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It had been fifteen years since the last time they had interacted like this. It had been fifteen years since they had a decent interaction at all, actually, except through nasty comments in the media and songs they said weren't about each other, but deep down they both knew. But this was different. Even though they had reconnected, they hadn't yet rekindled this aspect of their relationship yet.
Liam was scared, really.
He wondered if Noel even remembered how to be his daddy. They were both much older now, and perhaps that made it even stranger than it was when it all started. They had been spending more time together in the past months, especially since Noel's divorce, but this was the first time Noel had called and asked for something.
He asked to come over for a few days to take care of Liam, like he used to do.
That had been a few days ago, and now Liam sat anxiously waiting for Noel's arrival.
Noel was anxious about it too, but he wasn't going to let Liam know that. Liam didn't need to worry about it. So he kept his concerns about not being a good daddy to himself, save for writing it out in the notes app of his phone and promptly deleting it as soon as he was finished.
He was running late, and he knew that if Liam was already regressed, every second that the clock ticked past his estimated time of arrival would make him more and more anxious. The poor boy was probably worried sick.
He sent him a text, just to make sure Liam didn't think he had changed his mind.
Be there soon—Daddy <3
He hesitated for a moment before deciding to ring the bell at Liam's front door, and just as he finally gathered the courage to do so, the door began to slowly creak open. After the door fully opened, the two men stood face to face.
Even now, after all these years, he was still able to tell that Liam was regressed just by his body language.
"Hi, darling," Noel said.
He dropped his bag onto the porch and took his boy into his arms. They held each other for just a moment, Liam placing his face in the crook of Noel's neck just like they used to. Noel pulled away first, giving the younger man, who had obviously aged since the last time they had been in this situation, a kiss on his forehead.
Liam gave his daddy one of his classic smiles.
His nose scrunched, and he smiled so hard that his beautifully crooked teeth showed.
"Let's go in, love," Noel finally said, deciding they needed far more privacy than the porch could provide. "We've got time; we don't have to spend it all standing out here."
After the door was shut behind him, he took Liam into his arms again. He held him tighter this time, and he didn't know if he was doing it for Liam or for himself. Liam let himself be held. They stood like that for what felt like an eternity and just a split second at the same time. It had been ten minutes; in all reality, maybe it was fifteen. Neither of them really knew, but it still didn't feel long enough.
He gave him another kiss on the forehead after they released each other from their hug.
"You've been behaving while you were waiting for Daddy, yeah?"
It was a serious question. Noel had no idea how long he had been regressed, and if he was anything like he used to be, he could've gotten himself into a good bit of trouble in just a few minutes.
Liam didn't reply verbally; he just nodded his head.
"Good boy," Noel said, giving him a smile. "D'you wanna go watch some television, or we can go play with your toys? Maybe have a snack?"
"Not hungry," Liam whispered. He took Noel by the hand and did his best to pull him into the living room. The television was muted but turned to some children's program. Unless something had changed in the past fifteen years, Liam never watched the television muted, and Noel assumed that he had muted it when he heard Noel at the door.
Liam fumbled with the remote, seeming embarrassed by the program that was on.
"Liam, darling, you don't have to hide it. I'm not a stranger."
"Not a stranger," Liam whispered to himself.
He was unintentionally trying to pull himself out of a regression, for whatever reason, be it the now-unfamiliar feeling of having his daddy around or wanting to be a good host.
He motioned for Noel to sit on the sofa, his overnight bag now abandoned in the hallway. After Noel sat, he hesitantly took a seat on the opposite side.
"C'mon, darling," Noel said. He had relaxed into the back of the sofa and spread himself out so Liam could curl up with him, whether sitting on his lap or just curled up into his side, whichever he preferred. He watched as Liam began to move over, first sitting side by side with him before leaning against Noel's shoulder. "Are you comfortable?"
Liam shook his head.
He stood up, then sat in Noel's lap, pressing their chests together and wrapping his arms around the older man's shoulders.
"That's better."
Noel rubbed Liam's back as he felt the younger man relax into him.
As much as Liam needed to be held, Noel needed it just as much. It had been quite some time since he had had quality time with Liam, especially regressed Liam. He wrapped his arms loosely around Liam's midsection and let the younger man rest his head against his shoulder.
"Daddy?"
It was the first time Liam had said that in what felt like an eternity.
"Yeah, darling?"
"Can we go rest?"
