It was well past nine thirty and Phil couldn't contain the tired sigh that left his body. It really was his own fault. He got too comfortable. He allowed himself to hope.

For the last week his boys, Tommy included, had been relatively easy at bedtime. Tommy falling to sleep with little trouble aside from the occasional whine halfway through the night. He'd thought they were in the clear. He had thought, had hoped Tommy was finally settling down enough in the routine that falling asleep would now become commonplace instead of a battle.

Phil Watson, father of three, was a fool.

Tommy's bedtime was well since past and the small child was as awake as ever. He wasn't screaming or crying so at least Phil could be grateful for that. However, it wasn't enough to keep the tiredness from his bones and he paced the room bouncing his youngest gently. The rocking chair had been no help, warm milk had almost worked before the tiny blond had somehow managed to snap back into his fussing.

Phil didn't regret his fatherhood, he didn't. Truly and deeply. However….it would be somewhat of a lie to say he didn't dearly miss the nights where he could walk into his room at any hour, fall to his bed, and sleep through until the following morning. Good gracious, was that even a thing that still existed in the world? Just, falling asleep? The moment you wanted to?

Tommy let out a whine and a huff as he wiggled with frustration in his father's hold. Looking down at his son Phil let out a softer breath than before. He could tell Tommy was tired, that wasn't in question. The question, plainly, was why didn't Tommy just allow himself to fall asleep? Phil didn't know and he had no idea at this point what to do to find out.

With a deep internal breath Phil admitted defeat and made his way for the door of Tommy's room. Keeping Tommy in a bouncing or rocking motion while he walked Phil lean into the slightly open door of his older boys' room. Within it Kristin was seated on Wilbur's bed, their eldest son also having chosen this night to refuse sleep.

Where did his boys get their energy if they kept up with this on the regular? Once more Phil was left without an answer and just a tiny bit of jealously.

"Kristin. My love, my light, my goddess. Help." Phil begged in a quiet tone so as not to wake the only sleeping child in the house.

Despite both his brother's fight against the peace of slumber, Techno lay in his own bed tucked to his ears in a cozy blanket. His small squishy plushie, Technopig, hugged to his chest safely.

Kristin turned from her talk with Wilbur to look at her husband with a small smirk on her face and a glint in her eye. While he knew she was most likely just as tired as he was Phil knew his wife's skill at putting the kids to bed were far more refined than his own. Calling it 'Mom powers' didn't seem to do it justice. He was sure it was purely a 'Kristin' thing.

"Trading me a fussy Tommy for a fussy Wilbur? That seems fair enough to me." Kristin replied, her tone teasing though Phil suspected that was more for Wilbur than him.

"How is it 'fair enough'. He's a baby and I'm not." Wilbur countered with a frown as his mother stood up from her place on his bed.

"You both fuss the same." Phil stated before his wife got the chance to respond.

Wilbur fixed him with a pointed pout but Phil didn't pay it much mind. Handing Tommy off to his wife he was sure to give her a peck on the cheek as they passed one other. Wilbur didn't make a sound at the show of affection as he normally would, but Phil could still hear the huffed breath he let out.

Not wasting much time aside from shutting the door behind his wife Phil moved to take a seat on Wilbur's bed where his wife had just been. Wilbur was propped up on his pillows, presumably the closest Kristin had gotten to getting the boy to lay down at all, and had his arms crossed ready for a fight.

With an internal sigh once more Phil braced himself for whatever contrarian mood had overtaken his son this time. Had some thought of an animal disturbed him enough to 'anger' him out of wanting to sleep? Had he recalled some conversation from the past few days that stuck in his mind with a bloom of new questions that robbed him of his need to rest? Was he just annoyed at the fact that Techno seemed to wake with such vivid dreams and he himself did not?

"What's up, Wil?" Phil asked, prompting the start of what was probably going to be an interesting rant or ramble.

Wilbur frowned deeper as he stared his father down, arms still crossed as he pressed back against his pillows. Phil had to fight to keep the smile on his face at a neutral state and not filled with any sort of amusement as the sight. Perhaps if Wil's face wasn't still so cherub looking with his full youthful cheeks and fluff of disheveled hair drooping just so over his eyes. Phil could possibly see one day that scowl becoming something to wither its target just like Kristin was capable of in the right setting. For now, Wilbur just looked too much like a pouting kitten to take too seriously.

"I don't want to to sleep." Wil stated after he deemed his glare had lingered long enough.

"And why's that, mate?" Phil pressed with a calm tone.

Wilbur took a moment to deepen his scowl and to mold his face to appear as insulted as he could manage it.

"Its break." The boy started with, his tone properly indignant, "We don't have school for the next two weeks. So, we shouldn't have bedtimes either."

Phil sighed lightly as he nodded to his sons logic.

"Well, bedtimes aren't all about school, Wil. Even your mother and I have bedtimes."

