Kill Me.

When Lee woke up, he woke up late and he woke up alone. He woke up to a heavy heart at the sight of his bed empty and wondered where Callum had run off to. He woke up and pulled some clothes on and then stumbled out of his bedroom, hoping to find Callum somewhere in the living room or something but disappointed to find his apartment completely empty.

He sighed and went to the kitchen, deciding he might as well make something to eat. And then he spotted a slip of paper on the countertop, weighted down by the edge of a mug of what looks like hot cocoa. He fought a smile as he goes to read the note. It told him that Callum had gone to spend some much overdue time with his mother and that he’d probably be back later. Lee smiled and took a sip of the hot cocoa that really wasn’t all that warm anymore. Oh well; it was the thought that counted.

Cheered, he quickly fixed himself something to eat and then curled up on the couch in the living room with a book he’d been meaning to read for a while now but never found the time to. He’d made it a good bit of the way in, a few nice, long chapters, and was really starting to get into it when he heard a knock from his door.

Lee jumped up immediately and tossed his book on the coffee table before going to the door and pulling it open to find Callum. Lee smiled happily.

“You’re back,” he beamed and Callum just shrugged.

“I guess,” he said, walking into Lee’s apartment.

“How’d breakfast with your mom go?” Lee asked, sinking down onto the couch next to Callum.

The older boy shrugged. “Fine,” he said. “She was definitely happy to see me. My sister, though, not so much. She wants to meet you, by the way – my mom, I mean. Well, my sister too, but y’know… mostly my mom.”

Lee couldn’t stop the smile that was blooming on his face. The fact that Callum actually thought enough of him to mention him to his mother was certainly a nice thought. It meant Callum must really like him; it meant that Callum, despite what he might say, was actually investing something in this relationship. It was a step forward, whether Callum liked to admit it or not.

“That sounds like fun,” Lee said. He paused for a moment and then asked, because it was obvious from Callum’s voice, because Lee had been wondering for a while now, “You don’t like your sister?”

Callum made a face at that. “It’s not that I don’t like her, really, it’s just that we’re so different, you know?” Callum said. “It just doesn’t really work.”

“You and I are really different,” Lee pointed out. “You like me just fine.”

Callum looked stumped for a moment, like he didn’t know how to respond to that. And what Lee had just said, it was true, Lee knew it, Callum knew it; but Callum managed to quickly collect himself, as always.

“Yeah, but that’s different,” Callum reasoned. “She, like most people, can’t stand me. I seriously think you’re the only person who isn’t terrified of me.”

Lee giggled and leaned his head on Callum’s shoulder. “People aren’t scared of you,” he protested.

Callum just scoffed. “Have you not seen the way people behave around me at work?” he asked.

Lee rolled his eyes. “That’s because you’re their boss,” he said. “They’re supposed to be scared of you. You could fire them like that if you wanted.”

Lee snapped his fingers once for emphasis. Now it was Callum’s turn to roll his eyes.

“You’re ridiculous,” he mumbled.

Lee laughed and pressed his lips to Callum’s. “Oh, but you love it,” he cooed and pretended not to notice the way Callum tensed up at that. It was his word choice, the love versus like and Lee knew it, but he also knew that neither of them could avoid this forever. Sooner or later, it would come up, and Callum would just have to learn to deal with it.

And then, before he could think to stop at himself, Lee added, “I love you.”