when I wake up (calum hood a.u.)

chapter 13

Each passing day before band practice, Calum grew more and more and more nervous.

Aubrey could feel this, sitting on his lap in her room while they studied. Calum wasn't paying attention, playing with the straps on Aubrey's shortveralls, jiggling his knee, playing with her hair and putting it into a ponytail then taking it out.

"You okay, sweetheart?" She turned around. Sweetheart. She had developed this pet name since Calum had expressed his hate for baby and babe. Love was too British, and honey made her feel like a wife or a mother. Sweetheart or even sweetie was just fine.

Calum shook his head, then laid down, Aubrey still in his arms. "What is it?" She asked, playing with the curls brushing his forehead. "You don't have a kid or anything, right?"

Calum laughed and squeezed her tighter. "No, no. It's just that .... Luke went through my bass case after band practice a few days ago, and he found my pamphlets for addiction."

Aubrey's eyes widened. "Are you-are you?" She tensed up, and Calum winced, easing his grip.

"No! No! Not anymore! The whole reason I moved to Sydney was to get away from that! I've got a therapist, I go to groups, I'm fine! I'm clean."

Aubrey sighed and buried her face in his shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

He ran his fingers through her hair. He didn't want this to end, just to stay here and drink in her smell, which was some coconut shampoo scent.

"I was going to do it at the right time."

"What time was the right time?"

Calum pondered this for a few minutes. "Shit, Aub, I don't know. You really made me question my planning process there."

Aubrey giggled and kissed his cheek. "Sorry." She liked touching him. And not even in a sexual way (sometimes). It was just very comforting to know he was there, to touch his skin or the denim on his knee or the cotton of his tee-shirt.

"So, if Luke freaks out on you at band practice tomorrow?" Aubrey asked, becoming a bit afraid. Luke had been known to flip out violently when he thought shit was going down.

Calum kissed her neck ever so lightly. "I'll tell him he doesn't know shit." Aubrey sighed a sigh of relief, let Calum kiss her again, and heard a knock at the door.

Calum groaned, and Aubrey shushed him. "What?"

"Get Cal out here, Aub. Emergency practice." Ashton called from outside the door. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything. I better not be." The two could practically hear his cheeky grin.

Aubrey blushed ferociously. Calum let her go and rolled off the side of the bed, stopping to kiss Aubrey on the head. "Bye, babe."

"I thought you hated that pet name!" She protested before he opened the door.

"Only when I'm called it. When I call my girl 'babe', it's fine." He smiled and shut the door.

Aubrey sat, thinking there must be some feminist logic behind that, but ignored it, because she had to freaking focus on her history study guide.

~

When Calum got down to the garage, he knew all hell was about to break loose.

Luke stood there with a devilish grin (kinda hot when u think about it esp. with that lip ring ayyye), like a villain in a Disney movie. Calum half-expected him to say something like "Well, well, well, what have we have here."

He didn't.

"So, Cal," He said, tapping his Converse against the ground and making "Cal" incredibly anxious. "Heard you've been screwing around with Aubrey and you've some fucked-up addiction."

"Hey, mate, stop." Ashton barked, but Luke ignored him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, man?" Michael followed. Calum fought the vicious urge to sock both of them in the face with an flaming iron fist. The ignorance.

"Why were you fucking with Calum's bass case?" Called a feminine voice from above the stairs. Aubrey.

"Aubrey, your man is a druggie." Michael snickered. Aubrey punched him in the stomach, which sent him spiraling. "Aubrey!" Ashton shouted, but again, he was ignored.

"Luke, why were you fucking with Calum's bass case?" Aubrey restated calmly, walking in front of Calum, who put his arms on her shoulders as a way of restraining her and reminding Luke who got the girl. Which slightly sickened Aubrey, because she was not a prize to be won, but also comforted her, because Luke was a sometimes-violent-asshole.

"I-I-I, Bree, I wanted to make sure you were-they were out in the open!" Luke exclaimed, remembering his lie and using Aubrey's childhood nickname.

"I keep my pamphlets hidden from shitheads like you." Calum spoke. "And I'm clean." He said with a sense of pride. Michael, on the other hand, had recovered and was now standing up. He didn't want to make any more comments after that.

"I think it's best we disband for a while." Ashton murmured. Both Luke and Michael shouted their responses, but Ashton set them on their way. He was sad, and Aubrey could tell.

She hugged her brother. "I'm sorry, Ash."

Ashton sighed. "Fuck, we didn't even have a name."

oops sorry.

aubrey sassy af

xxx erin