FIFA || Malum

11

A/N: Thoughts on the new cover? :^)

With a sigh, Calum realized he needed to put aside whatever Michael did that upset him because he probably didn't mean to hurt Calum the way he did. Maybe he was just hurt because he liked Michael a lot more than he intended to.

He was Calum Hood after all, it wasn't often that a footie player found someone they truly liked. Calum Hood didn't fall in love, he fell in lust with people. He did it purely based on attraction and looks, there was no love at first sight. Love, in fact, seemed more like a farce than anything else to Calum. How can one suddenly enjoy someone to the point where they can't think straight and their brain causes their bodies to have strange reactions to a person? The entire concept of love was ridiculous to Calum.

But still, he decided to focus on making Michael as comfortable as possible when they took off.

With a slightly fragile lopsided smile, Calum turned a fraction in his seat so he could see Michael without craning his neck. He didn't miss the fact that Michael looked like he was about to give birth but he was polite enough not to mention it to the boy.

There was a long pause while Calum thought of something to say, everything that was about to fall off his tongue evaporated as soon as his eyes landed on Michael. It got awkwarder as time passed although Michael's eyes were closed, Calum still felt like the boy was expecting him to say something, patronizing him for taking so long to think up a conversation starter.

His hand, shaking at first, moved on its own accord. Like he was attached to strings, a mere character in a wonderful puppet show. He didn't say a word when his hand was laid ever so softly over Michael's, the sudden contact made the dark blue haired by jump. He quickly settled down realizing it was Calum's hand on his.

Still, neither boy said a word and Calum sat properly in his seat. He gave the tiniest of squeezes to Michael's hand as the plane began moving, Ashton could be heard chattering off in the background but either than that the plane seemed completely mute. Calum wished he could read minds right now, to know what Michael was thinking and whether or not he could hear Calum's heart hammering it's way through his ribcage.

The plane finally got off the ground and suddenly Michael's hand was removed from under his and he felt a tight pressure against his arm. As it turns out, Michael had woven his arms around one of Calum's and were tightening their grip on it within the span of three seconds.

"Wow, it looks like this conversation is really up in the air," Calum whispered as soft as his voice could go, not exactly sure if he was talking to Michael or himself.

"If I wasn't so fucking petrified I would seriously consider kicking your ass, Cal." Michael grunted with his jaw clenched, death grip still present.

"Do you lose feeling of your body when you fly?" Calum asked suddenly, looking to the boy next to him with curiosity written across his face. "'Cause I think I might have lost feeling in my left arm."

It was meant to be a joke but Michael looked rather concerned even though he didn't loosen his grip on Calum, it was like a boa constrictor had started squeezing the life out of his arm.

"You should really get that checked out, sounds unnatural." Michael teased despite his steadily growing emotional response to being so high in the air. He was half a second away from tears if he didn't vomit first.

"Look out the window," Calum instructed, like he knew Michael's thoughts were wondering to possible outcomes when he should really be trying to take his mind off things.

"Cal, I really don't think--"

"It's okay, let me tell you a story to keep your mind off terrifying thoughts. It's about the first time I arrived in England, I was pretty much all OZ oriented with no experience of how the rest of the world functions..." Calum blabbed on and on, smiling occasionally despite the reason they'd all ended up in a plane. Michael found himself staring in the opposite direction of the window, Calum just seemed much more interesting than a bunch of clouds.