#except michaels missin

[ieropilled]

this was right after "we're all getting contact high from all the weed" btw LMAO

"he's stoned as fuck 👉"

*crowd cheers*

[dopescotlandwarrior]

Bluegrass-Chapter Ten

                           My thanks to @statell​ for your help and wisdom

Previous chapters on AO3

Chapter Ten

The track stewards were unmoving in their decision to disqualify Midnight Runner. Track officials made a public announcement, and then it was over. The final word was that Runner had bumped the second-place horse in his rapid advance late in the race. The bump was hard enough to knock the horse's stride off thereby eliminating any chance to win.

Michael, Claire, and Jamie studied the race video repeatedly to see what happened and decided there was little that could have prevented it, unless Claire was doing her part as a jockey.

“It’s a big part of what the jockey does, you watch for openings and potential problems Claire. It’s time for you to become his jockey.”

Claire looked at Michael, “It’s about God damn time.”

They had two weeks before the next race in Kentucky and Claire would learn as fast as she could to prevent further bumps. She would have a long mental talk with Runner, so he understood the consequences of bumping another horse.

Jamie and Michael made sure Runner was safely boarded on the plane and rode back with the handler who brought them. Claire had everything packed and ready when Jamie returned, but she was too quiet. Jamie hugged her and asked for some honest talk time before they left. Sitting across from each other he asked what was on her mind.

“If something goes catastrophically wrong in a race, like yesterday, I wouldn’t be responsible for it up until now, because I wasn’t guiding him. Now I’m nervous that I won’t be a very good jockey and my direction to Runner will be wrong and cause a real mess.”

“It sounds like you trust Runner more than yerself lass. Can ye not see how much yer needed now? The races get harder from here because the weaker horses are gettin pulled from the stakes races. He will be runnin against better horses and he needs yer guidance.”

“I have two weeks to learn how to guide a twelve- hundred- pound speeding bullet with other horses all around us, and I’m terrified at the thought.”

“Ye said ye rode hunter-jumpers until two years ago but ye did more than that, didn’t ye lass?”

She threw him a questioning look.

“Forgive me Sassenach, I checked because I had to know everything about ye. This was back when my crush first started before I kissed ye the first time. It was the only thing I could do when I was missin ye.”

“I’m not sure I follow where this is going, Jamie.”

“Ye did more than just ride. Ye showed them competitively, even through vet school. Ye won yer class at the Hampton Classic did ye not? I watched your jump off and almost had a heart attack at the height and size of the jumps, the tight corners and angles, and the speed! Have ye forgotten that Sassenach? What ye will do in the race doesn’t even compare to that level of control.”

Claire blushed and looked at her hands. “That seems like another lifetime ago Jamie,” she said quietly.

“Well, it wasn’t, love, and it’s time to channel the competitor Claire and learn to race. I haven’t a single doubt about yer ability to learn, and ride him straight through undefeated.”

Jamie pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the love and passion he felt. The colt was still proving he was one in a million with each race he won so they had to keep going. Now that they were going back to Kentucky, there were other issues they would have to deal with. He needed to see her strength, now more than ever.

It was decided that Michael would bunk with Jamie until he found somewhere to live and purchased a car. Jamie hoped Isobel would be cordial and accept the new roommate for the short time he was there.

Rupert pulled up to Claire’s house and waited for Jamie to walk her inside. She clung to him and kissed him before he was out the door, leaving her with all her doubts.

Jamie had explained his living situation and the presence of Isobel to Michael the best he could. The men stopped at the compound to look at the new quarantine wing where Runner and Porcelain Love would stay safe from outside threats. Jamie looked at the new multiplexer and thirty-two cameras that were displayed across two large screens in his office. Tomorrow he would get the doors online and provide pass codes for all the borders and staff. Isobel would not be getting a password and if she walked into the compound she would be followed closely by Rupert or Angus.

