Mess Is Mine • The Pack

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

They start sleeping in the same bed every night. They start inching closer in the darkness until touch between them becomes the norm. One night, Lachlan presses his lips to Preston's neck and Preston entwines their fingers together under the blanket, but they still don't talk about what they need to talk about.They still don't talk at all.            

They share a single kiss at four in the morning because Preston wakes up panting and afraid from some nightmare and Lachlan's impulsive and that's what he does to comfort him. That's what they do. They kiss and touch and sleep in the same bed but they still don't talk, not much, and Lachlan doesn't know why it's like that.

Preston seems to even fight to look Lachlan in the eyes anymore. Touching Preston and Preston touching him feels like wading through water that tries to drown him and Lachlan can't find a place of safety, because safety came in the form of Preston's eyes before, came in the form of his reassuring gaze and words and now they're nothing.

Nights were usually quiet, that was why the scream that night was so far out of the ordinary. And why the household responded to the scream like an overturned anthill with everyone rushing to the source.

Problem was, it was Preston's voice that was screaming.

Jerome had already been awake, but Rob and Vik were hard on his heels as he rushed to Lachlan's room. Alfie peeled off to cover Ruby's room, no one wanted her to see Preston in the amount of distress that scream had conveyed, and if there was danger, everyone in the house wanted her protected. Jess was quickly diverted to Ruby's room as 'emotional support' for similar reasons. So it was that Jerome entered Lachlan's with only Vik and Rob as back-up- and promptly froze at what he was seeing.

Preston thrashed on the bed, Lachlan's arms around him, his hands scrabbling for purchase against the sheets. Lachlan seemed oddly calm.

"I've got you, you're okay," Lachlan soothes, rubbing an asleep Preston's back.

"I'm here I'm here." He plead into Preston's skin. Upon waking up, he started sobbing even more uncontrollably into his shoulder, clinging to Lachlan.

Before Preston could realize there were other people in the room, Lachlan gave them a death glare to send the message. Preston would be embarrassed for days if he knew they saw him like that.

"Lachlan," He sobs.

"I know, it's okay."

"I'm doing it again." Preston shakes in Lachlan's arms. "I'm making things all about me."

Lachlan rests his chin on Preston's shoulder. "If you say that one more time I will kick your ass."

Preston laughed, seemingly calmed down, but he didn't stop shaking until he fell back asleep an hour later.

Preston didn't get out of bed that morning. Lachlan knew as soon as he opened his eyes and saw Preston shaking frantically again, that this was the universe pulling the plug on what weird yet good thing they had going. Lachlan decided, fuck it, if Preston didn't get out of bed, neither would he.

On the second day, Lachlan was awoken by Preston's distressed sobs. He calmed down a lot faster the second time around.

On the third day, Preston wakes up shaking to see Lachlan sat up in bed, this would be normal if it wasn't three in the morning.

"Hi," Preston says because he's got no clue what else to say.

Lachlan sighs. Are they actually going to talk?