fire ;; lashton

cigarette.

The dancing smoke that rose we tried to find our way
No one told me, she told me
“Your love’s like one last cigarette, last cigarette
I will savor it...”

-

“What? Why?” Luke shot up, his right headphone falling out as he did so so quickly. “They’ve left me alone for months, why am I getting a roommate now?”

Calum sighed, a pained expression on his face. “Luke, come on. Maybe it’ll do you some good.”

“No,” The eighteen year old shook his head, standing. “I don’t need a fucking friend in this fucking hell because I don’t need any fucking help to get any fucking better when I’m fucking fine!” He yelled, fists clenched and face red.

“Luke,” Calum said firmly, placing a hand on the angry boy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but it’s happening. Whether you like it or not. Plus, you won’t necessarily have to talk to him; he hasn’t spoken to anyone in a long time. Not since... yeah.”

Luke just rolled his eyes, sitting back on the creaky bed. “What’s his name? When is he getting here?”

The tan boy glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Ashton. And he’ll be here in five minutes.”

-

Five minutes.

Five minutes?!

Luke struggled to pick up all the clothing he had lying around, as well as the piles of chip bags, candy wrappers, and empty cans of Red Bull. His room smelt like unwashed clothing and depression, so he dashed towards Michael (his ‘neighbour’)’s room, grabbing a can of air freshner from the OCD lad.

“Hey!--” He had said but Luke was gone.

Soon the medium sized room was about as clean as it would ever be; which, in a sense, was not very clean. Luke huffed in frustration, collapsing onto his bed as he waited for his new roommate.

“May God have mercy...” He whispered, just as there was a knock.

“Luke? It’s Calum.”

Cue an incoherent string of curses muffled in Luke’s pillow.

“Come in!” He said after 31 seconds. The door opened, Calum walked in, followed by--

Cue Luke’s heartbeat stopping.

Sandy hair, hazel eyes, muscles Luke could only dream of and a really nice set of lips, Ashton was--Ashton was--

“Hey there,” Ashton said in a quiet, silky voice, and even his voice was-- “I’m Ashton.”

“Luke.” The almost starstruck boy (if startstruck could apply to normal but beautiful people) squeaked out before clearing his throat. “Um, Luke. Nice to meet you.”

Ashton just nodded, smirking slightly. He shifted the weight of the small duffel bag on his shoulder, turning towards Calum. “I think I left something in the car. Can you go check for me?” He asked sweetly and Calum nodded, closing the door behind him “as per procedure with new patients”.

“Yes,” Ashton breathed, dumping his belongings on the bed opposite of Luke’s. He pulled something out of his black skinny jeans pockets that Luke couldn’t see. Though he almost screamed when he saw it was a cigarette.

“Wh--What are you doing with that?” He asked just as Ashton held the lighter to it.

“Lighting it, what else?” He answered smartly. Luke wondered what Calum had meant by “hasn't spoken in a long time”. “What, do you not like the smell?”

And then it was lit, Ashton blowing crispy grey smoke into the once vanilla scented air. “I--It’s not that. Just please don’t smoke that--that--that thing in here. Please.”

Ashton’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Why not? It’s just a cigarette. Probably one of my last, if anything. I just want to savour it.”

Luke closed his eyes as shook his head. “No. Nononononono.”

“Ashton?” Calum said as he opened the door. “There was nothin--Luke!”

But Luke was already out the door.

-

hmm hmm hmmm

hmmmmmmmmm