Noel figured Liam hadn't slept well the night before. He always had trouble sleeping during nights before big events, and Noel would tell by the bags under his eyes and the sleepiness he was trying to hide that the previous night had very much been one of those times.
"Of course, love," Noel said, pressing a kiss to Liam's forehead.
Liam led him, by the hand, to his bedroom.
It was nice and very well put together. There were a few toys scattered across the floor, and Noel guessed that's what he had been doing the night before instead of sleeping.
Noel pulled back the duvet, but as Liam started climbing into the bed, he tutted at him.
"Tidy up your toys first, please."
Liam huffed but started collecting his toys and put them in a box that he slid under his bed. As he did that, Noel drew the curtains shut, wanting as much darkness as possible so Liam could fall asleep easier.
"D'you want me to rub your back for you? D'you have lotion?"
Liam wordlessly opened the bottom drawer of his bedside table and pulled out a bottle of lotion. The same lotion Noel had used all those years ago to rub his back and arms, sometimes even his tummy, to lull him to sleep.
The younger man stripped himself down to his boxers, and Noel did the same. He gave a smile as he realised all those times he had scolded Liam for trying to take a nap in his daytime clothes had paid off.
Liam climbed into bed first and waited for Noel to join him.
Noel sat on the edge of the bed and put lotion on his hand, massaging gentle circles onto the younger man's back and shoulders. He started near the top of his spine and worked his way down to his lower back.
He could tell Liam's eyes were closed, but it wasn't until he heard gentle snoring that he stopped and joined him in the bed. He gently rolled Liam onto his side, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close.
He still smelt like Liam, and baby lotion, and the only thing that had really changed were the wrinkles on their faces and the relatively newfound maturity that allowed them to accept each other in their lives again.
Noel eventually fell asleep, but not before taking a look at the bedside clock.
It was midday, and they could afford to nap for as long as they needed.
It wasn't until Liam began tossing and turning and mumbling incoherently that Noel woke up. He sounded angry and sad.
"Shh, darling. You're alright. Daddy's here."
Daddy's here.
Liam found the comfort of Noel's arms and buried his face in his side, taking in the smell of his cologne. Noel was warm, and his chest hair felt good as Liam's fingers raked through it.
Noel hummed a song that Liam was too tired to recognise. He knew it was The Beatles, probably something from their later years. He was a fan of their earlier work, personally, but he enjoyed the vibration of Noel's chest.
Noel traced his fingers up and down Liam's back, starting at the shoulders and trailing all the way down to the waistband of his boxers. Liam hummed quietly as he hit the most sensitive spots of his lower back, just like he used to, and he gave a small shudder.
He thought Liam had fallen back asleep until he gave a quiet groan as he pushed himself up to lay face to face with Noel. He was holding himself with one hand planted above Noel's shoulder and the other was curled on his chest.
"Missed you."
"I missed you too, darling."
Despite their very public quarrels, the awful things they had said about each other, and their refusal to even be in the same room without shooting each other dirty looks and doing their best to avoid looking at each other, they truly did love each other. There was a lot of love there, and a lot of care for each other. They craved each other.
Liam lay back down, this time resting his head on Noel's chest.
"If you can't sleep more, we can go out to the back garden or watch telly or something. We could make lunch if you're hungry."
"'m not hungry," Liam lied.
"Really? I thought I heard a little boy's tummy rumbling." Liam let out a little giggle and hid his face even further in Noel's chest. He tried again to convince Noel he wasn't hungry, but to no avail. "Well, Daddy's hungry, yeah? You can help out."
Liam convinced himself to get up and picked his shirt up off of the floor, opting to not put his trousers back on. He didn't want to wear them, just for the sake of comfort and how uncomfortable the temperature was inside the house, and he knew Noel wouldn't mind.
Noel himself only dressed himself in his trousers, making sure his belt was properly tightened against his slim waist. If he got too chilly, he'd just put his shirt back on, or perhaps borrow a jumper, but he didn't want to make his shirt mucky with whatever he decided to cook.
"What'd you like?" he asked, digging through the fridge. It was mostly filled with leftovers and ingredients to make some very simple dishes. The freezer was much more full. There was frozen fish, some frozen foods he could just pop in the oven, and a container of ice cream.
"How about some fish? Maybe some—" he cut himself off to dig through the fridge again. "Some day-old pasta?"
Had he been in the position to, he would've given Liam a proper telling-off for his diet, but he was in no position to do so. His wasn't much better.
