Chapter Text
"Michael?"
"Hmm?"
"Mikey wake up," Calum opened the blinds in their room, letting the sunlight stream in. When the older refused to so much as open an eye Calum decides to take desperate measures. He yanks the sheets off his husband, making the blonde curl up in a tight ball.
"What the hell Calum?" Michael groaned finally opening his eyes. Calum stayed where he was, leaning against the chest of drawers and rolled his eyes.
"You are a twenty four year old man," Calum said finally sitting on the bed. "We leave for tour today babe."
"That's today?" Michael asks groggily sitting up, Calum couldn't help but fond over the way Michael's hair stood up, the natural dirty blonde locks finally growing out healthy. He watches Michael stretch going easily when his husband pulls him into a tight hug.
"Yes that's today and we're supposed to be at the airport already," Calum chides softly, pressing a kiss to Michael's cheek. He wonders why he spent so long hating this love when he could've enjoyed this bliss so much longer than the five years they had been together. "Come on."
Calum makes to get off the bed, Michael tightening his grip around his waist.Good thing he had packed their bags early in the morning, before the sun had came up. Everything was ready to go except for Michael who was now incessantly pressing kisses to Calum's neck and temple. "How much time do we have?" Michael whispers in Calum's ear sending a thrill down his spine.
"An hour," Calum says breathlessly, leaning his head back on Michael's shoulders.
"I bet I can make you come in thirty," Michael says roughly, already sliding a hand down Calum's shorts. He could already feel himself becoming hard, Michael's breath hot on his neck. Calum could feel Michael tracing circles on the junction of his hip and thigh. Yeah, he probably could.
"Try me," He says instead, turning to straddle his lover, pressing open mouth kisses on Michael's bare chest.
----
"Are we late?" Calum asks, out of breath. Jessie stands in front of security, arms crossed and her phone in her hand.
"Yeah they're here," Jessie quips into her phone before hanging up, sending a death glare to Calum and Michael.
"I don't know Cal, your plane leaves in ten minutes." So maybe Calum had held out longer that what he thought, and then they both had to shower again, and by the time they actually got out the door of the beach house...
"Sorry we got held up," Michael offers, even though Jessie's eyes narrow in on the love bites on Michael's neck. Nothing escapes her, Calum muses, shes like a mother hen. She laughs fondly walking towards them and shaking her head.
"What am I going to do with you two?" She says wrapping them up in a hug. Calum breathes her in, she smells like home. Like bonfires and good food, like that earthy perfume Mali had given her for her twenty third birthday, like the sea air of Sydney. Calum feels guilty for closing himself off from the brunette for so long. It's a shame she won't be joining them on tour but she is busy running her life, and sometimes Luke's.
"I don't know," Calum answer truthfully, picking up his carry on from the floor. "See you for the wedding?"
Jessie smiles, "Yep, in three months. Where do you guys fly in from?"
"I think Italy," Michael shrugs, weaving his fingers with Calum's. Jessie checks her phone, eyes widening. "What?"
"Time for you guys to leave," She pushes them towards security. "Go, go. Rock the world you two!"
"We plan on rocking more than that," Michael calls back giving Calum a cheshire grin. Calum just wanted to make it on the plane.
"Finally, what took so long?" Luke says in lieu of greeting, clapping Calum on the shoulder. He was still uneasy around Luke, always afraid the old angry and bitter Luke will come back and make Calum snap again. He just couldn't trust the guy who had given him one too many black eyes.
The private plane Luke had gotten them was spacious, Ashton already curled onto a seat with a book. The twenty five year old looked happy and content. Living with Bryana was good for him Calum decided, the model turned nurse kept him grounded. Calum can't help but wonder if Ashton had forgiven them all though, he seemed to always keep them at a distance. Except for Jessie, Calum corrects, they cling together like koalas. He hoped to one day talk it out with the blonde, apologize for being a shit friend and band mate. Today wasn't it though, not with everyone excited and happy for tour.
"We were busy," is all Calum says, hoisting his carry on into one of the compartments above.
"Busy fucking?" Ashton supplies grinning. Michael makes a noise in the back of throat, flipping off Ashton.
"Love-making, no need to be crude," Michael retorts, sitting down next to him either way. Calum takes the seat across dumping his back pack in the seat next to him, letting Luke know he was not welcomed. Petty, he knows, but Calum was still wary around him. They had way too different personalities for a ten hour flight.
He settles in, Luke taking the seat in front of him, covering himself with a blanket. He had woken up early after all. He was especially tired after the 'love-making' him and Michael had had. A long nap is what he needed. Hong Kong here they come.
*
Hong Kong, the next afternoon.
