red | cashton

✯❘twenty two

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the graduation ceremony felt like it ended so quickly. everyone was taking pictures with family and friends, showing their diplomas that they had all worked hard for. it was over. school was finally over. well, there was still college but it felt like such a relief. calum didn't have to go to the hell hole anymore. sure, he'll miss some of the staff but he will not miss the feeling school gave him.

he's ready for a new beginning. this is the beginning to his adulthood. he's going to his dream school, he is finally living his life. the life he's wanted for so long. the life he's deserved.

luke was taking pictures with his parents and brothers, and calum smiled. it hurt like hell that his parents couldn't be here, but that isn't their fault. he knows for a fact that they are with him. even if he can't see them, he knows they are. he can feel their happiness soaring. he can hear them saying "i'm so proud of you." and it felt fucking great.

even though this was supposed to be a happy moment, calum couldn't help be feel.. fear. he felt fear, dread, and empty. what is going to happen when he leaves? what if the school doesn't want him? what if he wasn't as good as they thought?

"hey, no time for frowning. where's your pretty smile?"

calum's head snapped up and he immediately smiled.

ashton wrapped his arms around the boy and kissed the top of his head. calum hummed happily and kissed his cheek.

"what were you sad about, love?" ashton asks softly, rubbing his finger against calum's cheek.

"just... my parents." calum mumbles.

ashton still didn't know anything about calum's parents, other than that they died. it's not that calum is purposely hiding it, it's just hard to talk about. he lost his parents at a young age in tragic ways. it's not something that he can just blurt out. he still cries up when he sees old pictures of them. his parents were the best thing he'd ever had, and then suddenly they were taken away from him.

maybe ashton is his parent's gift. maybe this is their way of saying 'i'm here' 'we love you'. ashton literally came out of no where. one minute he was touring the world, and the. next he's back at school. maybe it was just a coincidence, but calum has a gut feeling that his parents have something to do with it.

"i'm sorry." ashton whispers, hiding his sympathy because he knows calum will only grow more upset. the boy hates sympathy.

calum doesn't say a word. what is there to say? 'it's okay' is not a choice, because it isn't okay. his parents are dead, and he's going to be alone.

so calum just shrugs and kisses ashton. calum wanted those bad thoughts to go away, and ashton seemed to always solve that problem. calum can't ever be sad around ashton, it's almost impossible. the singer just has his special way of cheering him up.

a cough interrupts the two, and they quickly pull away. calum blushes in embarrassment and apologizes to the man and woman standing near them.

"ah, no. it's uh, it's fine." the man says, a small smile spreading on his lips.

silence falls between all of them, and calum is about to ask who they are until ashton speaks. the singer grabs calum's hand and squeezes it gently.

"mom, dad, this is calum." ashton says, a proud smile on his face.

calum shakes their hands and dread fills him. he's meeting ashton's parents. ashton is never going to be able to meet his parents. wait, why is he even meeting ashton's parents? why is he acting like they're a couple? oh god, did ashton ask him to be his boyfriend at some point? oh god. oh god. oh god. oh god. oh-

"you look a bit pale, dear. are you alright?" the woman asks calum, snapping him out of his panicked thoughts.

"y-yeah, i'm fine." calum lies.

"well, it was very nice meeting you. we hope to see you again some time. you seem like a lovely young man." ashton's mother says.

and that made calum feel a little bit better about himself. he has some approval of ashton's parents. well, at least from ashton's mother. his father seemed intimidating and uncomfortable, perhaps?

ashton's parents left, leaving ashton and calum alone again.

"wanna get some dinner, or have some graduation sex in my car?"

calum chokes and slaps ashton's arm, hard. "what the fuck! you can't just say that!"

"i was joking! unless... you want to." ashton teases, winking.

calum slaps him again, causing ashton to pout and rub his reddening arm. ashton reminds himself to never get in a physical fight with calum. (he doesn't see that happening but, just in case).

"you're taking me and luke to dinner as punishment." calum orders.

ashton chuckles. "you call that a punishment? i like luke, he's fun."

"and no more kisses for you."

"curse you calum!"

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gifs still aren't working :(

what kind of f u c k e r y is this