☆ 34 January

                                    

                                          
A loud screaming filled the entire house at 2am. Michael and Calum both shot up, their eyes clouded with sleep as they both fell out of bed, groaning and mumbled incoherent, tired statements as they left the room. 
                          
"You get Charlie, I'll get Grayson" Calum mumbled, rubbing tiredly at his eyes as they walked into their sons room. Both twins were screaming loudly, their small body wiggling in their cribs. Michael walked up to Charlie's as Calum walked up to Grayson's, both of them picking the babies up and cradling them. A few seconds later Luke and Ashton walked into the room, carrying warm bottles. 
                          
"Thank you guys, sorry for waking you up" Michael said, his voice laced with exhaustion. Luke and Ashton left the bottles on the small table beside the rocking chair. 
                          
"It's no problem. You two are doing great. Just let us know if you need us to help, no matter what time it is you can come to us" Ashton assured. 
                          
"Thank you" Calum nodded. The two older men left the room, leaving Calum and Michel with the babies. Calum grabbed one of the bottles and placed the nipple at the baby's mouth, watching as the six month old baby gladly excepted it. Michael grabbed the other bottle, placing the nipple at Charlie's mouth. The four month old baby accepted it for a few seconds before moving his mouth away and beginning to cry again. Michael sighed, trying to get the baby to drink the bottle again. Charlie refused, wailing loudly as his face turned red. 
                          
"Char come on, do you need a change?" Michael asked softly, patting the boys bottom, but he was completely dry. 
                          
"Do you think he's ill?" Calum asked, rocking a sleeping Grayson. Michael shrugged, placing Charlie's head on his shoulder and bouncing him gently. 
                          
"I don't know. He doesn't feel warm. Maybe I should ask mumma" Michael said. 
                          
"I'll go get him" Calum nodded, setting Grayson in his crib and turning the Mobil on before leaving the room. Michael hummed lightly, prevailing in getting Charlie to calm down. The baby clutched Michaels tee shirt in his small hand as he quietly whined. A few seconds later Calum and Luke came walking into the room. 
                          
"He's not eating?" Luke asked. 
                          
"No. I don't know what to do" Michael mumbled sadly. Luke sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. 
                          
"The formulas probably upsetting his stomach" Luke said. 
                          
"We don't have any other formula. I have to feed the poor kid before he starves" Michael said, holding Charlie close. 
                          
"Let's just go to the store. Maybe char will fall asleep during the drive. Luke can you keep an eye on Grayson? He probably won't wake up again until we get back"Calum said, already beginning to pack a small diaper bag
                          
"Yeah of course, no problem" Luke nodded. Calum walked out of the room and returned a minute later with two pairs of shoes and his wallet and keys. 
                          
"I'll drive" He muttered, grabbing the diaper bag and slipping his shoes on. He kneeled down in front of Michael and helped him into his shoes. Luke grabbed the baby monitor from their room as they left the house. Michael placed a crying Charlie in his car seat, tucking a blanket beneath him so he couldn't pull it over his head. Calum got into the driving seat as Michael got into the passenger side, them both sighing tiredly. 
                          
"What if new formula doesn't work?" Michael asked in concern. Calum reached over the center console and gently grabbed Michaels hand as he drove. 
                          
"Then we'll try something else. And if nothing works we'll take him to the doctors and see what's 
wrong. Don't worry baby, he'll be fine" Calum comforted. Michael sighed, turning the radio on quietly. Both boys paused when the crying suddenly stopped. Michael jumped in his seat, practically crawling into the backseat in fear that Charlie had managed to get the blanket over his head. But when he looked back, the small four month old baby was calmly staring at the small giraffe dangling from his car seat. Michael furrowed his eyebrows as he sat back down. 
                          
"What the hell?" He muttered in confusion. Calum raised his eyebrows, experimentally turning the radio off. Charlie started to scream again until Calum turned the radio back on. Michael smiled, looking over at Calum  
                          
"What song is this?" He asked, listening to the melodic arrangement of guitar chords. 
                          
"Skinny love by Bon Iver. I guess playing it all throughout the pregnancy worked" Calum said. Michael chuckled as they pulled into the grocery store parking lot. 
                          
"I'll go in, I don't want char outside this late, it's freezing cold outside" Michael said. Calum nodded, handing the boy his wallet. 
                          
"I love you" Calum said 
                          
"I love you too. I'll be right back" Michael said. He jumped out of the car, wrapping his arms around himself as he jogged into the grocery store, already beginning to shiver. The boy walked straight to the baby section, quickly scanning the rows of baby formula. The boy decided on one made by Gerber that was supposed to be easy to digest. The boy grabbed another one similar before beginning to walk out of the isle. He paused for a second, looking at a small row of pills curiously. He quickly grabbed one and rushed to the registers. 
                          
It took the boy all of five minutes to check out and walk out of the grocery store. When he got into the car, the same artist was playing and Charlie was only squirming a bit. 
                          
"Let's go home"
                          
☆          ☆          ☆ 
                          
Michael sat down in the rocking chair in his sons room, Charlie quietly whining in his arms. Calum walked into the room carrying two warm bottles, he had two different colors for each formula. he gave Michael one and watched as Charlie still refused it. Michael sighed as he tried to the second bottle, crossing his fingers as he pressed the top to Charlie's mouth. The baby suckled for a second before moving his mouth away and crying. 
                          
"Cal, hand me the store bag" Michael said, shyly pointing to the bag he had set down by the door. Calum handed him to bag and watched as Michael pulled out a small bottle of pills. 
                          
"What is that?"Calum asked, throwing the plastic bag away. 
                          
"T-they're- um- l-lactation pills" Michael shyly answered. Calum raised his eyebrows but simply nodded. 
                          
"Do you think they'll work? Like, do you think he'll like the milk?" Calum asked, sitting on his knees beside the rocking chair. Michael shrugged, exhaustion creeping up on him as he placed one of the pills in his mouth and swallowed. 
                          
"Let's hope he does" He said. It took about twenty minutes and a lot of uncomfortable shifting until Michael could tell he was ready. He carefully pulled his shirt off and held Charlie up against his chest. He gently guided Charlie's mouth towards his nipple, worriedly watching as Charlie wrapped his lips around it and startling suckling on the milk that came out. Michael sighed as Charlie eagerly drank more, Michaels head falling back in relief. 
                          
"Thank the lord" He muttered. Calum chuckled, rubbing Charlie's back gently. 
                          
"Breastfeeding huh?" Calum laughed lightheartedly. 
                          
"Shut up Calvin" Michael playfully smacked his boyfriend arm, not heat behind his words. Michael gently rocked Charlie as the small four month old drank the milk Michael produced.