“Sorry.” Levi replies, knowing it was something Michael reminded him of many times. Michael smiles at his son and drops a kiss to his forehead, silently forgiving him.

He resumes his place on the sofa, picking up his acoustic guitar and quietly strumming the tune in his head as Levi gets back to playing. He didn’t get the chance to play properly as often as he’d like to — the studio he used to spend hours on end in a distant memory. His days were now filled with children’s TV shows, Levi’s favourite turkey dinosaurs, and many many toy cars and trucks. He’d find them where he’d least expect to — he couldn’t get into bed without finding a surprise underneath his pillow.

He wouldn’t have it any other way though.

Even though his life had drastically changed from what it used to be — it was also filled with so much love. He can’t imagine waking up without his son pulling at the edge of the covers to join him for cuddles, or having anything less than at least ten hugs and kisses everyday. He loves watching Levi grow up and change, as well as discovering more about the world with him by his side.

“What else is going on outside, bud?” Michael asks Levi, noticing his son was curiously peering outside once more.

“They’re taking things from the truck.” He tells him. Michael knows he wouldn’t care about anything other than watching the vehicle so similar to the plastic one in his hands. Michael glances outside once more, spotting two people lifting boxes from the back of the van — wondering if there would be a new resident in the building.

It was then he remembers the empty apartment next door to his — it had been a few months since their previous neighbour left, and he had been wondering when somebody else would be moving in.

“Levi, come and get your shoes on please bud.” Michael instructs him, grabbing his small waterproof jacket from the hook next to the door. Grocery shopping was something they always do every Friday morning together. Well, they do everything together, but groceries were a part of their routine. “Shall we have another try at tying your laces? I know you’ve been practicing since last time.”

Michael was always looking for something new to teach his son — the most recent task being teaching him how to tie his own shoe laces. He has never been forced to put on his shoes so much in his life, due to Levi asking to practice on him.

“Then that goes there...” Levi’s voice is quiet as he concentrates. Michael watches as he tries — it wasn’t quite right, but he’s definitely closer than the last time he tried.

“Almost, bud! You’re getting better every time.” Michael praises him, kneeling down to securely tie his laces himself. “We’ll keep trying.”

Michael makes sure he has his wallet and keys before taking Levi’s hand in his. He’s met with two people outside of his apartment — the same two people he had seen unpacking boxes outside. The door next to his apartment was propped open, assumingly so it was easier for things to be unloaded inside.

“Look dad! A puppy!”

Levi pulls away from Michael’s hand and runs over to the brown labradoodle sniffing around the hall, making himself familiar with his new environment. Michael turns around quickly, calling Levi’s name to attempt to stop him from getting in the way, or from bothering the dog minding their own business.

That’s when Michael sees you.

“Milo,” You call, worried he would get over excited and jump up at the little boy currently trying to pet him. “Sorry, the attention gets her a little excitable.”

“Don’t worry.” Michael replies, laughing off what you said. “She was minding his own business before my son got involved. I’m Michael, by the way. Are you moving in next door?”

“I am! I’m glad I bumped into you, actually. Much less awkward than me just randomly knocking on your door, I guess.” You reply, chuckling out of nervousness. Michael holds his hand out for you to shake, as you introduce yourself too. “It’s good to meet you. What’s this little guy’s name?”

“My name is Levi.” Levi pipes up from where he was still entertaining Milo. One trait Levi hasn’t inherited from Michael is his confidence — or thereby lack of. Levi would talk to anyone that interacted with Michael, which was something he would never have done at his age.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Levi.” You reply to him, smiling as he stands back next to his dad and grabs a hold of his hand. “Thanks for keeping Milo entertained.”

“We have some grocery shopping to do, but I’m sure we’ll see you around.” Michael tells you, hoping that it was true. He’s happy to have a friendly neighbour moving in, especially since you have a dog — he’s sure Levi isn’t going to forget that. He had been begging for a pet for a long time, but Michael didn’t feel like the time was right. “Come on, bud. Say goodbye!”

Levi waves goodbye to you as you continue into your new apartment, setting the box of your belongings down along with the rest. Looking around your new home, there’s a lot of cleaning and decorating to be done — but it’s all part of the moving fun.

