs to rest. It’s better for him to sleep now so that he can play with you later.”

The pout on Luke’s face faltered slightly. His brows furrowed as he thought about it. He was still feeling a bit upset and stubborn right now, but he could understand the concept of Michael being worn out and needing rest. He let out a tiny huff, looking up at Calum and speaking in a bit softer of a voice. “Dada’s really, really tired?”

“Yeah, buddy. He needs all the sleep he can get right now.”

Luke nodded slowly, taking in the words still. He was clearly disappointed he couldn’t talk to Michael right now, but he understood that sometimes their well-being came before his own wants. He fidgeted a bit in Calum’s lap, hands still messing with the fabric of his shirt. “Okay… I guess dada can rest then.”

“Good boy. Mikey will be up later, then you can talk to him.”

“But I miss him…” Luke’s baby blues glanced over at Michael, peacefully asleep on Ashton. Ashton still stroking the boy's hair.

Calum’s expression softened as he heard the longing in Luke’s voice. He knew how clingy Luke was, as not being able to have his daddies when he wanted was upsetting for him. “I know, buddy, but he’s right here. He’s not gone anywhere. Dada’s just sleeping, and he’ll be awake and playing with you soon.” Calum’s hand moved up and down Luke’s back, trying to soothe him.

Luke’s gaze lingered on Michael, a thought slowly forming in his mind. He could tell Michael was blissfully asleep on Ashton’s side, completely oblivious to everything around him. A mischievous glimmer appeared in Luke’s eyes as he debated whether he should act on his thoughts or not.

After a few moments, his neediness won out over his better judgment. He shifted in Calum’s lap, hands letting go of the older man’s shirt and instead turning towards Michael. He was going to crawl over and snuggle up to Michael, even if he was asleep and not able to respond to him. He carefully tried to wiggle himself out of Calum’s lap. Calum watched with a mixture of amusement and slight worry, realizing what Luke was doing but deciding to say nothing, curious if Luke would fully go through with his little plan.

Slowly and quietly, Luke succeeded in maneuvering himself out of Calum’s lap and carefully positioning himself in Michael’s lap instead. The little boy settled himself against Michael’s chest, snuggling close and seeking out his warmth. Ashton and Calum just chuckled, rolling their eyes at Luke’s needy antics.

Michael stirred slightly, making a little sound as his arm instinctively wrapped around Luke. This made Luke smile brightly, snuggling closer. Luke was completely enamored with the fact Michael was asleep, but still reacted to his presence. He let out a small giggle, fingers starting to play with the fabric of Michael’s shirt. Every so often, Michael would shift in his sleep, either pulling Luke closer or lightly nuzzling against his hair. Each movement made Luke’s heart flutter.

Luke stayed nestled against Michael for a good while. He lost all sense of time as he simply enjoyed being held, his fingers tracing random patterns on Michael’s shirt and his head resting on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. Eventually, though, the little one’s boredom started to creep in. They had watched two movies by now, and once they ended, Calum got up to go shower, and Ashton was cleaning up a bit. He stayed close, though, to keep an eye on Luke since Michael was still sleeping.

Luke fidgeted slightly, mind growing more bored by the second. He let out a small huff of air and tugged gently at Michael’s shirt, trying to get his attention in hopes he’d wake up. Nothing. When tugging at the shirt didn’t get a reaction, Luke pouted and huffed. He shifted in Michael’s lap before reaching out to pat at the boy's face. He lightly tugged at the redhead's cheeks.

Ashton glanced up from his spot leaning against the bus wall, seeing Luke’s efforts and chuckling to himself. He knew Luke was just impatient and bored; Michael had been asleep for a while anyway.

Luke continued to prod at Michael’s face, a big pout on his face when the boy stayed asleep. He tried shaking Michael’s shoulder and patting his cheek in a more insistent manner, mumbling out a whiny ‘wake uuppp.’

Ashton spoke up from across the way. “You might as well give up, buddy. You know he can sleep through a bomb going off sometimes.” Luke just pouted at Ashton’s words and kept going. “You’re wasting your time, kiddo. He’s out like a light.”

Luke let out another huff. He knew that Michael was a deep sleeper, and it would likely be difficult to wake him up, but that only made him more determined to try and rouse him from his slumber. He began jiggling Michael’s shoulder a bit harder and kept pinching his cheek, desperately trying anything. He was like a stubborn little puppy.

“Hnnmnngg..” A grumbled sound came from Michael, his hands moving up to rub at his eyes.

Luke’s face lit up the moment he saw Michael’s eyes starting to flutter open. He let out a gasp of joy, pout quickly shifting to a happy smile. He watched intently as Michael slowly came back to reality. He sat patiently in the boy’s lap, waiting for him to fully wake up and pay attention to him.

Michael yawned, slowly blinking his eyes open. He tried to stretch out but stopped at the weight in his lap. Luke just giggled seeing his daddy waking up. “Hi!”

“Hi, baby,” Michael spoke groggily.

Luke quickly nuzzled his head back against Michael’s chest, smiling so brightly up at him. “Missed you.”

“I was only asleep for a little, bub.”

“Felt long.” Sure, Michael hadn’t been sleeping for too long, but it felt like forever for the little boy.

“And you didn’t think to play with anyone else?”

Luke subconsciously clung onto Michael tighter. “Didn’t want to. I wanted you.”

“Where are the others right now?” Michael started before he turned his head and saw Ashton.

Ashton, who had been silently watching the interaction between the two boys, spoke up as Michael turned his head to him. “Calum’s in the shower, I’ve just been cleaning.”

“Ah, okay,” Michael responded casually. Luke let out a small huff from his lap, kicking his legs slightly and clinging on tighter. “What’s up, baby? What do you need?”

“Just want you.”

“I’m right here, buddy. It’s alright.”

“Don’t leave…”

“I’m not going anywhere, it’s okay.”

A contented sigh left Luke; it didn’t take long to reassure him. He nuzzled his face into Michael’s shirt again, holding on tightly. His regressed mind would hold onto a constant fear of abandonment, whether he liked it or not. “Promise?”

“Promise.” Michael gently ran his fingers through Luke’s light curls.

A wide, happy smile spread across Luke’s face. For the little boy, a promise held a lot of weight, and hearing Michael declare it so firmly without any hesitation was incredibly soothing. “Don’t break it.”

“I would never.”

The boy let his shoulders relax as he pressed against Michael once more. He believed Michael completely; the trust was like a warm blanket enveloping him. “Love you..”

“I love you too, Lukey.” He pressed a kiss to his baby’s cheek.

He kept snuggling closer, like he was trying to merge with Michael and become one. His body felt warm and fuzzy inside from Michael’s words. He mumbled sleepily. “Love you most.”

Michael picked up on the blonde's exhaustion. “Is baby boy tired? I think it’s time for bed.”

