spotlight :: malum

: twenty three :

The diner stayed all the while buzzing for a very run down area, an elderly couple sat at a table in the back, a family of six being the mainstream cause of hysterics with three younger kids, one teen, and the parents all bustling to eat, and there in the far left sat in the red booth were four Australian boys- two bruised, one starving, and one angry.

The boys all ordered their meals and now it was time to try and resolve all the incessant arguments that have gone down this week. Calum and Michael on one side of the booth and Luke and Ashton on the other. No one wanted to speak up, let alone converse with one another unless it was with who was next to them. Little glances snuck at growing enemies and sorrowful, pity looks at the two innocent ones who had broken Calum and Ashton up.

Ashton knew it was going to be hard to just get a simple smile from Michael, he's a difficult friend to receive forgiveness from. But it needed to be done, all of the irritability pent up inside of him and soon it became fuel to his violence leading to horrible fist to jaw contact on the guy who barged into Michael's usually calm life.

The jazzy show tunes playing through a fuzzy speaker filled their ears and the crowded kitchen had the familiar clink of silverware or the sizzle of the grill. Suddenly, to relieve some of his own nervousness and stress, Michael let his hand trail over to Calum's much bigger one from under the table and laced their fingers together. The brunette's breathing hitched, sucking in a cold breath to try and hide the fact Michael's touch makes him feel warm deep down in his heart.

"Mikey, I-" "Shut up, Ashton. I don't wanna hear it." The blonde didn't even spare a single glance towards his best friend, slowly feeling the biggest ache in his heart he's ever felt. This was worse than his break up with Kendra, and it topped the list as one of the biggest fights they've been in considering they usually make up in fifteen minutes so he's definitely going to have to get on his knees and beg for mercy.

"You hurt him, Ash, he has a bruise." The blonde felt the need to point out how bad this really is, both arms crossing over his chest and head hanging low to stare at his lap rather than the people around him.

"You have bruises, too. They're from him, Mikey, why did you forgive him when he put you in a hospital?" The table fell quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, all eyes drawn to the bruises down Michael's alabaster skin. They stuck out, obvious splotches of purple on his skin outlined in blue that practically screamed outcast.

"What Calum did was an accident," The bleach blonde whispered, still refusing to look up. "What you did was intentional."

An abrupt slam from Ashton's palms hitting the table caught the attention of some nearby diners. "Why does he always get away with everything? He hits you with a car and you say it's alright, he gets you mobbed by hundreds and you still hang out with him, he comes onto you while drunk and you just shrug it off, what's next? Him kissing you in your sleep- oh wait, he did that too."

Michael perked his head up, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as a burning red maori stayed frozen in fear beside him. The forehead kiss. Why did he have to bring up the first action of affection he's given that wasn't lust for the first time in years?

"I'm not surprised he hasn't written a song about you, yet." The golden curls atop his head bounced when he gestured to the slowly agitated brunette. The hands being held from under the table released, Michael shyly letting go of him and almost inching away from him. You don't just kiss someone and not tell them it happened while they were unaware. He turned to face the pop star, how he kept a cold, deadly stare on Ashton from across the table, hands curling into fists and furling around the side of the table with all his might, knuckles burning a bright white from the strength of his grip. The air growing with tension, he never liked Ashton, not since they first met.