Disclaimer: I don't own Sky High.
Title: Paranoid
Author's note: the original characters in this story are based on the characters in my Tales of Chaos series on my other FFNet account. (See my profile for links.)
...
Written for AirmidM
Prompt: Layla/Warren. You know my feelings about ratings ha ha. Layla has convinced Warren to have an evening just for them. The world is under their control and no one would dare attack The Hive. But, Warren hasn't let their child out of his sight since he was born. As in he carries the baby, the baby sleeps on his chest... he has lost ALL his shit and is hyper-vigilant mode. Freida and Nina have arrived to watch their grandson and they are going to that awesome space Layla created for them in the forest. But, he is torn: time alone with Layla (really wants that) vs being there to protect his son (he knows it is safe, but he has lost ALL his shit so he is panicking in a truly Warren way.) bonus Nev for you if they end up out their private space for two days once Layla gets him there.
...
When Layla had given birth to their son, Warren had been speechless on seeing the tiny baby with ten perfect fingers and toes, his scrunched up little face, and the life they'd made together. Ethan and Zach had been in the waiting room, moral support for both Layla and Warren, and had come into the room at Layla's insistence, Warren still too overwhelmed to say or do anything other than stare. Zach had looked at the tiny baby and burst out crying, Ethan consoling him with a hug and tissues.
"He's perfect, Lay. He's like you and Warren, and... your maximum love," Zach sniffled.
Maximum love had to be the most ridiculous phrase in the world ever (and this was coming from Warren, who had fought against The Punny Guy), but somehow, the name 'Max' stuck and their son was named Max. Warren adamantly refused to tell his son how the name had come about.
He had also refused to leave Max alone. Since seeing the tiny baby - so small and fragile and breakable - Warren had been seized with the fear that something would happen to Max. He had no idea what that something was, only that it would inevitably be something bad. He was too young to feed himself, to walk or talk or even communicate in ASL or Morse Code, let alone defend himself against the last remaining superheroes of the world.
Sure, Layla and Warren had agreed to put off a few heists and let the others control things for a few months, and no one outside of their group even knew about Max, but that didn't mean they were safe. The superheroes were always plotting and planning, trying to get into the Hive from ground and air, and what if Max was kidnapped or hurt?! No, it was better that Max stayed within his sight at all times.
"Warren, Max will never learn to walk if you keep carrying him everywhere," Layla murmured, looking a mix between fond and concerned when she saw Max sleeping peacefully on Warren's chest yet again.
"He's two months old. He can walk later. Not too far though," Warren amended, stroking Max's back gently.
Layla's mouth set in a firm line, and Warren immediately knew that he'd said something wrong. "Hand Max over. He needs to be fed soon, and I'd rather he didn't latch on to your nipple again."
Warren winced at the memory, but he shook his head. "It's all right. I'll bring him over when he wakes up."
"Do you not trust me with our baby?" Layla asked, hands on her hips.
"Of course I do. I just... I want to hold him a little longer. You had him for nine months," Warren replied, hoping the words would smooth over the conversation so he could move on.
He'd spent too long in one place already; what if the superheroes had gained control of the satellites again? Could they see inside of the Hive with infrared or heat signatures? Warren held Max a little closer, hoping that his heat signature would blend in with his son's.
"Has Adam said anything about the satellites?" he asked, his voice a little more frantic than he intended.
Layla's expression swiftly moved from fond to confused. "Warren, that was five years ago. We have all of the superheroes under constant supervision and there's no way they're escaping."
"They said the same thing about my father," Warren muttered, not quite under his breath.
"The only reason your father escaped was because we broke him out!" Layla said. "There's no one left to sympathise with the heroes, okay? There's no one who would dare cross us to even attempt to let them out. Can you please just let Max sleep in his crib tonight? I miss you," she said, moving closer to press a kiss to Warren's jawline.
He could feel the beard that was starting to grow along his chin, the bristles of his hair probably rough against Layla's lips. Warren wondered if he could hurt Max by kissing him with a beard. He probably would; beard burn wasn't great for most people, especially not babies with such sensitive skin. How was he going to shave with one hand though?
