Chapter Text
“Hey baby” Ashton softly called the sleeping boy. Luke slowly opened his eyes, rolling on his back. “Time to get up Lukey, your pancakes are done and they are getting cold” he said, gently raising the boy from the bed, carrying him to the bathroom in front of his room so he could brush his teeth.
It was the next day as the incident of the drum pedal, and Luke getting lost, and Michael finding Luke and…it was something Ashton didn’t like to remember, even when the memories were so fresh on his mind due to the recentness of the events. He didn’t want to feel the desperation of losing Luke again, it had definitely gained a spot on the worst moments of his life list.
After having dinner at Michael and Calum’s house, Ashton carried a sleeping Luke who had conveniently fallen asleep on Michael’s lap.
“He’s so cute Ash! I’ll make him my teddy bear” Michael had cooed, holding the boy closer. And Ashton swore to see a smirk on the blond’s face.
“You have Calum for that so”
“Daddy” Luke’s soft voice brought him back. He set the last clean dish aside and turned to the boy sat on the table, noticing that Luke had woken up feeling that certain way, the hints too obvious for him to miss. Every time the boy used that nickname, his tone would get gentler, clingier, and Ashton adored it. “Change…Please”
“Of course baby boy” the older dried his hands and went to pick the boy up, hoisting him on his hip. Walking to Luke’s room, he didn’t take long to carefully lay the blue-eyed on the bed, immediately placing the pacifier on his awaiting lips.
He was about to remove the tapes form Luke’s nappy when he caught the boy from the corner of his eyes reaching for his phone. “No baby” he put the phone out of his reach. Luke apparently didn’t like that at all. “It’s mine!” He whined loudly, reaching again for it.
“Lukey” Ashton repeated more stern this time. He set the phone on the bottom drawer of the bedside table, regretting not having done it when Luke was asleep. “Daddy, my phone! I’m being good”
“Baby you know you’re grounded, no phone, no guitar, remember?”
Luke looked up at him with pure distress on his face. He thought this whole grounded thing would be over by the awful experience he had the day before, wasn’t that enough for Ashton? It sure was for Luke.
“But daddy-”
“Luke, don’t make me repeat myself. If you behave it’ll be over sooner than you think”
Luke hated it, but obeyed anyway and let himself be changed.
“All done baby” the older murmured, picking him up again. “Let’s watch some TV yeah?” Luke only hummed, resting his head on Ashton’s shoulder.
“Lukey…Aren’t you going to watch? It’s the Foo Fighters documentary you wanted to see” Ashton asked the boy who hadn’t let go of him since they got to the couch of the living room, clinging to his shirt. “No” he spoke against the fabric of Ashton’s shirt.
“Why not sweetie?” Ashton gently caressed the boy’s back, already an idea on his mind about it.
“Don’t want too” he brought his arms higher to hug Ashton’s neck better, tingling the older’s skin with his breath.
“Is something wrong?” It was silent for a while until Luke’s trembling voice broke it. “Daddy’s mad”
Bingo.”Listen Lukey boy –come on, look at daddy when he speaks to you…There you go. Just because I punish you or take away your guitar and phone doesn’t mean I hate you silly. It’s not the first time you get grounded why are you coming up with this now? You know the reason I do it and that is because…?”
“You love me –but yesterday, and today, I –you were really angry” His voice broke at the end, and tears were almost out.
“Hey hey, come on sweetie, yes I was angry but now I’m not. I have to punish you so you’ll learn your lesson baby, okay? But daddy stills love you so much” He reassured the blond, moving the golden strands back to plant a kiss on his forehead.
Luke was silent for a moment, looking down, processing it. “I love you too” he planted himself on the other’s chest again. Ashton only chuckled, reaching for Luke’s pacifier at the other side of the couch to put it on the boy’s lips.
“You are my good boy Lukey” and Luke believed it.