little love

43

they stay for most the day, just to settle everyone's nerves. while calum was passed out, ashton had asked his friends to take calum home and watch over him until he was able to go home. of course, mike and luke agreed. they knew ashton needed to sleep, and rest, and not have to worry about calum.

ashton felt bad. if calum wasn't already so anxious, and could handle being in a hospital in the situation they were in, ashton would want him to stay. but, it wasnt like that at all. he didnt want to feel like he was pushing calum away, but he needed to be stress free while resting.

ashton was scared that if he wasn't, he'd end up with a life-changing heart attack. even though he was in a hospital, and doctors were close if something happened, he was still terrified. that one he had before hurt like nothing he's ever felt before.

so, as the sun began to set, the two friends looked at ashton, then at calum. they decided to wait another hour, and give calum more time to be with ashton before the mentioned leaving.

"how do you feel, ashy?" calum asks softly, running a hand through ashtons hair, "do you need anything?"

"no, im good love," ashton says tiredly, then bites his lip, "you guys should go, though. it's getting late."

"yeah, you need some rest too," michael cuts in, trying to ease into calums response, "and im tired and hungry."

"yeah, me too," luke agrees. the two stand up, and then look towards calum who is still sitting in his chair.

"cal?" michael asks, then nods his head towards the door, "come on, lets go back to our house and-"

"no," calum says, "im not leaving."

"cal, babe," ashton says, taking a deep breath, "go on, you don't need to stay here. i'll be alright."

calum looks at ashton with these big, sad, betrayed eyes and ashton swears he feels guilt spread over him like a wildfire.

"cal?"

calum bursts into these loud, pain filled sobs that have all three boys covering their ears.

"dad-daddy!" calum sobs, desperately grabbing at ashtons arms, "n-no! i-i stay! i b-be good! p-pwomise!"

ashton sighs. this is what he didn't want to happen. all he wanted to do was not listen to calums cries since they stressed him out. which, they normally didn't but...with his heart at the moment, it did.

with everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours, it also had ashton exhausted. so, having a crying calum cling to him didn't help either.

"hey, look at me," ashton says softly, slowly moving his hands to rest atop of calums, "go spend some time with lukey and mikey. they want to have some fun with you at their house, yeah?"

"b-but, daddy!-"

"baby, daddy will be just fine, yeah? there's doc's and nurses watching, making sure that im alright. and, daddys tired. please, go sleep in a bed. go eat some food."

calums bottom lip trembles as he stares at ashton with watery eyes.

calum did not want to leave ashton, at all. if it meant not eating, and sleeping on a chair, and not showering - calum would do it because he loved ashton. yet, with the looks he was getting, he knew he wasn't going to win.

after a long, half hour goodbye, michael is driving the two of them back to his home. calum watches with sad eyes as the city passes him by, and he gets further and further away from ashton.

it was going to be a long week without ashton by his side.

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