5sos Shorts

"Hungover" c.h.

I woke up in a bed that was unfamiliar to me. My hand went straight to my throbbing head and my eyes squeezed shut. The light would not be my friend today. I took a few deep breaths before turning my head and peeking through my lashes at the other side of the bed. It was completely undisturbed to my immense relief.

I took some time to just lay there, trying to defog my memories of the night before. I'd gone to a party that Louis had thrown, but aside from that fact I couldn't recall anything from the night yet. I forced myself to sit up, despite my aching body, and rubbed my face with my hands. Mistake. I grimaced at the eye makeup and foundation that had rubbed off.

Great.

I threw the sheets off of me and peeked out the door, noting that the coast was clear, and went to the bathroom. I surprised myself when I found it on my first try. The first thing I remembered from the night before and it was the location of the bathroom. I rolled my eyes at myself and began rummaging through the drawers and cabinets to find bar soap. I finally did and began scrubbing the gunky makeup from the night before off my face. I even found some Tylenol for my headache in the medicine cabinet.

"Morning sunshine." A gruff morning voice spoke as the owner passed by the bathroom. I jumped in surprise and dropped the soap in the sink.

"Fuck!" I hissed, picking it up and setting it in the shower since I couldn't find a soap dish. I rinsed off my hands and face and towel dried both quickly before poking my head around the door and into the hallway, looking in the direction the guy had been walking in. I couldn't see him anymore, but I could hear clattering and clanking from the kitchen and my hands flew back to my head. I couldn't wait for those pills to kick in.

I walked slowly down the hall and saw a tall, tanned man with dark hair and a fit lean body that I would know anywhere.

HOLY SHIT HOW DID I MANAGE TO END UP AT CALUM'S PLACE?

My mind began racing and I felt like the room was spinning as I leaned against the wall to keep myself upright. My heart was beating out of my chest and I took quick shallow breaths in an attempt to try to compose myself as I rounded the corner.

"You slept a lot longer than I thought you would." He commented casually as I walked into the room and sat at his kitchen table. "Want some eggs?"

"Sure?" I answered, unsure. "Um... sorry, but, I... How did I get here?"

"You called me. Multiple times." He answered with a shrug, not turning to look at me as he prepared breakfast for the both of us.

"We didn't..." I trailed off, not quite knowing how to ask him what I wanted without embarrassing myself further than I probably already had.

"You dialed the wrong number and told me where you were, but by the time I got there you were too wasted to even remember where you lived. I couldn't just leave you out there in the state you were in, so I picked you up and brought you back here. I sobered you up as much as I could before putting you to bed, but honestly you were pretty out of it most of the time. We didn't do anything, Darcy." He assured me. I mentally sighed in relief, resting my elbows on the table and my head in my hands.

"I'm so embarrassed." I admit out loud, shaking my head.

"Here, eat this. You'll feel better." Calum urged. "Did you take those pills I told you about?"

"Yeah, thanks." I answered, figuring he'd told me about them the night before and I just didn't remember.

"Want some water?" He offered, pulling two out of the fridge and setting one in front of me before I even responded. I gave him a grateful smile and started eating the scrambled eggs he'd given me as he dug in himself.

"Can I ask you a question?" Calum asked after a few minutes of silence. I looked up at him and nodded as I chewed. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Oh." I spoke without thinking, my face heating with embarrassment and admittedly slight disappointment. "I'm uh... I'm a friend of Bonnie's."

Bernadette Hood was Calum's youngest sister, and a bit of the family black sheep. She
was the result of an affair his mother had while his parents had taken a break from each other many years ago. Calum harbored no hatred for Bonnie Hood, though, as far as I could ever see. In fact, he seemed to be the only one in his family that accepted and loved her at all. Even their mother wouldn't be able to hide her shame whenever she was in the same room as Bonnie.

"Ah, okay, that's it. I thought you seemed familiar, but I couldn't place you." He responded, unfazed by my answer. "Is that how you got my number?"

"No, no. I don't have your number." I responded honestly. "Your number must be similar to one of my friend's numbers."

"Hm." He hummed and nodded at my words, his eyes still focused on his food. I finished and went to check my purse for my phone when I realized I didn't have it. I could feel myself panic a bit.

"Did I have my purse when you picked me up?" I asked quickly, looking around the room frantically.

"No. I figured you must have left it at the party you came from." He told me, finishing his own food and finally looking up at me and meeting my eyes. My world froze momentarily as I took in his features. It had been a few years since I'd really seen Calum Hood, and it felt like I was making up for lost time. His plump lips were parted slightly and his brows furrowed in concern or confusion, his dark eyes scanning mine.

"What about my phone?" I asked breathlessly, not breaking eye contact.

"I didn't even think about that. It was probably left behind at the library." He realized. I finally broke our gaze to let out a disappointed whine.

"Geez... I guess I've got places to go today, then." I sighed, finally noticing I was no longer in my dress. He seemed to catch on to where my mind had wandered.

"You changed before bed last night. I put your dress through the wash if you want to put that back on." He informed me.

"Oh, which one was I wearing?" I asked. Calum swallowed thickly at the question before answering.

"It was uh, tight, um, and black." He finally managed to tell me, keeping his words intentionally monosyllabic so as not to say anything out loud he didn't mean to. He must have noticed my hesitance to put the dress back on.

"Unless you want to just borrow what you're wearing. You can bring them back whenever."

"I appreciate that. I promise I will." I nodded hurriedly. "Where are my shoes?"

"By the door." He told me as he picked up our dishes and set them in the sink. I padded over and pulled on my black boots, tucking the ends of the sweatpants into them so they wouldn't get dirty.

"Thank you again, Calum. I really, really appreciate all of this." I told him, gesturing to myself. He chuckled and approached me, giving me a short squeeze sort of hug before opening the door for me.

"I'll see you again soon, Darcy. It's been interesting." He laughed. I smiled, feeling the pink take over my cheeks as I nodded and walked out of his apartment, the cool air hitting my too warm skin.

"See you."