Music for the Soul (Calum Hood)

Chapter 2

"Luke, we're going to Carnegie Hall, not a fucking disco." Calum, for whatever reason, was really trying to make him and his mates look presentable. Honestly, he didn't mind Luke's golden glittery jacket and matching pants, but today, for a classical music performance, it was a bit much. Luke grumbled a little, but eventually exchanged the pants for a normal pair of black dress slacks. Better, Cal thought. He was trying to decide how many buttons to leave undone on his crisp white dress shirt. He was wearing a navy blue suit, and brown boots, but he finally decided on two buttons. Sexy, but not slutty. Stylish, but not overdone.

"Let's go. Don't want to be late." Ash popped his head into the room that Cal and Luke were getting dressed in. "Cal, you look nice. Any particular reason?"

"Fuck off Ash." Cal grumbled and walked out to door, not stopping until he was in the car. They had a car waiting, and Cal sat in it for about 10 minutes before his bandmates finally joined him. Cal just slipped his earbuds in and, instead of turning on music, sat and listened to what you were playing instead. It only took a few minutes to get to the world famous concert hall, but, to Calum, it felt like forever. There was something different about this trip to NY. When they pulled up to the venue, Calum just stood still outside for a moment. This hall was legendary for a reason, that was for damn sure. The architecture was magnificent, classical and intimidating. The beauty of the structure was just something else.

"Alright, so we are seeing someone named... Y/N L/N. She's supposed to be really good." Ash had pulled out the tickets he had purchased and was studying them. Apparently, they needed to get in quickly, or their tickets would be revoked. "We need to get a move on and get inside or they take our tickets."

"What do you mean?" Michael was messing with his hair, not really paying attention to Ash.

"If we don't get in the venue soon, they take our tickets and give to to someone else." Ash made a beeline for the entrance, noting the line around the building of people ready to snatch up their tickets in a heartbeat. They group made their way into the building, finding their seats with the help of an usher. They were in the first balcony in the very center.

"Best seats in the house here." The usher smiled and them and patted the seat.

"Yeah?" Cal looked at the usher quizzically, and eyebrow raised.

"Yes sir. The vibrations reflected from the stage all hit right here, makes it so you can really feel the music. And you can see the stage really clearly, too. That's good for tonight. Ms. Y/N L/N is a really beauty." The usher smiled and made his way to some other people looking for their seats. The boys all sat, first Michael, then Calum, Ashton, and lastly Luke. The house lights flashed twice, signaling the beginning of the performance. Cal took a quick glance around and found damn near every seat filled. He guessed that while classical music was a sort of niche, the people who loved it really loved it. He spent a few minutes glancing around the Hall, people watching, so when he turned back to the stage, you were already there. There was something different about you, something that made him see nothing but you. God, you were beautiful. Even more so when the house lights dimmed and a spotlight appeared on you. After several minutes of applause, you settled in and touched your bow to the strings. Cal wasn't sure exactly when he started crying, somewhere between the Elgar and the Brahms, he thought. Two silent tears slipped down his cheeks, the music flowing around him. That usher knew what he was talking about. The music seemed to pulse inside him, the lower notes completely aputring tones of sorrow, and the higher ones like happiness and the giggle of a child. Pure and sweet in every sense of the word. This was his music, not a concert for the wealthy, but music solely belonging to him. He wasn't even looking for you, but now that he found you, he was never letting go.

 As soon as the concert was over, Cal practically bolted down to the main level, begging anyone and everyone who would listen to take him to you. Eventually, the same usher from earlier found the desperate man and led him to your dressing room. The usher knew he would probably get in trouble for it later, but to him, helping soulmates find each other would always take precedence. The usher took Calum as far as the doorway and then walked away without saying a single word. Calum took a deep breath and then knocked twice on the door. When you opened it, despite neither of you being anywhere near an instrument, synchronized symphonies played together in your heads.