“Looks like we have some nice neighbours, huh Milo?” You think back to the friendly man and his adorable son that you had met moments ago. They had made moving into the building a little less daunting. “I think Levi wants to be your friend, too.”

The last of your belongings were brought into the apartment and you thank the removal company for their help, knowing the move would’ve been much more difficult if you had done it yourself. The apartment already felt homey — the neutral, warm decor giving it a cosy atmosphere. It would feel more like home when you unpacked and added your own spin on it.

In the supermarket, Michael is going through his usual shopping list and making sure they got everything they would need for the next week — as well as a few extra treats for Levi. He’s good at disciplining him when he needs to — he’s learned how to say ‘no’, but he couldn’t lie and say he isn’t a soft touch towards his son.

“Dad?” Levi asks, sitting in the child friendly seat at the front of the trolley. He has a toy car in his grasp, something to keep him entertained whilst Michael shopped — grocery shopping isn’t the most exciting way for a four year old to spend a Friday afternoon. “Do you think I can play with the puppy when we get home?”

Michael chuckles at his words, whilst grabbing his favourite pasta sauce from the shelf. He wishes he could be four years old again — his biggest concern being the ability to pet the dog he had met half an hour ago. He isn’t surprised that it had been the only thing on Levi’s mind since meeting you and Milo.

“We’ll have to wait and see, buddy.” He replies, not wanting to continuously bother you on your first day in the new apartment, knowing you needed to unpack and settle in. “Our new neighbour needs to unpack first I think. We don’t want to bother them.”

“Can we take her some treats?” He asks, knowing it would give him an excuse to see Milo again. Michael isn’t too mad about getting to see you again, either. It would be nice to have some adult company — he’s forgotten what it was like to talk to someone other than his four year old. “Please? Maybe then she’ll want to be friends with us.” Night

He loves the way his son thinks through things — four year old logic just made sense of the simple things in life. Being kind makes people want to be friends with you. It’s something he never wants his son to grow out of.

“Sure, bud.” He agrees, knowing it would be a nice gesture for Milo — even if it wasn’t the best housewarming present. “We’ll pick some up when we get to the pet aisle, okay?”

Levi is satisfied with his answer.

***

“Who’s that Milo, huh? Do we have more visitors?”

A knock on your leads you out of your bedroom, where you were finally making up the bed. It was the last thing you planned on doing that evening — the living room and kitchen were still full of boxes, yet they weren’t going to be unpacked until the weekend. Anything not essential could be done at another time.

You look through the small peep hole in the door — spotting Michael and Levi on the other side. It’s nice to see a familiar face, even though you had only had one conversation with them. As soon as you open the door, Milo runs past you, jumping up at the little boy who had been so eagerly waiting to see her again.

“Sorry to bother you again,” Michael starts, the expression on his face telling you that he had been reluctant to call round — yet the little boy next to him had won the battle due to wanting to see Milo. “Levi here has a present, well for Milo. Not the best housewarming gift, I know.”

“That’s so sweet, thank you so much!” You take the small bag of dog treats from Michael’s hands, opening it and handing one to Levi. “Would you like to give it to her?”

Levi nods and happily takes it from your hand, offering it to Milo and giggling when she ate it from his grasp. They continue to play together, Michael turning his attention back to you.

“I would invite you in, but there’s more boxes than anything else in there currently.” You tell him, closing the door behind you slightly to hide the mess. “I’d be happy to have you round when it looks a little less than a dumping sight though.”

Something about you intrigues Michael. It’s so easy to talk to you, even in the two conversations you’d had.

“Don’t worry, we just wanted to bring the treats round. Levi hasn’t stopped talking about Milo since earlier so I knew he wouldn’t sleep until he got to see her again.” He explains, a hand running through Levi’s messy blonde hair. You can’t help but notice there had been no mention of his mum, yet you’d only bumped into them twice — you don’t really know anything about them at all. “We’ll let you get on with unpacking, but feel free to knock if you need anything. C’mon, bub. It’s bath time for you.”

Levi waves goodbye and they head back next door — leaving you in your own company once more. Something about them is intriguing. They seem like a very sweet duo, although you aren’t sure of their exact situation. It makes you feel more comfortable knowing you had someone next door that you could speak to though.

