Seven Devils // lashton/muke

chapter ten

He could feel Ashton's eyes on him since he walked in, watching his every move from the steps he took to the words he spoke. He assumes he's observing him for when he brutally murders him like he did Luke, so Michael pretended to be someone else. He walked differently, he talked differently, he even ate differently.

He's always two steps ahead of people he finds a nuisance. He always had to be.

"Have you both lived here all your lives?" Karen asked and Michael took a drink of his Pepsi cola.

"Born and raised." Ashton's boyfriend smiled. He looked like Luke, he really did, but he was scrawnier with a more polite attitude and a careful mouth.

Luke could honestly take some notes from this kid. Was it Kevin? Kyle? Keith? K-

"Kieran, can you get the dessert?" Ashton asked and the blond nodded faster than ever, bouncing out of his seat and practically running to the kitchen. "He's excited. He loves baking and always loves when new people can try his creations."

"My wife lives baking. Once we get settled in, our house will practically be a bakery." Michael's dad laughed and Michael nodded so he didn't look like a statue, even though his mother hated baking.

Lies to make friends, a common occurrence. Michael's about ready to stand up and leave this table of make pretend.

"Let me get an apple pie." Ashton laughed and Michael turned to look out the dining room window, which had the best view of his house. He wonders if Ashton just sits there and stares like the psychopathic creep he is.

Does he always murder his boyfriends when they have plans without him? If he hates his boyfriends so much, why keep dating them? Has he tried girls yet? Maybe he'd be better off.

He pushed around his food, taking a small bite of his mashed potatoes. It was tasty, but he didn't say it. He assumes it was made with the tears of his blond boyfriend, who seemed tense.

"Michael?"

He hummed, looking at his mom as she motioned to Ashton. "I wasn't paying attention. Sorry." He told her and she sighed.

"Ashton was asking how school is. He went to that same one years ago." She smiled and Michael looked at the curly haired boy.

"Is it still grey and boring?" The adult asked and Michael looked at him, observing his body language and the facial expressions he made.

"It's..." He struggled to find the words to describe the rotting school, without being incredibly disrespectful. "- okay. It's grey, yeah."

"They never want to remodel. Guess the funds just aren't going through for them." Ashton tsk'ed and Michael shrugged, deciding he didn't want to keep talking. He would say something he doesn't want to, and that's not what he wants to do. Not now.

"Are the kids as nice as they used to be?" Ashton questioned further and Michael looked up at him, finding it hard to bite back sarcastic and 'disrespectful' remarks.

"Totally, yeah. People call me a weirdo faggot everyday." He forced a grin as he answered and Ashton's eyes widened.

"Michael!" His mom gasped and the boy smiled at her, only feeling slightly bad because Keiran probably didn't deserve to hear such an insult from him.

He doesn't understand why he's so irritated by his mere presence, but he knows he'll be on a hit list if he doesn't check his mouth and attitude.

"I suppose some things never change." Ashton sighed as he visibly held his boyfriend's hand. "It's a good thing what happens and what's said in high school doesn't matter."

"Totally." Michael muttered as he looked at his house, finding that the curtains in his room were drawn back. He squinted his eyes slightly, finding that Luke must be watching them.

"Do you... do you have a boyfriend?" He heard a new voice and he looked, finding that Ashton's boyfriend was actually speaking. He hasn't muttered even a word since they got here. "I mean... or g-girlfriend. I don't-"

"Unfortunately not. People aren't so nice around here. Guys aren't so keen on dating another dude." He sighed as he took another bite.

"Yeah, guess I got lucky." He grinned and Michael nodded.

He wonders if Keiran knows his boyfriend is a fucking murderer. Does he know how Ashton framed a perfectly innocent boy? Does he know that Ashton sits and stares at his house like he wants to burn it to the ground?

Does he truly know who he's dating?

"What do you do again?" Michael's dad asked and Ashton looked at them, whispering to Keiran before answering them.

"I'm co-owner of my family restaurant. Downtown, we own a little diner, Starry Inn. Check it out sometimes if you'd like." Ashton smiled proudly, a charming smile Michael would find cute if he didn't know that Ashton was a psycho.

Only a moment later, Keiran stood up and walked to the large window, drawing the blinds and locking them inside of a private bubble. Michael scowled, wondering if somehow Ashton knew what was going on across the street from them.

"May I use the bathroom?" Michael asked and Ashton nodded as he stood up.

"I'll show you where it is. Please." Ashton set his lap towel down before walking in front of him.

Michael rolled his eyes and then followed him, looking around the house as he did. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"How's your light?"

Michael reached for his necklace, holding on to it in his hand as Ashton chuckled. "What? Do you just stare into minors' rooms for fun?" Michael snapped, glad that his necklace was dangerous enough to kill.

"I saw him."

"You're demented." Michael scoffed, wondering if Ashton was even walking him to the bathroom. "I don't know who you're talking about."

"I think you do." Ashton laughed as he slammed his hand against a door and leaned in front of him. "Tall. Blond. Freaky."

"Don't talk about him that way."

"Right... respect the dead and all, right?" Ashton pouted. "Such a shame he went and offed himself, no?"

"You're sadistic." Michael turned away, looking down the hallway behind him. "Move, or I'll piss on you."

"No one will believe you if you go to the cops. The case has been closed for year." Ashton tsk'ed and Michael held his necklace up, making the adult shut up and stare.

"Then why are you so afraid of me knowing?" Michael asked, laughing when the adult had nothing left to say back but a weak disagreement.