At the mention of going to bed, Luke let out a whine, his face scrunching up in distaste. He was not ready to let go so easily, even if it was just for bedtime. “Don’t wanna..”

“Why not, baby? We can get you all cozy in your pjs and then nice and warm in bed.”

As Michael outlined the promise of getting him in his pajamas and tucked snugly into bed, Luke felt his resolve weakening. The thought of being cozy in his pajamas under the sheets sounded incredibly tempting, and his body was already betraying him with a long yawn. “B-but-“

“Here. You don’t have to go to bed just yet, but how about we get you in some jammies, okay?” Michael didn’t want Luke to start having a tantrum over bedtime.

Luke’s protest died on his lips at the compromise. Getting into something more comfortable seemed to pacify him for now. “O-okay.” He was too exhausted to fight Michael on it anymore; the lure of being comfy in his pajamas was too good to resist.

Michael gave himself another minute to properly wake up before picking up the boy and walking over to the back of the bus, where everyone’s stuff was. Calum was also back there, sitting and scrolling on his phone, hair still wet from his shower.

Calum glanced up as Michael appeared with Luke in his arms, an amused smile spreading on his face as he took in the clingy boy's half-asleep state. “Looks like he’s half asleep in your arms. He’s gonna pass out any minute now.”

“Yeah, I’m tryna get him ready for bed.”

“Good luck with that, he’s always a little koala when he’s sleepy. He doesn’t want to let go.”

“Do you wanna sit with Cal, Lukey?” Michael spoke softly to the blonde.

Luke lifted his head, hearing his name, his tired mind taking a moment to process. His droopy eyes darted from Michael to Calum, the thought of being passed over to the older boy making his clingy instincts flare. “N-no.”

“I just need to get your pajamas, buddy.” Michael lightly patted Luke’s thigh.

Luke huffed as Michael tried to explain his reason for passing him off to Calum. He didn’t want to let go for even a second; the pout in his face grew. “But.. I don’t wanna let go..” Luke knew he was being unreasonable, but his clingy tendencies were running on autopilot. It wasn’t anything against Calum; he was just already cozy being held by Michael, and he didn’t want to move.

“You don’t wanna be with daddy Cal?” Michael tried again.

The boy's pout deepened, the use of the word daddy making his already tired brain grow even fuzzier. Despite his desire to keep clinging to Michael, a small part of him couldn’t help but melt at the thought of being with Calum. The older boy was always warm and comforting. Snuggling with him was tempting. “I- I..” He stuttered a bit, his words trailing off as his eyes darted between the two, conflicted.

Calum’s amused smile widened as he saw the look on Luke’s face. He could see the internal struggle the boy was going through. “C’mere, Lukey.” He crooned, patting his lap in invitation.

At Calum’s soft words and gentle invitation, his pout faltered. It was all too much to resist, especially when Calum said his nickname in such a sweet voice. His arms slowly loosened from Michael as he looked to Calum. With a small breath of air, he finally surrendered. “Okay..”

“You’re such a good boy.” Michael praised as he passed Luke off to Calum. He was set in Calum’s lap, noting the contrast between the two boys. He immediately snuggled against Calum. Michael crouched down by Luke’s bag, looking through some of his clothes. Specifically, the ones reserved for when he was little. “What pajamas do you want, baby?”

Luke let out a soft hum as he was asked which he wanted, trying to sort through the tired fog in his mind. It was taking all his willpower not to just pass out on Calum then and there. “M-my dinosaur onesie.. pwease.”

“Aw, the dino onesie, huh? You gonna be our cute baby dino?”

Luke’s cheeks warmed, and he let out a huff, burying his face in the soft material of Calum’s sweater. “I-I’m not a baby…”

Calum chuckled at the boy's protest. His insistence that he wasn’t a baby despite all of his behaviours was always adorable. He gently stroked Luke’s hair, a soothing gesture for the little one. “You sure about that, Lukey? You’re acting like a little baby right now, all clingy like a koala.” Calum shot Michael a playful smirk over Luke’s head.

“You’re our precious little baby,” Michael added once more.

Luke wanted to argue, to insist that he wasn’t a baby, but the combination of their words and Calum’s soothing touch made it difficult to protest. His face felt hot, and he let out a grumble, feeling flustered. “Hmph..”

“Aha-! Found your onesie.” Michael stated, more to himself, as he pulled out a dark blue dinosaur onesie that had a tail and a cute hood, just for Luke.

Luke perked up at the mention of his onesie, and he lifted his face from Calum’s chest. “I wanna put it on.” Even if it was sleepy, his voice still held a level of impatience.

“Do you want me to help you get dressed, buddy?”

The boy nodded quickly at the offer. He was feeling both too tired and too clingy to do it himself. He never really dressed himself in little space anyway, at least not when he was down this far. He lifted his arms up, silently pleading for help getting dressed. “Pleasee?”

“Alright, come here, bub.” Michael picks Luke up from Calum’s lap.

He immediately wrapped his arms and legs around the redhead, holding on tightly and nuzzling against him. He breathed in Michael’s familiar scent, finding comfort in him. “Hurryyyy.” He whined slightly.

“So impatient, baby.” Michael taps his finger to Luke’s nose with a small ‘boop’ as he carries him to an open spot to change him. Ashton had gone to take a quick shower, so the bathroom was occupied once more.

Luke’s nose scrunched up for a moment at the contact, making him look even more adorable regardless of how grumpy he was acting. “But I waaaantttt iiittttt!” His impatience was getting the better of him.

“And you’re gonna get your onesie, I promise.” Michael lay Luke down, starting to undress him. Even as fussy as the sleepy boy was being, he still lifted his hips to help Michael remove the day's clothes. He whined out another ‘hurry,’ making Michael chuckle lightly. “You’re so impatient, baby boy.”

“Want my onesie.”

“I know, I know. You’re gonna get your onesie, I just have to change your nappy, then you can be all cozy and get some sleep.”

Luke pouted faintly, but he couldn’t think of any counter-arguments, so he just huffed, letting Michael change him. “Otaayyyyyy”

Michael moved as quickly as he could, his hand efficient from the many times he’s had to change Luke. Once the nappy was secured, he pulled the onesie on, zipping it up and lifting the hood over Luke’s head. “There ya go, buddy. My cute little dinosaur.”

The soft, cozy fabric of the dinosaur onesie enveloped Luke’s sleepy frame, making his face light up, and he practically sank into the material. He giggled a little, feeling extra small now as he wrapped his arms around himself. “I’m a dino.. rawwrrr!”

Michael giggled. “Yeah, you are! You’re a cute dinosaur.”

“The cutest dino?” He reached his arms out.

“The cutest ever.” Michael picked him back up.

Luke’s heart swelled with delight. He giggled and buried his face in the crook of Michael’s neck. “Yay.. cutest dino..”

