Painted Golden Petals

The face-painting booth was surrounded by a colorful buzz of activity, children tugging at their parents' hands as they waited their turn. Callum stood stiffly behind the table, arms crossed, staring down at the small cups of paint like they were alien objects. 

"I still don't know why you dragged me here," he muttered, glancing at Micah, who was crouched in front of a little girl, carefully painting a rainbow across her cheek. 

Micah glanced up at him with a grin that was too bright for this early in the morning. "Because it's fun," he said cheerfully, turning back to his work. "And because you need to loosen up." 

Callum huffed but said nothing, his gaze drifting toward Micah's hands. They were small but steady, his movements deliberate as he added the finishing touches to the rainbow. The little girl's face lit up as she looked in the mirror Micah handed her. 

"Thank you!" she squealed before dashing off to her parents, who offered Micah a grateful smile. 

Micah straightened, brushing his hands on his jeans before turning to Callum. "Okay, your turn." 

Callum blinked, thrown. "What?" 

"You're here to help me," Micah reminded him, already reaching for a brush and a palette of colors. "Come on, it's easy. I'll show you." 

Callum took a step back, his arms instinctively crossing tighter over his chest. "Micah, I'm not good at this kind of thing." 

Micah rolled his eyes. "You don't have to be Michelangelo, Callum. Just… pay attention." 

Before Callum could argue, Micah grabbed his wrist, tugging him closer with a surprising amount of strength. "Stay still," Micah said, dipping the brush into white paint. 

Callum sighed, his shoulders stiffening as Micah leaned in. The brush felt cool against his skin as it glided across his face. Micah was a mere inches away from him, close enough for him to count each individual eyelash as the intern moved the brush lightly across his face and that fact was doing things to Callum's heart.

"You're scrunching up," Micah scolded gently, his voice warm with amusement. 

Callum's lips twitched into a faint smile despite himself. "I can't help it. You're poking me in the eye." 

Micah chuckled, leaning back to inspect his work. "I'm not even close to your eye," he countered, dipping the brush again. He added a few more strokes, tilting his head as he concentrated. 

"There," Micah announced, stepping back with a grin. "Now you're a little bunny." 

Callum frowned, raising a hand to touch his face. "A bunny," he repeated flatly. 

Micah bit his lip, clearly holding back laughter. "You look adorable." 

Adorable was not a word anyone had ever used to describe Callum Pierce. "This is character assassination," he muttered, but there was a faint flush on his cheeks that only deepened as Micah finally let out the laugh he'd been holding back. 

Micah laughed openly this time and his joy infectious enough to make Callum forget about the fact that he probably looked ridiculous. "Alright, big guy," Micah said, placing the brush in Callum's hand. "Your turn. Let's see what you've got." 

Callum stared at the palette in front of him, feeling more out of his depth than he had during his last investor pitch. A small boy, no older than six, climbed into the chair across from him, his wide eyes full of anticipation. 

Micah crouched beside Callum, pointing to the palette. "Start with something simple. Maybe a star?" 

"A star," Callum echoed. He could do that. Probably. 

He dipped the brush into yellow paint, his movements awkward. The boy giggled as Callum hesitated mid-air, unsure where to begin. 

"You're overthinking it," Micah said softly. 

Callum exhaled, steadying his hand. He started painting, the lines uneven but passable.

"You're doing great," Micah said encouragingly, his voice soft. 

His tone did more to break Callum's concentration than reinforce it. How the hell was he supposed to focus when Micah was whispering in his ear like that!?

Still, Callum maintained his composure and, under Micah's watchful gaze, he managed to paint a wobbly yellow star on the boy's cheek. When he was done, he leaned back, holding up the mirror. 

The boy beamed at his reflection, his smile so wide it made Callum's chest tighten. 

"It's perfect!" the boy exclaimed, hopping off the chair and running to show his parents. 

"Not bad," Micah said, nudging Callum's shoulder. "A little wobbly, but you'll get there." 

