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suchalonelysunflower · 1 year ago

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I Hear a Symphony (c.h)

You, Again Spin Off

Pairing: Soulmate! Calum Hood x Soulmate! Fem! Reader

Summary: it’s the most important day of Luke’s life, and, even if Calum doesn’t know it yet, it would be his as well

Warnings: Fluff, kinda angsty but not Sunny’s type of angst. Language. Some grammatical errors (English is not my first language, I’m sorry)

Word Count: 4.2 K

Authors Note: OKAY, this does not mean I’m back posting every week like I used to, but it’s something. Thank you for the 2K 🥹🩷 more things are coming, I promise. But like give me time cause I’m moving continents this month. Please remember to REBLOG the works you like, that’s super important to keep writers (me) going, as well as COMMENTS LIKES AND REACTIONS. PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR WRITERS. Hope you like it and happy reading 🥰🦋🌻

My masterlist // tag list in bio!

He could hear the sound of nervous pacing echo through his head as he rubbed the tip of his thumbs over his eyes. It was a normal occurrence as lately, they’ve all grown accustomed to Luke’s endless worrying. But everyone has their limits, and Calum’s all but reaching it at this point.

“Mate, sit the fuck down!” He said, a bit more harshly than he intended in the first place.

“Yeah!” Michael seconded without paying much attention to them, sitting across the room on the couch, with no pants and a bowl of Cheetos sitting next to him as he played yet another game of FIFA “You’re gonna run out your shoes before you walk down the aisle”

Calum glared at him for that comment.

“What?! That can happen?!” Luke shouted as he immediately jumped to the bed and took off his shoes to inspect them.

“Of course not” Calum sighed, going up to Michael and flicking him on the forehead, ignoring his complaint “But you do need to calm down”

Luke’s been erratic these past few weeks as the big day approached. They’ve all had their fair share of laughs at the “bridezilla’s” post on Reddit every once in a while. But they never thought that their best friend would ever turn into a “groomzilla” Calling them in the middle of the night for their opinions about ties and eyeliner color; overhearing phone calls in the office with vendors about how “teal” was not the same thing as “cerulian”; almost having an aneurysm when Ashton said he was going to shave his head… to name a few.

Although - Calum thought - that term was not fair to Luke at all. He could understand the man being nervous about his own wedding and wanting everything to be perfect. Especially as his best man - aka the man who made sure everything was not in shambles after Luke ended up crying on the office kitchen floor at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday - What he did not get was his underlying fear of his soulmate running away at the last minute.

“I’m sorry!” Luke moaned, hiding his face in his hands as he lay down on the bed “It’s just- what if she just decides she doesn’t want this anymore?”

“You’re joking, right?” Calum sighed as he sat next to Luke.

Calum knew the whole story of their love. When he first met Luke on his first day at the company, the first thing he noticed was the mark on his skin. He remembers a blushing Luke smiling shyly at him while he rubbed his fingers unconsciously over the mark as he told them the story of how he met his soulmate. It was the first time Calum met someone so young and so in love, at least until Michael met his soulmate, but that is a whole other story - and albeit a more dramatic one.

When Luke told them he was going to propose, no one took it as a surprise. It was just how it was supposed to be for them. At least that’s what Calum thought. If he was being honest, all the idea of soulmates and having one person to love for the rest of your life seemed… weird.

He knows he should not have those thoughts out loud, and he probably agrees with Ashton’s theory that maybe it was just because he hadn’t found his yet. But, what was he supposed to think? That magically, somewhere around the world, there was someone destined to be with him? And that they would love him back? It just doesn’t seem real.

But then… He turns toward Luke, who’s now observing his mark, touching it so delicately as if it were to fall. He noticed how his lips moved to say his lover’s name as he sighed. Then, he looks over at Michael, whose mark got him a novella out of that story, and how he smiles at the text his soulmate probably sent. He thinks about how their smiles change when they’re around their loved ones; how they talk about them, as if they were the most interesting people in the world and no one could compare to them. And Calum knows. He just knows that’s how love is supposed to be.

And, he knows he’s never felt that before. Not in the receiving or giving end of the bargain.

He has had partners before. Someone to take the loneliness away from his hands and put them to good use. A distraction, maybe, from feeling so empty. But those relationships never lasted more than a season. His lips never uttered the word “love” to someone before.

Maybe he’s not supposed to.

“Ayooooo!” Ashton shouted as he came barging into their hotel suite, letting the door hit the wall and making Michael drop the bowl of Cheetos on the floor “Who’s ready to party!”

Immediately, Luke got up from the bed with erratic eyes.

“Where the fuck have you been?!”

“Whatever do you mean?” Ashton faked innocence. Calum rolled his eyes

“Give it up, Ash,” He said, getting up from the bed as well “It’s getting late and Luke hasn’t killed anyone, yet. And I have no problem letting him start with you”

“You,” Ashton pointed at him “Are no fun. I just went to grab my tux! I left it at home so that I couldn’t damage it as other people did”

Michael raised his hands “In my defense, no one should’ve brought orange soda into the tux fitting!”

Luke ran a hand through his face. Calum thought it was fortunate that he didn’t do his makeup yet.

“Just tell me you got them”

“Got what?”

“The wha- THE RINGS?!”

“What rings?”

“Okay,” Calum said, putting himself between a very confused Ashton and a bull-raging-looking Luke “This ain’t funny anymore, Ash”

“I’m not trying to be funny, 'cause you know I’ll be hilarious. But I seriously have no idea what you two are on about”

At that moment, Calum could see everything in slow motion.

He noticed the way Luke’s neck vein nearly exploded. He heard the slow whistle from Michael as he got out of the way completely. And he watched Ashton’s eyes go from joyful to meet the angel of death in Luke’s stare as he started to run across the room while the soon-to-be groom chased him.

