Let it go, Let it be
Author’s Note: Helloooo, I am back. I started this back in September ?? October ?? I don’t know, a while ago. I’ve dabbled with it here and there with it and decided to just...finish it. I HOPE IT’S OKAY AND THAT SOMEONE LOVES IT.
It was very much inspired by Let It Go by James Bay, so go give that a listen.
As always, I hope you enjoy & please let me know what you think!
Pairing: Calum Hood x Reader
Word Count: 5,686
Warnings: alcohol, sexual references, little bit of angst
October
Your boots clicked against the sidewalk out of synch with Calum’s lengthy stride. The temperature had dropped significantly since the sun had gone down a few hours ago. Hands in the pockets of your sweater, you pulled it closer to your body, cheeks flushing when you felt your shoulder brush against Calum’s as you drifted a little to the right.
The neighborhood you lived in was quiet by this time of night. Most of the residents were established in their careers and a few even had small children. It was the perfect fit for someone in their early twenties beginning their career like yourself.
Many of the homes and lawns were decorated for fall, several even having Halloween displays. Calum was anxiously rambling on next to you as you neared your house. You let out a lighthearted laugh, rounding the corner for your front steps.
“Are you kidding me?” You glanced up to meet a set of brown eyes, “Stop apologizing. I had a wonderful time tonight.”
He’d asked you earlier in the week to join him for a jazz concert. You didn’t know much about jazz music, but you certainly weren’t opposed to giving it a shot.
You’d been on a few dates with the brunette prior to this evening and enjoyed every one of them. They were mostly a quick cup of coffee before work or a grab-and-go lunch if you were lucky. So when the opportunity for a true date night became available, you couldn’t say no.
“I’m probably going to download some of his music before the night is over. You might have just converted me into a jazz fan.”
Calum chuckled, his gaze falling as he reached for your hand. The tips of your fingers were cool against his palm.
“I had a really nice time too,” he paused, “Um.. Ashton is throwing a little something next weekend for Halloween. I would love for you to come if you think you’re up to meeting the guys. If you want to hold off, I completely understand.”
You waited for a moment to watch the panic rise a bit in his features before breaking into a smile.
“I would love to meet them.”
He let out a sigh of relief, lacing his fingers through yours.
“Good then,” he said, “I’ll let you know all the details when I find out.”
You nodded. He took a step forward, pressing a kiss to apple of your cheek.
“Good night,” he said, stepping back as your hands pulled apart.
“Be careful.”
-
March
The days had started to shine brighter, a few even warming up to pleasant temperatures. But once the sun had set, you were reaching for a hoodie to pull on.
You sat on the rug in your living room, back resting against the couch. One leg pulled close to you, the other tapping Calum’s foot as he sat next to you. He let out a low chuckle as he pressed the cold glass bottle to his lips again. You held an identical one in your hand.
“Alright, your turn,” you said, reaching for another slice of pizza from the coffee table.
Calum hummed, “Sunbathing or stargazing?”
“Pff, stargazing. All the way.”
“Really?” he paused, grabbing the slice from your hand and finishing it, “I figured you would be more of a sunbather.”
You shoved him a little for stealing your food, “I love a good sunny day, but have you ever looked at the stars on a clear night?”
“I don’t have time for that.”
Your eyes grew wide as you sat up straight from where you’d been leaning against the cushion. You pushed yourself off the ground, sitting your beer bottle next to the pizza box.
“What?” Calum asked curiously.
“Put your drink down and follow me,” you said as you headed toward the stairs. He did as you’d instructed, scrambling to catch up before you made it to the stairs. He followed you into your room and watched as you opened the door to the balcony. “I have an idea.”
You removed your laptop from the bed and tossed the pillows aside to the floor.
“Grab the other side,” you instructed as you pulled one end of the mattress. Calum wrinkled his forehead but did as you said. He helped you manage it through the door, dropping it onto the cemented balcony.
“Go downstairs. Get all the pillows from the living room.” He nodded, but you stopped him before he could make it through the door. “And grab that blanket off the back of the couch and a candle, if you can find one.”
Calum grinned, giving you another nod.
When he came back, you’d moved all the pillows outside, arranging them around the mattress to rest against the railing. You proceeded to do the same with the pillows he’d brought from downstairs. He dropped the blanket onto the mattress and pulled the lighter from his pocket to light the candle. He sat it off to the side in hopes that it wouldn’t catch anything on fire.
