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Let’s backtrack for just a minute and clarify that Michael actually does love dogs. Truly, he loves them and thinks that they’re pretty damn awesome sometimes. While he considers himself more of a cat person, he can admit that dogs are also cute and he misses the poodle that he had to leave behind in Australia. So, the day that he and his bandmates are finally given a dog that will be with them while they toured, Michael couldn’t be happier.
But, he had been wrong at the time. Michael was so, so, so wrong because, yes, dogs are awesome and so is the one that they’ve been given. This dog is awesome until it steals Michael’s boyfriend away from him, like a sneaky little bastard that it is.
It’s been a week since they’ve gotten the puppy, named Yoda by yours truly. Their first day with Yoda had been filled with excitement, joy, and so many tummy rubs that there’s no possible way that Yoda will ever feel unloved. Now, however, things are much different than that first day. Things are different because it’s been a week since Michael has had Calum all to himself, and he’s frustrated. He’s undeniably frustrated and he won’t apologize for it, either. Because just when Michael thinks that he has Calum’s undivided attention, it’s ruined by his arch nemesis once again.
At the moment, they’re sitting in the back of the tour bus, also known as one of Michael’s favorite places to be. There’s a large TV and a comfortable couch and his head is resting on Calum’s thigh, so what else can he ask for? Nothing, that’s what. Well, except for this Pokémon that he’s currently trying to catch on the portable video game that he’s playing. It feels like it’s been taking all morning, but when he finally does manage to catch the damn thing, he cheers.
“Did you finally catch it?” Calum asks, chuckling softly because he already knows the answer to that question.
Michael glances up from the video game to meet Calum’s eyes. His boyfriend is already gazing down at him with an amused expression, though Michael can see the adoration in his eyes and the subtle blush on his squishy cheeks. He’s got a hand in Michael’s hair and it feels divine, having those long fingers massage his tender scalp. He loves it. Or, maybe Michael only loves it because those fingers belong to Calum. Either way, it’s nice.
“Hell fucking yes, I did,” he answers at last, his attention redirected at the game in his hands. “And now I’m off to catch the next one, because that’s what a Pokémon master does. We don’t stop ‘til we catch ‘em all.”
Michael thinks that he hears Calum chuckle softly and murmur something under his breath, but by now, he’s far too absorbed in the game again to care about anything else.
Sadly, it doesn’t last for long.
The door to the lounge slides open and in comes Luke Hemmings to interrupt their peace and quiet. To be honest, Michael doesn’t mind Luke’s presence that much, until he sees what his friend is carrying in his arms.
“Hey, Yoda!” Calum practically squeals. He says it in that typical baby voice that he uses whenever the puppy is around, and in an instant, Michael’s good mood is plummeting down a cliff of despair and betrayal.
“He’s been really fussy this morning, for some reason,” Luke says, struggling to hold the squirming puppy in his arms. When Yoda sees Calum sitting there, he barks and eagerly tries to escape Luke’s grasp, making the blond boy laugh. “Aww, d’you miss your mummy? Is that it?”
“I’m not the mum,” Calum whines.
“Of course you are, and now your baby wants your attention.” Luke bends down and lets the puppy jump from his arms. “Go on, go to mummy!”
Yoda lets out another bark and runs straight over to the couch. Because the puppy is far too little to climb onto the couch by himself, he barks again and desperately paws at Calum’s jean-clad legs, wanting to be picked up.
“Okay, okay, I’ll pick you up,” Calum says, laughing. However, he can’t exactly do that with a human boy in his lap, so Calum glances down at his boyfriend with an expectant look on his face. Michael ignores it completely. “Mike?”
“I was here first,” he grumbles, eyes glued to the screen of his game. “If the dog wants to get onto the couch, he can learn how to do it himself.”
It’s childish, Michael supposes. It’s childish and unnecessary to behave like this, but how else is he supposed to act when there’s a dog that wants to steal his boyfriend from him? This certainly isn’t the first time that he’s had to compensate just because of a damn dog, and he’s tired of it. He really is.
Calum doesn’t seem to get it, though. “Michael, come on, just sit up for a bit.” He moves his thigh as if to prove a point, but Michael doesn’t budge just yet, so Calum adds, “Yoda wants to sit in my lap now, get up.”
But what about what I want, is what Michael wants to argue with, because his needs should come before the needs of a dog, right? He’s more important to Calum than this domestic animal that they’ve had for literally a week?
