Lachlan's P.O.V.
"Lachlan!" I heard Simon called up the stairs and I turned, pulling my headphones off my head and mussing my hand through my hair. Although it was barely past 10 o'clock on the morning I was exhausted and it was probably because of the all nighters I had pulled in the last week.
I was preparing for the next week when the Pack, the group of 5 other boys that I was a part of, was coming to London to stay with the Sidemen and I. I had made videos ahead of time so that I could spend as much time as I could with them while they were there.
"LACHLAN!!!" I sighed and rubbed my eyes with my fists, slipping gently from my desk chair and padding over to the door. At first I didn't know why he was calling me, the first flight, which was Preston's, didn't get in until 3 o'clock that afternoon.
"What?" I called back softly, my exhaustion clear in my voice. I had been hoping to get a nap in before the boys arrived but it was clear that wasn't the plan because someone was standing in the doorway. And that someone was Rob.
"Lachlan!" He cried, rushing up the stairs to meet me as I slowly made my way down. He knocked into my and I oofed, stumbling back and almost falling onto my butt on the stairs. He laughed but wrapped his hands around my waist and squeezed tightly. I sighed, my head resting on his shoulder.
"Hey Rob." I said tiredly and Rob looked up at once, tipping my head towards him so I was looking at him in the eyes. He called down to Simon.
"Simon! How much sleep had he gotten in the past few days!" The was a yell of,
"I don't know, a few hours maybe! He refused to go to sleep cause he was recording and editing videos so he could stay with you guys!" He sighed, taking my hand. "You're going to sleep right now. I don't care if you're not awake by the time the others arrive, but you're going to bed."
I didn't even attempt to fight him, knowing that he wasn't going to give up until I was in bed and fast asleep. I was exhausted too, so it would be nice to sleep.
He took my hand and pulled me back up the stairs, tugging me into my bedroom. I sat down on my bed, my head nodding, as I watched Rob turn to shut down my computer and helped me pulled my t-shirt and socks off before making me lie down underneath the duvet.
"Do you want me to stay?" He was sat on the bed beside me, carding his hand through my hair. I thought for a second before nodding. I didn't want to be alone. "Okay Lachy, budge over."
He nudged my hip and slipped under the duvet beside me, one of his hands sliding under my waist and the other resting just behind my neck.
"Just sleep okay. I'll be here."
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"Hey Rob." The soft voice spoke and Rob's chest vibrated as he hummed in reply. "How long have you been here?"
"A few hours, he's hardly slept all week because he's been recording videos so he could spend more time with us."
"Ohhh that's so sweet... Are you gonna wake him soon? Mitch and Jerome 'ill be here in like half an hour or something and that'll be the last of us." I felt him shrug his shoulders.
"I dunno, I want to let him sleep for a while. He was exhausted when I got here, hardly able to stand if I'm being honest. I'll see if he wakes up on his own." I felt his hand in my hair and I stirred, pushing my head into his touch.
"Look at that, he's waking up now." There was another gentle hand on my shoulder and again I leaned into it, the touch light and comforting.
"Hey Lachy, wake up, the boys are here." I stirred again and forced my eyes open, looking up to see Vikk sat beside me and Rob with his arms still around my waist. "You feeling better now?"
I nodded. The tiredness that had previously filled my bones was faded and I felt refreshed and rested for the first time in days.
"Good. The others are here, you wanna get up?" Again I nodded. I stretched out my arms and sat up, wrestling myself out of Rob's grip and slipping from the side of the bed, my feet landing on the carpeted floor.
Vikk tackled me into a hug as soon as I was standing on my own and I smiled to myself, resting my chin on the top of his head. He was tiny compared to me so whenever I saw him, often considering we both lived in London, I leant up against him.
"It's nice to see you again Lachy." Rob stood beside me and took my hand, making me blush a fierce red as I realised what he was doing. It was no secret to them that I was bi but had a preference for guys and although Rob hadn't come out fully just then, he had told me he was pan.
The three of us padded down the stairs and I had barely made it through the kitchen door before I was tackled by an energetic blur of caramel brown hair and excited squeals who went by the name of Preston.
His hands latched around my waist and I hugged him back, mussing his hair with my fingers and laughing as he jumped up and down. I hadn't seen him in an least a year so he had good reason to be excited.
"Hey Presto, good to see you too." I kissed the top of his head and looked up as two more people came towards me and hugged me too. "Hey Mitch, hey Jerome."
Mitch smiled and tucked himself underneath my chin, his arms intertwining with Preston's and preventing me from moving, his hazel hair tickling my neck. Jerome stood behind me and his arms reaching out under my arms and wrapping up to my shoulders.
"Hey guys." I looked up over the huddle of boys and smiled at Josh and Simon, sat at the breakfast bar, and looking over the group of us as we greeted each other for the first time in years, other than Vikk obviously.
Vikk joined in the huddle after a few seconds of hesitation and Rob, still standing off to the side, smiling, and I motioned him to join us in the group hug. He did so and for a few minutes it was blissful silence as we just hugged.
"Alright, alright, I'm being squashed!" Preston cried from in the middle of the huddle and we broke it off, giggling and side hugging the others. It was nice to see them all again after so long of being apart.
We managed to make our way to the couches, collapsing in little groups in big huddles and piles of limbs and giggles. Simon and Josh joined us and a few minutes later so did JJ, having heard our commotion from upstairs, and there we all lay, curled up together as one big, happy, dysfunctional as hell family.
Rob and Vikk were right beside me on the beanbags, Vikk with his head on my chest and Rob pretty much on top of me, both giggling excessively and trying to get as much room on top of me as they could, pushing each other off.
Simon, Josh, JJ, Mitch, Jerome and Preston were all curled up in one huge mass of limbs and laughter. I couldn't even tell whose limbs were whose but they were all laughing and poking each other and trying to push each other off the couch.
It took another few minutes before they started to calm down, settling so they were all curled up together, Preston up beside Simon and JJ and Mitch and Jerome almost on top of Josh, still whispering and smiling together.
We lay like that for at least half an hour before the doorbell rang and excited footsteps ran down the hall. I smiled, knowing that it was Harry, Tobi and Ethan who had told us that they were going to come around when the boys arrived.
Harry was the first to round the corner.
"Hey! I'm here!!!" He scrambled onto the cuddle pile with me, Vikk and Rob, curling around behind my head. Ethan and Tobi joined the bigger cuddle pile, somehow slotting themselves between the masses of limbs and giggles.
"Cuddle puddle!" Harry cried out and it caused a wave of giggles around the dozen of us.
We pulled a movie up, Mulan cause we were all big kids, and settled down together. It was comforting to be with all of them and Rob's head underneath my chin was an even bigger comfort because the weight was so real and warm and there.
He looked up at me, smiling gently. His hand came up and touched my cheek, leaning up amongst the pile of limbs and kissed my lower jaw, softly and with so much love held in that kiss.
I flushed fiery red and covered my mouth but on the inside I was grinning to myself. No one had noticed, their attention all focused on the movie.
"I love you." He mouthed. I smiled.
