Height [Lashton AU]

Chapter 8

Luke won't deny the fact that the guy he's beside is extremely hot. He looks over his features, even though he can barely see anything due to how dark the theater room had gotten.

"Kid, you scared?" repeats the hot stranger.

"Uh, n-no," Luke stutters out before he turns his head away and to Calum who's talking to Michael, almost like he's forgotten that Luke was with them.

"Don't worry. If you ever get scared, just lean close to me and I'll hold you throughout the movie." The blond turns back to the stranger and squints at him.

"But I don't know you," Luke says.

The man shrugs. "It was just a suggestion. You don't have to take up the offer." He leans back into his seat and stares straight ahead as the entire room dims, the trailers rolling onto the screen.

Luke gulps as time draws closer for the movie to start. He really doesn't want to be alone, but it seems his friends are already occupied with one another, exchanging side conversations and occasionally earning hisses from others around them to be quiet.

Once the movie starts Luke is squirming uncomfortably in his seat, his index fingers plugged into his ears in case any loud noises decide to surprise him.

The blond steals a small glance at the stranger beside him whose eyes are remained on the theater screen. Luke's slowly getting out of his ball position as he slowly brings his feet onto the ground and pulls his hands away from the side of his head.

Shortly after something appears on the screen, causing the blond to jump and hide his face in the stranger's shoulder.

"S-Sorry," Luke whispers as he plugs his ears again to keep the loud noise out. He feels an arm wrap around him as the person pulls him closer.

"No worries," is all the stranger responds with. "Let me know when you want to get out." Luke nods into the guy's shirt as he waits for the scene he finds scary to disappear.

As the movie continues Luke decides he doesn't want to stick around any longer, so he tugs the stranger's shirt and looks up at him.

"T-Take me out, please," Luke quietly says. He could've swore that he saw a smirk make its way onto the guy's face.

"No problem," he agrees, standing from his seat and extending his arm out at the blond. Luke stands as well and goes over to the guy and the two leave the theater without Luke's friends noticing, since their focuses are on the movie.

Once the two exit the theater building Luke pulls away from the stranger, only to be tugged back again.

"Where do you live?" he asks. "I can take you home."

"Oh, I live nearby," Luke answers. "I can walk."

"Do you want me to escort you? It's pretty dark right now."

"N-No, thank you. I really need to get going now." Luke starts to walk off quickly, not wanting to be around the stranger any longer.

However, the guy follows after the blond and appears by his side. "What's your name?"

"Um, Luke," Luke says.

"Well, Luke, I really think it's best if I take you home. It doesn't matter if you literally live across the street from the theater. It isn't safe." Luke thinks for a moment before he nods. Then the two turn around and head towards the parking lot.

As the two get closer to the car Luke doesn't feel like going home. He pulls out his phone and sends a text to Calum to let him know he's going home.

"Where's your house?" asks the man when Luke and he get into his car, the guy taking a seat in the driver's seat and Luke sitting in the back.

Luke opens up his GPS app. After thinking for a while he enters in an address.

"Uh, h-here." Luke hands the stranger his phone and shows him an address.

"This is your address?" The man raises an eyebrow and looks at the blond who nods. Then he just shrugs. "All right, then." The guy starts the car and then he drives out of the parking lot and to the address Luke gave him.

The weird thing Luke notices is that the man didn't even punch the address into a GPS. It's almost like he instantly knew where the place was.

About six minutes later they're in front of a house and Luke exits the car with the man following after him.

Luke turns around. "Uh, y-you don't have to come with me. You can leave."

"Just making sure you make it inside," the stranger says, so Luke just shrugs and approaches the front door. Then he presses the doorbell.

The door swings open, revealing a very surprised boy.

"Luke?" Ashton says, squinting his eyes at the blond. "Why are you here?"

"I-" Luke begins, but Ashton's gasping cuts him off when he glances behind him.

"Why the hell is he here with you?" Ashton grabs Luke's arms and pulls him inside the house and behind him. His attention is then focused on the man who just chuckles to himself.

"Long time, no see, Ashy," says the guy. Luke's eyebrows furrow together, wondering how the two even know each other.

"Get off my property," Ashton hisses. "You aren't welcomed here."

"Ashton, how do you know him?" Luke whispers, but the shorter boy tells him to wait for him in his room. Luke frowns, but walks off. However, he doesn't go to Ashton's room. Instead he stays hidden behind a corner to listen to whatever Ashton and this stranger has as he peers over at them.

"How's the sex life?" questions the guy. "I heard from around town you became a little manwhore."

"What did you do to him?" Ashton snaps.

The man fakes a gasp. "I didn't do anything. I never give people the same treatment, you know."

"I thought you said you weren't ever going to appear back in my life again?" Ashton crosses his arms over his chest, his glare intensifying.

"That was until I ran into that cute boyfriend of yours."

"Luke's not my boyfriend."

"So he's available? He wouldn't mind me, would he?"

Ashton scoffs. "No one would want to get with an old geezer like yourself."

The man smirks. "You did."

Anger boils inside Ashton as he yells, "We never bring that up! I'm not letting you have him."

"You're not his boyfriend, in case you forgot. You have no say in anything."

"Well, I care about him and I say that he will not give his innocence to an asshole like you!"

"You mean like what you did?" The man tries to get closer to Ashton, but Ashton pushes him back and steps outside, closing the door. Luke goes over to the door and presses his ear against it.

"Get the fuck out of here," Ashton growls. "I'm not letting you near Luke and that's final."

Silence falls and Luke's wondering if the guy has left yet.

"Fine. Have it your way," the stranger finally says, "but on one condition."

"What?" Luke hears Ashton gasp and Luke's eyes widen when he hears the next words.

"Let me fuck you and I'll leave him and maybe you alone."

Luke's praying silently to himself that Ashton will turn this down. Luke's innocence isn't worth Ashton getting fucked.

He already saw Ashton doing someone else who wasn't him. He most certainly does not want someone else to do Ashton.

Luke's heart falls to the pit of his stomach when Ashton chokes out, "... As long as you stay away from Luke."