Exchange | Malum

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Michael had trouble focusing at school, mostly because the doctor kept texting him during class to let him know that his mother isn't doing so well. And what didn't help was that Calum didn't show up at school until ten minutes into the period after lunch, which was sixth, and he was all bruised up again, and he had on those same old hole-filled gloves again that made the pale boy uncomfortable. He hoped he wasn't in danger.

Of course Michael was skipping his sixth period, mainly because he couldn't stop thinking. The only thing that would at least take his mind off of things for a little while was the clouds, and their shapes, and how it was always something different to another person staring up at the clouds. And he wasn't all that surprised when Calum found him sitting down underneath a tree with his backpack slouched over his shoulder, and both boys had eyes as dull as dishwater inside of a sink. "Why do you have a black eye?"

"Uh, it's protocol Michael, you get used to it," Calum shrugged it off, though the green eyed boy could tell that the Maori was shaking and just wanted out of whatever he was doing, and Michael didn't understand why he kept putting himself in dangerous situations; especially because there's no reason to. Or maybe there is.

"May I ask why?"

"No," Calum chuckled, tracing triangles and squares and circles into the dirt, "I'd like to kiss you, though."

"Please not now," Michael begged, and he wasn't sure why he didn't want to kiss Calum, but maybe it was because he felt uneasy over everything, and he needed to hold himself up rather than rely on Calum to do it for him. He didn't want to be that person anymore. "I'm not in the mood to kiss."

"You never really are."

"You always say that," Michael whined, shuffling his face in between the spaces of his fingers, "I'm never in the mood to have sex with you, I'm never in the mood to hold your hand, I'm never in the mood to kiss you. I get it, okay?"

"It hurts," Calum frowned, beginning to pick all of the gravel from his fingernails, "I'm sorry if you think I'm doing something wrong, and if I am, I'll just leave you be. . ."

Then Calum began to stand up, but Michael wrapped his pale fingers around the males arm, stopping him, because he looked beautiful when he was angry, he looked helpless, with his eyelashes fluttering and butterfly wings dancing on the dimples in his cheeks, and Michael just wanted to stare at him forever. But then he remembered that Calum was angry at him. "Please don't go."

"I'm obviously not needed here," Calum chuckled bitterly, almost as if he was entirely a different person, "I mean, you wear a frown on your face like its your favorite sweater, and you just sit there with your back to the wood of a tree, and you're trying to see how long you can hold your breath, because you'd rather pass out from the lack of oxygen, rather than get it back."

Michael hated how Calum knew him so well. "What's it to you?"

"What's it to me?" Calum furrowed his eyebrows, and his arms, and he crossed his ankles too, because he was impatient, and he just wanted to hug the hell out of the pale boy, but they were both being incredibly stubborn, "it's my job to understand you if I'm going to love you with every fiber of my being."

"Promise me you love me," Michaels lip quivered, green melting into brown, pink transitioning into red, blonde becoming white, "please, please tell me you love me."

It started to rain, and neither boys cared if they were about to get drenched by a load of salty water that tastes just like teardrops. "I love you, Michael, maybe I always have, and I was just too blind to see it, but god, you're the most amazing, caring, loving person I've ever met, and you make me want to be a better person. And just - just by looking at you, I melt like butter and your lips and your eyes and your smile is all I can think about, and it's all I ever want to think about."

Michael was sniffling, but he didn't want to seem like a baby, and he didn't want to get tears all over his sweater, which used to belong to Calum. He'd be lying if he said he didn't wear it everyday and every night before he goes to sleep. "Come on love, you're a mess, and you're going to get sick with these ridiculous weather conditions."

"Maybe I want to get sick . . ."

"You're just battering me up so you have the chance to get me to hold you and take care of you," Calum chuckled, and Michael knew he was right, but he'd never admit it. Not in a million years. "See? You're already sneezing, let's leave this dump and go back to my place."

"A - Aren't your parents there?" Michael questioned with a stutter, and the Maori just nodded with plump lips and pink ribbon pulling at the edges of his lips. "Mhm."

"I can't go there, then. They don't know me, and I - I don't do well when it comes to meeting new people," Michael mumbled embarrassed, and Calum just found it cute, because he knew. He already knew the Michael that hides from everyone and puts up a front.

"Oh they know you," Calum smiled, and that made Michaels heart race, "they know all about you, and would love it if I brought you home with me."

"Well o-okay," Michael answered with flushed cheeks, "I guess I'll go with you then."

And Calum pulled him up so they were side by side, and he tangled his long fingers with Michaels short ones, and he melted when Michael nuzzled his head into the crook of his neck, and he felt so happy, and so loved, the smile on his face becoming a permanent thing, because this exchange really was the best thing to ever happen to him.

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A/N;

THE END.

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Just kidding lmao. There's still a while to go.

Thoughts??

How do you feel about Calums family knowing about Michael?

Did you like this chapter at all?

I noticed that people are starting to stop reading this story and I guess I get it because it really sucks. But I'm honestly trying to make you guys happy with updates. School is just getting in the way. So yeah.

Please leave feedback. I love you guys.