“Hey, hey, HEY!” Calum yelled just in time for Ashton to trip on Michael’s shoes, taking Luke by surprise and making him stop on his steps “Let’s take a damn moment and figure this out, okay?! Ashton, you don’t have the wedding rings?”

“No.” He said from the floor “Why on Earth would I have them?! You’re the best man!”

“Because I gave them to you, you ass!” Luke shouted, nearly on the brink of tears.

“No you fucking didn’t, mate!” Ashton groaned as he sat down “Believe me, I would’ve known!”

“Yes, I did! At the rehearsal dinner two nights ago, I told you to guard them with your life!”

“No, Luke-” Ashton frowned and got up and went to pick something from his bag “You gave me these. Which at the time I thought it was weird, but no questioning the groom I guess”

What he showed the rest of them was a little black velvet box that contained… nothing. It was completely empty.

Luke’s demeanor completely changed from angry to defeated. Calum swore he could see the five stages of grief run through his friend’s eyes as he sat back down on the bed.

“That’s not- those aren’t-” He stammered “That’s the engagement ring box. I- I don’t know-”

In an instant, his baby blue eyes filled with tears that could not stop running down his face. A chain of curse words mixed with painful whimpers and sobs ran through him and echoed into the empty room. The remaining three friends just looked at each other in shock, not knowing how to approach or how to comprehend anything that was happening.

“Oh my god!” Luke cried “She’s going to leave me! She’ll know I lost the rings and she’ll walk out in an instant. I fucked up! Oh for god’s sake, I ruined everything!”

“Luke-”

“What am I going to even say to her?! Oh god, she’s probably thinking of ways to escape this!”

“Luke!”

“I’m going to end up alone and- and - and- and my mark will disappear! I- I don’t wanna be markless again?!”

“For fuck’s- LUKE!” Calum shouted, grabbing the sobbing groom by the shoulders and shaking him out of his state “Calm the fuck down! We’re going to figure this out and you’re getting married today!”

“But how?!”

“Just-” And then Calum realized he had no idea how to actually fix this, but he had to come up with a plan. Fast “You gave Ash the wrong box, we know that and it was an accident. But, is there any way the box with the rings just got mixed up? Maybe the rings are in the other box and-”

“And they’re exactly where you left them,” Michael chimed in. Nodding at Calum and Ash “We can go find them”

“But I don’t know where they are! They could be anywhere!” Luke whined, “Our house, with the bridal party, at the office…”

“Why would they be in the office?”

“I don’t know! I took them everywhere just to make sure I didn’t lose them”

Calum sighed and stood back. It’s game time.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” He said, seriously “Luke, you stay here. Try to compose yourself, I’ll call Jack to help you get ready and to help you look through your luggage. Ash, you’re going to their house. Look into every drawer that you can find, even the bathroom and kitchen. Michael, obviously you’re going to the office.”

“Duh”

“And I’ll go to where the bridal party is, if it’s not there I’ll go with Ash”

“Wait,” Luke said, drying his tears “I don’t want her to know that I lost them. If you go there and tell her-”

Calum just put up his hand and smirked “You’re talking to an expert here, mate. She won’t even know I’m there” He then nodded and put his hand on Luke’s shoulder “Let’s get you to that altar”

The bridal party was getting ready at the penthouse on the top floor of the hotel, which later would become the marital suite for both Luke and his new bride. Calum went up to the door, ready to knock. But then he would chicken out and do a few laps along the corridor to gain some sort of courage.

“It’s okay,” He told himself “You’re gonna do great, not embarrass Luke and save his wedding. Yeah. You’re a good friend, Calum. Good friend. Great friend, even. Maybe I should ask for a complimentary gift from their honeymoon-”

“Are you seriously giving yourself a pep talk out loud?”

Calum shrieked and jumped at the sound of the stranger’s voice. Turning around to see a lady smiling at him with her eyebrow raised. She was wearing one of the hotel’s complimentary robes with sandals and had her hair and makeup done, as well as a bucket of ice in her hands.

“I- I-” Calum cleared his throat as he composed himself “I’m just… trying to-”

He blinked a couple of times, wondering the reason as to why he seemed out of words when he looked at her waiting for an answer. With that smile and those beautiful eyes looking straight at him… She was pretty. Gorgeous even.

Calum had seen his fair share of pretty people around and about, but this stranger was just as if she were casting a spell on him the moment he set eyes on her. Like Medusa freezing him over with her beautiful stare.

Soon, he returned to his senses enough to extend a hand to her.

“Sorry,” He smiled “I’m Calum, Luke’s best man”

The girl smiled, shaking his hand “Oh, I thought I recognized you from somewhere! I’m Luke’s cousin, Y/N”

Alarm bells started shouting the words “OFF LIMITS” inside Calum’s head the moment she uttered those words.

“Cousin?”

“Yeah,” She smiled, and oh, how Calum wished she didn’t.

“But- but I haven’t seen you? I mean, at the rehearsal dinner and stuff”

Y/N sighed “Yeah, working out of state can be a pain in the ass sometimes. My flight got delayed a good 24 hours. I arrived last night and I’m already spent” She laughed “Anyway, I’m sure you have something important to do, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Being the best man and all”

Then Calum remembered his task.

“Oh shit! Right. Uhm… I’m gonna need your help” He stepped closer to her and whispered “You see, I’m on a mission”

“Like a secret mission?” She whispered back.

“Exactly. Here’s the deal…”

After he explained the situation and pretended not to notice the way in which Y/N’s eyes set on him with such brightness in them or the way her perfume seemed to hold his thoughts captive at her proximity. They both came up with a plan.

“And the bride cannot know, right?”

“For the sake of Luke’s nerves… yeah, better not”

Y/N giggled, making Calum take a moment just to wish it could happen again. And another to wonder why that was.

“Okay, follow me”

Calum walked behind her, careful not to get into her space as she used her key to open up the door. Luckily, the rest of the party was getting ready at the other side of the room, just as she told him they were. So all Calum had to do was sneak up the other side into the room and rummage through Luke’s bags. Easy enough.

