𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚 ⚣ 𝙘𝙩𝙝+𝙖𝙛𝙞 ✔

6

the fit his smile his hair the stuffie uwu

new character this chap pls keep an open mind

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Calum was ready. He was ready to be with someone again. He was sure of it. After seeing Ashton with that Dylan guy, he was one hundred percent certain that he was ready to be in a relationship again. Well, for the most part. He was just tired of being alone. But he figured that was good enough of a reason to start looking again.

He missed having someone for so many reasons. He missed going out to fancy places and spoiling someone because they were his everything. He missed falling asleep in someone's arms, he missed being kissed goodnight and missed waking up with someone. He missed writing love songs. He missed being in love.

He was not going to walk into work expecting to meet the next love of his life, but he did walk in with an open mind. He was going to try and be more trusting, but not stupidly so. He was going to try and see the best in people again, because he knew that not everyone was manipulative, and it was unlikely that his heart would be broken again.

They do say that the third time is the charm.

Calum remembered nearly everything that Michael and Luke had said to him about his and Ashton's breakup, but the thing that stuck with him the most was this: right person, wrong time. He totally understood the idea, but he knew that the two men had just been trying to make him feel better about the situation. He had loved Ashton with all of his heart, but he wasn't meant to be his person.

The day was normal. Calum drove to work listening to music, specifically 'Creep' by Radiohead, as it wasn't a long drive.
He had walked Duke that morning, since he had woken up early. As of late, he found that he'd been unable to sleep. And if he did somehow manage to fall into a slumber, it was short-lived, off and on twenty minute bursts of sleep before he simply lay there for hours.

He knew why it was happening. It was the way his body had chosen to go about avoiding that dream. Those dreams. There was more than one. The newest, most recent one involved the two of them simply laying in bed together. Calum remembered it vividly. Ashton had written a song for him. His singing voice was so beautiful; strong but delicate as he sang that special song to his lover. They laid in bed almost all day. It was perfect then.

But remembering it now made Calum feel like shit.

As the day carried on, Calum felt himself becoming even more restless. He was drumming on the counter, humming to himself, cracking his knuckles and doing just about everything else that coincided with anxiety or sleep deprivation. He knew he was annoying some of the coworkers he wasn't exactly friends with, but he couldn't help it. He was tired, but he had so much fucking energy. (Side effect of all the coffee he drank, since it was all that was available during work hours).

Customers came and went. The day was completely normal. He took the orders, he made the drinks, he smiled that fake smile that he was required to, and he watched the clock eagerly for the minute he was allowed to leave. It was still only 2:30, and his shift wasn't over until 5pm.

"Fuck." He groaned to himself under his breath, knowing how much shit he'd be in if he was heard. "Let's go already."

Calum did not hate his job by any means. He loved coffee. Iced coffee was his favourite, but he didn't mind a hot cup now and then. Especially in the morning. He did not however enjoy having to relive the exact same thing every day. He hated routine. He liked adventure and mystery. He had that with Ashton. But now, by himself, it was hard to have such things without being deemed certifiably insane.