Chapter Text
Ashton loved London. He may not have been born there, but it felt like home now, after moving there with his family when he was just ten years old. Of course, he loved Australia too, he had loads of family still there, but England was where he wanted to be. Like a lot of teenagers, he found himself growing apart from his parents and once he turned twenty, he had managed to arrange living by himself in a nice apartment block right in the city, so it was closer to the bar where he worked. He was mainly a bartender, but on Friday and Saturday nights, he would drum for his band. It was exactly what he wanted to do, despite his parents being displeased with it.
His next door neighbour was a fellow Australian, a nice kid called Calum who had moved from Sydney to London on a football scholarship and had incidentally been left a large amount of money in a family member’s will, letting him rent the apartment next door. It was only the two of them on floor 8 and so over the last year or so that they’d known each other, they had become really great friends and had found they had quite a lot in common – apart from Calum’s love of football, of course. But they both liked similar music and that was enough to start off their friendship. They were in and out of each other’s apartments near enough every day – it had become normal.
“So, I have a friend coming to stay with me for a few months next week.” Calum started as they sat in his apartment on Thursday night, bottles of beer on the coffee table in front of them. It had been a long day of training for Calum but he had a late start the next day and decided to unwind a bit. Ashton, on the other hand, had been pretty relaxed all day. He had spent the day in his make shift studio that he’d had sound proofed and played the drums until he was sweaty and out of breath and needed a shower. His next shift wasn’t until tomorrow evening and then he’d be playing drums until the early hours.
“Oh cool. From Oz?” Ashton asked, swallowing a mouthful of beer and looking across the sofa at his friend.
“Yeah, from Sydney too. He’s my best friend from school. I think you’ll like him, Ash.” Calum smiled. He smiled in a way that Ashton wasn’t sure whether or not he was smirking. Calum knew Ashton was bisexual and he’d often imply when he thought Ashton should get a guy’s number or ask a girl on a date. Calum said nothing more and Ashton thought no more of it either.
***
The next week was as normal, Ashton and Calum hanging out when the latter wasn’t studying or training and when Ash wasn’t working. They would often jam together in Ashton’s apartment, with Calum playing his bass and singing. It was fun and a good way to blow off steam. Calum had gone to see Ashton’s band For V Seconds play in the bar and he was a fan. The music had a nirvana feel to it, kind of grungy rock.
Ashton finished his shift and at three on Saturday morning, he made his way back to the apartment block and took the lift up to his floor. He wondered whether Calum’s friend had arrived yet. He was called Luke, apparently, and was on a gap year before going back to Australia to study Applied Mathematics at the University of New South Wales. Ashton wondered what he’d look like, not that he judged people on their appearances, but Calum was a pretty cool guy and well, he’d never really met someone who was good at Maths that he had had much in common with.
Calum’s apartment door was open when Ashton reached their floor and he knocked loudly before entering. He didn’t want to be rude with other people there. If it was just Calum, he would have walked right in. Ashton was dressed in all black – skinny jeans and a smart button down shirt. It was a decent work uniform, really. Sometimes he’d rock a bandana, but tonight his caramel hair was just tousled.
“Helloo!” He called as he walked into the open living room and looked around.
“Can I help you?” A voice replied, coming from the kitchen on the left. Ashton looked to see a young guy standing on the step leading into the kitchen, a bottle of beer in his hand and a stern look on his face. The guy was about Ashton’s age or so and had a mess of lilac coloured hair, his ears and eyebrow pierced and was wearing the tightest black jeans he’d ever seen. He wore a Metallica t-shirt and crossed his arms, waiting for Ashton to speak.
Ashton was kind of dumbfounded. Going back to the whole judging thing, Ashton didn’t want to be a bitch, but surely there was no way this was the guy about to study Applied Maths at one of the best universities in Australia. But he had the accent so Ashton straightened up and smiled politely.
“Hey, you must be Luke. I’m Cal’s neighbour, Ashton.” He said.
