Response || Malum || (Sequel to Reaction)

19

Michael's POV

A loud crash awoke me from a nightmare and I sat up straight in our bed. I was breathing heavy with sweat rolling down my face as I attempted to look around the dark room. Temporary flashes of lightning illuminated the room while I tried to calm myself. Calum was still asleep beside me despite the storms relentless grasp on the night. The door to our balcony was wide open allowing the whistle of the wind to be amplified. I slung the sheets from my body and quickly moved across the room to shut the door. Rain sprinkled my face while I shoved the door closed, locking it. I rested my forehead against the glass of the door and even with my eyes closed I saw the flashes of the lightning.

Even despite the years I still have nightmares from time to time. It's like all at once everything nasty and awful that happened with Calum and I comes flooding to my brain while I'm asleep. It's the nights I wake up sweating and breathing hard that I am grateful Calum is asleep beside me and not somewhere else. As I exhaled my breath I heard Logan start to cry from down the hall. The storm must be terrifying him. Without so much as a glance back to Calum I took off in a jog down the hallway to our sons room.

He was a month old now and was growing like a weed. He was crying loudly when I finally made it to his crib to rescue him from his fear. I carefully but quickly scooped him up and held him close to my body. Almost immediately he started to soothe but I knew he wouldn't go back to sleep now without a bottle. I tiredly looked to his dresser where there was a clock and it read 2:30. I felt myself slump at the sight of the time but knew if I soothed Logan quickly we could both get some more sleep.

"Shh, it's okay dad is going to get you a bottle then everything will be just fine." I attempted to coo him and thankfully it was working. I bounced him up and down softly yet at a good pace and he began to stop crying altogether.

I desperately loved our son with my entire being but nights like this exhausted me. My love for Logan ultimately blinded the fact that I loved sleep as well. With him soothing himself back to sleep I decided to just comfort him without taking a trip downstairs for a bottle. I took a seat in the rocking chair and began to rock the two of us back to sleep. Logan's big eyes began to close and he let out a big yawn. The wind and rain collaborated in an obnoxious way on the window as the flashing of lightning continued.

"Stupid storms." I whispered softly and continued to rock Logan to sleep. When I closed my eyes remains of my previous nightmare were still there making me open my eyes quickly.

"Did you need any help?" A voice sounded from the door and when I turned I was surprised to see Ashton standing in the doorway. He was shirtless and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"No he's going back to sleep. Sorry if he woke you." I apologized and Ashton shrugged.

"Wasn't him it was the storm." He said and I was getting an off vibe from Ashton.

"Are you alright?" I questioned.

"Uh yeah, I guess." Ashton said while he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He wasn't alright.

"Let me put him back down and we can go downstairs and talk." I offered and Ashton nodded.

I laid a now sleeping Logan down in his crib and made sure he wasn't stirring before I covered him with a blanket. I reached over to the changing table to turn on the monitor and grab the other monitor to take it with me. I kissed my hand and placed it to Logan's soft cheek. When I turned around Ashton was staring at Logan with glossy eyes. Okay, something definitely isn't right here. I squeezed Ashton's arm as I walked through the doorway, urging him to follow me.

We walked in silence until we reached the kitchen. The storm outside was still in full force giving some background noise to our incredible silence. I went straight for the fridge while Ashton took a seat at the counter. My hands grabbed out to ice cold glass bottles and I popped the cap off of one so I could set in front of Ashton.