But when have things ever been easy for any of them?

“Hey, Y/N!” A voice ran through the room, making them both panic as Y/N pushed Calum outside of the room again, holding the door with one hand behind her “There you are!”

Calum, still in shock from the abrupt shove, couldn’t hear most of the conversation the girl was having with another bridesmaid. He just noticed her hand out to hold the door so that he wouldn’t be shut out. And then, he noticed her mark.

It was as if a bucket filled with cold water had been dumped on him when he looked at the little dove tattooed on her skin. His face morphed into the disappointment his heart was bleeding out. Feeling the way his lungs stopped breathing as a warm, dreaded sensation ran through his body.

He didn’t know, nor could he comprehend that sudden sadness that took over him just by looking at her mark. Why did it matter so much to him? He literally just met her out in the hall. He should’ve known or even expected her to have someone already, how could she not? In the brief minutes that he’d known her, he already knew she was special. Just… just not special for him.

“Calum!” He heard her hiss through the door.

“I’m here!” He whispered back, trying to tint his voice with something other than disappointment.

Y/N then grabbed his hand blindly and pulled him into the room, making them crash their bodies as she closed the door behind him. Her strength was a bit misplaced as she ended up backtracking into the wall and taking Calum with her, pushing them together against the wall.

She looked back at him, and Calum could barely breathe. His eyes went straight to her lips, parting and waiting for words to come out. So close to him that her eyelashes could blow winds into the brown forest of his eyes. Just one more, little push and he could have his lips drinking from the secret poison of her mouth.

But he couldn’t. Not when she already belonged to someone else.

So he stood back, giving her a little nod as he made his way toward the room. Y/N followed him, making sure to stand guard at the door in case any other person wanted to come in.

“His bags are on the right side,” She whispered through the other side of the door.

“Great, it shouldn’t take me lo-oh. Oh shit”

“What?!”

“Luke’s got like six bags here!” Calum whispered-shouted, already wanting to cry “How on Earth could a person own so many clothes?!”

Y/N stifled a laugh “That sure sounds like my cousin. But don’t worry, his bride got like eight. No wonder they’re amazing together”

“Yeah,” Calum agreed as he started to go through the first bag “Can you believe that he’s scared shitless she’s going to run off?”

“What?! She’s totally head over heels for him. I’ve known them my whole life, there aren’t more deserving people of that kind of love. They truly are made for each other, real soulmates”

Calum gave her a small smile even though she couldn’t see it.

“You know?” She said, with a sigh “I have to admit that I never truly believed that could be possible.”

“What?”

“Loving someone like that”

Calum stopped for a moment looking through bag number three, that same tug on his heart appearing that he chose to ignore. Y/N continued.

“I knew soulmates were real. But I always got that feeling that it couldn’t just be that perfect, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it” He answered, opening bag number four.

“The thought of loving someone like that for the rest of your life, it’s scary. So I understand why Luke might feel like that. Like it’s just such a perfect dream you might wake up from one day. But seeing him with his girl, and seeing the rest of my friends live their lives with their happy endings. They are all living in symphonies and I’m just here trying to figure out the tempo” She laughed

Calum looked back at the door, smiling sadly at her words that mirrored his thoughts so perfectly. His hand went through the fifth bag blindly, finally touching a velvety surface. His eyes widened.

“I know one day I’ll-”

“Holy shit I’ve-”

“Find it”

“Found it!”

Both of them kept quiet for a few seconds after that.

“Wait- you found them?”

“What?” Calum turned, taking the small box from the bag and walking up to the door “But- you have a mark”

“I don’t-”

Silence again. Time stopped. The beats of Calum’s heart could echo in those moments. He knows what he saw. He knows the dove is right there.

Then, the door opens. Y/N stood there with teary eyes. Her hand was delicately touching the mark she now noticed. But she wasn’t looking at it, no. Instead, her attention was solely on Calum, who was standing right in front of her, confused.

She took his hand, he offered no fight. She opened the button of his shirt and lowered the sleeve. Finally, the two of them could breathe.

“Cal…” She said, lips forming a smile.

“Oh my god,”

There it was, drawn on his delicate skin: A dove.

“Hey, has anyone seen Y/N?” A voice could be heard saying from the other side of the suite.

Calum looked up, and in a second he had her by the waist as he hurried them over to the closet and closed the door. He put a hand over her mouth and waited as footsteps came closer.

“I don’t think she’s here,” One of the bridesmaids said as they entered the room “Maybe she went to get some more ice”

They heard the person walk back out and exhale the breath they were holding. Calum looked back at Y/N, and she was already looking at him. He took his hand from her mouth but neither of them could form a sentence.

“Hi,” He said, breathing out a laugh. She smiled.

“Hi,” Her hand found his “This is-”

“Weird?”

“I was going to say “right” This feels right” She giggled “But yeah, it’s kinda weird. We have a lot to talk about”

“I know, I-”

“But not right now” Y/N put her other hand on his chest, feeling the way his heart nearly drummed its way out of his chest “It’s Luke’s wedding, there’s a lot of things to do, and I don’t want to take the moment from them”

Calum sighed “You’re right. But when?”

“I’ll find you,” She said, placing a kiss on his cheek “Now, you have to go, best man. Or the groom might collapse”

And so Calum walked back to Luke’s room, smiling ear to ear as he still felt her lips on his cheek. A smile that did not fade until he entered the suite and found Luke in his underwear with an ice pack on top of his groin; Michael with the zipper of his pants broken; and, Ash with dog paws imprinted onto his shirt.

“What the hell happened?”

Ashton sighed “Dude, you don’t want to know”

The ceremony went without a hitch. Luke and his new bride could not take their eyes off each other since she walked into the room, the smile on both of their faces was enough to convince even the proudest non-believer that love truly exists. Their vows made everyone in the room cry or close to, at least. But as they spoke, Calum could only think of one thing: Y/N.

