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Calum is shaking out of his skin, so hard that he doesn't think he can drive. His sister offers to take him, but it's an hour drive and he doesn't want her hanging around. This is his trip that he wants to take, so he has to deal with it.
Once he's in the car, he feels alright. It's like his body realises where it's going now, getting closer and closer to the person he wants to see more than anyone - Michael, his boyfriend. They have been apart for just over a month but it feels like forever, going from being together every single day to being completely separate.
When they left uni they promised they would see each other, but it hasn't happened. Calum went to New Zealand with his family for two weeks, then Michael had a family event, and they never managed to make plans. Lucy must have got sick of hearing Michael complain about it, because she called Calum one day last week and said dude, find a way down here. They agreed not to tell Michael that Calum was coming, to make it a surprise. His parents know, but Calum has never met them before, which is nerve-wracking. What if they don't like him? Calum starts to shake again.
Whatever, as long as Michael still likes him. They talk every single day, texting constantly and calling at night. Calum keeps falling asleep with Michael still on the phone, waking up to his phone dead and a text saying goodnight babe x
The drive isn't so bad. Calum doesn't like going unfamiliar places on his own, but Ashton couldn't come and, as he said before, he didn't want to bring Mali. But he's being brave, because Michael is so brave and Calum wants to see him so bad that his ribs hurt.
When he's about five minutes from Michael's house, Calum's phone rings. It's Michael, so Calum answers it since his phone is already connected to the Bluetooth in his car.
"Hey, baby." Calum says, turning into Michael's neighbourhood. "You okay?"
"I miss you." Michael whines, a taste of what Lucy has been dealing with for the past month. "Teleport to my house."
"Sure, let me invent teleportation so I can show up in your driveway." Calum laughs. Michael is going to lose it when Calum basically does just that. "What would you do if I was there?"
"After I had stopped crying? Kiss you a lot." Michael says dreamily. "Are you in your car? Your voice sounds echoey and weird."
"Yeah, I am." Calum says. "Just driving to a friend's house."
"Do you have friends who aren't Ash?"
"Yes." Calum thinks you, for example. "Where are you?"
"I'm sitting on my bedroom floor." Michael says. "Bored out of my mind because Lucy cancelled on me last minute."
That was part of their plan. Lucy had to make sure Michael would be at home, so she arranged to hang out with him and then cancelled so he wouldn't go anywhere else. It seems to have worked. Calum pulls into Michael's driveway - it's empty, his parents aren't home.
"That's fucked up." Calum says as he gets out of his car. "Hey, I gotta go, but I love you, yeah? I'll see you soon."
"Love you, Cal." Michael says, and hangs up.
Calum knocks on the front door and waits. He isn't sure Michael will even answer the door since he isn't expecting anyone and his parents aren't home. It does take a moment, but Michael opens the door and screams.
"Callie!" He cries out, jumping into Calum's arms.
"Mikey!" Calum laughs as he catches him.
Michael is trying to talk but he can't, sobbing incoherently into Calum's shoulder. They stand together on the porch for a long time, holding each other. It has been too long since they could touch so Calum breathes him in, the smell of his hair and the soft of his skin. Michael is still crying, getting Calum's shirt wet but he doesn't care. As long as Michael is in his arms, nothing else matters.
"You- you-" Michael chokes out once he has calmed down a little, face still buried in Calum's neck. "How did you-"
"I teleported." Calum kisses the side of his head. "I had to see you and I wanted it to be a surprise. Mind if I stay for a couple of days?"
"I will explode if you try to leave." Michael drags Calum into the house and up to his bedroom.
Calum dumps his bag on the floor so his hands are free to grab Michael's face and pull him in for a kiss. It's all tongue and teeth and desperate contact, begging for more without words. They stumble to the bed and Michael pulls Calum down on top of him so they can make out properly, Michael's fingers tangled in Calum's hair. Neither of them comes up for air until Calum starts to feel lightheaded and has to pull away. Michael whines and tries to chase him, but Calum laughs and puts a hand on his chest.
"Sweetie, I'm gonna suffocate if you don't give me a break." He scratches his nails against Michael's sternum through his shirt. Michael grins up at him dopily. "You're okay, right? Your parents have been calling you Michael and everything?"
"Oh, yeah, it's been fine." Michael says. "I'm okay, I promise. The worst part about being home is not having you."
"I already fixed that problem, see?" Calum says, gesturing to himself.
Michael giggles, Calum's favourite sound. They kiss again, soft and slow this time, savouring each other after so long apart. It's good to see Michael, to know that he isn't suffering like he did before he came out. When they had to leave uni for the summer Calum was terrified that Michael would go back to his old ways, hurting and starving himself. But Michael has been fine, he keeps saying so and Lucy confirms it. Calum is still a little terrified for him all the time, but it's okay. They all promised they would be okay.
Calum is so full of love and fear that he could cry, feels it bubbling up in his throat until it chokes him. Michael notices, pulls away to bump their noses together. A tear slides down Calum's face and Michael wipes it away with his thumb.
"I know you're worried about me, baby, but I promise I'm doing okay." Michael whispers. Calum sniffs and nods. "I would tell you if I wasn't."
"I know." Calum mumbles. "I'm never gonna stop worrying about you."
"I'm sorry, Callie." Michael frowns
"No, no, don't be sorry." Calum peppers kisses over Michael's face until he smiles again. "I worry because I love you so much that I would die if anything happened to you."
"I love you too." Michael rolls them over so he's sitting on Calum's lap. "And nothing's gonna happen to me, we're stuck together forever."
"Thank God." Calum says, and they both descend into giggles.