Locked In [Malum]

The Final Epilogue

Before you begin to read I just want to thank everyone who has support this story. This chapter is dedicated to all of you! This chapter is almost 9K words and it took so long to write, I really hope you like it. It shows what happens through Michael and Calum's university life and where they end up. I worked really hard on it and I'm quite proud of it. Anyway, enjoy :) 

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Year One 

"Are you sure you guys want to live together?" Karen, Michael's mom asked for the millionth time.

"Yeah mom, we wanted to share a dorm, we have completely different schedules so it's not like we will be with each other 24/7." Michael replies as he drops his last box into his dorm at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, him and his parents drove up together a couple days before orientation, Calum would be coming sometime that day. Michael had already registered, got his photo taken for his student card and then he was given the keys to his shared dorm with Calum. They had a fairly large room with two beds, two dressers, two desks and a small kitchenette. There was a bathroom that they would share with the room beside them. Michael picked the bed furthest away from the window knowing that his boyfriend would like the fresh air, the sunlight, everything Michael hated from a window.

His mom and dad helped Michael unpack, putting stuff in his dresser, setting up his school supplies and setting down all his textbooks for the semester, he got books on beds which is a program where they put all the textbooks you need on a box for you when you walk in, it was convenient and Michael hated the idea of going to the bookstore, he convinced Calum to do the same so on Calum's bed sat a box full of his textbooks waiting to be opened.

Michael was putting up a Green Day poster on his side of the room when another family walked in. His boyfriend's family to be precise. In walked Calum lugging a suitcase behind him, his mom and his sister had come up from Sydney, his dad being unable to take time off work.

"Hi Calum, you ready for all of this?" Karen asked him sweetly, she had grown to like the boy over the year of him dating her son.

"There was such a long line to get my student card and photo, and I am so glad I listened to you Mikey, have you seen the line into the bookstore? I wouldn't be able to handle that!"

"How silly is your photo?" Michael smirked knowing that Calum probably had some really weird facial expression with wide eyes and he probably looked really confused.

"You take one bad photo and suddenly you get accused of taking a bad photo every time!" Calum says exasperatedly with large arm movements.

"Enough chit chat, we only have an hour or so before your orientation starts and we are unpacking everything while your sister and I are here because we all know that you two boys won't do anything and live out of suitcases for the whole year." Joy shakes her head fondly at the two. 

So the two families set to work making it livable and got everything unpacked, Joy had also brought a laundry basket full of food because as Calum later tells Michael quoting his mother, "I don't trust that meal hall plan, you're growing boys you need food."

It was a teary departure for the two moms, Mali just ruffled Michael's hair and kissed Calum's cheeks, Daryl told them to behave themselves and gave each boy a hug, the mothers though were a different story, they were crying and saying how their little men are growing up and made note to tell them to call every week.

Michael and Calum were ready to take on their first year of university together.

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The first month involved a lot of partying, a lot of alcohol and a lot of sex. Calum could be seen walking around on campus trying to hide his limps on numerous occasions. Michael just felt smug. They tried keeping up with their classes as best as possible, but sometimes they would rather just cuddle with each other. Calum was in a program for exercise, sport and nutrition and he was working towards a bachelor of exercise and nutrition sciences. He was really liking it especially because one of their classes was gym, but it wasn't just any gym class, it was also making exercise routines up and putting them to the test focusing on certain parts of the body. Michael, like in high school, was laid back, didn't really like exercise, he was more a video game guy, however he had a love for music and was doing a bachelor of arts in it. It actually allowed him to get back into his love for guitar, he was hoping to become a music teacher at the end, he would have to do a year at teacher's college but Michael thought it was a good choice of a career.