Don't Focus on the Pastel {5SOS;MALUM&LASHTON}✔️

Twenty Seven: "You're Such an Ugly Person, You Make Me Look Pretty."

Ashton sat on the side of the bed as Luke slept, the blond laying his head into his lap as he let go off soft breaths on Ashton's arm that wasn't around his head. He ran his fingers through the blond locks gently, feeling his boyfriend lean into the touch more in his sleep.

He carefully moved himself from under Luke's head, making sure the exhausted boy stayed sleep as he left the room. Luke didn't react outside of turning to face the wall and cuddling a pillow to his chest as he buried his face into the soft material. He kept the door cracked, leaving down the hall to where Michael was sleeping as well.

The pink haired boy was hidden almost completely under his covers and pillows, only a faint seeing of his messy, pink hair laying on top of the white pillow let Ashton know he was asleep in his room and not downstairs with Calum. He shut the door back quietly, moving to the stairs and leaving down the steps to the basement.

Of course Ashton knew Michael was downstairs with Calum almost every chance he got. He wasn't oblivious to the signs of Calum getting beaten and Michael cleaning him, plus he could always see how distant Michael's face went after he came back home.

He didn't bring it up, letting it see how far Michael would go to care for Calum or to see if he snapped and came home to Calum broken. He never expected the latter, so he did it himself. He only let Michael think he had the run around was because he was focused on breaking down Luke, which wasn't hard at all.

He forced the boy back into submission, tearing at Luke's ego until the real, broken boy was revealed. Luke was easy to control, finding the poor blond inside of his own mind was simple and Ashton grabbed Luke from the depths of the voices in his mind.

Pushing the door of the basement open and going down the steps, feeling Calum's eyes on him before he hit the last step and turned to face him as well. He walked over to his best friend, ripping the tape from his mouth and watching Calum let the cloth gag drop from his lips. The brunet leaned his head back on the metal pole his arms were chained to, watching Ashton closely.

"What're you doing down here?" He snapped out, making Ashton toll his eyes.

"Still being quite rude to me, I see. This is my house in case you forgot. I can come down to see my prisoner any time I want."

Calum rolled his eyes this time, seemingly more confident against the honey haired man but Ashton knew it was an act. He knew all Calum's tics, the light flickering in his eyes and the subtly clench in his jaw that he spoke through. He smiled at the boy slyly, leaning back on his palms as he tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Where's Luke?"

"Sleep, upstairs. You know how he gets when he's tired. When it's blank upstairs and he's got nothing to listen to except himself." He tapped his temple as he explained.

Calum looked down briefly and Ashton knew where his mind went by the flash of emotion that went across his face. He looked back at up, meeting Ashton's waiting eyes.

"Or when he has to listen to a monster like you?"

Ashton's lips curled into a devilish smirk, a glimmer in his eyes as he nodded with Calum's words because he was right. When Luke's listened to himself the other voices came back and overpowered him. And they all have seen what happens when Luke gets any type of power to feed off of. Ashton kept Luke in check, kept him going completely off the rails even if he wasn't still right minded.

Ashton had no shame in admitting that he manipulates Luke. It benefited the blond, not harmed him, so Ashton would agree with Calum because of course he was right. Ashton controlled Luke because Luke didn't know how to control himself.

"You're a vile person, Ashton. You're using both of them and for what? For revenge that's not even yours? Luke should be down here but I know-" He choked on his words when Ashton gripped his neck, forcing him away from the table he was held to and making him painfully sit forward as he clenched his jaw.

"You know nothing, Calum. You haven't been here in years. You broke me how many times? How many times? I finally decided to fix myself and you try this?" Ashton spat at him, not believing that Calum would try and guilt him when he didn't even know the half of what had done before he left and everything Ashton had been out through from his leaving.

"I sacrificed so much of my relationship and life because of you, my best friend. I gave you Michael even though I knew you were a monster and you have the audacity to think I owe you anything? Your life is mine and I just deemed that I have no use of it anymore."

He threw Calum back by his head, letting it crash into the metal behind him as Calum cried out. He tugged at his restraints as if they would magically come free now that he was in a deadly situation. Ashton grabbed a case, taking it from behind a clutter of other things and Calum's heart dropped as he saw the familiar knife that Ashton gripped tightly.

"I'm going to fucking carve your eyes out and-" He threatened, stepping closer to the now cowering brunet before another voice cut in.

"Don't!" Michael stumbled down the rest of the steps, arms out as if it would stop Ashton from lodging the blade in Calum's eye socket and taking it out. "You said that I'd be able to do it."

Ashton's eyes narrowed at Calum, who stared at him fearfully before he closed his eyes. His neck rolled, a light cracking of bone heard as his grip loosened in the blade and he sighed, peeling his eyes open. He hit his own switch, choosing not to give the satisfaction to Calum of dying because he was a man of his word but he'd be damned if he let Michael do the bidding without talking to him first.

"You're lucky, Cal, but if I see the slightest hesitation in Michael, I'll come back down here, take your eyes out and make them into rings that I'll wear to your pitiful funeral." His words were venoms, sending Calum into a state of fearful paralysis as Ashton took the knife with him and stalked past Calum.

Michael followed behind him quickly, not paying a glance to the cop in the floor as he turned the light off and shut the door. He squeaked when Ashton had him against the wall, looking at the man with wide green eyes.

"I know you still love him, Mikey. I thought I could trust you to do this without having to tell you but obviously I can't. Go wait for me in the car." Michael obeyed, rushing out of the house after grabbing his shoes as Ashton went up to Luke's room and woke the blond up.

His eyes immediately fell to the blade in Ashton's grip, backing away quickly as he covered his head and shook. He stammered out soft no's, thinking his time had come again before Ashton leaned over and took his head from his hands.

"This isn't for you, baby. You're safe right now. We're going out and I just want you to watch for Calum, yeah? Remember what I told you a few days ago?" His voice was soft, touch gentle as he rubbed Luke's cheek with his thumb.

"Yeah-Yeah. I remember. You're coming back for me?" He gripped Ashton's hand tightly, scared of letting go and getting left behind.

"Of course. I just have to speak with Michael. We'll be back soon. You know you can call me if you need anything or call your mum."

Luke nodded, looking like a child with his pouty lips and wide blue eyes. He crawled out of his bed, giving a fast peck to Ashton's lip before he bent down for Ashton to kiss his forehead gently.

{~~~~}

Ashton is officially my favorite character to write and that's specifically because he is a good balance of insanity and sanity.

Buuuuuttt thank you for reading. I wonder what Ashton could tell Michael? What do you think he could say?

Until next chapter, funky freaks. Adios.....