He'd be doing something he always did, like taking care of his younger siblings or goofing off with Michael and Calum or playing his drums, and he'd suddenly get the feeling he was being watched. He felt like it should bother him, but the gaze was never hateful, or angry, or something that would hurt him; instead, it was loving and protective and filled him with warmth, burning in the best way possible.
He'd tried to explain the feeling to Cal and Mikey, but neither of them understood. Michael just thought that maybe Ashton had a stalker.
Whatever it was, and whoever it was, Ashton didn't know, but he did know that he wanted to meet the person for himself.
;
The very first time he experienced true danger was when he was walking down the street in downtown LA, his hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets and head down to keep from being recognised.
It was cliche, but he wasn't paying attention to where he was walking, too lost in thoughts of what he was doing with his life and why he was there and who he really was.
Ashton sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his face, his pace unhurried as he walk down the street. He probably should've been watching where he was going.
He really really should have been.
He looked up just in time to stop from walking into a tree, and quickly swerved to avoid it, his shoulder clipping against it painfully as he stumbled closer to the street, teetering on the edge as car after car sped by.
Ashton blew out a breath as time almost seemed to slow down, his mind for once blissfully blank.
Then he felt a warm, calloused hand slide into his, yanking him back just as a truck sped through the place his body had been moments before.
Ashton's eyes widened, his heart stuttering in his chest, breathing frantic. He turned to thank his saviour, only to find himself alone on the sidewalk once more.
If he looked closely, he thought he was able to see a pair of brilliant blue eyes staring back at him from the air.
;
The second time was a lot more innocent. At least, meaning it wasn't his fault.
Michael had dared him to see if Ashton could pin him in under thirty seconds, and Ashton being Ashton, he took it. Hell no, he's not backing down from a dare, especially one as easy as that.
It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be.
Michael, for all his aversions to physical activity, was decently in shape, and the amount of time he spent playing games gave him a small advantage on strategy.
Ashton growled under his breath as Michael flipped him back over, pressing his shoulders down against the ground.
The older boy struggled, thrashing helplessly in Michael's hold. He managed to sit up about a foot, before Michael slammed him back down again, his head cracking against the tile floor underneath him.
Pain exploded in the back of his head, his stomach rolling at the agony coursing through him. He let out a weak groan of pain before he let the sickly promise of pain-free unconsciousness envelope him.
He woke up what felt like seconds later to a gentle cooing in his ear, gentle fingers stroking across the bump on the back of his head, every touch draining a little bit of the pain away until it was all gone.
Ashton sighed in sweet relief, letting his body relax as a pair of lips pressed to his forehead, the cool metal of what felt like a lipring against his skin.
