Broken Mirrors {Michael Jackson Fanfic}

Chapter 5: Doesn't Seem Right

Michael's lips made a slow, teasing trail of kisses from Athena's ear, down to the crook of her neck. Grazing the sensitive skin with his teeth till she bit her lip and moaned. Every time he kissed that spot she felt the heat between her legs increase. He could set her body on fire without touching her below the waist. But he was definitely making his way there with his hand. Athena loved that his hands were big enough to firmly grab onto her thick thighs. Caressing and massaging every part of her he touched until his palm pressed up against her core. "Did I do this?" He asked, with his mouth still on her neck. The cotton material of her panties was soaked with her arousal, and he was amused by how turned on she was already. "Let me take care of that..."

"MOMMYYYY!!!!"

The sound of her son's distressed cries made Athena's eyes snap open, pulling her from her dream. Regardless of how much she wished she could stay asleep and finish that scenario, her babies needed her. So she swung her legs over the side of the bed and hopped up onto her feet. Her hand had just touched the knob when the door flew open, slamming into her knee and foot. "Fuck!" Athena hit the floor, folding the throbbing leg upward and cradling it against her.

"Now look what you did!" Damien scolded Brandon, who was still standing there with his hand on the doorknob. The smaller brother tugged on his diaper, staring down at his mother with scared and teary eyes. "Mama?" He stumbled toward her, carefully reaching his hand out to touch her knee. Athena bit down on her lip and forced a reassuring smile. "Hey, Mama's okay. It was an accident. Right Damien?"

"Hmph." Damien crossed his arms and frowned, clearly not willing to let his brother off the hook. "He broke my Superman! I told him not to touch it and he broke it! You know it's my favorite... I- I don't wanna talk to him ever again!!" He turned and darted off down the hall and she could hear his pattering steps rushing down the stairs.

"Damien!" She tried to rush to her feet, fighting against the sharp resistance from her knee. The most she could do was hop on her good leg, supporting herself with her hand against the door frame. Brandon was crying now, burying his face in his hands and mumbling a string of apologies. Oh great... Her focus pulled itself back and forth between the child having a breakdown beside her and the one running off to God knows where. Both in immediate need of comfort, and she felt her chest tighten. Internally she wanted to crouch down and cry right alongside her son, but she had to suck it up. Push it down. Be strong for them. Handle everything alone. No sick days, no breaks, no time for her own emotional release.

Unsteady, she took a hold of Brandon's hand and guided him along with her while she hopped down the hall. She held her breath, huffing and pushing herself forward even when a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. Her thumb gently rubbed a circular pattern on the back of Brandon's hand, but it did little to soothe him. "Damien!" There was no response, and her heart began to pound it's familiar frantic rhythm of panic. No no no. Please. Not now. Not like this. I haven't had a panic attack in weeks!

"Athena?"

Michael's voice sounded muffled beyond her racing thoughts and her thunderous heartbeat, filling her ears like surround sound speakers. The inside of her stomach began to churn, and she felt outside of herself. Watching her body break down on her with no way to stop it. Brandon tugged on her hand, trying to get her attention, calling and calling. Fading into white noise.