Affliction | cashton |

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Beauty

"Calum, please come out" Ashton pleaded for the hundredth time since Calum woke the both of them by screaming. Ashton sat with his back slumped against the wall beside the bathroom door, waiting patiently for the brunette to come out. He could hear his sniffles and light whimpers from the other side of the door. He didn't bother turning the light on or else Ashton would have seen it through the crack between the door and the floorboards.

Calum didn't respond to him which made his heart pound. An idea popped into his head which he should have thought of an hour ago, which would have saved him a lot of sitting and begging. He shuffled off of the ground and tiredly walked to Amelia's dresser. Through the darkness he searched for anything that could help him pop the lock out of place. When not finding anything he quickly ran out of the room and made his way into the kitchen. He grimaced when seeing Luke straddling Michaels lap on the couch, not because he was against them being together, simply because he could see Michael gripping Luke's ass and hear them both quietly moaning.

As quickly as he could he fished a butter knife out of the kitchen drawer and walked back to the room undetected. Ashton jammed the knifed in the door until it hit the metal of the lock, pushing it to the side until it popped out of the lock, the door plopping open. He pushed it open with a smirk which soon faded when seeing Calum pout. His arms were wrapped tightly around his legs, his knees pressed to his chest, tears staining his cheeks, an adorable yet sad frown etched on his lips.

"You cheated" he whined. Ashton rolled his eyes, sauntering over to the younger boy and sliding down the wall until he was sitting beside him.

Then his movements ceased.

Ashton was waiting for Calum to make the next move.

And he did.

Calum unwrapped his arms from his legs and slid himself away from Ashton just enough so he could lie down and plant his head on Ashton's lap. Ashton smiled as he brought his hand up to Calum's hair and brushed it out of his face.

"I used to get them a lot after the accident. I had gotten medication for it, I really thought I was over it" Calum said before bursting into tears. Ashton hushed him as he brought him up and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"Don't cry baby. It's ok to get them every once in a while. It doesn't mean you're not still trying to get over it, I know it's all really hard for you and I know I can't do much to help you but I'm right here and I'm willing to do anything for you" Ashton said, meaning every word he spoke. Calum looked up at him and smiled.

"You're all I need right now" Ashton smiled as he buried his head in the crook of Calum's neck, the familiar scent of coconut filling his nose. He placed a small kiss to his skin before pulling him up so he was standing again. He pulled his face away from Calum's neck, kissing his forehead then leading him back to the bed. When he tried laying the boy down he started quietly whining and fussing against his touch.

"I don't want to go to sleep again" he said, silent tears falling from his sad brown eyes. Ashton furrowed his eyebrows, letting out a deep sigh.

"Why not?" He asked. Without words Calum pointed out the window, when Ashton looked over he realized the sun would start to rise in at least half an hour. A sudden idea popped into his mind, a smile forming on his lips with the thought. He grabbed a pair of sweatpants and slid them on, along with a white tee shirt and his shoes. Calum watched him with furrowed eyebrows as he dug around in search of something unknown in the closet. He pulled out two blankets, along with a sweatshirt and a pair of Calum's socks.

"Put these on" he said, handing the confused boy the socks and sweater. Calum was confused but decided not to question the hazel eyed boy.

"Follow me" Ashton held his hand out for him to take, without a second of hesitation Calum placed his hand in Ashton's, allowing him to pull him up from the bed and lead him out of the room. The two blankets were under his arm, a smile placed on his lips. Ashton led Calum out of the apartment. With Calum's hand still in Ashton's he made his way towards the fire escape, opened the door and began climbing the stairs, pushing the door at the top open.

"Ashton why are we up here?" Calum asked as he hugged herself, the feeling of cold air seeping through the material of his sweatshirt. Ashton ignored the question, laying the blankets on the concrete by the ledge of the roof. He waved Calum over, placing his hands on his hips.

"We are up here because I want to show you something" Ashton said. Calum raised his eyebrows as Ashton pulled his sweatshirt over his head. A wave of cold air hit Calum as Ashton dropped the fabric on the ground. He turned Calum around so he was standing behind the boy.

"W-what are you d-doing?" Calum stuttered as Ashton gently gripped his wrist and pulled it up in front of them. His scars were clearly visible to the two, making Calum feel self-conscious. Ashton held his wrist tighter when he tried to pull it down.

"Look" he whispered. Calum looked at his scars, his features softening when seeing what he was talking about. The faded scars were in the middle of a beautiful morning sky. Lovely pinks and purples stretching across the endless baby blue sky.

"All I see is beauty. All I see is what I've wanted for so long. All I see is you" Ashton whispered softly in his ear. Calum felt light, he wanted to be able to look past his scars and see the beauty in the world again, and Ashton allowed him to do that. Tears filled his eyes as he turned himself around so he was facing Aston. Calum leaned up and pressed their lips together, soft and warm as it always should be.

"I love you" Ashton said, kissing Calum's wrists.

"All of you"