thin walls / calum hood

1.1

Calum

It was going alright. Sort of. She was asleep, still fully clothed and asleep. Calum was sitting at the kitchen counter, watching her breaths rise and fall. It was 3AM, and Calum felt conflicted whether or not he should stay. Like, he didn't want to seem like a stalker or anything, but at the same time he wanted to make sure she was okay.

His phone flashed, and Michael's name light up the screen. He didn't know whether to pick up or not. A drunken call from Michael was the last thing he needed. It kept flashing, and Calum decided maybe it was better to just answer it.

"Hello?" she spoke, voice hushed. The last thing he wanted was to wake her up.

"Calum I can't believe you pussied out!"

"I didn't-"

"You did! You did pussy out, Cal!"

"I didn't!" Calum grew more frustrated. They were making fun of him again, the douchebags. The girl on the sofa stirred, and he lowered his voice again. "Look, I'm at Hayley's."

"Oh."

There was silence, and then Calum could hear some moving about and whispering. Luke's low voice; there was some girl's laughter mixed with Ashton's distinctive chuckle and the humming of the wind. He figured they were outside, walking back from wherever with whoever.

"Shitting hell, Cal. I didn't think you had it in you."

Calum would have protested, but hearing as Michael was slightly intoxicated, he figured he wouldn't understand even if he explained his situation. He'd talk to him later in the morning, anyway. For now, it was better just to go with it. Maybe it was good thing if he thought he'd finally done it. Maybe then, they'd leave him alone.

"I need to go."

"Get in there, mate!"

"Bye, Michael."

Pressing the red button, he sighed, laying his head down on his crossed arms. He couldn't hide the fact that he was a bit disappointed. She'd completely ruined his chances with Alyssa. It was so close but so far away. If she hadn't gotten that drunk, she would have been fine fighting the guy off herself. And he could have taken Alyssa home instead.

Hayley was sound asleep, and Calum decided to go upstairs to shower and change clothes. He'd come back to check up on her later, so he kept the key.

Hayley

Hayley woke up with a big headache and a bed headed, brown-eyed boy looking at her from the other side of the room. He was wearing football shorts and a vest top. What was he doing there, in her flat?  In the morning? And how did she get home last night?

"Calum?" she asked, rubbing her tired eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he moved his body to face her as he sat sideways on the other sofa.

"Horrible," she said, settling back down again. "Complete shit, honestly."

"I figured," he laughed softly. "I got you home last night, before you could wander off and do something stupid."

Hayley threw a pillow at him. "When did you get so responsible?"

"It's only fair I helped you since you did the same for me," he said, and got a smile to form on her frowning lips.

There was no way she could resist that face, that slight sparkle in his eyes as he tried to make her smile - those eyes, they got her captured.

"Thank you," she mumbled, wishing the feelings stirring up as she looked at him would go away. "Not sure what would have happened if you hadn't been there."

"You wouldn't have been able to get up the stairs, for one."

As the headache faded away, the memories from the night before came fading in. Like how she'd done shots looking over at him, wishing he'd leave the brunette. And he had. There was a vague memory popping into Hayley's mind, where she was being carried. "Ew," she cringed. "I'm sorry. This is so embarrassing."

"It's ok, I've done worse to be fair," he said honestly, half-smiling and crunching his nose as he remembered what had happened the other night. "I kinda owed you one."

Hayley, in an attempt to hide her embarrassment and change the subject, walked over to make some toast. "Want some?" she asked, popping the bread into the toaster.

"I'm good, thanks," he said. His arm muscles flexed when he reached to ruffle his hair.

And damn his arms looked good in that top. As her mind wandered away completely, she thought of how he wasn't just cute – the boy was fit. Not only did the vest top show off his arms, but also hinted of a toned torso.

The thoughts had her zoning out for a moment. "Oh no," she blurted out, dropping her half eaten toast on the plate. "Shit." Hayley put her hand to her mouth, hiding her face.

"What?" Calum looked around, wondering what it was she'd been reacting to.

"Uh, nothing."

The direction her thoughts were going in had her recalling a conversation from earlier that night. She looked up to meet his innocent eyes, and immediately felt very naughty. Her pulse was racing away – it wasn't okay to think these things of him.

He was cute, innocent and a bit shy. Calum was so precious that whoever went anywhere far enough would have to marry him. Fuck's sake, he was not hooking up material – the cute virgin boy with the bright brown eyes deserved more than being just a hook up.

Maybe she was scared of him getting hurt. Equally, she was scared of getting hurt by him.

-

oops girls and boys i know you all have had these thoughts

also yes if you touch innocent!calum you will have to marry him okAY?

i'm out

~lauren