✔︎Baby | OT4

015

Ashton's soft blonde eyelashes fluttered as he slowly awoke, wrapped in multiple sets of arms. He lay in the middle of his three mates, wrapped in mounds of blankets. They were partially on the Hemmings living room couch, and partially on the plushly carpeted floor. Michael's hand were gently petting his curls, one of his knees brushing Ashton's side. Luke had one long leg slung over the seventeen-year-old's waist, and two fingers gently feeling the heartbeat in Ash's chest. Lastly, Calum's thin stomach, chest and legs doubled as a pillow for all three boys, legs lightly raised on the couch to lay horizontally under them.

"Morning, baby," Michael greeted softly, the only other boy awake. "Your mum called last night, after you fell asleep. She's taking a few weeks off to homeschool us, enough time for the rumor to blow over. We'll go to your place in an hour or so." Ashton nodded sleepily, though his face was immediately washed with relief.

"Thank you," he murmured, before shutting his eyes again, though the pastel haired boy obviously wasn't asleep. When Ashton slept, his lips would form a perfect circle as he breathed out, making them look even more oh-so-kissable than they already were. Michael's mind wandered through all the times he'd been around Ashton when he slept, when he was just awakening, and when he should've been sleeping but was instead writhing against the bed. Mikey started murmuring his thoughts to the junior, and Ashton was soon blushing and shifting in his spot.

   The movement had Luke mumbling incoherently in his sleep, and rolling over to wrap both his giraffe-like legs around the smaller lads waist. Ash giggled softly at the new position, petting Luke's flopped over quiff with a childlike fondness. The blonde made a content sound, lashes fluttering as he revealed his sapphire orbs. "Morning," Luke whispered drowsily, bowing his head slightly to kiss Ashton's soft, pastel curls. Calum woke up almost immediately after, gently stroking the seventeen-year-old's forehead with the pads of his fingers as greeting.

They lay cuddled up for nearly half an hour, before Ashton's desire to adventure and go out and do things overcame him, and he was standing up to get dressed. The need came from his years before high school; he didn't have a best friend for the first fifteen years of his life. In turn, he'd never really gone anywhere out of school, too socially inept and cripplingly shy to go alone. Now, he always wanted to do things, as if making up for the many years he'd spent attempting to entertain himself with video games that he didn't like. That was how he'd learnt to draw; he had a lot of free time, and didn't know what else to do with it.

Once Ashton had disappeared into Luke's room, Calum rolled into his spot, with intent to gain a point. His hands were on Michael immediately, and soon enough the porcelain skinned lad was biting harshly into his lip and collapsed against Calum's shoulder with a moan. Luke chuckled, patting Michael's head soothingly and Cal's shoulder in congratulations. "Why me?" The black and green haired boy whined, making grabby hands at Ashton as he reentered. "C'mere, baby."

   Giggling softly, the seventeen-year-old curled up in Mikey's lap. He was clad in black skinny jeans and a buttercup yellow sweater, the neckline covering his collarbone. It was obvious the "slut" comments had hit him. The teenager had gone about covering his tanned skin with the loose, duckling yellow fabric, and jeans instead of one of the silky skirts. "You look amazing," Calum promised, leaning across to squeeze the pastel haired boy's hand. Luke followed up with a kiss to his nose, and Michael with a gentle hug from behind.

   Ashton had his back against the older boy's chest, comfortably twirling his pink rope bracelet. He almost constantly had his hands on it, either to deal with memories of The Night or—what had been more common before heading back to school—happily fiddling with it.

"We have to go to your place for studying soon," Luke murmured, disappearing into his room to get dressed.

—

   "What?" Michael thrust a hand through his dyed tresses, his confused question accompanied by a groan from Calum and Luke. Ashton had flown through their first day of homeschooling, while the other three—who'd rarely even shown up at classes—were still with Anne. Luke had had no problems with maths, as Liz taught the subject, but for everything else he was at a loss.

   Ashton rejoined them at the kitchen table upon hearing the slight frustration in their tones, sitting alongside Michael in the same chair. He explained it with help from his mum, until the three boys were nodding slowly, beginning to understand. Though Ash was a junior, in his years before high school he'd done advanced work, which had then transferred on into high school, helped along by his teacher of a mother.

Calum yawned; the whole putting-effort-into-academics thing was tiring. "I'll make coffee," Michael said quickly, happy for an excuse to escape the work. Ashton opened his mouth to protest that he'd do it, but the black and green haired boy merely tugged him along to accomplish the task together. "You want hot chocolate, baby?" Ash rarely had coffee, just another attribute to his innocent personality.

"Yeah," the seventeen-year-old nodded, starting a pot of the bitter drink. Mikey began heating up a mug of water, before walking to encircle the pastel-haired boy's slim waist.

"Love you, baby," he murmured.