Scream Praises [Cashton mpreg]

Weeks 21-24

Calum gets home to find Ashton happily eating crackers on the couch with a rerun of Jerry Springer on the television. He's instantly suspicious.

Ashton smiles at him and says, "Hiya, how was your day?"

Calum narrows his eyes. Ashton's never this happy. Usually he gets home to screaming because "you put this baby in me, fucker!" Sometimes he finds Ashton throwing up or crying or even smashing a lamp over Michael's shoulder on one memorable day. So yes, he's more than a little suspicious when Ashton offers him a cracker and a kiss on the cheek.

"Uh, it was fine?" Calum looks at him in confusion. Just as he's about to ask what the hell is happening, there's a loud thud from the guest bedroom, followed by Michael yelling, "Damn it, Luke!"

"What have you done?" Calum clicks his tongue. Ashton shrugs and returns to his crackers and stupid television, so Calum goes to investigate.

He finds Michael and Luke in the spare bedroom, each holding soft green colored paintbrushes. Luke's already on the verge of tears and the room isn't even half painted yet.

"What the hell are you guys doing." Calum asks.

Michael glances up and gestures to the room as a whole. "I'm painting, Luke's fucking everything up!"

"I didn't mean to!" Luke's bottom lip is shaking. Calum kind of wants to wrap him in a blanket and pet his hair for a while.

"Lukey, please don't cry," Calum begs. "Come on, Ashton's even happy! I'd just like to come home once to find no one crying!"

Luke frantically wipes at his eyes while Michael makes a dramatic sighing noise and returns to his wall painting. "I'm sorry!" Luke says quietly. "It's just- we didn't want Ashton to be inhaling the paint fumes, so we sent him to the living room, and now Michael keeps yelling at me-"

"Well I wouldn't have to, if you'd do it right," Michael mutters.

"Well, sorry, I didn't minor in painting like some of us!" Luke yells back.

Calum signs in frustration. "Luke, go eat crackers with Ashton."

Luke opens his mouth to protest, so Calum rips the paintbrush away and points towards the door forcefully. Luke sulks all the way out. There's green paint on the back of his head, which Calum's not about to point out and Michael certainly isn't.

"Why are you even doing this?" Calum asks.

Michael shrugs a little. "Ashton had a tiny bit of a freakout while you were in class and said he needed the baby's room finished now. So, I'm painting the baby's room. Because I'm a nice person."

Calum narrows his eyes skeptically. "How much are they paying you?"

"I get two days off from the swear jar," Michael grins and flicks his stupid black fringe off his forehead.

Calum scoffs. "Well, there goes my kid's college tuition."

Michael flings paint at him.

°°°°

Ashton points at a white crib and crosses his arms when Calum rolls his eyes. He points again.

"Come on, us and white? It'll be black in a month," Calum shakes his head, while Ashton scowls and glares at him. Calum's about to suggest the nice black one (it's pretty punk rock), but suddenly Michael's yelling from halfway across the baby store.