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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 3 years

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Whatever Words Exist

StudentTeacher!Cal x Reader (Gender Neutral). Like mostly fluff.

Reader and Calum have only met briefly. But when the connection is this magnetic, you don’t press fate.

Masterlist (semi-hiatus)

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Calum readjusts the strap on his backpack, getting the bag hitched back right on his shoulder. Just up the hill he can see a gathering of people, a general human mass but still too far away for him to make out any one person in particular. He knows he’s in the right place for sure. So he continues on and a few folks wave as he approaches. Derrick, former officemate, spots Calum first and waves him closer.

“Meet Calum--old officemate of mine,” Derrick tells the group surrounding him. First years, Calum assumes and gives them a tiny smile and wave to the group.

“Yeah, because this jerk decided to apply for a full time instructor position. And then got upgraded,” Calum laughs.

“Look, gotta pay the bills how I can,” Derrick returns and then goes around the semi circle introducing everyone.

Calum looks at each one in return and then his gaze lands on yours. As a first year to the program and student teaching, you ran into Calum during the intense two week training. Well, you two didn’t really run into each other. Calum ran a few sessions during the training and you might have purposefully lingered behind on the free range Q&A that he was a part of with a few other experienced student teachers. He seemed to be calm and level headed about all the teaching and you were quite the opposite, so listening to him answer questions gave you a small amount of peace.

The second reason you lingered until everyone else was gone and asked their questions is because you thought he was attractive. The baggy t-shirt but nice fitting jeans and the way he titled in when he was listening to someone. He seemed to really care and take his time to answer any questions--even when he had other things he needed to attend to as well. “Hey,” he says as his smile brightens around your name.

“Hi Calum,” you return. “Slumming it with us first years.”

“I would never call it slumming, not in the slightest,” he laughs in return. The conversation steers away from that, talking about the summer and general shared interests. But every so often you and Calum lock eyes, gazes lingering for way longer than you’d like to admit. Mostly because you don’t want to be this into someone so early into the semester. And truth be told, the semester hadn’t even truly started.

About ten minutes pass before professors start to approach, a couple of them holding boxes of pizza. And while you definitely weren’t sure how to juggle all the responsibilities of teaching, classes, paying rent on time, you were grateful for the lunch of pizza. It also meant that you’d be taking some home if enough people didn’t go in for seconds. And getting a free meal plus an easy dinner was always worth it.

As the pizzas are lined up, you linger back, not wanting to be the first person to get food, but close enough to the first brave souls. “So, have you done any exploring around town?” Calum asks from behind you.

You spin to half face him to talk to him. “Not a lot. By the time we get done with training I’m too tired to do anything else. But I need to get my bike looked at, so I probably should get downtown at the very least.”

“What’s up with your bike? You said it was your main mode of transportation.”

“Just double checking tire pressure--nothing major. One of them feels like it’s not as high as the other. But rather be safe than sorry since the semester starts.”

Calum nods and shuffles up as the line moves. “If you need a ride to the shop, I have my car.”

You’re not sure if Calum’s offering just to be nice or if it means more. So you default to telling him he doesn’t have to, but he insists. And even as you’re grabbing a slice of pizza and Calum’s right behind you, you try to tell him that he shouldn’t completely disturb his whole day just for you.

“I cannot have you blowing a tire on the side of the road. Do you have your bike with you today? We could go after this.”

If there were any way to die right in this moment, you’re wishing for it. “I do,” you answer cautiously, walking towards the metal picnic tables. “But really, I can do by myself. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Oh, c’mon, this town’s not necessarily the nicest to cyclists and if you got stranded I’d feel like an ass.” Calum settles across from you on the bench, slipping his backpack off his shoulder. You do the same, setting your backpack next you and pulling your water bottle from the side pocket.

“I don’t know what your plans are. I don’t want to intrude,” you counter, unscrewing the top to your water bottle to take a sip.

“My plans were to sit in my office and pretend like I was lesson planning.”

“Where’s your office again?”

Calum rattles off the name of the building, before taking his first bite of pizza. And you swear for a moment the universe is fucking with you. It has it out for you. “I’m in the same building,” you state.

“I’m in room 138.”

Oh, how cruel is the universe. How fucking cruel could it be. “Same,” you state after finishing your bite of pizza. “Haven’t been inside to see it yet though.”

“Oh, it sounds like I’m your personal tour guide today.” And it’s not that he’s being adamant about it. Because you know if you were in the reverse positions, you’d do something similar. But a glint crosses his eyes, his smile is a slight curl of his lips and he’s looking up at you from underneath his lashes.

Your stomach flutters, and suddenly pizza looks and feels like lead, but you take another bite to do something other than let panic settle. A quiet settles between the two of you as you eat. Though more people are turning up and settling in around you to make up for the silence. A few more minutes pass, even with you tossing away your plate and saying hi to some other people who are also teaching for the first time this year before you hear the professors calling for the group’s attention.

As the group quiets down, you return back to the spot where your bag is and Calum’s still there, laughing at something Derrick is saying. You catch his gaze and you really only think that you should look away. But you do. He’s too fucking handsome not to keep your gaze lingering for a moment longer. The humorous smile changes, becomes more subtle as the two of you continue to gaze at each other.

You can feel your cheeks getting hot but slowly feel your own smile over taking your face before you cast your gaze down and then flick it back up to who’s speaking. It’s good information to get, as you listen to each professor in turn talk about the program more. You get a good sense of who each person is, and it’s not too much longer before each of the new and old cohort introduces themself.

It’s a natural break as everyone starts to talk again with the business now out of the way. You mingle with some of the instructors but gravitate towards the snacks that are available. Just as you get a good grasp on one of the oreos, your name is called out. You spin, making sure to keep the Oreos in a tight hold. Calum waves you over to the group he’s in and you walk over. You know you shouldn’t. You know you’re playing with fire. But you do so anyway and he introduces you to some other people in the same year as him. They weren’t at the student teacher training.

You’re thankful for the introduction but slowly the conversation drifts to the group joking about something that you seem to be missing and you know almost without thinking that Calum’s going to seize this opportunity. You turn to him first. “I like the vibe of this program,” you start.

He smiles. “I’m glad. It’s all pretty tight knit.” You nod, agreeing with this point, but also not sure if you’re reading the air between you and him correctly either. “Do you wanna duck out now?” he asks quietly. “Get that bike fixed up for the first day of classes.”

“Ye-yeah, that’s cool.”

He nods over to where your belongings are with a smile. And the two of you gather your things. As you lead Calum over to where you locked up your bike you pause. “Wait,” you start, “do you even have a place to strap a bike down?”

“My friends and I bike the trails a lot during the year. My SUV can handle it, I promise,” he returns with a laugh. The two of you walk side by side down the parking lot. “Where do you call home?” he asks.

You rattle off the answer and in return ask him the same. “Well home home is Australia. But I came to the states with some mates and we’ve sort of always called California a second home.”

“You beat me the longest distance from home,” you laugh.

“Well, only on a technicality.”

“So like your mom, dad, and siblings--if you have any--are like clear across the world?”

“Mum and Dad are. Sister’s in London.”

“Is she studying too?”

“Singer--she’s over there doing that.”

You hum. “Is singing a family trait?”

Calum laughs and you watch some lights blink from a car and you spy the keys in his hand. “I wouldn’t call it a family trait. But yeah, we all sing. In our own ways. Originally made some moves for music. Career paths changed just a tiny bit.”

“So you and the friends you moved with were in a band?”

“Of sorts. Went well for a while. Then we just needed rest.”

“So your idea of rest is going to school and teaching?” You laugh. Calum opens the trunk first for your bags. And when he closes it, you finally spot the rack to set your bike on.

“Like I said, career paths took a turn. Rest or new experience--I’ve yet to decide on the name yet.”

With the bike settled and secure, you walk around to the passenger side door. Calum’s quick to turn the air on in the car once he’s inside. His radio starts up immediately and he scrambles to turn it down. “Sorry, don’t wanna blast you out of the car,” he states.

“No, no worries.”

“Any requests? You can plug your phone in too, if you want.”

“Oh God, I take over the aux and you’re going to get some anime theme song and I’d rather save myself the embarrassment.”

Calum’s chuckle is quick and clear of the click of the seatbelts. He switches over the radio and hands you the white cord. “Now you have to embarrass yourself.”

“That’s what I get for opening my big mouth.” Plugging the cord in, you shuffle for a decent opening song as the truck starts backwards out of the parking spot.

“So what about you? How did the universe drop you here?”

“Pure determination and spite,” you laugh as the song starts over the speakers. “I finished my undergrad, worked for a couple years and then promptly said this is not what I want to do forever and started looking to go back to school.”

“Pure determination and spite,” Calum repeats. He keeps his attention heavily on the road as he’s driving out of the park and through the neighborhoods. But once he hits a stretch of main road he can glance over to you. And you’re staring out of the front windshield, head slightly tilted. “You look lost in thought?”

“Just admiring the view.”

And Calum hums, a sound of agreement, but the view he’s enjoying isn’t the sight of campus and the surrounding area. The two of you continue on, weaving around some traffic and soon you’re turning down a side street. One that reminds you almost of home. And maybe that’s just the universality of it all. Almost anything could be home if you wanted it to be, because there was always going to be a piece of a place that you could connect too.

“The guys here are nice and really quick about anything that’s a simple fix,” Calum offers. “Also, your music isn’t that bad.”

Your jaw drops just a little and a small squawk of indignation falls from your lips. “What’s that supposed to mean?” you ask, jumping out of the car. Calum’s already at the back, pulling your bike from the secure rack.

“It means that having an anime theme song play would’ve made it ten times better.”

You huff, but follow behind him into the shop. The two of you greeted almost immediately and when the guy working on the floor spies the bike, he’s quick to walk over and see what the issue is. You explain that you’ve noticed a difference in tire pressure. In your move your gauge got misplaced and you hadn’t quite yet had time to get someone to look at it until now.

“Yeah, we can check that for you. No problem. So any other plans for today?” he asks, making small talk. You talk briefly about the weather, though there’s not quite a lot to talk about it. Not too long later, the guy’s able to confirm that one of tires did have something puncturing it and letting out some air. But he’s quick to let you know that they can fix it in just a few minutes if the two of you have it.

“I’d greatly appreciate it,” you start and then look at Calum, who just shrugs. “Yeah, can you fix it?”

“Sure can. Just give me a few minutes.”

“Thank you.”

You watch Calum browse, trying not to linger on the way his back moves underneath the t-shirt as he reaches up for something along the walls. And it’s like asking to get into trouble. Though there’s nothing wrong with instructors dating. You just had a plan, that's all.The first semester you’d get settled, figure out what this whole student teaching life was all about. And the more you watched Calum, the more you were sure that plan was going to fall apart.

“Here she is, all fixed up.” You look up from your spot, in the store, having migrated to the opposite end of the door and walk over to the man with your bike. “Just a little puncture. Nothing too bad.” He rattles off the costs and it’s more than you anticipated, but not so much more that you have complaints.

Calum’s quick to take over the bike and walk it back outside, smiling as you hold the door open for him. “Thanks.”

“No, thanks to you. For chauffeuring me around.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he returns, getting the bike back onto the rack. “Did you want to explore some nearby shops?”

“Oh, hmm. Maybe later. I haven’t an ounce of lesson plans just yet. So I think I should maybe get my week 2 planned.”

“Well it sounds like you have something of week one planned,” Calum counters.

“We were forced. Thanks to orientation.”

He laughs. “Yeah, they wanted you to have that down at least.”

In the brief glance around, as you try to tell yourself, you shouldn’t explore, you spy a little coffee shop. It looks intriguing. And you point out the sign. “Have you ever tried them?”

“Yeah--it’s a really good shop.”

You take a small step towards the building, careful though because you’re still in the parking lot and about to head into the street. “Can I tack on just a tiny bit of exploring and grab a cup?”

“Of course.”

“Recommend anything?”

Calum holds the door open as he speaks. “Chai Latte, but you can’t tell anyone that it was me that recommended it.”

“Your secret it safe with me.”

In line, you try not to think about how close Calum is, as he stands behind you. But you can feel him, or maybe you want to feel it, you’re aware of him that it’s like all you’d have to do is fake a clumsy step back to be resting into his chest. You imagine it to be firm, but somehow cozy. And maybe that’s just the worn t-shirt he’s adorned in and the beanie on his head. But his presence feels soft to you.

Your daydream doesn’t last long as the line shuffles forward and you take the step forward rather than the step backward. The coffee shop is quaint, the wide windows letting in plenty of sunlight. But the tables are dark brown and look worn from your place in line. It feels lived in and you enjoy that even though the outside was painted a hunter green, the inside is a pretty beige accented by the chocolate wood of the tables.

“It’s like a dream,” you state in a whisper, taking in the lights in the ceiling and the scattered bodies of students with backpacks at their feet and others whom you assume live in town and are most likely trying to enjoy the last bits of quiet before the rest of the students descend onto the campus and town.

In all your sight exploration, your order is called up and Calum has to get it for you. He smiles though, watching the wonder that fills your eyes. “The offer’s still on the table,” he states, handing over the correct cup t you. “We can explore.”

“Can we raincheck? What does next weekend look like for you?”

He still hadn’t responded to Ashton about the hike. So he doesn’t really have plans. “Free as a bird.”

“Would it be okay? To wait till then?”

“Of course,” he exhales. “I’m not the one still learning with training wheels of teaching. I can do this in my sleep.”

“Oh, so big and tough,” you joke, but head back to the front door. The two of you break back out into the bright sun and it’s warm on your skin. “Just give me a semester. I’ll be able to knock you down a peg.”

And Calum doesn’t doubt that for a second. Not with the way you talked about getting into the program. Inside the truck, you’re handed the aux yet again and this time don’t think twice about plugging it in. “To our office?” he asks.

“You’re not even going to be doing anything for real.”

“I like the sense of productivity.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” you laugh. The drive back to the campus isn’t as long as you thought it would be. But somehow it comes all too quickly. You’re still not sure what’s happening between you and Calum. It’s easy, natural between the two of you. But your plan--you know it’s all going down the drain. All his jokes make you laugh, and you know one or two shouldn’t. And when you do laugh, Calum turns sheepish. He goes quiet, a tiny smile quivering at his lips.

Calum parks in the employee parking lot in front of the building with your office. Both of you climb out at the same time. And with backpacks, coffee, keys and phones all in place you two trek up to the door. “I think it’s only three of us in the office this year,” Calum talks, fishing out the right key on the hook.

“Only three?”

“This used to be an old dorm building. So they can usually stick four of us into the room. But the email we got about office assignments only had three names. There was a fourth, but I don’t know what happened to them. They were in a different English program than us. And I don’t know if they graduated or not.”

“Ah,” you return, stepping through the door behind him. And it doesn’t remind you too much of a dorm, not in the always at least. But when Calum unlocks the door, you can see where it definitely once was an older dorm building thanks to the sink in the corner. “You weren’t kidding, huh?’

“About it being an old dorm? Not in the slightest.” He drops his backpack into the desk on the left side of the room but closest to the window. A couple pictures decorate the desktop. The desk next to him as a blanket and the whiteboard above it, has something written on it. So you assume it’s the third person. The desk on the right, closest to the door has nothing on it. The one closest to the window, across from Calum is also empty.

You walk into the room some more and Calum pulls out his laptop from his bag and then steps around you. “As a heads up, the door stays locked. So you’ll need your key if you go out and close the door. I got locked out once or maybe twice. And it’s definitely not fun.”

You nod. “Thanks for the heads up.”

He smiles and then slips out of the door and you study the empty desk. It’s stupid, trivial to take the one across from Calum, but you drop your backpack into the office chair. The next time you come, you’ll bring desk decorations. To claim which one is yours. Because right now in the depths of your backpack you don’t have much. Well you do have a book that you don’t really need to keep up with too much. Maybe you can leave that.

Exhaling, you get mostly settled and just before you can get your laptop out of the sleeve the door opens to Calum walking through again. The beanie’s now in his hands as he strides across the room and you can’t help but stare at the curls falling from his head. You want to curse him for looking so good. But you force yourself to go back to your screen.

Calum settles back into his chair and watches you, sitting up straighter than he’s ever seen a person sit. And he wishes he wasn’t so chicken shit about it. You fucking asked him to hang out next weekend. But still, it’s like toying the line. Trying to make sure he’s reading the cues right. Maybe not right now, maybe next weekend he can get a better read, make a move. He turns back to his own laptop and finds the syllabus he made from the last semester. He can still use most of it. Though in the spring they had a break and in the fall, now they don’t. So he can delete that week as no class and actually have time for the group project in class that the department requires for them to teach.

A couple hours go by, silence between the two of you, but the clacking of keys makes a chorus around the room. Calum pauses every so often to look over his shoulder. Sometimes you’re deep into work, pushed up into the seat. And once or twice, he found you slouched, staring out at the window next to both of you.

Another hour passes and shuffling ensues behind Calum. He looks over and finds you packing up. “Headed home?”

You nod. “Managed to get the first unit mostly planned. We’ll see how it goes.”

He smiles. “I’m sure it’ll go well.” He goes to turn around and then remembers your bike is still attached to the back of his car. “Oh, let me go with you to get your bike,” he says ,shooting up from his chair. It rolls backwards for a split second but then makes a sudden stop.

“Oof,” you let out, rubbing at your stomach.

“Oh my god,” he rushes out, stepping in closer. “I’m so sorry. Had no clue you were that close. You okay?”

“Yeah,” you laugh and then look up. And Calum’s eyes are a deeper brown that you initially thought. Now that he's closer to you. “Yeah, I’m okay,” you exhale in a breath.

“You sure? I think the Campus Health Services is open. Or you know, urgent care?”

“I don’t think you caused internal bleeding. Just caught me off guard.”

He finally brings his gaze up from where you’ve stopped holding your stomach to your eyes. And he shouldn’t. He shouldn’t let his gaze drop below your eyes, because truth be told he already stared too much at your lips during the entirety of orientation. And he already knows just how plump they are.

It’s silent--almost uncomfortably so. “Can I--I should get your bike,” Calum says, saving himself from sure embarrassment.

He steps around you and you stretch out, capturing his wrist in your hand. “No, what were you going to ask?” you ask. The question leaves you without much thought and you know you shouldn’t ask. But you just can’t help it. Because you almost stretched up to kiss him.

“It’s nothing,” he returns. But he doesn’t pull his wrist away.

“Is it really nothing?”

Calum feels you step in closer. He inhales and lets it slowly. He shouldn’t. He absolutely should not let the question cross his lips. But he turn, and sees you illuminated by the sun from the windows and god, how can he deny an angel standing in front of him. “I was going to ask if I could ask you a question.” And it’s not really what he was going to ask. But it buys him some time.

“You can ask me.”

“Do you--is this--,” he exhales, for a moment hating that the words are getting caught in his throat. “I don’t know if you’re feeling the same thing I am. But I-I’ve been interested in you, like from the second I saw you at the orientation. And I really, really don’t want to make a fool of myself. But I was hoping, are you interested? In me?”

There it goes--the plan--down the drain in just a few sentences. “If you’re asking if I thought you were attractive, yes. And if you’re asking if I care to see where this goes, the answer is also yes. But it really wasn’t supposed to go down like this.”

The elation covers his face and makes his cheeks push up as he smiles--so much so that the skin around his eyes crinkles. “I’ll gladly interrupt all your plans.”

You scoff at the sentiment, but feel your body heating up. Calum steps in even closer to you. His fingers find yours and thread them together. “So the real question I had was if I could kiss you? But I wasn’t sure if that was too forward.”

“Too forward a minute ago. But not too forward for right now,” you state, already moving in to kiss him. It’s short, longer than a peck, but not quite long enough. Because as you pull away, Calum’s other hand is cupping the back of your head and keeping you closer. His hold is firm but his lips are soft and you melt, knees buckling just for a moment. Thankfully, you manage to recover quickly. It doesn’t stop Calum from chuckling.

“Are you telling me that I have that kind of effect on you?”

“Shut the fuck up, and kiss me again,” you state breathlessly. He doesn’t need to be asked twice. His lips capture yours again, happy to finally get a small taste of you. And you’re acutely aware that it must look ridiculous--you with your backpack full to the nines pressed up against Calum’s chest, chasing down his lips because his touch is mixing in with the scent of his cologne and all you know for sure is that it’s an intoxicating mixture that you want to be trapped in forever.

You pull away, needing just a moment to catch your breath and Calum rests his forehead against yours. “Are you sure you want to leave me now?” he teases.

“I--I’ll be honest. The reason why I was leaving was because I knew this was going to happen.”

“Oh? You knew?”

You laugh, cupping his jaw. “Calum, I know one thing for sure. You’re a dangerous man to be around.”

“Oh you’ve just met me. I should be offended.”

“Should be?” you question.

“You’re--I don’t know what. But I knew that I wanted to know you. So whatever words that exist for that--that’s what you are.”

“I’m flattered,” you state softly.

“If you give me 5, I can pack up my stuff and drop you off back at home. Now I’d be an asshole not to drop you off.”

You watch him, pulling back from the closeness. “I can make it home now that my bike’s fixed. Thanks to your insistence.”

“Well, let me insist one more time that I make sure you get home safely.”

“Fine,” you resign. And he’s quick to pack up. Out in the hallway, he takes your hand, threading your fingers again. And it’s natural, easy between the two of you. You bump shoulders, laughing as you step out in the daylight.

Inside his car, you slip back into the passenger seat. But when Calum settles into the driver seat and gets buckled in, he rests one hand on your thigh. Not too high up, nothing too suggestive, but not directly on your knee. You try not to let it fluster you, the ease at which he establishes touch, but your heart races just a little.

You curl your fingers around his palm--it’s something to do with your hands, but also allows you a bit of control. You direct him easily back to your apartment. It’s nearly a straight shot, minus the one left turn needed and when he pulls up into a parking space in front of your building, he squeezes at your fingers just a little.

You face him with a smile. “Thanks, for everything.”

“Yeah of course,” he returns. “So, next weekend? More exploring?”

“I’d like that.”

“I’ll text you about the date and time for sure. Unless we meet again in the office.”

Unbuckling your seatbelt, you laugh gently stretching across the console. “I have a suspicion we shall meet again in the office.”

“Lovely,” he breathes and you meet his lips, capturing them gently before pulling away and grabbing all your things. Your bike is easy to get down and then you lock it back up on the rack outside, even though Calum does help. He leans up against the door and you spy him watching.

“Enjoying the show?” you tease shaking your butt at him at the outside door of the building.

His laughter rings out. “Making sure you get inside safely, actually. But a show is always welcomed.”

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calpalirwin · 3 years

Text

Come Back

Summary: It was a standard routine mission gone wrong in all the worst ways possible, or so the world, and most of the Avengers, was led to believe.

A/N: When my 5sos writing addiction crosses paths with my superhero addiction. Beta-read by @jessalyn-jpeg thank you!!!!

Word Count: 10.8k

And away, and away we go!

“Hostage situation,” Ashton said, slapping the folder down in the middle of the table.

Y/N’s fingers grazed the manila folder emblazoned with a giant “MISSION” stamp in the middle of it. Fuckin’ subtle, she thought with an eye roll.

“Am I boring you already?” Ashton all but snapped at the woman, his arms crossing over his chest.

She raised her gaze to meet his, holding it steadily. Aside from Calum and Michael, Y/N and Ashton were the closest in age, with Y/N having the advantage over the man, a fact she knew he despised even though she graciously allowed him to take the lead at every opportunity. Leading had never been her cup of tea, but it was definitely Ashton’s, the arrogant little bastard. “Not at all,” she said sweetly, flashing him a smile. “Captain,” Y/N added as an afterthought.

Ashton pinched the bridge of his nose, shifting his stare over to Calum, seeing if he’d help tame the woman’s snark, so that Ashton could get on with the team meeting, preferably without a headache. Calum just gave his sister a small shove, which she gladly took as a way to knock into Michael on her other side, the blonde’s arm going to rest along the back of his girlfriend’s chair.

When Ashton cleared his throat, Y/N rolled her eyes again. “Oh, just get on with it, you prat. Hostage situation. And ready? 3, 2, 1, action!”

“Yes,” Ashton said, his tone taking on the edge that was aptly referred to Ashton’s leader voice. “We, that is SHIELD, infiltrated a Hydra base about a month back in an attempt to get a spy on the inside. Problem is, that SHIELD agent was working with Hydra, and led our men straight into a trap.”

“And women,” Y/N added.

“Yes, and our women agents as well, thank you, audience participation.”

“So our task is to do what exactly? Search and rescue?” Luke asked, leaning back in his seat.

“Pretty much, yes.”

“Great…” the blue eyes rolled.

“Yeah, it’s not exactly glamorous, but it’s well within our authorization to carry out ourselves.” Ashton puffed out his chest a little, like he was proud to be trusted with such a high class mission.

“Blow up New York a few times saving the world and everyone’s a critic…” Y/N joked half-heartedly. “Face it, Ash, we’re an over glorified search and rescue team. Just tell us when we’re headed out.”

“Jet leaves in a half hour. Folder contains more details regarding our individual parts and a map of the compound.”

Luke’s face lit up at the potential that individual assignments might have a little bit more glory to them, eagerly snatching the folder and passing out the packets inside to each team member before tearing into his. “Aw! C’mon!” he groaned, tossing the papers back on the table. “We never get anything cool anymore…”

Y/N kept her quip about how Luke should speak for himself to herself, as she glanced at her own personal assignment. Fuckin’ hell…

“You alright, babe?” Michael asked, his fingers rubbing at her neck as he started to pull his arm back across her chair.

She crumpled her assignment in her fist. “Hmm? I’m fine,” she grinned, kissing his nose.

Michael blew out his air in a huff, “Yeah, I know the mission’s kinda bullshit action wise. But when we get back we can play with these new arrows I’ve been working on. These ones have tracking technology, so even if I was to miss, I wouldn’t.”

“Aw, but you never miss a shot.”

Michael smirked, “I know. But now you guys can use them too. Doesn’t hurt to pick up an extra skill.”

“Sounds like a date,” she said, this time pressing a kiss to his lips, savoring the moment. In a couple of months to a year, she added in her head, because what Michael didn’t know, and what she couldn’t tell him, was that these were going to be their last moments with each other for a while.

~~~

Exactly a half hour after Ashton had dismissed his team, the group of five sat strapped in the jet, the engines rumbling as it took off, headed for the Hydra base. “Everyone has their assignment?” Ashton asked, eyes darting across everyone.

“Yes, Dad,” they all mock-saluted.

The hazel eyes rolled, and his jaw ticked in annoyance. “If someone else wants to be leader, be my guest.”

“So then I could be the prat everyone hates?” Luke scoffed. “No, thanks.”

“Aw, Luke. We’d hate you regardless if you're the leader or not,” Michael joked, clapping the other man on the shoulder.

“Hehehe,” Luke laughed in a high-pitched, mocking manner.

“Nobody has a problem with you being leader, Ash. You know this,” Y/N said. “Plus we all know that you’re just the one relaying orders from the higher ups. You’re just better at it than the rest of us. I mouth off too much, and these three are babies. Face it, you’re the perfect soldier.”

Ashton’s expression softened a bit at her words, the closest thing to a compliment she’s ever given him. “Thanks, Y/N. That means a lot.”

“Oh, save it. It doesn’t make you less annoying.”

“Babies? Who are you calling babies?” Michael asked, poking a finger in his girlfriend’s shoulder.

“Yeah!” Calum huffed. “No babies here!”

Y/N laughed, reaching out to pinch Calum’s cheek. “You will always be a baby to me, baby brother.” Then she turned her attention to Michael, “And you? You’re just my babe,” she grinned, kissing his nose.

“And me?” Luke asked, perking up his seat.

“A literal infant,” she grinned wider while everyone else nodded, including Ashton.

The rest of the jet ride was spent doing last minute training (Ashton), reviewing personal assignments (Y/N), tinkering with new technology (Calum and Michael), or sleeping (Luke) until Ashton called everyone back for a quick meeting.

“We’re approaching our drop off point.”

“Drop off point or…?” Luke whistled before slamming his hand down on the table. “Jumping point?”

Ashton held up 2 fingers, and Luke grinned, pumping his fist in small victory. “We can’t risk the jet getting anywhere near their radar, so we’re landing roughly here,” Ashton continued, pointing at the map. “Hydra base is here,” he moved his finger to where there was a giant red circle. “And safe to assume it’s heavily guarded on the outside.”

Y/N studied the distance between where Ashton said the landing spot was versus where the base was. “So we’re landing about a mile out, and we’re just gonna knock on the front door, hoping they let us in?”

Ashton snorted. “God no. Well, kinda. Luke’s breaking in to shut down their security protocols. From there, Cal should be able to hack and override their system. Mike keeps our path clear from the outside. Making our job,” he waved a finger between Y/N and himself, and Y/N gulped wondering how much he knew about everyone’s personal assignments, “easier for helping Luke get the hostages out.”

She breathed in relief. Good. Ashton was under the usual impression of personal assignments from previous missions, and not the other, slightly more complicated bit to the otherwise usual mission. Luke, with his ability to shrink and grow with the push of a button, courtesy of Calum and Michael’s technology, was the thief. The one with the power to get small enough to squeeze in anywhere unnoticed. Which set him up perfectly to gain security access for Calum, who could then override any system remotely, alongside piloting his drone for extra security coverage/fighting power. Michael usually hung back with Calum to keep Calum company, while being both an extra set of eyes, and an extra fighter with his hundred percent success rate as an archer. Which left super soldier Ashton, and non-super soldier, but highly trained martial artist Y/N to provide the bulk of fending off enemies. A ragtag team of not exactly super, but definitely better than your average SHIELD agent, SHIELD had dubbed the Avengers. “Sounds like we should get ready to jump then.”

While jumping was Luke’s favorite part of the mission, the rest of the team paled a little standing in the doorway of the jet, air rushing all around. But when Ashton yelled “Go!” they all jumped, Luke first with a whoop of “Showtime!” Y/N sucked in a breath, following Luke out and grabbing Michael’s hand to pull him after her, the ground hurtling upwards at her.

“Pull!” Ashton’s voice directed in everyone’s ears, and five parachutes deployed in unison, Y/N jerking wildly with the pullback.

“Whoa, easy there,” Michael’s voice was both in her earpiece and shouting above the wind, his hand squeezing hers. “You’re good, babe.”

“Ugh, I fuckin’ hate that part,” she groaned, her stomach churning.

“And I hate this part,” Calum groaned along with his sister, before all anyone heard was his feet hitting the ground and his string of curses as his body rolled with his landing.

“You gotta learn to land better,” Y/N and Ashton both scolded, as Y/N’s own feet touched down, and she ran a little with the momentum so she didn’t roll like her brother.

“You gotta learn to land better,” Calum mimicked as he picked himself up off the ground, shooting Luke a glare, “What are you so fuckin’ happy about?”

“That shit is the fuckin’ best!” Luke whooped in a whisper. “Fuck yeah! I’m pumped!”

“Good,” Ashton chuckled. “How do you feel about more flying?”

“Aw sick! Is Michael gonna shoot me?!”

“Not the way I’d like to,” Michael grinned sarcastically, reaching behind him for his bow and arrow. “Shrink down, giant man.”

While Luke shrunk down to the size of a tic-tac, Ashton started instructing Michael on where to shoot, but Michael brushed him off. “Yeah, yeah. Close enough to get him inside, but not anywhere that’ll draw attention. Cal, you got eyes yet?”

“Yeah, but I’m not gonna be able to get the drone in there until Luke gets in so I can hack the system.”

“That’s fine, I got it,” Luke said in the ear piece. “Cal, I’m on your right shoe. Lift up?”

Calum bent down to pluck up Luke, placing him carefully on Michael’s nocked arrow. “Just tell me where I’m aiming, Cal,” Michael said, breathing steadily as he pulled back his bow.

“Quarter inch to the right,” Calum directed. “If you aim low, Luke can run in from the ground, or if you aim high, there’s a branch that he can access the second floor from. Shooter’s choice.”

“Security’s on the second floor,” Luke and Michael both said, and with that, Michael inhaled, and on the exhale, sent Luke and the arrow flying towards Hydra, undetectable.

“And now we wait,” Ashton commented, stretching his arms up over his head. “Y/N, we-”

“Won’t have much time between Cal hacking the system and Hydra finding out. And Cal and Mike can only provide so much coverage while staying out of sight. So we’re on a time clock of maybe 5 minutes if we’re lucky. I know, Ash. I go left, you go right?”

He nodded. “Get ready to run.”

Y/N glanced at Calum. “How much time before Luke gets into the system for you?”

“Thirty seconds. Make it quick.”

She turned to Michael, tears brimming up in her eyes. “Aw, babe. It’ll be fine,” he chuckled lightly, kissing her.

“I know,” she answered in a shaky breath, resting her forehead against his, committing everything to memory from the sharpness of his green eyes, to the pink tint of his lips. To his calloused fingertips as they cupped her face, and the scratch of his beard under her own hand. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he chuckled again. “Now go kick some ass.”

“Luke’s in. 15 seconds,” Calum told Y/N and Ashton, so Y/N kissed Michael as deeply and fiercely as she could, clinging to every bit of those last 15 seconds. “2… I’m in. System’s down.” But Y/N wasn't ready to let go yet.

“Y/N!” Ashton growled harshly, dragging her by the back of her shirt and then shoving her forward. “Fuckin’ move!”

She swallowed her storm of feelings, shutting that part of herself off, and switched fully into Mission Mode, ignoring Calum's chuckle of “Damn, what kind of good luck kiss was that?” and Michael’s shy but proud, “I dunno, but I ain’t complaining.”

With the security breach came the storm of chaos that allowed Y/N and Ashton to enter the compound without raising any serious flags. With Ashton headed to the right flank, Y/N went left, and the first chance she had, she took it.

The Hydra soldier looked to be about her size, their attention not zeroing in on her until Y/N already grabbed them in a chokehold. “Sorry about this,” she whispered as she snapped their neck in a swift motion, then dragged them into a nearby supply closet. “Ash, Y/N, I located the hostages. Where are you?” Luke asked in the earpiece.

“Coming up on your right, Luke,” Ashton confirmed.

“Got in a small tangle, be there soon,” Y/N grunted as she started switching clothes with the body.

“God damn it, Hood…”

“Which one?” both her and Calum asked with an amused glint, their favorite little bit to annoy their captain.

“You know which one,” Ashton hissed. “Cal, time estimate. Mike, coverage report. Y/N, get a move on, seriously!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Y/N muttered before taking out her earpiece and stomping on it, leaving it with the dead Hydra soldier along with her tracker just outside the doorway of the supply closet. “Just not the way you think,” she then muttered quietly to herself before hurrying after the other Hydra soldiers, running for the back of the compound. “What the hell is going on?” she snapped at one of them, putting as much authority in her voice as she could.

“It’s the Avengers. Initiating protocol 78. Get in a vehicle and get out. 2 minutes until denotation.”

Denotation?! Son of a bitch… Ashton and Luke were still getting the hostages out. She had to warn them, but… SON OF A BITCH!

Y/N shook off the panic and kept moving, trusting that Ashton and Luke knew what they were doing, and that Calum and Michael could keep them safe and aware of the limited time before the whole base went up in a fiery explosion. Her priority wasn’t on the rescue mission anymore. It never had been. Hers was to carry out the original mission that had resulted in this mission in the first place. Get into Hydra. Learn what they had planned. Destroy them from the inside. But damn, it would be a lot easier if she didn’t have to hide it from the guys. Her guys. Her baby brother. Her boyfriend. I’m safe, she screamed in her head. I’m safe! Look after each other, please!

While she got herself onto a vehicle headed out, she caught a glimpse of Ashton and Luke herding people out through a side gate and into the neighboring woods.

“Hood, where the fuck are you?” Ashton hissed

“Which one?” only Calum responded, then, “Shit… Y/N?!”

“Cal, where is she?!” Ashton and Michael demanded at the same time.

“I- I don’t understand. Her tracker is still by the left side of the compound where she went in.” Calum started fiddling around with the drone, trying to find his sister with it. “Y/N? Y/N, do you copy?”

“Luke, take the hostages back to Cal and Mike,” Ashton instructed, his voice tight, but controlled under pressure. “Cal, where did you say she was last?”

“To your left. 50 yards. She should be right there, Ash, I don’t understand!” His voice was high with panic.

“I don’t see her,” Ashton reported, and there was a loud bang as he smashed his fist against something. “I don’t fuckin’ see her!”

“Maybe she’s on her way back!” Michael said hopefully. “Maybe she was helping clear the way for you and Luke. You know she can’t turn down a fight.”

“Heh,” Ashton chuckled. “Yeah maybe. I mean, these trackers and earpieces only stay on so well when you’re kicking some serious ass, ya know?”

“Exactly,” Michael chuckled in relief. “It’s Y/N we’re talking about.”

“Well let’s hope that’s the case, and that Ash is the fuckin’ Flash because guys… this compound’s gonna blow,” Calum spoke up, his voice still holding a small wobble.

“How much time?” Ashton asked, already running for an exit.

“40 seconds give or take.”

“Alright, I’m ou- whoa, shit.”

“What?!” three voices demanded.

“It’s Y/N’s tracker and earpiece. Just lying here in the fuckin’ hallway… and guys… there’s a body…” Ashton gave a small grunt as he flipped the body over with his boot. “Oh, thank God!” he laughed. “It’s not her! Probably just a scuffle where some of her gear fell.”

“Okay, well 1.) thanks for the heart attack and 2.) if it’s not her, then get the fuck out!” Calum yelled.

“Okay, but if it’s not her body then she’s fuckin’ missing, so where is she?!” Michael asked.

“She’s not with me,” Luke told them. “I haven’t seen her this whole time.”

“I don’t have eyes on her either,” Ashton chimed in, running as fast and far as he could before the compound blew.

“Cal, anything?!” Michael asked, now growing frantic as he scanned around, hoping to find his girlfriend lounging against some tree behind him. Safe. Laughing at her boys for ever thinking she was in harm’s way.

“No…” Calum choked, tears starting to spill down his cheeks. “C’mon, c’mon…” he prayed. “C’mon, Y/N, don’t do this to me.”

“C’mon, Y/N, where the hell are you?”

In the distance, Y/N heard the boom of the explosion, the vehicle shaking with the sound. She hoped her boys were safe and okay. And they were safe. But they were far from okay. Because what she couldn’t hear was Calum’s broken sob and Michael’s heartbreaking scream of her name.