“And look who’s here to join the party.” Michael chuckled as Ashton left the bathroom, having finished showering.

Luke’s head lifted up at the mention of someone else. It took his sleepy mind a moment, but when he processed Ashton was there, a small wave of excitement washed over him. He let out a soft gasp and started making grabby hands towards the older boy. “Asshhyyyyy.”

Ashton couldn’t help but find the sight of their little boy in the dinosaur onesie absolutely adorable. A small snort escaped him as he saw the way Luke was reaching out for him. Ashton walked over to Michael and Luke, reaching down to ruffle the regressed boy's hair. “Hey, lil guy. Lookin’ pretty cute in that onesie, huh?”

Luke smiled at getting his hair ruffled by Ash and the compliment on his onesie. He leaned towards Ashton, reaching out to grab at his shirt. The way he was leaning back so far made Michael have to readjust his grip. “Do I look cute..?” The little one looked up at Ashton with big puppy eyes.

Michael let Ashton take Luke from his arms; the boy clearly wanted him. Ashton chuckled at the way Luke immediately wrapped himself around him. He easily supported Luke’s weight, bouncing the boy slightly. He nuzzled his nose against the blonde's in a small kiss. “The cutest. Cutest little dinosaur baby ever.”

“Mhm… I’m your cutest dino baby.” Luke mumbled, nuzzling back against Ashton. Being held by him always made him feel safe and secure.

“I do think it’s time for this little dino to go to bed,” Michael speaks up.

Instantly, Luke was pouting and clutching onto Ashton tighter. “Nooo, don’t wannaaa.”

“It’s late, baby. You need sleep.”

“Don’t wanna, wanna stay with Ashy.” Luke knew he was really tired, but he just wasn’t ready to give in yet. He stubbornly clung to Ashton, burying his face against him and whining.

“Well, Ashy can take you to bed.” Michael offered.

“Yes! Ashy cawey me.” He looked up at Ashton with wide, pleading eyes.

Ashton rolled his eyes a little but smiled warmly, bouncing Luke in his arms, making the tail on the onesie sway slightly. “C’mon, you clingy little dinosaur. Let’s get you to bed.” Ashton turned on his heel to head towards the bunks.

“I’ll get him a bottle,” Michael spoke quietly to Ash before turning in the other direction. A warm bottle was almost always a sure-fire way to get Luke to sleep.

As Michael was making his way to the kitchen, he passed by Calum, who was lounging on the couch, sipping a cup of coffee, and scrolling on his phone. He raised an eyebrow curiously at Michael. “Watcha doing?”

“Just getting a bottle for Luke,” Michael spoke softly as he crouched down to grab one of Luke’s clean baby bottles from the dishwasher.

Calum nodded in understanding. He knew how much Luke loved his bottles, and how easy they got him to sleep when he was already tired as all hell. He took another sip of coffee before replying to Michael. “Ah, gotta make sure the baby gets his milk, huh? He’ll pass out cold the minute he drinks it.” Calum smiled.

“Yeah, and he’s just clinging to Ashton.”

“Yeah, not surprised. He always refuses to let go when he’s tired.” Calum was grinning to himself, thinking about how cute the boy must be in his pajamas.

Michael glanced over at Calum again as he prepared the bottle. “Why are you drinking coffee? It’s like ten pm.”

Calum shrugged nonchalantly, a small smirk on his lips. He just took another sip of his coffee before responding. “Can’t sleep, too many thoughts racing through my head. Caffeine helps, even if it’s late. I’ve always been a bit of a night owl anyway.” He wasn’t too concerned about what time it was. “Might go take a smoke break in a minute.”

“Hm..” Michael hums in response, putting the bottle in the microwave now to warm it up. “Well, I’ll come sit with you once we get Luke down for bed.”

Calum’s smile widened. He loved Michael’s company, so getting to spend time with him, and probably also Ashton, once their boyfriend was tucked in, was really appealing. “Yeah, sounds good. You go take care of the little one, then come keep me company for a bit.”

Michael took the warmed-up bottle from the microwave, testing the temperature on his wrist before walking down the bus to the bunks. He heard quiet voices from behind the curtain, so he crouched down to Luke’s bunk and pulled back the curtain. Ashton was half lying down with Luke, stomach down on top of him, while he was reading a story to the boy. Michael’s heart melted at the scene. “Hey, star shine, I got your bottle.” He spoke softly in case Luke was close to sleep.

Ashton paused in his reading, smiling and rubbing Luke’s back. Luke looked up, blinking slightly. “Baba!” His usual nickname for his bottle. He reached out for it. Michael chuckled and handed it off, watching as the boy eagerly started sipping on the milk, eyes already beginning to droop.

“There you go, buddy. Drink up.” Michael put his hand on Luke’s back alongside Ashton’s, rubbing gently. The boy felt warm. As Luke started to drift off, Michael directed his attention to Ashton. “I was gonna sit with Cal, he said he can’t sleep, you gonna join after he’s down or-?”

Ashton shook his head. “Nah, he wants me to stay with him, and I doubt I’d be able to get out without him throwing a fit.” Michael chuckles a little, knowing how true that is. “Besides, I’m pretty tired myself. I can get some sleep with Lukey.”

“Alright.” Michael smiles and leans in to kiss Ashton’s cheek. He also presses a soft kiss to Luke’s forehead. “Goodnight, baby. I love you.”

“Night night, dada,” Luke mumbles around the bottle, ready to go to dreamland any minute now. “Wub you.”

Michael quickly kisses Ashton goodnight before getting up, giving them their privacy so they could sleep. He could hear Ashton’s soft voice reading to Luke again, speaking gently and encouragingly to get the boy to sleep.

The redhead made his way back over to the couch, only to see Calum standing up and pulling on a jacket.

“Hey, good timing. I was gonna go smoke, wanna come?”

“Sure, some fresh air would be nice.” Michael started pulling on his shoes. The bus had stopped momentarily to get gas before it’d be on the road again.

"Is Ash coming?"

"No, he's gonna sleep with Luke," Michael replied, Calum humming in response.

The two boys stepped outside, leaning against the bus. Calum lit up a cigarette, taking a long drag before offering it to Michael. The younger boy only took a small hit before handing it back, watching as the smoke curled.

“We have, what, two days til the next show?” Calum asked.

“I think so, yeah. Then we have three shows in a row.”

“Wow.” Calum took another drag.

“I think we give Luke another day to be little, then we should get him to age up when we’re in the city.”

“Yeah, probably. He needs to be in his normal headspace for a while before performing.” So far, they had never had any problems with Luke’s regression interfering with shows, but he was always a bit more fussy if he aged up day of a show. “Hasn’t had any full meltdowns yet, though.”

“Thank god for that.” Michael took a drag from Calum’s cigarette. “I’m glad he’s been okay so far, but this is also his first time regressing all tour. You know how he gets.”

