boulder → l.h ⋆ m.c

ashton fletcher irwin.

⚠️content warning⚠️
mentions of abuse, suicide:

:june 14, 2019

     "what the fuck do you mean they're still alive?" ashton hisses into the phone as he looks over his shoulders before exiting to the stairwell. "the plan was to grab them as soon as they walked in the fucking building. i practically handed them to you, awsten, and you can't manage to do the job?"

     "yeah, well you failed to mention that they're not as dumb as they look." awsten whispers in reply. "look, we've got them in your office with roy. he's stalling for as long as he can, and he told them he's you. just get here as quick as you can, okay?"

     ashton rubs his eyes as he sighs. "i'll be there as soon as i can, just let me handle the other one."

     ashton hangs up and shoves his phone into his pocket.

     he'd actually grown quite fond of michael, if you could count fond as enjoying watching him try- and fail- to figure out what the hell ashton was hiding.

     ashton walks back into the room, glancing around for michael.

     ashton smirks as he walks over to the table, guns spread around. one is unaccounted for, and ashton laughs.

     "dumbass."

     ashton walks slowly through the bedrooms until he finds himself in front of the bathroom door.

     "something bad is happening, you need to get out of th-"

     "open the door, michael."

     ashton hears michael gasp through the door. "you're so stupid. why didn't you go for the fire escape? you've literally cornered yourself and at this point, killing you would almost just be too pitiful."

     "so you're him? you're- you're sasha?"  michael stutters, clutching the pistol in his hand.

     "you almost figured it out too, didn't you?" ashton chuckles as he leans against the bathroom door. "like, 'there's something about ashton,' then you second guessed it, right? '...or maybe not.' it's a shame you won't be able to tell luke all the red flags you saw."

     michael sniffles as he fights back the tears in his eyes. "what- what about calum? you're not g- are you going to kill him, too?"

     "after everything cal and i have been through together?" ashton scoffs. "he's the first one to go."

     "it's kind of smart, actually." michael laughs dryly. "you were right under our noses the whole time."

     ashton nods. "i know. i'm not stupid, michael."

     "you killed one of your own men though. do you care that little?"

     "otto was a loose end." ashton shakes his head. "he was weak. it's better this way."

     "better-" michael can't even form a sentence.

     better this way?

     ashton was a psychopath, michael decided. michael also decided that he had to do something within the next thirty seconds or he, luke, and calum would all be dead.

     of course, michael had no way of knowing that calum wasn't involved in ashton's plans. how could ashton hide something like this from someone so close to him?

     "you're a fucking psychopath." michael swallows.

     ashton laughs. "i blended perfectly, michael. you only found a few dots, you couldn't connect any of them. like i said, i'm not stupid. you may have forgotten, but i was a psych major, mike. i'm pretty good at hiding things from people."

     "so what's the term then, for you? if you're not a psychopath, then what?"

     "sociopathic would probably be the correct term." ashton replies. "psychopaths can't form emotional bonds with people- sociopaths can."

     ashton's last sentence shakes michael. how could ashton care about anyone?

     and the sadness laced in ashton's voice as he spoke of calum almost had michael forgetting about what was happening.

     "i don't want to kill him." ashton says softly. "but this web that i've weaved is too big. the plan from the beginning was to get him out of the way. i had so many opportunities to do it. i didn't mean to fall in love with him- he just kind of has that affect on people."

     "and me? luke?" michael can barely say luke's name.

     "luke got himself caught in the middle. i'm sorry." ashton swallows. "you however, i'll have no problem putting a bullet or ten in."

     michael forces the lump in his throat back as tears begin to fall from his eyes. "you don't have to do this."

     "why does everyone say that?" ashton chuckles. "obviously i don't have to, michael. i don't have to do anything. i'm doing this because i can."

     "what about-"

     ashton rolls his eyes. "i swear to god if you bring up my mother as a last attempt to get me to turn good, mikey. my mother put her cigarettes out on my arms for fun; my redemption arc does not start with her."

     "so that's it? you're just going to kill me then walk into that warehouse and shoot your boyfriend in the face?"

     "i might get some food first."

     luke and calum are blissfully unaware of the situation at the hotel. if they knew, luke would probably kill everyone in the warehouse and then himself.

     after ripping ashton's head off, of course.

     although, the situation luke and calum are in isn't much better than michael's situation. but at least luke and calum don't know about ashton, right?

     "so, cal," sasha starts.

     or, roy.

     the faux sasha notts, for an obscenely long amount of time while ashton was undercover.

     "don't call me that." calum snaps, and roy chuckles.

     "tell me about this little empire of yours." roy crosses his arms, leaning back in his chair.

     calum crosses his arms in response.

     "oh come on, don't be like that!" roy teases. "we're all having fun here."

     "this doesn't seem fun." luke mumbles.

     "hey, he's here." the man that luke and calum have come to know as awsten, through a very rigorous game of "fuck you, no, fuck you," peeks through the door.

     "alright, well," roy clasps his hands together, plastering a large smile on his face as he stands up from his chair. "looks like i'm done here. see you guys around!"

     "what the fuck?" luke mouths to calum as they both stand up, turning to watch roy and awsten walk out the door.

     "ideally, this is not how i wanted this to go."