Forced | cake au ✓

Chapter THIRTY-FIVE

Calum

"Are your parents out there yet?" Ashton asked above the noise of the blowdryer the stylist was using on him. Michael was sat beside him in front of the other vanity mirror, getting eyeliner drawin on his eyelid.

"Yup," I replied, my voice a bit louder than usual because of the amount of people in our dressing room currently, all of them going around trying to get things done before show time. "Got here about ten minutes ago. Jensen told me security assisted them to their seats."

Ashton and Michael's families had flown out for today's show. It was like a reunion of sorts, given that today was or last stop for this world tour. It's a bittersweet thing. The nerves are still there, even though we don't go on for another hour and a half, except now I don't ever want them to end.

Twenty minutes passed by in a blink of an eye. Thankfully, the number of people in the dressing room dwindled down, leaving Ashton, Michael and I to eat in peace. Michael was slurping on ramen noodles noisily when Ashton nudged him. "Can't you be any louder?"

Michael shrugged. "I don't know. Let me try."

Ashton shook his head as Michael became unbelievably noisier before turning his attention to me. "You're awfully quiet. Anything wrong?"

There really wasn't any reason to keep things from Ashton, and this thing has been at the back of my mind lately. "My parents and I haven't really spoken about my relationship with Luke. Now, since we're having dinner with them later.."

Michael did stop eating his instant noodles after I said that. He swallowed down his food before asking, "You going to tell the truth about how Luke and you started?"

I sighed through my mouth. "I guess I have to. I don't have anything else to hide now that Luke and I really are in a relationship."

"Why are you so nervous, then?" Ashton raised his eyebrow at me. "Think they'll disapprove?"

"Of Luke? I highly doubt that."

"I don't think anybody can disapprove of Luke," Michael commented, attention already back to his noodles. I felt the sides of my mouth twitch upwards.

Andrew came just as the three of us finished our meals. "Hello lads, just wanted to say that I've already arranged dinner plans for you and your families. Hotel rooms are also ready, and you can arrange your flights back to Australia together."

Andrew really has been a big help to us this tour. Not just with organizing our schedules and making sure we get to where we need to go, but he's also proven that we could approach him anytime we needed someone to talk to. "Thanks, Andrew. We appreciate everything," I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin.

"Don't mention it boys. It's been a pleasure working with all of you." He clamped a hand on Ashton's shoulder. "I still need to check on a few things, but I'll be back once you need to start heading backstage."

Video games were a big hit on tour. Michael and Ashton have recently discovered the Nintendo Switch, and have been playing every chance they get. I would play a few rounds with them sometimes, but I never had the same passion as either of the two.

They were currently playing some sort of racing game, the nintendo propped on a table while they both held the tiny controllers in their massive hands. Ashton and Michael were elbowing each other in an attempt to distrant the other, like mature adults.