Eas! Calum x Afab! reader
minors do not interact; all fics are 18+.
Summary: You weren't supposed to be backstage. You’re not a celebrity, an influencer, or even a VIP. You're there because a friend working the show handed you an All Access pass at the last second, expecting to watch from the side and leave unnoticed.
A/N: Enjoy this, it was rushed lol!
You never planned on meeting Calum Hood.
Especially not while trying to find the back entrance for a free ticket your friend got you.
If someone had told you twelve hours earlier that I'd end the night sitting in a hotel room at three in the morning sharing cigarettes with him, you would've laughed in their face.
But that's the funny thing about nights like this.
They never go the way you expect them to.
☆⋆⭒˚｡⋆☆ੈ✩‧₊˚⋆⭒˚｡⋆☆ *TWELVE HOURS EARILIER* ☆⋆⭒˚｡⋆☆ੈ✩‧₊˚⋆⭒˚｡⋆☆
Chicago buzzed with life in a way you'd never experienced before.
Music spilled from every direction, strangers laughed as they crossed the streets, and festival wristbands flashed on almost everyone you passed. The start of August air was sticking to your skin, carrying the smell of bad drinks, city pavement, and the lingering excitement from Lollapalooza weekend.
Your Phone buzzed in your back pocket, while crossing the street.
You typed back while the fan line got longer and longer.
You: I'm pretty sure I'm lost. :{
The three dots appear on screen almost immediately.
Macie: Of course you are.
A second message appeared.
“Back entrance. North side of the building. Purple door. Hurry.”
You look back up and turn the corner. Seeing the line of tour buses and vans, between two brick buildings. There it was, a plain purple door with a handful of people already waiting outside, each wearing the same 5sos aftershow guest sticker. Your heart skipped. This was actually happening.
A week ago, you'd accepted that the 5SOS aftershow would be impossible to get into. Tickets disappeared almost instantly, and resale prices were so outrageous you'd laughed when you saw them.
"I might have a way to get you in."
Turns out "a way" meant she was working with the event crew and had a single extra guest pass.
She'd given it to you without a second thought.
A security guard stepped forward.
You held out your id as he scanned the list.
The heavy door swung open. The muffled thump of bass instantly became deafening.
Lights swept across the dark room in shades of pink and deep red. Around twenty people were on the stage, behind the dj booth. Every inch of the venue was already packed. The air was warm, impossible to breathe through, but nobody seemed to care.
You couldn't stop smiling. This felt like being let in on the world's best-kept secret. The lights suddenly dropped. A roar erupted around you. Four silhouettes walked onto the stage. Luke. Michael. Ashton. And then Calum. The room had exploded.
You found yourself screaming with everyone else, laughing because you couldn't hear your own voice over the music. Calum grinned as he adjusted the bass, glancing over the crowd for only a second before the first note rang through the speakers.
The night had officially begun and your lives were about to collide.
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The show ended. People poured toward the exits, the last song was still buzzing but somehow you'd managed to wander in the opposite direction.
"Seriously?" you think to yourself, looking at two identical hallways.
One led toward the loading dock. The other…you had no idea.
The voice makes you jump. You turn around. Calum Hood is leaning against the brick wall, a jacket thrown over his shoulders, in a white tank top.
"I was looking for the exit."
"Well it was the wrong exit."
The cheers that had filled the venue only minutes ago were distant now, swallowed by passing cars and the occasional burst of laughter from fans lingering outside. For a while, neither of you said anything. Calum leaned against the brick wall, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his skirt. He glanced over at you.
"Only when life gets hard."
"I think tonight checks out."
He held the pack out, giving you every chance to say no. You took one from his warm hand that made the hairs on your skin stand up.
He flicked his lighter, shielding the flame from the breeze with his hand before lighting his own. Then he reached toward you, the flame reflecting in his eyes.
The first inhale burned more than you remembered. It wasn't awkward. It felt comfortable and safe. You stood shoulder to shoulder.
"You know," Calum said, "that's probably the first thing someone has said where nobody asked for a selfie."
You smiled, taking another drag before looking over at him.
"You deserve at least one normal conversation for today"
He looked back at you, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"I'd like to keep having it."
Those words lingered in your mind.
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He dropped his cigarette and put it out. He looks around then at you. “I’m starving” You laughed.
"That's the smoothest way anyone's ever asked me to get food."
"It wasn't supposed to be smooth."
"No." He smiled, cheeks dusted pink. "I just haven't eaten since...soundcheck?"
"You've got terrible priorities."
He rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a chuckle
"This is going to sound weird."
"The band's supposed to go to this afterparty."
"They've got food." He paused. "And it's free."
You couldn't help but smile.
"I'm a sucker for free food."
