music writer / malum lane / from new york but moved to the uk to do my masters / big waterparks & 5sos stan / it 2017 supremacy / aspiring music producer / been around a while but haven't written fics since i was maybe 14? getting back at it cause all these new eras have been so good. send requests! will write anything :)
luke hemmings boyfriend headcanons .á sfw & nsfw included
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âș as much as he loves going out places with you and showing you off, luke is a homebody. he will do anything to convince you to cuddle up and stay in with him, including bribes of ordered food & your favourite movies.
âș big giving gifts guy. trust, he remembers that little thing you said you liked three months ago and he had notifications on for when it would be back in stock just to surprise you with it. he loves seeing you happy and it's a million times better if he's the cause.
âș loves teasing you. always has a sarcastic or witty comeback that he pairs with a raised eyebrow and a smirk until you smack him playfully and make him break down laughing. he likes seeing you get a little frustrated, he thinks it's cute.
âș if you touch his hair, it's over. he's melting into your palm, letting out soft noises and leaning into your touch, eyes closed. it works especially well on days where he comes to you overwhelmed; voice soft and eyes bloodshot. you're his biggest comfort.
âș your home is never quiet. there is always a record, a cd, or a bluetooth speaker playing. sometimes he'll put on a song and get real quiet and look at you with wide eyes until you listen to the lyrics and realise he's playing it for you; usually something lovey and sweet and devoted.
âș gets all soft and giggly when you make him flustered. if you compliment him first or kiss him out of nowhere, heâll pause, blink at you, then break into this shy smile, ducking his head a little. he will playfully deny the compliment but heâs already pulling you back in for another kiss or twelve.
âș will pull you into slow dances in the kitchen or living room, no music needed. just swaying with you, arms around your waist, forehead resting against yours. sometimes he hums softly, sometimes he just stays quiet, but either way he looks at you like nothing else exists in that moment.
âș sucker for eye contact. will tell you to keep your eyes open while you're giving him head, or while he's driving into you. he likes the way they go all wide and watery when he slams into you just right. loves missionary for this reason.
âș whiner. won't grunt or groan as much, but this man whimpers. soft, pretty noises that you beg him to not hold back because they're such a turn on for you. will always say please and thank you and gets soo high pitched when he cums.
âș leaks sooo much precum. you've barely taken down his jeans when you see the wet patch on his boxers, nearly dripping onto your fingers. he also cums a lotttt, and he will continue thrusting into you as he comes down from his high and you can feel his dick twitching as rope after rope pumps out. it helps that he likes watching it drip out of you.
âș leaves wet, open mouthed kisses everywhere he can. if it bruises, he's biting a hickey into it. he is so obsessed with kissing you and feeling the weight of your tongue on his and the way you bite his lower lip drives him crazy.
âș i feel like he lowkey has a breeding kink. will babble over and over about how he's gonna put a baby in you, about how pretty you'd look pregnant. cums the hardest (and fastest) when you're begging him to finish inside of you.
michael clifford boyfriend headcanons .á sfw & nsfw included (was in wip anyways but requested!!)
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âș is the type to text you in the middle of the day that he misses you with about twelve different emojis and two gifs and a 40 second long voice recording saying the same. he has to make sure you know how often he thinks about you.
âș loves when you sit on his bed while he's streaming, just out of frame. chat listens to you chime in, and he gets a million comments about them wanting to see you, which you indulge in semi-frequently.
âș game nights are a staple in your household, whether it's when all the boys come over or if it's just you and michael. it always ends in playful shouting, followed by quiet cleanup where the two of you take your time and enjoy each other's company.
âș practically needs you with him on tour. the two times you've been stuck either at work or with family commitments he has been devastated, and you will be invited to everything he does ever. shoots, tours, interviews, he always extends an invite even if he knows you can't make it. he just wants to make it really obvious that he wants you there.
âș supports everything you show interest in. you want to try a new pottery class? absolutely. you learn a couple songs on piano? he's encouraging you and telling you you're a natural. he is so endeared by watching you light up talking about your interests and hobbies, and will happily support each and every one, no matter how often they change.
âș prefers staying in with you, but indulges when the boys want to go out sometimes. even when drunk, you never leave his line of sight, but he enjoys seeing you let loose with your friends and seeing you laugh on the dance floor. he will definitely come out to dance with you if you ask, though.
âș possessive, and kinda bratty about it. will make passive aggressive comments at anyone who even seems to be flirting with you, even if they're just being nice. his grip on your waist is bruising, and he never blames you, he just wants people to know that you're his.
âș rolling off the previous one, michael is a brat. he will tease and prod and poke just to get you to give him exactly what he wants, which usually translates to you on top of him. you secretly love when he gets that stupid face on with his tongue poking out behind his canines when he knows he's annoying you during foreplay.
âș the biggest eater out of the four. would go down on you for hours, and takes pride in counting the amount of times he makes you cum from just his tongue alone. gets off on it, and you often find him rutting into the sheets to find release. will eat you out until you're shaking and pushing him away.
âș doesn't mind a bit of humiliation and teasing in public. either a scold after he says something suggestive in front of his friends, a hand under the dinner table climbing higher so he chokes on his words, a slip of a pet name you only use in bed that makes him short-circuit. it excites him to think about you wanting to stake your claim on him in front of other people, too.
âș a switch, but loves when you take control. would be down for anything; pet play, edging until he's whining and begging, would probably even be down for pegging if you asked really nicely. still has his moments where he needs to take you exactly how he wants, and can get really rough when slamming into you, his hands holding your hips in place.
âș has an oral fixation. he needs to be kissing, biting, licking, sucking on something whenever the two of you get intimate. whether its kissing bruises into your skin, biting down on your shoulder, sucking on your lip, licking you up and down, his mouth needs to be working.
âș he always brings over your favourite coffee order when he comes over. he has it memorised and insists on bringing it every time.
âș helps you pick out decor for your flat, commenting on feng shui & the vibes of the space and being completely serious. if it doesn't feel right, it's not coming home with you.
âș refuses to wear socks around the house. when you ask him why he says it makes his feet feel like they're in a prison and refuses to comment further.
âș is genuinely a really good cook. he loves to make you different dishes he's been meaning to try, nose deep in a cookbook he bought ages ago. always winds up an absolute mess, but he's more worried about what you'll think of what he makes, waiting for your approval.
âș loves to have alone time in his home studio, but leaves the door cracked open as an invitation sometimes for you to come and invade his space. he claims that you help him think straight and that your presence is soothing when everything feels too much.
âș huge cuddlebug. he cannot say no to holding you or laying on you or touching you in some kind of way, his hands are always on you. he WILL pout if you move away from him.
âș would never be down to hide you guys being together. he needs everyone to be able to tell you're his, whether it's a hand at your waist or a head on your shoulder or stolen looks while friends are talking.
âș cannot get enough of your thighs. will tell you he's going to mark them up so that people can see you're his when you're wearing shorts or skirts, and he manhandles them when he's eating you out, forcing them open with bruising fingertips.
âș looks up at you while he fingers you open, mouth open a bit while studying how you squirm and pant above him as you take his thick fingers. loves watching you tense up when you feel his stubble touch you before he dives back in.
âș we allllll know he's not gonna complain about you calling him daddy. but i feel like it's reserved for specific times, and you usually initiate. he will rarely order you to call him daddy, it's more like a fun addition when it slips out of your mouth.
âș will send you the nastiest texts while he's on tour, thinking about what you'll respond the whole time he's onstage.
âș super super vocal during sex. i'm talking grunts, groans, talking you through it, everything. he is more than happy to make sure you know you're doing a good job. will hold your hair back for you when you're giving him head, guiding you and calling you pretty.
kinda debating pivoting my awsten knight forced proximity cabin fic to a muke fic or a michael x reader college trip au IM TORN. im mad at awsten rn so this is the solution
michael clifford is a boy you go to school with, heâs always had this rockstar edge to him thatâs caught your eye but your parents would never want you to bring someone like him home. thatâs when one day, your parents piss you off and you can only think about the revenge you want to spin back with.
warnings: family issues / mentions of alcohol and smoking
word count: 17k
song recommendation: 18 / anarbor
authors note: not proofread :( donât hate me this took way too long
fuck, staring at michael clifford was getting intensely boring. the emotional bruise stung in your chest because you simply canât have him, but heâs all youâve ever wanted in someone. you tear your gaze from him and back to the professor to do what you actually came to university for instead of pining over a boy.
he isnât just a boy though, heâs perfect for you in your eyes. punk rock written all over him, electric guitars hanging low against his hips on a saturday night at 10pm in pubs that buzz off his and his bandsâ energy, new hair colour almost every month. heâs hard to keep up with, thatâs what you like about him.
youâre a girl with strict parents, a close friend group and nobody else, rare occasion that you made it to a party because youâre terrified that a family member will find out that you sipped the tiniest bit of alcohol like it was going to subtract knowledge from your brain. they wanted the best for you, of course, but itâs starting to interfere with your adult life as youâre getting older.
you find yourself living life through your friendsâ instagram stories, watching them have fun while you sit at your desk just trying to seem productive, but all you can do is scroll on your phone just wishing that you had the guts to enter a house party without your parents in the back of your mind convincing you that itâs the worst thing you could do. it wasnât, youâre learning that, but the fear still lingers.
youâre coming home for the weekend in two days, youâre not exactly excited but at least you donât have to spend longer than three days with them. it sounds horrible, dreading seeing your parents for the first time in awhile but itâs always the same conversations and giving you the same advice. itâs starting to get boring, you just want life to start.
you daydream your way through the lesson, snapping back into reality when your teacher speaks a little louder than usual, which immediately gives you the impression that it was time to pack your things. you grab your book and pen, shoving them deep into your bag. your eyes drift to that boy again, watching him fumble as he dropped a pack of cigarettes on the floor. you stifle a laugh.
luke hemmings, his best friend, bursts out laughing at michaelâs position on the floor.
you bite your cheeks to suppress a smile, looking away from them when your friend, kat, sneaks into your eyeline, causing you to flinch. she raises her eyebrow at you, a grin coating her face.
âwhatâs got you smiling like that?â she asked you, tilting her head.
you look back at luke and michael, watching them as they playfully hit each other like they were still children. âluke and michael, they seem funny.â you answer her, turning your head to look at kat again.
âoh, yeah. theyâre hilarious at parties. you should come one day, youâll be fine.â she stated. âwhy donât you come tonight? i got invited yesterday iâm sure nobody will mind if i brought a plus one. besides, it gets too filled by the end of the night for anyone to notice anyways.â kat mentioned, looking at you with the most hopeful eyes. you hate to disappoint her.
âi need to study, iâm sorry kat.â you mutter with shame, shaking your head.
she sent you a tight lipped smile. âyouâre good. promise youâll come with me one day?â she plead.
you let out a chuckle, âsure, one day.â
one small detail, you never said anything about promising.
everyoneâs crowded in your shared dorm with your best friend, rushing around to get ready while you stay sat at your desk, laptop open and a notebook in front of you. your friends have been nagging for you to come with them to these parties for months but youâve denied the offer every single time, missing out on great memories and opportunities to finally talk to michael clifford, the man you canât seem to take your eyes off.
you hug everyone goodbye and wish them all a great time, thatâs when youâre left alone in the dorm once again. this is how many nights go, itâs a repeated cycle of your friends getting ready at your place while begging you to come along, you always shut down the offer and then let them leave. the silence that fills the dorm is perfect though.
you crank up your music on the record player sat beside your desk, zoning out while staring at a burning candle in front of you.
you manage to get some revision in before your best friend, charlotte, stumbled back into your dorm, an excited look on her face. she grabbed your shoulders, a yell escaping your throat because you didnât even realise sheâd come back, your headphones drowning out any sound from the world outside of them.
âyou arenât gonna believe this.â charlotte slurred, pulling off your headphones for you. you reach out to your phone, pausing the music and turning around in your chair.
your eyebrows furrow. âwhat?â you wondered and she held your face in her hands.
âyou know michael clifford? the one with the crazy red hair?â she quizzed and your face burned up, she took her hands off your face. âokay, you definitely do.â she laughed. âare you texting him or something? he asked me about you tonight.â she informed you.
you shook your head. âchar, iâve never spoken to him in my life. what did he say?â you tilt your head, heart pounding against your ribs, desperate for answers about him.
âhe asked me why you never turn up to parties but all of your friends are insane party animals, he said that he expected you to be like them, something like that ⊠i donât knowâ iâm tired.â she rambled while you stared at her with wide eyes, thoughts about him rushing through your mind.
âokay, letâs get you to bed and iâll grab you a slice of bread to sober you up. youâll thank me in the morning.â you say, standing up and making your way to the kitchen as charlotte changed into her pyjamas.
silence took over the apartment before charlotte yelled to you, âwhen do you go back home?â she asked. âin two days, but i wonât be gone long. i think iâm gonna get out a little more after seeing my family.â you respond and she squeals in excitement.
âokay, iâll miss you but you donât understand how excited i am for you to come out with all of us. itâs so fun, i swear.â
âi believe you, donât worry.â
âmaybe you can even bag michael clifford.â
âi donât think so.â
âdonât knock it till you try it!â
you canât argue any further, walking back into the room with two slices of bread. charlotte is sat in bed, her legs crossed. âhe seemed interested, y/n. i think heâd do you some good, i know heâs not the usual person your family would want for you but itâs about you, not them.â she assured you. why do drunk people give the best speeches? char took the bread slices from you, quietly eating.
you sat down on your bed across the room from hers, putting your hair up out of your face. âi know, iâm just ⊠worried.â you mutter.
âabout?â charlotte chimed in.
âsomeone finding out iâm going to these parties, if i ever do, and things will get back to my family. itâs the only thing holding me back.â you explain.
âi donât understand why your family is so overprotective about it, youâre in university, itâs bound to happen that you get invited to a party and you show up. iâm sure they did it growing up. parents are just hypocrites.â she muttered with the occasional smack of her lips while she still munched on her bread.
âyeah.â you agree, picking at your acrylics. charlotte finished off her food, kicking the duvet and pulling it over herself when she lay down.
