organic. ➵ lashton

five>

[warnings: this story is pg-13 lol, i really appreciate star wars jokes/puns, luke acts like a child, what the hell luke is a child, ashton's getting better, he handles luke like a china doll, who in their right mind buys their young daughter a doll made of fragile china, what the fuck, OH YEAH NEW SHIP]

[ships: luke hemmings + ashton irwin, michael clifford + calum hood]

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Luke passed out on his couch, pressing his face into his pillow to mask the eager, chirping meows that erupted from the cat area in the corner of his living room.

"Shut up!" He called, shoving his face further into the pillow.

He curled up around the soft cushion and sighed deeply, raising his head to look at the time and standing up reluctantly to get a few celery sticks to eat before work.

Picking up the bag of green vegetables, he frowned.

Two?

One, he decided, picking out the one that looked the ripest and nibbling on the end.

Luke hardly felt hunger, he was used to the constant whimpering and struggling of his perpetually empty stomach.

The meows still hadn't stopped, so Luke performed the tedious task of pouring a normal amount of cat food into every bowl for every kitten without spilling any over the edge.

He filled up Jessie's regular-sized bowl and sighed, setting the cat food back on its designated shelf and shaking his head at the kittens who dug in to their food excitedly.

Luke looked away. He knew that Ashton would have wanted a reaction more similar to how his kittens were acting now than how he had acted earlier.

He selected Calum from his contacts and called him, waiting around shyly for him to pick up. Luke wondered what to say, what to do. 

"Hey, Calum," he stuttered out when the rings stopped and a mumble of acknowledgement was heard through the phone.

"Luke?"

"Yeah, it's, um.. It's me. Did you, um, delete my number?"

"Yeah."

Luke was slightly hurt, but he continued nonetheless.

"Well, I wanted to, like, apologize?"

Calum didn't reply, possibly waiting for Luke to continue.

"For being a dick."

Still no response.

"And for, like, pretending to be your boyfriend to make Ashton jealous, because I kind of ruined it with Ashton already and I haven't really known him for that long and I've known you for a long time, and I kinda don't want to mess things up with you any more than I want to mess things up with Ashton, and-"

Calum cut him off, chuckling. "Calm it, Busta Rhymes."

Luke took in a deep breath that he didn't realize he needed, sighing deeply and smiling.

"So, can you come over?"

Calum sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Um, I've kind of got a date tonight."

"What? With who?" Luke demanded, instantly curious and excited for his best friend.

"This guy, Michael. Dunno his last name yet. He's into bands, and, like, he likes me!"

"Oh my god, Calum! Where did you meet him?"

"Jimmy's," Calum replied eagerly, "the gas station."

"Aw, you met him in a gas station, how sweet is that?"

"I love that you aren't even sarcastic while saying that. So, are we cool?"

"Yeah, it's all good. I'll hang out with my kittens and reread Ashton and I's nonexistant text messages at home all night."

"Wow, sounds thrilling. Why don't you go out on the town? Find a boy-toy?"

"No, I most certainly do not want to increase my chances of getting raped."

"Nobody's going to rape you, Luke. If you find the right group."

"I don't have a group, Calum. I have you, and now you're leaving me for some Michael dude."

"I thought we were cool. We don't bring up boyfriends in to arguments when we're cool."

Luke sighed. "I'll just sit inside and watch TV, Calum."

"I'll bring you something, a'rright?"

"Thanks, Calum. You're the best."

"I know. Now, see you!"

Calum disconnected and Luke took a look at the time, leaning against the refrigerator that was undeniably empty of foods with taste and sighing once again.

Sighing helped Luke, in a way. He felt refreshed and open and maybe if he tried hard enough, that refreshed and open feeling could fight away the emptiness he felt in his stomach.