Promise » [cashton] √

Part 2

Several months later
[16th of February]

Ashton

He heard the front door open, and felt a lift in his heart. Calum coming home had become something Ashton had started to listen for so intently without even realising. Even as he sat with Michael and Luke talking, it felt as though his ears literally pricked up as the latch slid open. Head tilting slightly, still listening as Michael tried to explain a Reddit thread to them. It didn't seem the others had heard it, and he realised they probably weren't expecting to see Calum, but he also hadn't expected them to stay as late as they had.

Calum's head appeared through the curtains, "I wondered who was here," he said, smiling as he took in Michael and Luke.

He felt his heart warm, god he loved Calum. Seeing him come home, eyes tired and soft smile on his lips, felt like such a gift, how had he gotten so lucky? The older man came toward him, leaning on his thigh to press a kiss to his lips. It was strange being kissed where the others could see, but he also felt proud that someone like Calum would want to be seen kissing him.

As he pulled back Ashton smiled at him, "Michael messaged and suggested drinks," he offered in explanation, when Calum had left for work he'd said he'd probably be asleep when he got home, and to wake him, so he offered a soft squeeze to the hand on his thigh as the apology for the lack of warning.

Calum didn't seem bothered, "I'm gonna go for a shower, but if you guys are still here after, I'll have a beer with you," he explained as he pulled back.

Ashton's eyes finally left Calum to see Michael and Luke nod as he left for the upstairs bathroom.

"So, does that happen often?" Luke asked slowly.

Ashton's cheeks coloured, did he mean? "The kissing?" He asked, cheeks flaming.

He grinned, chuckling, "No, I guess you do plenty of that; I meant Calum coming here and I assume...staying the night?"

"Oh, ah- yeah, every other night, easier to see each other than trying to catch up around both of our schedules," he explained, underselling it just a bit.

Luke nodded, and Michael was quietly watching him, clearly wanting to be sure they weren't going to have the same problem they'd had before.

"So.... I mean, you guys have definitely done... stuff then, like he's not just staying here and sleeping," Luke's eyes held a keen interest that made Ashton somewhat nervous.

"Luke!" Michael tried to scold, but the way he looked at Ashton from the corner of his eye made it clear he desperately wanted to know the same thing.

"I mean- I'm still a virgin," Ashton said, holding up his ring finger for them to see the signet ring was still in place. "But we have-um done other things, but it took so much convincing with Calum we haven't really done anything else," he tried to explain, fighting the urge to bury his head in his hands. He was embarrassed, but there was a certain amount of relief that came with saying it aloud.

"Things..." Michael said, letting his curiosity get the better of him.

"Ah-uh blowjobs,"

Luke was grinning which, Ashton couldn't decide if it was a good or a bad thing. "How often?"

His face felt impossibly hot, "Um, me or him?" but he was so desperately ready to have this conversation; he wanted to be one of the boys so bad, he was willing to be embarrassed.

"It's not the same amount?" Michael asked quickly, shuffling forward in his seat.

Ashton shook his head, "Calum says not to uh... give too often because he doesn't want me to damage my voice before work stuff," as he was saying it he worried that maybe Calum was being less than honest with him, maybe he was just bad at it and didn't want Ashton trying to give him head all the time. "But I uh- blow him," he winced at the phrase, "maybe once a week,"