âiâm going to sleep. you should too, you look a little tired.â she piped, switching her lamp off while yours was still on, but it made the room look so much more cosier than it did before.
you nodded, doing the same and turning your lamp off. âgoodnight.â you murmured, turning around to face the wall. char didnât respond, which meant she was already asleep. that woman falls asleep quicker than someone on anesthesia.
the next two days went way too quickly for your liking, going home for the weekend wasnât something you were necessarily excited about. you could only prepare yourself for the questions that the family were going to ask you, the same ones every time. they never seemed happy that you were home, just wanting to know how youâre holding up with studying and everything else that school brings.
you walk up to the front porch, your baggage still sat in the backseat of your car. your knuckles knock against the hard wood, the dog immediately barking at the sound. your dog is the only thing you can find yourself missing about home, occasionally your room but itâs pretty small compared to your new room at university. you left all of your posters up in there, posters of bands and singers that youâve been desperate to see in concert but when you asked to go, the answer was always no.
it wasnât because of the financial state your family was in, they were completely fine with money, but you becoming the best version of yourself and not letting anything corrupt you was all they wanted. theyâd disown you if they found out you liked someone like michael clifford, which is why your university life is completely hidden from them.
when you get back, you promised yourself that youâd start living properly. charlotte and the rest of your friends want you to come out, and if you keep shutting down opportunities theyâre gonna give up on you. you canât even remember the last time you went out with all of them as a group.
the door opened and it dragged you back into reality, your mum pulled you in for a tight hug, kissing your temple. âoh, y/n! howâve you been?â she asked you with the biggest smile, pulling away and holding your shoulders.
âhi.â you laugh, stepping into your home. the warmth hits you fast, the smell of the usual candles filling your nose. âiâve been good, things are getting better.â you say while the dog jumps up at you, seeking your attention.
âthatâs great. have you been studying?â she wondered. first question you expected, one of the usuals. itâs getting boring now, you kick off your shoes with a little sigh. âyeah, i have. probably too much, i think i need a break from it.â you complained in hopes that sheâd catch onto your foreshadowing for when you get back.
âhow are your friends? what have they been up to recently?â your mum bombarded you with more questions, but this is a new one. you texted her about your friends a few days ago so she must be a little curious about them. âtheyâre great, they go to parties and stuff. they really want me to go but i always have to say no.â you mumble, clearly this subject brought your mood down but she didnât seem to be bothered about that, she was just happy that you were focused on your learning instead of partying.
âamazing. itâs best for you, youâll thank me when you grow up.â she smiled. when you grow up? as if youâre not already grown? this is exactly why you dread coming home. âyour dad is outside in the garden if you want to go see him.â she continued, noticing the slight awkwardness.
âiâll pass, if he wanted to see me that much heâd be here already.â you spat, opening the front door and striding towards your car to grab your things. thank god you only agreed to staying for the weekend, it it was any longer you wouldnât leave your room until the stay was over.
you grab a few bags and walk back into the house, storming upstairs and walking into your room. your posters have been ripped down, nowhere to be seen on your desk or your bed or ⊠anywhere. you squeeze your eyes shut, trying not to cry over something so small.
you open your eyes and put your bags down in the corner of your room. you donât even bother unpacking before climbing into your bed, closing your eyes as tears began to spill. you hide your face in your pillow, trying to muffle the sounds of your sobs.
itâs going to be a long weekend.
you wake up with swollen eyes, cheeks still flushed from last nightâs episode. you grab your phone, the screen burned your eyes with the brightness and you immediately swipe down to lower it. itâs 2am. you mustâve needed that sleep after all the travelling you did. you open instagram, pictures of another ongoing party fill your feed and itâs on everyoneâs stories.
a sigh escapes your nose, standing up out of bed and changing into your pyjamas. you throw your clothes on your chair and open your bedroom door. the house is pitch black, so you turn your phone flashlight on to see the stairs. you walk down them, making your way to the living room and shutting the door behind you. you sink into the sofa, turning the tv on. the light casts over the room and you switch on a movie, something to fill the background noise while you doomscrolled.
somehow you fell asleep again, your phone flat against your chest with the tv on standby, waiting to be turned off.
you wake up to the scent of fresh bacon, a completely different setting to how you last woke up which was only a few hours ago. your dog, maggie, is curled beside you, you smile softly and ruffle her fur before grabbing your phone. your lock screen shows you that itâs 8am. you canât help but surprise yourself with how much youâve slept. maggie whines as you shift yourself to get up, pushing the recliner down with your calves. she follows you when you leave the living room, manoeuvring into the kitchen.
âgood morning!â your dad chirps, pulling you into a hug. this is the first heâs seen of you in a few months. it still hurts that he didnât bother to answer the door last night, too busy doing whatever he was doing in the garden. how could that be more important than you coming home?
âmorning.â you mumble, your face pressed against his chest and your arms wrap around him loosely. âiâm gonna go and unpack.â you murmur, letting go of him and he letâs go too with a nod.
âalright, iâll call you down when breakfast is ready.â he informed you as you walked away, making your way back upstairs to your room.
you unpack a few things, shoving pyjamas into drawers and hanging up a few clothes in your closet. it was pointless, but it was anything to stay away from the people in your house. you just wanted to go back to your dorm, surrounded by friends who actually seemed to care about your feelings. your dorm felt more like home than this ever has.
your mum pushes your door open without knocking, a mug in her hand and a serious look on her face. you dread whatever conversation sheâs about to start.
âwhy do you seem so bothered about not being allowed to go to parties?â she asked you, lurking in your doorway with a frown. she finally caught on.
âbecause you act like iâm still a kid, like i still need to be under your wing when i shouldnât be. i shouldnât be worrying about you finding out that iâm drinking when iâm completely legal, itâs not fair.â you argue. âall of my friends go out without me because iâm too scared to go against your rules, still. iâm 21 years old and iâm still living life like iâm 14!â you continue, tears threatening to spill but you blink them away.
your mum stands in silence for a second, taking in what you just said but itâs obvious that she hasnât. she doesnât understand. âyou know that we just want the best for you. partying will pause your education.â she stated. god, itâs like sheâs trying to make you frustrated on purpose.
âone party isnât going to make my grades drop. youâre insane.â
âyouâre insane for wanting to spend a night with a bunch of drunk young adults, it makes me sick.â
âitâs called living life, we both know you did all of these things when you were my age so why canât i?â
âi donât want you to.â
âwhat makes you think that you can still control me and what i do?â
âyouâre still worrying about what iâd think if you went out to a party, arenât you? thatâs what makes me think i can still control you, y/n.â your mum fumed.
âget out of my room.â you demanded, and she left so easily. the door closed behind her. you could scream for minutes on end because thatâs how angry you were. she constantly makes you want to go against her rules and prove her wrong, show her that she couldnât tell you what to do anymore but you never went through with it. that was your final straw, you want her to feel the same rage as you do right now.
the weekend has consisted of none stop arguing between the entire family, all youâve done is lay in bed and just wish that everyone would leave you alone. you hardly even ate these past two days because you dread going downstairs and having to take part in another interaction with someone else in the house.
today is finally the day you get to leave and go back to your friends, back to the people who make you feel welcomed. youâre shoving your stuff back into your car. you made sure that you didnât leave anything so you wouldnât have to come back to this house for a reason. freedom awaits you back at university and you cannot wait any longer.
you climb into the drivers seat, starting your car and taking on the road.
you stop at a mall on the way back, buying some new clothes. you decided on a little rebrand, grabbing some things that would be considered slutty back at home. thatâs exactly what you want. you wander around the shop, grabbing whatever your bank account could hold which was quite allot since youâve saved up way too much money for someone who doesnât need it. At least youâre doing something with it instead of leaving it sat in your account with no purpose.
you find yourself at the self checkout, scanning items one after the other. this is your form of making yourself feel better after that horrific weekend back home, you shouldâve just stayed at university. part of you is a little glad that you went home, though. you wouldnât be doing this right now if your parents hadnât sent you overboard.
settling back into your car felt like pure victory, a new bag of things sat beside you in the passenger seat. you turn up the volume, connecting your phone to the car and pressing play on your driving playlist.
after a few hours of driving, you finally pull into the parking lot of your university. youâre radiating excitement to see everyone, all of you have been texting nonstop on the groupchat all weekend complaining about not being able to see each other but today is finally the day.
anyone would think youâd been separated for a year but itâs been less than three days since youâve all been in the same room. you grab the bag of new clothes and open your car door, slamming it closed and locking your car behind you. you make your way inside and up to your room as quickly as humanly possible, sprinting up the stairs instead of taking the slowest elevator on earth.
shoes thud against the floor, dodging people on the steps. you reach your floor and push the door open to reveal the hallway. you walk down the corridor to catch your breath, stopping outside of your room. you pull the key out of your pocket, twisting the lock and pushing the door open, falling into the room.
âcharlotte!â you call out, her squeals are heard from the bedroom which cause you to burst into a fit of giggles. she runs out of the bedroom and pounces on you.
âi missed you so much!â she exploded, hugging you so tight that breathing wasnât even being considered anymore. âi missed you too.â you managed to say, your voice strained from the bone crushing hug.
âiâm so hungover, sorry.â she informed you with a chuckle, letting go of you. âthis is the first time iâve even gotten out of bed today, i donât even know what time it is.â she scratched her head with a smile on her face because she knows that you wouldnât judge her for having a lazy day.
âanyway, how was your time being back home?â charlotte wondered and your smile dropped. your lip quivered immediately and char noticed, pulling you into another hug. a gentle one this time. âoh, baby.â she whispered, one of her hands cradling the back of your head while you cried against her shoulder.
âit was the worst.â you mumbled, your voice muffled against her hoodie. her hand brushed through your hair, holding you close. âitâs okay, youâre home now.â she smiled, pulling away and holding your face in her hands. âiâm not letting you go back there for awhile.â she said, her thumbs brushing beneath your eyes to catch your tears.
her hands dropped to your shoulders, squeezing them. âshall we go grab your stuff? then we can chill out all day, just us.â she tilted her head, her voice so soft and comforting. you nod in response, wiping your nose with your sleeve. this girl is everything you could possibly ask for in a best friend.
both of you spent around an hour unpacking your things, putting everything back into place like it was before. you pick up the bag with all of your new clothes in, handing it to charlotte and she carries it into your room. she takes a peak into the bag, realising that this isnât something youâve worn before.
âyou got new stuff and didnât tell me?â she asked, ripping the bag open and sitting down on the floor. âcan i see? please?â she looked up at you, her pupils increasing in size as she begged.
âfine.â you pretend to be bothered but you were gonna show her anyways.
you sit down on the floor in front of her, letting her take the clothes out of the bag and examining every piece of fabric and every accessory.
âwhere are you wearing these to? you donât even go out that much.â she pondered, looking at you. you canât even hide the smile on your face once she asked.
âiâm gonna start coming to these house parties youâre all going to. i need to start doing things with you guys instead of hiding in this room.â the shrill that charlotte let out was ear-piercing, she stood up and grabbed your hands to pull you up too before hugging you while jumping up and down. you didnât know it was this serious.
âreally? oh my god. thereâs one on wednesday night, we have to go!â she yapped, her smile wider than youâve ever seen it before. âiâm so excited you donât even understand.â she beamed, letting go of you and rooting through the bag again. you didnât protest, just letting her do what she wanted because she definitely had an idea in mind, you couldnât disrupt her.
she mapped out an outfit for you on the floor, looking down at her masterpiece like it could be hung in an art gallery. âyouâre wearing this on wednesday.â she demanded. âmaybe michael will talk to you.â she looked up at you, a sneaky grin on her face and she wriggled her eyebrows. you looked away from her, your ears burning at the mere mention of his name.
âshut up.â you mumble, but itâs all lighthearted. ââanyway, what movie should we watch? i got this new lamp for the living room that changes colours and all that, thought iâd surprise you with new decoration.â charlotte ranted, folding your chosen outfit for wednesday night and placing it on the back of your desk chair.
her feet padded towards the living room, grabbing the box that held the light inside. âi hope we donât need batteries for this shit, nobody carries batteries in their drawers anymore.â you could hear her talk to herself, slicing the box open with a pair of scissors. âyes! itâs plug in.â she celebrated and hit the heels of her feet against the floor in victory.
you both set up the light, casting a purple hue over the room. you find yourselves sprawled out on the couch, blankets layered over each other with a movie playing in the background. youâre too tired to even watch a movie though. you turn your head away from charlotte, hoping she wouldnât notice that you definitely werenât watching the movie she put on, eyes closed instead of paying attention.
the night of your first party came quicker than expected, you pulled your heeled boots onto your foot with all of your strength, sighing in relief when your foot slipped in at last. you zipped it up at the side and stood up, walking over to the mirror.
you havenât felt this pretty in awhile, completely dolled up with the help of your friendsâ makeup skills and your well put together outfit by charlotte. your hair is styled perfectly, a gorgeous blowout that looked like it was done by professionals. it wasnât, it only took 4 of your friends to get it done in time.
you drag your lip liner over your lips, overlining them a little before topping it off with a lipstick and a lipgloss to finish up your makeup look. you turn around, revealing your completely new vibe to your friends and theyâre the most supportive people ever, complimenting you over and over again. this is what girlhood really is, youâre yet to experience it fully but this almost reaches the top.
the drive to the house is loud, a group of 7 girls managed to fit into this uber, talking his ear off but he actually joined into the conversation occasionally when your friends, who were much more outgoing than you, spoke to him. he pulled into the driveway, slapping the steering wheel.
âis this okay?â the uber driver asked and every single person in the car approved, thanking him and stepping out of the car. the cold air hit you, the music could be heard from outside and a few drunk kids sat on the doorstep, on the lawn. just people everywhere. your friends guide you into the house, making sure to keep you close. you look around the hallway, groups of people coming over to greet charlotte and kat, who were the only ones in the friendgroup who hadnât missed a party in almost an entire year, so theyâre pretty well known in these places.
some guy from your class, you vividly remember his name being jacob. he had a bad reputation in school, but maybe he was decent outside of it? he hands you a red solo cup, a mysterious liquid swirling inside of it.
