Archive of Our Own

Ashton takes a deep breath as he steps into the hotel room. He can hear the distant voices that belong to his boyfriends. He’s been gone all morning, and he knows they’re going to ask questions.

Ashton doesn’t know how to tell his three boyfriends that he just found out he’s pregnant.

They’re in the middle of a North American tour. They’re busy, and things are already stressful, and Ashton doesn’t want to add anymore stress by adding a baby into the mix. He knows they wouldn’t react badly, and that some might even be excited about having a baby. Michael talks the most about children.

Ashton just doesn’t know what he’s going to do. He doesn’t know if he’s ready to have a baby.

“Ash, is that you?”

Ashton’s head snaps up as soon as he hears Luke’s voice. He takes a deep breath before walking further into the hotel room, seeing the three boys spread about in the room. Michael is unsurprisingly playing video games on the TV, Calum’s at the desk with his laptop, scrolling through Twitter, and Luke’s lying on the bed, watching Michael play. Ashton has no doubt Luke begged Michael to play with him, and Michael denied him, because Luke’s terrible at video games, and Michael takes his video games seriously.

“Hey,” Luke greets with a smile.

“Hey.” Ashton walks over, and leans down to kiss him.

“Where were you at? You were gone a while,” Luke points out, looking up at him.

“I told you I was going to the doctor’s. Did you not read my text?” Ashton asks, rolling his eyes.

Calum spins in his chair to look at him. “Of course he didn’t. What did the doctor say, babe?” He asks.

“Relax, I’m fine, Cal. It was just food poisoning that caused me to be sick. Nothing to be worried about. Doc gave me some pills to calm it down. I’ll be just fine for tomorrow’s show,” Ashton lies quickly. He sits down on the bed with a sigh and gently leans against Luke, though he can still feel Calum’s eyes on him. He knows that Calum isn’t going to believe his lie so easily. Michael might not even believe him.

“That’s it?” Calum asks, watching Ashton carefully.

“I mean, it’s food poisoning,” Ashton says, looking over at Calum. “Nothing much else we can do.”

“Okay,” Calum says, not looking convinced at all. “But, you should take it easy until the show tomorrow.”

“Yes dad,” Ashton says, earning a giggle from Luke, which brings a smile to Ashton’s face.

Luke moves so that he’s lying on his back, and Ashton lays half way on top of him. “Hi!” Luke grins, and pulls Ashton down for a few sweet kisses.

“You two are disgusting,” Calum says as he watches the two, though he has a fond smile on his face.

“Don’t be so jealous, CalPal,” Luke says, grinning as he looks over at Calum.

“I agree with Calum. You two are disgusting,” Michael says, speaking up for the first time, though he’s still focused on the video game playing on the TV.

Calum grins as he looks over at Michael. “Thanks, babe.”

“Shut up, and let me be disgustingly cute with Luke,” Ashton grumbles, cuddling against Luke’s chest. He’s had a long and emotional morning. He deserves cuddles from his boyfriend.

Luke frowns slightly, and glances over at Calum worriedly. Because, Ashton is never this cuddly. Usually, they have to go to him to get cuddles. Ashton is not a cuddly person at all.

This even gets Michael pausing his game to turn and look at Ashton with confusion.

Ashton stays in bed for most of their day off. All he can actually think about is the shocking baby news that the doctor gave him. He doesn’t know what he should do, when he should tell the boys.

Eventually, Ashton gets up during the evening to go to the bathroom. He shuts the door behind him and locks it. He walks over and curls up on the floor. He pulls his phone out and calls his mom, because surely she would know what to do. Telling her he’s pregnant over the phone isn’t ideal, but he’s not going to be able to see his mom for a couple of months, and Ashton doesn’t have that amount of time.

“Ashton?”

“Mum,” Ashton breathes out, trying to hold back his tears.

“Sweetheart, is everything okay? You sound upset,” Anne-Marie says worriedly.

“Mum, I-” Ashton takes a deep breath. “I’m- I’m so sorry for calling you like this. God, I just need your motherly advice. I don’t- I don’t know what to do and I just-” He finally lets out a sob.

“Ashton, honey. Take a deep breath. You’re going to give yourself a panic attack. Are you with the boys?”

Ashton takes deep breaths until he’s somewhat calmed down. “I- I am, but I’m in the bathroom. I didn’t want them to hear our conversation,” he says, wiping at his eyes. “Mum, I-”

“Ashton, whatever it is… you can tell me. You know I won’t judge you,” she assures him.

“Fuck,” Ashton mumbles to himself. “Mum, I’m pregnant.”

There’s a pause, and Ashton’s terrified that she’s hung up on him. “Oh,” she finally says. “I- wow.”

“I know,” Ashton whispers. “Turns out I’m positive for the bloody M-PREG gene.”

“I knew I should have gotten you tested for that as soon as you told me you were gay,” she says.

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t- I don’t know, if I’m being honest. It never occurred to me back then,” she admits. “I don’t know whether to congratulate you or not, Ashton. You sound so upset. Are you not happy?”

“I just don’t know what to do, mum. We’re- We’re in the middle of a damn tour and I can’t- I don’t know if I’ll be able to drum properly knowing that I’m pregnant. I mean, I am pretty early in the pregnancy, but still. I don’t want to put the baby in danger if we plan on keeping it,” Ashton says.

“I’m taking it you haven’t told the boys about this news?” Anne-Marie asks.

