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Calum jogs into his living room, jumping over Michael’s legs as he lounges on the sofa, his feet resting on the coffee table. Calum huffs as he tries to move his roommate with no avail.
“Dude, what are you doing?” Michael asks as Calum pushes his legs off, rooting through the magazines on the table.
“Have you seen my red notebook? I can’t find it anywhere,” Calum says in a rush, knocking a stack of books to the floor as he searches.
Michael makes a small noise as if he’s thinking, “You mean your secret poetry book that you never let me read?”
Calum rolls his eyes, “Yes, Michael, my notes book. Have you seen it?”
Michael just laughs, “Nah, mate, I haven’t seen it since you were scribbling in it yesterday.”
Calum huffs again at his unhelpful friend as he keeps rooting through the items in the drawers, “Why do we have so much shit in this table, how am I supposed to find any— ah! Yes!” He exclaims as his fingers find his book, fishing a pen out of his pocket and flipping to a new page. He sits down next to Michael as he furiously puts pen to paper, his writing hardly comprehensible as his thoughts pour out.
“Wow, what’s got you so inspired?” Michael says as he watches on with an amused look.
Calum just grunts as he continues to write. He jots down another few sentences before he stops and breathes out heavily, closing his eyes as he hums out a tune, tapping his pen against the notepad.
“What is that? You’ve been singing that song for weeks now,” Michael asks again.
Calum throws a hand up to silence him as he finishes humming and pencils out a few more words. Michael lets out an offended noise as Calum finally looks to him, “Sorry, Mike, I needed to get that out before I forgot it. What did you say?” He says as he relaxes back into the chair.
Michael nods as he repeats himself, “I said, what song is that? I don’t recognise it and you’ve been singing it for ages now.”
Calum feels himself blush as he smooths his fingers over the words pressed into the page, “It’s, it’s nothing really,” he murmurs.
Calum meets Michael’s eyes just to see a smirk making its way across his face, “Oh, come on, Cal, I promise I won’t tell Ashton if you’re writing poems about him,” Michael jokes.
Calum’s eyes grow wide and he splutters a bit, trying to think of a comeback when Michael bursts out laughing, “Oh my god! Are you actually writing poems about him? Let me see,” He reaches for the book in Calum’s hands but Calum is quick to stand up and get it out of reach of Michael’s grabby hands.
“I’m not writing poetry about my boyfriend, Michael, shut up,” Calum says with an embarrassed sigh.
Michael finally gives up his efforts to steal the notebook from him, “Well, why are you being so private about it then?” He asks through a laugh.
Calum can’t help it when he laughs a little himself, “It’s just a bit personal, that’s all.” He says, hoping to put an end to the conversation, but knowing Michael won’t drop the topic until he knows all the details.
Michael’s expression turns soft at Calum’s tone, “You know I’m not really making fun of you, right? I’m honestly happy to see you writing again, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you excited about writing your own stuff,” he says, all sense of teasing gone from his voice.
Calum looks down at the book in his hands, powerless to Michael when he’s being such an understanding friend. He sighs again, defeated.
“It’s not a poem, it’s a song,” he says quietly, not meeting Michael’s eyes yet. “Ashton wrote a really lovely song months ago now, and I’ve been trying to put words to it.”
Michael gently grabs Calum’s hand and pulls him back down to the chair, causing him to make eye contact again. “That’s amazing, Cal, honestly, that’s so great!” He says, looking genuinely excited for him.
Calum can’t help himself from grinning back at Michael, “I know, it feels really good, actually, getting all of this out,” he says.
Michael laughs softly, patting his hand, “I’m happy for you, man, you deserve to win the fight against your writers block,” he jokes.
Calum lets out a genuine laugh, “Thanks, Mikey,” he says as he bumps shoulders with him.
Michael shoves him back, much harder, “You got yourself a muse, Cal?” He asks as he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “This a dirty love song for your man?”
Calum rolls his eyes as he pushes Michael’s smug face away from him, causing him to fall off the sofa. “Fuck off, man,” he says with a laugh, watching his roommate struggle as he gets stuck between the chair and the table.
“You didn’t deny it!” He shouts at Calum’s back as he walks towards to his bedroom. Michael lets out a loud laugh when Calum throws a middle finger over his shoulder, slamming the door shut.
—*—
“Thanks, love,” Ashton says to Calum as he places a cup of tea in front of him, leaning over to kiss his cheek gently when he takes a seat next to him on Ashton’s sofa. Calum hums happily as he cuddles into his boyfriend’s side, breathing him in deeply as Ashton asks about his day.
“It was fine, the usual, really,” he mumbles, his cheek squished against Ashton’s chest. “Lots of reading at work, lots of teasing when I got home.”
Ashton laughs, “What’s Michael done now?”
