Promise » [cashton] √

3.4

[21st of September - Düsseldorf]

Luke and Ashton had been in Ashton's room for hours now. There was no sign of them coming out, and Calum wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He was worried if he went in, their rage might be redirected at him, which is why he had no idea if the yelling had led to anything productive. That being said it had been hours, and he couldn't stay in the room with Michael any longer, the anxiety rolling off the older man was starting to drive him crazy.

So he paced in the hall, past Ashton's door, turning on his heel and back down, past Sierra's room, past his and Michael's until he hit the end of the hall. Where a large painting of a man made of fruit stood, turning and marching back up toward Ashton's door. Eyeing it nervously before he turned, he'd go in soon. It was quiet at least, no more arguing spewing from within and that was somewhat soothing.

He just about climbed out of his skin as Sierra came out of her room, forgetting there were people other than Ashton that might be angry he'd gone over their heads. She seemed just as surprised to find him in the hallway, and they stared at one another like deer in headlights for a moment until she pressed forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. Calum hesitated a moment and then brought his arms around her.

"Don't ever fly people onto my tour again, you hear me?" she was trying to sound stern, but there was a catch in her voice.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, not quite sure whether he was in trouble or not.

He felt dampness on his t-shirt and realised she must have been crying; it took him another moment to make his hand move sp it would start to rub her back reassuringly, "I'm so tired, Calum," she confessed, not retreating from his chest.

Calum didn't know what to say; he didn't know Sierra all that well. He kept rubbing her back, feeling his shirt grow more and more damp. They'd been like that for a few minutes when Michael emerged from the room, and Sierra looked up from Calum's chest at the noise.

"You alright?" Michael asked, and she nodded, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand. "Cal should go see Ash; why don't you come in and watch some TV with me?" he asked and she nodded again, clearly not trusting her voice, squeezing Calum's hand as she pulled away from him and slotted herself against Michael's side. They disappeared into the room, and he almost sighed in relief. He didn't know if he had it in him to be any support to Sierra, and Michael knew her so much better than he did, which still felt weird in a way, but he supposed Luke and Michael had been a lot closer once.

As he stood in the hall thinking that, Michael's words prodded at him, 'Cal should go see Ash', that was the right thing to do, even if it partly terrified him. If Sierra knew what had happened, then she must have been in to see them, and they'd been civil... enough.

He took a deep breath and marched himself to Ashton's door, fumbling in his pocket for the swipe he knew was buried in there, and then pressing through the door with a determination that was all false bravado.

Once he was in the room though, he couldn't see either of them, the room dark, curtains drawn and lights off. Maybe they'd gone somewhere? As he reached into his pocket for his phone, he saw the lump under the sheets and realised, someone...Ashton? Was here under the covers.

He moved to the end of the bed and sat, craning his neck to see the younger man under the covers. Face soft and free of any worry; they must have argued themselves out. He didn't feel right sliding in behind Ashton. There was a good chance he was in trouble, but that didn't stop him shifting further up the bed until he was able to gently push Ashton's hair from his forehead. Not ready to see that softened brow contort with frustration, hear him ask who he thought he was, why he thought he could do that. All while, Ashton tried to logical and mature.

The younger man shifted slightly, and Calum's hand retreated. Watching as he rolled onto his back, and his eyes started to blink open.

"Oh, you finally came back," he said dreamily, reaching out and taking the hand Calum had just let retreat. "I thought you'd be too afraid of getting in trouble to come back," the smile playing on his lips felt like a trap, but it was Ashton... when had he ever been cruel?

"Am I in trouble?" Calum asked quietly.

Ashton nodded, "don't meddle like that ever again," he said seriously, but pulled Calum on top of him, grinning, "and I won't ignore your advice so you feel like you have to meddle," he promised, laughing easily.

"Are you really okay with it? I knew it was pushy... but you love him and- and I don't like the thought of you not having anyone,"

"I have you," Ashton said, laughing dismissively.

Calum shifted, pulling back to sit across Ashton's thighs, "Just having me is dangerous, Ash. What if- if I did something and there was no one for you to confide in?"

The younger man rolled his eyes, sliding his hands softly up the outside of Calum's thighs, "you aren't going to do anything,"

"But what if you date someone else and they do? Friends look out for you, and- and there's other stuff you might not wanna talk to me about, you should have other people,"

"Are we breaking up?" He was laughing again, "Cal, you're it; I'm in love I don't need to worry about what anyone else might do,"

There was bile climbing the back of his throat again. He could say it; surely this was love, right? But the words still wouldn't come, he swallowed thickly.

"Hey," Ashton said, drawing his eyes back to him, "it's okay, don't force it," he patted Calum's thigh, and the older man let the soft look he was giving soothe him. "But seriously, I get why you did it, but I don't want you to ever do that again. I'll try and listen to your advice and- and I'll work on remembering that everyone... loves me for me," he said the last part begrudgingly.

"So Luke talked to you about that?"

He nodded, "Yeah, you're a massive snitch... We're gonna have a little time apart, Lu will head back to LA in a few days, but we'll keep in contact," his eyes were avoiding Calum's, finger playing with the edge of the older man's pocket, "he's gonna try and be better about you, and we're both going to try and be more like friends than... I don't know whatever we are now,"

"Like father and son?"

Ashton rolled his eyes, shoving Calum playfully, "he's not my dad,"

Calum smiled, "you know it's okay if you look up to him; you're allowed to; he just needs to remember you're an adult too,"

"I don't look up to him!"

He raised an eyebrow, "really? You've never... I don't know... thought about what our relationship's like versus theirs?"

Ashton went a bright shade of red, "did Michael tell you that?" He asked quickly.

Calum grinned, shaking his head, "no, I just guessed. They're good together. You admire them, of course, you're going to wonder if we should be more like them,"

"I don't want you to be with other people," Ashton said quickly, eyes turning worried, and hands subconsciously tightening on Calum's hips.

"I don't want to be with anyone else. Just, it's okay if you think the way they hold each other is sweet or their date nights are something you would want to do, okay?"

Ashton mulled it over, "well... sometimes they use the fire pit in their yard, just the two of them, and curl up and watch a movie out there," he said quietly.

"Would you like to do that one night when we get back?" Calum asked, trying to hold back a grin, Ashton nodded, and Calum took his hand, bringing the younger man's knuckles to his lips, "whatever dates you want as soon as we get home," he promised, the tightness that had persisted in his chest lately finally leaving him.