English Love Affair -- 5SOS fanfic

Track Three - She Looks So Perfect

I fiddled with the camera buttons absentmindedly, whilst my eyes swept the London park for anything worthy of a picture. I chewed my lip as my gaze studied the blooming candy floss on the blossom trees, then the crooked park bench, on which sat a proud old man reading the morning paper, and the dogs taking its owner for a walk, the lead almost ripped from her desperate hands.

I saw so many opportunities for a perfect photo, but none that seemed to stir me to the core. I knew that I needed a photo that in years to come would still hold a special little place in my heart. Which is why I was starting to despair after an hour of pathetic attempts to capture the perfect moment.

I let out a huff of indignation, before catching a familiar figure approaching me with a shy smile on his lips. His worn vans were damp with the sweet morning dew, and his eyes were still tired from the prospect of a full day ahead of him.

I waved. "Hey Calum!"

His smile spread into a grin after he realised that I did remember his name. "Hey Bry! You're up early." He commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I just wanted to get this picture right for my portfolio in my end-of-year exams. The stress is kinda driving me mad!"

Calum chuckled sheepishly. "This is why I'm so glad that we dropped out of school. Although, I'm hoping it'll work out better in the long run..." He started kicking at the dreamy morning ground with the toe of his shoe. "I was heading to the studio when I - er - saw you here and wondered if you wanted some company for a bit?"

I grinned. "Sure! You could help me with my project!"

He chuckled, his deep voice making my heart beat a little faster, and my smile a little wider. "Why not? But I'm goddamn awful at taking photos, by the way."

"That's fine," I handed him my camera, and he gingerly held it in his fingertips. "This is the 'on' button," I pointed at one of the buttons on the side, "and this is the one for taking pictures." I pressed it, and he furrowed his brow, nodding slowly in understanding.

"We'll see what I can do..." He pressed the 'on' switch, and the shutter flicked open with a confident click.

"Now, I'm going to be sitting here making daisy chains, and literally all you need to do is press the button for taking pictures, okay?"

Calum grinned amusedly. "I'm not 7 years old, Bry."

"But you're younger than me, so I'm allowed to tell you what to do," I raised an eyebrow, a smirk racing across my lips. "Okay?"

He rolled his eyes, a laugh evident in his cheeks. "Okay, Mum."

I knelt down with Calum next to me, and pushed my body close to his. Looping an arm around his shoulder, I started to focus the camera on the daisies. When I was happy, I left Calum on the floor, and sat cross-legged with a daisy intertwined in my fingers. I heard Calum snap a few photographs, before standing and offering me a hand. I smiled and took it.

"They looked really good," he said surprisingly, "although I think you should try this..." He tugged his jacket off his back and offered it to me. I raised an eyebrow, before an idea formed in my mind. I wrapped the jacket around my shoulders, and pulled off my flannel, revealing my tattoo.

Calum raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you had a tattoo."

I slipped him a shy smile. "Yeah. It's a few years old now, but I can't decide whether I like it."