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Josh was realizing very quickly that he should have planned for this inevitability before they got on the plane to Taiwan. It was the last leg of their tour, after all -Tyler had been through the works in terms of energy, exertion… it should have been obvious that he would need a break from reality.
It should have been no wonder that, as they settled into their first-class seats with the rest of the crew, Tyler was starting to get extra clingy, and whiny… that was always he first sign that he was slipping into little space.
“I wan’ the window seat,” Tyler huffed, tugging on Josh’s sleeve as he hoisted their luggage into the overhead bin. Josh grunted, shoving their bags in, and closing the plastic flap.
“Okay, Ty-Ty,” he said softly, guiding Tyler forward with a soft palm to the small of his back. He watched Tyler settle in, kicking off his shoes and drawing his sock-feet underneath him to sit cross-legged on the seat.
Josh plopped down next to him, affixing both their seat belts, and letting Tyler lean into his shoulder. He had made sweater-paws with his sleeves, and had started to nibble on the end of one, sucking on the wet fabric and humming to himself gently.
Only about thirty minutes into the flight, Tyler started to get restless. “’M tired, Jish,” he whined, rubbing his forehead back and forth against Josh’s shoulder.
“So sleep, lovebug,” Josh hummed into his hair, pressing his lips to Tyler’s scalp. Tyler huffed out a high noise of frustration.
“Can’t sleep on planes,” he whined, reaching up to tug needily on Josh’s shirt.
“Guess you have to wait then, baby boy,” Josh replied, righting his shirt, and taking Tyler’s hand in his to keep him from fidgeting. Tyler let out a high, bratty squeal, squeezing his eyes shut and rubbing at his eyes, squirming against Josh in his seat.
Josh chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Someone’s being kinda pouty,” he hummed, and Tyler thrust out his bottom lip, accentuating his point.
He looked up at Josh with watery eyes, before he drew in a sudden breath, eyes lightening slightly.
“Joshie,” he sang, “can you hold me on your lap?"
Josh looked nervously around at the rest of the cabin. "Not really, baby,” he said quietly. “There’s kinda other people here. Plus, you gotta stay buckled.“
"Nuh-uhhhhh,” Tyler whined, tugging on his arm and pointing at the sign above the entrance to first class.
“See? The sign isn’t on anymore. We’re up high. Plus,” he went on, “it’s just our people, except up in the front, but they’re asleep."
He fluttered his eyelashes sleepily up at Josh, who was finding it harder and harder to resist.
Josh swiveled in place, peering over his seat to see Mark, two rows behind them. He was holding his phone in his lap, playing some game, but the amused look on his face told Josh that he’d hear their whole conversation. Josh raised an eyebrow, as if to ask if he minded…
Whatever, he saw Mark mouth, rolling his eyes slightly and going back to his phone. They were used to this.
"Okay,” Josh relented, turning back to Tyler and undoing his buckle for him. “C'mere, Ty-Ty."
Tyler made a soft contented noise, and maneuvered himself so that he was straddling Josh’s lap in his seat. He wound his arms around Josh’s neck, and Josh brought his hands down to rest on Tyler’s soft hips, rubbing soothing palms back and forth.
Tyler nuzzled his nose into the crook of Josh’s neck, breathing loud and shallow.
"When we get to th’ hotel,” Tyler began, breath warm on Josh’s skin, “c'n I have bath time?"
Josh’s heart warmed with fond affection. There was nothing quite like this soft, little Tyler.
“Yeah, you sure can baby,” he cooed, brushing his lips over Tyler’s neck, and making him giggle.
“And then, and then…” Tyler went on, pulling back with a bright glint in his eye. “After that c'n we make a blanket fort?"
Josh laughed softly. "We’ll have to see if there’s enough blankets for that, Ty.” Tyler nodded into his neck, cooing happily, and sinking further into his lap.
“And then I can have kisses,” Josh heard him breathe out, more to himself than anyone else.
“You can have some kisses now, if you want,” Josh said softly into his hair, and Tyler pulled back, smiling.
“Really?” he said, voice high, and Josh nodded, grinning.
Tyler put a warm hand on each of Josh’s cheeks, and leaned in, pressing their lips together softly, once, twice. He giggled into the kiss, and Josh reached up to stroke into his hair.
Tyler pulled back, and Josh took the opportunity to pepper tiny kisses on his nose, his eyelids, his cheeks, making him giggle even more. He was just about to place a final one one his lips, when Tyler broke out in a huge, wide, yawn.
"Not sleepy,” he pouted, before Josh could even speak.
“Sure,” Josh chuckled. “Not at all. Why don’t you try and nap for a little while, baby boy?"
Tyler looked like he was going to protest, but his eyes were already growing heavy with sleep, and before Josh could stop him, he was nestling back in against his chest, resting his head on Josh’s shoulder.
"I meant in your own seat,” Josh said, exasperated… but he couldn’t really bring himself to complain. Tyler was already making soft sleeping noises into his shirt, and there was no way he was going to try to move him now.
Tomorrow would bring more shows, more responsibilities, and more reality. But for now - for the rest of this flight - they could be like this, how they wanted, with each other. He could take care of his boy.