Work Text:
As far as jobs go, KFC was probably the worst place to work.
First off, the food was so disgusting, Ashton couldn’t even fathom how people could stomach all the grease that went into making those fake pieces of chicken. He was pretty sure that after seeing how the food was prepared and handled, he would never buy anything from KFC ever again. He only had two good reasons why he’d chosen to apply to KFC: 1) discounts on his favourite thing, food, (which he actually doesn’t even get an employee discount) and 2) he thought he’d be around his favourite thing, food again, all day (which he isn’t because his dick of a boss is always making him go out and clean the tables and other menial tasks). His only enjoyment was that he could spend all day drumming a beat on the tables as he cleaned them, pretending that he was on a stage in front of thousands of screaming fans.
And, naturally, it was cleaning tables that got him fired.
Well, cleaning tables and a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed string bean of a boy.
All in all, Ashton spent most of the time behind the counter, bored, staring out the front window, much like he was doing today. His coworker, Buster, was his only source of entertainment, which usually wasn’t enough to cheer Ashton up.
“It must be nice to go outside and breathe fresh air for a change,” Ashton muttered under his breath as he watched people walking past outside. He couldn’t wait to get home and call his best friends and rant to them about another boring day he’d had.
Buster squinted over at Ashton from the other half of the counter, his hands wrestling with the cash register, trying to open the till. “What did you say?”
Ashton shook his head and was about to put his head down on his arms to take a little nap before his shift was over and he could go home and take another nap, but instead, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, despite the warning protests from Buster that “being on your phone is against the rules,” and opened the message from Calum, one of his best friends.
whyy were we never told how much minimum wage jobs suck ass???
Sighing, Ashton replied they did we were just too busy listening to shitty music to pay attention
And it was true; school had never been a priority for Ashton and the only reason he went as far as getting his diploma was because his mom was really upset that he wanted to leave high school to pursue a career in music, which, of course, he still hadn’t set off to do yet. (She eventually came around to his love of music, but Ashton always knew she wished he done something more stable like becoming a doctor or a lawyer.) Now, though, he was stuck in a boring job he hated, the small band he'd formed with his best friends still felt incomplete without a strong vocal singer, and Ashton could barely afford to live in an apartment without the ever so helpful loans from his dear mom.
excuse you green day is not shitty music another text from Calum said. Ashton was just about to text back a reply when a dark shadow loomed over him. He glanced up and was greeted with the pale face and receding hairline of his boss, standing on the customer side of the counter.
“Ashton,” his high voice whined. “Are you working effectively?”
“Uh…” Ashton searched around for something that would show he had been doing anything except standing around, but the counter was clear besides him. Not like he could have been doing anything behind the cash register--the place was empty like usual. “It’s kind of slow right now, you know. Not a lot of customers today.” He tried to keep his voice from becoming snarky, but it was so easy to get annoyed by his boss.
“Fridays are our our busiest days.” Ashton stared at his boss blankly. “Today is Friday."
“Oh, there’s the problem; I totally thought it was Saturday. If I had known, I would have been doing a lot more work like cleaning and standing here. You know me, busy worker and everything.” He tried to smile and charm his way to his boss’s heart often, but his coworker ruined that by snorting loudly. Ashton glared at him and their boss sighed.
“I’m going to have to let you go, Ashton,” his boss said, his eyes cast down.
Ashton was floored. His boss had never said anything before about even considering firing Ashton; it was always just the usual pestering about Ashton doing nothing when there weren't even any customers. There had to be a law or something about giving notice before firing somebody, right? Was he expected to just have another job waiting for him? He couldn't just be fired like this--he already had to borrow money from his mom to just pay for his apartment. He'd never make it on his own!“Woah, okay, now, let’s think about this. I know I don’t do much most days but that’s no reason-”
“It’s not that. You’re distracting my customers with your drumming.”
Ashton looked down at his hands and seemed to realize that he had been beating a beat to some song on the side of the wood counter. It was a nervous habit--why did he have to keep getting in trouble because of it? “Distracting? How is that-”
“Excuse me-?” a deep and unfamiliar voice cut in. Standing behind his boss was probably the most beautiful human being Ashton had ever been graced to have seen. His blonde hair was hidden under a black snapback that matched his white t-shirt and black skinnies that were expertly ripped at the knee. His clothes, plus the little lip ring shining along his bottom lip practically screamed punk-rock, but his soft blue eyes rimmed with purple bags ruined the image. His lankiness was awkwardly combined with his broad shoulders, and his eyebrows and nose were scrunched together as he looked down (yes, he looked down on his 5’10 boss; he was that tall) at Ashton’s boss with distaste. He shifted from foot to foot in an gawky but adorable stance that made it hard for Ashton to peel his eyes away from the boy’s legs that had to go on for miles--but no, that was just Ashton’s eyes playing tricks on him.