“Yeah..” Calum sighed, looking up at the starry sky. Luke had been holding back his regression til now, but now that he’s finally regressing, it’d be happening a lot. There would be bouts of Luke being little for a couple days at a time, then getting fussy while big just because he wanted to regress again. Normally, if they were home, they’d let Luke regress freely. He’d be able to get all that stress out of his system and then be perfectly fine while big. Being on tour made it harder. They didn’t want to deny Luke regressing, but he couldn’t be little all the time. They had shows to play, and fans definitely could not find out. “Hopefully he’ll be okay.”

“I hope so, too.”

Ashton grumbles as he rolls around in bed. It was too hot, but the only thing he wanted on him was his blankets. He tried to adjust himself more before quickly kicking the blankets down to the end of the bed and rolling onto his stomach, letting out a loud groan. His head felt fuzzy, too fuzzy. He glanced at the window, seeing the light making its way through the curtain. Great. It was morning already. Ashton flipped his pillow and pressed his face into the cold of the pillowcase, whining and trying not to cry. Everything felt like too much. He wasn’t sure if there was actually a buzzing going on outside or if it was just in his head; either way, it was way too loud. He wanted to scream, wanted to kick and cry, but he couldn’t. He never let himself get like that. Not today. He had to be there in case any of the boys needed him.

Speaking of, Michael walked down the hall of their shared home, heading to Ashton’s room. Usually, the older boy would have been up and making breakfast for everyone by now. It wasn’t like Michael was going to force him to make food if he wasn’t up for it, but it was at least weird that he wasn’t awake yet. He rapped his knuckles on the door, speaking in his usual tone. “Hey, Ash! You awake?”

Ashton groaned at the sound, the fuzzy feeling in his head growing alongside the forming headache. It wasn’t Michael’s fault; he was just checking on him, but Ashton’s mind had already decided it wasn’t going to be a good day for him. He debated not responding at all, but that would just make it worse. “Go away…” The words were mumbled into the pillow, and he just prayed Michael heard him.

Thankfully, he did. Michael tilted his head slightly at Ashton’s words. Maybe he was feeling sick today. “Are you okay, Ash?” Michael waited for a response, but one never came. “Well, I’m gonna get Calum to start breakfast, but you should join us when you can.” Michael pressed his ear to the door, listening for any sounds or even another mumbled response. Still, there was nothing. It was worrisome. “Ashton? Do you need me to get you som—“

“Go away!” And maybe Ashton was being too harsh, but he was just hurting and didn’t want anyone to see. His head hurt too badly, and he wasn’t going to deal with them trying to cheer him up.

Michael was slightly taken aback by Ashton’s tone. Normally, he wasn’t like that with any of them. Michael was really hoping the boy was just sick or something small; he didn’t want to see Ashton in pain. He sighed, still standing at the door. He went to turn away but stopped and spoke quietly to Ashton. “Okay, but if you need anything, we’re here for you… Come out soon.” Then he walked away to go to the kitchen.

Ashton let out a breath of relief as the sound of Michael’s footsteps decreased. Deep down, he knew he needed their help. His head was fuzzy, and he couldn’t deal with it on his own, but it was embarrassing. He was supposed to be the one who was strong and upbeat, making sure the boys didn’t lose themselves. How could he do anything like this? He shouldn’t have yelled at Michael; Ashton knew that, but he’d apologize later. He just needed to get some more sleep, and the fuzzy feeling would go away, and he could go right back to normal. That was definitely how that worked. As he rolled over in his bed once more, he stared at the posters on his wall. Various band posters and miscellaneous posters of interest. What caught his eye was one of all of them together. A photo they had taken for the band when they were just starting out with the release of self-titled. His eyes bore into it, looking at the way they all stood together, smiling so brightly, ready for whatever the world was gonna throw at them. They didn’t have any clue about the harsh realities they’d face in the future. Maybe that’s not what Ashton should have been focusing on when looking at the photo, but he couldn’t stop the overwhelming thoughts in his mind. He wanted his boys with him. He wanted to be safe and protected from everything. His head hurt too much. He grabbed at his pillow, pulling it close and clutching it tightly, starting to quietly sob into it.

Downstairs, Luke was leaning into Michael in his seat at the table, while Calum was at the stove cooking some eggs and bacon.

“Is Ashton coming down?” Calum asked Michael.

“I’m not sure. He yelled at me to go away. I don’t know what’s up with him.”

“Oh..” Calum had a couple of ideas running through his mind about why Ashton could be behaving the way he was.

“Hopefully, he comes down for breakfast,” Luke spoke up cheerfully.

“Yeah..” Michael rubbed Luke’s back. “He might just be grumpy and need more sleep. We can check on him when breakfast’s done.”

All three boys continued to chat amongst themselves until Calum had finished up breakfast. He served the food onto plates for them, leaving aside some for Ashton.

“I can go get him!” Luke smiled, getting up when the others nodded at him. He happily walked up the stairs, stopping outside Ashton’s door and knocking. “Ashtoonnnn.” He called out in a sing-songy voice. “Breakfast is ready!”

“‘M not hungry,” Ashton grumbled, causing Luke to frown slightly.

“You need to come eat, Ash. Calum made bacon.” Luke remembers all the times Ashton had helped remind him to eat. Sometimes that meant getting yourself up and eating food even if you didn’t want to. Luke had to do the same for him.

“Not now.”

Luke was confused. Ashton sounded upset, and he had no clue why. Ashton was never really one to get pissed at people. Even if he was upset, he wouldn’t show it. He had always tried to look on the bright side of things and remind himself about the positive in life. Right now, though, he was definitely upset about something. “I can bring you food if you’d like..? Whatever it is, you just gotta tell me.” Luke pushed.

“Not now, Luke! Go away!” Ashton tossed a pillow at his door.

Luke quickly stepped back at the thud on the door, even if nothing could physically get to him outside. His smile had faded and was replaced by a soft frown. He just wanted to help Ashton, but now he was yelling and even throwing stuff. This really wasn’t like him. “Sorry.. just… please come eat soon.” Even if Ashton probably wouldn’t listen, it was still something. Luke padded back down the stairs, moving to his place at the kitchen table, and sadly picking at his food.

“Hey, how’d it go?” Calum asked, already knowing the answer.

Luke shook his head. “I tried, but he just yelled at me and threw something at the door.”

“Now that's really not like Ashton.” Michael chimed in.

“I know! That’s what I thought, but I don’t know what to do.” Luke frowned, taking bites of his food now.

“Well, let’s eat breakfast and see if he comes down. If not, I guess I can try talking to him when we’re done.” Calum suggested. They all agreed with his words and silently ate their food. Ashton was never this upset about things, so something was definitely off. They were all concerned; maybe he was really sick, but Michael prayed he wasn’t doing anything worse in there.

