#next door neighbour calum hood

[softforcal]

Noise : Neighbour!Cal

Summary: Annabelle’s new neighbour is a douche bag man whore, but he insists that his ego isn’t the biggest part of him.

Warnings: there is smut

OC moodboard

Requested by @palliddark

Word count: 13.7k

------

     Annabelle had arrived home after a New Years party at around nine in the morning on the first of January. It was moving day, and the apartment next to hers, that had been vacant for two months, was no longer empty. She caught sight of a tall blonde disappearing into the apartment with a box in his arms as she walked down the hall. Her heart thumped a little, having only gotten a glimpse, but it was enough to make her excited.

     He looked young, early twenties, around Annabelle’s age, and he was cute. Maybe a little different from her usual type, but still attractive nonetheless. Annabelle approached her apartment, fumbling with the keys. She had just unlocked her door when another man left the newly rented suite next to hers.

     It wasn’t the blonde from before.

     Annabelle tried not to look, but she couldn’t help herself, taking in the strong shoulders, the bleach blonde hair with already darkening roots, strong jaw, tan skin covered in tattoos and beautiful eyebrows. She’d never seen eyebrows that she’d classify as ‘beautiful’ before and yet there she was, thinking about how they perfectly suited his face, bringing out the strong, boxiness of his jawline.

     The guy looked her up and down as he walked past, a small smirk on his face. Annabelle flushed, having been caught staring at the man.

     He walked behind her and continued down the hall, Annabelle waited a suitable amount of time before turning to watch his figure get farther and farther away.

     The grey sweatpants looked comfy, and Annabelle found herself appreciating his bum. Gaze sweeping over the strong shoulders covered by a a black v-neck stretched taught over the muscle, Annabelle’s breath was caught in her throat.

     Continuing with her day, Annabelle nursed her hangover, binging netflix and getting started on course reading for school. She went to bed early, having not gotten much sleep the night before.

     At around one AM, the noises started.

     It began with a dull thudding, steady and slow. At first, Annabelle even thought she was hearing things, maybe someone walking down the hall too loudly. But then the pace of the thumps got quicker and Annabelle’s eyes opened, staring at her ceiling in the darkness of her room.

     A soft sound mingled with the beat, but that too, got louder. Annabelle groaned, reaching for her phone but she stopped as the sound hit a new pitch, and even half asleep, the reality of what the noise was, smacked Annabelle from her post slumber daze.

     The guy in the apartment next to her, was fucking someone.

     Fucking someone hard, fast, and, if Annabelle could assume anything from the noise level, he was fucking her very well.

     Annabelle groaned, hiding her head in her pillow, she supposed there were worse ways to christen a new apartment. She’d spent her whole first night puking after a housewarming party that she should not have had in the first place.

     She laid there for a few minutes, listening to the sounds. She wondered which boy it was. The blonde or the ashy haired one.

     It had been about ten minutes and Annabelle assumed it would be ending soon so she could go back to sleep. Ten minutes became fifteen and Annabelle had sat up by that point, scrolling through her phone to pass the time.

     At twenty minutes the sounds finally stopped and Annabelle put her phone away, cuddling back into her pillow.

     Just as Annabelle was drifting off again, there was a small screaming sound that made her eyes snap back open with worry. For a moment, the worst things imaginable popped into her head. God, what if her new neighbour was an asshole who hit women? What if they were sleep talkers or had night terrors that woke them up screaming every night? What if-

     More thuds cut off Annabelle’s thoughts.

     She turned and stared at her wall as if it could give her a glimpse into the room next door.

     It had only been about ten minutes since the noises had stopped and now they were going again? Annabelle had to give the guy, whichever one it was, some credit. In another instance, she might have even felt a bit of pride for the guy, after all, stamina and skill to make a girl scream? But he was interrupting her sleep.

     In that moment, Annabelle decided that whoever the guy was, she hated him.

     All she could do was lay there and listen, hoping his stamina would finally run out, and vowing to go buy some ear plugs in the morning.

----

     With her busy schedule, Annabelle had not had time to go grab ear plugs, or maybe she was just lazy, too exhausted after classes and studying to walk the block to the store. It took a whole week of interrupted sleep for Annabelle to finally go get ear plugs. The store was open late, closing at 2AM and she’d arrived just in time, trudging to the till in an oversized hoodie.

     When she got back to her apartment, she was almost too tired to get her key into the keyhole. The sound of a door opening drew her attention and Annabelle looked up.

     She hadn’t seen the new neighbour since he’d moved in and she was curious to finally find out which guy was the one keeping her up all night, and not in a good way.

     A girl walked backwards out of the apartment. She was smiling at someone who Annabelle assumed was in the doorway but she couldn’t see from her angle.

     “So call me?” the girl asked, arms going up to reach for whoever was standing just out of Annabelle’s view.

     Annabelle watched the girl pull the man who had been hidden from her gaze into a hug and, for the first time, she could see him. It was the ashy haired guy. The one who’d made her heart race.

     “Yeah, I’ll call you.” the guy grumbled.

     He was shirtless and the grey sweatpants hung low on his hips. Annabelle could see the muscles in his abdomen and the strength in his arms and for a moment she thought she was about to start drooling.

     He didn’t sound like he was going to call the girl back.

     The girl went in for a kiss and the mans hand came up to cup her face, Annabelle spotted more tattoos and she looked away, still paying attention through her peripheral vision. After one last goodbye, the girl turned to leave, walking past Annabelle who turned the key to unlock her door.

     She could feel eyes on her and although she didn’t want to, Annabelle found herself looking up.

     Her new neighbour stood there, leaning against the wall, brown eyes bearing into hers. His arms were crossed over his strong chest and his biceps bulged deliciously, “hey.” he said. His voice was low, raspy, and it had Annabelle’s heart fluttering in her chest.

     “Hi.”

     She wanted to call him out for keeping her awake the past three nights in a row but there was something so intimidating about him, she couldn’t bring herself to.

     “I’m Calum.”

     “Annabelle.”

     He nodded, giving her one last look up and down, “Night Belle.”

     Before she could correct him, tell him that people called her ‘Anna’ never ‘Belle,’ he had gone back into his apartment and the door had shut behind him.

     Annabelle sighed, “douchebag.”

---

     “Do you even work?” Annabelle groaned, pulling out her keys as a redhead walked down the hall.

     Calum eyed her, face expressionless, “what?”

     “Its like every time im home, all I can hear is you fucking your girlfriend-”

     “Not my girlfriend.”

     “Yeah, that makes it better.” Annabelle scoffed.

     “Maybe I’m a prostitute.” Calum said.

     Annabelle looked up, noticing the grin on his face. He was teasing her. This fuck had been her neighbour for three months and had given her more sleepless nights than she could count, and now he was joking about being a prostitute.

     “Oh and you’re so good your clients come to you?”

     “They come for me.” Calum stated, “and, as my neighbour, you should know that at least that’s the truth.” he turned to go back into his apartment.

     “Fifty bucks.” she called.

     “What?” he looked at her, eyebrows furrowed.

     “Fifty bucks is how much money I’ve spent on ear plugs so far so that I can get through one god damned night. The ones I bought the first week weren’t strong enough apparently so I had to go for some actual construction grade shit.”

     Calum studied her for a moment, then, he pushed off the wall, walking the short distance to Annabelle. He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and removed three twenties, holding them out to her.

     When Annabelle didn’t accept the cash, Calum rolled his eyes, one hand coming up to brush her blonde hair over her shoulder. His fingers moved her shirt to the side slightly to expose her black, lacy bra strap and he slipped the money underneath, securing it.

     Annabelle’s heart was racing from the touch of his skin against hers and she felt frozen under his intimidating gaze. He turned and walked back to his apartment, “next time, I’ll put my hand over their mouths, keep it quieter for you.”

----

     Annabelle was locking her door when the sound of Calum’s door opening interrupted her thoughts. She looked up and laughed, “wow, this is the first time since you moved in that I’ve seen you with a shirt.”

     “Sorry.” he said, eyes scanning her as well.

     “Sorry? Seriously?” Annabelle laughed, “I prefer the shirt.”

     “No you don’t.”

     Annabelle rolled her eyes, “what are you even doing awake this early?”

     “I have work.”

     “So the prostitute thing didn’t work out for ya?”

     “Ha ha.” Calum said sarcastically, “where are you headed?”

     “School.”

     “Hmm.” he finished locking up his place and approached her, hands shoved into his leather jacket. Annabelle had to admit he looked great. The gray sweats were a look but black ripped jeans and black leather… the full black outfit contrasted the ashy silver hair and brought out the darkness in his eyes. He was a vision. “What year are you?”

     “Last one. Almost done.”

     He leaned against the wall and watched her lock her door, “what are you taking?”

     “Psychology.”

     Calum chuckled, grin spreading across his features and turning him from a ten into a fourteen or some shit, something that broke the scale, Annabelle was sure of that at least.

     “What?” Annabelle asked, putting her keys into her bag.

     “No, it’s nothing, just,” Calum was still grinning, “what’s your read on me then?”

     “My read on you?”

     “Yeah. Tell me about my dark childhood trauma.”

     “I don’t know you.”

     “Well, from what you do know.” Calum said.

     Annabelle looked the gorgeous man up and down, “where do I even start with you?”

     Calum shrugged, “up to you doc.”

     Annabelle rolled her eyes, “I’m going to be late.”

     “You’re headed to campus?”

     “Yeah.”

     “Taking the subway?”

     “Uh huh.”

     “What if I give you a ride?”

     She was running late… “you’d do that?”

     “You give me a therapy sesh, I give you a ride. Seems pretty even to me.” Calum shrugged, “I’m headed that way anyways. Take it or leave it Belle.”

     “Stop calling me Belle, people call me Anna, Belle sounds too much like-”

     “A princess?”

     “Yeah.”

     “And you’re not a princess?”

     Annabelle narrowed her eyes at him, “no, of course not.”

     “Sure little miss ‘I can’t sleep because you keep fucking girls and I had to pay fifty bucks to get ear plugs and you have to pay me back-’”

     “I never said you had to pay me back.”

     “But I did.”

     “But I didn’t say you had to. You just wanted to. You wanted to flaunt your money at me.” Annabelle glared.

     “Oh yeah? And why would I do that?”

     “I accept your ride.”

     “Hmm, wanna have the guarantee of a chauffeur before you tear into me princess?” Calum grinned.

     “Yeah.” Calum pushed off the wall and began walking down the hall, Annabelle followed, falling into step with him. They stayed quiet as they took the elevator down to the parking garage.

     Calum pulled out his keys and Annabelle looked at all the cars, trying to decide which one she felt belonged to a guy like Cal. her eyes spotted the old, sleak, black camaro and she just knew that it was his.

     “What did you say your job was again?” she asked, watching him unlock it.

     “I didn’t.” he got in the car and closed the door but Annabelle stood there looking at the car with awe. She didn’t know much about cars, but she could tell when something was expensive and this car… it was nice. Very nice.

     Calum leaned over in his seat and opened the passengers door, pushing it open a little and prompting Annabelle to get in. The car smelt a little like smoke and expensive cologne, a mix that wasn’t wholly unpleasant, but it definitely would take some getting used to.

     “Are you seriously not going to tell me what you do for work?” Annabelle asked.

     “That would make it too easy and we don’t want that do we?” Calum smirked, pressing down on the gas pedal, “you ravage me or I ravage you princess, your decision.”

     Annabelle rolled her eyes, holding her backpack tight to her chest, “quit being such a dick.”

     “I’m literally giving you a ride to school, how am I being a dick?”

     “Why do you seem so obsessed with me giving you a psychological profile?”

     Calum sighed loudly, “fine. Don’t pay up for the ride.”

     Annabelle groaned, turning to look at Calum. Even his side profile was beautiful and it made her angry, “well, I guess I’ll start out with the physical-”

     “As one does.” he grinned, looking at her for a moment before turning his gaze back to the road.

     “You obviously work out, your hair is dyed and you have tattoos. You care about your appearance. Before today I’d only seen you in sweats but now that I’m looking at you with actual clothes, you obviously have style too. And that’s real leather. And this is a nice car. So you have money. But this is the first time I’ve ever seen you leave your place in the morning so you don’t have a regular nine to five job but you have money so…” Annabelle thought about it for a moment, “you seem kind of arrogant… confident, so I’m going to guess your money runs in your family. Am I right?”

     “Do you think you’re right?” he countered.

     “Are you going to confirm or deny any of this?” Annabelle sighed.

     “Nah.”

     “Fuck you.”

     “You wish.”

     “I do not.”

     “Yes you do.”

     “Pff, and what makes you so sure?” Annabelle rolled her eyes.

     “You’re the psychologist.”

     “I’m not a psychologist.”

     “Coulda fooled me.” Calum reached forward and the sound of music began to fill the car.

     “Conversation over I guess.”

     “Do you have something else to say to me?” he asked.

     Annabelle opened her mouth then closed it, shaking her head.

     Calum turned the music up and Annabelle laughed, “are you serious?”

     He flashed her a grin, “what, you don’t like Country Roads?”

     Before Annabelle could answer, her asshole neighbour opened his mouth and began to sing along to the music. Every word was accentuated with a southern twang that made Annabelle laugh, staring at the guy with shock.

     Her asshole neighbour, who fucked a new girl every night, was covered in tattoos and leather, hair dyed and just itching to have fingers running through it…  was singing a country song like he was in a dodgy karaoke bar with no one watching.

     He was really throwing a wrench in her whole psychological profile of him and the shit eating grin on his face told her he knew it.

     “Not a fan of country Princess? Too hick for you?” Calum asked, changing the channel, he flipped through songs, listening a few moments before deciding against  a number of top tens until he found… “Bohemian fucking Rhapsody, you have to like this one or I will pull over this fucking car and kick you out.”

     “Are you serious?”

     “Don’t I look serious to you?”

     He did.

     “Sing.” he commanded.

     Annabelle took a deep breath and began to sing.

     Calum turned up the music, screaming out the lyrics. He wanted her to sing, but he was making it obvious that it was just a formality. His eyes stayed on the road and before Annabelle knew what she was even doing, she was singing louder.

     By the time they got to the chorus, they were both belting out the lyrics.

     In those moments, they weren’t neighbours. He wasn’t the guy who kept her up all night by being a dick and she wasn’t the cute girl next door who he hoped to bump into every time he left his place.

     They were just two kindred souls, in a car, sharing an extraordinary experience.

     As Calum pulled up in front of one of the main campus buildings, the song ended.

     “So uh… thanks for the ride.” Annabelle said, awkwardness returning.

     “Don’t mention it.”

     Annabelle got out of the car, closing the door behind her.

     Calum watched her disappear into one of the buildings. He was about to drive away when his phone rang, his sister’s face on the screen, “I’m coming, I’m coming.” he said as he answered it.

     “You better have a great excuse as to why you’re making the whole board wait for you Cal.” she seethed, “mom and dad are going to be pissed-”

     “I gave a ride to my neighbour, I’m trying to make friends.” he lied.

     “I still don’t know why you even moved out to some shit apartment when mom literally offered to get you a penthouse-”

     “I don’t want a penthouse.” Calum groaned, “i want to be normal.”

     “You’re not normal Cal, you’re a Hood-”

     “Look I’ll be there soon okay?”

     “You better be wearing something nice.”

     Calum chuckled, “put on my nicest pair of ripped jeans just for you.”

     “Calum I swear to god if you weren’t so fucking good at business-”

     “Yeah yeah, but I am, so deal with it.”

     “Just get here.”

     “Fuck, I just told you i’m coming!”

     She hung up and Calum laughed to himself, turning up the radio, enjoying the lingering smell of coconut that Annabelle had left in his car.

---

     Annabelle had had a better sleep that week than she’d had since Calum moved in. She wondered if he’d gone away for a bit on vacation, but she tried not to think about it, instead enjoying the quiet.

     But nothing good lasts forever and on Saturday morning she was awoken around nine in the morning by music seeping through her walls. Annabelle groaned and sat up, listening for a moment. She could hear Calum’s voice amongst the noise and a smile worked its way onto her face.

     Slipping out of bed and into her fuzzy pink flip flops, Annabelle pulled on her uni hoodie. Her sleeping shorts were small and the hoodie almost obscured them, acting more as a dress but Annabelle didn’t care about her appearance as she trudged through her apartment.

     She found herself in front of his door, like so many women before her.

     Annabelle knocked and waited. The music must have been too loud for him to hear so she held up her hand to knock again and the door swung open. He was standing there, shirtless as usual. His ashy hair was messy and it was a good look, it even knocked the air out of Annabelle.

     “Your music is loud.” she said.

     “Did it wake you up?” he asked, grinning as he leaned against his door frame.

     “Yes.”

     “Are you mad?” his smile widened.

     “No Cal, I’m peachy, look at me, I look completely well rested and happy right?” she asked sarcastically.

     “First, since when did I say you could call me Cal? Second, you look very cute and well rested and maybe you don’t know this, but you always look very happy whenever you see me, except last time but I assumed that’s because I was wearing a shirt.”

     “I can call you Cal because you call me Belle, and piss off, I look like trash. Just turn it down all right?”

     She turned to go, “you hungry?”

     Annabelle stopped, “uh… yeah?”

     “I made pancakes, come have some.” Calum moved to the side, giving her space to walk past him into his apartment if she chose to.

     “Pancakes with chocolate chips?” she asked.

     “Pfff, of course, I’m not a fucking animal.”

     The smell of food wafted out of his apartment and Annabelle just couldn’t help herself. She walked past Calum and inside.

     It was odd. Exactly like hers but everything seemed more modern. All the appliances were new, a huge tv was against the wall with multiple gaming consoles underneath, a plush couch, it was a hell of a lot nicer than Annabelle’s place based solely on the things that filled it.

     “Is that a waffle iron?” Annabelle asked, stepping into the kitchen.

     “Yeah.”

     “Do you use it?”

     “Haven’t yet.”

     “Yeah you are definitely old money.” Annabelle said, leaning against the kitchen counter and watching Calum return to his post in front of a pan where a pancake was cooking.

     “Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have invited you in, now you’ll know all my secrets.” Calum laughed, running a hand through his messy hair.

     “Too late now.” Annabelle said, looking around, “you know how to cook. You have money but you’re here, in this apartment. You can pretend to be living amongst us middle class uni students but your appliances and your car tell the true story, don’t they Cal?”

     His smile was gone and Annabelle knew that she’d hit it spot on.

     “Why do you want to be so common Calum? Why here? Why a place where the walls are so thin that people can hear all of your business?” she asked.

     Calum took the pancake from the pan and put it onto a plate. He slid it in front of Annabelle and then grabbed a fork and knife, giving it to her. A muscle in his jaw feathered and he poured more batter into the pan. “Wanted to see what it’s like to live alone for a bit.”

     “But you’re never alone.” Annabelle pointed out, “besides this past week, you’ve had a girl over almost every night, and judging from the beer cans in the living room, it looks like you’ve had at least friends or someone over this week, I probably just didn’t notice because I’ve been at school a lot.”

     “You like keeping track of me huh?” Calum asked, suddenly sounding mad.

     “You’re loud.” Annabelle said, also getting defensive, “it’s not like I do it on purpose. Besides, you invited me to analyze you so I don’t see why you’re having such a fit over this. ‘Ravage me or I ravage you’ remember?”

