What I Like About You
18
I laughed along with everyone as Ashton told a story about something funny Michael had done in the studio a week earlier, watching him emphatically talk, sipping a beer. Calum was in the other room, and when he came back, I looked up at him, noting his exhausted posture and bags under his eyes. When he came back over, I smiled gently at him.
"Wanna go to bed, Pup?"
He nodded wordlessly and I sighed, saying goodnight to our friends. Calum pushed me to our new bedroom and we both quietly changed. Calum helped me pull his t-shirt over my head. Then, he picked me up bridal style and lay me in bed with him.
"Is something wrong, Cal?" I asked my unusually quiet boyfriend.
He sighed, kissing my cheek.
"I just keep thinking I'm going to wake up and this is all going to be a dream, and you're going to be back in that bed." He admitted.
I sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I'm here." I said softly. "I'm real. I'm not going anywhere. And you need to get some sleep, mister. You look exhausted."
He yawned, emphasizing my point.
"I'll be here when you wake up, Pup. Close your eyes."
I continued running my hand through his hair until I heard him drift off into sleep, snoring lightly. Then, I closed my own eyes, joining him in slumber.
I next awoke to limbs hitting me, Calum thrashing around in the bed, the clock reading 3:15 A.M.
I sleepily rubbed my eyes before shaking Calum, frightened by the loud shouts now coming from his mouth.
"Calum, sweetheart, wake up, baby. C'mon."
All at once, he broke into consciousness, gasping for air, eyes wild, dripping with tears.
"Kennedy." He choked out, pulling me into his chest carefully, avoiding my bad leg.
My heart broke as his tears soaked my (his) shirt. I whispered sweet nothings in his ear until he calmed down.
"What the hell just happened, Pup?" I asked gently. "You scared me."
He was silent for a good while before speaking.
"I just... I get these nightmares..."
"This has happened before? How long as this been going on?"
"Every night since the accident." He muttered sheepishly.
"Pup.."
"I just." He swallowed thickly. "I really thought I'd lost you forever. And like, we haven't even had a real proper date yet."
Then, an idea popped into my head.
"Well, then, let's." I said, grinning.
"Let's what?"
"Go on a date. Tomorrow."
"Ken, we don't-"
I cut him off by pressing my lips to his.
"We're going to go on a date tomorrow. But first, you need to go back to sleep, honey. I'm not going anywhere, yeah?"
He nodded softly, kissing the base of my throat.
"How'd I get so lucky?" He mumbled softly, sleep already taking over.
I smiled and kissed his cheek, snuggling down in bed, thinking about all the possible ideas for our first "real date".
"Wanna go to bed, Pup?"
He nodded wordlessly and I sighed, saying goodnight to our friends. Calum pushed me to our new bedroom and we both quietly changed. Calum helped me pull his t-shirt over my head. Then, he picked me up bridal style and lay me in bed with him.
"Is something wrong, Cal?" I asked my unusually quiet boyfriend.
He sighed, kissing my cheek.
"I just keep thinking I'm going to wake up and this is all going to be a dream, and you're going to be back in that bed." He admitted.
I sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I'm here." I said softly. "I'm real. I'm not going anywhere. And you need to get some sleep, mister. You look exhausted."
He yawned, emphasizing my point.
"I'll be here when you wake up, Pup. Close your eyes."
I continued running my hand through his hair until I heard him drift off into sleep, snoring lightly. Then, I closed my own eyes, joining him in slumber.
I next awoke to limbs hitting me, Calum thrashing around in the bed, the clock reading 3:15 A.M.
I sleepily rubbed my eyes before shaking Calum, frightened by the loud shouts now coming from his mouth.
"Calum, sweetheart, wake up, baby. C'mon."
All at once, he broke into consciousness, gasping for air, eyes wild, dripping with tears.
"Kennedy." He choked out, pulling me into his chest carefully, avoiding my bad leg.
My heart broke as his tears soaked my (his) shirt. I whispered sweet nothings in his ear until he calmed down.
"What the hell just happened, Pup?" I asked gently. "You scared me."
He was silent for a good while before speaking.
"I just... I get these nightmares..."
"This has happened before? How long as this been going on?"
"Every night since the accident." He muttered sheepishly.
"Pup.."
"I just." He swallowed thickly. "I really thought I'd lost you forever. And like, we haven't even had a real proper date yet."
Then, an idea popped into my head.
"Well, then, let's." I said, grinning.
"Let's what?"
"Go on a date. Tomorrow."
"Ken, we don't-"
I cut him off by pressing my lips to his.
"We're going to go on a date tomorrow. But first, you need to go back to sleep, honey. I'm not going anywhere, yeah?"
He nodded softly, kissing the base of my throat.
"How'd I get so lucky?" He mumbled softly, sleep already taking over.
I smiled and kissed his cheek, snuggling down in bed, thinking about all the possible ideas for our first "real date".