Callum rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward. 

"So, what else can I create with these?"

A lot, it turned out. Face painting wasn't something Callum ever expected to add to his resume but, after a few wonky tries and lots of careful instruction from Micah, he seemed to have the hang of it. As the next child climbed into the chair, Callum found himself easing into the rhythm. Tigers were his favorite to paint—the bold black and orange stripes felt satisfyingly deliberate. He was getting better too; the kids' reactions told him as much. 

"See?" Micah said after Callum finished another face. "I told you it'd be fun." 

Callum glanced at him, his lips curving into a small, genuine smile. "Yeah. You were right." 

He hated anything that involved rounded shapes, his big hands were too clumsy for the finesse it took to make a perfect circle. Luckily, Micah was there to assist. His mere presence was like a drug to Callum and he was so glad that Micah pulled him out of his office to be out here.

The event was in full swing. The smell of food wafted through the air and hit their noses, a small crowd roared as a gaming contest ended in a loss for the underdog. Callum soaked in the energy of it all. This was good. Being out here, with Micah, surrounded by so many happy people, it felt good. 

He'd make sure this was a yearly event.

"We're making good progress," Micah grinned at him, sitting back after another happy kid hopped off with his parents. "Are you having fun?"

Callum dipped his brushes in water, rolling his sleeves further up his elbows. "Yeah, actually, I-"

The sound of sniffles pulled both their gazes to the edge of the booth, where a small boy stood clutching a stuffed rabbit to his chest. His face was streaked with tears. 

Micah reacted faster than Callum could get the shock off his face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" The intern crouched in front of the boy, his voice gentle. 

The boy hiccupped, clutching a stuffed rabbit to his chest. "I—I lost my mommy," he whispered. 

Micah's expression softened, and he reached out, resting a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. We'll help you find her. Right, Callum?" 

Callum nodded immediately, stepping forward. "Of course." 

Micah straightened, holding the boy's hand. "We're going to take you to the announcer, okay? They'll help us find your mom." 

The boy sniffled again but nodded, clinging to Micah's hand as though it were a lifeline. 

Micah turned to Callum. "You okay taking over the booth for a minute?" 

Callum shook his head. He couldn't imagine painting faces without Micah. The boy's eyes grew teary once more. "I— I want to see my mommy."

Callum froze. Fuck, he was wasting time. He needed a distraction. "Hey! Do you like space?"

The boy peered up at him and nodded slowly. Callum picked up his pallet and a brush before bending down and carefully painting a star on the boys cheek. He picked up the mirror and showed his client his handiwork. "There. Now your mum can see you're a star."

The boy's eyes widened in awe as he held onto the mirror. Callum took the opportunity to look around. Soon, he spotted a Catalyst employee walking past. "Sarai, right?"

The girl froze, "Yes, Mr. Pierce, sir."

Callum resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Mr. Pierce was his dad and his dad was an asshole. "How good are you at face painting?"

"Good enough, sir."

"Good," he tossed his apron to her. "Stay here until we get back. Micah, I'm coming with you." 

Micah blinked, then smiled. "Okay. Let's go." 

Callum walked silently beside Micah as they headed toward the announcer's station, watching as Micah chatted softly with the boy, asking about his favorite games and shows. The boy's tears dried, his small voice growing more animated as he talked about a show with a talking dog. 

Callum was staring like a dumb idiot but he couldn't help it. Micah's kindness was infectious. He was the kind of sweet that gave Callum a toothache from just looking at him. His smile was genuine and he really seemed to be interested about the show the kid was babbling about.

Callum watched the interaction, his chest tightening. "You're good with kids," he said quietly. 

Micah glanced up at him, a small smile tugging at his lips. "They're easy to talk to. With adults, you have to worry about social cues and all that. But kids just want to know if you're cool and if you're safe to hang around." 

Callum's lips curved into a faint smile. "Some things never change." 

