Chapter Text
Ashton had surprisingly managed to stay asleep for another thirty minutes, his exhaustion bad enough that, until now, not even the painfully noises coming from his gut were capable of waking him up. But, then, the drummer let out a tiny groan, burying his head further into Luke’s leg, and all eyes were back on him, the quiet conversation that was going around dying down.
“Hey sleepyhead, how’re you feeling?” Michael asked, rubbing the boy’s warm back. Ashton took his time to answer and when he did, he barely shook his head, coughing a bit, and the other three bandmates just looked at each other worriedly. That was not good.
Luke placed his hand on the back of the drummer’s neck, the only part of him that was visibly at the moment, and sighed softly. "It 's the fever. He’s boiling hot.” Luke informed quietly, letting his hand rest there, on top of the drummer’s condor tattoo.
Michael nodded in agreement and got up from his place to go find the thermometer while Calum tried to get the boy talking to them. “Wanna tell what’s bothering you bud? We just want to help.” Calum said softly, lightly running his nails on the drummer’s sweat soaked back.
“ ‘m cold.” Ashton mumbled, voice muffled by the blonde’s leg. He wiped the sweat off his forehead on the back of his hand and shivered slightly, whining. He had really hoped that he would have woken up feeling at least a little bit better, but it had only taken him a few seconds to realize that he had been incredibly wrong. His stomach and head were still hurting badly and his throat was burning from all the vomit.
“You’re burning up, Ash.” Calum stated sympathetically, feeling horrible that there was nothing else he could do at the moment.
“Can you sit up, mate? Mike wants to check your temperature.” Luke told him once he saw the guitarist walking back with the thermometer in his hand. Ashton groaned, struggling to get up on his own, but his youngest bandmate quickly stepped in, helping the drummer to a sit position, letting him lean against his chest.
"Awnn, bud.” Now that Ashton was propped up against Luke, everyone in the room could see how terrible he really looked. The drummer’s face was sheer white, a huge contrast to his crimson red cheeks, and deep purple bags were under his eyes, his hair sticking up in various directions.
“Ready?” The guitarist questioned and the drummer gave a shy nod, opening his mouth. Michael carefully inserted the small device under his tongue and the older boy couldn’t help the small whimper that left his lips from the cold touch and the general uncomfortable feeling.
Luke gently wrapped his arms around the pale boy, trying to warm him up while Calum rubbed his leg, hoping to comfort him. Ashton rested his head on the taller man’s shoulder, closing his eyes, as they waited for the characteristically beep.
Once it did beep, Michael gently removed the device from the drummer’s mouth, looking at the little visor. “103.8. No wonder he’s still feeling so miserable.” He told them, already moving to go grab the medicine.
“Damn it. It went up, it was like 103.4 or something, the last time I checked.” Luke said, running his hand up and down the boy’s arm when he felt another chill go down the drummer’s spine. The
movement provoked a twinge in Ashton’s stomach and he instinctively curled up closer to the singer’s chest, his stomach contents rolling lazily.
“Hopefully these meds can do a better job.” Michael said, handing Ashton two brown caplets. Ashton eyed them hesitantly, not trusting his body capacity of keeping anything down at the moment, not even water. His expression must have shown his doubts because the guitarist added, “tummy still hurting?
“Feels weird.” The drummer shrugged, lightly rubbing his belly under his shirt. His gut was still churning with nausea but he didn’t know if that was because of his lack of electrolytes or if he was really that close to vomiting again. He chose to believe in the first option.
“Weird as in you’re about to throw up or just achy?” Calum asked, trying to avoid a repeat of today’s earlier events.
“Just uncomfortable.” He answered, reaching for the bottle that was in Michael’s left hand. He took a small sip, testing the waters, and although the liquid sat heavily in his empty belly, it added more discomfort than nausea which he had been expecting. So he drank more, swallowing the pills down in one go.
“Settle down alright?” Luke questioned, cranking his neck so he could properly analyze the older boy’s face. He didn't seem overly nauseous and he wasn’t squirming or anything, therefore, the blonde took that as a good sign.
“Think so.” Ashton said truthfully, his eyes trained on Michael who was busy measuring the Pepto into the small plastic cup. “I don’t wanna that.” He mumbled, the sight of the chunk pink liquid enough to make his stomach gurgle quietly.
“It’s gonna make you feel better, bud.” Michael tried to reason with him, but the drummer still wasn’t having, shaking his head determinedly. “Let’s make a deal, you take the medicine and I’ll give you this.” He continued, pointing to a can of ginger ale that was sitting on the table.
“Sounds fair enough to me.” Luke added in, gently squeezing the older boy’s large hand.
“You guys are so mean.” Ashton joked, taking the cup from the guitarist. He closed his eyes and drank the medicine in one big gulp, shuddering at the taste. “That was vile.” He mumbled, gladly swapping the plastic cup for the ginger ale. The drummer immediately started taking big sips through the straw, in an attempt to overpower the bad taste in his mouth.
