I'm Supposed To Hate You ||Malum AU||

Chapter 36

"Wake up boys!" Joy shouted, throwing Calum's bedroom curtains open. Calum groaned, using his hand to protect his eyes from the sun. Michael stirred next to him, cuddling into his shoulder to escape the blinding sunlight that was streaming onto his face.

"It's 11 o'clock, get up!" As soon as his mother's voice registered in his brain, Calum moved away from Michael, who groaned as his face slammed into the pillow under where Calum's shoulder had just been. Joy left the room, leaving Calum sitting wide eyed at the edge of his bed, staring at the door.

"That's the fastest I've seen you move in the morning." Michael mumbled as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"She saw us." Calum exclaimed. "She saw us cuddling Michael. She was in here- we were- she saw.."

"Relax Calum, she didn't seem to be too shocked otherwise she would have said something while she was in here."

"B-but..I-i, she- I haven't come out yet."

"That's a good thing. She'll see this as platonic. If she thinks you're straight then this is friendly."

"It is friendly, there is no if!"

"Yeah, I know." Michael sighed. It took a lot of willpower to stop himself from making a dirty comment that was definitely inappropriate at that moment. Calum frowned at Michael's almost disappointed tone but quickly disregarded the thought. Michael Clifford was the least likely person to ever like him like that, or at all.

"Cal. Relax, if she says anything to you, I'll be right there to back you up, okay."

"You leave today Michael, she might bring it up then." Calum replied, looking down at his hands. "I don't think I can lie my way out of this if she gets the wrong idea."

"Then tell the truth." Michael suggested bluntly.

"You don't understand Michael." Calum mumbled.

"Yes, I do. I think you've forgotten that I've been in the same position as you before. I was terrified to come out to my mum, and I realise that your mum is less open about these things than my mum, but trust me, you'll feel so much better after you get it out there."

"I don't know Michael. What if she hates me?"

"Calum, your mum has heard much worse things than her son being gay." Michael reasoned. Calum remained silent, biting his lip anxiously. Michael internally kicked himself, certain he had just stuck his foot in it.

"I've never thought about it like that." Calum whispered. "I will tell her, but not today. I can hide in this closet for just a little bit longer."

Michael let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't offended Calum but actually helped him.

"That's fine Calum. Now, let's go get breakfast, I'm starving."
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Calum followed Michael into the kitchen, keeping his eyes on the floor until he sat down. Michael rolled his eyes at his behaviour and kicked his leg under the table.

"You're making it obvious." Michael hissed. "Just act like its nothing Calum or she'll get suspicious."

"Easier said than done Clifford."

Joy placed a bowl full of cereal down in front of both of them, only receiving thanks from Michael. Calum kept his head down, staring at the bowl with his lips pursed. He could feel both Michael and his mother's eyes on him as he lifted the spoon to his lips.

"Can you not stare at me while I eat?"

"Sorry Calum, I'm just concerned. Are you feeling okay? You haven't said a word since you came down here." Joy said, frowning at him. She took a step closer and placed her hand on his forehead, but he didn't have a temperature.

"I'm fine Mum, just a little tired that's all." Calum lied. Michael shot him an accusative glance as he poured himself some orange juice. Joy seemed to accept his explanation and retreated away from him again.

"So what did you two get up to while I was out last night?"

"Not much, we just watched a couple movies and-" Michael answered.

"-threw popcorn all over my living room." Joy interrupted, causing both boys to look down at their bowls guiltily. The atmosphere in the room changed almost immediately to an extremely tense silence.

"I did tell him not to do it." Calum told her, avoiding eye contact.

"That didn't stop you from picking it up once you two went to bed but you were probably too stubborn to pick up his mess!" Joy snapped, glaring at her son.

"That is pretty much what happened." Michael said as he nodded his head in agreement.

"I came home and stood on a piece of popcorn, which, by the way, is now crushed into my carpet, and then I went upstairs and find you two cuddled up in bed like you hadn't left the living room in an absolute pigsty."

Calum's cheeks flushed red after Joy brought up the sleeping situation, embarrassed that she had seen him cuddling Michael twice, making it impossible for him to deny it.

"Do you have a problem with us cuddling?" Michael asked defensively. Calum shot him a warning look, trying to convey that now was not the time for him to have an attitude.

"If I had a problem, do you really think I would have let you two sleep like that all night? I would have said something about it if I had had a problem, but that is irrelevant right now."

Michael raised his eyebrows at Calum, who had a very shocked expression on his face. Michael smiled triumphantly  as he had just been proven right.

"You could have easily tidied up behind you but instead I had to this morning."

"Sorry Mum." Calum said quickly a after she had finished ranting before she started up again. He kicked Michael after he didn't apologise too, which made him flinch.

"Yeah, sorry Joy." Michael stated, flashing her a sleepy smile. Joy nodded, satisfied with their apologies but still scowling and left the room. Michael turned to Calum and smiled.

"I told you she wouldn't have a problem with the cuddling Cal."

"I know, but I-I'm not sure. I really want to come out soon because I've been in the closet for about two or three years now but I don't want to yet until I'm certain she isn't homophobic. I really don't want her to hate me Michael." Calum sighed, placing his head in his hands.

"You can never been 100% certain if she'll accept you Calum, but you always have to be 100% honest with yourself and just be you and tell her the truth. If she hates you, that sucks. If she's doesn't, great. It's the benefits having it out there will bring to you that are more important than her opinion. It's better for you to be happy in your own skin than forcing yourself to carry round a secret to keep her happy."

"You're surprisingly good a comforting people, you know that Michael."

"Another one of my many talents."