âfirst drink is on me, babe.â he winked and veronika, one of your friends, shoved his hand away, making you miss the cup. âsheâs fine, go find someone else to spike, jacob.â the blonde muttered, glaring daggers at this boy. jacob let out a huff and walked away.
âhe wanted to spike me?â you ask with wide eyes and veronika noticed your panicked expression. âohâ no! itâs an ongoing joke that heâs a dealer, it gets him mad so nobody takes shit from him. he figured that a newcomer would finally take something from him but you canât give him the satisfaction.â she shrugged. âyou have a lot to learn, y/n.â she laughed, her hand on your back as your friends moved to the kitchen to grab some drinks.
everyone roots through the giant fridge, grabbing their chosen drinks. charlotte throws you a fruity alcoholic drink since this is your first time properly drinking somewhere, itâs easier to introduce you to it all lightly with a beverage that didnât even taste like alcohol. you catch it and crack it open, taking a sip. you hum into the drink, surprised that it actually tasted good.
once everyone eased into the party a little more, you and your friends were sat in the living room, making even more friends with a group of friendly strangers. you sat quietly, enjoying listening to everyone else chat while you sipped your third drink of the night in peace. this oddly seemed like your element, you easily settled in and had gotten used to the bass you could feel in your chest when a chorus of a song kicked in, blasting through the speakers.
a random, collective sound of cheers and yells erupted from the doorway, but all of you just brushed it off, average party noises. thatâs when luke hemmings walked into the kitchen. the downstairs area is enormous and pretty open, so you could see most things happening around you apart from the front door and the hallway towards the stairs. apart from that, everything was visible. if luke hemmings was here, that definitely means he brought his friends, friends meaning michael.
you grabbed charlotteâs shoulder, shaking her a little for her attention. you lean close to her ear so she can hear you over the booming music. âluke is here, do you think michael is too?â you ask her and she nodded enthusiastically.
âdefinitely!â she beamed, her drink spilling a little. sheâs already tipsy, you can tell by the way she dissociates every few minutes. âkeep an eye out, iâll call him over if heâs around.â she responded, getting a reaction out of you.
âdonât bring him over here! are you kidding?â you whisper-yell, shaking your head.
âwhy not?â
âbecause i canât form a sentence whenever heâs around, what am i gonna do?â
âyouâll be fine, iâm friends with him so iâll just introduce you guys.â she brushed you off like this was the most casual setup sheâs ever done. you canât argue back because she does have a point, she can just talk to him instead until he seems interested enough to talk to you too.
ashton irwin, veronikaâs drummer boyfriend walked over to where you and the girls were sat. ashton is another one of michaelâs close friends, theyâre all in a band together youâve found out through social media and them performing in public areas occasionally. youâve never seen them live before, but through videos they seem amazing for such an underground band.
veronika is instantly captivated by her boyfriend, her back against his chest as she sat comfortably on his lap. âluke brought some drinks for everyone, this guy always has the shittest drinks ever.â ashton announced, âthis guyâ meaning the party host. luke walked over like heâd been summoned, slamming endless amounts of booze onto the coffee table. he cracked open a beer, sitting down on the arm of the couch.
lukeâs a little quieter compared to the rest of the band but heâs still quite approachable, heâs just loud with actions and ⊠singing. he still hasnât said a word since heâs stepped into the house, but heâll probably loosen up once heâs had a few drinks. charlotte did say that heâs fun at parties, so he must just get better as time goes on.
âwhere did calum go? couldâve sworn he was just behind you.â veronika questioned ashton, leaning her head back against his shoulder. ashton scanned the area, calum and michael were nowhere to be seen. âi actually donât know.â he answered her, his arm resting over her chest.
âalso, since when did y/n start coming to these things?â ashton piped up again, looking at you as you quietly sipped on your drink. you turn your head to look at him.
âsince ⊠a few hours ago?â you reply, settling your drink down amongst the rest of the bottles that were scattered across the coffee table in front of you.
ashton nodded. âcool, itâs nice to finally see you loosening up.â he smiled sweetly. for such an intimidating guy, heâs actually really kind. you return his smile, looking back into the huddles of people, praying that youâd see the familiar vibrant head of hair soon.
thatâs when he emerged from the crowd, eyeliner smudged and a lit cigarette between his lips. his fingernails painted black with a few random designs on them, coated in red. you sucked in a breath, catching charlotteâs gaze. she looked back at michael, waving her hand.
âmichael!â she called him over and you straightened yourself up, pulling your short skirt down over your thighs a little more, though it didnât cover you up in the way you wanted it to.
michael made his way over with a smirk, but a joking pout replaced it when he saw veronika on ashtonâs lap. âawh ⊠come on, veronika. you stole my spot.â he teased, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke out. âfuck off, michael.â veronika retaliated, launching an empty can at his head. he let out a yelp, way too dramatic to be a genuine sign of hurt. he ran over to luke and seeked his best friends comfort, luke just patted his back, knowing that michael was just soaking up the attention.
michael pulled back from luke and moved all of the drinks from the coffee table, sitting down on it right infront of you. he raised his eyebrow at you. âsince when did you start coming to parties? weâve been looking forward to the day.â he asked you, talking to you like youâve known eachother for ages when this is the first actual interaction youâve had with this man.
âthatâs what i said! we love to see it.â ashton chimed in, kicking michaelâs leg to grab his attention. michael took one last drag of his cigarette before putting it out in the tray that sat beside him, leftover butts still waiting to be cleaned up inside it.
âyeah,â michael agreed, patting your knee twice. you still havenât said a word to him, choosing to stay as quiet as possible. you didnât realise how direct he was. âyouâre a lilâ quiet, arenât you?â he tilted his head, looking over your body shamelessly.
you catch on immediately, feeling your skin burn beneath your makeup. charlotte noticed how you tensed up, nudging your arm which basically said âget ahold of yourselfâ. you suck in a breath and nodded. âyeah, sorry.â you manage to say.
âthatâs no problem. get a few drinks down you and youâll be fine.â he shrugged, taking a sip from a bottle that holds a litre of straight vodka. how is he doing that without a reaction? he placed it back down, the taste burning his throat. âi asked charlotte about you the other day.â he told you. itâs almost like he doesnât want the conversation to end, but you canât tell the difference between drunk him and sober him.
âwhat did you ask her?â you question him, slowly easing into this. heâs actually pretty easy to talk to it seems, youâve definitely noted in class that he doesnât shut up.
âi asked her why you never show up to parties and she just said she doesnât know. iâm glad you turned up this time. itâs a shame that this host is a pile of shit, he always invites the kids who ruin the party later on but we can just leave before then.â he rambled, shrugging at the end of his speech like he expected you to leave with him. did he mean it like that? god, this is so difficult.
âleave to where?â you asked him. this may as well just be an interview at this point, but this guy confused you to no end.
âthe pub or something. you and your friends are legal, right?â you nod. âgreat, weâll just find somewhere. ashtonâs constantly out and about so weâll probably just follow his lead.â michael ranted to you, taking your listener role way too seriously.
âiâm a talker, as you can tell. weâd make a good duo.â he grinned, handing you his bottle of vodka. you put a dismissive hand out, politely turning it down. âiâm good.â you deny his silent offer and he nodded, accepting your wish and downing some more of the alcohol before placing it back down on the floor beside his feet.
âi like your fit, you look different.â he spoke up after a moment of silence, tapping your knee to make sure he still had your attention. this man is touchy. you canât hold back the smile that his compliment summoned.
âthank you.â you mutter, confidence growing. youâre starting to realise that you shouldnât have been so nervous in the first place, michael is way nicer than you expected him to be. âyouâre welcome.â you heard him say quietly. he scruffs up his red hair with his hand, pushing his fringe to the side.
as the night progressed, everyone drank way more than what they started with, consuming drinks with alcohol percentages higher than their grades. luke had definitely settled in more, the alcohol allowing him to be himself and not care about what anyone else was thinking.
the coffee table sunk a little under his and michaelâs weight, both of them screaming song lyrics into the air. you just laughed at the noise pollution. luke got down to go to the bathroom for the millionth time, one of the many consequences you face when you drink too much.
michael scanned the people around him, noticing you quietly singing the lyrics to the song that only him and luke seemed to know. his grin widened as he grabbed your hand, pulling you up onto the coffee table. his free hand landed on your waist, steadying you.
âsing with me.â he slurred, grabbing both of your hands and swaying your interlocked hands in the air, the two of you dancing and singing together like youâd known each other for years. michael clifford might just be one of the most outgoing person youâve ever met, clicking with people so easily.
flashing coloured lights beamed, casting a rainbow fade to take over the room. this is a position you never imaged yourself to be in, tipsy while holding hands with michael clifford and both of you just singing at eachother? itâs almost too good to be true. your parents havenât even crossed your mind till now, you realised that this is the most perfect way to agitate them the same way that they did you.
little did you know, charlotte was already on it, recording videos of you and michael without you realising so that you can post them later on. specifically for your main account where your entire family follows you. this is the only thing that will prove to them that you arenât under their wing anymore, they canât control you like they used to.
the song came to an end, mixing into something that neither of you knew. michael let go of your hands, but his eyes never left yours. he leaned close to your ear, making sure that you could hear him over the pulsing beats.
âyou wanna go outside for a bit?â he asked you, his fingers brushing over your forearm. the hairs on your arms stood up at the brief touch, watching as he pulled back from you. he looked even better close up, every detail of his face could be seen much clearer. you nodded in response and he wasted no time, stepping off the table and reaching his hand out to help you get down too. you take it and he leads the way, people making space for him to get through while you clung to his hand.
he slid the back door open, shutting it once you stepped through it. the sound of the music instantly cut out, the bass could still be heard but other than that it was pretty quiet. michael pulled another cigarette from his back pocket, lighting it up and taking a drag. he sat down on the wooden step, patting the spot beside him.
âcâmere.â he mumbled, holding his cigarette between his lips as he demanded you over. you sat down beside him, pulling your skirt down. the smell of smoke, alcohol and a small hint of cologne filled your nose. At least he made the effort to put a fragrance on, but it couldnât fight off the smell of everything else heâd consumed tonight. heâs definitely seeing stars right now, you just canât prove it.
he put his cigarette out, throwing it into a plant pot and just hoping for the best. âwhat made you come here?â he asked you, looking at your side profile. you just closed your eyes, debating whether to tell him the truth or making something dumb up. he probably wonât even remember this in the morning ⊠fuck it.
âmy parents.â you begin. âtheyâre still acting like iâm a kid, you know? iâm tired of it. all iâve done is sit in my dorm and study when i could be doing something with my life. tonight is the night, i guess.â you open up a little, but still leaving out big parts of the true story. itâs too early to tell him about your family issues in depth, thatâs also a story for the sober version of michael, if you ever get to that point.
he nodded, taking your role of being the listener. âi get that. i meanâ i donât, because my parents never really cared about what i did, but i understand.â he said, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and rubbing your bicep, the friction causing that spot to warm up. âmy parents werenât necessarily around much so coming to university wasnât really different compared to how it is back home.â he opened up too, his fingers drifting up your shoulder to twirl your hair around them. âseems like we have a few things in common, hm?â he let go of your hair, keeping his hands to himself this time.
you look back at him with a slight smile on your face, your eyes showing him fondness. âyeah, i think we do.â you agree and his eyes meet yours. neither of you can look away. âdo you wanna use me as a way to get back at your parents for whatever is going on?â he asked you, dead serious.
âhow?â you frown, suddenly your mood peaked a little.
âthis is gonna sound horrific.â he laughed, shaking his head in slight embarrassment. âiâm a pretty good fake boyfriend, i can be that for you.â he said, his words slightly slurred. you canât help but wonder whether this was drunk michael talking or if he was being genuine.
you canât hold back your laugh anymore, so you just cackle in his face. âyouâre being serious? like youâll actually wake up tomorrow morning and remember you set yourself up for this?â you question him and he nodded enthusiastically.
âyeah! iâm very aware of what iâm doing right now.â he smiled.
ââokay ⊠iâm down.â you respond.
âcool.â
âcool.â you return.
suddenly going back to your parentsâ house didnât seem like the worst idea ever. youâre almost excited to talk to michael about this in the morning.
he tapped the tip of your nose, dragging you out of your thoughts. he pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocking it and handing it to you. âgonna need your number, babe.â he said, watching as you bit your cheeks to suppress that smile. you took his phone, typing in your phone number from memory, handing it back to him and letting him choose your contact name. âplease remind me of this conversation tomorrow, i promise iâll remember but iâll just need a little heads up.â he told you.
âno worries.â you shrug with a smile.
that next morning you woke up to a text from a random number, but the connection name to it was just âmichaelâ, nothing else, just that. you knew who it was, that gorgeous red-headed boy who you didnât expect to click with that easily.
michael: hey! im doing some rehearsals at this address in the next 3 hours if u wanna come down. decided to send this 3 hours prior incase u woke up late
that was sent an hour ago, so you still have time.
y/n: hii michael ! iâll definitely come down and meet you there, im surprised youre not way too hungover for this
michael: trust me i fucking am thatâs why im asking u to come here for emotional support
you giggle to yourself, catching charlotteâs attention from her bed.
âwhatâre you giggling at?â she quizzed you, her hair a mess on top of her head. she rubbed her eyes, mascara smudged all over the top half of her face.
âmichael.â you reply like it was obvious, texting him back.
y/n: you and me both
âoh my god, what happened with him when you guys left last night? i was way too blacked out too even ask you.â she sat up instantly, pulling the covers over herself.
âhe basically asked to be my fake boyfriend to piss off my parents.â you tell her, almost laughing at the vague memory. charlotte found that hilarious, laughing in your face. âseriously?â she giggled, covering her face.
âseriously!â you yell back at her with a grin, throwing one of your pillows at her across the room. âiâm going to see him today at his rehearsals or something. he said he needs me for emotional support.â you tell her, getting out of bed.
âhow romantic.â charlotte teased.
