Broken Homes {Lashton & Malum}

XXI

It was fair to say the previous day had been...eventful.

Ashton and Luke were sat on the couch, curled up together. Luke had an arm wrapped around Ashton, and the curly-haired boy felt so safe encased in his hold. The substitute teacher incident had really rattled him, and the memories it had resurfaced were anything but pleasant, so he needed comfort. He needed Luke.

He was just glad that he and Luke had reconnected. Luke's apology had helped, but seeing Luke in action protecting him and showing just how much he cared made Ashton's heart swell. He hadn't had a home in a long time, but maybe Luke could be his home now.

Ashton entangled his fingers with Luke's as he thought, absent-mindedly playing with his long, thin digits. He should really redraw that sketch of Luke he had made. That sketch was made in fear, and he wasn't afraid of Luke, not anymore. Maybe he could give it to Luke as a present someday.

Luke suddenly shifted, making Ashton let out a gasp. "Sorry, Ash, I forgot," Luke apologised, momentarily forgetting that slow, planned movements were required around him. "I have to go do some extra chores though, so are you going to be okay if I leave for a while? You can always come with me and watch, but that would be boring for you." Ashton wriggled out of Luke's hold and sent him a soft smile, signalling for him to go. This was his chance to both touch up the drawing and take his mind off of things.

He took his time going upstairs, sketchbook in his hand. He hadn't drawn something in a positive light for a long time, and he wanted it to be perfect, with every detail just right. He'd need to sharpen his pencil for that.

Ashton made his way into his and Michael's room, pausing when seeing the pale boy sat on his bed, staring off into space. Ever since he had come home from school the previous day, Michael hadn't said a word. He had been withdrawn at any point he was with other people, even Calum, which shocked all of them. Ashton figured something must've happened, but how was he to ask? It seemed wrong to peek into Michael's personal life anyway, not when Ashton himself kept everything bottled up.

He sent a soft smile in Michael's direction, as he walked past him, but it was as if the boy didn't even register there was another person in the room. Ashton frowned at that, but decided to just leave Michael be. He looked around his desk for his pencil case, but he couldn't find it anywhere. It wasn't in his school bag either.

With a sigh, he carefully wrote out a request to Michael, approaching the boy with slow movements. He wondered if this was how people felt around him.

Michael, I think I must've left my pencil case at school, do you have a sharpener I can borrow?

Michael's dull, empty eyes scanned the sentence, then pointed over to his own school bag. "There's one in there, have it," he croaked out. He looked like he wanted to say more, and his mouth hung open for a second. But, before Ashton could gesture for him to go on, Michael rushed out of the room without another word.

Ashton hesitated. Should he go after Michael? He was clearly distressed, but did he want comforting? Or company at all? Everyone was different when dealing with sadness, and he'd never seen Michael upset enough to know. In the end, Ashton figured it was better to leave Michael to calm down. He seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't like to be seen in a vulnerable state.

With half-hearted enthusiasm, Ashton dug around in Michael's bag for his pencil case. Maybe when he was done with Luke's portrait, he could draw something for Michael. Maybe that could be his new thing, drawing things for other people instead of keeping them for himself.

He sat over at their desk, laying out a fresh page on his sketchbook. Then, he bent down under the desk, where they kept their rubbish bin. Ashton hovered his pencil and sharpener over the bin to catch the shavings, but when he turned the pencil, nothing happened.