SOPHIE
"Your dad doesn't like me."
I roll my eyes, swinging my legs over the counter. They barely touch the floor even when I'm sitting on the edge, but this way I can create the illusion that I'm not that short as Chase racks the mini fridge for a beer.
"He doesn't not like you," I try to explain. He raises a skeptical eyebrow. "He just thinks you're a little rude."
"To who?"
"To everyone."
"Wanna know why?"
"Hm?"
"Because fuck everyone," he says, spitefully. I give him a look as if to say this is why, and he sighs. "You know how I am."
"I do."
"Then why does your old man hate me?"
"He's not old." I frown.
He groans. "Babe, it's an expression."
"I know, but-"
"Listen," he uncaps a Heineken, tossing it lazily to the side and smirking as it falls behind the table. Tilting his head back, Chase takes one long gulp of the bitter drink before setting it back down and wiping his mouth. "Don't get sidetracked. I'm asking you an actual, personal question."
"It's a pointless question."
"How so?" he squints at me.
I shrug. "Because there's nothing to talk about."
"But there is."
"But there isn't."
"Yes, there is."
"Chase," I whine.
"Sophie," he mimicks me. I fold my arms, jutting out my bottom lip as he sighs and stands in front of me. He places his hands ever so gently on my knees and a whole group of butterflies choreograph a dance in my stomach. "I don't understand why he dislikes me so much."
"Fatherly instinct." I say, though it comes out sounding as unsure as ever.
"But he doesn't even know about us," Chase pouts. He looks good when he does that but then again, he looks good no matter what. Ashley says it's the boyband glow about him. I shove her and argue that his band isn't a boyband, though I know better seeing as none of them play instruments and Chase's only participation is to work backing vocals.
He leans his forehead against mine. His dark brown hair is tickling my face and I giggle as he grins at me, teeth bright and perfectly aligned with his lips. "Does he?"
"Nope." I shake my head no and I pop the 'p'. I don't think I'll ever get around to telling Luke about Chase and I. It's not really one of those things I want to bring up when I'm cuddling into him on the couch or when he takes me out for ice cream on the weekends. I know it'll kill his mood and I hate it when he's upset. "He doesn't know."
"Can we keep it like that?" Chase holds his pinky finger up to me and I smile as I hook it with my own. "Just until the tour's over."
Chase's band is the opening act for Daddy's tour, and for the past month we've been doing nothing but sneaking around and trying not to get caught be any of the members of 5 Seconds of Summer. I can't even begin to imagine all the negative things they have to say about him. I know Chase's been involved in a lot of scandals in the past, but I'm thoroughly convinced that he's somewhat okay now.
I keep constantly lying to him and I don't even have a valid explanation as to why. Even Chase knows himself that Daddy doesn't like him. He knows that if he could, he'd send Chase's little boyband mixture back to Minnesota without so much as a backwards glance or a show's worth of paycheck.
Fortunately for us, however, things don't quite work that way. They all signed contracts from the very beginning of the tour and they can't go back on it now- kind of like an official pinky promise where the finger breaks if the person pulls away. Not that I'm complaining in the slightest. I love having Chase around. I just hate the tension whenever I have Chase and Luke in the same room.
"Okay." I eventually smile, after a good few seconds backtracking to all the times Chase talked awfully about my dad and vice versa.
We spring apart as soon as footsteps begin to echo through the halls outside of the dressing room, accompanied by loud laughter that I can only assume to be Ashton's. I can tell by the way it reverberates from room to room as their steps get closer and Chase and I get further and further apart.
He looks at me and I watch as he puts an invisible lock over his lips. I nod, giving him a small smile as I do the same in return. He smirks.
"Great show, great show!" someone yells. I turn my head to the side to see that it's Sadie- the kind young woman who choreographs Chase's band and is in charge of the soundbooth opposite the stage. She's also Daddy's cousin. "Well done, everybody."
The guys all cheer, loud whoops bouncing off the walls and landing on the floor with a quiet trill. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Chase disappearing behind the door and my shoulders slump at the realization that he's gone. Daddy makes him uncomfortable and I can see that. I just wish he'd do something about it rather than running for dear life whenever he so much as comes near.