“Hey, hey, slow down, champ.” Calum intervened, easily taking the can from the drummer’s hold when he saw that Ashton was drinking way too fast. “You’re gonna make yourself sick this way.” The bassist said, worried that his body was going to reject the carbonated beverage.
“Sorry.” Ashton muttered understandably, taking slow sips instead.
Calum noticed when the drummer slowed down his periodic sips of ginger ale, so he took the almost empty can from Ashton’s weak hold and set it down on the bedside table. “C’mere, mate. Luke still needs to eat.” The bassist informed, patting the space beside him when he realized that Ashton’s eyes were beginning to drop again.
Ashton let the younger man carefully pull him away from Luke and once he was pressed into Calum’s right side, he nuzzled closer, welcoming the close contact. At this point he just wanted to be near someone whenever he could, no matter who.
This time, Luke didn’t protest as he was in fact getting pretty hungry and at this stage, his legs were past numb. “Be right back, buddy.” He told the drummer who just nodded, burying his head into the bassist’s shoulder. The blonde chuckled, not used to the older boy’s cuddliness, as Calum rubbed comforting circles onto Ashton’s back.
“Wanna watch TV?” Michael asked his bandmates and when nobody disagreed, he turned it on, setting on SpongeBob. Both Calum and Luke laughed while Ashton smiled tiredly, shifting a bit in the bassist’s arms, trying to find a more comfortable position.
“Very mature.” Luke spoke, taking a bite of his sandwich. The guitarist just flipped him off, not taking his eyes away from the television. SpongeBob was a timeless cartoon.
“Cal.” Ashton started, muffling a burp onto his fist. He definitely didn’t want to admit just yet, however the feeling in his tummy was turning from an tolerable heaviness to an unmistakable sick feeling, his nausea swelling. “Can we lay down?” The drummer asked quietly enough so only Calum could hear it.
“Yeah, of course, you good?” The bassist whispered, placing his hand on the older boy’s thigh. Ashton didn’t even need to answer because the loud gurgle that came from his stomach instantly made Calum wince. Shit. “Is the ginger ale not settling well?”
The poorly boy quickly shook his head no. “It hurts.” He admitted, clutching his abdomen as another cramped ripped through his belly.
“Can I?” Calum questioned, wrapping his arm around the drummer’s stomach. Ashton gave a small nod so the bassist brought his hand up under the boy’s shirt and rubbed soothing shapes on the sticky skin. “Aw, bud.”
Ashton’s stomach was a complete mess. It was hard and bloated, the air bubbles swishing angrily from one side to the other. Calum pressed more at the bottom left of his belly and Ashton hiccuped/burped, tasting stomach acid burning the back of his throat. “Sorry.”
At this point, Calum was certain of two things. Ashton was definitely going to puke soon, no doubts, and that by now Luke and Michael were surely aware that something was going on, but he appreciated their decision of not making a big deal about it.
Ashton took a shaky breath, forcing his eyes closed, as his stomach contents rolled around uncomfortably. He hiccuped again, mouth clamped shut and this time, he had to swallow against the splash of bile in the back of his throat. “Mm, I need the bathroom.”
“You gonna be sick?” Calum blurted out, already moving to get up as well, but Ashton turned around, stopping him.
“Don’t come.” The drummer warned before he stood up from the bed, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washed over him. He quickly stumbled over to the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
“What was that?” Luke questioned, surprised by the sudden change of events.
“He’s feeling sick again.” The bassist explained, wincing when all three of them heard the characteristically sound of someone retching painfully followed by the sound of liquid hitting the toilet water. “Fuck.”
“That goes the pills.” Michael mumbled sympathetically, trying to block the sounds coming from the bathroom. He had never been good around vomit.
Ashton heaved, pitching forward on his knees to keep him close to the bowl, as he choked up another wave of sick. He sputtered, coughing hard before another retch stole his breath away and forced him to close his eyes. He didn’t want to see the mess in the water below, and keeping them open was far more dizzying than letting them stay shut.
The three boys looked at each other concernedly, but not really knowing what to do. However they knew they couldn’t just keep hearing these awful sounds and do nothing about it. So Calum got up and lightly knocked on the bathroom’s door. “Ash, I’m coming in, okay?” He asked, not waiting for a reaction.
Calum pushed the door open, only wide enough so he could squeeze in. Ashton flinched when he heard someone getting close, but didn’t lift his head that was resting on his folded arms around the toilet bowl. “It’s just me, bud.”
The bassist picked up the paper cup that sat on the bathroom counter and filled it up. He crouched by the sick boy’s side, placing the cup on the floor. Ashton finally made eye contact with him and he could notice the tears that were flooding his eyes. “Oh mate…” Calum whispered, rubbing his back.