Ashton’s boss immediately stepped back away from the giant boy so it wouldn’t be too obvious how pathetic he looked standing next to him. “Hello, s-sir.” Ashton almost laughed at his boss; there was no way this kid was more than 19 at the most, hardly a sir. His boss turned to Ashton and said, “Ashton, help the customer.”
Ashton rolled his eyes at his boss before meeting the eyes of the boy, which he instantly looked away from because he was staring at Ashton so intently it hurt his eyes. “You just fired me,” he said to his boss, who was still hovering nearby.
“We’ll talk about that later.” He looked at Ashton’s coworker, who had been idly watching them go back and forth. “Why don’t you help-”
The boy interrupted Ashton’s boss before he could finish. “I don’t need any help, actually. I just couldn’t help but overhear you firing-Ashton, right?-Ashton because he was drumming too much and it was distracting customers? Did I hear that right?”
His boss practically cowered under the boy’s stare. “Sir, I don’t believe that is any of your business.”
The boy smiled, and Ashton almost sobbed. Not only was it the most adorable smile he’d ever seen, but he somehow made it look equally as sexy and he could just imagine all the times they boy used that smile (most of which were way too inappropriate for Ashton to be thinking about a stranger). All it took was that one smile and Ashton was hooked on the boy like morphing. A pain started to build up in Ashton’s chest, and he could practically feel his pulse in his fingertips. “Humor me,” the boy said.
Ashton’s boss hesitated before finally nodding. “Y-Yes. I have received complaints about obnoxious drumming at the register and at tables where he was cleaning. It has caused a disruption to customers and coworkers alike.”
The boy looked at Ashton again, and he was sure he had read something about severe chest pain like this being a sign of a heart attack. Part of Ashton wished he’d just pass out already so the boy could do CPR on him but-
“If you don’t mind me saying, I think that is the most fucked up reason to fire an employee," the boy said, his eyes hardening and his smile disappearing. "I mean, of course, I’ve never been an employer, so I wouldn’t know, but I would think that I would rather fire the kid that squealed to Daddy that his mean coworker was getting more attention from people than he was.” He turned to Buster. “Maybe learn what it means to invest more than $2 in a haircut and some acne cream, and you won’t have to complain about fucking drumming on the tables."
Luke smiled at Ashton, making his heart beat too fast, and Ashton was positive that this speed of heart rate was not healthy for anybody. Still smiling, Luke raised his hand and flipped off Ashton's coworker and then his boss. He gave one last fleeting glance at Ashton before turning away and walking towards the front of the store with Ashton, Buster, and their boss all staring.
After a moment of shock, Ashton's boss turned to him, his face turning red with anger. "Because of that little stunt, you are fired, in effect right now."
He stared at his boss. "That wasn't me! I didn't even know that kid! I need-"
Ashton's boss held up his hand. "I don't care. You're fired. Please leave this store or I will be forced to call the police."
All he wanted to do was punch him in the face, but he knew that that wouldn't accomplish anything. He took a deep breath and turned away from his red-faced boss and secretly smiling co worker. Still possessing some dignity, he walked out of KFC with his head held high; after all, it wasn’t like this was the first time he’d been fired from a job (it was around 12 at this point).
Emerging onto the empty sidewalk outside of the store, Ashton immediately caught sight of a lanky, black-clad figure leaning against the side of the building a few yards off to his right. In his hand was an iPhone, which he was scrolling away endlessly on, oblivious to the world.
At that specific moment, Ashton could see a few different scenarios run through his mind: 1) he could walk down the sidewalk, heading in the opposite direction of the boy and letting him drop out of his memory, 2) he could directly confront the boy, demanding that he go in and convince his boss that Ashton had nothing to do with the conflict and request that he at least get another paycheck period of work so he could find another job, or 3) he could march back into KFC and punch his boss in his abnormally large nose and let the cops take him away to jail.
He let out a breath and turned right. As he walked by the boy, who was still attached to his phone, he made sure his cough was obnoxious enough to attract the attention of the boy. Ashton didn’t stop as the boy looked up, instead letting him run to catch up to him and grab his arm. He turned to face the boy that he still didn’t know the name of and asked not so nicely, “Can I help you?”
The boy was still gripping Ashton’s forearm, his fingernails embedding themselves into Ashton’s skin, but his eyes were focused on Ashton, exactly what he wanted. “What happened?”
Ashton pulled his arm out of the boy’s grasp and took a step back. “Why do you give a fuck? You’re the one who got me fired immediately.”