You patted the spot next to you on the mattress, “We’re going to make time for you to stargaze.”
Calum found himself breaking into another grin as he dropped down next to you. He wiggled to get comfortable and pulled you into his side. You nuzzled into the crook of his neck as a pleasant sigh passed through his lips.
The two of you stayed like this for a while, staring up at the sky. His thumb caressed imaginary patterns in the dip of your back and your fingers fumbled with the charms around his neck.
He was the first to break the comfortable silence.
“I believe it was your turn,” he mumbled.
You’d been playing this game of 21 questions off and on all night, which had probably turned into 50 questions by now. You wracked your brain trying to think of something you hadn’t asked.
“Do you believe in astrology?”
You were staring at the stars; it made sense.
“I don’t know,” Calum shrugged, “I think it’s just another theory to try and explain why we are the way we are. It’s interesting, but I’m not sure I believe in the whole ‘stars alining’ hype.”
You hummed.
“Do you?”
“No,” you shook your head, “Like you said, it’s interesting. Horoscopes are fun to read, but I don’t buy into the whole concept.”
The two of you grew quiet and you nudged him lightly in the side.
“Your turn.”
“You basically agreed with my answer. That’s cheating.”
“You stole my question. That’s definitely cheating,” you chuckled.
He laughed along with you before taking a moment to ponder his next question.
“What’s the scariest thing you’ve done?”
Your mind immediately had an answer, but you debated on saying it out loud. It was a little cheesy and probably cliche, but true. So true.
You could feel his eyes on you, likely wondering why you hadn’t answered yet. You felt his hand come up to play with the ends of your hair.
“Fall for you,” you spoke barely above a whisper, “By far the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”
You knew what you could be getting into when you first met Calum. You’d nearly talked yourself out of the first few dates. It terrified you to be so vulnerable. To drop your guard for someone who could potentially destroy everything.
But you fell so quickly, so easily. And that scared you even more. You’d given him the power before you even realized what was happening.
Love scared you.
You finally brought yourself to look at Calum who was staring down at you, a pleasant smile on his full lips. He pressed them to your temple. You went back to looking at the stars, kind of hoping he would forget everything you just said. But instead, you felt the warmth of his breath against your skin and heard the muttering of three little words.
“I love you.”
It had been implied but never said.
You hesitated to look at him. When you did, you tried to scan his body language for any sign of deception.
“I love you,” he repeated even more sure than the first.
“I love you.”
The smile that formed on his lips mirrored the one you could feel on your own face; it reached his eyes.
You ran your thumb along the stubble gracing his jawline before pulling him closer to press your lips together gently; he pressed back.
Drawing you closer, his kisses became a little rougher, a little faster. Your legs found their way around his waist. You nipped at his bottom lip with your teeth, earning a low tone in his throat. You pulled away for air, resting your forehead against his. You could feel his hand on your hip, his fingers touching a sliver of skin where his hands had begun to explore just moments ago.
You’d made it this far several times but never anything more. He never forced it further and neither did you.
He ran his other hand through your hair as he let his own breathing settle. Letting your hand run down his chest, you found the exposed flesh beneath the hem of his shirt. You traced a delicate design against it, dancing just above the band of his boxers. His breathing hitched just the slightest, but you caught it.
You took his face in your hands, forcing his lips back to yours. You felt his hands creep up the length of your back, pulling your body closer to his. You sat up slowly, lips never disconnecting as he followed your lead. Your hands fell once again to the hem of his shirt, this time pushing it up as your fingers skimmed the sides of his torso.
Calum drew back just enough for you to push the shirt over his head, which he caught in his hand and gently laid to the side.
You’d seen him shirtless less than a handful of times, and each was just a glimpse before he would pull on a shirt.
The tip of his nose brushed against yours. You could feel his breath on your mouth and his hands waiting, resting on your thighs. This kind of intimacy was a little foreign; a new and unexplored territory.
Smiling sweetly, you gave a small nod of approval. His fingers nervously tugged at the zipper of your sweatshirt until the sleeve began to slip off your shoulder. He pushed it aside gently, leaving a light trail of kisses behind on your collarbone.
He shoved the sweatshirt the remainder of the way off, leaving it to get lost in the sea of blankets later. Your body shuddered at the sudden complete exposure to cool air; pink dusted the apples of your cheeks. He rubbed his palms against your arms with a low chuckle.