Michael appreciated the high tech facility and the improvements Jamie had made while they were in New York. He wasn’t a stupid man. There was more to the story than Jamie had shared and it piqued his interest, not only for Runner’s safety but for the wellbeing of his new friends. He would keep his eyes open and melt into the background for now.

Finding the house empty of one irritating Isobel, Jamie showed Michael to a guest room and went to bed. He sent a text message to Isobel telling her they had a guest so she wouldn’t shoot him when she came home. He laid in his bed and dialed Claire. He missed her already.

“Beauchamp.”

“My love, ye have caller ID do ye not?”

“I never remember to look. How is the most handsome man in the world?”

“What in God’s name is going on over there?”

“Sorry.” Claire closed herself into her room and the giggling girls were no longer heard. “That is Molly and Lulu and some boy that stopped by. I haven’t figured out why they are so happy. They talk so fast I can’t understand a thing they say. They make me feel old.”

“I’ll miss ye tonight mo chridhe. Runner has another two days of rest and I will lose my mind by then. Can I come over tomorrow night?”

“Anytime, day or night, Jamie. I’ll miss you too. Goodnight love.”

“Goodnight.”

The weight of the world became too heavy for Jamie to bear so he gave in to sleep and let the blackness carry him away.

Michael struggled with insomnia and tonight it was next to impossible to fall asleep. He decided to take a walk and stop sheet boxing. Once on the road, he naturally walked toward the compound enjoying the lovely evening. Large floodlights made it easy to find his way into the stall area and he walked the aisles looking at beautiful horses tucked in for the night. He found Runner’s wing and slipped in to give him some love when he was jumped from behind and almost strangled in the process.

“My name is Michael, I’m a guest of Jamie’s!”

Suddenly the weight on his back was gone and Rupert was sputtering his apology. Once Michael could breathe again, he asked why he was attacked. Rupert explained they were taking turns sleeping near Runner for his protection.

“Jamie will activate the new locks tomorrow, so we won’t have to do this anymore.”

“What are you protecting him from?”

“Well, two years ago someone tried to poison Jamie’s horses. Several died but Claire was able to save the others, including Runner. She cut him right out of the dead dam. So lately, there’s talk of someone comin into the stall area, late at night. Jamie and Claire got worried the same person was tryin to kill them again. Or steal them. That’s why we have all this new equipment and this quarantine wing. Just an excuse to fortify the walls, purify the air, and keep the feed separate. They never found the guy that tried to kill them so he’s still out there.”

Michael couldn’t believe his ears but now he understood all the new security. It seemed a bit over-reactive, but he never had someone try to kill his horses before.

“This person who came to the stalls recently, who saw him and did they ask why the guy was here?”

“No, Claire heard about it from Runner who was scared shitless about it, and it was a woman.”

“Come again?”

“It was a woman he said.”

“Who said?”

“Runner.” Michael was trying to keep his composure as he backed away from Rupert. He wanted to get out of the compound and back to the sane people right away.

“I see. Well, goodnight, sorry I bothered you.”

Rupert watched the man walk swiftly to the outside door thinking he was a bit odd. The horses were sound asleep again, so Rupert jumped back into his blankets and joined them.

Michael was replaying the scene with Rupert on his way back to the house, convinced Rupert was challenged in some way and Jamie gave him a job out of the kindness of his heart. That must be it, he told himself. Before he got to the house his cell phone was vibrating with a message from Claire. It was only ten o’clock so he called her back.

“Beauchamp.”

“Claire, hello, just got your text as I was walking back to Jamie’s. I went down to the compound to walk off some stress and ran into Rupert.”

“Oh, okay, now you’re walking back. I see.”

“Rupert told me about the woman who was coming to the stalls late at night. I was wondering, who found her?”

“No one found her.”

”How do you know she was here then?”

“Runner told me.”

Michael heard the bomb go off in his mind and he staggered to get his legs under him so he didn’t fall. His heart was pounding, and his hand pushed sweat off his forehead.