“No. I- I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know if I’m going to keep it or not, and- and if they’re going to be supportive of my decision. I- I don’t want to lose them over this,” Ashton whispers.

“Ashton, it’s completely your decision, love. Of course, you can talk to the boys about it and discuss it. Your situation is a little more unique. You have three boyfriends. You have to think about that.”

Ashton frowns. “What- What would you do if you were in my situation?”

Anne-Marie lets out a soft sigh. “Well, I would tell the boys, because I think they at least deserve to know. One of them is the father, and you wouldn’t want to regret not telling them.”

“Michael,” Ashton says, taking a deep breath. “Michael’s the father. He’s the last person I… yeah.”

Anne-Marie can’t help but laugh. “Like I said, unique , Ash. You are being safe, yeah?”

“Yes, mum. Of course. We’re being safe. We’re all constantly getting tested. I mean, besides the baby…”

“Talk to them. You’re going to want them to know before you make a final decision,” Anne-marie says. “Maybe you don’t have to tell them now, but you should tell them.”

“Okay,” Ashton says, nodding to himself. “Thanks, mum. Thanks… for listening. I- I didn’t mean to like, cry like this, but it’s just been an emotional day. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.”

“Oh, Ashton. It’s okay to cry. I promise,” she assures him. “Call me later when you’ve talked to the boys, and let me know what the final decision is. I have faith in you.”

“Thanks, mum. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. Good luck,” she says before hanging up.

Ashton takes another deep breath before shakily pushing himself up onto his feet. He checks himself in the mirror, making sure he looks decent. He doesn’t want the boys questioning why he was crying.

Ashton finally makes his way back out to the room.

“Hey, where did you go just now?” Calum asks when Ashton returns.

“Uhm-” Ashton hesitates, and suddenly his hands are sweaty, and his nerves are coming back. He looks over and frowns when he sees Luke and Michael currently making out on the couch, not paying attention. Ashton feels like he’s about to throw up because he just wants to get this over with.

Calum rolls his eyes at the two, and grabs a pillow, directly hitting Michael in the head with it.

Michael instantly looks offended, and he glares at Calum. “The fuck, dude?”

“Will you pay attention to your other boyfriend, please?” Calum asks, nodding towards Ashton.

Michael blinks, and looks over, and he frowns when he sees how nervous Ashton looks. He sits up, and turns to look directly at Ashton. “Ash, what’s wrong? You look-”

Ashton can feel himself start having a panic attack, and he really doesn’t want to have a panic attack in front of his boyfriends when he’s about to tell them some life-changing news. “Fuck,” he gasps out.

Michael stands up, walking over to Ashton, gently grabbing a hold of him. “Baby, breathe.”

Ashton winces as soon as Michael calls him ‘baby’. Normally he absolutely loves pet names like that, but it’s different when he’s the one expecting a baby. “I-” He tries, but he can’t get the words out.

“Cal, get some water,” Michael instructs, looking over at Calum, who instantly does as he’s told him.

“Sit him down,” Calum adds, pointing to the bed.

“No, don’t! I’m- I’m fine!” Ashton chokes out, trying to push Michael away.

“Ashton,” Michael warns, leading the older boy towards the bed. “Sit down. You need to relax.” He gently places Ashton on the bed. He takes the water from Calum when he hands it to him, and then hands it to Ashton, who quickly tries to decline it. “Ashton, take the damn water.”

Ashton huffs, and snatches the water from him, taking a drink of it with shaky hands.

“Good,” Michael says calmly, glancing over at Calum worriedly.

Calum sits on the bed beside Ashton, placing a hand on his knee. “Ash, talk to us, please. What’s got you so worked up? You’ve been acting weird all day,” he says softly.

Ashton takes a deep breath. He looks up and sees Luke standing at the end of the bed, looking just as worried as Calum and Michael. Ashton looks at each of the boys, and God dammit. He has to tell them.

“I’m pregnant,” he squeaks out, his eyes widening. This is not exactly how he wanted to announce that to the other boys that he was pregnant, but he just needed to get it out before he completely chickened out.

Michael’s eyes widen, and he backs up. “Wh- What?” He asks.

“Ash, you’re-?”

“Holy shit,” Luke says as his eyes widen. “Ash, you have the M-PREG gene?”

Ashton shrugs his shoulders. “I- I guess so,” he mumbles. “Considering I am pregnant.”

“Holy shit, Ash. That’s- That’s amazing,” Calum says, pulling him into a hug, squeezing him tightly.

Luke walks around the bed and joins the hug as well. “I can’t believe it,” he says.

Ashton pulls away from the hug, feeling emotional all over again. They’re happy. His boys are happy. Maybe he won’t have to worry after all. Then he looks over at Michael, who’s staring at him. “Mikey?”

“No,” Michael says, his voice cold. Michael’s never spoken to them like this. “There’s no fucking way.”

“Michael Gordon Clifford,” Calum warns, glaring at him. “That’s no fucking way to talk to your boyfriend who just told you he’s pregnant. Have a little heart please.”

“Mike-” Ashton tries, but stops when Michael shakes his head.

“I- there’s no way. I’m not having this,” Michael snaps, and storms out of the room.

“Michael!” Luke shouts after him, his eyes widening in shock, because Michael storming out like this is so unlike him. He nervously looks over at Ashton, and squeezes his hand, before running after Michael.

Ashton whimpers, and doesn’t even protest when Calum pulls him into a hug, holding him tightly. “Shh, it’s okay, love. I’m- I’m sure he’s just shocked. We all are.”