âshut up.â you shook your head, but the smile on your face defeated the point of the seriousness in your tone. âgonna have a shower and get dressed, anyway. youâre welcome to annoy me while i do my makeup.â you tell her, stretching your arms out and walking towards the bathroom.
you switch the shower on, dropping your clothes and kicking them to the corner of the room. you step into the shower, the water immediately running through your hair. the feeling instantly relaxes you after the night you had last night, pulling you down from the high that still lasted even though it was multiple hours singe youâve come home and settled.
after showering, you wrap a towel over your head and another around your body, tying it at the top to cover yourself. you open the bathroom door so the mirror wouldnât be so blurry in the next five minutes. you pad into the kitchen in search for food, opening cupboards and slamming them over and over again as if food was going to appear with each time you looked.
âwhy do we never have food in?â you groan to charlotte and she gets out of bed, walking into the kitchen.
she frowned, opening the fridge. âwhat the fuck? how do two girls go through this much food?â she wondered, looking at you.
âtwo? i havenât even been here the past three days!â you clock her and she rolls her eyes, shutting the fridge.
âiâm sure michael will get you food.â charlotte said.
âi feel bad though, i donât want him to pay.â
âheâs a man, he has to pay. itâs the rules.â she shrugged, grabbing the last yoghurt pot and walking away. âactually, iâll watch you do your makeup.â she turned back around, opening the bathroom door with the nudge of her hip.
âdonât eat in the bathroom, char, thatâs disgusting.â you complain and she looked at her yoghurt pot, still sealed. âi donât even know why i grabbed it, iâm not even hungry.â she walked back into the kitchen and put it back.
âcome on, you still have an hour or so. can i pick your outfit out again? he loved the last one, i could tell.â she asked, skipping into the bathroom. she pulled down the toilet seat and sat down on it, crossing her legs. you follow behind her, grabbing your makeup bag from the counter and pulling it closer to you.
you start your makeup routine while charlotte just talks your ear off, running around the dorm and showing you different outfit combinations from clothes that she found in your closet. how is someone this full of energy at this time in the morning after a night where you never once saw her not dancing?
makeup is now on, clothes are on, teeth are brushed, hair is done and youâre just waiting for charlotte to shut her mouth so you can leave. she finally grabs a drink, your chance to tell her that youâre leaving.
âalright, iâm gonna go and meet him. iâll see you later!â you say, opening the front door and making sure to take some spare keys with you.
âhave fun, bye!â you hear her yell back and you close the door behind you. you run down the stairs, unlocking your car by pressing a button on your keys once you reach a decent distance from it. you slide into your car, connecting your phone to it and putting on the best album you know because you canât afford to look down and skip a song while driving.
you pull your maps up and typing in the address that michael had sent to you, beginning to drive with directions being launched at you every two seconds.
it wasnât a long drive, probably 20 minutes from school was this secluded place that michael had directed you to. it was ⊠something. very secretive, it seemed like a hidden studio of some sorts. it probably is, actually, you tend to forget he actually has albums selling with his band.
you get out of the car and pull out your phone, heâs already messaged you.
michael: just walk around the left side of the place, im having a smoke break so ill just wait for u to show up
you look up from your phone, walking around the area till you reach the far left. itâs not as messy as you expected it to be since this place is just giving weird energy. you walk down the side of the building till you spot a pair of worn converse around the corner, leading up to michael.
the rocks beneath you crunch with each step, causing michael to look up at you with wide eyes before softening the second he realises itâs you. he stood up, tossing his cigarette to the floor and opening his arms.
âhey,â he greeted you, his voice hoarse. you walk over to him and accept his hug, wrapping your arms around him and relaxing against his chest.
âitâs nice to see you sober.â you tease, looking up at him with your chin against the centre of his chest. he just looked down at you, backwards cap keeping his red hair out of his face.
âyou too, babe.â he squeezed you before letting you go, walking over to the door. âcome in, itâs freezing.â he opened the door and held it open till you stepped inside, warmth instantly hitting you. you watch as he locks the door, taking a seat on an empty chair and crossing your legs.
âso, when can i meet your parents?â michael cuts to the chase, sitting down on the floor and grabbing an acoustic guitar. it looked weird on him, you could only picture him with an electric.
âuh ⊠i donât know when i wanna go back.â you say, surprised that he even remembered that conversation. âi have to post all of the pictures first so they ask me about you, then iâll plan something with them.â you tell him and he sits and stares at you while you talk.
âalright.â he looked down at his guitar, tuning it quietly while silence falls over the two of you.
âis that why you asked me to come here?â you ask him, cutting through the quiet.
ânah, i was just wondering.â
âso why am i here?â
âemotional support, i told you.â he smiled, catching your gaze again. âyouâve got this energy about you. itâs calming.â he said lowly.
you bite your bottom lip subconsciously, avoiding his eye contact now. âthanks.â you mumble, but still trying to show your appreciation.
âno problem, angel.â he just knew exactly how to push it, how to make your heart beat a little faster by using dumb pet names that somehow had you reacting like a teenager in love.
silence takes over the room, you find it a little awkward since you barely even know michael but he looks relaxed enough which settles you, but it still doesnât sit right with you that youâre sitting with michael clifford. the man you could only dream about talking to, and now heâs asking you about meeting your parents? you know itâs not serious, you have to swallow that thought down, but it still feels real somehow.
you sit and watch him as he strums random chords on his guitar for no reason, he said that this is rehearsals but heâs definitely just here to show his face. he looked up from his guitar, the strings stopping their sound when he stopped playing.
âyou should probably do your little instagram post before saying anything to anyone.â michael spoke up. âcharlotte was like our lilâphotographer last night, why?â he questioned you with a smug smile, his painted fingernails scratched the wood of the guitar. youâre silenced by his question, not even knowing how to answer. how could you answer that without giving away the fact youâve been plotting on him for awhile? you suck it up and blurt out the first excuse that comes to your mind.
âshe tends to take pictures of literally everything. her digital camera is constantly out of memory.â you tell him, covering up the fact that she was taking pictures because you were finally talking to michael and actually having fun for once in your life. he still doesnât know about most of your family problems, you donât want him to know until youâre positive that you can trust him with that kind of information.
âi get that.â he nodded. âsheâs making me want to get a camera too.â michael told you, looking back down at his guitar and strumming chords quietly again.
âwhy donât you get one?â you propose the idea to him, moving from your seat on a chair to sit down on the floor with him. you watch his fingers as they easily manoeuvre to press down on different strings.
âi think if i was to get one it wouldnât be mine anymore, calum would steal that from me within seconds.â he says with a soft smile, shaking his head subtly.
âi havenât spoken to calum yet, is he nice?â you ask michael.
âoh yeah, i think heâs debatably the nicest out of all of us. shame youâve been left to deal with the most annoying ones.â he chuckled at his own words.
âwhy, who are the most annoying ones?â you push him for a better answer, a cheeky smile creeping onto your face as you wait for him to answer the question.
âluke and ashton.â he replied instantly.
âwhy arenât you including yourself?â you laugh when his head shoots up to look at you, an offended look on his face but he knew you were joking around.
ââcause iâm your favourite out of the four of us, obviously.â he returned, not giving you a proper answer but you didnât mind.
âi wonât deny that.â you shrug, your smile turning softer, into something more shy.
âhad a feeling you wouldnât.â his knee bumped yours. you could feel the heat creeping up your neck.
you spent a long time with him in this questionable studio, talking about stories from when you were kids, stories from a few years ago and even stories from the past week. he told you all about his touring experience, the adrenaline he gets from playing shows. you tell him about what you have planned for your future, what your grades mean to you. your side of the conversation was probably so boring compared to his, but he continued to look interested no matter what.
after this day, you spent an unhealthy amount of time with michael. youâve learned so much about him over these past couple of weeks and you both just get each other in ways you didnât even expect. you've been to his house a few times, not his dorm but his actual family home and you even met his parents for the first time. heâs yet to meet yours, though. they know about him now, but they donât seem very eager to meet him because heâs not what they would want for you, you know that.
you both step through his dorm room front door, he closes the door behind you and drags a hand down his face, completely exhausted after the party youâve both just experienced.
âthat girl was pissing me off.â he told you, his temper still at a high. for some backstory, this girl who you donât even know the name of, but she somehow knew yours, wouldnât leave you and your friends alone. constantly latching onto michael even though this girl had a boyfriend who was at the party with her. sheâd also asked you about why youâve only just started showing up to these things, stating that youâre just trying to impress michael and making up utter lies just to embarrass you.
michael had completely lost it, snapping at her till her boyfriend came over and thought it was smart to try and start something with michael in the middle of the living room. personally, you wouldnât dare to lay a finger on michael if ashton irwin was around, that guysâ arms are insane.
you had to drag michael out of this party before anything happened, which takes you back to the present.
âi know, but at least we got out and nobody got hurt.â you say, trying to dismiss his anger in attempt to get him to forget about it somehow. you havenât had much to drink, neither has michael to be honest, which is surprising.
âthank you.â he finally said, his back facing you as he scanned the fridgeâs contents but nothing seemed to catch his eye, just a bottle of water. he placed it on the counter and shut the fridge, turning around to look at you. he rested his lower back against the counters.
you frown subconsciously. âfor what? all i did was drag you out.â you canât help but laugh.
âexactly. i didnât wanna be there anyway.â michael shrugged. âcâmere.â he called you over quietly, signaling with his hand for you to come closer, which you do. he opens his arms and you sink into him, one of his arms resting around your shoulders and the other holding you tightly around the waist. he let his cheek relax against the top of your head, holding you close.
âwhatâs this for?â you ask him, a fond smile coating your face as you hold him just as tight.
he dragged his hand up and down your side gently. âi donât know.â he answered you. you didnât ask him for a better answer, just accepting his uncertainty. âyouâre just really ⊠i donât knowâ sorry.â you could feel his nerves, his palms felt warmer against your skin. you nod against him, trying to tell him that he didnât need to elaborate and that you already understood without words.
âi meant to say that youâre really observant.â he finally told you. ââin a good way. nobodyâs ever done something like that for me before. it sounds dumb because itâs not even that serious but usually people just want me to be a dick for their own entertainment, you know?â he opened up a little more. you could tell he had been wanting to get this off his chest.
you pull back a little to look at him and he remembered his place, taking his hands off you and scruffing up his hair instead.
âi didnât mean to dump that on you, my bad.â he shook his head, trying to ignore the way you looked up at him. âuh ⊠my room is down the hallway to the left. iâll take the couch.â michael proposes, rubbing his eyes. it seemed like he was trying to find ways not to look at you. you frowned a little but tried to keep your gaze soft, knowing heâs still got that temper.
âwhy arenât you looking at me?â you ask simply. michael pushed his tongue against his cheek, causing a slight bulge in his cheek before replying.
âwhat?â he mirrored your furrowed brows and pouty expression, his eyes finally meeting yours. it confused you because heâd always been one for eye contact. itâs usually you trying to hide yourself from his gaze, not the other way around.
âi asked you why you arenât looking at me.â you stated and he just looked defeated now. he leaned against the counter again, his green eyes settling on you more comfortably.
âyou just suck vulnerable words out of me without even doing anything. itâs embarrassing how easy i find it to tell you things.â he bit the inside of his cheek, you watched as it hollowed and casted a small shadow beneath it in the lighting, emphasisising his cheekbone.
you shake your head lightly. âwhyâs that embarrassing? iâm here for a reason. i want to know you.â you tell him, words just rolling off your tongue without even thinking about them. youâre glad you can blame the alcohol on this conversation, even though youâre barely drunk.
âi know you do.â he responded quietly, his large hand tucking your hair behind your ear and cupping one side of your face. âiâve never had a friend like you. lukeâs obviously my best friend but we donât have deep conversations, only when weâre shitfaced, but i barely even remember anything heâs ever told me. youâre different, iâm not used to it.â he rambled, but you wanted him to keep going. his hand dropped back to his side and a smile creeped onto his lips again.
âsee? you did it again.â michael let out a chuckle. his eyes drifted to the clock on the wall.
2:34am.
he looked down at you again. âitâs late. weâll talk in the morning, okay?â his arms wrapped around you again and you canât help but relax into him with ease. he holds you against him for what felt like a short amount of time, but it was the kind of hug where neither of you wanted to let go. you could see that michael was fighting sleep, though.
he pulled away and looked down at your clothes, pouting his lips as he processed a thought. âyou need clothes, donât you?â he sighed.
you look down at yourself. thereâs no way youâre sleeping in jeans, thatâs criminal. â ⊠yeah.â you look up at him and nod slowly.
âmy drawers are filled with comfy clothes. just donât go in the bottom one unless you need a change of underwear. pick out anything you want, babe.â he said and you immaturely tried not to laugh at him pointing out his bottom drawer. of course he noticed. âthat wasnât even funny.â he grinned, turning around and cracking open his water.
âkinda was.â you argue back.
âshut up and go to bed. iâm not doing this.â he laughed, turning back around to face you with his bottle in hand. he leaned over and pressed his lips to your temple. âgoodnight.â he whispered to you while his lips still brushed against your skin. he pulled back and hydrated himself like he didnât just kiss your skin as if it meant nothing.
you step back from him. âgoodnight, michael.â you say, walking down the hallway and taking a left like he said. you push open the door to reveal his room. it looked exactly how you pictured it to look. the only thing that surprised you was his made bed for some reason, you expected it to be a mess.
you turn to root through his clothes, pulling out a grey t-shirt and sweatpants with strings so you could adjust the size around your hips. you tie a bow in the front of the sweatpants once you were changed. you peel the duvet off the bed and climb in, instantly throwing it back over you to trap the warmth under the blanket. your eyes close, tiredness consuming you.
you wake up in the exact same position as you were when you remember falling asleep, hands tucked close to your face and holding the duvet up to your chin. you turn over and grab your phone, a message from your mum lingered on your notification centre.
you tap on it, bracing for whatever she has to say this time.
mum đ: when can the family meet your boyfriend? we can book a table at a restaurant for this weekend if youâd like. just call me when you wake up and let me know x
you call her like she told you to, holding the phone to your ear as you stretch out on michaelâs bed while waiting for her to pick up. the ringing suddenly cut off and her greeting pulled you out of thought.
