#maramaau

[nostalgiabones]

Simple Sunday Afternoons // CH

This is just a random thing I wrote one day after talking to @calumrose as always lmao. I didn’t intend to post it but I think it’s a just a nice soft Sunday so, I thought I would! I also just wanted to make the point that the little moodboards I’ve made aren’t representative of what any of the ‘characters’ look like — they just represent the concept of the blurb! Let me know what you think, and as always, reblogs and feedback is so appreciated! ❤️

Word count: 4.2k

“Good morning,”

A warm smile rises on Calum’s lips at the words as he flips a pancake in a pan, clad in only his grey joggers and a messy mop of curls upon his head, along with the glasses he’s taken to wearing more often recently. He doesn’t hear the giggles or yawns of your daughter, just some of her usual sounds in the morning, and assumes you’re entering the kitchen alone without her.

He doesn’t have a chance to turn around and check before you’re wrapping your arms around his waist — his warm skin soothing against your own. It’s not often you get little moments alone like this — not without a baby in between the two of you, either resting in his arms or your own. Not that it’s anything to complain about; the two of you love Mara more than life itself. You just miss getting to hold Calum for a little longer in the mornings.

“Yes, it is,” Calum replies, taking one of your hands in his own, lifting it to his face and brushing his lips over your knuckles. “Where’s the little one?”

You rest your cheek against him, just wanting to be close, wanting your skin on his. “I just put her down for an early nap, she was kinda fussy. I think her teeth are coming in.”

He nods, pouting at the thought of his sweet daughter being in pain.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on her,” He states, and you nod in agreement. “She’s probably going to be asleep a while, isn’t she? Do you want to go back to bed?”

You take a sip of coffee from the mug on the counter, not caring whether it was his or one he made for you. Everything he has is yours, and vice versa — even something as insignificant as coffee. He feels the same way about your heart.

“We finally have some time together, I don’t want to waste it sleeping,” You murmur, your palm sliding down his back, the gesture familiar and soothing to him. Goosebumps break out over his skin.

“Okay, well..” He turns down the heat on the stove, moving the hot pan to a cold ring in order not to burn himself when he gets distracted by you. He spins around, a hand landing on either side of your hip, his nose brushing yours as he leans in. “I could just stand here...” he interrupts himself by brushing his lips against yours. “And kiss you instead.”

You sigh against his lips and bask in the moment, one that is so rare nowadays. He notices you pout and he chuckles — his warm palms landing on the small of your back.

“What’s up with you, pouty?” He asks, keeping your face close, his eyes searching your face.

“I miss kissing you,” You whine, and he can’t help but kiss you again with the way you’re looking at him. You think back to Sunday’s before Mara — it feels like a different lifetime, but it wasn’t so long ago. Now days are filled with tears, smiles, happy baby giggles and messy meal times — but you wouldn’t have it any other way. Even if the only time you got to be close to Calum was at bedtime, once Mara had gone down.

“You can kiss me whenever you want, baby,” He replies, his pointer finger brushing up your cheek as he furrows his eyebrows at you.

“I know, but we don’t get time anymore,” You remind him, and he nods. You know you both need to make more of a conscious effort to spend quality time with each other — instead of trying to clean the whole house whilst Mara is napping. “It’s nice to be close to you like this.”

“Maybe Mara should grow some teeth more often.” He jokes, and you slap his chest playfully as he laughs.

“Don’t say that! She’s in pain,” You scold him, your hands pressed against his chest as he holds you close. “You won’t be saying that when she wakes up in a bad mood and won’t sleep tonight.”

He knows you’re right. As much as he jokes, there’s nothing he hates more than seeing his sweet girl in pain — whether it’s her teeth or anything else.

“Touché.” He smiles, kissing you once more. “Do you want to eat? I made pancakes.”

“But that means we have to stop kissing,” You sigh, and he can’t help but laugh at you once more. Calum brushes his lips against yours, his hands rubbing up and down the tops of your arms as you stand there. There’s something about seeing you in one of his t-shirts that goes straight to his heart every single time — even after being married for several years.

“Come on, pouty. Let’s have one meal uninterrupted before we have to deal with a grumpy Mara.”

***

“Cal, I need to get up,”

The sounds of Mara’s cries fill your ears as you gently push on Calum’s shoulders; trying to get him to move from where he’s fallen asleep on your lap so you can get up to get her. The two of you decided to watch a movie (or as much as you can get away with) whilst Mara slept, yet less than halfway through, Calum had fallen asleep with his face pressed against your chest.

“Mara is crying,” You murmur, brushing your fingers through his hair to rouse him a little more as he wakes up. “I need to go get her.”

He shifts in your lap and leans on one arm so you can get up, almost face planting the sofa once you stand up and he’s left there alone. He yawns and listens to the soothing words slipping from your lips as you approach Mara’s bedroom, already knowing you’ll be met with her sad eyes and messy hair. Her cries slow down but your voice gets louder as you head back to the lounge, and he sits up so he can take her.

“Look who it is,” You kiss Mara’s temple as you carry her through to where Calum is, her tired eyes lighting up as she spots her dad. Her skin is warm and flushed from sleep, much like Calum’s — the similarity between your husband and daughter when they’ve both woken up makes your heart melt.

“Hi, honey,” Calum greets her, reaching out for her from his spot on the sofa as he wakes up a little more. She yawns and her lips curl into a small smile as you set her down in his lap, a hand coming to hold either side of her as he gets her. You sit down next to them, unable to stop yourself from smiling at their matching puffy eyes and flushed cheeks. “How was your nap, hey? Are those naughty teeth still hurting you?”

He gets an answer through her gestures — as he speaks, she presses her lips to his shoulder, like she was trying to find some relief for her angry gums. “Oh, my poor girl. Shall we get you something that’ll help, hey? I think some yoghurt might work better than my shoulder, little one.”

Calum stands up from the sofa with a dramatic groan as he lifts her, kissing her forehead as she whines in his arms, rubbing at her heavy eyes with little fists. He opens the fridge as he hums under his breath, picking out her favourite apricot yoghurt and a spoon in the hopes of soothing her mouth.

“Why don’t we go for a walk to the park in a bit?” You ask, watching as Calum sets Mara down in her high chair. He pulls up a chair in front of her so he can feed her - knowing he’s about to get as messy as she usually does. “It’s a nice day out, and we can walk Duke at the same time.”

Calum nods, coaxing Mara to open her mouth as he feeds her. “That’s a good idea. Although I think we’re gonna need a bath after this.”

“We?”

“Do you see how much yoghurt is on her hands?” He laughs, leaning forward to kiss Mara’s forehead. In the process, she reaches out for him, the sticky, dairy snack landing on his own skin. “I think there’s more on her than in her mouth.”

He’s right, she’s messy, but looks significantly less uncomfortable than she did when waking up — so it’s worth it.

***

“Watch her eyes whilst I wash her hair, Cal,”

Calum steps out of the stream of the shower so you can rinse Mara’s hair, after lathering a sweet smelling shampoo through her curls. Breakfast had been a messy affair, and in an effort to save both time and water, you decided to have a family shower together.

He cups his hand over her forehead as you gently rinse the shampoo away, your fingertips smoothing over her scalp as content noises slip from her lips. The smile on her face tells you how happy she is to have your joint attention; loving nothing more than being inbetween the two of you.

“What does she find so funny about showering?” Calum asks, laughing himself as he holds Mara, lips brushing her wet cheeks as she giggles. He grabs the sponge to clean under her chin, making sure all of the yoghurt is gone, the familiar smell of her lavender body wash a comforting one. She tries to reach for the sponge as he does — her eyes fixated on the purple object.

“I don’t know, actually.” You reply, watching her eyes follow you as you move to wash Calum’s hair, too, noticing how much the blonde has grown out and his roots have come through. “We need to swap places again.”

“We should let Mara shower with us everyday if it means you washing my hair,” He suggests, met with a playful eye roll from you. Showering together was something he’d do everyday if he could — it’s one of his favourite intimate moments with you, a wonderful way to start his day. It’s more difficult to find time for it with Mara now though.

“I don’t know why you’re acting like I don’t do it even when your hands are free,” You reply and he laughs, knowing you’re right. Having his hair played with whether you’re washing it or just running your fingers through it is one of his favourite things, especially now it’s longer — a way to instantly make him relax. “You’re just using Mara as an excuse today, isn’t he, honey? He’s using you to make me wash his hair.”

She giggles and gives you a sweet wide mouthed smile, one that you wish you could freeze in time and see forever. One that soon will be accompanied by the teeth that are causing her so much pain.

“She doesn’t mind,” He pouts as he looks at her, lips brushing over her forehead as she smiles. She follows your lead and reaches up to put her own little hands into his hair, tiny fingers grabbing the curls in an attempt to help you. You laugh at her action, with a “are you trying to help mum, sweetheart?”

Calum grimaces but can’t help but laugh as he feels Mara tugging at his hair, knowing she’s trying to help, but isn’t quite as gentle as you are. “I think you need some lessons in hair washing, my love, it feels more like you’re trying to rip my hair out.”

It hurts, but her smile makes him ache in a completely different way.

***

“Is her pushchair in the garage?”

Calum grabs a teething ring from the fridge with his free hand as he nods, Mara occupying the other as she clings to his shoulder. It’s been a few hours since her morning nap and he knows she’s getting tired again; evident through her rubbing her eyes and her little whines. He knows she’ll fall asleep on the way to the park.

“Yeah, it’s near the back, behind the car.” He replies, kissing Mara’s forehead as she leans against his chest. She yawns and he rocks her in his arms, resting his cheek ontop of her head and holds her close. “Are you tired, little moon? That shower has made you sleepy, hey?”

His voice is a soft murmur as he talks to her; the tone one that is reserved for when he speaks to her. He’s so gentle and loving whenever he speaks to her and it makes your heart melt.

“Here we go,” You open the door and push her pram into the entrance to the house, unbuckling the straps so Calum can put her in. “Do you think she’s wrapped up enough? I don’t know if it’s as warm as it looks.”

Calum lifts her in his arms and pats her back, rocking her on the spot as he judges the weather. She’s comfy in a little t-shirt, hoodie and leggings, complete with baby old skool vans that Calum got her, to match his.

“How about a hat, too? Should we get you a beanie to match dad, baby?” He asks, knowing it’ll keep her ears warm if it gets a little chilly. You smile and head to her bedroom to get one of her little hats; her collecting growing with every one that Calum buys. “Come on, sweetheart, lets get you all cosy.”

He moves her away from his body to put her down and she cries, little hands trying to hold onto the neck of his own hoodie. Calum knows she’s being fussy because she’s getting tired and her mouth hurts, yet it makes him sad all the same. “You’re okay, honey, shh.”

Calum manages to set her down in the chair without too much of a fuss; making sure she’s sat down properly, and has her little elephant in reach as well as her pacifier. He leans down in front of her and kisses her nose, making a little ‘mwah’ noise as he does to try and soothe her and make her laugh. It doesn’t though — she still tries to hold onto him so he’ll pick her up again.

“What’s with the tears, angel? What’s the matter?” He soothes, staying close to her and gently wiping her tears away with his thumb. She sniffles and his heart aches at the sight. “You can go to sleep when we get walking, okay? You’re alright, my love.”

It’s moments like these where he’s happy that her pushchair is back facing, so she can see the two of you whilst you walk. You join them near the door, Mara’s beanie in your hands, a pout forming on your lips when you spot Mara in her pushchair.

“Oh, baby, what’s wrong?” You ask, smoothing your fingers down her cheeks to soothe her. You tuck the hat over her head, making sure it covers her little ears to keep her warm. Calum hands you her soft blanket, and you tuck it around her knees so she’s snug — almost certain she’ll fall asleep as soon as you set off. “Your poor mouth is making you so sad, isn’t it? We don’t like having a sad girl.”

Calum grabs Duke’s lead and attaches it to his collar, handing it to you before he takes the handle of Mara’s pushchair. “Let’s go, my loves.”

You lock the door behind you before setting off; one hand holding Duke’s lead, and Calum takes the other — his calloused fingers slip between your own, warm and comforting. It’s such a small gesture yet it reminds you of the love between you both. Calum’s other hand pushes Mara’s pushchair at a steady pace. It’s a lovely spring afternoon — blue skies and birds singing in the trees, with just a slight breeze.

“It’s so nice to be out in the sun,” You comment, and Calum nods in agreement. His eyes land on Mara and he notices her squinting at the sun; stopping for a moment before he pulls the hood of her pushchair a little further up to shade her. “Is that better, honey? Can you see now?”

“It feels like we haven’t done this for a while.” Calum says, his thumb rubbing back and forth over the palm of your hand as you walk. He can’t help but feel a small amount of guilt nagging at his mind, knowing he’s spent a lot of time working recently. He’s always home for bedtime, but he’s always tired too — he knows you need to spend more quality time together. “It’s nice.”

“It is,” You reply, squeezing his hand in return. “When are you in the studio next week?”

Calum doesn’t answer for a moment as he thinks about the timing of you asking — like you also know that him being in the studio has meant less time together.

“I’m not going to go in,” He replies, and he knows it’s the right thing to do. “I miss you. I want to spend time with you and Mara this week, they can manage without me.”

It’s a small relief to hear the words. You never want to force Calum away from the studio, but he’s always in a different mindset when he writes. It’ll do him good to be away for a week — so you can spend more time wrapped in each other and with Mara.

You nod before speaking. “I’m so proud of you though, Cal. The songs are sounding great so far.”

A smile rises on his lips at the words, and he raises your joint hands to your lips so he can brush his lips against your knuckles.

“Thank you, honey. I know it’s a lot when we first start writing. I don’t mean to be distant, it’s just hard to get out of my head when I’ve been writing.” Calum explains, yet you don’t need him to; it’s a cycle you’ve witnessed several times throughout your relationship. You nod as he speaks.

