Lukes eyes flutter open with a frown as he hears his phone vibrating on the table next to the bed. He looks confused at the screen, seeing ashtons name pop up and gasping, he feels his heart nearly burst with excitement. He glances over, seeing his brunette friend still asleep, and grabs the phone, slipping out of bed and running into the hall.

"Hello?" He answers quietly, voice squeaky because of how happy he is.

"Lukey?" He hears his daddies voice come through.

"Daddy!" He grins widely.

"Hi babyboy. Daddy misses you." Ashton says and Luke blushes.

"I miss you so much daddy. You all done bein sick? You come home now? No more stayin with Mikey?" Luke questions and Ashton is silent for a minute.

"No, baby. I'm not all done being sick. I'm afraid you'll have to stay with Mikey awhile longer, baby boy." He answers sadly and Luke pouts.

"Well, maybe I can still come visit you, daddy!" The blonde offers.

"I don't think Mikey will let you, love." Ashton answers.

"But you're daddy, you get to decide." Luke pouts, sounding sad.

"Not right now baby, right now Mikey gets to decide. You're being good for him, right?"

"Yes daddy, bein a good boy for uncle Mikey." Luke sighs, sad that he can't see his daddy.

"Good. Is he being nice to you? And you're having fun with with Calum?"

"Yes daddy, but I really miss you. Can you please get better so I can see you?" Luke whines and Ashton shushes him.

"Yes baby, I'll try and get better so I can take care of you again, okay?" Ashton says lovingly and Luke nods. "I don't think Mikey would like it if he knew I was calling you though, so I need you to be quiet and not whine for me, okay?"

"Okay." Luke whispers, giggling.

"Okay baby, good boy." Luke nearly bursts into tears at that simple phrase.

"Is Mikey taking good care of you, baby? He's not scary or anything?" Ashton frets, worried the mans discipline style may be too much for Luke.

"No daddy, he's not scary. He's just Mikey." Luke says, sounding confused with the question and Ashton nods, relieved.

"I told him about David." Luke says quietly. "He asked so he could know how not to be scary." The blonde explains and Ashton nods, feeling simultaneously horrible that his baby is getting so close with another caregiver as to tell him something he's only told Ashton before and relieved that Michael is taking such good care of Luke.

"Good, baby. That's good. Are you and Cali getting along? No fighting?"

"No daddy, no fighting. We always cuddle and play and kiss-"

"Kiss?" Ashton asks, confused.

"Yeah, when we play house." Luke says, seeming to think nothing of it.

"On the cheek?" Ashton asks and Luke shakes his head, though Ashton can't see.

"No, on the lips, because when we play house we're married and we're the daddies and the stuffies are the babies and and married people kiss."

Ashton feels the overwhelming urge to get angry, but he knows it's the affect of everything he's on, and he resists. He can't scare Luke away.

"Does Mikey know about that?" He asks, making an effort to calm his tone.

"That we play house? Yeah." Luke answers, confused.

"No, honey, that you kiss." Ashton sighs frustratedly, still fighting anger.

"Oh. Well, I don't know. Isn't that what people do when they play house?" Luke asks.

"No, Luke. You don't get to kiss other boys, just daddy." Ashton sighs and Luke frowns.

"But Cali says it's just pretend-"

"I don't care what Calum says Luke, you don't kiss anyone but daddy, do you understand?"

"But-"

"Luke! Calums lying to you and manipulating you, it's naughty to kiss anyone but daddy and if you do it again you'll be in trouble!" Ashton says harshly, losing his temper, and immediately regrets it.

Luke can't help it when he starts crying, feelings incredibly hurt by his daddy yelling at him.

"I-I d-didn't kn-know! I d-didnt me-mean to b-be naughty! I'm s-so-sorry!" Luke sobs and Ashton cringes.

"No, no baby, don't cry please. Daddy's sorry, I shouldn't have yelled baby, I'm sorry. You didn't know better-

"Who's crying? Lu? Whyre you- who's on the phone?!" Ashton hears Michael's voice, sleepy at first and then on the verge of upset.

"D-daddy." Luke instantly answers, still crying, and Ashton cringes again, hanging up.

Fuck. He fucked it all up. The only opportunity he had to talk to his baby and he screwed ur up because of the effects of the stupid drugs and the stupid withdrawals. He's trying to get better, he really is, he just missed his baby and really needed to talk to him and he fucked it up and hurt the boys feelings and now Michael knows he called.

