Strawberries and Cigarettes (lashton au)

Chapter 9

By the time Ashton woke up, his mom had already left for work. Luke was still sleeping, but Ashton had somewhere to go.

He left a note for Luke and texted Michael to meet him at the park down the street.

As Ashton walked, he got angrier and angrier.

How could Michael not have done something? It doesn't matter what Luke thinks is best, he needs to get away from his dad before he's killed!

Michael was leaning on a brick wall when Ashton saw him.

"Hey, dude, my concert was sick! You should totally see this band, they were-"

Ashton shoved Michael against the wall, pinning him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Michael looked appalled. "What the fuck is wrong with you?

"Luke! Why haven't you gotten him out of there? Why haven't you told the police? How long have you known?"

Michael looked at Ashton, growing more serious. "What happened?"

"His dad fucking beat the shit out of him, that's what happened! He passed out on my porch! I've never felt so scared in my entire life! And to find out that you've known this is happening? And nothings changed? What the fuck Michael?"

Michael's breath hitched. "I-I've tried to protect him. I've been trying to get him out of that house for years."

"Years?" Ashton was bubbling with anger. "Then why the fuck is he still there?"

"Because he asked me not to tell anyone. And I respect that."

"You respect that? Bullshit! Do what's best for him. That's what being his best friend is all about. You should've-"

"Don't you dare pin this on me," Michael growled. "I have tried my goddamn hardest to keep him safe ever since I found out."

"Obviously you haven't been trying hard enough."

Michael lunged at Ashton, punching him in the face. Ashton, in the heat of the moment, punched him back. Michael regained his senses quicker than Ashton, who then pinned the boy to the wall, positions reversed what they were a few minutes previous.

Ashton, now bleeding, spit in Michael's face. "You disgust me. How do you sleep at night, knowing that he could be beaten any moment?"

"I don't! I worry about Luke every day! I wish to god I could drag him away from his dad and keep him safe forever!"

"Then why don't you call the police?"

"Because it would break him! I was his only friend for five years, did you know that? I was there through the shitty boyfriend, through his brothers moving away, through his moms death. He asked me not to do one thing, and if I couldn't do that, why should he trust me at all?"

Michael let out a shaky breath, his voice hoarse from yelling.

"If I told the police, without his permission, he would never talk to me again. And that sounds like a really selfish thing to say, but I was all he had for the longest time. If he didn't have me, he didn't have anyone. And it would've broken him to be taken from his home."

"But now he has me," Ashton added after a beat of silence.

"And now he has you." They looked at each other. "So now we have a chance of convincing him to tell someone."

They sat on a park bench in silence for what felt like forever.

"I'm sorry for punching you," Michael said.

"I'm sorry for accusing you of being a shitty person."

"It's okay. I see where you're coming from. I wish I could get Luke out. He's my brother. Every time I see another bruise on him it kills me."

Ashton looked at Michael, distraught. "No, Mike, I'm sorry, I was just caught in the moment. None of this is your fault. It's that asshole's fault."

He nodded reluctantly, and stood up to head back to Ashton's house.

As they entered his house, Ashton noticed that Luke wasn't in his bed anymore.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?" They heard him shout from down the hall.

Michael and Ashton entered the kitchen to find Luke by the stove, burning something.

"I-I tried to make you eggs. But I burned them. I'm sorry, I just wanted to do something nice for you."

Ashton smiled and walked around the counter to kiss his boyfriend. "Luke, you didn't have to do that, you're injured. But that's very sweet, love, thank you."

Luke blushed, then noticed that Michael was there, giving him a hard stare.

"Jesus, Luke, you look like you've been run over by a truck."

He looked down. "I'm f-"

"Don't you dare say you're fine. I know you're not."

Luke sighed. "Can we not do this right now?" He changed the subject. "How was your concert?"

Michael noticed the change in topic, but didn't push it. "It was good." 

They spent the rest of the day making an actual good breakfast and playing video games until the sun went down.

"I should get home," Luke said after Ashton beat him in Mario Cart.

His friends went silent.

Ashton was the first to speak up. "Luke you can't go back there."

Luke avoided eye contact as he stood up. "I have to. I'll see you tomorrow at school, guys."

As Luke walked home in the chilly weather, he was filled with sadness. Everyone he knew was only friends with him because they felt bad for him.

His let out a sigh of relief as he saw that his dad wasn't home. He crawled into bed, hoping that tomorrow would be better.