You rested your head against his and allowed him to guide you over until your back collided with the softness of the mattress. He hovered above you, his golden skin radiating in the moonlight.
As he kissed down your neck, you allowed your hands to explore - his biceps, the ripples of his back, the feeling of his body moving effortlessly against yours.
You allowed yourself to be vulnerable, to fall.
You were his, and he was yours.
-
Your eyes fluttered open, squinting almost immediately from the sudden sunlight. You felt a shiver run down your spine. Hugging the covers directly to your body, you snuggled closer to the figure behind you. The sudden revelation registered and you turned around to face Calum.
He was doing much like you had done just moments before, eyes squinting. His upper body was still bare, your legs the same, the rest of you swallowed in his shirt. His arms that had been out of the covers dipped back under to wrap around you.
“Good morning,” he said in a raspy voice. You couldn’t force down the smile that creeped up. His morning voice might just be one of your new favorite things. You’d only ever heard it a couple times over the phone. It didn’t have the same appeal as being directly in your ear.
“We fell asleep,” you muttered, tangling your limbs around his.
He chuckled lightly in your ear, “Yes, we did.”
You laid like that for a while. Just listening to the birds chirp in the background and the soft sound of your breathing in synch. The peaceful noise was interrupted by the rumbling of his stomach, followed by an annoyed groan. You laughed.
“Shall we go make breakfast?”
Lifting himself up a little, he pressed a quick kiss on your lips, “We shall.”
-
June
You raced down the backstage corridors, rounding the corner just as Calum stepped into the hall. The joy on his face set off a swarm of butterflies in your stomach.
He caught you in his arms as your legs found their way around his waist. The force was enough to send him turning on his heels. Once steady, you pulled him in for a smooch.
You’d been waiting weeks to be back in his arms, even if it was just for a few nights before they headed back on the road.
His skin was sun kissed, his veins creeping down his arms like vines from underneath the sleeves of his shirt. He stared admiring you.
About the time your feet were back planted on the tiled floor, you heard another pair entering the hallway. Calum wrapped his arms around your shoulders from behind, pressing his face into the crook of your neck. He left a small kiss behind as Ashton let out a snicker.
“You two are gross. Get a room,” he said, grinning.
-
October
Calum dragged you up the stairs the second you stepped foot through his front door. You felt your back collide with the bedroom door and your lips collide with the brunette’s.
His hands worked fast, pushing the cardigan off your shoulders and shimmying your sundress to the floor. As you stepped out of it, you forced your way off the door and him in the direction of his bed.
He hadn’t bothered greeting you with a shirt on, so your fingers fumbled with the button on his trousers until they began to slip off his hips.
-
January
“No babe. Don’t worry about it,” you shook your head, “Don’t try to reschedule or anything. I’ll just have to miss it.”
Calum stuck out his lip on the other side of the phone screen.
You had been planning to tag along on a little getaway with him and his friends, but you were booked last minute to attend a mandatory work trip in New York. The representative who was planning to go had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances and your boss pulled you immediately.
You conjured up a smile in the hopes to lighten the mood.
“I’ll be back in time for your birthday, and then it’ll be just me and you headed out to the islands.”
Thankfully just the two of you had a trip booked in a few weeks. This made him crack a small grin.
“You’re sure you don’t want me to go with you? I feel bad leaving you to do something fun. Especially when you’re supposed to be there.”
You nodded, “I greatly appreciate it, but I’m sure. I won’t really have any down time. All work; no play.”
“Alright,” Calum sighed, “I guess I better go. I’ll talk to you later, sweetie. I miss you. I love you.”
“I miss and love you too, Hood. We’ll be together before you know it.”
-
April
You rounded the corner for the next aisle in the grocery store. Pausing, you scanned the assortment of chips before looking back to the phone in your hand, Calum’s jaded expression on the other end. His eyes were tired, his hair disheveled, and his scruff a few days old.
“Do I want regular or spicy?” you asked.
“Spicy. Always.”
You were waiting for that response.
“Honey, what’s going on?” he asked as you tossed the bag into the buggy. Your brows knitted together barely. “Something is bothering you. I can tell. What is it?”
“Calum, you’ll be home next week. We can talk about what’s been going on around here then.”