âhi mum.â you greet her back, your voice croaky with sleep. âiâll see if heâs free this weekend and then we can sort out a table and all that.â you tell her.
âwhy would he be busy?â she asked you, and youâre slowly starting to realise that sheâs starting to get snarky already. you arenât even two minutes into the phone call and sheâs pulling this? unbelievable.
you let out a short breath before continuing, âi donât know? he has things to do just like i do. we go to the same school, i thought i told you this already.â you snap at her. everytime you talk either one of your parents this is the kind of attitude that you have to endure on. itâs getting tiring and this is exactly why michael is so willing to help, even though heâs yet to meet the two individuals that you still somehow call parents.
theyâll probably never change no matter what michael plans on doing for you in the future, but you know that itâs still worth trying. itâs also another way to keep talking to him. this is probably the happiest youâve been in a long time and itâs not because of the partying and rebelling against your parentsâ rules. itâs because of him, heâs letting you be yourself and heâs actually listening to you when you tell him about your problems.
problems meaning family.
âi meant that heâs busy partying.â she finally said what she had initiated in the first place. you knew that was what she meant but you wanted her to actually get her point across.
âi know thatâs what you meant. thatâs why iâm getting a little annoyed over the fact that you canât put things past people.â you replied, your tone certainly more stern than it once had been.
you could hear your mum complaining to your dad, her hand over the speaker causing her words to sound muffled.
âjust book the table for 6pm, weâll be there.â you finish, hanging up and slamming your phone down on the bed. you fall face flat into the pillow, letting out a muted groan. a knock sounds at the door, fist against hard wood. you peel your face from the pillow, mumbling something that seemed to be loud enough for him to take it as a sign that he could come in.
you hear a snort escape him.
âwhatâs up with you?â he raised his eyebrows, a smirk creeping onto his face like he already knew the answer.
âmy mum.â you rubbed your right eye with the bottom of your palm. the matress dipped at your feet and your blurry vision immediately regained itself. michael sat there, fiddling with his polished black nails in silence. he didnât press for another response, allowing you to take the time you needed incase you wanted to talk about it.
you sit up further, the sheets pooling at your waist. âi know that weâre doing this to piss her off but itâs annoying that she actually shows it, you know? sheâs already making comments about you and she hasnât even met you.â explaining this to him felt forbidden, like this would genuinely hurt his feelings. you know it wonât, this is most likely the least of his concerns but you canât hold back your feelings.
michael leaned backwards till his back hit the mattress, the bed shaking beneath you slightly the second his body recoiled until he settled. he stared at the ceiling, a look of unbotheredness covering his face. you knew he wouldnât care.
he then spoke up, âshe might like me.â thatâs even worse than her hating him.
âwhat do i do if she does? you canât be my fake boyfriend forever.â you ramble, watching as a smirk creeped up onto michaelâs plump lips.
âwho says i need to be your fake boyfriend?â his head turned, trying to catch your reaction. you felt the blood in your face instantly, cheeks turning pink. you rest your chin against your hands, covering the blush with your fingers. thereâs no chance that you actually pulled that off, but youâre just praying that he doesnât mention it.
âare you still drunk?â you ask him jokingly alongside with the raise of an eyebrow.
he laughed, diverting his attention back up at the ceiling. âmaybe.â
you took this moment to just admire his presence. admire his ability to boost your mood within seconds. admire his willingness to do such a big favour for you. admire the curve of his nose, the way his lips part slightly, the way his eyelashes look way longer from the side and how his jaw clenches every few seconds.
âhave you drank water?â you ask him, unable to look away.
âdonât baby me. iâm not drunk, donât worry.â he sat up, turning himself to sit in the centre of his bed. he watched your expression falter, your eyebrows knitting together. something heâs learned about you is that you never fail to show exactly what youâre thinking just through the slight movement of your features.
he pulled at the duvet, âcan i?â he requested, wanting to join you at your side.
âitâs your bed, do what you want.â you shrug, trying to act like this isnât what youâve been daydreaming about in class for the past 6 months. âi was just checking with you.â he mumbled.
he shifted his weight to sit comfortably beside you, pulling the familiar sheets over himself and settling back against the headboard. your body heat had already warmed up the bed beneath the duvet, it felt sensational over his freezing legs.
âi shouldâve just took the bed and threw you to the couch last night.â he teased, closing his eyes and relaxing comfortably.
âso nice of you to say that.â you retaliated, earning a quiet chuckle from michael beside you.
the second a comfortable silence washed over both of you, the thought of your mumâs question had wriggled itâs way back into your mind. you needed to ask michael if he was free.
this weekend.
to meet your parents.
âmichael?â your voice comes out quiet, but he hears you anyway. you heard the headboard creak beneath the shift of his head, which definitely turned to look at you. âyeah?â the rasp in his voice couldâve sent you into a spiral, but you managed to keep your composure.
âmy mum was asking if youâre free this weekend. she wants you to join the family for dinner at a restaurant.â you mention, finally looking at him.
he nodded. âiâm free.â his eyes softened slightly, looking up at you through his eyelashes in a way that could make your heart melt. âare you sure youâre okay with this?â he asked you quietly. this was a side of him you rarely saw, the silenced version of him where he genuinely cares about someoneâs feelings.
âi should be asking you that.â you say and he just raised his eyebrows. âsorryâ uhm ⊠yeah, iâm okay with it. are you?â
michaelâs eyes drifted off to his fingernails again, picking at the polish. âiâm not scared of your parents. iâm not saying you are, but you seem more nervous about this than i thought you were.â he shared with you.
âiâm not ⊠scared of them, michael.â you state and he nodded in understanding, even though he didnât quite understand. âiâm justâ theyâre justâ ugh, i donât know how to word it.â you stutter, looking down.
his attention shifted back to you, his voice so soft. âtake your time, iâm listening.â his arm slid around your shoulders gently, allowing you to relax against his side. the room had gone silent, just the sound of his delicate breathing filled your ears.
âiâm not scared of them. i just have to be cautious with what i say or how i say it.â you tell him, slowly relaxing into this new position. âiâm worried about seeing them again. the last time i did it wasnât the best experience ever, iâve probably told you about it while drunk at some point.â
âyou have, i remember.â you could hear the smile on his face as he spoke. you tilted your head upwards, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
âwhy are you smiling?â you wondered.
âi like that youâre comfortable with telling me whatâs on your mind.â he said, and he sounds so genuine. âyou arenât someone i expected to have this with.â he continued, leaning his head back to look down at you.
the front door sounded, opening and closing. you both slightly moved away from eachother and michael stood up soon after. âhang on.â he muttered, walking out of the bedroom. lukeâs voice filled the dorm and you let out a frustrated sigh. seems like you both forgot he had a roommate.
the sound of feet thudded against the floor outside of michaelâs bedroom, distant chatter could be heard till the door opened again. michael closed the door behind him after saying his final words to luke, scruffing up his hair.
âyou should probably go, luke wants to grab some food.â he told you and you nodded, sliding out of the bed to reveal the outfit you had put together last night from the midst of his wardrobe. michael bit the inside of his cheek, his lips tilting downwards as he tried to suppress a laugh.
âshut up.â you crouched down to the floor to grab your clothes from the night before. âiâm getting changed, so âŠâ you hold the fabrics close to your chest while michael still stood by the door.
âso?â michael teased, unable to hold back his smirk afterwards. you rolled your eyes and put your clothes down on the bed. ânot funny.â you muttered back to him.
âiâll be in the kitchen. do you want breakfast before you go?â he questioned you and your head shook.
âno, iâll have something when i get home.â
âyou sure? luke brought waffles.â
âiâm good, michael.â
âsuit yourself.â
the door clicked shut.
charlotteâs face could be the definition of âconcernedâ if the dictionary needed visuals the minute you stepped through the door. she held a white mug that most likely held half-drunken tea, her oversized pyjama shirt hung low over her thighs.
âwhere did you go last night?â is the first thing she could think to say. you wore the same clothes you had on when she last saw you leave the party with an extremely frustrated michael.
âmichaelâs place.â you tell her. is that not obvious? or does she just need the confirmation?
charlotte had fell silent, giving you a quick look over. you definitely looked a mess. michael didnât have a hairbrush laying around, he didnât have makeup wipes either. you wouldnât have bothered to take it off even if he did have the wipes, though. last night was tiring.
âthatâs where you went? everyone was stressing about where you had gone!â she threw her free arm up in distress. she placed her mug down and slid her hands up her cheeks and into her hair, gripping the roots. âsorry. it was rough last night, wasnât it? are you and michael okay?â
âweâre fine, he calmed down when we got back. he sobered up pretty quick after what happened.â you addressed.
the smirk that grew on charlotteâs face just read âtroubleâ. âoh, okay ⊠so where did you sleep?â she hinted at something that did not happen.
âin his bed, charlotte.â you cross your arms with an unamused expression but that soon changed when you realised how that sounds. you push air into your cheeks and widen your eyes.
âreally?â charlotte seemed intrigued, tilting her head with a smug look.
âno! well, yes, but he stayed on the couch.â youâre quick to defend yourself and charlotte nodded slowly, calming down from the misleading impression that you had given her.
âboring. he definitely likes you, so âŠâ she shrugged, picking up her mug and taking a sip of her drink like she didnât just drop the news of your life. you have to bury the excitement down in yourself to stay composed. âhe doesnât. we havenât known eachother long enough.â you comment and charlotte immediately wants to prove you wrong.
âyouâd be surprised, y/n. iâve known this man for awhile, you know i have, and iâve never seen him click with someone this easily.â and through that, she definitely proved you wrong. youâve only just gotten over your fear of michael clifford and now youâre being told by your best friend that sheâs certain he has feelings for you? you need to change the subject before you explode.
âheâs meeting my family this weekend.â you tell charlotte and the clank of her mug against the countertop caught you off guard.
âas in friday? thatâs two days away, you do realise that?â
âyeah, as in friday.â
âi thought you didnât wanna go back for awhile because of your parents ⊠does he know what your parents are like?â
âheâs heard enough about them to piece it together.â you shrugged while charlotte struggled to hold back her questions. she had too many for your liking but you know sheâs just trying to look out for you. sheâs the person you come back to after a weekend at home and sheâs always there to comfort you when needed. you understand she just wants to know that youâre certain on this.
âplease text me throughout, or call me if you can.â she pleaded before adding, âand michael will take care of you, you know? heâs good like that. if anything happens heâll be there. i know youâve managed to open up to him about the whole family situation, so he understands. heâs nicer than he looks.â her words never failed to soothe the nerves you didnât know you had.
you nod expressively. âof course i will, youâre dumb for thinking i wouldnât.â you mention and she just laughs, clearly finding your comments amusing. the second she calmed down she added, âare you going for dinner or are you staying over?â
that actually made you think, because you havenât slept in the same bed as michael and where else would he sleep at your parentsâ house? âi was going to stay but iâll probably just come home. i donât plan on staying for awhile anyways.â you return.
âfair enough.â she agreed. âiâm going out for lunch, so iâm gonna have a shower.â she then continued to announce.
âlunch? with who?â you frown.
charlotte looked hesitant, like she completely regretted telling you that.
âluke.â she squeaked and your face brightened.
âluke as in ⊠luke hemmings?â you cackle and her face flushed. âi didnât know this was happening!â
âitâs not happening â nothing is happening.â charlotte stated in attempt to defend herself but nothing was going to save her from this. itâs not even that big of a deal but sheâs fun to tease. âshut up, iâm leaving.â she rolled her eyes jokingly and ran off to the bathroom.
youâre left in the quietness of the small dorm room, feet beginning to pad into the shared bedroom. your desk has been free of endless books and pens for two weeks now, youâre slacking and you dread the point that it catches up with you. the desk has leftover details of makeup on it instead, replacing the heaps of revision you once did.
schoolwork has always been a big part of your daily routine, now itâs been forgotten about that easily. part of you regrets it, you do want the best for yourself but maybe that means getting a closer bond with your friends, or getting a closer bond with people you donât even have a bond with yet.
the dreaded day came quicker than you had expected. youâre getting ready without the assistance of charlotte, your personal stylist, which you find difficult but atleast she isnât here to complain when you steal her clothes.
itâs for a special occasion, she has to understand.
youâve been rooting through her wardrobe for awhile, selecting a dress that matched michaelâs aesthetic perfectly. itâs quite short but it does the job. the dress is matched with a pair of black heels, adding a few inches to your height. your nails are long, sharp, polished with a dark shade of black. your fingers are coated with silver rings that catch onto your styled hair if you ran your hands through it too much.
a knock on the front door interrupts your moment of admiring yourself in the mirror, heels beginning to click and clank against the hardwood floors. you open the door, michael standing on the other side. you watch as his eyes automatically trail down your body, flicking back up to your eyes the moment he realised what he had done.
âyou look pretty.â he mentioned casually, though it felt like anything but casual. he didnât give you a chance to reply. âready to go?â he asked and you looked back into your dorm.
âyeah, let me grab my bag.â you warned him before quickly making a trip to your room, packing a few essentials and making your way back to him. you stepped out of the dorm and locked up, stuffing your key into your purse.
michael could sense your anxiety, it radiated from you like body heat. âwe donât have to go if you donât want to, you know that? nobody is forcing you and we can reschedule to when youâre ready.â his hand gently rested on your bare shoulder, his thumb slightly caressing your skin back and forth.
you look up at him, your heels still not making a difference in your noticeable height comparison. âitâs fine. i always get like this.â you assure him but that doesnât change his concern.
âthatâs not normal.â he exposed you and you just nodded.
âi know.â
âiâm here, youâre gonna be perfectly fine. if you want out, just tell me and iâm starting the car immediately.â he grabbed your other shoulder, pulling your body against his. the side of your face hovered over his chest, careful not to ruin his shirt with makeup.
âthank you, mikey.â you appreciate him, but his name dies in your throat when you dare to mutter a nickname you didnât know whether he liked or not. he didnât have a reaction, so that must be a good sign.
