Where The Lines Overlap [CTH]

[36] Sparks

"H-he is?"

"He talks about you. Like a lot." Mali continues, before ending her sentence in disbelief. "And obviously, he flew you out here. I'm just...Wow."

Calum must really like me.

"I don't really know...what to say." I was flustered and overjoyed. I felt special. I felt lucky.

"Does Calum still drool when he sleeps?" Mali suddenly asks, as she turned to face me.

"Umm...not that I know of?" I grinned.

"He probably still does and you just never noticed." She laughs, before rising from where she sat and turning off her record player. "That's what love makes people do, Alexia. You see all the good things about one another and the bad things...well, they don't matter as much."

"I get what you mean." I said, before she reaches her hand out for me to hold.

"Let's help out with the barbeque."

The backyard of the Hood's family home led to a fenced area leading out to a small lake.

Upon following Mali outside, I finally caught sight of Calum's Dad, David. I first noticed that he wore a bright yellow apron on his body that read: "Hot stuff coming through" and stood smaller than Calum and Mali in stature, but he bore the same warmth his children wore on their faces.

David instantly greets me with a chuckle and a big wave, before proceeding to wrap me in his arms, like he had seen me many times before.

"Alexia Watson! Nice to finally meet you!" He chuckles as he pulls away and hands over Mali and I a pair of tongs for the barbeque. An assortment of fish and prawns were beginning to brown nicely over the fire and Calum beamed proudly. I assumed he was in charge of flipping.

"Hope you like prawns!" David says, as he tended the flames.

"I love prawns." I laugh, before beating Calum and Mali to flip a fish.

"That's great, 'cos we got plenty!"

*                          *                          *                         *

After enjoying a hearty home-cooked meal with Calum and his family, Mali, Joy and David unwinded with a glass of wine each by the deck, as Calum and I strolled down the lake.

He wraps his hand around my waist as we walked along the stony shore, and I leaned against his body. From the horizon, we could see several flocks of birds flying across the sky. The cool wind caressed our bodies gently as the day came to a close.

Today was too good to be true.

"Calum." I began.

"Mmm."

"I love you."

Calum smiles, before kissing the top of my head. "I love you too, Alexia."

"I'm really happy you flew me out here to see your family, to spend time with you for the holidays." I smile, kissing his cheek. "I feel...really lucky to be with someone like you."

"I feel really lucky to be with you too. I told you everyone would love you." He grins to himself and I see him slightly blush. "Soooo...how do you like 'strayaaa? How do you like my hometown?"

"I loveeeee 'strayaaaa!" I laugh. "This place is so peaceful. I haven't seen any kangaroos yet though or koalas, for that matter."

"Haven't you?" He asked, suddenly stopping in his tracks. Then, he wraps his arms around my body and lifts me up in the air. "A WILD KOALA APPEARS, WHAT WILL ALEXIA DO?!"

"Alexia chooses to run!!" I yell, playing along. "IT WAS INEFFECTIVE!!!" Then, I break free from his arms and make a headstart as I run by the water but Calum's reflection remained hot on my trail.

"I'm coming to get youuuuu!!"

"Calum! No! No! Stop!" I shriek with laughter, before tripping on a lump of earth and falling to the ground. "Oww."

"Hahahaha...Holy shit!" I heard Calum roar with laughter as he rushed next to me. He checked to see if I had any scrapes or cuts on my legs and arms, but was almost in tears from amusement. "I-I'm sorry! It was funny babe, hahaha...a-are you alright?"

"I'm fine, you dick!" I exclaim, as I watched him lay down next to me on the grass.

I shook my head as I waited for Calum to finally stop silent-laughing about my fall and then when he finally pursed his lips together, I laid down next to him.

"Y'know?" He says seriously with his arms behind his head, as we watched the clouds move above. "I want to make more memories with you."

I turn to face him where I lay and continued to listen as he spoke.

"It's been 7-8 months since we met in the summer in London and now you're here in Sydney." Calum smiles to himself. "That's weird to think about, right? How time goes by so fast?"

"Mmm."

"You should fly out to Los Angeles next year."

"What would I do in Los Angeles?"

"See me play with Luke, Michael and Ashton, of course! And I'll take you around! There's so much to see out there!"

"Right." I said, before poking his cheek. "Sometimes, I forget you're famous."

To me, he was JUST Calum Hood.

Calum Hood without 5SOS, the fame, madness, crowds and flash photography.

To me, he was just the boy who laid beside me on the ground at this very moment, who was wearing the clothes he often left behind and what he referred to as "thongs" beneath his feet.

"Does it bother you?" He says under his breath, before taking my hand and pressing it against his face. "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't."

"W-why?" I stammer.

"So...I can hold your hand in public, like this." He says, as I watch our hands intertwine naturally in front of our faces. "And show you off to the world...because you're mine."

As soon as he said that, I felt my face get hot and the butterflies dancing from within my stomach. For a while, we laid there, just listening to the mere sound of leaves falling in the distance.

"W-when are you gonna tell the world...that you're all mine?" I asked him, when I finally plucked up the courage to do so.

He turns to me and smiles at how bold I was being, before giving me a wink and saying:

"Someday. Real soon." Calum replied, before helping me get up as he too, rose. "I promise."

"Really?" I beamed.

"Yes, really." He laughed, before tucking my hair behind my one of my ears. "Now let's get some rest. It's been a long day for the both of us."