#soft!5sos

Calum always looked beautiful in your opinion. There was something extra wonderful about him tonight, though. Perhaps it was the leather jacket and skinny jeans combo. It could also have been the new daring blue haircut. Of course there was always the possibility that the alcohol flooding your system was just exaggerating your attraction to him. The gentle moonlight playing over his handsome face when he looked up at you probably didn’t help either. Whatever ‘it’ was, your heart was beating even faster than it usually did when he gave you that soft smile.

“Hi, Calum!” You grinned, reaching out for his hand. “I wondered where you’d disappeared off to!”

Your friend chuckled quietly, taking your hand and guiding you down onto the bench beside him. “I was just having a smoke.” He shrugged, gesturing to the cigarette stump at his feet.

“Gross.” You pouted, “I thought you were quitting.” You really did hate that Calum smoked, it was one of the very few things that the two of you argued over on a regular basis.

“I tried.” Your friend laughed humourlessly. “I failed. I guess life is that little but tougher without it.” He looked sort of sad as he clasped his hands in his lap and stared down at them.

“I’ll help you try again.” You smiled, resting your head on Calum’s shoulder. “I’ll quit something too and then you won’t feel so alone.”

Your friend looked at you with the deepest fondness in his chocolate brown eyes. “You’d really do that for me?”

Nodding without hesitation, your tipsy brain allowed a potentially dangerous sentence to spill from your lips. “Of course! I’d do anything for you, Cal.”

It’s the sort of thing that friends say to each other all the time. That simple sentence should just be a promise born of platonic love, nothing more. Things have always been kind of different with Calum, though. Every loving glance, all of the fond words, the playful banter... it all felt more meaningful with Calum, somehow. Perhaps there had always been something deeper between the two of you that had been ignored.

The fleeting thought was given strength when Calum reached out to take your hand. “Thank you, sunshine.” He whispered, interlacing your fingers with his own. “You always know how to cheer me up.”

You smiled, giving Calum’s hand an affectionate squeeze. “Why are you sad?” You asked, shuffling a little closer to your friend. “It’s a party, your meant to be having fun.”

A weak smile curled the corners of Calum’s lips as he shrugged. “Guess I’m just not really in the mood.” He replied quietly.

Seeing Calum sad had never been something that you could tolerate. If your friend wasn’t enjoying the party anymore, you weren’t either. “Then lets go back to your place!” You suggested. “We can buy take out on the way.”

You’d expected Calum to meet your proposition with a little more enthusiasm than the tiny, hesitant smile you actually received. Your friend usually loved late night chats with you, it was a common enough occurrence and he’d always seemed to enjoy them.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea tonight.” Calum finally replied. “I think I probably just need some rest.”

A frown creased your face as the blue haired man let go of your hand and got to his feet. Being turned away by Calum hurt more than it probably should have. “But, we always have a post-party gossip.” You argued sadly. “Who else am I gonna laugh at this video of Luke’s dorky dancing with?” You held up your phone for emphasis but it seemed to have very little impact.

Some emotion that you couldn’t quite identify sparkled in Calum’s eyes as he met your gaze. “I’m just tired and a little too tipsy to be alone with you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You asked incredulously, confusion flooding your brain as you stood up. “You’ve been tipsy when we’ve been alone together a whole bunch of times...”

Something gave way inside Calum. You saw the very moment when some sort of barrier between his brain and mouth shattered, allowing words to spill out that he’d obviously tried to keep inside for a long time. “And every single time I’ve had to stop myself from doing something stupid!” He replied, his cheeks turning crimson as it dawned on him that he was saying this stuff out loud. “You have no idea how many times I’ve come this close to trying to kiss you.” He holds up his thumb and forefinger close together to illustrate his words.

It probably should have been a shock to you. Calum was meant to be your best friend, he was supposed to be your platonic soulmate. Yet here he was confessing that he wanted to kiss you. In truth, though, you weren’t surprised at all. In fact, when you looked back, this all seemed kind of inevitable.

“I’m sorry, sunshine.” Calum continued when you failed to respond to his confession. “I never wanted to ruin our friendship, I just... I want more than that with you. I can’t hide it anymore, it’s just eating away at me.”

