Psycho. // Lashton // AU

E l e v e n

Ashton had to admit that Luke knew how to cook a dinner that looked like it came from a restaurant. It had made the evening even more special.

As promised, Luke had taken his pills for the day and after dessert, when the boys were lying on the bed, Luke had gotten his kiss.

Ashton had felt a little awkward, but once he looked at Luke, he just pretended the boy was his date and wasn't mentally unstable. It sounded harsh, but it helped.

After cuddling a bit (on Luke's request) and watching some TV, both boys had changed to pyjamas and went to bed. Ashton was used to it that Luke would put the chain on if they slept, but this time, Luke just crawled into bed with him and looked at him. "Can you promise again?"

"Do you trust me that much?" Ashton asked, eyes widened as he looked at the blonde in surprise. He wasn't complaining, not at all, because sleeping with the chain was the worst out of all.

"Yes."

"Then I'll promise."

And Ashton knew that morning that he'd made a good decision to stay. Luke was even happier than he normally was and to his surprise when Ashton casually asked if he had taken his pills, Luke said no and asked if he should.

The curly haired boy had of course answered yes, but Luke still seemed a bit reluctant. "I'm feeling fuzzy already. You'll leave me if I take them."

Ashton frowned at the blonde, sitting on the closed toilet and watching the blonde look at the bottle. "I won't."

"But if I'm feeling fuzzy, you're gonna take advantage, right? That's what everyone does."

"I won't, Luke. I promise." Ashton got up and took Luke's free hand in his. "I'll stay."

Luke looked up, looking at the older boy with big glossy eyes. "You really promise?"

"I really promise."

And thus day two of Luke taking his pills. Ashton couldn't be happier because maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out fine. Calum was recovering, Luke was taking his pills and he could get out. Not yet though, but soon.

"Can I -- can I have a kiss today for taking them?" Luke asked slowly, putting the bottle away and looking at Ashton.

"Eh, yeah, I guess. But tonight?" Ashton hoped that way that maybe Luke would forget about it then, but the blonde seemed reluctant again. "Do you promise?"

"I promise." Ashton said, mentally frowning. Partly because of the fact that he hated breaking promises and would now feel obligated to, but mostly because Luke seemed so keen on promises. "Can I ask why you always make me promise?"

"Because I want to hear promises that can be kept." Luke said, his eyes getting a bit glossy.

"Luke, what happened?" Ashton cursed himself mentally right after he asked that, because what if it triggered something?

Luke's lower lip started trembling, right before he started crying. Ashton was a little surprised, but he figured that maybe the pills made the blonde a bit emotional. "Hey, hey, it's okay."

Ashton stepped closer to the boy, pulling him into a hug. Luke immediately hugged him back, his arms wrapped around Ashton's torso tightly. He cried into the other's shirt, quick to shush himself down to sniffles. "Sorry."

"No, hey. It's okay, yeah? Everyone needs to cry sometimes to let it out." Ashton ran a hand through the blonde hair, sighing softly as he thought of how this could be if Luke would have been mentally stable. It would have been okay.

"I- I want promises to be kept, because- because my mum broke her last." Luke hiccuped, sniffling and clutching Ashton's shirt tighter. "She promised to stay. To take care of me."