“I know, Cal. It’s okay though.” You reassure him, leaning your head against his shoulder as you walk. “It’s all part of who you are, and I love you for you.”

Nothing else needs to be said.

It’s then that the two of you realise the gentle movement of the wheels of the pushchair against the pavement has sent Mara to sleep, and she’s tucked up under her blanket, fast asleep. Her cheeks are rosy red from the warmth and her sore gums, her little hands tucked up against her face. Calum smiles at the sight, reaching into the pram to push her curls away from her face.

“She’s so sweet.” He murmurs, his heart melting when she leans into his touch, even in her sleep.

“She’s all you,” You reply, watching as she wiggles in her sleep. From her wild curls to her full cheeks and pouty lips, every inch of her reminds you of Calum. He disagrees, though.

He shakes his head.

“No… she doesn’t get her temper and grumpy faces from me.”

Your mouth opens in shock and you playfully hit his arm as he laughs. “Hey! You know for a fact that her grumpy morning face is all from you, don’t try and put that on me.”

“Yeah, yeah,” He replies, leaning to kiss you in a silent playful apology. “Whatever you say, my love.”

***

“Should we sit down here for a bit?”

Calum nods and puts the break on Mara’s pushchair, where she’s still sleeping soundly, in between the two of you as you sit down.

“She’s been asleep for a while, there’s no way she’s sleeping tonight.” Calum tells you, and you fear he might be right, even though she needs the sleep with her teeth coming in. “Do you think we should wake her up?”

You gently push her curls away from her face as she snoozes, your heart melting at her pouty lips all smushed up as she sleeps. You realise it has been over an hour since she went to sleep, and that she’ll feel even worse later on if she can’t sleep.

“Yeah, as much as I don’t want to,” You pout, feeling how warm her skin is under your touch. “It’ll do her good to have some fresh air and wake up a bit.”

Calum gently moves the blanket from her lap and pats her tummy, slowly trying to rouse her. Ever since she was born, Mara had been a heavy sleeper - never one to be easily woken up. Maybe she did get that from you. There’d be times where Calum would take her outside with him in the morning to watch the sun rise and she’d happily sleep in his arms, undisturbed by any movement.

“Mara…” Calum murmurs, undoing the buckles so he’d be able to pick her up once she wakes up. He didn’t want to startle her, and knows she’ll just go back to sleep if he rocks her. “Wake up, sweetheart.”

He notices Mara twitch and start sucking on her pacifier — a sign that she’s a little more awake than she was. He brushes his thumb over her cheek and she whines, screwing her eyes up when she realises that she’s outside. She stretches, reaching her arms out for a moment and closing her eyes once more when she relaxes.

“I love watching her wake up.” You comment, chuckling as she very slowly comes round. Calum decides she’s awake enough to move her — carefully slipping his hands underneath her and pulling her up to his chest. “Hi, baby.”

Calum groans dramatically as he gets her settled in his lap and a few cries slip from Mara’s lips at the disturbance; fists lifting to rub her eyes as she wakes up. She sniffles and sucks harder on her pacifier, burying her face against Calum’s chest as he holds her.

“Good afternoon, my love,” Calum murmurs, rubbing her back with his fingertips as he cradles her. “Are you back with us, hey? You’ve been asleep for a long time, honey.”

You know she has no idea what he’s saying, but she loves hearing his voice all the same. He gives her a moment to wake up, brushing his fingers through her hair and cuddling her against him.

“Look how red her cheeks are,” You mention, pouting at the sight — rosy red from how sore her gums are. “Our poor baby.”

He lifts her up so she’s basically standing on his legs, her face in front of his - her hands lifting to cover her eyes from the light. There’s a few families around, children playing and birds singing — a lot of different sights and noises for her to take in. It’s a peaceful day — a feeling of contentment overcoming both you and Calum.

“Hi, little moon,” Calum kisses her pouty lips and gets her settled in his arms, a hand underneath her to keep her sat up. She yawns and her eyes land on you, a smile on her lips as she realises you’re there. “Oh, there’s a smile! We haven’t seen one of those for a little while. Should we get you home soon and have some dinner? How does that sound?”

Calum decides to carry her on the way home for a little while, and your heart melts at the sight — the way he points out different trees and her curious eyes take in the new sights. There’s no one else you want to discover more of the world with.

***

When Calum said Mara wouldn’t sleep that night… he was right. After an hour of rocking her in her room to no avail, you decide to let her join your movie night; there was no point in stressing yourself and Mara out if she didn’t feel like sleeping.

“She gets her stubbornness from you too,” Calum announces, kissing Mara’s temple as he sits down on the sofa next to you with her in his arms. Duke is curled up on one side of you, a blanket thrown over your knees as you waited for Calum to bring Mara down to join you both. “She is not sleeping anytime soon.”

Her big brown eyes look at you from her spot on Calum’s lap — evident that no sleep is about to take place. You laugh at Calum’s words and roll your eyes, shaking your head as Mara reaches out for you.

“Yeah, come here, sweetheart,” You take her and settle her in your lap, brushing your fingers through her hair. “Dad is so mean, isn’t he?”

Calum joins you under your blanket and throws his arm around your shoulder, pulling you both close to him. His cheek rests against your head as he looks at Mara, seeing so much of both you and him in her. He finds the discarded teething ring and hands it to her, hoping it’ll settle her down if it soothes her a little.

“Hey, don’t tell her that,” He replies, his free hand stroking her cheek as she yawns. “You’re meant to be on my side, sweetheart.”

“Sorry, we’re ganging up on you on this occasion, babe.” You shrug your shoulders, rubbing your hand down Mara’s back as she settles in his lap.

Mara finally falls asleep a little later that night curled up in Calum’s arms on the sofa — a warm bottle of milk managing to help her drift off. At the same time, you’re fast asleep with your head in Calum’s lap, and he decides that Sunday’s are his favourite day.

And that with his little family... every day feels like Sunday.

***

Ask-box — feedback is always so appreciated!

Masterlist

Taglist: @irwinkitten @wildflowergrae @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @flowerthug @calpops @youngblood199456 @wokeupinjapanisabop @banditocth @cashtonasfuck @5-secondsofcolor @g-l-pierce @monsteramongmgc @calmlftv @mantlereid @treatallwithkindness @another-lonely-heart @calumrose @inlovehoodx @mermaidcashton @everydayimfangirling@b-easybreezy @ilumxna @malumsmermaid @opheliaaurora23 @talkfastromance4 @zhangyixingxing1 @everyscarisahealingplace @mateisit-balsamic @saphseoul @suchalonelysunflower @findingliam-o @castaway-cashton @megz1985 @notinthesameguey @calumscalm @karajaynetoday @metalandboybands @littledrummeraussie @vxlentinecal @itjustkindahappenedreally @queenalienscherrypie @xxxstormyninixxx @chicken-ona-stick @hoodhoran @harrys-shrooms @midnightash

[nostalgiabones]

Finding Out // C.H

So, this is the first blurb in my new ‘second baby’ series! Following on from the responses I got in this poll, I decided to do this as a series of blurbs rather than one big fic. Thank you to everyone for sharing your thoughts! I don’t have a solid plan for this series yet so there’s still plenty of time if you want to have any input. I’m basically going to do a pregnancy and baby series! As always, feedback is appreciated so please let me know what you think💕

Word count: 3.3k 

Warnings: pregnancy & sickness (nothing graphic!) 

“Baby…”

Calum’s gentle touch on your arm rouses you from sleep, his fingertips lightly running up and down your wrist. Your eyes flutter in response, eyebrows furrowing in confusion when you take in your surroundings. You’re in bed, in the middle of the afternoon, tucked up under the duvet with Mara asleep in your arms. Calum is perched on the edge of the bed, wanting to make sure you’re feeling okay after falling asleep for a few hours with Mara.

It wasn’t often you fell asleep with Mara during her nap. Additionally, Mara didn’t usually nap in your bed; she’d be in her own bed, in her own room, down the hall. Yet today, she had wanted just one story to settle her, and with your own eyes ladened with tiredness, you decided to read to her in your bed. The plan was to move her when she fell asleep, yet it seems as though you didn’t make it that far. It was becoming less often that Mara would nap, now that she’s almost four; only sleeping during the day when she had been unsettled the night before. 

“What time is it?” You murmur, careful not to move and jostle Mara – even though it’s time she wakes up too. Mara stretches, pushing her hands against your arm as she wriggles before settling again. “I didn’t even mean to fall asleep.”

Calum chuckles at your confusion, taking your hand in his own and pressing a kiss to your knuckles.

“It’s nearly 4,” He replies, his free hand brushing Mara’s curls away from her face. She leans into his touch, a sigh slipping from her lips as she snoozes. “I thought it was about time Mara woke up. We’re in for some fun later if she sleeps any longer.”

You nod in agreement, knowing she had already slept too much. You move the arm that’s wrapped around her, rubbing your fingertips up and down her back to wake her. She yawns and rubs her eyes, realising that she’s still snug up against you, and that she slept in your bed. “Hi mama,”

You smile at her words, her voice heavy with sleep. She sits up and notices Calum is there too; holding her hands out for him so he’ll take her. He lifts her up, standing up from the bed and sitting her on his hip as she wakes up a little more. It melts Calum’s heart to see you nap together – reminiscent of the days where the two of you had no responsibilities, where you used to spend whole afternoons asleep together, sometimes waking up when the sun had gone down. It makes him realise how different things are now. “Hi, little moon. Someone had a good snooze with mum, huh? Is your tummy ready for some dinner?”

He chats to her absentmindedly as he takes her downstairs, giving you a few moments alone to come round from your unexpected nap. Sitting up, you notice how your body aches with fatigue, your lower back twinging as you stretch. Thinking nothing of it, you re-make the bed, before joining Calum and Mara in the kitchen.

The familiar scent of Mara’s favourite pasta flooded your senses; one that you’d usually enjoy too, yet it makes your stomach turn as you enter the kitchen.  Calum notices the scrunching of your nose as it hits you, wondering what caused it.

“You okay?” He murmurs, his hands resting on your hips as you stand in the cradle of his hips. You nod, taking quiet deep breaths through your nose to stop the sick feeling creeping up your throat. Mara was unsuspecting, the sight of you and Calum close in the kitchen not unfamiliar to her. “What is it?”

“I think it’s the food,” You reply, that being the only thing you can think of that’s making you feel queasy. Calum’s warm palms rub up and down your back as your hands rest on his chest. “I’m okay, though. I might just be coming down with something.”

“Mmm,” Calum replies, raising an eyebrow in suspicion of you. The fatigue and sickness are all signs that he’s seen before; specifically, four years ago. “We’ll have to keep an eye on you.”

“I finished,” Mara calls out, your attention diverted from Calum to your sweet daughter sitting in her chair at the end of the table. The plate in front of her is clear and Calum has already covered the rest, saving it so she can have it for lunch tomorrow. You’re grateful that it’s no longer in the room, not wanting to get sick in front of Mara. “Can I go play?”

You nod, helping her down from the table, accepting the sweet hug as she wraps her arms around your legs. “You have an hour until bath time, okay? I’ll come play with you soon.” 

“Okay.” She responds, running off to the lounge where most of her toys end up throughout the day. Calum’s eyes follow you as you clear up after her; you feel him watching you, like he knows something is going on.

“Stop looking at me like that,” You tell him, without even looking at him. You know the look he’s giving you. It’s a knowing one. He knows the thought has crossed your mind too. “I’m fine.”

He chuckles, taking Mara’s plate out of your hands so he can take over cleaning up. He brushes a kiss to your pouty lips, before setting the dishes down in the sink. “Go see Mara,” he murmurs, followed by another kiss. “We’ll talk about it later.” 

***

“Is mumma okay?”

Mara’s question takes Calum by surprise as he brushes through her unruly curls, following her bath. Her cheeks are rosy from the heat of the bath and the warmth of her pyjamas, perched on the edge of her bed as he gets her ready to go to sleep.

Calum tends to forget how old Mara is – how she’s not a baby anymore, and how she’s much more intuitive than he realises. She knows when something is different – always a curious child, much like he was, always asking questions when she thought something wasn’t right. He didn’t want her to worry though. He’s almost sure of what’s going on – that you’re not sick, and he doesn’t want Mara to lose sleep over it.

“Why do you ask, baby?” He replies, although he already thinks he knows the answer. Bath and bedtime is usually a joint effort; yet tonight Calum has sent you to relax early. He knows you won’t unless he forces you to, and he doesn’t want you to overwork yourself, especially if his suspicions are correct. Mara notices your absence though.

“She said her tummy felt funny earlier,” Mara informs him, looking down at her hands as she talks. Calum hums in acknowledgement, setting the hair brush down on the side of her bed as he gets her attention. Gently tiling her chin to look at him, he notices her big brown eyes are filled with worry, and it makes his heart ache.

“Listen to me, sweetheart,” He murmurs, settling her in his lap so he can reassure her. “No worrying, okay? She’s fine, I promise. I’m sure she’ll be in to say goodnight any moment now.”

Mara nods, trusting of him – he knows he hasn’t settled her completely, yet he hopes that once you say goodnight, she’ll feel better. He feels bad telling her that you’re fine when Mara has heard otherwise, yet he doesn’t know how else to explain why he thinks you’re sick. Not until he’s sure, anyway. “Are you ready to get into bed?”

He’s cut off by you joining them in her bedroom; the night light illuminating the room in a soft glow. She hadn’t quite overcome her fear of the dark; still needing the golden light from the lamp to reassure her that there was nothing lingering in the shadows. Mara’s eyes light up at the sight.

“There’s my sweet girl,” You greet her, kneeling next to where she’s getting into bed. “Are you ready for some sleep? Mumma is ready to go to sleep too.” 