"Or we could order something?"
Liam seemed much more intrigued by the idea, and he watched as Noel opened some delivery app and began exploring their options. Liam ordered some spicy thing that Noel had no interest in, and Noel ordered fish and chips and an overpriced imported beer.
They waited for an eternity, talking about everything and nothing. They talked about music, what Liam had been up to when he had been regressed, and about how maybe they could do this again sometime, when they both had the time.
Noel was propped against the arm of the sofa with Liam lying beside him, face buried in the crook of his neck.
He had much more facial hair than Noel had ever remembered, much unlike the older man, who had almost always been clean-shaven.
"Pretty, pretty boy," Noel whispered, rubbing circles on Liam's back. "If you need to go even further, it's okay."
It was obvious that Liam was regressed, but Noel could tell he wanted to go even younger. He wanted Noel to carry him the best that he could, to hold him, to treat him like the adorable baby he was. He wanted Noel to maybe give him a few smacks on the bottom if he was acting up or pour him some juice in a sippy cup.
Liam shook his head but mumbled quietly.
He was nearly nonverbal.
He pulled a blanket over the two of them and waited for their food to be delivered. Liam was fully asleep by then, and Noel put their food in the fridge, not wanting to wake him. The poor boy deserved to sleep some more.
Noel sang him another song, positioning himself the best that he could between the back of the sofa and Liam's sleeping body.
Liam slept for what felt like forever, until the sun had nearly set.
Noel's bag still sat in the entryway, and Liam asked if they wanted to share their bedroom or if Noel wanted the spare bedroom.
"We can share, yeah?"
Liam nodded.
He wanted the comfort of Noel's arms and to wake up to little kisses on his face as the sun shone through the window. He wanted Noel to pick out his cutest pyjamas and to help him in the bath before getting him in the bed.
Noel would let him sit in the bathroom with him while he showered, talking about anything and nothing at the same time.
First, it was time for Liam's bath.
Noel spent a considerable amount of time picking out Liam's pyjamas. He picked out a light blue shirt, some fresh boxers, and a pair of plaid pyjama shorts. He picked out a pair of socks too, but he was unsure of whether or not Liam would want to sleep in them. Before taking him down to the bathroom, he asked if he wanted his bottle as he fell asleep.
Liam nodded.
Liam sat on the edge of the tub, in just his boxers, as Noel ran the bath water. It was steaming hot, just as Liam liked, and there were bubbles. They smelt like bubble gum, and it was a nice contrast between the strong, masculine scent of his shower gel and shampoo.
When it was time, Noel helped Liam pull his boxers down and took him by the hand, helping him step into the tub.
He washed Liam's hair, and then his back. He scrubbed Liam's chest and all the way down to his legs and feet. Liam giggled as his daddy gave him gentle tickles on his knees. He had always been ticklish there.
"D'you think it's time to get out?"
Noel thought it was time to get out, as the water was getting cold.
He had prepared the softest towel Liam had and wrapped him in it when he stepped out. He dried his body before helping him get dressed. He brushed his teeth and washed his face, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"Can you be a good boy and go get Daddy's bag, please? It's in the hallway."
It held Noel's pyjamas and a few days worth of clothes, along with a small travel bag of toiletries, along with a few little gifts for Liam. Nothing big or expensive, but cute, thoughtful gifts.
He helped Liam climb up on the bathroom counter while he turned the tap on and undressed himself. He did his best to shower as quickly as he could, just wanting to lie in his baby's arms.
After getting out, he barely dried himself before getting dressed in his pyjamas and preparing for bed.
"Let's go get your sippy ready, yeah? You can have some juice or some warm tea."
Liam nodded.
He had washed it the night before, and it was drying on the rack beside the sink.
Noel watched as his cute little feet padded down the hallway, desperate to prepare for bed.
He watched Noel prepare two warm bottles of milk, testing the warmth on his arm before handing one of them to the younger man, who promptly put one in his mouth. Noel offered him a snack, but he declined.
He gave him a gentle smack on the bottom to get him moving, wanting him to head up to his bedroom.
He watched as Liam crawled into bed, and as he always did, he put himself on the opposite side of the bed from the door, leaving an empty spot for Noel. The bed was cold but was quickly warmed by their body heat.
Liam was curled into Noel's side, taking in the smell of his shower gel. It was comforting, even after all these years. His head was resting on Noel's chest as he drank his bottle, and his hand had slipped under his shirt, resting on his tummy. Noel was rubbing his back.