“Shit, really? I didn’t mean for that to happen. Sorry about that.” He smiled charmingly at Ashton again, but it was laced with amusement.
“Fuck you,” Ashton said after a pause. Despite his situation, he felt his heart quiver when the boy took a step closer to him. They were standing face to face, the boy about two inches taller than Ashton. His blue eyes surrounded by purple bags as if he hadn't slept well in a while stood out against his pale skin, and his lip piercing reflected light to Ashton's face. His bright red lips, despite looking bitten raw, looked soft and kissable and that was what Ashton had exactly on his mind.
It wasn't everyday you ran across somebody as perfect looking as this stranger that had gotten Ashton fired. Why not seize this perfect opportunity to get closer to him?
He felt himself leaning forward for a short second before taking a step back and taking a deep breath, trying to clear his head. Had I really just been about to kiss this complete stranger? he thought to himself. The boy was watching him closely, studying every movement he made. Ashton turned and started walking off, only to be quickly followed by the boy.
Grabbing for his arm to stop Ashton again, the boy apologized several times while they walked with no clear destination in mind. Ashton chose not to respond, insteading letting the kid suffer a little teasing. "Look, I swear, I didn't think I could have made it any worse. How many times do you want me to say that I'm sorry? What do you want me to do? How can I make it up to you? Just talk to me!"
Ashton whirled on the kid. "Why do you care so much about being on my good side? You don't even know me!"
The boy's cheeks tinged pink slightly, and an innocent, kicked-puppy look took over his face. Just for a moment, Ashton could have sworn the kid looked about 14 or 15; then the moment passed and Ashton was staring at this gorgeous 19 year old in front of him again.
The boy's voice was soft when he spoke, "Please let me make it up to you."
Ashton mulled over what he was going to do with this boy who was willing letting Ashton play around with him. "You owe me. Big time."
The boy's eyes met Ashton's, and there was genuine adoration behind the blue irises. "Anything. Whatever you want."
They stood there for a moment in silence, their eyes locked on each other. "Dinner," Ashton said quietly, quickly turning around to hide his blush and starting to walking away. Footsteps fell in step behind him immediately, and Ashton could just smile at the dirty sidewalk as he made his way to his apartment.
A hand brushed against Ashton's after a while and the boy was suddenly walking alongside him, instead of behind. He leaned close to Ashton and whisper-spoke, "Luke."
Initially, Ashton wasn't sure why he was telling him that name. His brain was too jumbled up and his heart was still beating too wild that he couldn't put the pieces together until a moment later. Oh. His name is Luke. Ashton bit his tongue from saying the name aloud repeatedly, just to get the way his lips formed the name down to memory.
Even though he was pretty sure the boy-Luke-knew his name, Ashton leaned over and whispered back his own name. Luke giggled a little, glanced at Ashton, then looked down at their hands as they brushed against each other again before finally returning his gaze to the sidewalk.
Ashton wasn't really sure what they were doing. He'd said 'dinner' but his actual intentions of going to dinner with Luke wasn't really something he'd planned out in the moment of impulse. As they walked in the direction of Ashton's apartment, he was aware that Luke was following tightly beside him, not speaking or giving any indication of what he wanted to do. Ashton tried to think of something he could say that would limit the awkwardness but it was so damn hard to concentrate when Luke's soft fingers kept touching the back of his hand gently.
It wasn’t that long before Ashton arrived at his apartment and stopped near the steps in front of the building to face Luke. Looking up at the younger boy, Ashton realized how pathetic and short and stuffy and dumb he must look still wearing his red and black KFC uniform. He wanted to ask Luke why, why the hell, would he do this with Ashton of all people. He didn’t ask, of course; he was scared of the answer Luke would give him. Trying to compose himself and build up his confidence, Ashton took a deep breath before saying, “Meet me back here at 8, yeah?”
Luke smiled at him as he nodded a confirmation.
A moment of awkwardness passed as Ashton stood there, unsure how to say goodbye to somebody he hardly knew and had recently gotten him fired yet he was going on a date with. (God, what kind of relationship was that?) Luke then smiled at him, making Ashton’s heart shatter to million pieces, and raised his hand in a short wave as he took a few steps back. “8 o’clock. I’ll be here.” He paused, now a couple yards away. “I promise.” Then he turned and was out of sight from Ashton.
Feeling sadness creeping into his heart, Ashton whispered, “Okay.” He knew he’d see Luke in about 4 hours, but that didn’t stop him from already missing him. Ashton’s steps were heavy as he walked up to his apartment and flopped down on the couch, where he remained until 7:49 that night.
