Swapped ☹ Muke

18

I feel like crap and sincerely apologize that this is so crappy.
:: Ashton ::

"Hey Ash do you have any bandages?" Calum asked as he hopped from foot to foot.

I shook my head, "I'm sure Michael should though."

I looked to Michael as he looked at me doe-eyed, "y-yeah let me get them." He whispered scampering from his position in my lap.

"Michael you're hurt, let me do this."

"I've got this." He spat limping towards his bathroom as Calum shot me a confused glance, I shrugged waiting for Michael to return.

He came back with soothing ointment and a wrapping along with a brace, "where is he?"

"Michael seriously let Ashton do this, he is kind of the best at medical attention out of all of us." Calum directed holding his hand out for the supplies.

"No he's not, just tell me."

"Mic--"

"Let me do it." He glared making me shake my head furiously.

"Michael just give me the damn bandages." I pleaded as he sighed in defeat before passing over the products and following me towards the bathroom where Luke was. "I can handle this Mikey, I don't see why you're following me."

"Because it's for the best." He murmured not lifting his eyes from his feet.

I knocked and Luke grunted signaling for me to come in, opening the door I saw him sitting on the counter with a a very pained expression. He looked at me and the bandages in my hand and attempted to give me a small smile before seeing Michael behind me. "Why the hell is he in here, he's the one who did this to me!"

"First of all you didn't mention to Mikey how to control your anger issues so you kind of did this to yourself. Second of all I have no clue why he's following me." I replied holding my hand out hoping he would let me take a look at his wrist.

He hurriedly obliged flinching as my hand grasped his wrist. "You know this would be a lot easier if you didn't have all these bracelets on," I giggled beginning to take them off as I heard Michael take a deep breath.

I turned around with an eyebrow quirked playfully to see what his deal was only to lose the teasing look in my eyes. He was balling his fists so his knuckles were paling and reddening around the outer edges of his bones. He looked as if he were about to have a panic attack and I was confused by his sudden change.

But then it dawned on me what his problem was.

"You didn't." I whispered looking at him sternly in disbelief.

"Did you?"

Silence.

"Michael."

Silence.

"Please Mikey, tell me you didn't do it, please tell me you fucking didn't."

He looked up with tears pooling in his eyes and I knew my answer, of course he's been lying to me all this time.

"C'mere kitten," I whispered gently dropping Luke's wrist and pulling Michael into my arms as he sobbing into the crook of my neck. "I though you told me you'd been done, Mikey that was almost four years ago. You said you were better, I felt so proud to have said I made you stop. Gosh kitten, you could've fucking told me -- I could've helped you."

"It's okay Ashy," he said pressing a light kiss to my collarbone.

"How did I not notice?" I asked resting my head atop his.

"Legs and stomach normally." He whispered almost inaudibly making me shudder.

Of course he would try to hide it, why would he want to make it obvious.

"How bad?"

"I ended up going to my arms Ashy, you tell me." I sighed clutching him tighter, sure he wasn't in his body so it wasn't as comforting but at least I was getting him to crack.

It was silent as I held him in my arms as if he were going to fly from my grasp and disappear into thin air -- it was my biggest fear, losing my best friend.

"What the hell is this about?" Luke voiced as he begun to pull off the bracelets.