Chapter Text
December
The beach house is quiet. I’m slowly moving my stuff back over here, the boys deciding to spend the summer and Christmas over here. So far I’m the only one in the house for the night, the boys having spent a day doing interviews and Mali had left just a couple hours ago after dinner.
I sat in the sand, a cup of wine in my hands. Breathing in the salt air I felt a lot calmer than I had in three years. This time around, this new adventure demanded quietness.
A knock at the back door pulls me from my thoughts. “Jessie?”
I don’t move, just tilt my head to the side. Calum would know what it meant. We hadn’t had a chance to talk since I got back with Luke. It was a talk long overdue. “Come and sit Cal, the stars are pretty.” Calum come and sits next to me, the engagement band twinkling. “I still can’t get used to that thing.” I say knocking my shoulders with his.
Calum lets out a quiet laugh. “Me neither. I think I always knew I would marry Michael. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.” Their wedding was in three months.
“You’re happy though, right?” I have to ask, not wanting Calum to doubt anything for even the smallest moment.
“Absolutely,” He nods, shifting sand through his fingers. We sit in silence for a few more moments. We were people of few words.
“The others?” I ask, usually if one was here there was another nearby if not all of them.
“Getting dinner, Mali drove me here. She said I needed to fix the last of things before they get forgotten,” Calum shifts uncomfortable. I look at his profile, he’s let his hair grow out leaving the curls he usually hid free. Everything felt more natural now, even Michael had stopped dying his hair.
I stay quiet, trying to find my own words.
“Jessie I’m sorry I meddled in yours and Luke’s relationship. It really was the thing that ended it all,” Calum starts taking in a deep breath. “You were trying to help all of us and we twisted that into something bad. Especially me, you helped me with Michael and I destroyed your love. I don’t think I won’t ever feel bad for that.” Calum wipes his eyes and I pull him near me. I didn't want anymore tears but he needed to let them out.
“Shh,” I whisper. “We all did things to hurt each other.”
“I was mean to you, everyone else took to you quickly and I did too but I was just mean,” he whispers. “I was the first one you met and… and… damnit Jessie we should be the closest.”
“Well we are finally talking now,” I murmur against his hair. “We can start over.”
“Really? You can still stand to have me around?”
“Of course, we’re all family. Just promise me this Calum,” I wait until he faces me, cheeks still wet and every bit of an apology written on his face. “No more secrets, the band loves them but I want you to tell me everything. I wouldn’t be able to handle another shit storm, I need to trust you.”
“No more secrets,” Calum says smiling. After a moment he holds out his pinky, “I promise.”
We both laugh but I return the favor, wrapping my pinky around his. Now everything was falling into place. At that moment three Australians decided to burst through the back door holding different containers of take-out. I even spotted a box of Indian food for me.
“Lets eat you two!” Ashton calls setting plates around the table on the deck. The other two dump the containers on the table going to grab drinks. I drain my wine, we weren’t supposed to have alcohol around Ash, and hide the glass in the sand. I’ll get when everyone cleans up.
“Come on,” Calum helps me up and we make our way to the food as Luke and Michael bring water bottles and a jug of lemonade. I watch Michael plant kisses on Calum before I turn letting Luke capture my lips. Ashton makes noises in the background, but I know he’s talking to a blonde he met at a club. It won't be long now until we all meet her.
I smile. Everything is working out okay.
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One year later.
I gaze off at the sunset again, sitting in the sand shifting it between my fingers. We’re all at the beach house again for Christmas. A new tradition, as Ashton had declared just a week ago. I raise my glass of champagne in a silent toast. Tomorrow was Christmas.
“I still can’t get used to that thing,” Calum laughs, remembering a different conversation from a year ago. I look at my left hand, the gold band shining in the light and the diamond twinkling.
I laugh, “Me neither.”
“You happy Jess? Completely and absolutely happy?” Calum asks his eyebrows coming together. He wears a thicker band under his engagement ring now, a matching one on Michael’s.
“Of course I am, I couldn’t be any happier,” I laugh again, shoving Calum just the slightest. We were people of few words after all and my best friend was just looking out for me. I glance back at the dinner preparations going on inside. Luke pouring drinks the way I taught him, Michael attempting to butter bread while singing. Probably off key just to piss everyone off. Ashton is cooking alongside his girlfriend, the pretty blonde he had meet last year. I liked her, she would fit in nicely with the group. And Mali, cooking and icing a cake at the same time. I liked this tradition.
“After this tour,” Calum starts clearing his throat. “we were all thinking of taking another hiatus.”
“Really?” I raise an eyebrow
“Yeah.” Calum nods. “Michael and I were thinking about adopting, next year or around that time. Then its yours and Luke’s wedding.” Our wedding was in six months. Time flew by fast. “You open your first restaurant in two, and trust me I bet Ashton pops the question for Bry’s birthday.”
“So you’re saying we kind of need this break,” I laugh. There were so many things happening next year, so little time. “You sure you and Mikey can handle a kid?”
“Yep. We can handle a kid.”
“And you two are hoping for—“
“A girl, we want a girl,” Calum finishes for me, flashing me a bright smile. Something tells me they’re already filling out forms. I nod and we continue to sit in silence the last bit of sun slipping down below the ocean.
“You two! Dinner’s ready,” Mali calls from the door already lugging out plates and silverware to the much bigger table Luke had bought a few weeks ago. We both laugh and follow up the stairs. Luke comes out with the roast, Michael following with the sides. Ashton comes next with bread rolls and a pan full of rice.
We go inside and grab whatever’s left, the cake and drinks. Champagne and red wine, Ashton is allowed one drink. “You know I like your natural hair color.” Calum comments as we walk out the door our friends and lovers already sitting and fighting for the bread.
“Thanks,” I say, running a hand through the now dark brown curls. “I like it too.”
“Come on!” Michael groans. “You two always deep in thought.”
I smile and sit. I finger the necklace Luke gave me so many years ago. Everything worked out okay.
I was home. We were all home.