Heart of Gold // Lashton

0.6.1.5.

Warning: this may hurt your beautiful heart.

ஐ Calum ஐ

The Lifegiver wasn't sure what he was doing when he entered the dream, but he knew it would help in some way. Mostly his friend, but also the sick boy. After all, he only had such limited time.

"Hi." Calum started, feeling a little awkward as he approached the bed, looking down at the boy, who was staring up at him in confusion.

"Um, hello?"

"You're Michael, right?"

The galaxy haired boy sat up, narrowing his eyes at the dark haired boy. "Depends on who's asking."

"I'm Calum. Friend of Luke, or Lucas, however you know him." The boy introduced himself, watching Michael take him in. Michael seemed to be thinking, before his eyes widened. "Wait, Lucas as in Ashton's Lucas? Blonde, tattoos and piercings?"

"Yup. That Lucas." Calum nodded, hiding his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He then started rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, looking down at the other boy. "I've come to keep you company."

Michael snorted. "Yeah right."

Calum shrugged. "Believe whatever you want. But both you and I know you've got a lot of thoughts you wanna share. This is your chance."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Michael raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. Calum chuckled. "Good question. Well, technically I'm dead and they say the dead don't speak."

"D-dead? What the hell? What does that mean? Am I going to die? Are you actually Death and here to take me? Am I already dead?!"

"Calm down. Nobody's going to die." Calum said, mumbling a 'yet' after it. "I just meant that nobody knows me, except for Luke and Ashton. Which means I can't really tell anyone. Plus, if you ask me to not tell them, I won't."

"So... I'm not going to die?"

"Not anytime soon, no." Calum shook his head, before smiling a little.

Michael nodded slowly. "Okay. And... well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to share my concerns."

"It'd only help you."

"I guess." Michael got up from his bed, moving across his room and picking up a picture frame. "All of them are about Ashton, though."

"I guessed."

"You seem like a wise person."

"Not necessarily. I just know a lot of things that are going on." Calum shrugged, watching Michael look at the picture. He saw the tears that were about to fall, not only knowing the boy was sad by that, but also by his posture. His shoulders were slumped and head hanging down.

"I just... We've had it so hard. He's had it so hard. First the accident, then the diagnose. As if losing feeling in his legs wasn't horrible enough." Michael spoke, talking more and more quiet the further he came. He sniffed, wiping at his eyes harshly. "Damnit. Why am I crying?"

"It's okay."

"No! It's not okay! I don't deserve to cry about this because it isn't even happening to me!" Michael snapped, turning to Calum. "Ashton is the only one that has the right to cry! So much shit happened to him and I should be strong for him, help him, but no, I'm being pathetic and crying!"

Calum frowned, his lips pursed. "Michael."

"It's just not fair! He's fucking eighteen and has so much to live for! He could drum like I haven't seen anyone do before and he was so passionate about music and art! Then he got the accident and drumming was out of question. He couldn't even bring himself to art, because all that came out of it were sad things and he just gave up his dreams. And on top of that, he said he didn't care. He just smiled and focused on helping others, being there for them." Michael's face was red from the loud talking, his tears rolling freely now. "He cheered me on with any decision I made, he supported me and he was there for me in more ways than anyone could ever wish for."

Calum stayed silent, letting the boy let it out. He seemed to have it all bottled up and he really needed to throw it out. So Calum let him.

"And what does he get in return? The boy with the fucking golden heart gets fucking cancer. One of the worst things one could get. Sure, they say he's cured now, but he doesn't seem like it. Not today. He was so pale and he threw up and he just- I just- I'm so scared." Michael sobbed, letting himself cry. "I'm so scared for him. I don't want him to die. He doesn't deserve that."

Calum frowned, going against his head as he approached the galaxy haired boy. He carefully wrapped his arms around the boy, almost letting out a squeak as Michael's legs gave out and he leaned on Calum fully. The dark haired boy frowned, lowering the both of them to the ground slowly and pulling the other boy close. "It's okay. Let it out."

Michael cried into the Lifegiver's shoulder, his body limp in his arms. He felt strangely comforted, despite the situation. A sense of safety. As if everything was... okay.

"Just let it out, buddy." Calum mumbled, patting the boy's back softly. He sighed, leaning his head down and not even thinking twice before nuzzling his nose into the galaxy hair.

Michael calmed down a little, sniffing and moving a hand up to hold onto Calum's shirt. As if he was afraid the dark haired boy would disappear, along with the great feeling his embrace brought. "He's-" Michael sniffled some more, frowning. "He's gonna die, isn't he? That's- that's why Lucas is in his- his dreams."

Calum sighed, holding the sniffling boy a little tighter. "Do you want the truth?"

Michael stayed quiet for a moment, before shaking his head. He then hid his face in the other's shirt. "No."

"He's going to live a long and happy life." Calum mumbled, running a hand through the galaxy hair. "Just like he deserves to."