You spent the rest of the evening making the bedroom more able to sleep in. About to head to bed after a long day, you close the blinds in the living room — a quiet strumming catching your attention. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion, wondering what the sound was and there it was coming from.

“‘Cause I’ve got a jet black heart... and there’s a hurricane underneath it, trying to keep us apart,”

It’s Michael singing.

The sound is oddly comforting. It’s only a soft strumming, his velvety voice a quiet murmur — assuming it was to avoid waking Levi up. Yet somehow, you could hear it through the wall. You wonder if it’s just a hobby, or whether that’s part of his job. You can’t help but be curious about their situation.

Michael is stuck.

Ashton had called him in the middle of the afternoon, following a minor drumming incident — a drumstick had slipped out of his hand whilst practicing too hard, splitting mid air and cutting the palm of his hand. It’s not too bad, he’d managed to stop the bleeding — yet he knew it would need some stitches, and that’s where he hoped Michael would come in.

He’d already tried both Calum and Luke, both tied up with something, so they couldn’t help him out either. Michael didn’t fancy taking Levi to the hospital with him, yet he isn’t sure what else to do.

Then he thinks about you.

It had been around a week since you moved in, and he’d bumped into you a handful of times — the conversations flowing just as they had the first few times. He doesn’t think it would be fair to leave Levi with you, since he barely knows you. Yet he isn’t sure what else to do. Levi is napping — it’s not often that he sleeps in the afternoon anymore, but after spending the morning at the park, it had knocked him out.

It led him to your door. He knocks lightly, desperately hoping that you were in and not busy, although he feels guilty for even asking you to help him out.

“Hey, Michael. What’s up?” You ask, a friendly smile on your face as he stood anxiously at the door. He doesn’t have the same relaxed demeanour as he usually did. “You okay?”

“I’m so sorry to ask, but is there any chance you have an hour to spare? Levi is asleep, there’s something I have to go and do and I don’t know who else to ask but I can’t take Levi with me an—“

“Michael, Michael... calm down.” You interrupt him, seeing how he was getting so worked up over something so trivial. “Of course I can, no problem at all. Levi is a sweet boy, and I’m sure Milo will appreciate the attention.”

Michael sighs in relief.

“Thank you so much.” It seems like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Levi is asleep, he might wake up but he’ll just play with his toys, probably. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I really appreciate it.”

You grab your phone and whistle for Milo, making sure you had your key before following Michael into his apartment. The layout is very similar to yours, although he had decorated quite a lot — the living room was calming and comfortable, mainly black and white, with a deep blue feature wall, and wooden furniture. Toys are littered around the room, as you expect, the trail clear from where Levi had moved from one to the other.

“I shouldn’t be too long.” Michael explains, throwing on a jacket and grabbing his phone. “Can I give you my number so I can keep you updated?”

You nod, handing your phone over so he could add his contact into it. He says goodbye and you watch him leave, before awkwardly lingering in his apartment — not really sure of what to do in the unfamiliar space. You consider watching TV, yet you don’t want to wake Levi up. You’re slightly nervous as to how Levi would react to waking up with you there, instead of Michael, although he had been nothing but friendly with you since meeting. He’s a very confident child, you had noticed.

Taking a seat on the plush brown sofa, you can’t help but look around the room.

It’s obvious Michael had put a lot of effort into decorating. The photo frames lining the shelves and hung on the wall catch your eye — filled with photos of Michael and Levi together. One where Levi was a tiny baby, cuddled up in Michael’s arms, another where he was on his shoulders, tiny hands holding onto a hat that said “MC” in white letters on the side. There’s a few family shots, with people you assumed to be Michael’s parents. Yet, none with someone who could’ve been Levi’s mum, or Michael’s partner. At that point, you’re 90% sure that Michael and Levi live there alone.

Milo curls up next to you on the couch, making herself at home after exploring the apartment. You run your hands through her soft fur, wondering how else to kill time before Michael returns. His record collection catches your attention too, stacked up on a shelf way above ground level — seemingly out of reach from Levi. Maybe the music was just a hobby, an escape for Michael in his spare time. It’s something you want to ask about in due course.