Max moved against Warren's chest, murmuring in his baby way, a babble and awareness slowly starting to seep in as he started to wake up. Warren hushed him gently, stroking his head and bouncing Max a little as well. Not to be deterred, Max woke up completely, blinked widely at his surroundings. He saw his mother and gurgled at her happily, reaching out for her with his chubby fists.
"Max is hungry, Warren. You're not going to let our baby become malnourished, are you?" Layla asked.
Warren looked from Max to Layla and then back again. He warred between keeping Max safe and letting Max go hungry. Finally, Max started to cry, hunger taking over his happiness, and Warren couldn't stand to see his baby cry. He handed Max to Layla, who soothed Max with kisses and silly babbling noises, Max giggling at her. Unclipping her bra, Layla cradled Max and let him attach to her breast, humming a song under her breath as he drank his fill.
Warren watched anxiously, refraining from looking up at the ceiling, at the infrared and heat signature satellites that he could feel overhead. His worry wasn't subtle enough, because Layla stopped her song as she looked over to him. Warren felt tired - he'd only slept a few hours in the past three days - and he wondered what she saw.
"You need to rest, Warren. You look ready to collapse," Layla said.
Warren shook his head, bile rising in his throat at the idea of leaving Max alone, unprotected. "No, I'm... I'm fine. I just... I need Max now."
"No, you need a shower and a sleep," Layla said, stepping back with Max still cradled in her arms.
She was through the doorway before Warren could even stand up properly - goddamn, he was exhausted - and behind her, the vines shut Warren in their room firmly. He knew from experience that setting the curtain of vines on fire would only cause them to bloom and Layla to get pissed off.
"I'm calling Frieda and your mother," Layla said through the curtain. "You can either trust me to look after our son, or you can spend the next hour pacing," she added.
Warren spent fifteen minutes pacing. He only stopped because he was too tired to continue, and on collapsing on the seat he'd been sitting in for the past few hours, Warren realised that he really did stink.
Bacteria was a thing, and it was bad for babies, wasn't it? How much bacteria was swarming across his body at that very moment?! How much was in his beard?
Having a shower took up another fifteen minutes, Warren ensuring to scrub and clean every inch of his body as much as possible. He then shaved his beard off until his cheeks were as smooth as Max's butt. Once Warren was dried and dressed in clean clothes - the clothes he'd discarded were burnt and the ashes washed down the shower drain, just in case the bacteria was still there - he sat on his chair and basically thought himself into a giant mess of nerves and anxiety.
What if Max was used to his higher body temperature now and got cold? Would Layla know how to change his diaper so that Max wouldn't get a rash? How would Max be entertained without Mr. Bun Bun?
Warren held the plush bunny in his hands, as careful with the toy as his son, but it wasn't the same. He must have dozed off because the next thing he knew, the curtains were open, and Layla had returned with Max.
"Your mother's here, and so is Frieda. Max wants Mr. Bun Bun," Layla said, holding her hand out for the toy.
Warren held it back. "No. I want to carry Max," he said, already worrying because Layla was holding Max with one hand instead of two.
"We both know you won't let go of Max if I give him back. You need to calm down, Warren. You're freaking everyone out with your paranoia."
"I'm not paranoid!"
"Yeah, dude, you totally are. Craig almost jumped into the moat earlier because he thought he was being followed," Zach called, standing a safe distance away in the hallway.
"Who was following him?!"
"A duck."
Warren blinked. "What?"
Zach shrugged. "There was a duck hanging around the moat, and Craig freaked out because you're freaking out."
"Why was the duck alone?" Warren asked.
"Oh god, Warren, can you hear yourself?" Layla asked incredulously. "There are no supers that can shift into animals, okay? Even Cee can't. It was just a duck. Now, hand Mr. Bun Bun over and no one gets hurt," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Warren was still suspicious about that duck, but he handed the stuffed bunny over to Layla reluctantly. "Please, hippie. I'll just carry Max to Mum and Frieda."
