Let's be Cliché || Lashton

Late Nights

Maybe telling his mum that Luke and him were working on a school project wasn't the best idea, Ashton had realized when it was a quarter to two and the rest of the boys were yelling. Maybe it might have been best to tell his mother that he'd probably have to sleep over, his phone lit up from its spot in his lap.

He couldn't pick it up though, do to the fact that he was driving in the middle of god knows where with three shit faced teenage boys that had it set in their minds that they would make Ashton question their friendship, test their limits. The last call Ashton received was thankfully, from Charlie who was asking Ashton for a bit of help with facial structure when drawing. Despite the fact that the boys he was with had been nearly passed out at the time, they still managed to make grunting noises and suggestions to pass the bong.

At one point, Michael yelled for Ashton to join in while he was trying to explain where the the nose should go. Charlie sounded embarrassed to be chatting with Ashton over the phone as soon as he heard Michael.

"Ash," Luke mumbled, head lolling to the side as he tried to look the driver in the eyes.

"Yes Luke?" He replied in the same kind of tone his mother used when she was trying to be polite but she was actually really annoyed, he glanced over at Luke to find the boy's eyes were closed but he had a drunken smile etched onto his lips. Ashton sighed as he looked back at the empty road in front of him, wondering how the fuck he'd gotten into this situation.

"Drive this car through the drive thru please."

×

"For the last time, I am not going." Ashton snapped, looking from a smirking Calum to a smug looking Luke. The pair were blocking his way out of the classroom and had been harassing him since Luke caught wind of a bush party going on later that day. Calum and Michael were all for it, Charlie had a piano lesson to go to that contradicted the party schedule so the boys ruled him out, which left Ashton to be persuaded.

"But-"

"No means no." Ashton butted in, cutting Calum off before he could try reasoning with him.

"He's got you there," Luke admitted, shrugging when Calum flashed a betrayed look at him obviously mad that he took Ashton's side when they were both trying to get Ashton to go to the party.

×

Eleven thirty rolled around and Ashton had found comfort in Shutter Island without much trouble, it was getting to be a really stress free evening and he couldn't tell if it was from the lack of homework or the lack of Luke. The latter made him feel a little cold despite being wrapped up safely in his blankets.

His phone vibrated on the nightstand, bringing his attention out of the book for the first time in what appeared to be an hour. He picked up the phone without bothering to check who it was, still a little dazed after being ripped out of the story abruptly.

"A to the Ass to the Ton." Someone greeted upon Ashton putting the phone to his ear, judging by the extremely loud music trickling through the speaker it had to be one of his friends.

As it would later turn out, Calum had called him, although he wasn't very clear on why exactly Ashton needed to come pick them up from the party. He didn't even bother sparing the details, which meant Ashton didn't know where the party was taking place.

After some quick research, also known as going on Facebook and finding the event page, he found that it was essentially just halfway to the next town over and a slight trek into the woods.

Basically, if someone wanted to slowly kill off the student body, they would probably throw a party in that same location.

×

He'd made it to the bush party but it was finding the three boys that was the challenge. Sure, they're all abnormally tall and usually dress in all black, but it was night time.

Calum was probably the easiest to find, given the fact that he decided to clamber up into the closest tree and drunkenly take a nap despite the loud thudding of music that would surely make Ashton closer to being deaf than he was before.

Michael ended up finding Ashton accidentally, he was attempting to show anyone within arms reach that he was an absolute master at beer pong. Ashton just happened to be the first person who'd been close enough for Michael to latch onto his sleeve. Calum took Ashton's place after a few well placed suggestions. The happy intoxicated couple point Ashton in the direction they'd last seen the final member of their gang, on the outskirts of the party where the small clearing gave way to more forest.

It was harder than expected to find the wayward blond he was looking for, Ashton had to ask quite a few intoxicated teens in order to pinpoint the boy he was looking for.

It wasn't really pinpointing exactly, someone mentioned that they'd seen a quiffed up boy standing a little further into the brush and that was it. The truth of the matter was that Ashton was looking eye level, which is probably why he tripped over Luke's outstretched leg and thought it was a root at first.

Luke looked much calmer than Ashton usually saw him, his expression was obscenely blank and he had an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips but he stared off like he was in a trace.

Ashton, against his better judgment, sat down on the surprisingly damp ground in front of Luke and let out a sigh, half wondering what exactly Luke's muddled brain could be thinking of that intensely.

"Hey," Ashton mumbled softly, fingers brushing over the frayed rip in Luke's pants. The other boy's knee was cool to the touch so Ashton kept his hand there, hopefully spreading some warmth with his touch.

"Hi." Luke exhaled, making it sound like he was both relieved and worried by Ashton's presence. The blond couldn't manage to hold Ashton's gaze for more than three seconds at a time, he kept glancing over Ashton's shoulder and into the dark.

"Calum called," Ashton added, as if Luke had asked why the boy was there suddenly.

Luke nodded silently, a strand of hair falling in his face. The corner of his mouth dug up at the sight, there were a few times where he'd wake up much too early in the morning and find a sleeping Luke somewhere in his room with messy hair falling across his forehead, Ashton always enjoyed seeing the unstyled side of Luke, when his hair was brushing his eyelashes and his sweatpants hung low on his hips.

"Ash, I have to tell you something." Luke whispered eventually, hand going up to scratch his cheek. The atmosphere changed almost immediately, Luke's calm expression shattered into something more unsettled, nervous even. He was searching his pockets with slight desperation and Ashton realized his cigarette was still unlit and he must have misplaced his lighter.

"Uh," his hands were shaking slightly as he ran one through his hair. He checked a pocket on his shirt, fingers searching the depths of his jacket but they returned empty. He was boarder line frantic, going as far as searching the fallen leaves around him for the missing component.

"Luke,"

"I swear, I-I left it right around here," Luke said, voice quivering as he pointed unhelpfully to his left before putting his hands over his face and exhaling heavily.

"Luke," he looked up then, the carbon dioxide forming clouds in the chilly night air. Ashton searched for words he could possibly use to follow up, to reassure Luke that things would end up alright. "I'll buy you a new one."

Luke smiled at that and Ashton returned the gesture, momentarily convinced that things were good but Luke's smile became more watery than before and Ashton didn't quite know what changed.

"I don't deserve you," came Luke's eventual response. He hiccuped, Ashton wasn't sure if it was the tears or the alcohol that brought it on. The blond wiped at his eye but his smile contorted and fell.

"You're offering to buy me a lighter and you're here to bring me home and you're always nice to me except when you're not and I just don't deserve it." Luke rambled, choosing this time to get up and dust off his jacket but still looking absentmindedly for his lighter, like this turn in conversation didn't mean enough to catch his full attention.

"What do you mean?" Ashton asked, having gone through several of Luke's drunken states to know not to reason until he can comprehend mathematics.

"I kissed a boy, and I'm so so sorry Ashton."