"Yes I understand, thank you for taking on our case. No, no it really is okay," Calum watches Michael hang up the phone silently, looking miserable. He walks up to him, gently pulling the shorter man to his chest.
"Was that the adoption agency?" Calum asks in a whisper, already knowing the answer. He can feel the tears prick his own eyes. He wouldn't cry, not in front of Michael. As much as Calum wanted kids, he was starting to believe the hurt wasn't worth it right now.
"Yeah," Michael says weakly, gripping at Calum's shirt tighter, he can feel the tears from Michael seeping into his shoulder. He doesn't care just rubs Michael's back until the sobs subside. "They declined our application," Michael says quietly. This was the third one in eight months.
Calum lets out an angry laugh, "What was it this time? Our work schedule? Or my favorite, 'unfavorable conditions to raise a child'? Because it sure as hell ain't the money issue the first bastard fed to us."
"She said it was the work schedule," Michael says in between hiccups. Calum leads them to the bed, wrapping Michael up in a hug. There was technically another room for Michael next to Calum's, solely for the same reason the hotel manager had congratulated Calum on his marriage to a lucky lady. Even when Michael wore the matching ring around his neck. Now they couldn't adopt for the same reason.
"There's one more agency we haven't tried in Australia," Calum says lowly, letting them fall back against the bed. "We can fill out everything again when we have our break for Luke and Jessie's wedding."
"I'm tired of this," Michael mumbles against his neck, wrapping his arm Calum's middle. Calum lets him, let's him deflect the issue for a few moments. "Lets sleep."
"Mike..."
"No Calum," Michael snaps sitting up. "I am tired of being rejected because its us, because we're married. I am done talking about this for the night." Calum lets Michael stalk off to the bathroom, lets him run a bath without joining. He is tired too, but he is also angry. An anger that burns white hot in his veins. It makes him want to scream at the top of his lungs, to go hurt something. He's glad he only told Jessie about them trying to adopt, the other two don't know. They wouldn't understand the pain and anger. He shoots off a text to Jessie, telling her about the rejection before turning off the phone.
It's the reason they haven't bought a house in Australia. They want a family and if they couldn't have that in Sydney... well that's why they had a real estate agent in L.A sending in different pictures of houses every month. Hell they had a real estate agent in London, at least Calum would have Mali there. He lets a few more tears fall before wiping his eyes and shrugging out of his clothes, slipping under the covers in just his boxers. Michael was right, they should just sleep.
Michael comes out a few minutes later, smelling of fancy soap, and slips in next to Calum facing him. Calum keeps his eyes closed, letting Michael trace his features. "We'll give it one more go, my love. If not we drop it and move to L.A. Start everything over there." He feels Michael press a kiss to his temple before clicking off the lights.
Calum pulls Michael towards him, refusing to let him sleep more than an inch away. His husband didn't deserve this, he wishes Michael didn't have to go through this pain.
*
Hong Kong, the next night.
"Thank you Hong Kong!" Luke yells into the mic stand, waving the boys forward for the final bow. They had one more show tomorrow night before they head to Beijing, but it was always a thrill to stand at the edge of the stage and give one last bow. Always exciting to see the fans faces at the front.
Calum wedges his way between Ashton and Michael, slinging an arm around Michael's shoulders. Michael gives him a warning look, but Calum is done caring. Who cares if the Asian, Dubai, and South African leg of the tour gets canceled because of them. Who fucking cares. They take their last bow before running off stage. Calum can feel the air charged with electricity, making his blood simmer. It makes him reckless.
Calum keeps on running, dragging Michael along with him to the cars. He shoves him in and tells the driver to step on it. Michael tries to fight Calum on it, but Calum shuts him up with a heated kiss. Michael leans into it, gripping Calum's jaw tight with one hand, the other at his neck.
At the hotel, Michael barely has the door closed before Calum has him pinned against the wall, hands above his head. "Do you want this?" Calum whispers staring into those green eyes he loves so much. Michael caresses his cheek, smirking lightly.
"Yes," the words barely leave his mouth before Calum is kissing his husband, letting his tongue slip into his mouth. Michael moans, fighting against Calum's grip. Calum relents, opting to rid Michael of his shirt and belt in the time it takes for Michael to get Calum's shirt off. Michael lifts Calum up, turning them around. Calum slams against the wall as Michael grinds his hips into Calum's. Tangling his fingers in Michael's hair, Calum tugs hard. He can feel Michael's fingers digging into his thighs, the pressure making him moan into Michael's mouth.
Calum pulls back just enough to look at Michael, "We're on top of the world tonight." Michael shuts Calum up with a kiss, already walking backwards towards the bed.