Helloooooooooo. How are we? Good. I hope so.

Anyways, this one is from @hornswaggled

'can you do one where Matt's anxious and clingy to Nick on tour and constantly wants hugs from him' 

Yes of course. I've rewritten this so many times it's not funny. I think I went off track with the request but it's the baseline. 

TW: Mother Nick, Panic attacks, hugs, vomit, cereal

--

"I'm not hungry," Matt said, pushing away the bowl of cereal in front of him and giving it to Chris. Chris didn't complain, saved him from getting up and making his breakfast. 

Nick sighed and took the cereal away from Chris, who was about to take a bite and placed it in front of Matt. Chris pouted. "Eat three spoonfuls. You won't throw up this time, you have performed in front of a crowd now" Nick tried to convince Matt. 

It was the tour's second stop, and nerves were either easing or rising higher. 

Truthfully, Matt was hungry, but yesterday when he ate, he vomited from his anxiety and he did not want a repeat of yesterday. I don't know about you but I think there are so many more activities that sound more enticing than vomiting backstage twenty minutes before your first show on tour.

"We don't know that. I'm fine, I'll eat later" Matt smiled weakly. He then got up and went to his bunk. 

Nick and Chris made eye contact which spoke louder than words. 

"Maybe he just needs a hug" Chris suggested, stealing Matt's bowl back and eating the food in it. 

"Why would he need a hug?" Nick questioned. He was confused by Chris's advice. He probably wasn't going to take it, he knew better than listening to Chris. Chris had some strange things to say sometimes. 

"Matt just needs a hug from his big brother. Maybe that will calm him down?" Chris shrugged, taking another bite of the cereal, it was bloody good cereal. Ten out of ten cooking from Nick.

Nick thought for a second. "Fine" 

"If it works and I'm just that awesome, you're making more of this cereal, it's Gordon Ramsay-level good" Chris did a French kiss. 

Nick rolled his eyes. 

-- 

Nick wasn't that sure how he was going to go up to his brother and hug him. Like, if was going to go up to him and slap him, it would make more sense. 

But not hugging. 

As he walked up to the bunk, he heard a faint hyperventilating noise coming from the bottom one. Well, now at least we know which bunk is Matt. Yes, a 'hyperventilating noise' is a thing now. 

Maybe giving a hug is easier than people may say. 

Nick crawled into Matt's bunk and wrapped his arms around his sobbing brother, hoping to calm down his brain. "Shh Matty, it's ok" 

"What if something goes wrong?" He sobbed out, gasping for air. 

Nick felt a pang in his heart. He didn't want Matt to think about that. He just wanted his brother to enjoy the tour. "Sh, Matty, nothing will go wrong, now take a breath for me please" Nick hugged him tighter, even though that probably was a terrible idea. 

Matt whimpered and took a full shaky breath, even if he was getting squeezed like a stress ball. 

Nick was surprised, it normally took more time to make Matt's lungs do their job again, maybe they just got a pay rise? "Wow, that was quick" 

"I know. I think the hug worked. You never hug me" Matt admitted, snuggling deeper into the hug. He was actually enjoying it, normally it was hands-off while he was half breathing but this time was different. 

-- 

So apparently hugs were the secret weapon when it came to Matt's anxiety. But you had to hug him right, not some half-ass awkward first-time meeting kinda hug. More the 'cacoon me bitch' hug. The author should make a hug guide. 

So as the tour ramped up and the shows became more everything was just exploding and everything was becoming the last straw to Matt. Including the fucking last straw.

"Matt, stop panicking! It is just the last straw, go buy more" Chris tried to calm down his brother who was at the pre-crying stage. "Nick, come give Matt a hug or something while I go use this straw to feed this fish water" Chris then called out.

Nick walked into the main room of the tour bus. He was holding a mug saying 'Best mum ever' which was a gift from a fan, he was wearing his uggs and his sleeping robe. Real mother look. He put his mug down on the table. 

"Chris. What the actual fuck. Matt, sweetie. Come here" Nick waved Matt over and hugged him, calming him down immediately. It was like magic. Normally this would take a good five minutes and if it was Chris's fault, like ten.

Once Matt was Matt again, he turned to Chris, "Why do you want to feed fish water through a straw? Isn't that like, animal abuse?" 

Chris shrugged, "I'm going to go do a science experiment on a fish, be right back" 

Matt and Nick made eye contact and laughed. 

--

That was the start of the clinginess. 

Something in Matt's brain clicked. 

A hug from Nick made everything better. 

-- 

"I need someone to come help me set up the Jenga, the dude who normally does it is on his honeymoon" Nick announced, walking into the room backstage. 

On normal occasions, Matt and Chris groan and then complain about how setting up Jenga is like teaching a rock to dive off a diving board. Even though both are pretty easy to do. 

But this wasn't a normal occasion. 

"I'll come" Matt offered. Chris looked over to Matt, quite hurt by the fact Matt was going to leave him alone. 