"You've had Max for the past three days," Layla said, holding Max and Mr. Bun Bun, and heading out of the room without looking back.
When the curtains didn't lock him in, Warren practically ran after them. He skidded to a halt when Layla turned into the living room. Nina and Frieda both looked over to him, their conversation stopping short when they saw the frantic expression on his face. Frieda took Max from Layla, cooing and adoring her grandson immediately. Layla smiled and held Mr. Bun Bun out for Max, who giggled at the sight of his favourite toy. Nina stood up and led Warren down to the kitchen, her grip on his arm the only thing strong enough to move him away from his son.
"Sit down and eat something, Warren," Nina said firmly, sitting him at the table.
Nina opened the fridge and took out a sandwich that had been made for him earlier in the day, setting in front of him and waiting expectantly. Warren hadn't eaten it at lunch time, even though he could have done so one handed, because he'd only just got Max to sleep and didn't want to risk the crumbs or sound of him chewing to wake him up.
"I'm not hungry. I need to watch Max," Warren said, halfway to standing up.
"You're acting just like your father," Nina said, shaking her head.
For once, those words weren't tinged with anger or hurt, just amusement. On recognising his mother's tone, Warren sat down again.
"When you were born, Barron went a bit crazy. He thought everyone was planning to use you against him, or trying to kidnap you. I mean, he did kidnap you later, but that's not the point," Nina said, a little wryly. "He wouldn't eat, refused to sleep, and there were times when he almost peed himself just so he wouldn't have to leave you alone. He drove me nuts."
"I'm allowed to be worried about Max, Mum. Besides, Dad didn't have control of the world; he didn't have whole factions trying to kill him or anyone close to him!"
Nina was silent for a long moment. "He might not have had control over the world, but that doesn't mean people didn't try to kill him or me because of my relationship with him. Nor does it make your reactions any less similar."
"Who tried to kill you?" Warren asked, his eyes wide. It was the first he'd ever heard of it, and he felt the same sort of protectiveness overcome him at the thought of his mother ever being harmed.
"It was a long time ago and your father already killed them. Now eat your sandwich or I'll make you eat it," Nina warned, crossing her arms and watching.
Warren felt an itching sensation in his head. "Fine! I'm eating," he muttered, grabbing the sandwich and taking a big bite, just to appease his mother.
The itching sensation left the same moment he swallowed. Realising that he was actually hungry, Warren finished the sandwich in a matter of minutes, and then grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table.
"You have people with you who would protect Max with their lives, and you need to sleep and relax and actually take some time for yourself. You can't spend every minute of every day focused on your son, because when Max leaves you for school or a partner, you'll have nothing left of your own."
Warren chewed and swallowed the last of his apple, throwing the core over his mother's head to the compost bin that was sitting beside the kitchen island. "I'm keeping him safe."
"You're in the safest place in the world, Warren. I can't even get in the Hive without an escort, and I'm your mother," Nina said with a slight grin. "Do you honestly think any of your friends - let alone the trees outside - would let Max come to any sort of harm? Zach and Ethan love Max like he's their own son, and I haven't seen Craig this happy since he last saw his nephews."
The reminder of Craig's nephews made Warren go still for a moment. Cara had gone into witness protection with her sons long before Warren and Layla had taken over the world, and the records had been destroyed so that not even Adam could find them. Honey said that Cara had hidden both herself and the twins from her sight, and no one had heard from them in over ten years. Craig always hid the pain behind an over the top smile, but Warren knew that Cara and the twins' departure had hurt him deeply. Warren had hardly noticed that Craig had been smiling more genuinely ever since Layla had announced her pregnancy. Craig had been the one to organise the baby shower, rather than Wendy or Ethan, and he had also been the one to suggest creating a nursery for the baby. Warren briefly wondered if the twins even remembered their uncle or if Cara had succeeded in removing every bit of evidence about her villainous brother from their lives.
"It's not that I don't trust them or think that they won't protect Max with their lives, it's just..." Warren trailed off, not knowing how he could explain himself, how he needed Max to be safe, how he needed to be near Max and know that he was okay, how he had to hear him breathe and sigh in his sleep, how he needed to have his son happy and want for nothing in the world.
