A.N: ahhhhhhh yessss. this is probably one of my favourite things i've written for a while. i love the idea of cal being really flustered around harry, and eventually jj getting sick of cal pining over harry and trying to set them up. it's just cute. and jj is a legend so, yeah. enjoy!
Concept: JJ being the ultimate wingman against Cal's will.
[3230 words approx.]
//
Cal POV
"Callum, I swear to God, if you bring that boy up, one more time, there's going to be a problem," says JJ, only half joking. I feel the tips of my ears heat up slightly with embarrassment.
"What? I don't talk about him that much," I insist, and JJ just scoffs at me disbelievingly.
"I think you've said about five times today that you think his hair looks good because it's messier than usual," he teases, and takes another bite of his sandwich.
"Sorry," I mumble looking away. I can still sense JJ's amusement without needing to see his expression.
"You know what? I think it's about time I came clean about something," says JJ, a hint of seriousness to his tone. I look back up at him.
"What, Jide?"
"I may, or may not be friends with a certain Harry Lewis," he says, looking at me sheepishly.
"What the fuck? Since when?" I demand.
"Since the start of this school year. He sits by me in a few classes."
"When we're you planning on telling me this?" I sigh, resting my face in my hands.
"I'm not sure to be honest. But hey, you know now?" He says, giving me a hopeful smile. I just glare back at him.
"I guess," I grumble. "So what's he like then?"
"He's really nice actually," smiles JJ. "Weird, and awkward, but nice. Really interesting."
"Wish I had an excuse to speak to him," I mutter bitterly. Suddenly JJ's expression brightens.
"What if I invited him over here to eat?" He asks, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Don't you dare," I growl. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet." He just grins wider, and stands up. I try to grab his wrist to stop him, but he moves too quickly.
"I think I'm going to," he says sweetly, staying just out of my reach. "It's for your own good. You can't pine after him forever." He then walks off towards the table where Harry is sat, alone.
"Yes I can," I mutter. "JJ!" I shout after him, but he ignores me. I do however, catch the attention of Harry. I feel a flush make it's way onto my face as the other boy meets my gaze for a split second, before looking to JJ. The two talk for a minute, and then Harry grabs his bag, and starts following JJ over to our table. Fuck. Me.
"Hey Cal," says JJ, a wicked grin on his face as he retakes his seat opposite me. Harry sits down next to him, seeming slightly nervous. "This is Harry."
"Hey Harry," I mumble, focusing all of my attention on not blushing in the younger boy's presence.
"And Harry, this is Cal. Don't mind him being such a grumpy asshole," says JJ, and I reach across the table to smack his arm.
"I'm not grumpy," I retort, glaring at JJ.
"Whatever, you little ray of sunshine," says JJ, sarcastically,
"Hi Cal," smiles Harry. His voice sounds so sweet, and I swear I'm about to melt on the spot. He hesitantly offers me his hand to shake. I take it and hold it for maybe a second longer than necessary before pulling away. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
"We have science together," I respond, trying to sound casual.
"Oh yeah! We should pair up for a practical some time," he says happily.
"Sure ," I grin. He smiles back, and it's the most perfect thing I've ever seen.
"Since you two seem to be getting along so well..." says JJ, offering me a sly smirk. "Harry, are you doing anything on Friday?" Harry quirks a brow at the unexpected question.
"No, I don't think so. Why?" He responds, and JJ's grin only widens. Shit. I've just realised what he's about to do.
"So, Cal and I are going to see a film in the evening. Do you wanna come?" JJ asks. I glare at him.
"Wait, really? You want me to come with you?" Harry inquires, seeming genuinely confused.
"Sure, why not," JJ beams. "The more the merrier."
Harry still looks unsure. "I mean, if you don't mind me coming, yeah I'll go."
"I wouldn't of asked you if I didn't want you to come," smiles JJ, ruffling the smaller boy's hair gently. "Isn't that right Cal?"
"Yep," I say, forcing a smile. JJ is such a prick sometimes.
"Okay," says Harry, grinning shyly. "What time?"
