thin walls / calum hood

1.2

Michael

"So nothing happened?" Michael asked, chewing a piece of blueberry pancake. They'd come to the diner for a late breakfast before heading back to play FIFA at Luke's. "Nothing at all?"

"No."

"That's disappointing."

Calum looked down at his hands and then back up at his friend. Michael did feel a bit bad about not being able to help him. Maybe he was the worst wingman ever. But you couldn't exactly help someone who didn't want to be helped. Although Calum said he did want help to get laid - he wasn't the type.

"Look," Luke said, making sure they were all paying attention, "what we need to do is get both Hayley and Calum drunk at the same time."

"Why's this?" Calum asked, sighing.

"Because when only one of you are drunk nothing happens."

"Stop interfering goddammit," Ashton said. He wasn't getting involved with the game, but was scrolling on his phone. "Cal, I think you're doing fine on your own, mate."

"Luke has a point, if neither of them act on it noting's ever going to go down." Michael supposed nothing would ever happen unless they were drunk together. But then again, maybe Ashton was right, and it wasn't a great idea. Although he wanted to help him, Michael didn't want Calum to regret it after. "Calum's a nice guy, though, he doesn't want a one-night stand."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Then why did you try to get him together with Alyssa the other night?"

Fine. So he had made a mistake. It was a test more than anything - Calum had gotten her a drink and although they seemed good together, Calum had left her for Hayley. Didn't that say something? "Because I thought I was doing him a favour!"

"I'm right here! Stop talking as if I'm not. Also, can you not argue about my sex life, please?"

"You don't have a sex life." Luke pointed out, and then turned back to continue his disagreement with Michael.

"You don't know anything about that."

For once, the three were silent.

"Wait, what?" Michael spoke up first. "With who?"

"I said you don't know anything about that," Calum mumbled. "Also I hate you guys and I'm going to go now."

"You guys are so rude!" Ashton rolled his eyes at the two. "See? You made him leave!"

Calum

It was Sunday afternoon, and as per there was a voice trying to hit notes higher than Calum had ever heard downstairs. He couldn't help but laugh to himself. Most people would find it annoying, but he just found it amusing. There were times when she actually sounded decent, though.

"Head in the clouds, got no weight on my shoulder."

Calum felt like a hypocrite, but that song really was awful. One more second and it would drive him insane. He did discuss with himself whether or not to go downstairs and talk to her, but decided against it. Instead, he opened the window.

"One less, one less problem!"

He stuck his head out the window. "Hayley!"

The singing stopped, the music was turned off in an instant. Had he scared her? It was quiet, and then he saw her face. "What?"

"Shut up!"

Her head disappeared, the window closed and not long after, she was stood in his doorway. "You shut up!"

"That song is my least favourite," he joked. "Can I at least put in a request?"

"Rude." Maybe she was playing along, maybe she was serious, but she looked really offended. As if he'd slapped her across the face.

"Sorry. Come hang out?"

Hayley

"Did you tell Mikey you slept with me?"

He pondered the question before he answered. Probably buying himself some time. "No. I sort of let them think I did but, like, it was only to get them off my case."

"I get it," she said. She'd joined in on mocking him for being a virgin, and she couldn't exactly blame him for being fed up. "Are they still making fun of you for it?"

"Yeah."

"But why me? That brunette would have made more sense." There was no way Hayley could hide the bitterness in her voice as she said it. "I mean, you're seeing her, right?"

"She's a friend."

"But she wants more than friendship from you. And you like her."

"Why do you care?"

"You know there are so many things that are better than sex, right?"

He looked up, one eyebrow raised. His mouth twitched slightly. "Like what?"

"Pizza," she said. "And cuddles. Movie nights with sweet popcorn. The smell after it's rained. Rolling downhill in the grass... dancing like nobody's watching."

"I like my popcorn salty," he said. "But pizza and cuddles sounds alright to me."

Hayley blushed. "What are you trying to say?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, hand running up to his neck. He smiled nervously. "Wanna have pizza? It doesn't have to include cuddles."

"Only if it's peperoni."

"That's my favourite, too."

-

i have tried to write this so many times but it never came out right

if you think it sucks, its okay bc same

also well done to calum for being a duck

~lauren