Cross that line
02
Hanna woke up to the sound of loud bangs and noises. She pushed herself out of bed and walked sleepily into the livingroom where Caleb was running around like a chicken with his head cut off, he threw everything he could find into a box. He grabbed the tablet Hanna had walked in with and put it in the box as he rushed past.
"Hey! I was using that." She complained.
"Everything needs to be clean and tidy." He yelled from the other side of the apartment.
"It will be, stop freaking out. You don't have to pack up the whole damn house to tidy up, or your mom won't believe we actually live here." Caleb walked back into the room and glared at her.
"My mom only comes around once a year Hanna, it has to be perfect. Oh shit, the condoms!" Caleb ran out of the room and returned with a large box of condoms.
"What are you going to do with those?" Hanna giggled, and eyed up the box in his hands. "You are turning 29 in two days, I am pretty sure she knows you are sexually active. Besides, your parents aren't staying here so it's not like she's going to have a peek in your drawers to see if you have any condoms."
"She'll know! I am sure she can smell them from a mile away. Why do you think she grounded me for 3 weeks in high school?"
"Oh stop! You are lucky you are this good-looking because you are really dumb sometimes." Hanna said, getting up and taking the box from him. She walked to her room as Caleb followed her closely. She stuffed them in her closet and shut the door.
"Problem solved." She laughed and pushed him out of the door. She closed the door behind her as she followed him to the living room.
Soon after they sat down in the living room there was a knock on the door. Caleb and Hanna got off the couch and walked to the door.
Claudia and Jamie, Caleb's parents were standing at the door with bright smiles on their faces.
"My baby boy." Claudia exclaimed and embraced Caleb in a firm hug as he flushed crimson. He groaned when she gave him a wet kiss on the cheek.
"Mom!" He complained wiping his face.
"Dad," it's good to see you." He said and gave a brief hug to his dad.
"Hanna sweetheart!" Claudia said as she hugged Hanna. Jamie hugged her as well and they went inside the kitchen and sat on the stools around the island. Hanna got snacks and drinks for everyone while they chatted and laid them out on the table. Caleb stood up when she finished and let her sit on his stool. He grabbed his drink and mindlessly flung his arm around her shoulder, leaning into her.
Hanna smiled up to him and turned back to Claudia who had been speaking to her.
"Caleb was telling me last week that you almost need to decide on apprenticeship applications. Will you try and stay in Philadelphia?" She asked Hanna.
"Yeah, I think so. I'll apply to other places but I really love it here which I never imagined coming from New York. When I was younger I really believed it was the best place in the world." Who knows what's going to happen. I still have like 6 months to decide and the decision is only made late next year."
"What about you son? You love it here as much as Hanna?" Jamie asked looking at Caleb.
"I really do, but Montecito will always be my home though."
"Does that mean you might come back home?" Claudia asked perking up and staring hopefully at her son.
"Hmmm maybe. I just can't see myself living that far from Hanna, so unless she wants an apprenticeship in Santa Barbara, I don't see it happening."
Hanna scrunched up her nose at that and shook her head.
"You now I love Montecito, and I don't have anything against the kid pageants, but I won't apply in Santa Barbara. Sorry Claudia."
"It's okay sweetheart." Just don't move all the way back to New York or something and drag my baby with you."
"I promise I won't." Hanna smiled. "Calebs job kind of limits him to certain places but I can be a fashion designer in many places. I guess if I ever had to move, I'd consider his job opportunities before mine."
"You say that now but in a few years you will be married to the hottest designer in town and you'll forget all about me." Caleb teased.
"That is never going to happen." He's going to have to accept that you are part of the package. I need my best friend time."
Caleb smiled and squeezed her tightly for a second.
"Speaking off…" Claudia started. "How is your love life Hanna?"
"It does not exist. I'm just really busy working for the other Claudia I guess."
"You haven't dated anyone since Jack and that was almost 4 years ago."
"I know but the timing isn't ideal. Besides, my friendship with Caleb is pretty intimidating to people it seems. Guys get scared off pretty easily."
"You live with him so I can see why that would scare men off."
"Well that's just because I can't afford this place by myself." Hanna joked, sticking out her tongue at Caleb.
"Hey, is the cheap rent all I'm good for?" Caleb moaned and elbowed her, she gave him a gentle shove back.
"It doesn't bug you the men just get up and run away? Jamie inquired enjoying their banter.
"No not really, Caleb will always be around so if they can't handle it it's their loss" Hanna shrugged
.
"I swear the two of you will end up together in some massive house with your spouses and kids just so you can be near each other." Jamie chuckled shaking his head.
"Nonsense James, The real question is when are you two going to start dating?" Claudia asked in all seriousness.
"And there it is." Caleb groaned.
"Every single time." Hanna said rolling her eyes.
"At least you don't have to hear about it every single week. I can't have my mom on the phone without her asking "How is Hanna banana? Are you dating yet?" He said as he looked down at Hanna.
"I speak to your mother just as much as you Caleb and she never holds back on me either, so don't you complain mister." Hanna said poking his side.
"For the gazillionth time mom, we are just friends!"
"Okay. Whatever you have to tell yourself." Claudia said shaking her head slightly at the pair in front of them. Hanna and Caleb looked at each other while Jamie and Claudia exchanged knowing looks.
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"Do you want popcorn?" Caleb yelled from the kitchen.
"Yes, and with butter!" Hanna yelled back.