Ashton shakes his head and pulls away from the hug. “I can’t- I need him!” He cries.

“Ashton-”

“No, you don’t understand!” Ashton shouts. “He’s- He’s the father! I, well… he’s the other father.”

“It’s- It’s Michael’s?” Calum asks, seeming a little disappointed, which makes Ashton feel a little bad.

Ashton slowly nods. “He’s the last one I had sex with, so… yeah. Haven’t slept with you or Luke in like a month, and Michael and I had sex like two weeks ago or something like that,” he admits.

“Wow. So, it’s still early?” Calum asks, smiling a little when Ashton nods. “I know Michael’s reaction wasn’t the greatest, and I’m sure Luke will talk some sense into him. But, I’m happy, Ash. This is a miracle.”

“I don’t know if I’m keeping it,” Ashton says.

“Oh,” Calum breathes, clearly shocked to hear Ashton say this. “Why wouldn’t you-?”

“Calum, please. It’s my decision. My body, my decision-” Ashton takes a deep breath. “Obviously I want your guys’ thoughts and opinions on this, but ultimately it’s down to me if I want to keep the baby or not,” Ashton says. “I don’t want this to be the reason we break up or fall out with each other.”

Calum shakes his head, cupping Ashton’s cheek with his hand. “I won’t let that happen,” he says.

Ashton whimpers, and he buries his face in Calum’s chest. He’s glad he told the boys the truth, but now he’s terrified because Michael’s reaction isn’t what he thought it would be. He thought Michael would be the most excited because he’s always talking about having kids in the future.

~

“Michael!” Luke shouts as he follows his boyfriend down the hallway, panic rushing through him. “Michael, please stop!” He sees Michael going to the elevator. When the elevator opens, Michael walks in, and Luke quickly squeezes through before the elevator closes. “Dammit, Michael. What the hell?”

“I’m not fucking talking about this, Luke. Leave me the hell alone!”

“No!” Luke shouts, shoving Michael. “Ashton needs us now more than ever, and you fucking just walked out on him. Did you stop to think how that would make him feel?”

“What about how I feel?” Michael asks, pushing Luke away from him.

Luke frowns. “This- This isn’t about you right now, Michael. This is about Ashton. Ashton needs us. Please, you can’t just abandon him when he needs you the most.”

“I’m not abandoning him, Luke. I just need time,” Michael says. “This is- This is a big deal, okay?”

“I know.” Luke lets out a breath, and nods in understanding. “This is a huge fucking deal.”

“So, you’re just as freaked out as I am?” Michael asks.

“Of course I am, you big idiot, and I’m sure Cal and Ash are too. We just didn’t blow up in Ashton’s face,” Luke grumbles. He looks over when the elevator opens, and Michael walks out, and he follows him. “Hey, where are you going?”

Michael turns to look at Luke. “I need a fucking drink. Are you coming?”

“No. I’m- I’m going back to Ashton,” Luke says nervously. “Don’t make me pick sides.”

Michael grabs Luke and pushes him against the wall, kissing him roughly, making Luke moan. “I’m not making you pick sides. You do whatever you want. I just need time to… think.”

“Michael-” Luke tries again, but Michael’s already walking away. Luke sighs, and leans his head against the wall. He understands how Michael is feeling, Luke’s freaking out about the baby news too, but he knows that Ashton needs him now more than ever, and Luke’s not just going to walk away from him.

Luke is dreading walking back to the room, knowing Ashton is going to be disappointed.

As soon as Ashton hears the door open, he sits up, startling Calum. Ashton sees Luke walk in, and frowns when he sees that Michael is not with him.

“I’m sorry, Ash. I tried,” Luke says. “He just… he needs time to let this sink in.”

Ashton scoffs, suddenly feeling angry. “ He needs time? I’m the one who’s having the fucking baby, and it’s his fault!” He shouts. He watches as Luke’s eyes widen. “S- Sorry. Forgot you didn’t know that part.”

“It’s Michael’s?” Luke asks, frowning at Ashton.

“You can’t be that surprised, Luke. Neither of us have had sex with Ashton in awhile,” Calum speaks up.

“Yeah, I guess you have a point,” Luke mumbles. He walks over to the bed, and places himself beside Ashton. “I know you’re upset, Ash. Just… give him a moment. I’m sure he’ll come to his senses.”

Unfortunately, Luke was wrong. Days turned into weeks, and Michael had started avoiding Ashton. Ashton was getting more upset as time went on, and more angry. He doesn’t understand how Michael could just be avoiding him and completely ignoring him when he needed him the most.

Ashton was running out of time, and he was starting to think maybe aborting the baby would be better for everybody involved. Everything is so stressful, and Ashton is having a difficult time with everything.

“ Please, just give him more time ,” Luke had begged him multiple times.

“ Michael wants the baby. I know it. He’s just being stubborn ,” Calum had told him.

Ashton had been walking around the venue aimlessly, needing to get out of the dressing room where Calum and Luke were constantly hovering over him. It was still early in the day, and they were supposed to start soundcheck soon, and now Ashton’s sickness was starting to kick in. The morning sickness was probably Ashton’s least favorite part of the pregnancy so far.

“Shit,” Ashton curses quietly to himself when he starts feeling dizzy. He takes a deep breath and he quickly grabs a hold onto the wall for support. He leans against the wall, and closes his eyes, praying that the sickness will wash over him. He desperately doesn’t want to get sick again.