Calum huffs out a small laugh as he replies, “He found out that I was writing again and demanded to know what inspired me,” Calum lifts his head, Ashton looking back at him with a knowing look. “He was quite sweet, actually. He said he was happy to see me writing something down.”
Ashton mirrors Calum’s smile, “And what has got you so inspired, Cal?” He asks with a squeeze to Calum’s bicep.
Calum just rolls his eyes, unable to stop himself from grinning as he says, “If you must know, I had some more ideas for our song, maybe another verse.”
Ashton’s eyes crinkle with his wide smile, turning in his seat to face Calum straight on. “Yeah? Show me!” He says excitedly.
Calum isn't a strong enough man to deny Ashton what he wants so he leans over the side of the chair and retrieves his bag from the floor, taking his book out. He flips through the messy scrawled pages until he finds his new lyrics, handing it to Ashton before he can talk himself out of it. Ashton takes it gently from his hands and begins to read. Calum feels his heart rate pick up as he watches Ashton’s eyes work over the page, his face giving nothing away.
It feels like hours later when Ashton finally looks up at him.
“Calum, this is,” he stops, as if he’s still processing. “Cal, this is absolutely stunning,” he says, his expression sincere.
Calum releases a breath, “Really? I don’t know where it came from, I was just in my room and I remembered you singing it on our date the other night and it just started spilling out of me,” he rambles.
Ashton gently puts the book down on the table and takes Calum’s hands in his, “Honestly, Cal, it’s amazing, you’re amazing. You’ve made this song so much more than I ever thought it would be,” he says, and Calum doesn't know what to say, so he kisses him instead.
Calum’s hands leave Ashton’s grip to wrap around his shoulders as their lips slide together, Ashton’s warm palm cupping his jaw. Calum deepens the kiss for a few seconds, his tongue slipping into Ashton’s mouth before he pulls away with a heavy breath.
Ashton’s lips follow his as he creates a small distance between them, causing Calum to laugh lightly, his breath ghosting over Ashton’s face. The man in front of him smiles again, giving Calum another quick peck on the lips before pulling away to look into his eyes again.
“I don’t know how you do it,” he says. When Calum gives him a confused look he carries on. “How you keep surprising me, with your writing and kissing me like that out of nowhere, you surprise me every day, Cal.”
Calum tilts his head as he thinks, “It’s all you. It’s how you make me feel that makes me act like this, the song, too, it’s all for you,” he whispers, as though it’s a secret.
Ashton swallows audibly as his eyes dart between Calum’s eyes and lips, “There you go again, spouting lyrics like its nothing,” he says with a grin. “You’re a fucking poet, love.”
Calum just laughs as he draws Ashton into another kiss, threading his fingers through his thick curls as he moves to straddle his thighs. Ashton hums happily as his hands slide over his sides, stopping at his waist as he squeezes, causing Calum to let out a gasp against his mouth. He moves to kiss down Ashton’s jaw as he listens to his boyfriend’s breathy voice.
“How do you make such a sweet moment so hot?” he asks. “Just like your song, so romantic but so sultry, what was that line about playing you like a guitar?”
Calum pulls back to look at Ashton, his hands on either side of his face, his thumbs rubbing his cheekbones.
“I'd like to be the strings on your guitar, touch me and play what you feel,” he sings lowly, his face growing closer until his lips are only a breath away from Ashton’s mouth. He feels Ashton’s gasp more than he hears it and feels hands leave his hips to slide into his back pockets.
“Exactly, what’s that all about?” Ashton asks, his eyelashes fanning out over his cheeks as he pants beneath Calum.
Calum grows a little sheepish and laughs, playing with the curls at the nape of Ashton’s neck. “That line has actually been in my mind for a long time, since I saw you play guitar for the first time,” he admits with a shy smile.
Ashton looks back disbelievingly, “Really?” he says with a laugh, his hands squeezing lightly. “Jesus, Cal, you really are something else, that was our second date!”
Calum’s head falls onto his shoulder as he laughs again, “I know! But that moment honestly broke something inside of me, I fucking dreamt of it for weeks afterwards.”
Ashton’s fingers twitch inside Calum’s pockets before he pulls his hips closer with a low moan, “Fuck, come here,” he breathes before pushing Calum onto his back, pressing him into the cushions with his own body. “I can make that dream come true, babe,” he says, unable to stop himself from giggling into Calum’s neck as Calum's laugh echoes into the room.
—*—
Calum grips Ashton’s hand as he’s led through the small crowd surrounding the bar, catching Luke’s eye as he deals with a customer, giving the couple a small wave and grin. Ashton gently pulls Calum towards an empty table to the left of the make-shift stage, members of staff bumbling around trying to set up a microphone and an old speaker. The two take a seat just as Luke joins them, placing four bottles of beer down and flopping down in the seat opposite.
