fire ;; lashton

michael.

the sun'll come out,
tomorrow,
but you're gonna have to hang on till
tomorrow.

-

Luke had been silent for a few moments, uttering a small, "Wow." Of all the things he could've thought had happened, that was what he least expected.

"Yeah." Ashton replied, fumbling with his fingers. "I--I understand, you know. If you think I'm an asshole. And if you want a new roommate or something, it's totally fine, I get it."

Luke shook his head, climbing out of his bed and placing himself in Ashton's so their feet were locked together and they were staring into each other's eyes with only the dimmest light to help them see the person who was their own light in the sea of darkness they continued to swim in.

"I don't think you're an asshole and I don't want a new roommate," Luke said quietly, running a hand through Ashton's soft dirty blonde hair. "You're a great person, Ash, that day just wasn't so great. I think that you're amazing, you just don't know it yet."

Ashton opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find the words to say much less get them out because suddenly Luke's lips were on his and everything around him was gone and the only thing he knew how to do was hold Luke and kiss Luke because damn he couldn't imagine losing Luke.

So everything was kind of perfect because Luke was on top and kissing Ashton's neck and Ashton didn't really mind. He was squirming and groaning because he didn't want Luke's lips on his skin he wanted Luke's lips on his own--which were becoming quite swollen.

And everything was still kind of perfect until Luke felt a hand on his crotch and suddenly he just wanted to stopstopstop.

"N-no," He said, detaching himself from the boy whom he'd become infatuated with. "I d-don't want i-it." He whimpered, slowly backing off of Ashton.

"Luke, I'm sorry," The older one apologized, feeling horrible as he saw the broken and pained look on Luke's face. "I-I forgot."

Luke numbly nodded, climbing underneath the sheets and clinging to Ashton. They passed a few minutes in silence when Luke asked, "Sing me a song."

The hazel-eyed boy's cheeks heated up and he cleared his throat slightly. "Uh, I c-can't really sing all that well--"

"Bullshit. I heard you in the shower."

"Fuck."

Luke let out a small giggle and Ashton decided that maybe singing wouldn't be so bad. "Um, okay. What should I sing?"

"Sing that song from Annie; the one you said you liked."

So Ashton sang Tomorrow, not knowing that next door Michael was listening and crying, his head buried in his knees.

-

Calum whistled as he walked through the rehab halls, distributing breakfast to the patients. He made sure to save Michael's room for last however, grinning as he came up to it.

He knocked on the door, waiting a few moments before deciding to open it. He couldn't see Michael in the room so he decided to go inside, seeing the black fabric of Michael's shirt. He set the breakfast tray on the table Michael had, since he didn't have a roommate and had extra space.

"Hey," He said, leaning against the doorframe of Michael's bathroom. He watched Michael insert the hair dye, then asked, "Can I help?"

Michael blushed and nodded, watching as Calum put on the gloves that were necessary. He squirted the dye into his hands, rubbing them together. He then began to massage the dye into Michael's already bleached hair, watching in awe.

When he was done, he let Michael apply the foil on it and laughed because he looked like a blue alien. "Aw, Mikey you're adorable." Calum told him, making Michael blush and look down.

"Ready for breakfast?"

Michael gave a little nod, going over to the table. He wasn't usually this quiet, but something about Calum made him feel small yet important and he didn't want to mess that up.

"Babe, you have a measuring after this alright?" Calum informed him, and Michael blushed when he called him babe.

"Okay." Michael said, knowing that after the weight test he would have to throw up again.

Calum noticed the look on his face an furrowed his eyebrows. "Michael... Please, babe. I really want you to eat more. You're paper thin and I-I'm scared I'll break you."

Michael hated when people said that, that they were scared they would break him. "You won't. Now, can you like, look away? This is weird."

The raven-haired boy nodded, turning around and inspecting Michael's room. He had little knick-knacks here and there, a few pictures of himself and a little girl. He furrowed his eyebrows, reaching out to touch it when a pale hand interrupted him. "P-please don't touch that." Michael said, his eyes glazed over with something like a shield of pre-shattered glass and heartache. Calum nodded, pulling the young boy into his arms.

"You ate as much as you could, right?" He mumbled into Michael's neck, trying to avoid getting blue dye on his uniform. He felt Michael nod slightly, and they just stood like that for a while, bodies intertwined within the other, knowing they were okay and feeling safe.

"Okay. Let's go take the measure, then."

Taking Michael's hand, he pulled them out of the room and to the area where they did weight tests. It was a small white room, with a bed, a scale and a water fountain. The room was used often by patients, a lot of them with eating disorders of their own. Hence why the nurses let them leave a message for someone every time they left to be stuck onto the wall. Encouragements. To help each other get better.

While Calum readied the equipment, Michael made sure the weights were still hidden under his sweater and shorts. They were uncomfortable and cold, but they would work, they had to work.

"Just step on, love," Calum said with a timid smile. Michael shyly smiled back, trying to keep himself from blushing at the word love.

He stepped on and Calum pressed a button, watching the scale carefully. Michael waited a few seconds impatiently, observing as Calum wrote down on a chart. He couldn't help but stare at the way his back muscles flexed when he hunched over the table or the way he furrowed his eyebrows adorably and--

Jesus Christ what was happening to him?

"Done," Calum said with a smile, turning around to face the pale boy. "Good job, Mikey. 140 lbs, you're getting there." Michael just looked down, until Calum lifted his chin and planted a short kiss on his lips. "I'm very proud of you."

All Michael could do was smile and act like everything was okay.

-

so sorry for the long wait but a lot's happened lately ugh

also wow that was michael centred af and i did not intend that whatsoever