Ashton sinks down to the floor, pulling his legs up and resting his head on his knees.

“Ashton?”

Ashton tenses as soon as he hears the familiar voice, a voice that hasn’t spoken to him directly in nearly a month. Ashton doesn’t know whether he should be happy or angry.

“Ash, are you okay?”

Ashton doesn’t look up, or move. “Leave me alone.”

“Ash-”

Ashton finally looks up at him, tears welling up in his eyes. “Jesus Christ, I’m fucking pregnant, Michael. Getting sick comes with the pregnancy. Not that you would care about that.”

Michael frowns. “It’s not that I don’t care-”

Ashton laughs humorlessly, and pushes himself up on his feet, pushing Michael away when he tries to help him. “Don’t fucking touch me. You don’t get to act like you suddenly care about my well-being when you’ve completely ignored me for the past month.”

“Ashton, I care about you. I’ve never stopped caring. I just… I’ve just been confused,” Michael says.

“Well, could you figure out what you want? Because I’m running out of time and I need to know whether or not to make an appointment,” Ashton snaps, angrily wiping his tears.

“What are you-?” Michael instantly when he realizes what Ashton’s talking about, and he shakes his head. “No, no, no. You can’t- You can’t possibly be thinking about getting an abortion!”

“It’s my decision!” Ashton shouts loudly, glaring at Michael. “Do you want this baby or not?”

“I-” Michael hesitates. “Yes- and- and no? I don’t know!”

“Fucking, come on , Michael. You’ve had plenty of time to think about this,” Ashton snaps.

“What about the band?” Michael blurts out. “We can’t possibly raise a baby when we’re constantly touring and being at recording studios. That’s not a healthy lifestyle for a newborn baby.”

Ashton nervously rubs his arm. “I’ve- I’ve been talking to my mum. She- She said if we decided to keep the baby that she or Lauren would be willing to keep the baby while we’re busy doing band stuff.”

Michael frowns. “You’d- You’d be okay with that?”

“It’s a better choice than aborting the baby, or- or putting her up for adoption,” Ashton says, and he looks up at Michael, tears still in his eyes. “I- I don’t think any of us are ready to be parents, especially not with the band being so busy right now. If we let my mum or sister have her majority of the time, at least we’ll still get to see her and see her growth. It’s the better option.”

“Her?” Michael questions. “There’s no way you know the gender of the baby yet.”

“No.” Ashton shakes his head. “It’s just a gut feeling I have.” He places his hand on his stomach, where he doesn’t have a bump yet, but he knows it’ll be coming soon.

“Ash-” Michael steps closer to him. “I’m- I’m so fucking sorry. I’ve been a dick to you when you needed me the most. If you’ll give me a second chance, I’ll prove to you that I’m in this for the baby, and you.”

“Michael,” Ashton says, and gasps when Michael pushes him up against the wall.

“I’m sorry,” Michael whispers, leaning closer to Ashton. “Please forgive me?”

“I shouldn’t,” Ashton breathes, staring at Michael. “You abandoned me. I needed you. We needed you.”

“I know I wasn’t there for you, but I swear I’ll be there for you now. I want to be there for you. Anything you’ll need, even if you need me to get you a stupid pregnancy craving at stupid o’clock in the morning. I’ll- I’ll do it. I just miss you so much,” Michael says, and takes a deep breath. “Fuck, Ash. I’ve missed you so much. Can I- Can I kiss you?”

“Yes,” Ashton breathes, and gasps when Michael kisses him roughly. He grabs a hold of Michael’s shirt, clutching onto it. After a moment, Ashton quickly pulls away. “We- We shouldn’t do this here.”

“I’ve got you,” Michael says, lifting Ashton up from the ground, and Ashton instantly wraps his arms around Michael, giggling lightly as Michael carries him until they find a closet. As soon as Michael closes the door, he pushes Ashton against the door, and kisses him. “Is this safe?”

“What? Having sex?” Ashton asks. “Are you really that worried?”

“Ashton.”

Ashton huffs out a laugh, and kisses Michael. “You’re sweet. Of course it’s safe, Mikey. I asked my doctor, and Calum’s already fucked me multiple times since I announced that I was pregnant. I’m starting to think he has some kind of pregnancy kink, you know?”

Michael can’t help but let out a laugh. “That wouldn’t surprise me. He’s a kinky boy, that one,” he says, and kisses Ashton again. “We don’t have much time…”

“Then stop talking and get to it,” Ashton demands, pulling Michael into a rough kiss.

Luke’s been wandering in the hallway, looking for Ashton as it’s been more than ten minutes since he left, and Luke’s been extra worried about him ever since Ashton announced he was pregnant.

Luke passes the closet that Ashton and Michael are in, but stops as soon as he hears banging and moaning coming from inside, and he instantly knows that it’s his boys. He shakes his head, and backs up. He opens the door. He watches as Ashton yelps when he nearly falls back, but luckily Michael had already had a tight grip on him, catching him before he falls. “Are you serious, guys?”

“Luke, what the fuck?” Michael asks, gently placing Ashton down on the ground.

“First of all, you didn’t even lock the door. I could have been anyone. Secondly, you two aren’t quiet whatsoever. You would have completely exposed our relationship,” Luke warns, unamused.

“We haven’t fucked in like a month. We got a little desperate, okay?” Ashton says, fixing himself.