Ashton whimpered, his stomach riddled with sharp cramps. He hovered over the bowl, squeezing his tummy as saliva dripped out from his parted lips. The nausea wasn’t letting up.
Another loud heave escaped him and he forced his mouth open as wide as he could as vomit exploded out of him, the violent spray splashing up the sides of the toilet. He spat, feeling tears streaming down his face, because of the pain.
“Geez, Ash.” Calum quickly held the boy up when he dry retched once more. “Try and take deep breaths, buddy.” He instructed, rubbing the drummer’s chest with one hand.
“Make it stop!” Ashton cried before vomiting harshly again. He moaned when he was done and laid his heated cheek on the toilet, feeling his stomach roll with nausea and pain. His tummy made a low grumbling sound and he smashed his eyes shut against the painfully feeling.
“I wish I could, Ash.” Calum whispered, feeling terrible that there was nothing else he could do. He was just sitting there rubbing circles on his friend’s back while Ashton was in agony.
Ashton’s stomach rumbled again and the drummer weakly placed his hand over it, whimpering quietly. He belched sickly, cheek still smushed against the rim of the toilet bowl, and burped again, bringing up a stream of bile that dripped from his half opened mouth.
“Cal.” Ashton choked in a small voice, another load of hot puke expelling from his mouth.
“Fuck.” Calum cursed and held the older boy’s up under his arms, preventing him from choking on his own vomit. Ashton eventually started spewing stomach acid, some even coming out his nose. “Oh God.” The bassist mumbled, patting the drummer’s back.
Ashton burped twice, breathing heavily through his nose. Calum felt the poor man’s gut grumble harshly and he rubbed his thumb in circles over the still bloated skin. Damn it. The bassist ran his other hand through his own hair, trying to calm down. He was so angry and frustrated with himself and with the boys for their stupidity.
From the moment, Michael had offered that fucking ginger ale, Calum knew it was a terrible idea. It was a carbonated and full of sugar beverage, obviously the drummer’s body was going to fight that, especially after being empty for the better part of the morning. However, Ashton had seemed so willingly to try it, that at that time, he didn’t want to be the one to burst his bubble. If only he could turn back time. Logically, he knew that eventually Ashton would have been sick again, it was how stomach bugs worked, but not that bad. That he was sure.
Ashton suddenly whimpered, pulling Calum out of his thoughts. The drummer leaned over the bowl and puked a little, feeling an extreme amount of dizziness wash over him. “ ‘m dizzy.” He slurred as the room seemed to fuzz around him.
Calum caught the smaller man easily as he fell back and wrapped him in his embrace. “Luke!” The bassist called out, covering Ashton’s ears with his hands. “Michael.” He tried to keep the panic out of his voice, but he was vaguely aware that it wasn’t working as he had expected.
Ashton felt his eyelids closing against his will, the lightheaded feeling only increasing. His head slumped forward, his senses fading out, and was only Calum’s quick reflexes that kept him from smashing his head on the toilet.
Luke was the first to burst in, eyes widening, when he saw Ashton pretty much passed out on Calum’s lap. He, then, realized the beads of sweat rolling down the drummer’s forehead so he smartly wet a hand towel and folded it up before kneeling down at his bandmates side.
“Shit, he needs a cold shower urgently.” Luke said, feeling the boy’s boiling skin, as he pushed a few curls back from Ashton’s forehead and laid down the towel, hoping it would at least ease some of the discomfort. No wonder, the drummer was struggling to stay conscious with that high temperature.
Ashton hiccuped, his muscles jerking with the action, while he slowly blinked his eyes, in an attempt to clear his vision.
“How did he get so bad that fast?” Michael asked, flushing the toilet.
“It was that fucking soda you bought. His body is making sure that there is nothing left of it inside him.” Calum answered through gritted teeth while massaging the drummer’s rumbling gut when he felt him shift.
“It wasn’t my fault. The lady said it was good for an upset stomach.” The guitarist defended himself, his voice raising slightly.
“The ginger part, maybe, but definitely not all the other shit ingredients.” Calum continued, the only thing keeping him from shouting, the poor man on his lap. “Does this look good for you?” He added, gesturing towards Ashton.
“Hey, hey, not now.” Luke cut them off, running his fingers through Ashton’s caramel hair when he saw the boy rubbing his eyes, sleepy. “You had us scared for a moment, buddy. How’re you feeling?” He asked softly when he saw that the drummer was starting to come around.
"It 's so hot.” He mumbled, disoriented.
“It’s the fever talking, mate.” Luke explained, moving the towel to the back of the sick man’s neck who shivered at the cold feeling. “Let me get this shirt off you, that will cool you down some.”
