The Bass Player » [cashton] √

0.5

[3rd of November - Sheffield]

Calum thankfully hadn't spoken to Ashton since yesterday afternoon. They'd watched one another's soundchecks, and then Ashton had disappeared, Calum didn't know where he vanished too, especially when almost everyone else was together but he was glad he hadn't seen him. He'd flirted his way into a situation he didn't know what to do with anymore. 

He tended to do that; normally, it was a lack of interest in acting on it than that he wasn't allowed to. But he knew Angel was right, at the end of the day everyone looked out for them and theirs. 

So he'd found what was essentially a cupboard that the photographers had been allowed to store their crap in and hunkered down with his laptop and some snacks. He knew he couldn't avoid Ashton forever but hopefully if they hung out with a whole bunch of other people a few times the tension would fizzle out. 

Surely Calum could keep things platonic for what? 1-2-3....17 more days? That's only like two and a bit weeks. He could get good at hiding; maybe he'd start following the others around, surely Rachael or Lesedi could protect him.

Nia was way too preoccupied with Angus to be of any help, to be fair they hadn't spoken in days, or when he thought about it, seen each other for that matter. None of them had said anything about it but they'd all shared shady looks when she'd leave with flimsy excuses. Calum couldn't get away with what she could; if everyone thought he was sleeping with a member of the headline band, he'd be in deep shit. 

Calum's head was starting to throb, his anxiety playing the earlier thoughts through his minds over and over. The files he was currently trying to upload and emails he needed to reply to becoming seemingly unimportant by comparison. He groaned loudly realising he'd copied the wrong email address and file to an email. He was too distracted for this. He let his mind wander again, deciding he wasn't going to get anything done anyway.

It wasn't long before even his daydreams were interrupted, as someone knocked at the door. Before he could ask who was there, the door was on its way open, and Ashton was coming through it.

"Oh hey I was looking for one of the photographers, but I found you instead, which is just as good," Ashton smiled softly, his demeanour chipper.

"I don't know if I'll be able to help with whatever it is, but I'll try," Calum said as positively as he could muster. 

"Oh no, I don't need you for that it's just poster crap, I just haven't seen you since we got here," Ashton said waving his hand somewhat dismissively as he pulled the door closed behind him.

"So what did you want done with the posters?" Calum asked as casually as he could, pretending to go back to his paperwork on his laptop. 

"Just needed to give her some dates and some images for the North American opening act, just technical shit," 

"I guess that's only like 3-4 weeks away, exciting, have you met them yet?" he asked, trying as he might to keep the conversation dull and innuendo free. 

"I think I've met the lead singer before, a friend of a friend, but otherwise pretty much the same deal as with you guys. Only one girl in the group for Angus to chase after though, so not exactly the same," 

"He'll be disappointed, I'm sure," Calum chuckled lightly. 

Ashton moved and sat down beside him, "What's got you so distracted?"

"Just trying to upload paperwork so at the end of all this I actually get paid, some of us got rent to make," 

"Hmmm imagine that," Ashton chuckled, "do you have a place in LA?"

"The girls, Lesedi and I are in the process of moving up, we have to get our shit together so we can record this bloody album," 

"What songs are going to be on it?" Calum could feel Ashton moving into his personal space.

"Mostly new stuff, Angel and Rachael are still writing," Calum explained.

"Do you have any of it on your computer? Can I listen to it?" Ashton asked, leaning across Calum to get a better view of the laptop screen, his large palm firmly splayed across the tan boy's thigh.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. FUCK.

"Uh no, the other's have most of it on their computer, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to show you, you know get some feedback." 

"Mmmhmm, well I'm mostly interested in what you're doing whether that be now or later," Ashton said, the invitation clear in his tone. 

Heat rose up Calum's neck to the tips of his ears, "I think maybe you should worry about yourself," Calum closed his laptop and gently pried Ashton's fingers from his leg. He could feel the heat radiating off himself and sincerely hoped Ashton couldn't. Or worse see the tightening in his pants at just the thought. If he could, Calum had a feeling he wouldn't be able to shake him for the next two and a half weeks. 

"I should go find the girls and Lesedi. I'll see you later," he said, standing and leaving as calmly and coolly as he could. 

He pulled the door closed behind him and let out a loud sigh. That was awkward and weird and really hard to say no to.