“Oh, so you two finally decided to kiss and makeup?” Luke asks.

“That’s what we were doing before you so rudely interrupted us,” Michael grumbles, zipping his pants up.

“Honestly, you should be grateful it was me and not anyone else,” Luke says. He looks over at Ashton. “Hey, you okay? I know you don’t like it when we worry but you never came back…”

Ashton lets out a sigh. “I’m fine. I didn’t even get sick,” he says. “Kind of got distracted.”

Luke nods. “Okay. Sorry for interrupting you guys,” he says, his cheeks turning red.

“Yeah, whatever. You can make it up to me later, dickhead. We should probably get out of here before someone finds us,” Michael says, and watches as Ashton walks out. Michael quickly grabs him, and throws an arm around him, pulling him closer. “We’ve got a month worth of cuddles to catch up on.”

“Great. You’re all so fucking clingy,” Ashton says, laughing.

When the three finally walk back into the dressing room, Calum is surprised when he sees Ashton wrapped around Michael’s arm, because he hasn’t seen the two together in a month.

“What the fuck is this?” Calum asks, standing from his spot on the couch.

Ashton looks over at Calum. “Oh, hey.”

“Don’t ‘ oh hey ’ me! What the fuck? Did you two suddenly kiss and makeup?” Calum asks.

“I thought you’d be happy?” Ashton asks, tilting his head slightly. “I mean, you don’t have to listen to me complain about how Michael’s being a jerk.” He ignores Michael’s “hey!”.

“Yeah, but… no offense, Michael… it’s just- he has been a jerk to you for like a whole month while you were pregnant . I just didn’t expect you to forgive him so fast,” Calum admits.

“We have a lot to work out, and a lot to talk about too,” Ashton says. “Trust me, I’m still pissed at him.”

“Can you all stop talking about me like I’m not in the fucking room?” Michael asks, annoyed.

Calum sighs, and looks over at Michael. “So, what changed your mind then?”

Michael shrugs his shoulders. “I told you… I just needed time to think, and I have been thinking. I’m sorry it took me so long, and I know I should have been there for Ashton. Then, just now… I saw Ashton, and he looked miserable, and it was because of the pregnancy. I just… felt terrible, and guilty.”

“Mikey, it’s okay-” Ashton begins, gently grabbing Michael’s arm.

“But, it’s not okay!”

“It’s okay,” Ashton repeats, his voice more stern. “I don’t care what happened before, as long as you’re there now. As long as you prove to me that you’re in this. Besides, there’s something you should know.”

“Oh, God. There’s more?” Michael asks, his eyes widening.

Ashton chuckles. “I just thought you’d want to know that the baby is yours. You would have known this a little sooner if you hadn’t been such a jerk,” he says.

Michael’s eyes widen as he stares at Ashton’s. “It’s- It’s mine?”

“Yeah,” Ashton says softly. “So, it’s a good thing you came to your senses, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Michael chokes out, unable to hold back his emotions.

“Oh, Mikey, don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to make you upset,” Ashton says, worried.

“ You didn’t make me upset. I’m just pissed at myself for being such an idiot. I should have been there,” Michael says, tears welling up in his eyes. He allows Ashton to pull him into a comforting hug.

Calum looks over at Luke, and nods towards the door. “Let’s give them some time alone.”

Luke nods, and grabs Calum’s hand, pulling him out of the dressing room.

“Thank fuck,” Calum says once the door is closed. He turns to look at Luke.

“It’s about time Michael got his head out of his ass,” Luke says. “I was worried for a moment there.”

“No, I knew he’d come around. Like I said before, he’s a stubborn bastard,” Calum says. “He loves Ashton way too much to let a baby come between our relationship.”

Luke nods. “What do you think Ashton’s going to do?”

“I-” Calum hesitates. “I think he’ll keep it. We’re all on board with wanting the baby. And, you heard what his mum said. They’ll keep the baby while we’re busy doing band stuff, that way we know the baby is safe and in a good home. It’s the best option if Ashton decides to keep the baby.”

“I agree.” Luke nods. “How much you wanna bet they’ll end up fucking? I did catch them in the closet.”

Calum lets out a snort. “They’re definitely going to end up fucking then. Come on, let’s go outside, and chill out for a bit. I need to smoke anyway.”

Luke rolls his eyes, and starts leading the way outside.

Once Ashton and Michael finish, Ashton ends up laying on top of Michael on the couch, taking in the comfort of his boyfriend while he has it. “We’re going to be okay, right?” Ashton mumbles, tracing circles on Michael’s skin with his finger. He looks up at the blonde with worried eyes.

“Of course we’re going to be okay. Why wouldn’t we?” Michael asks.

“If I keep the baby, you can’t leave me again. I won’t be able to handle it, and- and I’m not going to risk putting the baby in danger because I’m too stressed out. The doctor already said all male pregnancies are high risk. It’s more than likely that I won’t be able to finish the tour when it comes to a certain point.”

“Ashton, I’m not going anywhere. I was an idiot before, but I’ve realized my mistake, and I’m going to do whatever I can to make it up to you the best that I can,” Michael says.

Ashton slowly nods. “We really do have a lot to talk about with the other boys. It may be our baby, but… they’re in this as much as we are. Calum and Luke are already attached to her.”

“I know, and I would never dream of taking their rights away,” Michael says. “We’ll talk about it.”

Ashton nods, and buries his face in Michael’s chest. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Michael whispers. “Ash, are you going to tell the fans?”