"I'll give you butter popcorn but we are going for a run tomorrow morning."
"Are you forgetting it is your birthday tomorrow? So no, we will not be running tomorrow morning. Besides, your friends Toby and Jason arrive tomorrow and it's your party so we won't have time for exercise."
"You just say that because you hate any form of exercise." Caleb said with a laugh as he sat down next to her on the couch with the popcorn. He took of the hoodie he was wearing over his shirt and flung it over the back of the couch.
"No, I hate any form of exercise with YOU because you wake me up at 5.30 in the morning and we run for ages and then you make me do all this extra stuff like sit ups and squats."
"Well thank you, Caleb said smugly. So what you are saying is that well toned ass of yours is all my fault. You are very welcome." He said poking her stomach. Hanna laughed and squirmed as he poked her ticklish spot.
"Yeah yeah." Just put on the next episode," Hanna said, resting her head on his lap making herself comfortable.
Half way through the episode Hanna shivered slightly from the cold.
"Sit up." Caleb muttered. She sat up and looked at him. He pulled out the hoodie she knew he had owned since he was about 12 years old and he wrapped it around her shoulders. She put her arms through the sleeves and Caleb rubbed her arms a few times to warm her up.
"Better?" He asked.
Hanna nodded and smiled before lying back down, his comforting smell around her.
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"Hanny!" Toby called loudly as he walked into the bar where they were hosting Caleb's party.
"Hey Toby." She giggled walking up to him. He picked her up and swung her around when he hugged her.
"This is my girlfriend Spencer." This is Hanna, Caleb's roommate."
Spencer smiled kindly at Hanna and gave her a brief hug.
"Did you grow up in Montecito as well?" She asked.
"No, Caleb was my neighbour in college and we hit it off instantly," Hanna explained. Spencer nodded at her and Hanna turned around to greet Jason.
"So how come you know her so well?" Spencer asked as soon as Hanna left.
"She comes to Montecito with Caleb very often. Thanksgiving, Christmas, family events."
"Oh, are they dating?"
"Nope, they are just friends." Toby explained but shook his head.
It didn't take long for the party to take off. Caleb was enjoying himself mingling with all the guests while Hanna was making sure everyone was fed well and the alcohol kept flowing. Once everyone seemed satisfied, Hanna made her way over to Jason, Toby and Spencer.
"I heard you are going to New York for a job?" Hanna asked Jason.
"Yes indeed. I leave next month. I am very excited but I don't know what to expect."
"Oh don't you worry about a thing! New York is great! You will have to go to Butcher Paper Dinners, they serve the freshest food and the view is to die for. I haven't been in ages but I still have dreams about their food."
"Are you from New York?" Spencer asked.
"Yes, I moved here for a great place to work alongside a designer I really liked. I thought I would have moved back by now but I love my job and I love Philadelphia. Now I barely go home anymore.
"What about the holidays?"
"The holidays are the busiest for us, so I am either working or go home with Caleb to Montecito. Or we travel to some random place when our schedules match up. My mom does come to visit me every so often."
"I just heard my name!" I bet you are all talking about how amazing I am? Caleb joked joining the conversation. He stood behind Hanna and started rubbing her shoulders.
"Ha ha, you wish!"
"Oh so then it's about how fit I am."
"Not a chance mate." Toby laughed.
"I think all the girls in Philadelphia already know how fit you are Caleb, no need to talk about it." Hanna said, waving her arm behind her to smack him. He ducked and she missed. He started to laugh and resumed his previous position to carry on rubbing her shoulders.
Spencer furrowed her eyebrows watching Hanna and Caleb interact but one look at Toby's lack of surprise at their closeness told her this behavior was normal for them.
"Have you seen Hanna anywhere?" Caleb asked a while later, walking up to them.
"Nah, not recently." Toby shrugged. Why?"
"I haven't seen her around in a while and I was beginning to wonder where she was. Let me go find her." Caleb wandered off again and saw her standing near the bar speaking to Jamie.
He made his way over to them, he put his arm over her shoulder as soon as he reached them. She immediately wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him.
"I thought you said they weren't a couple?" Spencer asked, looking up at Toby.
"They aren't. They're just really close. Toby assured her.
"Toby, their closeness isn't exactly normal."
"Maybe it doesn't seem that way for other people but for them this is normal. They have always been like this."
"Are they always touching like that?"
"Well the touching has increased over time, especially recently. But they've always spent the majority of their free time together."
"They act like a couple to me." Spencer pressed on.
"They don't."
"Toby, look at how they are standing!" Toby rolled his eyes but looked over at Hanna and Caleb still wrapped around each other.
"I am looking, what am I supposed to see?"
"We are standing the same exact way and we ARE a couple."
"Spencer, just trust me, they are just friends. Caleb sleeps with girls like it's nobody's business and Hanna has never shown any sign of jealousy."
"For now." Spencer mumbled darkly.
"But one day something is going to change between them and it will ruin everything. There will be no more friendship to salvage."
Toby laughed and shook his head. He gave Hanna and Caleb still wrapped around each other one more look before he pulled Spencer on the dancefloor to get her mind off his friends.
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I want to thank each and everyone of you who has taken the time to review this story. It meant the world to me. Sorry to have kept you waiting. I know like some of you remarked it's a bit OCC. It was meant that way and as you have noticed by now. It's AU as well.
Hope you loved this new chapter.
Love Siobhan.