"Seven. Meet you there?"
"Yeah, sure."
//
"Cal, can you chill the fuck out and stop pacing, please?" Sighs JJ, looking over at me worriedly. I glare at him, but stop pacing.
"Why did you have to invite him?" I groan, and run my hand through my hair.
"Why do you have to stress out about it? You just fancy the guy, so what?" He responds, with a shrug.
"What if I say something he doesn't like? And he never wants to speak to me again? Fuck me, this is a terrible idea," I say, and start pacing again. JJ just sighs again.
"Cal, I know him. He'll like you, trust me. Just calm down, man," JJ says, putting a hand on my shoulder to stop me walking up and down. I let out a breath. I suppose he's right. He's still an ass, but he's right.
"Okay, fine," I say, and he smiles at me. "Do I look okay?" I add. JJ just laughs at me.
"You look good bro, don't stress," he says, before reaching over to ruffle my hair playfully. I bat away his hand with a laugh. "He'll be here any minute, so we should probably stop talking about him."
"Yeah. What're we going to see anyway?" I ask, trying to move the subject on a bit.
"I dunno man. Some horror film? It's meant to be good," he responds. Suddenly though, his phone starts ringing, and he pulls it out of his pocket to look at the caller ID. When he sees who it is, he picks up and puts his phone on speaker.
"JJ?" A slightly distorted voice comes through the speaker, but I recognise instantly who it is.
"Yeah Harry? What's up?" JJ says, and gives me a look when I start tapping my foot lightly.
"Where are you guys?" Harry asks.
"We're just outside the cinema. Come and meet us here," JJ says.
"Okay, I'm literally thirty seconds away, so I'll see you guys in a minute," Harry chirps.
"Alright bro. See you," smiles JJ, before hanging up. I look up at him nervously and wipe my slightly sweaty hands on my jeans.
"Cal, you have about a minute to chill the fuck out. Good luck man," teases JJ, elbowing me lightly in the side. I glare at him again.
"I'm fine," I grumble indignantly, but can feel my face heat up a little none the less.
"Whatever you say."
Only a few moments later, I spot Harry, walking down the street towards us. And even from a distance, he looks stunning.
He's wearing white, ripped skinny jeans, and a dark red jumper with white text on it. Red canvas flats are on his feet. As he comes closer, I can see that he's made an attempt to tame his usually messy hair, and that he's got some makeup on. There's something about the way he walks that is different to how he is at school. He seems more confident now. And it's incredible.
He runs the last few metres before stopping next to us. "Hey," he smiles. "Sorry I'm late."
"Hi Haz," says JJ. "It's fine, we've got loads of time."
"How much do I owe you for the ticket by the way?" Asks Harry, as we all start through the doors and into the huge main area of the cinema.
"I told you, it's on me," grins JJ. "You owe me a little bit popcorn at least though."
Harry giggles at this. "Sure."
"Alright. You guys can go get snacks, I'm gonna go take a piss and pick up the tickets," says JJ, before wandering off towards one of the kiosks. Just great. Not even two minutes in, and he's already left me alone with Harry.
//
Harry POV
To say it's awkward when JJ leaves is an understatement. Cal just gives off this really tense aura, and keeps refusing to meet my gaze. Is it possible he already doesn't like me?
I can't stand the tense silence, so clear my throat before speaking up.
"So, what food do you want to get?" I ask, looking up at him. Pink dusts his cheeks, and he still can't seem to meet my eyes.
"I don't mind," he mumbles, looking down at his feet. Is it really that difficult to look at me? I feel my confidence form earlier begin to slip slightly.
"Okay, well, I'm gonna go and get popcorn. You coming?" I ask, trying to be polite.
"Um yeah, sure," he says, finally looking at me properly. I only now notice how striking his eyes are. Probably the brightest shade of blue that I've ever seen.
"Okay," I say, and smile at him softly. The tips of his ears turn pink, and he looks away again, leading me towards the queue for the food kiosk. This boy makes no sense to me. And so, I pull out my phone to text JJ quickly.