Rolling off the couch and onto the floor, Ashton realized for the second time that day that he was still wearing his KFC uniform, now wrinkled. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed to his closet, which was, to put lightly, a huge mess. He pulled out a mountain of t-shirts and skinnies that did not smell recently washed but would have to suffice for tonight. He went through the entire pile without finding one article of clothing that he wanted to wear with Luke. Everything was either too black or too not-black or too ripped or too new or too tight or too loose or too uncomfortable or too comfortable and all Ashton wanted to do was crawl in a hole because fuck, now he was worrying about what he was going to wear and he was so nervous and he didn’t know why.
Well, he knew why; he just didn’t want to admit it to himself quite yet. He’d rather live in denial and tell himself that it was just because it’d been forever since he’d gone on a proper date.
Finally, he decided to wear his favourite outfit: his Jimi Hendrix shirt that was ripping everywhere and a pair of black skinnies similar (exactly the same as) to all his other jeans. Opting out his Vans, Ashton slipped on his black combat boots at approximately 8:01 p.m. He glanced out his window, which offered a perfect street view of the front of his apartment building, and saw a lanky figure, dressed in black on black on black, walking around the corner. Ashton felt his breath hitch just seeing Luke’s figure, and god, when had he become so damn whipped? He rubbed a hand through his hair a little, trying to get rid of his bed head, before grabbing his phone and leaving the apartment. He paced in the hall to waste time (he didn’t want to seem eager) before heading down the stairs.
From the safety of inside the building, he could see Luke walking back and forth along the sidewalk. His phone was in his hand and he kept tapping it against his thigh lightly. His YOU COMPLETE MEss shirt that he'd changed into blended right into his black jeans (perfected with a slit along the right knee) and black converse. His blonde hair was still hidden under a snapback, giving him a skater boy-esque look.
Ashton, taking a final deep breath, emerged outside, only to be run over by Luke. They crashed right into each other, the taller boy grabbing Ashton by the shoulders to steady them both from falling over. He smiled at Ashton as he held him about two inches from his face and all Ashton could think about was that two inches was way too much distance.
“Hi,” Luke said softly before releasing Ashton’s shoulders. He took a step back and the older boy held back a whine. He was looking at him expectantly, but Ashton wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be doing--It took him a moment.
“Oh, um. Hi? Hi.” Luke was smiling at his stuttering, but Ashton wanted to sit down and cry. “Uh, where-where do you want to go?”
Luke’s eyes had been traveling over Ashton, blatantly checking him out, not even bothering to be subtle. “I don’t care,” he said when his eyes focused on his face again. “You know this area better than I do.”
So, he's not from this side of the city, Ashton thought to himself. Every little detail mattered. “There’s this nice diner I go to all the time around the corner. “ Ashton stuck his hands in his back pockets to try and make them stop shaking so much, but it was no use. Luke was watching him, and he must have known, had to have known that Ashton was obviously incredibly nervous. All Luke did, however, was smile brightly at him, making a single, adorable dimple appear in his cheek. Ashton had to turn away and start walking before the other boy could catch him staring with adoration.
Luke immediately caught up with Ashton, and they silently walked along through the streets. It was Ashton's favourite time of day-just after sunset-and he loved the way the city would transition from night to day; watching the buildings and neon signs all gradually light up would put him in awe. He couldn't help but gawk at the city as they walked the short distance to the diner.
Any ease that had been between them earlier was gone now; Ashton felt tense and anxious and generally terrified. Luke's persistent presence was nearly sending Ashton's body into shock and he couldn't stop his sweaty hands from shaking. He desperately wanted to grab the blonde boy, press him against the nearest wall, and connect their lips together.
This night would never end if all Ashton could think about was making out with Luke.
The diner came into view as Ashton turned the corner, and he led Luke across the quiet street and through the small entrance. His favourite waitress, Honey, was standing behind the lunch counter. She smiled at him warmly and followed the two of them to Ashton's usual booth. Ashton sat down and watched as Luke impossibly folded himself into the small bench. Their knees bumped together for a second before Ashton awkwardly adjusted his legs.
Honey set a menu down in front of Luke, who thanked her, and turned to Ashton. "The usual, sweetie?"
Ashton nodded with a smile and looked over as he noticed Luke watching him. Luke lowered his eyes to his unopened menu and then focused back on Ashton as he said to Honey, "I'll have whatever his usual is."
Honey picked up Luke's menu with another smile and headed back towards the kitchen. Awkward silence passed between then again, causing Ashton's legs to start bouncing up and down. He hated awkward situations and he hated being the reason for them. He wished he could just say something-anything, god-but his self-doubt made it so everything he thought of saying sounded idiotic and would make Luke hate him.