“Hey,” he breathes out. “You guys okay?” He takes his apron off and droops it over the back of his chair.
Ashton smiles at him as he raises his beer in thanks, “Yeah, man. Good shift?” he asks.
Luke fishes his phone out of his pocket and looks down at his screen with a small smile, “Yeah it was good, really busy. The crowd is bigger tonight, right?” he says, eyes not leaving the screen. “Michael is almost here,” he eventually says, placing his phone on the table face down.
Calum lowers his head to hide his grin as Ashton’s hand squeezes his thigh, “Oh is he? Have you two been texting a lot, Lukey?” Ashton teases.
Luke blushes, “Fuck off, Ash,” he says as he runs a hand through his hair.
Calum is about to join in when Michael jogs over to their table, dropping into the seat next to Luke and leaning over to kiss his cheek quickly. “You okay?” he whispers into Luke’s ear, smiling when Luke meets his gaze and nods with a grin.
Calum and Ashton give each other a look, Ashton’s eyebrows raised as Luke’s hand moves under the table and rests on Michael’s knee.
Michael sips his beer as if nothing happened, leaning over to chat to Ashton, but his wide grin is giving him away.
Calum looks at Luke, who mouths, not a word, and Calum decides to drop it for now, grinning and shaking his head at Luke’s blissful expression.
“Are you going to treat us to a song tonight, Ash?” Calum hears Michael ask.
Ashton nods and puts his drink down, “Yeah, I was planning on it,” he smiles at Calum when he feels him squeeze his hand in encouragement.
The four of them chat for a while until a girl from behind the bar taps the microphone to catch everyone’s attention, welcoming them to the open mic night. She introduces a young boy who sings an impressive cover of Amy Winehouse’s Tears Dry on Their Own on his guitar, smiling shyly when he’s met with a loud round of applause as he leaves the stage.
“Amazing! Thank you to Stephen for that,” The girl says as she claps with the crowd, “Okay, next up we have Ashton, come up here, lad!” she says with a Yorkshire accent, finding Ashton in the crowd.
Ashton pushes himself up with his hands on his thighs and gives Calum a quick kiss before he walks up onto the stage, taking the guitar from the stand and placing it over his shoulder. The crowd claps and Michael whistles loudly as Ashton sits on the chair and waves to the gathering crowd.
“Hey everyone, I’m Ashton,” he says, meeting Calum’s eyes and smiling. “Um, this is called Just Like Heaven, sing along if you know it,” he says directly to Calum, his fingers finding their place on the guitar as he starts to play.
Calum feels himself beaming with pride as Ashton sings his heart out, singing along with the crowd who are belting the lyrics. On stage, Ashton is telling Calum that he’s just like a dream and he can’t help it when he leans on the table and grins behind his hands, feeling his heart swell in his chest. He sings back as Ashton slowly finishes the song, looking out over the crowd as they sing the last few lines with him, making him laugh and dip his head. The crowd applauds and Ashton bows a little in his seat, finding Calum again and sending him a sly wink. Calum laughs and sits back in his seat, shaking his head a little.
“Thanks guys!” Ashton says, giving the crowd a little clap as he moves in his seat, looking a bit nervous. Calum’s eyebrows furrow as Ashton strums his guitar a few times. “Okay, I’m going to play another song if that’s okay?” he asks, a few members of the audience cheering in approval, making him laugh. “But I’ll need a bit of help with this one,” Ashton’s eyes come up and meet Calum’s again, “Cal? Can you come up here?”
Calum’s ears ring and he feels stuck to his seat, he is already shaking his head when he feels himself being lifted up, Michael and Luke pushing him towards the stage with words of encouragement in his ears. He hears the crowd start to mumble and cheer as he sees Ashton beaming at him. His legs move off their own accord, and next thing he knows he’s next to Ashton on stage, feeling him take his hand and brush his thumb over his knuckles.
Ashton pulls him close and he can’t focus on anything but the words being spoken gently into his ear, “Is this okay? Can we sing your song?” he asks, pulling back with a soft smile. “It’ll just be like when we sing it alone, yeah?” Calum knows he can’t deny Ashton anything and he finds himself nodding, his hand gripping Ashton’s as his smile grows into a happy grin.
Ashton pulls back and speaks to the crowd, “This is my boyfriend, Calum,” the crowd cheers again and Calum smiles with a shy wave. “He wrote a beautiful song and we’d like to share it with you,” he says and guides Calum in front of their shared microphone. He gives him one last look and waits for Calum to nod again before starting the song. The crowd quietens down as the tune plays out and Ashton starts to sing, never leaving Calum’s eyes.
You're music to my eyes,
I had to listen just to find you
I like for you to let me sing along,
Give you a rhythm you feel.
