the pale and the dimpled ;; mashton

sixteen // picture

"Mum, I can't do it."

"Baby, I know what happened was bad and now you have that disorder-"

"It's not a disorder! Stop calling it that!"

"Michael, please sweetie-"

"Just stop," Michael said, turning away from his mother he faced the window, the setting sun illuminating his face. "I don't think you understand how hard it was for me to even leave this place. Going back to where it happened? Hell no."

"Language," Karen said. She really didn't understand what was bothering Michael about going back to their home tomorrow. It wasn't the end of the world.

"Oh, *uck that," Michael scoffed. His mum knew all about him and his swearing, it was simply natural. He was a boy, after all.

"Honey," She said in a softer tone. "I... I really do love you. You're my baby boy, you know that. But... Where would you go? I can't let you leave the country in the middle of the school year. Plus, I'm not sure we'd have enough money after all these hospital funds."

Michael shrugged, thinking about that as well. Most of his family didn't live in Australia, which made reunions very difficult. And he knew his mum was right about the school and money thing, and it didn't really help.

"What about Nanie?" He asked, suddenly thinking of his sixty-nine (he had laughed for weeks at that) year old grandmother. "She lives nearby, doesn't she?"

Karen sighed, watching her son carefully. She could tell he was shaken up by the events of the past week and a half, and though she wanted the best for him, she just didn't know how this would work.

"Well, you'd have to ask first, wouldn't you?" She said, agreeing finally.

Michael sighed in relief, sitting at the edge of her bed. He took one of his mum's hands in his own, playing with one of the rings on her middle finger.

"Thank you, mum," He said quietly. "I will ask Nanie, but thank you for even agreeing." He looked at his mother, unable to muster the words he wanted to say. "I love you." He said instead.

He leaned over, pressing a kiss against her temple. Karen smiled weakly as the painkillers she had taken a few minutes before began to kick in.

"I lurve you too, Michelle."

//

Michael's inability to walk into his own house was quite the dilemma.

For instance, his entire video game system, Pokémon card collection and life-size Pikachu were in there. Not to mention his Pizza Hut coupons.

//an guys I just realized there are way too many P-things Michael likes. That is not okay.//

"I can't," He told Ashton, who had come with him to get his stuff. "Hell, I can barely look at this place now."

"Look, Mike," Ashton said, turning a bit in his seat. "I know this is going to be hard, but you need to do it. What's the most prized thing you have in there?"

A dozen things came to Michael's mind; the pizza coupons, his newest game of Halo, Daniel the Lion...

"My picture," He said quietly when he remembered it. "There's a picture in there of my mum and dad and I from my seventh birthday party. That's... That's the most important thing in there."

"Which is why you need to get it," Ashton said. "Mikey, this is your home. It's where you grew up, where you're growing up. You can do this," Ashton took Michael's hand and gave it a squeeze, making Michael's heart jump in his chest. "I know you can."

Michael took a shuddering breath. "I... Can do this." He said uncertainly.

"You can," Ashton smiled, formulating a plan in his head a he remembered a key piece of information. "I'll even give you a surprise if you do."

"Really?" Michael asked hopefully; he loved surprises. Especially if it was Ashton's.

"Yep. But you have to get at least five things from in there. No rushing. You can't take less than five minutes."

Michael whimpered slightly but nodded his head. "Okay," He said, staring at his lovely home with utter dislike. "Be out in five minutes and two seconds."

Ashton rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat as he watched Michael('s bum) as he got out of the car, disappearing inside. He turned on the radio, but quickly shut it off when that song All About That Bass came on; out of all songs at the moment, that was his least favourite.

//an i feel ya ash.//

Instead, he took out his phone, plugged it into the car, and started playing some actual good music; Led Zeppelin was the bomb.com.

//

Inside the house, Michael was shaking. He held his last family picture in his hands, sadness pouring over him. This picture meant the world, yet looking at it made him want to crawl in a hole and cry forever.

Michael set the picture back on his dresser, taking a deep breath. He had already gotten three other things: the coupons (duh), his laptop and his hidden stash of Cadbury chocolate. He had been looking for his Pink Floyd CD when he had come across the picture.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to look at it at that very moment. Memories crashed over him and he couldn't bear to keep them inside.

And so he dug it out; Michael had not used it in ten years, at the least, and did not think he would ever look at it again.

So instead of taking the greatest album of all time, Michael grabbed the picture without looking at it, as well as his journal from when he was seven years old.

//an

can i crawl in a hole and die bc ASHTON'S SURPRISE IS SO FRACKING AMAZING I CANT HE'S SO THOUGHFUL

ooh and what do you think Mikey's doing with his journal?? I'm not even sure where that came from but who the heck cares.

um okay updates may slow down bc school is just really ugh.

GIF THO AH

bye loves.//