“Well, goodnight Michael. I will see you in a couple of days.”

“Yes, goodnight Claire.”

Michael felt like he was in the twilight zone where people seemed normal until they had you on a breeding farm in the middle of nowhere and then revealed they were all crazy. He couldn’t walk himself out of here if he tried. It had to be many miles to the nearest store or gas station, and he had no idea which way to go. He had no choice except lock himself in his room until morning then ask for a ride to town.

Jamie was pulling wire into his office the next morning when Michael came in. He looked a bit under the weather and Jamie asked if he was well. Michael was fidgeting and looking at the ground while Jamie was distracted by running the wire.

“I came down here last night when I couldn’t sleep. I spoke to Rupert after he nearly choked me to death. We had a nice talk about things.”

Jamie looked at Michael, “what kind of things?”

“Well, the woman who visits the stalls late at night. He said Runner told you.”

“Nah, he doesna talk to me, only Claire.”

Michael was positive now, they were all crazy. “Do you think I could get a ride into town, right now?”

“Of course, Rupert can drive ye.”

“Is there anyone else available?”

Jamie put down the wire and looked at the trainer.

“What’s goin on Michael, yer acting very strange and why don’t ye come in and take a seat?”

“I need to get on my way actually, right now, and I can’t wait.”

Jamie could see the man was terrified and wondered what happened to him.

“Michael, ye mean a lot to us and I hate to see ye go. What’s happened to ye?”

He described what happened the night before and his brief conversation with Claire.

Jamie dialed Claire and told her they were coming over so she could talk to Michael about talking to animals. On the way, he had plenty of time to explain what happened the first time Claire came to Highland Brothers to do yearling checks and instead, walked into a mass poisoning.

“She held their head and started calling out drugs to mix into a cocktail. No way she could have assessed the poisoning so precisely but in the end, she saved all but five. My prized dam died and Claire cut the colt out of her. I bottle raised him which is why he had to be taught to run, I think. I dinna think he knew he was a horse. Claire taught him by racing him like he was a kid. It worked, now he only wants to race. When I saw him really run, I was stunned by his speed. He wouldn’t accept a rider until Claire held his head and told him something. She is the only one who can ride him.”

Michael looked like he wanted to open the door and run. Anywhere, it didn’t matter, as long as it was away from Jamie. The story he just heard was pure fiction, that was obvious, but who was such a master to perpetuate such a tail. Claire. She must truly be gifted to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes, he thought. He felt a bit sorry for gullible Jamie, but it wasn’t his business. He had one task in front of him, get away from these people and find a way back to New York.

Claire clicked off feeling a deep worry about Michael leaving them. She asked Molly to please stick around to add her testimony and rushed to get dressed.

Claire welcomed them all to sit on the patio and went inside for a pitcher of lemon aid. Jamie followed her and told Molly to make sure Michael didn’t bolt for the stairs.

“Give me yer mouth Sassenach,”

Jamie kissed her several times before carrying the pitcher outside, followed by Claire who sat down and waited for Michael’s questions. The neighbor's cat was a regular visitor to her porch and jumped into Claire’s lap, purring with happiness at being stroked.

Claire could see Michael was not open-minded now and her answers fell on deaf ears. She told the cat to lick the face of the man near the stairs and sent a mental image.

“Michael, do be kind and let the kitty lick your face, don’t scare him.”

Michael looked at Claire like she was crazy because cats didn’t like him and never gave him a second look. The cat jumped in his lap and got up on hind legs to lick his cheek. Then it went back to Claire’s lap and curled up in the sun.

The silence was deafening as Michael struggled to accept what he just saw with his own eyes.

“Michael, it’s not important that you believe me, those closest to me had a very hard time with it. I understand that and do not force the issue. We can all coexist for the sake of Runner and hold our own beliefs. We are not a group of crazy people that believes we can talk to animals. Only me.”

That seemed to snap Michael out of his fear-based silence and he looked at Jamie.