The crowd could be screaming right now but Calum wouldn't be able to hear them, he’s too busy focusing on Ashton’s mouth as he sings their lyrics and his fingers as they move down the neck of the guitar effortlessly.
Love, let your music be mine
Sing while I harmonise,
Let your melodies fly in my direction.
Take me to your paradise
On a musical ride,
Ashton grins at Calum, his eyes crinkling at the corners with the strength of his smile. Calum lets out a little laugh as he mouths along with the next line.
I'm in love with your music, baby.
You're music to my eyes.
Ashton nods at him, silently asking him to join in with the next verse. Calum takes a deep breath in and moves closer to the microphone, not daring to look at the audience, choosing to close his eyes instead. He starts singing quietly,
Your voice is quite a view
I heard a song and then I saw you,
I learned the lyrics and knew you were mine
Dance the horizon with you,
Calum hears Ashton fumble the chords a little, and his eyes open to look at him, finding him watching him with his mouth open, his grin so wide and his eyes shining. Calum breathes out in a gap in the song, Ashton giving him the confidence to sing a bit louder.
I wanna sing you a sunrise
And be the dawn I know will move you.
I'd like to be the strings on your guitar
Touch me and play what you feel,
Calum sings the verse directly to Ashton, the words coming out of his smiling mouth, sending him a wink as he belts out the last line. Ashton throws his head back happily, moving close to the microphone as the two of them sing the last part as a duet.
Love, let your music be mine
Sing while I harmonise,
Let your melodies fly in my direction.
Calum reaches out and places a hand on Ashton’s shoulder, rubbing down his arm softly.
Take me to your paradise
On a musical ride,
Ashton pauses and his expression turns into something more serious as they sing the last line together.
I'm in love with your music baby.
You're music to my eyes.
Calum’s heart is pounding heavily and he hears the crowd erupt into cheers, he turns back to the audience, almost forgetting they were there as Ashton tackles him in a hug, kissing his neck and squeezing him tight. Calum pulls back and nods at the crowd, laughing when he hears Michael shout, “GET IT, CAL!”
Ashton puts the guitar down and pushes him in front of the microphone before he steps back, presenting him to the crowd as he joins them in applauding. Calum shakes his head at his boyfriend and shyly bows before grabbing Ashton’s hand and dragging him down the steps and off the stage. He feels hands clap him on the back in congratulations as they run to a quiet corner of the bar and Calum allows himself to breathe.
Ashton rounds in on him, grabbing his face gently and kissing him. “That was incredible,” he says as he pulls away. “You were born for this, Calum, you wrote such a gorgeous song, I’m so proud of you,” he rambles excitedly. He opens his mouth to say something else but Calum stops him with his own lips. He puts all of his feelings into it, feeling his nerves melt away as he wraps his arms around Ashton’s neck and pulls him impossibly close. Ashton moans against his mouth and pulls away with a heavy breath.
Calum looks into Ashton’s bright eyes, “Thank you for that, you sounded amazing, you’re so — I love you,” he drifts off in a whisper. His heart pounds between their chests as Ashton gasps against his lips, his mouth hanging open when Calum repeats himself. “I love you, Ashton,” he says, and he doesn't think he's ever sounded more confident about something before.
Calum watches as Ashton’s face is taken over by a beaming smile, leaning in for another kiss, much softer this time. Ashton is the first to pull away.
“I love you, too. So fucking much, Cal,” he says, leaning his forehead against Calum’s as his warm breath fans over Calum’s lips. Calum’s answering gasp is swallowed by another kiss and he feels Ashton shaking in his arms. Ashton’s confession echoes in Calum’s mind and he has to pull away when his smile gets too big.
Calum gathers Ashton into a strong hug, burying his face into his neck as the noise in the room gradually comes back to him, distantly he can hear someone being introduced to the stage, but he can’t help but hear Ashton’s words ringing in his ears.
“You’re amazing, love,” he says, and Calum lifts his head to meet his eyes, finding them soft. There’s a look in them that he recognises, the same look that was present up on stage and back on their second date. Calum realises it’s a look of pure love and can’t help it when he lets out a noise of delight. He wraps his arms around his boyfriend again, kissing him on his lips, his cheek, his jaw, listening as Ashton’s laughter chimes out.
Ashton pulls away and runs his hands down Calum’s arms until their hands find each other, “I love you,” Calum says, because it’s been threatening to burst out of him for months, and now he can finally say it.
Ashton grins that proud grin and says, “I love you,” his thumb moving across his knuckles, before pulling Calum back towards the tables. “Come on, our audience awaits,” he says with a wink. Calum laughs and allows himself to be dragged through the crowd.
He’d follow Ashton to the ends of the earth just as long as he was holding his hand.