Apparently not. So Michael groans and sits up at last, while Calum leans forward to lift Yoda onto his lap. Luke takes a seat on the other side of Calum and in mere seconds, both of them are consumed by the puppy’s cuteness.
Michael tunes out their coos and baby talk, and tries his hardest to focus on the video game instead of the slight pain in his chest. Because this is stupid. This is so, so stupid. He’s legitimately envious of a dog, of all things; but it’s hard not to be, especially when Calum used to give Michael all of his attention and now he’s lucky enough to get it for more than a couple of hours a day.
Whatever. It’s not important, it’s no big deal, and it shouldn’t matter. Despite the subtle pain in his chest, Michael will ignore it, because he’s nineteen years old and he can handle a little bit of competition.
***
A little bit of competition turns into a lot of competition, Michael soon learns. Every day it seems to get worse, or maybe he’s just beginning to mind it more and more. He used to think that it was incredibly cute, whenever Calum flips his shit over a random dog that they pass by on the street, or when they’re being driven to the next interview and Calum smacks Michael’s arm five times, just to point out a dog in the car driving next to them. It used to be cute to see how much his boyfriend loved dogs, and now it’s a little sickening.
The next event that sparks Michael’s jealousy towards the rooftops happens after a show. On stage, Michael has to share Calum with thousands of screaming people, but it’s a lot different. It’s different because playing at concerts is something that they do together, something that they’ve done since they were fifteen years old.
It feels natural, being in the spotlight and knowing that Calum is nearby. It feels natural, singing his verse of a song and trying not to mess up the lyrics, when Calum comes over to his side of the stage to pull a silly face or whisper dirty words in his ear. All of it is natural and Michael is happy.
That is, until the concert is over and they get backstage.
See, every band and artist has a specific ritual that they perform right before going on stage. The four of them have a ritual, too, but Michael and Calum have a specific one between just the two of them. This ritual always takes place directly after a concert, and Michael supposes that it’s less of a ritual and more of a… thing that he can’t describe. Either way, it’s their thing and they always do it without fail.
They fail to do it this time, though. Somehow they fail, and Michael only realizes why when he sees a small ball of fur scampering over to Calum as soon as they get backstage. As always, Calum instantly becomes putty in the puppy’s paws.
“Hey, buddy! I didn’t expect to see you so soon!” Calum drops to his knees and scoops the small dog into his arms, giggling maniacally when Yoda starts licking his sweaty cheeks and neck. “Aww, I missed you, too! Were you a good boy? Huh? I bet that you were, ‘cause you’re always such a good boy!”
Michael doesn’t mean to growl at the sight in front of him, but he does, and he isn’t ashamed. Because, first of all, hugging and kissing Calum right after a concert is his job. It’s what they’ve always done, ever since the night that they became a couple. After a concert, they’re supposed to hug each other and tell each other how amazingly they did on stage. They’re supposed to make each other feel good, even if one of them thought that they sucked that night. It’s their way of reassuring one another that this is real, they’re living their dream and the fans that they’ve just played for are proud of them. They’re proud of each other, too.
It isn’t fair that Yoda gets Calum’s hugs and kisses instead. It isn’t fair that the puppy is small and soft and irresistibly cute, while Michael is a sweaty mess right after a show. Calum never complains about it, though, because all of them are sweaty and hyped up on adrenaline. It’s a part of the job.
Michael decides that just because Calum is being a dick, doesn’t mean that he can’t get his after show hugs and kisses. Well, okay, so he definitely doesn’t want kisses from anyone who isn’t Calum, but a hug and some kind words sounds really good right now. He turns around, eyes searching, and feels relieved when he spots Ashton among the people who are rushing around backstage.
Ashton probably won’t say no to giving Michael a hug. But, then again, Ashton is extremely sweaty right now. The eldest band member always sweats the most, since he’s the drummer and all. At the moment, he almost looks as if he’s been dipped into the ocean and, okay, that’s kind of gross. Very gross. Michael may be desperate for a hug, but he isn’t that desperate. Besides, Ashton disappears into a nearby bathroom a few seconds later.
That’s okay, though. Michael spots Luke nearby, and Luke is not nearly as sweaty as Ashton is. Also, there’s no way that Luke would ever pass up a hug, so Michael doesn’t even need to ask for one nor explain why he needs one in the first place. He simply marches over to the slightly taller boy and hugs him. Luke seems a bit surprised at first, but then he lets out a small laugh and pats Michael on the back.
It’s nice, but it isn’t enough. That’s why when Michael pulls away, he’s frowning slightly and trying hard not to feel embarrassed when he asks:
“Can you, uh, like… say some nice things?”