You: Yo, JJ, is there something up with Cal? He's acting hella weird...
JJ: Don't worry too much about it Haz
JJ: He will kill me for telling you this, but fuck it
JJ: The man kinda fancies you
JJ: Good luck bro lmao
I switch my phone off, and thoughts are reeling though my head. Why would one of the guys from the most popular trio in school have a crush on a nobody like me? It blew my mind that JJ even wanted to just be mates with me, but this seems almost ridiculous. I'm an expert in making myself invisible. How did this unbelievably handsome boy, who has his pick of everyone in our year, notice me? Of all people?
I hope for the life of me that JJ isn't messing around.
"Are you alright?" Cal asks, still seeming anxious about talking to me.
"Yeah I'm fine," I respond.
"Okay. You just seemed a little distant," he says, and we both take a step forwards in the line. I find myself hyper analysing Cal's body language, trying to figure out if JJ is telling the truth.
"I was just thinking about something, don't worry," I grin at him in what I hope is a reassuring way. "Are you buying something to eat?"
"No, my stupid ass didn't bring any money," he says, scratching the back of his neck. I ponder this for a moment.
"I could get something for you too, if you like," I offer, but he shakes his head.
"Don't worry about me, it's okay," he says quickly, but I'm not convinced.
"What if I bought a large bucket of popcorn? And then we can all share?" I suggest, and he sighs gently.
"You don't have to worry about me or JJ, but if you want to get it, go ahead," he smiles. I can't help but notice how he specifically tried not to push me either way. He's a lot more aware of how I'm feeling than I thought some badass at the top of the social ladder might be. It's quite endearing, to see that he is in fact, human.
"Okay," I say, and turn my attention back to the front of the line. I can still feel his gaze linger on me for a second or two longer though.
When he isn't looking, I take a minute to discreetly check him out. He is hot, I'll give him that. And he seems sweet too, from the conversations I've had with him so far. I don't think falling for him would be very difficult.
He's dressed in a large, worn looking denim jacket, with a plain white T-shirt underneath it. His shirt is tucked into a pair of ripped, black skinny jeans, with a leather belt around his slim hips. A pair of high top converse, and his usual round glasses complete the look.
His gaze returns to me, and I look away hastily, feeling my face heat up slightly. I pray that he didn't catch me looking at him, but I'm almost certain he did.
It only takes another five minutes for us to reach the front of the line, making small talk the whole time. He's nice to talk to actually, and seems a lot more relaxed now. I'm already enjoying being within his presence. He's funny, and sweet, and he seems genuine too.
JJ joins us with the tickets, and we all head into the cinema room together. Thankfully we managed to get a seat near the back, so should be able to see everything better. Even if it is a horror film, and it's probably going to scare the shit out of me. And JJ too, I know he hates being jump scared.
We sit in the row with me on the right, Cal in the middle and JJ on the left, as per JJ's instruction. I catch him send Cal a wink, and the other boy just growls at him, thinking I'm not paying attention. It's quite funny how hard JJ is trying to set us up together, when, in actual fact, I don't think it's going to take much before I feel the same about Cal as he does about me.
We all talk quietly amongst ourselves until the trailers start. But even then, Cal leans over a few times to whisper things jokingly in my ear. It's only when the film starts that he stops talking at all.
It's a scary film. That I can say for certain. I hear JJ shriek loudly whenever there's a jump scare, and Cal just laughs quietly at the other boy. There's only one bit halfway through that particularly gets to me, and when it happens, I find myself gripping Cal's knee tightly. He wraps an arm comfortingly around my shoulders, and leans over until his breath tickles my ear lightly.
"You alright?" He asks softly, his eyes reflecting worry.
I nod. "Yeah, I'm fine."
And that's that. But neither of us move away from each other. I keep my hand on his knee. He keeps his arm around my shoulders. I can feel him radiating happiness at my reciprocation. I lean my head gently back against his arm, and slide my hand only a little further up his thigh. We stay like that until the lights come back on.
