Both Sides of the Story [cake au.]

nineteen

a/n: cake makes my soul WEEP - also, I've had pretty bad writer's block so I just did a time skip #yolo THIS CHAPTER IS TINY OMG

[Christmas Eve]

Calum couldn't be happier.

He was sitting beside Luke - or rather, leaning against him with his arm around the blond's shoulders - and listening to Luke and Mali talk. The two of them had hit it off so well that now Calum almost felt like the odd one out.

Similarly, the twins were having a blast with Mali's kids. They were all around the same age which made everything that much easier. At the moment, they were downstairs, building a fort out of the basement couches.

"Seriously, you should just see the photos he takes. They're amazing," Mali gushed about her husband. "If he was here, you two would've gotten along so well. Right Cal?"

"Yeah, definitely." Calum nodded. "How come he didn't come?"

Mali rolled her eyes. "He couldn't get off work. For Christmas! Isn't that terrible?"

Luke nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's alright, I suppose. We're heading back pretty soon."

"Really?" Luke was surprised. "Didn't you guys just get here?"

"Yeah, we got in the same day you guys did." Mali nodded. "But we want to be together to celebrate New Year's."

Luke pouted playfully, and I chuckled, kissing his cheek.

Mali smiled, pulling her legs up to sit cross-legged on the couch she was on. "So wait, how long have you guys been together?"

"About two months..." Calum replied sheepishly. He wasn't sure how his sister was going to react.

Instead of making a snide comment about how early it was, she just nodded. "I see. Calum, I think you've found yourself a keeper."

Luke blushed a light pink, and Calum just smiled, kissing his cheek again. "Yeah," he thought. "I think I have, too."

--------

To no one's surprise, all the kids wanted to spend the night in the fort they "worked so hard" to make. Luke didn't have a problem with it and neither did Mali. Once they were all dressed in their pyjamas, had their favourite stuffed animals, and had said goodnight to Calum's parents, they ran back downstairs, causing the two parents (and Calum) to roll their eyes fondly. The three of them followed the kids down and tucked them into the sheets the best they could without messing up the fort, while making enough room for Sally, too. ("Ungrateful dog would rather take a fancy fort than the bed I hauled all the way here for her," Calum muttered half-heartedly.) When they got upstairs, they ended up just calling it a night as well and retreating to their own rooms.

Sleeping in the same bed was something new to the two of them, but neither of them could say they disliked the other's presence. The night before, their first night at the Hood household, had been pretty awkward. Calum had even said he might be taking the floor, and was going to until Luke shyly told him that it was okay, that he was fine with just sharing a bed. They found that they slept just fine, Calum's arms giving Luke the impression of being safe – and even better, of being loved.

This night was much smoother. Calum didn't even suggest the floor, and instead just slid in beside Luke after flipping the lights off. He kissed Luke's forehead, about to shift into a more comfortable sleeping position when Luke slid a hand into the back of Calum's hair and pulled him in for a proper kiss.

It was more rushed than what they were used to, but Luke's lips tastes like mint toothpaste and Calum was intoxicated. There was something in the way Luke kissed that had him hooked.

They kissed for a while, Luke's hand sliding away from Calum's hair to rest on his cheek. Calum's hand was on the blond's waist, thumb delving under his oversized white shirt and running over the warm skin. Calum's teeth nipped a bit at Luke's lower lip, causing the other to giggle slightly and pull away.

Luke was clearly out of breath when he murmured, "Thank you."

"For what?" Calum asked, thumb still running idle circles on Luke's hip.

With the dim glow of the street lamp filtering through the curtain, Calum could tell Luke was smiling softly. "For... I dunno. All this. Inviting me to come here with the girls and spend time with your family. And for wanting to be with me."

"There is absolutely no reason to not want to be with you, Luke," Calum murmured, kissing the tip of Luke's nose. "My family really likes you. I really like you."

Luke smiled, pressing a heavy kiss to Calum's lips before nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck. Calum smiled, pulling the blond even closer to him, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

a/n: I used to update every night and now I only update 2-3 times a week, what a failure I have become