It’s something you say to her most nights, that you’re going to bed, so she doesn’t feel as though she’s missing out on any fun with you and Calum. Yet tonight it makes her more anxious, that you’re going to bed because there’s something wrong. 

“Does your tummy still feel funny?” She asks, tucking her bottom lip between a teeth -- a sign of her nerves. Her sweetness makes you smile yet you can’t help but feel bad that she’s worried. You help to tuck her under the duvet, pulling it up around her shoulders so she’s snug in the bed. 

“No baby, I feel better now.” You reassure her, though not completely true. It’s not something you want her to worry about either. Mara seems satisfied with your answer, shuffling down in her bed so her head is on the pillow. You rub your pointer finger over her cheek, watching as her eyes grow heavier and flutter as she looks at you. “Have sweet dreams, okay? We’ll see you in the morning.” 

“Love you, mama,” She murmurs sleepily, snuggling into the bed as you kiss her cheek. Calum follows, brushing her curls out of her face and giving her a goodnight kiss.

“Love you, baby. You know where we are if you need us, okay? Duke is here too,” Calum assures her, gesturing to the sleeping dog curled up on the foot of her bed. It’s where he slept most nights, wanting to be near Mara -- sometimes ending up under the duvet next to her. “Sleep tight.” 

You leave the room and pull the door to so she can sleep, knowing you and Calum have an interesting night ahead. 

“So,” Calum begins, leading you to your bedroom, where you had previously been curled up watching Netflix. You sigh as you sit on the edge of the bed, looking down at your slippers to avoid his gaze. He knows where Mara got that habit from. “You’re thinking the same thing as me, right?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” You feign seriousness, taking a deep breath before looking up at him, a knowing smirk on your lips. “But when I napped earlier, the smell of your cologne on the pillow nearly made me throw up.” 

Calum raises his eyebrows -- another occasion reminding him of this time four years ago. He’ll never forget the time he came home from the studio and wrapped you in a hug, your face buried in his neck, but only for a second before you nearly threw up all over his shoes. He’d had to use something other than his favourite Calvin Klein fragrance for the remainder of your pregnancy, and he feels as though he’s about to have to do the same thing again.

“Do you still have those spare tests in the bathroom?” 

Your mind wanders to the stash of spare pregnancy tests in the bottom drawer of the bathroom cabinet, kept there always ‘just in case.’ It turns out to be pretty handy that you have them now. You nod, but make no effort to move from the bed in order to take one, and Calum wants to know what’s on your mind.

“Talk to me, honey,” Calum prompts you, sitting down next to you, his arm around your waist. You sigh and rest your head on his shoulder, trying to avoid his cologne once more in the worry of it turning your stomach. You sit for a moment, trying to work out what you’re feeling before articulating it to Calum. “What are you thinking about?”

A second baby was something the two of you had discussed; you weren’t necessarily trying to get pregnant, but you weren’t trying not to, either. You just hadn’t expected it this fast, and your mind wanders to the sweet girl sleeping down the hall.

“I’m nervous.” You reply, wringing your hands together in anxiousness, and Calum tries to soothe you by taking one of your hands in his. He links your fingers with his, gently squeezing to keep you grounded. “What if Mara doesn’t want us to have a baby? She’s so used to it just being her.” 

Calum nods, and he’d be lying if he said the thought hadn’t crossed his mind too. You were so settled as a family of three, always focused on Mara, yet you both know you always planned to have more than one child. 

“She’ll adjust, baby. It’s going to be new for us all. She has plenty of time to get used to the idea, and we can help her with that.” Calum replies, his hand rubbing up and down your arm as he speaks. “She’ll be so excited. You’ve seen how interested she is in talking to Luke about their baby when we see them.”

He’s right -- with Luke and his wife getting closer to the arrival of their first baby, Mara had taken a great interest in everything to do with her pregnancy. She had many questions whenever they visited, each time wondering when the baby would arrive. Her concept of time was something she didn’t quite understand yet. ‘Soon’ seemed to be her least favourite word. 

“I love how we’re doing this and we don’t even know if I’m pregnant yet,” You chuckle, followed by a laugh from Calum too. He pulls you a little closer and kisses your cheek, a smile on his lips.

“I’ll be very surprised if you’re not.” He replies, and you know he’s right. There had been little signs here and there; mainly the sickness and how tired you’ve been, along with a few other symptoms similar to that of when you were pregnant with Mara. You both recognise the signs. “Should we go find out for sure?”

You nod and follow him to the bathroom, closing the door behind you, as not to wake Mara. You go into the drawer and find the tests, pulling one out so you can use it.

“You’re really gonna watch me do this?” You ask, seeing as Calum had no intention of leaving the bathroom.

“I’ve seen worse things.” Calum replies, met with you rolling your eyes. “I’ll look away.”

He chats to you to take your mind away from your worries as you take the test. “Can you believe it’s been four years since we last did this?”

It doesn’t feel like four years. It barely feels like any time at all since you brought Mara home from the hospital. 

“Well, if you don’t count that one time after Mara’s first birthday.” You retort, Calum’s eyes widening at the memory before he laughs. That time you had definitely not been trying to have a baby. The test had been false, but you went through the motions all the same. 

“Oh yeah,” He murmurs, getting distracted by playing with his hair in the mirror. The bleach blonde look was starting to grow out, the dark roots no longer concealed. He made a mental note to get a haircut, not like he had more important things to think about in the moment. His attention is diverted by the sound of you running your hands under the sink, watching as the three minute timer began on your phone. 

“And now we wait.” 

Calum takes your hands in his once more and tries to get you to look at him, even though both of you are pre-occupied by the white stick next to the sink.

“Stop worrying,” He murmurs, like he can tell how fast your mind is racing. He knows it’s a big adjustment, that it’ll change your lives forever, just like Mara did -- yet he finds himself much less terrified than he was four years ago. “Whatever happens, we can handle it. We always do, don’t we?” 

You nod, feeling much better with him by your side. You think about how Mara will react -- will she be happy or upset? She’s so caring towards Duke, so you can’t help but think about how great of a big sister she would be. The thought of introducing a new baby to her makes your heart ache a little, just hoping that she would be happy. 

Time seems to stand still as you watch the clock on your phone -- the longest three minutes of your life. You press your face against Calum’s t-shirt, knowing that if his cologne did make you sick, you were in the right place. You’re both snapped out of your thoughts when your phone buzzes against the marble counter.

“I can’t look,” You tell him, facing away from the counter. As nervous as you are, now that you’ve thought about another baby, you know you’ll be disappointed if it’s negative. 

“Do you want me to?” Calum asks, and you nod, wrapping your arms around his waist and hiding your face against his shoulder. He picks the test up off of the counter and looks at the result, your heart pounding in your chest when he lets out a deep sigh. 

Pregnant. 

Calum pauses for a moment, his gentle touch on your lower back the only thing grounding you in the moment. 

“So... which room should we make into the nursery?”

You clasp your hand over your mouth, tears instantly slipping down your cheeks. Calum pulls you towards him, setting the test back on the side and wrapping both of his arms around your waist. He rests his head on your shoulder, his lips brushing the bare skin exposed from your jumper falling out of place.

“Really? I’m really pregnant?” You ask through tears, cupping Calum’s face in your hands so he’s looking at you. You see a shine in his own eyes, unshed tears just sitting at his lash line at the thought of your family expanding. Flashes of your pregnancy with Mara flood through his mind, as well as glimpses of the past four years of being parents. He can’t wait to do it all again. 

“Yeah, baby,” He chuckles, his tone laced with disbelief too. “Mara’s gonna be a big sister.” 

There’s so much on your mind, you don’t know where to begin. “Should we tell her?”

Calum shakes his head, one hand moving to rest on your stomach, your bump non-existent. His heart skips a beat at the thought of your bump growing and your body changing again, all to accommodate another baby. He knows it’s very early days and he doesn’t want to tell Mara until you know everything is okay. “I don’t think we should yet, honey. Let's at least wait until you see a doctor? Just so we know for sure.”

He sees a flash of worry in your eyes. He’s forgotten how scary pregnancy is; how you feel like everything is out of your control, yet you want to do everything you can to protect the baby at all times. 

“Don’t,” He murmurs, knowing where your mind is going. He cups your face in his hand, his thumb gently rubbing circles over your cheek. “Everything is going to be fine. We just need to be sure, okay?”

You nod, agreeing with his words. You reach up to peck his lips, savouring the serene moment of joy with him his fingers still absentmindedly brushing over your stomach. “Well, how should we celebrate?” 

“I just don’t know,” Calum chuckles, thinking for a moment. The word celebrate has a different meaning now that you’re parents; it used to mean getting dragged to a bar with his bandmates and not returning until the early hours, and then spending the following day in bed. Now, you’re lucky if you find the time to go out for dinner. “I think we should go all out. Ice cream in bed and Netflix?”

“Sounds like a plan,” You reply, brushing your lips against his once more. “But if you get ice cream on the sheets, you’re washing them tomorrow.” 

He shrugs his shoulder, nodding as he speaks, “fair enough. I’ll get the ice cream. I’ll meet you in the bedroom in 10.”

***

Ask-box

Masterlist

Taglist:  @irwinkitten @wildflowergrae @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @flowerthug @calpops @youngblood199456 @aliencal @wokeupinjapanisabop @banditocth @cashtonasfuck @5-secondsofcolor @g-l-pierce @monsteramongmgc @calmlftv @mantlereid @treatallwithkindness @another-lonely-heart @calumrose @inlovehoodx @mermaidcashton @everydayimfangirling @b-easybreezy @ilumxna @malumsmermaid @opheliaaurora23 @talkfastromance4 @zhangyixingxing1 @everyscarisahealingplace @mateisit-balsamic @saphseoul @suchalonelysunflower @findingliam-o @castaway-cashton @megz1985 @notinthesameguey @calumscalm @karajaynetoday @metalandboybands @littledrummeraussie @vxlentinecal @itjustkindahappenedreally @queenalienscherrypie @xxxstormyninixxx @chicken-ona-stick @hoodhoran @harrys-shrooms @midnightash

[nostalgiabones]

Big Sister // C.H

So here is the next installment of the Second Baby series - Mara finding out about the new arrival! I’m not sure how happy I am with how this turned out, but hopefully it’s better than I think. Feedback is appreciated as always! Thanks for all the love on this series so far 🥰

Word count: 3.5k

1. Finding Out 

“Have you got everything, Mara?”

Calum checks her backpack, full of the necessities for Luke and his partner to take care of Mara for a few hours. You were yet to tell anyone else of your pregnancy; just a sweet, exciting little secret between the two of you. Calum sleeps with a warm hand over your stomach, his fingertips finding a home under his t-shirt that you stole to sleep in. You’d finally got a doctor’s appointment for your first scan, to make sure everything is okay – it felt like so long since you first took the test, even though it had only been a few weeks.

You hand her stuffed elephant to her, knowing she’d be upset if she left it behind. It’s worn and well loved, after going everywhere with Mara for the past almost four years. It had been covered in food, ended up in the pool, and been through the wash more times than you could count, but Mara still loves it.  

“Yep,” Mara perches on the edge of the bottom step whilst Calum ties her shoelaces. It was something he had been trying to teach her for a little while, but she was taking her time trying to get her head around it. If you were in a rush, she’d happily just let you or Calum do it. “Will you come back soon?”

Calum nods in response, finishing her laces before dropping a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll only be gone for a few hours, okay? You’re going to have lots of fun with Uncle Luke and Delilah, honey. You might even be able to take Petunia for a walk.”

With Luke and his partner becoming parents to Delilah in the week following you finding out about your own baby, Calum felt bad asking him to babysit when they had their own family to take care of. Luke had waved his concern off though, of course, reassuring him that Mara was always welcome at their home, no matter how busy he was. If anything, you and Calum were just curious to know how Mara was around Delilah. It would be an indication of her reaction to your own news.

You worried your own nerves had rubbed off on Mara, as she seemed a little anxious about going to Luke’s, when she’d usually be excited. She didn’t know you were going to the doctors. Luke didn’t know either. Mara isn’t the biggest fan of the doctor, and you know it would only worry her more if she knew that was where you were going.

Something you were trying to keep in mind was how much of her environment Mara absorbed. The night you found out you were pregnant, she knew you were sick, and your morning (or, all day,) sickness hadn’t let up since then. You didn’t want to scare her, and things would make much more sense once she knew about the baby. Calum had taken over most mealtimes in case her food made you queasy, and you were unsure of how much she noticed.

“Okay, lets go,” You take her hand in yours as Calum locks the house, helping her into her car seat so you can head to Luke’s. During the short journey she points out what she can see along the way, as well as singing along to whatever was on the radio. “Oh look, Mara! There’s the baby.”

You spot Luke standing in his doorway with Delilah in his arms, the sweet three-week-old baby curled up in his hold. Seeing Delilah just makes you more excited for your own new arrival – that you get to have a newborn all over again.

“Lilah!” Mara exclaims, running up to Luke and wrapping her arms around his legs in a sweet hug. Luke’s free hand lands on her head, hugging her back the best he can with Delilah in his arms. “Hi Uncle Luke!”

“Hi, sweetheart,” He greets her, moving out of the way so she can step inside.

“Thanks for watching her today,” You tell him, lightly brushing your hand over Delilah’s hair in a silent greeting, careful not to wake her. “You’re brave taking on another child with a newborn in the house.”

“I told you, anytime. I’m an expert now anyway,” He jokes, rocking Delilah in his arms as he speaks to keep her settled. “Where are you headed to?”

Calum answers before you have the chance to. “We just have an appointment to go to.”

It wasn’t that you didn’t want Luke to know — more just that you were determined to keep it between the two of you for a little longer. The doctor’s appointment would provide the reassurance you were looking for, but you wanted Mara to be the next to know.

“Okay, we’ll be back to pick you up in a few hours, Mara.” You lean down to kiss her cheeks, saying goodbye before standing up again. “Be good.”

