A L I V E | gang!cal AU

R O A D T R I P

You got up from the freshly made bed, shuffling towards the framed picture on Calum's desk. You picked it up, shocked to see younger versions of the gang. They looked like they were in front of their high school, all of them pointing middle fingers at the camera. It was weird to see a younger Calum like it was an alternate version of him. It was even weirder to spend the night in his childhood bedroom. You could tell that nothing had been moved since the last time he was home. His posters were still stuck onto the wall, which you were sure weren't going to come off without taking some wallpaper with it. 

You scanned the picture in detail, noticing a girl that you've never seen before. She had brown hair that was scooped up into a bun. She was wearing a ring on her fourth finger, similar to Calum in the picture. You frowned, trying to rack your brain for any clue on who that girl was. 

Calum entered the room shirtless, hair still unruly from his shower. He met eyes with you, a sweet smile crawling to his lips. He wrapped his arms around you, resting his head in the crook of your neck. You squirmed at the cold water on your skin, squealing for him to get off. He giggled, noticing the picture in your hand. 

"You don't need to see me pre-puberty," he chuckled, setting the picture down. You turned around, ruffling his hair up. Fat droplets of water splashed you, making you regret your decision. Calum effortlessly picked you up, bringing you to the bed. 

You landed with a bounce before he joined you on the bed. He wrapped his long arms around you, face inches from yours. "Hey there," you whispered, eyes darting to his plump lips. "Hey," he replied, closing the distance between the both of you. 

The feeling of having his lips on yours never grew old. You felt like you've known Calum forever, but you still have the butterflies in your stomach as if you just kissed him for the first time. 

The both of you laid there in comfortable silence. You stared into his brown eyes, memorising every detail of him. His lips separated like he wanted to say something, but he was at a lost of words. 

"I-" 

"Calum!" you squealed as you felt the damp sheets. You pushed him off the bed, straightening the bedsheets which you had just nicely tucked in. He giggled, walking to his duffel bag. He pulled out some joggers and a shirt, quickly changing into it. You sat in front of the mirror, starting to put on your makeup. 

Calum sat behind you, taking the makeup brush from your hold. You looked at him weird, trying to get your brush back. You reached for it but was soon grasping air when Calum lifted the brush with his arm so that you couldn't reach it even if you tried. "I need to do my makeup!" you whined, tackling him so that he was lying on the carpeted floor. You straddled him, reaching for the damn brush, but to no avail. You stopped trying, looking sternly in his eyes. 

"I'm telling you, you don't need makeup," he admitted, hands running up your thighs. His fingers left goosebumps in its train on your thighs. You blushed, covering your face while denying what he said. He sat up with you still in his lap. He tossed the brush away before removing your hands from your face. "I mean it," he muttered, looking into your eyes. 

Your heart skipped a beat. The both of you have never done anything like this before. Throughout the year you've known him, the both of you have never been this affectionate. Heck, it took the both of you ages to just have your first kiss. You've never been with someone like him before, and it wasn't a bad thing, but after what was happening, you missed the familiar feeling that was buried in the back of your mind. 

You missed being normal. You could only dream about having a normal relationship with him. You couldn't help but long for Lazy Sundays with him. You craved for normal dates with him like going to the carnival. Cute Instagram pictures. 

"Love?" he prompted, snapping you out of your deep thoughts. You met eyes with him before smashing your lips with his. The kiss was quick but passionate, leaving the both of you gasping for air. 

"We've got to go," you whispered as your foreheads were touching. A small smile tugged at his plump lips. 

◧ ◨ ◩ ◪

"Oh, I can't believe that you're leaving already," Joy cooed, engulfing her son with a big hug. Calum laid a quick peck on her cheek before turning to help you load the car with the bags. 

"Wait," Joy mumbled, pulling Calum back. Calum furrowed his eyebrows at her sudden movement. "What is it, mom?" he asked. Joy held onto his hands, eyes darting from her son to his girlfriend. "Take care of her," she commented after a moment of silence. Calum looked at her in confusion, retorting, "I've been taking good care of-". He stopped when he realised his mom's look of fondness. He followed her line of sight and soon enough, his eyes landed on you. He looked back at his mom, nodding. She smiled softly, hugging him one last time. 

The pair joined you and helped with the bags. 

"Alright, we're all set."

Joy widened her arms towards you and you gave her a big hug. "Thank you so much for letting me stay the night," you mumbled as the hug broke between the both of you. "Anything for my little Y/N," she replied, smiling widely. Calum and you got into the car, saying your goodbyes to his family. Inserting the car key, Calum switched the gear before driving off towards the city. 

◧ ◨ ◩ ◪

An old song came on the radio, making the both of you sing along whole-heartedly. 

"Man, this reminds me of the good old days. I used to sing this all the time with Va-" Calum caught himself. 

"Who's that?" you asked as a matter-of-factly, turning to face him. His jaw clenched, keeping his brown eyes on the road ahead. "Babe, who was that?" you repeated, placing your hand on his arm. He took a glimpse at you before muttering, "Nothing. I'm done with this conversation." You sighed in frustration, rolling your eyes. "Whatever," you sighed.  

The two of you sat in silence. As he exited the highway, he sounded, "Wanna go to the beach?" You looked at him with squinted eyes, still agitated from your argument with him. He returned your stare, giving you a small smile. Just like that, he won you over and now, the both of you were going to the beach. 

◧ ◨ ◩ ◪

The beach was deserted. The ocean breeze gave you chills as it blew through your hair. The sun was setting in all its glory, emphasising the contrast between the sea and the sky. You stood beside him in comfortable silence, taking in the sight in front of your eyes. 

"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly, hugging you from behind. 

You shrugged as he tightened his hold around you. "Not much," you replied, swaying slightly. He played with your hair, humming a little song. 

Calum savoured this moment. He was with Y/N, enjoying the magnificent sunset. The only thing he could think of was how much he loved her. As cliche as it sounded, he never felt this feeling so strong and overwhelming with anybody else. It was almost unexplainable. He felt in absolute synergy with her. He separated his lips for the words that had been lingering on his mind for ages to come out, but she interrupted him. 

"We have to get home soon, Cal. It's getting dark." 

He bit his tongue, hating himself for another missed opportunity. With that, he followed her as she returned to the Camaro.