Popstar - Lashton

24 | a bloody nose

With a loud crash, Luke smashed the poor hotel door open, but Ashton didn't pay the door any mind. Luke had enough money to fix the door if it was broken, and if wasn't that it held no importance. The sudden action made Brian take a few steps away, but Luke successfully managed to hurt his manager with action. He glared rudely at Brian for a few seconds, and even Ashton felt uncomfortable under that stare even if it wasn't directed towards him.

"What?" Luke snarled out, and Ashton had almost forgotten how mean and intimating Luke could be. It had been a long time since Luke had shown that side of him towards Ashton. Maybe Ashton really was blind to Luke's changes? "I'm trying to sleep," he continued, and Ashton saw through the obvious lie. Brian did obviously too. But he voiced it too.

"Bullshit," He said and stepped closer to Luke, Luke didn't seem to give him the wanted reaction. Ashton could only imagine that Brian had threatened him tons of times during all the years he'd been Luke's manager, and that didn't sit right with Ashton. "We both know you little fucker, that you've fucking ruined everything. Why would you even do something so fucking stupid? I know there wasn't much up in that fucking head of yours, but this? Unbelievable! You're not going to live this down ever, oh you're so dead Hemmings. You're – you're my bitch now."

"You're saying it as if I haven't been your fucking slave since I was thirteen, your own personal money maker. And Guess what Bri?" Luke spat words like venom. "Those songs? They're all about it. I'm not just hinting; I'm spelling out how shit you and everyone in this crew is. Oh, just wait for the headlines!" Luke shouted excited out, "they're gonna slaughter you." Ashton could see the colour drain of Brian's face, his pale face became paler in seconds before the terrified emotion disappeared and was replaced by anger. Rage. Ashton could see it, as if time stood still, the anger that grew and how it was first just a spark in his eyes, then quickly become a fire. And how the warmth of fire spread like wildfire. It happened so slowly, Ashton felt he could see atoms shifting – and yet it all happened so quickly.

Ashton didn't have time to react. He saw Brian's burning anger, and maybe even desperation, and how he pulled back and then punched Luke in the face. Ashton just stood there shocked, unable to move; Luke reacted much faster and right hooked Brian back within seconds. Several emotions flashed across his face; anger, fear, horror over what he'd done to the celebrity, the shock that Luke had punched him back. Brian's left head quickly covered the part that had been punched, before he was ready to jump on Luke again. The blond was already ready to fight even with a bloody nose that Ashton just discovered.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Calum said and interfered between the two and managed to put some distance between them. "Let's all take a deep breath and just relax. Fighting doesn't look good on adults, celebrities or for the press, alright?" Calum tried to calm down both Brian and Luke, but he was just facing the furious manager, back against Luke. None of his words seemed to have much calming effect, but Ashton managed to finally stop staring and get moving. Luke stood in the doorway glaring at daggers at Brian; the manager was busy fighting off Calum and glaring back at Luke. Ashton didn't really know what came over him, but he knew staying like this would only lead to Luke beating Brian into a pulp; Luke obviously had the upper hand here.

So, he grabbed Luke's arm and dragged him into the room while Brian was still distracted. The door was shut and locked before Luke noticed what Ashton had done. Luke's blue eyes met him, and he sent him a confused look, but Ashton's couldn't really focus on it with Luke's bloody nose.

"Why did you do that?" Luke asked, his voice completely calm. There was no sign of the anger Ashton had seen only seconds ago. Naturally, because Luke didn't begrudge Ashton, however, the calmness and change in character still were a bit odd. Luke had punched someone seconds ago, and here he was like he had discovered nirvana and zen.