Sex Metal Barbie // lashton

chapter twenty-two

Ashton thought he was cold and distant, but it wasn't him that was pushing people away this time. Surprisingly. After not getting a text back from Luke for five days that wasn't an 'okay' or 'lol', he realized that Luke was the one pushing him away. He was the one who didn't know what he wanted. And maybe he shouldn't have pushed too far too soon, but a simple 'no' would have been sufficient enough. Ignoring him wasn't necessary, especially when he was active on his social medias and opening his messages.

He wanted to call and ask the blond what was wrong. He wanted to know exactly what he did and how he could fix whatever happened, but Luke seemed to be gone. He was unreachable. Calls went straight to voicemail. Texts were left on read or replied to with a single emoji. He was on the receiving end of someone who's scared to give themselves what they want, and he hated it.

He wasn't into playing the chaser. He wasn't going to let Luke hold this sort of monopoly over his mind, body, and emotions. He was fucking Ashton Irwin of 5 Seconds of Summer after all. He's sold out stadiums and arenas. He's won countless awards and has millions of people begging for an ounce of his attention. Why should he be hung up on someone who's very blatantly ignoring him and acting childish?

He's supposedly so straight forward and confrontational, but where was he now?

So no, Ashton wasn't waiting around for him to stop being so stupid. He was going to have fun, even if it meant going to parties without so much as inviting Luke or thinking about him when people were batting their eyelashes and winning at him. Of course he didn't accept their advances, but he sure as hell didn't push them away as soon as he should have (or would have if Luke was acting right).

Ashton threw his arm around a friend of his and then grinned as he leaned back into the couch. He propped his feet up on a coffee table and then looked over at another man as he began telling a story about their first tour and how they slept in a crowded van than stunk of sweat and fast food. Gross.

He tool a drink of his beer and then hummed as he looked at his band mate. "I'm just glad we didn't have to go through that."

"Yeah, Calum's sister drove us and we had connections to people who let us borrow a tour bus for cheap." Michael told them as he grinned. "We were lucky. Networking gets you places, it really does. I'm glad Luke knew so many people back then, the little rat's brother had connections to die for."

"Where is he, by the way?"

Calum shrugged as he looked to Ashton, immediately catching the miserable look on his features. "He's been busy... but I invited him to come. He probably won't show though."

Ashton pushed head back at the mention of his boyfriend and then felt the couch dip beside him as the room around him went quiet. He's never been to a quiet house party before, especially if the house was carved into the side of the Hollywood Hills. He furrowed his eyebrows and then look around, his eyes catching the figure sitting directly to his left.

A young brunet boy sat there, new golden highlights in his unruly hair and familiar dark eyes glistening with mischief. With innocent dimples deep enough to swim through, he almost looked angelic. Piercings stabbed through his nose and ears, catching the neons hues of the house and dark ink contrasting against his porcelain skin. He'd think he was some kind of angel if he wasn't grinning at him like a devil watching a man sin.

"Hey, Ash, how have you been?"

Ice ran through the drummer's veins and if looks could kill, this man would be several feet below by now.

Plastic dug into Ashton's fist, and before he knew it his beer was spilling on to the leather sofa and dripping down his hand. He looked at the red solo cup and then tossed it on the floor, mentally pledging to pay for the cleaning.

"What do you want from me?" Ashton asked his ex boyfriend as he stood up from the couch.

"To talk."

"Mate, you should go." One of Ashton's closer friends spoke as he stood up from his seat. "Who let you in?"

"Haven't you hurt him enough?" He heard Crystal ask as she scoffed. "Leave."

Calum looked around before stepping out of the room, and Ashton wished he hadn't drank so much. Now he was angrier than he would have been if he was sober. His head was running a million miles a minute and he couldn't tell if he wanted to beg to know what he did to deserve being dragged through the dirt or if he wanted to clock him right in the jaw for putting him through the shit he did. It's a good thing his friends were there to support him.

"I don't want any trouble." The man spoke but Ashton was just about ready to strangle him to death.

He'd probably enjoy it. Masochist.

"How's your boyfriend? Heard from him in awhile?"

Ashton reached forward before pulling his fist back, but someone called his name before he could move.

"Ash?"

The voice struck a nerve inside of him. He snapped his gaze forward and then saw a familiar head of curly blond hair and ocean eyes. He felt his body stiffen up as he approached in an outfit of all black, his fingers curling around his arm before unraveling the fingers tangled into his ex's shirt. His fists loosened until they dropped, and he took a deep breath.

"Is this who I think it is?" Luke asked and Ashton held on to him as his ex boyfriend smiled smugly.

He nodded.

And maybe Ashton didn't get blood on his knuckles that night, but he was still icing a pair after cleaning the blood off of them. Luke wasn't going to be cooking tomorrow morning, and he wasn't going to driving back to his own apartment that's for sure.