“Hello?”

A soft voice appears from behind you, making you jump slightly and turn around from your spot on the sofa.

“Hi, Levi.” You greet him, smiling at the sight of the four year old — standing in his dinosaur print pyjamas, cheeks rosy and rubbing at his sleepy eyes. “Your dad had to go and do something, so I said I’d stay here and hang out with you for a while. Is that okay?”

He nods, still not comprehending exactly what was going on but agreeing all the same. In his sleepy state, he hadn’t noticed Milo wagging her tail and making her way over to him. He giggles excitedly as she nudges her nose against his leg, hoping for the attention he usually gave her.

“Milo is here!” He exclaims, kneeling down so the soft puppy could jump up at him.

“I thought you might like to play with her.” You tell him, smiling at their sweet interaction. “She’s probably more fun than me.”

Levi is happy to give Milo all of his attention — giggling when he's smothered in puppy cuddles and kisses. She’s a good way to break the ice between them, even though Levi isn’t a shy child — Milo gives them something easy to talk about.

“Where did my dad go?” Levi asks a little anxiously — twiddling one of his toy trucks in his hands, his nerves coming out in his actions.

“I’m not sure actually,” You reply, realising Michael actually never said where he was going. “He said he wouldn’t be too long, but it was an emergency.”

He nods slowly, almost like he didn’t believe you.

“Me and Milo will keep you company until then, okay? I won’t leave until he gets back.” You reassure him, hoping to put his mind at ease. It makes you wonder why he’s so worried about being left alone. You hand him Milo’s favourite toy. “I brought this for you to play with.”

“I want to get a dog, but Dad says we can’t,” Levi says, throwing the ball across the room and watching as Milo chases after it. It gives you the chance to ask a few questions. You don’t want to overstep, yet do want to get to know them.

“Is it just you and your dad that live here?”

“Uh huh.” He replies. That confirms to you that Michael is a single dad, if anything. “He’s my best friend.”

You don’t get the chance to ask him any more questions before Michael bursts through the door.

“Hey, you.” Michael smiles at his son as Levi runs towards him, wrapping his arms around his legs. “Did you have a good nap? Sorry I wasn’t here, bud. Your uncle Ash had a bit of an accident.”

“It’s okay.” Levi replies, throwing his arms around Michael’s neck as he picks him up. “I had fun playing with Milo!”

“I’m glad you did, bubs.” He smiles, reaching down to greet Milo too. “Thank you so much for watching him. I really appreciate it.”

You wave off his thanks, reassuring him that it wasn’t a problem — you enjoy spending time with Levi and want to get to know them more.

“Don’t worry about it,” You say. He sits down next to you on the sofa — Levi cuddling up next to him. “Is everything okay?”

Michael thinks back to the chaos of the last hour — having to drive Ashton to the hospital in a hurry and then hang around in the waiting room whilst he got it stitched up.

“Yeah, my bandmate just had a bit of a drumming incident. He’s fine, though.” He replies, and the word ‘bandmate’ catches your attention. It makes you think back to the previous few nights, when you’d heard him playing guitar through the wall.

“Oh, you’re in a band?” You ask curiously, hoping it doesn’t seem like you’re prying, but you’d been wanting to ask about his musical abilities.

Sometimes Michael forgets he’s in the band, especially now his sole focus is Levi. They hadn’t been able to tour for a long time, leading to them all focusing on their own personal interests — it had given Michael some space to breathe and focus on being a dad.

“Yeah, well, we’re kinda on a hiatus at the moment.” He explains. It’s not a lie. It’s an unofficial one — they never collectively decided to take a break, but life had just turned out that way. They were all itching to get back into the band, though. Michael just wanted to get Levi in school first. He didn’t want him to have to spend his days cooped up in a studio whilst Michael worked. It didn’t seem fair. “We’ve been together a long time, but we all kinda took a break for a little while to focus on our own things. I had Levi to take care of, so it kinda worked out.”

“I see,” You nod as he speaks. “That explains the guitar then?”

He furrows his eyebrows at you, like he knows what you mean, but he’s not sure.

