The air in the hall outside the practice room is cool, and it wavers over Calum, a stark difference from in the practice room where you’re practicing by yourself. Calum was tired, frustrated when he couldn’t get the move down right. But being his professional partner on this damn show, you had ordered him to take a break.
“You’ll never get the turn down in such a bad mood.” You explained with a delicate shrug of your shoulders, eyes firm and demanding.
“I’m never goin’ to get it down,” Calum says. It rattles through the silence like a bird seeking a soul, and he is quite clearly reminded of the annoyingly deep metaphors you’re always pushing into his head. Ashton glances at his friend, he can see, see the way Calum’s eyes are watching you through the two way window on the shut door. And he understands the emotions which light up his dark eyes as they follow looping limbs, golden glowing wrists, and wispy fabric. You two will be performing a beautiful, traditional Egyptian dance, something never before done, but Calum just couldn’t seem to get the very last step of it down.
Ashton says nothing, however, about the obvious feelings which Calum is suffering from. But he does give a little hint, “{Y/N} all but begged me to make sure you calm down a bit. She cares about you.” And he sends a sly glance up at Calum’s expression, noting how his cheeks have become slightly colored.
“Oh?” Calum coughs, looking away for a moment. But his eyes don’t ever leave you for long, and soon they are directed once again on skin which has been made slick with sweat. His eyes darken and Ashton turns his attention back to the dancer turned friend, you’re practicing for the finale of ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
The duo leans forward in anticipation as you do a complicated flip and then sink low to the ground, all the while moving your shoulders and chest in the traditional way you had practiced hours on end to be able to do. The practice ‘Khopesh’, a curved sword that the boys had a blast screwing around with, lays straight on the back of your neck as you bow your head, arms jutted out like the wings of an Egyptian bird. The edge of the sword stands straight against your skin and Calum is overcome by an intense desire to kiss over where it lays. But all too soon the sword is flipped artistically back into a sheath as you stand up.
“We should wait for her at the house? Michael and Luke are waiting so we can go out to dinner.” Ashton explained.
The boys had found a house to rent out in L.A while they collaborated with other artists in L.A for the new album. It wasn’t long after word spread that 5 Seconds of Summer were to be staying in L.A that they received an invitation for one member to be on Dancing with the Stars. Calum took the invitation and they all became very good friends with you, his partner, and they even offered you a room in the house when they heard about your struggling in L.A, which you gratefully accepted. Dancing with the Stars was your big break, but it would be a while before you were settled.
Calum glances up towards you and shrugs, knowing you’ll probably be too tired for dinner. You’ve been practicing for hours on end and he knew you’d want to relax, hopefully he’d be able to keep you company.
“She knows about dinner?” Calum casually inquired as they began to weave through the halls backstage. Calum glances up at his friend and almost laughs,
“Yes. She knows about the fancy dinner you reserved for us. You really outdid yourself this time.” He doesn’t bother telling Calum how it isn’t necessary, and how you already think the world of him anyway. His friend is naturally competitive even without someone to compete with, probably the work of years of soccer. He would still have booked the best dinner for them, as one of their last nights with you, regardless of what Ashton says.
Calum shrugs as though he’s disinterested, but his eyes light up like two gleaming moons, and Ashton knows that he is all too excited for the night ahead.