“I have a three hour layover. Ashton is asleep. Luke and Michael went to go get food,” he glanced over his shoulder and let out a dry chuckle, “I don’t have more pressing matters. You can talk to me.”
You found an aisle that was vacant before leaning comfortably against the cart. You checked again to make sure no one was around and sighed. You really weren’t planning to do this in the grocery store.
“I’ve been recommended for the director’s position in New York. They really want me to take it.” You picked at your nails, avoiding eye contact.
“I mean,” he started, “I love New York, but I don’t necessarily want to move there.”
“I wasn’t asking you to move with me,” you mumbled. Calum grew quiet. “Just.. By the time I would be moving, you would be starting tour so there would be no need for you to pick up and move right away. Six months from now they could relocate me again. You never know, but.. It’s one of those things I’d be stupid not to accept.”
Calum gave a simple nod; he was avoiding eye contact now.
“Look at it this way,” you continued, “You’ll have a place to stay when you’re in the Big Apple.”
The corners of his mouth twitched up in the slightest. He was trying.
“When do you have to give them an answer?”
“Next Thursday.”
“The day before I come home.”
“Yep.”
You stood silent in the aisle, running a hand anxiously through your hair.
-
May
Calum waved to you one last time as you boarded your flight. Your cheeks were a little tear stained, but someone would have to be staring to notice. And he hoped nobody would have their eye on you that intently.
It was just eight weeks. He would see you again when July bled into August, and then again before the end of the year when they were in your new city.
That’s all he could bank on right now.
-
August
You rolled over to face the bedside table. Calum had turned his back to you at some point in the night and was still in that position.
He’d barely said anything since greeting you at the airport, his flight getting in a few hours before yours.
You knew he was exhausted because you were too, but the last few weeks seemed a little different. Something felt off.
You sluggishly threw your legs out from the covers, heading downstairs. Calum’s friend Roy sat at the bar eating breakfast.
With tour kicking in and you unavailable, he was now in charge of watching Duke. He spent a good bit of time at the house as a result. Thankfully, he was nice enough to pick you guys up from the airport last night.
You gave him a half hearted smile that never reached your eyes. You didn’t catch his look of concern as you turned your back.
“There’s plenty of stuff for coffee,” he muttered lowly, “and several cereals in the cabinet. Might even have the ingredients for pancakes or something.”
You simply nodded as you fixed a cup of orange juice before heading back up the stairs.
-
As Roy placed his used dishes in the sink, he heard a door slam upstairs followed by muffled yells. He cautiously made his way up to see what was going on.
The door to Calum’s bedroom was cracked. Through the sliver of opening he could see Calum sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. He was dressed in sweatpants, his hair curving in many directions.
“I didn’t ask you to. Just leave it in the suitcase,” his tone was sharp.
A second later, an unknown garment came flying across the room. It was followed by another that Calum caught in front of his face.
“See if I try to do anything nice for again,” your voice sounded closer to Roy who was standing in the hallway. “You can wash our own dang clothes!”
You flung the door open and pushed past the boy in an instant without really acknowledging him. He locked eyes with Calum before the brunette pushed himself off the bed and out the door.
“Y/N,” he called, stepped past his friend and trotting down the stairs.
-
Calum sat in the driver’s seat, staring silently at the road in front of him as he drove. He rested his elbow against the door as he propped his head in the palm of his hand.
Roy sat in the passenger seat, trying to figure out how to tiptoe across the situation.
They’d just dropped you off to catch your flight back to New York.
“What’s going on, man? You’ve been at each other’s throats all week. That’s not like you two,” he paused, “even on your worst days.”
Calum shrugged, “I don’t know.”
That was his honest answer. There was no reasonable explanation for the tension this past week.
He had missed you, was looking forward to seeing you and he believed you felt the same way.
But things just hadn’t gone as either of you had hoped.
-
November
The New York air was chilly. It wasn’t like the cool temperatures of sunny LA this time of year. The city didn’t have the same open scenic views, but rather a concrete jungle.
Still, it had its own sense of charm.
You focused your attention from people watching to the brunette sitting across from you. Your gaze drifted to your hand as it sat in his.
Just sitting.
There was no mindless caress of his thumb or your fingertips dancing across his knuckles. Your eyes flickered back up to him and noticed that he had been people watching too.
You waited patiently for your breakfast orders to arrive at the bustling cafe you’d chosen to meet at.
The band was playing a show here tonight, but would be headed to the next stop shortly after.
