fatherhood // lashton

9

Luke walked over to the apartment door with bags under his eyes and a slumped body. Leon's screams and cries were heard all over the apartment and Luke was about to burst any second.

He opened the door and was met with two pairs of sympathetic eyes belonging to Michael and Calum.

"Help me" Luke whispered out and slumped his body into both their bodies. Calum chuckled warmly and patted Luke's back soothingly before pulling away.

"I'll try and see what I can do" he said and shrugged. Luke nodded his head and Calum smiled before walking in to the living room where Leon was screaming on the couch.

Luke turned his head and looked at Michael, his tired blue eyes were dull and grey, and Michael pouted slightly before giving him a loving smile.

"You look like shit" he said and Luke sighed but nodded because, well, he did.

Michael breathed out a chuckle before pulling the blonde into a tight hug. Luke sighed out heavily and placed his head on Michael's shoulder.

"What happened?" Michael asked, his voice muffled into the tight embrace as his mouth was buried in Luke's flat hair.

"He's having stomach pains and he won't let me give him the medicine and I'm just too tired to deal with this" Luke mumbled and waved one hand around to show what he was talking about.

Leon's cries were still heard from the living room along with Calum's talking and shushing. Luke closed his eyes and nearly fell asleep on Michael's shoulder because he was so unbelievably tired.

The blond father hadn't had a good night sleep in several days. He had either been talking to Ashton through the phone, being up with Leon because the small one had nightmares, or Luke just simply couldn't sleep.

With taking care of his son, working, and having a relationship, Luke barely had any time for himself to just rest.

He was just scared that he'd grow so grumpy and mad because of the lack of sleep that he'd let it go over Leon and then his son would be an innocent target to Luke's unnecessary rage.

"It's okay" Michael assured the blonde and hugged him tighter. The two friends stayed like that until the cries from the living room were silenced.

Luke's head snatched up and looked around the apartment like he was searching for where the sound went.

"It's-" Luke said and smiled small as he turned to look at Michael again, "It's quiet"

Michael nodded and chuckled before embracing Luke again. The two friends walked into the living room after and saw Calum seated in the armchair with a sleeping Leon in his arms.

"He fell asleep in the middle of crying" Calum said and pouted slightly at the cuteness in his lap.

Luke breathed out in relief at the beautiful silence and his son sleeping peacefully in his best friend's lap. He walked over to the couch and threw himself down with a loud thump. His face was buried into the cushions and he breathed out heavily.

"Am I a bad father?" Luke asked as he turned his head to be heard.

"What? No," Calum said and frowned, "How could you in any way be a bad father?"

"I don't know," Luke mumbled and shrugged, "I can't even get my own son to stop crying so I have to call you guys to do it"

"Yeah, and?" Michael asked and walked over to the couch, moving Luke's legs up to sit down and then place the blonde's legs in his lap.

"It's rare that you ask for help from us. You do everything on your own and that's pretty fucking awesome since you're 21 and you have a job and a 4 years old son"