“I dunno. I’ve been too busy worrying about you,” Ashton admits. “I guess that’s another thing we have to talk about. Shit. We’ve got a lot to fucking talk about, don’t we?”

“Yeah, babe. I think we do. But, communication is key with a relationship like ours,” Michael says. “Besides, we’ve done well so far and I don’t want to mess up what we’ve created.”

Ashton chuckles. “You’re such a sap.”

“I’m your sap,” Michael mumbles, pulling Ashton closer, earning giggles from Ashton.

Later on, Calum and Luke eventually go back to Ashton and Michael when it’s almost time for them to go out for soundcheck. The two boys are dressed in clothes, and ready to go out to greet their fans.

“So, is everything good?” Calum asks, looking at the two boys curiously.

Ashton nods. “Yes, but… we need to find time for all four of us to talk. We have so much to talk about.”

“Of course,” Luke agrees, nodding. “We’ll talk tonight after the concert tonight, how’s that sound?”

Ashton slowly nods. “That sounds fine,” he says.

“Are you going to be okay doing soundcheck?” Calum asks.

“I’m fine. Can you guys stop worrying every two seconds? I’m pregnant, not sick,” Ashton grumbles.

Calum frowns. “But you have been getting sick. Ash, we all know what the doctor has said. You being pregnant is making you sick. Male pregnancies are high risk. We have a right to worry so much.”

“But, I’m fine. I’ll tell you guys if I’m not feeling well,” Ashton says. “I just need my space sometimes.”

“Alright,” Calum says, and Ashton feels kind of bad with how upset Calum looks, but Ashton has been dealing with the boys constantly hovering over him for the past month.

“Let’s just get going to soundcheck,” Luke suggests.

Ashton stuffs his hands in his hoodie pocket and follows the other boys out of the dressing room.

Luckily, soundcheck goes smoothly. Ashton actually enjoys the fan interactions they have with their fans, and it takes his mind off of everything even just for a few moments.

The show goes just as smoothly, which Ashton is just as grateful for. He knows that he can’t go as hard as he wants to when playing the drums, because he has the baby to look out for, but he still gives it his all when he’s playing. The fans don’t suspect that anything is going on, which is what Ashton wants.

When the four boys get onto the bus, there’s a slight tension, and Ashton knows it’s because of him.

“Okay, we have to talk,” Michael says when they’re all in the lounge. He turns to look at the other boys. “Look, I know there’s been a lot going on lately, but we-” He sighs. “We have to stick together, keep up with the communication. Not just for our relationship, but there’s a baby involved now.”

“Yeah, why couldn’t you have that mindset a month ago?” Calum snaps, looking at Michael.

“Calum,” Luke snaps.

“No, he’s right,” Michael mumbles. “I already apologized, and I’ve already promised to do better, and I plan on keeping that promise. I’m not- I’m not abandoning Ashton or the baby again.”

“Mikey and I have already worked out our issues,” Ashton adds. “Can we please move on from that?”

“It’s just- I thought you said you weren’t forgiving him so quickly?” Calum asks.

Michael frowns. “It’s almost like you don’t want him to forgive me. What the hell, Calum?”

Ashton finally looks over at Luke, who hasn’t really said much at all, but he definitely looks nervous and a little scared. Luke never likes it when any of them fight with each other. “Guys, come on-”

“No, I wanna know what your problem is,” Michael says, pointing at Calum.

Ashton scowls as the two continue arguing with each other. He makes his way over to Luke and grabs onto his arm, holding onto him. “Why are they such idiots all the time?”

Luke looks over at Ashton. “Are- Are you okay?”

Ashton looks up at Luke. “I was going to ask you the same thing,” he whispers.

“I’m okay. I just don’t like when they fight like this,” Luke mumbles.

Ashton gently kisses Luke’s shoulder, before stepping forward. “Hey, idiots!” He shouts, finally earning Calum and Michael’s attention. “Stop fucking arguing for no reason. We’re supposed to be talking . Calum, you know I’m still not happy with what happened with Michael, but there are more important things to worry about. He realized his mistakes and he’s trying to fix them. I need Michael to get through this thing. Fuck. I need all of you guys and I can’t do that when you’re arguing with each other.”

“I’m sorry, Cal. I really am,” Michael whispers.

“I’m sorry too. I was just… mad on behalf of Ashton. You really hurt him when he needed you the most, but like Ash said, as long as you’re trying, then I guess that’s all that matters,” Calum says.

Michael nods. “I am. I’m trying my best.”

“Okay,” Ashton says, and lets go of Luke’s arm.

Luke pouts at the lack of the touch, and pulls Ashton back, grinning when Ashton rolls his eyes. “So, what exactly do we have to talk about again?” He looks at Ashton.

Ashton lets out a sigh. “I- I do want to keep the baby-” He instantly sees Calum’s eyes light up. “Listen, okay? I don’t think I’m ready to stop touring, or stop making music. I don’t think any of us are, honestly. So, I- I think it’s best we talk to my mum about her or Lauren keeping the baby while we’re touring.”

“Ash-”

“It’s the only safe way, Calum. I don’t want the baby to be on tour with us. That’s not healthy or safe,” Ashton says. “Our baby deserves to grow up in a home. It’s not like we’re not going to be able to see her. Mum said we could come visit anytime we want when we’re busy with the band.”

“But she’ll be in Australia!” Calum complains.