“You heard that?” A blush arises on his face. “I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t keep you awake. It’s just the only time I really get to practice, after Levi is in bed.”

“Hey, don’t worry. It’s nice, actually. You have a nice voice.” You reassure him. Michael seems to worry a lot, you had noticed. He always felt the need to explain himself, or apologise for what he was doing — it made you sad in a way. “I don’t mind at all.”

Something about you made Michael feel as though he could breathe a little more. He wants to spend more time with you. It feels comfortable and easy.

“Dad, what’s for dinner?” Levi’s voice pulls Michael’s attention from thinking, back to reality.

“I’m not sure bud, what do you want?” Michael asks him, running his hands through his fluffy, sleep tousled hair. He turns his attention back to you. “I have to get his dinner, but you’re welcome to come round later tonight, if you’re free? We can talk properly then.”

“Sounds good to me,” You stand up, whistling for Milo so she’d follow along behind you. “I’ll see you tonight.”

***

It’s around 9:00pm by the time Michael texts you.

He could’ve knocked, but he didn’t want to disturb Levi. It had taken him a little longer for him to settle — almost as if he knew that Michael had plans. It was often Levi was plagued with nightmares, ones of Michael leaving him alone or him being somehow abandoned. Michael assumed it came from his mum leaving at such a young age. He had some memories of her, since he was just over a year old when she left — he knew her. He knew her enough to know that she was gone.

“Hey, sorry it took so long to get Levi to bed.” Michael apologises once more. “It sometimes takes a little longer to get him to sleep.”

“It’s no problem.” You reply, walking into the homey apartment — the floor now clear of evidence of Levi playing all day long. It has a relaxing energy. “Is he okay? And are you?”

“Yeah, it’s just ever since his mum left…” The words trail off as he realises what he's saying. He doesn't want to offload on you, yet something about you made him trust you. “He has nightmares a lot, we’re trying to deal with his fear of the dark too.”

“It must be tough doing it alone.” You comment, sitting on the end of his sofa as he stands in the kitchen, opposite you. “Levi is such a sweet boy though, if that’s any consolation.”

Michael smiles as he thinks about his son.

“Thank you,” He replies genuinely. “I’m used to it being just us now, but it was really rough in the beginning. I just worry that I’m never gonna be able to give him what a mother could, you know? Well, what she did.

“I think you worry about a lot of things.”

Michael chuckles at your words.

“Probably,” He sighs, yawning quietly as he adjusts his fringe over his forehead. “Another thing I’m used to doing. The band used to help me get out of my head, but I don’t really get the chance to do that anymore. Well, not until late at night.”

Michael used to spend his days locked up in a studio, perfecting harmonies and recording guitar solos over and over. He loved it, though. It was his passion, the one thing he truly loved — yet none of that compared to how he felt about Levi.

“Did you want to get back with your band?” Michael moves around the kitchen, pouring himself a drink before offering you one too, as he thinks about your question.

He did want to. A part of him aches to get back to being creative, to satisfy the lyrics and melodies floating around his mind. He has a lot to write about, that’s for sure. After the time he had taken away, he’d never be short on inspiration.

Ashton, Luke and Calum feel the same way too.

They’d be back in the studio in a heartbeat if Michael agreed. He’d have to agree for any of them to go back into it as a band — it was all or none. They understand though. The last few years had been rough on both Michael and Levi, and they’d never rush him into anything if it wasn’t the best thing for both of them.

“Yeah. The guys really want to, but it’s just when I can.” He explains. “I don’t want Levi’s life to turn into being stuck in a studio all day, it’s not fair on him. I was planning on waiting until he starts school in September.”

You don’t know Michael that well, apart from living next door to him for the past week or so. Yet something about him made you want to help him. He’s just a single dad, trying to do the best for his son — yet he's trying to juggle far too much at a time, leaving no time for himself. You want to help with that.

“This might be completely crazy since we don’t know each other that well and I just moved in next door…” You start, Michael cocking his eyebrow at you — unsure of what you were going to ask. “I’m still looking for a job, I don’t really have much on during the day. I could watch Levi for you if you wanted to go to the studio again. If Levi would feel okay with that, of course. And as long as you’re comfortable too.”