"But you get to pick and choose what those are!"

"Shhh, careful, Wilbur. Don't want to wake your brother." Phil warned with a short glance to the other bed as Wilbur's voice had raised.

Wilbur also looked over to the other bed, a touch of guilt at the thought of disturbing his younger brother's sleep. He'd seemed pretty tired earlier after all.

"I'm just saying-" Wilbur started up again after a moment, voice softer than before, "That we should get to choose our bedtimes too during break."

"Oh? And whys that?"

"Because…because you get to." Wilbur answered, partially forgetting the argument he'd thought out barely a hour before his due bedtime.

"Wil, me and your mother don't just pick and chose our bedtimes. We just learned by now how much sleep we need and plan to make sure we get it." Phil tried to explain.

"I can do that too though. I can read a clock and everything." Wilbur tried to argue his case.

"When you're older, Wil, we can talk about this. But for right now the bedtimes you have are made for your benefit. For your health."

"I'm old enough now. I'm nine."

"Not old enough I'm afraid." Phil replied with a light shake of his head, "You need your sleep now more than ever, Wilbur. Otherwise, Techno is going to start outgrowing you from all the rest he's getting while you sit up late arguing about it."

"That- He wont-" Wilbur huffed and puffed out his words, unable to stop himself from looking over at his younger, and clearly smaller brother, "He's so tiny compared to me."

"For now. But, by getting all this rest in his body is able to keep growing. He'll be towering over you in no time." Phil repeated, this time with a bit of pride in his voice as he seemed to have hit a point of interest.

"He, he can't…he wouldn't outgrow me." Wil stammered out, voice getting quieter as he started to doubt his own words, "He's Techno. He'll be my little brother forever. Just like Tommy."

"Well, they'll be your younger brothers forever. 'Little' though?" Phil tilted his head as he gave an exaggerated 'doubt' face, "Though, if Tommy keeps up his fussing you might be right for him at least."

Wilbur hesitated as he looked back over towards Techno's bed. The steady rise and fall of the blankets that covered his body. The soft snoring noises that were just barely audible in the mostly quiet room. The other boy was still soundly asleep, rarely waking in the night aside from the occasional bathroom call. He was a far more sound sleeper than Wilbur was.

Wilbur let out a deep breath that seemed to deflate his entire being, sagging back against his pillows once more. He was grumbling his displeasure to himself as Phil stood to tuck him in.

"We can talk more about this in the morning, Wilbur. Though don't expect much to change until you're older." Phil informed his son while the other tried to pin him with another scowl.

However, now that he was laying back against the soft cushions and his blankets were moved to cocoon against him, Jubilee tucked to his side Wilbur's eyes fluttered against his will. Okay so, maybe he was a bit tired too. But that wasn't the point. The point was he- that he…the point was…

Wilbur forced himself to blink, squinting up at his father who was looking down with soft eyes and an easy smile. The man reached to brush his hair from his eyes, an action that had Wilbur instinctively closing his eyes once more, even of only for a second.

"Go to sleep, Wil. Rest." It was softly spoken before his father leaned down to press a soft kiss on Wil's forehead.

Once more Wilbur blinked his eyes closed. This time, he didn't reopen them.

Xx-xx

In the end not even Kristin could seem to get Tommy to fall asleep in a timely manner. With little other options the parents brought their youngest into their room, snuggled him safely between them and settled in for the night. They took turns between sleeping or watching over their drowsy child as he gripped and tugged at random fabrics around him.

It was three am by the time Tommy finally fell asleep in both his parents arms.

Xx-xx-xx

The morning had been a true struggle. Tommy had woken up as Kristin rose to dress for work. A simple into town appointment, but still an early one. Of course he refused to go back down after, forcing Phil to rise as well.

His other boys were left to sleep in a bit longer and when they woke they seemed perfectly fine. Even Wilbur didn't seem to suffer much from his late night debating. However, their good mood was partially dampened by Tommy's mood swings and refusal for any kind of nap.

It was by some luck that Tommy was even slightly entertained enough by his brothers to play with them for short periods of time without yelling of crying. It was during one of these times that Phil had taken his chance to get the boys lunch ready. However, when the call to eat was given he was somewhat concerned by the lack of thundering feet he'd been expecting.

He called again but to no better response than the first time. Worried, Phil left the kitchen to search the small house for his missing offspring. Of course, he checked the boys' room first as that was where they'd all been playing last.

He wasn't expecting the sight that greeted him, but he certainly wasn't opposed to it.

Situated on Wilbur's bed was a heap of both his and Techno's blankets and pillows. Like a nesting fort. In the middle was Tommy, squished between Wilbur on one side with Jubilee crushed between them, and Techno on his other, Technopig likewise between them. The three were tucked and snuggled together so tightly that Phil briefly couldn't tell if they were stuck or not.

Needless to say he took so many pictures before retreating back to the kitchen to pack away the food for now.