Despite your absolute certainty that this was always meant to happen, words continued to fail you. Stepping forwards you took Calum’s hand and tried to put every ounce of love you had for him into the gaze you shared with him. He’d been brave enough to voice the underlying truth, now it was your turn to take a leap. You cupped Calum’s cheek gently and moved closer, keeping your movements slow and deliberate to give him a chance to stop you at any time. He never did, in fact he moved in to connect the kiss so that it happened a second sooner than it would have done.

The kiss was slow and loving. You savoured the way Calum tasted, loving the way his lips moved against yours in a sort of quietly desperate way. It felt like the end of a long journey, as though you’d finally reached the destination you’d been heading towards for a really long time.

When the two of you pulled apart, Calum met your gaze again. He looked kind of startled but all of the previous tension in his face had vanished. “I’ve wanted to confess this to you so many times, but I was so worried you only wanted to be my friend.”

You smiled, wrapping your arms around his waist and resting your head on his chest. “I don’t want to be just friends, not anymore.” You confirmed, knowing that they were the truest words you’d ever spoken.

Masterlist

Calum is probably almost as annoyed as you are. He’d helped you plan this surprise visit because his best friend has been feeling a little blue over the past week or so. Being the caring soul that he is, Calum wants Michael to be happy just as much as you do and this visit was supposed to lift his spirits.

A few minutes later you receive a sad face emoji from Calum but you don’t reply this time. No amount of sad texts or crying and angry face emojis are going to help you get to Michael any faster. 

You manage to pass the time by playing silly games on your phone and listening to the playlist that Michael made for you before he left to go on tour. It makes you a little emotional but your excitement about being able to hug him again soon overshadows the sadness of missing him for so long.

When you check the time again, you notice that it’s been over forty five minutes since you asked the cab driver how long the remainder of your journey would be. You’re slightly irritated that it’s longer than he said, but the traffic does seem to have eased now and judging by the amount of ‘5 Seconds of Summer’ t-shirts you can see on the streams of people heading along the street outside, you feel like you must be close to the venue now.

Just as you see a sign for the arena, your phone buzzes with another text alert. ‘We’re heading into soundcheck, hope you get here soon x’ 

There’s not much point in replying, not now that you can see the venue just ahead of you. You stuff your phone and headphones back into your pocket hastily, not wanting to waste a single second once the cab has stopped. By the time the cab rolls to a stop you already have your seatbelt unclipped. You’ve also never been more glad of technology, as you don’t have to delay your reunion with Michael any longer just to give money to the cabbie, you’ve already paid via the app. You thank the driver, though, before jumping out of the car. You grab your suitcase from the boot and head off towards the back of the arena at a jog.

Just as Calum had promised, the security at the back of the venue are aware of your visit and let you through to put your case on the bus. You quickly greet the familiar crew members before heading off to finally  see Michael.

You grab your pass from one of the venue staff and use it to get through the various security checkpoints until you finally reach the stage door. The band is huddled together near Ashton’s drum kit when you finally reach the top of the steps. Your eyes immediately find Michael, he has his back to you as he drinks from his bottle of water, listening intently to something Luke’s saying to him. 

Not wanting to disturb the soundcheck, you hang back, hiding the shadows until the right moment. Ashton counts them in and they begin to play one of their most recent album tracks. Calum spots you about half way through the song, his face lighting up in a bright smile as he meets your gaze. You return the gesture, giving him a little wave.

Seemingly unable to contain his excitement, the bassist heads over to Michael’s microphone and whispers something to him. A second later, Michael’s beautiful green eyes meet yours across the stage. He stops playing immediately, taking off his guitar and dropping it to the ground uncaringly, before running over to you. If you weren’t so excited to see your boyfriend, you’d laugh at the bewildered look on Ashton’s and Luke’s faces as their guitarist abandons his post, sprinting across the stage like his life depends on it.

The second Michael’s arms close around you, the long flight, the bad traffic and all of the stress from the last few hours melts away. You’re back where you belong.

“What are you doing here?” Michael asks, “I thought you couldn’t get time off work until next month.”

You delay the answer to his question in favour of pressing a much needed kiss to your boyfriend’s lips. He tastes exactly like he did when he’d left for tour all those weeks ago. “I managed to change some stuff around.” You reply when you finally pull apart. “You’re more important than work, anyway.”