~~~

The jet ride back to headquarters was heavy with tension. To keep his mind occupied, Ashton set to work getting statements from the hostages. Calum and Michael sat in their seats, every muscle tightened, faces blank and frozen, tear tracks running down their cheeks. Luke was the only one who looked remotely comfortable, lounging against the wall of the jet, legs stretched out, his index finger tapping an unrelenting rhythm against his jaw as he hummed to himself.

“Would you knock it off?!” Calum tried to yell at Luke, but his throat was rubbed raw, so it came out as a hoarse whisper.

“What? I’m thinking!” Luke defended.

“Thinking isn’t supposed to be loud.”

“What are you thinking, Luke?” Ashton asked, his own voice clear, but weary as he ran a hand over his face and then through his hair.

“Y/N’s not an idiot,” he started.

“Yeah, no fuckin’ shit,” Calum spat.

Ashton held up a hand. “Let him talk, Cal. Go on, Luke.”

Luke straightened up, drawing his legs up, and resting his arms across his knees. “She’s not an idiot,” he repeated, studying his fingernails to keep his mind on track. “She always knew what she was doing. So she would have known that the mission felt off.”

“What do you mean, the mission felt off?” Ashton asked.

“Oh, c’mon, Ash. You couldn’t feel it, too? We got in and out without running into anyone trying to stop us. They didn’t care that we were getting out the hostages. They were evacuating. They had whatever they needed and were going to blow the place up whether we were there or not.”

“Okay. And what does that have to do with Y/N?” Ashton continued to prompt.

“I’m saying she knew. So she went in search of any plans she could get her hands on. Anything that might have gotten left behind in the scramble to evacuate sooner than they had originally planned.”

“So you’re suggesting that instead of helping us like she was supposed to, Y/N went off to try and get us more information?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Hmm…” Ashton thought, mulling over Luke’s theory. “That does sound exactly like the type of shit Y/N would pull…”

“BULLSHIT!” Michael screamed suddenly, jumping to his feet. “THAT’S FUCKIN’ BULLSHIT!”

“How is it bullshit?!” Luke yelled back, rising to stand toe-to-toe with Michael.

“BECAUSE IF IT WAS TRUE THEN WHERE IS SHE, LUKE?! HUH?! DO YOU SEE HER IN HERE?! CUZ I DON’T!”

“Obviously she’s not with us,” Luke scoffed. “But she got out, that I’m sure of. She’s somewhere.”

“Oh…” Michael nodded, his sudden drop in tone frightening. “So, what you’re saying is that WE left her behind! Our teammate! His sister! My girlfriend! And we just LEFT her?!”

“It’s better than the alternative of believing that she’s DEAD!”

“Oh, cuz that’s SO MUCH BETTER! What your theory suggests, Luke, is that WE either failed our teammate by leaving her behind, or she’s dead. Regardless of which of those options is the truth, WE FAILED HER! Whatever happened to her is OUR FAULT!” His hands clenched into fists at his sides and he raised them, whether to hit Luke or the wall behind him, no one was sure. Then, a sob was wracking through Michael’s body, his fists dropping back to his sides as his body crumpled. “Oh, God,” he cried quietly, curling up on the ground, his body shaking with the force of his cries. “Y/N, I’m so sorry… It’s all our fault… Fuck, I’m so sorry…”

~~~

Five months later found Y/N in a place within Hydra where she had enough access to send word out to SHIELD about Hydra’s plans: the creation of the an undefeatable army made up of highly skilled super soldiers injected with a recently perfected and modified serum that made Ashton’s super soldier skills look like child’s play.

The same five months found 4/5ths of the former team, smarter than they were before, but at the cost of diminished spirits as Ashton laid the all too familiar manila folder in the middle of the table, with its pitch-black “MISSION” stamp in the center.

Michael’s fingers went out to graze the stamp, his eyes meeting Calum’s as they shared a weak smile, both of them missing the way Y/N used to call the folder stupid for stating so clearly what it was.

“We’ve received intel about Hydra's latest plans. It’s not good,” Ashton said, pausing for a sarcastic comment about how if Hydra was involved then of course it wasn’t good that never came. “They’ve not only modified the super soldier serum, they’ve also perfected it. A hundred percent success rate. Hostages don’t stay hostages for very long.” Again, he paused, waiting for a witty quip, but was only given nods of understanding. He let out a small sigh. “With the intel, we also got information of where their supply of the serum is, and where they’re making it. As far as our source knows, it’s just the one lab. Our mission is slightly different than what we’re used to as it’s a three-parter. The first part is pretty standard. Get in and release the hostages they have before they can be turned. The second part is also getting more information about the lab and the serum. We have to make sure that this is the only lab before we can go about initiating Part Three, which is destroying any and all labs we learn about. But today, our focus is on Part One and Two. Part Three will be carried out at a later date once SHIELD has time to go over everything and assess the situation.”

“After I get in to override security for Cal, I can start looking around for lab plans,” Luke decided. “If you can handle the hostages, Ash.”

Ashton nodded. “Yeah, I can handle that. Mike, I might need you closer to the action though, rather than staying back with Cal, and providing your backup there. If you’re up for it, that is.”

“I can get closer, it’s fine,” Michael replied numbly.

“Perfect. And how are those new trackers you and Cal have been working on?”

“Ready. And injectable. Once injected, Cal has access to turning them on or off, so we’ll never have to think about trackers again. Like potentially losing one…”

“And some of them can be fitted onto your arrows, yes? So maybe we can stick a lab worker or two with them?” Ashton followed up, ignoring the bitter edge in Michael’s tone.

“Yes.”

“Alright. We leave in a half hour.”

~~~

Y/N was patrolling around the upper deck of the Hydra base when both an alarm sounded and her earpiece crackled to life. “Security breach. Fuckin’ Avengers…”

“Secure the hostages and the lab,” came a different order.

“On it,” Y/N answered with several other voices, but she stayed rooted in her spot, knowing her old team’s moves by heart. Luke was somewhere in the compound, no doubt hiding in his shrunken version. Michael would have taken a closer position now for Ashton’s sake to help keep the path clear for Ashton to escort the hostages to safety. And Calum would be flying the drone, being everywhere the rest of the team couldn’t be, informing them of every move.

The familiar buzz of a drone a few seconds later came as no surprise, and she turned to the sound, grinning.

“Y/N?!” the drone’s speaker yelled in shock.

“Hi, baby brother,” she said, waggling her fingers in a wave. Then, her lips turned down in a mock-pout. “Sorry about this,” she told him, grabbing the wings of the drone.

“Yeah, me too,” Calum’s voice said, as he pushed a button that shot out an arrow as Y/N brought the drone down over her knee, cracking the device in half. She let out a slow hiss as the arrow passed straight through her shoulder, and then embedded itself in the wall behind her.

“Tell Mike to up your archery practice,” she told the broken drone as she dropped the two pieces, then took off.

“Y/N?!” Ashton, Luke, and Michael were yelling in Calum’s ear. “You found her?! I told you she was alive! Where is she, Cal?!”

“Bitch broke my drone!” was all Calum could come up with as a reply.

“Calum!” Ashton’s voice was sharp, Michael’s desperate.

“Give me a second, she broke my drone!” Calum grumbled, his relief about his sister being okay mixing with the rage only siblings could have for one another when one of them broke something of the other’s. “Okay, okay. Yes! Fuck yes! Whoohoo! Mikey-boy the tracker arrows work!”

“Of course they work,” Michael scoffed proudly.

“Well, I sort of shot through her, so I wasn’t sure if the tracker got in her, or the wall.”

“You shot my girlfriend?!”

“She BROKE MY DRONE!”

“You can build a new one,” Ashton told him with a sigh.

“You shot my girlfriend!” Michael continued to screech.

“I had to get the tracker on her!” Calum protested.

“Well, fuckin’ track her then, and get her out of there!”

“Cal, send me and Luke her location,” Ashton ordered. “Whoever’s closest tries to get her. But Luke, we gotta head out before they surround us. This isn’t like last time. They’re standing their ground.”

“She was on the upper deck on your side, Ash. She’s headed your way now, Luke. Towards the lab,” Calum reported, his eyes on Y/N’s tracker.

“Fuck, I gotta get out of here with these guys. Luke, get Y/N,” Ashton said, guiding a small group of hostages to safety.

“I’m in the lab, I got h- Oh, fuck me!” Luke’s words of hope died down as he glanced out the window of the lab. “I gotta shrink back down if I’m gonna get out of here. They’re fuckin’ swarming the lab. Ash, that’s good news for you because it means your path is clear.” He grabbed as many folders as he could gather in his arms, before hitting a button to shrink back down, just as Hydra soldiers muscled their way into the lab, looking around for anything out of place. “ ‘Scuse me. Pardon me. Just gonna squeeze past…” Luke talked aloud as he sprinted across the tops of boots headed for the exit. “You know, maybe I should get some of those trackers next time. Got plenty of feet to stab them into right now.”

“Duly noted,” Michael said, loosing a volley of arrows, sinking as many trackers into Hydra agents as he could. “Did you get Y/N?”

“No…” Luke replied in disappointment. “Ash?”

“No, I had to get out with whoever I could. Luke, you out?”

“Headed back now. I snagged some plans, if that’s any consolation.”

“That’s awesome, Luke. Thanks,” Ashton said, but there was a lingering note of dejection that they couldn’t get Y/N too. “She’s alive, and Cal got a tracker in her, which is more than we could have hoped for anyway.”

“I know. But still. Sorry, Mike.”

Michael shook his head, straightening his bow and quiver on his back before following after Ashton and Luke back to Calum. “It’s fine. Ash is right. We’ll work with what we got.”

“We’ll get her back. Don’t worry,” Ashton said, his words mostly directed at Calum and Michael, but also as a vow on his and Luke’s part. They’d get their girl back if it was the last thing the team ever did.

~~~

Y/N sat with her mouth set in a tight line as the nurse patched up her wound. “You super soldiers are all the same. The blank expressions. Immune to normal pain,” the nurse commented as they worked.

“Not a super soldier,” Y/N replied numbly, feeling the thread pull her skin back together. “Just a regular psycho.”

“Mmm,” the nurse chuckled. “And this was ‘just some light training,’ yes?” They gestured at the wound.

“Sibling rivalry gone too far, actually,” Y/N corrected.

“Mmm, well in my experience, few things come between siblings. You will be fine.”

“I hope so,” she muttered under her breath, but Y/N wasn’t so sure. How did she justify leaving her brother, her boyfriend, and the rest of her team in the dark about a mission they were all part of? How did she explain that she had to let them think that she had succumbed to the worst of fates? That she had to let them deal with the heartache of thinking she was dead, only to find out she was working for the enemy? SHIELD assignment or not, that wasn’t the kind of news she could just waltz back home with and offer up a simple “Hey, sorry I’ve been gone.” Y/N and Calum had suffered a lot between petty sibling issues, like when he first learned she was sleeping with his best friend, to much bigger issues regarding missions as part of the Avengers team. But this? Playing double agent while having to leave him completely in the dark? There was no coming back from this. And Michael… Oh, the betrayal he must be feeling. And mix that with the guilt and blind rage? If he was functioning at all, she bet that it was an ugly sight. A shell of the man she loved. Any ounce of humanity turned off to not drown under the pain.

Still, a part of her hoped that Michael or, perhaps even Calum, would turn against orders to try and stage a useless rescue of her, now that they knew part of the truth. And while she knew it would be a meeting that ended poorly on all sides, she could at the very least slip them a note. So back in the safety of her room, she quickly penned a note, then tucked it into her uniform.

~~~

Similar to last time, the ride back to headquarters was tense. Ashton kept busy by collecting statements from the hostages they managed to rescue. Then, he joined Luke in pouring over the statements and the documents Luke got his hands on in the lab.

Calum kept his eyes glued to the device that held the locations of all the trackers, watching the way Y/N’s blinked steadily.

Michael sat off on his own in sullen silence, his mind racing, hands clenching and unclenching into fists in a repetitive manner. He wanted to order the jet to turn around. To go back and get Y/N if he had to carry her over his shoulder himself. He was angry at his team, and himself for leaving her behind for a second time. Angry that he couldn’t stop failing her at every turn. But in the anger was a twinge of hope and relief. She was alive. Which meant that they could get her back. Luke had been right along. She knew what she was doing. But he still selfishly wanted her safe next to him. He wanted her laugh ringing out as she annoyed Ashton. He wanted to be able to smell her shampoo mixing with her sweat when she rested her head against his shoulder, complaining about how she couldn’t wait to get back and take a long hot shower. He wanted to be able to cover her cheeks in a blush as he whispered dirty words in her ear about the things he’d do when he joined her in said shower.

“Could you stop?” Calum asked, snapping Michael out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?” Michael hummed.

“The banging. Wanna stop?” It was less of a question and more of a command.

Michael looked down at his fists, noting the redness form along the outer edge of his palms and pinky fingers. “Oh, sorry,” he mumbled, placing his hands in his lap, not even aware he’d been banging his hands against the floor.

“I want her back too, Mike. Just as much as you do.”

Enough to break protocol and go rogue? Michael wanted to ask, but all he ended up saying was “I know.”

When they got back to headquarters, Ashton and Luke continued their work of looking over every word on every scrap of paper. Calum wordlessly joined them, his attention still held captive by the location tracker with it’s slow, steady blinks. No one thought it to be out of the ordinary, when Michael opted to head straight to the armory. Just hand waving and mumbles of “Yeah, could you?”s.

So Michael lugged the bag of gear into the armory, setting to the task of putting things out, and taking stock. But instead of putting his own gear away as well, he prepped it, having no intention of sitting around waiting for orders to be handed down. Not now when he knew where Y/N was. Fuck the rules and regulations. He was done with letting her down, letting her wonder why her team still hadn’t come for her. “Don’t worry, babe. I’m coming. I promise,” he mumbled under his breath as he left the armory, dropping his bag in the doorway of his room, then going to find the rest of the team. “Hey, Cal?”

“Yeah?” the man asked, not lifting his head.

“You got a spare one of those?”

“One of these?” Calum questioned, holding up the device.

“Yeah. I, uh… Just wanna be able to see her, you know?” he half-lied, making his voice crack for extra sympathy points.

“Yeah, course,” Calum nodded, pushing his way to his feet. He walked a few feet to a docking station that held various other forms of tech. “Here,” Calum said, grabbing one and logging into it. He tapped a few buttons until the familiar map pulled up. “This is just hers, and this,” he swiped across the screen to pull up a menu. “You can click to see the location of any tracker. We’re 1-4,” he twirled a finger to signal he meant himself, Ashton, Luke, and Michael. “And Y/N is 5. And the others are various trackers we got in Hydra agents today, or just not in use yet.”

“Thanks, Cal,” Michael took the device in his hands, then titled his head slightly towards Ashton and Luke. “I think I’m just gonna shower, then call it a day.”

“We’ll holler if we find anything interesting. Feel better, Mike,” Ashton told him.

“Night,” Luke mumbled, even though it was barely noon.

“Night,” Michael repeated, heading back towards the rooms, swallowing the rise of guilt of lying to his team. But they’d understand that this was something he had to do. Or so he hoped.

In his own room, he turned on music, then pulled a knife from his bag. Taking a few quick rapid breaths, he cut into the skin of his arm, prying his tracker loose. Hissing through his teeth, he dropped the tracker on his bed before bandaging up his arm. “Fuck,” he shuddered. “Argh! Okay. Here we go.”

~~~

Not being able to risk taking out the jet, it took Michael until well after the sun went down before he came within sight of the Hydra base with its giant searchlights, both lighting up the place, and casting it in menacing shadows.

Michael ditched the motorcycle well before he needed to as a safety precaution, before creeping the rest of the way on foot. His breath came out in huffed little clouds as he headed straight for where Y/N was. If the tracker was as accurate as Michael wanted to believe, she was right where she was when she’d had her skirmish with Calum earlier. Upper level deck, left side.

It was only as Michael got closer, that he started to realize he had no plan for getting in. “Time for a distraction,” he whispered to himself, digging through his bag for a grenade. “Showtime, bitches.” He pulled the pin and sent the grenade flying. He crouched low, covering his ears, and waited.

There was a loud bang, and then a startled scrambling from inside the gate, as a couple guards rushed out to check what had happened. Michael snuck up behind one, covering their mouth with his hand and dragging them backwards. The guard kicked uselessly at the ground, thrashing about as they tried to get free from Michael’s hold until they finally went limp. Quickly, Michael took their earpiece, before swapping clothes with the unconscious guard he left slumped up against a tree.

“What was that?” a voice was barking in the earpiece.

“We don’t know sir. We don’t see anything,” a handful of voices answered.

“Well if you find anything, put a stop to it!” the voice barked again.

“Did you find anything?” a voice called out in the dark, a flashlight swinging in Michael’s direction.

“No,” he called back quickly, heart pounding in his ears as the flashlight stopped advancing. “All clear.”

“Stupid fuckin’ pranks…” the other voice grumbled, the flashlight retreating. “Headed back in,” the guard spoke into the earpiece. “All clear.”

“Copy that,” a different voice replied.

“Well?” the first voice demanded, the small beam of flashlight turning back to Michael. “Are you coming?!”

“Right! Yes!” Michael said, willing his feet to move, and controlling his breathing to not give away his excitement as he crossed into the Hydra base. He still had the problem of needing to get to Y/N and get them out without raising any alarms. Which started with first getting away from the group of three guards he walked in with without anyone stopping him. So, not thinking too much about it, Michael slowed his walk before stopping altogether. And when his guard counterparts paid no mind, he slipped his way between buildings, hiding in the shadows as he checked the tracker.

He walked purposefully towards the stairs that would lead him to the upper deck, hardening his gaze and sweeping it across the grounds, like he was just another guard doing nightly patrol duty. “I don’t know what Luke’s always bitching about. This shit’s easy and I’m full-sized,” Michael remarked under his breath as he climbed the stairs and rounded a corner.

At the end of the walkway stood a single guard, their hair obscured by the black cap on their head. But even then, it didn’t matter. He’d know her anywhere, in any disguise. It was the way she held herself, her chin slightly tilted towards the sky, her shoulders squared but relaxed, her right foot always slightly shifted more forward than her left foot. He opened his mouth to call out to her, but the words died on his tongue. Was he just supposed to say “Hi” like he hadn’t left her for dead for five months?

It turned out, he didn’t need to say anything, as he took a step in her direction, his boots echoing off the metal floor. She whirled around, her dark eyes zeroing in on him. At the very least he expected a grateful smile as her head tilted slightly to the side, and she blinked slowly, trying to determine if her mind was playing tricks on her. But instead, she just fixed him with a cold steely look that sent the wrong kind of shiver down his spine. He cursed himself as he faltered in his next step. He had never once entertained the idea that she could have been brainwashed in all this time. “Y/N,” he said slowly, holding up his hands. “C’mon. It’s me. Let me get you out of here.”

“You need to leave,” she spat.

“Not without you.”

“Michael, I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“Don’t make me do this…” she whispered, bowing her head ever so slightly.

“Do what? I’m here to take you home, babe. C’mon!”

She crouched, tilting her head so her eyes met his. “Final warning.”

Michael shifted a protective stance of his own, raising his fists. “So this is really how you wanna have this reunion, huh?”

“It’s the only way.”

Michael dodged as her fist came swinging at his jaw. “Fine. Have it your way, then,” he growled, throwing his own punch that landed on her body. When she huffed in annoyance and slight pain, an apology was ready to fly off his lips.

She used his pause to tackle him, the walkway rattling with the force of his body hitting the ground. “C’mon, I know you hit harder than that,” she taunted, connecting a rapid succession of blows against his upper torso.

He twisted underneath her, bringing up his arms to block her hits. “Just come with me!” he begged, as he threw his arms forward, sending her skiddering backwards off of him.

“I can’t!” she yelled, charging at him again.

He did his best to block her attacks, but some hits still found a place to land, small grunts leaving his mouth at each connection.

“Fight back!” she yelled again, aiming for his jaw.

“No!” He snatched her wrist, as her knuckles started to brush into the side of his face. “I’m not gonna fight you, Y/N! This is ridiculous! I’m not trying to hurt you! I’m trying to save you!” he tried to reason as he spun her body so her back was flush against his chest, holding her tightly to him. “Baby, it’s me,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s me. It’s Mike. C’mon, baby. Come back with me. Come back to me. Please.”

A growl ripped out her throat as she brought one of her feet down on one his with as much strength as she had. And when Michael doubled over in pain, hearing the crunch of bone, her other leg kicked backwards, nailing him squarely in the chest, knocking him backwards.

“Y/N?” a voice sounded in both of their earpieces. “What’s going on?”

Y/N’s chest heaved as she stared down at Michael, who stared back up at her, struggling to find his breath. “Nothing,” she told the voice, before turning her back on Michael.

“Y/N,” Michael croaked out uselessly, coughing. His mouth tasted of blood and every part of his body felt like it was on fire.

He had no recollection of how he got off the compound and back to his motorcycle. Just like he had no recollection of driving all night back to Avengers headquarters.

He was, however, somewhat aware of his teammates' gasps of surprise when he dragged himself into the foyer of the building, as his body slumped against the cool tile, and he finally blacked out.

~~~

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Ashton thundered, his hand coming down hard on the table.

Michael stared blankly past Ashton, not bothering to give a response. Ashton didn’t care about the answer anyway, and it didn’t change anything. And now he understood what Y/N was doing, and she was trusting him to keep what he knew to himself.

Upon his arrival, Michael had slept for close to two days before finally waking in the infirmary, his body still badly battered, but his pain at a manageable level. He had trudged his way down to his room, rummaging through his things when the note fluttered down. With shaking fingers, he opened it, reading the hastily scrawled words, “It’s the mission. I’m safe. I love you,” in Y/N’s handwriting. He barely had enough time to shove the note in his pocket before Ashton was knocking on his open door, looking more pissed off than Michael had ever seen. Wordlessly, Ashton had jerked his thumb in the direction of the conference room, and wordlessly, Michael had shuffled after him, ready to accept whatever fate awaited him.

“Well?!” Ashton’s voice cracked like a whip as Michael did nothing but blink at him.

“What was I thinking?” Michael asked, his voice soft. “Oh, nothing really.”

“Yeah, no fuckin’ shit, Mike!”

“Oh, lay off!” Calum snapped, coming to Michael’s defense. “Mike did exactly what we all wanted to do, but were too scared to do. He tried to get her back. If you wanna fault him for that, Ash, then you’re a bigger jackass than we all thought.”

Ashton sighed, sinking into his chair. “I’m not faulting him, Cal. But what he did was reckless. It could have jeopardized all the work we’ve been doing. I get that it’s Y/N, but we still have a job to do. No one person is bigger than the mission, even if she is your sister. I’m sorry.”

“Fuck you,” Calum said with a sad shake of his head. “Fuck. You.”

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, Ash,” Michael said, his voice still soft. “Can I go?”

Ashton rubbed at his face in agitation, letting out a small scream. “Yeah,” he said, his voice muffled by his hands. “Yeah. Go. Whatever. I don’t care.”

“So you’re just giving up?!” Calum asked, his angry and broken expression sweeping across his team. “Just like that? We’re done?”

“Until we get our new orders, yes,” Ashton told him.

“That’s BULLSHIT!” Calum exploded. “You!” He turned, jabbing a finger at Michael. “You’re just gonna walk away?! You go rogue to rescue her on your own, without me, and now you’re throwing in the towel too?!”

“You heard Ashton,” Michael shrugged.

“Oh, you’re so full of shit! All of you! Fuck SHIELD and fuck you lot! It’s Y/N! She needs us! She trusted us! How many times are we going to keep failing her?!” Tears fell hot and fast down Calum’s face. “Please!” he begged, his voice cracking. “We have to do something besides sit on our asses! Mike, please! You can’t give up on her! C’mon! I thought you were on my side! Mike! It’s Y/N… please…”

“No, it’s not,” Michael said bitterly. “It’s not, Y/N. This,” he gestured about his beat up body, “is not her.”

“Fuck you!” Calum cried into his hands, and let out a muffled scream of heartbreak and rage. “I fuckin’ hate you!” He raised his gaze to shoot Michael his best death glare. “I hate you, do you hear me?! I fuckin’ hate you! You’re giving up, you fuckin’ coward! You’re supposed to love her, you fuckin’ bastard!”

Michael tried to bite his tongue as Calum continued to hurl abuse his way, but the last few words of the attack cut deep, and he couldn’t keep his composure any longer. “I gave up?! Me?! I’m the only one who wanted to go back for her five months ago!” Michael went off. “I’m the only one who went back for her a few days ago! Not Ash! Not Luke! Not you, her fuckin’ brother! ME! I went back! So fuckin’ listen, and listen good when I tell you that everything that makes her Y/N is gone! It’s useless, okay?! She’s Hydra’s now. The quicker you learn that, the better.”

“I FUCKIN’ HATE YOU!”

“ONLY BECAUSE YOU HATE YOURSELF MORE AND YOU KNOW IT! We all have to live with what we did. You have to live that you didn’t have the guts to go save her yourself. I’m not gonna carry that guilt for you, Cal. I’m not carrying any of your guilt, or Ash’s, or Luke’s. Because bottom line is I fuckin’ manned up when she needed us, while you three sat on your asses. So go ahead and hate me. Say I jeopardized the mission, or that I failed her. I don’t give a fuck. Because at least I fuckin’ tried, which is better than the three of you can say.”

Michael could hear Calum’s scream echoing off the walls as he hobbled back to his bedroom. He could also hear, or rather feel, the slam of Calum’s own bedroom door a few moments later.

Michael eased his way on his bed, the sheets freshly changed after he had left his blood splattered tracker on it. He knew a new one had been injected in him at some point over his state of unconsciousness, and he briefly wondered if it was the same one he’d ripped out. No sense in wasting technology when it wasn’t broken, after all. Laying back into the pillows, Michael dug out the note, and the device that still had Y/N’s location, seeking comfort in her looped handwriting, and the steady blinking of the device.

~~~

It took another week before orders came down, and Ashton summoned them all into the conference room. Michael’s fingers brushed against the empty chair between him and Calum as he took his seat. It took more willpower than he cared to admit not to slug Calum when the other man growled lightly under his breath. He doesn’t know any better, Michael had to remind himself. If he did, he wouldn’t be acting this way.

Ashton set the manila folder in the center, and when no one moved, he dove right in. “Between the files Luke was able to get, all the statements we have, the information we’ve gained from the trackers, and the intel SHIELD has from their agent inside Hydra, we have all the information needed to bring this to an end, once and for all. This is an all hands on deck situation. SHIELD is officially running the whole operation. They’re taking care of the hacking and gaining control of Hydra’s operating system. They already have a unit assigned to deal specifically with destroying the lab. Our job is pretty simple. We’re just soldiers.”

“Actual action?” Luke asked, leaning forward slightly.

“Actual action,” Ashton said, smiling a bit. “Something I‘m sure we’ve all been itching to do for quite some time.”

Luke pumped his fist, “Fuck yeah!”

“And Y/N?” Calum asked.

Ashton sighed. “Based on personal experience, we can assume she’ll be fighting for Hydra. So yes, it’s a good chance she’ll be around. Ideally one of us comes across her before the rest of SHIELD so we can subdue her, and get her out safely. But she’s not our priority, and yes, before you start, I tried to convince SHIELD into letting us specifically deal only with finding Y/N and getting her back. But all I got in response was bureaucratic bullshit about how we were being employed to do a job, and how we aren’t exactly in a position to ask for any favors.”

“So play good little soldier, but if we see our chance, take it?” Michael guessed.

“Yes, exactly. And Mike-”

“I’m not fighting, I know,” Michael cut him off. “Do I at least get to come and hang out wherever we set up base camp? Help with security, and the like?”

“Yes, of course. You’re not being punished, Mike. You’re not fighting because you don’t have medical clearance. But you’re still coming along. All hands on deck.”

Michael nodded. “Cool. That’s… Cool. Thank you.” He was fully expecting to be benched, and expected to stay behind. A lesson from SHIELD about how even the Avengers had to follow their orders. But getting sidelined only because he was still injured? Well, that… Fuck, he could handle that no problem.

“Be cooler if we can finally get my sister back…” Calum muttered.

“We’re gonna try, Cal,” Ashton said.

“You said that last time, and look what happened.”

“So… half hour til take off, yeah?” Luke asked.

“Not quite,” Ashton chuckled. “We leave tonight to meet up with SHIELD at the base camp they’re setting up just outside of Hydra’s radar. Then we go in just before dawn. I’ll give a 30 minutes heads up before we head out though.”

~~~

After the worst night of sleep he ever remembered getting, Michael got up just as the sun was beginning to brighten the sky from a dark purple blotch sprinkled with stars to holding soft shades of pink around the edges.

He stumbled his way to the cafeteria tent, finding the rest of his team at a table, each clinging to their coffee cup like a lifeline. “How’d you sleep?” Ashton asked, as Michael took a seat.

“Like absolute shit,” Michael answered honestly. “You’d think for how high tech SHIELD is, the bastards would have found a way to make camping missions less miserable.”

“Gotta cut expenses somewhere,” Ashton chuckled darkly, taking a sip of his coffee. “Fuckin’ bastards…”

“Fuckin’ bastards,” the other three repeated in agreement as a group of higher ups appeared in the entrance of the tent.

“First wave rolls out in 10 minutes,” the one in the middle barked. “Report to your positions, and standby.”

Everyone in the tent gave half-awake salutes, and the group of higher ups continued on their way. Then slowly, between stifled yawns, people started getting up from tables, dumping their half eaten breakfasts, and half drunk coffees, before going to their places.

Luke drummed his hands on the tabletop, a grin breaking across his otherwise tired face. “It’s showtime, boys!” he whooped before pushing himself to his feet. “Let’s fuckin’ go!” He rested a hand on Michael’s shoulder, dropping his voice into a low whisper, “We got ourselves a girl to bring home.”

In spite of everything, Michael couldn’t help but laugh at Luke’s infectious enthusiasm. “Stay safe, guys,” Michael told them as his three friends joined the rest of the crowd dashing off to their assignments.

Only after the last man had cleared out, did Michael finally get up himself. He made himself a tray of breakfast, before going off in search of one of the security tents. “Anything I can help with?” Michael offered the first person who looked in his direction. “Michael Clifford. Avenger.”

The SHIELD agent looked Michael over, with the boot on his foot, face still sporting a small bruise, and scoffed. “Here,” he said, shoving a clipboard in Michael’s hand that wasn’t clutching his tray of food. “This is a list of everyone involved in the operation. Those of us staying to do security are already accounted for. But the rest have been given strict instructions to check back in when they return. Whenever that is. You can be in charge of checking them in by the triage tent.”

“Gee, thanks,” Michael muttered, tucking the clipboard under his arm. “Triage is…?”

The agent pointed to a tent with a giant hospital cross decorating the top.

“Cool. Thanks.” Michael forced a tight-lipped smile before making his way over to a long table set up just inside the coverage of the hospital tent.

“Back already?” another SHIELD agent asked, pulling a clipboard close to them. “Name?”

“Oh, no, I’m helping you guys with check-in.”

“Oh. Have a seat, then.”

“Hey, is Y/N Hood on this list by any chance?” Michael asked as he took a seat.

“Nobody by the name of Hood has been checked in yet.”

“No, yeah, I know. I meant… is she on the list at all? Like are we expecting her to be one of the people checking in.”

“You’d have to check the list. I dunno, sir.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Of course. Thanks anyway.”

“No problem.”

~~~

The sky had transitioned into a soft blue, the sun peeking out from behind the trees, suggesting that at best it’d only been an hour, maybe two since Michael took up residence at the triage tent. But it felt like a lot longer, and if something didn’t happen soon, he was going to lose it.

From his spot, he could hear the engagement of combat and gunfire, so he knew the mission was well underway. But, God, waiting for everyone to get back was so fuckin’ boring! And it wasn’t that he wasn’t used to being the one hanging back, because he was. But this wasn’t hanging back to provide back up. This was just waiting. Painfully boring waiting. His breakfast lay next to him, discarded and half picked over.

He was about three seconds from excusing himself to the bathroom just so he’d have a reason to get up and walk around, when a laugh rang out. A laugh he’d know anywhere. “Y/N?!” he shouted, scrambling from his chair.

The laugh paused, turning into a soft gasp. “Mike?!”

“Y/N!” Michael shouted again, rushing as fast as he could in the direction of her voice. “Y/N!” he called out for the third time, happily as he saw her pushing her way through a small group of SHIELD agents returning to camp.

“Mike!” she shrieked, before running full speed towards him.

He got his arms open just in time for her to crash into him. “Ow, ow, ow,” he winced as he hugged her tight.

“Oh, my God!” she said, holding him out at arm’s lengths. “Are you okay? What happened to you? Where’s the rest of the team?” the questions fell rapidly from her lips. “Oh, Mike!”

“I’m okay. Somebody beat me up pretty good, but I’m fine. The guys are off helping SHIELD play soldier. Oh, God, you’re back! And you’re you!”

“Did you get my note?” she asked, nuzzling her face into his neck.

“Yeah, I got your note.”

“So you forgive me?” Her brown eyes were wide and soft, and maybe even a little fearful as she peered up at him.

“Of course, I forgive you. You didn’t have to go so hard as to break my foot, but of course I forgive you, baby. Fuck, I’m just glad you’re finally here. For good. Safe.”

They could have stood there forever in their locked embrace. And they would have if someone wasn’t clearing their throat to get the couple’s attention. “Ma’am, we gotta check you in.”

“It’s fine,” Michael waved them off. “I got her checked in. It’s fine.”

The agent shrugged, and walked off.

“C’mon, let’s sit. We can catch up while we wait for the rest of the guys,” she directed softly.

