Fallen [Malum+Mashton/Cake] ✔️

~15~

Chapter Fifteen: Doesn't The Truth Hurt?

Luke sat anxiously on the lounge room couch, hands in his lap and teeth gnawing slightly on his bottom lip as he watched his boyfriend pace up and down the lounge room space.

"I need to do something." Calum fretted. "He hates me. I need him to love me."

Luke hesitated, stammering anxiously. "I...I love you."

Calum carelessly dismissed his partner's words. "You're not enough."

Luke's demeanour slumped, his body slouching and his heart breaking in his chest as he chose to stay silent with his thoughts.

Calum sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll buy him flowers, maybe chocolates or something. People love that shit."

Luke so desperately wanted to say that Calum never bought him anything nice like that but decided against it for his own well-being. He was already reaching his neglect limit.

Calum left the room with an abrupt movement, coming back only to pass through towards the front door as he shuffled his brown jacket on. Luke sat up, confused as he turned to watch Calum leave.

"Where—Where are you g-going?" Luke tried to raise his voice loud enough, only barely managing it; too afraid to speak any louder.

"I'm gonna go make Michael love me again." Came Calum's adamant response.

"Wh-What if he doesn't?" Luke cautiously asked.

Calum stopped and turned to him with a seething growl. "What?"

"You—" Luke took a deep breath, swallowing down his fear as best he could. He'd started speaking, now he had no choice but to finish it. "You hur-hurt him..."

"So? I didn't mean to." Calum viciously spat.

"But you raped—" Luke shut himself up as soon as he saw the pure death in Calum's eyes. He shrunk in on himself, looking down with shame. "S-Sorry..."

"So you fucking should be." Calum hissed. "Fucking accusing me of shit. You're worthless, honestly."

"I-I know... Sorry C-Calum."

"And for the love of God stop stuttering!" Calum exasperated, turning back towards the front door.

Luke could already feel the tears stinging the corners of his eyes, welling up and casting a depressing glaze over his blue colours.
"Do you love m-me?"

Calum scoffed, muttering something about Luke being selfish as he left the house with a slam of the front door.
Luke hunched over, his hands rising to cover his face as he burst into miserable tears; his mind screaming profanities at him for never being good enough. Michael would always be better than him, Michael would always be Calum's first choice, and it hurt.

It really fucking hurt.

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Ashton sat quietly in Michael's lap, the both of them cuddled up on Michael's couch watching some old fashioned film the T.V channel had decided to play.

It wouldn't be a secret that neither one was really paying attention to the film. Michael's arm was wrapped around Ashton's waist, holding the fragile male back against his chest. His hand had been softly tracing patterns over Ashton's stomach, beneath a grey shirt he'd borrowed from Michael's drawers, for a short while now.

Ashton had relaxed into the soothing touch, his head rested back against Michael's shoulder as he let his mind wander. There was an itch he needed to scratch, the precious touch of a needle had been crawling closer to his consciousness for well over an hour now; but he had been desperate not to fall into his own trap.
So he let himself fall lax in Michael's hold, hoping and praying that it would be enough to keep him floating above the flood waters for at least a while longer.

"...Michael?" His voice was a soft rasp of a whisper in the quiet; the night hidden from them by closed curtains and electric lightbulbs.

"Mm?" Michael hummed his response, eyes on the television screen but his attention on the diamond in his hands.

"H-How long will you love me?" Ashton's question was riddled with anxiety, laced with insecurities.

"For a very long time." Michael calmly replied.

"Would you stop?" Ashton glanced down at the hand whose fingertips were still tracing soft patterns over his skin.

"Never."

"But... I-... I'm not normal..."

"You're my normal." Michael said, gently resting his chin on Ashton's shoulder. "You make me feel normal."

"How?" Ashton's voice had lowered to an unsure whisper, fingers now fiddling with Michael's hand around his waist; leaving the other to continue soothing his skin.

"Your smile makes everything worth it." Michael gave a small smile, pressing a kiss to Ashton's cheek. "You light up my darkness, Ash... You give me a reason to stay when all I ever want to do is go."

"...go?"

"I love you." Michael admitted, nuzzling into Ashton's neck.

"Would... W-Would you..." Ashton took a shaky breath in before letting it out with a nervous huff. "Would you m-marry me?"

"Without hesitation." Michael blushed as he gave his answer, almost hiding himself away in Ashton's body.

Ashton's eyes widened ever so slightly, a faint tinge of pink touching his cheeks as feathery as the touch on his stomach. "You...You would?"

"Mmhm." Michael kissed his neck, a gentle action that meant no harm. "I don't want you to go anywhere, I'd love it if you stayed."

"I-I wasn't g-going any-"

"Your hands are shaking." Michael let the hand Ashton held intertwine their fingers. "You're thinking about it again, aren't you?"

"Only—Only thinking." Ashton admitted, almost in tears at how easily Michael could read him.

"Please stay." Michael's voice was endearingly soft now, shy and timid like a scared child too afraid to let their mumma's hand go.

Ashton felt something wet graze his neck, only seconds apart from him realising Michael had begun to cry into his shoulder; Michael's hold had tightened tenderly as he sobbed, desperately clinging on to something he swore would leave him.

Ashton held Michael's hand tightly in both of his own, the other hand having now moved from his stomach and to around his waist.

"I stay." Ashton insisted, clutching Michael's hand. "I'm here."

"Don't go." Michael cried. "Please—Please don't go."

"I'm here." Ashton could physically feel his heart aching, his eyes watering at how much pain he had caused. "I'm s-still here."

"I love you." Michael blubbered, crying miserably. "Don't leave me. Please not again."

Ashton tried his best to shift in Michael's hold, his heart cracking when the man let out a shattering whimper; thinking Ashton was going to get up and leave. He turned in Michael's lap so he could properly face the man, wobbling when Michael instantly wrapped his arms back around him again after he noticed Ashton was still with him.

Ashton hugged his arms around Michael in return, squeezing gently. "I l-love you too, Mikey."

He smiled sadly, hurt when Michael's watery gaze met his own. With a soft kiss delicately placed over pink lips, Ashton's voice was quiet; lips grazing as they moved. "I promise I do."

Michael tucked his head into the crook of Ashton's neck sobbing in part relief when Ashton held him and let him cry.

"Thank you."

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What do y'all think about Calum and Luke's relationship compared to Michael and Ashton's??