5sos Blurb Book #4

185. cashton

'baby.' calum whispered, walking up to ashton at the doorframe, wrapping his arms around his neck and exhaling at the feel of heat radiating from the skin there. it felt like his fever was going to lick him into flames as he stood droopily, arms barely moving to wrap around his waist. 'you look so tired.' he whispered, looking at his face with soft eyes and ashton rubbed one of his own with a fist, shaking his head slowly.
''m okay, sweet.' he whispered hoarsely, his fingers carding through the back of calum's hair, the sweat between his fingers trying to cling onto his clammy skin.
'ash--'
ashton choked — twisting his body to cough into his elbow before sighing. his breath was ragged and he left out a sneeze as well, calum's face frowning even more — if that was possible — his body moving closer so his hand could reach onto his upper back, rubbing softly through his shirt. his hands returned to calum's waist, clearing his throat in between a sigh. ''m fine.' his voice was thick and wet and calum bit his lip, his other hand laying on his chest and rubbing softly.
'i think you should stay home, baby.' he whispered, looking up at him with nervous eyes and a bitten lip.
'sweet, 'm alright, 's just a little cold.'
but he was slurring a bit and mumbling and his eyes kept fluttering open and god calum did not want him to leave his sight. not like this.
'baby--'
'how 'bout i come home early, yeah? will that make you feel better?'
calum looked at his sleep warmed eyes, pulsing hazels with strong illness, and nodded slowly, ducking his head at the swoop of a wet kiss on the forehead.
'are you sure you don't want to stay home? i'll take care of you, baby.' he whispered, the hand on his back coming up to cup his cheek.
soft. gentle. always, when ashton was like this.
ashton nuzzled into his palm, his nose moving against his soft skin and he sighed gently. 'gotta work, sweet.' he placed a kiss on his palm and pulled away, his hands coming up to cup his face, tilting his face up as he melted his lips onto his, kissing deeply and hotly and messily and calum forgot he was sick for that moment.

calum grabbed his keys with a long sigh and slid into his car, flicking his eyes to the clock and smiling sadly as he hung up with luke.
it was only an hour and a half since he left when he got luke's call from the studio, explaining that ashton couldn't talk, let alone sing and drum and that he was protesting to go home, despite stumbling over himself to the point where michael had to carry him over to lie down on the couch.
he could hear ashton coughing in the background.
so he drove over to the studio with a sad little smile, climbing out of the car with his phone and entering.
he pouted big when he saw his love, coughing and groaning on the leather couch.
'hey baby.' he carefully laced his fingers through ashton's, his other hand falling to his hot forehead as hazel eyes blinked half way open. 'you okay?'
a weak groan tore from the back of ashton's throat and he frowned up at calum. 'i told them--' he went into a coughing fit, turning towards the cushion of the couch to release, before turning back to calum with watery eyes. 'i told them not to call you.' he rushed out, his eyes fluttering closed at the hand on his forehead.
'you need to come home, ash.'
''m okay, just need to rest here while the boys--'
'ashton.' calum said his name, his eyes dour with hints of concern flying through them. 'please, ash, you need to rest and relax.' ashton blinked up with glassy eyes and sighed, biting his lip before nodding slowly, sitting up with the help of his boyfriend.
'i know, 'm sorry.' he croaked, calum's eyes blinking at his lips before kissing him softly.
'shh.' he whispered, 'don't talk, i don't want you straining your voice anymore.'
ashton bit his lip and nodded, taking his hand and following him out carefully to the car.

''s hurting me.' ashton whispered in his croaky voice and calum cooed, helping him sit on the couch in their living room. he had made a nest of blankets on the cushions and settled ashton right in the middle before wrapping one around his shoulders.
'when did you-' he coughed. 'do this?' he sucked in a shallow breath.
'when you were at work, dummy.' he giggled and tucked the blanket into his hands, pecking his forehead. ''m gonna go grab you sweats and a jumper.'
he turned to walk towards the stairs when ashton whined and grabbed his arm with both his hands, the blanket falling halfway off his shoulders.
'will you be quick?'
calum smiled softly at his needy boyfriend and nodded, kissing his nose as his hands let go of his arm.
he trotted up the stairs and ashton looked around, coughing once before smiling sadly at calum's work.
there were stacks of movies and magazines and bags of cough drops with bottles of water and he realized in that moment that calum was even more beautiful than he thought.
'okay.' he heard him sigh from the staircase behind him and he sneezed before turning over his shoulder. 'i got you sweats and big socks and a jumper and-'
'i love you.'
calum looked up at him and smiled, grinning big as he always did when he heard those words from ashton.
'love you more, baby, now-'
'no.' he shook his head. 'i-' he choked and coughed and he groaned. ''m just so in love with you.' he whispered.
his voice was thick and scratchy but calum still smiled bigger, pink flaming his cheeks as he giggled.
'and i'm in love with you, baby, always.'