It’s a vague and random request, so it’s no surprise when Luke just looks confused.
“What?”
“I mean, like.” Michael pauses and licks his lips, suddenly feeling sillier by the second. He blurts out: “Can you tell me that I did a good job on stage tonight? Like, tell me that I played guitar really well and that my voice wasn’t shitty, even though I’m sure that it was. I don’t know, just tell me really nice shit like that?”
It’s probably a weird thing to want, Michael supposes. No, it’s definitely a weird thing, which should explain why Luke falters for a few seconds too long and Michael knows that his face must look disgustingly red, and it isn’t because of the concert that they just performed.
Finally, Luke says, “Actually, now that you mention it, I noticed that your guitar skills were a little off tonight. Looks like we’ll be needing a new—”
Michael swats him in the arm with his towel, causing Luke to burst into laughter. Of course it’s meant to be a joke, obviously Luke is only teasing him, but Michael is disappointed because he’d been hoping for a serious answer. It doesn’t take Luke long to realize this, because the teasing smirk on his face disappears and is replaced with an apologetic smile.
“Mike, of course you were amazing tonight! You’re always amazing.” Luke smiles even wider and gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, as if that will help any at all. “You were really awesome on the guitar, as usual.”
Although it’s a nice thing to say, it’s not exactly what Michael has been wanting to hear.
“No, no—you have to say it like Calum says it.”
“Uh, what do you mean?”
Michael sighs and shakes his head, giving up for now. “Never mind. Forget it.”
He walks away before Luke gets the chance to say anything else. And, he isn’t surprised to find Calum sitting on the couch and aimlessly scrolling through his phone while Yoda rests on his lap. The dog looks across the room at Michael as if he knows that the boy is staring, and Michael glares back at the animal, eyes filled with malice.
This calls for desperate measures.
***
A few days after the concert, Michael comes up with a plan. It’s a really good plan, he thinks, and when the time comes to go through with it, he’s pleasantly surprised when it actually succeeds. Well, the first half of it does.
The plan involves Michael taking Calum out to see a movie at the theater, which they haven’t done since the last time that they went home. When he suggests going to see a movie together, Calum is ecstatic and Michael’s heart soars. They have to get Luke and Ashton to ‘babysit’ Yoda while they’re gone, since the puppy loves to follow Calum literally everywhere. But now it’s just the two of them, and Michael is happy.
He’s very happy, actually. The two and a half hours that he spends with just Calum are magical, because Calum gives Michael all of his attention and there are many kisses involved. So many kisses that Michael feels drunk off of them. He even manages to give Calum another hickey, which is a thing that they can do when they’re sitting in the back of a dark room and no one is watching them. This is why Michael loves the theater: it’s safe, it’s (mostly) private, and it turns him on to see Calum trying not to moan too loudly while his neck is being munched on.
Once the movie is over, they don’t play any games at the arcade like Michael had planned to. Instead, they go straight back to the hotel because Calum is, surprisingly, still sporting a semi and he blames Michael for his arousal. Because, you know, it certainly is Michael’s fault and he won’t deny that. And if Calum wants to skip arcade games to go back to the hotel and get each other off instead, then why would Michael argue against that?
In fact, Michael barely manages to shut the door of their hotel suite before Calum is pouncing on him. Their night of fun gets even better, when Calum parts his lips to allow Michael to lick into his mouth, and those hands are skittering over Michael’s body because he’s just so eager, so eager and excited that he doesn’t know where he wants to touch first. In contrast, Michael knows exactly where he wants to touch Calum. His hands reach around and he wastes no time, gripping his boyfriend’s perfect ass with both hands.
Calum lets his head fall back as a pleased moan escapes his already swollen lips.
“Fuck,” he curses, and it’s amazing that he already sounds so wrecked. “I’m… I’m gonna need you to do that again.”
Michael laughs into the skin of Calum’s exposed neck. “Do what again?” he teases, then squeezes Calum’s ass even harder. “This?”
He gets the same reaction as before, only a little bit louder this time, and it’s a sound that Michael wants to hear over and over again. That is the plan, after all. It’s been a while since the two of them have had the opportunity to sex each other up; it’s partly due to living on a cramped tour bus most of the time, but mainly due to their tight schedule that hardly allows for any fun.
Tonight will be fun, though. That’s for sure.
Michael knows just how to get started, too.
