Redesigned > cake au [complete.]

24

a/n: I wrote the most of this at 1am bc this fanfic is consuming me (this is the longest chapter yet woah)

Awkward didn't even begin to explain how I felt the next day. I couldn't even look Calum in the eye, which was kind of upside-down because I wasn't the one getting off to him while he was in the room.

Luckily he woke up much later than I usually did, so I had time to get dressed, have breakfast and clear my thoughts a little before I got to face him.

"Hello dear," Calum's mum, Joy, greeted me when I stepped into the kitchenette area. "Slept well?"

"Could've been better," I admitted, opening one of the cabinets and pulling out a bowl and a spoon. People would find it weird how comfortable I was in Calum's apartment, but honestly I had spent equal amounts of time here as I had in my own apartment, so this was basically a second home to me by now.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she answered with an apologetic face. If only she knew why.

——

I told Ashton all about the dream, and he was even more confused than I was.

"That makes no sense," he sighed, keeping his voice low so the two of them wouldn't hear us from across the table. Honestly, we could have shouted this conversation, and they still wouldn't have noticed, seeing as they were too wrapped up in each other. "Or maybe it makes way too much sense."

I frowned, rolling my eyes. "Calum doesn't like me like that!" I hissed. "It must've been one of those weird moments when you think you're in love with your best friend but then you wake up the next day like 'what the fuck was that?!'. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Ashton rolled his eyes at me, pushing up his glasses that had begun slipping down his nose and taking a bite out of his sandwich. "Okay," he answered through a mouthful of bread and cheese and whatever was in there, shrugging a little. "Cause it's totally normal to get off to your best friend."

I sighed, slumping my shoulders in defeat. It wasn't normal, we both knew it, but I had no idea what I was expected to do. Calum was with Mikey. Not me.

——

I had subconsciously been avoiding Calum for the rest of the week, hoping that I would be able to overcome the awkwardness. Alas, nothing seemed to work...

Until Saturday night. My parents had gone out to celebrate their anniversary, my brothers were in college obviously, and so I was home alone, watching The 10 Things I Hate About You (the movie, obviously, not the shitty tv show) for the billionth time. Just as I was about to sigh for the third time about how much I missed Heath Ledger, my phone went off, startling me.

I picked it up to see a text from Calum, and it made me frown as I unlocked it to type back a response.

Cal: can I come Over???

Luke: Uh yeah sure

Cal: greeeeeeeaaattt be there in 5 :)))))

I shrugged, tossing my phone aside, temporarily forgetting why I was avoiding Calum.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang, a shrill sound I had always hated. With a sigh, I heaved myself off the couch and to the door, swinging it open to reveal Calum grinning at me, a box of pizza in his hands.

"So I'm a little drunk," was the first thing he said as he stumbled into my apartment, putting the box down on the dining table. "But I've got pizza, and you're alone and have got Coke in your fridge, so I figured I might as well come party with you instead."

"I'm in no mood to party, Cal," I answered honestly, watching him grab two plates from the cupboard and two cans of Coke. I was suddenly reminded of the incidents of Wednesday night - Thursday morning? - causing me to physically wince.

"What's up?" He asked, cocking his head. Shit, he noticed.

"Nothing," I answered, before clearing my throat and taking the pizza box, walking the three meter distance to the couch and the tv. "I was watching The 10 Things."

Calum grinned, plopping down next to me and handing me a can of Coke. "Again. Nice."

I just hummed in response, helping myself to a slice of pizza.

——

About halfway through the movie, at the scene where Cameron calls out Bianca for being selfish, Calum let out a dramatic sigh.

"That was loud, mate," I laughed, turning to look at him, which was probably a bad idea seeing how beautiful he looked in the dim lighting. "You good?"

"I'm alright," he nodded, but he wasn't looking at my eyes. Instead, his eyes were lower on my face, and my breath hitched when I realised they were on my lips. "I'm not nearly drunk enough for this."

I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. "For what?" I murmured, subconsciously leaning in to the conversation.

"I wanna do something," he mumbled, his eyes finally meeting mine.

I nodded, letting him take over. He pushed me back on the couch so that my head was on one of the pillows my mum had decorated the couch with, before climbing over me, his movements fluid, almost rehearsed. One of his arms were pressing down on the red surface of the couch beside my head, holding himself up, while his other was searching for something. He seemed to have found it, because he clasped his hand around mine tightly, bringing our interlocked hands to rest on my chest.

His eyes searched mine and I bit at my lip ring, masking my look of confusion and apprehension easily. "Fuck it," he mumbled, before leaning in and pressing his mouth against mine.

I let out a breath I had nervously been holding, bringing a hand up to the back of his head, threading my fingers through his wavy hair before bringing him down with even more force against my lips.

Lowering his body towards me gently, his knees nudged mine, spreading my legs just enough so that he was able to slot one of his legs between mine. I lowered the hand I had in his hair, wrapping it around his waist and bringing him flush against my body, curving into my skin in exactly the right way.

The pace of the kiss never picked up, but it was okay. Maybe it was my desire to be loved by Calum that was messing with my mind, but the kiss seemed so soft and full of love.

Just before he could let me go, I detached my hand from his, bringing both my hands up to his cheeks and held his face between my palms, my thumbs tracing his cheekbones.

We disconnected gently, slowly, and I was careful when opening my eyes, not wanting the moment to be ruined.

I quickly found out that I had nothing to fear. Calum was smiling, his eyes full of admiration. He leant down again, pressing a swift kiss to my lips, before leaning down a bit more to nuzzle his face in the crook of my neck. I didn't know what to do: he was basically lying on top of me, his legs laced with mine, one of his hands on my chest, and his breath on my neck.

So, I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him closer to me as I moved up a bit on the couch, and continued to watch the movie, ignoring the guilt that had begun blossoming deep inside my ribcage.