What I Like About You
9
After the show, we all piled into the car that took us to the hotel, the mood noticeably sad. We all silently gathered in Calum's hotel room and he took a shower while I plopped down on his bed, burying my face in his pillow, inhaling his familiar scent. The day had exhausted me, and while everyone fought over what movie to watch, I could feel myself drifting into dreamland.
When I woke up next, a solid weight was holding me in place, and I smiled, ready to open my eyes when Calum's voice stopped me, talking in a whisper.
"I'm just gonna miss her, y'know?"
"I know, dude. I'm gonna miss Jaz just as much, but it's part of our job." Luke's soft voice said.
"I know I just... I really like her. I don't wanna lose her once she realizes how hard being apart is."
My heart felt like it was breaking as Calum kissed the top of my head. It was then that I pretended to just wake up, opening my eyes and yawning. Calum noticed, kissing my cheek.
"Hey sleepyhead. Nice nap?" He asked.
"Yeah." I said, kissing the underside of his jaw lightly before looking around the room to only see Luke on his phone. "Where is everyone else?"
"They went down to the beach."
"And the two of you are sitting here pouting?! C'mon, let's go to the beach!"
"Don't wanna." Calum whined, pulling me closer to him.
"C'mon, Pup. You've gotta spend time with everyone, yeah?"
Calum sighed and removed his arm from around me, getting up and grabbing two hoodies, throwing one in my direction. I grinned and pulled on the fabric, immediately being engulfed with his scent. Luke also got up, grabbing his own jacket.
I sighed and threw an arm around Luke's shoulders.
"You know avoiding her won't make it any easier, right?" I asked him gently.
Luke sighed, biting his lip.
"I just don't wanna hurt her."
"Then the best thing you can do is spend tonight with her."
I walked to catch up with Calum, grabbing his hand and pulling it up to my mouth to kiss his knuckles.
We soon found the beach and our friends, who were all sitting in the sand, laughing loudly, a fire going in front of them.
Calum sat down next to Ashton, pulling me into his lap gently, and I watched Luke grab Jasmine's hand and walk down the beach with her.
"They're gonna be together by the end of tonight. I'm calling it now." Michael said, grinning.
"Then that leaves us forever alone." Ashton fake cried.
I laughed and got up off Calum's lap so sling an arm around his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I love you, Ashy."
"Aw, Cal, watch out, Ash is gonna steal your girl." Michael joked.
Calum growled and I laughed, moving back to his lap.
"Don't worry, Pup, you're my favorite." I said, before placing a quick kiss on his lips.
"Get a room!" Ashton whined.
Calum flipped him off and held me tighter to him.
Eventually, Luke and Jasmine rejoined us, smiles on their faces, and the rest of the night continued until the fire burned out, laughter serving as the soundtrack to our last night together for a while.
The next morning, I was woken up by a gentle shaking of my arm. When I opened my eyes, a sad looking Calum was standing over me.
"I'm gonna get going, baby." He said softly. "Everyone else is already out at the car. I just want to say bye."
I sat bolt upright then, and pulled Calum into my body fiercely.
Calum sighed, kissing the top of my head.
"Three weeks, okay?" He said softly. "Three weeks until this leg of the tour is over and we're home and then we'll figure it out. I'll come see you or you'll come see me. Okay?"
I nodded stiffly against his shoulder.
"Just don't give up on me, Ken."
His voice broke at the end of the sentence and I felt the tears flood from my eyes as I clutched him tighter.
"I won't, Pup. I promise."
Calum sighed and pulled apart from me, kissing my forehead. I wiped under his eyes with my thumb and gestured towards the door. He turned around and walked towards the door when I realized what I was still wearing.
"Cal, wait! Your hoodie." I called after him.
He turned around for a minute and smirked.
"Keep it."
And then he was out the door.
When I woke up next, a solid weight was holding me in place, and I smiled, ready to open my eyes when Calum's voice stopped me, talking in a whisper.
"I'm just gonna miss her, y'know?"
"I know, dude. I'm gonna miss Jaz just as much, but it's part of our job." Luke's soft voice said.
"I know I just... I really like her. I don't wanna lose her once she realizes how hard being apart is."
My heart felt like it was breaking as Calum kissed the top of my head. It was then that I pretended to just wake up, opening my eyes and yawning. Calum noticed, kissing my cheek.
"Hey sleepyhead. Nice nap?" He asked.
"Yeah." I said, kissing the underside of his jaw lightly before looking around the room to only see Luke on his phone. "Where is everyone else?"
"They went down to the beach."
"And the two of you are sitting here pouting?! C'mon, let's go to the beach!"
"Don't wanna." Calum whined, pulling me closer to him.
"C'mon, Pup. You've gotta spend time with everyone, yeah?"
Calum sighed and removed his arm from around me, getting up and grabbing two hoodies, throwing one in my direction. I grinned and pulled on the fabric, immediately being engulfed with his scent. Luke also got up, grabbing his own jacket.
I sighed and threw an arm around Luke's shoulders.
"You know avoiding her won't make it any easier, right?" I asked him gently.
Luke sighed, biting his lip.
"I just don't wanna hurt her."
"Then the best thing you can do is spend tonight with her."
I walked to catch up with Calum, grabbing his hand and pulling it up to my mouth to kiss his knuckles.
We soon found the beach and our friends, who were all sitting in the sand, laughing loudly, a fire going in front of them.
Calum sat down next to Ashton, pulling me into his lap gently, and I watched Luke grab Jasmine's hand and walk down the beach with her.
"They're gonna be together by the end of tonight. I'm calling it now." Michael said, grinning.
"Then that leaves us forever alone." Ashton fake cried.
I laughed and got up off Calum's lap so sling an arm around his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I love you, Ashy."
"Aw, Cal, watch out, Ash is gonna steal your girl." Michael joked.
Calum growled and I laughed, moving back to his lap.
"Don't worry, Pup, you're my favorite." I said, before placing a quick kiss on his lips.
"Get a room!" Ashton whined.
Calum flipped him off and held me tighter to him.
Eventually, Luke and Jasmine rejoined us, smiles on their faces, and the rest of the night continued until the fire burned out, laughter serving as the soundtrack to our last night together for a while.
xxx
The next morning, I was woken up by a gentle shaking of my arm. When I opened my eyes, a sad looking Calum was standing over me.
"I'm gonna get going, baby." He said softly. "Everyone else is already out at the car. I just want to say bye."
I sat bolt upright then, and pulled Calum into my body fiercely.
Calum sighed, kissing the top of my head.
"Three weeks, okay?" He said softly. "Three weeks until this leg of the tour is over and we're home and then we'll figure it out. I'll come see you or you'll come see me. Okay?"
I nodded stiffly against his shoulder.
"Just don't give up on me, Ken."
His voice broke at the end of the sentence and I felt the tears flood from my eyes as I clutched him tighter.
"I won't, Pup. I promise."
Calum sighed and pulled apart from me, kissing my forehead. I wiped under his eyes with my thumb and gestured towards the door. He turned around and walked towards the door when I realized what I was still wearing.
"Cal, wait! Your hoodie." I called after him.
He turned around for a minute and smirked.
"Keep it."
And then he was out the door.