baby boy⇔ot4

impulse control

    "oh hey michael," calum blushed after standing back on his feet.

at this point ashley had disappeared, leaving calum to be forced to talk to michael.

    "i came by the library the other day and brought your flannel, just in case you were working," calum said as they were shoved by the people around them.

    "oh right, keep it, it looks nice on you," michael smiled causing calum to turn a brand new shade of red. 

   "thanks, so what are you doing here?" calum asked bashfully.

    "i live here," michael answered and calum snapped his head up.

michael was the guy bryana was trying to set him up with?

    "oh i'm here cause my roommate bryana knows brandon," calum answered.

at this michael perked up as well. he'd been informed of a gay, attractive male but never thought calum was it.

he smiled gratefully, glad to not have to deal with artificial introductions.

"well it seems i found who my roommate insisted on setting me up with," he grinned as they walked out to the backyard.

calum couldn't believe how perfect things were.

he sat outside on a swing with michael drinking and laughing, ignoring the other rowdy party guests. 

calum was very focused on the attractive and gay michael in front of him.

"what's your favorite book, michael?" calum asked pushing his feet on the ground so the swing would go higher.

"that's the hardest question anyone's ever asked me, you know. i'd have to say great gatsby is on the list for me," he said after spending much time thinking.

"you must read a lot. i can tell we'll get along," calum responded smiling at michael, pale skin illuminated in the moonlight.

they were both quiet after that, the only sounds cutting through the night being the music from inside and the rusty hinges on the swing creaking.

"thanks for coming outside with me. i'm so absolutely sick of parties. my parents have them all the time, but they really shouldn't be called parties something more like shit shows," calum rambled as michael nodded along.

"my parents act as fake as all the party guests and my sister and i play along: boasting our perfect grade point averages and chatting about our college careers. i don't get invited to much of those anymore," he trailed off finally giving michael a chance to speak. not that michael even knew what to say.

"wait your last name is hood, right like senator hood?" he asked finally knowing it was the worst response by the way calum sharply turned his head.

"yes that's me senator hood's disgrace of a son. gay, horrible table manners, and an aspiring artist," he responded sarcastically, downing the rest of his drink.

michael laughed and finished the rest of his drink as well.

"fuck table manners anyway," he said and calum grinned clinking his empty solo cup to michael's.

"you sir have passed the test, wanna get me more liquor?" calum slurred and michael nodded.

"you got it mr. hood," he replied before dissipating into the crowd of drunken idiots doing keg stands.

calum sat thinking about how cynical and open he had just been with michael. he didn't like talking about his family. they made him cringe. it wasn't that they weren't nice. they cared about calum, they called him on a weekly basis. the thing was, calum was suffocating.

the stanford and yale brochures left on his desk, the passive aggressive comments on how amazing law school is, even cheery efforts to set him up with girls, it was all too much. calum didn't want to go to an ivy league school or be a politician or date girls. his family had a whole life set up for him and he didn't want anything to do with it.

so that's how he found himself here at ucla, taking art classes, dating boys. he was happy here where everything was real instead of tremendously stifling.

he was more afloat here than he ever was standing on his fathers yacht talking about his fake dreams to follow in his father's footsteps.

michael finally returned clutching two full cups.

"to making our own beginnings," michael grinned handing calum his cup.

"cheers," calum muttered tilting his head back to let the burning liquid rush down his throat.

"so michael tell me about yourself. you've heard enough about the hood family tree. before you go spilling all my secrets, tell me one of your own," calum said and michael nodded.

"i haven't got much to tell i'm far less interesting than you," he replied shrugging.

"nonsense! this is the kind of thing i hate! everyone acts this way, as if i couldn't be bothered to hear things. well, i love a good story so humor me michael clifford," he said and michael nodded.

"alright fine i grew up in massachusetts but after my sister died, my mom and dad could barely stand to live there. losing a child changes people so drastically, you know? so we moved. far, far away to california. i came to ucla because it's close enough so i can always check in on them but far enough i won't have to drown in their grief and be stared down by their broken eyes every living moment. so i took up poetry and writing. i let out my feelings way better than my parents ever could. meg was their favorite," michael rambled on as calum listened intently suddenly feeling stupid for complaining about his family. he was lucky to have them all alive and in tact.

as soon as michael began, he stopped.

"i'm sorry i really got into that, i don't usually try to depress cute boys that somehow manage to talk to me for more than five minutes," he laughed dryly.

"i'd love to read some of your poems someday, if you'd let me," he answered and michael grinned gratefully at him.

"you're something else, hood," michael said as calum leaned onto his shoulder.

michael looked down at the smaller boy to see his big brown eyes already on him. the two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before calum finally groaned,"i'm gonna kiss you alright? all this damn tension is making crazy."

that's all it took. the two boys suddenly became one as their lips met. they kissed breathlessly for what could've been ages gripping at each other furiously.

finally they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat above them.

both boys jumped apart looking up to see luke standing in front of them figeting awkwardly with his white button up.

"sorry to ah disrupt but um bryana wanted me to find you calum. she wants to leave," he said sounding just about as awkward as he looked

"of course she does, just as soon as things get good for me," calum groaned rolling his eyes but standing up anyway.

"i guess i gotta go but you better not be a stranger. i don't give quite as many drunken speeches about the tradgedies of being a hood when i'm sober, i promise," he said and michael grinned.

"until we meet again, hood" he answered before watching calum and luke walk back into the party.

meeting calum seemed like pure coincidence when he smashed into michael at the library but now michael felt it was going to be much more.

xxxxxx

hello guys ! i know it's been a very long time and i apologize for that but i'm for sure going to be more active once i get back from my trip to the uk :-) hope you enjoyed, love you all- c