     His grip on the spatula tightened. “So you have me figured out then.”

     “I wouldn’t say that.” Annabelle sighed, taking a bite of pancake, “look man, I can stop analyzing you if you don’t like it but you asked me too-”

     “Well I didn’t think you’d actually fucking get anything right.”

     “Oh wow thanks.” Annabelle glared, “you know what, thanks for the pancake but you obviously don’t want me here.” she stood up abruptly and he didn’t react as she simply left. The door shut behind her and Calum cursed, slamming his hand down on the table.

     It was a touchy subject for him. He had his mother, his father and his sister all riding his ass about this “dumb fuck idea” every single god damned day. None of them thought he could make it in life on his own and although he had moved out and got some cheap apartment, obviously that wasn’t enough.

     As Annabelle had pointed out, he still had a bunch of unnecessary, expensive shit that betrayed his true nature the moment anyone stepped into the fucking apartment.

     Calum had hated growing up with all the expectations. The knowledge that he’d be part of the family business. He’d tried to work for things in his life but even though he tried, things always seemed to be given to him. Everything was made easier because of his name.

     The worst part about it, was that Calum actually had a knack for business.

     No problem was too difficult for him to solve and he had a natural air of superiority that made people listen to him. He was young, tattooed and his new hair colour had nearly given his mother a heart attack when he’d walked into the boardroom with it, but damn it if people didn’t shut their mouths and pay attention the second he showed up.

     Well, most people shut their mouths and paid attention.

     But not Annabelle. She always had something interesting to say. Something to keep Calum on his toes. Something that made him work, like he’d never had to work in his life.

     However, if their interaction was anything to go by, Calum realized that he was really shit at working. He’d never had to work for a girl, they were always throwing themselves at him. Whether they knew about his family name and reputation, or they just saw his devilishly good looks and their panties dropped, it always ended the same way.

     Standing in his kitchen, Calum began to feel the weight of being alone again.

     He managed to ignore it for a few hours, but, as darkness descended, the thought of going to an empty bed for a seventh night in a row just didn’t seem so nice.

     He felt stupid. Had he really been choosing not to call a fuck buddy because he felt something for Annabelle? Calum nearly kicked himself, stupid, stupid, stupid.

     He pulled out his phone.

----

     Another few weeks passed and Calum never seemed to be able to catch the blonde in the hallway. Calum was on edge. It was all he could think about. He owed her an explanation. He owed her an apology. He tried to catch her in the hall but things never seemed to work.

     Every time he watched a girl retreat down the hallway at around two AM, he’d look at Annabelle’s door, hoping it would open and she’d be standing there ready to call him out for keeping her awake.

     Even if she was mad, at least he’d be able to see her.

     He knew it probably wasn’t the best idea in the world but he wasn’t sure what else he could do.

     It was a Saturday and Calum’s friends were over. They had been drinking since noon and all of them were inebriated. It became obvious as time went on that Calum was upset about something and Luke, having always been quite a direct person, was the first to say “why are you sad Cal?”

     “I’m not sad.”

     “Yes you are.” Luke insisted, “you keep staring at that wall.”

     It was true. Calum had been staring at the wall for a while, wondering what Annabelle was doing on the other side of it. “It’s my fucking neighbour-”

     “The hot blonde?” Michael asked, eyes still on the tv as he played Mario Kart against Ashton.

     “Yeah. Belle- Annabelle.” Calum corrected himself, taking a swig of beer.

     “She’s the chick that analyzed you and pissed you off right?” Ashton asked.

     “Yeah.”

     “What a bitch.” Luke stated.

     “She’s not a bitch.” Calum said immediately.

     “Yeah, Calum’s the bitch.” Michael giggled, “you know how much of a little bitch he is about being a pampered rich boy.”

     “Fuck off Michael.”

     “You see?” Michael grinned, making everyone laugh.

     “Fuck!” Calum groaned.

     “So like… go talk to her.” Luke suggested.

     “What?!” Calum asked.

     “Punch a hole through the wall and go talk to her.” Luke said louder.

     “Or use the door.” Ashton piped up, “she’s right there man, go get her.”

     “I can’t-”

     “Why?”

     “I was a dick-”

     Michael laughed, “when are you not a dick.”

     “Fuck off.”

     “Just apologize!” Luke screamed.

     “Take another shot, then go apologize.” Ashton said, louder than Luke.

     With shaky hands, Luke poured Calum a shot and handed it to him. Calum drank it quickly and Luke pulled him to his feet, “now go fucking get her!”

     Calum nodded, feeling the courage running through his body, he took a deep breath then walked towards the door. “Wait!” he stopped, “i need to take my shirt off.”

     “What?”

     “She likes it better with my shirt off.” Calum insisted.

     Everyone looked at him and Luke was the first to go “then take it off man! What the fuck are you waiting for!?”

     Calum took his shirt off and everyone cheered as he left his apartment, walking with a purpose down the hallway. He knocked on her door and waited. “Just a second!” he heard. His heart was racing, pumping blood through his body and he felt it everywhere.

     Annabelle opened the door and her eyes widened in shock, “Calum?”

     “Hey.”

     “Hi…” she looked him up and down, “why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”

     Calum looked down at himself, “uh… you like me better this way.”

     “Calum are you drunk?”

     “I want you to analyze me again.” he stated.

     “I don’t think that’s a good-”

     “You ravage me or I ravage you remember princess?” Calum grinned.

     “Calum-”

     “Five.”

     “Are you counting down?”

     “Four.”

     “Calum stop.”

     “Three.” his smirk widened.

     “I swear-”

     “Two.”

     “To god Calum I’ll-”

     “One.” he grabbed her face, pressing his lips against hers. Annabelle was taken aback for a second but she melted into it after a moment, letting Calum’s tongue slide over her lower lip as she opened her mouth to give him more access.

     Her hands reached out, grabbing the waistband of his sweatpants to pull him closer as his teeth nipped at her. She could taste the alcohol on him and for a moment she felt like maybe she should pull away, but, before she could, he had moved forward and they were in her apartment, her back against a wall as he kicked the door closed behind him.

     His skin was warm under her touch as she let her hands wander the perfect muscles under the gorgeous skin. Her nails scratched over his sensitive flesh and Calum groaned into her mouth, the sound making Annabelle’s stomach flutter.

     Calum tensed under her finger tips and and she pulled away with concern, looking at him. Before she could ask what was wrong, he was running past her to the bathroom, puking into the toilet. Annabelle went after him, sitting on the floor next to her neighbour as he coughed and sputtered. She poured him some water from the sink and held it out for him, rubbing his back with a hand.

     He pulled away from the toilet and looked at her from under hooded eyes, “fuck.” he groaned, hiding his face with his hands, “fuuuuck.”

     “Don’t worry Cal, I’m not judging you, have some water.” she assured him, holding it out.

     He accepted it and drank, handing her back the cup, “I should go-” he began to try to get up but doubled over, puking into the toilet again.

     Annabelle continued to rub his back. His hair was sweaty and stuck to his forehead so she pushed it away, enjoying the odd feeling of the dyed strands against her fingers. She continued to massage at his head and it seemed to offer some relief as he closed his eyes, sitting up and taking deep breaths.

     “I’m sorry.” he groaned.

     “Shh, it’s okay, you’re drunk.”

     “Im an asshole.” he stated, “you hate me.”

     “I don’t hate you.”

     “I was a dick to you.”

     “We can talk about this later-”

     “I’m so sorry.” Calum groaned, “I don’t like people knowing I’m rich. They treat me differently.”

     He puked again and Annabelle sighed, rubbing his back, “shh baby-”

     “Baby?” he turned and grinned at her, “I’m baby now?”

     “Calum-”

     “Baby.” he corrected.

     Annabelle sighed, “I’ll be right back.”

     “Don’t leave.”

     “This is my apartment.” she reminded him.

     “Right.” he watched her exit the bathroom.

     A short while later she came back with two pillows and two blankets. She set them up and put a blanket over Calum’s shoulders which is when he realized he was shivering, “you should have worn a shirt.”

     “But then you wouldn’t love me.” Calum whined.

     “Woah-” Calum puked again and Annabelle sighed. He’d been keeping her up all night for weeks and now he was going to be doing it yet again.

     He only puked a little while longer before collapsing on the floor and mumbling something about being tired. Annabelle appreciated how peaceful he looked for a moment, before he was dragging her down next to him. Suddenly Annabelle was a big spoon and her little spoon was a massive, tattooed, drunk, manwhore.

----

    Calum blinked, trying to get a sense of where he was. His head hurt and little blurred memories of the night before flashed through his head. He froze, realizing that an arm was slung over his side and it was obviously Annabelle’s.

     Shit. She was still there. On her bathroom floor, spooning him. Because he had gotten drunk, like a little pussy bitch.

     He was so screwed.

     “You awake?” came a small voice.

     Fuck.

     “Yeah.”

     “How do you feel?”

     “Not that bad.”

     “Must have puked everything out last night.” her arm slid away and Calum’s skin mourned the loss, feeling cold where she’d left.

     “I’m sorry.” he said.

     “Stop saying that.” Annabelle sighed.

     “Shit.” Calum groaned.

     “What?”

     “My friends are probably still at my place.”

     “Your friends?” Annabelle groaned, “you had friends last night who could have taken care of  you but you came here? Shit, I thought you were getting drunk alone on a Saturday, only reason I let you in.”

     Calum was about to feel bad when he looked at her and realized by her smile that she was teasing, “I should go then?”

     “Probably, I have to study, I have a test tomorrow morning.”

     “Shit. What time?”

     “Early. Like nine.” Annabelle sighed, “so if you could refrain from getting a tinder date tonight, I would appreciate it.”

     Calum sat up, grabbing onto the edge of the tub to push himself up. Annabelle’s hand came to steady him and he offered her a small smile, gaze lingering on their interlocked fingers as she helped him to the door to the hallway. He got two steps before stumbling and suddenly she was under one of his arms, hands supporting him to his door.

     He gave her the keys and she unlocked the door for him. The two entered and there was a small groan from the living room.

     Ashton was laying on the couch, hands over his face, “Cal?”

     “Yeah, where are Mike and Luke?”

     “Bathroom.”  

     “Okay, I’m going to go-” Annabelle began.

     The sound of a female voice made Ashton sit up, groaning as he squinted at her, “you’re the girl- fuck, I know your name, you’re uh… uh…” he snapped his fingers, “the princess-”

     “Annabelle.” Calum said,

     She looked at him, he’d never called her by her full name and oddly enough, part of her missed just ‘Belle.’

     “She’s real pretty Cal.” Ashton said, falling back down against the couch and covering his eyes, “did you apologize?”

     Annabelle laughed, “I’m going to head out.”

     She detached herself from Calum’s side and he watched her go, “don’t die.” she called.

     “Thanks.” he said, slouching to the floor as the door closed behind her.

     There was a sound from the bathroom and Luke crawled through the doorway, resting his face against the ground, “did you kiss her?”

     Calum groaned, remembering everything more clearly, “fuck.”

     “Did you puke in her mouth?” came the sound of Michael’s voice from the bathroom.

     “No but I almost did.”

     Luke smiled against the floor, “You’re fucked man.”

-----

     She was going to be so late.

     Annabelle rushed around her apartment, tossing her bag over her shoulder as she threw her door open, almost running directly into Calum who was standing there in the hallway. “Cal?”

     “Hey, I thought I’d give you a ride to school for your test.” he said.

     In that moment she could have fucking kissed the man.

     “Oh my god yes please.” she breathed, quickly locking her apartment, “you’re such a life saver. How are you feeling?”

     “Uh, I mean, I’m not hungover anymore which is nice. Thanks again for uh, taking care of me that night.” he said awkwardly, running a hand through his hair.

     “Don’t mention it.” she said. And she meant it.

     Annabelle had no idea what to think about that night. She didn’t know what he remembered, didn’t know what actions had been genuine and what had been caused by the booze. And she couldn’t afford to think about it, she had a test to worry about.

     They got into Calum’s car and as he pressed down on the gas he said: “my family runs a business. Put a lot of pressure on me when I was growing up. Been trying to get away for a bit, but uh, probably going to go back to it so I don’t know who i’m trying to kid anymore.”

     Annabelle studied him, “do you not like business?”

     “No I do, and I guess I’m good at it, I just, wanted to work for something, you know?”

     “Working for your family business isn’t working?” she asked.

     “I mean it is, but I didn’t have to work to get the job-”

     “But you just said you’re good at it.” Annabelle pointed out, “sounds like you deserve the job. Unless you think they wouldn’t hire you if you weren’t related to your family.”

     He considered it for a moment. “I guess I’ve never really asked myself that.”

     “You seem like you put a lot of pressure on yourself Cal, might be one of the reasons you self medicate so much.” Annabelle said, looking out the window.

     “You think I’m an alcoholic?”

     “Not necessarily booze dummy, but you do seem to need a lot of distraction, lady distraction.” Annabelle pointed out.

     “About that-”

     “You don’t have to explain yourself, being a manwhore is chill, kudos to you-”

     “I’m not a manwhore.”

     “Manwhoresayswhat?”

     “What?” Calum furrowed his eyebrows, sneaking a glance at her before realizing he’d fallen into her juvenile trap when she giggled, “wow. What a professional therapist you are, princess.”

     Annabelle grinned, “you fell for it.”

    “Well I’m tired, didn’t sleep well.”

     “Why’s that?”

     “Bed was cold.” Calum answered.

      Annabelle opened her mouth to say something but she realized he was parking, he had gotten her to campus, “thank you so much for the ride, it really helped-”

    “Good luck.” he said, hands fidgeting with the steering wheel.

    “Thanks.”

     She opened the door.

     “Maybe you need a good luck kiss?”

     Annabelle laughed, turning to look at him, “hmm, maybe,” she looked out the windshield, “who do you think seems suitable to give me one? That guy walking by right now looks cute-”

     Calum scoffed, “get out of my car.”

     “Cal.”

     He turned to look at her “wha-” but her lips were on his. Hands cupping his face, Annabelle could feel the slight stubble under her fingers and it made her smile into the kiss. He smiled back, she pulled away and their eyes fluttered open, admiring each other.

     “Thanks for the luck.” she said.

     His eyes flickered down to her lips but before he could go in for another kiss she was getting out of the car. She looked back once and Calum smiled. His heart was still racing in his chest as he drove home, once again enjoying the smell of coconuts.

---

     The first thing Annabelle wanted to do when she got out of the exam was call Calum. Which made zero sense to her seeing as A: he wasn’t her friend, B: she had no clue what he was, and C: she didn’t even have his phone number.

      She liked their teasing. She enjoyed looking at his face. And when he was drunk, well, that had been a new side to him that she never thought she would ever see, but she also hadn’t expected the guy to listen to Queen or John Denver either so he was full of surprises.

    Standing in the subway, Annabelle thought a lot about Calum.

     He was an interesting guy, that was sure.

     Sex addiction? Check.

     Devilishly good looks? Check.

     Rich? Check.

     Probably in the midst of an identity crisis? Check.

     He was ticking all of the boxes she hadn’t even known she had. And Annabelle had to admit, some of these boxer were definitely not good boxes. The identity crisis? Not good. And the sex addiction that had been keeping her up every night and not because she was the one getting dicked down? Very bad. Kind of annoying. Kind of aggravating actually.

     She had no idea what was going on in his head. She usually knew that sort of thing. But with Calum? Annabelle figured maybe he wanted something more from her, she couldn’t think of any other guy who would offer to drive her to school for an exam. But, who knew? Maybe it was all a lie. After all, she was a perfect option as a fuck buddy seeing as they lived next to each other.

     Annabelle had never been trusting of men. Always second guessing everything. It was one of the reasons she’d gone into psychology. An effort to learn just a little bit more, to figure people out. But, obviously, it wasn’t working that well on Calum and that annoyed her.

     She got back to the apartment and walked quietly down the hall, entering her place without bumping into the bleach blonde god who lived next door. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

-------

     He’d dated before.

     It was sort of expected for him to date. Encouraged for Calum to be in the same circles as other wealthy young adults. With his last name, Calum Hood was chased by anyone who knew anything about business and he’d always had his choice of the gorgeous rich girls.

     They had expensive cars, arguably too much plastic surgery, walk in closets and usually a pomeranian or two (or sometimes a greyhound). There had even been a rumor that a number of the girls who wanted to lock the young bachelor down had, in fact, bought a dog with the explicit motive of grabbing the known dog lovers attention. None of it had ever worked though.

     Yeah, they were good for a fuck, but the rich girls always wanted something more, or at least the ones pining after Calum Hood did.

     Calum had always given the girls a chance… not at love, but at a good time.

     It was easy enough for them to get blinded by his good looks and charm, neglecting to ask the questions “what does this mean” or “what do you want from me” until after he’d bedded them. Most assumed that a mumbled response to them asking “call me?” as he kicked them out was a legitimate affirmation, only to be sorely mistaken a week later when they’re phone had gone unrung.

     The good ones, he kept around as fuck buddies, but he made sure that they knew what they were agreeing too, like a business contract.

     But he’d never consider actually dating any of them.

     In some ways, he enjoyed the power that came with his reputation. The ability to have his choice of women every night. But, at the same time, there was something about it that threw him off. The girls he got with never asked questions, never did anything to make him upset or challenge him. After all, they knew his reputation so why would they challenge him?

     It was one of the things that made Annabelle so endearing.

     She talked back.

     And she had no clue who he was.

     She’d guessed he had money but Calum knew that she probably had no clue just how much money he had.

     And he liked that.

     But did he like it enough to ditch all his other girls?

     He’d tried that. And it had been a shit week. He was into Annabelle for sure, but he still needed to have his needs met.

     Buried in a brunette who was heiress to a pharmaceutical company, Calum found himself wondering how Annabelle had done on her test. He tried to brush away the thought, knowing that she was a smart girl and she probably did fine.

     But what if she hadn’t?

     What if it was hard?

     Did she need ice cream?

     Did she need a shoulder to cry on?

     “Calum!” the girl underneath him moaned. Calum refocused his attention on her face. She was being loud. Fuck, what if Annabelle heard them?

     Calum’s hand came over her mouth and the girl moaned again, the sound muffled but still evident. “Be quiet.” he stated, voice taking its usual commanding tone that it always had in board meetings.

     Once he was sure that the girl, who he often referred to as Pharma Bitch (but he was pretty sure her name was Karen, or Corin, or Carin or something), was quiet, he took his hand away. She bit at her lip, small whines still leaving her mouth and Calum sighed.

     He couldn't… he couldn’t look at her.

     He pulled out and easily flipped her around, pulling her hips up so he could slam into her from behind.

     Even without having to see her face, she still wasn’t Annabelle. She was a brunette and the contrast was obvious. With huge extensions that tumbled in curls down her back… well, she wasn’t Annabelle.

     First of all, Annabelle definitely didn’t have the money for extensions.

     Second, Annabelle was gorgeously blonde and he’d never had a preference before but damn, he enjoyed the golden strands that she was always pushing from her face.

     Third, Calum doubted she would get extensions even if she had the money. Which oddly, he kind of enjoyed.

     Calum closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling of ramming in and out of the girl underneath him.