Micah tilted his head, frowning slightly. "What was that?" 

Callum shook his head. "Nothing." 

Micah scowled adorably, puffing out his cheeks. "Don't say weird things." 

Callum chuckled, but before he could respond, the boy's face lit up. "Mommy!" 

A woman rushed over, scooping the boy into her arms. "Ralph!" 

The boy hugged his mother tightly and Micah and Callum stood back, letting the heartfelt reunion take place without their intervention. 

"Mommy! Bunny man and kind uncle helped me!" The kid, Ralph, squealed pointing at them. "And look—" he pointed at the wonky star Callum had painted.

Callum frowned slightly. Bunny man?

"Thank you!" She gushed, grabbing Callum's hands. Then Micah's. Then Callum's again. 

"There's no need," Callum muttered. He wasn't a big fan of attention.

"You're welcome!" Micah beamed.

"Thank you so much," she said, her voice trembling with emotion as she clutched Ralph to her chest. She looked between Callum and Micah, her eyes glistening. "I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't found him. You were both so kind." She reached for Callum's hand again, gripping it tightly before doing the same to Micah. 'Thank you. Truly.'"

Callum watched Micah's expression soften as he waved at the boy, who grinned at him from over his mother's shoulder as she walked away. 

Micah's gaze fell on Callum, his smile teasing. "You're pretty good with kids too, Cal."

Callum's heartbeat kicked into overdrive but he forced himself to play it cool. "Cal, huh?"

Micah opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of his own name interrupted him.

"Micah!" Damian's voice cut through the air like a knife. 

Micah turned, his eyes widening in surprise. "Damian!?" 

Damian stood a few feet away, a bouquet of golden roses in his hand. He looked effortlessly composed, his white shirt spotless and his jeans crisp.

Micah left Callum's side, rushing forward to hug his boyfriend. Damian wrapped an arm around him, his other hand holding the bouquet steady as he leaned down to kiss the top of Micah's head. 

Damian's eyes locked on Callum's, his gaze challenging. 

Callum's jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. Damian was the last person he wanted to see when he was having such a good day with Micah.

"I wasn't expecting you," Micah said, pulling back to look up at Damian. 

Damian smiled down at him, his tone warm. "I couldn't miss this. Not with the way you've been talking about it nonstop." He handed Micah the bouquet. "I even plan on making a donation. After all, there might be a young artist out there who wants to be the next Micah Liu but doesn't have the resources." 

"Damian… that's so sweet," Micah's cheeks flushed, and he took the roses, cradling them carefully. "And I love these." 

"I'm glad you like them," Damian said, his gaze flicking briefly to Callum before returning to Micah. "I had them painted just for you." 

Micah's eyes softened as he looked down at the flowers. "They're beautiful," he murmured. 

Callum's chest tightened painfully. Micah may not have known it but Callum did; gold roses looked just like Calthea, the flowers that had bloomed on the first day of spring in their past lives. The same flowers Caelan used to weave into Ashur's hair at the Feast of the Golden Petal. 

Damian knew. Of course he knew.

And the smirk on his face made it clear he knew Callum recognized them too. 

Damian's eyes scanned Callum's face, his smirk turning amused. "Yo, bunny man."

Anger and jealousy burned hotly in Callum's core. "Damian," he replied, his tone clipped.

The tension crackled between them like a live wire and Micah looked between them, confused, cute and blissfully unaware of the storm brewing.

"Now that we're all here, we can play a proper game!"

Damian smirked at Callum, pulling Micah closer to himself. "Yeah, Callum. I'd love to see what else I can best you at outside of…" he chuckled, "cheeks clapping simulator." 

"Damiaaaan!" Micah groaned, embarrassed.

Callum's jaw tightened. Damian wanted to play games, to flaunt his connection to Micah like a trophy. Fine. Callum would play. And he'd win. Afterall, he was no stranger to challenging the little fucker. "Alright then," he said, calmly. "Let's play."