hereâs the previous chapter
Soulmate AU where things in your life appear as flowers tattooed on your skin, each with their own meaning.
Calum inspected his newly acquired bloom in the mirror the next morning. It was small in size, which was good despite the fact that the bright blue petals made his skin look bruised. He rubbed frustratedly at the flower in hopes to make it go away, but that only made the petunia stand out more against his reddened skin. His actions were futile and he knew it. He pulled his shirt down in anger before storming out of the bathroom, unwilling to stare at the reflection of a cursed man a second longer.
He hated the fact that a stranger he had met twice had managed to mark his skin with such ease. He hated the fact that of all people, Calum was forced to associate his bloom with Rory, the girl he could only describe as a bitch. Because she was a bitch. He hated the fact that his body now housed two undesirable blooms.
Dukeâs paws padded against the wooden floorboards as he made his way over to Calum, nudging his dadâs calf with his furry head to remind him that it was time for his daily walk. He crouched down to stroke the dogâs head, a gentle smile tugging at his lips for the first time that day. A walk could do them good.
The park was busier than usual, presumably to do with the fact that a small Christmas market had established itself there for the duration of the month. The smell of cinnamon and chocolate lured Calum closer to the stands that each year he fought hard to avoid. Maybe it was because he missed home, but Calum was always reluctant to embrace the wintertime Christmas culture. It made him feel like he was losing the person he used to be.
Calum remembers his first Christmas away from home.
He was staying in London with his four best friends, excitement in their eyes as they watched snowflakes fall for the first time in their lives. Christmas carols were playing in the background to get them in the yuletide mood; the roast dinner smelled amazing and multiple gifts were tucked neatly beneath the Christmas tree.
But everything felt so wrong to Calum as he sat down to eat his dinner. The fact that the sun had set at 4pm and that the temperature outside was below zero felt wrong. The fact that his usual barbecue had been replaced by a roasted chicken felt wrong. The fact that he was trapped inside a thick jumper when Calum was used to spending a shirtless day by the pool also felt wrong. All he could think about was his family, spending Christmas day in the sun as God intended. And it was that very day, at that very dinner table, that Calum bloomed a sprig of golden wattle on his forearm. The spirit of the Australian people.
He wrapped his coat tighter around his torso as he searched the makeshift aisles for the hot chocolate stand. The market was filled to the brim with children running around, racing each other to see who could reach the small grotto first to meet Santa. Calum smiled to himself as he noticed the excitement on their faces, ecstatic to meet the man who supposedly left them gifts every year.
The smell of chocolate became stronger and stronger with every step he took until Calum was finally standing in front of the place he was looking for. The hot chocolate stand.
âHi Calum,â said the person he least wanted to see at that moment, standing across the wooden counter with a small smile on her lips. Rory.
He couldnât help but roll his eyes at the odds of meeting her here. âWhat can I get you?â
âMedium hot chocolate,â he grumbled.
Calum stared at the ground as she prepared his drink, hoping to minimise their interaction as much as possible. She placed his drink on the counter but when he went to grab it, Rory pulled it away from his grasp. âCan I help you?â he muttered in confusion at her antics.
âItâs on the house if we could have a quick chat,â Rory said somewhat hopefully.
Calum pulled out the money that was due from his wallet and placed it upon the counter, pushing it slightly towards her with an unamused expression. âIn that case, Iâm even more inclined to pay.â
âIn that case, Iâm not giving you a choice. Weâre having a chat,â Rory told him with determination, pushing the five dollar bill back towards him. She told her coworker she was talking her break before leaving from the side of the stall, Calumâs hot chocolate gripped between her fingers.
Calum released a frustrated sigh as he tucked the green note back into his wallet before following behind her. His hands scrunched up into fists as he thought about things he hated. Rory, the fact that he was following Rory like a whipped fool and Michael for indirectly putting him in this situation in the first place.
She sat down at a bench and waited for him to join her before speaking.
âI think I should apologise for whatever happened last night. I donât actually know what you bloomed but youâre clearly pissed off at me so I wanted to say sorry,â Rory explained, watching as Calum unhooked the leash from Dukeâs collar to let the dog run around freely. âIâm sorry.â
Calum took a long sip of his drink and fuck did it taste as good as it smelled. Rory took his silence as a hint that he still didnât want to talk.
âYou were right, you know? I was never validated as a child. Mommy never complimented my drawings. Daddy never came to any of my ballet recitals. But I wasnât bullied for my bra size, thank you very much. I was bullied for the yellow carnations on my back.â Disappointment. The universe had deemed her a disappointment and Calum was feeling sorry for himself because of the small petunia on his hip. Calumâs angry bloom suddenly didnât seem so bad. âSo yeah, Iâve got an inferiority complex and Iâm a bitch. But Iâm a bitch thatâs sorry.â
âI donât need your apology,â he mocked, keeping a straight face. âYour words canât change what happened, they do literally nothing to help me.â Calum held back a teasing smile when he saw Rory roll her eyes playfully from the corner of his.