âdonât thank me. iâm doing the bare minimum, babe.â he pulled away from the short lasting hug, his boots thudding against the floor with each step. âletâs get this over with, then.â he flashed you a full smile.
the car ride hadnât been as exhausting as it usually is. company in the car felt so much better when coming down to your home town. the sickening feeling stayed lingering in your gut but you knew michael was dead set on helping you escape if needed.
he pulls into the carpark, steering the car into a good spot and it soon comes to a halt. once the car falls silent, thatâs when the familiar pit in your stomach regained life, here to haunt you throughout the dinner.
âyou look more nervous than me.â michael noted, the first thing youâd heard since the radio had been shut off. you donât look at him, just stare at the stationary car infront of you.
âi probably am.â you tell him and he doesnât make a joke of it, he doesnât laugh.
âiâll be next to you the entire time, donât forget. i wonât even take a bathroom break, and thatâs some serious stuff.â he replied, clearly trying to settle your mind.
âiâll hold you to that.â you laugh. his attempt to calm you down definitely seemed to have an impact, but you donât know whether itâs what heâs saying or if itâs just because itâs him.
âbefore we go, has charlotte told you anything about her and luke?â he asked and your interest peaked, almost snapping your neck due to how fast you had turned your head to him.
âno. has he said anything to you?â you replied, praying for a good answer.
ânah, all i know is that theyâre out all day todayââ
âseriously? and she didnât even bother tell me where she went earlier! i woke up to an empty apartment. can you believe that?â
âi canât believe anyone would do something like that to you.â he replied with giggles interrupting his sentence.
âyouâre making fun of me.â you state.
âno iâm not, iâm serious.â
âsure.â
he tapped the wheel, clicking his seatbelt undone with his other hand. you do the same, your fingers hooking under the door handle, preparing yourself to step out.
âiâm scared.â you sigh, your hands falling back to your lap.
âwhy? talk to me.â his voice had dropped to something softer, more vulnerable. he turned his body slightly towards you to his best ability, though the car was a crammed space.
you shake your head. âi donât know. iâll get over it, letâs just go.â you lift your hand and open the car door. michael follows your actions, looking at you over the car.
âpromise youâd tell me if it was something serious?â he closed the door and you did the same, walking over to his side of the car. your heels had a satisfying click against the floor with each step, practicing to walk in them around your room seemed to have worked.
âyou know i would. iâve told you way too many things, whatâs the point in keeping secrets?â
secrets. thereâs just one thing you havenât told him about yourself and thatâs something you donât plan on telling him for awhile, or maybe as far as never. you canât ruin what youâve started with him, it can only end as two friends who are way too close for just over a month of knowing and understanding.
âyou say that.â he replied. your heart dropped to your stomach but a gentle hand slid around your back, settling at your lower back and he guided you to stand closer. his arm snaked around your shoulders, his large hand holding the side of your head against his chest.
âweâre already late, mike.â you complain, but you donât bother to make a singular physical protest. you can only relax against him more, his heartbeat against your left ear, the hand on your back that slid lower than youâd expected.
his cheek came to rest atop your head, âthey can wait, need to make sure youâre okay first.â his hand that held your head moved to pull your hair to one side, pulling back just enough to look at you.
âi told you. iâm okay.â you laugh and his hand came to pat your waist. you step back from him and he offers you his hand, which you take without hesitation.
he leads you towards the restaurant, hand holding yours with a tight but comforting grip. âremember what i said? weâre out of there the second you wanna leave.â he looked down at you, watching as you nodded. âgood.â he squeezed your hand.
michael helped you up the stairs, going by your pace. he pushed the front door to the restaurant open and you were both greeted by a waitress.
âhello! how can we help you today?â the kind woman asked, a bright smile on her face. probably way too bright for someone working in such a miserable environment.
âweâre here for a family dinner. weâve been told the table number is 19.â michael spoke for the both of you and the waitress grabbed two menus then signalled for you to follow her while she took you to the table. she turned a corner and there was your entire family. sat. expectant.
your mum stood up first, walking over to give you a hug while she cheered ây/n!â. michael let go of your hand while you hugged her back. when she pulled away she gave michael a one-over. âand this is?â she asked, unable to hide the judgemental tone.
âiâm michael. itâs nice to meet you.â he put his hand out, offering a handshake. surprisingly, she actually accepted his hand and gave it one solid shake before letting go.
ânice to meet you, michael.â she didnât even introduce herself. âdo you do anything outside of school?â she wondered. ââactually, letâs take this to the table.â your mum walked off, her perfume leaving a lingering scent on the nose. she sat down, waiting for you both to sit in the booth infront of her.
once you did, she leaned in, ready for michael to tell her what heâd spend his weekends doing. he couldnât tell her about the parties, would you want him to tell her about the parties? heâs realising there wasnât much background on this dinner.
âi have a band, so we tend to play a few shows on the side for a couple of weekends.â he told her.
âwhere do you play?â she pushed.
âbars at the minute, we donât have the money to book venues right now but weâll get there one dayââ
âdonât hog them!â someone yelled from the top of the table, sounded like an elderly woman. most likely your grandma. your mum just ignored her, a frown on her face as she wouldnât tear her eyes off michael.
âare you the reason my daughter thought it was okay to start inviting herself to house parties?â she asked quietly, an evil tone coating her question.
âno maâam.â michael stated, his fingers brushing against your leg.
that frown on her face didnât falter. âthen who is?â
he knew the answer, but he couldnât just say âyouâ right to her face, could he?
âcan we not do this now, please?â you butt in, your voice more high-pitched than it usually is. michael noticed, his hand slides up your thigh.
âweâre doing this now, y/n. you leave early after coming home for the weekend, you barely spoke to either me or your dad the entire time and you expect me not to be concerned.â her voice raised a little. âwhy do you think itâs acceptable?â
you pushed down your emotions, a lump forming in your throat and you havenât even been sat here for more than five minutes. you knew this dinner would wreck you.
âi donât.â you squeak out. michaelâs hand slid to the inside of your thigh, not sexual. just there. comforting. why has nobody spoken up against this womanâs horrible behaviour? thatâs all that ran michaelâs mind.
âyouâre unbelievable.â your mum shook her head. âthen why did you think it was smart to go to multiple parties when you knew i was, still am, positive i didnât want you attending?â
âi donât know.â
âbut you do.â that frown somehow deepened.
âi donât want to tell you.â the words barely came out of your mouth, voice dying in your throat. tears welled at your waterline. she couldnât see you cry over something so stupid, neither could michael, nobody could.
âreally?â she tilted her head, a mocking look on her face. âthatâs how you want to go around it?â
âiâm going to the bathroom.â you announce, sliding out of the booth and storming off to find a quieter place. you hadnât even thought about leaving michael alone with your family. he wouldnât let your mother eat him alive though, thatâs one thing.
michael shook his head at your mum, grabbing your purse and sliding out of the booth. he stood at the end of the table, right beside your mum.
âwhy do you think itâs acceptable?â he reused her words right back at her. âthatâs your daughter.â he reminded her before walking away, taking the same route you did, which was not to the bathroom. the outside air hit him like a punch, but youâre his main concern.
he found you sat on the bottom step and he rushed to kneel infront of you. âhey âŠâ he mumbled, the volume of his voice lowering. the bottom of your palms dug into your eyes, trying to stop yourself from crying but even that wouldnât work.
âitâs just me.â his hands slid up your wrist, holding them.
âthatâs the problem.â you sob.
âwhat?â
âiâm so embarrassed.â the noises escaping you were unexplainable, but he understood. he managed to lower your hands from your eyes, holding them in a ball shape between his.
ânever known you to be embarrassed infront of me.â he let go of your hands, tilting your chin up with his finger.
âthat was just something else. god, iâm so sorry.â you canât even look at him. tears uncontrollably streamed down your face, leaving a salty seasoning on your lips when your tongue darted out to wet them.
âwhat are you sorry for? that wasnât your fault.â michael couldnât help but feel confused.
âiâm really sorry for even bringing you into this. i shouldnât have. it wasnât your problem to fix.â you cry out to him while he just listens, he grabbed your hand and stood up, tugging your arm to make you stand up with him.
the hug he captured you in blocked out all of the noise around you. you just fell into him, dampening his shirt with your tears while you struggled to find it in you to think about that.
âi wanted to help you. i didnât do this for no reason, y/n.â he told you.
âitâs just hard to believe.â you wipe underneath your eyes, mascara smudged everywhere.
âwhy is that hard to believe? i havenât left your side for the past month. do you think that means nothing?â
âi donât understand why you even care.â
âyou donâtâ jesus christ.â he huffed. his hands cupped your shoulders and he forced you to take a step back in order to get a better view of you. your head dipped, trying to hide your face from him. âdonât do that, youâre beautiful.â he whispered, tilting your head back up with his finger again.
âi care because you trusted me so much that night when you told me everything. you wouldnât even believe me if i told you how fast i caught feelingsââ he shut himself up, both of your eyes widening. you just stared at eachother for a moment.
âyou caught feelings?â you asked, needing confirmation.
âit wasnât supposed to come out like that.â he looked shocked at himself.
âyes or no, michael?â you still push for confirmation.
âyes.â he sighed, the eye contact between you hasnât been broken. not even once, despite the awkward situation you both have going for you right now. âcan you say something?â he practically whined.
âme too.â you blurted out. the tears have definitely come to a halt, thatâs for sure.
michaelâs signature grin spread across his face once again, his hands grabbing your hips and pulling them flush against his. he leaned in close, his lips ghosting yours.
âiâm not about to be your first kiss, am i?â he teased.
âno, shut up.â you returned.
âi was kidding, babe.â he chuckled before catching your lips in a kiss, not wasting time. your hands held his face while he took complete control over you, his fingers digging into your sides like heâs trying to pull you closer if that was even possible.
months later, the honeymoon phase still remains. you both still know nothing about charlotte and lukeâs relationship despite them both being your best friends. youâre left with the crumbs that they give you, which is them telling either of you where theyâre going for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
you grab a drink from the bar, charlotte in her own world as she danced around to the rock music coming from the stage infront of her. your boyfriendâs electric guitar filled the whole room, sweat gathering at his forehead and his red hair a tousled mess.
you walk back to your previous spot with a refilled vodka cranberry. charlotteâs drunk state tried to get you involved with her jumping but if you did that youâd be swimming in your own drink. âletâs calm down, honey, youâre gonna collapse.â you warn her, grabbing her hand to settle her down.
âlukeâs voice is so good.â she told you, gripping onto your hand like a lifeline.
âyou like it?â you raised an eyebrow. charlotte couldnât look away from the stage, her eyes not leaving the singer.
âlove.â she corrected you, watching as they wrapped up their set. michaelâs guitar sounded through the bar, creating a screeching sound. you look up at the stage to see him staring at you with a big smile. âhe did that on purpose.â charlotte noted.
âokay, letâs get you backstage.â you interlock arms with her and rush through the crowds and tables, finding your way to the door that leads backstage. charlotteâs instantly letting go of you, running off to go and find luke.
a quiet radio station fills the silence in michaelâs little area, you lean against the doorframe without him knowing youâre there. his arms flex as he places his guitar down carefully, when he straightens himself up his eyes land on you.
âthere you are.â his face lightened up, walking over to you. he squatted down a little, his forearm resting underneath your ass, scooping you up in a swift movement which earned a squeal from you. your legs wrap around his hips, hands holding onto his exposed shoulders.
he moved his hands to a more comfortable position, his right holding an ass cheek and his left supporting your posture by placing it in the centre of your back between your shoulder blades.
âcharlotte admitted to loving lukeâs voice earlier.â you told michael. the gossip was much needed, youâve been feeding off crumbs with them two recently. âi like when sheâs drunk, she spills more.â you say.
âwe all love lukeâs voice, thatâs not surprising, y/n.â he squeezed your backside through your short black dress. âyou look fuckinâ gorgeous, by the way.â he looked up at you with a lovesick expression.
âgo back to my place?â he proposed blatantly, letting you unwrap your legs from around his body and allowing you to slide down against him.
âyeah. let me hand the key to charlotte.â you replied, rooting through your purse for your key. âone second.â you mumble, walking off to lukeâs side of the place. you knock on the wall, looking around the corner to see charlotte pressed up against luke on the couch, practically falling asleep on his shoulder.
âahem.â you cough, as much as you hated to interrupt the moment, you also want to settle down on michaelâs couch as quick as possible. âluke, can you keep hold of the dorm key for charlotte? sheâll probably be home before me.â you ask and he nods, catching the pair of keys when you threw it towards him.
âgoodnight!â you winked at him, making your way back to michael.
âsheâs basically asleep on him!â you whisper-yelled to michael, grabbing his biceps for stability as you jumped up and down in celebration. âi knew it, theyâre so cute.â you pouted.
âweâve been saying this for months, i knew itâd happen.â michael steadied you by grabbing your waist. âare you finishing that drink or should we leave it?â he asked.