~~~

“So Luke was the only one who believed I knew what I was doing?” she chuckled as Michael relayed the past five months of utter shit to her. “Remind me to thank him when he gets in.”

“Yeah, I probably owe him a proper apology for that still. Should probably apologize to Ash and Cal, too. A lot of things got said in anger that shouldn’t have.”

“At least you didn’t tell your best friend that you hated him,” Y/N pointed out, trying to calm Michael out of his remorse.

“Yeah, but still. We all sat around twiddling our thumbs until this last mission. I mean, we didn’t know what to do. We didn’t know where you were, or if you were okay. And when Cal told us you were okay like Luke had guessed, I dunno… I snapped. I thought I could rectify my mistakes by coming to get you myself. I never once thought that you were with Hydra on purpose. I hadn’t even thought you could have been potentially brainwashed by them. I just… I dunno. Went blind with rage and every other emotion I’d been swallowing since that first mission.”

She nodded understandingly. Then, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“How did you find me? When you came back on your own.”

Michael pulled the tracking device from his pocket, which he kept permanently in his pocket along with her note. “After the first mission, we upgraded our trackers. Well, we just used the technology we came up with for my tracker arrows, and injected them into ourselves. So that way it’s a little harder to dump,” he explained with a slight tease in his voice that made her giggle. “And we loaded some arrows with them too, obviously. I nicked a few Hydra agents with them. And Cal got you with the drone.”

“But when Cal shot me, the arrow went clean through me. He was too close. Entry and exit wound.”

“The trackers are set to eject at the first point of contact. Pretty nifty, huh?”

She hummed in proud approval. “Pretty fuckin’ nifty indeed. Fuck… I’ve missed you, Mike.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” he said, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her hair, breathing her in. “So fuckin’ much.”

“And I’m telling you,” a familiar voice growled, “that I have the bloody tracking device right here! She’s not at the Hydra base! She’s right… in… tada!” Calum said, sweeping the tent open.

Ashton and Luke’s eyes went wide, their mouths working to sputter nonsense. Y/N got to her feet, offering them all a shy wave. “Hey, boys.”

The magic words broke the spell, a giant grin painting each man’s face, before they were all rushing towards her in a gleeful cry of “Y/N!”

“Y/N, what the actual fuck?!” Ashton tried to scold but he was laughing too hard. “Do you have any idea how worried we were?”

“Sorry, Ash. SHIELD orders,” she giggled, hugging the man tightly. “Missed ya too.”

“So it was you! You were the spy on the inside! Fuckin’ brilliant!” Luke marveled. “Go in to rescue the hostages after our first spy betrays us, and replace them with a trusted Avenger. Wow… That’s fuckin’ genius!”

“So I take that as I’m forgiven for worrying you guys, causing you guys to fight amongst yourselves, and having to break Cal’s drone and Mike’s foot?” Y/N asked with a hopeful smile.

“Absolutely,” everyone but Calum told her.

“Cal?” she asked, turning to the man. “Baby brother? Forgive me?”

Calum narrowed his eyes, but there was no hardness to the expression, suggesting he wasn’t actually angry. “You owe me a new drone, first.”

“Deal!” she said, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. “Fuck, I’ve missed you guys!”

“Glad to have you back with us,” Ashton smiled. “Guys, let’s go check in, so we can all go the fuck home, yeah?”

“Yes, Captain!” they all saluted with a laugh, heading towards triage to check in, and check out.

“Fuck, I can’t wait to get home and shower,” Y/N complained, her right arm thrown over Calum, and her left one thrown over Michael as she trudged happily between her boys once again.

“A good, long, hot shower sounds perfect,” Michael whispered against her ear. “And I think I can come up with a couple of other good, long, and hot activities for us after that shower,” he added, nipping at her playfully.

“Mmmm,” she giggled, leaning into him. “Think you got the strength for all that?”

“For you? Always. And we have a lot of making up to do. Might take days.”

She shivered against him, causing the other three to groan. “At least wait until after we get home before jumping all over each other, yeah?” Ashton asked.

“No promises,” they answered honestly.

Ashton groaned again. “C’mon, let’s give them a minute,” he said with an eye roll as he guided Calum and Luke forward to the line to check in.

Michael wasted no time in their friends’ quick departures to hook his fingers under Y/N’s chin, guiding her to meet him in a fierce kiss, fingers knotting in each other’s hair, breath rushing out of their lungs. “Promise me you’ll always come back to me,” he whispered when they had to break apart to gasp for air, resting his forehead gently against hers.

“I don’t think I can keep that promise, because I’m never leaving you again.”

“Good, because I’m never letting you go.”

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#come back #michael clifford #michael clifford fic #michael clifford x reader #5sos AU #avengers AU #5sos #calpal irwin

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notanacousticsetcal · 3 years

Text

betty - calum hood

summary - a story based off of the song betty by taylor swift -- one of my absolute favorites from folklore and the most beautiful little story :) (y/n) in the role of the icon betty.

warnings - cheating

word count - 3k ish

mood board

a/n - check out the other 3 installments of the song series too! this piece is kind of out of the blue because I actually started it and finished it today which is extremely rare for me but I actually really like how it turned out. hope you guys do too. :) (def listen to this song -- its amazing). (btw this isnt the calum fic i was referencing in one of my previous posts, that one is still in the works.)

Betty, I won't make assumptions about why you switched your homeroom, but I think it's 'cause of me.

Calum sat in the back row, staring at Missy Grenshaw’s head feeling the hole in his chest grow larger. He glanced at your empty seat and frowned, his eyebrows scrunched together.

He heard Mrs. Martin start attendance and when she skipped over your name, the hole grew impossibly larger.

Calum tried to convince himself you switched because Mrs. Martin was a hard grader, but he knew that wasn’t the real reason.

He knew it was because you couldn’t stand to see his face.

Betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard when I passed your house. It's like I couldn't breathe.

Calum listened to the sound of a distant lawn mower and the rustling leaves and inhaled the smell of someone barbecuing in their backyard, trying to calm himself. He almost turned around and went home, his stomach grumbling at the idea of dinner waiting for him on the dining room table, but he didn’t.

He was only a block away from your house now. He pretended like he was riding down your street because it had the smoothest road, but Calum couldn’t lie to himself. Just knowing your room was in that house and knowing you might be sitting on your bed was enough to draw Calum near.

He didn’t let himself stop in front of the brick fronted modest house, but he wanted to. His legs ached as he kept pushing. He secretly hoped the sound of his wheels would draw you to the window. He held his breath in anticipation, but nothing. Not even a subtle shift in the curtains.

You heard the rumors from Inez. You can't believe a word she says most times, but this time it was true. The worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you.

“(Y/n)!” A familiar voice chirped from behind you. You turned on your heel to face your friend, Inez. She was your source of gossip always, even if it was almost always speculation and barely ever accurate.

You weren’t expecting her sad features -- it alarmed you. “Are you alright, Inez? What happened?” You linked arms with her as you continued forward, heading for first period.

She nodded softly. “You aren’t going to want to hear this, (y/n).”

But if I just showed up at your party, would you have me? Would you want me? Would you tell me to go fuck myself or lead me to the garden? In the garden would you trust me if I told you it was just a summer thing? I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything but I know I miss you.

Calum tossed the tennis ball up and caught it. He laid on his bed, absentmindedly continuing to toss the ball up and down, his mind plagued with thoughts about you.

Your birthday was a week away. Calum let his mind wander off in endless possibilities.

He knew how much he had hurt you and the guilt ate at him constantly. A day didn’t go by that he didn’t beat himself up for being so stupid.

Nothing was worth more to him than your happiness and he knew that now. He would do anything in his power to fix what he broke, if you’d let him.

He wondered how you would react if he showed up on your doorstep that evening, a bundle of flowers in hand and an apologetic smile on his face.

He wondered if you’d slam the door in his face and ignore his knocks and desperate pleas.

Or if you’d hesitantly let him come inside, your guard up, and lead him to the garden to talk alone. If you’d let him ramble on about how stupid he was. About how badly he messed up.

About how much he fucking missed you.

Your soft smile and your positive, bright disposition and your generosity and selflessness. The way your eyes squinted when you laughed and the way your hair smelled.

Calum really fucking missed you.

But he knew he didn’t really deserve a second chance. And he was asking a lot begging for one. But he thought he at least had to try.

Or this mistake would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Betty, I know where it all went wrong, your favorite song was playing from the far side of the gym. I was nowhere to be found, I hate the crowds, you know that. Plus, I saw you dance with him.

Calum walked into the school alongside you, your hand in his and a bright smile on your face. You loved dances and seeing all your friends dressed up -- Calum felt claustrophobic, but he would do anything to keep that smile on your face, so he tagged along anyway.

Immediately, you tugged him towards the dance floor and he followed hesitantly. After only a few moments on the dance floor, Calum excused himself to the sidelines. He watched your expression fall, but you understood. You would never pressure him into anything he was uncomfortable with.

Calum felt like he could finally breathe properly from the edges of the gym.

He watched solemnly as the DJ began to play your favorite song. Your features lit up and Calum couldn’t help but smile, too. He wished he could go in there and dance with you but just the thought of being squished in between so many people made his pulse speed up and his palms sweaty.

He watched Dean approach you, clearly nervous, and his hands turned to fists. Calum had half a mind to go over there and punch him square in the face.

Calum knew he couldn’t do that, but he had fun imagining it.

Dean grabbed your waist, pulling you close, and Calum’s heart practically stopped.

He couldn’t take anymore, so with one last glance at your soft smile, Calum stalked off in an angry blur.

Calum knew if he had just asked, you would’ve reassured him it was only a dance.

Calum knew if he had just asked, everything wouldn’t have gone the way it did.

I was walking home on broken cobblestones just thinking of you when she pulled up like a figment of my worst intentions. She said "James, get in, let's drive,” those days turned into nights. Slept next to her but I dreamt of you all summer long.

The sun beat down on Calum’s back and he couldn’t wait to get home. He’d run out of water long ago, riding his skateboard in the early summer heat.

He stumbled home, skipping happily over cracks in the concrete, skateboard in hand.

He thought about seeing you after dinner. Taking you to your favorite tree and watching the stars. Or… looking at you while you looked at the stars. He thought about the way you danced with Dean. He still hadn’t told you how much it bothered him so he just let the resentment boil up until it stung the back of his throat.

Calum heard tires screech next to him, a familiar face in the driver's seat. Her red lipstick shimmered in the direct sunlight. Her sunglasses reflected Calum’s awestruck face.

“Calum, get in. Lets drive,” She said. Her lips quirked up into an inviting smile and Calum swayed hesitantly. “Aw, come on. I’ll drive you home.”

Calum looked around at the neighborhood once more, checking for witnesses, and then finally climbed into the silver convertible. As soon as he got in, his heart fluttered with guilt. His eyes filled with images of you, hurting, and he almost got out. Almost.

There was Dean again, haunting Calum through memories, smiling down at you, holding you. Calum gripped his skateboard harder, his knuckles growing white.

Her voice was so inviting and her car smelled so nice. The air conditioning hit Calum’s warm skin and soothed it instantly. Calum stayed.

Calum didn’t just stay, though. He could’ve forgiven himself for that.

Betty, I'm here on your doorstep and I planned it out for weeks now but It's finally sinking in. Betty, right now is the last time I can dream about what happens when you see my face again. The only thing I wanna do is make it up to you.

Calum tossed and turned in his sleep, getting more and more frustrated with the nerves. He would face you tomorrow. It would determine the outcome of everything he had been wondering and worrying about for weeks.

Tomorrow meant everything. He had one last night to drift into dreams about how you might react. The forgiveness or resentment. The smile or the tears. The hug or the shove.

He drifted to sleep with images of you playing in his mind. In your favorite sweater, his hand in yours.

Calum hoped with everything in him that you could see past his stupid mistake. But he prepared himself for the worst. You didn’t owe him anything.

So, I showed up at your party. Yeah, I showed up at your party. Yeah, I showed up at your party. Will you have me? Will you love me? Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends? If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? Will it patch your broken wings? I'm only seventeen. I don't know anything, but I know I miss you.

Calum straightened out his button down and shifted the flowers, watching a few stray petals fall loose and hit the pavement of your porch. He cleared his throat and listened anxiously while his heart pounded ferociously in his ear.

He could faintly hear commotion from within the confines of your home but he couldn’t make out anything they were saying.

His shaky hand extended towards the dark wood door and he knocked twice.

Cars were parked a block or two down the street -- all of your friends had already arrived.

Calum could lie and say he meant to be the last person, but in reality, he sat in his car for 30 minutes gathering up the nerve to come over there.

He could see multicolored balloons lining the walls inside. He watched as a figure appeared through the window, the tint making the figure only a silhouette.

The door began to open and Calum thought for a moment about running, but it was too late. Before he knew it, he was face to face with you again. For the first time in 2 months, you were looking at him and he was looking at you.

He watched as confusion and shock filled your eyes, and then disappeared, filling with pure curiosity. He didn’t notice any anger yet.

“Calum?” Your voice was like sugar. Calum’s knees felt weak.

“Yeah, hi (y/n).” Calum coughed. “Happy birthday.”

There were a million things Calum wanted to say and that wasn’t necessarily at the top of his list. He mentally face palmed. Your eyebrows knit together. “Thank you?” You looked down at the bouquet of flowers in his hand. “Are those for me?”

Calum looked down at the flower he almost forgot he was holding, too lost in your eyes to care about anything else. “Oh, yes. Yeah.” He stumbled, holding them out to you.

You took them without a word.

“So um…” Calum started, wringing out his sweaty hands. “I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute.”

You turned around for a moment towards the chatter coming from the kitchen and then turned back to face him with a sigh. “Why should I say yes?” You didn’t look angry… just tired.

Calum scratched the back of his neck anxiously. “You don’t owe me anything, I know that. I was hoping to apologize, if you’d let me. I know that I’m the biggest idiot on the planet and I broke your heart and there's no way I can go back and undo that, but I owe it to you to at least try to fix what I broke. You don’t have to let me, though. I wouldn’t be mad if you cursed me out or slapped me or slammed the door in my face. I deserve it. I hurt you, and I suck for that.” He took a deep breath staring at the ground.

Your eyes softened and you sighed. “Come on.” You grabbed Calum’s hand and tugged him into the house, shutting the door softly behind him.

Calum followed your lead as you stepped through the back door into the garden.

You’d planted more of the flowers you told him about months ago and Calum thought your vision was really coming to life. You pulled him to a small metal table in the corner and sat down.

Calum looked around again, taking in all you’d accomplished since you two last spoke. “It looks beautiful, (y/n).”

You sighed, proudly admiring the shrubs and greenery that surrounded you. “I needed something to take my mind off things so I kind of poured my soul into it.” You fiddled with your rings.

Calum knew he was what you needed to take your mind off of and that made him feel even worse. “What I did to you… it was unforgivable. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done. I betrayed your trust and I hurt you in the worst way imaginable. That girl… it was nothing. It meant nothing.”

Calum watched you carefully as you took this in. Again, you didn’t look angry or sad — just emotionally drained. Numb. “I just… I guess I kinda just wanna know why. Was I… was I not enough?” Calum watched the tears well up that threatened to spill over and down your rosy cheeks.

He shook his head instantly. “No, no. Of course not. I spent a lot of time thinking about it because at first I didn’t even know. But I think I was just… jealous.”

You scoffed. “Jealous?” Calum blushed. “But of who?”

Calum inhaled deeply, prepared to completely embarrass himself. If it meant getting back on good terms with you. “Dean,” he muttered.

You couldn’t help but laugh. And not just chuckle — really laugh. “Dean? Dean Marshall. You were jealous of Dean Marshall?” You put a hand over your mouth to stifle the laughter. It felt nice to laugh after so many weeks of pain.

Calum rolled his eyes playfully. “Yes, Dean Marshall. When he danced with you at the formal I was pissed.”

You stopped laughing, seeing the hurt in Calum’s soft features.

“You didn’t really think I was interested in him?... Did you?” You asked.

Calum looked down, playing with a loose thread on his trousers.

You let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, Cal. I never had any feelings for Dean.”

“Deep down, I did know that. It was some petty revenge thing in my head. I should’ve just voiced my pain and I know you would’ve reassured me. I was so dumb. I’ve never regretted anything so much in my life.” Calum finished with an exasperated breath and you smiled at his passion.

“Do you want to come in for cake, Cal?”

Calum’s eyes shot up to read your face. You couldn’t be serious. You laughed at his eagerness and joy. “I would love to come in for cake,” Calum said easily.

You grabbed his hand, guiding him towards the back door and inside.

You ignored the series of gasps from your unsuspecting friends and found Calum a seat around the table. Nobody asked questions. They just smiled. If you were happy and safe, then they were happy too.

After some time, the sun was nearing the horizon and friends were bidding their goodbyes.

Calum hadn’t taken his eyes off you all night.

Your stomach tingled in anticipation whenever you caught his gaze.

Calum got a text from his mom saying she needed him home, so he begrudgingly headed for the door, his hand in yours.

“Happy birthday, again,” he whispered in your ear.

“Thank you for coming today. It must’ve taken a lot of guts.” You laughed at Calum’s expression.

“You have no idea. But I'm so glad I did it.” He looked down at you fondly and you felt as if your knees might give out.

Before you could stop and think about the consequences, you were leaning closer and so was he.

Your noses barely brushed and the air around you was heating. It felt like everything between you two was leading up to this very moment — this very kiss.

He stooped down a little lower, pressing his lips gently onto yours. You felt a rush of emotions. You had missed him all this time. You felt ready to try again - slowly building a mutual trust between you two again.

His lips folded over yours at a steady pace. It was soft and not rushed. It was perfect.

When he pulled away, your lips tingled at the absence of his.

You were startled by the sudden applause.

You friends had gathered in the hall and watched the entire thing. You hid your face in Calum’s shoulder.

Standing in your cardigan. Kissing in my car again. Stopped at a streetlight, you know I miss you.

You slipped into Calum’s car and he smiled fondly. He hadn’t been this happy in so long.

You grabbed his sweater -- the one that had once been yours -- and felt it between your fingers. “You still have this old thing?”

He smiled, his cheeks glowing a faint pink. He looked adorable with his curls tumbling down across his forehead. “It smells like you.”

You planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

He had missed you. But he didn’t have to anymore.

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calmcal · 4 years

Text

kissed opportunities

Summary: The three times that Calum almost kisses her and the one time he finally does

Word Count: 5.3k

Parings: calum x fem!reader , luke x fem!oc (briefly mentioned)

Warnings: fluff, bad writing (?) i literally suck, not even calum can save this !

Note: you like that punny title, missed opportunities, kissed opportunities. get it? eh. it’s been over a year since i’ve written anything for this blog, can you tell i’m rusty? but i miss writing, and calm has me feeling some sort of way + quarantining is driving me crazy!

masterlist

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ONE - FLIP THE MONOPOLY BOARD

“I should feel bad about this” She admitted as she watched Calum move the little dog character around the board, until he landed on the dark blue property. The enjoyment in his features slipped away when he realised what was going to happen. A loud groan escaped his lips as he watched the wide grin spread across her lips. “But I just don’t”

Calum watched as she sat up slightly, straightening her back against the couch from where she sat on the floor, hand reaching out and laying palm up, a strand of her hair falling down the side of her face as she leaned closer to him.

She had tied her hair out of her face and into a ponytail before they had started playing, saying that monopoly required a serious amount of focus that only a ponytail could provide her. As the game went on, the ponytail slowly slipped further and further down her neck, until the hair tie fell from her hair and was forgotten about. Strands of hair were now falling down her back and over her shoulders, flyaway strands falling against her face. Every once and a while she was try and blow the strands from her eyes, but she made no move to fix her ponytail.

There was a glimmer in her eyes, the unique shade seemed to lighten as she giggled happily, they were a shimmering river of pure delight. Her cheeks had a pink hue shading them, her skin looking warm and inviting. She had a glass of red wine clutched in her hand, the red liquid that sloshed around in the glass was the same liquid that was painting her lips, making the plump skin look almost red in the dim lighting.

She was getting to the stage of wine drunk. Her movements were becoming slow and less calculated. Her voice had lowered slightly, but it was still effortlessly smooth and still gave Calum goosebumps. Her lips were constantly offering his that smile, where the corners of her lips were turning up just slightly, and he could just see a peek of her teeth between her lips.

She looked cozy pressed against the base of the couch, a dark blue hoodie thrown over her frame matched with a pair of grey sleep shorts, and pair of Calum’s socks attached to her feet. She had complained about her toes being cold around an hour ago, Calum couldn’t ignore the little pout of her lips as she whispered if she could borrow some socks. How could he was no to her when she looked like that, with those wide eyes and those pretty little just begging to be kissed.

“Pay me loser” She snickered as she nudged Calum.

Calum’s thoughts seemed to fade from his mind when he realised she was staring at him with a shit eating grin, hand still held out in front of his face, fingers wriggling. He spared a look down at the board, seeing the dog standing proudly on the square while the words mocked him. He scowled at the board, his lips pouting slightly as he looked at the small pile of money next to him.

“You’re cheating” Calum announced as he turned to look at her, arms folding across his chest.

She let out a loud scoff of laughter, throwing her head back slightly. It gave Calum a chance to take in the smooth skin of her neck, the sight of her bare skin sent Calum in a was that a neck really shouldn’t. Her musical laughter rang in his ears, the sound was joyous.

“Just because your losing, doesn’t mean you can accuse me of cheating Cal” She retorted as she smoothed her hair away from her face, raising a brow at Calum, her wine glass pressed against her bottom lip.

Calum didn’t realise how much he liked when she said his name until right now, hearing the familiar nickname easily slip past her lips. He just wanted to listen to her say his name on repeat.

Calum’s tongue ran across his bottom lip as he watched her place her wine glass on the table, keeping her bright eyes on his face.

“Just calling it as I see it”

Her brows furrowed in mock anger, eyes squinting in a playful glare. She leaned further into Calum’s personal space, but he didn’t make any attempt to stop her, in fact he found himself just inching himself closer to her.

From this distance Calum could smell the light hint of her favourite perfume, something sweet and the tip of his nose, lingering on her skin and weaving through her hair. There was an undertone of something homely and warm that clung to her, beckoning Calum to breath in the inviting smell. It just undeniably her.

“You should just call bankrupt now” She said with a teasing grin, nodded her head along with her words. “And I might just let you off with minimal face rubbing”

She didn’t really pay much mind to the fact that Calum was only part way listening to her teasing, she just tilted her head as she glanced at him. Calum watched her lips as she spoke and as they pouted slightly when she stopped. Her bottom lip jutting out a centimetre or so, if he wasn’t watching the pink skin so intently he would have missed it. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes quickly darted up to her eyes, seeing that little sparkle up close now, her soft gaze trained on his face.

Calum didn’t realise he was moving closer to her, until there was maybe an inch or so between the two. He could feel her warm breath brushing against his lips, he could feel her eyes staring at his own, but he didn’t look up from her lips. He felt a shuddered breath fall from his lips, it would only take a subtle move from either of them, just a small nudge of her head or a swift jut of his chin and they would be kissing.

But before Calum could even think about moving, his hand that was gripping the table in front of him suddenly gave way.

He jumped away from her as he saw the upturned monopoly board, the paper money spread across the floor and their little figure lost somewhere under the table.

“Calum!” She shouted in loud giggles as she looked at the mess the tanned boy had made. “You can’t flip the board when you lose”

Calum’s cheeks were flushed a deep red, a large hand reaching behind to rub at the skin of his neck, embarrassment clearly written over his soft features. He could make out her pink cheeks as she leaned against the couch, hands gripping her stomach as she tried to contain her laughter.

“I guess I’m a sore loser after all” Calum tried to cover his embarrassment.

“You think!” She cackled.

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TWO - LUKE BECOMES THE COCKBLOCK KING

“Remind me to never agree to host again” Calum muttered under his breath as his calloused fingers tried to untangle the pile of string lights that were sitting in front of him.

She was standing across the room, bright blue streamers hanging in her hands as she stands on a step stool, hanging them against the wall.

He paused his detangling at admire her. She was wearing a pair of tight fitting blue jeans, they were sticking to her like a second skin, be could make each and every define part of her legs. His dark eyes seemed to linger a little longer around her butt, the denim just seemed to define what was already there. Calum wanted to thank who ever invented denim, because it was a sight he was sure to never forget. Her cream peasant top was hanging off her shoulders, and each time she lifted up the streamers her top would edge up slightly, exposing the soft looking skin of her midriff. The sight of her exposed midriff was slowly driving Calum to insanity.

He could hear her snort loudly, pausing her decorating to peer over her shoulder at him.

“Remind me to never agree to help you set up again” She made a small movement, waving the blue streams in his direction. “Who even hangs streamers at a party anymore?”

The question was more of a scoff as she unrolled more of the crape paper in her fingers.

“Parent’s throwing their children a birthday party” Calum answered her rhetorical question, watching as she gave him an annoyed look over her shoulder.

“And grown men who act like children apparently”

Calum let out a fake gasp of offence, crossing his arms over his chest as he pouted at he, watching as she shook her head at his child like behaviour.

“Luke was the one who wanted the streamers” Calum admitted, throwing his band member under the bus.

He enjoyed the way she threw her hands up in the air as she muttered a string of foul insults towards the lead singer. His stifled his laughter as she continued to whisper to herself.

“I’m going to strangle him with his streamers when he gets here” She scowled as the streamers became twisted with her angry movements.

“I can’t let you strangle Luke, we kinda need him ya know” Calum said bemusedly.

He watched as she shook her head, turning on the stepping stool to look at the bassist, she pointed an accusing finger in his direction as a wide grin pulled at his lips.

“I can and I will”

Calum shook his head, letting the still tangled light fall from his long fingers. He brushed his hands against his denim clad thigh, wiping away the sweat forming on his palms.

She was still facing him, watching as he slowly pushed himself up from the couch. The streamers hanging limply in her hands, he could see her fingers carefully trying to turn the streamers so they were straight again.

He took short strides across the room, his sock clad feel sliding easily against the hard wood flooring. He stopped maybe a foot away from her, giving her a second to see that he was now standing in front of her. She gave him a wide smile as she pulled at the streamers.

She finally got a full view of the outfit he was wearing. A white shirt with an old band logo stretched across his chest, the picture was starting to fade but it added to his appeal. His signature dark pants that she was sure was one size to small for him, not that she was going to complain, in fact she really REALLY like them. His hair was cut short, not quite buzzed, long enough for her to imagine what it might feel like the run her fingers through it.

“You wanna untangle the lights, I’ll put the rest of this crap up” Calum asked as he took another step, the tops of his toes were brushing against the step stool.

Calum reached his hand out to take the rolled up end of the streamers from her hand, his hand brushing against hers lightly, just a mere brush of their fingers.

“It’s a little funny that a bassist can’t untangle a bunch of wires” She said in a feathery tone, smiling at Calum.

Calum gave a scoff of protest at her accusation, but it seemed that the words died right on the tip of his tongue. Her hands reached up to wrap the loose piece of the streamers around his neck, letting it rest against his broad shoulders, she let go of the blue coloured crape paper, but her hands seemed to linger on his shoulders. Her palms grazing against his shoulders, the action let up his skin under his shirt, he could feel her warm skin though the fabric.

He stared blankly up at her, her head standing an foot or so taller now that she was on the step stool, while she gazed softly at his brown hues. He could almost see the gears turning in her head, already feeling her hands slowly slipping away from his shoulders. Calum wasn’t ready for her touch to slip away, and in a rapid movement, his hands gripped her elbows, keeping her hands pressed to his shoulders.

He watched the way her eyes widened at the sudden feeling of his large hands gripping her elbows, calloused thumbs rubbing slowly against her skin. The way her pink lips parted just a fraction as she took a deep breath. An affectionate grin took over his lips as he saw a pinkness creep up on her cheeks.

From this close Calum could see the light dusting of glitter colouring her eyes, a shimmering shade of gold, blending with a matte looking black that Calum thought suited her. He could see the light coating of lip gloss covering her lips, a peachy scent milling around her lips, and he wondered if it tasted as nice as it smelled. He could even see the subtle glow of her highlighter on her cheeks.

“Calum”

She whispered his name so softly, sweet as honey.

Calum’s lips parted. She leaned down an inch, eyes locked on his. Calum’s dark hues were stuck on her shiny lips, he watched the way they parted as she took a breath. She was inciting him and she wasn’t doing anything but breathing, Calum thought he might just be going crazy, but a good kind of crazy.

His hands slipped from her elbows, dipping down to barely touch her clothes waist, hands just hovering above her. She squeezed his shoulders, as if telling him it was okay. His large hands gripped her hips for the first time, thumbs just dipping under the edge of her shirt, he could feel goosebumps lining her skin.

He leaned her body against his, his chest just brushing hers, a breathy sight fell from her lips that made Calum was to scream. He liked that sound.

And just as their lips brushed against each others, there was a loud crashing sound, the front door banging loudly against the wall.

“Who wants a shot!” A loud and tipsy Luke stumbled through the door, followed by a much more sober and apologetic Lola.

She and Calum quickly sprung away from each other, like they had gotten burnt. Her eyes turned down to look are her bare feet, while Calum blankly stared at their intruding house guests.

“Were you two about to-” Luke had a shit eating grin on his face as he wagged a long finger between the pair.

“I’ll take that shot” She announced, smoothing down her top, sparing Calum a single look as he moved out of her way, quickly making her way into the kitchen.

“Nice going big mouth” Lola snorted as she smacked Luke’s arm, following the quickly retreating girl into the kitchen.

“You two were totally about to kiss man!” Luke’s lanky figure strides towards Calum.

Calum give Luke a sarcastic smile, wrapping an arm around the younger body shoulder. “I’m so going to kill you” Calum laughed playfully, gripping Luke’s shoulder tightly.

Luke let out a forced laugh before darting out of Calum’s grip, shouting his girlfriends name. Calum chuckled at his best friends behaviour, ignoring the empty feel in the pit of his stomach.

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THREE - CAKE BATTER NEVER LOOKED SO PRETTY

“Midnight cake baking is an essential when you’re drunk” She explained as she took of a box of cake mixture.

Calum had followed her into the kitchen like a lost puppy, taking in her words like they were his religion.

There had been a whole group of them at the pub, just having a drink and catching up, eating good food and listening to a live band. One two many drink had lead the pair to discussing their favourite midnight snacks, and she had admitted that she liked baking cakes at midnight, simply because they tasted better. Calum had now reason to say anything different, because he hadn’t baked and ate a cake at midnight.

She said that is was a disgrace and it needed to be righted if they were going to keep being friends. The pair of them had decided, in their partially drunk minds, that baking a cake was a necessary activity they needed to do. Which is why they were standing in her kitchen, a box of devil’s cake in her hands.

“Open this while I find a bowl” She smiled as she passed Calum the box.

Calum took the box from her hand and watched her stumble around her kitchen in search for a big enough bowl. He opened up the box and took out the darkly coloured dry mixture. He eyed the dry mixture, his clouded thoughts were all coming together in one big idea. He slyly opened the plastic packet and dipped his fingers into the powder.

“I think this one-”

Calum didn’t even give her a chance to finish her sentence before he twisted on the heels of his feet, flinging a small amount of the dark powder into her face. Her eyes squeezed shut as it landed on her face, her lips pursed slightly. He could stop the loud laughter that fell from his lips, it was high pitched and full of pure happiness, or maybe drunken joy? Either way, Calum found it hilarious.

"Calum!” She exclaimed as her eyes opened, locked onto a giddily laughing Calum.

He tried to stifle the laughter, but it started back up whenever he looked at her. And just beyond the laughter induced tears that were forming on his eyes, he could see the corners of her lips turning up slightly.

“You’re wasting the cake mix!” She continued as she snatched the bag from his hands. “Besides you did it wrong”

“What?-” Calum asked.

His brows furrowed in confusion at her words, but he didn’t have long to think them over because she reached a hand into the mixture and pulled out a handful and dumped it over his head.

Calum could see it falling from his hair and down his clothes, caking him in a light dusting of brown. He didn’t even hold his laughter back, clutching his stomach. She was laughing too, loud and occasionally a snort would fall from her lips.

“We- we not gonna have a cake if we keep going” Calum laughed.

“Oh, but I want cake” She pouted.

“Then stop throwing that stuff at me!”

“But you look pretty”

Calum rolled his eyes at her playful behaviour. While she tried to gather her all other the place emotions, she took a deep breath, there was still a wide grin her lips that just didn’t want to go away.

Calum liked when she smiled like that. The smile that she did when she was genuinely happy, the really wide and toothy smile that she said made her look like a child. Yeah, he liked that smile. He liked it even more when he was the reason it was there.

“Okay, cake time” She announced, placing the cake mix and bowl on the counter, trying to gather the other ingredients they were going to need.

Calum poured the dark mixture into the large bowl and prodded it with his finger, squishing the lumps in the mixture. She came to stand beside him, hands full with other ingredients. She dropped everything on the counter in a messy fashion, taking Calum’s hand out of the mixture, while making a tutting noise.

“Don’t play with your food” She reprimanded in a teasing tone.

“Okay mum” Calum rolled his dark eyes.

She snorted as she began to mix in the wet ingredients. Calum watched her carefully, the way her brow would furrow as she tried to put the right amount of everything into the bowl, sober Calum would think they looked like a pair of idiots. Drunk Calum kind of thought that too, but he was more interested in the way she pursed her lips when she was concentrating.

The pouting pink flesh was eyes catching, and all Calum wanted to do was grip her pretty little face and kiss her until he couldn’t breath.

She mixed it all together until it turned into an appetising brown looking sludge, an overwhelming smell of sweetness entering the kitchen. Calum wondered if it was the cake or her that smelled so nice.

She dipped a finger into the mixture, before bringing it up to her lips. Calum watched her do this with wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth, his heart skipping a beat as he watched her clean her finger of the cake batter.

“Better at midnight, I’m telling you” She insisted, turning to look at Calum.

Her head flopped to the side slightly, hair falling over her shoulder, her eyes were glazed over but they still looked bright. His eyes immediately fell to her lips, like they always did when she was standing this close to him. Brown hues falling to the plump skin, seeing pink clash with brown. There was a thin line of cake batter against her bottom lip, his hand itched up to swipe the batter from her lip, to feel the soft skin under his calloused finger. Or to kiss the batter away, slanting his lips over hers and sucking in her bottom lip.

Calum wasn’t sure if he wanted to taste the cake or her lips more. Maybe both?

But he didn’t.

“You got a little-” Calum made a motion his his own finger, brushing it against his bottom lip.

“What?” She asked slowly, squinting her eyes at him.

“You got cake batter here” He repeated the motion with a smile.

“Oh here” She reached a hand up and swept her finger across her lip, brushing more cake batter across the pink skin, which was now stretching into a wide grin. “Oh wait I think I got it” She reached up again and brushed the batter down her lip and onto her chin.

Calum smirked as he watched her do this. He kept his eyes glued onto her face and he lazily dipped his fingers into the cake batter.

“No you missed a spot” He lathered the batter across her mouth and down her chin. He snicked as her lips parted widely in surprise “I think I got it”

Her tongue darted out to lick some of the batter from her mouth. “You know, you should really try this”

“If your offering-” She cut Calum off by smearing the batter down his cheek.

She cackled joyfully as the surprise on his face. Eyes glimmering with mischief.

“Oh it’s on now” Calum announced as he scooped a handful of batter into his hands and threw it at her.

The brown batter stuck to her skin and dripped down the front of her top, landing on the floor right in front of her feet with a loud-- plop. She gasped loudly, moving her hands to her eyes to move the batter from her sight.

“You don’t know who your messing with Hood” She said in a matter of fact tone, flinging to mixture she wiped from her eyes at Calum, who watched it land on his black shirt.

They both stared at each other soundlessly, eyes boring into each others, lips turning up into matching grins. He saw her eyes dart down to the bowl on the counter, before returning back to him. They both scrambled to grab and handful of batter and started throwing it at each other, the brown mixture went flying everywhere.

