|The Tourist|

«Chapter 20«

It was only 2 weeks later when Ashton finally left the house. It was only an hour after he left that he lied for Luke, for the first time. Everyone knew it wouldn't be the last. He was out to get groceries with Calum when it all happened.

They were in aisle 5, Calum was debating whether he should get waffles or pancakes when a lady in her mid-30's runs her cart into Ashton's foot. She immediately starts apologizing. Ashton doesn't think much of it. He smiles politely like his mother taught him to, only saying, "It's okay."

When she goes to apologize again he adds, "Really, it was an accident. It's okay!" Ashton is more surprised that this girl sounds like another aussie and from the looks of it - is a tourist. It almost makes him want to cry for no reason except it was a little peice of home.

She smiles at him gratefully and goes to say something when she suddenly stops. She scrunches her eyebrows and tilts her head to the left just slightly. "I know you." She mutters quizzically,  her tone unsure as she racks her brain for the right name to the face.

"Ashton! I can't decide, you need to pick one for me." Calum whines, coming up behind him. He's unaware of the chaos he just created. The girl's eyes widen as she stares at Ashton in disbelief. Ashton's heart sinks to the heels of his feet. He can see the recognition on her face.

"You're the missing boy from back home." She whispers, leaning closer on instinct as if to prove her eyes wrong. Ashton's heart starts beating rapidly. He shakes his head as his ears start ringing. He didn't exactly know what to do.

"I-I've been getting that a lot lately. But as I said before; I'm sorry but I'm not the guy everyone's looking for." Calum freezes as he realizes what is happening. Ashton tries not to, he tries to relax and look like any normal person that would be shopping. Like he had a normal life that made sense to him.

The girl seems to hesitate, half of her believing him and the other wishing it did. "Sorry." She eventually mutters, looking anywhere but at him. She laughs nervously and steps around them. Ashton watches her walk down the aisle and turn to the next one before he finally breaths again.

"That was a really close one." Calum whispers, finally moving to put both boxes in the cart. He seems to have shaken the incident already as he smiles widely. "What're you thinking for dinner?" He asks cheerfully, practically bouncing in his spot.

"How are you acting so normal? I almost just got caught." Ashton muttered in confusion. He ran a hand through his hair in anxiety as he looked around them. No one seemed to have seen anything that had just gone down.

Calum gave Ashton a comforting smile, placing his arm around his shoulders. "This kinda stuff happens. It happened to me too but it will get better. I learned that the more time passes, the less frequently it happens. And when it does, and you get away with it; we celebrate." Ashton let's that sink in, part of him feeling mad that Calum had put it that way, another part feeling sad that it was true.

Calum smiles in victory and steers the cart until they stop in front of a huge wall of alcohol. "Pick your poison." He says simply.

- - - - - - - - - Later - That - Night - - - - - - - -

Ashton was glad he had Calum. The music in the living room was on high as him and Michael jumped around. Every once and a while one of them would land on an empty bottle. The glass would shatter and they all laughed.

Ashton was on the couch, his own bottle almost empty. Luke sat beside him, laughing at the two fools dancing. His hand was holding Ashton's, the other resting around his shoulders.

They were all drunk off their asses. Laughing about everything and nothing all at once. The worries seemed to wash away with every sound coming out of the speakers. Nothing could bother them.

Ashton pulled himself away from Luke easily. He stumbled off the couch and to a somewhat upright position. He reached for Luke's hand, trying to pull him up. Dancing looked like fun and if there was anything that he was going to get tonight; it was dancing with Luke.

"Dance with me." Ashton slurred, tipping the bottle back in victory when Luke stood up. When he took the last drop of his whiskey he tossed it to the floor with a shout. Luke caught him as he swayed dangerously to the right.

Luke's hands burned on his skin. He wanted nothing more then whatever his drunken mind threw at him in the moment. And right now he wanted Luke. So he pulled him closer and let his body move with the music.

Both their hands roamed, discovering each other for the first time. Finally letting everything go with every caress, every sigh, every brush of their lips.

They both wanted nothing more than to have met on better terms. But tonight that didn't matter to them. In that very moment all they could think about was each other. Ashton doesn't remember when Michael and Calum left the room but he realizes they did when he turns his head slightly. He nestles himself in Luke's neck, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake. He couldn't get enough of him tonight.

Ashton grips Luke's belt loops, yanking him closer and kissing up to his ear. They both sigh in content as Luke starts to grind his hips against Ashton's.

His hands move up to grip Luke's hair tightly. All Ashton can manage is a rough, "I need you." Before Luke is pulling away.

He looks pained as he ignores Ashton's comment. Luke leans down to brush his lips against Ashton's one more time, his hands gripping Ashton's face gently. "You don't. " Luke whispered simply, laying his forehead against his.

And that broke Ashton's drunken heart more than it ever should have.