✔︎Baby | OT4

038

   "Where's Ashton?!" Michael asked in a sudden panic, glancing around the group of six that stood in front of him. A drunken, passed out Luke was slung across his shoulders fireman style, and most of his mates were stood in a circle of shit-faced teenagers. All but Ashton, who'd disappeared earlier in the night. The high schoolers hadn't been all too worried; they'd assumed he was just outside to grab a moment to himself. But now, at nearly one am, they were panicking. At the designated meeting point just outside the club, there was no sign of the gentle, innocent boy.

   A bossy, drunk Bryana took charge immediately. "Michael, check the bathrooms," she started. "Don't drop Luke. Casey and Nia take the back half of the dance floor, and Rena and Miranda the front. Calum look around the edges and at the bar. I'll convince the security guards to keep an eye out and check the rest," the blonde said, somewhat sobered up by worry and the bitingly cold air.

   With orders handed out, the group dispersed, each displaying a face of barely controlled panic. Michael used Luke's lanky legs and arms to shove his way through the crowded line to the bathroom, and Calum contorted his face into the most intimidating mask he could muster. Nia sat on Casey's shoulders as he slid through the crowd, her tired eyes scanning the mob. Rena and Miranda utilised their small frames to slip through the people unseen, whilst Bryana flirted with muscled adults in black security uniforms.

   Even with all that searching, it was Ashton who found them. The brunette stumbled into Calum, dragging a raven haired girl behind him. "Halsey," he introduced with a giggly hiccup. "I mean Ashley," he corrected, swaying heavily.

   "Let's get him outside," Ashley muttered, her tone full of fond exasperation for the drunk lad. Calum followed, texting his mates the news.

They'd barely made it out the door, before Ashton was stumbling forward and slamming against Calum's shoulder. "Sorry," he giggled deliriously. Suddenly, his eyes went wide. "Are you Calum?" he gasped.

The ravenette chuckled tiredly. "Yeah, Ashton. I'm Calum," he responded amusedly. The younger's mouth fell open, head lolling backwards. Just as Cal started to look away, Ashton's slim frame followed behind his head of curly brown hair, and he collapsed backwards.

"Whoa," Ashley yelped, catching him at the last second. Ashton giggled, thrusting himself forward and to his feet.

"Mikey!" he shrieked suddenly, voice chock-full of childlike excitement. With long-legged, stumbling steps, the drunk boy skidded across the pavement and crashed into the fluffy haired boy's chest. "Lukey!" he added at the sight of the blonde slumped across Michael's shoulders.

"Ash," Michael breathed in relief, tone fond and eyes fluttering shut whilst hugging Ashton tightly.

"Why does Luke have dirt on his shoulder?" Bryana asked suspiciously, tugging the slumped Ashton against her shoulder and petting his soft curls. Michael glanced up guiltily. "I thought I told you not to drop him!" Bry complained.

   Calum chuckled, tugging Michael off to the side and away from Bryana's lecture. The blonde girl turned to converse with Miranda and Casey. Whilst she was distracted, Ashton stumbled after his ex-best friends. Whilst sober-Ashton would've been scared of more heartbreak, drunk-Ashton scampered up happily.

   "Hi," he said sweetly, stumbling slightly.

   "Hey, baby," Calum responded carefully.

   "You're pretty," Ashton observed innocently, absentmindedly clasping Calum's hand in his.

   "I'm not 'pretty,'" Calum argued, though his eyes were soft and loving.

   "I miss you," the younger informed, watching as Luke slowly awoke and rolled to his feet. He gently wrapped an arm around Ashton's waist whilst the brunette grabbed Michael's hand with his free one.

   "We miss you, too," Luke murmured.

   Ashton started walking suddenly, dragging the three boys along with a big smile. "You have nice lips," he said suddenly, giggling and swerving in the older boys' path. He stroked his tan finger across Luke's pale lower lip, head tilted slightly in drunk puzzlement. He did same for Calum and Michael.

"Ashton!" Rena shouted, skidding up alongside the younger boy before his drunkenness could do any further damage. "Ash, sweetie, you have a girlfriend," she reminded, blinking slowly, her breathing uneven.

Ashton's brain seemed to slow, and he swayed heavily. He yawned, straying from Rena's side and to a patch of pavement. The intoxicated male allowed his legs to buckle beneath him, curling into a tight ball on the ground.

"Ash," Miranda murmured, jogging up to kneel next to the slim boy. He was already passed out, fingers bent awkwardly under his head and legs tangled. "Let's get him home," Miranda muttered with a slight slur, her and Rena managing to pick up the boy together. The rest of the group followed, piling into rented vehicles. They crawled through late night traffic, reaching the hotel at just past four am.

Calum carried Ashton to his room, delicately tucking the thin boy into his silken sheets and heavy quilt before rejoining Michael and Luke in their room. Bryana tentatively crawled into the bed next to Ash, glancing weakly at the sleeping boy. "I still love you," she whispered into the silence, her words connecting with unhearing ears.

a/n hi lovelies<3 pretty please with a phil tops will you read ballerina boy? ily😘
(also anyone wanna start a streak on snapchat? add me- shangurl111)