All three boys finished up their breakfasts, Luke taking their empty plates to the sink, then following Michael to the living room, where he set up a video game. Calum dismissed himself for his turn to check on Ashton.

He made his way up the stairs, taking a breath before knocking lightly on Ashton’s door. “Ash?” He didn’t want to push, but he was going to find out what was wrong one way or another. Calum waited patiently for a minute, but gave in when there was no response. He slowly turned the doorknob, trying to be quiet when entering, just in case. The pillow Ashton had thrown was on the floor right on the other side of the door. Calum picked it up and closed the door behind him. His first reaction was to set it back on the boy's bed, but he froze. The blankets were pulled up way over Ashton’s head, hiding him from view, but Calum could tell he was trembling underneath. He set the pillow aside and gently sat down on the edge of the mattress, not wanting to startle the other. “Ashton..?” Again. No response. Calum was really worried now. His mind was just repeating a silent ‘please please please’, hoping Ashton didn’t do what he thought he did. “Ash, please talk to me, we’re all worried, you’ve been… off all morning.” He scooted closer.

“Just g-go away…” Ashton’s voice was quieter than Calum had ever heard it in a long time. He was still trembling under the sheets, tears stained on his soft cheeks.

“No. I’m not leaving til you talk to me.”

“Leave me alonneeee!” Ashton's voice came out as more of a frustrated whine. Once it clicked for Calum, it could all be a lot easier, but he still hadn’t gotten it yet.

“Ashton, you can’t keep pushing us away. We’re here for you.” Calum’s voice had a slight edge to it, but he was just worried and didn’t want to see his boyfriend hurting. He sighed and moved closer, lying down on the bed next to him. He carefully lifted the blanket, wanting to move under with Ash but also hoping to catch a glimpse of him in case the worst did happen and he’d need to take more action. What shocked Calum, though, was the way Ashton rolled over and instantly pressed himself to him when he moved the blanket. Calum pulled the blanket down so it was sitting more at their waists, and he wrapped an arm around Ashton. “Hey, it’s okay… I’m right here.”

Ashton started crying into his shirt, hands clutching tightly at it. “Hurts..” He choked out between cries.

Calum’s heart wanted to shatter at his words. “What hurts, love? Did you hurt yourself?” He hated asking it, but it was always a possibility.

Ashton shook his head against him. “I-it’s- it’s-“ He was struggling to speak through his tears. “Head… fuzzy.”

That one word made every other assumption Calum had completely go away. Oh. Ashton had regressed. He had done it a couple of times before, but it was always hard for him. Of course, he would try to hide away while it was happening. “Oh.. baby, why didn’t you say that before?”

He whined. “‘M n-not a baby-!” Regression was always a difficult thing. It did really help Ashton, but it also felt embarrassing as hell to him.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. I’m here for you, Mikey, and Luke are too.”

“N-no!” Ashton whined, kicking his legs slightly but still clinging tightly to Calum. “I’m- I- I’m an adult! I c-can’t b-be- can’t act like a baby!”

That was the other issue. As Ashton got older, it was harder for him to continue to feel okay with his regression. When he was barely out of his teen years, it didn’t seem that big a deal, but now, into his twenties, he just couldn’t justify it in his mind. Deep down, he knew he didn’t need to; he was allowed to cope however he needed, but the mean parts of his mind told him it was stupid. He thought at one point he was just going to have to get over it; he couldn’t be a grown adult acting like a child.

Calum knew Ashton struggled with these thoughts all too well. He had done so much and been so strong constantly. He deserved to let go and be taken care of. He was so precious for someone who had gone through so much. Calum didn’t want Ashton thinking there was some limit on regressing; if it helped him, it helped him; there shouldn’t be any rules to that. He hugged Ashton closer. “Shhh, none of that. It’s okay, Ash, you can regress if you need to. We’re not gonna stop you.” He rubbed circles on the older boy’s back. “You’re allowed. You do so much for us all the time, but you don’t need to be strong constantly. We’re here to help you just the same as you help us.”

“B-but- but-“ Ashton cried harder. He was just in that transition from big to little, which made it hard to articulate his words, especially when his head was already hurting.

Calum pressed soft kisses to the boy's forehead, trying to calm him down. “Shh, shhh.. no one’s gonna judge you, Ashy. Whatever you need, I’m right here to help you. Same with Michael and same with Luke. We all love you so much, just let us take care of you for a bit.”

Ashton didn’t respond, but this time Calum knew his words were getting to him. He still let the boy cry into his chest; he needed the release. Calum kept whispering sweet nothings into his hair, one hand rubbing his back as he brought him down. Calum would wait as long as he needed for Ashton to be okay; he’d do anything for his boyfriend.

Ashton’s tears had started to slow, reduced to small whimpers and sniffles. He looked up at Calum finally, eyes glossy and full of innocence. Calum’s gaze softened; he reminded him so much of when they first met. Ashton was always so full of joy, even after going through hell. He looked precious, just a lost baby who needed some love.

“Come on, can we sit up, love?” Calum spoke softly. When Ashton gave a small nod, he adjusted himself, sitting up and pulling the other with him. He let Ashton crawl onto his lap. “There we go.” He looked around Ashton’s room for a moment, making a small ‘ahah’ when he found Ash’s water bottle. He picked it up and unscrewed the lid. “Can you drink some water for me, Ashy?” He carefully held it up to Ashton’s lips, helping him with small sips before pulling it back. “Good job.” He praised gently, still rubbing the little one’s back.

“H-head hurts…” Ashton mumbled. “‘S too loud.”

“Do you want your headphones?” Calum smiled at Ashton’s nod. “How about we also get you into some comfier clothes, hm?” Calum set Ashton down on the bed and went to his closet, rummaging through clothes. He pulled out a pair of soft, dark gray shorts and an old shirt.

Ashton waited on the bed for Calum to be done, but he whined a little seeing the shirt. “W-want yours…”

“You want my clothes? We can do that.” It was pretty easy to keep Ashton happy once he got to his headspace. He wasn’t as fussy as anyone else, just content to be doted on with minimal requests here and there. Calum helped pull off Ashton’s pants and shirt, getting him dressed in the new selection. He stood back up to pull his own sweater off, then gave it to Ashton. He looked adorable in Calum’s clothes, and having the boys' scent on him made him feel more comfortable. He walked around the bed to retrieve Ashton’s headphones. He could still hear with them on, but it helped drown out some of that background noise, quieting the thoughts in his head. Once they were situated, Calum smiled at the sight of Ashton. He was definitely in his headspace now. “There’s my bear cub,” Calum said, finally pulling a little smile from the boy. “How about we head to the kitchen and get some breakfast in that tummy of yours?”