Ashton groaned, but lifted his arms and Luke pulled his sweaty shirt up. The drummer let out a small gag, his gag reflex too sensitive at the moment, when the shirt went around his neck, so the blonde man quickly pulled it over the rest of the way and tossed it aside. The smaller boy shivered once more as the cool air touched his warm skin.
“This fever is really messing with you, buddy.” Michael noted, giving the boy a sadly smile.
“Mmm.” Ashton whimpered, burying his face into Calum’s chest. “My throat hurts.” He whispered, massaging his neck.
Calum looked around for the water cup and once he spotted it, he grabbed and helped it to the drummer’s lips when they found out that Ashton was too shaky to hold it without spilling. “Small sips, Ash.”
Ashton took a couple of careful sips before pushing the cup away. “No more.” He definitely didn’t want to test his upset tummy. Calum nodded and set the cup back down.
“Ash, can I check your temp?” Michael asked, thermometer in his hand. The poorly boy moaned, eyes half closed, but he did open his mouth, letting the guitarist position the small device under his tongue. “Aw, you feel much warmer, mate.”
Ashton shifted on the bassist’s lap and basically curled up in Calum’s hold, closing his eyes. He craned his neck further onto the younger man’s shoulder and tried to concentrate on the bassist’s hand rubbing his bare back as he waited for the beep.
Once it did beep, the sick boy had fallen into a lightly doze, not even stirring when Michael gently removed the device from his mouth. “103.9. Luke’s right, he needs a cold shower if he can’t keep the medicine down.”
“Can you shower with him Cal?” The blonde asked, knowing that the drummer wouldn’t be able to stand under the water for long on his own.
“Yeah. Just give him a few minutes to rest.” Calum answered, looking down at the boy.
Ashton looked like a big baby, all curled up, his cheek pressed to his chest. However, when he started to feel that he was taking more and more of the older boy’s weight as he fell into a deep sleep, he gently shook him awake. “Ash, c'mon bud, wanna shower with me?”
Ashton whined, heavy eyes struggling to stay open. “Mmm.” He mumbled half asleep, head rolling off the bassist’s shoulder as his eyes dropped shut against his will. Calum shared a concerned look with Luke, holding the poor boy close to him.
“Ash, mate, you need to stay awake.” Luge joined in, rubbing the boy’s chest. “Mike, start the shower, please.”
“On it.” The guitarist turned on the shower while the other two healthy boys tried to get Ashton to drink more water, hoping that the hydration would help the drummer become a bit more alert.
The sick man swallowed a few sips of water before he let out a quiet burp. “Sorry.” He whispered, rubbing his achy tummy. “My stomach feels full.” Ashton said in a small voice, hugging his middle.
“He’s bloated.” Calum quickly explained when he saw the confused look on his youngest bandmate. He grabbed Luke’s hand and gently placed it on the drummer’s bare belly. “See?” From just that little pressure, Ashton hiccuped once again, cheeks turning even redder.
“Shit.” The blonde muttered, feeling the air bubbles rolling around under his touch. He didn’t say that out loud, not wanting to make Michael feel even guiltier, but the ginger ale had definitely been a huge mistake.
“If you guys want to bring him here, the shower is ready.” Michael told them, placing his hand under the water spray. The water was neither too cold nor too hot, just lukewarm.
“C’mon Ash.” Luke encouraged him, holding out his hand for the older boy to take. The drummer took his hand and Luke carefully pulled him up and steadied him on his shaky feet. “Good?”
“Guess so.” Ashton mumbled and let the blonde help him step out of his sweats, leaving him only in his underwear. He watched as Calum did the same, stripping down to his own underwear, before pushing open the glass shower door for him.
Ashton sluggishly got in, teeth chattering at the feel of the cold drops of water beading down his shoulders and back. "It 's so cold.” He whimpered, wrapping his arms tightly around his body.
Calum entered as well, ignoring the goosebumps on his own arms, as he gently held the boy directly under the water spray, just letting it wash away the sickness. “It’s gonna be quick, bud, I promise.”
“You got him, Cal?” Luke asked, trying not to make the boy overly embarrassed with everyone crowding the room, especially when he could tell that the smaller man was still peaky. Calum gave him a small nod, so both he and Michael quietly exited the bathroom, leaving the bassist alone with Ashton.
“Hey, wanna tell me what’s bothering you now?” Calum asked quietly once they were alone. The drummer had his eyes painfully shut, nails digging into the flesh of his tummy, but he just shook his head no. “Stomach cramps?” He tried when the older boy didn’t answer him.
“It doesn’t stop.” He mumbled, as another bad cramp went through his aching gut, his stomach rumbling audible. He roughly rubbed at his eyes when he felt a couple of tears silently roll down his cheeks, his high fever and pain really messing him up..