But how could Luke, doe-eyed and smiling down at his hands resting on the table, possibly hate him? Although the only thing Ashton really knew about the boy was his name, he could guess that it was hard for Luke to truly dislike anybody. So, Ashton should be fine, right?
Wrong, his conscience whispered in his head. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The truth was that he was an introvert to the core and coming on a date with a complete stranger was a terrible idea. He needed to leave; he had to get out right this minute before he made a mess of everything.
Ashton was just getting ready to leave when he felt a foot tentatively kick his own foot. He looked up at Luke, who was focused on smiling down at his hands. Again, the foot lightly pushed against his own, only this time the foot kept pushing until finally, Ashton pushed back a little. He watched as Luke's smile never wavered when another foot wound around his ankle, forming a hold on his foot and pulling Ashton's leg closer to Luke. Keeping his eyes on him, Ashton attempted to pull his leg out, but the boy's hold was strong. He tried to push Luke's feet away with his free foot, but was getting nowhere.
Luke suddenly laughed and looked up at Ashton with a face so full of mirth and happiness that Ashton couldn't resist not laughing along with him. The blonde let go of Ashton's foot, and when their knees touched under the the table again, Ashton made no move to break the contact.
Ashton watched Luke rest his chin on his hands and gazed at him intently. "All I know about you is your first name," he said softly, his eyes trained on Ashton.
"Irwin."
"Birthday?"
"July 7th."
"Brothers? Sisters?"
"One of each. Lauren and Harry."
"Favourite band?"
"Right now, it's probably Green Day, but it changes about every week."
"Favourite album by them?"
"Bullet in a Bible."
"If you could only eat one kind of the food for the rest of your life, what would it be?"
"Spaghetti."
"Why spaghetti?"
"Why not spaghetti?"
"Valid point. Favourite flavor of ice cream?"
"Chocolate chip."
Luke paused and shook his head with a smile. "You aren't doing too good."
"I didn't realize this was a test. What was wrong with my answers?"
"Chocolate chip? That's so cliche!"
Laughing, Ashton feigned a hurt look. "What's wrong with chocolate chip?"
"Everything! Everybody knows vanilla is the best!"
"Vanilla! Vanilla is so plain!"
"Which is what makes it taste so good!"
"Nobody likes vanilla ice cream!"
"Then how come any restaurant you go to has vanilla?"
By now, Ashton and Luke were practically yelling at each other and if they hadn't been the only ones in the diner, there would have been a crowd staring at them. Ashton could see Honey over by the kitchen, trying not to laugh at them.
Luke took a deep breath and pressed a hand to his forehead. "I'll give you one last chance. What is your least favourite food?"
"Olives. I hate them."
Luke threw up his hands dramatically, but before he could make a remark, Honey set down two plates of fluffy short stacks with a perfect dollop of butter on the top and maple syrup running down the sides. Honey smiled at both of them and said, "Just so you know, we sell both vanilla and chocolate chip ice cream here." Ashton thanked her with a laugh before she headed off.
"'The usual' for Ashton Irwin is buttermilk pancakes with syrup? Doesn't that seem a little plain?"
"I'm a plain-pancake type of guy."
Luke looked so exasperated, he just picked up a fork and cut a chunk of pancake off. Ashton watched as Luke raised his fork and then stopped an inch before his mouth.
"Why are you watching me?" Luke asked.
"I wanna see your expression when you take your first bite."
Luke scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion but still put the forkful of pancake in his mouth. After a second of chewing, Ashton watched as Luke closed his eyes and moaned softly. He slowly chewed the rest of the mouthful and opened his eyes to look at Ashton. "Those are the best pancakes I've ever had." He looked around the diner as if he was suddenly lost. "Am I in heaven?"
Ashton picked up his fork and took a bite of his own pancakes. "Nope. Just here with me."
Luke stared at Ashton for a short moment before saying, "Close enough."
Ashton felt heat rise into his face as he looked down at his plate. Luke shifted his legs a little, making their knees rub against each other. Ashton had still been trying to concentrate on his pancakes a minute later when Luke quietly said, "You're cute when you blush."
Keeping his eyes down, Ashton, red-faced, pointed his fork at Luke and said, "Eat your pancakes."
Luke laughed lightly and did as Ashton said.
Sometime while they were eating, Luke's foot had started rubbing against Ashton's ankle, and eventually Ashton simply got used to feeling. They began to laugh and talk easily as their pancake stacks dwindled. Honey came over and set down two bowls of ice cream-one vanilla, one chocolate chip-in front of them, saying they were "on the house." Still debating which flavor was better, they tried to get the other to like his favourite.
