SO BAD [MXM] [MAFIA] ✓

41: PROVING IT

TW: OVERDOSE

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Skylar sees the ink monster in front of him begin to move around, and he winces, wondering if he made the right decision. Sure, he is now aware that this is in fact the real Ashton in front of him, not the fucked up copy his mind likes to torture him with.

Still, Skylar is really freaked out right now. There are multiple sets of eyes staring into his soul, surrounding him on all sides. He knows they're not real, and he knows Ashton is here, but for some reason they still terrify him, despite the fact he has protection.

It results in Skylar being frozen in place, unable to move out of fear of touching one of the monsters or making them angry or something. This is why he's beyond happy when Ashton seems to recognize this, grabbing him by the hips and pulling him across the foot or so area of space between them. Soon Skylar is in the guy's lap, and immediately, the hallucinations start to calm down.

Skylar can't help his sigh of relief, putting zero thought into it as he wraps himself around Ashton. They stay like that for a while, in the doorway of the closet, before Ash grabs a hold of the doorknob and pulls himself up to a standing position.

Skylar's arms tighten around the guy's neck, legs doing so around his waist as well. Ashton walks out of the room a moment later, and at this point everything is starting to look normal again. For the most part, at least. Skylar has no idea why Ashton helps so much, but he does, and pretty soon they're in Ash's room. Skylar instantly feels a lot more comfortable.

There doesn't appear to be any monsters in here, but there is blood and ink leaking from the walls still. Skylar just tries not to look at it, and soon Ash is tucking the both of them into bed. Skylar doesn't resist at all, just curling into the guy as he situates them under the covers. Once they're comfortable, it delves into silence, and for the first time in days, Skylar can finally relax.

Skylar's head is on Ashton's chest, listening to his heartbeat and playing with the drawstrings on the guy's pants. Ashton's hand is carding through his hair, and it's dead silent. The entire atmosphere is pure comfort, and all Skylar can think about is Ash, and their relationship.

Skylar still feels some conflict over the guy's job, but not as much as before. Sure, maybe Ashton has done some horrible things, but that has never come as a shock. Skylar knew the guy was probably involved in something pretty fucked up, but as much as the truth hurt, it wasn't surprising. The magnitude of it all was unsettling, but not exactly out of left field.

So, Skylar has decided to stop worrying about it so much. Clearly Ashton had been doing this for a while, this is still the same Ash that Skylar has always known and had deeply conflicting feelings about. Nothing has changed, and it's time he acknowledge that.

"I love you," Skylar says, after a few minutes of them just lying there and enjoying each other's company. He he hears Ash's heart start to beat faster beneath his ear, and Skylar closes his eyes, drifting off.

"I love you too."

-

The next day, Skylar wakes up late. Most likely because of all the excitement from the previous day, as well the fact that they stayed up most of the night, but it's after 6 pm when he gains consciousness. Even worse: Ash is still asleep.

Wow, their sleep schedule is fucked.

It's been a minute since Skylar has woken up before Ash, and he finds himself unsure what to do. He pushes himself up so that he's sitting, finding that he and Ash had completely separated from each other sometime during the night.

Ash is laying on his stomach, arm hanging off the side of the bed, which seems to be a pretty common sleeping position for him. Skylar sits up and looks at him for a second, and is about to go take a shower or something, but then he catches sight of the guy's tattoo.