“I will.” She replies, hugging Calum before the two of you head back to the car. “Bye bye.”

***

“So, you’re around 8 weeks?”

You nod at the doctor’s question, a trembling hand held tightly in Calum’s as you lay on the bed. His thumb rubs soothing circles over the back of your hand, trying to ground you.

“I think so, yeah. If we worked it out right.” You reply, biting your lip from nerves as the doctor nods in response. The anxiety of the first few weeks of a pregnancy would never go away; it was difficult to keep a secret but would be even more difficult to tell them devastating news if it came. It was safer this way, and you enjoyed being in the happy little baby bubble with Calum for a while.

“Okay, we’ll be able to tell in a moment.” She informs you, before asking you to lift your jumper so she can get to your stomach. “Sorry, this will be cold. Is this your first baby?”

You shake your head, a smile on your lips as you think of Mara. “No, it’s our second. We have a three-year-old daughter.”

“Aww, how lovely. Is she excited to be a big sister?”

“We haven’t told her yet,” Calum replies. “But we’re hoping she will be.”    

Calum lifts your intwined fingers to his lips, brushing a soft kiss over your knuckles to distract you as the nurse squeezed the gel over your lower stomach. You shivered at the sensation, laying your head back on the bed as you tried to relax. It felt like a lifetime as the nurse ran the doppler over your barely there bump, waiting to hear the sound that every parent loves so much.

“So, there’s not too much to see since you’re so early on, but there…” She points to the screen, a small flicker in the centre of the screen, the first sight you and Calum got of your baby. “There’s the baby. And if you hold on a second...”

Tears spring to your eyes as you gaze at the screen. It’s not much, but they’re there, and it’s a relief that everything seems to be okay.

“Look at that,” Calum murmurs, chuckling as his other hand wipes the tears from your cheeks. “There they are.”

The nurse flicks a switch on her machine and suddenly, the room is filled with the whooshing sound of your baby’s heartbeat.

“There we go,” The nurse smiles at the healthy sounding heartbeat, confirming that everything is okay. It’s the sound you’d never get tired of – making everything suddenly feel very real, like there’s definitely another baby growing inside of you. “Everything looks and sounds great. Would you like some photos printing?”

“Yes please.” You reply, unable to focus on anything other than the tiny dot on the screen that would soon grow into your baby that you would raise and love. Calum couldn’t help but get emotional too – it doesn’t feel like anytime at all since you were here to have your scan with Mara, and now she’s almost four. It makes him realise how much she’s grown, and how nervous he is to tell her about the new baby in case she got upset. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being sad, especially since it would be such a huge change to her life.

***

“Uncle Luke, can we do some drawing please?”

Mara looks up from her plate at her place at the dinner table, where she had been eating her lunch, made by Luke’s partner.

“Sure, sweetheart. Let me just put Delilah down and then I’ll get the pens out, okay?” Luke answers, moving Delilah’s moses basket into the kitchen with his free hand, so he could watch her. He stands and rocks Delilah for a moment, making sure she was sound asleep before setting her down in the crib.

“Delilah is little,” Mara comments, watching as Luke tucks Delilah in, stroking over her light tufts of hair to soothe her as she settles.

“She is, honey.” Luke chuckles at her comment. “You used to be as little as Delilah too. You used to fall asleep on me like she does.”

“Really?” She exclaims, and Luke smiles at the wonder on her face. He loves watching Mara grow up and learn about the world, and answer as many of her endless questions as he can. She had been inquisitive ever since she could talk – “why?” being one of the first words that she learned. He sees so much of Calum in her. He’d always catch her just sitting quietly, taking in her surroundings – always observing without saying much. He sometimes wonders what she thinks so deeply about in her three-year-old mind, and he usually finds out when she asks her questions. “Did I cry as much as she does?”

Luke laughs again at her question.

“Sometimes,” He replies, having just settled Delilah from crying for a good ten minutes. Mara had seemed unbothered, distracted by his partner making her lunch, but she clearly had paid attention to it. “All babies cry a lot because they can’t talk and tell you what’s wrong. Once you were on the tour bus with us, and you cried all night because you didn’t want to go to sleep.”

Now it’s Mara’s turn to laugh at him. She clasps her hand over her mouth and giggles, clearly finding the story very entertaining as Luke gets out the pens and paper he has stored for her visits.

“What do you want to make?” He asks her, hoping it’s not anything too creative – he once tried to do origami with her, but in his new-dad sleep deprived state, he’s not sure how well it will go.

“I wanna make a card for mum,” She says, a concerned furrow of her eyebrows as she speaks. Luke notices how she wrings her hands together as she talks, a sign that she’s usually nervous about something. “Her tummy has been poorly.”

Luke pauses for a moment, wondering if that has anything to do with the appointment you had gone to, his mind filled with questions.

“Oh, has it? How?” He asks, and he’s not sure how much she knows, yet he’s worried that something is wrong.

“She gets sick when she wakes up.” Mara responds, and it tells Luke everything he needs to know.

Morning sickness?

Suddenly Luke feels as though he knows what’s going on, but he can’t be certain, and it doesn’t seem like Mara knows anything more. “I think that’ll be nice, honey. I’m sure your mum will love that.”

She’s quiet as she colours, needing Luke’s help to draw out the letters to spell ‘Mum.’ He notices she’s getting better at staying in the lines, considering her age. Luke thinks back to the day you, Calum and Mara met Delilah, how Calum’s eyes lit up when his partner asked about a second baby. He hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but now from what Mara had said, it makes sense.

It’s not too long before there’s a knock at the door, and you and Calum are back to pick her up.

Mara is too focused on her drawing to pay attention to you speaking to Luke’s partner, her tongue sticking out in concentration. Calum sneaks up behind her, but doesn’t want to scare her, especially if it could ruin her drawing.

“Hey, you.” Calum taps her shoulder gently and her head snaps up, turning around at the sound of his voice. “What are you up to?”

“Hi, daddy!” She squeals as he picks her up, hugging her against his body as she wraps her legs around his waist. “I made this card for mum.”

“That’s so sweet, baby, do you want to give it to her?” He replies, knowing you’ll be joining them in a moment. He’s not sure of how much she’s told Luke, or if he knows anything at all.

You exaggerate a gasp as you spot the card in her hand. “Is that for me, baby?”

“Yes, for you!” She exclaims, handing the card to you from her spot on Calum’s hip.

Luke decides to pry as much as he can without overstepping.

“Oh yeah, Mara mentioned you’ve been sick in the mornings, are you okay?” He asks, a smirk on his lips as if he knows that you’re both going to understand his prods.

His question catches you off guard, knowing Mara had told him so innocently – yet it’s given Luke a huge hint as to what’s going on. Calum looks down at his docs and clears his throat, avoiding eye contact with Luke. “Oh, I’m fine, I’ve just had a stomach bug recently.”

Luke nods but narrows his eyes at you, and you change the topic of conversation before it can go any further.

“I think it’s about time we get you home, hey?”

***

“What if she gets upset?”

Calum sighs at your words and presses a kiss to your hairline, watching as you rub your thumb over the scan photo in your hand. The day had come to finally tell Mara about the new addition to your family, and you were nervous. You couldn’t bear the thought of your sweet daughter getting upset about such a big change to her life.

“We have lots of time for her to get used to it, honey.” Calum reassures you, his fingers grazing over the small, slightly raised bump under his palm. It wasn’t much, nothing that anyone outside of you and him would notice, if you looked close enough. It was small enough that Mara wouldn’t know any different, but you didn’t know how long it would stay that way. “The sooner we tell her, the more time she has to adjust. I don’t think she’s capable of being angry at you.”

You relax into him for a second, your head pressed against his chest as he holds you in the soft comfort of your bed. Mara is still asleep as far as you’re aware – there had been no sign of her calling for you from down the hall or joining you in your bed for a morning cuddle. You thought that a good time to tell her would be after breakfast, so she’d had time to wake up properly.

“I’ll go get breakfast started,” Calum murmurs, brushing his lips over the spot behind your ear. “Meet you downstairs. Stop worrying, okay? It’s going to be fine.”

You lay in the bed for a moment, taking a deep breath, before heading down the hall to get Mara up.

“Mara, honey, can we talk to you?”

Mara looks up from her toys, still comfortable in her pyjamas as she plays for a little while after breakfast. You’re cosy on the sofa, a throw strewn over your legs, as Calum sits next to you. His hand slips into yours, squeezing gently to ground you. Mara hops onto the sofa, snuggling in between the two of you, so you can talk to her.

“So, you know how Uncle Luke and your auntie have Delilah now?” Calum starts and she nods, waiting until you continue. “Well, how would you feel if we have another baby, to live here with us? And you got to be a big sister?”

She furrows her eyebrows in confusion, like she didn’t quite understand what was going on.

“I have a baby in my tummy, Mara.” You smile, giving her a minute to take in what you were telling her, as Calum runs his hand up and down her back, in a comforting gesture. “Do you want to see?”

You pull out the scan photo and set it in front of her, so she can see for herself. “They’re very small for now, but look, that’s the baby,” you tell her, pointing to the small blob in the middle of the photo.

“A baby?” She asks, her big, brown eyes gazing up at you. You nod, brushing her curls out of her face.

“Yeah, sweetheart. How do you feel about that? Are you happy?” You ask her, unable to tell how she was feeling.

“Yeah,” She replies, a small smile on her lips, but it doesn’t reach her eyes like her usual happy smile does. She sits quietly for a moment, her feet swinging against the edge of the sofa. “When will the baby be here?”

“Not for quite a while, honey. So, we have lots of time to get ready, okay?” Calum reassures her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “It’s okay if you’re not excited right now, we know it’s a big change for you, but you’ll be able to help us with the baby as much as you want. They’re going to love you so much, little moon.”

She nods, her eyes not leaving the scan photo in your hand as she observes it. You notice her eyes are lined with tears, and you’re unsure whether it’s from being sad or just overwhelmed by the information. Your heart aches at her not being as excited as you had hoped for her to be.

“They’ll be just like Delilah, baby, but they’ll live here with us so you can cuddle them whenever you like.” You tell her, hoping it’ll help her to warm up to the idea. “You’ll be such a good sister, bub.”

Calum thinks about his relationship with Mali, his own sister – how he loves to have an older sibling to look up to, and he knows Mara will be that for the new baby. He had always wanted a big family, so Mara always has someone around, like he did with Mali. Even if she doesn’t seem to be excited now, he knows she’ll warm up to the idea eventually.

“So the baby is in your tummy?” She asks, looking at your hoodie covered middle, as if she was trying to see. “Is that why your tummy has been funny?”

You sit up, lifting your hoodie so she can look at your stomach, even though there’s not much of a bump to see yet.

“Yeah, honey, right in there,” You point to the middle of your stomach. “And they’ll keep growing until they’re ready to be born. My bump will look like your aunties did, with Delilah. And yeah, the baby made me sick, that’s why it was funny, but it’s okay.”

“That’s not very nice of the baby.” She frowns, concern in her eyes as she looks up at you.

Calum chuckles at her words. “It’s not the baby’s fault, honey. They’re just trying to grow, and that’s what makes mum sick.”

She reluctantly cuddles into your side and places her hand over the middle of your stomach, patting the spot tentatively. “Aww, you’re so sweet Mara. Are you okay?

Calum’s gaze catches yours and you share a look, both reassured that the fear of telling her was over – yet you can’t help but feel anxious about her reaction. You know she isn’t yet truly happy, since you know how she is when she’s happy, and it’s not as quiet as she’s being right now.

“Can I go back and play now?” She asks, and you nod, kissing her cheek and holding her for just a moment longer.

“Of course, Mara. Love you so much, okay? Having another baby doesn’t change that, I promise. You’ll always be our first baby.” You brush your pointer finger over her cheek as she looks at you, waiting for you to finish talking before she nods, sliding off the sofa with a “love you, mumma” before she goes back to her games.

Calum shifts closer to you, knowing she didn’t react how you had hoped. You hide your face in his neck, trying to hide your own eyes filling with tears as his fingertips smooth up and down your back.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” He murmurs quietly, so only you can hear. “She’ll come around, I promise.”

You just hope that he’s right.

***

Google form to suggest ideas for this series 

Ask-box - feedback is always appreciated!

Masterlist

Taglist: @irwinkitten @wildflowergrae @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @flowerthug @calpops @youngblood199456 @aliencal @wokeupinjapanisabop @banditocth @cashtonasfuck @5-secondsofcolor @g-l-pierce @monsteramongmgc @calmlftv @mantlereid @treatallwithkindness @another-lonely-heart @calumrose @inlovehoodx @mermaidcashton @everydayimfangirling @b-easybreezy @ilumxna @malumsmermaid @opheliaaurora23 @talkfastromance4 @zhangyixingxing1 @everyscarisahealingplace @mateisit-balsamic @saphseoul @suchalonelysunflower @findingliam-o @castaway-cashton @megz1985 @notinthesameguey @calumscalm @karajaynetoday @metalandboybands @littledrummeraussie @vxlentinecal @itjustkindahappenedreally @queenalienscherrypie @xxxstormyninixxx @chicken-ona-stick @hoodhoran @harrys-shrooms @midnightash

[nostalgiabones]

Friends? // C.H

This was a request that I received anonymously a few days ago! Whoever asked for it, I hope you enjoy this 🥺 also I’m planning a second baby in this AU but I’d love to know if people would prefer a long fic or a blurb series instead! If you have any thoughts, please fill out my short google form, or send me an ask ♥️ thank you!

“Mara…”

Calum sighs as he approaches the crib once more; his hand reaching into the crib to brush Mara’s wild curls away from her face. Her cheeks are damp with tears, showing her resistance to the nap that Calum was trying to get her to take. She’s got her comfort blanket held tightly in a fist of one hand, her cuddly elephant in the other. A pacifier between her lips, there’s not much else that Calum can think of to soothe her – apart from picking her up.