Eventually, their ice cream was gone and they were still chatting. They talked about nothing and they talked about everything-family, school, food, music, friends, etc. Ashton was immediately drawn into Luke's voice. He could listen to the blonde speak for hours on end. He could lecture about the Oxford comma for all Ashton cared; he'd still be focused on the way Luke's lips formed each word.
The only time they took their eyes off each other was when Honey came over and said, "Sweeties, we're closing."
Ashton checked his phone and was surprised to realize that it was nearly midnight. They'd been with each other for almost four hours. Ashton was tempted to open the 47 text messages (all from his two best friends, Calum and Michael), but he slid his phone back in his pocket instead.
Luke and Ashton walked outside into the cold fall air, clinging to each other for warmth. Their hands became tangled while they crossed the street and walked in the direction of Ashton's apartment. It was easy being with Luke, Ashton realized. They didn't have to say anything and the older boy could feel completely at ease. He could comfortably walk hand-in-hand with him, hoping that the night wouldn't end with just a simple goodbye.
Before long, Ashton focused back on his walking only to register the fact that they were standing in front of his apartment.Ashton stared up at the third floor window-his window-dreading going upstairs because that would mean leaving Luke.
The blonde boy pulled on their still attached hands, directing Ashton's attention back to Luke. Pulling himself close to him, Luke whisper-sang in his ear, "Let's make this last forever."
Ashton laughed against Luke. "Did you just quote Blink-182 to me?"
Instead of answering, Luke brought his face down to Ashton's. His blue eyes were closed as he tilted his head towards Ashton, and then they were doing the exact thing he had been dreaming about doing all night.
As Luke's lips lightly touched his own, Ashton immediately grabbed the boy and started pulling him towards the front door of his building. Their positions were now reversed, Ashton wanting to take control of their situation and show his power over the younger boy. Luke stumbled, trying to keep up with Ashton's haste to get upstairs. Their lips stayed together as the older boy guided them to the stairwell. He finally had to pull away when he started to step up the stairs backwards, instead opting to grab Luke's hand and race up to the third floor.
Together, they crashed against the apartment door, Ashton fumbling to get the key out of his pocket while Luke peppered his shoulder and neck with kisses from behind, his hands pressed to Ashton's abdomen. He could feel heat radiating off the bulge in Luke's crotch against his ass. Finally, Ashton got the damn door open and pulled Luke inside, quickly slamming the door by pressing him against it. He pressed his lips to the the pale skin of Luke's neck, hoping to create a bruise. He traveled up to Luke's lips, sucking on his soft and sweet-tasting skin. He slipped his fingers under the hem of Luke's shirt while fingers threaded themselves into Ashton's curly hair. They broke away for half a second while Ashton stripped off Luke's shirt and then his own.
Luke pushed his now exposed chest and abdomen against Ashton's, trying to keep up as the older boy pulled them towards his bedroom. They nearly tripped over Ashton's Vans on the messy floor, but eventually, he was laying Luke across his bed and straddling over him to take off his pants and then boxers. Still hovering over the boy, Ashton started to pepper his neck and jaw with little bruises, sucking at his skin. Under him, the boy was whimpering and trying to lift his body to make contact.
"Don't tell me you're a tease," Luke moaned, wrapping his legs around Ashton's middle. Chuckling, the older boy finally lowered his hips enough to grind against Luke. A loud groan, laced with lust and pleasure, escaped Luke's lips, still not used to this kind of sensual excitement. His eyes were blown wide open, staring up at Ashton as he tried to not scream the older boy's name; instead, he raked his fingernails down his back, knowing he would leave scratches.
Ashton pulled back, wincing. "Fuck, Luke." The blonde muttered back a "Sorry," before pulling him back down to his lips, insisting on the contact. Ashton hummed inside his mouth, running his tongue along his cheeks and biting down on Luke's lower lip for a second.
Luke was desperately trying to keep himself from falling apart, but he was so hard already and Ashton was so close to him and fuck-it'd been too long since he'd felt this kind of intimacy with anybody, let alone a complete stranger he'd met only hours earlier. A part of him was telling himself how stupid he was for hooking up with Ashton.
But was it hooking up? Ashton's body pressing to him in all these sensitive places made Luke think that this had to be more than just fucking. Right?
He broke away from Ashton's kiss-bruised lips, closing his eyes as he still felt skin grinding against himself. "Ashton, are we-fuck-are we crazy? Doing this?"
The older boy laid his forehead against Luke's already sweaty chest, his fingers tracing circles mindlessly on his skin. He hips slowly stopped rocking, coming to a stop as Ashton softly asked, "What do you mean?"
"We don't-I met you today and now we're..."