“You don’t hear animals talking?”

“Never have, only Claire.”

“As long as I don’t offend you believing animals can’t talk to any human, I’m in.”

“It will not offend me, Michael, and I am very relieved to hear you are still with us.”

Jamie gave Claire a long look as they were leaving. It seemed she was always alone, starting with her parent's death and now a special gift that no one believed in. He wondered how she could be so level-headed, so compassionate, and not hate the world. He could hardly wait to get back here after work. He needed to hold her and tell her what was in his heart.

[returnn-of-the-mac]

How would companions react to SS finishing off a raider with a hard punch to the throat? The raider puts his hands on his throat from the punch and collapses into eternal sleep.

This one was fun! Sorry I took so long, I was on a mini-vacation. I had some downtime after I got back from the beach, so I was *finally* able to finish it up (hopefully I read it right this time 😅). It’s going to be a long post for now, but I’ll add the “read me” as soon as I get home. Enjoy!🦑🐠🌊 (also if there are typos I’m on mobile so I apologize; I’ll fix them later!)

FO4 Companions React Headcanon: Sole Delivering a Deadly Throat Punch to a Raider

Nick: Nick had just finished off most of the raiders when he saw Sole fighting the last one. With a mighty punch to the throat from Sole, it was game over for the raider. He fell over, gripping his throat in agonizing pain. “Looks like he could use a cough drop.” Nick commented just as the raider collapsed.

Deacon: Deacon watched in awe as Sole punched a raider in the throat, killing him instantly. He suddenly cupped his hands around his mouth and— doing a Michael Buffer impersonation— bellowed “LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLEEEE!!!” When minutes passed and the raider didn’t get up, he scratched his head. “FINISH HIM!!” When Sole didn’t move, Deacon realized that the man had been dead the entire time. “LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR [NAME]! *AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!!!*”

Gage: Gage was looting some fallen raiders when he saw Sole finish off a residual raider nearby with a strong punch to the throat. “Heh. That’s the spirit, boss. Show em no mercy.” Gage made his way to the raider to see if he had anything valuable on him.

Strong: Strong was bashing several already-dead raider corpses with his sledge when he saw Sole deliver a deadly punch to a remaining raider. “Human!” Strong gushed in surprise. “Human is a good fighter! Human smash other human with BARE HANDS. Strong very impressed!”

Danse: Danse has just vaporized several raiders when he saw Sole punch another raider in the throat, killing him instantly. “Was that a fatal blow?” Danse asked aloud as he approached the limp body to inspect the damage. After confirming that the raider was, in fact, dead, he gave Sole a nod of approval. “Outstanding, soldier. These scoundrels deserve to reap what they sow.”

Piper: Piper was hiding behind an icebox and reloading her pistol when she saw Sole punch a raider in the throat. The raider fell to the ground with a sickening thud, still grasping his neck. “There’s no way...” The reporter waited for the raider to get back up and continue the fight, but he never did. “Blue, you managed to kill a man with a single punch to the throat? That’s...incredible! I don’t think anyone would even believe it if I tried to report it.”

MacCready: MacCready was aiming for his targets head when he heard commotion right behind him. He turned around to see Sole punch the life out of a raider, via the throat. “That. was. awesome!” MacCready gushed. “That’s how Grognak the Barbarian killed one of the bad guys in my favorite edition. You’ve gotta show me how to do that sometime!”

Hancock: Hancock has just stabbed a raider in the stomach when he saw Sole deliver a fatal blow to the throat on the last remaining raider. Hancock examined the body. “Yeeeah. I’d say he’s taking a permanent nap.” Hancock laughed. “if that’s the damage you can do while sober, I wouldn’t even wanna mess with you on psycho.”

Preston: Preston was picking ammo off the fallen raiders when he saw Sole punch a remaining raider. The raider grasped his throat and fell to the ground with a gasp. He was instantly killed. “General...that was very brutal but...very impressive. You’ve really got a knack for hand-to-hand combat, don’t you? That’s a useful skill to have.”

