Edicius {5SOS;CASHTON&CAKE&MALUM}✔️

Three: "Please, Don't Stare."

Calum knew that sometimes he'd have to go out with Ashton, despite not wanting to leave the house to go out with Ashton for work, but he did anyways. He listened and didn't say anything back to Ashton. It was expected of him and listening was what was going to make Ashton happy. That's all Calum ever wanted.

He rolled off the already made bed, eyes up to the ceiling casting to the floor as he readied himself to get dressed. His hands were shaking as he pulled off his shirt and pants, discarding his under clothes and turning the water on. He watched the tremble in his hand when the water caught on his hands and dripped down his olive toned skin. It looked like he was vibrating, the nerves in his system skyrocketing as he took in a breath almost as shaky as his hands.

He shouldn't be nervous. He was going to be with Ashton, his boyfriend, who would protect him if anything happened today. The thought probably should've been more comforting, but Calum knew he was lying by the way his body covered in goosebumps, despite being under the scalding water that was turning his skin pink.

He quickly got up instead, pushing the thoughts back because he needed to get ready, not make himself cry on the shower floor. He washed himself, careful of his soft skin as the soap suds hid his parts of his skin from sight. Once he stepped under the shower head, his eyes were glued to his skin, watching the water pelt the suds off his body to uncover the nasty truth hidden behind those little globs of white bubbles. No matter how much Calum washed at his skin, how gentle he was with himself, it would never make his skin heal and never get Ashton to do the same.

Dressing himself again, Calum stood before the mirror with makeup before him. Calum used to always love makeup, loved the things he saw people do with the brushes and pencils, using their skin as a canvas for something beautiful. Calum used to always love makeup, now he didn't so much. He didn't use the brushes and pencils to make a canvas for something beautiful. No, he couldn't waste time on looking beautiful when he needed to look normal.

Normal people don't have scars like he did on his face or bruises that stained his skin, only lost and broken people did. Lost and broken people who were trapped like Calum. Normal people don't have to use makeup to cover man made imperfections, like a black eye or a slit under his eye, only scared and lonely people did. Scared and lonely people who were forgotten like Calum.

He twirled the last piece of the puzzle between his fingers, the eyeliner that started him on makeup and the only thing that wasn't defiled by his body. A smile threatened to tug at his lips after he pulled away, admiring the black around his eyes that he made himself. This was one thing he could always do right was his eyeliner, it was one thing that couldn't be tainted like the rest of his makeup. He liked his eyeliner. Sometimes, when Ashton wasn't around and he was just idly living around the house, he'd draw designs on his face with the eyeliner.

He shook his head at himself, packing away all of the things that littered the counter top and left the bathroom. Going downstairs, he checked to make sure everything was cleaned, then at the clock. He fiddled with his fingers, sitting in the couch in silence as he waited for Ashton's call to know he was there to pick him up.

He hated going with Ashton to the man's work, but going and suffering silently beside his boyfriend was much better than suffering alone in a cold dark room for hours. His eyes glossed over lightly as he stared at nothing, dark thoughts consuming his scarred mind. He really was happy though.

He told himself that all the time and everyone knows if you tell yourself enough, it just might happen. He was happy, he was happy, he was happy. One day his mind would understand his words and the time he spent working on his facial expressions to hide his true feelings wouldn't be needed, because then he wouldn't need to practice how to smile;he just would.

Calum picked his head up from his hands, rushing over to the counter and clearing his throat as he pressed the phone to the side of his face.

"H-Hello?"

"I'm here. Hurry the fuck up." Ashton's snapping voice scratched at Calum's eardrum, sending him into a hastening pace to get out of the door.

He shut the door behind him after grabbing his bag, locking it quickly before running down the steps and driveway to get into Ashton's car. He waited for the man to unlock the door, stepping in and frowning when he heard Ashton scoff at him and watched him roll his hazel eyes back.

"Of course you dressed like a fucking slut today."

His words weren't even bothered to be hidden by a murmur, loud and clear for Calum to hear. He curled into himself a little, pulling his skirt down a bit more as he took his lip between his teeth. He knew he shouldn't have worn it, he just wanted to look nice in front of Ashton's partners because last time he looked horrible, in Ashton's words, and the man was mad about that.

He kept quiet, arms crossed over his chest as he stared out the window as Ashton drove. They pulled to a stop, Calum getting out and speeding up to walk alongside Ashton. The guards opened the door, Calum smiling kindly at the two men. Their stoic faces turned into forceful smiles, only doing it for Calum for the split second before their faces turned to stone and they shut the door behind him.

He pulled at his skirt more as they walked in, keeping his gaze away from the other men after short smiles. Ashton left him alone in the room, Calum watching as Luke got up and moved over to his own bag, pulling out a pink jacket that Calum though he lost.

"Ashton said something about your clothes again," He pointed out, passing the jacket to Calum, "You're pulling around your skirt but you look fine."

Calum thanked him softly, pulling on the jacket around his waist and tying it tightly as Ashton came back. He scrambled to the side, sitting secluded from the rest of Ashton's gang as he sighed softly to himself.

Luke was the only one who knew how to hold his tongue, mostly because he never spoke much either way. He was a man of few words, those few words he ever did speak were usually given as comfort to Calum. The rest of them could never speak their mind while speaking around it.

They were blunt, only apologizing after Calum's expression had already showed his slight hurt at what they had to say. Luke wasn't like that, he spoke around but still said what was needed. He was the only one that Calum could talk to about most things without getting judged for being as weak as he was, Luke just reminded him that one day he would be strong.

Maybe Calum would be, but until then he stayed quiet with his eyes down, trying to act like he didn't notice when they would stare at him or act like he wasn't bothered when Ashton would snap at him over something.

Calum is happy. Calum would be strong one day.

{~~~~}

Think Ryan Ross when I write about eyeliner designs, okay? Because that's what it is.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Luke finally came into play, just a bit but he's here nonetheless.

And, that's all. Au revoir....