Despite his obvious joy at seeing you, a slight frown tugs the corners of Michael’s lips into a slight frown. “I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me.”

You smile reassuringly, cupping Michael’s cheek gently. “I won’t, I promise.”

His frown eases a little before he places another kiss to your lips, hugging you as close to him as  possible. 

“I hate to break up the touching reunion, but we don’t have long left until the support act needs to soundcheck…” Ashton announces, looking kind of sheepish behind his drums.

Michael turns to scowl at him, readying himself for a defensive ramble but you cut him off with a soft kiss to his cheek. “Go finish your soundcheck, rockstar.” You whisper, “I’ll be right here when you’re done. We have a lot of catching up to do.” You wiggle your eyebrows suggestively, making your boyfriend blush as he kisses the end of your nose. 

“I can’t wait…” Michael mutters, squeezing your shoulder gently before heading off back his mic.

Calum gives you another beaming smile as Luke waves in greeting. You’re pretty excited to catch up with the rest of the band, but right now your attention is fully on your boyfriend. His eyes barely leave you as he sings the next song, making it feel like it’s entirely for you.

You frown, getting to your feet and walking over to your fiancé. “You’d think so, but I guess not.” You reply quietly, cupping Michael’s cheek gently. He leans into your touch, a tired smile gracing his face. “If this is too much for you…”

Michael doesn’t even let you finish your sentence. He scrunches his eyes shut as he shakes his head and covers your hand with his own, pressing your palm to the corner of his lips. “Don’t say it, angel.” He whispers. “I can cope with anything as long as I have you by my side. If you left, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Go about your royal duties without being hounded about how you’re bringing shame on your family and your country by marrying me?” You try to joke, although there’s a serious note in your voice that you can’t hide. “Your life was so much easier before I was a part of it.”

Michael opens his eyes to meet your gaze. “I don’t care about ‘easy’.” He replies. “Everything seemed pretty meaningless before you. I was just a shell, a doll that my family and the royal council used to do whatever would make for a good news story.”

It was true. Even a lot of the general public know that Michael is used as little more than a prop, a lot of the time. It doesn’t stop everyone from expecting him to act the part, though. If he’s ever seen doing, saying or even wearing something he’s not been authorised to, the consequences are harsh. No one else sees this side to royal life. Not that Michael would ever really complain. He knows he’s lucky to have this privileged life and he does his very best to use what influence he does have, for good. No member of the royal family has ever dedicated as much time, effort and funding to important charitable causes as Michael. It’s those kinds of things that the media should be broadcasting. The should be singing his praises for all of his hard work instead of tearing him down just because the person he wants to marry isn’t who they’d have chosen for him.

In an attempt to comfort him, you cuddle into Michael, resting your head on his chest while he wraps his arms around you. “Well one day you’ll be the one making the rules, this will all seem worth it, then.” You offer softly, tightening your hold around his waist. 

“The thought of being King used to scare me so much.” Michael whispers, sounding smaller and more vulnerable than ever. “All of that responsibility… It seems less terrifying knowing that you’ll be by my side now.” He adds, cuddling you harder as if to strengthen his statement.

“I’ll be by your side for as long as you want and need me to be.” You promise, hoping to soothe some of his anxieties.

Michael relaxes a little in your hold, allowing your presence to calm him. “Forever, then?” He asks, a small smile curling his lips and brightening his face a little bit.

“Forever.” You agree. “Now come on, Princess, time to get you showered and ready for the charity gala tonight.”

Your fiancé gives a small chuckle, he loves the fond pet name you have for him and the fact that you’re not scared to use it like most other people would be. “I wish we didn’t have to go.”

Part of you feels the same way but it’s more important than ever that Michael upholds his public profile. “If you hurry we might have enough time for some pre-gala fun…” You tease, sliding your hands down his back to give his ass cheeks a firm squeeze. 

A tiny moan escapes the blonde man and you know you’ve succeeded in helping him forget his troubles for now. “I thought you’d like that plan, Princess… time to get out of those clothes for me.”

Recognising the emotion in your voice, Michael steps forward to wrap you in a warm hug. “It finally feels like everything’s coming together doesn’t it?” He ponders out loud, his tone quiet and contemplative. 