Curie: After fighting off a fairly large raider gang Curie was searching her inventory for a stimpack. She suddenly saw Sole punch a single surviving raider in the throat. The man clenched is throat in pain, fell to the ground and didn’t move. An awestruck Curie ran over to the limp man and felt his pulse. There wasn’t one. He was dead. “How...how is that possible?” Curie gasped. “The probability of that are slim to none...I didn’t even know it could be done!”

Codsworth: Codsworth was floating about, making sure all the raiders were actually dead, when he saw Sole punch the last raider in the throat, killing him instantly. [Sir/Mum]! That was unnecessarily barbaric! But...you did get the job done, so good job I suppose.”

Longfellow: Longfellow was cleaning off his weapon after a long fight. He looked up just in time to see Sole deliver a deadly punch to a raiders throat. “Over in the Habar, we call that move a windpipe wallop. Happens in bar fights all the time. Just be careful, he might get back up.” Minutes passed and the raider hadn’t moved. An impressed Longfellow approached the body and kicked it. When the raider didn’t respond, he looked at Sole. “Well, I’ll be. In my decades of living, I have never seen a man actually die from windpipe wallop. Incredible.”

Cait: Cait has just knocked out a raider when she saw Sole engage in physical combat with one of the gang members. With one hard punch to the throat, Sole was able to take out the final raider. Cait was impressed. “Hey, ye’re not too bad! I’ve done my fair share of knockin raiders to their graves. Never to the throat though, that’s a new one fer me. But if physical combat is yer style, we should tag team next time. I don’t wanna be missin’ out on all the fun!”

X6-88: X6-88 was looking for a remaining raider he sensed in the area when he saw Sole take him out with a strong punch to the throat. The raider collapsed and was dead within a minute. “Your prowess in hand-to-hand combat is nothing to scoff at; you’re quite an impressive fighter. I can see why Father has put so much faith in you to lead the Institute. Exceptional job, [sir/ma’am].”

Ada: Ada was scanning the raiders she had just killed when she witnessed Sole punch the last remaining raider in the throat, killing him instantly. Ada decided to run a diagnostic scan on the incident. “Computing the probability of that raider surviving the hit...97.853%. Variables that interfered with results...Human raider was chewing gum. Results: Human raider swallowed gum when punched and incidentally choked.”

[highfivecalum]

Love and Communication {CH} 3

Previous Chapters: One Two

✧✧✧

“Wait, what?” Lena’s coworker and best friend, Skylar, squealed. They were sitting in their shared cubicle, talking about their weekends and Lena just so happen to let it slip that she and Calum got together. In more way than one. “Lena! That’s Luke’s best friend!”

“Yeah, I know.” Lena puffed out her cheeks and spun around in her desk chair. Skylar was there through it all when Luke broke up with Lena. She was there through the tears, the small bit of depression that Lena went through, and her crazy phase after it. And then, Lena got transferred to Chicago, but Skylar didn’t. They were apart and Skylar was nervous to let Lena go off to a completely different state by herself, but she knew Lena and she knew she would be able to take care of herself.

“So,” Skylar smirked. “How was the sex?”

“Sky! I’m not telling you that!”

“Why not? We always tell each other about our sexual rendezvous!” Skylar pouted and pushed herself to Lena’s desk, resting her elbow on it, but Lena ignored her. She pretended to busy herself with her work, but truth was, she couldn’t focus on her work no matter how hard she tried. All of her thoughts were consumed with Calum.

“I know we do, but it’s Calum.”

“And?” Skylar cocked an eyebrow. “Come on, Lena. I haven’t gotten laid in forever, I need to live vicariously through you! I would do the same for you.”

Rolling her eyes, Lena finally looked at her best friend and gave in with a heavy sigh. “Fine. It was great.” Lena smirked at the memory of Calum’s lips and how well he could use them on her. He was good at everything, but his mouth? It was magical. “We’re uh- we’re going on a date on Friday night.”

