A Different Side of Me

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Author's Note: This story will contain slash writing. So if that's not your thing, then please don't read this story. Reviews are welcome, as is constructive criticism. Flames however, are not.

Prologue

Logan Mitchell let another sob escape his lips as he hugged his knees closer into his body. He ran the back of his hand across his eyes to wipe away the tears that continued to fall from his eyes. When he figured that the tears wouldn't stop, he buried his face on his thighs letting the fabric of his black dress slacks soak up the remaining tears.

As another round of despair struck him, he let out another muffled sob that shook him to the core. He was about to let out another cry as he heard someone standing outside the closet door. He pushed himself further into the closet, putting his body in between some fancy dress gowns before the door to the closet opened.

Logan held his breath trying to be as quiet as possible, but to his disappointment the person standing at the door noticed him. The man standing there let out a sigh of relief as he turned towards another man standing next to him.

"Notify Master Mason that Master Logan has been located."

The other man nodded and left as the man holding the closet door open stepped into the closet and approached Logan. As he neared the boy, he squatted down to level himself with the boy and let out another sigh.

"Master Logan, do you have any idea how worried we all were when we couldn't find you?" the man asked.

Logan kept his gaze down as he wiped more tears that fell from his eyes.

"I'm sorry Bradley."

Logan continued as he let out a broken cry. He quickly jumped up and wrapped his tiny arms around the man's neck.

Bradley's eyes widened as the tiny boy began sobbing anew. He instantly found himself letting out a sad sigh.

"Why on earth are you apologizing Master Logan?"

A muffled response came from the boy that Bradley didn't understand. He pulled himself back to better understand the boy in his arms. He grabbed the handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped Logan's face and nose with it.

"Come now Master Logan, calmly explain to me as to why you are crying by yourself in this closet."

Logan's lip quivered before he nodded his head and began to explain again to Bradley as to why he was crying.

"I was hiding here because I didn't want anyone to see that I was crying," Logan started as he pulled away from Bradley and tried his best to compose himself before continuing. "Some boys at school said the other day that boys aren't supposed to c-cry. They said that it made b-boys look w-weak."

Logan let his eyes fall to the floor unable to meet Bradley's eyes as he finished his statement. He was expecting Bradley to say that the boys at school were right. Boys that cried were weak. Just like Logan.

His doubts however, were incorrect as he was suddenly pulled back into the arms of the man in front of him. He instantly hugged Bradley back and placed his head in the older man's shoulder. He inhaled deeply, and found the scent of cinnamon and a hint of cigars, that Logan's father and Bradley smoked on occasion, to be calming him down a bit.

The older man began rubbing his hands on Logan's back trying to sooth the boy before beginning to speak.

"Oh, Master Logan," Bradley began with an exasperated sigh. "Those boys do not know what they are talking about. Crying, be it from a girl or a boy, is nothing to be ashamed of. It may in certain cases make you look weak, but that isn't to say that you yourself are because of it."

Bradley tightened his hold of Logan a little bit as the tiny boy began sobbing anew.

"You're only seven years old and to experience a loss such as this, gives you a right to cry without being ashamed. Without feeling like you are weak because of it."

Bradley stood up and carried Logan with him out of the closet and into the master bedroom. As he approached the bed, he placed Logan down on the edge of it and again leveled himself to the boy's height.

"Today," Bradley ran the pad of his thumb under Logan's eyes to wipe away the tears. "It is alright for you to cry."

Bradley placed his index finger under Logan's chin and lifted the boy's face so he could look into the boy's eyes. Logan's eyes widened as he saw tears falling from Bradley's eyes as well.

"Because the tears you shed aren't from weakness Master Logan, far from it in fact. The tears that you shed show how much you loved your Mother. You don't need to hide the fact that you are crying because you think it makes you look weak, because that is the furthest thing you are right now."

As soon as Bradley finished, he again found the young boy in his arms. There they stood, crying into each other until another person approached them. The man approached Bradley and Logan and wrapped his arms around the both of them. Bradley and Logan pulled back to see Logan's father had come in.

Instead of jumping into his Dad's arms, Logan just extended his right arm out and pulled his father closer to him. Logan's father smiled and allowed himself to be pulled into what now, would be the two most important people in his life.

"Thank you Bradley." Logan's father began.

The other man turned to face the speaker as he shyly drew his gaze to the floor. This caused Logan's father to burst out in laughter.

"Come now Bradley, there's no need to be embarrassed about what was said. In fact," Logan's father pulled back and brought Logan with him. "You may have said everything better than I ever could have."

Bradley again looked embarrassedly to the floor again.

"Master Mason-" Bradley began but was quickly cut off by the very person he was referring to.

"Now what did I say about calling me that Bradley?" Mason Mitchell quirked an eyebrow at the other man. "You've become as much of a part of this family as can be expected. There's no need to be so formal anymore. Just Mason is fine."

Bradley nodded his head slowly before looking back up towards the two Mitchell men.

"Mast-" Bradley began again but stopped himself as Mason rolled his eyes and let a grin break out. "Forgive me. This may take some time getting used to."

Mason's grin grew wider as he shook his head. "That's quite alright Bradley."

Bradley nodded as he went to leave the room but not before receiving another thanks from Mason.

When the two Mitchells were finally left alone, Mason went to sit down on the floor and rested his back on the footrest of the bed. When he was comfortable enough, he gently pulled his son from his shoulder and saw that the boy was quietly asleep.

He smiled as he placed Logan back in the crook of his neck and let the young boy rest. As he sat there, with the sound of his son's breathing quietly calming him, he let the tears he too had been keeping in, finally escape his eyes.