Nina smiled at him across the table and reached out to take Warren's hand in her own. "I understand, Warren. I really do," she added at his disbelieving expression. "And I am telling you as your mother and your baby's grandmother that it does get easier. You will still want your baby to have the best life you can possibly give them, but one day you'll realise that they need to make that life on their own. It won't be today or tomorrow, or even next week, but one day when you're both older and they think they can rule the world - " here, Nina stopped and laughed at her own words " - even if they are ruling the world, you will still realise you've done the best you can and you need to let them go out on their own. It doesn't mean that you love them any less or that you will worry any less," she added, squeezing his hand. "But Max won't ever grow up if you're always standing in his way, trying to protect them from every little thing in the world. Knowing both you and Layla, Max won't stand for that for very long," Nina added with a grin.
Warren slipped his hand out from his mother's grip and buried his face in his palms. "What happens if something does happen to him? What if he does get kidnapped?" he asked, his voice low and muffled.
"Then you burn down the world to get him back," Nina replied simply.
Warren lowered his hands to look at his mother in surprise - she hadn't exactly agreed with his and Layla's decision to become Chaos and rule the world, mostly opposed to any excessive violence - but her expression didn't change. She truly meant her words.
"No one will survive kidnapping my grandchild," Nina said, then stood abruptly and smiled at him, leaning across the table to kiss Warren on the forehead. "Do you feel better now?" she asked, receiving a nod. "Good. I'm going to see Max; I'll send Layla in for you," she said, leaving the kitchen without looking back.
Warren breathed and forced himself to stay in the kitchen. If he went to the lounge room and saw Max again, his resolve would probably crumble in seconds. Getting up to get a glass of water - his gaze going to the doorway and the sounds of Max's delighted laughter more often than not - Warren drank two full glasses, setting the glass down when Layla entered the kitchen.
"Are you feeling sane again?" Layla asked, standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.
"A little," Warren said, nodding briefly.
"I double-checked with Adam and the others: no superheroes have escaped, nor has anyone outside of our group been sighted in the area. Apart from the duck," Layla added, rolling her eyes.
Warren snorted in amusement.
"Now, since you're saner and less focused on the appearance of a duck by a body of water, we're heading out," Layla said.
"What?" Warren asked, straightening up and staring at Layla, who was obviously the insane one now.
"We're going into the forest, you're going to sleep, and if you behave, I'll let you spoon me," Layla said.
"But... What about Max?"
"He has two doting grandmothers watching over him, as well as every other person who lives here. Craig and Zach are probably going to fight over who gets to hold or play with Max first."
"They can't fight around him. What if - "
"Verbally, Warren. They're going to argue, not physically fight. If they do need a physical outlet, then they'll fight it in the training area, just like everyone in the Hive knows to do. You know they'd never hurt a hair on Max's head," Layla said, making her way across the kitchen to stand in front of him.
Warren watched Layla for a long moment, still feeling tense at the thought of anyone fighting near Max, but trying not to show how much it affected him. Layla sighed and cupped Warren's face, kissing him slowly and luxuriously. Her fingers curled slightly into his cheeks, the skin sensitive after his shave. Warren surged up against Layla, pressing her body closer to his own, kissing and licking and biting until she moaned softly beneath him.
An abrupt and loud cry from Max had them pulling apart, Warren already two steps to the kitchen door. The cry turned into a shriek of laughter, Frieda laughing and cooing at Max.
"Come on, Warren. Let's go into the forest. Just you, me, and a giant bed," Layla murmured behind Warren, moving up onto her toes so she was pressed up against his back, her mouth by his ear. She licked his earlobe gently, taking it in between her teeth a second later. "Max will be looked after, he will be loved, and we won't love him any less because we're having an afternoon away from him, I promise," Layla said, wrapping her arms around Warren's torso.
