Heart of Gold // Lashton

0.9.1.

ღ Ashton ღ

"Ashton Fletcher Irwin."

"Does he do this every time he comes to tell something?" Ashton asked Luke quietly, watching the unnamed man appear in front of them. Luke simply nodded, waiting for the man to have appeared completely before greeting him with the ever so famous 'Sir'.

"I have come with some good news." The man spoke, making Ashton perk up. After all, the good news could be for him.

"The Higher Council has come to a decision." The man explained, clasping his hands together. "They have granted your second life, to Calum. As you wished. In return, you will have to take his place, as it leaves his position open and you are the only one with a golden heart that hasn't had his choice."

Ashton looked at the man in confusion, since he technically just gave his choice away and so had had a choice. "I don't understand."

"It is simple, really. Since Calum will become a mortal again, there will be a new Lifegiver needed. Only mortals with a golden heart can successfully be turned immortal and thus, we need you, as this is your choice."

Ashton raised his eyebrows, letting it all sink in for a moment, before smiling widely. He then looked at Luke, seeing the blonde look at him with wide eyes. "You gave your chance at a second life to Calum?"

The curly haired boy smiled at Luke, nodding. "So he can be with Michael properly."

Luke seemed to be blown away by the other boy's kindness, his blue eyes wide. Ashton almost giggled, but he remembered someone was with them and it wasn't really professional in that moment. "So, um, Calum will become mortal and life out his life. But then?"

The man smiled. "He will return to heaven. If he has lived his life like his first, he will get the same choice as you once again, but if not, he will simply spend his eternity in heaven."

"Wait, Calum had a golden heart?" Luke asked the man, confused. He recalled the man saying only mortals with a golden heart could be turned immortal, but he never knew Calum had had a golden heart. Nor he himself, for that matter. He couldn't even remember getting the choice.

"Yes, Luke. He had and still has. Just like you."

Ashton watched how the blonde took in this obviously new information. He hadn't even connected the dots yet himself, but it did make sense for Calum and Luke to have had the same situation.

"But... I don't- I don't remember ever having had a choice?" Luke furrowed his eyebrows, looking lost.

"That is correct." The man nodded, moving his eyes to Ashton once, before looking at Luke again. "You asked for your mortal life to be forgotten, in return for taking the position of Hearttaker."

"But... why?"

"Luke, any other questions regarding to this subject can be answered later on. For now, I want you to take Ashton to the Temple and guide him through the process, while I fix Calum's situation. Is that clear?"

Luke pursed his lips together, seeming somewhat annoyed, before nodding slowly. "Yes, Sir."

"Good. Now, I will see you two in the simulator by tomorrow afternoon." The man announced. They all said their goodbye's, before the man disappeared again and the two were left alone in Ashton's residence. "So... Temple?"

Luke nodded slowly, turning to the curly haired boy. "Yes. The Temple of Immortality. Cliché, but serves it's name."

"Ah." Ashton nodded understandingly, taking a deep breath before looking at the blonde properly. "Okay."

"We have some time left before we have to go there." Luke said quietly, seeming unsure all of a sudden. Ashton grinned at the way Luke looked down, fiddling with his sweater sleeves. Even if Ashton knew the reason why Luke was like that wasn't fun, he loved the way Luke was suddenly so quiet and shy. "I call in cuddles."

Luke looked up at Ashton through his eyelashes, as if to make sure he wasn't joking. It made Ashton all giddy, a small smile on his face. The blonde nodded slowly, seeming to try and hide his smile. "Okay."

Ashton grinned, throwing himself on his bed and opening his arms. Luke bit his lower lip, shuffling closer and then throwing himself in the arms of the other. "Thank you."

"It's nothing." Ashton mumbled happily, pulling the blonde close and nuzzling his face in his hair. Luke had curled himself up somewhat, making Ashton smile at the idea of being taller than Luke. Older, perhaps. Even if Luke was over a hundred years, really.

"So, you never knew you and Calum had- have golden hearts?" Ashton asked quietly, tracing random patterns on the blonde's back, smiling as he felt said blonde scoot just the slightest bit closer. "No."

"Weird." Ashton shifted a little, resting his chin on the other's head. "Do you think he knows?"

"Could be." Luke mumbled, his hand moving to Ashton's shirt to grasp it tightly.

"Do you think I'll forget?"

Luke stayed quiet for a moment. He then shook his head, staring at the other's shirt. "No. I chose to, he said."

"I wonder why."

"I do too."

They stayed quiet then, before Ashton started humming a song quietly, not noticing the small smile that appeared on the other's face. He simply continued his song, his finger still tracing patterns on the other's back as the other hand was resting on the blonde's hip.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." Ashton sang quietly. "You make me happy when skies are grey."

"Stop singing, it's making me feel weird." Luke mumbled, pushing himself away a little to look up at the curly haired boy, though he didn't let go of his shirt. Ashton chuckled, tilting the boy's head up with a finger beneath his chin. "You never know dear..."

"How much I love you..." Luke finished quietly, his blue eyes looking into the hazel eyes shyly. Ashton smiled widely, him leaning forward a little so their noses were touching. "Would it be okay for me to kiss you, my sunshine?"

Luke's eyes were wide and a small blush was on his cheeks, making Ashton all happy. He really couldn't help but love this unsure and flustered Luke. "U-um, yes?"

Ashton smiled widely, tilting his head a little and leaning in the last bit, pressing their lips together softly as if to test it out, before moving his slowly. Luke moved an arm around the other's neck, his hand clenching around the boy's shirt even more as they kissed slowly. And maybe in that moment, everything was just about fine.