Ashton nodded and shyly reached out to Calum. He liked being carried in his little space, but Calum was the only one who could really carry him. Michael could for minimal amounts of time, but Luke didn’t really have all that strength. Calum carefully lifted the boy into his arms, walking out of his room and down the stairs with him. Ashton buried his face in the crook of his neck, hiding his face. Calum set Ashton down on the counter, grabbing the plate of food left for him and heating it up a bit.

Michael looked up from his spot on the couch after hearing sounds in the kitchen. He went to say something, but immediately held back seeing Ashton. The boy was looking down and messing with the strings of Calum’s hoodie he was wearing, and Michael knew he was overwhelmed just from seeing the headphones. Michael glanced over at Calum, mouthing, ‘Is he okay?’ once he caught his eyes. All it took was Calum mouthing back ‘little’ for Michael to realize. His eyes went wide, and he let out a small “ohh” of realization. It was rarer for Ashton to regress compared to him or Luke, so Michael knew it was all hands on deck for the little one. Sure, he wouldn’t be too much to handle, but he did deserve all the love they could give.

Calum finished preparing Ashton’s breakfast and then sat with the boy as he ate, wiping his face occasionally. Ashton would still try to be very independent in his little space because he felt like he had to be. Sometimes they had to let him do his own thing, but other times they stripped that away and did everything for him so he could really experience being taken care of and just enjoy his regression.

“Good job, baby bear, you ate all your food.” Calum praised, pressing a kiss to Ashton’s forehead and taking the plate to the sink. “Do you wanna go sit on the couch with Michael and Lukey?” Ashton nodded, already reaching out for Calum again. Calum pressed another kiss to his head when he picked him up, speaking softly. “I do think you need to apologize to Luke and Michael, though, for being mean this morning.”

Ashton frowned. “..didn’t mean to.”

“I know, bub, you were just upset, but you can’t take it out on them by yelling or throwing stuff at your door.”

“‘M sorry..”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, baby, I know you’re sorry, but you gotta apologize to them.”

Ashton mumbled out an okay and let Calum carry him to the living room. He gently set the boy down in the space Luke and Michael had opened up between them, Ashton instantly bringing his knees to his chest. Calum sat on the other side of Michael, leaning forward to look at Ashton, silently encouraging him to talk.

He glanced between Luke and Michael before looking down and speaking quietly. “..sorry f’r yelling this mo’ning and- and throwing pillow at m’ door..” Ashton glanced up at Luke when saying the last part. Part of him was expecting them to be upset, but they just looked at him with sweet smiles.

“It’s okay, Ashy, I forgive you.” Luke smiled and kissed his temple.

“You’re allowed to be upset, but next time you gotta tell us when something’s wrong. We’re here to help you, bubba.” Michael spoke softly, taking Ashton’s hand in his and rubbing his thumb over his knuckles.

“Okay.. pw-promise.” He held out his pinky to Michael, his small frown leaving when the boy intertwined his own pinky.

“Good.” Michael ruffled Ashton’s hair before kissing his cheek, making the boy blush. “Now, do you wanna watch ponies?”

Ashton’s face lit up instantly. “My Little Pony! Yes, please!”

Michael just chuckled at his eager response, then grabbed the remote, putting on the show. Ashton's eyes were fixed on the screen from the moment the intro started playing, completely captivated. He curled into Luke’s side and brought the string of his (Calum’s) hoodie into his mouth. Luke put an arm around the older boy, although he seemed so small like this. It was a sweet moment, and it got easier for Ashton to let go and let his boyfriends take care of him. He was very shy in his little space, still not fully okay with the idea of completely acting like a baby in the same way he had seen Luke or Michael do before, but each time added more and more. He’d come out of his shell more, the others learning what he did and didn’t like and setting boundaries for this side of Ash. Ashton loved his boys so much; he’d do anything for them, and it made his heart swell seeing them give that same level of care to him, even at times when he felt like he didn’t deserve it.

Ashton sat up, Luke removing his arm to let him go, and slowly pulled off his headphones, placing them on the counter before curling back up against Luke’s side. A small sign that he was feeling better and was deeper into his headspace. They watched a couple episodes of My Little Pony in peaceful silence until Ashton spoke up again.

“Could we make a fort?”

Ashton wasn’t sure what you did all day when he was gone at school, especially when he knew your mother wasn’t taking care of you as much as she should, but you were always as excited as ever to see him when he got home.

You were only three years old, having been born when Ashton was barely thirteen. You were honestly a shock to him and his mom. Your father wasn’t in the picture at all. It was an upsetting scene, especially for Ashton. His dad had left when Ashton was young, but not young enough to forget all the pain he had caused. For some godawful reason, your mom got back in contact with him just for him to leave again shortly after she got pregnant with you. Ashton held a lot of resentment, but he tried to push past it. He knew he had to step up and be there for you and his mom, more so now when she was back to drinking away her pain. He had to take care of you. He couldn’t have you going through the same pain he had, not when you were so innocent and so so sweet. Ashton was sixteen now and doing most things on his own. He’d wake up early to help with breakfast before leaving for school, then he’d get home and push aside lingering assignments to focus on you while your mom went out to probably party and drink for the night, like today.

Ashton walked inside the house, sighing as he set his backpack down by the front door. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed and nap, but his thoughts were stopped short as he heard your little voice.

“Ash!!” You giggled and scrambled up from the living room floor, going as fast as your little legs could carry you and clinging onto his leg.

He smiled down at you, gently running his long fingers through your fluffy hair. “Hey, bud, you missed me, huh?”

“M-mhm!” You kept clinging to his leg.

“Well, I missed you, too.” He smiled even wider at the squeal you let out when he picked you up. “What’d you do while I was gone?”

You leaned against his chest, small hand grabbing onto his shirt. “Ummm.. w-watched show! And- and I pwayed wif my cars, and now cowouring!”

“Ooh, sounds like a fun day.”

“Still cow-cowowing.” You spoke up again, making Ashton laugh slightly at your pronunciation of the word. “A-ash cowour wif me?”

Ashton knew he couldn’t say no to you, even if he had other things he needed to be doing. “Of course, buddy.”

He bounced you slightly in his arms as he made his way to the living room, setting you back in your spot on the floor by the table where your colouring stuff was. He sat criss-cross on the floor next to you, a hand on your back to keep you stabilized while you moved up to grab your crayons.

You slid your paper towards the edge of the table, sitting up close. It was already partway coloured, progress from before Ashton had come home.

“What’re you colouring, bub?” His hand slowly moved up and down your back.

“I’s a su’pwise!” You giggled, shielding the paper from his view to the best of your ability.

“Ah, I see. So I can’t help with it then?”

“Nuh uh… bu’ you can still cowour!” You happily moved over and grabbed a blank piece of paper for him. Their mom might be mad at you for using so much of the paper, but if she said anything, Ashton would stand up for you. You were just a kid, and you liked to colour. There really wasn’t any harm in that; they could afford to get more paper. Even if that paper was Ashton just taking some extra from school.