Warren brought a hand up to join with Layla's and thought about her words, torn between staying and going. He wanted to go with Layla, to sleep and spoon and kiss her until they forgot about the stress of running the world from the Hive. Warren desperately wanted some time away before they were due back to ruling the world - that morning's tabloid had already started considering rumours that Chaos were dead, so they'd have to go in with a show of force sooner rather than later. Some part of him was still hung up on needing to be there for Max, needing to make sure he was all right. Another part of Warren - now that he wasn't so hyper-vigilant of Max and more aware of himself instead - realised that he was actually kind of exhausted. Even if he did want to keep Max safe against everything in the world, he didn't have enough energy to do so. Hell, Warren doubted he could even set a wooden building on fire right then.
Bringing Layla's hand up to his mouth, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Warren felt her smile against his shoulder blade, and they both knew that she'd won.
"Let's go before I change my mind," Warren murmured.
"Love you, Max. We'll be back soon," Layla called.
"Like, four hours. Maybe three. We'll see you soon," Warren added.
Frieda and Nina both held back their laughter until the back door closed behind their children.
...
Layla led Warren straight to their private area within the forest. It had been there for eight years and no one had found it, not even the superheroes when they'd gained control of the satellites had seen their small oasis, nor any of their friends, who had probably spent just as much time in the forest as Layla and Warren had. When the weeping willow closed its branches behind them, Layla ensured they stayed closed to make sure Warren wouldn't sneak off to see Max again. She needed Warren as much as she needed their son. Warren becoming a paranoid basket-case was detrimental to all of their plans, especially when Cee almost drowned because of a damn duck.
"I should've lit the fireplace before we left. What if it gets too cold? Max likes being warm," Warren said, already heading for the tree's branches to leave.
"I'm sure that between Craig, Ethan, Zach, Wendy, Donny, Adam, Honey, and both your mother and Frieda, that someone will be able to light the fireplace," Layla said pointedly. "If not, then Max has his blankets and extra clothes. He will be well-taken care of, I promise. Frieda raised Honey, Nina raised you, and they'll be perfectly capable of keeping an eye on Max for one afternoon. Or night," she added. "Several nights, even, if you weren't about to twitch out of your skin at the thought," Layla said, running a hand down Warren's arm.
Forcing himself to stop overthinking and stressing again, Warren sat next to Layla on the bed. She pressed soft kisses to his cheek and jawline, gently guiding him to lie down fully on the bed. Warren concentrated on his breathing as Layla kissed him over his face, his lips, the tip of his nose, his eyebrows, his eyelid, his forehead, his cheeks, his chin. He felt her kisses warm against his skin, her lips branding him without leaving a mark behind, and Warren slowly felt himself relax. Sleep pulled him under without any resistance on Warren's part.
Layla smiled when she saw that Warren was finally asleep. She gently stroked the bags under his eyes, the small crease between his eyebrows, the tension around his mouth, and hoped that the sleep would help him rather than hinder. Settling beside him, Layla curled herself around Warren's body and slept as well.
...
Waking up with Layla in his arms was always a pleasant experience. Warren spent a few moments revelling in the fact that she was still with him - grumpy and paranoid and stoic as he could be - and held her close, his hand drawing light patterns on her back. Layla hummed pleasantly as she started to stir beneath his ministrations, so Warren took the opportunity to kiss her. His lips were firm and harsh and burning against hers, and Layla arched up against him, biting his lips in return.
"Morning, hippie," he murmured against her mouth.
Layla smiled up at him, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Morning, hottie."
Warren laughed and kissed her again, Layla winding her arms around his shoulders and hooking one leg around his waist. Lowering himself to be on top of her completely, Warren rolled his hips in time with his tongue, Layla's moans and gasps swallowed easily. One of Layla's hands slipped under his shirt and her nails raked lines down his back, his body jerking forward as pleasure overcame any pain he might have felt.
Layla sighed contently as he pulled away to kiss and bite at the curve of her neck. She held him close, her fingers curled in his hair. "Missed you," she admitted, her voice soft and aching.
Warren stopped kissing her and lifted himself onto his forearms so he could look at her properly.
Layla smiled at him, a little sad, her hands stroking his arms, his chest, lingering at his neck and stroking his collarbones. "You can't do that to me again, Warren. It's been weeks since you've kissed me," she murmured.