     With no sound or visuals, he could almost imagine that the girl he was fucking was his hot blonde neighbour and not the Pharma bitch.

     That’s when he noticed the sound of his bed hitting the wall with each thrust.

     “Fuck.” Calum cursed, pulling out, “get on the floor.”

     “What?!” Pharma Bitch shrieked. She could deal with the shitty apartment instead of his penthouse, she could deal with the creaky bed and the duvet cover that wasn’t high grade silk, but fucking on the floor? No. that was a no go.

     “I said. Get on the floor.” Calum stated.

     She did.

     The floor didn’t squeak.

----

     “So word around town is you’re fucking girls with the lights off now?” Michael said, collapsing onto Calum’s couch.

     “No I heard he’s making them not make noises.” Luke quipped.

     “Nah, he’s only fucking them doggy.” Ashton interjected.

     They all turned to Calum who took a sip from his beer, “all three.”

     “Ouch.” Michael laughed, “what the fuck has gotten into you?”

     “He’s in love with the blonde.” Ashton answered, “Belle.”

     “Annabelle-” Calum corrected, “and no I’m not.”

     “Then why are you being such a wack job about fucking these girls Hood?” Michael asked, “looks like somebody’s lost their mojo.”

     “Fuck off.” Calum groaned.

     It was true though.

     It had started with the doggy, no noise and not fucking in his bed.

     But that had been a week ago and Calum found that he almost couldn’t even bear to do that anymore. He was sneaking the women inside the apartment building like a smuggler dealing contraband.

     His heart raced every time he walked a new girl past Annabelle’s apartment.

     And he always reminded them that when they left, they had to be quiet and not be seen.

     He knew the girls were starting to get pissed.

     He just didn’t know why he felt so goddamn bad about it. It wasn’t like he was dating Annabelle! He had no allegiance. They’d kissed twice and that was it. So why the fuck did he feel so bad about it!

     Michael set up the video games and Ashton dealt with the music.

     Calum was in the bathroom when there was a knock at the door. All the boys looked at each other and grinned, Luke and Ashton both hopping to their feet while Michael stayed with his attention on the tv.

    Luke, with his long legs, got to the door first.

     He threw it open and just like that, the tall Aussies were looking down at the adorable blonde girl.

     She was in a uni hoodie that went down to her mid thigh and it wasn’t obvious whether or not she was wearing shorts underneath the fabric that drowned out her body. Her eyes were an emerald green and she had the most adorable mouth either guy had ever seen, a perfect cupid bow on beautiful pink lips. Her blonde hair was in a half bun and it had an effortlessly, messy, cute, girl next door sort of vibe to it.

     Luke’s words caught in his throat and Ashton jumped in, “can we do something for you?” he asked.

     “I uh…” she looked a little shocked, “I was expecting Calum-”

     “Bathroom.”

     “Oh.” she fidgeted with her long hoodie sleeves, “do you mind turning down the music? I mean, I’m usually chill when he’s playing Queen but this is a little excessive.”

     “Excessive?!” Michael screamed from inside, shocked at the slander towards the Guns and Roses thumping through the apartment.

     “Queen?” Ashton said in shock, “since when does Calum listen to Queen.”

     “Oh are you more John Denver because that was a shock too.” Annabelle laughed, beginning to twirl her hair.

     “John Denver!?” Michael screamed, throwing his controller down as he stood abruptly from the couch and ran to the bathroom.

     There was a sound of the door being thrown open then a “What the fuck?!” then screaming and cursing as Michael attacked Calum.

     “Anyways, could you turn the music down a bit?” Annabelle asked, anxious to get back to her studying. It had calmed down slightly, a new beat that wasn’t wholly unpleasant replacing the last song.

     Just when she began to feel bad about requesting the music to be turned down, the lyrics for the song began. ‘You let me violate you. You let me desecrate you. You let me penetrate you-’

     Annabelle made a face and the boys in front of her grinned, “you don’t like Nine Inch Nails?” Luke mused.

     “Surprised you haven't heard this one yet, it’s Cal’s favourite.” Ashton smirked as the lyrics began to scream ‘I wanna fuck you like an animal. I wanna feel you from the inside.’

     “I don’t know if it’s his favourite.” Luke said, “but it’s definitely his song if you know what I mean.”

     They both looked at Annabelle expectantly and she took a deep breath. She guessed they expected her to crack under the pressure of their gaze.

     Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning against the doorway, “you know, I can definitely see that.” she stated.

     Ashton laughed loudly and Calum and Michael appeared behind the two blondes, “Cal, we like her.” Luke stated.

     “Fuck someone turn this music down.” Calum said, looking distressed.

     Michael went back to the living room, but instead of turning it down he turned it up and suddenly the vulgar lyrics were booming through the apartment and out into the hallway. 

     Someone else opened their apartment door, glaring at Annabelle who was getting second hand embarrassment for Calum and his friends. A hand grabbed Annabelle and the taller blonde pulled her inside the apartment, closing the door as Calum went and grabbed the phone from Michael, turning the music down.

     He turned to look at Annabelle, “what’s up?” he asked, looking worried.

     “I just uh… the music, needed to be turned down a little.” Annabelle said.

     The boys looked between the two.

     Annabelle, who had actually seemed kind of cocky and ready to converse at the door, was suddenly clamming up.

     And Calum? Their future CEO, dominant, powerhouse, sex god, was suddenly worried and ready to bend over backwards, which was something he never fucking did.

     “Right, sorry, I’ll keep it down.” Calum apologized.

     Luke and Ashton exchanged a glance.

     “So how did your exam go?” Calum asked.

     “My exam?”

     “Yeah the one last week.” Calum clarified.

     “Fuck, right, that one, uh, it was good, I think it went well. Thanks for the ride, I appreciated it.” Annabelle smiled and Calum ate it up, grinning back.

     “He let you drive in his car?!” Michael screamed, taking this new information as a personal offense, “since fucking when!?”

     “She’s not a pig like you are.” Calum said absentmindedly.

     “Fuck you Hood I am not a fucking pig.” Michael glared.

     Calum tensed up.

     His last name had just been dropped.

     But when he looked at Annabelle it seemed like she hadn’t noticed, and he let out a sigh of relief.

     “Aren’t you going to properly introduce us?” Luke asked, interrupting Michael who was still seething.

     “Fuck, right,” Calum groaned, he kept missing all the steps and this guy never missed steps, “that’s Ashton, the tall guy is Luke and the pig is Michael.”

     Michael groaned loudly again.

     “Nice to meet you guys, I’m-”

     “Annabelle, not Belle, trust me,” Luke grinned, “we know.”

     “Fuck off Luke.” Calum cussed.

     “I have to study so I should get going-”

     “Yeah, sure.” Calum walked Annabelle to the door, opening it for her. He offered a small smile and as she left, he couldn’t help but follow her out, closing his door behind him.

     “What are you doing?” she asked.

     “Walking you home.” he answered as if it was the most regular thing in the world.

     “I’m literally five meters away.” Annabelle laughed.

     “Well fuck, if you don’t want me to be a gentleman-” Annabelle laughed and Calum grinned, walking her the five meters to her door, “hey so, I have to be at work tomorrow morning and I figured I could give you a ride or-”

     “I don’t have class till noon tomorrow.” Annabelle said.

     “Well, maybe we could grab breakfast or fuck, I guess noon is brunch huh? And I could drive you after.” Calum tried to gage her reactions and when she didn’t automatically smile (like any other girl he knew would, they’d be jumping at the chance to see him in the morning) he got worried, “or not, if you’re busy-”

     “Brunch.” Annabelle interrupted him, “you don’t peg me as a brunch kind of guy.”

     “I’m not.” he confessed.

     “So what’s that about? Hood?” Annabelle crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against her door, looking up at Calum.

     He studied her face, trying to decipher if she knew who he was but, as was always the frustrating case, he had no clue what the fuck she was thinking.

     “I-”

     “You don’t have to explain yourself actually, I don’t know why I asked.” Annabelle sighed.

     “You’re into psychology.” Calum stated. He’d been pissed about it before but for some reason, he wasn’t anymore. “It’s uh, it’s cute.”

     God. He hated himself.

     He hated himself.

     He never fucking blushed with girls. He was the hardcore dom boy who made the girls blush. So why did this small, uni girl, study bug, mess of a thing, have so much control over him?

     Annabelle’s heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest as she smiled up at the guy in front of her. The asshole neighbour. “You’re cute.” she stated before she could help herself.

     Calum laughed, head lolling back to expose the most beautiful throat Annabelle had ever seen. Both of his hands came up to cover his face and she noticed the rings as he turned his body to the wall, resting his forehead against it.

     “You good?” Annabelle laughed.

     “Would you believe me if I said i’m drunk?” he groaned, turning to look at her.

     “You’re not.”

     “But if I was-”

     “Then I’d be worried you’d kiss me again.”

     “Woah, you’re the one who kissed me last time.” Calum pointed out.

     “You suggested it.” Annabelle fired back.

     “Did I though?” Calum narrowed his eyes at her, grinning.

     “You said good luck kiss-”

     “I also told you to get out of my car.” Calum reminded her.

     Annabelle rolled her eyes, “you’re such a dick.”

     “You keep calling me that princess, but I’m pretty sure you like me.” Calum smirked.

     “Oh yeah? And what gives you that idea?”

     “You took care of me while I was drunk and you called me baby-”

     “Well fuck me, I’m a good person you can’t use that against me!” Annabelle said, voice raising defensively as she looked at him with a smile.

     “I could.”

     “You could what?”

     “Fuck you.” he grinned.

     “Calum!” Annabelle’s eyes widened and she pushed at him but he caught her hand as it almost made contact with his chest, pulling it forward so she tumbled towards him. His arms caught her and she looked up at him in shock.

     “You gonna make me kiss you this time, or are you going to take control?” he asked.

     “Why does something tell me you’re the one who’s used to being in control.” Annabelle countered but she sounded breathless.

     “I am.”

     “So be in control.”

     Calum’s heart melted and if he wasn’t already kissing her a soon as the words left her mouth, he may have accidentally let an ‘i love you’ slip out because, holy fuck, he was over the moon.

     His hands cupped her face as his tongue slid over her bottom lip. Her mouth opened immediately to receive him and Calum grinned, biting her lower lip between his teeth to take a breather, something he almost never needed.

     Annabelle’s hands kept her steady, pressed against his strong shoulders, keeping her upright.

     His thumb brushed against her cheek and as he was about to go in for another kiss when the sound of music vibrated through the hallway again and a head popped out of his apartment. Blue eyes bore into Calum’s back and he groaned as Annabelle peaked around him at Luke who was gaping at her.

     Annabelle stepped backwards and Calum’s hands dropped to his sides.

     “See you tomorrow?” he asked.

     Fuck. He felt like one of the girls he kicked out every night.

     But he thanked god that Annabelle wasn’t him. She nodded, smiling, “yeah. Brunch.”

     Calum grinned and Annabelle went inside her apartment, offering one last smile as the door shut. Calum turned to glare at Luke, “I fucking hate you.”

-----

     When Annabelle opened her door, she realized immediately how distressed Calum looked.

     His outfit was on point. Black jeans, a white t shirt and a leather jacket that fit him in all the right places.

     “Are you okay?” she asked, noticing how he was leaning with one arm against her doorway.

     He made a small face, “can I come in?”

     “Of course.” she moved out of the way for him and Calum entered, pacing in her hallway, “do you want coffee or are you hungry?”

     Calum turned to look at her. He was worried for a moment, but then he thought about what she’d said the night before about taking control.

     “Starved.” he stated.

     Calum grabbed Annabelle around her waist, pulling her to his chest so he could press his lips against hers. She let out a small shocked sound at first but her body relaxed almost instantly. Her fingers hooked in his belt loops to pull him closer and Calum groaned.

     He couldn’t help himself. Couldn’t contain it any longer.

     His hands moved down to her ass and he lifted her up easily, Annabelle’s legs wrapped around Calum’s waist as he took her to her dinner table, setting her down on top of it. His hands grabbed at her bum harshly and Annabelle groaned into his mouth, fingers going to his hair as she pulled at the silver strands and a low grumble left his chest.

     He pushed her down against  the tabletop and immediately he unbuttoned her pants.

     “Calum-” she breathed.

     “I told you. I’m starving.” he said, pulling her jeans off completely. He looked up at her, his beautiful hands skimming up her bare thighs, “unless you actually want pancakes or some shit.”

     “After?”

     “Dessert first, pancakes later, sounds good to me.” he said, nipping at her inner thigh. He pressed a soft kiss to the skin he’d just bitten and Annabelle settled back against the table, her hands finding his hair.

     His fingers hooked in her panties and he slid those down as well. Once they were on the floor he put her legs over his shoulders, pulling her closer. Calum had a thing for eating girls out. He just did. For some odd reason he enjoyed it. Enjoyed the power of it.

     But he hadn’t been enjoying it lately.

     It was as if he was a guy craving an amazing meal but only having ever been given fast food, after a while he’d gotten tired of the Big Macs. But here he was, at the open doors of a Gordon Ramsay Level five star restaurant and boy was going to eat.

     As soon as his lips wraps around her clit, Annabelle’s fingers tightened in his hair and she moaned. The sound was music to Calum’s ears. Fuck, it had been ages since he’d heard the sound of a woman receiving pleasure from him because he hadn’t wanted to hear any sounds that weren’t from Annabelle.

     And now that he was earning each whimper, he wanted her louder. He sucked harder on her clit and Annabelle let out a whiney breath, grip tightening on his hair. The small amount of pain made Calum groan and the vibrations against Annabelle’s clit threw her over the edge as her legs shook on his shoulders and she moaned loudly. His hands on her hips kept her steady as he worked her through the orgasm.

     As soon as Annabelle had calmed down a bit, Calum stood fully again.

     “Now I know why the girls you always have over are so goddamn loud.” Annabelle laughed.

     Calum grinned, “that was nothing princess.”

     “Oh yeah?” Annabelle smiled.

     “Come here.” Calum said.

     Annabelle pushed herself up so he could kiss her again. His left hand cupped her face as his ring clad fingers of his right hand rubbed at her still sensitive clit. They dipped inside and Annabelle moaned into Calum’s mouth. His digits curled up and hit that spot that made Annabelle grab at his shoulders “oh my god.” she said against his lips.

     Calum smirked, he knew he was good at this too.

     Calum was good at everything in the bedroom. It was just a fact. And he needed to prove it to Annabelle. He needed to make her addicted. He needed her to be thinking about this for weeks. He needed her to not be able to get him out of her perfect little head, to be tortured like he had.

     Annabelle was moaning too much to kiss properly but Calum didn’t mind, he moved his lips to her neck instead. At first he pressed a few soft kisses to the sensitive skin but as he let his teeth drag across the flesh, Annabelle mewled, her fingers tugged at his hair and Calum knew that she was into it.

     He sucked at her neck while moving his fingers faster. He could feel her heart racing in the artery he pressed kisses against and it drove him wild to feel her reacting to him.

     Her loud moans in his ear egged him on and he could feel her getting closer and closer as she began to flutter around his ring clad digits. She pulled at his hair and he brought his lips to hers again as she came, whimpering into his mouth as he continued to pump his fingers in and out.

     Calum took his fingers out of her and brought them to his lips, watching her as he licked them clean. As he did that, Annabelle reached out, unbuckling his belt then his jean button and zipper.

     Calum took off his leather jacket, removing a condom from his pocket, then also got rid of his shirt. He stopped Annabelle’s motions with his pants, holding out the packaged condom for Annabelle to take between her teeth as he helped take her hoodie off that was still adorning her body. He grinned, “no bra? Dirty girl.”

     “It’s just for uni.” Annabelle breathed, taking the condom out from between her teeth.

     “Hmm, glad I’m not in your class or I wouldn’t be able to focus. You’re a menace.” he took the condom from her.

     “You’re just horny all the time.” Annabelle said, going back to her job of shoving Calum’s pants down.

     “You’re just sexy.” he rolled the condom on and his hands found her thighs, gently brushing the skin, “you ready?”

     “Fuck me Mr. Hood.”

     Calum burst out laughing and so did Annabelle, “please don’t call me that.” Calum groaned, grabbing her face to kiss her.

     “Yeah sorry that was not good.” Annabelle agreed.

     “It’s okay.” Calum assured her, pressing one more soft kiss to her lips before he grabbed himself, lining up with Annabelle before pushing in slowly.

     They both moaned, one of Calum’s hands continued to cup her face while the other went around to the small of her back, keeping her close as he did the first few thrusts slow and deep.

     Fucking on a counter was great and everything but something about it felt wrong. Calum had been fucking people decidedly not in his bedroom to avoid Annabelle having to hear it, but now that he had her in his arms he wanted to go to the “bedroom.” he said, hands grabbing her bum again as he lifted her up, still inside, then walked to her room.

     They collapsed onto her bed with giggles, teeth clashing slightly as they grinned into the kisses they shared. Annabelle couldn’t get enough of his gorgeously dyed hair, running her fingers through it repeatedly.

     One of Calum’s hands moved Annabelle’s leg higher on his waist to get a better angle and he began a quick, rough, unrelenting pace that had Annabelle’s moans getting louder and louder.

     Calum buried his face in her neck, enjoying the up close smell of coconuts that he already adored. He bit down into her skin and she let out a high, breathy moan that sent shivers through Calum’s entire body.

     “Fuck.” he groaned, and the sound of him, all low and grumbly, made Annabelle’s heart lurch.

     “Cal I’m so close.” she whispered, tangling her fingers in his hair to tug at it again which earned another groan from him.

     “Me too princess.” he said, lips on her again. He wanted to be kissing her, wanted to be sharing the moment completely as they both came. A few more deep thrusts had them both going over the edge. Eyes clenched shut, hands groping each other to be as close as physically possible, they were just two souls sharing a moment where nothing else in the entire world mattered.

     Annabelle took her lips from his and Calum went back to her neck as they both panted. Her fingers tracing patterns on his back and shoulders, adoring his beautiful skin.

     “So… pancakes?” Annabelle asked, voice still breathless.

     Calum laughed, rolling off her, “you’re wild.”

     “You promised pancakes.” she reminded him.

     “Where do you want to go?” he asked.

     “I was thinking you could make me pancakes at your place.” Annabelle said.

     “You’re a real piece of work aren’t you?” Calum laughed.

     Annabelle shrugged, “you’re the one who started calling me princess, baby.”

     Calum groaned, “you got me there.”

---

     “So you fucked her, made her pancakes, then drove her to school.” Michael stated.

     “Pretty much.” Cal answered, eyes scanning over the menu even though he knew what he wanted already. They’d been coming to this restaurant for years and Calum always ordered the exact same thing. He liked to pretend he was considering something else but Calum just didn’t enjoy change that much. He liked what he liked and he liked that he was used to it.

     “That sounds kind of coupley man.” Ashton said, not even bothering to look at the menu.

     “Hmmm.” Calum said. He knew that it was super coupley. It’s all he’d been able to think about all day. As he dropped her off, earning a small kiss, then went to work. In the board meeting, he’d been distracted. And if there was one thing Calum Hood wasn’t, it was the type to to get distracted.

     It was kind of pissing him off.

     “Well it’s wednesday.” Luke pointed out.