âTouchĂ©,â she commended, tightening her ponytail. âWhat did you bloom?â
âWhy do you work at the Christmas market?â
âIâm volunteering.â
âHow selfless of you,â Calum nodded, not quite expecting that response from Rory. Duke ran back towards the bench and hopped onto Calumâs lap, muddy paws dirtying his jeans. âFucking hell, Duke,â he sighed, placing his drink beside him before lowering Duke onto the ground. He grimaced at the sight of his trousers, hands trying to wipe the dirt off of his jeans.
âHeâs a good boy,â Rory remarked with a playful tone, watching Calum hook the leash back onto Dukeâs collar.
âThe goodest boy,â he affirmed, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He picked up his drink as he stood up, holding it out in the air to draw Roryâs attention to the cup. âSo, weâre good? I donât owe you anything?â
Rory shook her head, tucking her hands into the pockets of her coat as she stood up. âYou donât owe me anything.â
âHappy New Year!â greeted Calum as he let the friends of his friends flood into his home, ready to drink into the next year with semi-familiar faces.
Calum was hosting the New Years Eve party this year with his roommate Roy. Over the past three years, Calum and his band mates had taken turns throwing the annual celebration and this time the responsibility had fallen onto his lap. Calum didnât mind though. New Yearâs Eve felt the same wherever he was in the world, and Calum wasnât one to turn down any excuse to party.
The speakers blasted classics through the decades, bouncing from one hit to the next for hours on end. LEDs lit the apartment in colours ranging from red to green to blue as he bounced to the rhythm of the music with his friends.
âIâm going out for a smoke,â he told Luke who shook his head incredulously at him, lips tilting upwards when his tipsy boyfriend began pressing kisses to his cheek.
âWerenât you going to quit?â Luke yelled over the music, arms wrapping around Adrianâs neck to pull him closer. And then they were kissing, lost in their own little world before Calum got a chance to reply.
A small part of Calum envied them. He envied the forget-me-nots that covered the skin of Lukeâs shoulder blade, matching the ones on Adrianâs hand. He envied the way they held each other softly, lovingly, like the only thing that mattered to them in that moment was the man in their arms. Calum longed to feel that way about someone. He yearned to have what they had.
Roy yelled that there were fifteen seconds left until midnight, turning down the music to let his voice be heard, and soon enough the whole apartment was counting down the remaining seconds. Calum was glad Roy had interrupted his envious thoughts before a jealous hydrangea bloomed on his forehead.
Excitement bubbled in Calumâs chest as he thought of the year ahead, happy that at least heâd be starting it off right; drunk and surrounded by all of his friends.
So much can change in a year.
His eyes met Roryâs across the room as they pronounced the last number and the clock struck twelve. Surrounding couples joined their lips together while the rest of the room erupted into cheers. It was only when Luke and Adrian wrapped their arms around him, excitedly yelling âHappy New Year!â, did Calum come out of his daze.
âHappy New Year guys, I love you,â Calum grinned, embracing his two friends back. He playfully rolled his eyes as they mocked his words of affection before going to find his other friends to wish them the same thing.
âYou came,â he noted, somewhat surprised when he found Rory up on the roof terrace, leaning on the metallic railing beside her. She gave him a quick nod while she blew out a cloud of smoke.
âMichael invited me. You donât mind, right?â Calum shook his head, hand reaching out to grab the cigarette she offered him.
âItâs New Years, anyone is welcome here tonight,â he smiled softly before taking a drag. âHappy New Year, by the way.â
âHappy New Year,â Rory repeated as she reclaimed the cigarette, fingers almost brushing against his during the exchange. Almost. âAny resolutions?â
âUh, I donât know,â he shrugged, brows furrowing when he heard the music turn off downstairs. âExcuse me,â Calum muttered as he made his way back down to the party.
Everyone appeared annoyed despite their inebriated state, trudging their legs towards the front door. Calum pushed past his guests to reach the front of the crowd, finding a policeman standing menacingly beneath the doorway.
Sounds about right, he thought.
Calum felt helpless as he watched his friends flood out of his home. His neighbours just had to file enough noise complaints to shut his party down, one hour into New Yearâs day. They just had to ruin his first glimpse at the new year, tainting the months ahead with a feeling of dread. If the first hour had been bad, Calum didnât want to know what else was coming his way.
He eventually walked back into his living room, confused when he saw Rory frantically searching for something around the room. Calum leaned against the door frame, watching her with an intrigued expression. âYou alright?â Calum questioned, turning on the normal lights to brighten up the place.