I'm too busy sulking and scolding myself for being so cynical to notice someone making their way over to me; a wide smile on their face and a juice box in the hand that isn't currently running through his mass of curly hair.
Once he reaches me, he presses it into my hands with a smile and a soft kiss on the cheek. I blush, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.
"Hello, baby." Luke's voice rings throughout my ears and suddenly I'm alert again, sucked out of my daydream and planted into reality- a reality where I lie to my dad and think it's okay to see someone he clearly doesn't approve of behind his back.
"Hi, Daddy." I smile at him as he leans against the table next to me. His legs are so long that he can sit while standing, making me watch him in both envy and awe.
"How's my little girl?"
"I'm good." my cheeks redden at the nickname despite hearing him call me it so many times before in the past. I think it's the guilt of lying to his face trying to eat me alive.
"Enjoyed the show?" he drapes an arm carelessly over my shoulder and I snuggle into him. It's like a reflex now. I'm always too tense around other people- Chase unknowingly being one of them- but Luke somehow makes all of that go away. "I played your favourite song."
"I loved it." I reply sincerely, and a pang of guilt stings in my chest because I know I spent half of the concert trying to convince my boyfriend that Luke doesn't hate him. If I were to tell him that right now, the chances of Chase's career disappearing into nothingness after the tour ends would be at an all time high.
He yawns. His eyes fog over and it's only now that I see just how bloodshot they are- Daddy's tired but god forbid he let anyone know. He's like a human powermachine; determined to keep going despite his cogs needing oil and his battery begging for a few hours of sleep in the day to sufficiently recharge.
"Daddy," I poke his arm to grab his attention. His head slowly turns from the replay of the concert being shown on the flat-screen and he looks at me, dazed, humming in response. "Are you tired?"
Luke rubs his eyes with his knuckles, surpressing a slight chuckle. "No, little one."
"But your eyes are red." He shrugs. I purse my lips. "Why won't you sleep?"
"I'm too busy." he starts playing with my hair and I shiver. He knows that it's one of those things that gets me to shut up but unfortunately enough for him, I'm determined this time.
"Nobody's too busy for sleep," I say, as-a-matter-of-factly, and he laughs. "Have you eaten today?"
"Yes, babygirl."
"Breakfast?"
"Yep."
"Lunch?"
"Kinda."
"Dinner?"
"Define dinner."
"A full meal." I frown.
Luke bites his lip. "Define that."
I groan, letting my head fall onto his chest as I try to keep the frustration in. "Daddy, this isn't funny. You have to eat. And sleep. And take care of yourself."
"I am taking care of myself," he pulls away, before licking his lips and looking at me dead in the eye. "What about you, baby? You're asking me all these questions but I don't even know if you've done them."
"I did eat!" I say, defensively.
"Breakfast?"
I sigh. "You saw me, Daddy. You were with me."
"Lunch?" he asks playfully.
"Mhm."
"Dinner?"
"Yes," I say, wanting to leave the topic as soon as possible. "And you should be doing the same."
"Last time I checked, I should be the one taking care of you," Luke chuckles, pressing a kiss to my nose. "Not the other way around."
"It only switches when you mess up."
"When I mess up?" he repeats, amused.
I nod. "When you start not eating and not sleeping. That's when I have to take care of you because you can't do it yourself." I attempt to challenge him, but all he does is smirk.
"Can't have that then, can we?" he asks. I shake my head no. "Alright. I'm gonna go ahead and get changed, and when I come back we'll both go out for a meal together. Just the two of us. Sound good?"
I nod, somewhat satisfied, for I know that at least he's trying. I beam up at him as he kisses my forehead. "Yes, Daddy."
He smiles. "Okay, baby."
❥
Note: Chase knows that Sophie sees Luke as a father, that's why he refers to him as her dad despite knowing he's not really. Sophie doesn't call Luke Daddy around Chase :)
Thank you guys so so so much for reading! I'm honestly so excited for this story. I love you all, take care!
-M xxx