EGL // lashton

thirty five

Ashton's eyes were locked on the flipped car as he held the empty plastic gasoline container in his hand. His hand around the handle tightened as he rummaged through his pocket until he found the old metal lighter.

He lighted the lighter and looked at the flame before throwing the container over to the car and threw the lighter soon after.

He backed away slowly, not once letting his eyes tear away from the scene in front of him. After a few steps back, the car erupted in a thick flame, spitting out hot air and shattered glass.

Ashton watched it with a harsh look on his face. His fists clenched by his sides and his cut lip was caught between his teeth, making him be able to taste his blood.

Ashton was pulled out of his hypnotized state as the horn was heard loudly from the car behind him. He clenched his jaw tightly and took a deep breath before turning around and walked over to Michael's car.

Ashton climbed into the backseat and sat down in the middle before bringing Luke's body closer to himself as Michael started driving. Luke's face was silently buried in Ashton's neck, and the older boy knew it was because the younger boy was in shock.

Ashton didn't speak as he held a strong arms around Luke to make the blonde feel safe. Though, judging my how Luke was shaking, Ashton was quite sure Luke felt all but safe at the moment.

Ashton could feel Michael's eyes on him through the rearview mirror, but he ignored them as he kept his own eyes on the road ahead. Ashton lightly caressed the hurt skin on Luke's throat, causing the young blonde to move even closer to him.

"I haven't told anyone yet" Michael spoke up after a while of driving, and Ashton only nodded his head while keeping his harsh eyes on the road.

"Good" Ashton mumbled and tightened his hold on Luke as he felt the blonde breathe shakily against his neck.

"They'll find out, though. They'll see the bomb went off" Michael said and Luke tensed up at the words and memories. 

"Shut up, Mike. We'll talk about this later. Don't talk now" Ashton spoke. His voice was harsh and stern, but it was still calm as he tried not to make everything worse for Luke.

Michael sighed and nodded his head but kept quiet as he drove between all kinds of roads to find their way back home. Michael glanced back and forth between the road and the rearview mirror to keep an eye on Ashton and Luke.

Michael knew very well that Ashton would be fine; the thing that just happened was nothing to the older boy. He'll get over it after only a few seconds. There was a whole other story with Luke though. Michael understood that; he understood that Luke was put up for danger nearly every single day now, but there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Michael just needed Ashton to realize that.

Because now, at this very time, Ashton believed he could keep Luke completely safe all alone. He was so caught up with the thought that Luke was only his, that he didn't even let people help him anymore. Michael noticed how it had grown completely obsessive, and Ashton was so ready to take his own life for Luke, that Ashton now lived through Luke himself.

Michael knew it was love, but never had he ever seen love become so dependent and terrifyingly obsessive.

With all this around, neither Luke or Ashton could live their lives correctly. Michael thought it was sad, and if it continued like this, he knew both of them would end up painfully dead.

The rest of the drive was silent, and Ashton almost believed Luke had fallen asleep against his shoulder. But the sudden shivers and twitches made him sure Luke was still in consciousness.