“Come on, baby. You’re okay,” He soothes, his thumb gently swiping over her cheeks to wipe away her tears. She sniffles heavily, her eyes ladened with more tears as well as tiredness. She leans into his touch, wanting nothing more than for him to hold her.

Calum has never been one to let her cry things out – if she wanted to be held to comfort her, he’d always do it. Although, it had gotten to the point where she couldn’t soothe herself at all – she’d wake up in the night and need you or him to get her back to sleep, even if it only took a minute of cuddling her. You just want to see whether she can learn to fall asleep on her own, starting with her afternoon nap. “Oh Mara, you’re breaking my heart, honey.”

“Up,” She sniffles, raising her hands up to him in a grabby motion. Calum’s heart aches as he stands in front of her crib, debating what to do – he doesn’t want to give in to her, and doesn’t know if giving her one more cuddle before putting her down again will make her more upset. “Up.”

He admits defeat and picks her up, murmuring a “okay, just one more cuddle,” cradling her against him and swaying on the spot. He rubs her back as she cuddles into him, her face pressed against his neck, remnants of her tears left behind. He waits until she’s quietened down a little, before brushing his lips against her cheek and setting her down in the crib again. Her cries start again as soon as he puts her down, trying to cling onto him.

“Shhh,” He murmurs, kneeling so she can look at him as she lays down. “I’m right here, okay? Go to sleep, bubs. You’re so sleepy, you’ll feel better after a nap. I promise.”

Calum reaches down, rubs his pointer finger over her cheeks one more time and kisses her forehead before he steps away. “Love you, sweetheart. I’ll come back after your nap, okay?”

It hurts his heart to hear her cries as he leaves her room, pulling the door only half closed before he waits in the hall. He wasn’t planning on going too far away from her room, not until he knows she’s asleep. Her babbles of your names, heartachingly sweet, make him want to go and rock her to sleep. He knows he must be strong, and that it’ll pay off in the long run though.

He sits there for what feels like much longer than it is – waiting until her soft cries stop, and she finally falls asleep. He checks in on her to make sure she’s okay, finding her curled up into a little ball in the middle of the crib. Sighing in relief, he’s glad he persevered and managed to get her to fall asleep alone (for the most part).

Calum goes to catch up on some band stuff, checking his emails for updates on a few songs they had been working on – things he can’t usually get done when Mara wants his attention.

“Well, good afternoon,” You spot Mara’s messy bed curls and sleepy eyes as you push open the door to her bedroom, after hearing her noises through the baby monitor. “Did you have a nice sleep?”

She yawns and her eyes light up when she looks at you, though still heavy from sleep. You give her a minute to wake up, watching as she stretches and cuddles her elephant closer to her. “Shall we go see where your dad got to?”

You pick her up, listening to her sweet indecipherable babbles as she rests on your hip, still waking up. You find Calum in his home studio and he’s so happy to see her, as well as being happy that she finally took a nap.

“There she is,” He calls out, holding his arms out for her. Usually she’d be so excited to see him after a nap; yet today, it seems as though she isn’t. “Hi, little moon. Did you have a good nap?”

She turns her face away from him and buries it in your neck, her hand holding onto the neck of your t-shirt so you don’t put her down. You chuckle and rub your hand over her back, wondering why she’s so reluctant to see Calum. “What’s wrong, Mara?”

Calum furrows his eyebrows in confusion, knowing it’s not how she usually reacts to him after she wakes up. He spots the grumpy pout on her lips when he stands up, moving behind you so he can try and get to her. Her eyes land on him from behind your shoulder and she shakes her head, clinging onto you. 

“Are we not friends anymore?” Calum chuckles, pouting as he watches her face away from him. He knows she can be stubborn, yet he’s never seen her be like this. “Are you mad at me because I made you nap?”

You laugh at the realisation, adjusting Mara so she’s not holding onto you so tightly. “Baby, he just wanted you to get some sleep,” you try to explain, laughing even more when she refuses to look at him.

“Can I have a cuddle to say sorry?” He asks, brushing his fingers through her messy curls as a soft gesture. She shakes her head and murmurs a “no” into your neck, showing no interest in going to him. “Please, sweetheart? I didn’t mean to make you sad.” 

“Come on bubs,” You chuckle, rubbing your hand up and down her back. “Daddy wants to say sorry.” 

Calum decides to do something, unsure of what the reaction will be -- holding his arms out to you so he can take her. Mara cries when she realises he’s got her, but he knows she’s not really upset with him - she’s just being stubborn. 

“Alright, alright,” He chuckles, sitting back down in his studio chair with her in his lap. You stay close to her, just in case she wants you again, but you know Calum will cheer her up. He always does. “Come on, little moon. Can we be friends again, huh? I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“No,” She pouts, no longer struggling in his arms, but the same grumpy expression on her face. He has to try not to laugh at how serious she looks. 

“Mr Elephant wants us to be friends again,” He tells her, bopping her nose with with trunk of the squishy elephant in his hand. She giggles at that, her hand reaching out to take it from his grasp. She looks up at him, her eyes fixated on his face as he talks to her. She’s still not fully awake, occasionally rubbing at her eyes as she sits there. Calum rubs his thumb over the apple of her rosy cheek, trying to get her to warm up to him again. “I’m sorry if I made you sad, baby. Do you forgive me?” 

She nods, leaning forward to bury her face in his hoodie. He wraps his arms around her, snuggling her against his chest and brushing his lips over her forehead. She’s not even two yet, and he knows you’ll be in for much more fun when the terrible two’s hit her. “Love you, baby.”

***

Ask-box (feedback is always very appreciated!)

Masterlist

Google form - I’m planning a second baby in this AU, so if you have any thoughts on what you’d like to be included then let me know by answering the questions in the form! I’d really appreciate your input <3

Taglist:  @irwinkitten @wildflowergrae @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @flowerthug @calpops @youngblood199456 @aliencal @wokeupinjapanisabop @banditocth @cashtonasfuck @5-secondsofcolor @g-l-pierce @monsteramongmgc @calmlftv @mantlereid @treatallwithkindness @another-lonely-heart-blog @calumrose @inlovehoodx @mermaidcashton @everydayimfangirling @sexgodashton @b-easybreezy @ilumxna @malumsmermaid @opheliaaurora23 @talkfastromance4 @zhangyixingxing1 @everyscarisahealingplace @mateisit-balsamic @saphseoul @suchalonelysunflower @findingliam-o @castaway-cashton @megz1985 @notinthesameguey @calumscalm @karajaynetoday @metalandboybands @littledrummeraussie @vxlentinecal @itjustkindahappenedreally @queenalienscherrypie @xxxstormyninixxx @chicken-ona-stick @hoodhoran @harrys-shrooms @midnightash

[nostalgiabones]

First Word // C.H

This is another part in my milestones mini series that i’m currently doing for this au! If you have any requests including baby/child milestones or firsts then please send them here. I hope you enjoy this! Feedback is always appreciated💞

“Mara, it’s nap time.” 

Calum called throughout the bus, shaking the bottle of milk in his hand in preparation to feed her. It always helped her to fall asleep, especially on the bus where she was distracted by the people and the noise. He entered the back room of the bus, finding her on Michael’s lap, watching him play a video game on his laptop.

Soundcheck would be happening in just over an hour, and he wanted her to get some sleep in before she’d be joining them backstage. 

“Come on, you.” Calum lifted her into his arms and she instantly started crying, her hands reaching out for Michael once again. “Hey, what’s wrong baby?” 

“She wants to be back with her favourite uncle.” Michael replied, closing down the laptop in his lap. His statement was met with a pillow to his face, thrown across the room by Luke.

“Hey, that’s only because you have the dogs,” Luke defended himself, in constant competition to be Mara’s favourite. All three of them truly doted on her as if she was their own child. They knew she was yet to say her first word, and were all trying their hardest to get her to say their names. “If Petunia was here it would be fair game.” 

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night.” Michael replied, flipping his middle finger up at Luke before turning back to Calum. “She can nap with me if she wants, I don’t mind.”

When Michael said he didn’t mind, what he really meant was that he wanted her to fall asleep with him; he’d never say no to spending time with her, even if she was asleep.

“I wanted her to get used to sleeping in the bunk.” Calum replied, bouncing her in his arms. “But since we don’t have time for tantrums today, she can nap with you.”

She reached out for Michael once more and he happily took her, kissing her cheek and resting her in his arms. She still wasn’t happy though, searching around the room and whining when she couldn’t find what she was looking for.

“Why are you so fussy today? What do you want, sweetheart?” Calum furrowed his eyebrows, handing her bottle to Michael, wondering if that’s what she wanted.

“Moose!”

Calum gasped as he heard what she said.

Moose’s head lifted at the sound of her name, her tail wagging as she jumped up onto Michael’s lap.

“Did she... did she just say moose?” Calum asked, pulling his phone out to record in case she said it again. “Babe, come here!”

You had just showered, but as soon as Calum called you in a panicked tone you rushed straight to the front of the bus. “What, Cal? What’s wrong?”

“Who’s this, Mara?” Michael asked her, stroking Moose’s fur to get her attention.

“Moose!”

“Oh my god, baby!” You cooed, tears filling in your eyes at the fact that she finally said her first word. “I can’t believe she said Moose.”

“I can’t believe she didn’t say either of our names first!” Calum feigned sadness as you slapped his arm playfully, knowing he was joking but also knowing he had wanted ‘dad’ to be her first word.

“I’m taking that as a victory for me.” Michael cuddled Mara and Moose, making sure she was comfortable to nap even with the commotion going on in the room. He started to feed her, watching as she grew more tired in his arms. She clung to the neck of his hoodie, not taking her eyes off of Moose as she fell asleep. “Now let us take a nap.”

Taglist: @irwinkitten​ @ukulelecal​ @wildflowergrae​ @luckyduckydoo​ @letstaketheups-and-downs​ @jazzyangel242​ @cashworthy​ @babylon-corgis​ @norawashere​ @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil​ @fivesecondsof-mee @maluminspace​ @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex​ @goth5sos​ @flowerthug​ @calpops​ @youngblood199456​ @aliencal​ @wokeupinjapanisabop​ @banditocth​ @cashtonasfuck​ @5-secondsofcolor​ @g-l-pierce​ @monsteramongmgc​ @softbabiestan​ @mantlereid​​ (message me to be added!)

Masterlist

[nostalgiabones]

First Steps // C.H

I haven’t written about Calum and Mara for a while so I thought it was about time I did! I’m thinking of making this into a milestones mini series (thanks to @ukulelecal!) so if you have any requests, such as her first word etc, please let me know! Feedback is always appreciated💞

Mara was on a tour bus when she took her first steps.

Surrounded by her parents and her uncles, who had been helping her take steps for the previous few weeks. At some point you’d found all of them with her tiny hands in their much larger ones, slowly making their way from one end of the bus to another.

It was a typical afternoon on a day off from shows; all hanging out in the back of the bus, a Netflix show playing in the background. It was third week of tour and the guys were feeling it - needing to spend every day off unwinding from the chaos that tour brought. Mara was entertaining herself; moving from one person to another, a trail of her favourite toys following in her path.

“No one make any sudden movements,” Calum instructed quietly, his eyes landing on where Mara was clutching the edge of the sofa. “but Mara looks like she could be about to walk.”

Several sets of eyes landed on her as she looked around the room, focused on the book in her hands. It was her favourite, one Calum would read to her every night as she fell asleep in his bunk. She would happily have it read to her several times a day - everyone on the bus would probably be able to quote it without reading the pages.

Calum moved tentatively, sliding off the sofa to sit a small distance away from her on the floor.

“Mara,” He got her attention softly. “Shall we read your book? Why don’t you bring it to me?”

She turned her head to look at him, a smile landing on her lips as he reached out for her. It soon faded as he didn’t pick her up; she looked between the book in her hands and her dad as she worked out how she was going to get there.

“Go on baby, you can walk to daddy.” You encouraged her, reaching out to push her curls away from her face as she looked at you. “He’s just there.”

She whined softly, arms reaching up to the closest uncle to her, which happened to be Luke. None of Calum’s band members had any kind of willpower when it came to Mara. All she had to do was look at any one of them, and they’d give her anything she wanted.

Trying to get her into a routine on tour had been difficult when all three of her uncles wanted to spend time with her constantly. You wanted her to get used to sleeping in the bunk so she felt at home, but more often that not she’d take naps cuddled up with whoever had her at nap time. Michael seemed to be her favourite to nap with; especially if Moose was nearby.

“Can I help her?” Luke asked, knowing that you and Calum wanted her to take her first steps, but his heart aching at her wanting him. “Mara, don’t look at me like that. You know what it does to me.”

“Just turn her around, so she’s facing me. She’ll probably let go of your hands when she gets her balance.” Calum told him, shuffling further back so she’d have more space.

“C’mere, angel.” Luke lifted her into his arms and kissed her forehead, before standing her in between his legs and taking her hands in his. It made his heart melt as she wrapped her hands around one of his fingers, trying to hold herself up. “There you go.”

“Here, Cal.” Ashton grabbed Mara’s book from the seat and passed it to him, so he could convince her to walk to him with it.

“Come on, come and see me, baby. You can do it.” Calum held his arms out to her, coaxing her to move towards him. She looked down at her feet and back up around the room, noticing everyone was watching her. Michael picked his phone up, setting it to record the special moment. “We can read your book.”

He waved it in his hand, knowing she wanted it and that it would help him to get her to walk. It felt as though everyone in the room was holding their breath as she took one wobbly step forward, making her way to Calum.

“Let go, Luke.” Calum watched carefully as Luke moved his hands away, waiting for a moment to make sure she didn’t fall before sitting back. Mara stayed standing, looking up at Luke and then realising she was balancing herself without him. “She’s so close.”