“It’s been a while since the last time that I tasted you,” Michael whispers in Calum’s ear, his hot breath making the other boy shiver. “I really wanna eat you out tonight. What do you say, Cal? Would you like that?”
Judging from the way that Calum whimpers and his legs nearly buckle underneath him, Michael can guess what his answer will be. He knows damn well that Calum never passes up the chance to be eaten out, especially when Michael is offering. And since Calum is already so far gone, he only says one word:
“Bed.”
Michael understands that perfectly. Without a second thought, he swoops Calum off his feet, surprising the other boy and making him laugh. Making Calum laugh is all that Michael ever wants to do, honestly. Well, that and making Calum come so hard that he passes out. Both of those things are constant goals in Michael’s life now, and as he carries his boyfriend bridal style over to the bed, he’s hoping to be the cause of the latter.
Unfortunately, none of that’s going to happen any time soon, and Michael knows that it won’t from the moment that he steps on something soft. In the dark room, he’s unable to see what it is, but he instantly knows what it is when the thing yelps loudly and scurries away.
“Wait. What the hell was that?” Calum asks. He squirms in Michael’s arms until the other puts him down again, and Calum is quick to run back over to the wall and turn on the light. He frowns when he sees the puppy hiding behind the chair. “Yoda? Buddy, what’re you doing over there?”
When Calum goes closer to the chair, the dog whimpers and backs away. It takes another moment for him to recognize who it is, and when he finally does, he stops trying to hide and allows Calum to pick him up.
“Are you alright, buddy? Did something scare you?” Calum asks in that sugary sweet tone, as if the dog understands him at all.
Michael rolls his eyes and scoffs, “Look at him, he’s fine. I accidentally stepped on his paw, is all.”
Calum gasps, appalled. “You stepped on his paw? No wonder he cried so loudly!”
“Hey now, don’t get mad at me. It was dark in here and I could hardly see anything. Besides, I wouldn’t have stepped on him if he was where he’s supposed to be, which is next door with Luke and Ashton. Why the hell did they bring him back while we were gone, anyway? We had a deal…”
Michael trails off and gives up on finishing that sentence, since it’s obvious that Calum isn’t really paying attention anymore. The brunette is currently cradling the dog in his arms, whispering sweet, comforting things to the animal as if he were a baby instead of a puppy. It’s not even as if the dog is hurt badly, because he really isn’t. Yoda is clearly as healthy and happy as ever, being held in Calum’s strong arms and licking his beardless chin.
It still isn’t fair. It isn’t fair at all, because Michael has been waiting for this night to come for the past week, and it shouldn’t be over yet. It’s not fair, because he planned for the whole day to lead up to this moment, and now it’s ruined by the same damn dog that’s been ruining things for far too long now, and Michael is tired of it. He truly is.
Sadly, Michael’s next plan fails even worse than the first one. He approaches Calum from behind and tries to remind of him what they were about to do by pressing lingering kisses to the back of his neck, but the kisses only make Calum laugh and he eventually tells Michael to stop. They can’t do ‘these sort of things’ in front of Yoda, because he’s just a baby, after all. Michael slaps himself in the forehead out of frustration while Calum continues to treat the puppy as if he were an actual child of theirs.
“Aww, someone’s a sleepy baby,” he murmurs, still gently rocking the puppy in his arms. “C’mon, pup, you can sleep with us.”
Calum takes Yoda into the bathroom with him while he gets ready for bed, and Michael continues standing in the same spot as before, wondering if this is what his life will always be like from now on: cockblocked by a dog and forced to get himself off without Calum to assist him. Should he accept this fate? Or should he continue to fight back until he wins over his boyfriend?
Michael decides that he can’t decide, and therefore he does nothing.
***
This time Michael is the only one in the back of the tour bus. He’s wrapped up in a blanket, he’s eating chocolate ice cream straight out of the bucket, and he’s watching some stupid romcom whose title he can’t remember, but Cameron Diaz looks really good in this movie. He isn’t really enjoying it, though, because he’s alone. As usual. Being by himself seems to be the norm, nowadays.
Okay, if he’s being honest, it’s only been a little over two weeks since Yoda was given to them. That’s two weeks that he has been neglected by the one that he loves most, and so it feels a lot more like two centuries. He’s not so bitter about it anymore, though. He has come to accept that he won’t be marrying Calum someday, because Yoda will. Everyone will be happy for them and Michael will still be eating ice cream alone while watching cheesy movies, as if he has somehow morphed into Luke or something.