You let out a sigh and forced a smile, pulling your hand away as the waitress came with your food. You thanked her and reached for the silverware she had placed in the center of the table.
You and Calum made small talk as you ate. As you neared the end of your meal, you cleared your throat a little and felt your palms begin to sweat despite the lack of warmth in the air.
“Calum, um.. We need to..”
“To talk,” he quietly finished your sentence.
-
You followed the boys and other crew members dubiously to the room just before the stage. Luke bounced around, giving everyone fist bumps. When he reached you, he gave you a small wink followed by a rather melancholy grin.
Melancholy was an appropriate word to describe the atmosphere.
After talking at breakfast, you and Calum decided this was it. Once they got on their plane tonight, you would go your separate ways.
You heard the sound of Calum’s voice echo through the venue, the first few notes of Babylon, and the crowd begin to cheer. A barely-there grin formed on his lips as he fixed his in-ears.
Peering up at him as he eyed the stage, your heart sank a little. You reached for his hands, holding them tight in your own as your foreheads rested against each other’s. You placed a kiss to each of them after a moment like you’d done before every other show. It was a sort of ‘good luck’ ritual, though you didn’t believe much in the term.
Calum pressed his mouth to your forehead much like he’d done time and time again before shows. You looked into his brown eyes for the first time in hours because somehow the act had already become uneasy.
“Have a great show,” you whispered.
As he disappeared and the rest of the crew followed suit, you stood in the room by yourself and sighed.
-
The airport was rather tranquil at this hour. The boys had a 3am flight to their next city.
As much as your body wanted to go home and rest, you couldn’t. You sat in the seat next to Calum as they waiting for their flight to be called.
He had barely touched his phone for distraction and his hand had hardly left yours. His thumb traced more patterns on your skin than it had in months.
Your teeth nipped at your other thumb nail, an anxious habit you wish you hadn’t started. The two of you hadn’t said much.
A voice rang out over the sound system, announcing that it was time for the next flight to board. The other boys stirred sluggishly, grabbing their luggage and heading off. Calum worked a few paces behind.
As he pulled you into his embrace, you took in his scent, the same one you knew would be lingering on your pillowcases at home. Calum rested his cheek against your head, savoring the moment a little longer as your bodies swayed ever so slightly back and forth.
Placing a hand on either side of your face, his lips met your forehead with a certain gentleness.
You watched him gather his things and hurry off to catch up with the others.
-
As you walked home fully aware that it likely wasn’t the smartest idea at this hour, you didn’t care. Your body had been so numb to any emotion.
But as you rounded the corner, the stone steps leading to your apartment in sight, you felt that shell begin to crack as tears slowly streamed down your cheeks. Because this wasn’t the same corner you had rounded after your first date. This wasn’t the place where you’d fallen head over heels for the tattooed boy. This was foreign; this was new.
But mostly you hated that this was right.
Unlocking the door through cloudy vision, you dropped everything in the doorway and made a beeline for the bathroom. As you shed an item of clothing with each handful of steps, the tears became heavier and you felt your body begin to shake.
You managed to pull on some comfortable clothes and as you tied your hair back, you couldn’t pull your eyes away from your reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Your fingertips brushed over the darkened spot that was now visible at the base of your neck. Calum has left it there just hours ago. You thought about the way the tip of his nose willed your hair away from your neck, his hands running down your unclad arms until your fingers met, intertwining.
As you tiptoed back to the bedroom, you saw the disheveled sheets left behind and the sweater you’d been wearing that morning at the foot of the mattress.
It was different knowing it would be the last time. It wasn’t forced; it wasn’t rough. It was tender.
You knew most people wouldn’t understand.
They wouldn’t get how the two of you could walk away from something so faultless. So full of love and adoration, yet still not right.
You yourself had never understood when people would say “It just wasn’t the right time”, but now you did. You both knew it was better to withdraw your efforts while you still loved each other. Before disagreements ruined your view of the other person and you wouldn’t be able to utter a kind word about them.
And as silly and even weird as it seemed, you would be sad when the mark on your neck faded because it mirrored the mark on your heart that Calum had left behind..
And you knew that, before long, you would just be left with the ache of what was once there, a yearning that couldn’t be fulfilled.
-
March
The last several months had been trying.
Holidays. New Year. Birthdays.