“It really does.” You agree, snuggling closer into Michael’s chest. “Now it’s just the two of us, in our own little bubble…”

Your boyfriend strokes your back softly as he places a kiss to your forehead. “Yeah, our very own and very expensive bubble.” He giggles.

“Stop it!” You sigh, poking Michael gently in the side before pulling back to look him in the eye. “I don’t wanna think about how much this all cost, or how long it took us to get here, or any of the stress we went through. I just want to curl up with you on our sofa, order a celebratory pizza and crack open that bottle of champagne we brought.”

“That sounds perfect.” Michael grins. “You grab the champagne and the glasses, leave the pizza to me, I’ll meet you on our sofa in five minutes.” He kisses you briefly before heading back into the living room. 

You’re still smiling to yourself as you pad down the hallway into the kitchen. The late afternoon sun fills the cozy room with a warm glow. It hides some of the imperfections that still need to be fixed, the few spots on the wall where the paint is beginning to flake and the couple of chipped tiles near the back door that need replacing. Not that those tiny things matter much when the house in general is so perfect, you’re just too excited to make this place your home. 

All of the plans you’ve discussed with Michael about how you’re going to decorate and furnish each room, start to flow through your mind as you grab a couple of champagne glasses from the cupboard. You’d spent a large portion of your day unpacking the kitchen stuff and putting it away, something you know you’ll be glad of, when it comes to cooking breakfast in the morning.

You’re so lost in thought as you grab the champagne bottle from the counter where you’d left it, that you don’t realise Michael has entered the kitchen until he wraps his arms around your waist and rests his chin on your shoulder. “Pizza’s ordered.” He announces before kissing your cheek lovingly. “I’m so glad that this place is still in range for delivery from our favourite place.” 

The familiar warmth of having Michael pressed against your back, momentarily makes you forget what you’re doing. You hum contendly, savouring this beautiful feeling. It’s like you’re starting a new, slightly scary chapter of your life, but you’re embarking on it with the most amazing companion you could ever ask for. 

“Do you want me to open that?” Michael asks, breaking through your cloud of thought as he pulls away and takes the champagne bottle from you. 

It’s probably not a good idea for michael to pop the cork. Last time he did that, it hit the ceiling of your parent’s dining room and left a tiny little mark on the white paint. You can’t deny him the simple pleasure of popping the cork of the Champagne bottle that’s going to commemorate your first night in your new home, though. It’s going to be your first night of living with Michael and he deserves at least this. 

You instinctively take a few steps away from your boyfriend as he carefully tries to ease the cork out of the bottle. It takes a moment but finally, Michael manages to open it. The cork flies off towards the window but thankfully doesn’t hit it. The two of you laugh as the champagne bubbles out over Michale’s hand and drips onto the floor forming a puddle.

“You can clean that up, Clifford!” You chuckle, holding out the glasses for him to pour in what’s left of the champagne.

As soon as the two glasses are full, Michael places the bottle back down on the counter before turning to you to take his drink. “I will!” He promises, “but just let me make a little speech first.”

You roll your eyes fondly. Your boyfriend has never been known for giving good speeches, in fact, most of his friends have banned him from making them at special occasions. He looks so happy and excited in this moment, though, that you’re inclined to let him have his little ramble. He holds up his glass and motions for you to do the same. You imitate his gesture, still smiling stupidly wide at how beautiful your boyfriend looks framed by the dying sunlight in your kitchen. 

“So here’s to our new house, baby.” Michael grins widely. “We finally fucking did it! I can’t tell you how excited I am to make this pretty little house into our own special castle. I know we’ll have some of the best times of our life here.” He utters, taking your hand with his free one. “Think of all the parties, the cozy rainy weekends, bringing home new pets, arriving back here after our wedding, brining our first baby home…”

Your heart melts more with every future scenario that Michael lists. By the time he mentions your first child, tears are welling in your eyes. You bring Michael’s fingers to your lips and kiss them gently. “I can’t wait for all of those things.” You sniffle quietly.

Michael’s eyes are shiny with tears, too, as he clinks your glass with his own before taking a sip. You mirror his actions and then place your glass down so that you can wrap your arms around your boyfriend. He puts down his own glass and strokes your back gently, whispering an emotional and scencere “I love you.”

As much as you love your new house, you know deep in your heart that it’d only ever truly feel like home because of Michael.