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Malcolm was minding his own business in his cabin reading a book and drinking his tea. Nothing could ruin his day, he was comfortable, he was absent mindedly reading an ancient Greek book about battle strategy. Something he deeply enjoyed, much like his father.
Exactly why he existed.
Because his dad enjoyed battle strategy and made a living being a Greek museum curator, his mom noticed him and thought he was amazing so she bestowed upon him, Malcolm.
Exactly why his hair was a light blonde, and eyes were a gray that looked blue sometimes, why his tanned skin stayed unaffected from the lack of pigmentation in his hair and eyes.
Nothing could ruin his day. It was awesome.
“We have a problem!,” The door slammed open to show Conner Stoll, Malcolm’s boyfriend and best friend.
“No.,” Malcolm shook his head slowly before glaring at Conner.,” You; have a problem. I have an idiot who keeps getting me into one.,” Malcolm stood up and walked over to him before gently turning him around.,” You try to fix it yourself for once. Ok sweetie?”
“Bu-,” Conner was cut off by Malcolm slamming the door in his face.
Malcolm thought it was over as he walked back to his seat and started reading again. But it was only peaceful for two minutes before the door was almost being knocked down again by Conner.
Now you’re probably asking: How did Malcolm know it was Conner?
Because he was screaming for help and Malcolm's name while he pounded his fists on the door and came in.
“Now before you say anything, I know you told me to fix it myself. I tried, I really did! But I need help!,” Conner whined as he ran to his side and got down on his knees.,” Please?”
“What do I get out of it?,” Malcolm sighed, looking down at him unamused, as he shut his book.
“A kiss?,” Conner smiled lightly, earning an annoyed face.,” More kisses?,” Malcolm’s face darkened even more.,” What do you want?”
“To not be pulled into any more of your nonsense.,” Malcolm answered honestly.,” Though I’d like the ‘More kisses’ offer with. Like a package deal?”
“Deal!,” Conner laughed, as he stood up at the same time as Malcolm. Before they could even leave the cabin Conner placed a small kiss on Malcolm’s cheek.
“What?,” He laughed.,” You agreed to more kisses?”
“Dork!”
Malcolm was used to the dumb stuff his beautiful and annoying boyfriend would bring him into, but this, this was so different.
He accidentally splattered paint all over Rachel’s cave messing up all of the paintings she had recently made. And she was chasing him with a bucket of paint attempting to dump it on him. She also had the entire Apollo and Hephaestus cabins helping her try to catch him.
Malcolm slapped him on the arm when he found out the problem.,” You dummy! Couldn’t you just accept the paint, then come to me for help to wash it out?!”
“I-,” Conner paused.,” Ohhhh! That would be better wouldn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Ok, let me go up to Rachel and accept the paint then we can shower together!”
“That’s not what I meant you pervert!”
“I know!”
Malcolm sat behind the rock wall watching his boyfriend walk right up to Rachel and accept the paint to the head.
The Apollo cabin and Hephaestus cabins also walked over and dumped the paint they had on him too.
So in the end he was just every color of the rainbow.
“Was I brave?,” Conner joked as he and Malcolm walked to the Hermes cabin together.
“So brave!,” Malcolm smiled at him before thinking.,” You can forget the deal. I don’t know why but I think I’d miss this stuff, like all of the dumb stuff that you get into. It’s my last year here at camp, the least I can do is spend it with my boyfriend, Right?”
“Hm,” Conner hummed.,” What about kisses though? Can we keep the kisses deal?”
“I don’t see why not?,” Malcolm smiled, looking into his boyfriends deep blue eyes while making sure he wasn’t touching him.
“Good!,” Conner smiled.,” Though I’ve noticed, you’ve been refusing to touch me since I was drenched in paint. Why?”
“You know why dummy!,” Malcolm laughed as he swatted the hand that tried to touch his hair. He only realized his mistake when his other paint covered hand was placed onto his cheek.
“Because you didn’t want to get dirty.,” Conner laughed as he saw Malcolm stare at nose in disgust and annoyance.,” Well guess it’s too late now!”
“You ass.,” Malcolm smiled as he wrapped his arms around his neck before pulling him into a kiss.
Unlike almost every other couple at camp they didn’t have a height difference. Conner was a quarter of an inch taller than Malcolm, so it wasn’t uncomfortable for them to reach each other’s lips. No tippy toes, craned necks, or back having to bend half over.
A small turn of Conner's head and they were perfect.
When their lips came apart Conner started laughing and Malcolm knew it was because his face was covered in paint.
