Let's be Cliché || Lashton

Step 4 - Kiss Me

The bell sounded and Luke felt free, it was a Monday so he was practically dying to get out of class and sleep. With a very loud happy sigh he left his last period class and joined the mass of students bustling around in the halls who were as excited as he was to get out of here. Monday's were always brutal in his opinion, had two days of pure freedom and spend the last few hours dreading what comes next. It was like setting a caged bird free but having it attached to a string and every hour you drag it a little closer to the cage, cruel and unfair.

Luke was already making plans to play a bit of FIFA and then maybe a sandwich then sleep. Plain and simple, nothing special because it was in fact a Monday.

"Excited for tonight?" Calum asked with a grin, materializing by the blond's side with such casualness that Luke wanted to frown. Usually they only talked at lunch while everyone was around, Calum talking to him directly without being surrounded by their friends hadn't happened since Luke first met Vernie.

"What's tonight?" Luke asked dumbfounded that he couldn't remember that something was going on later today, why Monday of all days?

"Triple date, remember?" Calum replied even though Luke obviously didn't remember it was tonight.

It only took a moment for Luke to clue in, vaguely remembering Charlie and Ashton suggesting it because Charlie couldn't quite handle going on a date alone with a girl. The poor shy boy.

"You and Mike are coming?" Luke asked, eyebrows furrowed at the tanned boy. He knew Ashton was excited about going on a double date but he didn't remember Calum or Michael being there to suggest coming along. Because they were "cleaning up Calum's shirt."

Luke nearly laughed just thinking about how inconspicuous they weren't, the entire table knew what was going on as soon as Michael and Calum were out of earshot.

Calum nodded, saying a quick see you later to Luke when they walked by his locker. Luke met up with Ashton shortly after and they both got on the bus.

♩

"Mum, I'm going out!" Luke yelled, seeing Charlie's van pull into their driveway. He grabbed his coat on the way to the door when he spotted his mum blocking the way. Her arms were crossed and she looked rather displeased.

"Chores."

"Mum-"

"Chores."

"Mum-"

"Luke."

"I have a d-"

"Lucas Robert Hemmings." She spat, raising her voice to the point where Luke wanted to duck his head like he did when he was younger. His mother was the more laid back one of Luke's parents but there was little to no negotiating with her, that's probably why Luke had never heard his parents fight, she was stubborn and there really wasn't much you could do to deter her.

"Fine." His reply was more of a defeated whine, something that you'd be surprised to hear from a teenager with his appearance. His mother smiled her sweet smile that she only gave when she'd won, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she walked away.

"After my date!" Luke yelled, glad to have the last laugh. He had just enough time to spot his mother's angry expression before the door closed and he jogged to the vehicle where his friends were.

♩

Ashton felt like it was safe to say, Charlie wasn't very good at thinking up date ideas. His idea of date night turned out to be going to a relative's wedding... He said to dress up for the occasion but Luke kind of thought it also might have been because Charlie was too embarrassed to ask his friends to entertain him during the event because so far it was boring either than when the bride tripped on her way down the aisle... And took down a buffet table at the same time. Michael was both impressed and horrified.

Right now the extremely drunk bridesmaid was attempting to complete her speech which she'd written down but by the sound of it she was improvising more than half.

Charlie had strategically waited until now to show Andy where the bathrooms were. The other four were sat at a round table at the very back.

The crowd started clapping suddenly and the four teenagers followed suit awkwardly, not quite sure what they were clapping about.

Someone announced the Bride and Groom's first dance and some kind of super cheesy slow song came on, it was so cliche that Luke wanted to groan really loudly when he first recognized it.

Ashton laughed at Luke's expression immediately, pointing it out to Calum and Michael too. Ashton and Luke took turns making faces at each other until someone caught Luke's attention.

"Oh fuck me." He whispered, eyes going wide with horror when he was sure that it was the person. The rest of the boys looked at him in confusion.

"Dude, there's no way anyone is shipping their package into your home. You're definitely the one who parks your car in their garage." Calum stated, hitting Luke's arm and scowling at the blond who still had his eyes glued to whoever he was mumbling about.

"God she's seen me!" Luke cried suddenly, frantically looking around for a place to hide but quickly deciding that it probably wouldn't work out. He began squirming uncomfortably as whoever gained ground, his eyes finally landed on Ashton.

"Kiss me." Luke exclaimed, looking surprise that he hadn't thought of whatever he was thinking before now. Ashton raised an eyebrow at the boy and didn't budge.

"Kiss me." Luke repeatedly more urgently as someone started calling his name.

"Lucas!"

"Why?" Ashton asked, trying to see who was calling the blond but Luke stopped him.

"Lucas!"

"Just do it." Luke pleaded, eyes flickering to the person over Ashton's shoulder and back to Ashton's extremely enticing eyes.

"Lucas?"

Ashton's mouth was against his suddenly, and a gasp could be heard somewhere not far off but Luke felt himself being consumed by the kiss. It ate up all his thoughts and wouldn't let his brain function properly. He felt his mind wander to Ashton and nothing else, whoever he was trying to hide from was gone from his conscious thoughts without much trouble.

Ashton had a hand on the back of his neck, keeping him close and one on his knee to keep them both from toppling he assumed. Luke hadn't realized that his hands had minds of their own because they were in Ashton's hair before Luke could make the command himself.

Luke tasted like a lot of things; mint, some kind of berry, lip chap, and a lingering taste of his last cigarette. To Ashton, he tasted nothing less than what Ashton thought his future would taste like if it had a specific taste. He tasted like early mornings and late nights, cheesy movies and crappy first dates. Luke tasted exactly like what Ashton wouldn't mind tasting for the rest of his life.

Ashton, on the other hand, tasted like many things that Luke couldn't quite put a name to, all were vaguely familiar. Most of all, Ashton tasted like orange. Not so much the fruit, but if the soft orange colour of the sunset had a taste Luke was sure that's what Ashton tasted like. Sunrise, sunset and warm watercolour paintings with a hint of something extraordinarily sweet.

A chuckle could be heard, neither knew if it was Calum or Michael that said it but one of them muttered, "She's gone."

Ashton looked at the boy in front of him, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"Friends with my mum. She's always trying to set me up with her daughter." Luke stated rather breathless after a kiss like that.

"So," Michael began with a smirk spread. "You two are just friends, huh?"

"Something like that." Ashton muttered with a laugh, leaning back in his plastic chair finally.