But winter finally began to merge into spring, the trees started to gain their color again; the world felt alive.
Mostly.
-
Calum sat near the end of the steps to his mate’s house. Light noise from the party inside could be heard behind him. A cigarette glowed between his index and middle finger, resting above a red cup of liquid courage.
Swirling around the golden mixture inside, he caught a glimpse of his tattoo peeking out from beneath his rolled up shirt sleeves.
ALIVE
Most of his ink has been present so long that he wasn’t really conscious of it, but for some reason tonight as he sat by himself, that particular one caught his attention.
He pulled his phone out from the dark denim pocket. Scrolling through his messages, he tapped on the name he was looking for, a name he hadn’t bothered in months.
‘I miss you.’
His finger hovered over the send arrow. Inhaling another hit of nicotine, he released his breath and erased the message one letter at a time.
“Hey man,” he heard the sound of Ashton’s voice behind him.
Calum stuck his phone back in his pocket. The moment he turned around to make contact with his hazel eyed friend, Ashton knew what was racing through his mind.
He took a seat next to his pal, allowing him to finish his cigarette and wallow in the serenity of the night.
-
April
You stuck your hand out the open driver side window, allowing it to ride the wave of the wind in time to the music playing through the speakers.
You had to get out of New York, even for just a few days.
You’d taken on one project after the next at work or home, trying to distract your mind from what happened. But you knew that sooner or later you would have to be alone with yourself, with your thoughts.
Ahead of you, the mountain tops peeked in the distance as you continued to drive; the scene around you was plush with greenery.
You glanced at yourself in the rearview mirror. It’s funny how reflections change. For the past several months, you almost didn’t know who was staring back at you.
You had pushed so much of your emotional self away - out of sight, out of mind - pushed it so far away that no one could touch it, not even you.
But it was time to be yourself. To be present again.
You weren’t gone just because your relationship with Calum was.
Fingertips spreading in the sway of the air, you let it all go.
Allowed the breeze to take all the brokenness and scatter it wherever it pleased.
-
July
You pointed the way for the last of the furniture that the movers were bringing in. Most days you appreciated the LA heat, but with the back and forth, you were beginning to break a sweat even in a sundress.
You collapsed into a sigh on the couch once the movers left.
You needed to run and get a few things just to get through the next couple of days. You tapped your phone, seeing that it was a little after 8pm. Willing yourself from your spot on the couch, you slipped your feet into a pair of sandals and grabbed your keys off the counter.
-
Stepping into the small convenience store a handful of blocks from your new apartment, you welcomed the cool air as it swept across your skin. Giving the cashier a small wave, you grabbed a basket beside the counter and pulled out the list of items you’d jotted down.
You skimmed the aisles for the basics you needed - coffee, bread, cereal, etc.
You didn’t think much when someone else rounded the corner, only glancing up instinctively. But you quickly found yourself doing a double take. The guy stood at the other end, reading the label of the box he held in his hand.
“Calum?” you spoke evenly.
He glanced up, peering at you from underneath the dark ball cap he wore concealing his curls. He stared only a moment before dropping the box back to the shelf and making his way towards you.
“What are you doing here?” He stopped just inches away, “Are you in town for work or?”
A gentle smile pulled at the corner of your mouth as you shook your head, “I just moved back. My old boss retired and they offered me the job, so I took it.”
You didn’t miss the smirk that passed Calum’s lips, the hope in his eyes.
“I’m living on this side of town now,” you added.
When you accepted the job, you knew you wouldn’t be able to handle being back in the same place you were before. You needed a change of scenery to make this feel like a step in a different direction.
Calum dropped his shopping basket to the floor, pulling you into his embrace. He felt your arms wrap around his waist without hesitation.
It felt like coming home.
His nostrils were filled with the familiar scent he longed to smell again, his mind with a sense of peace. He knew in that moment that he wouldn’t be able to let you walk out of this mundane store alone and that you had never really walked out of his heart.
Your grip tightened around him, afraid to let this all slip away.
He pulled back, your arms still hooked around him. His hands ran through your hair before stopping at the base of your neck.
“Do you want to grab coffee or whatever is open?” he asked.
You let out a small laugh, “Always.”
You meant that.
Always.
Calum hadn’t believed in stars aligning and luck was just a word you used; timing was something that left behind a bitter taste.
But he wholeheartedly believed that you were his, and he was yours.
And that nothing could change that now.
