TRANS // ot4

Epilogue

((HEY FAM I have a super cool tumblr page where you can go to talk to me, ask questions, or look at all the references and representation I've found for various sexaulaities and genders!! It's mukingstuff (http://mukingstuff.tumblr.com/) and you could follow me too, if you feel so compelled!

Also Lu is going to be helping me answer messages for a while, since I'm about to get physically taken out by obligations, but I'll post a bit more detail in definition if you read that!!

-Mel))

((Tw// injuries, but not too detailed, suicide and depression, also not too detailed, and a fuCKTON OF SELF LOVE))

"I didn't want to jump," Michael says firmly, crossing his arms and instantly wincing when the cast knocks against the stitches lining his chest, right above his broken ribs and punctured lung. "I didn't jump."

Calum sighs and runs a hand down his face in exhaustion. He's sitting in the chair, halfway across the room, with his legs braced in front of him and his elbows on his knees. He's leaning forward, hands planted firmly over his face. He scrubs them down and leans back, dropping his hands to his knees. "You jumped, Michael, we saw you."

Michael huffs. "I fell."

"Fine, fell, jumped, whatever," Calum caves, sighing again at Michael's petulance. "Why the fuck were you on a bridge, anyway?"

"I needed to clear my head," Michael responds, turning away and pointing his nose in the air. This is Calum's fault, basically. He built Michael's need for air by using the wrong pronoun. He didn't go after Michael immediately, when Michael needed him to. This is Calum's fault, and he's going to blame him as long as he can.

"Mi-"

Before Calum can finish, the door swings open, knocking against the wall loudly, while Luke curses and stumbles in. "Ah, fuck, sorry we're late," Luke says, holding about twenty "Get Well Soon" balloons by their strings. "They only let family in for the first twelve hours, so we hit up the gift shop."

"Luke went too hard," Ashton rolls his eyes as he follows Luke into the room, nudging him with his elbow. He's got an arm full of stuffed animals, and Michael's mouth quirks at the sight. The balloons knock against the ceiling softly while Luke shrugs, grinning up at them before looking at the hospital bed.

His bottom lip instantly juts out in a pout at the sight of Michael, all banged up and bruised, hair still dripping a little. They'd washed his hair after his emergency surgery, trying to get all the sand and pebbles away from his scalp from the bottom of the river. The nurses used a good conditioner, his hair feels soft and fluffy.

"You jumped of a bridge, Michael," Ashton states, not giving Michael a chance to argue (he didn't), before he fixing him with a sharp glance of betrayal. Michael does feel a little bad. He told Ashton he would get better, years ago when he actually tried to off himself. Ashton turns to Calum and raises an eyebrow. "What's the damage?"

"To Luke's bank account or Michael?" Calum snorts and flicks his eyes up to Luke, who brightens a little at the mention of his money. He knows he's caring all four of them, single handedly, with his face and photogenic body. They all know, but don't even bother mentioning it.

"Baby boy," Ashton replies, getting Michael's attention again.

Calum sits back in his chair and holds out a hand to start counting off injuries. Luke starts trying to tie all twenty balloon strings to the arm of the chair, ignoring Everyone's eyes on him and silently soaking up Calum's voice.