“I am definitely not Luke. But nice to meet you.” The guy laughed, coming over and extending a hand for Ashton to shake. The guy winked as he did so. Before either could say anything, Ashton heard shuffling behind him and turned to see Calum and another guy with blonde quaffed hair hauling suitcases into the apartment.
“Why did you bring so much stuff?” Calum asked with a grin.
“I’m here for six months, dude.” The blonde argued.
“Yeah, there are shops in London too. You could have just bought stuff here!” Calum said. They left the suitcases just inside the door and looked up to see Ashton and Michael standing together.
“You didn’t tell me your neighbour was hot.” The guy Ashton just met laughed to Calum. Ashton blushed as the man just wandered over to the suitcase on the floor.
Calum just ignored it and said hey. “This is Luke. Luke, this is Ash!” He grinned as Ashton turned to look at Luke properly. He was pretty beautiful, all blonde and blue eyes.
“Hey man.” Luke smiled kindly and shook his hand easily. He was taller than Ashton but clearly younger. “Sorry about Michael.” The blonde said.
“I don’t need you to apologise for me.” The guy who Ashton had met first said loudly as he sat on the floor and unzipped the case, in search for something.
“Well someone has to.” Luke murmured.
“Ash, this is Michael, Luke’s brother.” Calum explained, pointing at both boys.
“Step brother!” The blonde and lilac haired guys spoke harshly in absolute unison.
“Step brother.” Calum repeated, rolling his eyes to Ashton. Ashton smirked. He was not expecting either of the guys to be so god damn good looking.
“My mum decided that I couldn’t come to London unless I took him with me.” Luke said, shaking his head as if he was fed up with the guy already.
“Yeah, well, I’ve only come to see Calum and hook up with hot British people. I don’t want to be with you either.” Michael moaned as he grabbed out his phone charger and stood up.
“Guys, you literally got off the plane an hour ago, can you give it at least a day before you have an argument?” Calum only half joked. The two guys looked at each other and then at Calum.
“I need to sleep. I’m so jet lagged. Later on. Bye dude.” Michael nodded at Ashton before sauntering down the hallway to the spare bedroom which Ashton was convinced Michael had decided was his before Calum even offered.
“I’ve had that the whole fucking flight from Sydney.” Luke said once Michael was out of ear shot, though Ashton thought he probably didn’t care whether or not his step brother had heard him.
Calum just smiled sadly. “I’m glad you’re here, man.”
“Me too.” Luke’s expression softened. “I’m really sorry guys, but I’m actually exhausted too. You don’t mind if I sleep, do you?” The question was aimed at Calum but Luke looked to Ashton as he spoke, taking the sight of him in.
“Of course not. You can either sleep in the same room as Michael or in my bed tonight? I’ll sort out the sofa bed tomorrow…” Calum asked.
“Oh, I am definitely sleeping in your bed… I already have to share a house with him; please don’t make me share a bed with him!” Luke said. Calum just laughed and thumbed the direction of his bedroom.
“It was really great to meet you, Ashton. Sorry I’m being impolite. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Luke shyly smiled before heading down the hallway and into the last room on the right; Calum’s room.
“What was all that about?” Ashton asked as he slumped down onto Calum’s bigger sofa, the dark haired boy following suit.
“I grew up being friends with both of them and then one day, they both found out their parents had secretly been seeing each other for months – Luke’s mum and Michael’s dad. They already didn’t really get on great, but once their parents got married and bought a house, they were kind of forced into living with each other and that was it. It’s been a nightmare ever since.” Calum told him, putting his hands behind his head.
“Shit, that’s tough.” Ashton replied, thinking it through. “Did you know Michael was coming too?”
“Luke told me just before he boarded they plane. It’s cool with me. I love them both and actually, I think it might be a good thing for Michael. Well for them both really…I think underneath it all, they actually do care about each other, like real brothers…” Calum said thoughtfully. “It’s going to be an interesting six months.”