organic. ➵ lashton

three>

[warnings: bro this chapter gone be intense, btw im only 14 lmao, luke gets hurt oh no, eating disorder triggers (when is there not k), i hate cramps so much, ashton just wants to live his life, calum doesn't appear, luke roleplays with kittens who want nothing to do with him]

[ships: luke hemmings + ashton irwin, luke hemmings + shouting, flower + chester]

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Luke stormed back up to his top floor and sat down in the cat play area, setting Flower and Chester in one corner next to each other to play.

"You're Ashton," Luke mumbled, pointing to Chester who pawed forward to nuzzle his little furry cheek against Luke's lanky finger, "and you're me."

He lifted Flower, who was stumbling away, and dropped her on top of Chester.

Chester grunted a little and squirmed away from Flower. The female, distraught, ran to her brother and climbed on his back, growling.

Chester flipped them over and pawed at Flower's chest, beginning to play fight.

Luke sighed. "You were supposed to fall in love, 'cept that'd be incest, and that's gross. S'prolly better that you didn't."

Luke's phone rang and he climbed out of the cat cage to answer it.

"Hello mum!"

"Hey, love."

"I'm glad you actually call me. Calum says his mum wants to save her minutes so she hasn't called him since he left the 'ouse."

"She always has been a little bonkers," Liz huffed, "not any reason not to call your only son."

"How're Jack and Ben?"

"Oh, I suppose they're doing alright. I'm calling them after you."

"You called me first? I'm touched."

"Only 'cos you're the runt," Liz laughed, "kidding. I've got to go, dear. Be good. Don't drink. No drugs. Mostly, I'm not bailing you out of jail, don't get caught. Love you!"

Luke laughed and ended the call, walking into the kitchen and wondering absently if he needed any more food, mostly because he wanted to see Ashton again.

It wasn't like he was going to eat the food. He hadn't even opened the box of Kix he'd bought.

On the counter in front of him, sat the package of bubblegum.

He picked it up, and inspected it.

Luke shoved the package in his pocket along with his phone and grabbed a dark coat, wrapping himself up.

He drove himself to the grocery and ran inside, watching Ashton from afar as he vigorously bagged an old woman's groceries.

Shit, Luke thought, what am I going to tell him?

"Ashton, please forgive me, I only pretended that Calum was my boyfriend so you'd pursue me, and that didn't work because it was a stupid, dick move and I'm sorry."

Luke breathed quickly, watching Ashton obliviously bag groceries.

"A-Ashton?"

"I just wanted to help you," Ashton shrugged, not looking up from his hunched position over the brownish plastic bags, "nothing more."

"Help me with what?"

"Your eating disorder."

Luke shook his head, anger pulsing through his veins. Why did everyone think that? First Ashton, now Calum?

"How do you know it's an eating disorder?" He accused, crossing his arms.

"Look, Luke. I'm working. Can we talk about this later?" Ashton asked, looking up at Luke with too annoyed of an expression to be directed at Luke.

"No, we most certainly cannot talk about this later. You don't know that it's an eating disorder. It's not an eating disorder."

"You talk to me as if I know nothing about anorexia."

"Well, you don't!"

"Maybe I do, Lucas."

"You're making these, these assumptions about me when you hardly know me!"

Ashton's voice was calm, collected, but slightly wavering. Either way, he was much more level-headed than Luke, who was about to jump across the conveyor belt and strangle the first boy whose neck he came in contact with, who coincidentially was Ashton.

"How do you know that I wasn't anorexic, too?" Ashton asked, his voice barely audible over the hum of the grocery store around them.

Luke stopped in his tracks, swallowing thickly and setting the package of bubblegum on the conveyor belt, watching it slowly make its way to Ashton and settle itself on the cold metal.

"I don't want this."

"Neither do I."

Ashton met eyes with Luke for a split second, tilting his head up just enough to see Luke with his eyes looking upwards.

He smirked, although it wasn't mischeivous or secretive. It was a lop-sided smile, that just so happened to resemble a smirk.

"You're quite nice to come around here right at the time my shift was over," Ashton nodded, bagging up the last of the groceries and setting them in the cart beside him.

The woman thanked him noiselessly and took the cart out of the store, presumably to her car.

"Why aren't you angry with me?" Luke questioned quietly, not wanting to instigate another argument but not wanting to put off the question any longer.

"I don't like to spend my life being cross with others. It makes your forehead get all wrinkly and your neck tense up. I don't want that. More importantly, I'd like to die knowing that I have more good friends than acquaintances, and even more good friends and acquaintances than enemies."

"That's a beautiful soliloquy," Luke whispered, feeling Ashton's hand wrap slowly around his as they walked out of the grocery.

Ashton smiled.

"And I want to help you, the way I helped myself."