“Aw, mate.” Calum said sympathetically, pulling the smaller man into a hug. Ashton buried his head in the bassist’s chest and let out a sob. The bassist didn’t know if it was the pain, the fever or simply the exhaustion, but Ashton started crying harder, small sobs escaping his mouth as he shook in Calum’s arms. “Shh… it’s okay, bud.” He whispered gently in the drummer’s ear as he ran his hand through the back of Ashton’s hair.
“I need you to tell me where it hurts, buddy.” Calum said softly, still trying to get the older boy to calm down. Ashton started to cough as he tried to breath through his sobs and he barely had time to turn around before he brought up the little bit of water he had just drank, his stomach painfully bubbling.
“Gosh. How’re you not empty yet?” Calum muttered to himself, patting Ashton’s back. The action made the drummer hiccuped twice, his gut gurgling loudly, and the younger man gently removed Ashton’s hands from his abdomen and replaced them with his hands, finally figuring out what the problem was.
Calum pressed down a little on the bloated skin and Ashton visibly tensed up, hiccuping again. Ashton let out a small whine, but the bassist just moved his touch to the lower part of the drummer’s stomach, pressing on it, and this time Ashton burped, his belly deflating slightly.
“Ohhh.” Ashton groaned painfully, trying to swat Calum’s hand away. He muffled a sickly belch when the younger man moved his hand a little to the left and Calum literally felt the air roll around inside the tight space. “S- stop, Cal!” He whined, feeling like he might vomit if the brown eyed lad didn’t stop pressing on his tummy.
“Bud, your belly is full of air. That’s why it’s cramping badly, there’s no room in there.” Calum explained, briefly stopping his massage and just gently rubbing soothing circles on the sensitive area. “Can I keep going?”
“Hurts” Ashton mumbled quietly, but shrugged because at this point he just wanted some form of relief from the incessant cramps.
Calum took that as a yes and kept pressing his fingers into the drummer’s hard skin, massaging a large air bubble in Ashton’s tummy. The older boy squirmed when he felt more air traveling up his throat and he released a nasty burp, feeling his cheeks heat up again. However, he couldn’t help the sigh of relief that left his mouth when the pain faded away a bit.
The bassist pushed a few more times, Ashton bringing up more air each turn, until the smaller man seemed a lot more relaxed, slumped against him, and his stomach muscles weren't as tensed up as before.
“That better?” Calum asked, rubbing the boy’s back now as the curled haired lad had his face buried into the crook of his neck.
“Yeah, thanks.” Ashton mumbled clearly embarrassed by the whole situation, but Calum just gave him a small smile and squeezed his arm, happy that he could do something.
The bassist, then, helped the older boy rinse the rest of the sickness off, but quickly shut the water off when he felt that Ashton was shivering harder. “Think we’re done, mate.” He told the drummer. Calum could tell that his temperature seemed to have gone down quite a bit so he called Luke back so the younger man could bring their towels and clothes.
“Ready to get out, buddy?” Luke asked, walking in. He placed their clothes on the counter before opening the shower door, handing one towel to Calum and the other he held it open for Ashton.
A gust of air hit the drummer, sending a chill down his spine and he quickly stepped out of the shower and into Luke’s arms. The tall man wrapped the towel around him and pulled him closer once he realized he was shivering.
“Mmm, you’re warm.” Ashton said, resting his head on the blonde’s shoulder. He placed his freezing hands under Luke’s shirt, trying to warm them up, but pulled them away when the younger man yelped. “Sorry, Luke.” He apologized sheepishly.
“It’s alright, your hands are just ice cold.” Luke reassured the drummer, squeezing his hand. He placed the back of his right hand on the smaller man’s cheek and sighed in relief when he felt that his temperature seemed to have gone down significantly. “You feel cooler.” He told Ashton, glad that something had finally worked.
“He’s still feverish, but definitely not as bad as before.” Calum added in, stepping out of the shower. He dried himself off and then went over to the counter, putting on his warm clothes while Luke helped Ashton.
“Do you need help putting those on, bud? Luke asked, handing the drummer a fresh pair of boxes and sweats.
Ashton seemed to consider his offer for a moment, but then nodded when he stumbled while pulling up his underwear. Luckily the taller man grabbed him by the arm before he made a fool of himself, once again. “Thanks.” He whispered, stepping into the sweats now.
“One more and I’ll let you lay down.” Luke told him when he saw the drummer yawning. He grabbed the Led Zeppelin shirt that was in Calum’s hand, gently guiding Ashton’s head and arms through the shirt until the boy was set. “All done.” The blonde said, ruffling the boy’s wet hair.
“Tired, huh?” Calum pretty much stated, seeing Ashton rubbing his eyes sleepy. He wasn’t gonna lie, even he could take a nap right now. It had been a long day.
“Yeah. You guys can go out, though. ‘m just gonna sleep for a bit.” Ashton told them, but both of his bandmates shook their heads no at the same time as if he were crazy.
