Breaking barriers

28- Tantrums

When Delilah wakes up, she's absolutely furious that her daddy isn't next to her.

She shrieks and begins sobbing, which calls Michael to the room she's sleeping in.

"Babygirl..." Michael hums sympathetically.

Delilah sits up and looks at him and then shrieks again. "Want Daddy!"

"I know little one," Michael attempts to pick the small girl up but she screams 'NO!' And slaps his hands away. "Delilah, be nice please, lovely. I know you're upset." Michael sighs, smiling at Delilah, but she just huffs and then screams, burying her face into a pillow as screaming and sobbing out her frustrations.

Ashton and Calum come in with questioning looks.

"Tantrum?" Ashton asks, and Mikey shrugs sadly.

"Looks like it."

"Delilah." Calums voice comes strong but my harsh, and he picks the little girl up, but she kicks and fights, screaming. When Calum put his hand over her mouth she bites him hard, and he gasps and drops her on to the bed to continue screaming and sobbing.

"Delilah! Not okay little girl." Ashton scolds, picking her up and ignoring her fights as he Carrie she'd downstairs and pulls a chair into a corner. "You sir your naughty little butt right there for biting uncle Calum, understand?"

Delilah screams and throws herself to the floor, kicking Ashton away when he tries to grab her again, and he sighs.

Ashton sighs. "Delilah, I'm going to call your daddy and tell him how naughty you're being." He says loudly so he'll be heard over her screams.

Delilah sits up and huffs in breaths. "Daddy!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna call your daddy and tell him you're being bad."

"Bad daddy! Bad uncle! Fuck you!" Delilah shrieks and then begins sobbing and kicking again.

Ashton sighs and pulls his phone out of his pocket, dialing Luke.

"Hey ash." Luke sounds absolutely rough, and it makes Ashton cringe in sympathy.

"Hey bud."

"Ugh, I can hear Delilah. When'd the tantrum start?" Luke groans.

"Soon as she woke up today." Ashton says. "Like, ten minutes ago. She bit Calum and I tried to put her in timeout but that's not exactly working out."

"Lemme talk to her." Luke sighs, sounding absolutely done.

"Delilah. Look at me, your daddy wants to talk to you." Delilah looks at Ashton and glares.

"No! Fuck daddy! Bad daddy!" Delilah yells and then continues her tantrum.

Ashton can hear Luke groan. "Okay. I'm gonna be there in like, a half hour." Luke sounds angry, and Ashton cringes.

"Don't worry about it luke, we can handle it, o just figured she might calm down, but-"

"No, no. There's nothing I can do here and she's evidently not doing too well. I mean, I'm not surprised." Luke sighs. "Anyway, yeah, half hour."

"Alright, lu. Be safe, okay? You sound dead."

"Yeah, I will. See you in a bit."

Luke hangs up and Ashton tries to catch Delilah's attention, but she won't listen. Michael and Calum come down and all three stare at the girl.

"What should we do?" Michael asks.

"My mom used to just ignore my little siblings when they wouldn't quit tantrums." Ashton mumbles.

"She's gonna make herself sick." Calum sighs.

"Well I don't see many other options." Ashton shrugs. So the four get out cereal and eat, pretending the girls screams don't hurt their ears as trying to have a conversation.

Luke doesn't knock, he just comes in and to the kitchen.

"Delilah, baby." He sighs and speaks loudly. Delilah pauses and sits up to look at him, breathing heavily. Luke holds his arms out for her to come to him, and she stands silently, but then runs upstairs.

Luke sighs and plops down at the table, resting his head on his arms.

"You want some food, Luke?" Calum asks, and Luke shrugs.

Calum makes Luke a bowl of cereal and Luke eats sleepily. He doesn't go fetch Delilah until he's done, giving her some time and space to think, but she's silent the whole time.

"You look exhausted, dude. You should take a nap or something. Did you sleep at all last night?"

Luke shakes his head to Michael's question. "I will. Delilah could probably use one as well after that fit." Luke puts his bowl in the sink before trudging upstairs.

"Babygirl, come here." He calls through the halls, listening silently. He hears a sniffle and goes into the room Delilah slept in last night, smiling at the little girl curled into herself in the far corner of the room. Luke sits on the bed with his elbows on his knees, looking at the little girl who has tear streaks down her face.

"You mad at daddy, sweetheart?" He asks softly, and Delilah glances o meet his eyes before looking down again.

"I missed you so much, doll. I'm sorry I had to leave you with Cali for so long baby, but I had to. It was important. You understand?" Delilah shrugs and looks at her daddy again. He looks horrible, she notes.

"Uckle jack?" Delilah whimpers, and Luke smiles a bit.

"He's really badly hurt, you understand? He... he's gonna be okay though, I think."

Luke stands and starts to walk towards Delilah, and she whines, stopping her daddy.

"What's wrong, babygirl? Daddy missed you, I want loves. Didn't you miss daddy?" Luke pouts, sitting on the floor a few feet away from Delilah.

"Naughty?" Delilah mumbles, and Luke smiles.

"Yeah, baby, you were naughty this morning, huh?"

"S-spank?" She whimpers. Luke shakes his head with a kind smile.

"No, no spankies. Daddy understands why you were naughty. But you shouldn't do it anymore." Luke tries to explain. Delilah understands the message. "Now please come give daddy hugs and kisses? I don't feel good and I missed my baby so much." Luke pouts, and Delilah crawls forward and into Luke's lap, letting him pick her up and squeeze her tight, laying kisses all over her cheeks.

"Se agapó, Delilah. I love you so much. Daddy loves you."

"Se agapó daddy. I love you."

"Are you hungry, bunny? Num nums?"

"Es dada." Delilah hums in response, wiping her eyes and cuddling into Luke's chest, burying her face in his neck.

"Let's go eat you some breakfast."

Luke takes Delilah downstairs and she clings to him as she apologizes to the boys, cute little mumbles of "sowwy Cali, sowwy ashy, sowwy Mickey." and as daddy feeds her breakfast.

After that, Delilah makes no protest as Delilah lays down with her in the guest room she slept in and falls right to sleep in her daddy's arms.