Ashton smiled warmly as you set the colouring supplies in front of him. Even if it was a simple activity like this, you loved being around him and doing anything possible with him. He had even let you hit on his drums before because you just wouldn’t stop whining when he left you alone. Part of Ashton couldn’t understand how their mom could just not care, as well as their father, and leave you alone. You needed to be cared for, and yes, it could be a lot sometimes, but you were the sweetest little boy ever. Ashton couldn’t imagine abandoning someone like you, but then he gets hit with the thought that he was abandoned like that. His dad had left, and his mom spiraled, leaving a young Ashton to pick up the pieces on his own. His arm under his many bracelets felt itchy all of a sudden, and his heart was hu— Ashton was pulled out of his slowly darkening thoughts by the sound of you babbling to him about the little kid show you had been watching. He directed his attention to you, trying to distract himself, but then he remembered what he was going to ask.

“Hey, buddy, do you know where mom is?”

“Um.. think she’s in the kitchen.” You spoke softly, eyes not leaving your paper.

“Alright, you just sit tight, I’ll be right back.” He leaned over to kiss the top of your head before getting up and walking to the kitchen.

When he walked into the kitchen, lo and behold, their mom was there. She was looking over some bills and drinking a beer. He internally groaned, not wanting to deal with all this.

“Hey, I h—“

“Not now, Ashton.” She cut him off, sounding annoyed.

When he was younger, he would’ve just walked off, never wanting to upset his mom, but now he always stood his ground. “Has he eaten today?” Maybe it wasn’t what he originally was going to ask, but he might as well make sure you were taken care of while he was gone.

“I don’t have time right now, Ashton.” She ignores the question.

“I just need to know if he’s eaten.”

“Yeah- he- he had breakfast and some snacks.” She waved it off like it was nothing.

“When?”

“Why do you need to know? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Because I need to make sure he’s okay! You can’t act like feeding a three-year-old is so much work.”

“Ashton.” Her voice was stern, but Ashton continued. Maybe on a better day, he wouldn’t have been so standoffish, but today had been tiring, and he was fed up.

“If you’re not gonna take care of him, at least sign him up for daycare or something! I can’t be here all the time to look after him!” There was a hint of a falter in his voice.

“We don’t have the money for daycare.”

“But we have the money for all your alcohol??”

“Ashton!” Not the best choice of words from Ashton, but it wasn’t like he was wrong. They struggled to keep themselves up sometimes, and it absolutely sucked watching their mom waste their money on alcohol. However, he knew by her tone of voice that she was done arguing. “…I’m going out tonight.” She concluded, like the conversation didn’t just happen, pushing aside the bills and standing up.

Ashton scratched at his arm a little, wincing when he caught a glimpse under his bracelets. He was beyond upset right now. He’d love to go drum out his frustrations, but he couldn’t. “Can I at least get money to order pizza or something?”

She almost glared at him, but looked in her wallet and fished out a twenty, handing it over before walking out of the kitchen.

Ashton grumbled to himself before pocketing the money; he didn’t need to order it til later anyway. He took a second to breathe, trying to not get overwhelmed with everything that had been going on recently.

Ashton sighed before walking back over to the living room, taking his seat next to you once more. He wanted to close his eyes and just drift away for a bit.

“Ashton!”

He blinked his eyes open at your excited call, putting on a smile. “What’s up, buddy?”

“Finished my dwaing.” You beamed up at him. “I’s for you.” You held it up for him to see.

Ashton wanted to cry looking at it. Sure, it was a simple drawing made by a three-year-old using crayons, but you had put so much time into it, thinking solely of him, and with the day he was having, it made everything feel better. The drawing was a very simple scene of you and him. The stick figure of yourself being a lot smaller than his, both of you drawn in different colours, meant to be both of your favourite colours. Ashton almost laughed at the accuracy of how you drew his hair. There were a couple of circles to the side of his stick figure; he couldn’t really decipher what they were meant to be.

“What are those, buddy?” He asked you, pointing at the formation of circles.

“Tha’s your dwums!” His heart melted all over again at your words. God, you were adorable.

“I love it, baby.” His words were genuine as he reached out to ruffle your hair. “It looks amazing, thank you.”

“Wub you!”

Oh, Ashton could just burst right on the spot. How could two simple words from a toddler mean so much to him?

“You da best big bwother ever!”

Ashton quickly wiped at his eyes with his arm before any tears could properly form. He was supposed to be strong, but your sweet, innocent words were breaking down that exterior. He set the drawing down on the table, then pulled you up onto his lap. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head. “I love you too, bud, so much.”

You didn’t understand the effect you were having on Ashton right now, so you just smiled and wrapped your little arms around him.

“I’m leaving, watch your brother.” Your mom spoke up from the front as she grabbed her things.

“Yeah, I know.” Ashton almost grumbled, watching as their mom left without another word. “Guess it’s just us tonight, little man.”

“Can we pway?” Your eyes were bright as you looked up at his hazel ones.

He wanted to immediately say yes and do whatever you wanted, but he really couldn’t keep putting aside his school work. “I’m sorry, buddy. I gotta do my homework.”

Your immediate pout and the way you clung on tighter to him made his heart ache.

“I know you wanna play, but I really have to get my assignments done..” He couldn’t keep looking at your sad little pout. If he went to do his assignments, you’d be left alone, and he couldn’t have that. He let out a sigh. “Fine. How about this? You can bring some of your toys to my room and play while I work, then once I’m done, we can do whatever you’d like, alright?”

You thought silently for a moment, still pouting, before nodding and agreeing. “Can bring my cars?”

“Yeah, you can bring your cars. Let’s go get ‘em.” He lifted you up, holding you close and securely to his chest. He made his way to your room, setting you down on your bed momentarily so he could pull out your toy bin. “Alright, bud, which cars do you want? Do you want to bring the whole track?”

“Umm.. wan’ the gween ones- and- and the pu’ple and wed ones!” You swung your feet back and forth as you waited for Ashton to collect your toys.

Ashton grabbed a small handful of your cars and the play mat that you could drive them on. “There we go, let’s head to my room now, yeah?” He smiled softly at the way you made grabby hands up at him. “I gotta hold these, buddy, I can’t carry you.” You pouted in response, still reaching out for him. “I know you can be a big boy and walk by yourself. I’ve seen you do it.”

You huff a little. “Fine.” You were still pouting, but got up anyway and walked alongside him, your small hand clutching onto his pant leg for support.

When you made it to his room, he set your cars down on the floor, kicking some of his discarded clothes out of the way. He laid out your play mat. It was a simple green mat with a road path on it that you liked to drive the cars around on. He knew they wouldn’t drive well on the carpet anyway.

