Lashton/Malum One Shots

Countdown - Malum

A/N: I'm sorry, please don't kill me. I cried a lot writing this so please do let me know if you cry a lot reading it.

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Calum smiles softly at Luke and Ashton cuddling together on the sofa and turns to Mikey, glancing quickly at the timer above his head.

It's a reflex of his that he's had, ever since he turned 18.

When everyone turns 18 they see timers above everyone's head, but these timers count down to the day that person will die. You can't see your own timer, though and you're not allowed to know your own, because the person that tells you will also die on the same day.

"Bed?" Calum asks Mikey as he reads 79:07:254:12, 79 years, 7 months, 254 days and 12 hours over his head.

"Yeah, I'm shattered." Mikey yawns and makes his way over to the bunks. He gets into his and watches Calum do the same, after having stripped his shirt off.

"Night, Mikey." Calum murmurs and Mikey glances at Calum's timer, 79:08:175:04.

"Night, Cal." He says back.

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The next morning, Mikey is the first one up which is strange because he's always the last one up, every day, without fail.

He's eating cereal with his back to the door when Calum walks in. Calum rubs his eyes and yawns but when he sees Mikey he freezes.

Mikey's timer has changed.

00:00:11:07

Mikey is going to die in 11 days and 7 hours.

Calum feels his heart break into a million pieces as he rushes to the bunks where Luke and Ashton are standing and chatting.

He says nothing but bursts into tears as he throws himself into Ashton's arms. 

"Hey, Cal, what's up?" Ashton asks gently, wrapping his arms around the younger boy.

Calum sniffs and waits until he speaks. "Luke go to the kitchen, then come back and tell Ashton what you see." He says quietly.

Luke gives him a confused look but complies none the less.

Ashton walks with his arms still around Calum to the back of the bus, virtually the opposite end to the kitchen.

He sits them down on the sofa but Calum gets up and starts pacing, waiting for Luke. 

When Luke returns, his eyes are red and puffy and his movements are slow. He immediately hugs Calum, bursting into a fresh set of tears.

"What's going on?" Ashton breathes quietly and Luke walks over to him, settling down next to him and smiling sadly at him.

"Mikey's timer changed last night." Is all Luke needs to say.

Ashton's face flashes with understanding. "How long?" He asks.

"11 days." Calum whispers.

"Jesus." Ashton sighs sadly. "That's not fair." He says as his eyes fill with tears and he wraps himself around Luke.

"The worst thing is we can't tell him." Luke mumbles.

"Surely if he timer changed once it can change again?" Calum says hopefully but Ashton just sighs.

"Cal it only changes to get shorter, it's unheard of getting longer." Ashton tries to sound as gentle as he can, but it's not easy to say that.

"But not impossible right?" There's hope in Calum's voice.