âI canât find my fucking jacket,â she complained as she retraced her steps a third time. âBoth my phone and my keys are in there.â
Calum looked around the apartment with Rory for wherever it couldâve been misplaced, the pair of them ending up empty handed.
âIâll ask around, it should turn up tomorrow if anyoneâs got it. Do you have a way to get back home? Or to get in?â
âUh, yeah, I live around six blocks from here and Iâve got a key tucked into a top secret hiding spot just in case. So, uh, see you next time.â
âIâm walking you home,â Calum stated, already making his way to the hallway where he could grab his coat and keys. Rory chased behind him speaking words of disapproval, telling him over and over that she would be fine on her own, that she didnât need him to protect her. âYou canât change my mind, Rory,â Calum said pointedly, opening the front door. âIâm walking you home.â
âAt least make me a hot chocolate for the road.â
They found themselves in his kitchen a few minutes later, countertops filled with spilt whiskey and empty beer cans. Rory managed to find a clean spot she could hoist herself onto as Calum carefully read the instructions at the back of the packaging. His curls covered his forehead, trying their hardest to reach his eyes but failing.
âDid you forget how to make it, or what?â Rory teased.
âI just want to get it right.â
A warm mug of hot chocolate eventually made its way into Roryâs hands who hummed in delight after the first sip.
âTask completed successfully.â
There was an air of awkwardness surrounding the pair as they walked down the barely lit streets, sodium lampposts painting what little they saw around them yellow. Music could be heard from the windows of apartments nearby and Calum did all but curse their neighbours for not getting their parties shut down as well.
âI think that my New Year resolution is to work out more,â said Calum, answering the question she posed at the rooftop in hopes to interrupt the silence.
âThatâs such a shit resolution,â Rory snorted with a soft shake to her head. âItâs up there with quitting chocolate and procrastination. Itâs the kind of standard goal that boring people set themselves because they have no true aspirations.â Calum rolled his eyes playfully at her words, kicking the can that was resting in his path.
âWhat does an interesting person like you choose for their New Years resolution, then? I need inspiration since apparently Iâm so boring.â
âCanât tell you or else it wonât come true,â she shrugged, tone nonchalant.
âItâs not a birthday wish,â he said incredulously, concentrating on not letting Rory kick the metallic can away from him. âOr are you too ashamed to admit that youâre boring too?â
âI guess weâll never know,â she replied, a mischievous smile on her lips once she finally managed to kick the can onto the parallel road.
Calum was forced to face the adjacent door to Roryâs apartment once they reached it, not allowed to find out where she kept hidden her secret key.
The place was small, though it was also the perfect size for a person living alone. Paintings of flower-covered skin filled every inch of her walls. The colourful petals looked vibrant against drawings of shoulders and ribcages, standing out beautifully against flesh of different tones. Calum took a few fascinated steps closer to study the artwork, astounded by the realism and detail.
âYouâre an artist?â Calum asked, turning his head away from the wildflowers on the wall.
âAspiring artist,â clarified Rory, stepping towards the windows to close the curtains. âI work at a tattoo parlour though, so I still get to produce art in a way. On people, not canvases, but weâll get there one day.â
âIâm sure you will,â Calum hummed, knowing from experience that if you really want something, it will happen. Or perhaps he was just lucky. âYouâre really talented.â
âThanks,â she murmured, throwing her hair over the chrysanthemums on her shoulder. Calum nodded politely as he took a few steps back towards the open front door. âI think I better get going.â
âWhy did you walk me home?â
âWhat do you mean?â he questioned with a confused demeanour, hand resting on the doorknob.
âYou know what I mean,â she insisted calmly, making her way to stand in front of him. Rory was tall, taller than average, and yet she still had to lift her chin up to face Calum. âWhy did you walk me home?â
âWhy did you let me into your apartment?â Calum challenged with a teasing grin, leaning his arm on the wooden door frame. âI only planned on walking you to the building to make sure you were safe, but you insisted on me making sure I took you to the door. You also asked me to make you a hot chocolate.â
âWhat are you trying to say?â she spoke almost menacingly, though there was a playful layer wrapped around her voice.
âI think those were all tactics to spend time with me,â he explained cheekily, mischief in his eyes. âYou like me.â
âI do not,â Rory huffed, horror painted on her every feature.
âIâm only teasing,â Calum chuckled softly, stepping backwards into the hallway. Rory rolled her eyes at him, clearly unamused. âThis was fun,â he admitted, tucking his hands into the pockets of his coat. âWe should do it again sometime.â
âIn your dreams, Hood.â
The sun was beginning to rise as he walked the empty streets, occasionally walking past a drunk group of friends that made their way back home after a wild night. Calum felt the familiar tingle on the back of his calf, waiting a few nervous seconds to see the new bloom upon his skin. It was a lotus flower. New beginnings.
Calumâs lips curled into a smile as he looked down at the soft pink petals, excited for what the year had to bring.
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