soft spots // ot4

epilouge // time skips

*** one month later ***

"lukey come look at this!" calum squeals as he looks back at the 'a' on his paper, eyes wide and grin on face.

"let me see bab--oh my god babe!" luke picks him up and kisses his neck repeatedly, making calum giggle, "lukey stop!"

"i'm so proud of you! mikey and ash will be so proud!" luke sets calum down, looking at him with a huge smile on both of the boys faces.

"be proud of what?" michael and ashton both walk in from outside, making calum and luke turn to them with a grin on his face. "look!" calum shows them and michael and ashton both congratulate him and keep telling him "good job baby!" and peppering him with kisses.

~

*** a year later ***

"ash--do you really have to?" a shocked michael stares at him, letting it finally sink in. "i hate them. i hate them.i hate them."

"yes i do. i want to." ashton replies, going into the living room.

luke then buts in "baby just listen to the optio-" "no luke this is what i want." ashton is staying firm in his words, getting his shoes on.

calum stares at them in he kitchen with two-year-old riley, luke's little cousin, whom they're watching over the weekend. riley eats the food calum gave to him, watching the mini television in the kitchen as well.

luke sighs, closing eyes. "just-just don't choose some ugly-ass dog that i have to take back. which means, no hairless dogs or ones with way too droopy eyes. please."

ashton squeaks, running over to him and peppers luke with kisses all over his face. "thank you thank you thank you! i wont i won't!" before getting ready to leave with michael, michael promising luke that they won't bring home one that he won't like.

~

*** few months later ***

"i don't want to go to harvard." michael states, looking at the acceptance letter in his hands and standing in the living room. "i don't want to."

"then you don't have to." ashton states, getting his bag ready for the gym. "we'll go to your parents later and simply say you're not going to harvard."

"but ashton they'll hate me!" michael tears up. "they'll hate me and they'll disown me."

"then so be it." ashton zips up his bag. "it's your choice. it's your future. if you don't wanna go to harvard, there are other options."

"you're right." michael stops crying and thinks for a moment. "i think you're right."

"i'm always right." ashton grins and walks up to michael, kissing him on he lips and then pulls away, leaving to go to training.

~

**a few years later**

"i wanna stay up until daddy comes home!" penelope yells with a pout. "daddy daddy daddy!"

"babygirl you have to go to sleep." ashton said rubbing his eyes, planning on staying up for luke by himself. "i promise when he gets home he will come to wake you up and give you lots of snuggles, how about that?" ashton tries to suggest, but the five-year-old won't budge, still saying she needs to stay up for daddy to show him her new doll.

"please daddy? i says i won't be loud no more!"

"i said" ashton corrects. "and the answer is no. c'mon, let's go to bed." ashton lifts her up easily and starts heading upstairs to her princess-themed room, which calum and michael insisted on getting for her because she is their princess.

"no papa! no!" penelope starts putting up a fight, trying to get out of ashton's hold.

"what's all the ruckus?" michael steps out of the room, seeing a struggling penelope trying to get out of ashton's grip. "penny, what're you doing up so late?"

"i stay up for daddy! please, daddy mikey?" she begs, making grabby hands for michael.

michael sighs and takes her from ashton, pecking his lips and murmurs a 'go to bed', which ashton nods and goes to their shared bedroom with the four of them. "penny, it's way past your bedtime. daddy will be home soon for you.

"but daddy!" she drags out the 'y', yawning.

"see? time for bed princess" by the time he's done saying that, they're already in the room and he's laying her on the bed. "daddy will be here before you know it, yeah?"

"fine." penelope huffs and lays her back towards michael. "night night, daddy mikey."

meanwhile, ashton curls up with calum. "she just never listens to me!"

"probably because she knows how to push your buttons babe," calum runs his hands through ashton's long curls, he needs to get them cut. "just don't let her get to you, and she'll realize it and start listening."

"but she listens to you and luke! and especially mikey." ashton says with a pout.

calum almost starts laughing. "it's okay ash, she'll learn eventually."

------THE END

that's it guys!!! i'm so grateful for all of you, even though i'm highly inactive.

this book took FOREVER and i'm sorry they were such long waits, i really am x

but check out my other books! ily lots❤️❤️❤️