Work Text:
Calum knows something is off the moment she walks through the front door. Her cheerful voice doesn’t call out to him. She greets him, her usual sunny disposition missing from her features. When he plants a soft kiss on her forehead, her nose doesn’t scrunch up like it usually does. Calum stirs, debating between prying for information from his girlfriend and letting it be. As she sets her bag down on the kitchen counter, her shoulders relax at the loss of weight. She places her palms on the cool granite, breathing slowly to calm her erratic heartbeat. Calum can’t hear it, but he knows she’s restless, it’s quite obvious.
“You alright, honey?” Calum calls out from his spot on the couch.
She hesitates for a moment, but it’s long enough for Cal to notice, “Yeah love, I’m okay.”
He nods, rising to his feet and climbing the stairs, his feet taking him to the master suite. Calum sighs as he stares at their space, wracking his brain for the best way to help his girl out of this funk she seems to be in. His eyes fall upon her favorite candle and suddenly he knows exactly what to do.
.
Her brain is swimming with thoughts of work problems, she’s clearly stuck inside her own head. This day has been filled with second guessing and worried glances, and she wants, more than anything, for the day to be over. It’s late, and she hasn’t left the dining room since she arrived home.
“Hey, honey, come here a second!” Calum calls from another room. A quiet sigh escapes her lips as she stands and exits the dining room.
“Where are you, Calum?” She asks, aimlessly wandering through their home to find him.
“The bedroom!”
She shakes her head, a sigh slipping out of her mouth, “Babe, I’m really not-” Her train of thought is halted when she enters their master suite. The usually bright room is sparsely lit, a few candles and the diffuser Luke gifted them being the main light sources, not including the dimmed ceiling light. Her favorite vinyl is playing softly in the background as she inhales the calming scent floating in the air. Calum watches her intently, smiling at her reaction.
“I know you had a not so fun day, so I figured we could chill out and snuggle until you most likely fall asleep.” He informs her, watching as she continues to peer around the room like it wasn’t where she slept every night.
“Honey…” She trails off, a small smile gracing her lips.
Calum offers her a somewhat cheeky grin, “Yeah, babe?”
She turns to him, her smile disappearing, “You didn’t have to do all of this for me.”
Cal frowns, placing his hands on her arms and rubbing them soothingly, “I did it because I love you. You’re my partner and I want to take care of you.” A few tears slide down her reddened cheeks, and Calum immediately pulls her into his arms, holding her close. “Why are you crying, love?”
“I just…” She sniffles, “I love you so much, Calum.”
“I love you too, princess,” Cal places a kiss on her cheek and leads her to sit on the edge of the bed, “I just want you to feel better.” She wipes her eyes, still sniffling. Calum grabs the clothes he’s laid out on top of the dresser and hands them to her, “I washed your favorite pajamas with that detergent you like, they smell really nice.”
She shakes her head, eyes puffy as a small smile reaches her face, “I love you.”
“And I love you.” Calum replies, promptly turning around so she can change. They’re comfortable with each other, there’s no doubt of that, but when she’s feeling vulnerable or upset, she prefers privacy when getting dressed. “Just tell me when.”
“Alright,” Cal turns back around, taking her clothes from the day and tossing them into the laundry bin before removing his own shirt and throwing it in alongside her garments. He pulls back the covers, getting comfortable beneath them and promptly patting the spot next to him. She climbs over to Cal, tucking herself in his side with her fingers splayed across his chest. She begins to absentmindedly trace his tattoos, causing his lips to tug up into a small smile and promptly places a kiss to her hair. With the television remote in his hand, Cal flicks over to Netflix and presses play on the episode they left off on.
“I know you wanted to catch up,” He says softly, watching the way she moves her hands up and down his abdomen and admiring the gracefulness she applies to such a simple movement.
Her eyes are trained on the television and their quiet laughter punctuates the silence that hangs in the air every so often.
The episode ends and autoplay leads them to the next one. She turns her gaze to Calum’s face, looking up at him. He looks down at her, too, and smiles.
“No one has ever loved me like you do.” She whispers, not knowing whether she wants him to hear her late night confession or not, but continues anyway “And I don’t think I’ve ever loved someone as much as I love you, Calum.”
His smile grows as he beams down at her, “Yeah?” She nods slightly in response, “I love you more than anything, doll, I don’t think there’s anything I wouldn’t do for you.”
She cranes her head upward to capture his lips in a long, purposeful kiss. When he pulls away, she ghosts over his lips, “I think you’re my soulmate.” She admits, staring deep into her lover’s eyes. There’s no fear in her words, just honesty as she offers the rawest of her emotions to him.
“I didn’t believe in soulmates,” Cal replies, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before continuing, “Until I met you.”
“Cal,” She smiles up at him, warmth overcoming her body and rushing through her veins, straight to her heart. He hums in response, replying with a smile of his own.
“Yeah, lovie?”
“Thank you,” She tells him, “For doing all of this for me.” She feels a thousand times better than she did before.
He places a gentle kiss on her forehead, “Anything for my girl.”
The television continues playing during their conversation, unbeknownst to the heartfelt confessions being shared between the pair. The moon shines brightly, though they can’t see it, because their heads are filled with thoughts of admiration and their eyes are filled with love and they can’t focus on anything but each other.