"So you're just going to leave me alone like this? What if I die?" Chris questioned. 

Nick shot his eyes to Chris and mouthed 'the fuck dude'. 

"So you die. Whatever. Can we go now?" Matt interrupted. 

"K, let's go"

--

Wherever Nick was, Matt was. On stage, if Nick was on the other side of it, Matt would feel unsettled and try to make his way over to the other side. 

Maybe it was the presence of Nick that made Matt's crippling anxiety shut the fuck up. Or maybe it was the thought of getting a bear hug from his older brother.

Whatever it was, it was unhealthy. Matt was physically unable to go more than five minutes without Nick. Chris noticed but to be honest? Did he care? Nop. He was having the time of his life on this tour. But as much as the tour is fun and he was enjoying riding solo. He wanted to be with his brothers as well. 

-- 

Matt
Nick, where r u? 
Nickkkkk
Dude tf where are you

"Chris I think Nick is missing" Matt called out after the show. He was trying to find his brother so they could go to the tour bus all together. 

"I think he is just pissing calm down," Chris said, looking down at his phone. 

Matt didn't calm down. He needed Nick. 

Matt
NICK 
WHERE ARE YOU 

"Who's phone is vibrating?" Chris then asked, hearing the consent vibrate. He then went to investigate. "Oh found Nick's phone" He pulled out a phone from under some papers on the table. 

Matt wanted to cry. So he did. 

"Oh my god, another one? Fuck" Chris rushed over to Matt and attempted to hug him as Nick does. 

Matt did not like the fact Chris was trying to hug him. He went into attack mode and kicked his brother away, crying and hyperventilating even more. 

"Ow fuck, NICK" Chris screamed, hoping Nick would arise from the abyss.

He did. Chris has powers. He is joining the crew of superhero. 

Nick walked into the room and saw Chris and Matt on the floor but doing different things. Matt was hyperventilating and looking around frantically like a child looking for his mother and Chris was in pain. And it was very obvious he was in pain. 

Mother Nick now had his two children on the floor and had to deal with them both.  

He went over to Matt and hugged him, coaching him through his breathing at the same time. Multitasking. 

As soon as Matt was semi-breathing and tears were falling like a leaking tap, he went over to Chris. "What happened?" 

What did happen? 

Good question Nick. 

"Matt kicked me while I tried to hug him" Chris whimpered, exaggerating the pain. He wanted to be seen for a second. Bitch ass move, he knows. 

"You know you can't touch Matt while he is having a panic attack, you've known this for eight years now dumbass" Nick explained, hoisting Chris off the floor. Matt was up against the empty wall on his phone, half asleep. 

"No this is bullshit" Chris raised his voice. He was going to say what needed to be said. 

Matt put his phone down, ready to listen in on the tea. 

"Matt. No offence bro, I know you are anxiety central right now but you are even worse if Nick isn't around. It is like you can't breathe when he isn't near. And no, do not burst out into that fucking 'Ginny and Georgia' song" Chris spilled. 

Realisation drew upon Nick's face. How could have he been so blinded by this? He just thought Matt was having a really hard time being away from home. 

Matt faced his feet, hanging his head low. 

"Matt" That's all Nick said. He didn't want to cause any arguments. 

"It's not my fault" Matt whispered, all that he could think of saying. What else are you meant to say in these situations? 'Oh yeah guys, sorry for my brain being a clingy little shit. I'll work on getting a new one'

Chris didn't get the reaction he wanted. What did he want though? He wasn't sure but it wasn't that. He walked off to the tour bus, Nick waiting behind for Matt. 

"Just leave, clearly I have to learn to breathe without anyone in the room. I'll catch up to you soon" Matt shooed Nick away. 

Nick's heart shattered into a billion little pieces, all of them so small you couldn't see them, like little specs in the universe. 

He didn't respond, just left the room. The tour bus wouldn't be able to move without all three triplets on it so it would just have to wait. 

--

Chris was sitting in the tour bus scrolling through Disney Plus. 

"We need to talk" Nick entered the bus with those grand words. Mother was not happy. 

"Yes Mum" Chris said back.

"Ok, I know Matt is being clingy but it's better than him having a panic attack every three point five seconds. Like, give him a break, this shit is hard on him. On all of us," Nick tried to reason. He was fighting a losing battle he knew that. 

"Yeah, I get it. Just, un-superglue the superglue. Speaking of the devil" Chris was interrupted by Matt walking into the bus, head down. "Matt bro" Chris sped and walked after his brother, hoping to fix things. 

-- 

Did he fix things? Not really but it's better than what the outcome could have been. The fish lived by the way. 

-- 

I gave up. OK. I robbed you all of angst at the end but I don't really care. This writer's block is kicking me in the ass and Tom Hanks is mouthing Carley rae jepsen so let me off the hook. 

This is nothing how I wanted it to go but yk. 

Love yall

-Bon