“I think someone should stay here with you. Just in case.” Luke justified as he placed his hand on the drummer’s back, leading him to bed.
Ashton shrugged, too tired to mind the company. He sat down on the edge of the mattress and groaned when Calum immediately shoved a water bottle in his face. “You need to stay hydrated, Ash. You saw what happened in the bathroom.” The bassist lightly scolded him. Ashton knew he was right, but that didn’t mean it sucked any less.
The drummer took the bottle from Calum’s grip and swallowed a few small sips before handing the bottle back to the younger man. “Where’s Mike?” He mumbled, realizing someone was missing. He hated not knowing where his boys were.
Calum also looked towards Luke, waiting for an explanation, and the blonde groaned, clearly not wanting to be in this position. “He’s a bit pissed at you.” Luke admitted shyly, nodding at Calum.
“Me?” Now was Calum’s turn to groan as he ran his hand over his face while Ashton just kept looking between the two of them, his sluggish brain trying to make sense of what was going on, because surely he had missed something.
“Cal and Mike just had a small argument, mate. Nothing for you to worry about.” Luke told the drummer, noticing the confused expression on Ashton’s still too pale face.
“ ‘bout me?” The smaller man asked quietly, looking at his two bandmates sadly.
“Hey, of course not, buddy.” Luke quickly reassured the drummer, sitting down beside him. He pulled the older boy closer so he was pressed to his chest and Ashton didn’t even fight, just snuggled closer, face smushed into the taller man’s shirt.
Calum smiled at the scene before speaking, “I’m gonna go talk to him. You good to stay with him, Luke?” The bassist was well aware he had overreacted, his worry for Ashton getting the best of him.
“Think we’re good, right Ash? The blonde asked, looking down at the boy who was cuddled up into him. The drummer nodded, already close to sleep, the warmth radiating off Luke, making him feel even more tired.
“Be right back then.” Calum said, leaving the room to go over to Michael’s.
“Ash, just let me check your temp before you go to sleep.” Luke told his sick bandmate, reaching for the thermometer that was on the nightstand. He chuckled when the green eyed lad barely opened his mouth, the drummer's eyes refusing to stay open. “A little more than that, bud.” He instructed gently, rubbing Ashton’s back.
Ashton complied and opened his mouth wider, letting Luke insert the small device under his tongue. He visibly shuttered at the cold touch, but otherwise stayed put while Luke combed his fingers through the drummer’s soft curls.
“You’re so cuddly today.” Luke stated, smiling softly. He wasn’t going to deny that although he absolutely hated when Ashton was not feeling good, he loved all the cuddles that he got from him.
Once the thermometer beeped, Luke removed it from Ashton’s mouth, frowning slightly at the numbers. “103 on the dot.” He informed, attempting to not sound so down. The drummer was only slightly cooler than before, but still warmer than he had expected/hoped for after the cold shower. He placed his hand on the boy’s back, under his shirt, wincing when he felt that the skin was really hot now that he had warmed up from the water. “Still not good, huh?”
“Sleep?” Ashton mumbled, looking expectantly at the younger man with glassy eyes. He honestly didn’t care right now what his temperature was, he just wanted a nap and someone to hold him.
“Yeah, buddy." Luke told him softly, helping the boy get under the covers. Once the drummer was set, the blonde carefully laid down beside him, letting the older man cuddle up to his side, head on his chest. “Comfy?” He questioned, continuing to comfortingly rub Ashton’s back.
“Hmmm.” Ashton nodded, eyes opening and closing slower each time.” ‘anna watch something?” He slurred, quite nearly falling asleep against Luke.
“I’m good, mate. Just take a nap.” The younger man said gently, feeling his heart squeeze painfully in his chest, at the fact that even half delirious, Ashton was still worried if he was bored or not.
The drummer barely nodded and literally two seconds after that, he was asleep, mouth slightly opened. Luke reached for his phone and warned both Calum and Michael via text that the poor man was sleeping and that they needed to be quiet if they returned to the room. After sending the message, he put his phone down on the little table and turned off the lights in the bedroom, leaving the room in a semi darkness.
Ashton stirred a bit in his sleep, mumbling something under his breath, but settled down fine once Luke started running his fingers through his hair once more. The singer kept this rhythm for a good few minutes until his own eyelids started to get heavier and it didn’t take long for him to doze off as well.
***
The first thing Luke was aware of when he woke up was how hot he was. He stirred and blinked a couple of times to clear his vision, and then his eyes landed on a still fast asleep Ashton who was laying practically on his chest. The singer switched the bedside lamp which instantly illuminated the drummer’s sweat soaked face.
Ashton’s cheeks were an angry shade of red, his hair sticking to his forehead and there was a wet patch forming on Luke’s shirt where the drummer’s head was resting. The poor man’s t-shirt was drenched, soaking through the sheets below him. Before Luke even reached his forehead, he could feel the heat seeping out of his pores and warming his body up.