Calum had it dripping down his face, the front of his shirt was covered and a large splatter was cover his jeans. She had it dribbling down her chin and smeared across her neck, there was a large splotch of batter on her shirt that dripped all the way down to her shorts, her bare legs were covered in chocolatey spots.

The floor was covered in the batter, piles of sweetness coating the tiles, as well as the counter behind them.

She smeared more of the batter across his chest, laughing gleefully when he gasped. Calum took the bowl and held it above her head as she laughed, watching what was left pour down her hair in thick waves.

“Oh my god!” She cried out loudly as she batter slipped down her back, leaving a cold chill on her skin.

Calum snickered at her reaction. She moved her hair from her face, slicking it back, her hands coming back covered in chocolate. She reached up and cupped Calum’s cheeks in her hands, wiping the batter onto his tanned skin. She grinned at him, pearly whites standing out against the dark batter than covered her lips.

“You look really sweet right now” She teased as she licked some of the batter from her finger.

“Wanna taste?” Calum asked, the words falling from his lips before he had the chance to think about them.

Her brows rose high on her forehead, clearly surprised by Calum’s statement. Although she was surprised, she made no attempt to move, in fact she may have even inched a little closer to him.

Calum wanted to slap himself then and there, he felt like such an idiot for saying that.

She couldn’t help the slight flutter that her heart gave. It was beating so rapidly, her breath was caught in her throat. Her eyes carefully took in his features, his rounded cheeks and his shard jawline, his warm brown eyes and his full and plump lips that were covered in batter.

God, she really wanted to kiss him.

God, he really wanted to kiss her.

They both stepped forward, not really knowing if the others was thinking the same, but each of them saying screw it because they really just wanted to kiss each other. But their timing was anything but good, because her foot got caught in a pale of batter and slipped right out from under her, her hand reached out to stop her from falling, gripping onto anything in her reach. Which happened to he Calum’s hand. Taking Calum down with her.

They were anything but graceful, laying on her kitchen floor, covered in cake batter and their own embarrassment.

Tonight just wasn’t their night.

⠀ ··· ♡ ↷ ⠀

FOUR - FOOT POPPING FIRST KISSES ARE A THING

Three times. Three freaking times!

There had been three times where Calum had been inches away from kissing her. The thought of their almost kisses was driving him crazy, all he could think about lately was kissing her. Every thought he had was about her, if you could look inside his head, not an inch of it wouldn’t be clouded with thoughts of her.

It was making writing music impossible.

Every song he wrote sounded like pure garbage, or it was about an angry he was that he couldn’t grow a pair and just kiss her.

He could tell it was driving the rest of the band crazy too.

“Dude” Ashton had sat down across from him.

Calum didn’t look up at his best friend, he kept his face pressed into his hands, eyes squeezed shut.

“You’re over thinking this” Ashton tried to explain, leaning forward. Calum peeked though his fingers at his, newly dyed, dark haired friend.

“You just need to not think about it, just do it”

Calum scoffed as he moved his hands away from his face, folding his arms across his chest.

Easier said than done.

“I can’t not think about, she’s just- she- god what the fuck is wrong with me” Calum complained as he leaned back in his chair.

“Over thinking” Ashton chimed in, making the tanned boy glare at him.

Ashton chuckled light heartedly, not even fazed that Calum was glaring at him. “Look man, you like her, and not that you can see it but she really likes you too. I think you guys are just stuck in this never ending circle of should I”

“You just need to break the circle, grab her face and just kiss her, no think required. Cause thinking isn’t an option for you right now”

“Thanks mate”

Ashton smiled smugly at Calum. But he knew he was right, they were skirting around each other like teenagers, both to scared to do what they want.

“Fuck” Calum muttered under his breath. Pushing himself up, he straightened out his shirt before speed walking out of the room.

“Where are you going?” Ashton called from behind him.

“I’m not thinking!” Calum called back.

“I just- god, thought I was passed this boys are confusing stage” She said through the phone.

She could hear Lola sigh though the phone. This was the third time this week she had called to vent about her feelings for Calum, about how they had almost kisses again last night, and she just didn’t know what to do.

“I’m gonna be frank here, boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex”

“Please don’t quote Vampire Diaries to me” She retorted, trying to suppress the smile on her lips. “And I’m talking about kissing Calum, not wanting to jump his bones, not that I don’t want to do that- because I do-”

“Are you even listening to yourself Y/N” Lola interrupted her, laughing at her friends rambling. “Just kiss him, then freaking jump his bones so I don’t have to hear you complain about how he doesn’t like you, because believe me he does”

She shook her head. “I just don’t- I- I really hate feelings”

Lola snorted at her comment. “No you don’t, you’re just a chicken”

“I’m not a chicken”

“Yes you are”

“No-”

“Yes”

She opened her mouth to reply when she heard a heavy knock on her door. Her brows furrowed. “Hey, can I call you later?” She asked Lola.

“Don’t be a chicken!” Lola shouted though the phone before hanging up.

“I hate her” She muttered to herself.

She put her phone down on the table, when another heavy knock sounded again. She got up from the couch and walked to the door, turning the handle slowly and pulling the door open.

“Calum?”

She wasn’t even given a chance to comprehend that he was standing at her front door, when his large hands gripped her cheeks, tugging her face into his and slanting his lips over hers.

Shock took over her body, her whole being seemed to freeze for a second or two as her brain tried to catch up with what was happening.

Calum freaking Hood was kissing her.

His hands slowly slipped from her face and into her hair, tugging gently at the soft strands, prompting her to indulge herself. She let out a sort of sigh as her eyes fluttered shut, the feeling of his plump lips brushing against her own, the warmth of his mouth nudging her. Her hands reached out to grab the leather jacket that stretched around his shoulders, bring his body closer to hers.

He stumbled into her body, his hands wrapping around her tresses as he tried to push himself even closer. Calum smiled against her lips, feeling her lips moving against his, a passionate embrace that neither of them wanted to end. She was so involved in the kiss that she didn’t even feel her foot lifting off the ground, it was only an inch above the ground but it was off the ground none the less.

Calum pulled away first, forehead pressed against hers as he took a deep and much needed breath.

“Sorry I made you wait so long” He whispered against her lips.

Her eyes fluttered open to look at him, to take in the flush of his cheeks and the little glimmer in his brown eyes, the slight sheen of her lip gloss covering his lips.

“Worth the wait” She smiled softly, tilting her chin to connect their lips again.

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calpops · 4 years

Text

falling facade | c.h.

part eight: falling fractures

5k words

<< >>

Weeks passed since the kiss on the curb between Calum and Arden. Silent bliss and secrets shrouded them and all that they had come to figure out. Any and all time spent together was real and falling felt like passing through clouds and tasted sweeter than ever. Only a slight bite of guilt followed with Michael’s gazes that screamed unanswerable questions. They tried to play it lowkey in front of him but with the engagement already in motion and those not in the know passing in and out the act fell on a thin wire; lines and realities were crossed. They often got away, stayed at Calum’s with the complete privacy his place offered. When they had no choice but to cross paths and realities it was closed doors and dark shadows that allowed them to be real with each other and explore each other through the new dynamic of their relationship.

A band milestone called for celebration and worlds to collide. Calum picked up Arden and savored every moment in the shadows of the car before they entered Ashton’s where the party was already well underway. They blended in with the crowd and played all the parts they needed to for those surrounding them. Calum kept a casual arm around her to suggest their relationship but not be explicit and obvious. Loud music, lack of lighting and the large crowd provided an easy and unnoticed escape once formalities and greetings took place. They waved to Michael and played it cool, moved through the crowd and found a piece of quiet solace. Calum knew Ashton’s house just as well as his own.

A spare room provided them with privacy and a place to wander and continue exploring. With the lights low and Arden’s back pressed to the wall, finding sweetness and breathing her in—focusing solely on her as the party faded behind them—became second nature. After weeks of becoming more and more intimate and familiar with one another Calum’s hands glided down her body and settled at her waist, his lips roamed her skin and kissed softly down her neck, a sigh he now knew and adored escaped her as his teeth lightly grazed supple skin. Her fingers carded through his curls and their bodies pressed closer together, her right leg came up to wrap around him, his left hand found way under her thigh to support her.

“Cal,” she murmured, voice low and laced with hazy desire. Calum made a noise of acknowledgement and continued to kiss her. “Don’t leave a mark. Michael might see.”

The reminder pulled Calum back and stopped him short. He looked up and found hazel in the dim light, a plea to keep secrets off her skin settled in the way she looked at him. Eyelashes fluttered and her lip pouted. Calum nodded his understanding, gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and sighed.

“It’s probably not a good night for this, huh?” He asked and she tilted her head to the side as if to communicate she was unsure. Her leg dropped from his hold and his hand wound up on the wall beside her instead. “The band has promo this week and I think everyone is gonna expect you to be there for some of it.”

“Yeah,” she confirmed. “Without a hickey, probably. Michael would either assume the truth or think it was someone else. I don’t know which would be worse.”

Calum arched an eyebrow at her before dipping down to give one last kiss to the curve of her neck. He smiled into her skin and lingered for just a moment. He felt her ease against him and knew they were both wishing the circumstances were different. When he looked back up she was biting her lip and looking at the ceiling.

“We have to tell him eventually,” she said out of nowhere and Calum heard the guilt in her tone. “Tell everyone all of the truths, actually. It’s getting really hard to keep up—but it doesn’t feel like it should be anyone else’s to know.”

Calum brushed his fingertips along her jaw and encouraged her to look back down at him. When she did he could see the distress written clearly on her face even in the shadows.

“We can tell when we’re ready. We can start with the first truth. To our parents,” Calum suggested and watched as Arden visibly relaxed at the weight that would be lifted from their shoulders.

“How mad do you think they’ll be?”

Calum shrugged. “Won’t matter, it’s management’s fault for roping us into it. I think they would have taken a drunken joke over a forced contract. They’ll be more upset about that than anything.”

“And then we’ll tell Michael?”

“If you want,” Calum confirmed and reminded himself all of the truths were contingent on her comfortability. He liked having her to himself and keeping the new dynamic to their relationship under wraps. But if it was eating at her, if she asked him to come clean, then he would. He’d go at her pace and hopefully be able to hold her hand through it all.

She let out a breath and casted her gaze to the door. “Let’s give it a little more time. Should we get back out there before it seems suspicious?”

“Suspicious to who? Almost everyone here thinks we’re engaged,” Calum laughed and made Arden roll her eyes at the absurdity of their situation. “Michael knows we have to play it up sometimes.”

She grinned and leaned in for one more kiss, one last tousle of his curls and wandering hand exploring him. They hadn’t gone much further than what they’d done tonight, but taking it slow and learning each and every curve of each other was a journey Calum was happy to be on.

***

Arden’s first experience with band promotion came on the backs of a single they were hoping for success with. They were carted from radio station to television set, from green room to dressing room and hallways and sound booths. In between the chaos Calum always sought her out. In front of the different teams he held her hand and the band backed them up by playing it natural. Luke and Ashton proved useful, always having something to say about them or being a good way to divert to something else. Michael played his part as well as he could, tried his best to be a believable protective brother and trusting friend that was happy for both of them. The cliche jokes and warnings of what Michael would do if Calum ever hurt her felt a little too real and a bit unsettling as Michael’s eye contact didn’t waver.

The week dragged during the days Arden couldn’t be around for the interviews; her job at the gallery kept her occupied, but Calum wouldn’t have it any other way. As much as he wanted her there to break up the boredom and be able to bask in the irony of their “fake” relationship he knew her time was better spent figuring out her dreams. Management wasn’t entirely pleased she wasn’t attending every session to just be a shadow in the background or a tag on social media but for the lack of her presence the questions heightened tenfold. He knew management approved the questions beforehand—possibly even wrote them and handed them over—and that he had to answer them. On days when Arden was there he could keep an eye on her as he talked through his answers, pick up on subtle clues hidden in her body language as to whether she was okay with his explanations or not.

When she was able to go and downtime plagued them between sets they found a rhythm to sneaking away or hiding in plain sight. Closets and corners became havens for their reality and subtleties screamed truths in the faces of those that didn’t know. They could get away with hand holding and his arm around her in front of Michael. When they could get away from him they were bound to explore and cross lines they never had before. Hushed words and needy sighs highlighted secret desires in the dark. Those times sent thrills through Calum. But it was the softer moments that stayed with him.

Afternoon sunlight spilled through windows in the green room and an unusual quiet settled around them. Their team was busy out in the hall, Ashton was running late and Luke was manning the hall waiting for him. Calum and Arden were able to sit close as a guise for the facade and Michael didn’t bat an eye at it. When he left for the bathroom Arden moved after him, watched him walk out the door and down the hall a way before turning back to Calum and closing the green room door. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she slowly walked back over to him where he was waiting with open arms. She settled against him, more fully and intimately than before, tucked her chin into the crook of his shoulder and he felt her breath on his neck as his arms wound around her.

“I’ve missed you,” she said and Calum smirked.

“I’ve been right here all day,” he reminded her and carded his fingers through her hair.

“It’s not the same when everyone else is around,” she admitted with a faint blush and buried her face further against him. Modesty was becoming of her and made Calum warm. “There’s too many things to keep up with. We can’t just be us. I miss you.”

Calum agreed with her words but didn’t vocalize it. He just kept runnings his fingers through her hair and let out a small huff. He let himself enjoy the moment. The week had been so busy and contrived it was rare to find such a peaceful interaction. It was the last day of promo in the area and Calum couldn’t be more thankful. A plan to end out the week formed in his mind in an instant. He wanted to top all of the fake off with something real; put everything back into balance.

“You wanna get away tonight?”

Arden shifted to look up at him with questioning eyes.

“We could go to the diner,” he suggested, knowing it was one of their places they had no fear of being themselves. “Or the beach.”

Arden hummed as she thought it over and lightly tapped her fingertips to his chest before settling back against him and hiding her face. “No. I just wanna go home—I mean your place—so we can be alone.”

The smile that formed on Calum’s face couldn’t be contained, he was elated to know his place was synonymous with home for her. Especially when she despised the city his house resided in. In the back of his mind and in the forefront of his heart he knew it wasn’t the city or the house that made her feel that way. It was him. And she did the same. She made cold ocean water and flashing cameras and a stranger’s wedding and a Vegas hotel feel like home. He cherished those places and moments with everything he had and everything she had come to give him.

The rotation of the doorknob had them springing back into a more casual position, but when an assistant walked in instead of Michael or Luke or Ashton they both caught their breaths and settled. Close calls were becoming second nature. Anxiety lingered around every opening door and watchful eye. Calum couldn’t wait to be home where they could finally be alone and themselves without inhibitions and fears of what would be coming around the corner. The assistant told Calum he was needed on set, that Ashton had finally made it and the others were already headed over. Calum gave Arden a quick goodbye kiss figuring the assistant wouldn’t think too much of it with the ring on Arden’s finger and all the chatter of the engagement. That was one of few silver linings inside the chaos they were living. The ring gave reasons when they weren’t ready to share their own.

Calum went through the motions for the interview: relied on his band mates to pick up his slack and sense that he wasn’t all together and comfortable with where some of the questions headed. Michael easily slipped in and broke it up, Ashton and Luke helped to diffuse the situation. When the day and the week of promo was finally over and they were all headed home it came as a small surprise to Michael that Arden chose to go with Calum instead of him. They chalked it up to needing a new game plan for their next paparazzi stunt. After a moment Michael seemingly understood and bid them both goodbye. But once they were back to Calum’s—in Arden’s words home—the last thing on their minds was the stunt. Everything became real again the instant they stepped through the door. Pretenses and theatrics were left outside. The couch called their names and had them settling in.

Calum had no fear in pulling Arden close, nearly completely on top of him. Bodies rested as one and small talk came easily. Arden went on about her job at the gallery and Calum had pride on the tip of his tongue the entire time but stayed quiet to let her speak. He didn’t know who else she had told, if her family knew and could also sing their praises for her path. So Calum always picked up the slack and reminded her of the admiration he had for her and all she achieved.

“You know,” Calum finally spoke when she lapsed into silence. “I’m still waiting on an Arden original; don’t tell me you haven’t thought about getting back into painting after all the time at the gallery.”

Arden shifted. “You’re still on that, huh?”

“Of course. I’ve got a blank wall just waiting for your art.”

Arden hummed with good humor and shook her head, Calum could feel the motion against his chest and the vibration of her voice as she tucked herself closer into him.

“I’ll have to see what I can do,” she half promised and Calum nodded, only wanting to remind her, not push or prod or dull any spark that may have come back. “It’d be a shame to let that wall space go to waste.”

Calum agreed and let them slip back into blissful silence. The rest of the night was filled with quiet conversation and so easily them that when morning came neither batted an eye. They had stayed up all night, comfortable enough on the couch and in each other’s arms to the point they didn’t move to the bedroom. It was the gallery that separated them, Calum making Arden coffee before he dropped her off and leaving her with one last gaze he hoped spoke of his pride and adoration for her. She bid him goodbye with a smile and kiss on the cheek; something much more substantial and heart thumpingly real than just a brush of her lips from a whispered thank you. It was sweet and soft and innately Arden.

***

Real time spent together fell apart in the face of another stunt. A more invasive and public walk through the cameras. Calum could feel Arden’s anxiety the day leading up to their first night walk, he noted the wiggle of her legs and the distant look to hazel that had him worried. He wouldn’t leave her side during the entrance to the club, wouldn’t let the paparazzi get more of her than necessary and would do his best to keep her comfortable. But the uneasiness she exudes was starting to follow him, to form a pit in his stomach and make him need to call to action. He texted Ashton and asked him to go with them hoping that it may take some heat and interest off of them. He explained it to him and Ashton didn’t hesitate, even offered to drive.

Calum sat in the backseat with Arden and felt the tension was so palpable it nearly choked him. She was tense and staring out the tinted window. Paparazzi lingered on the curb near the entrance. The night was dark but the flashing of cameras would be bright enough to light their way. Ashton drummed his hands on the steering wheel, not accustomed to the build up and time it took for Arden to be okay with diving head first into these situations.

“We just need a minute,” Calum explained and Ashton nodded, eyes squinted inquisitively as he took in the situation in the back, probably realizing the anxiety that was swelling, the panic that was rising and the attempt to calm it.

“There’s a lot more out there than usual,” Arden whispered and finally looked back at Calum. He could see the panic pooling in her eyes and the stiff motions that accompanied her every move. “It’s terrifying.”

“I’ll be right there with you,” Calum murmured and wished they had driven alone, wished he could say and do more to comfort her without Ashton sneaking glances in the review mirror. “It’s a quick walk in. We stay for just a while and it’s another quick walk out. It’ll be okay.”

Calum knew making that promise was risky. He had his own run-ins that hadn’t been so okay, where they got a little too in his face and said something a little too reactionary. Sometimes he threw up the middle finger so the photos couldn’t be used in magazines, sometimes he said four letter words that maybe only called more attention to him. He would have to stay subtle and be quick with Arden at his side. The paparazzi needed no more incentive to get rowdy tonight.

“We don’t have to stay long?” She asked with hope in her tone and hand reaching out for him that faltered when she remembered Ashton was in the front. Calum shook his head.

“Half an hour. Get in, they can get their shots, get out and they can get a few more,” he said. He took a glance out the window and pulled his sunglasses from the neckline of his shirt, gently placed them on Arden’s face and gave her a small smile. “These will help.”

“I didn’t think to bring mine. Are you sure you don’t want yours?”

“It’s fine,” Calum soothed and reached for the door handle, Ashton taking the hint and doing the same. “Ready?”

Arden slightly nodded past a sigh and scooted out just behind him, Calum being hyper aware to keep her shielded. A customary arm went around her and she hid her face against him, the walk was short and successful—as easy as it possibly could have been. Only a few remarks were made. Having Ashton walk in with them was a surprise and a good separation. Music was blasting upon their entry. Arden was glued to Calum’s side as they walked to their reserved seating in the VIP area. A few of their friends within the industry were at the table and gave head nods as greeting or small waves as introductions to Arden. It was convenient to have them around, much easier to explain to Ashton why they sat so close and acted like a couple so naturally.

“Wasn’t so bad right?” Calum asked, dipping down to be near her so she’d have a chance at hearing and hoping no one else would. The music was a bit faded where they sat but still poured through the club with resounding bass lines.

Arden shrugged. “Not as bad as I thought. Not as easy as usual.”

Calum rubbed her back—recalled a time when they sat on a bench outside the band’s management’s office and he had done the same—hoping it would help her relax. She was still a bit shaken but a calm was coming down, put a bit of color back into her face and loosened her movement as she melted into his touch, rested her head on his shoulder and finally took the sunglasses off her face. Calum’s friends didn’t bat an eye at the affection but Ashton raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. A lump formed in Calum’s throat and burned without remorse at the questioning stance Ashton took up. Apparently, the game wasn’t as obvious to him. Calum would have some explaining to do.

Time slipped by and Calum could sense how uncomfortable Arden was getting. She wasn’t used to the noise and the drunken people that swarmed around them in droves. She wasn’t a party person and when she was she usually snuck away to find some solace and quiet; to a place like the side of a house where the stars were her only company. Half an hour felt like seconds to Calum but with the bounce of Arden’s leg under the table and the restless grip she kept on his hand he knew it was starting to feel like an eternity for her. He could guess she was dreading the walk back to the car, that she might be assuming the worst to make up for the ease in which they entered the establishment.

She sidled up closer to his side, pressed so completely against him it would have been almost impossible for him to not hear her whispered request. “Can we leave yet?”

He couldn’t refuse the simple want. He couldn’t deny that he was craving some alone time with her as well. Her words from days earlier rang true. When other people were around they really couldn’t be themselves. It was always more reserved or less authentic in some way. Pieces of them were always hidden to someone’s watching eyes. Calum caught Ashton’s attention and made a motion toward the doors. Ashton understood the nonverbal communication and quite possibly the desperation for escape clouding Arden.

They bid their goodbyes quickly and headed for the door, Arden slipping the sunglasses back on and gripping Calum’s hand with renewed anxiety. Before they were out the doors Calum could sense the energy outside had shifted. Flashes bombarded them before the doors shut, more paparazzi had gathered, a crowd forming and circling them—almost cornering them back into the club. Ashton took up the lead and Calum appreciated it with his entire being; used himself to help shield Arden and push through those that got too close to them; got too invasive with her. Calum lost sight of Ashton and could only hope he would get to the car and bring it to them in the midst and the thick of the swarm.

“Cal,” Arden’s voice barely made it to him as the jostling and the unnecessary comments began.

In one heart thumping moment he lost his hold on her. Fingers slipped through and the force of the crowd separated them. Calum was in a panic. Irritated at the push and pull. Desperate to get back to her. He was shoved forward and she was pushed back. He could barely see light brown hair or hidden hazel eyes peering over the crowd. He turned suddenly, saw Ashton’s car pull up to the curb and sent out a silent thank you as he maneuvered back around and elbowed his way through, knocking into cameras and anyone in his path. He found her in the middle of taunting flashes, frozen on the ground in an obvious fall; hands on the sidewalk and foot twisted awkwardly. He sank down to her quickly, back to the crowd and focused entirely on her.

“Arden?” He gently asked, broke the frozen fear she was in and watched as she came back to him with a trembling lower lip and hands that shook as they sought him out. “It’s okay, I’ve got you. Can you get up?”

She tried, sucked in air through the pain once weight hit her right foot and clutched at Calum; his arms catching her before she took another tumble. The paparazzi were pressing in again, a blare of a car horn took many by shock and Calum used the moment to move fast. He lifted Arden, hands under her thighs, her arms wrapped around his neck and legs wrapped around his waist.

“Hide your face love, we’re getting out of here,” Calum instructed and hoped she heard him. It took a few seconds before he felt her bury her face against his neck, the cool metal of his sunglasses clashing with the warmth of her cheeks.

The backseat door flung open as soon as Calum managed to get them to the car. Ashton had reached over from the driver's seat and aided them in their time of peril. Arden slid into the seat and over to the window opposite the crowd and commotion; to where the night was much calmer—the world seemingly split in two. Calum climbed in quickly and shut the door with a resounding thud; the tinted windows helping to keep the blinding lights at bay. Ashton’s quick getaway was made in silence as he peeled out and forced everyone back.

“What the fuck happened back there?” Ashton finally asked after minutes of driving in new found silence. “Are you guys okay?”

Calum nodded. Though it was more dramatic than any other run in with paparazzi he found himself mostly unfazed. Though his eyes drifted to Arden to find her gone peakid and tense. Her fingers curled into her palms and a distant yet pleading look settled about her. The trembling lip came back and her hand slowly inched toward him through the distance he left between them on the bench seat. She pulled it back when she realized Ashton could see; the hesitation and hurt in the movement broke Calum. In a quick motion he undid his seatbelt and slid to the middle of the seat, buckled back in and pulled her to him as far as the seatbelts would allow. She shattered in his hold and let the anxiety and fear of the entire night out. Sunglasses were abandoned in favor of tears. He did his best to soothe her and not look at Ashton who only had questions and assumptions surely sitting on his tongue. Calum ran his fingers through her hair, placed small kisses to the top of her head and whispered words he hoped would help ease the ache and pain.

“It’s okay now, I’ve got you.”

Arden pushed away from him slightly after doing her best to collect herself. “I never want to do that again.”

“You won’t. No more paparazzi walks, I promise.”

Calum heard Ashton’s noise of confusion and disbelief. It probably wasn’t a promise that Calum should be making but he would raise hell to keep it. Calum brushed off the looks Ashton was trying to give him through the mirrors and wiped away stray tears from Arden’s face. Kissed her forehead after contemplating if that would come off as purely comfort and then roamed down to peck her lips without thinking. It was instinctual and habitual. Calum ignored the obvious stares Ashton was sending him and swallowed down the fear of being caught. Took the rest of the ride back to his place to coddle her and keep her calming down, to quell the panic and pain lingering within her.

When they pulled up to Calum’s house he let out a sigh and undid their buckles. “Ash? Can you just… not say anything about this?” He asked with his gaze skirting to Arden and back to Ashton.

Ashton threw his hands up from the wheel. “I don’t even know what this is. How can I say anything about it?”

That was Ashton’s way of saying whatever conclusions he came to about the way they interacted after the scuffle would stay an assumption and a secret safe with him. Calum nodded appreciatively and opened the door, hopped out and offered his hand to Arden. She was hesitant to put weight on her foot and Calum grimaced when he remembered the awkward fall and sheer pain written on her face. He scooped her up again and closed the door with his hip.

“You need to get your ankle looked at,” he said as they approached the door and felt Arden stiffen in his hold. “We can go to the emergency room.”

“No!” She was quick to let the opposition to his proposal slip out. “No. It’s okay, I mean, it’s maybe a small sprain at most. I just need to rest it. And get some ice.”

Calum wasn’t so sure about her denial but trusted her word and brought them into the house to do as she needed. With her foot elevated and being iced her tears finally dried from the horrendous end to the night. Duke curled up with them and made everything feel like it was going back to normal; if they even had a normal. There was a bite of worry about what Ashton saw and how Calum couldn’t keep the situation under control, there was fear in the power of management and the vindictive levels they were willing to go to to get what they wanted. At this point, Calum wasn’t even sure what they were after anymore. Ruining him, ruining the relationship or ruining Arden.

“What do you think the headlines will be like?” Arden asked and Calum heard the anxiety creeping back into her tone. “You don’t think Ashton’s gonna tell Michael, do you?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Calum soothed and pulled her closer into him, reveled in the familiarity and normalcy of the affection and vowed to do the worrying for both of them.

It was his turn to stand up to management and decide when the hard truths needed to be told. Arden had braved enough of the storm; stood firm in the face of management and saved their reputations. Took the weight of both their lies on her shoulders. The falling fractures were his now.

<< >>

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mellifluoushood · 4 years

Note

calum: you were playing dumb drinking games with friends and you confessed you didn’t know what calum liked in bed. everyone was teasing him for it so when you got home “i’ll tell you what i like”; rough, ropes, or nice and slow, mmm yes i need this honestly take this wherever you wanna

Thank you for requesting, baby girl. Let me know if you want a Part 2 ‘cause I would love to write one. I didn’t include the smut in case you wanted it as a longer fic. xx

She had admitted she had never played a drinking game. That was her first mistake.

She agreed to sit down with the boys and their girlfriends to play her first drinking game - truth or dare with a twist. That was her second mistake.

She picked ‘truth’. That was her third mistake.

She watched as the smirk quickly quirked at the corner of Michael’s lips. He took a drink without the game prompting him to,

“What does Calum like in bed?”

Her brows furrow and she draws her lips to purse, looking down at the drink in her hands and gripping the glass of tequila tightly. Luke had shoved the glass of tequila, the drink that matched his, into her hands before the game started. Suddenly, the downing the whole thing seemed tempting.

“I, uh,” she stutters for a moment, “I don’t know.” She mutters and doesn’t hesitate to down the half-full glass. The group looks at her in surprise but quickly switches their glances to Calum, who’s gripping his glass so tightly it might shatter in his grasp. His eyes read with disgust at Michael’s question, not even bothering to hide the look he’s sending to Michael, who’s avoiding his gaze.

Luke’s ignorance stemmed from the tequila, “What do you mean you don’t know? Cal, c’mon man,” he laughs, sipping at his matching glass. Calum’s glance turns to him, the anger burning through the stupid silk shirt Luke had adorned for the second day in a row.

“Looks like Calum doesn’t-”

“Alright, next question!” Sierra notices the way her shoulders have curled into her chest and her head has dropped. Sierra casts a glance around the group, a warning group to not pursue the touchy subject when her eyes fall on Ashton, “Truth or dare?”

Ashton notices her tactics and follows along, nudging Calum gently to get his attention. Calum looks at him briefly, when Ashton nods in understanding, Calum picks up on his silence and looks down at his girlfriend. He notices the way her chin is tucked to her chest and she’s refusing to meet anyone’s concerned eyes. He bites at his bottom lip before pulling her close to him. His left-hand wraps around her left thigh, his warm hand startling her. His palms feel rough against the soft skin of her upper thigh and he’s dangerously close to the curve of her hips. She finds her breath hitching in her throat.

His neck cranes down to run his lips along the shell of her ear and it hasn’t been the first time. He can feel her shiver against his touch, “Do you wanna leave?” His voice is deep, rasping against the depth of his chest.

She looks up at him, biting at her lip before looking away, embarrassed that she had gotten so upset. He can read her like a book. Her body is responding to the way he’s moving his hand along the curvature of her leg, but she’s still flustered. Her cheeks are tinted pink, her eyes only meeting his for a brief second so he can’t see the small tears forming. Calum stands to his feet, quickly grabbing her hand closest to him and pulling her up with him. The sudden movement causes her to stumble into him slightly, but she finds herself giggling, the redness in her cheeks dissipating as her focus turns elsewhere. Calum’s lips quirk into a small smile at the sound.

“We’re gonna head out,” he makes sure the tone in his voice is suggestive. He rolls his lips between his teeth before giving Ashton a subtle wink and pulling her along with him. She sends a meak wave to the group before following him. She doesn’t miss the sound of a smack against the back of Michael’s head and Crystal’s voice,

“You know how young that relationship is, Mike.” She smiles to herself, listening to the other woman sticking up for her. She turns her head, trying to catch Crystal’s eyes. When she does, she sends her a grateful smile. Crystal winks and mouths, “Always.”

She turns her attention to the man pulling her away from the group, her eyes watching as his jaw was locked tightly in its place and his brows furrowed as he leads her out the front door and closes it behind them. His mind raced at how to handle the situation in front of him. He’s angry that Michael tried to get involved, full well knowing that they had only been official for a couple of weeks. But, he also can’t help but feel grateful that Michael handed him the perfect scenario on a silver platter.

Calum doesn’t waste a moment, taking the hand that he had grasped and using it to pull her to him. He uses his hips to press her against the front door, ducking his head to her neck and running his lips along the expanse of her skin.

“I’ll tell you what I like, my wildflower, if you want,” he pokes his tongue past his lips, gently caressing the goosebumps that began to form. He can feel her pulse against his nose and he nudges her chin with it. He knows she loves when he trails his lips like this, teasing her. The new, yet still somewhat familiar scent of her perfume weaves its way into his conscious. He always admired the tingle of the woodsy scent in his senses when he got close enough to her.

Her hands grasp at his hips, tilting her head back against the front door. She’s been waiting for this moment since the day he asked her to be his girlfriend. And he feels the way her hips respond to him, pushing into his.

“Please,” she whispers.

#Anonymous #5sos blurb #5sos fluff #5sos imagine #5sos smut #5sos #calum hood #calum hood imagine #calum hood fluff #calum hood smut #blurbed #isabella writes

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pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles · 4 years

Text

BEST YEARS

I am feeling very out of character so here is some a fluffy crazy romantic Calum blurb. It’s not even smutty. Who am I?

Calum grinned as he glanced over at the bouquet on his desk. It was just like you to surprise him with flowers at work. You were wildly romantic and refused to let his cynicism affect that. Your refusal to be anything but optimistic is what drew Calum to you in the first place. You refused to be daunted despite what the world threw at you, and he marveled at your toughness.

When you met neither of you had been single, he was dating a woman who had the potential to be serious, and you were getting weary of a relationship that had seen better days. Your sister got involved with Calum's roommate, and while you found Roy incredibly tedious, Calum and Duke made the house one of your favorite hangouts.

Your friendship grew closer and everyone noticed. Calum's relationship petered out. Meanwhile, your relationship quickly fell apart under constant accusations that you were cheating with Calum, or both him and Roy depending on how nasty the fight became. At that point, you hadn't even been alone in a room with Calum, and after such an ugly breakup you had no intention of jumping into a new relationship. The two of you had an easy friendship, and even after your sister upgraded her romantic partner you still came around to hang out with your boys as you called them.

Calum plucked a peach rose from the bouquet inhaling its scent, remembering your first date. It wasn't supposed to be a date, the two of you were bored out of your minds and decided to get out of the house. Calum wanted to get food, but you weren't hungry and insisted on going for a drive. You'd taken over the music, randomly selecting songs and making Calum sing along. Within an hour you'd rocked out to "London Calling," shimmied to "Jungle Love" and "Whatta Man " His high notes in "Dancing Queen" had you giggling, but his rendition of "One Less Problem" sent you into hysterics. You made him pull over at every cheesy tourist trap and buy postcards. After a while, you were both starving and Calum pulled into the first restaurant he saw that wasn't fast food.

Opening the door he found a tiny Italian restaurant almost empty except for an older couple sharing a pizza in a corner booth. The hostess looked like someone's grandmother from the old country in Sicily. Her eyes lit up when he saw the two of you. She fussed over the two of you, blatantly ogling Calum in his blue jeans, docs, and a tight black T-shirt.

"I'm Bianca, my husband works in the back," she introduced herself. "You two make a cute couple," the hostess commented, leading you to a table, decked out with a white linen tablecloth with white red checkered placemats.

"Thanks, it's our first date," Calum told her, leaning in towards the older woman, lowering his voice as if he were telling her a secret.

"You came to the right place," she told him, patting his arm before giving you a not so subtle thumbs up.

After she lit the small candle on the table, she left to let you look over the menus you'd looked at Calum, confused.

"Shhh play along," he whispered with a wink and a brilliant smile. "We can pretend to be on a date, can't we?

The staff went all out, starting with complimentary bruschetta which Calum made it a point to fawn over when Bianca told him it was her specialty. That was followed by antipasto before the house specialty pasta Verde, linguini with white wine sauce, chicken and spinach. There was so much food you both took several boxes to go. The drive home was slow, the music turned down so you could talk as you watched the sunset over the hills.

You'd been a little drowsy when Calum dropped you off and walked you to your door.

He hesitated before giving you an awkward hug and hurrying off leaving you cursing yourself for not being bolder. He was halfway home when he realized you'd left your leftovers in his car. He knew you were looking forward to the tiramisu you'd insisted on paying for yourself. He sent you a text and turned the car around. He still got butterflies thinking about how nervous you'd looked when you answered the door. How when he'd finally been ready to make a move you'd pounced first. Standing on your tiptoes in bare feet as your arms wound around his neck your lips found his, and just like that his heart was yours.