“Calum,” Michael warns softly. “It’s Ashton’s baby. He gets the final say of what happens.”

“It’s your baby too,” Luke speaks up, looking up at Michael.

“Yes, but Ashton’s the one carrying the baby for nine months, so ultimately… he gets the final decision, and I support whatever Ashton decides. Besides, I think he’s right. The baby will be much safer with Ashton’s family in Australia. As soon as we’re done touring, we’ll go visit the baby whenever we can,” Michael says. “And- And maybe when she’s older and we’re not so busy, we can bring her to America.” He looks over at Ashton for approval, and sighs in relief when Ashton nods in agreement.

“Fine,” Calum grumbles, crossing his arms against his chest.

Ashton rolls his eyes. “You’re so dramatic, Cal,” he says, before walking over to Calum and pecking him on the lips. “It’s going to be fine. We’ll figure it out and we’ll make it work.”

“I know,” Calum whispers. “I just wish there was another way. I want to be involved in the baby’s life.”

“We will,” Ashton promises. He slowly takes a step back and looks at the boys. “Now, how are we going to tell the fans? Because, there’s going to be a point in the tour where I’m not going to be able to perform. There will still be a few weeks left of the tour by the time we get to that point.”

“So, what do you want to do, Ash?” Calum asks.

Ashton takes a deep breath. “When we figure out when my last show will be, we’ll announce it then, and we’ll figure out what to do about a drummer so you guys can finish the tour,” He startles slightly when he feels a pair of arms wrap around him from behind, and he instantly knows that it’s Luke. Ashton instantly leans back into the touch, holding onto Luke’s arm.

“Love you Ash,” Luke whispers, gently pressing a kiss to Ashton’s forehead.

“Love you too,” Ashton whispers, closing his eyes.

“I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night. Why don’t we get you to bed, love?” Calum suggests.

Ashton huffs. “I’m not a child!”

“Come on,” Calum says softly, dragging Ashton over to the bed. Eventually, Ashton gives in and crawls into their bed. Luke crawls in with him instantly, wrapping his arms around him protectively.

Once the two are finally in bed, Calum makes his way over to Michael as he’s grabbing some pajamas. He wraps his arms around Michael from behind, resting his head on Michael’s back. “I’m sorry.”

Michael startles slightly, but relaxes instantly when he knows that it’s Calum. “Babe-”

“I didn’t mean to be such a dick to you earlier. I- I’ve been really protective of Ashton ever since his pregnancy, and it was hard watching him go through the past month without you,” Calum whispers.

“It’s okay,” Michael says, and he turns to face Calum. “I deserved it. I’m just glad you and Luke were there for him when I wasn’t. But, I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Good, because we don’t want you to go anywhere, anytime soon,” Calum says, reaching up to kiss him. “Love you, Mikey. I just need you to know that.”

“I love you too, Cal. Can I go now? I really need to shower,” Michael says.

Calum laughs softly. “Mm. Only if I can join you.”

“You know I would love your company, darling,” Michael says, grinning. He grabs Calum’s hand, and leads the way towards the bathroom.

The next morning Ashton wakes up not feeling great, and finds himself sitting beside the toilet on the floor. He hates this part about his pregnancy. The morning sickness has not been kind. Ashton winces when he hears knocking at the door, the sudden sound not helping his headache.

“Babe, are you okay?” It’s Luke.

“I’m fine!” Ashton shouts tiredly, leaning his head against the wall. He closes his eyes when he hears the door open. He opens his eyes and sees Luke looking at him worriedly. “Don’t look at me like that, please.”

“I thought the morning sickness would get better, but it’s getting worse, isn’t it?”

“It’s going to go away eventually. I’m still early in the pregnancy, Luke.” Ashton sighs.

Luke frowns. “I just don’t like seeing you getting sick all the time, and there’s nothing you can do.”

“There isn’t anything you can do, or Calum. So I need you guys to back off a little,” Ashton snaps, running a hand over his face before looking back up at Luke. “I know you’re worried and I get it, really, but I can’t have you two hovering over me twenty four seven.”

Luke huffs. “Sorry for caring,” he mumbles, before walking out of the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

“Hey. What was that all about?” Michael asks when he sees Luke walking out of the bathroom.

“Ashton’s being a dick again,” Luke grumbles, pouting as he walks over to Michael and hugging him.

“He’s pregnant, babe. Mood swings are going to be a thing,” Michael whispers.

“I’m just trying to help him,” Luke argues. “Some people don’t have anybody when they’re pregnant, so maybe he should be a little more grateful that he has three caring boyfriends.”

“Luke,” Michael warns. “Just go easy on him.” Luke scoffs at that, and walks away, causing Michael to sigh heavily. He runs a hand over his face. “It’s going to be a long day.”

It’s two months later when Ashton decides that he can’t continue on the tour. It’s difficult for him to drum while being pregnant, and he’s constantly worried about the baby being in danger. Ashton thought that he’d be able to make it much further into the tour, but he can’t, and he’s disappointed in himself even though the other boys have assured him many times they weren’t upset with him.

It took them about a week before they found a drummer to replace Ashton for the remainder of the tour. They hired a woman to fulfill the job, her name is Evelyn Smith. She’s experienced, and she already knows a ton of 5 Seconds of Summer’s music. The boys clicked with her instantly.

So, on Ashton’s last show, he’s terrified about announcing to the fans that he was pregnant.

