Loner City // a.u Calum Hood

Twenty one

There's always 5 steps in relationship.
1- the flirtation-ship
2- the "getting to know you"
3- the giddy jump for joy giggles you make me happy cutsie
4- the break up and make up, fighting for love
5- love like an old couple

I had eventually come to realize Cal and I had reached stage 3: the giddy omg haha giggles happy stage.
My only fear was it wouldn't last forever, and knowing Calum, we might not last forever.
I started to fear confronting him with things because I didn't want to start an argument. I knew he would walk out when a pin dropped. I had low trust for him and I felt guilty about it but at the same time I knew I was taking the safe route.

"J?" Calum echoes in my ear as he nudges my side.
"Huh?" I look over at him. We sat together on his couch listening to different music he wanted me to listen to. I sat with my knees hugged to my chest with my toes dangling over the edge of the sofa.
Calum laughs.
"I said, what do you think?" He asks and pauses the 21 pilots CD he had in his old fashioned stereo.
"Oh, oh sorry I was zoned out." I say and sit up alittle bit.
"Well?" He asks.
"It was okay." I shrug and grab my mug of coffee, taking a sip.
"Just okay?!" He says, resituating himself on the couch to face me. I just laugh.
"Okay, okay, do you listen to any cool music?" He asks and I shake my head and give a small laugh again.
Calum gives a small chuckle and furrows his eyebrows at me as I take another sip of my coffee.
"What's wrong?" He asks. I give him a weird look.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Don't play dumb, is something bothering you? Did someone say something at work? Did I say something?"
I just shake my head.
"No. No, nothing's wrong I'm just tired that's all." I lie with a shrug.
"You're drinking coffee." He points out.
"Exactly. I'm trying to stay awake." I smirk at him and try to add a playful tone.
Calum gives me a concerned look but I pretend not to notice and lean across him, pressing play on the stereo.
"Okay, if you say so..." He says talking over the music.
I just nod and continue to sip my drink, letting the music swirl around my thoughts.

Calum walks me across the street around 9 after I complained for half an hour about how tired I was getting.
"Goodnight." Calum sighs and gives me a small kiss on the cheek.
"See you tomorrow, Loner." I smile and he grins back and slowly walks away from the door and I close it behind him. I let out a deep sigh of relief. He was on to me. He knew something was up. It's not like I had a billion things I wanted to question him about I was just nervous for when I would need to.
I sit at the kitchen counter and groan, putting my head in my hands.
"A-ha!" Someone shouts and I jump off my stool and almost fall on the floor and scream.
Calum stood over me with is arms crossed.
"Geez Cal! I thought you left!" I say with an annoyed tone.
"I knew something was up!" He countered and I got up from the floor.
"Nothing's wrong! I'm tired! It was a long day at work, okay?" I sigh and walk into my bedroom and close the door behind me.
I hear it creak open again.
"I don't believe you." Calum shrugs leaning on the door frame.
"Calum- get out! Nothing's wrong I just want to go to bed! I'm not trying to be rude or anything but I'm just tired and cranky, okay? I'm an old lady, I need my sleep! Now please leave, I'm about to change, I don't think you want to be seeing any of that." I say with a huff and Calum smirks at me, wiggling his eyebrows.
I give a screech and pick up the closest thing to me.
A hair brush smacks the wall next to Calums head, leaving a chip in the paint.
"Okay! Okay! I'm leaving, I'm leaving. Goodnight." Calum says putting his arms up in defense, defeated.
I walk out to the front door with him and grab his arm at the last second.
He blinks at me for a moment, completely confused.
"Come here you bone head," I mumble and give him a soft kiss on the lips.
"Goodnight." I say quietly and walk back inside my apartment, satisfied with my work.

The next day I head into work and walk in just as Luke too.
"Hey," he says with a quirky smirk.
"Hi." I reply back politely and carry on to the back room to put my stuff down.
"How are you?" Luke asks following me.
"I'm good how are you? I haven't seen you at work in awhile..." I sigh, putting my bag down. We stand across from eachother in the doorway.
"Yeah well, I was kind of an eye soar for awhile, The Falcon didn't want me to scare off the customer, he gave me a leave." He shrugs.
"Wait what? An eye soar? I'm confused." I say, furrowing my brows.
"Didn't Calum tell you?" He says looking as confused as I was.
"He socked me right in the jaw before you guys made up. He was pissed off and I was right there and bam. I had a huge bruise on my face, there's still a small mark, not too notice-shible.. Jhuliah shtop squitching my fashe..."
Luke trails off as I inspect his face, squishing his cheek as I move around his face looking for a bruise or a mark.
"Sorry... I can't believe him! I'm so sorry Luke! Oh my God... Is..." I give a loud sigh and think back to when Calum came over with messed up knuckles.
"He didn't punch the d@mn wall..." I mutter to myself.
"What?" Luke asks.
"I didn't even hear you but don't worry about it, okay? It was a hard time for him and it doesn't even hurt anymore, nothing's broken the bruise is gone and-"
"Luke, shut up! This is not okay..." My mind was going in a million directions.
"Sorry I brought it up." Luke says with a disappointed tone in his voice.
"Huh? No, Luke it's-"
"I was really routing for you and Calum, you made him really happy. Did I just ruin everything for you guys?"
I shake my head.
"No, no, this has nothing to do with you. Don't worry about it." I walk over to the front counter.
"No, it has nothing to do with you, I know you're just trying to help but don't worry about us, we don't need relationship counseling." I give a small laugh.
"Sorry." Luke shouts from across the store.
"You're fine!" I yell back.
Luke wasn't the one at fault.
Calum was.

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I laugh
I laugh
//S