"Naked and horny?" He laughed lightly. "This isn't a...usual thing for me, okay? So don't think I'm gonna fuck and kick you out."
"It's just... I don't know..."
Ashton picked his head up and pressed a kiss to Luke's lips softly. "Tell me if you want to stop," he whispered against his skin, starting to rock his hips back and forth again. "M'gonna open you up a little, just relax."
Luke nodded as Ashton's lips left his to grab the lube and a condom from the nightstand. Returning, he trailed down the younger boy's naked body, leaving ghost kisses across his chest and tummy. He spread Luke's legs apart and lifted his hips in the air with a free hand. He laid his lips on his thighs, running stripes over his sweet skin and leaving bruises in the places he sucked.
The boy mumbled through gritted teeth, "C'mon, Ash."
Ashton smiled at him before opening the bottle of lube and smearing it over a finger and Luke's hole. He used his other hand to grip his hip to steady his shaking body. "Ready, Lukey?"
The boy nodded vigorously. "Just fucking-" His breath hitched as Ashton's finger entered Luke, the pressure almost immediately too much. His hips bucked up, his head pressing into the pillow, his hands gripping the sheets. Ashton tightened his grip on his hip, forcing him down as he started to pump his finger and traced Luke's wall. He pushed his finger as far as he could, reaching for that spot, trying to keep his eyes on Luke to watch the pleasure spread across his face; he came up short though, and decided to withdraw his one finger, spread more lube over two fingers, and reenter Luke.
He pressed his fingers inside him hard, probably too hard for the younger boy, but Ashton wanted to do some damage to the boy, make him walk a little funny tomorrow morning. He quickly pumped his fingers in and out, eliciting a loud moan from Luke. The heat around his fingers was almost unbearable, but he was still too tight, too tense. "Relax, baby," he whispered over Luke's rapid breathing, moving his hand across to his stomach and pressing down. "It's okay."
"A-another one, Ash, please, I need you-"
He pulled his fingers out and quickly pushed three in. Immediately, he began pumping again, more rapid than before until the boy nearly screamed; Ashton's fingers had brushed against Luke's prostate. Again and again, he pushed his fingers far up his hole to hit his sensitive spot. He looked up at the younger boy, who was squeezing his eyes closed, his jaw clenched.
"You're doing great, baby. You look so fucking beautiful," Ashton said as his hand traveled south and took Luke's hard cock in his hand. He smeared the leaking precome over the tip, pumping his hand to the same timing as his fingers.
"Ash-I fucking need-need you inside me," Luke said, his voice raw and harsh. "Please fuck-fuck me."
Removing his fingers, Ashton crawled up to Luke's face. "Are you sure, baby?"
The younger boy grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him down close. His blue eyes were wide and dark, full of bliss as he said, "Fuck. Me. Ashton." The older boy returned back to the lower half of Luke. He ripped open the condom packet and rolled it over his hard dick after pumping himself a few times. He lifted Luke's hips again before lining himself up with his hole. He touched the tip for a second, trying to find some grip, before finally pushing himself in, going until his whole length was inside Luke.
He held onto Luke by the hips, letting the younger boy get used to the pressure before starting to drawing his hips in and out. Luke's back arched as he let out a moan loud enough to surely make the neighbors complain to him the next morning. His rocking began to gain speed as Luke uncomfortably tightened around his dick.
It didn't take Ashton to realize he was already close to coming while the boy under him was whimpering, his own cock being ignored. He snaked a hand down to palm the younger boy to create friction between them. He grabbed his length and began pumping as fast as the rest of his body.
"Ash, I'm-I need to-to come, please, I'm c-close," Luke whined, his body shaking.
Ashton increased his speed even more, his dick reaching up to fill Luke and bump against his prostate again, the final sensation Luke needed before coming with a high-pitched moan, his eyes blown. Seeing the younger boy come all over both of them was enough to make Ashton also come inside Luke before he even came down from his high. White ecstasy exploded behind his eyes as he reached his peak, his stomach uncoiling when he released into the boy.
Panting, Ashton slowed his rocking until finally stopping and relaxing on top Luke, both exhausted and euphoric.
After a minute of trying to regain their breaths, Luke asked quietly, "Are you going to call me tomorrow?"
Ashton laughed loudly, saying, "I'm balls deep in you, we just fucked like I've never fucked before, and you want to know if I'm going to call you tomorrow?"
"Is that a yes?"
Sitting up, Ashton pulled out, removed and disposed of the used condom, and laid next to Luke. "I don't have your number."