Once you were settled, he went over to his small desk, grabbed his homework, and got to work. He did have a lot to do, but if he could get at least half of the assignments done tonight, that would be great. He wasn’t necessarily struggling academically, per se; his grades were actually really good. It was just hard for him to have time to do his homework with everything that went on in his personal life. He didn’t want to be restricted by school work and not have time to do anything fun. He loved getting to hang out with his mates and play his drums. A lot of Ashton’s time was also spent on his little brother. All of this piled together usually led to him getting all his work done in one night and feeling burnt out. It was a rough routine, but he was able to squeeze by with it.

Ashton would occasionally get distracted by the sound of the plastic cars hitting together or the little car sounds you would so enthusiastically make. He didn’t want to scold you for it, though; he knew what he was signing up for when letting you play cars in his room. It was usually a pretty noisy activity. You just loved to crash them together like a little maniac.

You stayed occupied for a little over an hour, letting him get about three assignments done, before you were next to his chair, trying to climb into his lap.

“Hey, you need something?” Ashton lifted you into his lap.

“‘M bored.”

“Are the cars not interesting anymore?” He bounced you a little in his lap.

“Nuh uh”

“Well, I just have to finish up this last thing, then we can play, okay?”

“Wanna play nowww.”

“I know, but you gotta be a little patient for me.” A small chuckle left his lips as you pouted. “I have this one assignment, then I’ll be done; it’ll only take me a couple minutes. Can you be a good boy and wait? I’ll let you stay on my lap.”

“I’m good boy.” You responded quickly.

“You are a good boy, that’s why you gotta be patient, okay?”

After he finally got your agreement, he went back to doing his assignment, gently bouncing you in his lap. You were a bit restless, but he was able to finish up quickly. Sure, his handwriting got a bit messy on that last page, but that was the least of his concerns.

“Okay, buddy, I’m all done.”

“Yay!” You exclaimed happily, already wriggling in his lap again.

“What do you wanna play, huh?” He stood up with you in his arms, stepping around the cars on his floor. He could clean those up later.

“We watch pony?”

“Oh? You wanna watch My Little Pony?” Fortunately, Ashton did enjoy that show. You nodded eagerly, and he was already on his way to the living room. “My Little Pony it is.”

He gently set you on the couch before setting up the show. Once it was rolling, he looked back at you. “I’m gonna order dinner real quick, then I’ll be right here to watch with you.”

You nodded slightly, already focused on the bright coloured show. The older boy stepped aside to the kitchen, using the house phone to call and order pizza. After the order was placed, he came back to the living room, sitting next to your little form on the couch.

After almost three episodes, the pizza arrived. Ashton answered the door, paid the delivery driver, and came back over with the box. He set aside his own plate before getting a slice for you.

“Do you want your sippy?” Ashton already knew the answer.

You nodded eagerly. “Wan’ juice!”

“What juice would ya like, buddy?”

“Ummmm, apple!”

“Apple juice, coming right up.” He ruffled your hair, then quickly went to the kitchen and filled your sippy cup with apple juice. He sat back on the couch, handing you the colourful cup.

“Fank ‘ou!” You happily sipped your juice between little bites of pizza. Ashton ate his own food, making sure to keep an eye on you so you wouldn’t choke.

Ashton couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of you when you finished your food. Your hands and face were messy with pizza sauce and tiny crumbs. “Someone’s a messy eater, huh? Let me get you cleaned up.” He grabbed a wipe and gently cleaned off your hands and face, gaze softening at your small giggles.

Ashton let you finish your juice and watch a couple more episodes of My Little Pony before deciding it was time to get you to bed. It was barely 8 pm, but you needed a lot more sleep than he did. If he kept you up any later, you’d be cranky tomorrow.

“Alright, kiddo. It’s time to get ready for bed.” He paused the tv before another episode could start up.

“Noooooo! Don’t wanna go bed yet.” You looked up at him with the biggest pleading puppy eyes he had ever seen.

“I know you don’t, but you can’t fight bedtime.”

“Pleeasseeeeeeee?”

“You don’t have to go to bed just yet, but we at least have to start winding down, okay?” He smiled at your huff. “Can you come help me clean up your cars from earlier?”

“I guess so…” You mumbled, clinging onto Ashton as he walked beside you back to his room.

You helped pick up the cars and bring them back to your own room. All your discarded toys were collected and put back in the toy bin.

Then Ashton picked you up. “Alright, now we just gotta brush those little teeth and get you in some jammies.”

You leaned against his chest, wishing you could just will him into letting you stay up, even if your little body was betraying you and making you sleepier by the minute.

He brought you into the bathroom, helping brush your teeth and wiping the excess saliva off your face afterwards. Then you were carried back to your room, and Ashton started looking through your closet.

“What jammies do you want, baby?” He pulled out some different options, showing them to you.

“Wan’ bwue one-!” You pointed at the soft, light blue onesie he was holding up.

“Good choice, bug.” He helped get you dressed. Even if you’d deny it, he could tell you were tired. A little yawn escaped you as he fixed your bed sheets.

“Alright, buddy, time for bed.”

You protested a little but eventually settled down as Ashton tucked you in, your eyes feeling heavy. Instinctively, you brought your thumb up to your mouth, but Ashton made quick work of moving it away and slipping a dummy between your lips. “There we are. All settled for the night.” He pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Goodnight, I love you.”

He heard a sleepy mumbled response around your dummy, causing him to smile, then he turned off the light, leaving your room dimly illuminated by your night light, before leaving.

Ashton had spent the rest of the night cleaning up around the house and having time to himself before finally retiring to bed. He had been exhausted all day, so finally getting to lie in the comfort of his bed felt amazing. He closed his eyes, feeling himself start to drift off.

“Ashy?” Your quiet voice popped up when you pushed the door that was much bigger than you were open. Your blanket was wrapped around you, secured tightly in your hands.

Ashton had been struggling to properly sleep for the past couple of hours, too many things running through his mind. It was hard. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and rolled over, sitting up a little after he heard you. “Hey buddy, you okay?” His voice was soft. He pulled back the blankets, patting the space next to him.

You waddled over and climbed onto the bed. “H-had nightmare… can stay wif you?” You bit on the edge of your thumb, looking up at him with teary eyes.

“Oh, of course, bud, c’mere.” Ashton gently pulled you closer to his warm body, running his fingers through your hair to try and soothe you. His heart ached at the way you clung to him, clearly still distressed from the nightmare. “Shhh, shhh, it’s alright. You’re safe, it was just a dream.” He took deep, steady breaths, continuing to speak gentle, reassuring words in hopes of calming you so you could get back to sleep.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt your body relax. You just curled up against him, trying to steal all of his warmth and comfort. Ashton held you close, still moving his hand through your hair. He’d stay awake as long as he needed to to make sure you were okay. And once you fell back asleep, he finally got himself to sleep.