we don't care [muke af]

thirteen

thirteen

Luke walked into the family owned pizza shop, knowing it was Ashton's shift to work. Just as expected, the brunette was leaning against the countertops, his phone in his hand.

"This is terrible work ethic," Luke criticized.

Ashton looked behind him, making sure his bosses weren't around. Ash lifted up his hand, throwing up his middle finger.

"Wow, rude. I am offended." Luke sat down at a booth, knowing Ash was soon to follow.

Ashton took off his smock, placing it over the counter. He left his position, knowing no one was going to come in five minutes before closing—except Luke.

He sat across from Luke, putting his feet up on the table.

"Don't you have to clean that?"

"No, the morning crew does," he responded. Ashton looked down at his nails, pushing up the cuticles.

"That's kind of mean."

Ashton didn't respond. "I love you to death, Luke, but why are you here?"
Luke ran a hand through his hair, puffing up the short fringe. "Came to update you on my life."

"Last I heard, you two were going to get rid of It, then didn't."

After Luke and Michael started to call the thing growing inside of Luke It, Ashton caught on and got used to the name. Ashton figured it was simply in case Luke decided to get rid of It after all or if, God forbid, he were to lose It.

"Yeah, we're keeping It."

"Parents?"

Luke shook his head. "They still don't know. My symptoms are so low-key that they have no reason to think I am, you know?"

Ashton nodded. He played with the rip in his jeans and continued to ask questions. "You think Michael is gonna be a good parent?"

"Much better than me, that's for sure."

Ash chuckled. "You're gonna be the mom, right? Like, you're gonna yell at them to clean their room and expect them to do the dishes even though you didn't ask."

"Nuh-uh! I'm gonna be so cool."

"Luke, you've never been cool a single day of your life."

Luke rolled his eyes. He leant over the table, putting himself into a comfortable leisuring position. "Whatever, whatever."

They sat in a quick silence before Luke broke the news.

"Oh, by the way, Mike and I are leaving."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there." Ashton sat up, putting the feet under the table where they belonged. "What?"

"We're gonna go out to California and live with his parents for a while. Just until everything cools down, and I'm legal."

Ashton looked at his best friend, his eyebrows furrowed together. "I still don't understand."

"If I stay here, my parents will find out. I don't want them calling the police or something on Michael and getting him arrested. What they don't know, doesn't hurt, right?"

"I mean, I guess, but isn't that extreme?"

"I don't know, probably."

Ashton sighed, "You love him, don't you?"

"Obviously."

"As long as you're sure you're doing the right thing, then I'll always support you."

Luke ran a hand over his face, pulling at the dark bags under his eyes. "I'm not sure if this is the right thing, but I don't know what else to do."

Ashton sat back, thinking about Luke's situation as if it were his own. He knew his parents would freak out. That wasn't an option. He couldn't think of a better solution. "I think you're doing the right thing," he confirmed.

Luke gave him a low smile. Hearing those words made a bad feeling in his gut rise, lifting away part of his worries. "Michael and I were so close to getting rid of It and I just couldn't. I was a mess, I don't know what got over me."

"You want It," Ashton said, "It was your mind telling you that you want him or her or them or whatever pronoun they want to use. You want that little thing causing you to vomit your lunch every fucking day."

"First," Luke held up a finger, "Stop talking psychology with me, I am not your final thesis paper. Second," he held up another finger, "I wouldn't throw up every day if the cafeteria made actual food. It smells awful and It does not like it."

Ashton laughed, closing his eyes and bellowing out. "Okay, okay, fine."

Luke smiled, his cheekbones high as he liked the sound of his friend. He sat back in his seat, letting Ashton get up and turn the 'Open' sign off, he locked the front door, officially closing up the place.

"Does it make me a bad friend if I tell you I'm really excited for It?" Ashton asked as he sat back down.

"I think that would make you a good friend," Luke answered.

"Like, if Mr. Clifford wasn't thirty-years-old, then maybe I'd make you my OTP. But, like, he's old. He was my freshman year teacher, it just makes me feel weird."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I can live with that."