Michael thinks about your proposal for a moment.

On one hand, it seems like a crazy suggestion. You had only lived next door for around a week, and hung out with them a few times, yet Levi did seem to be comfortable when you had taken care of him that day. Milo would help too. Levi could be convinced to do anything if there was a puppy involved somehow.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” Michael sighs, already feeling the ‘dad guilt’ at the idea of leaving Levi with someone else. He’d have to talk to Levi before agreeing — he had to make it clear that he wasn’t leaving him, since that would do nothing to help his abandonment issues. Michael couldn’t do that to his son.

“You’re not asking me to.” You move a little closer to him, resting your hand on his thigh, as if to ground him. Michael looks directly at you, suddenly feeling emotional over how much you wanted to be able to help him. “I’m offering to, because I want you to do something for you. I know I don’t know that much about how you and Levi ended up in this situation, but I do know that it’s about time you did something other than be a parent.”

“You’re sure?” He asks again, tears lining his eyes at your words. It had been a long time since he felt able to do something for himself. He had wanted to find someone to babysit Levi for a long time, yet he worried they wouldn’t bond and it wouldn’t work out. He had been too worried to reach out to someone. Maybe it was time he did something for him, now that he had the opportunity.

You nod.

“Me and Milo need the company anyway.” You tell him, moving forward when he holds his arms out towards you, to pull you into a grateful hug. His touch is gentle as his hands settle on your back. He’s warm and smells like clean cotton, fresh and comforting. It had been a long time since Michael felt so comfortable around someone, and he doesn’t know what makes him feel so secure.

“I need to talk to Levi about it.” He pulls away from the hug, but didn’t move further away. “I need to make sure he’s okay with it before we arrange anything. I just… I need to make sure he knows I’m not leaving him.”

“I understand, Michael. Take as much time as you need.” You assure him, squeezing his hand in yours in a comforting and reassuring gesture. “I’m not going anywhere.”

***

“Your bed is all nice and cosy, ready for you to have a good sleep.”

Michael pulls back the soft astronaut—themed duvet as Levi yawns, climbing under the covers. It’s an earlier bedtime than usual — Michael hoping it would be a good time to talk to Levi about your proposal of babysitting him.

He had spent all day thinking about it — what to say, how to explain that it was okay if he didn’t want it to happen. He just wants Levi to be happy and comfortable. If that meant him never being able to make music again, that’s what it would have to be — yet he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“Levi,” Michael started, pushing his damp fluffy hair away from his face — drying after an evening bath. “I need to talk to you about something, okay? Me and your uncles have been thinking about making music again, which would mean me having to go into the studio for a few hours sometimes.”

He continues to explain what would happen — that you would take care of him when he had to go.

“But if you don’t want to, that’s okay, I promise. I don’t want you to be sad, bud. If you want me to stay here with you then I will. You just let me know, okay? I promise that’s okay.” He reassures him. Levi’s big green eyes looked up at him as he spoke, melting his heart. He tries to ignore how much he looks like his mum, even though she had always told him Levi was a clone of him. He did look like Michael in many ways, yet he’d never stop seeing her in his son. “I love you so much, you know that. I’d never leave you. If you’re not ready for me to start making music again, I won’t, okay?”

Levi had grown up listening to Michael playing the guitar. Back when he was a baby, it soothed him — he had spent hours by his crib just playing soft songs to soothe him back to sleep. He loved hearing Michael play.

He looks at Michael for a moment, as if he was trying to take in all of the information he had just received. Michael can almost see the cogs turning in his mind. He isn’t sure what his response was going to be.

“Does that mean I get to play with Milo all day?”

Michael laughs at his son’s words, whilst simultaneously sighing in relief. As long as there was a puppy around, he’d agree to anything.

“Yeah bud, it does.” He replies, smiling at him as he tucks his covers up to his chin. “Is that okay, though? You’re sure?”

“Uh huh.” He nods, cuddling up to the various soft toys surrounding him in his bed. “I like hearing you play guitar.”

“Maybe I can write a song about you.” Michael bops his nose on the ‘you’ and smiles at the giggles he receives in response. “Love you, bub. Have a good sleep, okay? I’ll see you in the morning.”