“Shut up!,” He laughed, as he took his hand that was covered with paint from Conner and pressed it to his forehead.,” Come on, let's grab your clothes from your cabin and some from mine.”
So that’s what they did, though the Hermes cabin wouldn’t let Conner walk in so Malcolm went in and grabbed the clothes with Conner's siblings help.
He also went into his own cabin and grabbed his clothes while Conner hung out outside.
Malcolm made sure to grab both of their swimming trunks because they agreed that they would shower together because one of them would’ve ended up with cold water and neither wanted the other to have it.
When they got in there they went into different stalls and changed out of their paint covered clothes and put on the swimming trunks.
“You look gorgeous!,” Conner laughed as Malcolm came out in his light blue swimsuit that he usually wore with a swimming shirt.
“Ha ha very funny.,” Malcolm grumbled.
In all honesty, Malcolm had really bad body issues with growing up in an Indian household, and having a stepmom that picked at him for having a small build. He always knew she was trying to be nice about it but she would be harsh on him, no matter what he did he couldn’t gain weight. He tried gaining muscle by working out, but no weight was gained, all that was gained was an odd immunity to heavy things.
He tried everything.
“Ok what’s wrong?,” Conner hummed, turning his head to the side like a confused dog.
“It’s just- ugh.,” Malcolm groaned as he leaned against the wall and slid down it to hold his knees, ignoring how cold the wall was against his bare back.,” I hate seeing myself shirtless.”
Conner knew of what he had been told by his aunts and uncles and stepmom about his body many times late at night when they would just talk, so he understood.,” Come here.,” He whispered, sitting down on the floor with him and opening his arms.
“Absolutely not, I hate hugging shirtless people, and not to mention I’m shirtless too.,” Malcolm grumbled lightly, narrowing his eyes at his boyfriend.
“Shh-,” Conner whispered as he pressed his finger to Malcolm’s lips before opening his arms for him again with a small nod.
“Ugh.,” Malcolm lightly sighed before laying in his boyfriend's open arms and feeling them wrap around him so he was secure.
Conner held him for a bit before he whispered.
“Do you feel that?”
“Feel what?”
“That.”
“Gonna have to elaborate babe.”
“The muscles in your back. The muscles in your arms. The muscles all over you.,” Conner whispered as he ran his hands over the places he spoke.,” They might not be visible but you can feel them. And it’s not about what’s visible on your body, it’s about how it’s working inside. Yeah it might be nice to be fit, but some people’s bodies aren’t built for that. And that’s ok.”
Malcolm knew what he said was brief, but he couldn’t help but smile against his shoulder.,” Thanks.,” He whispered before lifting his head so they were making eye contact.,” I love you, Conner. You’re amazing, thank you.”
Conner smiled as he tightened his arms around Malcolm’s body.,” You’re welcome, and I love you too Malcolm.”
They had stayed like that for a while before Malcolm had stood up and helped Conner up.,” Come on, we need to shower while it’s still not too late.”
“Ok.”
Malcolm had helped Conner with the paint that wouldn’t come out of his thick brown curls.
“Why is your hair so curly!?,” He grumbled as he scrubbed the shampoo into his hair.
“It’s the Venezuelan genes babe.,” He smiled laughing lightly when Malcolm shoved his head down so he could scrub at the top of his head better.
“Of course it is!,” He laughed sarcastically as he kept trying to scrub the paint out.
They had taken almost twenty minutes in the shower, pretty much the whole time Malcolm was just trying to get the paint out of Conner's hair. Once they were out they took their clothes and spit up so they could change separately.
“You look so hot.,” Conner smiled when he saw Malcolm.
“I’m literally in a black sweatshirt that says ‘Don’t talk to me’ and black shorts.,” Malcolm deadpanned, staring at his boyfriend unimpressed.,” My hair is also still wet.”
“So is mine, and your outfit is better than mine!,” He giggled as he was wearing a plain red T-shirt and black sweatpants.
“Hm I guess.,” Malcolm shrugged as he wrapped his arms around Conners neck and kissed him.
Conner let a small giggle pass his lips as Malcolm kissed him before hugging him, and slightly deepening the kiss.
They held the kiss for a while just standing there holding each other and smiling.
It was super comforting and nice for them both.
Malcolm wasn’t expecting him to deepen the kiss anymore but he tried earning a small giggle as he pulled away.,” Don’t be a jerk, we are in a public place!”
“Sorry!,” Conner laughed sarcastically, as he took his hand and led him out of the showers and started to take him to the Athena cabin.,” We can make out in your mom's cabin if she doesn't mind!”
“I think she’ll mind!,” Malcolm laughed at him but nonetheless took the lead and headed for his cabin.