Clean Slate » a.i. au

Six

        "Oh my God."

        At the sound of the scratchy, cracked voice across the room, I look up from my plate of waffles in that direction; sure enough, after sleeping three hours past his usual wake-up time, Ashton is pulling himself in a sitting position, with a confused slash disgusted frown on his face, his lips pouty and his hair sticking out at all angles. Nothing unusual after getting high on nicotine.

        "Morning," I speak up, determined to keep my voice light and casual while talking to him, in hopes that he doesn't remember the night before. I'm about 70% sure he hasn't got a clue what happened after I caught him smoking, no matter how rational and sane he sounded. Otherwise I'd have to live with knowing that he knows what I really did, and that's not one of the many things that I prepared myself for.

        "Fucking Christ," He whispers loudly, placing the back of his hand over his mouth. "The fuck did I do last night?"

        "Take a look at the table," I tell him, and he immediately whips his head toward the coffee table in front of the couch; as soon as he sees the cigarette filters he groans, and quickly kicks the quilt off of him so he's get out of bed. He keeps his hand over his mouth while he scurries out of the room, tripping over his own feet and falling forward twice on his way to the bathroom- I squeeze my eyes shut as the familiar sound of Ashton throwing up fills the room, and shake my head as I continue eating. I'm too used to the sound to even lose my appetite, seeing as this is what happens after every gig his band has. I still don't know if it's because of how nervous he gets when they're on stage, or the insane amount of alcohol he has after. Of course, 'insane amount of alcohol' in his case would be six beers.

        "Ashton?" I call a minute later, suddenly realizing he'd stopped vomiting, but hasn't come out of the bathroom. After repeating his name another couple of times, each time louder – and getting no reply whatsoever – I sigh to myself and look around, scanning the surroundings to see where I've left my crutches. Or at least one of them.

        I carefully get off my stool when I spot them in the nook between the fridge and the stove, and take only one to help myself to the bathroom. The sight before my eyes when I reach the opened bathroom door is everything but surprising; a bit repulsive? Yeah. Kinda funny? Hell yeah. Unexpected? Nope.

        "Hello, sunshine," I tilt my head to the side as I watch Ashton, sprawled out on the tiled floor sideways, with his left hand gripping the toilet seat. Usually I'd ask him to disinfect himself before I let him have breakfast in the kitchen, but I can let it slide this time. He'll have to wash his hands though.

        He mumbles something at my greeting and rolls onto his back, letting go of the toilet seat so he'd rub his face with both hands. Okay. I'm gonna have to ask him to wash his face too.

        "Can I get you anything?" I continue, "An aspirin? Ibuprofen? A washbowl to carry around the apartment?"

        "Lucia," He finally says, sounding like a 70-year-old smoker as he takes his hands off his face and furrows his eyebrows again. "Fuck off, for crying out loud."

        I grin at his flat tone, happy that he can't see me; he'd surely get pissed if he realized that I'm not taking him seriously. "Okay," I respond lightheartedly, "Suit yourself. I made waffles."

        "Wait," He exclaims once he picks up that I'm leaving him in the bathroom, "Could you... help me up?"

        I smile again and take a few steps back, until I'm at my previous spot. "Alright," I sigh, leaning my crutch against the door frame, and walking around his body so that I'm not facing him upside down anymore, "Give me your hand." As I take his wrist in both of my hands, I can't help but think it's a good thing that I haven't lost any strength in my upper limbs in the accident; though it's still not easy to pull Ashton's twelve feet long figure up without his help. I'm lucky that he's the shortest one among his band mates, if this was Luke or Calum, I'd probably fall over straight away.