     “So?” Michael asked.

     “So, Wednesday is the day he fucks the flight attendant right?”

     Their eyes all went to Calum.

     He’d forgotten about that.

----

     “Calum Hood.” Mary stated, “as in, Calum Hood of Hood enterprises, that huge contracting company that owns like half the city.”

     “I mean, I guess so.” Annabelle shrugged, flipping through the pages of her text book.

     “Why the fuck is he living next to you if he’s rich as fuck though?”

     “He has this weird thing about having not earned his money or something. I guess he wants to see how us commoners live.”

     “But you fucked this guy.”

     “Yeah I just told you.” Annabelle sighed.

     “Lock it down babe, lock it down!” Marry screamed into the phone and Annabelle grinned.

     “I’m not a gold digger, plus he can be kind of a dick.”

     “But like… money though.” there was a pause, “and the guy has driven you to school twice now? He seems okay to me.”

     Annabelle had to admit, Calum was okay. She was being hard on him. She’d been thinking about the name Hood all day and in her last class she’d finally looked him up, curiosity having gotten the better of her. Sure enough, there was his picture, connected to some trash article about him leaving the club with another heiress of sorts.

     Annabelle would be lying if she said that the article hadn’t hurt just a little.

     He had access to heiresses and models, hell, there was even a rumour about a new pop song having been written about him and his (since dyed silver) notoriously gorgeous black curls.

     “I mean, he’s okay-” she began.

     “He’s hot as fuck Anna.” Mary interrupted her.

     “How do you know that?”

     “I looked him up. Is his hair still silver?”

     “Yeah.”

     “Hot as fuck.” Mary reiterated.

     “Don’t tell him that, he doesn’t need another boost to his ego.” Annabelle sighed.There was a knock at her door, “shit, someone’s here I have to go. Call you later?”

     “Who the fuck is at your place at twelve at night?” her friend groaned.

     “I don’t know.” Anna could guess though, “call you right back.”

     “Yeah yeah.”

     Annabelle hung up and walked to the door, opening it to reveal Calum who looked just as distressed as he had in the morning. “Hey.” he said, looking her up and down.

     “Hi.” she was wondering what he was doing at her apartment. She’d seen him that morning when he’d dropped her off at school at noon, which had been only around twelve hours before. She hadn’t expected to see him so soon, “what’s up? It’s late.”

      “I was, uh…” he rubbed at the back of his neck and Annabelle narrowed her eyes at him.

    He looked uncomfortable and Annabelle couldn’t help but verbalize the first thought that came to her mind, “you’re not here for a booty call are you?” Calum opened his mouth then closed at and Annabelle rolled her eyes, “what? Your other booty calls are busy?”

     “Well when you make it sound like that-”

     “How else is it supposed to sound Calum?” Annabelle glared, crossing her arms over her chest.

     Once more, Calum didn’t know what to say. “Fuck.” he groaned. He kept messing up. “I don’t… I don’t want the other girls-”

     “Wow. Wooing of the century Calum.” Annabelle said sarcastically, “‘hey babe, I’m like super horny and I know I can call any of my other fuck buddies, of which I have hundreds, but you’re my favourite, so I know you’re studying a lot, but how about you drop all of that, and let me make use of the fact that you’re my neighbour.’”

     “Wow.” Calum laughed awkwardly, “so that’s what you think I’m like.”

     “You literally kept me awake for a month straight fucking girls in the room next to mine.” Annabelle reminded him.

     He had to admit, that was true.

     “But that was before I knew you.”

     “God Calum-”

     “Baby.” he corrected, trying to sound charming.

     “What do you even want from me?” Annabelle sighed, Calum didn’t answer, “look, we fucked, you had a taste of the common life, good for you-”

     “What do you mean?” he furrowed his eyebrows at her, confused.

     Annabelle took a deep breath. She was mad, worried that she’d been considering dating a guy who only saw her as a quick and easy fuck. “Rich boy has the cheap apartment and now he’s fucked a girl who doesn’t have fake tits or lips-”

     “So I’m ‘rich boy’ now?” Calum laughed, but it hurt, and he could feel his blood beginning to boil, “that’s fucking great.”

     “It’s who you are Calum-”

     “I mean yeah, it’s part of who I am, how could it not be, but I’m more than that-”

     “Really?”

     “Yeah!” he said, voice raising a little, “but you wouldn’t know because just like every other fucking girl in my life, you can’t see past my money can you?”

     Annabelle’s eyes widened, looking at him in shock. He’d told her while he was drunk that people treated him differently because of his money, and in the moment, Annabelle had judged the people who let that blind them, but here she was, being one of those people. All the anger and defensiveness she had been feeling disappeared.

     “I didn’t mean to-”

     “No one ever fucking means to. Not really. But they can’t help it.” Calum sighed, running a hand through his hair, “the girls expect you to pay for dinner because you can, then they want gifts on Valentines day but of course a box of chocolates isn’t enough when your boyfriend is a millionaire is it? Who even knows if a girl actually likes me or if she just wants money?” he shrugged, “I don’t fucking know. So yeah, I don’t tell people and you didn’t know, not right away and when you found out, your opinion of me changed, but yeah, not your fault, people can’t fucking help it. You know. Maybe I should be happy that you’re actually mad about it, that you’re not trying to get me to buy you a ring like every other girl I fucking know, cuz that means that what we had this morning? That shit was real. Just sucks that you’re letting the fact that I have money get in the way of this now.”

     He turned to go.

     Annabelle watched him. She didn’t know why she’d brought the money into it. She was kicking herself.

     “Calum.” she called. He didn’t turn around. She knew in that moment that she had to be vulnerable and she hated it. “I’m scared.”

     “About what?” he asked, whipping around to look at her.

     “Well…” Annabelle groaned, “you have models chasing you Cal, models. I don’t want to be just your easy-fuck neighbour-”

     “You’re not.”

     “Well how the fuck am I supposed to know that?!” she yelled, “we barely talk, until like two days ago I didn’t even know your last name-”

     “I don’t know your last name.” he pointed out.

     “Well it’s not like I’m trying to hide it.”

     “So we’re back to the whole family name thing.” Calum turned to go again.

     “God, see that’s the other thing, as soon as things get tough you leave!”

     “I can have a conversation as long as you don’t keep going back to my family, you don’t know them, they’re good people.”

     Annabelle took a deep breath, “do you have siblings?”

     “Yeah, sister.” he eyed her, letting out a breath as his shoulders relaxed slightly, “You?”

     “No, I’m an only child.”

     “So that explains a few things Princess.” Calum stated but there was something lighter in his tone and Annabelle found herself smiling. Just like that, a stupid pet name, and things calmed down.

     “This is such a mess.” Annabelle groaned.

     “Great things never come easy.” Calum pointed out.

     “Great things?” Annabelle quirked her eyebrow at him and Calum leaned against his door, eying her, “this is a great thing?”

     “I think it could be.” he paused, “what do you think?”

     Annabelle thought about it for a moment, “want to come in?” Calum’s eyebrows raised and Annabelle rolled her eyes, “not for sex. We should get to know each other or something.”

     Calum was silent for a moment, “fine. But you have to trust me when I say that I actually like you.” he approached her again, “I mean, yeah, you’re great in bed too-” Annabelle shoved at his shoulder and Calum grinned, “but I like you, okay?”

     “Okay. I mean, you can be a bit of a dick sometimes but I like you too.”

     “Again with calling me a dick?” Calum smirked, “thought we decided this morning that you don’t actually think I’m a dick.”

     “I don’t think we ever decided that-” Annabelle looked up at the gorgeous man who was invading her space

     “Sure we didn’t, you sleep with all the guys you think are douchebags huh?” he teased.

     “Don’t test your luck hot shot.” Annabelle glared.

     “Or what?”

     She could feel his breath, and his pleasant, smokey smell wafted over her. “I’m still mad at you.” she stated.

     “Sure you are.” he said.

     God, he made her so angry sometimes. But fuck, was he hot. Annabelle looked up at him and she couldn’t help herself, wanting to feel the beautiful skin against her fingers, the strong muscles of his shoulders, the softness of his hair. Her heart was still racing, all worked up from their small argument.

     Her hand went behind his neck and pulled his lips down to hers. Their tongues clashed immediately as her fingers gripped at his shirt, itching to tear it off right there in the hallway. His hands went to her waist and he pushed her against the hallway wall next to her door, grinding against her.

     Annabelle groaned into his mouth and when he moved to bite at her neck she breathed, “no sex.”

     “No sex.” he agreed, hand moving past Annabelle to open the door to her apartment. As soon as it was open, she ducked under his arm and went inside, grabbing his hand to pull him in after her. When the door was closed, she shoved him against the wall and he smirked as her hands grabbed at the hem of his shirt, lifting it to pull it over his head and reveal the beautiful, tattooed skin.

     Annabelle couldn’t help herself as her hands went to his pants, as she slipped them down she realized “are these silk boxers?”

     Calum groaned, “yeah.”

     “Okay, how can you expect me not to comment on these.” Annabelle grinned.

     “God, you’re a piece of fucking work has anyone told you that?”

     “Pretty sure you did this morning.”

     “Well I guess I’m just a genius then hmm?”

     “You have a massive ego.”

     “I have a massive something and it’s not my ego, princess.” he brought his mouth to hers again, cupping her face.

     Annabelle groaned against his lips, “you sure about that?”

     “You weren’t complaining this morning.”

     Annabelle pulled away from Calum and his eyes opened, watching her retreat, still fully clothed, as he stood there shirtless, with his pants on the ground, “what are you doing?” he asked.

     “Getting a good view.”

     “How about you get your ass back here?” he suggested.

     “Or what?”

     Calum groaned, “touche.”

     “Look, I think you should at least take me on a date first or something.” Annabelle said, “or I could order pizza-”

     “Whatever you want.” Calum said, ready to do just about anything to get his hands back on her.

     She picked up his shirt and tossed it to him, “I meant it when I said no sex.” she stated.

     Calum sighed, pulling up his pants and putting on the shirt, “you’re really starting to make me question the idea that you prefer me better without this on you know.”

     “Well I like to keep you guessing.” Annabelle shrugged, walking to the living room where she sat on the couch and patted the seat next to her. He sat down and she looked at him, “so what do you like on your pizza?”

     They talked about their favourite things for a while. Annabelle ordered food and they chatted until there was a buzzer beep, Annabelle let the pizza guy up and as Calum grabbed his wallet, Annabelle walked to the door. Before Calum could do anything, she had already paid, closing the door behind the guy and brining the pizza into the small apartment.

     Calum looked at her.

     “What?” she asked.

     “I don’t think anyone’s ever bought me pizza before.” he stated.

     “Who says you get to have any?” Annabelle teased, grabbing two plates, she handed one to Calum.

     He smiled down at her.

    They were going to be great. He could feel it. And Calum had a knack for that sort of thing.

-------------------

part two here

Oneshot Masterlist

Regular Masterlist

[starshipsofstarlord]

CALUM HOOD MASTERLIST

🥀 = Smut

🌺 = Requested

Broken Home

Summary: The walls to the house next door are thin. He hears the pain that his neighbour is going through, and Calum wants nothing more than to take her away.

Warnings; abuse, domestic relationship, violence, angst, mentions of sex

Homeward Bound 🥀🌺

Summary; Cal returns home from tour, and he shows his girl how much he missed her and figures out a way to help her sleep, which she had been struggling to do without him

Warnings; includes smut (handjob), swearing, fluff

Piece of Cake 🥀

[carriedawayfromhome]

Sneak - C.H

Count: 1.8K

Summary: Two eager people find a way to satisfy their needs.

Rating: Explicit

Masterlist

‘Can’t I come over?’

Calum looks down at his phone and bites his lip in annoyance, he looks around the room at his bandmates lounging around and having a few drinks, movie playing loudly in the room. Calum’s fingers hover over his phone trying to think up a reason to kick everyone out so that he can invite you over to throw you over the couch and have his way, but nothing comes to mind and his shoulders drop in defeat.

Everyone is here, the guys, I don’t think they’re leaving anytime soon

‘Isn’t there anyway you can convince them to go? I’m really needy right now’

Calum internally groans, letting his head fall back against the couch as he leans over to grab his beer, taking a long swig whilst trying to rack his brain on how he can try to see you. You would have suggested your place but your parents are staying over for the weekend and you definitely can’t kick them out.

Babe, I’m sorry I don’t think there’s anything I can do, but I am desperate to see you, damn

You look down at your phone and groan audibly, throwing your phone down next to you and falling back onto your bed, the light mumble of the t.v outside your room is the only sound you hear. Your parents had decided to watch a movie while you took a shower and now as you sit in your towel on your bed wondering how you would be able to see your boyfriend, but at this rate it seems a no go.

You don’t see any reason in staying in your towel for any longer, you were hoping Calum would tell you that the guys had left or he had made an excuse for them to leave so that you could hope into something sexy and head over there, leaving your parents with an excuse as to why you can’t watch the movie with them, but alas no text like that has come through. So you text back Calum with a quick goodnight text and head to get dressed, ready for a simple night in, when you hear that familiar ding as your phone lights up on your bed.

Wait! I have an idea babe

‘Go on….’

Make an excuse to leave your place for a moment, like you have to pick something up from the grocery store or something and drive over here and I’ll meet you out the front okay?

As you read the text you can’t help but laugh out loud, this man is ridiculous, wanting you to come over to what, have sex in the garden? He’s eager, you give him that much.

‘You can’t be serious…. I can’t do that!’

Come on babe, this was your idea. Now you’ve made me all riled up and I want to feel you

You stare at the text for a moment wondering if it’s a good idea or not to head over there, it definitely could work and the thought of getting caught does make you squirm a little on the bed.

‘Okay I’m in, do you want me to leave now?’

Yes, text me when you’re outside and I’ll make an excuse to meet you out there.

‘Okay, see you soon.’

You hop up off the bed and start to get dressed, even though it’s only going to be a quick moment with Calum you throw on a cute bra and matching panties, regardless of the situation you always feel sexier in a matching set, with a t-shirt and skirt thrown over top, you then tie your hair into a bun and go to grab your phone and keys when your phone dings again.

Oh and wear a skirt and no panties.

A sudden shiver goes through you, if you weren’t excited before, well you’re definitely excited now. You take off your underwear, throwing them onto the bed, your heart beating a little faster as you head out to the lounge room where your parents are cuddling on the couch.

You stand behind the couch, watching them for a moment, your Dad’s arm around your Mums shoulders, his hands caressing your hair. That right there is what you want, an easy love, a love you don’t have to work for, it comes as easy and as routine as the sunrise. You come into view and let them know you’re popping to the store to grab some things, you list off random things to let them know, though easily enough they’re none the wiser and tell you to be back quick as they want to watch a movie with you. With a quick smile and wave you’re out the door and into the car, driving the very familiar route to Calum’s house.

Calum sits anxiously in the mix of his friends, waiting for the text to let him know you’re here. His friends have no idea that as he sits there, pretending to listen to their conversation he’s picturing you naked outside his house, waiting for him to pounce.

You finally pull up outside his house, parking along the curb and shutting off the headlights. With a quick text to Calum, you place your phone and keys inside your purse and hop out, walking up to his garage, no view of the house from where you stand. You can hear the loud chatter though, assuming the boys are all having a couple drinks and will most likely all stay the night, you now know why Calum wasn’t really able to make an excuse to leave.

Calum’s phone buzzes and he jumps almost, looking around hoping no one saw that, he reads the texts and jumps up quicker than needed letting the guys know in the room that he’s going to take the trash out and he won’t be long, a couple nods and one conspicuous look he turns away to grab a trash bag, thankful that it is somewhat full and heads out the door, through the garage and pass the cars, letting the bag drop in the corner. He turns the corner and suddenly sees you standing there, arms crossed and leaning against his car, a smile upon your face.

“Hello baby,” You whisper, watching as he struts towards you before immediately pulling you in, kissing you as hard as he can, hands coming down to rest on your lower back.

He pulls back, “We have to be quick,” He whispers, his hand leaning down to sneak under your shirt, his hands warm on your skin, “Or the guys will wonder where I am.”

You nod and eagerly lean in to kiss him again, the only light coming from the sensor on the garage door. You both kiss fervently, tongues, teeth and moans between you two, you can feel him getting harder in his pants, the hard material pushing into your skirt. His hands trail down past your waist and under the tiny skirt, moaning into your mouth when he feels no underwear.

Calum pulls back, hands leaning down to unbutton his jeans, “You want a taste honey?”

You nod, readily falling onto your knees, hands working where his once were, as soon as he’s free of his jeans you take him into your mouth quickly, hands working where your mouth can’t reach, feeling him get fuller in your mouth.

The cobblestone feeling underneath your knees starts to ache whilst your eyes occasionally dart to either side of the driveway, making sure no neighbours suddenly appear or the guys from back in the house. You continue to suck and lick eagerly, Calum’s breathless whines above you making you go faster, the saliva starting to drip down your chin and neck.

His hand where it rests on your head, pulls at your hair, signally for you to come back up and you do just that, standing on slightly unsteady feet Calum pulls you close again, kissing you whilst strong hands feel as much of you as they can.

He pulls back to turn you around, pushing you to lean over the front of his car. You let your head drop down as Calum pulls your skirt up to your waist and a quick kiss is placed on your lower back, a bite following immediately after. You brace your hands against the cold hood of the car as Calum lines himself up, waisting no time in pushing forward, a groan coming from you as you are suddenly full. With Calum’s hands on your waist he thrusts quickly, your body being rammed against the car, your breath coming out laboured.

“Calum,” You whisper, one of your hands coming down in front of you to touch yourself, the excitement from a quick outdoor session has brought you closer to your orgasm then you were expecting, “You feel so good.”

“I’m not going to last long at all honey,” He grunts in response as he continues his rhythm, not slowing for one moment as his movements start to get irregular and his grip tightens on your hips. With a slightly painful bite on your shoulder he slows his movements, riding out his own high within you, your own orgasm haven’t passed already and the feeling of him finishing inside you makes you sensitive again.

He pulls out and pulls your skirt down for you, helping you stand and turn around to face him with a stupidly large grin across his face.

“Well that was fun wasn’t it?”

You laugh at him as you lean up to cup his face, bringing him down for a quick kiss, “We both need to get back.”

Calum nervously nods and looks behind him, hoping one of the guys hasn’t followed him out here wondering where he has gone off to. A few more quick kisses and a rough squeeze of your bottom, Calum turns and walks back into the garage, out through the door and back towards his house. With a shake of your head and a light laugh you also make your way back to the car, you try to make sure to get nothing wet on your skirt, the last thing you need is question about your disheveled state when you go back to your house.

Calum walks back through the front door and back into the lounge room where thankfully his completely unaware friends are still lounging around, drinking and carrying on and no one comments at all on his flushed cheeks and tousled hair. He smiles to himself and sits back, grabbing the beer he had almost finished before his quick rendezvous.

As you pull back up to your house, just as you’re getting out of the car your phone vibrates in your bag, you look down at the text and laugh.

