10:53 [calum hood]

22

➸ r i l e y

"3...2...1..." Calum whispered, and I could see Times Square burst into a sea of different colors due to the confetti. I could hear the screams and cheers of people from the tower, and I looked over at Calum.

"I need a New Years kiss, you know?" I teased, and he sighed dramatically.

"Do I have to kiss my new girlfriend at midnight?" Calum whined, but there was a playful smile tugging at his lips.

I giggled and smacked his arm. "Yes." Before I could say anything else, our lips were connected and he was pulling me closer so that there was no room between us at all.

Kissing Calum was completely different than kissing Luke. Luke's kisses were sloppy and full of lust, while Calum's were gentle and heartfelt. After we finally pulled away, his lips were red and swollen in the pale moonlight.

We were silent for a long moment before he jumped suddenly. "Wait!"

I arched an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"We need those cute nicknames for each other, like, you know, they do in the movies." Calum smiled cheekily and I rolled my eyes.

"So what's my nickname?"

He thought for a long moment, stroking his chin. "What's your favorite fruit?" he asked suddenly, as if he actually had somewhere to go with this.

"Uh, I like mangoes?"

Calum grinned. "Good, I like kiwis."

"And?"

He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "You're Mango, and I'm Kiwi."

I blinked at him and giggled at his face, which held a proud and satisfied expression. "Aren't you actually Kiwi though?"

"Exactly. It's a metaphor."

We stared at each other for a while, just taking in one another's appearance. The moon was still low in the sky and glowing so brightly that it hurt my eyes. The silence wasn't an awkward one, as our hands were still intertwined and our legs were still touching.

Calum looked back down at the city, which was still colorful and noisy. "We should climb back down."

I groaned as he scooted over to the ladder, placing his foot on a rung. "If I die because of you, Kiwi--"

"Yeah, if you die you're going to kill me. I get it." We climbed down slowly and silently, and I concentrated to make sure that my feet and hands didn't miss any rungs.

As I hopped to the ground, he draped an arm around my shoulder protectively, also keeping me warm. "You're spending the night at my house."

I blinked at him in shock. "Wait, what?"

"You're coming home with me. You're sleeping next to me," Calum informed. He opened the car door for me and shut it. jogging around the front of the car and hopping into the front seat.

"Says who?" I smirked, and he shot me a dirty look.

"Says me, who's been planning this night ever since Chirstmas, so deal with it." I giggled at his sassiness as he drove out of the field and back onto the deserted highway. I felt my eyelids grow heavy with sleep and my mind started to wander.

I was jolted awake when the comforting roar of the engine was cut off and we were left in silence. I felt too tired to move, and I heard Calum's door shut quietly. I felt myself being lifted and carried bridal style, my head falling limp due to exhaustion.