“What?!” Skylar screamed this time, gaining the attention of all of their co workers and their boss. She didn’t care though. She was in disbelief at the news of that Lena, who used to be so in love with Luke, was now dating and sleeping with his best friend. “A date? Like an actual date?”

“Stop yelling before you get us in trouble,” Lena scolded Skylar. She debated on telling her, not wanting to let the world know that her and Calum were more serious than just a one night drunken hookup, but Skylar was her best friend and they told each other everything. “And yes. An actual date. I’m kind of nervous.”

“You do realize you haven’t actually gone out on an actual date since Luke, right?”

Lena hated thinking about that. When she was in Chicago she would casually date guys and had a few one night stands, but she wasn’t actually interested in any of them. She never went on enough dates to feel something or catch feelings, too afraid to get hurt again, so she always kept it casual. But with Calum, with their history and undeniable feelings, it was anything but casual.

“I know, Sky. That’s why I’m nervous. I-I don’t know how to date again.” Lena frowned at the thought of her and Calum’s first date ending horribly. “What if it’s awful? What if I’m awkward and weird and we run out of things to talk about?”

“Lena, it’s you and Calum. You two were pretty much the closest out of all of us, besides you and Luke obviously, but you were such good friends before this. You’ll be fine. You’ve always been fine around Calum. Why does it have to be different now?”

“I guess it doesn’t. But what if it is?”

“Then it’s not meant to be, but honestly, I think it is. It didn’t work out between you and Luke for a reason, so maybe this is it. Maybe this is your sign, Lena. You’ll never know until you try. So just say fuck it and try.”

✧✧✧

Lena’s nerves skyrocketed when she heard the knocking on her apartment door. Calum was right on time like he always was and Lena knew she shouldn’t have been nervous, it was only Calum, but she was and she couldn’t help it. Sure she had known Calum well, for years now, but it was still a date.

Calum’s eyes lit up when the door swung open, revealing Lena dressed in a similar outfit that she had on at the bar, but less showing. Calum was dressed in the black pants he always wore, a black and white striped button down, and leather boots. He was the most handsome guy she said ever seen, Lena decided right then and there.

“You look amazing.” Calum finally spoke and Lena, of course, blushed. Calum held his hand out for her to take and she happily did so. He tugged her closer and planted his lips on hers as soon as he was close enough to. He would never get tired of her lips. “You ready to go?” He mumbled against them.

“Mhm.” Lena locked her door behind them and Calum led the way to his car. They walked in a comfortable silence to his car and drove in one with just the music playing. Everything was comfortable between them. Never any awkward silences or pauses, just comfortable and natural and both of them were thankful for that.

Calum hadn’t ever been on a proper date in his life and Lena hadn’t been on one since Luke, so it was new for both of them in a way, and nerve wracking. Calum knew everything would go smoothly, knew the date would be amazing, and knew everything would work out. He didn’t know how he knew, he just did.

Instead of going to a fancy restaurant like he planned to, Calum took them to their favorite diner they used to go to when they were younger. When they were just friends and when Lena and Luke were more in love than ever. Although the place had history for Luke and Lena, there weren’t any bad memories, only good that she could think of. And all of them included Calum, too.

“God, I haven’t been here in forever.” Lena was overwhelmed with nostalgia when she opened the menu that hadn’t changed one bit. Nothing was added or taken away, everything was just the same as it was before. And not just the menu. “I feel like I’m having deja vu.” She laughed.

“Me too,” Calum grinned. “Except we’re missin’ a few other people.”

Lena’s mind instantly went to Luke, but she wouldn’t dare bring him up on their date and ruin the moment, so she brought up Michael and Ashton instead. She missed them, too, and wondered how they were doing. “How are Michael and Ashton? I know I asked you before, but I’m still curious.”