They have no idea! None of them said anything

‘That’s hilarious babe, we absolutely nailed it’

Goodnight honey x

You make your way into your house, your parents also thankfully have fallen asleep in front of the t.v, no question asked about why you have no bags full of groceries. You undress in your room, your skirt looking worse for wear and a light bruise is starting to form on your shoulder, but the thought of what just happened makes you suddenly wet again and as you lay down onto your bed, legs spread you imagine in your head round two as your hand slowly trails down your body.

[rosecolouredash]

Duality ; Rival Hockey!Cashton

Pairing: Captain!Ashton x fem!OC x Captain!Calum

Summary: A tale of two captains and their childhood love.

Warnings: Ash being a grade A jerk™️ like serious big cocky flirt energy, Calum being a soft smoosh, me being an indecisive bitch.

Notes: When new tattoos fuel your creativity, you have to take advantage of it — which I did. Thanks to everyone who continuously loves on my lil hockey!au. I love YOU.

For as long as Liza Morales has known them, there was constant conflict between the two hockey captains — a war of emotions that diverged off of the ice they competed on. It was something deeper than the cheap shots to the boards and the harsh chirps they exchanged when meeting one another at the face-off circle. After all, their fight over athletic awards and hockey championship titles meant nothing compared to their fight over a childhood love.

Ashton Irwin, the captain of the Vipers, was alluring and cunning like the creature that represented his team. Whether it was during practice or an official game, he was always out for blood — a true believer in “no pain, no gain.” If he made an absurd play on the ice, as long as it benefited his team, he’d do it.

His school still fawned over him for it.

Calum Hood, on the other hand, was all dark stares and pouty lips as the leader of the neighbouring university hockey team — the Knights. He was naturally fair and encouraging on the ice but his brooding attitude deemed him as unapproachable and standoffish by most of the student body.

The former could flirt with an unsuspecting spectator at one of his games even after just coming out of a scuffle with a rival player — his knuckles bloodied and not a single hair out of place while the latter could strike complete and utter fear, without meaning to, in a teammate with a single narrowed glance.

They were two sides of the same coin.

Charming smiles and profound scowls.

Conspicuous behaviours and deep insecurity.

Bright eyes and dark curls and somehow, Liza found them vying for her love.

—

The three childhood friends lived next door to each other in the same cul-de-sac. Liza was closer in age to Calum so they shared many of the same classes growing up. Ashton, who was a couple of years older, took the advanced classes at their local school.

Even as children, the two boys bickered often.

Ashton reveled in antagonizing Calum, especially when it came to hockey. Ashton was a known prodigy at the sport and he was sure to remind Calum of that every chance that he could. The juvenile banter fueled the younger boy’s want to excel and surpass his friend and rival with pure finesse and raw skill in the rink.

There were days when, as the three would hang out together, that Ashton would feel particularly petty. He’d slink his arm around the black-haired beauty, drawing her body against his. He’d tut his tongue at Calum, complaining that he never got to hang out with Liza alone — that Calum took up too much of her precious time.

“You see each other in class all day but what about me?” Ashton would ask with a small pout, his tone at the borderline of joking and being dead serious.

As the coiffed brunet pulled her from the Hood’s front porch to his own, Liza missed the burning glare directed at the older boy and the wicked glint in Ashton’s eyes as he thanked Calum for his hospitality. At the time, the young teen still had the decency to stay tight-lipped; at the respect for his senior.

In the end, the dark-haired boy had the last laugh since Liza had decided to study medicine at Calum’s university rather than Ashton’s. What was worse, at least in the Viper captain’s eyes, was that she was also part of the enemy team — as the student physician — which meant she and Calum spent more time together, nowadays.

Sometimes, in intimate and close quarters.

—

Liza wasn’t blind to their advances. How Ashton’s flirty smiles always softened whenever they were directed at her. Or how at games at his university, he’d use his sharp tongue, that usually quipped at Calum and the Knights she stood behind, to compliment her with devilishly sweet words.

Calum too, made his feelings obvious through gentle conversations shared in the halls of their university — in-between seminars — and the way he seemed to keep the girl tucked by his side, his hand pressed at the small of her back, during crowded victory parties.

Liza’s mind often wandered to her two captain friends. There was no point in denying her attraction to both. They had so much history.

Childhood sleepovers where she was the last to fall asleep; her mind racing about the future. Even at a tender young age, she knew what she wanted in life and Ashton and Calum would listen to her rambles with expressions of complete endearment.

Pinky promises were made during those nights; claiming that they’d be together forever.

If only she knew of the war that would wage between the two boys over her affection.

Liza was so certain about many aspects of her life and for the first time: she was indecisive.

She doubted that she could ever choose between Ashton and Calum and so, she focused on what she could control. Liza put all of her energy in her studies and on being the Knights hockey team’s glorified healer — much to both the boys’ dismay.

They too, tried to busy themselves on honing their own skills as athletes. Frustrations caused by the matter were taken out on each other when they met on the ice.

Until one day, it wasn’t enough.

—

Liza received a text message from Calum, requesting her immediate presence at the university’s training rink. Fearing it was injury-related, she rushed over. Luckily, her classes were finished for the day.

She expected to find a crowd of rowdy Knights when in reality, Liza was only met by one — the captain and he was on the ice with the Snake King, himself.

Though they were older, they were still childish which was clear when Liza realized that the two boys thought that duking it out in a one-on-one hockey game could settle things.

If only wading through emotions was that simple.

They were clad in their respective uniforms — the letter “C” ever present on their chests.

Calum was calm; wrapped in black and silver. His every move was calculated.

From each glide of his skate to the flick of his wrist — hockey stick pointed at the Viper’s net. The dark-haired boy had the resolve but Ashton, clad in bright red, was simply the better athlete. The older captain was always two steps ahead and it made Calum furious.

It was easy to see that they wore their hearts on the sleeve of their hockey jerseys.

Liza watched, after making her way to the home team’s bench, as they etched into the ice. Their skates were heavy with every powerful stride they took on the frozen surface.

Since the rink was empty, safe for the three childhood friends, the boys’ conversation rang clear in Liza’s ears.

When he stole the puck, Ashton chirped, “you may as well give up now, Cal.”

As Calum skated after him, Ashton continued, “you’re a good player but that doesn’t mean you’d be a good boyfriend.”

Guiding his hockey stick, Calum tipped the puck out of Ashton’s possession. He sent the captain of the Vipers a mischievous grin as he pivoted away. “What do you know?”

They went back and forth for a while.

The frown on Liza’s face deepening with each quip they spat at each other. There was a time when she believed her boys could get along. She was sure they could be the best of friends — if only they tried.

The intensity of the match continued to grow as the boys physically crashed into one another. Liza was ready for one or the other to shatter on impact. It was one particular hit to the board — Calum to Ashton — that she was reminded how tough they could be. The older of the two kept his composure, even after being slammed hard. Without skipping a beat, Ashton continued to goad on the Knight who was beginning to lose his form on the ice.

It was with one final puck to Calum’s net that Ashton watched with a triumphant smirk as the captain of the Knights gripped at his hockey stick with such force that it snapped in half.

They had decided at the start: first to five would win their little match.

The score was 5-4, in favour of Ashton.

The Viper removed his helmet, his cocky demeanor now serious. “How many times will you have to lose to me, Calum?”

From where she stood at the bench, Liza could see the twitch of Calum’s upper lip — his expression darkening.

Calum fists were still clenched and his broken stick was long forgotten on the ice. He didn’t bother to reply and skated straight for the exit; never once sparing a glance towards Liza, as he passed the bench in shame.

Her heart broke to see Calum so dejected.

To Ashton’s surprise, Liza chased after the younger captain, almost slipping on the ice in doing so because of improper footwear.

She could hear Ashton’s desperate protests as they echoed from the rink but she didn’t stop.

—

Liza was halfway down the hall that led to the locker rooms when she caught up to Calum. She looked to the side to find his helmet lying on the cement floor, its visor cracked; most likely from being thrown away in frustration.

“Cal?”

He turned to face her, his grimace prominent. If Liza hadn’t grown up with the boy, she would have flinched at his expression.

Calum was still in his skates so he was a couple of inches taller than usual. He looked down at his childhood love.

She couldn’t read him. “What is it?”

Words were never his strong suit, whether he had to communicate or receive them. Knowing this, Liza reached out to embrace him — the only form of comfort that she could really offer at the moment. Almost immediately, he latched onto her frame. His face buried into the crook of her neck.

“I’ll—” he began.

His breath ghosted her skin.

“I’ll be better,” he finished, voice filled with determination.

Liza pulled back slightly, “but Calum, you’re great as you are.”

She’s seen his growth as a demure defenseman into a confident captain.

“You’ve worked so hard and you continue to work so hard—for yourself, for the team. It’s what I love about you.”

Love. Was it contradictory to offer such affection when she harboured the same feelings for his rival?

At that comment, his expression became contemplative. Calum’s gaze was suddenly fixated on her and only her. Her warm eyes. Her round cheeks. Her thin lips.

“Calum?”

His gloved hands moved to cup her face.

“I’m sorry.”

His apology was the last thing spoken before he dipped his head and Calum’s lips met hers. Though the contact was rushed, the action itself was gentle. A gratifying sigh escaped the two.

Aside from kisses to the cheek and her forehead exchanged with both, this was Liza’s first real kiss. Not even Ashton had made the move. Though he was self-assured that he’d know when the time was right.

But now he was too late.

The Viper captain watched as they broke apart — eyes wide. His pompous facade shattered in an instant as he made his way down the hall towards the two.

Glaring vengefully at Calum, he hissed out while giving the younger boy a shove. “How dare you?”

Ashton with his composure lost was a true force to be reckoned with. She recognized his state immediately and so Liza placed herself in-between the two boys. “Ash, please.”

With pleading eyes, she continued, “that’s enough.”

“So you’re just going to let him kiss you?” Ashton questioned in heartache. “Are you choosing him?”

Calum instinctively moved to her side, ready to defend her, if necessary. Liza shook her head at the older boy, “I haven’t chosen anybody.”

She then let out an exasperated sigh, “and it’s unfair of you to expect me to choose between you two.”

The boys would never intentionally force her to pick. They had too much respect and adoration for Liza to do so but maybe they had not thought their plan through.

Now visibly frustrated, Liza positioned herself so that she could address both captains at the same time, “or allow a stupid little hockey game to decide for me.”

The boys were left speechless and too surprised to stop her from walking away.

—

That was the first time they had directly confronted their odd circumstances of emotions. Liza had avoided the two boys since; even going as far as asking the head coach of the Knights if she could step down from her position as the team’s student physician for the time being. Coach Sveinson let her go, almost reluctantly but she reassured him that she just had some things to work through — he could only wish her the best.

It was sometime after that the three childhood friends would face their feelings, head on, once more.

Liza sat at the desk in her bedroom — notes and multi-coloured pens scattered across the wooden surface. She was home alone and deep into studying for exams when she noticed movement outside of her window. Curious, she looked through the glass to find Ashton and Calum having a conversation in front of her house.

When they reached the Morales’ front door, Ashton made the gesture to knock but Liza appeared at the entrance before he had the chance.

She let them in.

They stood in the foyer, in silence. Surprisingly, it was Calum who was the first to speak.

“We came to apologize,” he started, the sentiment written on his face. “What we did—it wasn’t fair to you and we’re sorry.”

Liza kept her stance with arms crossed. She didn’t know what to say so Ashton took the opportunity to continue.

“We really do love you, Liz—” her breath hitched at the pure honesty in Ashton’s voice. “—and love makes you do ridiculous things.”

She gave her boys a small smile. “I have to admit. What’s going on between us—it’s complicated, isn’t it?”

Even the two rival captains could agree on that.

“Yeah but, if it makes you want to avoid us than it’s not worth it.”

Calum let out a breath, “the boys miss you.”

Liza admitted she missed the Knights hockey team too.

“As do we.” Ashton gestured to himself and Calum. Her heart swelled at that since she most definitely missed her boys.

Liza Morales wasn’t sure what would happen now but it was a start and that’s all she really could hope for.

Tagged: @irwinkitten @calpops @rosecoloredash @lilbabycalum @gorgeouslygrace @rainingcalum @cashton-dolan @lockthisheartinchains @americanhorrorstudies @lovableah

BONUS: Her study notes were hard to recall at this point. Liza’s mind was in a blissful haze.

When they said they had a way of making it up to her she hadn’t expected this.

Ashton opened her bedroom window — the temperature in her room too high. When he looked back, he found Calum kneeling at the front of her bed — the tattoo of a dagger glaring back at him on his rival’s arm.

Ashton rejoined Liza on the mattress, placing himself behind her as she reached back to grip at his biceps. Her left hand caressed his snake tattoo.

“Hey Cal,” he started. Calum lifted his head from between her legs.

“First to get her to five, wins?”

Liza almost choked on air.

“You’re on.”

[lavieendonna]

Brushwork || ArtMajor!Calum AU (Chapter 20)

Summary: An Art Major AU where Dallas - third year gawky art student at VCA -  makes a deal with Calum - her cute new neighbour and project partner - and they spend the entire year learning that the perfect masterpiece takes a whole lot of brushwork.

Date: 22 February 2018 Requested: i think so? idk. probably not.    Pairing: Calum + Dallas Words: 3.5K Warnings: DATE NIGHT.......... PART 1   A/N: look okay. this is about ooh idk 2 months late. and all i have to say is i apologise. i hope you like it. or at least, don’t hate it. Big love xo 

Ask | Masterlist | ‘Brushwork’ Spotify Playlist | Next Chapter | ‘Brushwork’ News

Chapter 20: Dallas James. 21. Cause of Death: Literal Ray of Sunshine Piercing Her in Her Fucking Heart.

I don’t think I’d seen my hair look like this ever in my life. Like, Polly had done my hair plenty of times in the years we’d been friends. But it was like she was secretly on my side and really wanted me to blow Calum’s mind when he saw me tonight, but also didn’t want to say that in words so she just translated it into the language of hair.

I couldn’t stop touching it. She’d really worked some kind of dark magic to make this shit possible. It looked like silver-screen movie-star type hair – big, round, soft waves that even kind of shimmered in the shitty lighting of my studio bathroom. If I put on a tiara I could even look like some kind of gawky princess. One that wouldn’t fall over in heels to my imminent death.

I thanked Polly a million times before she claimed she needed to hit the gym and left (even though her gym nights were usually Monday’s and it was currently Friday night), and even though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, I let myself imagine that she was happy to help. Because despite how radiant I looked, I still felt rather sick and pretending things between Polly and I were better than they were kind of helped with that.

What also helped was sitting up all night stressing about what I was going to wear. I mean, I was also stressing about Polly being mad and my sister not answering the phone, but I managed to get some productivity out of the whole thing around 3 am and I was even still pretty in love with the outfit all these hours later. I looked at the high-waisted ripped jeans and pastel pink off-shoulder shirt lying across my (unmade) bed and decided it was The One. If I wasn’t going to end up with Calum, then at least I had this outfit to fall back on.

By the time I’d pulled the clothes on and rushed through my make-up I had 5 minutes to meet Calum downstairs. I still felt like I was going to throw up but I was wearing converse and knowing I wasn’t going to struggle in heels made me confident I wouldn’t fall over in the process. It took many, many deep breaths for me to gather my things and make it out of the apartment door, but I got there and there was no going back.

As I descended down the stairs, my heart racing in my throat, I spotted Calum leaning against the wall right across from the base of the stairs. He was in black jeans (that, by some miracle, didn’t have any rips in them) and Vans, as usual, but instead of a plaid shirt he was donning a sunflower yellow dress shirt unbuttoned over a black v-neck t-shirt. And if he didn’t look handsome enough, his hair was tousled to perfection just the way I liked it, the tattoos painted up his arms on full display and a thick silver ring circling his right index finger.

He looked like some kind of Adonis and I really wanted to throw up.

“Dallas!” His face lit up so much and I thought that might have been how this ended. I was going to die in the lobby of my student apartment building and my autopsy was going to read, Dallas James. 21. Cause of death: literal ray of sunshine pierced through her fucking heart.

“Dallas!” His smile dropped in a second flat as I stumbled on the last steps, naturally falling flat on my face. It surprised me how much it didn’t hurt, hitting my nose on the hardwood floors. But I think I was more worried about where this moment would fall on the dreaded List. Because falling down the stairs in a lecture hall was pretty bad, but falling down the stairs in front of Calum was probably worse.

“Are you okay?!” Calum scrambled to help me up, hands reaching under my arms to hoist me back up to my feet before they cupped my face and checked for bumps and bruises.

“Uhh… I think so?” I found myself mumbling. For the first time in a while I couldn’t bring myself to look Calum in the eye for longer than a couple of seconds. I cleared my throat and pulled away, trying to smile – but we all know that doesn’t work well on a squeamish stomach. “Why? Am I bleeding?” I watched Calum shrug, trying not to get lost in the way his hand immediately found mine, the concern in his face unfaltering as his fingers intertwined with mine.

“No, no. You just look kind of pale.” He said. His eyes softened up a little now, brows unfurrowing slightly, one giving a gentle arch. “Are you feeling alright?”

My eyes went wide, mouth pursed together as I stood there shaking much like a deer caught in the headlights of an 18-Wheeler ready to squish me into the pavement. But I just offered a tight-lip smile and nodded as enthusiastically as I could.

“Yeah!” I squeaked out, my voice jumping up to an octave I barely realised existed. “Yeah, I uh. Yep, I’m fine. Totally.” Calum narrowed his eyes at me.

“Are you sure?” I pressed and I let out a long breath, caught in a lie (like that was so surprising).

“I…” I closed my eyes for a moment and when I opened them, Calum was still there and waiting. The smile I offered was small and scared, and I was kind of feeling the way I did back when we first met.

“Dallas?”

I nodded slower this time, swallowing the nervous sitting on my tongue that seemed to be weighing down my words.

“I’m okay.” I said without stammering. “I just, um. I feel slightly sick?” I watched Calum’s plump lips twitch in the corners. It was like he was trying not to laugh, or trying to decide if I meant it. Which I did, one hundred per cent, but not in the way it sounded.

“Not about tonight, I hope.” Calum just said carefully and I offered a bigger smile and ever-so-slightly sidelong look.

“No.” I said very matter-of-factly. “I… It’s a good sick.” Calum cracked another smile, the same one he had when I’d come downstairs.

“There’s a good way to feel sick?” He joked and I shot him a playful glare.

“Do you want me to go back upstairs?” I threatened. “‘Cause I can go back upstairs and put my pyjamas back on…?” I made a move and stepped backward toward the stairs, only to have Calum pull me right back.

“No!” Calum laughed, pulling me close so he could engulf me in his arms. “No, okay, I’m sorry.” He was looking down on me with such fondness that my heart really kind of felt like it was going to explode; and if that weren’t enough he took it that step further, his nose brushing against the length of my own before he pressed warm lips to mine. The kiss was soft and slow and I could feel where he’d licked his lips before he leant in, and it was almost enough to make me forget all of my nerves. Almost. I was pretty sure he could still feel me shaking.

“Relax.” He told me after he pulled away and grinned lazily at me. “It’s gonna be fun.”

“You say that, but there’s still time for multiple near-death experiences.” I said with a straight face (though the corners of my mouth twitched in betrayal). “Does that sound fun to you?”