Warren tried to remember the last time he'd kissed Layla and struggled to think of anything beyond him holding and protecting Max. He winced and lowered himself back down on top of Layla, kissing her firmly, his hands hot against her hips. "I'm sorry, hippie."
"Mmm, I know. You can still make it up to me," she teased, grinning as she put her hands on his shoulders, guiding him down her body and between her legs.
Warren would gladly take his punishment in this case; multiple times, if necessary.
...
"Did you think they're all right?" Frieda asked Nina once Max was asleep.
"They're fine; Layla's probably sitting on Warren until he goes to sleep. Three hours my ass," Nina added with a laugh.
Frieda smiled and they left Max sleeping soundly in his nursery. Craig had helped feed Max and Ethan was still reading his way through every parenting book on the market. Nina was fairly positive that Zach was planning to rob a baby store in the next week at the very least.
Honey met them in the hallway, smiling when she saw how pleased the two women were to finally have spent some time with their grandchild. "I've made a room up for each of you. Did you have a nice day?"
"Oh, it was lovely. Max is a sweet-tempered boy, just like his mother," Frieda said warmly, taking Honey's arm as she led them to their rooms, not too far away from the nursery.
"Warren was quiet for the most part. He hated baths unless they were very hot. Baron was probably the same," Nina mused. "Whose power do you think Max will have?" she asked, looking between Honey and Frieda curiously.
Honey smiled as she thought of a young boy with Layla's red hair and Warren's dark eyes, and how he would use his parents' powers to fly through the air, leaves for wings and fireballs to keep him aloft. "We'll see soon enough, I'm sure."
Nina snickered. "The terrible twos are going to be very interesting, no matter whose power he gets."
...
Warren curled up behind Layla, his arm wrapped around her torso and his mouth against her neck. "Love you, Poison."
She smiled and turned her head briefly so she could kiss him. "Love you too, Fire."
They returned to the Hive late the next day, both of the new parents eager to return to their son. Warren and Layla were surprised to find that their friends weren't there - going on another heist, Nina had told them.
Max gurgled happily on seeing them.
"Were you good for Gramma and Nan?" Layla asked, picking Max up and cuddling him close.
"He was lovely," Frieda said smiling.
"Very well behaved," Nina added with a nod.
Warren stepped closer to Layla and Max, Layla looking at him to ensure he wouldn't try to snatch Max from her arms. He smiled and trailed his knuckles along Max's back. "Good to be home."
Layla smiled brightly. "Yeah, it is," she said, leaning over to kiss him, Max between them.
...
Their friends returned soon after Frieda and Nina left for the day. Craig and Zach were loaded with boxes overflowing with their spoils, and looking far too pleased with themselves.
"Did you guys rob a baby store?" Warren asked, seeing the hundreds of outfits in all varying shapes, colours, and sizes that had been stuffed in Zach's box alone. Craig's box was filled with nearly every plush toy in existence and he set the box down to entertain Max with one of the toys.
"We'd planned on buying things, but then we saw the prices and decided that we'd rob them instead. Five hundred bucks for a stroller?" Zach scoffed, shaking his head.
Wendy came in that moment with three strollers floating on a small whirlwind behind her. "We didn't know how many strollers you'd need, so we got a few to choose from," she added.
Layla was looking between the bags and boxes. "You realise we only have the one baby, right? And we're not planning on another for at least another year?"
Donny shrugged. "You're not the only person in the Hive who can get pregnant."
Wendy narrowed her eyes at her fiancé. "I'm pretty sure I'm one of those people and we haven't planned anything either."
Honey came in with Adam, both of them carrying various kinds of technology and educational toys. Adam was looking at the Leap-Frog learning pad and muttering something about GPS capabilities.
Looking around the room, Warren couldn't really believe that he'd ever thought that Max would be unprotected or want for anything in his life. Max had people around who loved and adored him, and in that instant, Warren knew his mother was correct: they'd burn the world down to get him back.
...
The end.
Thanks for reading; I hope you liked it!