Perfectly Wrong || Luke Hemmings

12

Ashton's where I left him, standing over in a corner, shifting uncomfortably as girls shoot flirtatious glances his way. He looks relieved when I come up beside him, relaxing visibly. Tugging on his shirt nervously, he asks, "Um, do you want to keep dancing?"

Shrugging, I take a step back towards the mob of bodies moving to the beat. "Why not?"

Ash smiles tentatively as he sets his hands on my hips. Sweeping his curls out of his eyes with a smooth jerk of his head, he clears his throat. "I heard you're living with Luke now?" It's not a question, but he asks it like one.

I blush a little at his implication, twisting my mouth into a scowl. "Yes, but not like that. I would never, ever, get with him."

"Oh." I don't miss the slightest bit of tension draining from his shoulders or the way his hazel eyes slip down to focus on my lips. He opens his mouth to say something else, but a couple making out on the dance floor bumps into us. Frowning as he looks around at all the drunks already pairing off with someone for the night, Ashton says quietly, "Do you wanna get out of here? Parties aren't really my thing and I'd much rather prefer the solitude of my apartment."

I smile softly. "Me too. And getting out of here sounds great."

Ashton turns to slide out of the crowd, gripping my hand tightly in his to avoid losing me. I try not to focus on the sensation of our fingers interlocked, blushing slightly as I shove my way through the mass of people. Shivering underneath the weight of someone's gaze, I turn to see Luke's sky blue eyes fixed on me. Our gazes meet briefly before he turns away to kiss the girl practically melded to his side.

Pushing all thoughts of my complicated roommate to the back of my mind, I cling tightly to Ashton's hand as he leads the way to the front door.

"Do you wanna hang out at place or mine?" Ash asks politely as we hop into my car.

I start the engine, relieved when the music from the party fades away. "Yours," I say. "Luke's probably going to bring a girl home tonight and I don't need to see all that."

He nods, his forehead creasing as he frowns. "You still let Luke do that? You're fine with seeing girls run out of your apartment screaming and crying, their hearts broken?"

My hands clench tightly around the steering wheel, my knuckles going white. "I don't 'let' him do anything. I'm not his mother. I don't control him. He's a grown man for christ's sake." Lightening up on my scowl as I turn onto Main Street, I sigh. "Sorry, he just really gets on my nerves."

"I know the feeling," Ashton murmurs, trying for a smile. "Luke's definitely a handful." Brushing a lock of his hair out of his eyes, he gestures where and when to turn and I follow his directions gratefully, knowing that I won't be able to find my way in the dark. As we pull up to the complex, he slides out, clearing his throat as we walk down the hallway. "Is he behaving himself, at least? Luke, I mean," he adds quickly.

I frown as he unlocks the door. "Kind of. He doesn't bring girls around a whole lot and he chips in with the rent and groceries and stuff. So far he's hardly gotten drunk or smoked or whatever. He's helped me study a bit, but lately he's been a huge dick to me so."

Ashton looks impressed as he shuts the door behind us with his foot. Gesturing for me to take a seat on the couch, he says, "I'm surprised he helped you study at all. I mean, he is a college dropout. He completed first year but then his mom didn't have enough money to keep him enrolled so he had to quit." Pausing a bit, he adds, "It was math, wasn't it?" When I nod, he says, "Math is Luke's best subject. He's ridiculously good at it, but he likes to pretend to be dumb because it doesn't go with his reputation." Ash throws an arm across the back of the couch, smiling sweetly at me. "I hope he hasn't been too much of an asshole to you."

I make a face. "Ehh. It hasn't been as bad as I'd thought, but he's no angel."

Ashton looks down at the couch beneath us, biting his lip nervously. I'm acutely aware of how close he's sitting to me, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off of him, my knee just barely brushing his. He glances up at me suddenly, swallowing slightly as our eyes lock. When he leans in, I don't move away. His lips brush mine, tentative at first but quickly becoming more sure. It's a slow, sweet kiss, much different from the one Luke and I shared. His face flashes in front of my eyes, blond hair styled carefully, ocean blue eyes full of amusement. I lean forward a little more to kiss him better.

Pulling away, Ashton anxiously fingers his shirt as he looks at me. "I... I'm sorry if that was too forward," he says, blushing furiously. "But I really like you, Izzy. It's okay if you don't feel the same, I understand."

I set my hand over his gently and he looks back at up at me, wincing in anticipation. "I like you too, Ashton," I say sincerely and he blinks at me in shock.

"Really?"

"Really," I say with a smile.

A full on grin breaks over his face. Ducking his head shyly again, he asks, "Um, do you want to go out sometime? I-I'd really like you to be my girlfriend."

"I'd love to be your girlfriend." I turn his hand over gently to intertwine my fingers with his and he looks down at our interlaced hands with a soft, content smile. "What time are you taking me out?" I ask with a grin as I lean in to give him another chaste kiss.

"How soon are you free?" he murmurs, hazel eyes flickering over my face in wonder as if he was memorizing every detail.

I grin at him. "How's tomorrow night sound?"