“With you? Always.” Calum didn’t miss a beat in response, and all I could do was laugh and shove him lightly, all while blushing furiously and trying to remember my senses. “And besides, you’ve just had one. I want to start a tally.” I promptly hit him in the bicep for that one, but laughed along anyway.

We made small talk in the Uber, and the trip to Docklands only took about 15 minutes. By the time we got there the sun was setting over water in the docks and city seemed to be engulfed in a cold, but beautiful, red and golden hug. Though the air was cold, the breeze was light – just enough to tussle the curls of my hair and re-ruffle the curls of Calum’s. But I shivered lightly as Calum touched the small of my back, gesturing me towards the row of restaurants alongside the docks.

We didn’t say much for a while, we just walked and shivered and wandered why it took 6 months for this to happen. At least, that’s what I did. Although the more I thought about it the more I realised that I wasn’t shivering because of the cold and instead it had more to do with Calum and how he seemed to be attached to my hand (in the best way possible). Every now and then he squeezed my hand reassuringly, and I looked back up to him and, as always, he was already looking at me with soft brown eyes and a crooked smile. I just shivered again and hid behind my hair, waiting for a wave to get too high and wash me away into the sea. Maybe then I’d become a mermaid and this whole dating thing wouldn’t be so hard.

Eventually, Calum led me into a restaurant (and I tried not to fall the ground and kiss the floor when the smell and promise of food made me realise how hungry I was), and once we’d been seated and had successfully ordered something to drink and some starters, things started to feel a little bit more normal. Not completely, because I was still a shaking mess on a date with Calum Hood. But he started talking and something seemed to click that maybe, just maybe, the whole night didn’t need to go this way.

“I can’t remember the last time I had a decent meal.” Calum seemed to chuckle as we demolished a plate of garlic bread.

“Oh, dude, same.” I breathed out a laugh of relief that I wasn’t the only one really looking forward to the food. “I’m pretty sure the last time I had something freshly made…” I paused to think about it, and my cheeks flushed a little when I realised that I’d gone out for lunch with Isabelle not even a week ago. I remembered because I could distinctly recall wanting to drown myself in soup when she was making a big deal out of Calum and me having a date. “Ah. Wednesday.” I confessed and Calum spluttered out a laugh.

“Yeah, ‘cause that was so long ago, Dallas.” His eyes crinkled in the corner and I couldn’t help but laugh too.

“When you live off of Maggi noodles and dollar loaves of bread from Coles, yeah, Wednesday was pretty freaking long ago, Calum.” I defended myself. Calum laughed but nodded, palms up in surrender.

“Alright, alright!” He agreed. “Fair point. Did you want another drink?” He asked and it wasn’t until then that I realised that I had finished my wine.

“Oh, um.” I stared at the empty glass for a moment, trying to decide if that was a good idea. “I, uh. Yeah,” I decided before I started reaching for my wallet. “But I can get it, don’t –hey!”

Calum grabbed my wallet straight out of my hands before I had a chance to even finish my sentence.

“You’re not paying for a thing.” He said, and I shrank in my seat feeling very scolded. His eyes were pointed and almost dark, and if I didn’t like him so much I would have been terrified for my life. But then his lips twitched and his eyes crinkled again and my heart kind of just fluttered away from me. “I’ll be right back.” I almost didn’t realise that he’d taken my wallet hostage, either.

I wished to God, while I waited for Calum to return from the bar, that I could pin-point the moment things started working out. Because as far as I knew I was still dorky as hell and unlikeable to mankind. But for some reason, Calum liked me. Like, he like-liked me. And although that was such a surreal thing to believe, it was true – this far. And I felt like if I could pin-point that moment when things started working in my favour, then maybe I could keep it up for as long as I possibly could.

When he came back he set a new wine glass in front of me, filled with the same sweet berry goodness that had filled it before, a new tall pint of whatever sitting in front of him too.

“You really didn’t have to you, know.” I said very matter-of-factly, and it surprised me a little bit, how cool and casual I was being. Calum just shrugged as he sat back down in his seat across from me.

“Yeah I did.” He said simply. “It’s a date; my treat.” I rolled my eyes, though internally I was gushing at his chivalry.

“It’s a mutual date,” I reminded him. “I agreed to this, remember? I should be allowed to pay for some things.” He shook his head, a flirtatious, cheeky smile spreading across his lips.

“Not this time.” He said just as simply as before. I raised my brows at him.

“Next time?” I offered. He paused, thought, and then shook his head with a playful expression glistening in brown eyes.

“Nah, probably not.” He said and I really wanted to slap him again for that.

“You know, sometimes chivalry should stay dead.”

I laughed at him and Calum laughed back the way only he could. It was the magical kind of laugh; the kind of laugh that made me forget that there could have been real problems in the world. The kind of laugh that made everything kind of okay for a while. Polly didn’t matter and Ashton didn’t matter – hell my own family didn’t even matter because Calum was laughing at something I said and I didn’t immediately want to neck myself for it. Everything was okay – there was a chance of Happily Ever After here, I could feel it.

“Can I ask you something?” Calum asked me a few minutes after our main courses had arrived. My pasta was smelling like the greatest thing on the planet and I really wanted to scoff it down – but I couldn’t, because Calum was asking me a serious-sounding question.

“Uh, yeah.” Mumbled out, a little hesitant but the sound was involuntary. “’Course, go for it.” Calum took a bite of his steak quickly and chewed while deep in thought. It was a little unnerving, but for some God-known reason I trusted him.

“Do you know why I want to paint you as our ballerina?” He asked me. And I was a little taken back because, as always, I wasn’t really expecting that kind of question. We’d spoken about this before and how I was really against the idea of me being the face of our project. I wasn’t up to such standards, but Calum really seemed to think so. It made me uneasy thinking about how this could have been another conversation about him trying to change my mind about that. Because as far as I could tell, I never would. Unless I woke up looking like Cara Delavigne or some other equally, ridiculously attractive supermodel, my face wasn’t coming anywhere near that wall (at least, not in paint form).

“Um.” I cleared my throat a little, took a sip of wine and a bit of food before I attempted to answer that. “I, uh. I guess not, no.”

For a couple of moments, Calum wasn’t looking at me and I wondered what that could have meant. But then his eyes turned upward toward me again and he seemed… not desperate, but insisting. He chewed with intent, like he was about to mean every word he said in the next few minutes. Knowing him, that’s exactly what was about to happen. He was an honest man, especially when it came to me. I got the feeling whatever was about to come next, it wasn’t going to be a string of random ramblings.

“You don’t…” He started, and then stopped. I put down my cutlery as he did and watched his face for any hint as to what he was going to say. Calum was so hard to read. I couldn’t tell if the slight furrow in his brow was good or bad, and I couldn’t tell if it was a good thing that he didn’t look away from me, not once.

“I don’t what?” I prompted, the sound kind of squeaking out. “What don’t I do?” My mouth twitched nervously, though I was lucky that the curiosity of whatever Calum was trying to say was greater than the return of the feeling that I needed to throw up.

“You don’t seem to have a clue how… amazing you are.” Okay, of all of the things Calum could have said, of all the adjectives he could have used, amazing was not the one I was expecting. I just stared blankly at the brunet, unsure what to say.

“I, um.” I wanted to cough and splutter and clear my throat and deny it. But I couldn’t. “I don’t, uh. I don’t think I am.”

“I know.” Calum just said flatly. “That’s what I mean. You don’t think you’re good enough, you never see yourself the way that everybody else does. You’re beautiful, Dal. And you’re smart and funny and soulful and caring. And naïve.”

“Naïve?” I cocked a fearful eyebrow. I still didn’t really know if Calum was angry or not. I don’t think he was, but he still intimidated the shit out of me.

“You don’t see any of that. You don’t hold yourself to those standards. And I wish to God that you would, Dal. If we paint you as the ballerina, Dallas… I figured that there was a chance that maybe you would finally see yourself the way everyone else does. The way I do.”

I had no idea what to say. What was I supposed to say? Thank you? Not likely. It was all so much to take in, I almost couldn’t do it all at once. I felt warm and giddy at the fact that Calum saw me in this light that I’d never once thought I would ever be in, but I was almost more confused than ever. All I could think of was, ‘why me? Of everybody in this universe, why me?’

“Can I ask you a question?” I mimicked Calum’s earlier request, watching the way his brow furrowed considering I didn’t respond to his bold and loving statements. But he nodded anyway, when he smoothened his expression and offered a small smile.

“Anything you want.” He said softly. I think he was trying to make me feel better, like he could sense the anxiety wavering off of my shoulders. If he could, it probably wasn’t a new thing. I just hoped I could stomach my words enough to get them out in real words.

“Why?” I brought my inner monologue to life.

“Why, what?” He asked and I gave a shrug, trying to find the right way to ask what was going through my head.

“Why… why did you decide to like me?”

Calum scoffed and I couldn't help the small giggle that bubbled from my lips in response.

“What?!” I chuckled.

“Seriously?” He laughed. “That’s your question?!”

“Yes, that’s my question!” I said. “Seriously, why me?”

“I don’t know, Dallas!” He laughed again, shaking his head as he took a drink. I watched in total awe of the human in front of me and the way his smile was just something else entirely. “Why did you decide to phrase your question like that?” I snorted too, when he put it like that.

“Because…!” I buried my face in my hands, I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. This was not how I envisioned this conversation going. When I peeked through my fingers he was looking back, the same admiration in his eyes that I had just moments before.

“Exactly.” He nearly whispered back. “I like you because I like you. Is that not enough?”

My smile was starting to hurt my cheeks, it was so wide. I nodded as I brought my hands away from my face. I took the first move this time and I reached for him, taking his hand in mine and caressing the back of it gently with my thumb. I almost felt like I wanted to cry, this didn’t seem real. But I smiled and I nodded and I looked into eyes and probably fell, maybe, a little bit in love.

“Yeah.” I said, almost mumbling. “I um. I like you too.”

[glitterylucas-blog1]

Tutor-Part 1  (Calum Hood)

‘Good morning, Norwest Christian College.’ Everyone groaned at Mr Maynard’s voice blaring through the speakers. I sat back in my seat, rolling my eyes at my best friend, Alisha, who was slumped over her desk across the room, sighing. ‘And this week’s announcements.’ Our headteacher droned on as we all entertained ourselves, leafing through books, scrolling through phones, staring around the room. ‘And finally, all students in science have an assembly at 10.30.’ This announcement was met with loud cheers. It meant we would miss about half an hour of Chemistry. ‘Okay, okay. We’re still in English so there’s no point celebrating now,’ Miss Simms, my literature teacher, reprimanded. ‘Now, turn to page 74 and pick up from where we left off.’ I spent the rest of the lesson whizzing through the rest of the book and waiting for everyone else to finish. ‘Okay class, we’ll discuss the book in our next lesson but now you need to make your way to your next class.’ We gathered up our things and I was heading towards the door with Alisha when Miss Simms stopped me. ‘Madison! Come over here, please.’ I pulled a face at Alisha and went over to my teacher. ‘Madison, you’re very gifted. I’m taking a group of students on a trip soon and I’d quite like you to come.’ I nodded, shocked. Miss Simms was an Oxford Grad from England and every time she took students on a trip, she took them to England to have a lecture on English Literature at Oxford. ‘I’d love that, Miss.’ ‘Good,’ she said, smiling. I turned to leave and she called, ‘Oh, and Madison.’ ‘Yes?’ ‘Pay attention in assembly,’ she said with a knowing smile. ‘Okay, I will,’ I said, puzzled. Alisha grabbed my arm and we left the classroom. ‘What was that all about? You always pay attention in assembly. You’re the goody two shoes in this friendship.’ I laughed. ‘I don’t know but that was so weird.’ We made our way to our seats in the science lab. Time slowly ticked away as we counted down the seconds until 11.30. ‘Well, since none of you have paid attention to me for the past ten minutes because you’re all too busy staring at your watches, let’s go to assembly,’ Mrs Davidson, my chemistry teacher said, sighing. We all rose from our seats and Alisha linked her arm through mine as we left the classroom. We walked down to the hall and took seats towards the back of the room. ‘Welcome,’ Mr Johnson, our head of year said once we’d settled down. Mr Johnson was one of my favourite teachers. ‘Now, as you know, this is an extremely important year for you all. The exams you have at the end of this school year are a crucial part of your school life. And unfortunately, some of you are woefully-‘ Mr Johnson was cut off by the doors opening. When I saw who walked in, I rolled my eyes so hard, they could have fallen out of my head. ‘Sorry, we’re late, Sir. Practice and all. You know how it is,’ he grinned as he gave his excuse. ‘Yes, okay, take those seats, at the back there,’ Mr Jonson said, pointing at the seats beside me. I turned to Alisha and groaned as she giggled. They trooped up the stairs like a herd of elephants. Surprising considering they’re supposed to be agile and quick on their feet. The footballers. They played for one of the childrens’ teams for the professional club across the road from our school and they were constantly missing lessons because of it. The worst of them were Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, Ashton Irwin and the most loathsome of them all, Calum Hood. I despised them all with every bone in my body. They were so arrogant and cocky because of their ability to kick a ball around on grass. They walked around the school as if they owned it and girls swooned for a reason unknown to me. I tried as hard as I could to avoid them but somehow, I always failed. ‘Hey, Mads,’ Calum whispered as he sat next to me, nudging my shoulder. ‘Leave me alone, Hood,’ I said, sliding down the bench with Alisha away from him. ‘Settle down at the back, please,’ Mr Johnson said, looking at Calum and I. Calum smirked at me as he slid down towards me again, his friends following suit. I huffed and turned away from him. ‘As I was saying, some of you are woefully unprepared,’ Mr Johnson said, looking pointedly at Calum who was winking at a girl in the row in front. I rolled my eyes yet again. ‘So, I’ve had a brilliant idea to benefit all of you. Introducing, Student Tutors. I would like some of our more able students to tutor some of our less able students, or those that miss lessons, during after school sessions or outside of school. This will benefit both parties as it is excellent revision for those who are teaching. And it is also a brilliant opportunity to make new friends. Those selected for the program have been because of teacher recommendations and will receive an email with further information. Any questions?’ My mouth was open with horror. Miss Simms had definitely recommended me, why else would she have said what she did? I heard Alisha snorting next to me as I stared at Mr Johnson in shock. One girl at the front had hand raised. ‘Is it compulsory?’ There were sniggers. ‘Yes, it is compulsory, for those chosen.’ Then there were groans. ‘Sir, do we get to choose our partners?’ ‘No, you’ll get paired together, based on many factors.’ There were more groans. ‘Maybe we’ll get paired together,’ Calum said, smiling. I choked, praying that we didn’t. ‘No more stupid questions, back to lessons.   - - ‘Hi Madi, how are you?’ ‘I’m okay, how are you, dad?’ ‘I’m good.’ I walked into the kitchen where my dad was making dinner.  ‘I’ll give you a hand in a bit, dad. I’m just gonna put my stuff away.’ ‘Thanks, sweetheart.’ I ran upstairs to my room and threw my bag down onto my bed. I quickly opened up my laptop and logged on to my school email. ‘You have one new message.’ My hands shook as I clicked on it, my eyes scanning through the email.

Madison Duke, You have been selected for our Student Tutors program. I believe that you are one of our most able students as many of our teachers have recommended you. I think that you could provide great help for our other students. Based on many factors, such as how close you live to each other, I have decide to pair you with Calum Hood. I would like you to tutor him in Maths, English literature and language and all three Sciences. If you would like to change this, please get in contact with myself. There is a meeting for all students involved tomorrow at 2pm. Mr Johnson

‘NOOO!’ I shouted, hitting my head repeatedly on my vanity table. ‘THIS. CAN. NOT. BE. HAPENNING. ARGH!’ DING, DONG! The doorbell rang through the house. I stood at the top of the stairs as my dad opened the door. ‘Calum!’ ‘Hey, Mr D.’ ‘I barely see you anymore. You and Madi always used to be playing together and now, look at you two. It’s like you two weren’t ever best friends.’ Oh yeah, I forgot to say. Calum has been my next-door neighbour all my life and we used to be best friends. Before he changed and left me behind. ‘Madi! Come down, Calum’s here.’ I stomped down the stairs to see my dad smiling, clueless, and Calum with a smug grin. ‘Mads, good to see ya!’ Calum said. ‘Hmm,’ I said as a reply. ‘I’ll leave you two to it,’ my dad said, winking at me. He’d wanted me and Calum together for as long as I can remember. ‘Have you had the email?’ Calum smirked. ‘Yeah, I have. Unfortunately.’ ‘When do we start, tutor?’ he said, teasing. ‘After the meeting tomorrow, I guess?’ ‘I’m looking forward to it. Just like old times.’ ‘I’m not. And it’s nothing like old times, Calum. I don’t fit into your schedule anymore.’ Hurt was evident on his face and I knew what I was saying wasn’t fair but I was beyond caring. ‘Haven’t you got football to play? Or another stupid slut to play with?’ And I shut the door in his face.

[rosecolouredash]

Star-crossed (Part Two); Hockey!Calum

Pairing: Hockey!Calum x fem!OC

Summary: It was just her luck she found him cute.

Warnings: Lotsa hockey jargon

Notes: I’m reaaaaally stringing this fic along but that also maybe due to the fact that I currently do not have a voice and do not have the mental capacity to write more than 1.5K at a time. My definition of a slow burn. For everyone.

“It’s nice to see you boys again.”

Before any more words could be exchanged, a Grizzlies defenceman skated up to his teammates. The burly fellow, by the name of Paul McKay, easily lifted his captain back onto her feet - or rather skates - while offering a gloved hand to her twin. He gazed upon the foursome of Wolves. “Do we have a problem here?”

Paul’s voice was gruff - as he was borderline irritated - from witnessing the Timberwolves defenceman hit Blake into the boards. The boys stood staring at one another on the ice - each not uttering a single word but rather sizing the other up.

Blake let out a sigh. Boys.

Her captain’s instincts sensed what would transpire and so she immediately tried to defuse the situation.

“It’s ok Paul, the hit was clean. I’m all right,” she said to him with a reassuring grin.

The Grizzlies defenseman gave her a onceover, just to be sure. He conceded to her statement with a huff.

Her twin brother, on the other hand, was still glaring at the boys. He realized that these were the same guys his sister was with when he picked her up from the bar those nights ago. He had a few choice words, now, for his cousin who recommended to visit it in the first place.

Blake turned towards her brother, giving him a light shove with her shoulder, “it was a good play, Jay. I sorta had it coming.”

James Weaver let out a breath through his nose, “yeah well he has something else coming if he thinks he can—“

Finally deciding to break his silence, Calum cut in. “You know I was actually gunnin’ for you.” He regarded both siblings, “now I see we have two Weavers to lookout for.”

Blake smiled at the cute boy who she exchanged puppy pictures with. It was too bad. As much as she enjoyed their spur of the moment conversation a couple of nights ago, they still had a game to play. Blake and her team of Bears have worked too hard for their journey to the college hockey championship to be unraveled by a dark, curly haired boy and his charming friends. Albeit how kind and attractive they were.

The referee skated up to the group to let them know to get back into position at the face-off circle. Before parting ways, Blake called out to the Wolves’ defenceman. “Hey Calum!”

He looked at the pretty blonde who refastened the clasp of her helmet under her chin.

“Just so you don’t get mixed up, I’m the Weaver with the C on her chest.”

