Edicius {5SOS;CASHTON&CAKE&MALUM}✔️

Twenty Five: "Powerful//Weak."

Calum stepped back as he rolled his neck, brass knuckles sliding down his fingers with red coating across the silver, dripping down slowly and onto his own olive flesh. He ignored the blood in favor of running his hand through his hair, tucking the knuckles into his back pocket.

Ashton heaved, blood spilling out lightly between lips onto the floor beneath him, arms shaking lightly to hold him up before he pushed back and leaned onto the wall. His eyes were lidded, cheek still split in half it the dried blood had mostly mended the wound up more than if it hadn't dried, blood trailing from somewhere in his hair down over his temple to his chin but had slowed and dried all the same.

Calum stared, not wanting to leave the room yet because then his euphoria of being able to push all his hurt back onto the man that gave it to him in the first place would die out quickly until he felt like he was trapped back into the old house that had been vacated and sealed off. His eyes were crystal still, shinning lightly despite the dim show of dirty yellow that was always turned off to leave Ashton in the darkness;the darkness he had always had inside of him.

It was torment pushed onto the other man but Calum couldn't help but feel like it was dragging him down too, that every step Ashton took back into the dark, he pulled Calum with him with the chain around his neck. He couldn't stop though, he didn't want to stop because of all the torment he still had inside of him and he needed someone else to take it out on because of it wasn't someone else, it would turn into himself and he promised Luke he'd do better with how he felt.

He couldn't though because he also promised that he'd leave Ashton alone but then he'd wake up and the anger he thought he had let go would rise again as he walked past the room, then he'd be walking into the room and hell would break loose and they both would break in sync even more;it was felt like just another thing that reminded him of how much Ashton controlled him, how much more they had in common for him to resent.

The feelings only worsened when Harry would come into the room, feeding off the emotions pouring from Calum's person when Ashton would make his weak remarks that were covered in his own blood, like just then. The same comment of Harry being a traitorous lap dog for him and China, Calum felt that it was bringing up the girl that really got to Harry as his jaw clenched up tightly, nearly shattering his own teeth from the pressure, and his eyes lit a flame as he glared at Ashton.

"Keep her out of your mouth. You know that you're only saying that because she's not here right now, because you have no power and you want everybody else to feel as worthless and weak as you are. Everyone knows that you tried and you failed, that you can't even breathe without asking him first."

Calum looked away from Ashton in favor of making Harry walk out to calm down, shutting the door with the lights powering down as Harry's ragged breaths gave off even more of his anger. The attempt to distract him from his own rage worked, the younger forgetting to remember why he had come up in the first place to talk to Calum.

The taller brunet waited for Harry to get his words, watching him go as far as to scratch the back of his neck before snapping his fingers, realization breaking out across his features as he nodded to himself then looked at him again.

"They finished sweeping the house. Miri just called and Michael woke up a couple minutes ago. He's in the kitchen, alone, if you want to go down."

"Tell Miri that I'll do the last rounds later in the day before he can give the go for the raid. Stay away." He ordered softly, Harry huffing as he nodded and turned the opposite way of where they just left from.

He glanced back at the door, locking it up and leaving down the steps to the kitchen. A few steps back had him hidden from Michael acknowledging him, giving him time to watch as the healing blond sat at the counter on the stool, picking at his food before he'd finally eat a little more and go to picking at his plate again.

The blond looked up fearfully when he heard Calum as the man purposely made himself known, eyes wide before he relaxed when he saw it was only the brunet, a short smile before he was looking back down. Calum didn't sit beside him, standing across the counter to keep the blond at ease.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. Thank you for letting me have my own room again. I'm sorry if it's a bother." He spoke softly, words barely coming past his lips that didn't part all the way as he kept his head casted down.

"It's nothing, Michael. I, uh, got rounds tonight. You don't have to go with me, of course," He assured when he saw exactly where Michael's mind went in the panic that rose on him noticeably, making the man calm a little as he nodded, "but Harry's staying back and if you need anything, and I'm not back yet, you'll go to him for it, okay?"

Michael seemed hesitant with his agreement, eventually caving and promising that he would go to Harry if he needed anything, just silently hoping that Calum would be home because while he still felt an overwhelming mix of emotions, hurt, guilt, appreciation towards Calum;he felt better with Calum than anyone else in the house because he could feel the obvious but justified hatred towards him for all he had done.

Calum hadn't forced him to speak more than what he wanted, which wasn't anything past his thank you's for being freed of Ashton and apologies for taking up space. Michael dreaded when he would need to speak up, for everything that he had done and had happened to him but relished in the knowledge of not having to just yet.

Calum looked up when he heard his name in the silence, brown eyes looking away from Michael to Luke and leaving out quickly to avoid them coming too close together with only a short goodbye and reminder to talk to Harry, Michael nodding quietly and playing with the straw in his cup as Calum walked past.

His standing beside the blond had him looking away from Michael and walking away, brunet only following behind him closely with a short glance back at Michael.

{~~~~}

Hello, people and hell, it has actually been forever and I'm sorry for that, 🥺

Calum is slowly hitting another breaking point with Ashton, Harry is just as affected but at least michael is safe and sound, right? Let's all focus on that rather than everything else, 😂 😂

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please, Take care of yourselves and drink some water or some tea, whatever you drink.

And, that's all. Au revoir..