The Irwin Chronicles//lashton

Ashton?

Luke's P.O.V

Aggghhh, my head hurts so much. I have this uncontrolled pounding in my forehead. The light coming from my window piercing my eyes. I reach over and close the blinds, shutting most of the burning light out.  What the hell did I do last night? I open the curtain to my bunk and throw my legs over the side. I look up to see Ashton curled up facing the window. 

What time is it? I reach back and pick up my phone from the window side of my bed.

9:00AM it reads.

Wow. It's actually early for me. I wonder if any of the other two boys are awake yet? I push myself off of my bunk and walk over to the others beds. Both of the other two boys still seem to be asleep. I walk back over to Ashton's bunk. His back is towards me, his body is facing the window. I can't see his eyes, but I assume he's asleep.

For some reason I'm desperately craving human touch. I push myself up onto his bunk. Sitting on the edge of it with my back hunched so I fit comfortably with my legs swinging off the edge. I peer over to look at his face. He's asleep. He looks so peaceful. His wrist is up by his face, I take my hand and lightly touch the cuts he has made on himself. Why would he do this to himself? He has us. He shouldn't be sad....should he? I move my hand from his wrist to his hair. His curly locks frayed over his face. His face twitches and slowly his eyes open. Crap I've woken him up.

"Good morning sunshine." I say trying to keep him calm.

I get no response in return. As he flutters them closed again. I keep running my hand though his hair as he drifts between sleep and conciseness. I remove my hand from his head and place it on his thigh. Slowly rubbing circles with my thumb. 

Sometimes I wish I was in a relationship. I miss being able just to unconditionally love someone with no bounds. The other boys don't know but I like other dudes but not as much as girls. I just care about personality really. Ashton's has it all though. I've had this obsession with him since we where in high school. The way he talks, walks, and looks at me. He makes me feel so many things at once. I feel like I have this duality in my nature towards him. Like a line of defense. I don't want him to know I like him like that. I don't want that door to ever be shut, I rather live in delusion that he may actually like me back then know for certain that he doesn't. 

I just want to know why he's been struggling lately. I want to help him though I really do. I kick my legs up beside him. I turn on my side and pull him close to me. I was expecting warmth but instead I got his cold shivering body. This can't be healthy at all. I turn a bit over and reach over to my bunk to grab my blanket off of it and place it over the both of us. After a few minutes pass his body is still shivering. I slide myself out of the bunk to grab a thermometer from the kitchen cabinets. To my surprise Calum is awake and in the kitchen making coffee. 

"What's going on? You running a fever?" He questions as he pours himself a cup

"No but I think Ashton is sick." I responded as I finally find the thermometer in the cabinet after digging for a second. 

I walk back to his bunk. I hear Calum's footsteps treading behind me. Slowly I push myself back up onto the bunk. I turn on the thermometer and run it over his forehead. 35.6. That can't be right, that's way to low. I shake Ashton's body in an attempt to wake him up.

"Ashton?" I say, as I gently rock his body. 

With no response, I lay back down by him and wrap the blanket around him trying to warm him up. I bet the bus just got to cold. Mix with his already low body weight. It's just not a good mix at all. I place my free arm over his abdomen and intertwine my legs with his.....you know to share body heat. His body is still violently shaking. What if the infection didn't go away and it's still  ravaging his body? I pull him even closer to me and stroke his hair lightly.