âjust leave it. i wasnât really in the mood for drinking anyway.â you shrug, grabbing his arm and leading him to the exit. the rest of this night is guaranteed to be spent on michaelâs couch, a film playing that neither of you had any intentions on watching. a blanket pulled over you both as sleep caught up with you.
summary: all of a sudden your best friend looks realllllly hot.
tags/warnings: calum hood x reader smutttt. curly hair!cal. friends to lovers? he's stupid? ur both stupid? but i love u anyways???? we are all rooting for u. also i love house party ash it's like 2014 all over again. p in v! anyways. not proofread that's my baddddddd hope you enjoy i'm sorry it's been a bit!!! more next week on luke...
word count: 6.3k
đŁČâïœĄË
calum: hey
calum: u coming to ash's tn?
y/n: ya he texted me
calum: okkk ill pick u up :)
you slid a heart emoji across the screen and locked your phone, replacing it in your hand with a makeup brush as you swiped on your base products. it wouldn't be a friday night without a house party at ashton's packed with 200 of his closest friends; always including you and cal. the music in your room pumped loudly, and you sipped on a drink as you got ready. glitter packed onto your lids, alcohol slid past your lips and settled into your stomach; if calum was texting that meant he'd be at yours soon.
you had met calum a couple years ago, just two twenty-somethings in l.a. that orbited the music space; you worked at a recording studio and had mutual friends with michael, which eventually led you to meeting cal at one of their album releases. they welcomed you into their friend group readily, but the one you had really gotten close to was calum. you went to his studio sessions, he brought you lunch at work, you took long drives together when life got too heavy. he was a constant in your ever-changing world, and you were the same in his.
your phone buzzed again a couple minutes later while you were packing your purse in the kitchen, your countertop messy with lime wedges and empty seltzer cans. a grin stretched across your face reading the message calum had sent.
calum: downstairs x
you grabbed your bag and keys, fixing any stray hairs as you passed the mirror next to your front door. the ride down the lift was agonising, the alcohol you had already drank making you sway on your feet a bit. it became harder to stand when you opened the front door of your apartment building to see calum leaning against the hood of his car, arms crossed over a black button down that stretched at the biceps, sleeves rolled to his elbows, tattoos peeking out. a cigarette rested loosely between his lips, puffing slightly as he looked sideways down the street, not seeing you yet; his dark curls fell messy across his forehead and neck.
his eyes caught yours and he crushed his cigarette under the toe of his boot, reaching out to pull you into a hug, smile so wide his eyes crinkled at the edges. his cologne engulfed you, and it sobered you slightly, comfortably. his hands came to rest on your back, eyes travelling down your body unapologetically, a smirk on his face.
"i like this," he comments casually, gesturing to your outfit, your hair, your makeup. a grin spreads across your face, turning in a small circle.
"thank you, thank you," you nod sagely, slipping into the passenger seat. the streets blur by as he drives to ashton's, radio up loud and windows down. the street outside of ash's house is packed, cars filling the long driveway, so calum parks down the block.
the door of the house swings open when you walk up, michael's bright smile greeting you both. he pulls each of you into a hug before leading you through the masses of people into the kitchen. the music thumps through the house, and you can hear the large chandelier in the front room shaking.
"tequila? tequila?" he points to each of you in turn, operating as if the house is his own, pulling two plastic cups from a sleeve of them opened on the counter. bottles are scattered around the countertops, the kitchen island completely covered at this rate. he pours you both tequila and a mixer he recovers from the depths of the fridge. you're too busy watching calum giggle at his friend's behaviour, a smile plastered across his face as he shakes his head. you down the cup as it's given to you, the bitter taste settling in the back of your throat as warmth settles in your stomach. you give your cup back to michael, who happily pours you another one.
"here, let's go find ash," michael leads the two of you back through the kitchen, calum's hand splayed on the small of your back as you weave through the crowd. "i swear he disappears every five minutes."
you find ashton and luke setting up beer pong in one of the front rooms, a small group of people already gravitating around them. music pounds through the walls, hard, and luke pulls you into a messy hug when he sees you.
"was wondering when you'd show up!" he shouts over the music, swaying on his feet a bit. ashton comes over and says something similar, greeting you and calum happily. the body heat in the room is overwhelming; someone shouts your name from across the room, someone else hands you a drink you donât question, and in the middle of it all, the familiar sight of a folding table set up with red cups makes you grin like you're back at college.
âteams?â ashton calls with a half-full cup in his hand, cheeks already flushed. his smile is stretched wide, hair slicked and shirt half unbuttoned.
"you and me?" calum nods to you quietly, nudging your shoulder. he points to you obnoxiously, "i've got this one." luke and ashton are already coming up with game plans across the table.
you glance back at him, eyebrow raised. âoh, youâve got me, do you?â
he shrugs, a lazy smirk tugging at his mouth as he sips his drink. âyeah. youâre shit at this, you need carrying.â you shove his shoulder lightly, scoffing. you open your mouth to interject butâ "it's okay, i'll make us look good." his smirk pulls into a full grin as he sets up across from ashton, pulling faces at each other like schoolboys. michael pulls up a chair that is quickly forgotten as he paces up and down the table, switching between half-assed refereeing and hyping up the crowd.
calum stands close, his shoulder brushing yours as he leans forward to line up his shot, arm coming across slightly in front of you, and for a second youâre surrounded by him; his cologne, the warmth of his body, the low hum of his voice when he mutters, âwatch thisâ before sinking the first shot like an absolute prick. you smack his chest in excitement as luke downs the shot in the cup, grimacing as ash pats his back through it. you step forward and drop the other ball into the water cup before rolling it in your fingers, attempting to line up a shot. it bounces once and off the rim of one of the nearest cups and you roll your eyes, scoffing, muttering something about the vibes being off.
âtragic,â ash says immediately, and you flip him off, earning shouts of laughter from michael and calum. you take your place stood back a bit next to calum, comfortably leaning towards him without noticing.
he nudges your hip lightly with his. âtold you iâm carrying.â you roll your eyes and watch as luke lines up his shot next as michael pats his back excitedly, clearly being a very partial referee. you find yourself looking at calum, his messy curls, his chain dangling out of his button down shirt that seems to have one more button undone than it did earlier. he catches your eye and smiles softly, hitting your shoulder with his as his eyes scrunch up around his smile and he sips his drink. the moment is gone when ashton loudly misses his shot, and the room breaks into laughter again.
by the second round, people are pressing in around the table, shouting, cheering, knocking into you every time someone makes or misses a shot. the music gets louder, or maybe youâre just more aware of it now, bass thudding through your chest in time with the alcohol settling warm in your system. youâve had at least two drinks, maybe three, and michael keeps refilling the cup he gave you earlier; it's a miracle when you make your next shot. at some point calum's hand finds your lower back, and the warmth there is nearly unbearable and you don't know why.
the game drags on, cups disappearing one by one, rules getting looser, michael getting louder. you down the cups like your life depends on it, trying hard to get rid of the buzz in your lower back. calum's missing shots now, throwing his hands up in the air every time the ball falls off the table and at ashton's feet.
"thought you were carrying?" you tease, eyebrows raised.
he exhales a laugh, dragging a hand through his hair before taking another sip of his drink. âiâm distracted.â
âby what?â you ask, almost choking on your drink when he looks at you pointedly, eyebrows raised back at you.
"no idea." he smirks, turning back to the game as ashton lands his shot and calum has to take another drink from the table. you stare shamelessly at the drips of tequila that spill around his lips and down his chin, and you have an inexplicable urge to wipe it with something. by the final round, youâre leaning more into him than you probably should be, but it doesn't help that his arm keeps finding its way around your shoulders, pulling you into him at every sign of celebration. at one point while ashton and luke are discussing strategy his hand finds your waist casually, and you're pulled into him while he hums around the rim of his cup. you remind yourself of the countless other nights where the two of you have acted as such, you remind yourself he's your best friend.
âlast cup,â luke announces, pointing dramatically.
âpressureâs on, loverboy,â ashton adds, sticking his tongue out at calum with a smile. he doesn't answer, just smiles and picks up the ball, squeezing your waist as he steps away. you freeze slightly at the words, chest tight. he turns, lines up his shot, and misses; and the room explodes with noise.
âno way!â ashton shouts, howling with laughter.
âabsolutely choked!â luke adds, pointing and handing the last cups to michael to give to you.
calum groans, dropping his head back. âi hate all of you.â you laugh, but take the cup given to you anyway, knocking it back as the bitter burn hits the back of your throat.
when you lower it, the room tilts slightly; not enough to panic but enough to notice. calum's face flashes with concern, mouthing a "you ok?" and nodding when you say you are. but your head feels light, and your body feels warm. you resent the way youâve been noticing every little thing about him tonight, it's too intense, too much, too real.
âi justââ you shake your head slightly, stepping back from him. âthink i need some air or something.â
his brows knit together immediately again. âyeah? we can do that.â you nod, even though the world feels like itâs shifting slightly under your feet.
the second you step outside, the air hits you like a reset. it's cooler, quieter. thereâs still music thumping faintly through the walls, voices spilling out through the open back door, but itâs nothing like the suffocating heat of inside.
âjesus,â ashton exhales dramatically behind you, already veering toward the fire pit. âthought i was gonna pass out in there.â he unbuttons his shirt all the way as emphasis.
you let out a small laugh, trailing behind them, your steps just slightly slower than usual. The alcohol has settled properly now, warm and heavy in your limbs, softening the edges of everything. calum stays close behind you as you cross the patio, close enough that you can feel him without looking. you donât miss the way his hand briefly brushes your lower back again when someone squeezes past, guiding you instinctively toward the open seats around the fire.
you sink into one of the cushioned chairs, exhaling as the warmth of the fire kisses your skin, a different kind of heat now that's steady, grounding. calum drops next to you, his arm thrown across the back of your chair.
michael flops down on the other side of the pit with luke, pulling luke's legs across his lap and immediately launching into a story you only half catch, something about earlier, about someone spilling something, about ashton being an idiot, and no matter how hard you try you can't focus on a word he's saying. you're too aware of the crackle of the fire, the buzz under your skin, calumâs arm resting along the back of your chair. you stare into the fire instead, taking a sip of whatever drink has ended up in your hand now. itâs stronger than the last one, the burn worse as it goes down.
âhey,â calum says quietly beside you. âslow down,â he nods toward your drink.
you blink. âi'm fine, cal, you're not my mum."
"just looking out for you, you seemed off inside." he offers, and it's kind. you wish that he wasn't so sweet to you all the time, it would make it easier to not like him. you roll your eyes, but lower the cup anyway. he nods approvingly.
at some point, luke and ash start arguing about something completely pointless, whether or not a certain song was better live or recorded, and michael is instigating it shamelessly, egging them both on with exaggerated reactions and a thrown arm around luke. they seem to be gravitating further together as the night goes on. you laugh when youâre supposed to, nod when it makes sense, but your attention keeps slipping back to the presence next to you. back to calum.
he's leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, the firelight catching on his tattoos, the lines of them shifting as his forearms flex when he gestures mid-conversation. a thought flits through your head about how absolutely sexy he looks before you push it down quickly. his curls fall into his face, messy from the heat inside, and he keeps pushing them back absently. your eyes catch on his hands. youâve seen him like this a hundred times, why does it feel different tonight? he laughs at something ash says, head tipping back slightly, and your eyes catch on the line of his throat, and you think about the way the tequila dripped slowly down it earlier, tracing the line with your eyes. he turns, catching you in the act.
âyou sure youâre alright?â he asks, quieter now. you nod, not entirely convinced yourself. the conversation around the fire keeps going, but it fades into the background, like youâre sitting in the middle of something separate from it, something just you and him. you take another sip of your drink absentmindedly, and his eyes snap to you.
âhey,â he says, a little firmer this time, reaching out to gently nudge your wrist down. âgiveme that for a second?â you let him take it without protesting, obeying immediately. it's unlike you, usually you would argue or protest or tease but the tone of his voice had you weak.
he sets it on the ground beside his foot, out of your reach but not in a way that feels controlling.
âbossy,â you mutter lightly, and a smile tugs at his mouth.
"someone's gotta deal with you later and we both know it's gonna be me." he nods to himself, satisfied.
âshut up.â
he grins, softer this time. âmake me.â except neither of you laughs. your stomach twists, and for a minute, you think about it. really think about it. what his mouth on yours would feel like, if he'd taste like cigarettes, what your hands tugging through his hair would feel like, how he would hold you. your gaze drops to his mouth without permission and you look away as soon as it happens, heart thudding hard.
âsorry, um,â you shake your head slightly, the world tilting just a little. âi think i need a second.â
his expression shifts immediately, concern cutting through whatever else was there.
âinside?â he asks.
you nod. âmhm.â
heâs already moving, standing up with you, one hand hovering near your back like heâs ready to catch you if you tip too far either way.
âhere, let'sââ
âno,â you say quickly, the word slipping out before you can stop it. he pauses, almost hurt.
you soften it, forcing a small smile. âiâll be fine. just need⊠water or the bathroom or something.â
he studies you for a second longer, clearly not convinced by your beautiful display of certainty.
âalright,â he says finally. âbut iâm checking on you if you disappear.â you nod, and he lets you go reluctantly. and as you turn toward the house, the cool air fading, the noise rising again, you can still feel where he was, like your skin hasnât caught up to the fact that heâs not touching you anymore.
the bathroom door clicked softly behind you, your palms seeking out the cold surface of the countertop as you searched your own eyes in the mirror for something, but you weren't really sure what. the air conditioning hummed above the window, and you tried to wrestle with the impending nausea that came in waves that had nothing to do with the alcohol. you couldn't get him out of your head, seeing his soft eyes every time you closed yours, the lines of his jaw, his hands invaded your brain and nestled in firmly. the room spun a bit, and you caught yourself before you met the floor, elbows forcing yourself upright on the countertop, taking cold water and running your fingers through your hair roughly, wishing it would tear him out of your head. your lower back still buzzed where his hand had been most of the night.
it would be a lie if you said you never thought about calum like this, but never so intense, never so genuine. in passing, sure, you could recognise he was attractive, but the effect he was having on you tonight in particular was dizzying, rendering you useless, wanting. you needed him and then some. you were genuinely worried that if you went back out and faced him that ashton or michael would have to pull you off him; that your body would somehow become fused to his, not that you'd mind. your head reeled with the thought that you would have to sleep in the same house as him tonight, but it would be more telling if you broke tradition and ran home. no, you had to calm down, regain composure, never think about the million things you imagined him doing to you in ashton's upstairs guest room.
a sharp knock on the door ripped you from your spiralling, spiking your heart rate. at the silence, a second round of knocking came, and then his voice.
"it's me, can i come in?"
how could you say no? you had to keep up the illusion that you were actually sick, though heat stirred in your lower stomach at the thought of him being in such close proximity. you tore the door open and he stepped in carefully, shutting it behind him and flicking shut the lock. the action made your heart jump.
"you okay?" he all but whispered, searching your face for any signs of upset. you nodded, pressing your lips together tightly before you either threw up or said something stupid. he didn't believe you. damn his observational skills, damn that he was your closest friend and of course he would know better. damn that thrumming in your stomach at his closeness.