Calum was lucky the visor of his helmet helped cover the blush of his cheeks.

—

It was still scoreless after the first period had ended. They were well into the second period when another scuffle broke out during a line change.

On their way to the bench, Blake’s fellow forward - Kenneth Daley - bumped into Luke.

The shaggy brunet sneered at the tall Wolf, “go back to figure skating, blondie.”

Luke was stunned for a second, not many people knew of his figure skating past. He wasn’t ashamed of it rather he was always underestimated on the ice because of it.

Kenneth was an informant, of sorts, for the team. He loved learning about the players of teams the Grizzlies would play against. He sought out their tricks, their trades and most importantly their secrets. Nothing went past Ken.

At his best friend’s stupor, Michael was about to drop his gloves at the comment but he was held back by said blondie, with a steady arm to his chest.

“Back off, Daley.” Blake watched from the bench as Calum shoved Ken. James slid next to his linesman, giving Calum a shove of his own. “Why don’t you, Hood.”

“Yeah and rid yourself of your little crush on our captain, while you’re at it.”

The captain of the Grizzlies just about choked on the swig of water she took, at the exchange.

Calum mouth gaped at his opponent while James’ face went neutral.

The referee again had to break up their little group. Blake watched as James took his respective seat beside his sister. She peered over her brother’s shoulder and made eye contact with Calum, at the neighbouring bench. They held each other’s gaze - a silent message being relayed through their eyes - before they both reverted their attention back to the ongoing hockey game on the ice.

—

They were tied 1-1 going into the third period. The Grizzlies captain stepped out from the locker room. Tensions were high and so after giving the pep talk of her college hockey career, she excused herself to take a moment of solace, of her own.

There was twenty minutes left of regulation play that would either make or break her team. Leaning against the wall, Blake closed her eyes. She could visualize their win; now to only make it a reality.

Blake opened her eyes when she heard footsteps draw near. A little ways down the hall, leading to her team’s locker room, stood none other than Timberwolves defenceman - Calum Hood. He came to stand in front of her.

“Hey,” he greeted, shuffling on his skates. Left then right then left then right.

“Hi,” she murmured back, a sheepish grin on her face.

Composing himself, Calum asked, “is this weird?”

Blake let out a small laugh, “maybe a little.”

Calum too, let out a chuckle considering their circumstances were truly odd. They both felt the genuine connection the night they spent over an hour stood talking outside of the bar. To find each other again but as rivals, days after the fact, was the universe’s way of being a little cruel in humour.

Both Calum and Blake spent the next few minutes talking as if they were old friends. Asking each other how they’ve been since they last saw each other - how their dogs have been.

“By the way, great goal back there. S’no wonder you’re the lead scorer, in the league.”

It was Blake’s turn to blush at his comment. She thanked him when a voice cut in.

“Well, what do we have here?”

Michael, Luke and Ashton stood where Calum had come from, down the hall. They grinned, from listening in secret, as their best friend happily conversed with the Grizzlies captain.

“Yeah, I’d like to know that too.”

The visiting team’s locker room door was swung wide open as James - flanked by Paul and Ken - stood at the entrance.

Both Blake and Calum found themselves suddenly surrounded by their teammates.

Tagged: @irwinkitten @calpops @rosecoloredash @lilbabycalum @gorgeouslygrace @rainingcalum @casht0n-hoodwin @lockthisheartinchains @americanhorrorstudies @lovableah

[lavieendonna]

Brushwork || Art Major!Calum AU (Chapter 14)

Summary: An Art Major AU where Dallas - third year gawky art student at VCA -  makes a deal with Calum - her cute new neighbour and project partner - and they spend the entire year learning that the perfect masterpiece takes a whole lot of brushwork.

Date: 24 August 2017 Requested: as always  Pairing: Calum + Dallas Words: 3.4K Warnings: nothing other than the occasional f-bomb. A bit of Mali in this chapter too, and we all love her so.  A/N: IT’S A MIRCALE! TWO CHAPTER UPDATES IN ONE MONTH! AM I GOOD OR WHAT?! I’m so immensely proud of myself for sticking to my guns and pumping out another chapter less than a month from the last. Thank you to everyone who still reads this and to those who have kept up their faith in me and sent me positive vibes to keep going. This is one of my favourite pieces and I’m so excited to finish it with you all :-) big love xo 

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Chapter 14:I Was Too Terrified To Speak Much Louder In Fear Polly Would Legitimately Tear My Head Off And Put It On A Spike At The Door To Warn Her Future Best Friend.

Now is probably a good time to mention that Mali had gotten my number the day after I left her in Calum's apartment. She’d messaged me and said that she felt bad for not saying goodbye before she went back to Sydney – and to be honest, I felt bad for forgetting that she was even leaving. But she forgave me soon enough – word travels fast in the Hood Family, apparently.

She messaged me not long after Calum had officially called our Friday night plans a date, demanding that I called her immediately. Part of me thought maybe she was just being nosey, but by the sounds of things she just really wanted to know how I was feeling. I told her I couldn’t talk yet, that I still had class and – oh, yeah – Calum was still with me and would be for the majority of the day. She wasn’t overly impressed with that, but it kept her off my back until 4pm on the dot when I told her I’d be back at home.

I dialled Mali’s number and as I waited for her to pick up, it occurred to me that maybe I should have been calling my own sister instead of the sister of my upcoming date. Isabelle would be squealing in her seat if she knew that I, Dallas ‘Social Anxiety Makes Me Inept and Useless’ James, was going on a date for the first time in Jesus knew how long. She’d be proud of me, even, and she almost never said that out loud. There was something about telling her, though, that freaked me out even more than the date itself. Once it was news in the family then I was never going to hear the end of it. And if things ended badly (which, you know, it usually did considering it’s me we’re talking about), well, that was something I didn’t think I could handle even slightly.

“I want to hear the exact words, okay, Calum is being surprisingly tight-lipped about this.” Mali didn’t even say ‘hello’ which lead me to believe that she was more excited about this than I was.

“Well,” I had to think about it. The last 24 hours were a bit of a blur, they happened so fast. “First we were talking about our mural.”

“Yawn.” I could almost hear her eyes roll to the back of her head.

“It was the lead up!” I defended her brother. “It was pretty smooth actually.”

“My brother? Smooth?” Mali snorted. “Who knew.”

“Yeah, it was… nice. He was confident.”

“Another miracle.” Mali laughed. “What did he say after that?”

“Uh, well he said he had a question for me and asked if I wanted to go see Luke perform at this open mic night thing on Friday.” Mali squealed, but quietly as if she was trying to wait until the very end of the story to let loose her fangirl heart. “I didn’t really catch that he was asking me out, though, so I said that I would go if Luke wanted me to and then –”

I paused to smile because Calum’s voice started ringing in my ears a little bit. I never thought I’d be That Girl that reminisced about every moment between her and The Boy, but it was hard not to be. Now that we officially had a date, every moment counted. And I hadn’t made it all up in my head, either. He’d said the words himself.

“Then what?!” Mali asked, impatient. I chuckled quietly.

“Then, uh. He laughed at me. He said it wasn’t Luke that wanted me there but him.”

“Wow.”

“Then I asked if he meant a date and he said it was. So, yeah, we uh. We called it a date.”

“Of course it’s a fucking date!” Mali exclaimed, and I could hear the grin in her voice. “You’re going on a date with Calum Fucking Hood!”

“Oh my god, can you…” I face-palmed, feeling the blush creep up my cheeks. It was all well and good when I whispered it out loud to myself that I was going on a date with Calum Fucking Hood, but when Mali said it out loud like that it made it seem like he was some sort of international heart throb guitar player and that dating him was a total miracle beyond belief. It was still a miracle, but not for reasons to that extreme.

“Look, it’s not a big deal.” I tried to continue, but I laughed anyway because that was the biggest lie I’d told myself in ages. Mali laughed too, and I did not blame her.

“I know, I know!” She said anyway. “Still. I’m glad for you two. This will be good for him, I can tell.”

“How can you tell?” I had my eyebrow cocked as if she was really here. I imagined her shrugging, but tapping her nose while she shot me a wink.

“It’s a sister’s intuition.” She said very matter-of-factly. “We all have it, even you.”

“Even me?” I feigned offense. “What’s that supposed to mean?!” Mali cackled much like my own sister would have. And that alone made me wonder if maybe, by chance, Isabelle wasn’t just bullying me our entire lives and I really was just as gawky as she was saying I was.

“You know what that’s supposed to mean.” Mali said very slyly, not giving me the benefit of the doubt in the slightest. “But anyway, how are you feeling? You are okay with this right?” I took a breath, though I wasn’t sure if it was because I was nervous or if it was because I was giving myself more time to answer. Likely, it was a combination of both. I lived nervous, and the longer I took to think about my words was always the better.

“Yeah.” I said, probably less enthusiastic than I meant. “Yeah, definitely. I, uh. I’m… I mean, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want this. I just convinced myself it never would I’m, like, in shock or something.”

“Why the hell not?” Mali seemed to demand of me and I shrugged because the list of ‘Why Not’ reasons was too long to even know where to start.

“Because it’s me!” I laughed. “And I don't look like Polly and I’m not like my sister or his friends. I didn’t think I was his type.”

“Calum doesn’t have a type.” Mali said after a small pause on her end of the phone.

“Really?” I asked. “I figured he was a tall, leggy, blonde kind of guy.” Mali scoffed and I kind of just accepted it as I wondered out of my room and out into the kitchenette (I’d made the realisation that I was starving when my stomach growled half-way through that sentence). She didn’t comment on how I’d just described her as Calum’s type – which I was glad for because I didn’t really want to re-visit that awkward conversation.

“Nah, nah.” Mali sounded like she was trying to reassure me of this (which I wouldn’t put passed her, if I was being honest). “Calum… He likes who he likes.”

That statement made me feel better than I thought it would. Because even though on one hand that meant I basically every human alive was my competition, it also meant that there was a chance I was good enough for something.

“Well, thanks.” I said dumbly while I stared at mine and Polly’s mostly empty fridge, frowning at the lack of appeal it had. “I’ll keep that in mind next time I say something unnecessarily sexual that he could charge me with sexual harassment for.”

“Wait, what? I need the story behind that one.”  

“Maybe another time.” I said with no intention of ever reliving the moments I’d accidentally come on to her brother. “When are you coming back to Melbourne?” I thought changing the subject might make this conversation less humiliating.

“As soon as you and Calum send out your save the dates.” Mali fired back, making me kind of regret ringing her to begin with. I laughed, though. Her dig at me didn’t seem to sting the same way as when Polly did it. “I do have to go, though, my Mum is calling me to help with dinner.”

“Alright,” I said, giving up on the fridge and trying my luck in the pantry instead. “Well don’t give anyone food poisoning.”

“I’ll send you a package for taste-testing.”

“I’ll pass. Talk to you soon.”

“Send me a picture of The Outfit!”

“If I remember.”

And then that was it. I found a box of chocolate Pop Tarts on the top shelf, and I had no idea how old they were, but you can bet like hell I was going to eat the shit out of them.

“What’ve you got there?” That was Polly. She’d wondered out of her bedroom, and that confused me because I was under the impression she had classes until later tonight.

“Pop Tarts.” I said with a grin. “Want some?”

“Always.” Polly nodded and I threw her a pack, knowing she didn’t much care to heat them up. I thought she was a monster for it, but I didn’t often say that out loud. Also, she was in a funny mood so I didn’t want to push my luck.

“I thought you had classes tonight?” I asked her as I unwrapped my snack and jammed them into the shitty toaster on the bench. Polly shrugged, sitting on the Ghost Stool on the other side of the counter, and rolling her eyes nearly into the back of her head.

“Got an email from the lecturer and the tutor. They’re both sick and out until next week so they’ve given everyone an extension on our folios.”

“Huh.” I raised an eyebrow. “Fair enough – I think?” Polly was chuckling darkly and making me second guess if this was a good thing for her or not.

“I mean, sure,” Polly scoffed. “But I don’t think they’re really sick. I’m pretty sure they’re fucking and have gone on holiday together.”

“You think so?” I asked. And Polly nodded wildly.

“Oh yeah. They’re both young for their jobs, in the same field, and they see each other every day.” Polly laughed again, this time less darkly. “Everyone can spot the sexual tension between them – they try to pretend they hate each other but it doesn’t work very well.”

I chuckled, not because what Polly was saying funny but rather, because Polly always had a knack for creating conspiracy theories about everything.

“Well, either way,” I took to saying as I switched the toaster off at the wall and just about threw the steaming hot chocolate tarts onto a small plate to let them cool down. “You got the extension to make up for it. And even if you don’t need it –” I could see Polly about to interrupt with that exact excuse. “– At least you’ve got time to do other stuff. Whatever you want, really.” Polly paused and then shrugged as if I’d made a good point.

“True.” She said simply before taking another bite of her Pop Tart. I took a chunk out of mine too, swearing loudly when the melted chocolate within blistered the roof of my mouth. Polly snickered at me, and I glared back.

“Rude.” I mumbled, sticking my aching tongue out at her.

“No.” She said, straightening her posture and staring me down very intensely. “No, what’s rude is my best friend scoring a date with a total hottie and not telling me about it.”

I flushed a brilliant red from neck to cheeks.

“You, uh… You heard about that?” I mumbled out. I was too terrified to speak much louder in fear Polly would legitimately tear my head off and put it on a spike at the door to warn her future best friend.

“Yeah, I heard about that.” She said. She was not impressed in the slightest. “Why did I have to hear it from Michael that you and Calum were finally dating?!” I opened my mouth to object, but then what she’d said hit me and I frowned.

“Wait,” My mouth was full of Pop Tart. “How did Michael find out?!”

“Luke!” Polly practically wailed, her mouth also full. This was the most uncivilised conversation I’d ever had, probably. We were such barbarians. Michael heard from Luke who heard from Calum.”

“Jesus…” I muttered, turning back to my Tarts. “Luke and Michael have such big mouths.”

“So do you, usually.” Polly pointed out and I sulked because she was right. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She sounded less annoyed with me now and more… upset. I looked back up to my friend and while she didn’t look like she was about to with the Oscar for Best On-Cue Crying, she did look like she wanted an explanation. And to be honest, she probably deserved one. I usually told her everything.

“Sorry, Pol.” I said with tight lips and a small, one-shouldered shrug. “I just… I didn’t want to bother you.” That wasn’t really the whole truth, but it was definitely part of it. Problem was, Polly frowned at me for it which probably meant she wasn’t buying it at all.

“Since when have we worried about bothering each other?” She deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning on the counter on her elbows. “You know I don’t care about that, good news or bad.”

“I know.” I said guiltily. I felt like I was getting lectured by my parents – but worse, since I actually cared what Polly thought and what she had to say was almost always important to me. “I just… I-I was confused about how to feel. I’ve kinda only just come to terms with the fact that I liked Calum like that, and the idea of him liking me back was some kind of fucking miracle so… I dunno, I guess, I just wanted to work it out for myself, and I knew you were caught up doing whatever with Ashton so I just… I didn’t think it would be a big deal.”

There was a pause, and I was scared because as soon as all of those words come out of my mouth they sounded like the wrong thing to say. And I hated that – when the truth is the truth but it feels like it’s not. And Polly was looking at me with these eyes that I just couldn’t read properly, so I didn’t know if I’d just offended the shit out of her or hurt her feelings or what.

“First of all,” She finally spoke after a minute or so of pure silence (aside from my heaving breathing as I tried to cool down the Pop Tart that was already in my mouth like a dickhead). “You shouldn’t feel like you need to do anything on your own. That’s why we’re friends, dude, and you need me just as much as I need you.” I nodded, still refusing to look the girl in the eye, just in case I turned to stone. “Second of all, it is a big deal. I knew you were going to like him like that the moment we met him – hell, I nearly liked Calum like that when we met him, have you seen the kid?!” I laughed at that one, rolling my eyes slightly at Polly’s theatrics.

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved her off as she reached over the counter to push me in the arm (gently – it was too awkward of a position to punch me for real). “Will you be less mad if I promise you can help me with my hair and make-up before I go?” I finally looked back up at her face and she was beaming cheekily the way she did, and it was a nice change to see her smiling at me. I could almost see the Old, warm twinkle in her eye.

“Always.” She said for a second time and she pushed me again. “Anyway,” She continued. “Third of all, there’s nothing going on with me and Ashton so that shouldn’t even be an excuse at all.” This time, Polly looked away from me and I shot her a challenging cocked eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah, because you and Ashton rocking up the next morning after a Tequila party in your underwear is ‘nothing’.” I shot. “Care to explain that one, since we’re on the topic.” Polly gave another wild shrug, her face pulled together in a grimace as she tried to find the words. She swallowed the last of her Pop Tart and shrugged again. I thought I could see the hint of a smile twitching in the corners of her mouth.

“We’re… Ugh, I don’t know, it’s complicated.” I furrowed my eyebrows together.

“What’s complicated?” I asked. “You like him, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah.” She huffed.

“And he likes you?” She shrugged.

“I think so.” She sighed. “But there’s… there’s more to it than, that, we’re… well, we’re working it out.”

Polly gave a crooked, unconvinced smile before standing up to put her wrapper in the rubbish bin. She didn’t sound (or look) like she was going to say any more on the topic so I didn’t press for any more answers. I wanted to, because she was being very vague about this whole situation and I wanted nothing more than to ask her straight out if her and Ashton were sleeping together. I had the feeling they were, because based on this conversation alone, ‘more to it than that’ could really only mean one thing. I could have been reading into it too much, but I didn’t think so. It was Polly and it was Ashton. They had a habit of making things complicated with sex.

I was a little bit annoyed, especially when Polly wondered off back to her bedroom. She’d just grilled me (lightly) until I spilled what was on my mind and apologised for offending her and our friendship, and yet when I tried to do the same and get her to open up, she shut me out and got vague. I was finding it hard to understand how that was fair. Part of me felt like it was just me being dramatic and entitled, but like it had been all the time lately, there was something about this friendship between Polly and I that seemed very one-sided. I frowned, staring at Polly’s closed door for a moment before huffing and waving it off. It was a future problem for future Dallas. I had more important things to worry about.

I realised, as I sulked around the kitchen and put the rest of my things away and changed clothes, that I was quickly running out of daylight and I needed to haul ass down to the mural. Calum and I were slowly running out of time and considering we almost never had time to work on this shit together, we were relying on each other to pick up the pieces every time we worked on it separately. The last I’d checked, Calum had finished the last coats of base paint and, since he’d drawn and given me a copy of the final design, I gave him the creative freedom to choose his colour scheme too. That meant it was up to me, today, to start the outlining on the wall.

It was going to be tough, limited daylight aside. Calum’s design on paper was almost flawless, and I was crazy scared whatever I started on that damn wall wasn’t going to do it justice at all. I worried the whole way down to the atrium, and even more when I laid out the tarp and paint. I figured out that spotlights were going to help my sunlight issue – but they weren’t going to help if I fucked up big time.

For yet another night, I spent hours down working on that wall. Security asked me 3 times for my ID, my pass and the letter from our teacher explaining what the fuck I was doing painting on school property in the middle of the night. It was a new record. It was nearing one in the morning when I’d finished the outlines for each stage of our ballerina transformation, each one was only missing one thing.

