Wherever You Are | c.h. | Soulmate AU

8

"Um, when I left this morning I wasn't really expecting to return with company so it's a bit of a mess. I'm sorry about that." He says, a flush of his cheeks revealing a slight sense of embarrassment as he puts the car in drive.

"Don't worry about it, my place is a mess too." I offer a polite laugh trying to make him more comfortable.

I'm not sure what I was expecting but as we pull into the garage I'm surprised by the homey feel immediately surrounding me.

"This is..."

"Not what you expected?" He turns, a soft smile on his face as he lets out a chuckle.

"Kind of." I reply. My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of jingling and the surprise of tiny paws patting against my leg. "Oh my gosh he's so cute!" I gush, bending to pet the black and white dog as Calum laughs.

"Yeah, he's pretty handsome. His name's Duke." He says, stooping to scratch behind the dog's ears himself.

"Anyways, everyone thinks I live in some mansion but that seemed so excessive when I'm hardly ever in town. Mike bought the big house with a million bedrooms. I just wanted a place that was private but reminded me of home." He says, his eyes drifting around the room in a similar fashion to mine.

"Where exactly is home?" I ask curiously and he scoffs.

"Damn. You don't know anything about me at all, do you?" His tone isn't angry, it's more amused. "Fuck, I don't even know the last time I had a conversation with someone who wasn't at least vaguely familiar with the band."

I feel my shoulders drop, a feeling of self-consciousness enveloping me.

"I'm sorry." I shrug.

"No, no, don't apologize. I kind of like it. You don't have any preconceived notions that I feel like I have to live up to or create an explanation for." He places his keys on a small rack beside the kitchen and leads me into a living room, taking a seat on a large cream colored sectional. Duke follows behind us and hops up on the couch settling in on the opposite side of Calum.

"You have things in your past you thought you'd need to explain?" I ask quirking an eyebrow.

"I was just a dumb kid. I was like fifteen when we got started and I had no idea what I was doing. I made some really dumb decisions, trusted people I shouldn't have." He scratches the back of his neck and leans forward his elbows resting on top of his knees as his chin sits in the palm of his hand.

"That's all a part of growing up though."

"I guess." He says softly, shaking his head as if to clear his mind.

"So tell me about you." I try.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything." I say simply.

"Might take a while to tell you everything." He smirks up at me playfully.

"Good thing I've got time then." I reply smoothly, settling into the cushions of the couch and enjoying the warmth his strong gaze fixating on me is providing.

"Um, where to start. My names Calum Hood, Calum Thomas Hood. I'm from Australia, near Sydney."

I hum as I'm finally able to place his accent with his words.