After the encore, the boys head to the front to do their final bows. But instead, Ashton signals for a microphone, which the fans instantly notice, because it’s not something that usually happens.

“Alright, uh-” Ashton clears his throat. He glances at the other boys who are standing at the side. “Uhm. So, I have an announcement to make-” He can’t help but laugh when he hears a ton of people gasp. “No, I’m not leaving the band. It’s nothing like that. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Well, to put it simply, I’m- I’m pregnant.” Ashton takes a deep breath when the crowd starts screaming. Ashton can’t tell if they’re happy or not. “I’m pregnant, and it's kind of hard to drum while you’re pregnant. Trust me. So, unfortunately, I’m not going to be finishing the rest of the tour with the boys.”

Ashton’s eyes widen when the screams get even louder, and he can even hear some boo’s. He quickly looks over at the boys for help. Michael is the first to step forward, grabbing the mic from Ashton.

“Listen, please,” Michael says, waiting for the crowd to settle. “We completely respect Ashton’s decision to not continue on with the tour. Everybody knows male pregnancies are high risk. We don’t want anything to happen to Ashton or the baby. So, we will be having a temporary drummer to replace Ashton for the rest of the tour. She’s brilliant, and we think you’re absolutely going to love her. Uhm-” Michael glances over at Ashton, who’s looking like he’s about to have a panic attack at any given moment. “Yeah, we just wanted to announce this in person. Thank you. Have a good night.”

Michael walks over to Ashton and grabs a hold of him, rushing him off stage, not even waiting for the other two boys. He knows Ashton’s needs to get off that stage.

“They- They booed me!” Ashton cries as soon as he’s off stage.

“Shh, shh. It’s okay. They were just shocked. It’s okay,” Michael whispers, grabbing Ashton and pulling him into a hug. “I’m sure they’re just shocked at the announcement. They’re just worried.”

“That went well,” Luke says when he and Calum finally catch up with Ashton and Michael.

“Luke,” Michael warns, glaring at the younger boy. “Now’s not the time for jokes.”

“Sorry,” Luke mumbles, and reaches over to rub Ashton’s back. “It’ll be okay, Ash.”

Ashton huffs, and angrily wipes away his tears, stepping away from the boys. “You didn’t get booed, and they’re probably going to hate me now because they think I’m breaking up the band.”

“But you’re not,” Calum speaks up. “We’re not breaking up. We’re finishing the tour, and you’re gonna have the baby, and we’ll release another album in no time. The fans will see.”

“Whatever,” Ashton mumbles. “I’m going to the bus. I’m tired.”

“Ash-” Michael tries, and frowns as he watches his boyfriend walk off. He looks over at the other two. “Fuck. Now what are we going to do? Ashton’s going to blame himself.”

“Let’s just give him some time. He’s just as upset as the fans are. It’s not like he wanted to stop touring. That man loves touring more than anything. But, health comes first. Always ,’ Calum says.

Michael nods. “Come on, let’s get to the bus. It’s going to be a long night.”

Ashton heads straight to his bunk as soon as he gets onto the bunk. Once he’s under the covers, he goes to check tweets on Twitter to see what the fans are saying. He knows they are not going to be happy.

Ashton sucks in a deep breath when he starts reading some tweets, majority of the fans congratulating him on his pregnancy while a lot of people are still upset that he’s not finishing the tour, people claiming that he’s going to ruin 5 Seconds Of Summer with a baby coming into the picture. There’s even some people speculating who the other father is.

It’s all too much for Ashton to handle. He shuts his phone off and throws it at the wall.

“Ash?”

Ashton closes his eyes as soon as he hears Michael’s voice, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Can I come in?”

Ashton takes a deep breath, because he could really use some comfort. “Yes,” he says.

The curtains open, and Michael’s crawling into his bunk. He climbs in next to Ashton, and instantly slides his arm around Ashton’s waist, pulling him close. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Ashton whispers, turning so that he and Michael are facing each other.

Michael looks at him, and keeps his arm protectively around the older boy. “I know things are tough, and they’re only going to get tougher for a little bit now. But, you don’t have to go through this alone, okay? You have me, and you have Luke and Cal. We’re all here for you. You have to know that.”

“I know,” Ashton says. “But, the fans…”

“They’re going to be upset for a while, and that’s understandable. A lot of things are going to change when the baby arrives, of course. But, you’re just going to have to prove that you’re not going anywhere, and that no baby is going to stop you from being the best fucking drummer in the world.”

Ashton blushes, and buries his face in Michael’s chest, gripping onto his shirt  “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me for anything, Ash. I should have been there from the start, but I’m going to be there from here on out. I love you, and I already love our baby,” Michael whispers.

“And us.”

Ashton looks up, and can’t help but laugh when he sees Calum and Luke standing at his bunk.

“Quit hogging him, Mikey. We wanna cuddle too,” Luke pouts. “So, either you two come to the lounge or we’re going to join you in there, and that’s going to be a very tight squeeze.”

“Yeah, no, we’re coming,” Ashton says, gently squeezing Michael once before letting go of him so Michael can slide out of the bunk. Ashton smiles when Michael helps him out of the bunk. He gently kisses Michael’s cheek, and walks over to Luke, allowing the youngest to throw his arms around him protectively.

Michael chuckles as he watches the two head to the lounge, and he looks over at Calum.

“Is he going to be okay?” Calum asks, looking at Michael.

Michael takes a deep breath. “I don’t think the hard times are over yet, but I think he’s going to be okay.”