Labels [lashton/malum]

Chapter 14: kiss

Edited May 2021

"Ashton, if you don't stop tapping your pencils while I'm trying to do homework, I will break them," Luke said, dropping his notebook on the coffee table.

"Luke, I'm a drummer, it's what I do. I tap pencils," Ashton laughed, kicking Luke's leg under the coffee table.

"Okay well just be Ashton for a bit okay? Chemistry is hard enough without your amazing drumming skills distracting me," Luke smiled teasingly.

"I'm just trying to provide a sound track for our study session," Ashton shrugged, dropping her pencils nonetheless.

"You mean my study session? You've done nothing but eat all of my Gushers and drink all of my Coke since you got here," Luke chuckled. Ashton stood up and slipped around the table to the side where Luke was sitting and bit her lip.

"Maybe you should take a little break?"

-

"Why are you following me?" Michael asked, glancing to his side at Calum, who had been following him since they ran into each other at the gas station.

"It's late, it's dark, and you're so tiny, I wouldn't want anyone taking advantage of your innocent vulnerability," Calum said a bit teasingly.

"I'm not innocently vulnerable. I can take care of myself," Michael rolled his eyes, though he didn't stop Calum from continuing to walk beside him.

"So, I wanted to show you something that I've kind of been working on. I've had the idea in my head for a while but after you showed your song, I was inspired to get it out on paper." Calum pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Michael, trying to feign casualty as he smoked a cigarette, but under the bright street lamps, Michael could see the slight blush on his cheeks. Michael slowed his pace as he opened the paper and read the messy scrawl of lyrics.

At the top of the page, in thick black ink was the words Jet Black Heart.

"How did you hear the melody in your head?" Michael asked curiously as he read it.

"I don't know. I kind of didn't. It just came out as words, like a poem almost. I thought I'd give it to you since you're the lyrical genius," Calum bumped his shoulder softly. Michael ducked his head with a bright blush.

"Everybody's got their demons
Even wide awake or dreaming
I'm the one who ends up leaving
Make it okay"

He sang softly, tweaking the melody slightly then singing it again. Calum watched in blissful awe as his messy scrawl of thoughtless words came out in such a beautiful, perfect manner from Michael's mouth. Calum couldn't stop staring at his lips, watching them form his words so elegantly, so easily. Calum stopped walking, trying to decipher the swirling feeling in his stomach and the weightlessness he felt when he looked at the boy. Michael turned with a soft smile and wide open eyes.

"Are you okay?"

-

"Maybe you should a little break?" She said softly, closing the textbook on Luke's lap. She licked her lips, a blush filling her cheeks when Luke's eyes flicked down to them. She held her breath a bit as she started to lean in. She could feel the warmth of Luke's breath as she got closer, but before she could lean in all the way, Luke was pulling back and clearing his throat.

"Are you hungry? I'm kind of hungry," he walked to the kitchen without waiting for an answer, leaving Ashton flushed with embarrassment in the living room.

-

"Are you okay?" Michael asked softly once he realized that Calum wasn't following anymore. Calum debated on the question and decided that he was absolutely not okay.

He rushed forward without a word, without the slightest warning, and pressed Michael back against the wall to the left of the sidewalk. Michael gasped and instinctively grabbed Calum's tee shirt but didn't get a chance to speak as Calum kissed him.

The kiss was hungry but warm and Michael's lips were just as soft as Calum thought they would be. It was a miracle when Michael didn't push him away. Calum gripped the boy's hips and pressed into him. Michael gasped softly into his mouth and Calum swallowed the sound of it greedily.

Calum couldn't describe what kissing Michael felt like in words. He'd never been great at words, and it was a shame not being able to describe this feeling. This feeling of floating while being so, so grounded. It was warm but a chill still ran through him. It was soft and hungry.

It was perfect.

So naturally, Calum pulled away.

Michael's back was pressed against the wall still, his hands up where they had been clutching Calum's tee shirt. His lips were pink and kiss bitten.

"I'm sorry."

He walked away.

He walked fast down the street, shaking his head at himself. He cursed loud into the dark street as the anger reared inside of him. All of that peaceful weightlessness was gone, filled with sand that made everything heavy and too cold. He cursed loudly as he turned and punched the side of a building, his knuckles bursting with blood as his hand bounced off of the solid wood. He continued his angry steps as his hand fell numb at his side, dripping with blood.

Calum's breath came in short pants as he pulled his phone out of his pocket with his good hand. He opened it with shaky fingers and typed a message, his eyes squeezing shut as the weakness overtook his frustrated mind. He fell into the weakness.

Kelsey: can I come over?