Exchange | Malum

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It was in the middle of the month, cold, with a hint of warmth fighting for dominance, and Michael and Calum avoided it entirely by sitting in the visitors room, their patience level lowering further and further by the minute. The pale boy kept trying to distract the brunette from feeling nervous by offering him his right headphone, to where he'd suggest a song, and would make Calum guess it, and if he won, he'd get something special. Of course the Maori was hoping for one thing -- the exchange -- but anything would do right about now to calm his nerves.

"Uh, Mama Said?" Calum guessed, furrowing his eyebrows as he reached down to the floor to grab his water bottle, "wait no, seven years." Michael smiled, shouting correct, only to be shushed by the woman sitting at the front desk. It was only fifteen minutes later of guessing songs when the doctor finally arrived, their trench coat hanging below their hips.

"How is she?" Michael quirked anxiously, knowing that she didn't look all that well yesterday during his visit, and in all honesty, he was worried. It wouldn't be the same if he lost his mother -- the one person who saw something in him that nobody else noticed. Losing her would mean losing himself.

"All is well, Michael," Doctor Prim smiled, holding his clipboard up against his chest, "I suppose this is the friend?" The pale boy nodded to the doctors question, watching as the brunette sat there awkwardly with a bewildered expression. He was so clueless that it was cute. "Alright, the both of you shall come with me."

Michael nodded, being the first to stand up with Calum following behind, only to be pulled back, feeling the Maoris hand on his pale neck. The brunette shakily stood on his toes, Michael anxiously placing his hands around the tanned boys waist out of curiosity, only to have Calum's lips implanted on his seconds later. "What -- what was that for?" Michael said breathlessly, knowing that they were in public, and people were very homophobic around here.

"I needed something to ease my nerves," Calum shrugged, pulling on Michael's hand to get him to come on, and the doctor was already standing in front of the elevator, pushing the up button. "There you two are. I was beginning to think you got into some sort of trouble."

"Nah," Michael reassured the doctor, fingers still dangling in the sockets of Calum's, it somehow feeling so right, yet so wrong. He wasn't supposed to feel this way. Calum only wants sex. Not a relationship. Not this. "Here we are. It's in the room down the hallway. Be sure to knock before you go in, but I assume you know the procedure, Michael." Yep was the pale boys response, and he pulled his friend along as they made their way towards Karen.

It was only a minute and a half later when they were inside of the hospital room, Karen staring back at them with a smile on her face. Calum was really nervous. "Ah, so this is the one you can't stop talking about." The green eyed boys cheeks flushed a rather dark shade of pink, the action embarrassing him more as Calum cooed softly to himself. "It's nice to finally meet you, Calum."

"You as well, Mrs. Clifford."

"Oh please, call me Karen," Michael's mom laughed, her energy surprising the tanned boy because he wasn't expecting her to be so cheerful, due to her condition. He really wants to help, "Michael, dear, would you mind getting me some water from the hallway?" Both Calum and Karen watched as the boy scurried out of the hospital room, shutting the door behind him, leaving the two alone, and the silence was unbearable.

"So," Karen stated, pressing her fingers into her abdomen, "I have been made aware that you are helping Michael pay for my hospital bills with a deal, is that correct?" Fuck. "U-Uh yes Mrs. Cliff- Karen, sorry."

"I'm not mad, Calum."

"You're not?" Calum questioned with furrowed eyebrows. Karen shook her head as she pulled the lever that allowed her bed to help her sit up. "No, but I don't want Michael to get hurt. And he falls in love with people easily, so the two of you being that close with no strings attached could end badly for him."

"I - I solemnly swear not to hurt Michael."

"Do you care about him?"

"Yes," Calum answered without hesitation, his reaction causing him to stop and think. Did he? Or did he only care about getting laid?

"If that's the case, then you'll call off the exchange."

"W-What?" Calum asked, blanking out for a second as he thought about what Karen just said. "I want my son to be happy more than anything, and while I know he's capable of dealing with things, you breaking his heart could end him."

"End him?"

"It's a long story," Karen sighed, and Calum wanted to say I have time, but truthfully, he didn't, because right then and there, Michael barged through the door with a plastic cup of water in his hands. "Here you go, mommy."

"Thank you, sweetheart."

And Calum really felt anxious now.

Because all he wanted was to follow through with the exchange, but after what Karen said. . . could he?

"What do you think of Calum?"

"He's lovely," Karen smiled as she made eye contact with the brunette, giving him that look that said to end it, "what do you think about him, Michael?" Michael was nervous now. He wasn't supposed to be put on the spot like this.

"I think that he's super nice -- obviously, and I care about him a lot," Michael said with a satisfied smile as Calum awkwardly smiled back, though his was fake while Michaels was real. He had a lot to think about. "Yeah, I care about you too."

What was he getting himself into?

A/N;

Thoughts?