When he saw her walk down the aisle, holding onto one of Luke’s other cousins, he could not help but imagine that one day he would see her walk in white to him waiting at the altar. The looks that they exchanged were a secret to everyone but them. He looked for her throughout the ceremony, almost missing his cue to give the newlyweds their rings - that Luke nearly kissed him in thanks for finding them - And he knew. He just knew that the part of him that he didn’t even think was missing was finally whole.

“... And, I have to admit, soulmates and stuff? I didn’t get them. Not until I met these two. When Luke first told us about the way his bride smiled and how she always got the coffee to taste just right in the mornings, even when their coffee machine broke down, I knew what true love was supposed to look like. Most people search for a love like that, some stop believing halfway through their happy endings. I always thought that love was just something that happened. Now I’m certain that love is something you live through. Something so inexplicably beautiful that’s hard to describe. It doesn’t happen instantly, but it builds and builds until you’ve created a home out of it. I know I cannot wait to start building mine” He said, looking straight at Y/N who sat there smiling widely with teary eyes “Today, the new Mr. and Mrs. Hemmings have invited us to their home, to their love story. And I’m just so thankful to be here sharing this love with them. To the bride and groom!”

The whole venue followed with applause and a few whistles from Ashton after the speech. Luke got up to hug him tightly and thank him for everything he’s done. His wife also got up and kissed him on the cheek, hitting his arm lightly and scolding him mockingly for making her cry again.

Calum just laughed and wished them the best once again. And, when he looked back, he noticed that his soulmate was no longer in her seat. He looked for her through the crown and found her at the door, nudging her head for him to follow.

Yet, when he got there, she was nowhere to be found. That was until he felt a pull on his sleeve and suddenly he was inside a closet once again.

“You really have a lot of upper strength” He laughed, putting an arm around her waist and bringing her closer to him “Hi,”

“Hi,” She said, closing her eyes and leaning forward until their foreheads touched “That was a great speech”

“Thank you, I’ve been practicing”

She hummed as she felt a small kiss on the top of her head, putting her arms around his neck “I already want to hear it again”

Calum held her close, hiding his face inside her neck as he softly placed kisses along it. Feeling like a swarm of butterflies just took flight inside his stomach.

“We have time. I could recite it to you each night”

“We’ve barely just met and you’re already thinking about tonight?” She teased.

“I’m thinking of getting to know you every night and day for as long as you let me,” He confessed, pulling back slightly to look at her “Would you let me?”

Y/N smiled and nodded. Calum took it upon himself to close the distance between them and finally let their lips touch. Kissing her like she wanted from the first time he saw her. Hungry. Passionately. Lovingly. Hopeful for the future they could now share.

But too busy to even hear the door of the closet opening.

“Hey, Cal! Are you there? Where ha- OH MY GOD! WITH MY COUSIN, CAL?!”

tags: @iknowyouthinkimbulletproof @mystic-232 @talksoprettyjjx @theshyspy @hemmohoran @flaneurcth @hoodharlow @littledrummeraussie @bubblegum18 @irwin-fletcher-ash @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @1980holland @wiiildflowerrr @hoplessromantic727 @in-a-world-of-fandoms @another-lonely-heart @aabc5sauce @dudethisiswhyyoudonthavefriends @fakebetch9694 @5sos-imagine @SunflowerAngel2123 @perfectnouis @in-superbloom @lukeisstillapenguin @sadcupofcoffee

@superstarmarvel @personalmuyverypersonal @cnco.angels @vtte @himbohood @sofiaaraee @irwindoll @lolzkye @fairytrice @colourfulcal @nibin0912 @hfkait @savagejane1 @youneedtocalumdown @pvnkcloud @in-a-world-of-fandoms @The-Ghost-of-Cal @youneedtocalumdown @dasguccier @awritingtree @heyitskelseaj @dawwnya @calumance @writersdare @indianamgc11 @marshallowy

@ashtonsunflower @calumspupils @secretsicanthideanymore @alltimesos @wontlastimokwiththat @whywontyoulovemecami @perriexed @abiancajg @rewmuslupin @icelily13 @gracieboogirl @fastandtheformula1 @remusismyhousewife @emilyclairesimpson @romanjbittenbinder @bookthingz @voilavouz @gracieboogirl @valentinehrts

@fckingpernico @multistann @a-darneddarling @plaidshirtyears @ihavenoideawhattodowithyou @bittersweetb4by @aria-grace-scott @bvbygxrl @luisa180206 @flyingburrito123 @drugerlime

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lovesosweeet · 1 year ago

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better left unsaid // cth

chapter one

in which orion has leukemia, and calum doesn't know.

read chapter zero

june 2, 2016

madrid, spain

orion

It’s been about a week since I got to Madrid, depending on if you count my first few days of jet lag coma that left me bound to the confines of my room for roughly 48 hours after landing. My flatmates were quite concerned, but didn’t want to wake me. It has been a week of so much fun and exploration of this city I get to call home for a few months.

The three girls I’m living with are also students, so we all have minimal responsibilities during our summer break. We spend our days meandering through Malasaña and Lavapies, popping into cafes and shops that intrigue us. We grab pastries and coffee and take them to Retiro during the day or hang around bars drinking glass after glass of tinto de verano and swap silly stories. We attempt to cook dinner together most nights, but I’ve quickly become addicted to falafel sandwiches that I can order to be delivered at practically any time of day. Life is sweet and slow, as it should be, while we get to know the city and each other before classes begin in a couple of months.

Paula and Marta, two of my roommates, are both from Spain and have promised Ilse and me an authentic night out in Madrid tonight. Paula’s girlfriend is a bartender at a popular club, so we’ll also get to have a budget-friendly night out since she promised us a discount.