"Daddy? What do you mean Luke? What happened?" Michael grabs lukes phone but it isn't on cal anymore and he sighs irritated that, scooping the sobbing boy up and trying to comfort him.

"What happened honey? What made you upset?" He asks the blonde gently, taking him a bit away from the door to Calums room so he won't wake the Maori up.

"D-daddy yelled at me, a-said I was naughty!" Luke sobs and Michael clenches his teeth, wondering what the hell happened exactly. He takes Luke to his room and sits on the bed, comforting the boy.

"Sweetie, youre not naughty, I'm sorry your daddy yelled at you. He shouldn't have called you in the first place. He's sick right now, he's not himself, that's why he was upset, I'm so sorry honey, don't cry. You're not naughty, I'm sorry Ashton hurt your feelings." He coos quietly to the boy, rubbing his back and letting him cry into his chest. Eventually lukes sobs calm and Michael tries to draw more out of Luke.

"Why did daddy call you, honey?" He asks gently.

"C-cause he missed me." Luke answers and Michael nods, remind quiet. "Said he's still s-sick but he's gonna g-get better. And he asked if I-I'm okay and y-you're taking good care o-of me and me and c-Calum are getting along." Luke explains as Michael listens.

"Why did he get upset?" Michael asks and Luke shrinks in on himself. He doesn't want Michael to get mad too. He shakes his head.

"Lukey? Why was Ashton upset?" Still, no answer.

"I don't wanna talk anymore." Luke says and Michael sighs and nods.

"Okay. You ready to go back to bed? I'm sure Cali needs his snuggle bug back." Michael says and Luke nods, happy to be carried to Calums room and tucked in next to the still sleeping boy, falling asleep with a lot on his mind.

Meanwhile, Michael takes lukes phone downstairs to re-dial Ashton, hoping the man will think it's Luke and answer.

"Lukey? Honey? Is everything okay? Daddy's so sorry honey, I didn't mean to-"

"It's Michael, Lukes back in bed. What the fuck do you think you're doing calling him in the middle of the night?! I told you to stay the fuck away until you're better and not only that but I told you Luke wanted you to stay away until you're better too! You're fucking violating his boundaries, you think that's good for him? You think that's what he needs? To be woken up by his drug addicted dead beat ass boyfriend in the middle of the night and made to sob and feel like shit? What the fuck Ashton!"

"I- I didn't mean to- I just wanted to tell him I missed him and loved him and make sure he was okay, I didn't mean to get upset." Ashton mutters and Michael scoffs.

"I-I'm pretty clean right now, I can't a-afford anything more right now so I've been off for a few days b-but my withdrawals are r-really bad and I j-just got really angry." He explains defeatedly.

"You know your mom will drive you to the damn rehab the second you let her." Michael grumbles.

"I know. I just, I don't... I don't know." Ashton mutters.

"Luke wouldn't tell me why you got upset." Michael sighs and Ashton frowns.

"He told me that when him and Calum play house they kiss because that's what married people do. Did you know about that?" Ashton asks and Michael frowns.

"...no. I didn't. I'll talk to them. I'm sure it's just... yknow, they come up with weird stuff when they're little. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Michael lies, he's pretty sure this is Calums doing based on their conversation the other day. He knows they've been playing house a lot since then, no wonder. "You really upset him, yelling at him and calling him naughty, though."

"Yeah. I just, I told Luke he's only supposed to kiss me and he argued and I just got really angry. I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to yell or tell him that or anything. Please tell him I'm sorry and I- I love him. I'm sorry I called, I knew you wouldn't let me but I just feel like such shit and miss him so much and I really wanted to hear his voice and talk with him. I didn't get to tell him I love him." Ashton sounds ready to cry and Michael sighs.

"You know that's not what heat for him ash. I'm glad you're trying to get better but you really need to get in a rehab. I promise the second you finish rehab you can come visit him but right now, as you can tell, you're not good for him to be around. Don't call him again, and if he calls you don't answer." Michael says sternly and Ashton nods.

"Msorry. It sounds like you're taking really good care of him. Thankyou. You're a really good friend, to both of us. I promise I'll get better for lu."

"Good. Good luck ash." Michael sighs, hanging up and heading back to bed.