A L I V E | gang!cal AU

M E E T T H E H O O D S

The deafening sound of your rapid heartbeat made your hands sweat. You were pacing around the room, stuck in your headspace. The whole day, you couldn't stop thinking about tonight. There was no way you could screw tonight up. It wasn't even an option for you. 

You stopped in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom, overanalysing your outfit. A simple plaid dress would be ideal, right? Should you wear that many rings? How about your hair? An up-do or-

"Baby."

Your eyes shifted to the top of the mirror where Calum's reflection was. You smiled weakly, turning on your heel to face him. He approached you, taking your small hand in his. Placing his warm hands on your back, he pulled you closer to him. You took in what he was wearing. He decided on wearing a simple white tee with a black blazer on top. His strong cologne filled your senses, automatically reminding you of many heart-lightening memories which calm you down.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, making you divert your attention from his clothes to him. 

"I'm nervous," you admitted, pouting slightly. You lost much sleep just thinking about tonight. Many worst-case-scenarios filled your mind, deterring you from getting any sleep. He sighed, pulling you into a hearty hug. 

His fingers run down your back, giving you chills. He rested his head in the crook of your neck, swaying the both of you slightly. "You have nothing to worry about," he cooed, laying a short but sweet kiss on your cold lips. You pulled back, staring deeply in his brown eyes. "Promise?" 

He let out a small laugh, leaning in for another kiss. 

◧ ◨ ◩ ◪

You took in the quaint house outside the car. You could only imagine how homely the house must be. You could just see his parents having dinner every night without fail even though they were busy with their jobs. Calum mentioned his sister, Mali-Koa and from what you were told, she seemed like the coolest person ever. 

You felt Calum's hand rest on your thigh, drawing small shapes in the skin. From how long you've started dating, there was nobody that knew you as much as Calum did. He knew your little ticks and the things that calm you down. Heck, he even knew your order at Mcdonalds. 

"Ready, darling?" Your heart fluttered at his name for you. 

You took a deep breath before nodding. He pulled the key out, making the deep grumbling engine cut off. He got out before walking over to your side. He pulled the car door open for you, holding his hand out. You grinned, placing your hand in his as you got out of the Camaro. Your heels clicked on the rough pavement as the both of you walked towards the house hand in hand.  

He knocked firmly on the door, turning to you and smiling at you. You mustered a small smile when the front door opened. In front of you stood who you could only assume was Joy, Calum's mom. She smiled widely, little crinkles forming at the side of her eyes. Your heart fluttered of the thought of Calum inheriting the same trait from her. 

"Y/N!" she squealed, opening her arms wide towards you. 

A toothy smile crept onto your lips before you entered her arms, hugging her excitedly. The both of you separated before she opened the door more, motioning for the both of you to enter the house. Calum hugged his mom, laying a quick kiss on her cheek. From the kitchen, you saw Mali and David, his dad, approach you.

Mali was gorgeous. Her tanned skin complemented her blonde hair perfectly. Her warm smile made you feel welcomed instantly. She engulfed you in a hug, muttering how glad she was to be meeting you. David nodded at you, waving hello. 

"Oh hurry up! The lasagna isn't going to stay warm all night!" Joy reminded, dashing towards the dining table that was already elegantly set up. 

◧ ◨ ◩ ◪

"Mom, stop!" Calum begged in between laughs. 

Everyone at the table was smiling wide, stifling their laughter. Joy had just revealed that Calum cried on his first day of high school and laughter immediately erupted in the dining room. After much effort, the laughing died down and was replaced with the metallic sound of forks scratching against the plate. 

"So, Y/N. We've never met any of Calum's girlfriends before," David stated before taking another gulp of wine. 

You blushed a little at the thought before replying, "Oh, really?", seeing Calum smiling bashfully from where you were sitting. "So where did you guys meet?" Mali asked, placing her utensils down. 

"She was lost and somehow ended up in Street 10 and it just so happened that the both of us crossed paths right outside the gang's hideout," Calum explained, smiling brightly as if he was reliving the day again. 

Your breath hitched at the back of your throat at the mere mention of the gang. You never really thought about it before. Were his parents cool with it? Did they care? The sound of plates clattering snapped you out of your thoughts. 

Joy was cleaning up the plates, stacking them effortlessly with one hand. "Let me help with that," you muttered, picking some plates as well. Joy grinned before both of you entered the kitchen together. 

As the both of you stood side by side, one doing the washing while the other does the drying, the conversation steered to the gang. "Mrs Hood, are you ok with the whole gang thing?" you timidly asked, not sure on the type of response you were going to get. A small smile embraces her lips. 

"I was absolutely enraged when I found out. Thinking about it, I should have known. He was coming home late every day and he wouldn't tell me why," she said, washing the soap off the plate. 

"I was the last one to accept the fact in the family. Although it took a long, long time, I finally came to terms with it and honestly, if he's happy, that's all I could ask for." 

You stood there, shocked at how accepting the family was. She smiled at you as a matter-of-factly. "You're in the gang, aren't you?" she asked. Absolutely shocked, you almost dropped the plate in your hand. 

"H-how did you know?"

"Why else would he bother bringing a girl home if he didn't think that she was the one? I tell you, he really loves his gang and if he finally found someone who didn't get in the way, I'm sure he wouldn't want to let you go."