forever and always || c.h.

11

Calum's POV*

I woke up the next morning with barely any blankets on me. So I was cold and still pretty tired due to the fact that I barely slept... for obvious reasons.

I also noticed Madelyn had a tight grip on my thumb while she was sleeping, and it kind of gave me this weird feeling in my stomach. She was curled up in a little ball facing me with all the blankets and a death grip on my thumb. She looked... cute? While she was sleeping. I wasn't sure if that was the right way to put it but she looked something while she was sleeping. I just couldn't really figure out what it was.

A couple minutes later she started stirring and let go of my thumb before opening her eyes. She looked at me with her eyes that were a light green kind of color, but sometimes they were a bit brighter depending on what color she was wearing.

"Morning." I said with a laugh as I watched her wake up right in front of me.

"Morning." She replied and rolled over on her back.

"You had quite the grip on my thumb this morning." I said and rolled over on my side so I was looking at her.

"Oh I didn't know I still did that." She said and seemed slightly embarrassed for some reason.

"Did what?" I asked and laid on my stomach but turned my head so I was still looking at her.

"I've always done this thing since I was little. When me and Michael were young we'd always sleep together because we've always been super close. Every night I'd hold his thumb while I slept, I'd always go to sleep not holding it and then we'd both wake up and I'd be holding it. I did it with my parents, him, and pretty much anyone I've ever slept in the same bed with. I don't know why I do it but I have forever basically. And whenever I'd stay in Michael's room or had a sleepover with one of the girls it would happen so they've ignored it. I thought I stopped but I guess not, I'm sorry." She said and I couldn't help but want to smile a bit. It was kind of adorable how she had this sort of thing that she does, I don't know how to explain it but it was.

"Don't be sorry, it's not really something you can control." I said and pulled some of the blankets over me because she took all of them.

"I know, I just don't want you to get mad or feel uncomfortable or something." She said and shrugged her shoulders.

"Why would I get mad or feel uncomfortable? We've been fooling around for a week and I've known you for 8 years." I said with a slight laugh because she kind of sounded ridiculous.

"I don't know." She said and looked up at the ceiling.

"You're lying." I said and put my hand on her arm.

"How do you know?" She asked with a chuckle and looked at me again.

"You're easy to read. So tell me why you for some reason think I'd be mad about such a small thing that you do." I said and watched her intake a breath.

"Kayden... he uh didn't like it that much. He thought it was childish or whatever and would make fun of me sometimes. So I'd usually get nervous or avoid having sleepovers with new people in case they thought the same thing. I'm kind of surprised I didn't even think about it last night before I fell asleep." She said and looked up at the ceiling again.

"Kayden is also an idiot and an asshole. I don't care about it that much. You can't control it, it's something you've always done, and maybe it helps you sleep better. We don't know why but it's okay because it probably helps you sleep at night knowing you have someone next to you." I said softly and watched the gears turn in the back of her head. She was thinking about something, I don't know what but something seemed to be bothering her.