What else is he supposed to do, though? Recently, everything has been Yoda this and Yoda that, and he’s tired of hearing about the fucking dog so he keeps to himself, whenever he can. It’s been working so far, Michael thinks. No one has noticed that he’s feeling down and blue, and although part of him wants for it to stay this way, he’s also craving attention. It feels like it’s been a long time since anyone has truly paid any attention to him. Well, that isn’t true. Luke and Ashton pay attention to him sometimes. So does John. His parents call him often and the fans never stop tweeting him, but it’s really damn hard to care about any of that when the one person he wants attention from is the one that he isn’t getting it from in the first place.
That’s why Michael least expects it when the door to the lounge opens and Calum’s head pops in.
“There you are, I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” he says as he walks over to the couch and plops down next to the other.
Michael snorts and shoves another spoonful of ice cream between his lips, his eyes turning back to the TV on the wall.
“Really? That’s surprising.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
Calum frowns. “Okay… Well, anyway, we should arrive in Tampa in about an hour. Since tonight’s the last show of the tour, the rest of us figured that we should explore the city and post some videos for the fans. Y’know, do something special for them and whatnot. You should get dressed soon so that we’ll have time to actually do it.”
What Calum says actually does sound nice and all, and Michael really does want to do something special for the last day of the tour, but he’s just not in the mood right now. He’s hurt and it’s the type of hurt that he can’t hide on camera, so it would be pointless to even try. Besides, he’s been lying to himself. He really is still bitter, and it sucks.
Perhaps the bitterness is what drives him to push the ice cream away and pull the blanket up over his head, so that Calum can’t see him anymore. He doesn’t want to be seen by anyone. Not now, at least.
“I don’t wanna,” he grumbles from beneath the blanket. “I’m staying on the bus until it’s time to start the show. Conversation over.”
“What? Mike—okay, take this off, first of all.” Calum tugs on the blanket and Michael whines, tugging back so that his face won’t be revealed. Unfortunately for him, Calum is really smart. He realizes that he probably can’t snatch the blanket away, so he grabs the other end and crawls under it instead. Michael whines again when they’re face to face, because it’s light enough for Calum to see his face. “Michael, what the hell is wrong with you? We’re not going to meet the alligator king, we’re just making a few silly videos.”
Michael speaks before he can help himself. “Why don’t you take Yoda with you, then? Since you seem to love him so much. He can be the new lead guitarist, and I’ll be that guy who used to matter to you…”
The worst part is that Michael tries to sound angry and spiteful, but he can’t. He ends up sounding sad and pathetic, which is exactly how he feels, and now he’s embarrassed after saying it out loud. It sounds like he’s being whiny and childish, because it’s just a damn dog and it’s only been two fucking weeks, but he’s just so clingy and he misses his boyfriend and Calum probably thinks that he’s being beyond ridiculous right now. Because he is, isn’t he? He’s being ridiculous and he doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously, and wow, he really wishes that he hadn’t put the ice cream away because now would be the perfect chance to stuff some into his mouth to stop himself from crying.
It takes a moment for Calum to process what has just been said, and every second that goes by increases Michael’s urge to crawl into the crack between the couch cushions and disappear forever. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.
“Wait,” Calum says at last. “Is that what this is about? You’re… jealous of Yoda?”
Michael rolls his eyes because sarcasm is the best defense mechanism. “No, Calum, I’m not jealous of the stupid dog at all. Whatever gave you that idea? I mean, it’s not as if you’ve only been paying attention to Yoda for the past few weeks, forgetting that you have a boyfriend at all, forgetting that I exist. So, no. Definitely not jealous.”
“Alright, alright, I get it. You can shut up now.”
It’s silent for perhaps a minute. Calum’s brows are furrowed and it looks like he’s thinking about something, while Michael doesn’t move an inch and simply stares at the other boy, waiting for judgment or any sort of reaction at all. It probably won’t be good, but anything is better than the silence that lets Michael jump to the worst conclusions.
Finally, Calum sighs and says quietly, “You could have told me that you were jealous, Michael.”
“You should have noticed,” Michael argues, and he can tell by the look on Calum’s face that that just isn’t fair. He lets out a sigh, too. “Fine. Yeah. I could’ve, but I didn’t because... I don’t know, I just knew that I’d sound whiny? I mean, fuck—it’s a dog, Cal, and I know how much you love dogs. I know that your parents never got one for you, so this is like… your dream, or some shit. I just didn’t wanna ruin that by complaining.”
