Definition [ot4]

one

((This is a direct continuation of the intro. Just so you're all aware.))

Ashton's the first one to speak up. He's the eldest, he's more lenient than the other two, he understands everything in the simplest terms. Ashton clears his throat and swipes his tongue over his bottom lip before speaking. "You're supposed to use a brush."

"I know," Calum replies. By the time he realized he needed a brush, the band was picking up and he could barely go outside without being recognized. With no girlfriend, he didn't have an excuse as to why he was trying to buy a makeup brush.

Ashton smiles softly, flicking his head so the hair moves out of his eyes. "I'll get you one tomorrow. What size is your skirt?"

"I- no, I don't want you to- you don't have to-" he stutters out useless syllables for a few seconds, before huffing at his own inability to form a sentence. Ashton just shrugs with a tiny smile and glances over to Michael and Luke.

"What, so you're like," Michael pauses and waves his hands in a vague hand gesture, waiting for the others to understand what he's saying. When no one speaks up to finish his sentence, he fishes the right word out and says it quietly. "Gay?"

"Kind of," Calum shrugs. "I haven't researched it enough to put a label on it. I just- I like what I like."

"And what's that?" Michael asks. Which is a valid question, but Calum still flinches. Because Michael's voice has a sharp tone and a light venom in it, like Calum's personally offending him.

"I- I don't-" Calum stutters, because he's fucking terrified. He hadn't meant to tell anyone about it, after what happened last time. He doesn't want anyone to know, would rather keep it bottled up inside of him for the rest of his life. He doesn't feel normal, why would anyone accept him? Ashton's a fucking saint, Michael's just acting like anyone would. Hell, he's acting like Calum probably would.

There's a muffled thump when Ashton reaches over and smacks Michael in the back, right below his shoulder blades. "Listen, emo lord," Ashton hisses. Calum jumps a little at the sound of his sharp voice. "I get that you're trying to get things straightened out in your head, but he'll tell us when he wants to fucking tell us. You're making him uncomfortable, so shut your mouth before I do it for you."

Michael gives him an annoyed look, crossing his arms over his chest, then looks back over at Calum. It takes two pinches to his side before he shoves Ashton's hands away and mutters, "Sorry."

"You don't have to protect me," Calum frowns. "I'm fucking weird."

"You're yourself," Ashton rephrases. "You're being you, and we'll still like you, no matter what. Right, Luke?"

Luke jumps a little at the sudden mention of his name, dropping a blue tube of eyeliner back into the bag. He moves his hand like he's going to try to dig for it again, but then glances up at Ashton's reprimanding glare and straightens up quickly. His hands drop awkwardly to his sides as he shifts his weight from one leg to the other, glancing at Michael and Ashton out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry, what was the question?"

Ashton makes an exasperated noise and throws his hands up, letting them slap back against his thighs after a second or two. Michael just smirks a little and knocks his shoulder against Luke's, which kind of makes Calum's chest clench. If they're both on the same side, all Calum will have left is Ashton.

"I'm sorry!" Luke defends himself quickly. "I wasn't paying attention, I-" he pauses, like he's debating what to say in his head. After Calum can't breath for ten seconds, Luke blurts out, "Calum's eyeliner wings are crooked! There! I said it! Make me the bad guy now, thanks Ash!"

Ashton grins a little while Calum stares at them in bewilderment. "Do you know how long this took?" He points to his eyes.

"I'm sorry!" Luke yells. He leans forward and gestures for Calum to come closer. Calum shuts his compact and sets it down, then rubs his finger free of eye shadow. He crawls over to Luke slowly, nervously, glancing at the other two to make sure this isn't a trick.

When he reaches Luke, he sits down and cross his legs in front of him. Luke leans forward so they're almost face to face, squinting at Calum's eyeliner. "The lighting in here is awful. Close your eyes."

Calum complies. His heart is practically beating out of his chest now, breath hitched in his throat. He feels Luke grab his jaw with both palms, one on either side and fingers digging into the hair at the back of his head. He licks his lips when Luke tilts his head to catch the dim light better. The pad of Luke's thumb swipes out across his left eyelid, smudging the eyeliner, then his right. There's a short pause where Ashton hums in approval and Michael sighs.

"You're doing it wrong," he groans. "Those aren't even wings anymore, you dumbass!"

Luke scoffs and rubs Calum's cheek with his thumb to give him the okay to open his eyes again. "Wings are so overrated!"

"Oh my god, well now the eye shadow is going to look weird!" Michael protests. He steps forward and digs through the bag in front of him, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. He pulls out a small container of gold eye shadow, all that Calum could steal from his sister before he left home, and hands it to Luke. "Just put it on the edges of his eyelids and smudge it the rest of the way in."

"Damn it, Luke, the wings weren't even crooked!" Ashton adds in. "They were like, slightly uneven if anything!"

"That's what crooked means, you stupid fuck," Luke groans. He snatches the little thing of gold eye shadow out of Michael's palm and turns back to Calum. "Close your eyes again, apparently!" He shoots Michael a little glare while Calum flutters his eyes closed.

His lips tilt up at the same time and his chest squeezes. They're okay with him.

((Why do you all automatically assume this is a cashton fic

I could be starting my first malum or cake u don't no me

Jokes its ot4. Just everyone loving Calum.

-Mel))