5SOS Imagines/Preferences

Calum

"Hello?" You barely mumbled.
It's approximately four in the morning, you assumed, and checking the caller ID would have been a waste of time considering your eyes were as blurred as your thinking. Who would call at such an unholy time?
You heard a shaky exhale before a response. "Hey." A familiar voice sounded so strained, so confined from the other line.
"Calum."
He was quick to cut you off, presumably because you sounded so ready to shut him down already. "No, please. Listen," Calum's clenched jaw was more than visible to your eyes, "I fucked up."
"I fucked up." He repeated. You couldn't help but to sigh exasperatedly, shifting so that you were laid on your back. As easy as it is to fall into temptation; to shoulder some of Calum's burden, to take ease it off of his shoulder for comfort, you couldn't. You shouldn't.
"Does she not assure you at four in the morning?" You questioned, reminding him of his present paramour. The one that allegedly connects with him in more ways you two didn't.
"It's midday."
You couldn't help but pity him, or do anything but, hate him to be precise. Calum and you go way back. Previously inseparable, previously in-love.
"This is ridiculous. I... I shouldn't have called you." Calum stuttered, his mind proving to be just as scrambled as yours. Except it was midday for him and it's 4 in the morning for you, so what excuse does he have to offer for his ridiculous phone call?
Humming in agreement, you parted your lips to speak only to be interrupted, again. "It's just that," Calum paused, inhaling sharply before exhaling heavily, "today she told me 'I love you' and I... I couldn't retaliate it. I couldn't lie to her. I still love you, and you're not there to fucking laugh at me, shake your head, kiss me, then call me an idiot." His voice shook at the end, as though he was deliberately wanting to make you feel the seismic ruptures occurring within.
And, it was unfair. He broke up with you to chase after milestones, to gather diamonds, because you just weren't enough. It wasn't enough for him that you gave up every string you had attached to everything you could call yours for him, to be appropriate for him, to be there for him. It wasn't enough to the point he found someone better while you were trying to be better for him.
You broke the silence that followed, no longer able to withstand the recurring thoughts that would only render you vulnerable, again, again, and again. "It's been a year. You and I have moved on, especially you. You're with somebody, and I something." You sighed, "It's a little too late."
Yet another silence settled between the two of you. The only sound that filled your ears was the loud thumps of your heart against your ribcage. Nervously, you fiddled with the hem of your shirt, seeing as now it was easy to reach in comparison to Calum's shirts, which reached midway your thigh.
"I fucked up, didn't I?" There was that repetition again. But this time you responded, "Big time. But you believe in go big or go home, so go you."
"I heard you no longer smoke so I stopped..."
You rolled your eyes at the new topic, knowing damn well what Calum was up to. He always had a thing for long conversations at unholy time, if it meant that the two of you would get through. But that was no longer the case.
"Cause I know you hate the taste of it." He chuckled, a string of entreaty laced around his tone. For what, exactly, you didn't know. "But that doesn't matter, right? Because I fucked up, so you wouldn't be tasting me anyway."
Furrowing your brows, your lips pursed into a straight line. The very last image of him that you witnessed replayed in your mind. He didn't look regretful with an aphrodisiac attached to his hip, nor did he seem regretful for leaving you according to his heartfelt confession about his new relationship under the limelight.
"I've not stopped thinking this shit since I've come away."
"I have class in the morning and you're depriving me of sleep, please just get straight to the point."
Calum chose to ignore you, continuing with his pursuit to win you back. "How about I change?"
You scoffed at the idea, refusing to submit to your crescendoing vulnerability as the time for the phone call increases. Throughout this time, he was still able to breach your walls, after all.
"How about you look at me the same?" Calum continued, "How about... how about you love me again?"
And just like that, your whole world was falling apart after going through constant maintenance. You felt your heart crumble along with Calum's hope because you both knew that this time the silence meant more than nothing. Once again, you found yourself trying, but this time for your sake and his'.
"I can't pretend to love you like how you pretended you loved me."
This time, the silence meant 'No' and possibly 'Good-bye'.

(Credit: Unknown )