“No, no, listen to me for a second.” Calum reaches out and takes one of Michael’s hands into his own. He’s frowning again as he gently strokes the back of Michael’s hand with his thumb, a loving gesture that never fails to make Michael’s pulse quicken. Again, Calum sighs. “You’re right, finally having a dog that I can call my own is one of the greatest things to happen to me, which is probably pathetic but hey, you know me. I really love dogs.” He pauses, laughs. “But, um… that’s no excuse for being kind of a shitty boyfriend, right? I shouldn’t have made you feel less important than Yoda, especially since… you’re the most important person in my life, Mikey. And, I do mean that. I’m sorry.”
Michael is sure that there had been a lot more that he’d wanted to say. He’s sure that a part of him had wanted to put Calum on the spot for being so negligent, for making Michael sad and for making him feel less important. But, now that Calum has apologized in such a sincere way, Michael no longer feels the need to say any of that. What’s done is done and now that the truth is out there, he knows that Calum will do whatever he can to make up for it, and he knows that Calum would never hurt him intentionally.
All of this, Michael knows. He also knows that this is the point where he should probably kiss Calum, because he really wants to. He always wants to kiss his boyfriend, so without a single care in the world, he leans forward to do exactly that. Sensing that he’s been forgiven, Calum smiles into the kiss and brings his other hand up to cup Michael’s face.
It’s kind of silly, kissing beneath a blanket in the back of the tour bus. They’re supposed to be the fast rising rock gods, or some other lame term like that, right? Fuck it, though. It’s been a very long two weeks and an even longer tour, so if Michael wants to make out with his boyfriend from beneath a blanket, then dammit, that’s what he’s going to do.
Until there’s a knock at the door. It’s a very persistent type of knocking, though it actually sounds less like knocking and more like soft paws pressing against the door repeatedly. Their suspicions are confirmed when the sound is accompanied by a soft bark.
Of fucking course. Of course they’re going to be interrupted by Yoda. What else is new?
The door comes open before either of them can react quickly enough. Michael pulls the blanket from their heads at the same time that Ashton’s head pokes through the opened door.
“There you go, little guy,” he says, letting Yoda into the room. The puppy goes straight over to Calum and when Ashton looks up at his friends, his eyes go a little wide upon finally realizing that he’s interrupting something important. “Whoops, didn’t mean to intrude. Yoda wouldn’t stop whining, though.”
What happens next is interesting, to say the least. Calum glances down at the dog pawing at his leg, then he glances up at Michael’s face, and then over at Ashton before looking at the dog again. What he says is this:
“Ash, wait. Can you take Yoda out of here, please? We kind of want to be alone right now.”
Michael thinks back to when he’d started to think that Yoda stole his position as Calum’s future groom. He’s glad to have been wrong.
Ashton nods without questioning it. “Sure, no problem.”
When Yoda gets lifted into the air by a pair of hands that don’t belong to Calum, the puppy immediately starts to whine again. Now, let’s get one thing straight: Michael is definitely not a dog whisperer, but even he can see that Yoda is sad. The dog obviously misses Calum’s presence, and his whining gets louder as Ashton takes him from the small room.
“Wait,” Michael calls out, startling even himself. He’ll probably regret this later, but maybe he won’t. “It’s fine… Yoda can stay with us. Right, Cal?”
The look that Calum gives Michael tells him that he’s confused, but he nods nonetheless.
“Um, yeah, I guess? If that’s what you want.”
“It is what I want,” Michael says, taking the puppy from Ashton’s arms. The little shit growls at him, but doesn’t resist at all. Michael just laughs. “If we’re going to be around each other from now on, then we might as well get along.” He leans closer and pretends to whisper into Yoda’s ear: “C’mon, man, we can share Calum, can’t we?”
That comment really has Calum laughing, and it’s the type of laugh that leaves him gasping for air when he’s finished. Michael thinks that Calum’s laugh is the most beautiful laugh in the world. But honestly, everything is beautiful about Calum, and he may or may not be a little biased.
***
Sometime later, Michael’s head is resting on Calum’s thigh while Calum’s fingers idly play in his hair, which is how it should always be. The only thing that’s different now is that Yoda is lying on Michael’s chest, fast asleep and sort of even snoring. If Michael has to guess, he’ll say that they’ve already become fast friends. Maybe it’s because of the one person that they have in common. Maybe it’s because of the fact that Michael no longer minds not being the only one who is in love with Calum.
Maybe it’s both or neither, but either way, it doesn’t matter.
They’re basically like a small family now, and all of them are happy.