"Wait, darling."
Liam's face dropped.
"D'you have a towel or something? I need to make sure my shirt doesn't get all icky."
Liam pulled a dirty shirt from the floor of his closet and draped it across Noel's chest. It was good enough and would protect the older man from any milk that seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Give Daddy a kiss before bed."
Noel was expecting a kiss on the forehead and a tight hug around his torso, but Liam pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. Noel gave him one kiss back, along with multiple kisses all over his face, focusing on his forehead and cheeks, then giving him one on the top of the head.
They told each other they loved each other.
Liam fell asleep first, only halfway finishing the second bottle. Noel rubbed his back and gently massaged his shoulders, moving his hand up to gently rub the back of his head. His arms were tight around him, and he threw the shirt on the floor.
He was the first to sleep and the first to wake up. The outside light was shining through the window, and he closed his eyes tight.
He noticed a now unfamiliar wetness on his boxers and the surrounding bed. Noel's shirt and trousers were also wet. He started to panic, unsure of whether he should wake Noel or silently slip out of bed, leaving Noel in the wet puddle of urine. After a few moments of thinking, he decided to wake him.
He was still wrapped in Noel's arms, and he gently prodded his side. It didn't wake him, so he decided to gently shake him on his chest, pulling him from sleep. "Daddy, need up."
Noel was confused and somewhat startled.
"Hmm?"
He felt the wetness of the bed and let out a groan that was so quiet that it was barely audible.
"Off to the bathroom, love. We've got to get you cleaned up, haven't we?"
He wasn't mad or upset at all, even as he stripped the both of them down and turned the tap out, knowing they both needed a rinse at the very least. He decided to give Liam a proper shower to make him feel better if nothing else. He was just going to rinse himself and wash his face, then they were going to go down for some kind of breakfast.
After their shower, Noel once again wrapped Liam up in a towel and dried him off. He realised he hadn't grabbed clothes for Liam or brought his overnight bag to the bathroom either.
"C'mon, sweet boy," he said quietly. He wanted to carry Liam, and he was going to do his best to.
Liam wrapped his legs around Noel's legs and his arms around his shoulders, letting himself be carried off back to his bedroom.
Noel put himself in a pair of boxers and a shirt and stripped the bed while Liam dressed himself. He helped Liam put his socks on and led him down to the kitchen.
He made some tea and toast while Liam waited, getting up to some trouble in the meantime.
He was complaining that it was taking too long, and then he was sitting on his knees in the chair while Noel told him off for not being careful. Next, it was him having a bad attitude while he was getting told off, rolling his eyes and letting out a huff as he sat on his bottom. He whined and complained again, saying he wanted more milk in his tea and for it to be in a big-boy cup instead of a bottle. Noel knew he couldn't handle having a big-boy cup. He was too clumsy and would have spilt it everywhere, getting his shirt all wet and making Noel clean up yet again. He let out a small "fine", making Noel turn around to look him in the eyes.
"Liam," Noel said, letting the younger man know he was all business. "D'you want a spanking? 'm not afraid to put you over my knee for that. Clean up your attitude."
Liam rolled his eyes again.
Noel turned the toaster off, not wanting to burn the toast.
"C'mon, then, if you won't act right."
Liam let out another whine as he found himself being pulled over Noel's lap and his trousers pulled down around his ankles. He hadn't been wearing boxers, and although he wasn't surprised, he wished that he had put some on.
It had been quite some time since the last time he had found himself in this situation.
"No, daddy. Please. I'll be good."
"I told you to clean up your attitude," Noel said, letting his hand come down on Liam's bottom. He gave him ten, maybe fifteen, smacks as Liam cried out, tears growing in his eyes. Liam kicked his feet a few times, earning himself a few more smacks. "You should've been good when Daddy told you to."
He cried gently, even as Noel picked him up.
Despite the fact that it was well-deserved and he knew it, Liam wasn't happy about it.
"Keep your bum in that chair until breakfast is done. D'you understand me?"
Liam nodded.
He had missed this. He missed all of it, the bottles, the shared showers, even the smacks. He missed curling up in Noel's arms and the little kisses on his forehead and face and Noel getting him dressed in the morning. He loved curling up on the sofa together and generally wasting time.
Noel had missed it too.
He missed his brother, his baby, his big man, his darling.