“Fuck.” Luke cursed, feeling the heat waves radiating off the boy’s sticky forehead once he pressed the back of his hand against it. He blindly reached for the thermometer before gently shaking the boy awake. “Bud, wake up for me, please.”
Ashton whimpered quietly, but didn’t even twitch in his hold. “Ash, c’mon.” He called exasperatedly, shaking him a bit stronger. This time a pair of extremely glassy and bloodshot eyes met him, looking rather dazed.
“Mate, I need to check your temp again. You’re boiling.” Luke told him softly. Ashton blinked sluggishly at him until his eyes focused on the thermometer and then he quickly pulled away from the younger man, laying flat on his stomach and burying his face into the pillow.
“Noo, Lu, no. ‘m tired.” He mumbled, shaking his head. His stomach made some strange noises now that he was laying on it, but he ignored, snuggling further into the covers.
“Don’t lay like that, buddy.” Luke said and helped the boy roll over so he was laying on his back instead. The fact that Ashton was pretty much limp made him scared shitless. “It’s gonna hurt your tummy even more.” The blonde explained, but it was a tad too late. The drummer’s gut rumbled louder now and this time the sick man whined, clutching his stomach.
“Wanna Calum.” He whispered, biting his bottom lip when a sharp pain went through his tummy. He let out a quiet burp, his belly grumbling once more.
“I’m gonna sit you up, ‘kay bud?” Luke warned him, thinking the boy was about to vomit if he kept lying down. The singer brought the poor man to a sitting position, letting him lean against the headboard. “Let me just check how high your fever is and while we wait I can call Cal. Sounds good?”
“Ok-kay.” Ashton answered, opening his mouth. Luke placed the thermometer under the drummer’s tongue and with one hand he grabbed his phone while he rubbed the boy’s back with the other.
Luke saw that he had a few texts from Calum and one from Michael, telling him they were all good, but would let them rest and to just give him a ring once they were up. The blonde saw that the bassist was online and quickly shot him a message, letting him know what was going on. Calum answered in the same second, telling him he was on his way.
“Cal is coming, okay buddy?” Luke told Ashton while removing the device from his mouth. He looked at the small visor, his face dropping once he saw the flashing numbers.“Shit.” He muttered under his breath when he saw that the drummer’s fever had gone up considerably. 104.1. “What we’re gonna do with you, Ash?” He asked rhetorically while combing his fingers through Ashton’s damp curls.
“Aw bud.” Was the first thing Calum said when he entered the room, followed by Michael. He gently swapped places with Luke, holding the boy closer. “You’re feeling worse? You’re burning up.”
“I just wanted you.” Ashton told him quietly, burying his face into his chest. Calum smiled, lightly rubbing shapes all over the boy’s belly.
“His fever is up again. 104.” Luke informed them from the bathroom, damping a washcloth in cold water. He walked back into the room, placing the cloth on the back of the drummer’s neck.
“Shhh, leave it there, buddy.” Calum said, stopping Ashton from taking the cold towel off.
“How is his stomach? Think he can try the pills again?” Michael questioned, directing his question more to Luke than his older bandmate who looked ready to fall asleep once again.
“It was making noises before but it seemed to have calmed down.” The blonde answered and looking at the drummer he continued, “are you all set for now, Ash?”
“Think so.” He told the boys through a yawn. Calum was still drawing circles with his thumb on his tummy so he was pretty content right now.
“Then let’s try the meds one more time. He will probably fall asleep anyways and that will give the pills a chance to work.” Michael said, going over to the little table in the room.
The guitarist grabbed a bottle of water and the fever reducers and then walked back to Ashton’s side. He untwisted the cap and handed it to the poor man who took a little sip before reaching for the meds. He swallowed them down with ease, the water feeling cold but good as it soothed his sore throat.
Luke dabbed the drummer’s forehead and neck with the washcloth again and this time Ashton appreciated, letting his eyes slip closed as he gave the bottle back to Michael.
“Let’s just get you out of these damp clothes, okay mate?” Luke didn’t even wait for a reaction from his sick bandmate and just began to take off Ashton’s drenched shirt. Then, he proceed with taking off the drummer’s sweats, leaving him with only his boxers on.
The sudden exposure of skin left Ashton a shivering mess and Luke felt bad for having to do this, but they needed to get his temp down.
“C’mon bud. Try to get some more sleep.” Calum whispered to the sick boy in his arms. Ashton nodded as the bassist gently pulled him back into bed and brought the covers up over them. The curly haired lad snuggled into Calum’s side and the younger man just held him near, running his fingers through his hair.
It took a bit longer for Ashton to doze off this time, probably half an hour until he actually fell into a deep sleep. It was night time by now, almost 8 pm, so the boys hoped that the drummer would sleep through the night with no major problems, now that he had some medicine in his body and that his stomach wasn’t that messed up.