A faint blush crept across his cheeks as he looked down at his shoes.
"I was just wondering..." He glanced back up at you. "Would you want to come with me?"
For a second, you just stared at him. This was Calum Hood, the bassist of one of your favorite bands. Standing in front of you, asking if you'd like to go eat with him.
"You know," you teased, "you could've just led with the part where you wanted to keep talking to me." His ears turned pink.
You smiled, dropping your cigarette into the nearby bin before meeting his eyes.
The grin that spread across his face was brighter than any of the stage lights you'd seen all night.
"Cool," he said, failing to sound casual.
He held the backstage door open for you.
You laughed as you stepped inside. Maybe the night wasn't over after all.
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A few fans still lingered outside the venue, hoping to catch one last glimpse of the band before the night was over. Calum pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his curls and kept his head down as the two of you hurried toward the waiting van. The door slid shut behind you, muffling the distant cheers outside.
Neither of you said much during the short drive. Every now and then, your eyes met, and one of you would smile before looking away again. The hotel came into view only a few minutes later. As the van came to a stop, Calum stepped out first. He turned back toward you and held out his hand. You looked at it for a second before placing yours in his.
"Careful," he said softly as you stepped down onto the pavement.
The simple gesture caught you off guard. When you looked up to thank him, you noticed the tips of his ears had turned a light shade of pink. Inside, the afterparty was already in full swing.
Music pulsed through the ballroom, conversations overlapped from every direction, and trays of drinks were passed around. Crew members, friends, and guests filled the room, celebrating another successful night.
"I'll be right back," Calum said.
Before you could answer, he disappeared into the crowd. A minute later, he returned, balancing two plates.
"I remembered you said you were hungry."
"I also remember saying you have terrible priorities."
"I do," he admitted, handing you a plate. "But at least I'm feeding us now."
The two of you found a spot near the corner of the room, talking between bites as the party carried on around you.
After a while, Calum rubbed the back of his neck and glanced toward the crowd, where more people had begun calling his name.
He leaned in so you could hear him over the music.
"Do you... want to go upstairs?" he asked quietly. "I'm pretty out of it."
You nodded without hesitation.
He caught Michael's eye across the room and motioned toward the elevators.
"We're heading up," he called.
Michael looked between the two of you before a grin creeped on his face. He walked over, gave Calum a playful pat on the back, and said, "Don't stay up too late." Calum rolled his eyes, laughing as he led you toward the elevators. The noise of the party lingered within the hotel.
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The elevator ride was quieter than either of you expected. The buzz of the afterparty faded with each passing floor until all that remained was the soft hum of the elevator and the occasional glance in each other's direction. Calum smiled to himself.
"You've been smiling since we left."
You opened your mouth to say something but then the elevator doors slid open. Calum led the way to his room, pulling the key card from his pocket. The lock clicked. He pushed the door open and stepped aside. You stepped inside, taking in the room. Clothes were draped over a chair, and pages of handwritten lyrics on a napkin covered the bedside table.
He laughed and tossed his jacket onto the couch before walking over to the windows. Chicago glittered beneath the night sky, the streets still alive despite the hour.
"It's a nice view," you said, popping next to him.
For a while, neither of you said a word.The silence wasn't uncomfortable, it was peaceful. Calum turned toward you.
"I'm really glad you came with me tonight."
He nodded and stepped a little closer, his voice quieter now. "I just didn't want the conversation to end."
Your heartbeat picked up. The space between you suddenly felt much smaller.
"You know," you whispered, "you could've just said that."
Neither of you moved, you didn't pull away, he took one slow step closer.
"Am I going to kiss you." he asked softly.
Your smile answered before your words did.
"I was wondering when you were going to say it."
Then he cupped your cheek with one hand and you leaned into his touch and gripped onto his tank. The kiss was gentle and soft. When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against yours, both of you smiling like idiots. His dark brown eyes glistened in the dark room. His hands moved down to your waist and pulled you in. He led you to the edge of the bed.
With no word left in your mind, you pulled him down and kissed him harder. His frame was slowly lowering itself onto you. And his hands slid under you as he held onto you. Your hands went into his bleached curls, tugging them lightly. He made a soft groan as his hand gripped onto your waist once again. His body was pressed onto you and his hand was caught on your t-shirt. When they finally pulled apart, neither of them spoke. Calum let out a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of your neck.
"I've wanted to do that for the last hour." You smiled, unable to stop yourself.
"Only an hour?" He grinned.
"Okay…maybe since the loading dock."
You held onto his shoulder, laughing. "I thought I was imagining the way you looked at me."
"Definitely not imagining it." As you scoot closer until your shoulder brushes his. He opened his arms, you curled into his side, resting your head against his chest.