She took another small step forward and everyone gasped excitedly, trying not to startle her but not being able to contain their happiness.

“That’s my girl! Keep going.” Calum grinned at her, holding his arms out for her to fall into. He felt so many emotions. Mainly he couldn’t believe that the tiny newborn, barely the length of his arm, was now growing into a whole little person. He was happy that his brothers had been there to experience the moment with you and him.

She kept going until she reached Calum. As soon as he got her the whole room erupted; standing up and cheering as they revelled in the special milestone. Mara didn’t seem to understand why everyone was so happy, but she took advantage of the attention and accepted the happy cuddles from Calum.

“You did it, Mara!” He cooed, kissing her cheek and settling her in his lap. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Book?” Mara hadn’t forgotten why she wanted to sit with him in the first place. Calum chuckled as he picked it up, sitting Mara on top of his crossed legs. She yawned and leaned back against his chest as he started flicking through the colourful pages; doing the usual silly voices that he did for each of the characters. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep in his arms and he managed to stand without waking her. He settled her in his bunk, staying for a moment and watching her sleep.

“She’s really growing up, isn’t she?” You appeared behind Calum, wrapping your arms around his waist and resting your head on his shoulder. The two of you stood for a moment, admiring her. She was laid on her stomach, hands clinging to the duvet with her pacifier pressed to her lips. He could watch her forever. He wanted to soak in these moments and commit them to memory; times he never wanted to forget.

“She really is.”

Taglist: @irwinkitten @ukulelecal @wildflowergrae @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @fivesecondsof-mee @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @goth5sos @flowerthug @calpops @youngblood199456 @aliencal @wokeupinjapanisabop @banditocth @cashtonasfuck @5-secondsofcolor @g-l-pierce @monsteramongmgc @softbabiestan @mantlereid​ (message me to be added!)

Masterlist

[nostalgiabones]

First Day of School // CH

This is another part of my Milestones mini series! I’m really enjoying writing these blurbs so far. If you have any requests then please let me know! I hope you enjoy this. Feedback is always appreciated💞

“Come on baby, time for bed.”

Calum coaxed Mara away from her toys and into her bedroom, illuminated by the soft yellow nightlight on her bedside table. She was trying to learn to sleep without it, but Calum didn’t want to push her. If it stopped her mind from wandering into what was lurking in the dark, she could have it forever.

“Can we read a story please?” She asked, climbing into her bed after Calum pulled back the covers. She clung onto the stuffed giraffe that she couldn’t sleep without. He could tell she was a little anxious, as she hadn’t let go of it all day.

The school uniform hanging on the wardrobe explained her anxieties.

Calum had been feeling emotional all day, knowing it was her last full day at home with you and him before she started school. A big school, full of other children, reminding him that his precious daughter was no longer a baby. It made his heart ache.

“Of course, little moon. Just a short one though, okay? You need to get lots of sleep before school tomorrow.” He told her, grabbing one of her favourites from the small book shelf in the corner of the room. He didn’t fail to notice how quiet she was. He knew his daughter better than she knew herself, and he could tell she was unsettled. “Hey, baby. Are you okay?”

“Uh huh.” She nodded and cuddled her giraffe closer to her chest, settling down against the pillows. He looked at her for a moment, noticing her lip tucked between her teeth and how she wasn’t looking at him.

“It’s okay if you’re nervous,” He told her, sitting on the edge of her bed. She still didn’t reply. She sniffled softly, and it only took him a few second to notice the tears lining her big brown eyes. “Come here, sweetheart. You’re okay.”

She climbed into his lap and his heart broke as she clung to his neck. He could feel her tears wetting his t-shirt as her anxieties broke free; it made him wonder if he should have had this conversation with her before now. She had visited the school and met the teachers, they had spoke about why she would be going there. Calum just had no idea that she was this nervous about it.

“Shh,” He murmured into her hair, first trying to calm her down before trying to talk to her. He hated seeing her cry, but being open about her emotions, even at such a young age, was something he thought was really important to teach her. “You’re okay, Mara.”

Calum sat back against the wall, decorated with the moon and stars he had painted on there, per Mara’s request when she grew out of her nursery. He let her cry it out; he didn’t push her. Just sat and held her, and rubbed her back until her cries slowed to whimpers and she lifted her head from his shoulder. 

“I don’t want to go to school,” She admitted, rubbing her damp cheeks against the worn material of the stuffed giraffe in her hands. He ran his hand up and down her pyjama covered arm, giving her further reassurance which slowed her cries even more. “Can you come with me?” 

Calum shook his head, where it was resting on top of hers gently. “No, i’m sorry baby. I’ll take you though, right into your classroom, and come back to pick you up at the end of the day. You’re going to have so much fun though, I promise.”

“It might not be fun,” She sniffled, still not believing his words. He chuckled at her stubbornness, expecting nothing less from his daughter. “What if no one wants to be my friend?”

“They will, trust me. Why would anyone not want to be your friend? You’re so smart, kind,” He bopped her nose to make her laugh, her giggles soon filling his ears; a much better sound than her tears moments before. “And you’re funny. You’re going to make lots of friends. I don’t want you to be scared, baby. Okay?”

“Okay.” She mumbled into his t-shirt, wiping her eyes once more. He knew he hadn’t solved all of her worries, and that she was still apprehensive, but there�� was nothing else he could say until she experienced school for herself. “Cuddle?”

“Of course.” Calum re-positioned himself in her bed, trying to fit his large frame in the small space as she got comfortable against him. Her life up until that moment flashed before his eyes as he held her, and began reading the book she placed in his hands. He laid in same the room where he had held her as a newborn, and rocked her to sleep as a baby, and now here she was; about to start her next journey at school. 

***

Mara’s hand felt tiny in Calum’s as he lead her through the playground.

There was so many children. All full of the same nerves and excitement as Mara was. She had been quiet on the drive to school, not letting her stuffed giraffe out of her hands after Calum said it could come in the car with them. She wasn’t allowed to take him into school, but he’d be under the best care with Calum, as she had made him promise. 

The morning had gone with no more tears - mainly excitement as she put on her uniform for the first time, and Calum plaited her hair whilst eating her favourite breakfast. 

“Here we are,” Calum headed towards the door of the classroom, recognising the friendly teacher stood greeting the students. “Okay, baby? I’ll stay with you until you’re inside.” 

“Hi, Mara! Welcome to school!” The teacher knelt down to greet her, offering her reassurance for her nerves. “I love your lunch box. Put it under your name peg, okay? I’ll see you inside.” 

Calum thanked her and headed inside, making their way to the cloakroom, her hand not leaving his as she took in the bright displays on the walls and sounds of her fellow classmates entering the school too. He vaguely remembered the corridors from when you had all visited together, several months before applying. It was small but friendly, and he had no doubt that Mara would be happy there. 

“Can you see your name, little moon?” He asked her, coaxing her into the cloakroom and quickly scanning around the colourful name tags to find hers.

“There!”

She pulled Calum towards the tag with her name, placing the lunch box where the teacher had told her to, and letting Calum unzip her coat. He helped her hang it up, and suddenly felt very emotional about leaving her there for the day. She looked so much more grown up in her uniform and it made him realise that she truly wasn’t a baby anymore.

“Okay baby,” Calum knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. He felt more nervous than she did now, he was sure. “I’m going to go home now, but i’ll be right back here in a couple of hours.” 

 “Okay daddy.” She smiled at him, and he wanted to burst out crying. He wanted to take her back home with him, and shield her from the world forever. 

“Love you, baby. Have fun, okay?” He kissed her forehead and watched as she went into the classroom, joining another group of children in the corner filled with reading books. He was so proud of how she overcame her nerves.  He was grateful she didn’t cry before he left; he wouldn’t have been able to leave her there crying.

She really was growing up. 

Taglist: @irwinkitten @ukulelecal​ @wildflowergrae​ @luckyduckydoo​ @letstaketheups-and-downs​ @jazzyangel242​ @cashworthy​ @babylon-corgis @norawashere​ @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil​ @fivesecondsof-mee @maluminspace​ @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @goth5sos​ @flowerthug​ @calpops @youngblood199456 @aliencal @wokeupinjapanisabop​ @banditocth​ @cashtonasfuck​ @5-secondsofcolor​ @g-l-pierce @monsteramongmgc​ @softbabiestan​ @mantlereid​​ (message me to be added!)

Masterlist

[nostalgiabones]

I think I already told you this (?) but that pic of calum and ashton with his sandwich and all 🥺 like he just looks like a stroller should be at his side and he's rocking it back and forth because tbh dude has been exhausted in quarantine with a baby who always has attention and she's been sleepless for that night and still is right now so he's just giving her bites of his sandwich 🥺🥺

Oh my god this is so cute🥺 it was briefly mentioned the other day!

Imagine Mara is getting tired of being home and doing nothing just like both Calum and his partner is too. Even though she’s just a baby it’s like she knows what’s going on, and sleep just wasn’t something she wanted to do the night before! So Calum has been up pretty much all night and he’s texting Ashton like “we need to leave the house” so he’s got Mara bundled up in her stroller and he goes to meet Ashton for their little lunch date. Ashton sees him and is like “bit of a restless night, huh?” because he just... knows. They’re sat down and Calum is pushing her stroller back and forth, trying to make Mara comfortable and she’d be yawning up at him every so often since she still hadn’t slept. Calum would notice her yawns and be all “yeah, I know how you feel baby” since he had literally no sleep either. She notices that he’s eating something so in her mind she’s like “gimme!” so she’s holding her hand out to him and he’s handing her little bits of food that he knows she likes and Ashton is just chuckling at how tired he is. Calum is just looking at her in the stroller, big eyes looking up at him and he can’t help but not care about how tired he is, as long as she’s happy. “Good job you’re cute, huh?”’

Let’s talk about dad!sos!

[nostalgiabones]

Just a little idea for your blurbs and what came into my head. First Christmas with the newborn baby. Maybe visiting family and get to introduce the new member or sitting together at the tree. If you don't want to write that that's fine as well. 🙂 - T.

“She looks just like you, Calum.”

Calum smiled in the direction of his oldest cousin, who had Mara cradled cosy in her arms. It had been like pass the parcel as soon as you had arrived at his big family Christmas with a month old Mara - everyone wanting to snuggle the newest addition to the Hood family.

“A few people have said the same.” He replied, his hand stroking over her thick, dark curls resting against his cousin’s arm from where she was holding her. “She seems to be very cosy on you.”

He felt complete. Being back in Australia with his close and extended family for Christmas was just what he needed after months of touring, and then recently becoming a dad. It seemed like the perfect way to introduce Mara to everyone.

“When is it my turn?” A little voice appeared, one of his many younger cousin’s directing their attention from their new toys to their older family member.

“Come and sit here next to me.” Calum patted the spot next to him on the sofa, ready to help him hold Mara. “I’ll help you, okay?”

Your heart melted as you spotted the interaction; you were stood talking to his mum in the kitchen, now slightly distracted by Calum taking Mara in his arms and helping to settle her with his cousin.

“There we go.” He exclaimed, holding Mara’s head and neck to make sure she was properly supported in his arms, and pulling them both closer to him. “She loves you! Look, she’s so sleepy.”

The giggles that spilled from his young cousin’s lips made his heart melt as he pointed out her features, touching her nose and watching as she scrunched her face up at the contact. His heart ached with how much he loved her. Everytime he saw other people holding her, his arms willed to pull her into his, to hold her close. But he was grateful that she had so many loving family members that were desperate to hold her too.

“What does her name mean?” His Auntie asked, who had quickly taken to snapping a few photos of the precious moment. “It’s beautiful.”

“It means ‘moon.’ She’s my little moon.” A chorus of ‘awww’ broke out amongst the group as he placed his finger in her fist, watching as she grabbed onto it.

It didn’t take long for Mara to get hungry and restless, her tears quick to scare off Calum’s cousin who found another new toy to play with. Calum was happy to have her back in his arms; against his shoulder, a burping cloth protecting his shirt as he rubbed her back, following a feed.

“He’s so good with her, isn’t he?” Calum’s mum murmured to you, handing you another drink as she stood and admired him rocking Mara in his arms.

“The best.”

Send me requests for Christmas blurbs!���

Taglist: @irwinkitten @i-calumhood @gorgeouslygrace @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @fivesecondsof-mee @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @dammitbands @flowerthug @evepops (message me to be added!)

Masterlist

[nostalgiabones]

New Beginnings // Dad!Calum

Summary: The ups and downs of Calum and reader's first night at home with their baby as well as her meeting the rest of the band for the first time.

“We made it.”

Stepping into your beautiful house felt so familiar, yet so different at the same time. It had always felt like home, ever since you and Calum moved in - Calum himself, felt like home to you. But now, everything just felt more like home. All thanks to the tiny bundle of sweetness and blankets, fast asleep in the car seat held tightly in Calum’s hand.

Only a day old, the three of you had been discharged from the hospital and allowed home after the delivery of your daughter, Marama. Although you were still in a lot of pain, it was absolutely worth it. You were in awe of your own body - how it managed to make something as beautiful and perfect as your daughter. Half of you, half of Calum.

“It looks like we did.” You replied to Calum’s words a few moments later, breathing a sigh of relief that you managed to make it home safely. “She’s home.”

“Am I allowed to wake her up?” Calum asked softly, setting the car seat down on the kitchen counter, and resting his hands on the soft blanket she was bundled into, in order to keep her warm on the drive home. It had only been a day, but so far she had been the sweetest, most content baby, happy to be held as she slept and just waking up for a feed every so often. She had such a calm temperment, which she clearly got from her dad, and it made your heart melt.

“You can, but if she cries, you can deal with it.” You answered with a smile, knowing he wouldn’t be able to resist not holding her, just like he hadn’t been able to for the past 24 hours of her life. He felt as though his arms constantly ached to hold her.