***
Their plan honestly worked longer than they had expected because the next time Ashton woke up it was about 3 am. The first thing the drummer was aware of was the piercing pain in his belly so intense that he curled up into a ball, body tense, eyes clenched shut.
His stomach was bubbling with cramps and trying not to wake up Calum who had his arm draped around his waist, he slid out from under the duvet and stumbled his way through the pitch black room to the bathroom, clutching his stomach as if it would help.
For a split second, once he reached the toilet the relief was a bliss, even though he was terrified someone was going to wake up and hear it. But then his mouth started to water, saliva pooling under his tongue faster than he could swallow and he began to panic, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He quickly looked around the bathroom for anything he could use to vomit without having to leave the toilet, but there was none.
He hiccuped quietly, covering his mouth with his hand, and gulped against the splash of stomach acid in the back of his throat. His stomach suddenly lurched and he threw up a bit into his mouth. The vile taste almost made him lose right there, but he swallowed it down again, determined not to make another mess.
Ashton was silently praying for the cramping to subside or for the nausea to stop growing until he could get up when he heard a knock on the door. “Ash? You okay, bud?” He heard Michael ask, his voice laced with sleep and concern. The drummer hadn’t even realized that the guitarist was also in the room, but he definitely wasn’t going to complain about it.
“Mm, I um, I feel sick.” He blushed awkwardly, hoping that Michael would get the hint of what was going on.
Luckily for him, Michael did understand and he quickly went over to grab the small trash can under the desk before making his way over to the closed door. “I’m coming in.” The guitarist warned, thankful that the older boy hadn’t locked the door.
“Oh fuck.” Michael muttered, pulling his shirt over his nose from the bathroom smells. He placed the trash can under Ashton’s mouth just in time for the sick boy to bring up a thick wave of puke.
The drummer spat the saliva still pooling in his mouth, hoping that by getting rid of it would quell the nausea, but the movement only seemed to bring another load of hot vomit into the small trash can.
Michael held back the curls that were falling in Ashton’s face, trying not to focus on the heaps of vomit the drummer was bringing it up.
Ashton moaned from the uncomfortable feeling swishing around his gut and took a shaky breath, wiping the tears from his eyes.
“Done, buddy?” Michael asked, running his fingers through Ashton’s sweaty hair.
“Not sure.” Ashton sniffed, rubbing his nose. His stomach gurgled with discomfort again and he winced. “Mike? Can you leave again, please?” He asked in a small voice, wrapping his arm around his cramping gut.
Michael got the hint of what was about to happen and quickly left the room, leaving the boy to do his business.
“Hm? What’s going on?” Calum mumbled, rubbing his eyes sleepy.
“Ash’s having stomach troubles again.” Michael explained, nodding toward the closed bathroom door.
“Really?” Calum asked and sat up once he realized what was happening.
Calum was about to go knock on the door when almost ten minutes had passed and they still hadn’t heard from the sick man, but before he had the chance to do that, the older boy stumbled out of the bathroom and went straight to the bed. “Aww, mate.”
Ashton whined and grabbed the bassist’s hand, placing it more towards the left side of his tummy. “Please.” The drummer whimpered and teared up a bit again.
“Yeah, course.” Calum quickly reassured the sick boy, rubbing gentle circles mostly in that spot, making Ashton groan. The bassist could feel Ashton clenching and unclenching his muscles which showed him how upset his stomach still was, but the good thing was that the meds finally seemed to have done their job because the drummer was significantly cooler.
“I’m gonna clean up the bathroom a little bit.” Michael whispered to Calum once he saw that Ashton was starting to nod off against the brown eyed lad, so he figured he was done being sick for a while.
“Thanks, Mike.” Calum mumbled, already falling asleep as well with the older boy pressed to his side.
When Michael finished cleaning up the bathroom, both boys were dead to the world, so he carefully walked over to the pull out couch in the room, making himself comfortable once more. Earlier while Ashton was sleeping, the three of them had agreed that two of them would stay in the room with Ash while the other one could go to his own room. Therefore, Michael and Calum were on duty for tonight while Luke was sleeping and tomorrow morning they would swap.
In no time all the three bandmates were asleep.
***
Ashton managed to stay asleep after that, finally, but the next morning wasn’t much better. He spent their last day in the hotel, curled up on Luke’s side, still feverish, but at least he had stopped throwing up. That night was when he started to feel a bit better, his temperature was almost back to normal range, now that he could keep down the fever reducers, and he was even able to eat some soup which helped bring some color back to his face.
By the next day, Ashton was feeling a lot better which he was very thankful for because they were back in the tour bus, on their way to the next city of the Take My Hand Tour. The day after that, he was pretty much back to his normal happy self.