"Mum?"
"Yes, love?" You asked as Gracie lifted her head from your shoulder and looked back at you, her arms clinging on to you tightly. You were a firm believer of not carrying your kids around so they wouldn't get too used to it but in the chaos that sometimes went on backstage at concerts, you couldn't quite bring yourself to let Gracie walk around in fear that she'd wander off and get lost.
"I want teh watch daddeh's whole set" she said, staring back at you with wide eyes that reminded you just so much of Alex's puppy eyes he pulled on you when he simply had to persuade you.
"Gracie, we've talked about this..."
She sighed dramatically, flipping her hair. "Please!"
You sighed. "We'll see, okay?" Whenever she watched a whole set, it was rare that she would go to sleep right away after, usually she ended up dancing and singing and being so hyped up that it was hard to get her to sleep until the early morning hours.
As you got deeper into the venue, you both started turning your heads here and there to see if you would spot Alex or maybe one of the other guys. When your eyes first landed on him, you almost just looked straight past him before remembering his new look. Alex had skyped you yesterday when Gracie had already been asleep and you had gotten over the initial shock and were excited to see him face to face, make up your mind about it properly but still, as you'd looked around for him, you had looked for him with a different image in mind.
"There he is..." you smiled as you approached him and from the corner of your eye, you could see the expression of confusion plastered on your little girl's face.
But when Alex turned around and smiled, your heart skipped a beat as if you were seeing him for the first time. You'd had your doubts, but only for a moment. Even during the video call, you had already grown to like this look, all the gorgeous features of his face stood out even more now, he didn't need his hair to look good, on the contrary. He looked better and you hadn't thought that to be possible.
"Daddeh!" Gracie gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at Alex coming towards the two of you, stretching his arms out and wrapping them around both of you, pressing a kiss to Gracie's cheek, then to yours.
"Ello, bunneh..." he said, holding his arms out for her when he stepped back from the two of you and she stretched her arms out when you handed her over to him, though the confused expression on her face didn't change, her hand reaching up to pet his head and feel the fuzz.
"Daddeh..." she said slowly. "Where is your hair?"
Alex laughed, nudging her nose playfully with his in an eskimo kiss. "Maffew shaved it off me 'ead, duckeh" he said. "What do yeh fink?"
Gracie scrunched up her nose before pinching his. "I dunno..." she said with the sort of scepticism only a toddler could pull off.
You smiled, stepping closer to him and running your hand gently over his head as well. "I like it" you told him and pecked his lips softly for a moment, humming when his free arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you close again too.
"Realleh?"
You nodded. "Yeah..." you said, licking your lips, reminding yourself to later tell him just how much you liked it and how irresistible he looked. You just wanted him to take you away, any empty room or bunk on the bus would do and just ... take you basically. The thought of him being dominant like this was a whole different thing than usual, he looked much more confident, so in control...
"Are yeh gunna grow it back, daddeh?" Gracie asked, her voice pulling your mind out of the gutter.
Alex chuckled. "Do yeh want meh teh, bunneh?" He asked. "Yeh don't like it?"