“They’re doing well. Ash has a girlfriend and Michael stopped dying his hair,” Calum laughed. Michael’s hair had been a silver/blonde color for a while and he was going to keep it that way. He was too old now to be dying his hair crazy colors. “I, uh, I told them about you. About us.”

“Oh? What did they say?”

“Well, Ash isn’t too thrilled about it, but that’s just because he’s worried about Luke will think. Michael thinks it’s great, but Michael thinks everything is great. I just think Ashton is worried about one of us, including Luke, getting hurt.”

“That’s understandable. I mean, he doesn’t want to be put in the middle of it, and if Luke finds out, it’s inevitable that he will.” Lena understood where Ashton was coming from, but she wished he wouldn’t worry so much, wished he could just stay out of it, but Lena knew that wasn’t possible. That wasn’t who Ashton was. “I told Skylar.”

Calum’s eyes widened at the mention of another girl that he used to be close to but hadn’t seen in years. He knew that she was Lena’s closest and longest friend out of everybody, so he wasn’t surprised that she would tell her. He didn’t mind if she told people. After asking about how she was, Calum asked the more important question. “What did she have to say about it?”

“Nothing really. You know her, never really has many opinions about stuff.” Lena shrugged. She wished her best friend would butt in more, voice her opinion, tell her when she thought something Lena was doing was wrong or stupid, but she didn’t. She minded her business and let Lena live her life how she wanted to as long as it wasn’t hurting or endangering her in any way. And Skylar didn’t think Calum would ever hurt or endanger Lena, so she had no worries.

Lena stared out of the window while she and Calum waited for their food, deep in thought about nothing and everything at the same time. She couldn’t keep her mind to stop running wild no matter how hard she tried. There was so much to think about.

“What are you thinkin’ about, love?”

The term of endearment made Lena’s mind stop going crazy and a smile to grace her blank face. She looked at Calum, finding him already looking at her intently and she smiled. With a shake of her head, she told him the truth. “Nothing and everything.”

“Thinkin’ about Luke?” Calum couldn’t help but frown. He had been wondering if she was thinking about him, if she had thought about him much since they had ran into each other the week before. He couldn’t help it, he would always be jealous, maybe even a little bit threatened, by Luke and their past.

Calum saw firsthand how in love they were. Or how in love with Luke Lena was. He knew that Luke loved Lena and cared about her, just not nearly as much as Lena did about Luke. She was head over heels, blindly in love with Luke Hemmings and Calum was afraid that she always would be, was afraid that he would never live up to Luke and how much she loved him. He wouldn’t be able to handle finding out that Lena was still in love with him.

“No, Calum, of course not.” Lena took his hand in hers and laced their fingers together. “I don’t think about him anymore. I don’t love him anymore.” Calum swore Lena had just read his mind with her reassuring words. She didn’t love him. “I’ll always care about him, but love?” She shook her head. “Never love again. Loving him and knowing he didn’t love me back just as much was exhausting and it… it broke my heart.” Lena exhaled a heavy sigh and squeezed Calum’s hand. She needed him to believe her words were true. “I’m thinking about you and how- how happy I am for the first time in a long time.”

Calum hadn’t expected Lena to be that raw and heartbreakingly honest about her thoughts with him, but hell if her words didn’t settle his stomach and nerves. He hated hearing about the heartbreak that Luke caused her, that his best friend put her through, but he was glad that she came to terms with it and that she healed from it. Her heart was hole again and it was all for him.

✧✧✧

Taglist: @novacanecalum @cosmocalum  @roselukes @kinglyhood @cantbehandled-ever @hereforlukescruff @astroashtonio @monsteramongmikey @5secsofsomewhere @gosh-im-short @emma070900 @youmaycallmemrshemmings @grittyisathot @cakesunflower @alotof1dlove @calumsmermaid @gorgeouslygrace @asht0ns-world @singt0mecalum @lockthisheartinchains @cheyenne-in-wonderland @babyurart @blahehblah @inlovehoodx @softboycal