Once Bitten, Twice Shy [Mashton]

Part One

((Okay, so I'm going to do one chapter per two paragraph things? I think they're called Stanzas? I don't know don't look at me.

Obviously, since this fic is gay af, I'm changing the pronouns. Ashton does not know how a woman feels because he has a dick. And Luke plays drums because I was trying to keep it as close as possible considering they don't even know Ashton.

-Mel))

Well the times are getting hard for you, little girl

I'm a humming and a strumming all over god's world

You can't remember when you got your last meal

And you don't know just how a woman feels

You didn't know what rock and roll was

Until you met my drummer on a grey tour bus

I got there in the nick of time

Before he got his hands across your state line

♪♪♪♪

There's a boy walking through the crowd. He's weaving through people, ducking down to avoid flailing arms, steering clear of the three people currently crowd surfing. Michael's eyes follow him, not focusing on the music. He doesn't really need to, anyway, strumming the chords is like breathing to him at this point.

No one seems to be paying the boy any attention. His eyes are wide, Michael can see the whites of them all the way on stage, and his lips are parted just slightly. He presses them back together again and stands on his tip toes to try to see over the crowd that's bouncing along to the bass line from Calum. He's too short, just sets himself back down on his heels and frowns. There's a red and white flower crown on top of his head, wilting slightly and held together with tape that shines through against the blinking lights on the stage.

The song ends and he stands on his toes again, craning his neck and looking around. The tanned column of his throat is exposed, would probably contrast well against Michael's pale skin and pink lips. The crowd keeps jumping and screaming, but he's not even looking at the stage. He's pouting again, back on his heels.

"You missed your cue, you stupid fuck," Luke says into his microphone. Michael turns around to face the drum set that Luke's hiding behind, let's a smile spread over his lips.

"There's a cute boy with a flower crown over there," he explains, leaning forward so that his mic catches his words. Calum laughs from the other side of the stage and the crowd screams, frantically spinning to find the boy with the flower crown. When Michael turns back to the spot he was, he's gone, replaced by the throngs of sweaty bodies. He frowns and Luke yells something about the next song. It doesn't matter, he knows which one it is anyway.

The beat starts on the drums, something even and staccato. Calum joins in next, low and only partly noticeable. He steps forward to kick at the pedal for his amp a little until the sound gets louder. Michael's next, the guitar bit is loud and high, his calloused fingers pressing against the strings towards the base of the guitar.