FIFA || Malum

05

"What's it's name?" Calum asked, looking at a small stuffed lion on the shelf beside Michael's desk closely. He'd just now noticed the small ball of fluff despite seeing Michael regularly for a few days now.

"Oh, uh, he doesn't have a name." Michael replied while racking his brain, if the lion did have a name he didn't remember it.

"His name is Daniel." Calum said, a smile lighting up his features as he looked at the small stuffed animal.

"Bu-"

"Daniel." Calum repeated, cutting off Michael purposely. To which the latter threw his arms up in surrender quickly, "Okay, his name is Daniel."

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Calum asked as his fingers danced along the bookshelf, stopping momentarily to pick out a book and flick through the pages absently as he looked at the other boy. He placed the book back and picked up a snow globe, shaking it and putting it back also. He traced a finger along the edge as he inspected some other trinkets Michael had placed on the shelves.

"Just a few more measurements and then we can more on," Michael said, watching Calum flick through a stack of pictures before placing them carefully back where they were. He found it a little odd that Calum felt the need to touch every other thing on the shelf but he didn't say anything because Calum's eyes lit up when he saw a small set up of action figures, he was quick to pick up Rorschach from Watchmen and Michael couldn't help but smile as Calum looked closely at the details of the figure.

"Do I need to take off my shirt?" He asked, turning to Michael expectantly after placing Rorschach next to the Suicide Squad on the shelf.

"Yeah, it'll only take a few minutes though." Michael replied, he only need about three more and then they could finally work off the computer and Calum wouldn't be needed as often. That's what Michael wanted, right?

Nodding absently, the tanned boy removed his shirt and neatly folded it before placing his shirt down on Michael's desk.

"Is that new?" Michael questioned loudly without thinking, taken by surprise. There was a tattoo that Michael was just noticing now but he was sure that Calum didn't have it last time he checked.

"Yeah," A smile smile graced Calum's lips easily at the mention of his new tattoo, his fingers lightly tracing over the dark feather on his collarbone. It matched the shades in his hair while contrasting his naturally tanned skin, Michael wanted to touch every line of ink that marked on the boy's skin and more.

✩

"No, no." Calum laughed, the corner of his eyes had creases that Michael wanted to see everyday. The boy was beautiful when he laughed and the purple haired boy wanted to pinch his cheeks constantly.

"What do you mean no? You're the one that said you wanted to hop on some dude's train." Michael snorted, measuring the width of Calum's arm.

"That's not what I meant, the guy owns a train," Calum wheezed, shaking unhelpfully.

"'The guy owns a train.' what kind of people do you hang out with? Luke gave me a R2-D2 trash bin one time.... Which he stole. That's probably the most expensive gift he's ever given me." Michael said, pausing a moment to reminisce in the memory.

"Wow," Calum breathed, not knowing how to respond. Michael sounded really fond of Luke, he kind of wanted Michael to sound like that when he talked about Calum.

"Woah! What the fuck did I just walk in on?" Someone shouted from the entrance, Calum turned to see someone clad in a Liverpool football kit shielding their eyes.

"Matt?" Calum asked, surprised to say the least. He hadn't seen Matt since their game against Manchester United. The other footie player uncovered his eyes to find the two boys separate.

"Thank God, for a second there I thought you were gay, Hood." Matt sounded extremely relieved about it, his eyes darkened considerably as he continued. "You know what they say, God hates Fags."

Calum turned away then, not wanting either Michael or Matt to see how hurt he was. Instead, he tried to make it look like he was just turning to grab his shirt.

"Can I help you with something?" Michael said rather hotly, scowling at the man in the doorway.

"Yeah, I'm second in line for the character design. I was told he'd be done by now," Matt said, pointing a dismissive thumb toward Calum.

"Okay then, I'm going to need you to take off your shirt." Michael instructed, ripping a sheet of paper out of his notebook as he got a pen ready.

"Wait," Matt said, looking between the two boys hesitantly. "That's gay."

"I'm telling you to take off your shirt, not bend over. Get over yourself." Michael rolled his eyes at the immaturity, thinking briefly that the guy could at least remove his shirt without that much of a problem.

Matt's eyes were directed at Calum as he continued to hesitate.

"Maybe you should just get out of here," Michael suggested after a long pause with a tight smile. "After all, you know what they say, God hates Fags."

✩

"Are you okay, Cal?" Michael asked some time later, after Matt had left. The boy had been practically mute since Michael had practically kicked Calum's fellow footie player out, he'd nearly shouted for Luke to help him kick the shit out of the homophobe-but he didn't, and that's what matters.

"He knows," Calum whispered quickly, from his spot curled up in Michael's chair.

"Don't worry about it, he's a tool."

"Michael, I might get kicked off the team. People will be disgusted if they find out, what will I do then?" Calum asked helplessly, his tone just seemed to drop sadder and sadder.

He let out the tiniest little sniffle in the world and Michael's heart shattered.

"Nonononono, please don't cry," he whispered, not knowing how to comfort Calum but tried his best. "It's okay, if, um, if you get kicked from the team then I swear you can live off me. You won't even have to pay rent! I will do everything I can to prevent that from happening, trust me."

The purple haired boy continued to ramble on as Calum let out yet another minuscule sniffle.

"You just called me baby." He whispered quietly, lashes weighed down slightly by his unshed tears.

"I sw-What?" Michael asked, a little surprised that Calum had talked. He looked at the fragile boy with wide eyes and felt his chest swell at the view, even while on the verge of tears Calum took his breath away.

"Baby. You called me baby." Calum mumbled, emitting a sniff.

"Yeah, I guess I did." Michael admitted, scratching the back of his head with a small laugh. He hadn't even realized he'd let that slip out, the word just happened to fall out his mouth with all his other reassurances.

A tear finally escaped Calum's eyes, cascading down his tan cheek, it created a thin wet trail in its wake before it was abruptly cut short by the pad of Michael's thumb.

Catching Calum's eye, he gave the boy a small smile, "Let's watch a movie, yeah?"

A/N: Also, if you or someone you know can write smut will you please hmu because I can't and am in need of someone who can