Gravity Falls || malum & lashton au

4

Michael is in the process of hastily cleaning the cabin. He can't handle this pig stye. It's a complete wreck. It couldn't have been cleaned anytime within the past six months. There's dust in the most random of places, dirt coating the floor, and grime etched onto the counter tops that are attached to the wall parallel to where the love seat is. The only things seemingly clean in here are the beds and the loveseat. The bathroom is so, so. The toilet is metal, so it looks disgusting regardless of whether or not it's clean. The tiles near the shower are white but have annoying stains on them that soap, water, and lysol won't remove. The sink is finally completely clean. It's metal to match the toilet. The only thing that isn't metal is the bathtub and shower combo. It's a rustic yellow color with the only metal in it being the knobs and the shower head.

The only place that he is yet to clean is the entrance rug, the fridge door (the inside of it doesn't look so bad at least), the counter tops, and wooden floors that make up the bottom of the entire bedroom / living room / sitting area combo. The open floor plan does make the place a little less creepy, but also makes it look too big in here. Makes the room feels empty unless the guys are all standing up. Michael was relieved when they noticed there was a lock for the front door. It's a pathetic sliding deadbolt, but it's reassurance that a wild bear won't walk right through the door. It's not like a bear can open a door, but he isn't going to take that chance. Logic means nothing to him.

"Are you ever going to stop cleaning?" Calum whines from where he is sat on his bed. "I have to pee and you saying thay we can't walk on the floor while you sweep is a problem, you see." The dark haired boy kicks his dangling feet from where he is sat, looking like a man child from Michael's perspective. He groans in response, slinging the broom down to the floor in annoyance.

"Fine, hurry up and pee so that you don't wet yourself and it drip onto my bed."

"Ha! I'd just piss on your screeching air conditioner," Calum retorts, jumping to the ground and still lands perfectly. As annoyed as Michael is by him, he is envious of how graceful and confident he is. Even if his confidence is a major overkill.

"Piss on it and die," Michael says as if he's a snake spitting out venom. He crosses his sweater clad arms across his chest, raising his eyebrows. He reminds himself of his mother back when he was a child. He hears Ashton let out a nearly inaudible laugh. Michael does his best to ignore it. He wants Ashton on his good side, so he really doesn't want to snap at him.

"Calum, be nice," Luke pleas with his from where he is sat on his top bunk on the other side of the room. He doesn't like conflict. He doesn't like seeing it, hearing it, or even being involved in it. But he also doesn't like seeing Michael look as though the bulging vein in his forehead is going to burst, either.

"Awe, be nice?" The tan boy laughs, walking up to Michael and petting his perfectly soft hair as if he's a child. Calum has a smirk written all over his face, his eyes looking full of power, confidence and playfulness. Michael tenses, doing his best to ignore the chills that run down his body because of the contact with his hair. He secretly has a huge thing for that, but doesn't everyone? He closes his eyes and takes a deep and shaky breath, hoping that his cheeks aren't as bright of a red as it feels like they are. It feels like the heat of the blood rising to his face could boil through his skin.

"Calum," Ashton says with a warning tone from where he's kicked back on the loveseat, his legs being too long to be out stretched on the piece of furniture. That seems to be the long haired boy's favorite place to be. Awkwardly laying on the small piece of furniture with his face typically being shoved in a book. Today is no exception. He has a book laying on his chest as he appears to be resting his eyes.

"What? I'm being nice," he smirks yet again and then turns around to head to the bathroom like he planned to just a few moments ago. Michael is furiously blushing, having given up on the idea of hiding it. He yet again hates this place. He wants to go home. Although, he sure the hell isn't going to talk home and he has no cell service still so he can't exactly get a ride home.
He hates this. He hates Calum.

● ● ●

"This far just for lunch?" Michael complains upon finally arriving at the meeting hall with his roommates. He groans, hunching over due to the pain in his sides. Ashton and Calum were walking pretty quickly, staying in a constant state of where they switched from a jog to speed walking. Needless to say, they walked three miles within an hour and a half when it took about three hours the first time that he and Luke walked that far. The two made sure to keep up, not wanting to feel stranded our here again.

"You get used to it," Ashton replies, then jogs into the meeting hall right afterward. Who in the world has that much energy? He could imagine that only the people in the military and track runners would be able to manage what they have today and still have the energy to keep moving quickly with ease. Michael envies those kinds of people. He hopes, secretly, that this camp will help him to be more fit. So that he can do stunts in his youtube videos. He isn't one to show off but making his videos is his passion, so he's willing to do anything to get noticed.

"I feel like I'm going to pass out," Luke says weakly, grabbing onto Michael's arm. How is Michael not overheating in that sweater? Why does he even wear it so much? And why is Luke so curious? Maybe it's cause he thinks a lot more than he will ever speak. He lets out a strained breath, his lungs feeling strained and abused.

"How cute," Calum murmurs just a little above a whisper. Michael does his best to ignore it, but wants to strangle him at this point. He's never had anyone who has annoyed him nearly as much as he does. He makes Michael want to rip his own hair out and punch things. He swears he isn't a violent person at all. He's typically very well mannered... Except for when it comes to being told what to do and then there's Calum.

"Let's have lunch," Michael says as nonchalantly as possible, dragging Luke along with him to the meeting hall entrance. Calum follows, playing on his phone behind them. He's so obnoxious that he doesn't even turn down the volume of his phone, Michael thinks. The three walk through the entrance to see lines crowded around, waiting to get into the entrances of the serving area, where the food is. Luke whines. He doesn't feel like he's going to be able to stand for much longer. He looks down to Michael, "I'm gonna go pick us all out a picnic table. I need to sit down."

Michael nods in response. Well fuck. He's stuck alone with Calum. He can't even see where Ashton is. He absolutely loathes this boy. He wants to smack him around and throw things at him. That would be satisfying, Michael thinks to himself. It would make him very happy.

"So, are you and Luke a thing?" Calum asks, moving a little closer to Michael as the line is slowly inching forward. The shorter boy can feel his body heat emitting off and affecting him. He hates it. It repulses him, but he does his best to ignore and to try not to laugh at the question.

"Seriously?"

Calum furrows his eyebrows, "uh, yeah... You two are inseparable. It's pretty noticeable.. Pretty hot," he smirks, winking at Michael. As much as he tries to make himself hate Calum at a constant rate, he really can't. He blushes for what feels like the millionth time today and drops his head.

"We just met. He's like a brother to me," Michael says sheepishly but also honestly. He doesn't understand why everyone assumes that he and Luke has a thing. Do they? No, they couldn't. Or do they? This is going to bug the hell out of him for a while now. It's a topic that has been dropped into his brain that is going to cause him to lie awake at night and question everything that he believes in.

"You sure about that, pretty boy?" Calum asks, letting Michael know that he isn't going to give up. He must be some voyeur creep. Ew. Nope, he doesn't want that image in his head. It's absolutely disgusting. Not Luke but Calum. Michael is completely comfortable with the blonde already, but he is terrified of the dark haired boy at an intense level.

"Y-yeah."