It’s 9:00 now and we are all getting ready while sharing a pizza and some cheap beer. I’m still trying to decide what to wear, shuffling through the pile of offerings from each of my roommates as something to wear tonight.

As soon as I met Pau, Marta, and Ilse, I instantly felt underdressed and unfashionable. My wardrobe of simple tees and jean shorts don’t seem to cut it here. Thankfully we are all relatively close in size so I can borrow things, but I will probably be spending a lot of my money at Zara trying to catch my wardrobe up with the way Spaniards dress.

Eventually I settle on a light blue slip style dress with lace trim—I think it’s Ilse’s. I pair it with my white sneakers and throw my hair up into a loose ponytail. It’s so hot out, and our apartment doesn’t have AC, and to add another layer, the sun doesn’t go down for another 30 minutes! It isn’t worth bothering with too much makeup since I’ll sweat it all off, so I keep it minimal but add a sparkly lip gloss to seem a bit more done up.

Pau and Ilse are discussing which shoes they’ll wear.

“Orion, my love, you cannot wear sneakers to the club!” Ilse says as soon as she sees me in the doorway to her room.

Our apartment is small, but it’s in a really cute neighborhood and right next to a metro station, so we don’t plan to spend a ton of time at home anyway, especially not once classes start.

I look down at my worn sneakers and quarter socks, feeling a little embarrassed. “I mean, I’m not wearing heels. Those cobblestones will roll my ankle instantly.” Truthfully, though, I’ve never gone clubbing. I’m 19 and live in the US. It’s not exactly legal for me to go clubbing, and I’m a big rule follower.

Ilse opens her mouth to continue, but Pau stops her. “Actually, you should be fine. We’re not going to that kind of club.” She gives me her signature warm smile. “Light blue looks nice on you!”

I grin back at her. “Thanks! That orange looks so good on you.”

Paula is what I think of when I envision a pretty Spanish girl. She has rich olive skin, brown hair with lighter streaks from being in the sun, and striking green eyes. Her nearly neon orange one shoulder top contrasts and complements her coloring beautifully. She has her long hair pulled back with a claw clip, but a few stray strands frame her face effortlessly.

“Okay, back to me,” Ilse jokes. Well, partially jokes. “Are we thinking sandals or boots?”

We decide that Ilse should wear sandals since it’s so hot out, and after that we check in on Marta who had been staying silent in her room this whole time. By the time we get out the door to head to the metro, it’s already 10. Are we going to have a hard time getting into the club? Should we have tried to leave earlier?

I try not to question it, knowing that Pau’s girlfriend will be there to sneak us in if needed.

We all swipe our metro cards and head to the platform for the line we’re taking. Pau knows exactly where to go and the rest of us just follow. I’m still getting the hang of the different lines and stations, so it’s nice to have Pau and Marta with us since they’ve been using the Madrid metro their whole lives.

“Pau, I don’t feel like you’ve told us much. What’s your novia like?” I ask.

A wide smile takes over her face and her eyes light up. “Oh my god, she is the best! She’s so funny and she remembers like, everything anyone has ever said to her which is so nice. I never have to wonder if she remembers what I’ve told her and she is always, always on time and I never am. She loves running and, of course, football. She’s so easygoing and always makes everyone in the room feel welcome. Oh, and—sorry. I’m talking too much!”

What Paula doesn’t realize is that all of us are smiling at her description.

“She sounds incredible,” I tell her, resting a hand on her arm. “I’m excited to meet her!”

When we get to the club — discoteca — there’s absolutely no one outside aside from the bouncer. He smiles when he makes eye contact with Paula.

“Buenas, Pau!” He wraps an arm around her loosely in a quick hug.

“Hi, Jorge! Podemos entrar?”

Jorge nods and holds the door open for us, not even bothering to make sure we’re over 18. Pau was already smiling when we walked in, but when she sees her girlfriend her smile overpowers her entire face and she runs over to the bar.

I notice that the club is basically empty, aside from a group of three hanging out off to the side of the bar. It’s 10:30 and it’s empty? This is the authentic Spanish experience?

Marta, Ilse and I trail after Paula and smile at her girlfriend, whose name I still don’t know.

“Marta, you know Lucia,” she starts.

Marta smiles. “Of course! Siempre es un placer.”

“Lucia, these are our new flatmates, Ilse and Orion. This is both of their first times in Madrid, and I said, ‘what better way to see the city than to visit Space Monkey?’ So, here we are!”

“Space Monkey?” Ilse asks.

“Space Monkey! That’s where we are right now!” Lucia says, gesturing to the space around us.

A Green Day song echoes from the speakers and there are posters of the band on the walls, accompanied by posters of Blink 182, Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, and the like. The lighting is dim and the floor is a bit sticky, and still, the place is practically empty.

“Is it normally this… dead on a Saturday night?” I ask, trying not to sound too negative.

My question sends Marta, Lucia, and Paula into a unified laughing fit while Ilse and I exchange slightly worried glances.

“Oh my sweet American friend, 10:30 here is like 7:30 in the US. Just give it a few hours!”

We aren’t too late for the fun, we’re too early. I’d heard that the Spanish run on a much later schedule, but I didn’t realize just how much later it was.

“What can I get you guys? On the house.” Lucia throws her bar towel over her shoulder and awaits our answers.

“Do you have tinto?” I ask, scanning the bar for some kind of menu or something that indicates their selection.

“Only been in Madrid for a week and you’re already hooked on tinto?” Lucia laughs, grabbing a cup from under the counter, scooping in some ice, and pouring my cup of lemony wine deliciousness from the tap. She sets it on the bar and slides it toward me. “Plenty more where that came from!”

The next few hours pass by in a blur. Paula was right, Lucia is wonderful. She slid me a fresh glass of tinto each time I neared the bottom of the one I was holding, which quickly put me into a tipsy stupor. We sang along to the throwback punk pop songs that played on the speakers and had so much fun talking to Lucia that I didn’t even realize Space Monkey was no longer an empty, sad bar, but was now full of dancing people. Lucia had pulled away from us to help paying customers, so it was just the four of us congregated in a huddle at the end of the bar.

