Daddy Clifford~ Malum

✨Treehouse Blues✨

TWO WEEKS LATER

"Mr Hood, someone is here to see you." The lunch hour office monitor said shyly as they stood at the door. Calum was overly stressed, and now he had to deal with another misbehaving kid. "Thank you, Jay. Please send them in." He said as the student left. "I hope I'm not interrupting" A man's voice spoke which made Calum's eyes flicker up to the person. "Michael?" Calum said in a surprise; due to him not seeing or talking to Michael in the past two week. "Yeah it's me, I brought Adrian his lunch so I thought I'd pop in and say hi," He said as he stood in front of Calum. "Oh that's great, I was actually going to leave for lunch soon would you like to join me?" The man asked and Michael nodded. "gladly."

Calum and Michael left the office and went to Calum's car. "So um about the other night," Michael said when Calum pulled out of the parking spot. "Um yeah?" He said hoping Michael wouldn't bring up what happened that night. "What were you going to say?" Michael said as he looked at the side of Calum's face. "Nothing. Let's forget about it yeah?" Calum just kept his eyes on the road. He knew he should get help. He was aware that he should tell someone because it isn't healthy but he loves his wife. And love makes you blind. "Calum it sounded vital, are you alright?" Michael reached for Calum's arm to rub it soothingly but the man pulled his arm back. "Don't touch me, please" His voice didn't sound angry; it sounded weak and broken, and it only made Michael worry more. "Calum, please tell me what's wrong. I want to help as best I can, and if I don't, I'll feel like I've failed" Calum pulled the car over in an area near a forest. At this point, his blood was boiling. "Why does it even concern you! It's not like you're the one getting beat by someone you love every goddamn fucking day of the week! And I'm just supposed to accept it all because I'm a man, and that's what they do take the pain! The pain from the one they love most." Calum was full on crying the tears just flowed just as the words did and it broke Michael's heart to see him like this.

"Listen, you not taking her shit doesn't make you any less of anything. You shouldn't have to take any of that; nobody should! And it concerns me because I fucking care about you, and I don't want to see you hurt!" Michael rushed out all of the words, but Calum heard them loud and clear. "Can I touch you now?" Michael asked holding out his arms for a hug and Calum nodded as he hugged his friend back. "Thank you Michael" Calum cried into his shoulder; Michael just ran his hand up and down Calum's back as he sobbed. "So what do we do now?" Michael asked once his friend calmed down "I-I don't know," Calum stammered. "We should tell the police" Michael insisted, but Calum shook his head as he pulled away from Michael. "No! We can't! I love her! I need her!" Calum yelled shielding his eyes with his hands and Michael was flabbergasted at the sudden change of emotion. Stockholm Syndrome. "Calum, look me in the eyes," Michael said as the man took his hand off so his eyes met Michael's. "I understand this is hard for you. You and Melody can stay with Adrian and I for awhile, but you need to leave her. It's for your safety and your daughter's." Michael said as he looked into the sad stare of a man who couldn't seem to leave a hellish relationship. "I don't want to put her in a situation that I know will hurt her," Calum muttered, and Michael let out a sigh. "It doesn't seem like she wants that for you," Michael mumbled before undoing his seatbelt. "W-Where are you going?" Calum asked when Michael stepped out of the car. "For a walk, you coming?" Calum nodded and got out of the car; wandering into the forest with Michael.

They walked for ten minutes without saying a word to each other. They just listened to the sounds from the lake that was nearby and the chirps of little birds. "Quiet yes?" The older male said. "Hm?" Michael chuckled at the chap's response. "No shouting, no drama. It's perfect ain't it" Michael said as he walked further down the path and Calum had to jog a little so he could catch up. "I guess" The younger mumbled. The lake came into view and all Calum could do is stare at the clear water as the calming sounds filled the area. "Over here!" Michael shouted from somewhere unknown until Calum spotted him in a tree. There was a cute treehouse up there which Michael was sitting in. It was pink and white; it looked more on the feminine side, to be honest. "What if it collapses?" Calum shouted back, but Michael just rolled his eyes. "Then we fall together so get your ass up here."

Calum climbed the ladder onto the porch of the treehouse where Michael was swinging his legs off the side as he laid down. "See you lived" Calum could sense that Michael was smiling even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah, yeah," Calum said sarcastically which made Michael giggle. "So how do you know about this place?" Calum questioned as he laid next to the lad. "We're literally two minutes down the road; plus I used to live across the street from here," Michael said as he looked up at the sun that was peeking through the leaves. "How old is this?" Calum asked looking at the door of the treehouse which seemed to be in excellent condition. "I've had this since I was around the age of nine. I built it with my dad" Calum's eyes kept looking all over the treehouse as Michael talked. "This was around the stage I liked more feminine things, but I don't like 'em as much now; at least not on me." Michael chuckled at the memories of him dancing around the house with his dresses on while he was screaming song lyrics at the top of his lungs and his mother kept yelling at him to quiet down because our moody neighbour kept complaining. "I think you would look cute in dresses and skirts," Calum thought that he said it in his head, but he actually said it out loud. "Oh um thank you," Michael said as a blush crept up onto his face. "Oh shoot I didn't mean to say that out loud" Calum's face was flushed red so he put his hands to try and hide it which didn't work too well because Michael was chuckling at the younger male. "It's alright, but personally, I think you'd look better" Michael complimented and Calum's face got redder if that was even possible.

About twenty more minutes of random banter; Calum decided to take a look at his phone, only to see that he had fifteen more minutes of the lunch hour left. "Shit lunch is ending soon!" Calum panicked and quickly got up to start climbing down, but Michael stopped him. "Can we please not go yet?" Michael whined, and Calum sighed. "I have to, or I'll get in trouble," Calum said with a hint of sadness taking over his tone. "Not if you have a doctor's note" Michael chimed, and Calum raised and eyebrow. "But I don't have one," Calum said in a slightly confused voice. "I'm a doctor you nincompoop I'll write you one," Michael said, and Calum still seemed uneasy about it. "Can't you get fired for that?" Calum questioned, but Michael waved it off. "They won't fire me for that." The two boys just laid back down as they were before and talked about things that popped into their heads. The amazing thing was that everything they mentioned was positive, and Calum realised that he appreciated Michael more than anyone and that he needed Michael with him. He doesn't know what the feeling is but what he does know is that he doesn't want it to end.

I AM A TERRIBLE HUMAN FOR NOT UPDATING AND IM SORRY BUT IM TRYING TO PULL IT TOGETHER AND SOMEDAY (hopefully...) I WILL BUT TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY (and neither is tomorrow lol) P.S. IM ALSO SORRY FOR GIVING YOU SUCH A SHITTY CHAPTER RIGHT HERE BUT I TRIED SO I'LL STOP YELLING AND LEAVE NOW LOVE YOU GUYS