The Things I Can't Take Back [Michael Afton x F! Reader]

Chapter 2 ~ So, You Want a Job?

A/N: I was trying to figure out what year the "present time" should be set it, since if it were set in 2022 you would be hella old and I don't want that. So I think the present time is just gonna be the very early 2000' s/late 1990's, that way the reader and Micheal are in like their early 30's/late 20's

...

The sound of a baby crying was enough to pull you from your slumber at the crack of dawn. Evelyn had awoken from her sleep, crying out as she slung her toy rabbit around in her tiny clutched fist. She most likely needed her diaper changed, since she usually wasn't hungry this early in the morning. You had managed to somewhat get her on a feeding schedule.

You let out a tired groan, forcing your eyes to crack open as you glanced at the time on your alarm clock; 5:37 a.m., about an hour and a half before you had to get up and get ready for work. You sighed deeply as you moved to sit up, but you were stopped by your husband's strong arm pressing against your chest, keeping you held down against the bed.

"Oh no, don't even think about it," he chuckled, leaning over to kiss your cheek before he sat up, letting out a groan as he stretched, and then got up from the bed, "I'll take care of her. You just keep your pretty little self in that bed, and go back to sleep."

You couldn't help but chuckle softly, rolling your eyes as you watched Alex make his way over to the crib. You leaned back against the pillow, watching with a loving gaze as he carefully scooped the crying baby into his arms. He shushed her softly as he rocked her in his arms, and like magic, she settled down almost immediately. She still let out soft little whines, but she was no longer screaming like she had been previously.

"Come on, precious," Alex cooed to the baby girl, "let's go get your diaper changed. And let's let mommy get her beauty rest. Not that she needs it," he chuckled, glancing over at you and offering a teasing wink, before he quietly carried the baby out of the room to go change her diaper.

You were left alone. In the quiet darkness of your bedroom, you laid back against your pillows as you stared up at the ceiling. You know you had enough time to go back to sleep for a little while before you really needed to wake up, but your mind was racing now. Thinking about your past, with a boy who you haven't seen or heard of in years, you couldn't force yourself to go back to sleep.

You thought about Michael occasionally, when you were all alone, in the quiet. You often wondered what had ever happened to him after the incident. The incident that had torn the two of you apart. After the two of you inevitably broke up, you never spoke to him again.

Michael had stopped showing up to school after the news got out; people calling him a murderer. A small part of you wanted to agree with them, but another part of you wanted to believe that Michael wasn't the monster that everyone portrayed him as. However, you were the one who had witnessed firsthand what he was capable of.

     Your boyfriend had shoved his little brother's head, even as he screamed and cried and begged for them to stop, into the mouth of an animatronic, which ultimately cost him his life. Michael had stated over and over again that he never meant for it to happen, that he never wanted to actually hurt Evan. He said that "it was just meant to be a harmless prank" and that "he would've never done it if he had known what would've happened." And yet, even as his brother, and even you, had begged for him to stop, he didn't. He just kept going and laughed the entire time.

You had to take a moment to breathe, realizing that you had almost caused yourself to have another panic attack. You didn't like remembering that moment. You didn't like remembering that version of Michael. No, you wanted to remember the good Michael. The one who had spoken to you so sweetly, and treated you like you were the most perfect person in the entire world. The Michael that you fell in love with.