repercussions ✓

XXI. YOU'LL BE FINE

SURE ENOUGH, AS SOON AS Ash enters the living room and curls up next to Calum as he watches Brooklyn Nine-Nine intently, the younger boy shuffles around and wraps his arms around Ashton's shoulders.

"You OK?" He whispers, and Ashton starts to cry immediately. The past week has been so draining and made him feel so awful that he's began to lash out at the people he needs most.

"I-I-I shouted at Luke and I feel so bad, I want to hug him, I'm so sorry, I feel so bad, I'm sorry, Cal." Ashton chokes out, and Calum turns his body around completely to hug the redhead.

"It's alright, Ash. Come on. Breathe, it's alright, it's OK, you're going to be fine." He repeats into Ashton's hair, stroking his back softly. They stay like that for a while, Ashton crying and sobbing over and over again into Calum's 'watermelon shirt', and Calum gently trying to comfort him.

"I'm not, I can't take it any more. Please, Cal."

Luke appears at that point, eyes clearly red from crying as well, and catches sight of Ashton. Despite how he so brutally verbally attacked Luke, there's still pity reflected in his alarmingly blue eyes.

"No, Ash, don't say that. Please." Luke sits down behind Ashton and cuddles up to both of them, trapping the older boy. Michael is nowhere to be seen - probably out with Crystal - but the three of them are fine together.

"Just... Just all this stuff lately... I don't hate Matt, I swear I don't, but it's just taking it all out of me." He swallows. "But thank you both. Thank you."

Calum stays silent, simply keeping Ashton wrapped in his arms as Luke sits back up, gently wiping the tears from his eyes and then Ash's. It's a softer moment, without all the anger and hopelessness of 2017.

"Sorry." He replies again, and Cal just shrugs, turning back to the TV as the third Halloween episode starts. His arm stays around Ashton's neck, holding him close. They watch quietly, with the only sound being the three of them laughing at Jake Peralta.

It's the kind of moment that all three of them have needed for a little while. Sure, touring and music and stuff is fun, but the stress tends to get to them a lot.

The door clicks softly open as Michael returns from his date with three pizza boxes piled on top of his arms, and smiles at the three of them as he sits down next to Luke.

"I like this one." He mumbles as Ashton leans forwards to flick open the pizza box closest to him and takes the first slice, before sitting up to lean back against Calum.

The rest of the afternoon is spent like that, just watching TV and eating pizza. It feels almost like back when the band first started, when they didn't really care about anything else other than concerts and albums and touring and their fans. When their partners didn't get attacked simply for existing, and Ashton didn't have to spend his entire time online defending himself and Matt.