Calum was snapped back to the present by his phone ringing on his desk. He frowned at being pulled out of his daydream until he saw your face flashing across his screen.

"My love," you could hear the smile in his voice when he answered. "Thank you for the flowers."

"I was about to say the same thing, but I think you went a bit overboard," you laughed holding the phone out so Calum could hear your coworkers cheering in the background.

You worked at a small design firm with just three people and the company owner. Calum had sent all of them flowers although much smaller than the ostentatious display of orchids overwhelming your desk.

"Nonsense, you all work so hard, and I may have had an ulterior motive," Calum confessed, putting his feet up on his desk.

"Yeah I can tell, suddenly my boss is insisting I take the afternoon off. So what's the plan Hood?"

"What if I order takeout from Mama's Kitchen and if you'll pick it up, I'll stop and get wine and meet you at the house. I've got a couple of calls to make, but I've canceled everything else. Sound good?" He asked her.

"Of course, what's the special occasion?" You asked, a little confused. You'd sent him flowers on a whim, and now you were wondering if you missed something.

"I'm in a romantic mood, what can I say? I'm not allowed to woo my beautiful girlfriend while also giving in to my craving for tiramisu," he paused, "and other sweet things," he finished, his voice trailing off to a deep rumble.

"Order a whole one this time, you always eat more than you think you will. I'll see you at the house, love you," he grinned when he heard the "ooohs" of your coworkers.

"Love you too, sunshine," he hung up and called the restaurant.

The nickname, sunshine, came the day he'd asked you to move in. Nine months as a couple and he was set to go home for the holidays when his regular dog sitter fell through. You jumped at the chance to stay at Calum's place to take care of Duke. You'd sent Calum a video each night highlighting your day with Duke. One night while video chatting with he'd suggested you go through his closet a bit to try on his clothes, and take a few pics. He still had one of you in his silver sparkle jacket with nothing else on except red heels and lipstick as his lock screen. By the time three weeks were up Calum was frustrated by how much longer the flight home seemed to take. He'd arrived home grumpy but relieved to see your car in the driveway. He'd come in the front door but heard nothing until he got further in the house. Your voice was coming from the backyard and Calum followed the sound until he saw you. You were singing to Duke, bouncing and shuffling your feet and he danced with you bopping around on his little paws.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," you'd sang, almost finished with the song before a twirl brought you face to face with him, stopping you cold. He remembered the bashful look on your face and the way you couldn't meet his eyes. Duke has been caught off guard and toppled over when he ran into the back of your legs. Calum didn't say a word as he took two steps before folding you into his arms and singing the final lines.

"You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." He'd asked you to live with him that night and you'd been his sunshine ever since.

The cars might be different but the relief at coming home to you was still the same. Duke met him at the door and he could hear you in the kitchen. He set his flowers down on the hallway table under the mirror, and scooped Duke up to give him chin scratches. He found you setting the brushetta out on a plate while the pasta was kept warm in the oven.

"Hey handsome, dinner's ready." You greeted him with a smile wiping your hands on a napkin as he set Duke down.

"Food can wait, I want you first," he sighed sliding his arms around your waist and pulling you in close.

"Mmmmm I don't know what's gotten into you, but I like it," your voice caught in your chest as Calum's lips found your neck.

"I'm hopelessly in love," he murmured feathering kisses across your collarbone. "I know I'm not always good with words but I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling. I gotta make you understand." Calum's hands began unbuttoning your shirt and he backed you up against the counter. Your fingers tangled in his dark curls as his teeth scraped against your skin.

"Understand what," you gasped as he pushed the food aside before he lifted you onto the counter.

"That I'm never gonna give you up," he whispered, pushing your shirt off your shoulders. "Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry. Never gonna say goodbye. Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you. Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry. Never gonna say goodbye. Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you. Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry."

@kiiiimberlyriiiicker1995 @sexgodashton @tea4sykes @sublimehood @irwinkitten @kchillout @cal-pal-cuddles @ghostofmashton @noshamenion @ukulelecal @maluminspace @calteahood @h0tsos @wildmichaelflower @itstheholls @dukehoods @toofadedtofight

#calum 5sos #calum hood #calum hood fanfic #calum hood imagine #calum hood blurbs #calum hood fanfiction #fluffy cal #duke hood

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clumsyclifford · 3 years

Note

hello!!! so i would be very interested in a fic based on all i want to hear you say by sea girls??? i know i’m promo ing them a lot but i think it could be a good fic concept??

you know what’s wild meg is i have had this prompt in my inbox for fully almost seven months and i was just reaching a point where i figured i would never write it. and then i did. so there’s your lesson in never deleting a prompt am i right

thank you @allsassnoclass for your invaluable feedback i love you

read it here on ao3

Calum only sees it because he has Luke’s Twitter notifications turned on, although if Michael asks, Calum doesn’t even know Luke’s on Twitter.

@LukeHemmings Tweeted:

missed u manchester!!

At which point he does the only logical thing: he excuses himself to the bathroom in the back and hyperventilates for about five minutes. And then he does a second, decidedly more idiotic thing.

“...Hello? Calum?”

“Hi, uh,” Calum clears his throat. “Hi. Luke.”

It is Luke on the other end. Somehow he hasn’t changed his number. Not that people typically change their numbers after only a year, but Luke is different. Luke is famous now. Not like Calum, whose band has been playing this bar since he was old enough to drink here. Since they were old enough.

Calum wonders what would have happened if Luke had never left. Maybe the band would have gone somewhere. Now he’ll never know.

“Calum,” Luke says. It might be wishful thinking, but Calum is pretty sure he sounds happy. “What’s up? Haven’t heard from you in a while.”

Yeah. Since Luke moved to London. Well. Since Luke got cast in a play in the West End and relocated in less than a week. Calum knows exactly when they last spoke was, and not only because there’s a time stamp on the text messages. Luke’s play — okay, the play Luke is starring in — had been a smashing success, and after he’d left Calum on read three times in a row, Calum had gotten the unsent message loud and clear.

He’d thought they were the kind of friends distance could never conquer, but apparently he’d been mistaken.

Now he’s not sure what to say.

“Yeah, sorry,” he manages, awkwardly chewing the inside of his cheek. “It’s, life got busy, you know, uh, you know how it is.” Duh. Of course he knows how it is. He’s fucking Luke Hemmings. If anyone’s going to understand life getting busy, it’s Luke. “I just, I saw you were in town.”

“Oh, yeah,” Luke says, laughing a bit. “I am, yeah. I should’ve called, my bad.”

“No, no,” Calum says quickly. “It’s — no worries.” Lucky I’ve got you on Twitter notifs, isn’t it, he doesn’t add. “How long are you here?”

“Just the weekend,” Luke says. “I go back on Monday.”

It’s out before Calum can stop himself: “D’you want to have lunch or dinner or something?” He swallows. “While you’re here?”

Someone knocks on the bathroom door. “Calum?” Michael. Fantastic. The last person Calum needs to hear from right now.

“Give me a minute!” Calum says, kicking the door. He winces. “Sorry. Mi— I’m, uh, possibly hiding in the bathroom. During my shift.”

Luke huffs a laugh. “I’d love to get lunch or dinner or whatever,” he says. It doesn’t even sound like he’s lying. Then again, this man is nominated for an Olivier. He could convince Calum he was interested in diving into an active volcano.

(He certainly managed to convince Calum that he was interested in him, so Calum should probably know better by now.)

“You could come to our show,” Calum says, because he’s petty. Or a fucking masochist. It’s possible to be both. “The band, I mean. We have a gig on Saturday night?”

“Oh!” Luke sounds surprised. Probably because he hadn’t anticipated the band staying together after he’d left. This isn’t fucking Take That, Calum thinks bitterly. Maybe being famous has gone to Luke’s head more than Calum had originally thought.

Except then Luke says, “Shit, I’d love to come to a gig. I’ve missed you lads. You want to get dinner before? After? What time is the gig?”

And Calum’s right back where he started: hopelessly infatuated.

“Gig’s at six, so yeah, dinner afterwards,” Calum says. He shifts nervously on his feet. “Don’t get excited. Our venue hasn’t changed.”

“Still the pub?” Luke sounds fond. “Aw, I miss that place, though. I’m looking forward to coming back.”

You don’t need an invite, Calum thinks. You can just show up.

That might not be true anymore, though.

“Sure you can handle it?” he says drily. “I mean, you’re not worried about crazed fans?”

Luke laughs awkwardly. “In a cheap bar in Western Manchester? Think I’ll be okay.” Calum’s trying to work out whether that’s a subtle dig when Luke adds, “Look, I’ve gotta run, actually, some — press things, but, uh, I’ll be there at six.”

“Great,” Calum says. “Fantastic. See you then.”

“See you then,” says Luke. He hangs up. Calum puts his phone in his pocket and stares judgmentally at himself in the mirror.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he mutters, rolling his eyes and turning away to return to his job.

—

The fucking A string is fucked up. Calum has been trying to tune his bass to no avail — no matter how much he turns the tuning peg, the tuner won’t declare it a clear A. “Michael,” he says sharply, “my bass won’t tune.”

Michael materialises, his guitar slung over his shoulder. “Because you’re turning the wrong fucking knob,” he says. Calum looks over at his fingers.

Oh.

“Oh,” Calum says embarrassedly. He moves his fingers and tunes the A string, then moves to the D string, which has gone completely flat thanks to Calum’s mistaken fiddling.

“You’re all nervous because Luke’s coming,” Michael says, shaking his head to let Calum know exactly how he feels about that. “Stop worrying about it. He didn’t give a shit about the band when he was in it, he definitely won’t give a shit now that he’s out, alright?”

“Not helping,” Calum says, glaring. “And that’s not fair to Luke and you know it. He cared about the band. What was he supposed to do, not accept a life-changing opportunity?”

Michael just rolls his eyes. They usually avoid discussing Luke. It always ends with Michael disparaging his name and Calum jumping to his defence, with Ashton stuck uncomfortably in the middle. Ashton had only been in the band about two weeks before Luke left — he’d never gotten the chance to know Luke. Calum also suspects Ashton just doesn’t want to get involved, because it had been clear to anyone in the room during rehearsals that Luke loved it. Calum doesn’t blame him for leaving.

Just because he misses Luke like a lost limb, doesn’t mean Calum holds it against him.

“Whatever,” Michael says. “Long as he doesn’t try to rejoin.”

They could use Luke in the band again, but Luke’s more likely to dive into that active volcano than ask to rejoin the band, especially if Michael’s got that look on his face. “Yeah, Mike, I promise I won’t let the Olivier-nominated Luke Hemmings rejoin our band if he asks,” Calum says flatly.

Michael makes a face. Calum makes one back.

“Boys,” Ashton interjects, sensing the tension lifting. “Less flirting, more setting up, please?”

Calum immediately throws an arm around Michael’s shoulders and grabs Michael’s head. Michael doesn’t protest when Calum smacks an exaggerated kiss to his cheek, because he’s amazing and the best friend ever. “But father, I love him.”

Michael clutches Calum melodramatically in return. “You can’t keep us apart, Ashton! You’ve been against intra-band love since the very first, but Calum’s the only man for me!”

And then he dissolves into giggles, taking Calum down with him.

“I can’t fucking stand the pair of you,” Ashton says, grinning wryly down at them.

“Someone’s jealous,” Calum snickers. “Mikey, I think Ashton wants in.”

“Hey, Luke’s here,” Ashton says. Both of them jerk upright like soldiers called to attention. “Sure, Luke can get you to behave and he’s not even in the band anymore, but when I ask it’s like talking to a wall? I see how it is.”

Michael kicks at his cajón. “Fuck off.”

Calum tries to turn subtly without looking like he’s turning. Sure enough, Luke is standing at the bar, chatting with Alex who’s behind it and preparing a drink. Probably a tequila soda. That had always been Luke’s order. He glances over at the stage and catches Calum’s eye.

Calum might as well be a year younger for how it still feels to meet Luke’s gaze.

This isn’t the Luke that left a year ago. Calum hadn’t expected that Luke. The news feeds have provided him with both mental and literal images of this new Luke, Luke Hemmings of the stage. Swanky clothes. Longer hair. Gone are the lip piercing, the ratty snapback that used to hide what Luke deemed “bad hair days” as if his hair ever looked different, the beaten trainers. If Luke looked worse, Calum would feel better.

But Luke doesn’t look worse. He just looks good in a different way. In fact, he looks better. More importantly, he looks far too expensive to be hanging around this sketty pub. Despite seeing photographs of him online nearly every day since his departure, Calum is taken aback by how much has changed in a year.

He’s not equipped. That much is clear. This had been a mistake. Calum’s going to open his mouth and instead of saying hello he’ll say I can’t believe you became more gorgeous and you’re back just to mock us and laugh at the band you used to front and make me feel like even more of an idiot for thinking you liked me.

“It’s six,” Michael informs Calum, tapping his shoulder. Calum whips around, startled. The neck of his bass almost knocks over the mic stand. Michael raises an eyebrow. “We can start playing, yeah?”

“I’m ready,” Calum says. Michael gives him a Look. “I am,” Calum repeats. “Are you?”

“Yes,” Michael says huffily. He steps up to the microphone and turns it on. Calum takes his spot at his mic and waits for Michael to introduce them — “We’re 5 Seconds of Summer, and we hope you like our set!” — before going straight into ‘Unpredictable.’

He tries not to watch Luke for the whole set, but he can’t really help it. Not only is Luke the most magnetic person in the bar no matter how much it fills up, he’s also sitting directly in Calum’s line of sight. Intentionally? By coincidence? Calum decides he doesn’t want to know. Because it’s probably the latter.

He does see someone approach Luke for an autograph and a photo at one point, though. Which is so weird that Calum forgets his next lyric and Michael shoots him another Look.

The audience grows slowly throughout their set; Calum recognises a lot of the regulars, smiles and waves to the ones who smile and wave first. Behind the bar, Alex air-guitars along to their cover of ‘What’s My Age Again,’ as usual. Before Calum knows it, they’re playing their last song.

There’s no pretending they wouldn’t be better with two guitarists instead of just one, but Calum has to admit: as three-piece bands go, they’re pretty fucking incredible. Even if they never make it big, Calum can rest easy knowing it’s because of bad luck, not lack of talent.

“Thank you so much,” Michael says into the microphone. “We’ve been 5 Seconds of Summer, check out our Facebook page for information on future gigs.”

“Thank you, everyone,” Calum contributes, then steps away to let the scattered applause wash over him.

Luke is clapping loudest of all. He would do that, as an alumnus of the band. If bands can have alumni.

When the attention of the room at large moves away from them, they set to taking apart and packing up their equipment. Calum is coiling up the cord for his bass when someone taps him on the shoulder.

“That was wicked,” says Luke. Like they’re not the first words he’s said to Calum’s face in a year. Calum stares at him. His face is glittering. Oh. That’s makeup. It’s shimmering on his eyelids when he blinks. Gold, sparkly. Pretty. Does Luke wear makeup now? Or is he only wearing it tonight because it’s a special occasion? Even though it’s really not a special occasion? It must be the former. Luke wears makeup now. He doesn’t post a lot on Instagram — yes, Calum has notifications on for him there, too — and when he does it’s usually show-related stuff, in show makeup. Point being Calum’s earlier theory is once again proving itself true: he is not equipped.

“Thanks,” he says after he’s made is sufficiently awkward with his fucking staring game. He smiles. “Could’ve probably used another guitarist, but we do alright, yeah?”

Luke ducks his head. Great, really well fucking done, Calum. Way to guilt him. “I’m teasing,” he hurriedly assures Luke. “Thanks for coming.”

“Do you need a hand?” Luke gestures at the mess of cords around Calum’s feet.

Calum opens his mouth, but Michael, unfortunately, beats him to it. “We’re okay,” he says, stepping forward. “Hi, Luke. Nice of you to make an appearance.”

“Michael,” Calum hisses.

Luke bites his lip. “Hey, Michael. It’s, uh. You guys sounded sick, I was telling Calum.”

Even Calum can hear the no thanks to you on the tip of Michael’s tongue. “Which I agreed with,” he says, looking at Michael like be fucking civil. “Because we did.”

“Yeah,” Michael scoffs. “Well, Cal, if you want to go on your date, Ash and I can handle the rest of the cleanup.”

Calum frowns and blushes at the same time, which feels funny. “I’m — I can —”

“Honestly, go,” Michael says, sighing. “If it’ll get Luke out of here, then go.”

“Jesus Christ, Michael,” Calum snaps. “Get your head out of your arse, would you? If you’re offended that Luke took an opportunity for success, then one of you is a dickhead and it’s not him.”

Michael’s face hardens. He snatches the half-coiled cord out of Calum’s hands. “Go,” he repeats. It’s not a request this time.

Calum grinds his teeth and turns to Luke, who’s frozen in place with a pained expression.

“Ignore him,” he says tightly. “He’s been a dick about the whole thing. Let’s just go.”

Luke hesitantly follows after Calum. “I didn’t realise —”

“Great set!” Alex calls, wiping down the bar. Calum manages a smile just for him.

“Thanks,” he says, then glances over at Luke. “Yeah. I reckon I should have warned you.”

“I meant it that I’ve missed you lot,” Luke says mournfully. “I mean, I knew he wasn’t pleased, but…I sort of hoped he’d have gotten over it? Not that— I know I left, so I did ask for it —”

“Luke, come on. Don’t be thick.” Calum scoffs as they leave the bar. “It’s a Michael problem. He just thinks it’s an Olympic sport to hold the longest grudge or something. I love him, but he’s a fucking arsehole when he wants to be.”

“I — I know, but…” Luke sighs. “Yeah. I guess.”

The evening air is cool. Around them, shops and street lamps flood the road with illumination. The gold on Luke’s face catches the light like it’s being paid to do it. Calum only glances briefly at him before looking back at the pavement ahead and asking, “So…what do you fancy for dinner?”

“I seem to recall a Maccies this way,” Luke says. “I know it’s not the most elegant of places, but…”

“Say no more,” Calum says. “You never need to convince me to get Maccies.”

—

They sit across from each other, quiet for a few minutes as they both devour their burgers. Luke’s nails are painted with clear gloss. Calum isn’t sure if it’s the theatre effect or just the London effect that’s given him this extra glamour. Or the fame thing. Which is still decidedly strange. And also reminds Calum:

“Congrats, by the way.”

Luke looks up, confused. “Huh?”

“On the Olivier nomination,” Calum says. Luke smiles. “That’s a big deal.”

“It’s, uh, yeah. A bit.” He laughs. “Okay, a lot. It’s mad. Thank you.”

“You deserve it,” Calum says. “The play’s —” No. Nope. That’s not something he wants to admit to. “I’ve heard it’s good,” he amends quickly, but it’s too late. Luke, who is the definition of selectively perceptive, squints.

“Have you seen it?”

Calum presses his lips together. His silence could probably speak for itself, but whatever. “I saw it last month,” he confesses. “My mum got us tickets, me and her and Mali.”

Luke stares. “And you didn’t think to tell this to me? Or ring me while you were in London?”

“You didn’t ring me when you came here,” Calum retorts.

Luke bites his lip. “Touché. But why didn’t you say hello?”

Calum huffs a laugh. “You ignored my last three texts, Luke. I know how to take a hint.”

At this, Luke smacks his palm to his forehead. “Fuck. Shit. Fuck. I never replied to you. I’m so sorry. I kept reading them at the worst times and then forgetting to respond. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“I’m really sorry,” Luke repeats. “I didn’t mean to fall out of touch, honest. I just…”

“Got busy,” Calum finishes. “I know. You don’t have to tell me. And look, not for nothing, the play’s bloody brilliant. So your hard work hasn’t been in vain.”

“God, I’m a fucking idiot,” Luke says, like he hasn’t heard Calum speak. “Just the other day I was thinking of you. Wondering why you never reached out. I figured you were upset at me for leaving. Like Michael.”

“What? And you didn’t think to shoot me a text, maybe?”

“I thought you were cross! I didn’t think you would want to hear from me!”

“Luke —” Calum breaks off and shakes his head. “Can’t believe I thought you were any different when you’re actually the same fucking moron who left here.”

“Hey,” Luke halfheartedly protests. “Fucking moron who’s nominated for an Olivier.”

“Oh, excuse me,” Calum says, rolling his eyes and grinning. Luke laughs almost to himself. “Look, it’s okay. We’re good now, yeah?”

Luke nods. “Promise to text you back from now on. And if I don’t, it’s not because I don’t want to hear from you. Just keep texting me. I’ll — I’m —”

“Don’t tell me you’re busy,” Calum says. “I know you are. I read the articles. How you find the time to do interviews and also a show eight times a week is beyond me.”

Luke quirks his lips. “You read those?”

“Of course I do,” Calum says. At first it was just to see if you’d say anything about me, he does not say. “Number one Hemmo fan.”

Luke laughs. “You didn’t even wait at the stage door to say hello. You’re nowhere near the number one fan.”

Calum scoffs in mock offence. “Yeah? Do your other fans know your drink order? Do they know who your first concert was? Do they have your phone number?”

“That’s not being a fan, you idiot, that’s being my friend,” Luke says, laughing.

Calum waves him off. “Same thing.”

“So what have you been doing?” Luke prompts once he’s polished off his burger. The napkin crinkles in his hands when he wipes his fingers, an action which becomes entirely pointless as he munches on the oily chips that had come with his meal.

“I still work at the bar,” Calum says. “Mike and I both. My, uh, my life is basically the same, honestly. Except we get paid slightly more to play now.”

“You should be playing the O2,” Luke says. “You’re really good.”

“Yeah, well.” Calum shrugs. “Can’t all have our dreams come true.”

Remorse crawls over Luke’s face. Shit. Calum isn’t doing it on purpose. It’s just that sitting here, eating greasy fast food, it’s so easy to forget that they live in different worlds now. Passerbys peering through a window at them could surely tell, though. Calum’s Rolling Stones shirt and black snapback are no match for Luke’s carefully styled curls and leather jacket. It’s not a ratty leather jacket, either, but one of the really nice ones. Probably Gucci or something equally outrageous.

It doesn’t mean Calum’s any less smitten. Just that the crater between them might be too vast to cross, and Calum keeps forgetting there’s a crater at all until he nearly trips over the edge. Moments like now, where the look on Luke’s face is that of a kicked puppy.

“Calum,” he starts, but Calum shakes his head.

“Never mind, sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You did a bit, though,” Luke says. “Right? You wouldn’t have said it if you didn’t mean it a bit.”

“I’m not guilting you for doing what you love, Luke,” Calum says firmly. “I’m not. Anyway, I’m doing fine. Better, even. Don’t get a guilt complex, please. I’m happy for you, I’m happy myself, everything is fine.”

Luke grimaces and stuffs several chips in his mouth. Calum chomps down on one of his own. It’s a bit soggy but at least sufficiently salted. Not the best chips he’s had, though far from the worst.

“We left things a bit weird, though, didn’t we,” Luke says, staring determinedly at the table.

Calum nearly chokes on his chips.

A bit weird is probably the right way to put it. Calum’s been rejected in some pretty harsh ways, but having the boy in question pack up and move to a whole new city had been a first for him. If it had been a clear-cut rejection then maybe Calum could have handled it. It was the uncertainty that had done him in. Maybe that’s why he never made a real effort to stay in touch.

It’s one thing when your friend won’t answer your texts. It’s another when you really thought that friend had been into you, only for him to turn around and announce that instead of going out with you he’d be moving to London.

“I don’t mind if we just move past that,” Calum says now, hoping in vain that his voice won’t betray how much he has not moved past it. He’s an adult. He can be friends with someone he also fancies an embarrassing amount. He hadn’t intended to mention the whole will-we-won’t-we thing they’d done just before Luke had left. There’s not a lot to say about it.

“Do you mind if we don’t move past it? Yet?” Luke says nervously. “Can I say something and then we can move past it if you still want to?”

Calum swallows. What the fuck could Luke possibly have to say about it, other than to maybe apologise for leading Calum on the way he did? “Uh, I suppose?”

Luke clears his throat. “Okay. Well, um, I just wanted to say that…I think when I left, that you maybe got the impression I was turning you down. And. I wasn’t. At all. I didn’t want to leave you, it was just what made the most sense, being in the play and everything. Um, and I didn’t really say anything because it wouldn’t have been fair of me to tell you I liked you when I was also moving four hours away — like, I didn’t want to do that to you.” He laces his fingers together on the table. “But you, um, seemed. Hurt. And I didn’t know how to tell you before, so I’m telling you now, it wasn’t because I didn’t like you. I did. I do.”

Calum must forget to breathe, because it’s dead silent around them. Luke finally looks up and winces. “Also, this isn’t a guilt trip, so like— if you have a boyfriend now, that’s— sorry, I guess I should have checked?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Calum says. “The bloke I was hoping would be my boyfriend decided to move to London and become a star, and I haven’t exactly gotten over him yet.”

A small, tentative smile pulls at Luke’s lips. “Really?”

“You sure took your time clearing that up,” Calum says. His heart is beating unreasonably fast, but he thinks it’s probably excused on the basis that the boy he’s fancied for two years and who would’ve broken Calum’s heart had Calum gotten the chance to share it with him is now returning his feelings. Exhilaration flutters around his chest, and he smiles. “But yeah, really.”

Luke’s face breaks into a genuine smile. He pushes a strand of hair behind his ear. “Oh, thank God. I thought after this long—”

“Underestimating just how much I like you, obviously,” Calum says. Luke brightens like a fucking spotlight. “Though it’s been the same amount of time for you, so if I have problems, then so have you.”

“Who’s got problems?” Luke says. “This is the opposite of a problem. I’m thrilled.”

“You do still live in London,” Calum points out, because again: masochist.

A shadow crosses Luke’s face, but it quickly disappears. “That’s— it’s only four hours.”

“Only.”

“Okay, it’s—” Luke squeezes his eyes shut. “I don’t— shit. Look. I know it’s not practical, okay? But can we just pretend it is? So this isn’t a complete loss? I’m here until Monday morning.”

“One whole day,” Calum says. “Lucky us.”

“Yes,” Luke says decisively. “Be my boyfriend for a day, Cal. We’ll figure it out from there.”

Every objection Calum has flies from his mind at Luke saying be my boyfriend. Struggling to maintain his composure, he hedges, “Really? You want to have a boyfriend who lives in Manchester and works in a bar and doesn’t even know how to identify what makeup you’re wearing? Which looks fantastic, by the way? And did I mention the whole living-in-Manchester thing? You know, four hours from London?”

Luke fixes him with a look. “Yeah, I want you to be my boyfriend, Calum. And all of the things that includes. It’s worth it to me.”

And. Well. Shit. “It’s worth it to me, too,” Calum admits.

Maybe if he’d said that a year ago, Luke would have listened. Maybe they’d have gotten here much sooner. But at least they’re here at all.

Luke reaches across the table and his lips quirk up. “That’s all I want to hear you say.”

For a moment, Calum imagines that life is easy. Luke could always leave the show. Move back to Manchester. Spend late nights and early mornings in Calum’s flat (having made up with Michael, who splits Calum’s rent and living space). Do his makeup in their bathroom mirror and explain it all to Calum as he goes. Rejoin the band despite Michael’s initial stubborn grudge, and finally reclaim his role as lead singer, finally doing justice to melodies Calum and Michael could never quite sing the same way. If Luke had never been cast, Calum wonders if that’s how their lives would be.

But it’s not how their lives are, and Calum doesn’t want that anyway. Luke is doing what he’s born to do, and Calum would never forgive himself to pull him away from that. He doesn’t want it to be easy. The fact that Luke knows it won’t be easy and is willing to take it on anyway means far more, to Calum.

They can figure it out.

He laces his fingers with Luke’s and squeezes once, smiling when Luke smiles. So much is different, but fuck if that’s not the same beaming, blushing smile that’s always been just a little too big for Luke’s face. There’s hope for them yet. Calum can feel it.

#calum hood #luke hemmings #cake #cake fic #5sos #5sos fic #fic #my fic #meg i compromised with this fic #so the calum is my type but the luke is your type #i hope that's a fair trade to you #i would also like to apologize for the fact that this fic specifically takes place in manchester #(where i have never been)#and makes many references to london (where i have also never been. and you live.)#hope i didnt get anything horrifically wrong !#kept it as vague as possible but knowing me........#anyway love you thanks for giving me this prompt in AUGUST #i was literally just listening to my liked songs on shuffle tonight #(crying a little. because the scientist played and whos gonna NOT cry at the scientist)#and this song came on #and i was like hey. actually i CAN see this as a fic #i've had the doc probably since the day you sent this ask but never knew how to write it #so! glad i finally tackled it #kaleidoscopeminds #ask #answered

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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 4 years

Note

I think it's illegal not to request this: wildflower with the bodacious calum hood

Thanks for the suggestion! I hope my interpretation isn’t too left field. 18+ Content (Smut) Please do not read if you are under 18, thank you!

Please stay safe during these uncertain times. Drop a sweet message to your favorite blogger. Reblog your favorite fic. Recommend a fic to me if you want! We need to spread some joy.

If you feel so incline, here’s my Ko-fi. But please, for right now, know that I just want to provide content to help you all through these times.

Enjoy my masterlist!

__________________________

Favorite Fantasy

Let me put on a fashion show for you. The text is accompanied by a picture of a couple bags sitting on the edge of their shared bed.

Calum grins, fingers tapping at the keys. I’ll be home soon. One more meeting.

There’s no immediate response and Calum doesn’t think too much about it. He knows now that she’s back home from her small shopping adventure, she might be relaxing, or playing with Duke. Though Calum didn’t normally work this late on the weekends, he had to be in the studio for the Skype meeting. They were meeting a couple people about merchandise. The timing didn’t work out too well during the rest of the week and on a Friday evening was the first time it wasn’t a mess trying to get everyone near a computer.

Regardless, after settling in thanks to letting the buffering sit for a solid five minutes, they are able to begin their meeting. Ashton taking the piss looks to Calum. “I guess we gotta make a bucket hat too.”

“Damn straight,” he returns, readjusting the one on his head. “Leopard print.”

“And a fucking pink vinyl,” Ashton tacks on.

“We don’t know. Pink’s a hard color to pull off. We might not have enough to put a lot in production.”

The warning falls on defiant ears and as Ashton presses on that they need at least a limited edition run of pink vinyls, Calum feels his phone vibrating. He lets it shake for just a moment before slowly pulling his phone out of his pocket.

You can say I’m impatient. It’s a series of videos that follow it. He shouldn’t press on the first one. Not just because he’s in a meeting but because if it’s particularly lewd, he’s leaving immediately. Instead, though, this one is tame. She struts in the bedroom, far enough from the camera that Calum can see the purple polish on her toes as he takes in the pastel mint sundress. It’s cute and he grins, biting his lips as he brings his attention back to the screen.

He thanks the heavens he’s angled off to the side. He nods along to Michael’s comment and then scrolls without looking to bring up the second video. She’s dressed head to thigh in checkerboard print crop top and shorts. The shorts are definitely short he notes as she twirls in front of the camera. At the end, she leans into the lens, tongue sticking out with a peace sign. Her go to pose for photos.

Underneath that is a photo. White sunglasses rest on the end of her nose and she’s still in the shorts and crop top outfit from the second video. Her lips are painted red. She throws up a peace sign with one hip cocked. Her eyes look over the edge of the glasses into the mirror. Calum does not miss Duke wondering around her feet.

Calum’s quick to turn his attention back up and the conversation has flowed nicely since his distraction. He gives himself a couple more minutes, even throws out a quick comment. “New ideas for merch? I’ve been burning a lot of candles lately. Think we can put together one of those?”

Everyone nods in agreement and the conversation dials towards what kind of scent they want. But they just spitball some ideas, getting everyone’s input. Calum throws out a couple scent profiles at the beginning and then turns back to his phone. A third and final video and picture duo follow. His eyes see the text beneath it but they don’t focus on it before he taps on the video. She’s in just a simple white skirt and a denim drop top.

He sees the peak of her thigh in the slit. He wants to witness that skirt in person. And just as he goes to respond to her videos he notices her hand creeping down. She runs the tips of her fingers over the edge of the slit before pulling the fabric away from her body. His breathe catches as the sight of the emerald green panties. Those are new. Definitely new.

With his veins thumping against his skin and a small prickling of heat rushing his body, he continues to watch, gripping the phone a little harder. She grins, bottom lip tucked between her teeth and lets the skirt fall back into place. As she approaches the phone, she unbuttons the front of the shirt. A lacy and unlined bra stare back at him. Her nipples are erect, dark but still noticeable in the design of he lace.

The video ends and Calum exhales harshly, snapping his head up again. No one seems to be watching as he gives a quick glance around. His blood thumps in his ears. You’re going to get it, he responds without looking at the keys and praying autocorrect saves his life for once instead of ruining it. If you’re not still in that last outfit when i get home, there will be words.

The phone shakes in his hand. Of course.

Calum can’t ignore the immediate bulge forming in his pants and he can’t ignore how hard it’s getting for him to breathe. But he can tell the meeting’s winding down. The bounce in his leg let’s him know that he’s not going to make it too much longer if they don’t call it quits for the day.

As they inch towards another ten minutes of everyone droning on, Calum swears he’s going to explode. He’s waiting, praying for someone to call it done and soon, Andy chips in. “I think we all have our work cut out for us. Chat again in two weeks?”

With a sigh of relief, Calum finds the door as quick as he can without coming off rude. In the car, he thinks about calling. But no, he wants her to sweat it out. Just like he did. That’ll serve her right. As he rolls down the highway, watching the beach pass by, he curls his fingers around the steering wheel. Fuck, he can’t wait to get home to her. He had no idea lingerie was on the shopping list but if he had, he would’ve found a way out of that meeting.

Cracking open the door to the house, Calum looks to the couch. Only Duke is on the couch and he gives his little man a kiss on the head after shutting the door and locking it. “Tell me, where’s mama dukes?”

“Over here.”

Perfectly backlight by the glass doors of to the backyard, she sits at the dining room table. There’s just enough light from the lamps that Calum can tell she is wearing the same outfit from the video. The front is still undone. The top of her thigh is exposed as she sits crossed legs thanks to the slit. A glass bottle rests on the table next to her glass. He’s sure what was in it, watching her down the last drops of it.

“It was one more meeting,” Calum reprimands. The closer he gets the more the resolve breaks. Her breasts rise and fall so gently as she breathes.

“I was bored,” she returns simply.

Dropping his keys into the small basket nailed into the wall, one that she insisted on having so they didn’t have to play where are my keys game in the morning, Calum leans into the wall to watch her. Her lips are still painted red. From when she left this morning. The first time she’s properly put on makeup in a few days. “You were looking to get fucked,” Calum quips.

“And if I was? What about it?”

Calum pulls the hat off his head, running a quick hand over the not quite curls length. He gives it a gentle toss, sliding onto the table in front of her. He’s kidding himself if he tries to say that he doesn’t love this side of her. When she’s coy about what she wants but not too subtle about it. He loves it when she makes a little game out of it.

She blinks up at him but doesn’t crack. Her face remains neutral, the natural pout on her full lips taking over. God, they feel so good against his skin, wrapped around him. “I would say you know exactly how to get what you want.”

“Doesn’t look like it to me.” She uncrosses her legs, letting them fall open just a little. No panties. Calum groans at the sight and he can’t help but cross the room to her. God, he really does love this.

When his hands slide around her waist, he pulls up and situates her right on the edge of the dining room table. Their kiss is soft. Almost like forbidden lovers knowing they can only steal a moments peace. He trails his lips down her neck, following the collar bone to the strap of the bra. He then grazes his teeth down her chest and pulls one of the cups down with his teeth.

“Careful,” she hums as his lips suck at the supple skin. His tongue twirls around the bud.

“I can afford to ruin this,” he mumbles. But he keeps the warning in mind before kneeling in front of her. His tongue is quick to take a swipe at her core. She tastes heavenly on his tongue. He hikes the ankle length skirt up and she holds it open for him.