Even once we leave the cinema, into the cold, dark street, JJ is still hyping up the film. We stand together and wait for the bus, exchanging polite conversation about what we're doing this weekend. A couple of other people join us at the bus stop, making me feel slightly anxious. I discreetly slip my hand Cal's, without looking up at him. He doesn't object, squeezing my hand reassuringly.
JJ definitely notices, but he doesn't say anything about it. He just watches, grinning like a proud dad.
We all catch the same bus, sitting together in the back row. I haven't let go of Cal's hand yet, and he doesn't seem to mind at all. He just keeps our joined hands in his lap, rubbing his thumb gently over my knuckles.
"So what did you two think of the film then?" Asks JJ, after finishing his nearly twenty minute rant about what he liked and disliked about it.
"It was alright, I guess," says Cal. "Not the best, not the worst."
"Some of the jump scares were cool," I say, grinning at JJ.
"They were fucking terrifying," laughs JJ.
"I know man, you kept screaming at them," teases Cal, poking JJ in the arm.
"So what Cal? I'm allowed to be scared," JJ retorts, somewhat defensively.
"I got scared too JJ, if it makes you feel better," I say, and JJ just smirks at me.
"I saw," he says knowingly, and I feel my face heat up slightly. "It's nice to see you two getting along so well."
"Shut up bro," mumbles Cal, pink dusting his cheeks. I squeeze his hand gently.
"Whatever grumpy," says JJ, rolling his eyes. "So Harry, you enjoyed yourself?"
"Yeah, I actually did. I'm not used to hanging out with people like you, but it's been fun," I smile.
"You wouldn't mind coming out with us again?" Asks Cal, looking at me anxiously.
"I'd do this again, sure," I say.
"Awesome," says Cal, seeming relieved. "Would it be alright if I got your number? I mean, 'cause then it'd be easier to organise stuff, and ya know-" he starts rambling nervously, but I cut him off with my answer.
"Sure," I respond, smiling at him reassuringly, and holding out my hand for his phone. He then unlocks it and passes it to me. Unfortunately, I have to confiscate my hand as I type my number into a new contact, before handing his phone back to him.
"Thanks," he says, seeming happier. "Where are you getting off?"
"The stop after next," I respond.
"Okay. JJ and I still have a while yet," he says, and I press gently against his side. He looks down at me. "Are you cold?"
"A little," I say, suppressing a shiver. "I'll be okay though."
"Do you want my jacket?" He offers.
"Won't you get cold then?" I ask, and he shakes his head.
"Don't worry," he says, removing his jacket and placing it in my lap. "Just take it."
"I'll give it back to you Monday," I promise, and slide his jacket on. It was large on him anyway, so it's huge on me, the sleeves coming down past my hands. But it's cozy, and smells nice.
"Sure," he smiles. Suddenly the bus comes to a stop, and the doors open. "Is this your stop?" Asks Cal, a hint of disappointment to his tone.
"Yeah, it is," I say, quickly making sure I've got all of my things.
"Okay," Cal says. "I'm glad you had a good time tonight. See you on Monday."
I smile at him gently. "See you Monday Cal," I say, and lean across to press a gentle kiss to his cheek before standing up. "Bye JJ, thanks for the ticket."
"No problem shortie, see you around," grins JJ, waving at me. Beside him, Cal looks incredibly flustered, with a stupid grin on his face as he watches me leave.
I step off the bus and into the cold air once again, but I don't feel cold any more. I feel warm, and my insides feel fuzzy. I can't stop smiling. I barely know this boy, how has he made me feel this strongly already?
Maybe it's magic.
//
JJ POV
"What the fuck was that man?" I say once Harry has left, nudging Cal gently. He's sitting perfectly still, his cheeks bright red. He grins at me, looking slightly dazed.
"I dunno. Maybe he likes me?" Cal smiles.
"Maybe? Bro, I told you he would like you!" I grin, unable to not feel happy for my friends success.
"Yeah," he sighs. "I suppose you did. You're a genius JJ. Thanks for doing this."
"No problem Cal."
//