"It's Not Love If It Hurts" //5sos

/24/

  Annie woke up next to Calum.

  And, unfortunately, it took her a few moments to calm down from the initial shock.

  It's just Calum, he's not going to hurt me.

  Annie sat up, rubbing her eyes. The house was so quiet, just the sounds of her and Calum breathing. She smiled sheepishly.

  Calum and I.

  It wasn't like they were even in a relationship... yet. But just the idea of a 'we' or an 'us' made Annie want to giggle.

  She adjusted the pillow behind her back, only to realize it wasn't her's. It was Calum's- and Calum was sleeping on her pillow. It was a completely rediculous thing to notice, but it made Annie's face heat up. Last night, they had traded pillows, just to see how the other's smelled.

  They were completely rediculous.

  Annie got up and went to her room, brushing her hair and teeth. She considered changing, but it just so happened she was wearing one of Calum's shirts.

  If you don't stop blushing, he's going to think you're sick, Annie chided herself. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the pink tint of her cheeks- or the smile on her lips- to leave.

  When she left her room, she ran into Calum- literally. He steadied her, putting his arms around her waist and smiling down at her.

  "Good morning Annie," Calum practically sang, his voice ruff and scratchy from sleep. His morning voice.

  "Please stop," Annie said jokingly to Calum. "I don't think my ovaries can take much more of this."

  He laughed and they kissed, and everything was right in the world.

  Calum went to his room to get ready, and Annie went into the kitchen. Over the past year or so, she had hardly made breakfast once, so her skills were definitely lacking, but she managed to crack a few eggs on a pan and turn the stove on without burning down the house.

  She starred at the eggs, her mind drifting when she felt someone behind her.

  "Did you add milk?" Calum asked, resting his head on her shoulder, hugging her from behind.

  It took Annie a moment to realize what he was asking. "Oh, was I supposed to?"

  He laughing and went to the fridge to get some, the spots where he was touching her feeling cold without him there.

  "You just need to add a little," he informed her, pouring in a little bit of milk in the eggs and stirring. "You did grease the pan, right?"

  Annie face fell. "Umm..."

  Calum laughed, and continued telling Annie about all the complicated steps of scrambled eggs. She grinned and joked that he'd be an excellent house wife, which Calum responded with "I already am."

***********************************

  "Are you feeling well? You look kind of..." Ashton started, not sure how to describe it.

  "Happy." Michael finished for him. "You look kind of happy and I don't like it."

  It was the second day in a row that the boys pointed out how happy Calum was, and it was getting a bit unnerving. Calum just got back from vocal lessons- he was never happy after vocal lessons.

  He shook his head, trying not to smile but failing. "I feel fine," he lied. In reality, he felt far better than just fine.

  He sat down at his chair, waiting for their managers to come in. It was time for their weekly meeting- where they'd be told what to do differently, what to fix, what to change, and what to promote. They would them tell their managers and handlers what the songs they were working on were, and their managers would shoot down the ideas they didn't like. It wasn't very fun- but Calum was practically glowing.

  In walked their managers, and then their handlers. The main difference was that the managers were in charge of technicallities, money, and performances, while their handlers were in charge of advertisment, press, and the boys personalities. Their managers made sure they were a band- their handlers made sure they were a good one.

  And then started the weekly ordeal. Plans to drop the new album, deciding on the way they want to be perceived, making sure the boys were keeping with their contracts. It wasn't as horrible as usual, and then the managers left and their handlers asked if they had any questions. They didn't always, but this week Calum did.

  "I want to get a girlfriend."

  Johanna titled her head to the side, considering it. John, her other half, wasn't even doing that.

  "Hmm... their are pros and cons," she mused, already going through all the possible outcomes Calum getting a girlfriend might bring up. "Pro; the publicity."

  "No, no." John said, but only to Johanna. They were already in their own world, where only the two of them existed and they had to find the best possible way to play god for 'their' band. "Right now our best asset is the fans, and they would go berserk."

  "You're right. They would go crazy, talking about it and looking it up and making theories and giving us free advertising-"

  "-and becoming jealous and knowing they'll never have a chance with Calum, or any of the boys! If he dates a model or actress, then it'll be even more-"

  "Who said anything about a model or an actress?" Calum interupted. Johanna and John turned to him startled, before looking back at each other, speaking as if the boys couldn't hear them.

  "He already knows who he wants to date."

  "Rediculous."

  "Maybe... maybe not."

  "But the image!"

  "The press would go nuts! Imagine, all the publicity-"

  "But the fans."

  "They already know they have no chance! It wouldn't change a thing, except for the way people view Calum! The idea of him being in a relationship would be engrained in everyone's minds, it'd be phonominal!"

  John slowly nodded, starting to like the idea. "But what about the ships?"

  "It'd be even better! People would go crazy at the idea of Calum destroying Cake, or Cashton, or Malum!"

  "They'd assume his managers put him up to it."

  "Even better! If the managers get all the blame, it will just enforce the idea of the boys perfection! People would stand by their sides regardless of what happened, just for the sake of the poor boys controlled by their managers."

  They turned to Calum, smiling a little creepily. "It's a yes." Johanna said.

  "Do you know her already?" John asked, to which Calum nodded.

  "Perfect, perfect. We'll be by your new address tomorrow at five. This is going to be great."