Her fingers are digging into his hair, at the nape of his neck as he continues to lap at her. He hums when she gives it a particularly hard tug in response to him. And they feed each other. His fingers dig into the meat of her thighs and he loves how soft she is against his palm.

If he could relive this moment, hearing her whine and pant above him, he would. It’s all he dreams about. It’s all he wants. He flicks his tongue over her clit and she knows she can’t hold out for much longer. He’s pressing all her buttons and her body is buzzing.

Calum doesn’t let up either. Not even as her breathe catches and she shouts above him. His chin and lips are soaked with her release. But he can’t stop. Not with the way she overflows. He could cum just from this. She doesn’t even need to touch him hardly before his body is so lit with need.

“Now you can’t tell me that I don’t eat enough at the table,” he grins, winking up at her.

She laughs but motions for him to stand. “That’s not what I meant by that. But I’ll absolutely fucking take it.” As she speaks, her hands are already finding the button on his pants.

“Huh, could’ve fooled me,” he grins, his cheeks puffing up with the action. The grin disappears when her palm wraps up his length. He drops his head into the crook of her neck.

“Didn’t you mention something about me and this dining room table when we first bough it?” The purchase wasn’t even a week ago either. He nods, unable to speak as she squeezes him. It’s firm pressure but not too hard. Just enough to make his head spin. “Oh I’m going to need words from you, baby boy.”

“Fuck,” he sighs and sinks his teeth into a small chunk of her flesh. He digs his fingers into her waist. It takes a moment to find his resolve and pull away. “I did mention something about you and this dining room table.”

“Remind me again what it was.”

Calum doesn’t need another warning before he slides her off the table and flips her skirt up. He takes a handful of each cheek before swatting her left one. She falls into the table with a whine. His fingers fall to her core, feeling her drip onto him. “Seems like it was a fantasy of yours too,” he hums.

She laughs, cheek resting into the cool wood. “Maybe.” She wiggles her ass for him just a little. He paints her right cheek with a heft swat.

“You’re going to be a masterpiece when I’m done.”

-H

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cakesunflower · 4 years

Text

Reach For You [Dad!Calum AU] Ch. 18

A/N: so sorry for the......6 month wait omg. hope y’all missed Aspen, Calum, and Luna as much as i did. yeeeee happy reading!

Chapter 18

“IT’S LIKE PULLING teeth, trying to get them to talk,” Mali whispered, leaning towards Aspen as she spoke, eyes on the scene in front of her rather than on the wine glass she was cleaning with a dish towel. “It’s painful to watch.”

Aspen’s throat worked. She could only see Calum’s profile from where she was standing, his dark eyes set on the television as it played Home Alone. He sat on the single lounge chair, while his mom sat on the smaller couch opposite of him and his dad and Luna occupied the other couch opposite of the TV. The two of them seemed to be in their own world, Luna having gotten along with her grandpa exceedingly well, talking amongst themselves about the movie. Calum was pretending to pay attention to the movie, while Joy was pretending not to be staring over at him occasionally.

That’s how dinner had gone. It was awkward and seemed to drag on forever, but at least Aspen had Mali on her side, the two of them making up for Calum’s silence at the table. It wasn’t like he didn’t speak at all, dropped a sentence or two here and there, but he didn’t directly speak to his parents. Well, at least not to his mom, anyway. He was still upset with his dad by association, but the true object of his anger was Joy, and he wasn’t too subtle about it either.

Not even the pretty Christmas lights they’d decorated the apartment with could bring a sense of tranquility and joy. Not to this group, anyway.

Aspen would be exasperated by his lack of trying if all of this wasn’t her doing to begin with. She called his parents behind his back. She’s the one who invited them for Christmas dinner and ambushed Calum with it. Shit, what had she been thinking?

The sound of Luna’s giggles broke through Aspen’s thoughts, and she felt herself relax a little bit. At least she could count on her daughter to lighten the mood.

“I don’t know what to do,” Aspen responded to Mali quietly, gripping the bottle of wine. She was ready to down the whole thing by herself. With a disgruntled hand running through her hair, Aspen added, “This was a terrible idea.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Mali disagreed, wiping the last glass. “You’re just trying to save Cal’s relationship with our parents, like any caring partner would want to do. It’s not your fault they’re being stubborn about this.”

Aspen wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, but—” She sighed, eyebrows drawing together in distress, looking towards the living room before her gaze met Mali’s again. In a quiet voice, she added, “I knew he wasn’t ready to move forward and I pushed him anyway. I didn’t—” Aspen paused, frowning as her gaze dropped to the counter, twisting her lips as the guilt started creeping through her veins. “I didn’t give him enough time to be angry—”

“He needs to let that anger out before it becomes too much,” Mali told her. “He needs to say his piece and try to move on. What’s done is done and no one can change the past, no matter how much we all want to, and the sooner Calum accepts it, the sooner he’ll feel that burden lift from his shoulders.”

Aspen took a breath, processing Mali’s words. She was still afraid of pushing Calum, not wanting to push him too far and have him be upset with her again—truthfully, she wasn’t even sure if they were okay from the last time they argued about the very situation. Ever since the arrival of his parents, he’s been in an off mood, which Aspen had expected, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed with his lack of trying after he said he would try. She knew she was at fault for springing all of this on him, knew that if he didn’t hold up his end of the promise then she couldn’t entirely blame him. Still, the dismay was present when all throughout dinner Calum didn’t really make conversation, didn’t engage if it wasn’t with her or his sister or Luna.

Before Aspen could say anything to Mali, Joy’s voice sounded from the living room. “I think it’s time we get going; it’s getting late.”

“No.” Aspen didn’t realize it was she who had protested Joy’s statement until all eyes were on her. Though, all Aspen could feel were Joy’s surprised ones and Calum’s irritated ones as he looked at her over his shoulder. Taking a breath, Aspen offered an encouraging smile. “We haven’t had dessert yet and I was just about to open the wine. Please stay, at least for a little bit.”

She figured, in that moment, she didn’t really want Calum’s parents to leave until at least there was some kind of step forward made. Was she pushing it? Maybe.

“We can’t force ’em if they wanna go, Aspen.” Her eyes met Calum’s dark ones, noted the silent way he told her to just let it go. To let them leave. There was a hint of edge present in the undertones of his casual voice, and Aspen fought from rolling her eyes because she knew he could’ve pretended harder if he wanted to.

“Noooo, I want Grandma and Grandpa to stay!” Luna whined, sitting up on the couch with a frown and pout on her face. Looking at Joy with a puppy dog look the five year old had terrifyingly mastered already, Luna begged, “Please stay! There’s cake and cookies.” Looking at David, she added, “Home Alone isn’t done yet.”

“Lunes,” Calum started, tone genuinely becoming soft as he addressed his daughter. “It might start snowing soon and they can’t be on the road when it does.”

Mali and Aspen both exchanged flat expressions at the lie. It wasn’t going to snow, Aspen knew for a fact, and Calum lying to Luna about it just so she’d possibly drop the subject was ridiculous. So with a lick of her lips and trying to keep her tone even, Aspen said, “Hey, Cal, can I talk to you for a second?”

His gaze met hers once again, the tension in the room returning as she nodded towards the hallway. She noted the way his throat worked in annoyance before pushing himself to his feet, and Aspen shot everyone else a quick reassuring grin as she walked out of the kitchen. They went to Calum’s bedroom and Aspen felt his presence behind her looming as they reached the room, and she shut the door behind her before turning to face him.

Together, both of them demanded simultaneously, “What the hell are you doing?”

Calum exhaled forcefully as Aspen’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? I’m trying to salvage your relationship with your parents.”

He shook his head, jaw tight before retorting, “That’s not your concern, Aspen.”

“We’re partners, Calum, so yeah, it is.”

She saw the anger flash across his face, accompanied by a sense of hurt she hadn’t expected as Calum returned, the edge back in his voice, “If we’re partners then you should be on my fuckin’ side!”

Aspen blinked on an expression of incredulity, lips parting as she inhaled a surprised breath at Calum’s accusation. There was a brief numb silence in the space of the room before Aspen’s brain caught up with her. “I am on your side, Calum,” she exclaimed, fighting to keep her voice low enough so it didn’t travel to the living room where everyone else was. But it was hard to keep her voice from raising with the surprise Calum’s accusation brought. For him to think she wasn’t with him was upsetting and insulting. “I just—I want you to say what you need to say to them and try to move past this.”

Calum gave a shake of his head, slow and defeated. “There’s nothing left to say, Aspen,” he said, voice lower yet still carrying that same level of intensity. He licked his lips as his dark eyes flickered past her and towards the door, thinking of who was currently in his living room, and he expelled a breath. Looking back at Aspen, he continued, “I’ve already said how pissed and upset I am. I’ve told her how she’s fucked up and she’s apologized and I don’t know where we go from here.”

Her heart bled for Calum and the pain he still so obviously was in, attempting to hide it behind anger and stubbornness. But she knew Calum, and as much as it hurt to see him hurt, to see how difficult it was for him to have his parents here, Aspen knew for a fact that he wouldn’t truly feel better until all of this was done with. Calum had always been so close with his parents, was a family oriented man that could be seen in his relationship with Luna, and to see his relationship with his parents crumbled into dust was heartbreaking.

Forgiving Joy wasn’t something Aspen ever thought she was capable of. For the longest time, she hated the woman for everything that happened. But holding onto those kind of strong, negative emotions wasn’t doing her any good. It was only weighing Aspen down, sometimes suffocating her, and it wasn’t until things with Calum had been mended and she finally decided to forgive his mom that Aspen could feel completely okay again. And it was no secret her accident played a big part in Aspen wanting things for Calum to be alright, too. Life was too short to remain under a dark cloud of anger.

“You move forward, bub,” Aspen told him, her own tone growing soft as she took a step towards him, green eyes never leaving his brown. “We can’t change what happened, but we can change how we go from here. I know how much it hurts you to not have your parents, your mom, in your life like you used to. I—”

“I have you and Luna,” Calum cut in, eyebrows drawing together in a subtle frown.

Aspen pressed her lips together into a kind, genuine smile. “You do,” she agreed with a nod. Calum’s throat worked as Aspen looked at him, and she felt herself take a breath. Her shoulders sank in acceptance, her hand finding his. A warmth spread through Aspen as he looked down at their joined hands, maneuvering his fingers to interlock with hers, the sensation of his cool rings one she never tired of. “And if you genuinely feel. . . Complete. . . with us—which is totally and utterly fine—then I will go back into the living room and tell your parents goodnight.”

Calum blinked a couple of times at her words, taking a breath as he lifted his chin, eyes never leaving Aspen’s. She didn’t look away, either, wanting him to know that she genuinely meant it. Sure, Aspen wanted Calum to make amends with his parents, and maybe it was a little too late to realize, but she shouldn’t have pushed him on the matter. She understood why he’d been so pissed off when she told him she’d invited his parents, understood that she’d crossed a line. If Calum genuinely did not want to engage with his parents, if he was content with not restoring a relationship, then Aspen would support him. She couldn’t force him more than she already had, not if she wanted to fuck up their relationship.

Supporting Calum was all that mattered.

“You would?”

Aspen’s smile softened, squeezing his hand, taking yet another step towards him. Her heart thudded within her chest at the look he gave her, uncharacteristically shy and looking so small, and it only reminded Aspen of how difficult this was for him. She nodded. “If that’s what you want, then yeah.”

He was silent as he considered her words, pulling his lower lip into his mouth as he chewed at it thoughtfully. She let him have his time, let him carefully think about what he wanted their next move to be. It concerned all of them, but this was Calum’s decision to ultimately make. Aspen felt badly about taking the choice away from him in the first place, and the least she could do was be by his side and support whatever he chose.

She watched the muscles in his jaw tighten, her eyebrows drawing together worriedly as he squeezed his eyes shut, head lowered as he shook it. Through gritted teeth, Calum confessed, “I want to move on but I just. . . I don’t know how.”

Aspen’s free hand lifted to cup his cheek, lifting his head to connect their gazes once again after he opened his eyes. She offered him a sweet smile. “We can figure it out together.”

They entered the living room, the credits for the movie on TV now rolling, everyone’s eyes on Calum and Aspen as they walked back in. Expectant expressions were painted across all of their faces, and Aspen took a breath before smiling at her daughter. “Hey, Lunes, why don’t you go show Aunt Mali all the presents you got, huh?”

The five year old grinned, jumping off from the couch with Duke hot on her heels as she ran over to where Mali stood, grabbing her aunt’s hand as she tugged. “Come on, Aunt Mali!”

The blonde grinned happily, letting her niece pull her along as her dark eyes met Calum and Aspen’s briefly. She understood the need to get Luna out of the room, happy to comply as she silently agreed to keep the little girl occupied.

An anticipating silence fell upon the room as Luna’s giggles soon silenced behind the closed door of her bedroom. Joy and David watched them patiently, and Aspen glanced at Calum in time to watch him take a breath before gesturing to the couches. “We should, uh, sit down, I guess.”

His parents shuffled around the coffee table, settling on the smaller couch against the wall as Aspen followed Calum to the one diagonal of them. It was silent in the room save for the ever so subtle thick clinking of the chains Calum wore, disappearing under the neckline of his full sleeved dark red sweater. He ran his fingers through his curls, ruffling the shaggy dark locks before he interlaced his fingers together. Calum bowed his head, lips parting as he ran his tongue along the inside of his lower lip, running the words through his head before he finally spoke.

“I’ve told you how I feel. . . And I know how sorry you are.” His words were slow, careful, not meeting anyone’s eyes as he uttered them. Aspen watched him, knowing he was thinking while he spoke, making sure whatever was running through his mind, whatever he was feeling in his heart, was properly articulated. “I just don’t know where we go from here—how we find. . . A sense of normalcy in all this.”

“We find it slowly, son,” David spoke up, his voice a wave of smooth calmness as he looked at Calum. He glanced at Joy before looking back at his son, adding, “This won’t be an overnight thing, we understand that. Still, we would. . .” David let out a soft sigh, his hand finding Joy’s before nodding at Calum. “We would like to try and earn back your trust.” His eyes met Aspen’s. “Both of yours.”

“That’s—” Calum breathed out with a shake of his head, wringing his fingers together as he let out a forced chuckle. Aspen pressed her teeth together as she watched him, wanting to jump in with something. Anything. But Calum needed to do this. So she resorted to resting a hand on his knee, a comforting act of encouragement. “That’s not goin’ to be easy.” Calum looked up, looked at his parents, expression a mixture of the conflict he was fighting and tiredness from it all. “You gave me everything I could’ve asked for, but took away the family I never knew I had.” Twisting his lips, Calum added, “Trust and forgiveness, that’s gonna take some time.”

Joy nodded, looking desperate for some kind of relief, some kind of step forward they all were in search for. “There’s no rush,” she assured with a somewhat nervous smile. She looked between both Calum and Aspen, and even though this was about her boyfriend getting back on the right path with his parents, Aspen was appreciative of Joy and David making her feel included in this. Her and Calum were partners; she was glad his parents saw it, too. “Take all of the time you need. Whatever you think is best for your family, it’s how we’ll deal with this, okay?”

Aspen watched as Calum rolled his lips into his mouth, considering their words. She knew that Calum, just like her, was taking note of how Joy and David were giving them the power, a vast difference from the part they’d played in when it came to the situation that led to all of this in the first place. They were in total control over what was to happen, how they were going to move from here, and the importance of that wasn’t lost on Aspen or Calum. They had basically been kids when they’d unknowingly gotten into this mess with his parents; now they were adults, with a daughter to think about and a family they had no intention of ever losing. They were finally in control, just like they should’ve been since the beginning.

Calum nodded, biting the inside of his lower lip as he sat up, shoulders straight. He sniffed, rubbing under his nose with a finger as he looked at his parents once more. Then his gaze shifted over to Aspen, his expression softening once his brown eyes met her encouraging green. A small smile tilted at his lips, hand coming to rest on top of hers that was on his knee. He took a breath, decided and sure. “Baby steps.”

She nodded along, mirroring his smile, turning her hand under his to properly hold his hand. “Yeah,” she agreed, returning the meaningful look he cast her way before shifting her gaze to his parents. “I’m sure we’ll figure this out.”

For the next hour or so, they brought Luna and Mali back out before they divulged into the wine and desserts Aspen had promised. The shift in the air was noticeable, the tension from before having dissipated significantly. Aspen sipped her wine, watching Calum finally be at ease for the first time since his parents’ arrival, Luna sitting on his lap as he held a plate with a slice of chocolate cake, feeding both himself and her. Mali had decided on playing some music, finding a Christmas playlist on Spotify, to keep the light mood in the air. Aspen figured she was maybe worried that lack of it would bring back the tension from before. Aspen found the gesture cute—and probably needed.

Joy and David didn’t leave until everything was cleared out, both Joy and Mali insisting on helping out in the kitchen to put away the dirty dishes and put the leftovers in the fridge. When it was time for Calum’s parents and sister to head out to their hotel, they all gathered by the door, Luna insisting on hugging her grandparents and aunt goodbye. As Mali pulled Aspen in for a hug, she rubbed her back before whispering, “Good job.”

Aspen let out a quiet, breathless chuckle at that, Mali grinning as they pulled away, the two of them sharing a pointed look. And then Joy stepped up in front of Aspen, bringing her a step away from everyone else, and Aspen still felt a prickle of surprise when Joy took her hand in hers and squeezed. “Thank you,” the older woman whispered, the sincerity crystal clear in her eyes. “It means a lot that you invited us. And it shows just how much you care about Calum.” A sadness swept over Joy’s face as she gave a regretful shake of her head. “I’m so sorry I didn’t see it before.”

Throat working, Aspen felt her heart stop for a brief moment at Joy’s apology, taking a breath. The sense of relief was only growing at this point. “I know you are,” Aspen nodded, offering a kind smile. “Thank you for coming.”

Luna ended up in her arms after hugging her grandfather goodbye, and Aspen rubbed at the little girl’s back as Luna rested her head in the crook of her neck, tired after the day’s festivities. She gently swayed her, the movement subtle yet still soothing Luna, as she watched Calum bid his mom goodnight.

“Our flight isn’t until seven tomorrow night,” Joy was saying to Calum. Aspen watched them, trying and failing not to do so, noting how small Calum’s mother looked in front of him. Not just because of their physical height difference; she took in the way Joy, a woman she’d always known to be assertive and bold in her own right, seemed to fold into herself. She hugged herself, as if she was protecting herself from any oncoming rejection, totally uncharacteristic and Aspen understood why as Joy added, “Would it be alright to see you before we go?”

She spoke with trepidation, not wanting to push her luck after only just beginning the process of making amends. Aspen watched on as Calum looked at his mother for what seemed like minutes that stretched on forever, until he finally answered with a single nod, “Yeah.”

Joy smiled in return, shoulders sinking in relief, as the goodbyes and goodnights came to a close, Calum’s parents and sister leaving with smiles and waves as they closed the door behind them. Calum let out a sigh as he locked it, the night coming to an end, turning around just in time for Aspen to whisper, “Hey, you wanna put her to bed? I’m gonna clean up the living room.”

Calum nodded, gaze shifting to a near slumbering Luna, as he stepped forward and reached for his daughter. Luna easily shifted from her mother to her father, arms lazily going around Calum’s neck as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. He felt and heard her take a breath before snuggling closer to him, and it easily brought a gentle smile to his face as he walked down the apartment and towards her bedroom.

He settled her down on the bed, switching on the bedside lamp that provided for a dull glow as opposed to the harsh brightness of the ceiling light. Calum brushed some dark curls out of Luna’s face as she sleepily smacked her lips together, and he suppressed a fond chuckle as he made his way over to the dresser to get her pajamas out. He sat down on the edge of the bed, murmuring quiet encouragements to the little girl who was seconds away from completely falling asleep as he changed her into her pajamas.

But just as Calum laid her upper half back down after putting on her shirt, thinking she was already mostly asleep, Luna spoke up. “I had fun today.” She spoke in a slow, tired drawl, a bit of a wistful hum in her voice as Calum settled her blankets over her.

He sat right next to her on the edge of the bed, hands on either side of her as he looked down to see her dark eyes blinking open. Calum smiled at the sight of her; for her to be this tired, he knew she did have fun. Despite his own issues, Calum had seen, much at the expense of his tightening jaw, that Luna had been enjoying her time with Mali and their parents. Calum hadn’t made for a much pleasant host to his parents, but Luna made up for it with a newfound excitement towards them. A childlike thrill that had, for the most part, put everyone at ease. “Yeah?” Calum mused, smiling down at her teasingly. “You liked all your presents?” They may or may not have spoiled her—Calum more so than anyone else; his first Christmas with his daughter had proven to be his favorite despite the initially unwanted presence of his parents.

“Mhm,” Luna responded, pulling the blanket up to her chin as her brown eyes met Calum’s. “I like Grandma and Grandpa, too.”

Something tightened in Calum’s chest at that, not entirely sure if it was a good or bad feeling as he heard Luna’s words. He’d been struggling with his emotions ever since his parents had arrived, knowing he hadn’t done a good job in keeping his promise to Aspen in trying to be civil. To actually try. But it hadn’t been too bad towards the end. They had made some progress, as much as they could tonight, and Calum had even agreed to see them again tomorrow before they left. That was more than he’d expected to do. And even though he’d been upset with Aspen over inviting his parents without even telling him, Calum knew his anger had dissipated at this point. Not entirely gone, of course, but slowly crumbling away. Slowly.

Calum took a breath before smiling, finger brushing away a stray curl from her face, brushing along her cute, soft little cheek. “They like you, too,” he told her truthfully. Because they did. He could tell. He wouldn’t agree to seeing them tomorrow if they didn’t. “Come on, bug, get some sleep.”

Luna hummed, giggling ever so softly as Calum leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss. He bid her goodnight after switching off the lamp and turning on her nightlight, leaving the door just slightly aja before stepping out into the hallway. He glanced in the direction of the living room, realizing all of the lights were off and that Aspen was probably back in the bedroom.

He walked in, shutting the door behind him just as Aspen emerged from the bathroom. Her makeup was already off, changed into her pajamas, which only consisted of sleep shorts and one of his shirts, and she offered a small smile as he took in the sight of her. “Hey,” she greeted softly. She nodded towards the door. “She’s down?”

Calum nodded, pushing himself off the door. “Out like a light,” he confirmed.

Aspen smiled, running her fingers through her hair. “Good, that’s good.” Licking her lips, her smile turned a bit shy, and she added, “I, uh, have something for you. One more gift.”

Calum blinked, fighting the urge to laugh because of how similar they were. He watched as she walked towards her bedside before his gaze shifted towards his own bedside, more specifically, under the bed where he’d hidden his last gift for Aspen. They’d exchanged presents in the morning, of course. Gifts they’d bought one another by knowing the other’s likes, gifts they’d both loved. He was gonna give her the last gift before bed, but looked like she had beat him to the punch.

Calum approached the bed as Aspen climbed onto it on her knees, him doing the same on his side, eyes going to the very familiar book he’d seen in her apartment. It was Luna’s baby book, and Calum’s eyebrows furrowed together as she held it out to him, slowly taking it from her but not before shooting her a confused look.

Aspen let out a breathless chuckle, rubbing her hands down her sides as she said, “Just look inside. I, uh, added some more pages.”

His eyebrows raised at that, settling back on his legs as he opened the book. He’d seen the familiar pages, all of Luna’s firsts and the pictures that went along with those moments, until he got to the pages that were definitely new. Calum could feel Aspen watching along in anticipation, in nervousness, except all he could focus on was the pages he was looking at and the tightness of his throat.

There were pictures added in there that Calum knew about, and some he didn’t know anyone—Aspen—had taken. Pictures with the labels of “First Spaghetti Sunday w/ Dad”, or “Dad’s First Gift”, or “First Birthday w/ Dad”. Aspen had added all of these pictures of Calum with Luna, or of the three of them together, of moments that had become some of his favorites. A warmth spread through Calum as he took in every picture, every word, heart picking up its pace. He could hear his own breathing, heavy with the emotion that suddenly washed over him, fingers brushing against the photographs of him with his two favorite girls. Aspen had made sure to make him as much a part of the baby book as he was in their lives, and while Calum was not much of a crier, she did a good job in springing the tears in his eyes with this thoughtful gift.

“Aspen,” he breathed out, voice thick and throaty with appreciation and adoration. “This—” Calum let out a short, disbelieving chuckle as he looked at her. He saw the hopeful expression on her face, eyes wide and small smile, and Calum shook his head. “Thank you so much, sweetheart. I don’t—I love this.” He put the book down on the mattress before reaching for her, pulling her into a hug and keeping her close as he said, “I love you.”

He heard her let out a relieved laugh, returning his hug, and Calum shut his eyes as she squeezed him, the smile on his face hurting his cheeks as she returned, “I love you, too. We’re in this together, right? You and me.”

He pressed a kiss to the skin of her shoulder where his shirt fell off. “You and me.” Calum sniffed as they pulled away, and Aspen let out a soft, adoring laugh at the flush in his cheeks, cupping his face as she shot him a grin. “I’ve got somethin’ for you, too,” he told her, prompting Aspen to blink in surprise.

He shifted backwards, one foot touching the ground so he could bend down and pull out the gift bag from under the bed. Aspen raised her eyebrows as he handed it to her. She took it with an anticipating smile of her own, and right as she reached into it, Calum said with a nervous chuckle, “It’s really cheesy, okay? So don’t laugh.”

Aspen rolled her eyes at him, dismissing his thought. “I’m not gonna laugh,” she said, hand reaching past the decorative red tissue paper to grab onto the gift.

Calum pressed his lips together, watching as Aspen pulled out the medium sized decorative jar with a gold lid on top. He watched as Aspen observed it, took in the custom made label on it that read a simple and cheesy message of My Love For You. He felt the heat spread across his cheeks at that, mentally chastising himself for writing something so utterly cliche on the label. Then again, the entire idea of the gift was utterly sentimental and cheesy.

“It’s, uh,” he began explaining, chuckling shortly. “There’s a message on every slip of paper inside for you. Like, uh, reasons why I love you and stuff. There’s, um, one thousand six hundred and forty three little slips in there. . . One for each day we, uh, weren’t in each other’s lives.”

He watched the way her lips parted at his words, eyes widening as she returned her gaze to the jar she held in her hands. He wasn’t sure why he felt so shy about giving her the gift, the vulnerability not something he was entirely fond of, though when it came to Aspen, Calum was quick to realize facing these types of things was a lot better than running away from them. His throat worked, waiting for her to say something, heart jumping when her glassy green eyes met his dark brown ones.

“Calum, it’s—this is so sweet,” she breathed out, her voice thick with awe as she let out a gentle laugh. Her voice took a teasing tilt, wanting to lighten the emotional mood as she playfully asked, “You have over a thousand reasons why you love me?”

Calum cracked a small smirk, quirking an eyebrow despite his racing heart. “It’s funny that you think I can run out of reasons.”

Her expression softened, a soft chuckle escaping at his words as she gave a shake of her head. Before she let the tears escape, Aspen put the jar down before one had found his cheek, pulling him in for a kiss. Calum returned it eagerly, softly, arms winding around her waist as he kissed her, settling back on his legs once more before using his hands on her thighs to lock her legs around his hips. She tasted like mint toothpaste and he reveled in the familiar softness of her lips, in the touch of her hands on his face as they kept each other close.

“Merry Christmas, love,” he found himself whispering against her lips, wanting nothing more than to melt into her.

Aspen sighed against him, utterly content. “Merry Christmas, Cal.”

tags: @irwinkitten @sweetcherrymike @meetashthere @valentinelrh @softforcal @astroashtonio @hereforlukescruff @novacanecalum @captain-what-is-going-on @angelbbycal @singt0mecalum @hopelessxcynic @lfwallscouldtalk @bodhi-black @findingliam-o @softlrh @calntynes @calumsmermaid @erikamarie41 @quintodosuniversos @longlastingdaydream @babylon-corgis @lukehemmingsunflower @imfuckin10plybud @pastelpapermoons @conquerwhatliesahead92 @rotten-kandy @metangi @neigcthood @ohhmuke @old-zeppelin-shirt @5sos-and-hessa @trustmeimawhalebiologist @vxlentinecal @pettybassists @vaporshawn @lu-my-golden-boi @visualm3nte @isabella-mae13 @dontjinx-it @lifeakaharry @neonweeknds @antisocialbandmate @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave @calpalbby @grreatgooglymoogly @sunnysidesblog @gorgeouslygrace @cocktail-calum @miahelizaaabeth @madelynerin @dramallamawithsparkles @theagenderwhocriedwolf @kaytiebug14 @hoodskillerqueen @bitchinbabylon @empathycth @xhaileyreneex @inlovehoodx @aestheticrelated @bloodlinecal @sublimehood @madbomb @raabiac @britnicole11 @outofmylimitcal @fluffsshawn @bloodmoonashton @vxidhood @tea4sykes @lukeinblue @mysteriouslycali @hoodcentral @rosecoloredash @hearts-to-the-sky

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calumrose · 4 years

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Trigger [Police/Gang! AU] Chapter 8 || C.H

A//N: It’s been a while since I’ve updated this fic... Sorry about that. I’ve missed writing Eloise and Calum so I’m hoping I’ll have chapter 9 finished soon (yeah, I’m still working on that...) But anyway, enjoy!

Word Count: 10.6k

Summary: Eloise Gray and Calum Hood, not two people you would ever think to put together. What started as a ploy for power turned into a romance, resulting in the realisation that loving your enemy may not be such a bad thing after all.

Previous Chapters: Prologue / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7

7 Days Left

The doorbell was a sound that Eloise had been dreading all day. She knew what was coming, what she would have to endure, and she knew she was going to hate every second of it.

Calum left her sitting in the living room, venturing towards the front door to welcome the familiar body into his home. He grasped onto the handle of the door, twisting the knob before pulling, the lock in the door clicking and releasing the door from the frame’s clutches.

“Hey Nik,” He smiled briefly, a heavy breath exhaling through his nose as he opened the door wider, allowing for Nikki to slide through and into his home, “Thanks for coming,”

“You’re my partner, Calum,” Nikki clicked her tongue, “It’s partly my job to come running when you call,”

As much as there was some truth in her response, Calum also knew that she cared. She never hesitated to tell him how crazy she thought he was when she first discovered his plan, practically yelling the words at him down the phone, but as soon as he said he needed her help, she came. She always did when he needed her.

“Does anyone know where you were heading?” Calum questioned, glancing out of the small window in his door, as if to try and spot any suspicious people who may have been attempting to listen in. A bit dramatic, Calum.

“Charlie thinks I’m meeting with a CI,” She reached into her pocket, pulling out the small recording device he had requested, the wires wrapped around it securely, and placing it into his open palm, “Told him I had a guy over in Whitestone who had some information for me, so he isn’t expecting me back anytime soon,” Nikki pulled off her jacket, crossing her arms pleasantly in front of her as she rested her jacket folded over them, keeping it securely against her chest as her and Calum stood by the door, “And before you ask, I left my phone at the station, so Will can’t tap into it or anything,”

“You’re always one step ahead,” Calum bounced his eyebrows, chuckling fondly at her answer to the unasked question.

“One of us has to be,” Nikki shrugged in response.

Nikki was one of the few cops Calum felt like he could trust. He knew that to execute he and Eloise’s plan he was going to need some help. He couldn’t go into the shipment yard alone, but he also knew he couldn’t trust the majority of the officers in his precinct to follow through with his plan. He recruited Nikki, knowing that he could trust her even though she wasn’t one hundred percent on board.

“So, where is she then?” Nikki let out an almost hesitated sigh, pursing her lips. With a single nod, Calum led her through his home, directing his partner into the sitting room, eyes instantly finding Eloise sat on the couch, arms crossed along her chest with her knees crossed over one another, scowl on her face as she looked at the other woman in Calum’s life.

Calum swore he could feel the tension grow when Eloise’s eyes met Nikki’s, a subtle quiet sigh leaving through his nose. He knew Eloise wasn’t fond about other cops knowing about them, knowing about their plan, but she knew that Calum couldn’t do it alone, that he needed some backup when it came to that night at the boat yard, and as much as it irritated her and worried her that she was putting her life in their hands, she knew she had to trust Calum. That’s all she had been doing this entire time, so what was a bit more.

“Eloise, this is my partner Nikki Reid,” Calum introduced the two females, glancing between them, “Nikki, this is Eloise,”

“I know who she is,” Nikki stated, unimpressed with how normal Calum was trying to make this introduction. She was here for him, not her. She had made that very clear to Calum over the phone, her tone in that moment only solidifying that.

“You and every other cop in this fucking city,” Eloise’s dark eyes rolled to the back of her head, her back slouching against the back of the couch, not appreciating Nikki’s spitting statement. She was perfectly aware that many people knew who she was, especially the NYPD. If she were anyone else, Eloise would be questioning as to why Nikki had this instant distaste towards her, but Eloise wasn’t blind, knowing that Nikki, much like every other cop, had been conditioned to preserve the course of justice in their city, which translated into stopping the likes of her and the group she ran with.

Nikki rolled her lips into her mouth, seeming as if she was thinking about her next words, knowing she had to keep her personal feelings in regard to this whole set up quiet, reminding herself that she was doing this for Calum, knowing he had become so invested in a situation that was completely out of his depth that she couldn’t let him drown, she had to help him.

“Calum’s told me everything,” Nikki began, dropping the coat in her hands so it rested over the back of the armchair to her left, “He told me about what you were instructed to do, and what’re you’re now planning to do, and I just want to say that I think you’re both completely out of your mi- “

“Why are we even trusting her again?” Eloise spat towards Calum, clearly irritated by Nikki’s attempt to express an opinion, “What’s stopping her from taking everything we say here straight back to the station and exploiting the whole thing?”

Calum moved over so he was crouched down in front of Eloise, Nikki’s eyes watching the whole action unfold, he placed a warm hand on her knee, squeezing it reassuringly as he gave her a comforting smile, “Because she’s a good cop, El. She’s my partner and I trust her, and you need to too,” His voice was soft, brown eyes meeting her own as he added, “At least do it for me, just this once,”

Eloise’s tongue pushed against her bottom teeth, rolling her lips into her mouth barely, as she glanced down at Calum’s hand resting comfortably against her knee. His touch was always warm, always comforting, it spoke a million words more than anyone ever could, and she basked in the effects it had on her. “Fine,”

“What I was going to say before,” Nikki let out a sigh, moving so she could take a seat on the armchair, leaning forward so her elbows rested limply on her denim covered legs, “Was that I think you’re both out of your minds, no doubt about that, but at the same time I can appreciate that you’re trying to do right by the city this time,” Calum shifted his weight, moving so he could take a seat on the couch next to Eloise, his arm subtly going behind her so the palm of his hand rested on the small of her back with an almost feather-like touch. “Calum’s clearly seen something in you that we’ve been blinded to all these years, and he’s always had good instincts, so I’m willing to help if you’ll let me,”

Eloise watched her eyes as Nikki spoke, noting her body language, how her eyes fell to Calum as she spoke, a warm smile on her face before her eyes met Eloise’s one more. Calum’s thumb gently rubbed against her back, silently comforting her as Nikki attempted to shoot her a smile, a half smile at that.

It was a start.

“I suppose I can resist the urge to shoot you if you’ll do the same,” Eloise pursed her lips with a raise of her eyebrows, evident sarcasm, and humour in her tone. It was a questionable attempt at humour, but that was Eloise.

Although it seemed that Nikki noted the attempt, embracing it with a small laugh, sounding only slightly uncomfortable as she responded with a small nod of her head, “You’ve got yourself a deal,”

Calum silently thanked the gods above for smoothening the tension, even if just a little. It wasn’t the most ideal situation for any of them to be sat in, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t try to make it work. They had to use each other to their advantage, use the positions they were in as a positive in order to get the outcome they equally wanted.

Nikki had warned him about how far he was pushing things, having asked her to keep things quiet from their Lieutenant, as well as the rest of the NYPD until he decided who else he would be taking along with him on the night. She had asked him what was so special about the girl who he was risking his career for, about what made her so different compared to every other young criminal in the city.