“Deal.” He murmured, unclasping the straps that had safely held her in place for the journey home. She wriggled a little as he slipped his hands under her tiny body, making sure he had a good hold of her before transferring her to his chest. His hands felt so large in comparison to her body.  “Hi, my little moon.”

The nickname made you tear up, so overjoyed with the beautiful name that the two of you had chosen. Marama, meaning moon in Maori, was perfect for your daughter - Calum had instantly fallen in love with it as soon as he heard it. 

She so easily settled against the top of his chest, her head resting above the beautiful feather inked onto his skin. His hands easily covered and supported her whole body, making her feel secure in his hold. The world was a brand new and scary place for her, after spending the last nine months growing inside of you, and Calum wanted her to feel safe, especially with him.

“So, what do we do now?” He asked with a chuckle, gently moving his head down to place a kiss on Marama’s soft cheek, reminiscent of his own. She squeaked in her sleep before settling down again, making the cutest sounds that Calum couldn’t get enough of. She was just so sweet.

“I don’t know about you, but all I feel like doing is crashing in our bed until she needs feeding again.” You suggested, trying to ignore the soreness and aching feeling running through your lower body, calling out for rest. You were grateful for only having to stay in hospital for one day - the beds weren’t the comfiest, and you’d missed your home comforts.

“Okay, baby. Go and get comfy and I’ll bring you some tea and snacks, sound good? Do you need me to help you upstairs?” He questioned kindly, not wanting you to have to go through any further discomfort. He was forever in awe of how your body managed to give him a daughter, and he felt like he would forever be in debt to you. There was nothing that he could to to thank you enough for everything you had done for him, and given to him.

“I think I’ll be okay. You’re going to join me though, right?” You asked softly, just wanting to be together as a family, even if that meant just lounging in bed for the rest of the day.

“Of course, baby. Where else would I want to be?”

And that’s where you spent the rest of Mara’s first day at home - close and content in your own bed, Calum’s arm never leaving your shoulders, holding you close to him. It was reassuring to have him constantly there, so you knew the little life fast asleep on your chest wasn’t your responsibility alone.

**

“Cal? The guys are here.” You called up the stairs, after hearing the quiet knocks of your husband’s three band mates on the front door to your home. You’d managed through three days of being at home with Mara before they were demanding to meet their first niece, no longer satisfied with the hundreds of photos that Calum had supplied them with.

You opened the door to the three familiar faces, greeting them with gentle hugs and tired eyes as they made their way into the house to meet the newest addition to the family.

“Are you ready to meet your uncles, sweetheart?” Calum murmured to Mara softly, buttoning up her baby grow after changing her, shortly after she had been fed. She was content and sleepy, her eyes opening every so often to look up at her dad, but mostly remaining closed as she drifted in and out of sleep. “They’re tall and loud, but they’re going to love you so much.”

“Look who it is.” Michael’s words changed the conversation as Calum entered the lounge where the band were scattered around the sofas, all turning to look at him holding Mara against his shoulder. “I can’t believe you have an actual, human baby.”

“Neither can I.” Calum replied, moving to sit down in between Ashton and Luke on the biggest sofa. “But here she is. Who’s holding her first?”

“What if I drop her?” Luke asked cautiously, nervously shifting in his seat as Calum cradled Mara in his hands, ready to pass her over to one of the guys.

“You won’t, I promise. She likes being held like this.” Calum reassured Luke, carefully placing Mara down on to his chest, in the same position that she had been on his moments ago. She’d only been in the world for three days, but in their limited time together, she’d slept in that position on his chest many times and it seemed to soothe her. He wrapped the blanket around her back, ensuring she wouldn’t get cold. He rearranged Luke’s hands so he was holding her securely. “Just put one hand on her head and one underneath her, so she doesn’t move around too much. There we go.”

“Woah.” Luke murmured softly, not wanting to speak too loudly in order to disturb the tiny sleepy being resting on his chest. His hands were rigid where Calum had told him to put them, and he couldn’t quite get over how small she actually was. “She’s so tiny. Like, she barely feels like she fits into my hands.”

“Relax, Luke.” Calum chuckled, although he felt comforted by the fact that Luke was taking so much care in order to keep Mara comfy. He pulled out his phone, silently taking photos of the sweet moment that he would cherish forever. “She’s fine, honestly.”

“So, how are you finding parenthood? Are you doing okay?” Ashton asked, nudging your arm softly from his spot next to you on the sofa. You laughed softly at his words, thinking back over the blur of the past three days that you had now been a mother for. Of course they were all best friends, more like brothers - but Ashton always seemed to be around and it meant you’d developed a closer relationship to him, he was like your brother too. He had always been caring towards you, and it made your heart melt slightly at his concern.

“I’ve never been so sleep deprived in my life.” You replied, receiving four sets of sympathetic eyes as a yawn slipped past your lips at the mention of sleep. “And my boobs feel like they’re going to fall off. But apart from that, it’s great. She’s so worth it.”

“Okay, my turn now.” Michael announced, moving closer to Luke as the panic returned in Luke’s eyes at the thought of moving her. Calum laughed again at how nervous he was, not taking his eyes away from his daughter as Luke slowly moved her to rest in his hands, passing her over to Michael. “You can let go, I’ve got her.”

Calum was surprised at how little Michael was panicking, as he didn’t have much experience around babies, just like Luke hadn’t. But as he watched Michael cradle her gently and hold her close to his body, he relaxed knowing that she would be just as content as him.

“Hi, baby Hood.” He cooed at her, stroking one tattooed finger along her squishy cheeks. The hand supporting her head brushed through the dark, swirly curls that were so reminiscent of Calum’s, as Michael took in her features. “God, Cal. She looks just like you.”

“I know! I carry her for nine months, give birth to her yet she doesn’t look anything like me.” You pouted at Michael’s words, causing soft laughter to break out between you all. “They have the same nose and cheeks, and she obviously has his hair.”

“Lucky her.” Calum murmured, smoothing his hand over her head softly, from where it was resting in the crook of Michael’s elbow. Her eyes fluttered shut at the soothing action, a yawn spilling from her lips.

She ended up falling asleep on Michael, tiny snores escaping every so often as he held her. He eventually passed her over to Ashton, who’s gigantic hands made her look tinier than she had so far in her three days of life. And when they finally left, with the promise to always love and take care of her, Calum felt so content - he knew they meant the words, and it meant the world to have such supportive brothers.

**

After a week of being in the world, Mara hasd established herself as the most content baby you could’ve asked for - she rarely cried, fed well every few hours before just falling asleep on you or Calum again. You felt so lucky to have such a happy baby.

Until that night.

It had been nothing out of the ordinary - Calum joined you in bed, quietly watching a movie whilst you gave Mara her night time feed, cuddling her for a while before letting Calum put her into her crib - close to your bedside. The two of you had tried to stay awake for a little longer, wanting to some time alone just to hold eachother without a baby taking up most of the space. But it hadn’t lasted long, too exhausted to keep your eyes open for longer than 10 minutes.

But, the sleep also didn’t last long - only until Mara decided to cry as loud as she could, the loudest she had since the very first moment that she was born. It startled you awake, Calum following moments later, rubbing his sleep ladened eyes.

“Hey, Mara, what’s wrong?” You cooed softly over the noise, reaching down to pull her into your embrace. Your heart raced a little - obviously newborn babies cry, but she hadn’t cried like this in the last week, since she came home. “It’s okay, baby.”

“Do you think she’s hungry again?” Calum suggested, joining you on your side of the bed, to offer his support.

“She can’t be, I only fed her half an hour ago.” You replied, after checking your phone and realising you’d only been asleep for around 20 minutes. You rubbed her back softly, kissing her forehead as you tried to calm her down. “Maybe she needs changing.”

“I’ll do it, my love. I’ll call you if we need you, okay? Go back to sleep.” Calum reassured you, leaning over to kiss your temple as you reluctantly handed Mara over to Calum. You were grateful that he was so attentive, but couldn’t help feeling guilty that you weren’t stopping her from crying. “What’s with all the tears, little moon? It’s okay.”

He left the room and entered the nursery, flicking on the lamp in the cosy room that was yet to be used - he wasn’t sure he’d ever want her to sleep in a different room to him. Her sad cries only seemed to increase as he laid her down on the changing table, and it made his heart ache that he didn’t quite know how to soothe her. He tried to change her as quickly as he could, the soft humming sound spilling from his lips not doing much to help.

“Shhh, Mara. It’s okay, sweetheart. Shh.” He scooped her up and and held her close to his body, on her favourite spot, on his chest. He kept whispering and making comforting noises in her ear, trying to make her feel safe. He’d read in countless baby books that the shushing noise would comfort her as it reminded her of being in the womb, and he wanted to make her feel safe. “What’s the matter, hm?”

Her cries didn’t falter and his heart ached more with every wail that she made, the sleep deprivation catching up to him and causing tears to sting his eyes. He loved this tiny little person so much, and he just wanted to be able to solve all of her problems straight away. The rational part of his brain told him that it would take time to get to know her, to learn what her cries mean - but the tired, irrational part of his brain told him otherwise.

You hadn’t managed to fall back asleep, the stress of Mara’s cries preventing you from being able to doze off again. You slowly made your way out of bed and into the nursery, finding Calum looking almost as upset as Mara. You held your arms out towards him, taking Mara into your embrace as you rocked her softly. You made sure she was securely on your chest, so she could hear the soothing rhythm of your heartbeat. 

“It’s okay, baby girl.” You murmured as you rocked her more, sighing in relief as her cries seemed to slow down. You could see her moving her head around your chest, clearly wanting to be fed again. “Does this girl ever stop wanting to be fed?”

Calum lead you back to your bedroom and helped you settle into bed. It was the middle of the night and neither of you had much energy, but you couldn’t help but notice the sadness in Calum’s eyes and how quiet he had been since Mara stopped crying. 

“You okay, Cal?” You asked softly, placing your free hand over his and linking your fingers together to get his attention. He rolled over to look at you and gave you a slight smile, nodding his head. “You’re not, baby. What’s wrong?”

“Why couldn’t I get her to stop crying?” He questioned, the furrow in his eyebrows remaining as you sighed deeply at his words, not quite knowing how to make him feel better. You knew he doubted his abilities as a father, especially as it had only been a week - but Mara had grown inside you and knew you, it would just take time for her to get to know Calum too. 

“She’s a newborn, Cal.” You tried to reassure him, looking down to where she was beginning to fall asleep on your chest again. “They get fussy and they cry. She’s been growing inside of me for nine months, it’s just going to take a little more time for her to get attached to you. But she loves you, you know that. You’re doing a great job.” 

He smiled at your words, bringing your linked hands up to his lips to press a kiss to your forehand. You were relieved it seemed to have comfort him, never wanting him to doubt himself.

“I’m sorry, baby.” He sat up and pulled the two of you closer, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and letting you cuddle up closer to him. “I know we’re all still learning. It’s just hard sometimes. But you’re doing great too, you’re my superhero.”

“Love you.” You murmured, gently reaching up to peck his lips and trying not to jostle Mara in the process, who had fallen asleep again. “Now, super dad, do me a favour and put Mara back to bed so we can get more than 20 minutes of sleep.”

“Okay.” He laughed softly, gently picking her up out of your arms and kissing her forehead lightly, the quick show of affection holding more love than he’d ever be able to explain. He laid her down in the moses basket next to your bed, patting her back gently until she settled down, tucking her blanket around her to make sure she wouldn’t get cold in the night. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Taglist: @irwinkitten @i-calumhood @gorgeouslygrace @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @fivesecondsof-mee @maluminspace @fluffsshawn (message me to be added!)

Masterlist

[nostalgiabones]

Cute mara and the second prompt maybe after she had a tantrum and is finally calm and trying to melt calums heart after yelling so much at the grocery store:(

It was never a fun day when Mara had a tantrum.

It was so unlike her, not in her calm and well behaved nature to act out - but she was a young child after all, and every so often he knew he’d have to deal with her being badly behaved.

It was a usual day for the three of you - you were at work whilst Calum stayed home with Mara, not much on their to do list apart from pick up a few things for dinner. They’d made it to the supermarket and he’d let her help like she usually did, grabbing what she could reach from the shelves when he asked her to.

That was until they reached her favourite aisle - the treat aisle, and they didn’t have her favourite chocolate buttons which Calum had promised her if she behaved, which she usually did. She got way more upset than he expected, which lead to Calum having to discipline her in the middle of the shop.

If there was anything Mara hated more than Calum being angry at her, it was when it was in public and she couldn’t go and be alone like she usually would when she was upset. You and Calum had taught her that time out was for her to reflect on her feelings after she had misbehaved, and it helped her to calm down, but she couldn’t do that when they weren’t at home.

Calum hated seeing her so upset, but felt annoyed that she had reacted over something so little. He knew she was only a child and she was probably just tired, but he hated having to tell her off.

You arrived home a few hours later, able to tell that something had happened as Mara was quietly sat colouring at her table, whilst Calum made dinner.

“Hey, Cal,” You set your bags and coat down next to the door, before moving closer to him to kiss him hello. “Is everything okay? Seems too quiet in here, baby.”

“We had a bit of an issue in the supermarket.” He started, sighing into your neck as you wrapped your arms around his shoulder. “I shouted at her and she hasn’t wanted to talk to me since, so I just let her have her space.”

Mara always tried to avoid whoever had shouted at her after it happened, feeling guilty as it wasn’t in her nature. You greeted her too, dropping a kiss to her forehead and running your hands through her dark curls as she continued colouring.

It wasn’t until later that night that she had gotten into bed, and she heard Calum coming upstairs that she took her opportunity to get his attention. Calum had been in a bad mood for the rest of the evening, feeling as guilty as Mara did for shouting at her, even though he knew it had to be done.

