"You're always my first priority, baby."
Calum Hood is in the military and hasn't been able to see his high school lover, Michael Clifford, for four and a half years. What happens when he's finally able to come home?
- Side of Lashton
#635 in fanfic...
As of four thirty in the morning, Calum Hood was officially in the same city as Michael Clifford. The brunette hated sitting in an uncomfortable plane chair for fourteen hours and twenty for minutes but he somehow managed. He somehow managed to sit next to a grumpy old man with a three year old child who consistently cried about not having something to eat. He somehow managed to deal with the constant bickering coming from the people across from him when they didn't get a proper glass of wine from the waitress.
He managed and it was worth every single second once he stepped onto the pavement. Calum was nearly home. Sure, he didn't put in an effort to call up his parents to ask if he could stay there because he didn't consider that home. He considered Michaels arms home and if he was breathing the same air without being wrapped in his boyfriends embrace, then he certainly wasn't home.
The brunette managed to get Ashton's phone number, since he promised Luke he'd call the curly haired boy up and ask if he'd be fine with the blonde haired boy visiting as well. Calum has yet to ask, but he wanted to call Ashton to set up a miniature surprise party for returning. He wanted to see the look on Michaels face the moment he arrived.
They couldn't have their cliché moment of running up to each other and hugging at the airport, but this would hopefully be better. Much better.
Ashton asked Calum if he'd be willing to meet up somewhere rather far, which Calum reluctantly agreed to despite being exhausted after that overly long plane ride. It was near one of the rivers that Michael used to go to when he was little. The place where he carved his initials into a tree, adding a + sign and waiting for somebody to fill it. He has yet to take the brunette there to complete his masterpiece.
Calum wasn't all too pleased about meeting Ashton at first. He wanted to have a talk with the golden haired boy about Michael - making sure that he isn't into his boyfriend that way. He's positive he's in a relationship with Luke, but he's still worried that he's making Michael feel something that Calum can't make him feel and it hurts.
"Before we plan out our little surprise party, I want you to promise me something."
This wasn't the way he wanted to meet Ashton. He wanted to be polite and positive, because he genuinely is, but he was concerned that he was leading Michael on or something. Calum trusted his own boyfriend, knowing that when somebody is miserable every single day for four years, they're still madly in love with you even if they're broken.
Calum just really wants to fix Michael.
"Yeah?" Ashton said in a bewildered tone as they maneuvered over some of the rocks leading towards the river. He wasn't paying attention to Calum, so he couldn't see the lads facial expression, but if he did, he'd probably be intimidated. The only thing the brunette could see from Ashton was the back of him - with an ugly purple shirt that looked strange on him.
"Promise me you're not into Michael that way?" Calum asked, biting his lip in a nervous tone. He wasn't going to come off as rude, because he just met the lad and he didn't want Michael to break up with him. He was just worried that the minute Michael saw him, he'd go crawling towards Ashton because the golden haired boy is more attractive.
"I promise, man. No offense but that's really gross. I like Luke, he's my boyfriend, and even though I like dick, I'm not interested in pouncing on Michaels. Alright?"
"Good, glad we settled this then," Calum answered, excitement filling his veins the minute they started planning Michaels surprise.
-
Michael was confused when Ashton told him to meet up at the river. He didn't understand how anybody knew about that place, since it's quite far and hard to find. It was always his place and having someone invite him there made him slightly uncomfortable. He put on a nice outfit nonetheless and headed out his college dorm, not minding that he had a test the next day. He'd probably just stay up studying until one in the morning anyway, so leaving around seven wouldn't make much of a difference.
The colorful haired boy took a bus down to the river, since he wasn't in the mood to walk for hours upon hours. He arrived within half an hour and to say he was bewildered would be an understatement. Nobody was there. The only sign of a person being here before was a torn flip-flop that was probably a dollar at the most.
Ashton appeared out randomly, holding something in his hand. It looked like a paper of some sort, a big one with writing on it that read what. Shortly after seeing the curly haired lads sign, ten people came out behind him with other signs. People he's never seen or met before.
What would you say if I told you I love you
Michael smiled slightly, remembering those words exactly from the moment Calum said it four years ago. But the only thing that was missing from this beautiful memory was his boyfriend - the brunette who most likely wasn't here because he was working in the army and hasn't contacted him today.
But he was wrong, because after seeing all eleven males smiling, another one came out - dressed in all black, a hood covering the top of his head and Michael had trouble recognizing him. His face was looking down at the pavement, but his sign had a ? on it, meaning that the question was completed.
The boy at the end lifted his head, waves of brown curls falling everywhere, tan skin coming into the mist of the light, height giving him away completely.
"Oh my god," Michael mumbled to himself, nearly crying, but holding himself together as he rushed over towards his boyfriend and ran into his arms.
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Michael pulled away after around a minute, ignoring the fond stares coming from everyone watching the two. He didn't care that there were thirteen people here, or that he was in the middle of practically nowhere, standing by the edge of a river. The only thing that crossed his mind was the fact that he's holding Calum for the first time in four years - unexpectedly.
"Y-You're actually here," Michael said with a small smile just before frowning and hitting Calum in the arm, "you didn't tell me, you dick."
"It wouldn't have been the same if I did. Surprises are always better, because then I'd disappoint you if I kept you waiting."
"Four years isn't waiting?" Michael laughed, wiping his watery eyes before staring into Calum's. For the first time, he was more than a blurry, pixelated image on a screen. He was more than empty thoughts and soft I miss you's. He was real - he was alive and breathing, tracing small patterns on his cheek with his thumb as he sniffled - because for the first time in four and a half years, he finally had some sort of stability - some sort of safety that could secure him from his demons.
And Calum felt the same as he hugged Michael again, squeezing onto him tightly and not letting go.
This was home.
-
A/N;
Uh. This was really crappy. I wanted it to be so much cuter but I fucked up and I'm depressed as shit today (worse than usual) so this was the best I could do.
Thanks for the votes, comments and reads. I appreciate all of you, really. 💕💕