And the answer he gave was a silent one, one of uncertainty yet also one that held a knowing answer. He knew exactly what separated her from every other misled individual in the city, but he just didn’t know how to voice it.

“So, how much do we know about the shipment so far?” Nikki asked, eyes looking over to Eloise.

Eloise sat forward on the couch, perching herself on the edge, “Not much at the moment,” She admitted, a small defeated sigh escaping her lips, “Jay’s been keeping the details pretty quiet so far, some decisions still have to be made,” Calum’s arm moved around her back, palm resting comfortably on her waist, his forearm warmly against the space of her lower back. Eloise couldn’t help but spot Nikki’s eyes drifting to where Calum’s hand could be spotted on her waist, seeing the beginning of what she believed to be a small smile twitching at her lips at the sight. “All I’ve got is a date and location of where the shipment will be arriving, but an exact time or anything like that I’m in the dark,”

“Any idea of when you might know more?”

“Jay’s called a meeting tomorrow night with all of us,” Eloise nodded, “He’s asked for everyone to be there, so most likely this will be him wanting to dictate the plan, probably gonna decide who he wants on the deal,” The thought of the shipment made her stomach twist, realising how close it was compared to when this started. She had gone from having weeks to work out what she needed to do, to having a mere few days until everything that she had been plotting would be put into action. She couldn’t play deaf any longer to the time as it ticked on, as the day her greatest act of betrayal would strike and change her life forever. It would be the making point of her life, or it would be the very thing that broke her completely.

“Who does he want on the deal?” Nikki repeated her words, “Wait, so do you guys have a plan for if he doesn’t take you- “

“He will,” Eloise hadn’t noticed Calum spoke with her simultaneously in her response, her eyes looking to her right, watching as the man nodded at Nikki, an amused smile creeping to the corners of her lips before she had a chance to fight it. She pushed it back, clearing her throat quietly before continuing on her own, “I’ll be there indefinitely, as will Scott, Taylor, and Han. He’ll take a few others and keep the rest as backup,”

Nikki continued to ask numerous questions, trying to pry as much information out of Eloise as possible, but unfortunately for everyone in that room, Eloise only knew so much. Jay hadn’t been that open with sharing details on the shipment, not even with Han, which she discovered when she ran into him the morning after she had been with Scott.

She was leaving her apartment to catch the train to Queens when Han appeared in her hallway, stopping her in her tracks and asking for an update on their situation with the police. He seemed off that day; very paranoid and jumpy, very unlike him. She didn’t pry, knowing he was still a little shaken from the night at Mooney’s. When she asked about the deal and if Jay had said anything more on the matter, she noticed how Han just shrugged and brushed it off, seeming as in the dark as she did with the details. According to Han, Jay had been almost silent, only sharing snippets of information on the plan if he needed to, otherwise keeping it to himself with a vice-like lock on his tongue.

It wasn’t like Jay to keep Han in the dark, almost unheard of. It was always the two of them. Always. But it seemed as if Jay had cast Han out since that night from the way Han had described Jay’s attitude, as if he were doing this alone. That only worried Eloise; a plan without Han’s input was sure as hell to go wrong.

“I take it you’re gonna wear the wire I brought to the meeting tomorrow?” Nikki queried, eyebrows raised, head nodding towards the small black recording device that Calum had placed on the coffee table. Eyebrows furrowed, creasing her forehead, Eloise’s eyes shot to Calum, clearly unaware of this plan.

“You’ve got to be fucking with me, right?” Eloise asked, any ounce of amusement she previously had gone, “I walk in there with a wire on me – I’m as good as dead!” Eloise wasn’t stupid, she knew if any of the gang even got a whiff of a wire then she was done for; she wouldn’t see the outside of the hideout. She couldn’t even be sure anyone would stop Jay from putting a bullet through her, the line of friendship she previously had with the others becoming so blurred and almost non-existent.

She noticed how even Calum seemed a bit taken aback by Nikki’s question, it coming as a surprise to him as his brows matched her dark ones; furrowed but confused.

“If you’re not going to wear the wire, how are we to know what your boss decides?” Nikki gave a limp shrug of her shoulders, response exasperated as she looked to almost to be a tinge frustrated with the lack of physical evidence Calum and Eloise had gathered; it all being words and statements from the anonymous tip offs and small details that Calum had subtly slipped into conversation when informing his partner. “If we’re taking them down at the end of this, we need more than a few notes and claims of what they’ve been up to,” Nikki ran a hand over her face, “And if we’re supposedly helping you get out of there, we won’t be able to use any of the evidence against them in the case, any link to you will become null and void as you’ll become a candle in the wind, practically unheard of,”

Eloise eyes shot back to the raven-haired woman opposite her, blinking a few times before her statement seemed to click, “Wait, so you’re in on all of it? Not just trapping the guys but also- “

Nikki’s face seemed to soften, shoulders slumping, realising that Calum maybe hadn’t told Eloise everything, having left out a few details, “Calum wants to help you get out of New York, not just the Gypsy Kings – swears on his life that you deserve this chance, so I’m willing to bend a few rules of my own if he is,” Nikki let out a soft sigh, leaning back in the chair as she rested her right ankle on her left knee, “Which is why we can’t afford any slip ups, we need to know exactly what’s being said so we can be prepared for what’s coming,”

Maybe this Nikki chick wasn’t as bad as Eloise figured. She was willing to look the other way simply because Calum asked her to, something that she had been doing all her life; doing what she was told simply because she was asked. She placed her life in the hands of other people almost every day, having some form of faith in them that they would catch her if she were to fall. But never once, had she seen it first-hand as a witness. She looked at Calum and Nikki, and saw nothing but almost trust in one another, seeing how without question she would help him even though she didn’t agree with what he was doing, looking past that to help someone who she trusted was doing what he believed to be right. It warmed her; seeing how two people could be so trusting about something so outrageous.

“Whatever happens tomorrow night, we’ll know exactly what gets said,” Calum spoke out, “Wire or no wire, she’ll come back and tell us what she finds out, just like she has since the very beginning, Nik,” His voice was full of conviction, assuring his partner that what he knew was true. Eloise watched him as he spoke, her heart clenching pleasantly as he spoke of her, but what he said next ignited butterflies in her stomach, the simple statement causing a smile that she couldn’t prevent. “We trust Eloise and she trusts us, that’s how this works.”

Calum was right. The entire transaction between them was based on trust. Trust had been what kept them glued together since they first met, even though they never truly knew it. There had been something between them that couldn’t be ignored; a warmth they both felt and a natural calming nature around one another that was never fully understood until they decided to give in.

“But what about on the night when the shipment comes in?” Nikki sighed, rolling her lips into her mouth, noticing the glances that Eloise and Calum were sharing. As much as she didn’t approve of Calum’s infatuation with Eloise, nor did she like the idea of her partner endangering his livelihood for the girl in question, but she couldn’t deny the smallest ounce of a smile that curled at the corners of her lips at the sight of her friend happy.

For as long as she had known Calum, from being in the Academy together, and being partners since their first shift together, she had never seen him smile like he did when he was with Eloise. He always claimed to not have time for a relationship, using the job as an excuse, but she knew it was something he wanted. And now he had it, but the chances of that being taken away from him out balanced the chances. “It’s going to get out of hand too quickly, so it isn’t like we’ll be able to catch up afterwards and take details. We need to know then and there exactly what’s happening, so we can come in and extract you before it’s too late,”

“Nikki has a point, El,” Calum looked towards the brunette next to him, eyes quickly looking at the recording wire on the table before his eyes met her brown ones, “Like we said before, you’ll need to wear the wire on the night, it isn’t like one of us can sneak in undercover and stand next to you the whole time,” He looked to be hating the whole idea now, the fact that it was happening in a matter of days making him realise just how little time they had left, “It’s small enough that no one will even know it’s there. We’ll fit it under your shirt so it’s completely out of view, all you need to do is carry on like you’re expected to and then as soon as you say the codeword we’ll be coming in, as soon as you catch sight of us you run,”

“This is crazy,” Eloise laughed drily, her hands coming up to cover her face as she threw her head back to blindly face the ceiling, “This isn’t going to work… What was I thinking? I’m done for, I’m dead the minut- “

“Hey, hey, hey,” Calum whispered, his arm coming around from behind her back to gently try to pry her small hands from her face, wrapping his fingers around her wrist with a delicate grip, as if she would break otherwise, as he attempted to remove them, “El, it’s going to be fine, alright? We’ll have the whole place covered, you’re gonna make it out, I promise- “

“Don’t you dare promise me that,” She spoke coldly, eyes focused on the ceiling as Calum held onto her wrists limply, “You can’t predict what’s gonna happen, Cal. I know those guys better than you ever will, and as soon as they catch a glimpse of me running, I’m gonna get a bullet in the back,”

It was becoming a bit much for Eloise at this point. It was getting scary; it was getting too real.

“Look at me,” Calum’s voice coaxed her, the soft whisper barely audible. Eloise refused to let her eyes leave the ceiling, not wanting to look into the eyes of the man who had become her favourite person as of late.

In such a short span of time, Eloise couldn’t imagine a life without Calum in it. Feeling as though she had always had him around. Any moment where she wasn’t with him, she noticed she was missing him, craving some form of contact with him. He was intoxicating and she couldn’t get enough. It was the collection of late nights spent together, the laughs they shared when they were overtired, but most of all, it was way he looked at her that caused her heart to feel as though it was trying to pry its way out of her chest at the mere thought of what would be taking place in a week’s time.

His eyes told a million stories, and she had only discovered a selected few. She got lost in them every night, just as he got lost in her. Eloise was selfish in a way when it came to Calum, fighting with herself countless times over the past few days, wanting to forget about the deal and just run away with Calum, to live as just the two of them with no responsibilities and no acknowledgement of what they’d be leaving behind. But she knew she couldn’t do that. Every single ounce of good in her body – although she never believed there to be much – prevented her from doing just that, knowing she had to do what she had agreed.

It felt as though Nikki wasn’t even in the room when she allowed for their eyes to meet, everything else around the two becoming invisible as all they saw was each other. His large hands rested on the sides of her neck, thumbs coming up and rubbing smooth lines along the apples of her cheeks as he gave her one of his signature smiles, a smile that she knew she wanted to cherish for as long as time would let her.

“We’re gonna get you out,” His voice was smooth as silk, so quiet, “I’ve said it since the start, and I’ll say it again. You’re gonna make it out - you’re gonna get out of New York, and you’re gonna start again. Once you’re settled, I’ll come visit, yeah? I’ll come and see the swanky new apartment that you’ll get yourself, you’ll tell me all about the new job that you’re gonna get, and you can tell me every single detail about your new life,”

Eloise felt tears brimming at his words, the thought of being able to do all that seeming too good to be true. She knew it was exactly that. She hated how hopeful he sounded talking like that, as though he was certain that it was going to be her future. She could barely decipher the difference between her dreams and her reality anymore, and that was all because of him. He made everything feel like a fairy tale, made everything feel like it was impossible, so different to her reality.

Her watering eyes only sparked his own, the chocolate orbs turning glossy as they stared into the scared ones of Eloise. What they had truly was something special, something neither one believed possible, something neither one of them wanted to end. The thought of this final week being their last few days to spend together before everything changed hurt them, it pained them to think of it like a countdown, but that’s what it would turn into; a simple ticking clock that would count down the days, to the hours, to the very last minute before she would need to leave.

“Sound good?” He pressed his forehead against hers, smiling although he wanted nothing more than to cry at the sight of her feeling anything other than happiness. God, she broke him in a way he would never fully understand. He silently begged for her to nod, speak, to touch him. He just wanted a single form of confirmation from her, anything would suffice.

Eloise swallowed the rock of a lump that had lodged in her throat, giving a small gentle nod of her head as she looked at him, taking a shaky breath as she rolled her chapped lips into her mouth. She couldn’t help but to subtly lean into his touch, the warmth of his hands comforting her as she let out a shaky, “Yeah,”

Calum slowly leaned back, allowing for his hands to drop from Eloise’s neck as he smiled at her, eyes looking across the room to find the ones of his friend, noting the fond smile she gave him, a gentle nod of her head that spoke a thousand words more than he could have ever needed to hear.

“They uh,” Eloise cleared her throat, her hand coming up to wipe at her eyes as she composed herself, bringing her focus back to the task at hand, “They’ll be asking me about where you guys are gonna be on the night, I was supposed to leave dead ends for you to follow so by the time you learnt about the shipment, it would be too late,” Eloise reached forward for the recording wire, twisting it in her palm as she looked at it, silently figuring out how it worked, “But fake tip offs will only get me so far, it wouldn’t be believed to give them enough time to get in and get out before someone reported it,”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Calum chuckled lightly, glancing over at Nikki who reached forward to hand Eloise a folded piece of paper she had pulled out of her jacket, “We’ve got that covered,”

Eloise looked at Nikki, brows dropped in question, hand reaching out and taking the folded piece of card from her. The image that welcomed itself to her when she unfolded the sheet was one that caused her eyes to widen a little, the bold poster having the answer to her question.

“Okay, but how’s a football match going to help us?” Eloise lifted the poster, turning it in her hand as if to show Nikki the bright blue background.

“It’s a charity match,” Calum began, “It’s an annual thing held every year in light of raising money for Gracie Square hospital, which is very close to the Police Commissioner’s heart. But the date is wrong, on that poster is shows the date being next Saturday night, the same night as the shipment, when it actually isn’t happening for a few weeks,” Calum pointed to the brightly coloured text at the bottom of the poster, smirking at his awful attempt at photoshop, “So, you can use this alongside a fake tip off, assuring that 90% of the NYPD will be too busy running around a field to know what’s going on,”

“And you think this is gonna work?” Eloise’s tongue poked the inside of her cheek, an unsure sigh leaving her as she stared down at the poster. Would they really fall for something like that?

“Only one way to find out,” Nikki threw Eloise a shrug, reaching behind her to grab her jacket, removing her ankle from her knee before standing to her feet. She slid her jacket on with ease, looking down at the couple who sat on the couch, a gentle smile on her face as the sound of her boots clicked against Calum’s wooden floor as she made her way around the chair and picked up her purse. “I’ll leave that with you guys, but I need to head back to the station. Believe it or not but some of us still have real police work to do,” She shot a playful glare at Calum, “Not all of us have a million vacation days to use up,”

“I’ll walk you out,” Calum chuckled at Nikki’s remark, leaving a rather unsure Eloise by herself on the couch, poster in hand as she read the same words over and over again in her head.

Were they crazy for thinking this could work? Maybe.

Calum joined Nikki outside, closing the door behind him quietly as if not to disturb the silence. Nikki took a few steps before turning to face Calum, stopping just before the descending steps of his porch, tilting her head, and giving him a knowing smirk. “What have you gotten yourself into, Hood?” She couldn’t stop the dry laugh, her arms crossing across her chest as she leaned back, the large pillar behind her preventing her from stumbling, “You’re really gonna let her leave New York?”

Calum’s brows furrowed, almost unsure of how to take her question. Was she insinuating he backtracked? Insinuating that he betrayed her? “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” His tone was bitter, as if he had just sucked a ripe lemon.

“You love her and you’re really just going to let her leave?” Nikki crossed a leg in front of the other as she stood in place, keeping her voice down to prevent any lingering ears from overhearing them, “Or is that why you’re letting her go?”

Calum froze on the spot, his arms limp by his side as he registered Nikki’s accusation. One word had such an impact, delivering an almighty punch to his gut that left him winded. Such a powerful word; so small yet so big.

He knew that he loved being around Eloise, loved every moment he spent with her, but he had never truly thought about loving her. Calum believed he would eventually feel that way for her in due time, knowing he was head over heels for the girl who sat in his home, but was it possible to feel it as quickly as he was accused of. Was it love when he didn’t even admit it to himself first? When it took for a third party to point it out as if it was as obvious as a stain on a white shirt?

All the feelings she had made him feel over the past few weeks seemed to hit him like a truck, feeling like he was being thrown around like a ragdoll in the clutches of something he couldn’t escape. It was a scary feeling, usually compared to the likes of being on a rollercoaster you couldn’t get off, but to Calum it felt like so much more. It felt like he wasn’t in control, as if he couldn’t stop himself, couldn’t stop the way his heart skipped a beat when he thought of her smile, or the way he involuntarily smiled at the thought of her laugh. He felt as though he were simply a character, a creation of someone else who made his decisions for him, when in reality, everything he felt was caused by a pretty brunette by the name of Eloise. And yet somehow, for a man who felt as though the feelings were out of his control, he knew they were real. Every single one of them.

Did she even love him? Could she even love him? They had something, he knew they did, but was she willing to let herself succumb to the possibility of being in love when they were so close to a potential life-changing altercation? Was he willing to allow himself to embrace the true feelings, to share the word that he was yet to say to the girl who he knew had his heart in her hands?

“It’s clear as day, Cal,” Nikki’s voice caught his attention, bringing him back from the whirlwind of thoughts in his head and the pounding in his chest, “And if I can see it then so can everyone else, and I can see she feels the same,”

“But- “

“It’s in the small details, Calum,” Nikki stood upright, pulling her purse further up her arm, “The way you look at her, there’s a clear line between caring for someone and loving someone,” She smiled at the final words, “And you, Calum Hood, are loving her,”

With that final statement, Nikki turned to take her leave, walking down Calum’s driveway towards her parked car, sending a friendly wave through the windscreen before she started her engine and made her way back to the precinct, leaving Calum stood on his porch with her words circling around his head.

Calum loved Eloise. Deep down, he knew he did, but he was afraid to admit it, to himself, but also to her. She had asked him on that day if they were just setting themselves up for heartbreak, if he were prepared to risk everything he had for a total stranger? Calum recalled his response, ‘I’m willing if you are’, knowing he was wrong. He wasn’t willing. He was certain. Calum knew he would risk everything for her, that he was doing exactly that, and would do it a hundred times over for her again if she asked.

Now all he had to do was tell her that.

*****

6 Days Left

The smell of the hideout was one she never got used to. It was a strange mixture of cigarettes, dirt, and men. It wasn’t a pleasant smell, not like the one that engulfed her when she was with Calum. She could faintly smell cigarettes on him, knowing he snuck out for a cigarette when she was at his place, but never questioned it, it somehow didn't bother her unlike it did when others smoked. Maybe it was because he never did it around her; he always excused himself without her even having to ask. He was kind like that, seeming to do everything with nothing but consideration in mind for her.

If only everyone could be like that.

The sound of a door opening caught everyone’s attention, the collection of bodies that sat around the table all turned in unison, eyes falling on the open doorway and the body that entered. Eloise’s eyes followed the messy head of hair that floated through the room, watching as Scott met her eyes momentarily before tearing them away and continuing to make his way through the crowded room, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table. He was avoiding her, this only confirming what Eloise already knew from the lack of communication they had prior.

Eloise felt as though everyone’s eyes had turned to her even though they were anywhere but, unable to deny the uncomfortable bubble in her stomach that embedded itself as she watched Scott pick at his hands, becoming ignorant to everything else around him. The seat next to her remained empty, everyone around them assumed that Scott would sit there once Eloise had taken her place, knowing that they sat together every time, that they were a team.

But they couldn’t have felt any further from the word. The distance between them was evident; loud and clear as if someone were ringing a bell in the room, announcing it to anyone who would listen. Things with Scott just seemed to have gotten worse since that night he visited her apartment, the effort he made to answer his phone remaining virtually non-existent. It was almost as if he didn’t have one, as if she had been sending numerous texts to a blank number. Eloise was puzzled in regards to the sudden distance, it seemed to have begun back when everything started out, as if the day that Jay gave her an ultimatum was the day that Scott had begun his descent in associating with her, taking a further step back with each day that passed.

The difference in his physical appearance was one that not many would consider to be a change, but to Eloise it was like a reincarnation. From where she sat, she could make out his sunken eyes, the bags beneath them evident and dark, as if he hadn’t slept in days, the bruise that discoloured his jaw caught her attention, her brows furrowing as she thought of where it could have come from. Scott wasn’t a fighter unless provoked, or at least she thought he wasn’t. He wasn’t the same man she once called her best friend; he was an entirely different person.

Her eyes fell to her left, watching as Gabriel settled himself in the chair beside her, the blond jutting his chin over to Scott before catching her eyes, “What’s his problem?”

She wished she knew. If anyone were to ask her what was wrong with Scott a month ago, she would know within a heartbeat. But now… Now she had no idea. “Beats me,” She gave a limp shrug, sighing as she crossed her legs over one another while they continued to wait.

Jay was late. As usual.

Eloise’s eyes glance around the room, familiar faces surrounding her – faces she had grown up around as well as a few new ones she had come to know over the years. Many of them her own age, a few older, a few even younger than her, and guilt bubbled in the shallow pit of her stomach at the thought of cursing those who were only doing what they knew to the life behind bars that they would most likely live out if the whole deal fell through like it was supposed to.

The door practically flew off its hinges when Jay entered, barging through the doorway with heavy footsteps, a smug grin plastered across his face. A burner phone was clutched in his hand as he took his position at the head of the table, eyes cascading over the collection of bodies who hung on his every word and awaited the news he had gathered them to hear.

“Just came off the phone with Anton, and the deal’s still on,” Every word Jay spoke was like a needle pricking Eloise’s skin, the pompous attitude he oozed where he thought he was invincible made her skin crawl, “He’s bringin’ along a few of his boys, and according to him the shipment should be coming in at midnight,”

Brown eyes drifted to the side, catching the way Scott sat with his arms crossed along his chest, Eloise’s stomach sinking at the expression on his face, it was almost as if Scott was excited for this.

If only they knew what was being planned…

Jay continued on, spewing instruction after instruction of what he expected of his team on the night. Loaded guns, no distractions, blah blah blah… Eloise had to fight back the eyeroll her body wanted to give at Jay’s words; the same words he spoke before every bust or deal they walked into. But it was what he said next that caused Eloise to second guess the action her body naturally wanted to act on.

“And Scott’s gonna be upfront with me on this one,” He moved to stand behind Scott, hands resting on his shoulders, “It’s about time he had his chance to show everyone what he’s really made of, so I’ve decided he’s gonna ride up front with me on this bust,”

Eloise could have sworn someone was strangling her, the sudden lack of air to her lungs was painful as she heard Jay’s words. Scott was going to be his frontman… She drinks in the sight before her, eyes darting between the two, catching the almost-proud smile Jay was shining towards Scott, as if he were a child who had just taken his first steps.

“Scotty here has been working his ass off lately, bringin’ in some extra cash like I asked unlike the rest of you,” Jay spat the last part, his eyes narrowing as the vivid orbs burned holes into the skin of the scattered bodies, “Who here heard about the booze buy over in Staten Island a few nights ago?”

Glances were shared around the room, varied confused expressions and utters of ‘what buy?’ circled around before the sound of a fist slamming down onto the table brought the confused eyes back to the man of the hour, the anger radiating like steam from his body. Everyone was used to how quickly his mood would change, it very much acting like someone flicked a switch in the control room that was his brain, hardly anyone flinching at the sudden outburst from Jay.

“Exactly,” Jay seethed through gritted teeth, slowly lifting his clenched fist before resting it back on Scott’s tense shoulder, “But Scott here found out about it through the grapevine, decided to conduct a lil’ bit of business of his own out there, took the buyers from right under the Wolves’ noses,” Jay’s tone oozed with excitement as he talked about Scott’s endeavour, god it was almost as if it turned him on. Okay, gross.

Eloise’s eyes fell to Scott, disappointment clouding over her face as she shook her head barely, the movement hardly even acknowledged by her neck as she held back the sigh that sat heavy in her chest. How could he have been so stupid, she thought to herself. Staten Island wasn’t their area, they didn’t even venture into Staten Island regardless of business or not, silently agreeing to keep out of that area of New York for their own good.

The White Wolves weren’t the kind of gang that let things slide easily, and they weren’t too fond of others walking around their territory even if no harm was intended. Everyone knew that. But now, Scott had really rattled the cage; stealing business from another gang in their own part of the city was practically asking for trouble. It just enlarged the painted targets on their backs that were laid on them that night at Mooney’s, another rule being broken, and she knew that this time there was no question that this would entice a war.

How could she have let him be so stupid?

Eloise blamed herself. She always had done when it came to Scott, mainly because this time she wouldn’t be able to get him out of the trouble he had brought onto himself. All those years where she would talk his way out of whatever he had landed himself in had become for nothing, the end result of this oncoming altercation would be the breaking point, the only time when Eloise wouldn’t be able to save him.

This wasn’t Scott’s style though… Yeah, he had a big mouth and talked his way into trouble, but he was never usually stupid enough to go and break the rules that they had lived by for years.

That was unless someone was convincing him otherwise…

Why didn’t she see it sooner; the distance, the ignoring of phone calls, lack of communication, cold shoulders, silent treatment, everything that had been building up for the past few weeks all made sense so suddenly, it was because of him. Jay had been working his way in since the day the plan was created, immediately creating a divide between Scott and Eloise. He was removing Eloise from the picture so he could get his claws into Scott, to move him away from the sensibility of Eloise’s motives and plant the blond in his very own twisted ones.

For years she had been a witness to the ways of Jay Snow; his manipulation of those below him in order to give him what he wants. He had always treated those below him as if they were prodigies, a personal project for him to use in order to build a powerful following that he could lead into power and would help him to control New York. And that’s exactly what he was turning Scott into.

God, she felt like such an idiot… How didn’t she see this sooner? She had been so blinded with Calum and focusing on overthrowing the gang that she hadn’t seen what had been happening while she was gone. She had lost her best friend, and there was no way in getting him back.

Eloise’s eyes met with Han’s from the doorway to her left, eyes peering over the heads of the others who had gathered while the tall man shot her a warning look as if to tell her to calm down. Eloise rolled her lips into her mouth almost painfully as she tried to release her shaky breath as quietly as possible, calming herself as she listened to the remainder of the spiteful speech Jay was throwing around the room.

There was a small part of her that had silently prayed that she would get Scott out, that she would be able to confess the ploy to him and convince him to run with her, to give them both a chance at a new life. But it was too late now… There was no way she would be able to pull him out of this. He was in too deep. He was at rock bottom with the worst of them.

Her mind felt like it spaced out, a million thoughts racing through the space at a million miles an hour, everything else around seeming so distant. This included the repeated question that sounded like a mere muffle in her ears until a nudge to her arm brought her back into the reality that she wished she weren’t a part of.

“Were you listenin’?” Jay asked rhetorically, brows raised, and chin tilted down as he stared at Eloise’s slouched figure from across the table. God, he infuriated her, talked down to her like a child, always had done. For years she brushed it off, it being her normal, but lately it burned her skin uncomfortably with every word.

She licked the top row of her teeth, tongue sliding along the front as she threw a haphazard shrug towards Jay, sitting slightly more upright as she rested an elbow on the dark table in front of her.

“Any word on the cop situation for the night?” Taylor’s voice piped up from behind Eloise, the sound of the new yet familiar tone was pleasant to Eloise momentarily before her brain kicked in, reminding her to fall back into the false confidence of playing along with the original plan. “Since she seems to be in a world of her own, has our dear little Eloise pulled her head out of the clouds for longer than five minutes and got the job done?”

Eloise had to fight the roll of her eyes yet again, turning her head briefly to look at Taylor, whose eyes were firmly planted on her, the cold blue orbs meeting her brown ones as she spoke, an intimidation game subtly taking place between the two young members. “You’re so lucky that I don’t put a bullet in you,” She pursed her lips, irritated, and fed up with the snarky comments like those which had been thrown around.

“Well, have you done it or not?”

“As far as they know, the shipment has been pushed back until late next week,” Eloise crossed her left knee over her right as she prodded the table with her finger, sighing as she looked down at the table briefly, “Told ��em that the dock was confirmed to be the one down by St George in Staten Island, and I even got a dodgy text to look as though one of Corp had sent it,”

“Fuckin’ mugs,” Jay scoffed, smirking as he made his way back to the head of the table, perching himself on the edge so he was half-sitting on the brim as he watched Eloise with intent, waiting for her continue, clearly expecting more to follow.

“As for keeping ‘em busy on the night, they’ll be too caught up over in Eisenhower,” Eloise explained, “I set up a tip off on a supposed drug deal going on down there on Saturday and they’re crawling all over it,” She chuckled a little, almost scoffing as she looked to Jay, watching as he quite literally drank in every lie that left her lips, “So most of their night shift is gonna be working overtime on that case if what I’ve heard is right. But I’ve also found out that there’s a charity football game being held over in Belmont Park,” She reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out the folded poster that Nikki had given her, unfolding it before laying it out on the wooden table before sliding it over to Jay’s line of sight.

His green eyes scanned the poster, large hand reaching out and pulling it towards him, the paper sliding along the table like a snake slithering along the grass. Eloise watched as his eyes read over the words spread across the page, eyes pausing on the date, watching as they noted the small print at the bottom.

Let’s hope that was enough.

“The Commissioner organises it every year, requests all officers who are off-duty to come and participate,” Her voice continued, brown eyes watching as Jay’s green never tore from the poster in his eye line, “It’s gonna be over-crowded, apparently every cop in the city will be there as well as their families and friends. So, if they get called in about the shipment, it’ll give us more than enough time to clear out and move before they get even remotely near to the boat yard,”

“And your cop friend told you all this?” Taylor’s voice quizzed, “Where’s he gonna be on the night?”

Eloise’s eyes casted over to the side, the peering eyes of Taylor burning into the corner of her brown orbs as she refused to give him her full attention. “Calum’s playing at the game,” She answered nonchalantly.

“So, he’s gonna be busy?”

The effort she made not to roll her eyes at Jay’s idiotic query was painful, the gentle sting behind her eyes evident as she fought the primal urge in retaliation to stupidity. For a man who claimed to be so street-smart he sometimes lacked the basic common knowledge of words.

“He’s the captain of one of the teams so I think that says it all,” The scoff fell from her lips like an instinct, her free hand coming up and running through her hair as a few gentle chuckles were shared around the room at her remark.

“So, you think we’re good on the cop front?” Jay’s eyebrows raised in question, hands resting against the edge of the table as he leaned forward, as if to try and apply pressure to Eloise, as if to try and scare her by his physically higher position over her.

“Don’t see why not,” She shrugged, blinking blankly at Jay, “Patrols are gonna have their hands full over in Eisenhower, meanwhile the rest are going to be attending an overpacked football game where no one will be able to move their cars due to arrogance of the many football-maniacs that will also be attending,”

She laughed almost silently at the final part, remembering a story that Calum had shared of the last football game he attended, telling her of the time when he came out of the stadium with his dad only to have to wait for almost an hour to move his car because people had abandoned their vehicles left, right, and centre. The thought of him never had never left her throughout the entire meeting, the familiar warm face constantly playing on her mind as she sat and wondered what would happen to him if this went wrong. It didn’t just affect her, it impacted him in a way she couldn’t even begin to realise.

“Just think; by this time Saturday night we’ll be rollin’ in more money than we know what to do with,” Jay grinned, hands clasping together as he brought himself to his feet, palms sliding against one another greedily.

It always came back to money. Everything came back to the fucking money. But to Jay, this was the start of what he believed to be his climb to the top, his rise to power.

But all Eloise could think about was the desire to counteract his statement, to wipe the smug look off of his face and destroy every ounce of disgusting hope he had for what he wanted to achieve. She wanted to watch him crumble as she told him about how all he was going to become after Saturday night was another criminal who would spend the rest of his days behind bars, locked away from socialisation as the society he had transformed would dissipate into thin air.

It was a brief moment of want, the urge to watch Jay break surging through her, before she had to remind herself to wait. She knew she had to wait for her chance, to wait until the right moment on the night where she would be able to watch with front row seats as everything Jay worked to completely eradicate before his very eyes.

Eloise’s ears became deaf to Jay’s words, the speech of how they were going to take their stand in the food chain that was the gang society within the city, this being their opportunity to climb up the ladder and make their success known. God, he talked so much shit. Her eyes fell to her boots beneath the table, eyes depicting the scuffs along the toes and sides while also noting the growing tear in the stitching where the sole connected with the toe of her boot. A new pair of boots were another thing that she had placed on the backburner, figuring it could be ignored until her boots quite literally fell off of her feet.

Her eyes subtly ventured across the room, head staying in place, watching how numerous members hung on Jay’s every word, many of them only doing so because they knew no better. Her lifestyle was so alike to others in this room, yet she couldn’t handle it anymore. She had lived this way for longer than a great deal of the men in the room, so why couldn’t she handle what she used to be so accustomed to?

Since she met Calum, so many things seemed to fall into place, they seemed to make sense. It was as if every time he touched her, he fixed a broken piece of her, allowing her to see past the blindness and lies she had been fed, to see the truthful answers to so many questions she had over the years. It allowed her to learn so much truth within so many lies. She pieced together why her mother fought so hard to keep her away from this life, why her mother was so willing to tarnish her own love with the man she married to protect her daughter. She pieced together why Ruby left one day and never came back, why Han had turned so cold towards the idea of love, playing it like a game. Every woman who was more than a toy to one of the Gypsy Kings had been the single thing that tried to create a divide between the lifestyle they led and the life they tried to create with those they loved, each one only ending with the same conclusion: to be a distant memory.

She felt her world freeze momentarily as her chocolate eyes met with the familiar golden ones of Scott. God, her heart hurt when she looked at him. He looked so lost, so hurt, so different, and yet the only thing she could focus on was how he looked at her. He didn’t look at her like he normally did, he looked to be hurt yes, but it was as if he was hurt by her, as if he felt nothing but disappointment as he searched for the familiar spark that he had grown up with. They both searched for the same thing in each other, the familiar warmth that settled in their stomachs knowing they were there for each other. But this time, there was nothing. There was no buzz, no fond smile, no friendship. And that hurt.

Eloise felt her heart crack at the way he watched her. He looked as if she was the one who had given him the bruise on his jaw, as if she were the one who had forced his hand to go into Staten Island and do what he did.

It was when his eyes broke with hers that she felt as though she saw the change in Scott solidify, as if before it was only a temporary covering that would fade, but now it was him. It was as if everything they had gone through meant nothing, as if he were more than was willing to forget it all and succumb to the hypnotic words of their rotten leader and toss her aside. But wasn’t that, in a way, what she was doing; throwing away everything they had to trap the Gypsy Kings and sell them out, ultimately betraying everyone she was supposed to look at as family? Maybe so, but she tried so hard to convince herself that this was different.

She practically jumped when she felt the tight weight fall on her shoulders, turning her head and finding Jay stood over her from behind, hands clamped around her shoulders as he squeezed, a proud laugh erupting from his chest. She wanted to shrink at his words, hearing how he praised her for her work, the weight of his hands matching the weight of her heart when she heard his next remark.

“You’re a real Gypsy King now,” Jay’s snake-like tongue suffocated the air as the words echoed throughout the room, as if he were announcing it, “Thomas’d be proud, a true Gypsy legacy carrying through the generations,”

Eloise pursed her lips, masking her grimace with a slight smirk, eyes falling to her lap as her hands fidgeted inside her pockets, fingers gripping onto her phone as she tried to focus on anything other than the words that Jay spoke. The mention of his name falling from his cold lips felt wrong, it felt dirty to hear a man with so much innocent blood on his hands speak of someone so close to her. She knew her father was no saint, but he was nothing like Jay, not even close.

He’d be proud…

No, he wouldn’t. Eloise wanted to be sick at the thought of someone being proud of her for doing what she had done in the past, for committing the wrongful acts she had participated in over the years because she knew no better. She had no guide throughout her teenage years, not a real one, since her dad died. She was a sheep for long enough, following what her friends did and craved for the ability to fit in somewhere and to belong. Eloise knew he wouldn’t be proud of who she was, but she did have a glimmer of hope that he would be proud of who she was becoming, even temporarily, as she tried to correct the wrong that she had done.