“Wanna dance?” Ilse asks us, setting her beer glass onto the bar and holding her hands out for us to take.

Marta grabs her hand and chugs the remainder of her own glass. “Yes, please!”

I look down at my basically full glass. “Let me finish this, then I’ll come find you!”

“I’ll hang here for a bit too!” Paula says, and the next thing we know our two friends are long gone, swallowed by the crowd.

I lean closer to Paula so she can hear me without having to scream. “Lucia is great!”

Paula, who’s more outgoing than anyone I’ve ever met, suddenly is shy. She gives me a sheepish smile and blushes, looking away from me. “She is, isn’t she?”

When I go to say something else, I get cut off by the song that starts next because the entire room starts screaming.

Coming out of my cage and I’ve been doin’ just fine

Paula shrieks and starts to sing along, grabbing me by the shoulders as she screams every word. Lucia runs over to us to sing with her girlfriend, and in the blink of an eye Lucia is standing on the bar, holding her hand out to Paula.

“Give me a lift!” Pau says to me, motioning for me to help her onto the bar as well.

It takes me a second to process what she wants, and then I’m locking my hands together so she has a step up to join Lucia. The two start jumping around and keep screaming the words, acting out the lyrics with massive smiles on their faces. With my phone in one hand and my fresh glass of tinto in the other, I try to grab a picture of the cute couple while they dance, but am having a hard time getting the image to stay focused without the flash coming on.

I’m so focused on taking the picture that when a hand places itself on the small of my back, I practically leap a foot into the air, startled. My phone clatters to the floor and my drink sloshes everywhere, cold wine splashing onto my arm and the floor.

“Fuck!” I curse, setting my now half empty glass onto the bar and bending down to grab it.

But, at the same time, a deep voice says, “Let me.”

Next thing I know I’m whacking my head on something hard. The stranger’s head.

“OW!”

I reach for my phone on the ground at the same time as a much larger, tattooed hand reaches for it. It retracts as soon as mine clutches the sticky iPhone I’m hoping isn’t shattered. Within a split second I feel the same pressure on the small of my back.

“No me toques!” I say frustratedly. This stranger’s touch has already made me spill my drink and drop my phone and feel somewhat concussed as I stand up. They need to keep their hands off me.

I turn around to yell at the person more, but am just met with a person’s chest. Rather, a chest covered in a freshly stained (with my red wine drink) white cotton t-shirt. Oops.

I look up to meet the eyes of this stranger, unsure if I’d like to keep scolding or apologize for the stained shirt. I gaze into rich, deep brown eyes framed by thick lashes and warm skin. I mentally curse the stranger for having beautiful eyes and scowl at him.

“Sorry, what?” He asks.

I stare at him blankly and blink. What? I thought we were at an “authentically Spanish” club? Why is he defaulting to English?

“Oh, er… lo siento? Inglés… uh, por favor?” He slowly sputters out a few words, each syllable taking a lot of effort for him to say. Clearly he doesn’t speak any Spanish.

I take in the rest of his face. Groomed eyebrows and full cheeks. Pouty lips. Fluffy, nearly black dark brown hair. A few freckles to decorate his smooth skin. He’s beautiful, to say the least. Or, I guess his face is beautiful. I don’t know if unconsensually touching strangers is a particularly beautiful trait.

“Fuck, and you don’t speak English, great…” he mutters, grabbing his own phone out of his pocket.

“Oh, no, I speak English.” I blankly stare at his face. I think he’s still typing out Google translate on his browser while my words sink in. He then looks up.

“Oh, sweet. I um… sorry to startle you, I was just going to ask what you were drinking.”

He has to stand pretty close to me for me to hear anything he says, with Mr. Brightside still blaring through the room and every single other person singing along. I glance over and see Paula and Lucia behind the bar now, instead of on top of it, still dancing and singing while holding hands.

Possibly in an unwise decision, I decide flirting with this pretty guy is the move for the moment. Maybe I’m tipsy, maybe there’s just something about him… maybe it’s both.

My mouth curves up into a slight smile. “Before or after I spilled it on you?” I say back, feeling like I’m almost yelling to speak clearly.

The pretty stranger smiles and lets out a tiny chuckle. “Both.”

This time I grin. “First time in Spain?” I ask.

His smile falls a little. “No, why?”

I give him a jokingly judgmental look. “You’ve been to Spain and haven’t had tinto de verano?”

He shakes his head. I roll my eyes and hold my glass out to him.

“Here, take mine—or, rather, what’s left after I spilled it on you. I’ll get another when the song’s over!”

I watch him hold my cup up to his nose and smell it, frown, and then he takes a sip. As soon as the sweet drink is in his mouth he looks pleasantly surprised. He takes another drink, and then another, and then he’s chugged the whole thing in about 10 seconds, placing the cup back on the bar just as Mr. Brightside ends.

“Shit, that’s good,” he muses, looking back at me with his pretty smile. “Is that like sangria or something?”

Sharing things I like with people is one of my favorite things, especially when my recommendations are appreciated. “It’s called tinto de verano! Kind of like a very dumbed down sangria.”

I wave my hand to try to get Lucia’s attention, and when she sees me, so does Paula. Paula’s eyes dart back and forth between me and the stranger who is still standing quite close. She gives Lucia a kiss on the cheek before she runs back around to the customer side of the bar.

When Lucia walks over to me, I open my mouth to ask for another glass, but before I can say anything, Mr. Tall Stranger is holding out a 20€ note and leaning over me, pressed against my back. “Two of the uh, tinto de…” he trails off as Lucia grabs the bill from him.

“Tinto de verano?” She asks, her Spanish accent thick.

