Amnesia • Calum Hood

•Chapter Twenty•

Calum and I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes pale dawn light was trickling down from the clouds and washing over the hillside.  His jacket had sort of fallen into a slumped heap next to me, which explained why I was freezing cold.  Gently, so as not to wake up the sleeping boy underneath me, I lifted my head and carefully moved his arm.

Yawning, I leaned up and stretched my arms out to the side.  My whole body was stiff from sleeping at such an odd angle, but it was totally worth it.  Calum's soft and warm body was the greatest bed I could ever ask for, his arms like a blanket all on their own.  We'd slept so soundly, and it was the greatest rest I'd gotten in a while.

I hoped I had another one like this soon.

Although I was very careful to not arouse him, Calum started to stir under me anyway.  A small smile formed on my lips as I watched his sleepy actions, the fluttering of lashes, the wrinkle of a nose.  I'd forgotten how adorable Calum was when he woke up.

After a few seconds, his brown eyes opened fully to see me smiling above him.  Instantly, his whole face smoothed into a tired grin, lighting up his features.  Calum yawned and groaned as he leaned forward, head tilting towards mine.

For a split-second I thought he was going to kiss me, and I quickly turned my head away.  He stopped abruptly, and awkwardly cleared his throat while moving a little back, separating us slightly.

Oh god.

I was worried this would become weird.  No matter how much we'd put on the table last night, how much of our souls we'd poured out, it would still be awkward between us, at least for a little while longer.

Biting my lip, I felt a lump in my pocket and chuckled.  Pulling out the uneaten chocolate bar from last night, I waved it at Calum.

"I got this yesterday.  Surprised it didn't melt, but with the cold..."  I tapped the bar mindlessly against my thigh, burning up with embarrassment.  I felt him watching me, heating up the skin where his eyes were looking.

And then he smiled, and gestured for me to open it.  "Alright, well, you gonna give me any?  I'm starving."  He flopped back onto the grass and sighed, closing his eyes as the dawn light warmed his face.

Laughing, I unwrapped the chocolate and broke him off a piece.  I moved to hand it to him, but Calum shook his head without even opening his eyes.  His mouth opened wide, and I giggled.  Taking the piece, I threw it lightly into the air and watched in amazement as he caught it square on his tongue.

Licking his lips and smirking, Calum opened his eyes to wink at me.  "You're impressed, right?"  His eyebrows wiggled a little, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, you're a pretty talented guy," I admitted, plopping my own piece of chocolate into my mouth.  It tasted magnificent, especially on an empty stomach.  I realized just how long ago I'd eaten, and that I seriously needed to get home and clean up.  Sleeping on dirt ground wouldn't have helped with that, either.

Calum seemed to sense my thoughts, and as I handed him another piece of chocolate he chewed it with a frown.  After a minute, he said in a quiet voice, "We should probably be getting back soon."

I blew out a sigh, leaning back on my forearms and staring out at the city.  It looked so peaceful, highlighted against the yellow sky.  The whole hill was peaceful, and quiet, and I felt the strong urge to stay welded to this spot.

Shifting my eyes to Calum, I smiled sadly.  "I kind of don't want to leave," I told him, picking at some grass in between us.  His hand was so close, and my fingers twitched in yearning to grab it.