By the time Jay had finished up with the praising and going over small details in regard to the night, everyone took their leave, abandoning the hideout and disappearing into the night to return home or wherever it was that they went, Eloise was left alone at the table, her fingers twisting and turning her phone in her hands as she sat in her chair, unable to make herself move as she sat in the peaceful silence. The light above her had an orange tinge, the overcast adding a gentle glow to her skin as she thought to herself. No one had even said goodbye to her as they left, well no one except from Gabriel, a gentle pat on her shoulder being the silent goodbye he usually offered before he returned home to his small apartment in the east of Brooklyn.

Six days was all she had left. Well, six days and a few hours if she wanted to be precise… Such a small amount of time before her life would change forever. She only had to hold on just a little bit longer before she got to watch as everything Jay wanted would be taken from him, to be able to know that she had prevented any further destruction to be caused by him, but at the same time the small wait was also for what would possibly be when her own destruction would take full effect.

The threat Jay made at the very beginning played on her mind; simply threatening her to end up like her parents, but now it felt more real than ever that the – what was believed to be empty – threat would be a likely conclusion. She had no one to blame but herself, digging a hole so deep that no one could possibly help her get out of it.

It was times like these, when her mind was at its worst as it dug endless holes and created unanswerable questions that would puzzle her to no end, that she wished she had her mother with her. Eloise missed her dearly, but rarely wished wholeheartedly to have her around, not wanting to pain her heart any more than she already had. She missed the advice her mother used to give her, never really identifying it as advice instead mere suggestions. Eloise would run to her mother every time she had a question when she was a kid, or if she had an ultimatum to make, knowing her mother would always give her an answer she unknowingly wanted to hear.

Like when she was nine and couldn’t decide if she wanted to study butterflies or ladybugs for her personal project for school, or when she was ten and was left heartbroken because she didn’t get asked to go to the Christmas dance unlike most of the other girls in her class, thinking that her life was practically over. Very dramatic, Eloise.

Her mother would sit her down and explain to her that she was going to need to make a decision that made her happy, explaining that there would be many occasions throughout her life where Eloise would need to decide what was best for her, to strictly think of herself and put her own happiness before others. But Natalia always reminded her that there was a time and place to be selfish, always trying to teach her daughter how to be kind but also to be strong. Every pep talk she gave ended with the same somewhat finishing line, unintentionally sticking in her mind even when she didn’t really want it to.

She would always say that Eloise had a choice in everything she did, in every decision and every outcome; to decide if she was going to accept what happened and move on or if she was going to change it for the better.

God, if only she were still here, Eloise wished. What she would give to get some advice on what she should do, on where she should go from there. What she would give to have a hug right then; a warm motherly hug, something she hadn’t felt since she was eleven.

What that girl would give just to feel that comfort once more.

---

If you make it this far, thank you! I’d really appreciate any thoughts/feedback if you have any! Thank you!

Tag List: @steviemae @elsysoza @treatallwithkindness @oopsiedoopsie23 @loveroflrh @another-lonely-heart @zhangyixingxing1

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halcyonnhood · 4 years

Text

Ramen, Baking and Glitter || l.h

Summary: Luke realizes he loves his best friend while on tour and confronts the feelings when he sees her again.

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: possibly a few curse words.

Authors note: The italics are Luke's memories of her! After the asterisks (***) is when they're back in LA and in present tense. I hope the format looks okay, I typed this out on my phone. Also the OC is very special to me (more about that in the tags.) I may write more about her and Luke.

- - -

The band 5 seconds of summer have travelled thousands of miles over the years. They've explored new countries, cities, and towns. They've met new fans, friends, and probably too many flirty humans. Luke enjoys every last bit of it, he thrives on the attention. Yet, no amount of love from fans manages to take his mind off one of his best friends waiting back in LA for him. Everything happens to remind him of Sarah.

When the boys stayed in Japan, Michael had demanded to stop for ‘proper’ ramen before they left the country. Of course, no one had the heart to deny him his love for traditional Japanese food. The four of them had been bantering and talking about plans when the longing had struck Luke. He was mid bite of his chicken ramen and all he can remember is the silly heated debate he and Sarah had before the tour.

Sarah tosses the bright orange bag back at Luke and scrunched her nose in disgust. She hadn't eaten all day and upon arriving at Luke's house, she decided she wanted to fix something easy. So naturally, she rummaged through his cabinets and made Luke reach the ramen shoved on the top shelf. When he handed the orange bag to her with “chicken flavored” printed across the top, she felt like she was going to have a brain hemorrhage. Now she just stares up at the top shelf in disappointment, as if red bags would magically appear instead.

“I want ramen.” Sarah tells him with pouted lips.

“You just threw the ramen at me,” Luke says. He points at the bag on the counter.

“Yeah, because that's disgusting.” She makes sure to enunciate the word disgusting. “It's chicken.”

“What do you have against chicken ramen? You like chicken, we literally just had some last night.” Luke questions.

“Ya, we had grilled chicken. It's the flavoring in the ramen, it's weird.”

“What kind do you like then?”

“Beef.” Sarah says. She gives him a playful smile when he rolls his eyes at her, “It is the only acceptable ramen.”

“It is not!” He argues. “You're just wrong, you monster. Chicken is a classic,”

She fake gags, “I have taste buds, you giant oaf. Now we have to go to the store because you're wrong.”

Luke spent the rest of the Japan trip thinking about Sarah. He thought about how much he missed her randomly dropping by his house and pretending she owned it. He thought about how she would've really enjoyed eating traditional ramen instead of the instant kind, she would never want to leave the foreign country. Lastly, he made a mental note to buy the girl all the beef ramen she could ever want and to find a restaurant that serves the real stuff. He knows something so small would make her whole day and he just wants her to smile.

Japan isn't the only time Luke is reminded of the strong willed girl. They had met a fan in Munich who looked uncannily like Sarah and he hadn't been the only one who noticed. If Luke's being honest, he hadn't been paying much attention to the girl at first. She had won some radio station competition and the whole band had greeted her at once before she turned to talk to Michael first. He had taken more of a notice to her after catching Michael's not so subtle glance at the boys and the first thing he had connected was the hair. The fan had her hair honey blonde hair pulled back into a French braid, so what? It wasn't uncommon to see the almost brown hair color and the style was popular. It's not like he hadn't seen it on anyone other than Sarah, he had. It was just such a common sight around his household that he automatically associated it with her.

When the fan had made it to him and pulled away from the hug, Luke felt bad for not paying attention to anything she said. He wanted to, but he was captivated by how she could be a perfect doppelganger. Dark olive green eyes, freckles spotted across flushed cheeks, and a small button nose. All things that looked eerily similar and one look at the boys showed that they had seen it too.

“Holy shit,” Michael said as soon as she had left “That kid looked exactly like Sarah,”

“It's weird,” Calum added. “I mean, all of the features just matched,”

Ashton had chuckled at their surprise, “They do say everyone has lookalikes,”

“Still so weird, especially after not seeing Sarah in months.” Luke said with a shrug. He tried not to think about it too hard.

Three different shows went by without Luke being reminded of her. He thinks it's because he made more of an effort to facetime her at the end of his nights and fulfill his longing to talk to her. When they stop in Paris, he's proven wrong. Luke wishes he could be cheesy and say it's because he realized he was in love with her while in the city of love. Except he realized his love was more than platonic weeks ago.

Ashton had suggested that they go somewhere local for breakfast. So, the duo set out on an adventure for the best place that served breakfast. They ended up in a bakery, ordering an abundance of baked goods and iced coffee. The savory scent of bread mingling with the sweet scent of pastries and cookies reminded him of none other than the girl that he may or may not be in love with. More often than not, she'd spend her extra time using new recipes to bake cookies, cake, and bread. Most of the time she subjected the boys to taste testing, but none of them seemed to mind. There would be days that Calum would be sad to come over to Luke's and find no treats. It was even sadder on recording days when she couldn't make it to the studio to visit and drop off her baked goods. The best days were always when she stopped by.

“Booooys,” Sarah sing songs, “I made some cookies!”

She sits the plate covered with aluminum foil on the desk and sits next to Michael on the couch. Ashton's listening to the producer play back their latest song while both Luke and Calum are diving for the plate to see who gets a cookie first. The sight just reminds her of how childish they can both be and it makes her laugh.

"What kind are they today?” Michael asks.

Luke sits back and looks at the cookie in his hand while waiting for her to respond with her normal rambles about the recipe. Usually she'll tell them all about how the website lied about the amount of butter or come up with an excuse to why ‘the first batch is bad’. He has to admit that he loves hearing her get so passionate over her baking skills.

“I made two. Can you believe it? TWO!” Sarah excitedly tells him. “I made salted caramel and raspberry with white chocolate chips. AND the caramel is homemade!”

"Wait, you know how to make caramel? This is so good” Calum says while waving around the half eaten cookie.

"It's so easy, it's just cream, sugar, and butter. But it burns if you don't take it off the heat fast enough. I may have ruined a pan,” She explains the last part timidly.

Some time during her explaining how to make caramel, Ashton had also grabbed one of the cookies. He just shakes his head at the girl with a chuckle, “Sarah, you'd be a good baker if you didn't burn everything,”

"Says the man who is on his second cookie,” Sarah says with a glare.

"This is the third time you've burnt something,”

“I'm betting that other bakers have burnt things before!” She argues.

The other three stay quiet as the two go at it, both of them living for the argument. For a minute, Luke thinks that Ashton is enjoying it too much. That is until Sarah's expression softens from the furrowed brow to a relaxed and playful one instead. Sometimes he thinks they're both too argumentative and honest for their own good, but it always ends in good fun. He could never understand why they actually enjoyed arguing and often times egged each other on, but as long as no one ends up in tears, everyone let's them hash it out.

“The cookies are really good, Sarah.” Luke tells her honestly. His insides feel melty and gooey as her eyes light up at the compliment.

"Thank you, Luke!” She thanks him in an overly sweet tone, “You know how to be a GOOD best friend. That's why I love you,”

It's possible that Luke had fallen hopelessly in love, not that he'd admit it. He had spent the entire world tour consumed with thoughts about Sarah, always seeking out bits and pieces of her in every place they visited. He even associated her with ramen out of all things. Ramen. He knew he'd have to deal with the conflicting emotions eventually, but he still opted to push them away to have a clear head for the rest of tour. A mostly clear head. All he knew was that it was a future Luke problem.

* * *

“Are you really bringing up the brownies I made in 2017?”

“They were MEMORABLE! Gosh, I remember how bitter they were. It feels like it happened yesterday,”

“Cocoa powder is bitter, you little shit!”

The argument can be heard throughout the hallway leading up to the dressing rooms in the Forum. Luke hadn't been expecting to hear the bright voice until later tonight, so naturally when he hears her, it makes his heart soar. Her words towards Ashton sounds harsh, but he can hear the playful hints in her tone. He isn't even to the door and can already visualize her darkened blonde hair falling past her shoulders, her usual makeup, and a smile tugging at her pink lips. He feels like he might explode with excitement.

Luke is right. He leans against the doorframe and watches two of his favorite people argue. She has half of her hair pulled back in a ponytail, purple glitter tapped onto her cheekbones, and the light catches on her shiny lip gloss. Neither of them acknowledge his presence, but Michael gives him a knowing grin from one of the chairs. He doesn't mind, he's just happy to see her again and admittedly he missed their playful fights. It gives him time to think about how he'd admit his love.

Girls are usually the ones to secretly fall in love with their best friends, at least that's how it's always portrayed in shows. Is it weird for guys to do that? Luke isn't sure how he's supposed to tell her, should there be some grand gesture? Just be straight up with no frilly things? He should've bought her flowers on the way here from their last promo video. He just wants her to feel appreciated whether or not she holds the same feelings towards him.

Luke is brought out of his daze by a smaller body colliding with his and warm arms wrapping around his midsection. He envelopes the smaller girl in his arms and gives her the tight squeeze that he's been waiting months for. She pulls back and he smooths down her frizzy hair with a small smile.

“I missed you so much, Luke.” Sarah smiles brightly up at him. The sight is enough to turn his heart to mush.

He just returns the warm smile, “I missed you more,”

“Now that you're here,’ Sarah turns around dramatically and points a manicured finger at Ashton before continuing, “You can protect me from bullies!”

“What's he bullying you bout’ this time?”

“My brownies! He can never be nice to me. I slaved all night for y'all and he brings up the disaster of 2017. I'm so much better now.” Sarah huffs.

She snatches the Tupperware bowl off of Ashtons lap and twirls around to push it into Luke's hands instead. He takes one out and savors the first bite, Sarah watching his every move for a reaction. She isn't wrong, it's much better than the first time when she forgot to add enough sugar. When he makes a noise of appreciation for the sweet treat, her face lights up and she sticks her tongue out at Ashton with a laugh. Luke swears that he could watch her soft features all evening, but he could settle for a bit of time before the concert. The last concert of the tour. Then he could spend the rest of his days talking to and watching her when she visits.

Sarah points her nose up in a mocking way, “See, Luke agrees that they are good brownies. I'm right. Now if you excuse us, I've got to paint Luke's nails!” .

“Luke's opinion doesn't mean you're right,” Ashton tuts.

"It does too! Accept defeat, Ash.” She calls out while dragging Luke out of the room with her.

Luke almost forgot that he had texted asking her to repaint his nails. Between potentially obsessive thoughts, promo, concerts, and trying to be a real tourist; Luke hadn't found the time to find someone to keep up with his nails. He definitely wants them done for the show, so he doesn't complain about their abrupt departure from the boys. Sarah leads him a few rooms down to one of the unoccupied dressing rooms and points at the lineup of polish bottles on the makeup desk.

"I didn't know what color you wanted this time, so I bought nearly half of my collection with me,” She says.

"You didn't have to bring all this, Sarah. You could've just picked one for me,”

“I wanted to have a choice! I think you should pick something new though. No black or red.”

“You're really going to do that to me?” Luke asks in mock distress.

It makes Sarah let out a giggle and roll her eyes, “I'm so horrible, I know.”

It only takes Luke a moment to narrow down which colors he liked best. He really wanted the sparkly red, but he couldn't ignore her opinion when he valued it so much. She wants something different, so he hands her the pastel pink polish and gives her a sheepish glance. She doesn't react badly though, she just gives him a wide smile with her pretty lips and motions for him to sit in the chair.

Sarah gets to work with painting his nails, making precise strokes to avoid a mess of polish. He admires the patience and steadiness required to do such a simple task, because the last time he tried it looked like a toddlers handy work. After watching three nails being covered in pink, he turns his attention back to taking in her features. Her brows dip down into a tiny furrow as she concentrates and he notices the new freckles dotted around her forehead and nose. He figures that she must've been in the sun recently, he's always known that the spots darken with exposure to sunlight. He likes how it just adds more depth to her complexion.

Luke also enjoys the glitter. She tends to save the bold look for festivals and he wants to tease her about how their show must be important. He just finds himself fascinated by how it looks on her and how it instantly brightens all of her features. Of course he wouldn't tease her about it when he thinks she looks so effortlessly pretty. Although the thought of him being the reason for her flushed cheeks is tempting enough.

When Sarah sets the closed bottle back onto the desk, Luke notices her makeup sitting neatly in the corner, probably so she can freshen up throughout the night. He wonders if the glitter would have the same effect on him. Plus, he just wants her close to him.

“What's going on in that brain of yours?” Sarah waves a hand in front of his face.

“I was just thinking,”

She purses her lips at him, “No shit, sherlock. Elaborate,”

"You know how you do your makeup? I was thinking about if I'd look good in it and if the fans would like it” Luke tells her honestly.

“The fans would love it, lu. And we'd be matching!” She gushes. He can tell she's already visualizing the look on him.

"Can you do mine too then?”

"I don't think you could afford my services,” She answers, while already reaching for her makeup.

There's more steps to the makeup look than Luke had originally anticipated. She explains each and every step to him and somehow listening to her explain bb cream ends up being the softest thing in the world. She promised that it'd only even out the redness and he does like how natural he looks. After contouring and adding blush, she finally moves onto his eyeshadow and glitter. He catches a glance at himself in the mirror as she pulls back his hair into a half ponytail and he likes how pretty he looks. The glitter looks nice on him and he matches Sarah perfectly.

Sarah pulls out the gloss wand with a ‘pop' sound and smiles at the man, “One last thing.”

"Thank you. I almost look as pretty as you,” He tells her. He likes how her face flushes a darker pink at his compliment.

"Oh, stop that. You could rock it better than me any day,”

Luke studies Sarah's expression for a moment while she puts her makeup away and he's never wanted to kiss someone more. He's spent months away and he's been consumed by his newfound romantic love for her. Now that she's in front of him again, he wants to kiss her and take her out for authentic beef ramen like he had planned. He wants to watch her bake and compliment all of her new recipes. He wants to hold her tight and never leave her again. He's just afraid that she'll never see him as anything other than a friend. He'd accept any love over none at all, but he'll never know the difference until he tries.

"Sarah, can I be honest with you?” Luke questions.

She looks up at him with wide eyes, “Always. What's up?”

"I think I love you,” Luke tells her carefully. “Tour gave me a lot of time to think about how I feel about you.”

"Romantically?” Sarah looks at him in awe and points at herself, “Me?”

"Yes, you.”

“I'm really not sure what to say in this situation,”

"You don't have to say anything,” Luke rubs his sweaty palms against his pants, “We can just pretend this never happened.”

"No, I mean…I think I like you too. It's just that you're my best friend and you were gone. So I don't know how I really feel? It's easy to think one thing without the person around. Now you're here and what if I just missed you?”

"We can always wait to talk about this,” He assures her, “I was just going to ask you to go on a date with me after the show,”

She gives him a lopsided smile, “What kind of date?”

“I figured I'd ask you to a Japanese restaurant, but no weird seafood since you hate that. I thought you'd like some traditional ramen. We had it in Japan and it reminded me of you.”

"The real stuff? Michael talks about how good it is all the time!”

Luke smiles at her reaction, “Would you like to go with me?”

"You know what? Yes! It'll be fun.”

The boys are finishing up last second preparations backstage when Sarah joins them. Michael and Calum are talking with each other and she doesn't see Ashton with them yet, so she takes it as a chance to talk to Luke. He's fidgeting with his in-ear monitors when he notices her walking up to him, a sneaky expression across her features.

"Being a troublemaker?” Luke raises an eyebrow at her.

"You know it! I just took a break to wish you luck,”

"I always need that,” He chuckles.

The stage managers are rushing around and one speeds by calling out that they'll be on in one minute. Luke gives her a frown, sad to leave in the middle of a conversation. Sarah on the other hand just smiles instead and motions for him to lean down. When the tall boy does, she stands on her toes and places a soft kiss against his lips. His blue eyes widened at the unexpected kiss, but softened after the initial shock. She pulls her lip gloss out and touches up his gloss that she had messed up, not wanting to ruin his look. Luke didn't expect Sarah to make the first move, yet he's the one blushing.

“I-” He starts.

Sarah doesn't let him get a word in edgewise and pushes him lightly towards their other three friends, “I think you're going on now,”

"You look pretty. I'll see you after!” She adds again with a smile at the shocked man.

Luke is definitely in love with her, there's not a single doubt in his mind. All he can think about through the concert is the fact that he's never been so excited for noodles in his entire life. Noodles and his favorite girl.

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tirednotflirting · 3 years

Text

haunting me forever from the start

some spooky season Cake for @ashesonthefloor‘s halloween fic event :)

so so much thanks to ainslee for organizing such a fun event !! i feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to take part in something with some of my favorite writers and people and if you haven’t dug through everyone else’s posts i recommend checking out the event masterlist here !!

alright you’re gonna have to forgive me because i have never been to a haunted house and i wrote most of this in the middle of the night after work and I was always too scared to find haunted house pov videos at that hour. so i took some creative liberties on some of this.

also this is likely pushing the limits of how much fluff i should be allowed to fit into something but i promised miss meg Cake fluff after the other piece i posted of them earlier this week sjdflksdj

soooooo my prompt was: “We’re part of the same group in this haunted house, and you won’t stop clinging to me every time we get spooked.” Or, one person is really clingy with someone else in their group. It’s a good thing they’re cute. They can either know each other or not.

okay enjoy the silly fun and happy halloween !!!

{read on ao3 here}

Genuinely, Calum should have expected this when he told Michael he could pick out their Friday night activity.

Or well, Calum really hadn’t gotten the choice in picking what they did since he only got out of his calculus midterm probably forty-five minutes earlier and Michael picked him up, and rather than driving back to their shared apartment for another movie night, they’re now somewhere on the north side of town in a parking lot. It’s the parking lot at the fairgrounds which at first had Calum confused because Michael hasn’t been a fan of this fair since the trouble he had with the corn dogs here about a year ago. But then Michael asks him to grab the folded papers out of the glovebox and after just a bit of inspection, Calum learns the real reason they’re here.

“No. No way.” Calum shakes his head, his arms folding across his chest, defensively.

“Come one, Cal,” Michael whines. “You’ve barely left campus or the apartment in weeks because of midterms. You can’t tell me that you really wanted to spend another night watching superhero movies in the living room.”

“That’s literally exactly what I wanted to do tonight. Mikey, my brain basically melted during that exam.”

“Great,” Michael starts as he swipes the papers from Calum’s hand and moves to open his car door. “Then this haunt probably won’t even scare you too bad like the ones we tried last year.”

Calum huffs out a breath as he opens his own door, slamming it closed a bit harder than probably necessary and joins Michael in front of the car. It’s early October so the air in their college town is cool but not yet cold. Either way, he’s thankful for the hoodie he had decided to bring to campus that morning. They head up in the direction of the fairgrounds and Calum lets Michael lead since he obviously has a bit more of an idea about where they’re headed.

“Or that’ll just make it even worse.” Calum tries to argue. “I’m barely a functioning human right now. My head is filled with integrals and fear, Michael.”

“You’ll be fine. I’ll be right there with you the whole time and if it really is that bad, I’ll owe you a hot chocolate and funnel cake once we get out, okay?”

Calum purses his lips in thought for a moment because that is a pretty good deal, all things considered. Plus he hasn’t had anything to eat since the late lunch he had a few hours before his exam and his stomach is yelling at the mere mention of junk food. “Fine.” he concedes. “But you aren’t allowed to make fun of me like last year if I get freaked out in there, okay?”

“You got it.”

They continue through the fair, the bright lights around the food and game booths starting to light up all colors of the rainbow as the sun makes its final descent below the horizon. It’s an awfully cheery prelude to a haunted house, Calum thinks, and he’s kinda surprised Michael somehow found a haunted house nestled into the middle of a fall fair. Around them, families and groups of high school kids wander with bright eyes and smiles from booth to booth. Kids clutch sugary treats and oversized stuffed animals while parents follow closely behind. Young couples wait in line for the ferris wheel and share clouds of cotton candy. It’s all such a rosy picture of an autumn evening and Calum wishes he were taking part in this rather than heading up toward the nightmare factory Michael is leading him towards.

Eventually, they reach a barricade where some kid in a neon t-shirt with the name of the haunted house printed across the front scans the printed tickets that Michael has and they’re pointed toward a line forming outside of the metal building that’s likely has some other not-so-spooky purpose outside of the month of October. In front of Michael and Calum are a group of boys probably around middle school age, if Calum had to guess. He’s considering how mortifying it’s going to be when a bunch of actual children hear him scream when Michael chimes in, as though hearing Calum’s thoughts.

“See, Cal,” Michael lets his elbow drop to lean on Calum’s shoulder. “These kids aren’t even scared of this. You’ll be totally fine.”

Calum is moments away from giving a snarky response when he catches a glimpse of the people in line behind them as he turns in Michael’s direction.

And of course the most beautiful boy he has ever laid his eyes on is just steps behind him and also about to witness Calum shriek like a baby at the sight of a clown or something.

The boy is accompanied by another (though their body language seems to be mimicking Calum and Michael as they laugh at something on a phone screen so for the time being he decides they are not on a date) and he’s tall, taller than Calum by a few inches probably. He’s got curly blonde hair tied up back into a little bun though the cool evening breeze has some of the hair around his face blowing into his blue eyes. Calum is trying not to be overdramatic but he thinks he might be looking at an angel. (Or a really pretty demon. He is like, seconds away from walking into one of his greater fears, after all.)

He shakes his head before abruptly turning back toward the front of the line to avoid staring when Michael, of course, decides to take a look at what Calum had been glancing towards. His face lights up and Calum assumes he’s about to be teased until they head into the haunt when Michael himself blushes just slightly across his nose before speaking. “Ashton! Is that you?”

The boy walking up with the angel pulls the hood from his sweatshirt off from around his head and smiles brightly. “Michael, funny seeing you here. How’s it going?”

“Doing well. Finally got the roommate out for an evening on the town since he’s been studying like it’s his full time job for the last three weeks.”

“Michael, we’re sophomores. Studying actually is my full time job,” Calum pouts. Great, he thinks, now the cute boy is going to think he’s a total nerd. Which he absolutely is but that’s not the point.

Ashton laughs at the exchange. “He’s got you there,” he starts while extending a hand out toward Calum. “I’m Ashton. Michael and I took developmental psychology together during summer session. This is my roommate, Luke.”

Calum accepts Ashton’s hand and smiles shyly first at him and then Luke, who holds his hand up in a short wave as Ashton introduces him. “I’m Calum. It’s nice to meet you guys.”

Similar greetings are exchanged among the four of them as they go through obligatory What’s your major? Where are you from? undergrad small talk as the line inches toward the entrance.

Michael and Ashton eventually pull the conversation toward what they’re taking in their psychology classes this semester (Ashton is a year ahead of the rest of them and Michael very obviously wants the low down on the finals he’ll be taking at the end of the semester but also Ashton’s number if Calum is reading the signs correctly). Luke laughs and turns his eyes toward Calum's as they’re shut out of the conversation.

Suddenly Luke is leaning in toward Calum's ear and he swears his heart skips a beat because Luke is very cute and smells very nice. Luke giggles softly before speaking quietly enough that it’s obvious he’s trying to avoid the other two hearing him. “Ash used to come home from that class with heart eyes, I swear. If he doesn’t get the guts to ask Michael out before the end of the night, we may need to take matters into our hands.”

Calum grins, feeling accomplished that he read the situation correctly. “You like playing matchmaker then?”

“Only when it’s for people being that dumb.” Luke gestures over to the blushing pair standing a couple feet away from them. He’s got a point, Calum admits silently. He’s been friends with Michael since they were kids and he knows that flirty face anywhere.

“Alright so if we get to the other side of this and they’re not exchanging numbers, how subtle do we go about suggesting they get together again to geek out about psych theories?”

Luke shakes his head, a playful grin playing at his lips. “Oh no, I’ve always found greater success with a more direct approach. It’s the engineering major in me. We like to face our problems head on.”

Calum is opening his mouth to make another comment back (though he will admit, trying to fit flirting into an exchange about setting up his best friend is a bit of a challenge he’s realizing) when the line starts moving again, bringing them just about to the front of the line. And of course, Calum was too distracted by the short banter the line allowed to pay attention to how much time had passed and now he’s just about to step into this mess of an idea of Michael’s.

The group of kids that had been in front of Michael and Calum are let in with the family that had been just before them, and the person running the door lets the four of them along with the couple behind Ashton and Luke know they’ll go through the haunt as a group. Ashton lets out a short laugh once the kids head off into the darkened doorway. “Honestly, glad we’re not going through with them. Love a haunted house but I swear kids will just scream so loud for fun in these things.”

Calum watches the three of them agree and he finds himself nodding but also silently preparing himself for being the annoying kid screaming. Though in his case it’s more because he’s a bit of a wimp and not just doing it for fun.

He chats back and forth with Luke for a few more minutes while they wait for their turn to head inside. Luke’s telling him about some ridiculous thing that happened in one of his labs the week before and Calum finds himself a little shocked at how quickly their conversation has become so comfortable. He’s not used to feeling so at ease with people so quickly that aren’t Michael or maybe his sister. He would sit with the feeling for longer, really let himself think on why he might be feeling that way, but then the kid at the door is telling them to head on inside.

The haunt starts basically in Calum’s least favorite kind of way. (Though given his disdain for these things, it’s not like he has a favorite but that doesn’t change how this is his least favorite.) It’s nearly pitch black as the group of six step inside and it’s just a little bit too quiet, the only sound in the room being the wind blowing against the metal roof of the building. He hears some snickering coming from the group that he tries to focus on as he squeezes his eyes shut and wills them to adjust to the lack of light.

Soon enough though there’s some scratching noises coming from the corners of the room and a couple actors in dark, obscure costumes pop out in the direction of their group. Calum contains most noises of panic, really just gasping as his feet stop short. The chest of the person walking behind him collides with his back while a gentle hand grabs onto his shoulder as the person steadies. Automatically, Calum assumes the person to be Michael since he’s typically the one jumping to comfort Calum with such little hesitation.

But then just in front of him he hears a giggle that he knows belongs to his best friend and he feels his forehead scrunching up in confusion until a voice speaks quietly near his ear. “You good?” Luke asks him, his hand still placed comfortingly against his shoulder. Calum feels his face relax then, his mind just a bit more at ease knowing that it’s not that other couple with them stuck behind his panicked body.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good.” Calum whispers back to Luke after clearing his throat. Luke’s hand drops from his arm after what feels like a gentle squeeze and they continue on ahead. Calum takes a deep breath both in an effort to calm himself and in annoyance. Not only is he going to have nightmares for weeks after this but there’s also no way in hell he’ll be able to make eye contact with Luke once they’re out of this thing.

The scary noises drift in and out and Calum finds that those aren’t too bad. The hissing of a smoke machine lets him anticipate the floor of the next room being covered in a fog and he feels pretty proud of himself when he gets it right. The room isn’t too bad; the actors in there are obviously meant to be some brand of zombie and it was only about a week earlier that Michael and Calum did a rewatch of Zombieland for movie night so the memory leaves him giggling along with everyone else for once.

Calum is just starting to believe that maybe he’s got a grip of things this time around in terms of containing his fear at the whole situation when suddenly the room is filled with strobe lights and loud noises (chainsaws, maybe?) and Luke’s chest is once again colliding with Calum’s back as he shoots back some at the noise. This time around Calum feels gentle hands moving to hold onto his arms, the touch instantly one that calms him and gets his feet to start moving in the direction of the rest of the group again. Calum focuses on the feel of Luke’s warm hands tapping out a beat against the fabric of his sweatshirt and his view of the back of Michael’s head as they move down the path set out in the room to avoid looking at his surroundings too much.

The haunt isn’t a long one and according to what Calum had heard Michael saying about this place on their walk into the fairgrounds earlier in the night, there should only be a couple more rooms before their group reaches the end. Calum continues to jump at most of what is set up throughout them but he feels a lot more grounded and at ease than he typically would since about 75% of his attention is laser focused on the hand that Luke eventually moves to rest between Calum’s shoulders.

Soon enough though they’re back outside in the cool fall air and under the colorful lights of the fair. The settings oppose each other quite extremely, Calum thinks while he makes a little huddle with the other three boys. He can’t help but notice how Luke’s hand has yet to drop from his back and he leans just slightly back into his touch. Michael and Ashton are babbling along together and don’t notice the silent actions of the other two but when Calum turns toward Luke, their eyes meet and Luke’s already blushy cheeks go just a bit more pink.

Luke’s hand drops away from Calum’s back then and a confused look drops to his face. Luke looks toward the ground, a nervous smile playing at his lips. “Sorry I didn’t like, ask before trying to comfort you in there. Not exactly appropriate of an almost stranger, I guess.”

Calum shrugs. “It was welcomed, honestly,” he starts, his grin growing as Luke looks up at him a bit shocked. “I mean, I was very obviously ready to run out of there like two minutes in. You’re basically the only reason I didn’t turn and immediately head out. So, thank you.”

“Any time.” Luke smiles brightly.

They continue to just stare at one another for a few moments, neither really knowing what to say next, when Ashton clearing his throat pulls them out of it. Calum turns his face toward the other two and tries to control his shock when he sees Michael’s lazy grin and strong grip on Ashton’s hand. Ashton gives them a knowing smile.

“We’re gonna go grab some snacks and maybe try out some of the games. Meet back at the entrance to the fairgrounds in an hour?” he coordinates, already starting to walk backwards away from the two of them.

“Sounds like a plan,” Luke answers for them. “Have fun, boys.

Ashton raises his free hand to give a short salute before turning and pulling Michael toward the row of food booths. “So they figured things out then?” Calum says as they watch their friends walk off.

“Apparently.”

Calum laughs quietly and moves to step in front of Luke. He’s not that great at being bold (especially after being terrified for twenty minutes straight) but he figures he could at least give it a shot. “Guess it’s our turn?”

Luke’s gaze pulls away from their friends to meet Calum’s eyes again. “What?”

“Let me buy you a hot chocolate as a thank you for protecting me in there?”

Luke smirks and replies quickly with his own request. “Only if you’ll let me take you out for coffee next week.”

Calum sticks his hand out between the two of them. “Deal.”

They giggle as they shake on it and then start off in the direction that their friends went just a few moments before them. Luke is quick to reach for Calum’s hand and weave their fingers together as he starts a rundown of questions that should feel like small talk but for some reason they don’t. Calum figures it has to do something with the attentive look in Luke’s eyes or the smile pulling across his face as Calum speaks about something as mundane as the calculus exam he took earlier in the night. Though it also again feels like it could be something more, something bigger than that.

But Calum’s mind is a crazy mix of adrenaline from the haunted house and endless thanks to Michael for bringing them out tonight and trying to pick out the perfect way to describe the blue of Luke’s eyes. For now, he decides, it’s enough to squeeze his palm against Luke’s to pull him in the direction of the hot chocolate with sprinkles and worry about the bigger stuff another day.

It’s a year later when Calum is sitting at the kitchen counter, staring at his statistics homework like it’s in another language and Luke is laying on the couch scrolling through his phone, his homework already finished. The university was closed that day due to the snow so Luke had decided it wasn’t worth it to go back to his own apartment after reading the email notification that morning.

Calum is too focused on the problems on the page in front of him to hear Luke pad over into the kitchen so he jumps just the slightest bit when he feels a pair of warm arms wrap around his middle. Even on the coldest days Luke is warm like sunshine, Calum has come to know and love in the last year. He lets his pen drop against the counter as he lifts a hand to play with the curls around Luke’s ear when he leans down and lets his chin rest against Calum’s shoulder. “What’s up, love? I’m almost done with this and then we can watch a movie or something while we get dinner going.”

Luke hums in agreement with the plan, his face turning a bit to press a kiss against Calum’s cheek. “I was thinking about date night next week. And I think we should do that haunted house at the fair again.”

Calum sighs and turns his head then. “Luke, I love you but despite the incredibly cute, horror loving boy that guided me through half of that thing, I still really don’t like haunted houses.”

Luke pouts then and huffs out a little sigh. “Fine,” he starts, his arms wrapping a bit tighter around Calum. “We should do something special though. Think anniversaries are supposed to be celebrated, right?”

“We could still go to the fair if you want?” Calum suggests with a shrug. “I’ve always wanted to be kissed at the top of a ferris wheel.”

“I think that could be arranged,” Luke smiles before pressing another quick kiss against Calum’s hair.

Luke stands up straight then, not giving Calum more than a moment to respond to the sweet words, and heads into the kitchen. Calum lifts his arm to rest against the countertop and lets his chin fall into his hand as he watches while Luke starts pulling things out of the fridge to make dinner. (It’s my night to cook, Cal, don’t you dare try getting up.) He decides then that he’ll probably go ahead and buy a couple tickets to the haunted house as a surprise for when they go to the fair the following week. Because if there’s anything Calum has learned in the last year, it’s that nothing can ever feel too scary or unsafe with Luke at his side.

#5soshalloweenevent2020 #cake #cake fic #will say i asked my friend who used to work in a haunted house a couple questions but i think he immediately got suspicious #so i uhhhh stopped #i won't lie i fully rewrote most of this thing like two nights ago so there are likely some errors w grammer and such #but this was my first like #not really sad cake and i had a lot of fun #baby's first fic event !!!!!#i am SO excited to get off work tonight and read everyone's fics with ice cream and celebrate halloween a few hours late :)))))

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