They don’t quite make it to the morning before Michael sees Levi again.

It’s Michael’s least favourite way to wake up. He hasn’t been a deep sleeper since long before Levi was born, so any sound would wake him — especially the familiar cries of fear from his son in the middle of the night.

“Hey, hey.” Michael murmurs, voice heavy with sleep. He’s met with the sight he had seen many times before — Levi sat up in bed, sad sobs escaping as he rubs his heavy eyes, as if it would remove the awful sights plaguing his sleep. “You’re alright, bud. It’s okay.”

Michael perches on the edge of his bed, scooping him up from the soft mattress and setting him down in his lap. Levi instantly clings to him, curling up in his arms and hiding his face in Michael’s neck. His cries make Michael’s heart ache. Especially when he has an idea of what has caused them. He worries if the conversation they had before bed had led to his distress.

“Shh,” Michael whispers into his hair, rubbing his back softly. He just has to let him feel it out, let him calm down and realise he was safe. “You’re okay, Levi. I’m right here, okay? I’ve got you.”

He needs the reassurance that someone’s there, since that was the main theme of his usual nightmares — that he would be left alone forever.

The soft night light in the corner of his bedroom did nothing to soothe him. Michael knows there’s little chance of him going back to sleep in his own room — waking up from a bad dream usually resulted in a night in the big bed.

“I know bud, I know.” He murmurs to him, fingertips running up and down his pyjama covered back as Michael carries him into his own bedroom. His heart aches with the sound of his tears. “You’re okay, I’m right here with you.”

Michael sets him down on the bed, Levi immediately crawling under the covers and pulling them up to his chin. Levi’s tears reduce to quiet sniffles, rubbing at his heavy eyes as he cuddles into Michael’s pillow.

“What’s scaring you, huh? Do you want to talk about it?”

Michael had always encouraged Levi to talk to him about how he was feeling. It was so important to him that Levi knew he could tell Michael everything — he had been through his own mental health struggles, and talking was the one thing he knew that helped. Even when Levi had tantrums, he’d always take the time to help his son work out exactly how he was feeling, so he could understand and process it. He wanted him to be able to talk openly about how he felt and why.

“Everyone left.” His voice is quiet against Michael’s shoulder. Michael was expecting that answer — it wasn’t the first time he’d experienced that particular dream. “I couldn’t find you or anyone else.”

“You know I wouldn’t let that happen.” Michael reassures him, fingertips grazing his cheek to get him to look up at him. “I promise you, I’d never leave you alone or not tell you where I was going. You’re stuck with me, okay? Whether you like it or not.”

Levi smiles at his words. He nods, cuddling up to Michael as he fights sleep — his eyes eventually winning the battle. Michael stays awake until Levi is fast asleep — stroking his hair and holding him close. He thinks about how badly he wishes he could take his fears away. He hates that Levi has ever had to go through the pain of abandonment, his own mother being the one to cause it.

***

Michael decided to stay home for another week with Levi before leaving him alone with you.

You had spent more time with the two of them, knowing it was important that Levi knows and trusts you. He hasn’t had any more nightmares since the night that Michael talked to him about what would be happening, which was a good sign.

“Okay, you have my number,” You could see Michael going through a mental checklist of things he was meant to remind you of. “He’ll probably want a snack soon. If you need anything at all, please call me. I can be back in fifteen minutes.”

“Michael, don’t worry.” You know the words are meaningless, as Michael will definitely be worrying for the rest of the day. “We’ll be absolutely fine, I’ve got everything under control. Enjoy yourself, okay?”

He nods, taking a deep breath before Levi hugs his legs.

“Bye, buddy. I love you, alright? Have a fun day.” Michael kisses the top of his head and ruffles his hair before grabbing his car keys and leaving the apartment.

Levi waves with a small “bye, dad” before sitting on the couch, almost as if he’s waiting for you to do something to occupy him.

“So Levi,” You start, catching his attention. “I thought we could hang out here for a little while, have some lunch and then take Milo to the park. Does that sound okay to you?”

You’re met with an excited nod, Levi happy at the prospect of spending the day with you and Milo especially. You didn’t want to bore him on your first day together, not if you were going to be able to give Michael the chance to make music once more.

