Unrequited -cake- (ch + lh)

Untitled Part 2

"Ahhnn…" Calum’s voice sounds throaty and hoarse. The accordian partitions Luke insisted they install on the bunks for their tour-bus are not much more insulating than regular cloth curtains and Ashton winces as he hears almost everything that’s happening in Luke’s bunk right now.

Ashton was overjoyed when Luke called them in for a meeting to declare he was ready to get back to work. He didn’t know what changed, but he was just happy to be in a band again, making music, and meeting fans. In his excitement, he didn’t notice how Calum was filled with mixed emotions.

Their first activity back was a mini, two-week long across major cities in North America and Europe to get their fans excited about seeing them again. And on a tour-bus with 4 guys, it became painfully obvious that things changed between them.

It took one night for Ashton and Michael to figure out that Calum was letting Luke fuck him. They’d known a long time that Luke wanted something serious with Calum. But they’d always thought it was a one-sided things because Calum never expressed interest in men. And weirded out as they were initially that two guys who they considered their brothers were now in a relationship, Michael and Ashton were both happy that their best-friends found each other.

But soon, it became obvious to Ashton that Calum wasn’t happy, or excited about this. He dutifully followed Luke when the blond asked him to go back to their bunks, he never pushed Luke’s hands away when they snaked around his waist. But the look in his eyes told Ashton this was not something entirely to his liking.

And Ashton hates that.

Creak. Creak. Creak. Rhythmic sounds that tells Ashton Luke has started fucking Calum now. He decides he’ll be better off in the back of the bus playing x-box with Michael instead.

"They at it again?" Michael asks when Ashton slides open the mirrored door to their seating area.

"Yeah," Ashton replies as he takes a seat and picks up the controller.

"So what do you think of all this?" Michael asks. They’ve only been touring for three days and Ashton can already tell this situation is taking its toll on Michael as well.

He shrugs in response. “They’re both adults. They’re making their own choices.”

Michael snorts. “If you think Cal really wants this, you’re blind.”

"Then why is he doing it?" Ashton asks stubbornly. He is not willing to admit out-loud the thing that may eventually destroy them.

"To save the band." Evidently though, Michael is ready to go there.

Now the words have been said and there is no going back. Ashton knows he has to say something, has to acknowledge the truth in Michael’s words. He doesn’t like the implications Michael’s statement makes about Luke. “So you think it’s going to be enough for Luke?”

Michael shakes his head. “No. I think Luke is destroying himself and Cal in the process by agreeing to this. You saw the way he used to stare at Calum. He will never be happy unless he either learns to let Calum go or Calum accepts him. This weird limbo they’ve created now is just going to make things worse in the long-term.”

Ashton sighs. Because he knows this is the truth. “Do you think we should ask Calum to stop? It might be for the best.”

Michael shakes his head. “Calum’s made a choice. I bet he promised Luke this if he agreed to come back to work. If we ask him to stop now, Luke will leave. I don’t think the music and the fans are enough for him anymore.”

Ashton feels like they’re backed against a wall. “So what can we do?”

"Nothing." Michael says. "Hope they grow some sense. Hope that Calum accepts Luke. Hope Luke gets over this thing. You and I can do nothing."