Her face.

[lavieendonna]

Brushwork || ArtMajor!Calum AU (Chapter 12)

Summary: An Art Major AU where Dallas - third year gawky art student at VCA -  makes a deal with Calum - her cute new neighbour and project partner - and they spend the semester learning that the perfect masterpiece takes a whole lot of brushwork.

Date: 6 March 2017 Requested: hell yeah  Pairing: Calum + Dallas Words: 3.9K Warnings: um. tense friendships, new friendships. secondhand embarassment - the lot, really.  A/N: yep so. this is like 2, nearly 3 months late but yan now. shit happens. I hope the content makes up for the wait. Love you guys to bits, thanks for the continuous support. Please keep requesting the next parts so that I know you’re out there. Big Love. x 

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Chapter 12: Her Eyebrows Were So? And Her Smile? She Kinda Made Me Want To Kill Myself – But, Like, In A Good Way.

Thankfully, the next time I woke up it was hours later – as opposed to only moments – and the sun was streaming into a room that wasn’t mine through a crack in curtains that I didn’t recognise until I’d sat up with a jolt. The entire night’s events flashed through my pounding head and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to kill myself or just throw up until I blacked out again. Deciding neither option would be helpful, I got up and stared at my surroundings from the middle of the room.

Calum’s room was nothing like what I'd imagined it would be in my head. Not that I actively imagined what the inside of Calum’s bedroom might look like often, I just thought that there would be, you know, underwear on the floor that no one was sure was clean, and other various piles of laundry on every other surface along with piles and/or bags of rubbish hanging from the door knobs.

But no. There were thick books on the desk in the corner and on the bookshelf against the wall next to the window, and both blank and worked-on canvases leaning against the spare walls and the dresser, and there were paintbrushes littering the floor pretty much everywhere. It was an artist’s room, but for whatever reason, that surprised me. It shouldn’t have, but it did.

I wandered over to the door and opened it slowly, poking my head out of the gap in the doorway to check that the coast was clear. It was my turn (yet again) to avoid Calum, especially when I smelled like whiskey and looked like I’d been hit by the Hogwarts Express. To my delight, the boy was nowhere to be seen. To my absolute horror, I’d still been caught.

“He’s not here.” The girl chuckled from where she stood making coffee in the kitchenette – which kind of confused me because I was pretty sure that’s where she went when I’d passed out. “Sugar?” I grimaced awkwardly at the word that reminded me of my friends who spoke too much truth, but also because she was unbelievably gorgeous and her eyebrows were so much better than mine.

“Uh.” I shuffled out of the room inch by inch, almost cowering under the almost model-esque stranger’s amused stare. “No. Thanks.” I mumbled. I didn’t sit – I didn’t really move at all until the girl in the black sweats, white sports bra and oversized grey singlet gestured to the dining table as she took over two mugs of coffee. I moved hastily after that. Probably too quickly. Because she was laughing again, because I still wasn’t sitting.

“Don't look so lost!” She giggled. “I’m not going to bite you – sit! Drink! Relax.”

I nodded obediently. I sat. I drank. But I was far from relaxed.

“It’s Dallas, right?” The blonde asked me. Her smile was ridiculously distracting.

“Um. Yeah. Dallas.” I hummed dumbly, pursing my lips and clearing my throat. I kicked myself for letting the awkwardly take over, before I asked myself the question that kept me from stepping in front of a semi every other day – What Would Polly Do?

“I, uh.” I cleared my throat when the words got stuck, but persevered and tried again. “S-Sorry. For busting in on you guys last night.”

She waved me off quickly and wildly as she took a long gulp of her coffee simultaneously.

“Seriously, don’t even worry about it.” She chuckled. “Honestly, I think we were the ones busting in on you.” She laughed again and while I knew I should have laughed along, my eyes jus widened in terror.

“No.” I said firmly. “Oh God, no. No. I – no. I never do that. Like, ever. I don’t – I don’t drink; I swear–”

The girl cocked her eyebrow at me, cheeky and disbelieving and a grin twitching on the corners of her mouth.

“Re. Lax.” She said again, splitting the word pointedly. “It’s fine, we all   do it, it’s okay to let loose every once and a while.”

I just drank my coffee and nodded carefully – or obediently – and took a deep breath, which surprisingly helped more than I thought it might. This girl, whoever she was, was weirdly good a pep talks. She reminded me of Polly – which, when I thought about it a little bit more, made sense. Calum and Polly hit it off quite naturally when they first met, so it made sense that he’d end up with someone like that.

“You okay?” She asked me after a considerable amount of silence. “You went away there, for a second” I let out a deeper breath than I’d been holding in and shrugged with a sheepish, awkward smile.

“I’m, uh. I’m getting there.” I admitted somewhat honestly. For some reason, this girl was making talking easier than usual – but I’d had enough of talking about myself for one morning. I was too hungover for that. “Are you?” I asked weirdly. “Well, I mean. Like. Did… Did you sleep… well?” I made a face at how stupid I made that stupid question sound, but it was too late to take it back because she was already scoffing at it.

“No, not really.” She said through a cynical laugh. And I grimaced yet again, because despite my enquiry I really didn’t need – nor want – to hear about her night with Calum.

“Oh.” I said dumbly again. “Er, why not?” I asked anyway. The girl (who’s name I really needed to make more of an effort to find out) just stared at me with a flat expression.

“Have you ever slept on Calum’s couch?” She deadpanned and I made a small ‘O’ face while I frowned, trying to figure out why the fuck a girl like her ended up on the couch. I mean, her eyebrows were so? And her smile? She kinda made me want to kill myself – but, like, in a good way.

“Yeah, I have.” I mumbled. “But… wait, you didn’t sleep with Calum?” And intrusive question – one I didn’t realise I had actually asked out loud until I’d said it. And she spat out her coffee in a legit spit take, all over me, no doubt, but I was about 98 per cent sure I deserved it.

“Fuck, no!” She yelped through a disbelieving laugh, handing me a dry tea-towel that was hanging off of the back of her chair and not apologising (although I probably didn’t deserve an apology for a question like that). “Did… Jesus Christ, did you think me and Calum were – Eewwwww!”

I couldn’t help but laugh lightly through my blush because, really, this was just my luck. Or maybe it was Karma. Either way, I still looked like an idiot. An intrusive, nosey, dead wrong idiot.

“I was completely waster last night.” I tried to justify my assumptions. “And Calum brought home a lanky blonde with nicer eyebrows than me so… yeah. I did.” I cleared my throat again since the coffee wasn’t doing much for the dryness, and offered another awkward and sheepishly crooked smile. Whatsherface just giggled.

“Oh, God.” She chuckled. “Thank you, but no. Me and Calum will never happen, not in a million years or any time after that.” She shuddered and I couldn’t help but cock an eyebrow at her.

“Is he really that bad?” I asked her and for a split second I was worried that maybe there really was something wrong with Calum – which I was convinced was impossible considering he was basically some sort of gift from the Heavens to prove us mortals unworthy. And for the first time all morning, she was the one to pull a confused face at me.

“You know I’m his sister, right?” She drawled out slowly and carefully, and the shade of red my face went in the span of 0.4 of a second could have competed with Lightening McQueen. Everything clicked in that moment, everything suddenly made sense – Calum laughing at me last night, why she’d slept on the couch, why she knew who I was and her reaction to me thinking she and Calum were hooking up. I was a complete and utter moron.

“You are Mali…” I laughed, embarrassed, as I shot her an apologetic grimace. She nodded through an eye roll.

“Calum said you had your moments, but I was under the impression that you were smart.” I laughed, but I couldn’t ignore the little flip my heart gave when I realised that Calum had been talking about me. To his family. In Sydney.

“…He said I was smart?” I asked, trying to be subtle but I knew that there was literally zero hope in that working. Mali scoffed and I blushed a little more as she rolled her eyes at me yet again.

“That, among other things.” She chuckled, and then her face softened and she looked at me with fixated eyes, like she was studying me or seeing something that I wasn’t sure she’d find. “He talks about you a lot, actually.” She told me with a tiny smile, one I’d seen Calum share a couple of times. It must have been a Hood Family Trait. “He thinks…” But she trailed off, just smiling to herself, or maybe at me, and I let my curiosity get the better of me.

“What?” I asked, biting my lip a little in anticipation. “He thinks what?” Mali just gave a polite chuckle and shrugged.

“He thinks you’re cool.” She told me very matter-of-factly. My eyebrows shot up. “He’s told me all about you and your classes and how you sometimes spend the night here. He really likes you.”

My heart gave a little flutter, and I couldn’t quite grasp the reality of what I was hearing. I wasn’t sure if Mali meant he liked me as a friend or in the way I liked him, but the point I was hearing was that Calum liked me. Like, he actually liked me and – based on three sentences coming from his sister – he didn’t feel like he was obliged to be my friend. There was a chance he like-liked me and I couldn’t really stop the slow but sure grin that spread across my face from ear to ear.

“Oh.” I tried to stay calm and collected even though my heart was racing and my cheeks were aching. “That’s, um. He, er – Calum’s really nice.” I settled offering Mali another crooked grin. “Probably nicer than me.”

“He told me you might say that.” Mali laughed, and I cocked a playful eye at her.

“Is there anything he hasn’t told you?” I teased and she shook her head and winked.

“Nope.” She laughed. “He tells me pretty much everything. Your cousin’s wedding, all the brainstorming sessions you’ve had – the photoshoot.” I grimaced and sucked in a deep breath at that. Mali didn’t react, she just got soft again and it was like I could feel the sincerity rolling off of her shoulders as she gave me that small smile. “He won’t shut up about you, Dal.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I just smiled back and said nothing while I looked away and gulped back the last of my now half-cold coffee. It was a very strange feeling to know that I was being talked about like that, let alone at all and let alone by Calum. Strange, but somewhat nice.

In a way, I was very glad that Ashton interrupted what conversation this could have been between Mali and I. Because despite my many questions (what else did he tell her? Does he say nice things about me? Does he say mean things about me?! Oh god, does he even think we’re friends?!) I really didn’t know what to say to that. But when Mali and I looked up to find Ashton with a bird’s nest of hair, sleep in his eyes and dressed in nothing but a snug fitting pair of blue jocks, I was also not as glad as I thought I was.

“Uh. Hi?” Mali was frowning at Ashton in what looked like disgust.

“Mm? Yeah, morning.” Ashton mumbled, stifling a yawn in his hand as he stretched and scratched at his torso and back, you know, the way most guys do. If it weren’t for the awkwardness, I would have laughed at how I was having trouble looking at Ashton at all let alone in his face (as opposed to my having trouble looking away from Calum when he was wearing even less).

“Looks like you had a good night.” Mali prompted through a snort, which lead me to believe that she wasn’t so much as interested in what he did, but that she was already piecing together a puzzle that was a little too complex for my tiny mind. Ashton shrugged and gave a small, knowing chuckle along with a lazy smirk and for whatever reason that made my legs feel weird and I took that as my cue to leave.

“Okay, cool.” I said through an uncomfortable (and fake) laugh, standing from my seat and saluting very awkwardly. “Good talk. I gotta… I gotta go and, um. Do some things. I guess.” Mali and Ashton both stared at me with raised eyebrows, so I just nodded and pursed my lips before I turned and headed out of the door Ashton had left wide open. My cheeks were still flaming red when I wondered through the open door of my apartment. Cue Polly.

“Did you guys fuck?!” Her muffled voice come from inside the bathroom. The door opened and I could see the dark haired girl hunched over from where she’d reached for the door knob. She looked naked, but I could just make out the baby blue lace of her panties around her bare ankles. I gulped and shook my head.

“No.” I somewhat grumbled, the vulgar thought making my mind race in too many directions to keep track of. “Why… I-I mean – ugh, you’re disgusting.” I huffed and proceeded to bang around in the kitchen, turning the kettle on and looking for my favourite cup.

“No, I’m not.” Polly’s giggle was followed by a loud flush of the toilet and when she re-emerged her lacy push up bra matched her panties. “I’m inquisitive.” Her eyebrow cocked at me teasingly, the sly look sparkling in her eye something I’d not seen for a while. For some reason, it wasn’t as comforting as I thought it was going to be.  

“I think nosey is the correct term.” I told her, my back to her as I took longer than usual to make my coffee. “You don’t have to say it like that.” Polly scoffed, and as I glanced over my shoulder I saw her pull up the Ghost Stool to the counter, arms folded on top.

“Oh, please, D.” She waved me off with another one of her giggles. “Don’t pretend to be all virginal now. I know about you that blonde Irish guy from last semester. And the English one from the semester before that.”

Something in my stomach rumbled deeply and while I was pretty hungry, I got the feeling it was less to do with my lack of food consumption and more to do with the fact that Polly was making me uncomfortable – or annoyed.

“Don’t bring them up, I didn’t give a shit about them.” I mumbled through a sigh as I tried to supress the urge snap at my best friend. This was what she was like, this was who Polly was. I wasn’t sure why that surprised me, I should have been expecting this kind of reaction.

“Okay, sorry.” Polly stifled a giggle. “Let me rephrase then – did you and Calum make loveeeee?!”

“Polly, could you not make fun of me for like five seconds, please?!” I found myself yelling at her. I finally turned around and for the first time in forever I seemed to be throwing her my version of a glare. It didn’t appear to be doing much, Polly just frowned slightly and threw a befuddled look back at me.

“What’s wrong with you?” She asked me, not offended in the least that I’d just jumped down her throat (To be honest, I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t the overly threatening type, I usually I just looked like a child throwing a tantrum when I got mad.). I sighed, taking off my glasses so that I could run my hands over my face tiredly.

“No, nothing.” I mumbled, turning around again as the kettle finished boiling.

“Obviously it’s something, Dal.” I could almost hear her eyes rolling into the back of her head. “What’s up?”

I bit my lip. I didn’t totally know where to start. Was I supposed to mention the stuff she and Ashton said? Was I supposed to tell her that I felt a lot better talking about Calum to his sister than I did with her? That I felt weird knowing that more than likely she and Ashton had had sex on our couch?

“I just… I feel like an idiot.” I summed up as vaguely as possible. “About… I dunno, last night. I guess.” I turned around and I couldn’t tell if the expression in Polly’s eyes was understanding or if it was condescending or just neutral. I wasn’t looking at her face long enough to find out anyway, she was more intimidating than usual today.

“Forget about it.” Polly said casually like it was the obvious answer. “You didn’t do anything wrong, don’t stress.”

“Didn't I?” I challenged her with a sidelong look. “Pol, there’s a reason I don’t get drunk often and that was it.” Polly shook her head and closed her eyes (probably to keep from rolling them again).

“Seriously, Dallas, you were fine. You didn’t say anything weird and you didn’t do anything worth regretting so I really wouldn’t worry about it. It’s not like you’ve never slept over at Calum’s before.”

I heaved a sigh as Polly found a banana and started to peel it. I couldn’t tell what was bothering me more – the fact that I really did feel like an idiot about the shit I pulled or the fact that Polly was being… well, herself. Her abrasiveness and quick dismissals weren’t new to me and yet here I was, hungover as shit, and annoyed at Polly for being who she is. That wasn’t normal, and the guilt was eating me alive a little bit.

“Yeah... yeah, you’re probably right.” I surrendered whatever argument this could have turned into quietly and shrugged like I usually did, grabbing my now made coffee and started for my room. “I’m, uh.” I cleared my throat and stifled another sigh. “I’m gonna go take a nap.” I didn’t wait for Polly to question me and my motives. I just left, closing my bedroom door behind me.

I really did intend on taking a nap despite my two coffees, but as soon as the door clicked shut and I was faced with my bedroom that was as disorganised as my head, well, I didn’t really feel much like sleeping. Shockingly enough, I felt like talking to my mum – something I knew wasn’t going to end well, nor how I wished it would in my head (and had for years), but I was almost desperate. I’d also promised my sister I would and that was going to bug me ‘til the grave if I didn’t do it now.

As usual, she took forever to answer. But she answered, and that was the thing I was trying to focus on the most.

“Hello?” She hummed through as if she didn’t have caller ID. I hesitated, my heart drumming in my ears for a few seconds.

“Heeeey, mum…” I hummed back, a grimace spreading across my lips as it would have done if the woman was actually in the room with me. I sat on the edge of my bed, coffee left on the bedside table to be forgotten in my nerves. “How are you?”

“Oh, you know.” She almost sang back solemnly. Also, no, I didn’t know. “Same shit, different day.” It was like ten in the morning, but I was trying very hard not to blow this conversation up too soon. “You know; I’ve barely eaten all day. All day! Not since breakfast at that was at six AM or something.”

“What did you eat?” I asked her, knowing full well she would have told me anyway.

“Oh, I don’t know, salmon I think. With Eggs and hollandaise.” She rattled off about how the horrible the staff at the country club she went to get her full breakfast meal and then some were but I was only half listening. None of this was what we were supposed to be talking about, and it wasn’t anything I wanted to talk about either. I waited for a lull in the very one-sided conversation before I cleared my throat and actually said something.

“So, um.” I had no idea what I was supposed to address first. “Have, uh. Have you spoken to Leisel lately?” I sucked in a deep breath, eyes squeezed shut and everything. I could hear everything. I could hear God if the silence from the other phone held out any longer.

“No.” Mum said, an almost crisp tone to her voice. “She. Leisel hasn’t returned my calls.”

“Oh.” I said dumbly. I didn’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that.

“Yes, quite.”

Another few heartbeats of quiet passed and for a moment I thought maybe this conversation wasn’t going to end on as bad of a note as I thought. But I thought too soon.

“Dallas, I’m disappointed in you.” She huffed. I imagined her slightly chubby cheeks burning pink, rather than red, and her dark eyes solid and unchanging. “What happened at that party was embarrassing for me and for your cousin – not to mention yourself. I hope you apologised to her and Gian.” And so the anger rose. It bubbled deep in the pit of my stomach.

“Did you?!” I snapped before I sighed, instantly regretting it because I knew it wasn’t going to make a difference.

“Dallas, I don’t have time for this argument.” She snapped back and I gave a dark laugh.

“Are you serious?” I asked in complete disbelief. “Isabelle told me that you wanted me to call – to talk about what happened, to fix things. And now that I have you suddenly ‘don’t have time’?! What is that?”

“What it is, Dallas,” Her voice was low and threatening. “Is that I was expecting this call yesterday and it never came. You’ve made it clear where your priorities lie, Dallas, and burying this hatchet wasn’t one of them.”

My bottom lip trembled and my eyes welled up with tears, but the more I let her words sit in the air the more I realised I really wasn’t surprised. I got my stubbornness from somewhere, apparently this was it.

“Alright.” I found myself murmuring out in a shaky, quiet voice. “I, um. I guess I won’t hold you up then.” I sniffed and I prayed it wasn’t obvious I was crying again. But she as still my mum, and mothers knew that kind of thing anyway. “I just called to, um. Just to… let you know that I’m okay. I-I mean I’m not… I think I am.”

“Dallas.”

“It’s fine, mum.” I gave a sad chuckle this time. “Um. Eat something. You get upset when you’re hungry.”

And then I hung up and I cried a little bit and, as predicted, I forgot about my coffee and curled up under the covers of my bed and slept.