"just feeling sick?" he continued, brushing hair away from your face as you leaned back against the countertop. he reached behind you and took a washcloth, wetting it with cold water. he wrung it out, and your breath caught when his biceps and forearms flexed with the movement. his eyes flicked towards you with concern, brows knit tight together, pout on his lips, bringing the wet cloth up. he moved in close, thighs touching yours briefly before holding your hair up as he placed the cloth on the back of your neck. the cold made you shudder, eyes fluttering shut, and it cleared a bit of the blur in your brain. when you opened your eyes again he was staring at you, worry in his pretty dark eyes, his curls messy and falling into his face as he leaned over you a bit.
"thank you," you breathed out, meaning it. he nodded, and you realised that he was staring at your mouth, looking dazed yet concentrated. your tongue darted out to wet your bottom lip and take it in your teeth, and you didn't miss how his breath stuttered. you weren't sure if it was the alcohol that made you say it, but you rushed out; "you always take such good care of me, cal."
it was barely a whisper, but a smile spread across his face nonetheless. he removed the cloth from your neck, and you sighed involuntarily at the loss of contact. his fingers twitched as if they hated the loss too. he exhaled heavily, coming back up to stand upright in front of you after putting the washcloth down on the countertop, large hand brushing your waist. the room spun again, and you blinked your eyes shut hard, gripping the edge of the counter behind you. he surged forward impossibly closer to grab your arms, steadying you even though he swayed slightly on the spot as well. your hands found his forearms now, taking any opportunity you could for closeness. you leaned forwards, letting your head fall against his shoulder as you breathed heavily through the nausea as well as the way your skin sparked at his touch. he rubbed circles into your elbows sweetly.
"if you get sick on me i might lose it," he laughs, and the sound rumbles through you. you squirm a bit, and he squeezes your arms with his hands as you shake your head violently. you're aware that you're sweating, the closeness starting to become too much and causing you to blink hard and fast. you push your thighs together and sigh out at the friction, immediately flushing with embarassment as you register the absolutely pathetic noise you just let out.
"oh, baby," he mumbles, and you feel the smile that starts to break against your hair. a spark of heat shoots straight through you.âyou shouldâve just told me,â he continues, his hands coming to rest stable on your waist, thumbs pressing bruising circles into your skin like he might snap if you moved away.
âtold you what?â you asked, even though you knew. even though your heart was already racing ahead of you, even though if he touched you right now it'd be absolutely humiliating how turned on you were just from him being around you all night.
his dark eyes flicked back up to yours. âthat you needed me.â you all but whine, hands coming to fist in the front of his button down. his grip around your waist tightens, and you cautiously look up at him through your lashes, his breath fanning your face as he pants, the ghost of a smirk still playing on his lips, and you hate how good he looks doing it. your chest heaves with your breath, tequila no longer threatening to come up.
"let's get you upstairs, yeah?" he nods towards the door. "i'm really worried about you." he teases, rubbing his thumb over your stomach once before reaching for the door, his other hand dragging up and down your wrist before catching your hand in his, lacing your fingers. he weaved you through the remnants of the party, music still loud and chatter still ringing through the rooms. the walk up the stairs was dizzying, and cal kept looking back to check on you, hand never leaving yours. he pushed open the door of the guest room where the two of you usually stayed after particularly long parties at ashton's, familiarity clouding your vision even more than it had been. he closes and locks the door behind the two of you.
he hovers over you for a minute, and you let your hands roam up his chest and come to lace around the back of his neck, and he sighs.
"you're sure?" he licks his lips, ever the gentleman.
"please, cal." you nod, your skin set on fire.
apparently that was more than enough affirmation because he's on you then, lips swallowing yours and his hands coming to take rest in the hair on either side of your face. he holds you like something breakable, but with bruising affection. it would be overwhelming if you weren't so enveloped in him already. his hands push up your top, warm on the cold skin of your stomach, and you let him take it off, hiding your face when he takes you all in for a minute. he walks you back to the bed in the center of the room, gently laying you down with him coming to lean over you. each touch is thought about, each movement careful, but you can't care about careful right now. you want him to ruin you.
"calum" you breathe against his mouth, arching up into him. your hands find the open edges of his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders, your hands trailing harshly down his biceps. you're hoping, wishing, praying he gets the message when you buck your hips up into his, chasing friction after being left wanting the whole evening. he pulls back just enough to look at you, and there's something dark swimming in his pretty brown eyes. his curls fall forward, messy and perfect, and you reach up to push them back without thinking. the gesture feels intimate in a way that makes your chest tight.
"yeah?" his voice is rough, strained. like he's been holding himself back this whole time, keeping something leashed.
"please." you whisper, pulling him back down. your lips brush his as you speak before you kiss him harder, letting your teeth catch his bottom lip. the groan he lets out is felt through your whole body. something shifts. you feel it in the way his breath catches, the way his fingers tighten in your hair. when he kisses you again it's different; deeper, more demanding. his tongue slides against yours and you moan into his mouth, and he swallows the sound like he's been starving for it, licking into you desperately.
"fuck," he mutters against your jaw, kissing down the line of it. "you have no idea how long i've wanted this." his teeth scrape against your pulse point and you gasp. "how long i've thought about you like this."
"tell me," you manage, even though your brain is short-circuiting from the feeling of his mouth on your neck.
"every time you'd fall asleep on my couch." he punctuates each sentence with a kiss, working his way down. "every time you'd laugh at something stupid i said." his hands slide down your sides, fingers pressing into your ribs. "every time you'd look at me likeâŠlike you're looking at me right now."
his hands are everywhere now, running over your stomach, your hips, gripping hard enough that you know you'll have marks tomorrow. the thought sends heat pooling low in your belly. you want evidence of this, proof that it's real and not just another fantasy you've conjured up in the dark. he sits back on his heels, shrugging off his shirt completely, and you take him in. the tattoos you've memorized a hundred times but never like this, never with the knowledge that you get to touch them, that they're yours, at least for right now. his chest rises and falls rapidly, and you can see the tension in his shoulders, the way he's still holding back.
"you're staring," he says, but there's no teasing in it now. just heat, just want.
"can't help it." your hands find his chest, tracing the lines of ink, feeling his heart hammering beneath your palms, the way his chest rises and falls so rapidly. "you're soâ"
he doesn't let you finish. his mouth is on yours again, one hand sliding behind your back to unclasp your bra with practiced ease. he tosses it somewhere behind him and then his hands are on your breasts, thumbs brushing over your nipples until you're squirming beneath him.
"so what?" he prompts, voice low and dangerous. "finish your sentence, baby."
the pet name makes you clench around nothing. "beautiful," you manage, and he groans like the word physically hurts him.
"you're gonna kill me." his mouth moves lower, kissing down your sternum, between your breasts. he takes his time, like he's mapping every inch of skin. "you know that? gonna fucking kill me."
when his mouth closes around your nipple you arch off the bed, fingers tangling in his hair. he's not gentle about it; teeth scraping, tongue soothing, and the contrast has you gasping his name. he gives the other the same attention, his hand kneading the breast his mouth isn't on, and you're already trembling.
"cal, pleaseâ"
"please what?" he looks up at you through his lashes, and the sight alone is enough to make you whimper. "use your words, pretty."
"touch me," you breathe. "need you to touch me."
"i am touching you." but there's a smirk playing at his lips.
"you know what i mean."
his hand palms down your stomach, fingers hooking into the waistband of your bottoms. he pauses, waiting, and you nod frantically, dignity left miles behind. he makes quick work of the button and zipper, pulling them down your legs along with your underwear until you're completely bare beneath him. for a moment he just looks at you, and you fight the urge to cover yourself under his gaze.
"fucking perfect," he says, almost reverent. his hands slide up your thighs, spreading them wider, and you can feel yourself getting wetter as he studies you, your skin humming. "look at you."
"calâ"
"can i taste you?" he asks, and the question is so direct, so filthy, that you nearly come apart right there.
you nod, not trusting your voice, and he settles between your legs like he belongs there. the first touch of his tongue has you crying out, hand flying to cover your mouth, but he reaches up and pulls it away.
"uh-uh." he looks up at you, eyes dark. "let me hear you. don't care who's downstairs."
he licks a long stripe up your center and you whimper, hips bucking involuntarily. he groans against you, and the vibration makes you gasp. he fucks his tongue into you like he's been thinking about it for years, thumb coming up to rub at your clit. his tongue works you over with devastating precision, finding every spot that makes you whine and pull his hair further into you. he's not rushed about it, taking his time, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on your clit that has you seeing stars. when he slides one finger inside you, curling it just right, you nearly come apart, thighs squeezing together on either side of his head.
"that's it, baby." he adds a second finger, pumping them steadily while his mouth focuses on your clit. "feel how wet you are for me? fuck, you can hear it."
"yes, fuck, cal" you're babbling now, one hand fisted in his hair, the other gripping the sheets.
"good girl." the praise makes you clench around his fingers. "gonna make you come now, okay? want you to come on my tongue."
he doesn't let up after that, fingers pumping steadily while his mouth works you over. the orgasm builds slowly, then all at once, crashing over you so hard you see spots. you cry out his name, hips grinding against his face, and he works you through it, gentler now, until you're pushing back at his head from oversensitivity, whimpering.
when he crawls back up your body, his lips are shining and he's grinning like he just won something. you pull him into a kiss, tasting yourself on his tongue, and he groans into your mouth.
"you're so hot when you come," he says against your lips. "wanna see it again."
"need you," you breathe, reaching down to palm him through his jeans. he's hard, straining against the denim, and when you squeeze he drops his forehead to your shoulder with a curse.
"yeah, okayâfuck." he fumbles with his belt, and you help him, both of you clumsy and desperate. he shoves his jeans and boxers down just enough to free himself, and god, he's perfect. flushed and hard and leaking already. you wrap your hand around him and he hisses, hips jerking forward into your grip. you thumb over the tip, collecting precum before using it to ease the slide of your hand on his cock, flicking your wrist
"baby, you gottaâ" he covers your hand with his, stilling your movement. "i'm not gonna last if you keep doing that." you pull him into a kiss that feels like it lasts ages.
"condom," he manages, voice strained. "walletâ"
you watch as he digs through his jeans, pulling out his wallet and retrieving a foil packet. his hands are shaking slightly as he tears it open with his teeth, and something about knowing he's just as affected as you are makes your heart do something complicated in your chest. he rolls it on and settles between your thighs again, the head of his cock nudging against your entrance. "still good?" he asks, and even now, even like this, he's checking.
"cal, please, if you don'tâ"
he pushes in slowly, and the stretch is perfect, overwhelming, everything. you both groan, and he buries his face in your neck, breathing hard against your skin before pressing wet, open kisses on your collarbone.
"jesus christ," he mutters. "fuck, you're so tight."
"move," you urge, wrapping your legs around his waist, your heels digging into his back. "god, please move."
he does, pulling out almost all the way before sliding back in, and the angle has him hitting something deep inside you that makes you lose your breath. he sets a steady rhythm, each thrust deliberate, and you can feel him everywhere; inside you, around you, consuming you completely.
"this okay?" he asks, and you nearly laugh because nothing has ever been more than okay. you nod frantically, words not coming out. he shifts, hooking one of your legs over his shoulder, and the new angle has you crying out. he fucks into you harder now, the careful control from earlier completely gone as the bed creaks beneath you, headboard hitting the wall with each thrust, and you distantly hope the music downstairs is loud enough to cover the sounds you're making.
"this what you wanted, baby?" he grits out, voice strained. "wanted me to take care of you?"
"yesâfuck, yeahâ" you're not even sure what you're saying anymore, just that you need more, need him deeper, harder, everything. his hand slides between the two of you, thumb finding your clit, and the added stimulation has you spiraling. you're close again, embarrassingly fast, and he can tell.
"that's it, baby." his rhythm doesn't falter, thumb circling steadily. "can feel you squeezing me. you gonna come again?"
"mhm, yeah iâ"
"look at me," he demands, and you force your eyes open. he's watching you intently, pupils blown wide, curls stuck to his forehead with sweat, his mouth open in awe. "wanna see your face when you come on my cock."
the combination of his words and his thumb and the angle of his thrusts sends you over the edge. you shatter, clenching around him so hard he chokes on a moan. he fucks you through it, rhythm faltering, and then he's following you over with a broken version of your name. he collapses on top of you, both of you breathing hard, skin slick with sweat. you can feel his heart hammering against your chest, matching the frantic pace of your own, and for a long moment neither of you moves, just lying there tangled together, coming down. finally, he carefully pulls out, and you both wince at the sensitivity. he disposes of the condom and then gathers you against his chest, pulling the blanket over both of you.
"holy shit," you finally say, and he laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest.
"mm." he hums, pressing a kiss to your forehead, then your temple, then your cheek. you lie there in the quiet, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on your shoulder, and reality starts to creep back in. you just fucked your best friend. your best friend who you've probably been obsessed with for longer than you want to admit. your best friend who might wake up tomorrow and regret this entire thing. your face furrows in thought, heartbeat picking up.
"hey." he tilts your chin up, making you look at him. "don't do that. don't spiral." you go to ask, butâ "i know you." he kisses you softly, so different from before. tender and sweet and somehow more intimate than anything else tonight. "this isn't just tonight for me."
your heart does something complicated in your chest. "yeah?"
"yeah." he grins, that familiar, devastating smile that's been undoing you all night. "so maybe we can talk about it tomorrow? when we're both sober and thinking clearly?"
"tomorrow," you agree, snuggling closer into his warmth.
"sleep, baby." he pulls the blanket higher, tucking it around your shoulders. "and then tomorrow, we'll figure it all out, okay?."
you fall asleep wrapped in him, feeling safer and more wanted than you have in years. tomorrow you'll figure out what this means, how to navigate all this. but tonight, you just let yourself have this.
AHHHH SO SOON SORRY ive been so busy with assessments!! ive written maybe 3k words total in the last two days so progress is being made i promise!!! i miss posting iâve gotta get outta this block i swear
not to get sad on the tl but iâm four years older than i thought i would be for most of my teenage years !! progress still happens even when ur not watching stg