“Yeah, that.”

Lucia quickly gets the cups together and places them on the counter. When she steps toward the register to get his change, I feel that same hand from before graze my shoulder, but this time I mind it a little less.

“Keep the change. Gracias!”

Lucia is taken aback since tipping isn’t super common and his change would have been at least 10€, but she doesn’t say anything else, just smiles at him gratefully and quickly returns to serving other customers.

The guy’s tattooed hand grabs the glasses and holds one out to me. “Sorry, I should’ve asked if I could buy you a drink, but it’s too late now.” I glance up at his face and swear he’s almost blushing.

I bite my lip and shrug. “You owed me one, anyway.” Taking the glass from his hand, I clink it against his. “Salud.”

“Salud.”

Now they’re playing some less popular Nirvana song that the whole crowd appreciates but isn’t as eager to hear as they were to hear The Killers. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to leave this guy alone now or not. I mean, he’s cute, and he bought me a drink, and he tipped generously, but I don’t know that that means he wants to actually talk to me. I take a few sips of my fresh glass of tinto and try to scan the crowd to find my friends.

When I finally locate them, only because of Paula’s bright orange top, they’re already staring at me. Marta is grinning with a thumbs up held in front of her face. Ilse is wiggling her eyebrows, and Pau just smirks at me. I shoot them a quick death glare that means “stop staring” and take a step back with my back against the bar now, making the stranger face away from my flatmates if he chooses to keep talking to me.

He steps right in front of me and takes a sip of his own drink, scanning the crowd for a second before he looks down at me. He has to be like 6’2—he’s towering over me and it almost hurts my neck to make eye contact with him.

“You know,” I start, catching his attention again. “The next time you order this,” I hold up the cup, “just ask for tinto.”

He nods, looking down at the glass in his hand. “Tinto,” he repeats. “What does that mean?”

“Tinto de verano means summer wine! Tinto is just easier. The Spanish love to shorten things.”

He chuckles, and I watch the crinkles around his eyes appear with his laugh. It’s cute. His hand ruffles his hair for a few seconds and then he starts to nod to the beat of the music. His brown eyes look down into mine and it almost feels like he’s staring into my soul. “What’s your name?”

“Orion.”

“Calum.” He puts his hand on his chest to refer to himself.

His accent is hard to place, and I’ve never met anyone else named Calum before. “Where are you from?” I ask. An unoriginal question. I kick myself mentally.

“Australia. What about you? You don’t seem like you’re from here either.” I’m not sure if it’s because I’m short or if it’s really loud or if he just wants to be closer to me, but I feel him step closer and lean his head down.

I shake my head no. “No, I’m from the US. Unfortunately.”

Calum laughs, or it’s almost like a giggle. “When I’m not traveling for work, I live in LA.”

My mouth falls agape for a second but I quickly close it. LA is a big city, it’s not that crazy to find someone else who lives there, but still. “No way, I’m a sophomore at UCLA! I’m studying here for the semester but I’ll be back on campus in January.”

“Do you speak Spanish?”

I grimace. “I wish. I’m trying, but definitely have a lot of room for improvement.”

Calum smiles. “Seems like you’re getting on just fine.”

I roll my eyes and nod. “So far, I guess. Only been here a week.”

“Only a week and you’re recommending traditional Spanish drinks to a random guy at a club? I’d say you’re doing great.” He puts his hand on the bar and leans against it, inching closer to me yet again.

“You’re here for work?” I ask.

He nods.

“How long are you here?”

He hangs his head and laughs. “We’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.”

I wonder who this “we” is, but ignore that. So this guy is looking for a little one night stand… isn’t that part of the study abroad experience? Well, maybe I’m supposed to hookup with a local.

Locals haven’t talked to me this much, though. Or been this cute. I’m zoned out trying to wrestle with my decisions in my head. A one night stand couldn’t be that bad? Maybe that’s the alcohol talking… Maybe a traveling Australian giant can fill the role. It’s not the craziest thing I’ve ever done. Actually, it probably is. I don’t do a lot of crazy things.

“Orion?” He asks, snapping me back to the moment.

“Hmm?” I hum, looking back up at him.

“The uh, bartender is trying to talk to you.” Calum nods in the direction of where Lucia is standing behind the bar.

I spin around to face her and she just slides me a napkin with some writing on it.

OMG GIRL DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS

ORION GO HOME WITH THAT SEXY MAN RIGHT NOW

be safe love you xoxo

-i, m, + p

A hot blush rises to my face and I crumple the napkin and shove it into my bag as quickly as I can, hoping Calum didn’t read it. At least I have their blessing.

I clear my throat and chug the rest of my drink. “Do you want to dance?” I nervously look up at him.

His wide smile appears again. “Normally, I’d say yes. But I think I’d rather talk to you more? Is that weird?”

I try not to look too stunned. He wants to talk? Am I that interesting? Or is he just eager to get back to his hotel?

I must have failed in trying to not look shocked because he quickly starts to correct himself.

“Is there a park or a McDonald’s or something nearby? Maybe we can grab a snack, or go for a walk?”

I let out a sigh of relief and nod. “Yeah, actually I know a place. Did you want to go now?”

Calum also looks relieved when I agree. “Let me find my mates and tell them I’m leaving. I’ll meet you out front?”

I agree and try to push my way through the crowd to find my flat mates, getting shoved back to the bar almost instantly. Downside of being small—you get pushed around pretty often. Calum, who’d started in the direction of wherever his friends are, notices my struggle and strides back to me.

“Here.” He grabs my hand in his, and it feels like the crowd parts like the red sea. Somehow he knows which group of girls is my friend group — he must’ve remembered Paula from her dancing on the bar — and leads me to them. The girls are all staring at me with practically bulging eyes as Calum waves a quick hello to them. “I’ll see you out front?”

I nod and watch him meander through the sea of sweaty bodies again before I’m jolted back to my friends by Ilse shaking my shoulders. Hard.

