when the party's over ~fransykes~

Chapter 25

6 years later

Josh climbed out of the car, quickly running around to the other side of the vehicle so that he could open the door for his husband. Even after 15 years of marriage and 10 years of being parents, the two men still acted just as in love as they did when they were in secondary school.

They had just returned home after another one of their Thursdays date nights, this time Josh had treated Oliver to the cliche movie and restaurant afterwards.  Normally it was Oliver who took Josh on dates, but seen as Josh was leaving for tour in two days he thought it was only fair to give Oliver one last date before he left.

Touring was hard for the both of them. Those dreaded couple of months a year that Josh spent on the road and not at home with his family. Don't get me wrong, Josh loved touring but he didn't love leaving his family alone and missing his husband to death. He always had this paranoia that Oliver would meet someone else whilst he was on tour, someone who wouldn't leave him alone for 1/4 of the year. He knew Oliver would never cheat on him, but that didn't stop the thought from keeping him up at night and making him want to jump out of the tour bus window and run all the way back to Oliver's side.

But the touring wasn't just hard for Josh, it was hard for Oliver too. He was left alone to care for 3 children as well as run his clothing business. And as much as he loved his children, he couldn't deny that they wore him out a lot when he was on his own.

He had to wake up at 6, get them all changed, make them breakfast, pack their school bags and do the morning run before working a 8 hour shift just to look after the kids when he got home. Some nights he wouldn't be able to have a moment of peace until 1 o'clock in the morning. The whole routine just felt so suffocating without Josh there to help him, not that he blamed Josh in the slightest. He loved his husbands band and how happy Josh was when he toured. Seeing Josh's happy face when he preformed made all the months of Oliver's loneliness and tiredness worth it in his eyes.

The pair walked up the path to their house, hands linked together. Josh knocked on the door and the pair waited for someone to answer the door for them.

"Daddy!" A little voice squeaked, grabbing on to Josh's jeans as they hugged his legs. Josh smiled back at their youngest child and picked him up, hugging his little body close to his chest.

4 years ago, Josh and Oliver decided they wanted another child and 9 months later they were blessed with their first and only son, Max. He looked a lot like Oliver did as a child; with short brown, chubby cheeks, big doe eyes and a pointy nose. Josh reckoned when Max grew older he would become the splitting image of Oliver, not that he minded very much.

"Thank god you guys are back, your children have been driving me wild! They're like little spawns of Satan." A voice coated with humour shouted from the living room. Josh smiled when he heard his best friends voice. Matt.

Matt came to the door, holding a paint covered Sophie in his arms, who was currently trying to eat a yellow crayon.

"Sorry, I think they get that from Oliver." Josh joked, earning a playful smack on the ass from Oliver, who rolled his eyes at his husband.

"Well, I'll be going now. Call me anytime you want me to babysit your kids again." Matt said, handing Sophie over to Oliver before picking up his coat from the coat rack and putting it on.

"Yeah bye, thanks again Matt." Josh said, using the arm that wasn't holding Max up to hug his friend.

"Bye." Oliver said, opening the door and then closing it after Matt had left. He looked at his paint covered daughter and smiled, giving her an Eskimo kiss and then wiping some of the paint off her cheek with his thumb.

"Where's your sister?" He asked his children, who both turned their brown doe eyes to look at Oliver.

"She's in your room watching TV." Max answered, wiggling around against Josh's chest until Josh put him down on the floor, causing him to run back into the living room.

Oliver placed Sophie back on her feet before going up the stairs to him and Josh's bedroom. He cracked open the door, smiling when he spotted his eldest daughter watching TV, wrapped up in the covers of his bed.

"Hey Mandy, what are you doing up here?" He said calmly, climbing on to the bed next to her and wrapping his arms around her small frame. Amanda was defiantly Oliver's favourite child (not that he'd ever say that out loud). She was the only one of their children that had blue eyes like Josh's, so Oliver liked that she looked more like his husband then him. Every time he looked into her crystal blue eyes he was reminded of Josh, no matter where he was in the world or how far away he was from him.

"Sophie and Max wanted to watch baby shows on CBeebies but I wanted to watch CBBC because I'm a big girl now." She wined, leaning into her fathers touch and snuggling into his tattooed arm.

"Yeah, you are. I remember when you were this small." Oliver smiled fondly, using his fingers to show his daughter how small she use to be.

"But I'm big now, papa." She smiled.

"Yeah but you'll always be my baby." Oliver sighed, kissing his daughter on the forehead lovingly. He loved his family so much, even if they drove him wild sometimes. He wouldn't trade them for the world.

A soft knock came from the other side of the door, followed by Josh's head popping into the room. Oliver smiled at his husband, who beamed back at him.

"Can I come join in with you guys." Josh smiled. Oliver nodded and before he knew it Josh was climbing into their bed on the other side of Amanda and joining in on their cuddle.

Josh pulled Amanda onto his lap before shuffling next to Oliver, who wrapped his arms around Josh's shoulders and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"I love you guys so much, I'm going to miss this like hell when I'm gone." Josh sighed.

"It's only a 2 month tour, Josh. You'll be back before you know it." Oliver said, squeezing his husbands shoulders and sending him a sad smile.

"I know but I hate the feeling of leaving you alone, I know how stressed you get." Josh pouted, making Oliver's heart swell at the fact that his husband was thinking so much about him.

"I'll cope, love."

"You know you don't have to do it alone, if you need a break don't be afraid to call your parents or my sister or Matt, they all want to help you Oli."

"I know but it makes me feel like a bad father when I have to ask for help, especially from your sister or Matt who aren't even related to me." He said truthfully.

"Wanting to take a break doesn't make you any less of an amazing father and Elissa loves seeing the kids so she'll be happy to help you." Josh smiled in reassurance.

"I just feel like a crap dad when you're not around Josh." Oliver confessed.

"Amanda isn't papa the best parent in the world?" Josh asked their daughter, gaining back the 10 year olds attention who had zoned out on their conversation long ago.

"Yeah!" She squealed, wrapping her tiny arms around Oliver's neck. Oliver smiled, feeling warmth from the love than surrounded him.