“Do you want to play dinosaurs?” You ask, trying to think of something that can occupy him for quite a while before taking Milo out. Michael had told you that it’s one of his favourite games.

Levi looks at you with a reluctant gaze.

“We don’t have to.” You reassure him, unsure of whether he was going to say anything.

“That’s mine and my dad’s game.” He says, almost like he’s worried about offending you. “I only like playing it with him.”

“Oh,” You reply, sending him a warm smile as a reassurance that you understood. “That’s okay then, we can do something else. You choose, okay? Whatever you want.”

It made you think about how close Michael and Levi must be, after it being just the two of them for so long. There was a lot you didn’t know, that you wanted to ask Michael about.

The afternoon was going smoothly — Levi happily holding onto Milo’s leash as he walked her, happy to be in yours and her company. Michael texted you every so often, just to check in — it was clear he was worrying about Levi and whether he was okay.

Levi was curled up in your lap when Michael got home.

He bursts through the door like he was expecting something to be wrong. You could see the relief in his face as his eyes fall upon the scene in front of him, seeing Levi be so relaxed cuddling up to you.

“Oh,” He sighs, quietening down in order not to wake Levi up. “He’s okay.”

“Did you think something was wrong?” You ask quietly, your eyebrows furrowing in confusion at why he looked so panicked.

A bashful and slightly embarrassed gaze tinges his face.

“You weren’t answering your phone, I just… I panicked.” He admits, gently smoothing his hand over Levi’s face as he watches him sleep. “That’s the longest time I’ve been away from him pretty much since he was born.”

“You did it though,” You remind him. “It’s only going to get easier from here.”

Michael wants to cry at the feeling, knowing Levi was okay without him — it made his heart ache a little that he was growing up so fast. He also felt relieved that he was able to get his own life back to some degree.

“I’ll go put him in bed, then we can talk.” Michael murmurs, gently scooping Levi up from the sofa and cuddling him in his arms. He whispers a soft “it’s just me, bub” against his hair, making sure he has a good hold on him before moving to his bedroom.

“Hey,” You reach out for his hand when he sits next to you on the sofa, squeezing it gently. He looks up at you, eyes meeting yours as he finally allows himself to relax. “He’s fine, Michael. Although he wouldn’t let me play dinosaurs with you, that’s your game, I was told.”

Michael laughs at your words.

“Really? He said that's our game?” His eyes lit up at the thought.

“He also said you’re his best friend.” You informed him. Michael worries far too much about his relationship with his son. Levi thinks nothing but good things about him. “You’re the centre of his world, Michael. He loves you so much.”

“I always think that no-one is ever going to be able to replace his mum.” Michael admits, nervously running a hand through his hair. “I try to give him everything, but I know I can’t replace her.”

“You’re right, you can’t. You don’t need to though.” You squeeze his hand in yours once more. “He has everything he needs in you, trust me, Michael. He’s a very happy child and that’s down to you.”

The two of you sit in a comfortable silence as Michael takes in your words, reassured that the day went smoothly. There was something else he wanted to do, too.

“Can I tell you something?”

You narrow your eyes at Michael, with no idea of what he was about to say. You nod, waiting for him to continue.

“Kissing you is all I’ve thought about since the moment we met.”

You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t thought about it too. With him right in front of you, being so open about how he feels is almost too much to take in all at once.

Michael almost regrets the words as soon as they come out. That’s until you lean forward, your face so close to his that he can’t help but focus on anything but your eyes. It feels like forever until he moves closer, softly pressing his lips against yours, his hands moving to cup your cheeks gently as he kisses you.

“What are we doing?” You giggle softly against his lips, pulling back for air for a second before kissing him once more.

“This, apparently.”

You have no idea where things are going to go with Michael, what would happen between you both after the moment ends. Yet as he focuses on kissing you, you struggle to think about anything else.

The moment ends far earlier than you wanted it to, Michael pulling away as he murmurs “maybe you shouldn’t go home tonight. It’s too far to walk.”

You roll your eyes and laugh, leaning forward to rest against his chest and bury your face in the soft material of his hoodie.

“I think you’re right.”

***

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