“Do you know who that is!?” Ilse yells.

I raise an eyebrow. “Uh, his name’s Calum?”

“I could smack you right now!” Ilse hisses. Jeez, harsh much?

“That’s Calum Hood!” Marta explains, as if I should get it now.

“Okay?” I say, looking between the three of them. I guess Calum is famous for something, but for whatever reason I’m unfamiliar. I cut them off when I see Calum wave to me from the door. I nod to him and then turn to my friends. “I’ll see you at home. Guess you’ll know who to call the cops on if I don’t show up at home tomorrow. Love you!”

I can feel their eyes burning into me as I make my way to the door, catching up with Calum who’s already having a chat with Jorge at the door. When he sees me, he gives Jorge a handshake and walks toward me. It’s the first time I’ve really taken in his outfit, which is simple, but still seems cooler than I’ll ever be. Must come with the fame.

His now stained white shirt hangs from his broad shoulders and the short sleeves show off the tattoos on his arms. He’s wearing some black jeans and a pair of black boots, a bold move in the Spanish heat, but the sun has finally gone down, so it’s a little less smothering at this point.

“Where are we going?” He asks and claps his hands together, taking long legged strides toward me.

“Do you like falafel?” I ask, pulling my phone out from my purse to route us to my favorite shop.

“Love it.”

I look up to catch him staring at me with a dopey grin. “What?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing, nothing, I’ve just never heard of falafel being someone’s post-club snack.”

I scoff. “Look, first off, falafel is delicious.” He nods. “Second, I’m vegetarian and that limits things at…” I check the time. “1:52 am.”

“Hey, no hate from me! I am all for a 2 am falafel run.”

I purse my lips, still unsure if he’s making fun of me. “It’s this way. The metro closes at 2, are you good with a bit of a walk?”

I start walking before he can answer, but I hear his footsteps following as soon as I start. I am once more relieved that Paula said it was okay for me to wear my sneakers, although I feel extra tiny walking next to Calum. Most people are taller than me, but he especially towers over me.

“So, Orion,” Calum begins, breaking our brief silence.

“So, Calum,” I mock, attempting to mimic his faint accent. I fail, miserably, but he doesn’t comment on it, just chuckles.

“Why Madrid?” He asks.

I smile. Maybe I’m too tipsy to know any better, but he seems genuinely interested in me, which is a welcome change from my normal dating situations. “Short answer or long answer?”

“Long answer, of course. You said it was a bit of a walk, we’ve got time.” He gives me that bright smile again and I think I start to melt a little. “In the meantime, do I have permission to hold your hand while we walk?”

It takes everything in me not to laugh. Not that long ago he was placing his hand on the small of my back and startling me, now he’s asking for consent to hold my hand. It’s sweet, just unexpected. Instead of answering, I just reach across the space between us and interlock our hands.

“Okay, long answer,” I begin. Calum squeezes my hand.

“So, I want to be an immigration lawyer, and of course, a large percentage of the immigrants moving to the US come from Spanish speaking countries, so I’d really like to be as close to fluent as I can be. Growing up in San Diego, though, I felt pretty close and intertwined with Latino culture, so when I was trying to figure out where to study abroad, choosing Latin America wasn’t my top choice. I wanted to do something different, I guess.

“I’m a Spanish major — well, double major — so of course a Spanish speaking country just made sense, and that left me to choose Spain. I love big cities, and I thought it was cool that Madrid is the capital while Barcelona is more… touristy? And there’s the whole Catalonia and Catalan thing, so yeah, didn’t want to go to Barcelona, and, I guess of the programs offered through UCLA for studying abroad, a direct exchange to Madrid felt like the perfect fit.”

I feel his eyes trained on my face the whole time I speak, like he’s listening intently, even if it feels like I’m rambling.

“What does a direct exchange mean?” He asks.

“Basically, I’m enrolled as a student at UCLA and paying my tuition to them, but taking my classes through a university here. There’s a longer name but everyone just calls it UC3M. So instead of registering for fall classes at UCLA, I applied through the international office to UC3M and when I was accepted I just chose some classes here. Because it’s a direct exchange, there isn’t a group of other UCLA students I’m living with or anything, I had to find my own housing and figure out how to get here and all that on my own.”

I look over to catch him nodding. “I didn’t go to uni, so I’m not super familiar with all of that. But it sounds really, really cool.”

I laugh and think back to my flat mates and their reactions to Calum. “My turn to ask you a question.”

Calum beams at me. “Go for it.”

“Why did my roommates know who you are and I don’t, Calum Hood?” I give him a side eye and squeeze his hand to let him know I’m being playful, but he instantly groans as the words fall from my mouth.

“Nooo,” he curses. The hand that’s not holding onto mine rubs his face over in mild frustration.

“What? Is it that bad?” I laugh, now even more curious.

Calum sighs and shakes his head. “No, it’s not bad. Or at least, not really. Do you know One Direction?”

I accidentally let myself cackle in front of him but smack my hand over my mouth as soon as I realize the awful sounds coming from it. He laughs at my reaction, but leaves silence for me to continue whatever my response is. “Yes, I am familiar with One Direction.” Who isn’t?

He nods. “Yeah, so I’m uh, in a band. We opened for One Direction a few years ago on some of their tours.”

Oh, shit. How uncultured am I? I guess I didn’t follow One Direction that closely, but still, the band has to be somewhat successful if they opened for multiple of their tours.

“Wow, that’s… huge? I don’t know, am I an asshole for not knowing who you are? I swear, I don’t live under a rock.”

“No, no, honestly, it’s refreshing that a pretty girl at a bar doesn’t know who I am and wants to take me for 2 am falafel just because she wants to, not because I’m… who I am.” Calum rubs his thumb over the back of my hand.

“It would be my greatest honor to take you to get 2 am falafel in Madrid, Calum Hood.”