Freefall

Midnight

The iPhone on Nicholas' night table started buzzing, rather loudly. Each buzz lasted for two seconds. Then it stopped for two seconds. Then it buzzed again. This continued until Nicholas woke up and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Get up. Look out the window" a hushed voice commanded.

"Why should I?" Nicholas asked as he rolled to the empty side of his queen sized bed.

The empty side.

Wasn't someone supposed to be here? he asked himself. Then his eyes widened. Nicholas pulled the phone away from his ear, gasping as he read the name on the top of the screen of the phone.

It doesn't take much these days to elicit a response from people these days the voice thought from their perch. A light flickered in their hazel colored eyes as they pulled their phone back to their mouth to speak again.

"I don't see you Nick, and you know that I don't like it when you don't follow my commands. I also know that you don't like listening to me, but lets think about this logically: I know things about your past that we both know shouldn't see the light of day, and if you know what's good for you, you'll come to the window before I hang up and give the police an anonymous tip."

Nicholas slowly got out of his bed and walked towards the window, his body trembling the whole time as he tried to avoid the empty handles of tequila and margarita mixers. "I don't know what you think you know, but I am a good person who doesn't have to answer to you or your cult anymore. I told you before, and I will tell you again, you do not control me."

The night skyline of the city was stunningly bright for Nicholas, who quickly shielded his unadjusted eyes. He was still groggy, not only from just waking up, but also from his previous night in the room. Why was my bed empty? Who else was supposed to be there? He thought to himself before the voice spoke again.

"I see you still sleep naked, Nick" the voice taunted, pleased that they could see him from their perch two buildings away.

"...Nick? What are you doing up?" a tired voice asked from behind Nicholas. He turned around to see a feathery dark-haired man in the doorway. The sleepy look on the man's face melted Nicholas' heart a little bit as he walked over to the similarly dressed figure.

"Don't turn away now Nick, it could prove to be disastrous."

"I do believe that we're done talking, Charlotte, and if you'll excuse me I have a bed that is calling my name. If you have anything further to discus with me, my office hours are held between 2 and 3 O'clock in the afternoon on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Goodnight" and with that he hung up the phone and placed it back onto its charging pad on his nightstand.

"Who was that?" the other man whispered.

Nicholas looked at him tenderly and caressed the man's shoulder, then tracing his finger to find a hand at his side. "Someone at the studio needed help with mixing a demo and syncing it up with the video source." He kissed the other man before continuing, "but I reminded them that it is the middle of the night and that it isn't my responsibility to mix anything, and that they can talk to me when I have some availability."

The other man's free hand traced its way down Nicholas' torso and found its target. However, instead of grabbing it and making an advancement on his partner, the man simply kept tracing around to Nicholas' back side, pulling him closer.

The two men stifled a laugh before separating to walk around to their respective sides of the bed.

"Daddies?" a small voice squeaked, "can I sleep with you? I'm scared."

The two men groaned and searched for a pair of underwear to put on as one of their twin sons came into their room.

"I thought I just tucked you back into bed" the other man said, with a slight tone of annoyance.

"It's okay, Watson," Nicholas addressed the young boy, "you can come up here with me and daddy."

The other man huffed before reluctantly letting the small boy climb over him to get between him and his husband.

Oh the joys of parenthood the two men thought to themselves as they dozed off to sleep as they both did before there was a mysterious caller. Before Cathrine Horne.