simmer down // a.i. [ON HOLD]

[22] city that never sleeps

omg listen to disconnected while you read this chapter bc feels okay :')

_____________________________________________________________________________

I slammed the door shut and threw my bag down on the counter, spilling its contents across the bench. Flinging off my shoes, I fell down on my lounge and bit back a sob.

The world's biggest mystery - Ashton Irwin. I mean, where to begin? There was the way he managed to piss me off since Day 1. There was his stupid stubborn attitude and his flash moods. There was the way he assumed everything and how he came to his own ridiculous conclusions without thinking. But then there was the way he could make me smile in a heartbeat. There was his beautiful smile and his amazing body. There was the care and love he had for his family, and his bandmates. And those eyes - those liquid brown gems that I wished I could just lose myself inside. So did the good things about Ashton Irwin outweigh the bad?

I let a single tear drop down my cheek before swiping it away angrily.

Indefinitely.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I pulled my sweater further down over my hands and checked my phone. Almost 2 am. Sighing, I silently padded up the last few steps and let myself out onto the dark rooftop. Trying not to trip, I crossed the floor, making my way through the little garden to the bench on the edge of the balcony.

Looking up, I could see thousands of tiny sparkling stars, and the silvery outline of a perfect moon. Below me, 50 stories down, cars were still zipping around, their lights far-off fluorescent blurs on the busy Sydney streets, occasional horns buzzing and the soft screech of tires. I hooked my legs up underneath me and curled up, trying to lose myself in the calm of the night.

Unfortunately it didn't last very long.

'Emma?'

The whispered voice made me flinch, and I turned around quickly, watching the dark shadow of a person make their way towards me across the rooftop. I stood up as they came closer, ready to run away if it was Ashton - he was by far the last person I wanted to see now. As I made to move away, the person held out a hand -

'Emma? If that is you, don't go please. It's just me.'

They stepped out into the light, their face bathed in the glow from the city below and I relaxed, sitting back down. There was no mistaking that crazy blue hair.

'Hey. Couldn't sleep either, huh?'

Michael slid down next to me and gave me a little hug as a greeting. I shot him a little smile and sighed.

'Yeah, something like that.'

He nodded, looking down to his hands. We sat in silence for a while, Michael gazing out at the bright city before us, and me scrutinizing his face carefully. It was late - almost 8 hours after he'd been playing a concert - and I knew Michael had a long day before it too. He definitely looked tired. His hair was kind of laying limp, and his eyes were open, but shadowed with dark circles. I knew from his long silence that I wasn't the only one with something on my mind tonight. Michael finally broke the silence, turning away from the lights to look at me with tired but smiling eyes.

'You know, from all the staring you're doing, I'd think you might've guessed something's up.'

I blushed and avoided his amused gaze.

'Sorry.'

'It's okay.'

There was another pause, and Michael sucked in a deep breath.