“Daddy?” Her small voice appeared from her bedroom, her princess night light illuminating the room in a soft pink glow. His heart melted at her calling for him, and he couldn’t resist going to stand at her door.

“Yes, little moon?” He replied, sending her a reassuring smile to silently let her know that he wasn’t mad at her anymore.

“Can you come tuck me in? Please?” She requested, pouting at him as he made his way to her bed and lifted her into his arms. She instantly wrapped her little arms around his neck and cuddled into his warmth, each of them forgetting any of the negative feeling they felt towards eachother earlier in the day.

“Of course, sweetheart.” He murmured into her hair, kissing her cheek before pulling back her duvet and setting her down in the bed. She snuggled down into the soft sheets, reaching out for her favourite bear and holding it in her grasp as he pulled the blanket up to her shoulders to keep her warm. “I love you, okay? So much.”

“I love you too, daddy.”

***

Send me a boy & a prompt from this list!

Taglist: @irwinkitten @i-calumhood @gorgeouslygrace @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @fivesecondsof-mee @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @dammitbands @flowerthug @evepops @youngblood199456 @aliencal

Masterlist

[nostalgiabones]

Dad Calum and Marama is acting unusually bratty, being a terrible two-year-old and is throwing a full blown tantrum, and Calum has to lay down the law. But really makes her cry. I love your writing.

“Mara? It’s nap time!”

In her two years of life so far, Mara had become the most well behaved toddler that you or Calum could’ve asked for. Apart from the occasional little tantrum, she was always kind to others and listened to everything you and Calum asked her to do.

Until this particular day.

“No!” Calum heard her voice moving further away, where she was heading towards the back doors to try and go in the garden, to hide from Calum. He could move quicker than her little legs; he soon found her, mischief in her eyes and no intention of taking a nap.

“Yes.” He replied, shaking the warm bottle of milk in his hand, that he had prepared for nap time. It was part of their usual routine; he would sit in the rocking chair with her settled in her arms, giving her a bottle whilst reading a book to her. “Come on, my little moon. You know it’s nap time, we can play later.”

“No dada.” She refused again, wriggling in his arms as he expertly scooped her up in one swoop, to hold her to his chest. “Down! No!”

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as she hit her little hands against his chest, which was so out of character for her. It didn’t hurt, of course, but he knew he had to tell her it was wrong.

“Mara! We don’t hit people. Stop hitting dada.” He said firmly, which started a round of tears as she tried to get out of his grasp again. She was never usually like this; it was so unusual for her, and he didn’t know what had gotten into her. “You know that’s not nice. Say sorry, please.”

She looked away from him guiltily, knowing she’d done something wrong and not wanting Calum to be upset with her. But she also really, really didn’t want to nap.

“Sorry.” She mumbled against his chest, still avoiding looking at him and not settling in his arms. “Down, please.”

“Thank you. But no, it’s nap time Mara. But we’re not having cuddles or a story today, okay? Just sleep.” Calum told her, entering her nursery and closing the pastel yellow curtains, to block the light a little so she could sleep. Mara cried harder at his words, suddenly clinging to him and not wanting to be put down in the crib.

“Cuddles, please? Please cuddles, dada.” She sobbed incoherently, reaching out to him as he stood at the edge of her crib. His heart was aching seeing her so upset and wanting him, but he knew she needed to learn not to misbehave. All he wanted to do was scoop her up and rock her to sleep like usual, but he needed to teach her a lesson.

“Not today, Mara. You know we don’t hit people. Dada will come back after your nap, okay?” He spoke to her in a calm voice, not being able to resist wiping the tears from her soft cheeks in an attempt to soothe her a little. He hated seeing her this upset, and hoped she’d feel better after she slept. 

He set her down in the crib, gently draping her blanket over her as she kept crying and trying to reach up to him. He tried to ignore her cries as much as he could, as much as it was hurting his heart. But he knew it needed to be done, so she would learn.

“Go to sleep, Mara. I’ll come back after your nap, okay?” He cooed to her, continuing to stroke her cheek in an attempt to calm her down without giving into her too much. “Love you, baby girl.”

It was so hard for him to walk away from her crib and leave her crying, but he felt proud of his abilities to be strong. Her nap time felt like the longest two hours of his life; he knew she’d eventually cried herself out because he checked on her half an hour in, and she was fast asleep.

He managed to last for the two hours she’d usually nap for, before he made his way back to her room. He found her slowly waking up, rubbing her eyes and finding her lost pacifier, placing it back in her mouth.

“Hi, sleepy girl.” Calum melted at her sleepy eyes and soft demeanour, all the annoyance he had felt melting away as she reached up to him. “Did you have a good sleep? Are you in a better mood now?”

“Sorry, dada.” She cuddled into him as he picked her up, settling her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back. “Love you.”

Calum wanted to cry as he held her close, his heart melting at her words. “I love you too, my little moon. Thank you for the sorry.”

“Duke?” She called out, wondering where her little best friend was.

“Yeah, shall we go find him?” Calum replied, kissing her forehead as she woke up a little more, heading downstairs to locate Duke. As he held her in his arms, he was glad that she’d woken up in a much better mood, and that his telling off had been effective. As much as he hated doing it, he knew he’d always get his sweet baby girl back.

Taglist: @irwinkitten @i-calumhood @gorgeouslygrace @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @fivesecondsof-mee @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @dammitbands (message me to be added!)

Masterlist

[nostalgiabones]

A Day of Sleep and Cuddles // Dad!Calum

@i-calumhood: hey pumpkin, for your blurb week, may i suggest a calum and mara thing where she gets a cold and you can’t take off work so cal stays home from the studio to take care of her, and just so many snuggles and movies and naps and cal’s heart just hurts bc she’s so miserable and he hates seeing his moon in pain :( love you lauren, congrats again on 10k!!! ����😍

“I promise it’ll make you feel better, my little moon.” Calum tried to bargain with Marama, who was wailing sadly in his arms and shaking her head against his shoulder. 

“No, dada.” She mumbled again, not liking the look of the thick yellow medicine sat on the spoon in her dad’s hand, waiting for her to swallow it. She wasn’t silly. She knew it wouldn’t taste good, and that’s why she was refusing to have it. Every time Calum had to give Mara medicine, he always wondered why the companies that produced it didn’t make it look more appealing - not bright yellow, like the banana medicine he was trying to get her to take. 

She had woken that morning with a fever, her skin much hotter than usual and causing her so much discomfort. She had picked up a cold from the nursery that she attended a few days a week - her nose was blocked, her chest congested, she was so sad. It broke Calum’s heart to see her unwell, and he was happy he managed to get the day off from the studio to stay home and take care of her. 

“As soon as you have this, we can watch Moana on the sofa with Duke.” He promised her, knowing she was due another nap. She rubbed her sore nose and eyes against his t-shirt, and Calum found himself not caring about the mess she had left there. As a dad, he had been covered in all kinds of bodily fluids, and it no longer fazed him. He just wanted her to feel better. He knew the crying wasn’t helping, making her breathing more raspy as she coughed in between cries. “Shh shh, baby girl. I know you aren’t feeling well, but this will help. Come on, sweetheart.”

He rubbed her back, trying to coax her to open up and let him give her the medicine. He had her bottle filled with water ready for afterwards, to get the taste out of her mouth and keep her hydrated. She reluctantly opened her mouth and he quickly moved the spoon towards her before she changed her mind, watching as her nose scrunched up and her cries increased at the taste. 

“That’s my big girl.” He cooed, aimlessly throwing the spoon into the sink and grabbing her water, letting her drink at it thirstily. “Good girl. Where’s Duke? Shall we go and watch Moana now?” 

Her sleepy eyes lit up at the mention of her furry brother, settling her head against Calum’s neck as he carried her into the lounge. He had several blankets, teddies and pacifiers at the ready, trying anything he could to soothe and cheer her up. He whistled for Duke, not having to wait long before he could hear little paws tapping along the wooden floors of the house. 

He managed to get comfortable on the sofa without having to move Mara, which she was happy about. She clung to the neck of his t-shirt, his familiar heartbeat and warm skin soothing to her as she cuddled into him. He kissed her soft curls, as an added reassurance that he was there. His heart melted as she nuzzled her head in further to his neck, sucking her pacifier harder to soothe herself.

“Dada, ouch.” She mumbled sadly, Calum’s heart aching in his chest at her words. He didn’t know exactly what she was talking about; it could’ve been her throat, her chest, or ears. But all he knew was that he would do anything to try and make it better. “Ouch.”

“I know, little moon. I know you’re hurting.” He sighed, hoping she understood that he couldn’t fix it quite as easily as he liked to. He ran a hand through her messy curls, the soothing motion making her close her eyes, the exhaustion of not feeling well catching up with her. “Shall we have a little sleep?”

She nodded against his neck and he rocked her, hoping the movement would get her to sleep a little faster. He could hear the rasp in her breathing as she fell asleep, and he rubbed her back a little firmer to try and clear it. She was just about to fall asleep; that was until she suddenly tensed up and sneezed against his chest, causing a whole new bout of tears.

“Oh, bless you, little moon.” Calum cooed, wiping her nose before readjusting her in his arms. “It’s okay, you can go back to sleep. Shhh.” 

He persisted with the rocking and quietened the TV, in an effort to get her to go back to sleep. His heart rate settled a little when her raspy breathing evened out and she fell asleep, but not letting go of his t-shirt between her chubby fingers. He kissed her cheek, pulling a blanket over the three of them as he held her as she slept, content she had finally settled. “Sleep tight, little moon.”

Send me a request for my 10k celebration blurb week!

Taglist: @irwinkitten @i-calumhood @gorgeouslygrace @luckyduckydoo @letstaketheups-and-downs @jazzyangel242 @cashworthy @babylon-corgis @norawashere e @monsteramongmikey @late-nightdevil @fivesecondsof-mee @maluminspace @fluffsshawn @xhaileyreneex @dammitbands (message me to be added!) ♥️

Masterlist

[nostalgiabones]

I'm back🥺 so for pool days mara would totally be in two little braids and a bucket hat🥺 probably with a bathing suit match to her moms🥺 making calum cry because his girls are so cute🥺

That’s so cute! Mara with a bucket hat on that she hates because it flops in front of her eyes and she can’t see, so she’s trying to take it off and Calum has to be like “uh uh baby, you have to keep the hat on if you want to go in the pool” so she’s grumpily pouting up at him from behind her hat lmao. Ugh that’s so sweet though🥺 imagine Calum trying to get suncream on her? She just wants to go and swim but Calum insists on covering her in head to toe with sunscreen, including her face so by the time she’s ready to go she’s like dad get away from me akdhskdh

[nostalgiabones]

🥺🥺🥺 also at the beginning of quarantine calum was so sure he's such a genius for having pool days because besides how fun they had mara was lowkey passing out on his chest before her bedtime and sleep so good and then he'd get some alone time with her equally cute mom😌 but at this point in quarantine she's... so over it lmao

Oh my god that’s so cute lmao. Yeah at the start of quarantine Calum is like “okay this isn’t so bad, I get to spend so much time at home with my family” and had so many ideas for them to still have fun. Pool days would be so sweet because Mara would just want to spend hours splashing around in the water and pretending to dunk Calum in the water and she’d love it so much. Then Calum would have to force her out of the pool for dinner/bath time, and by the time he’s getting her dried and into her pyjamas she’s rubbing her eyes and trying to cuddle him so she can go to sleep, and he’d have to be like “just hold on for two more minutes, sweetheart” and then she’d sleep allll night so you had some time together. But then after three months of being inside Calum has done every single thing he could think of to entertain Mara and she’d just be so bored of everything he tried to do lmao. Like he’d try to get her in the pool again and she’s just like uninterested in everything since it’s been the same for so long which means she definitely would not sleep as well, leading to Calum’s sleepy lunch dates with Ashton😌

Let’s talk about dad!sos!

[nostalgiabones]

I once saw this video of a dad reading his kid a book about daddies and as soon as he‘s finished the kid says Mama as their first word, so could you maybe write Calum doing the same thing and expecting Mara to say Daddy and she just looks at you and says Mama. Calum‘s like so shocked cause he just said the word Daddy probably 50 times to her and she still said Mama

(In case anyone wants to see the video - this is it! It’s SO cute 🥺)

He’d be so desperate for Mara’s first word to be dada that he would be trying everything he could to get her to say it. She babbles random sounds a lot so he’d constantly be saying “dada” to her to get her to say it. His last attempt at getting her to say it would be to get a book in which he’d end up saying the word dada so many times.

So he’s sat in the soft rocking chair in the corner of the nursery with her in his arms, and he’s reading the book to her before her afternoon nap. It was part of their daily routine; he loved reading to her and seeing her fall asleep in his arms. But today he was determined to finish the book before she fell asleep so that she’d say dada before she slept.

He’d start to read the book and she’d help to turn the pages like she always did, her chubby hands reaching out and flicking between the pages, even before Calum was done reading it. But he loved it. She’d start to get sleepier but he’d keep reading, saying and reading the word “dada” on every page. You’d enter the room and sit with them, wanting to be there in case she did end up saying her first word, and not wanting to miss it.

They’d nearly reach the end of the book and he’d turn to the last page and point to it, saying “who is it Mara? Who am I?” and he’d just wait excitedly for her to say it. She’d look up at him with sleepy eyes and her pacifier would slip out of her lips as she called out “mama!” and reached her arms out to you.

You’d both gasp in surprise and probably startle her and she’d reach out for you again, and you’d pull her into your arms and cuddle her. “That’s right, baby girl! You said your first word!”

“That’s not fair! I had a whole book!” Calum would exclaim, a tiny bit annoyed that he hadn’t managed to get her to say dada first, but how cute she sounded saying mama making it less hard to take. “That’s okay, little moon. As long as you promise that dada is gonna be your next word.”

Send me a request for blurb week!