A bubble of laughter burst out of Luke, causing Ashton to join in on the giggling. After their voices settled down, the older boy grabbed a dirty shirt from off the floor and cleaned up the come on their stomachs. They both slipped on some boxers and spread a blanket over them, giggling for no real reason as Luke curled up and Ashton pressed himself to his back, bringing him closer and closer, his eyes drifting shut as a calmness spread between the two of them.
x
The first thing Ashton noticed when he woke up the next morning was how sweaty he felt. He tried to move one of his arms but found that it was trapped under a blonde head sticking out from the covers; his other arm was resting across the boy's side, his fingers lightly laying on his hip bone. Ashton shifted, slowly trying to pull his arm away. Luke squirmed in place, but Ashton figured he was still mostly asleep.
Finally, his numb arm was free, and he let Luke's head rest on the pillow. He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling, wondering how the hell this had happened. This beautiful, amazing, indescribable boy was lying, exhausted next to him on his bed. Whatever had happened last night had never been anything like Ashton had experienced; it was so meaningful and so passionate and unbelievably amazing.
He never wanted to get up, and he never wanted Luke to leave his bed.
Ashton looked over at the sleeping boy, still curled up under the blanket. He'd never met somebody so alive. He couldn't believe that this was the same boy that had called out his boss and ultimately made Ashton jobless in an instant. He knew that he'd struggle to get another job before he ran out of the money he'd saved up, but he also knew that Luke was now his and that was all he could care about that early in the morning.
He wanted to spend hours staring at Luke, but the sound of voices and pots and pans clanging together made Ashton leave the heater of a boy. He searched the pile of clothes from his closet that he'd left on his floor for something more appropriate than boxers to wear outside of his bedroom. He pulled on a pair of sweats and a ripped black t-shirt before quietly stepping out of his bedroom, closing the door behind him.
He padded towards the kitchen and found Michael and Calum, his annoying best friends, dressed in pajamas, arguing over a carton of eggs.
"You cracked them last time, Michael!" Calum whisper-yelled at him.
"Shut up! You're going to wake him! And you only let me do-" Michael's voice faded away when he noticed Ashton standing nearby, watching them. Michael turned to Calum, smacking him on the arm. "See! You woke him up!" Michael shouted at Calum, not bothering now to keep his voice down.
Ashton walked the rest of the way into the kitchen, stopping in front of Michael and Calum, who were both still holding the egg carton. Grabbing the eggs, Ashton walked to the (nearly empty) fridge and put them away.
Calum and Michael were watching him. "You look like shit," Calum remarked.
"Thanks. Why are you here?"
Michael took a step forward, narrowing his eyes at Ashton. "Are you hung over?"
"No. Why are you here?"
"Why do you look like shit?" Calum asked.
"Why do you look hung over?" Michael added.
"We texted you, like, a hundred times last night."
"You didn't answer."
"We were worried."
"We thought somebody had kidnapped you."
"Or killed you."
"I got fired."
Calum and Michael, now silent, stared at Ashton. Both of their faces grew sad and filled with pity. A minute passed before Michael said quietly, "Shit."
Calum stepped forward, grabbing Ashton's arm to lead him to the couch. "You can live with us if you need to."
Michael appeared on Ashton's other side, both of them now guiding him away. "Your boss was a dick anyways."
"And you hated your job!" Calum added as they took a seat on the couch.
"You can get one you actually like now."
"Michael, didn't you say that somebody at Best Buy just quit?"
"Yeah! Ashton you could work with me!"
"I think I could convince Gary that there needs to be another worker at the record store."
"Everything will-"
"Who's that?" Calum was looking over his shoulder, in the direction of Ashton's bedroom.
Standing a few feet outside the door was a flat-haired Luke, wearing a pair of Ashton's basketball shorts and his favourite sweatshirt. His arms were folded tightly against his body, his blue eyes filled with fear.
"So," Michael said after the four of them had stared at each other, unmoving, a long minute. "We should have worried about you kidnapping somebody instead of the other way around."
Ashton stood up from the couch, smacking the back of Michael's head, and walked towards Luke. He stopped when he was only an inch from his face and reached for Luke's hand. "It's okay. I want you to meet them."
Luke, terrified, stared back at Ashton. “I don’t-Are you sure?”
Nodding, the older boy said, “Like I told you last night: I won’t fuck and kick you out.” He paused, watching Luke’s expression change from fear to endearment. “Come meet them.” Still holding his hand, Ashton pulled Luke towards the couch and held him in front of him. "Guys, this is Luke. Luke, meet Michael and Calum."
They three of them stared at each other, and Ashton bit his tongue as Luke squeezed his hand impossibly tight. It was like standing in a minefield, waiting for something to explode.
"What is Luke's favourite band?" Michael asked finally to end the silence.
Ashton looked at Luke and squeezed his hand, prompting him to answer Michael's question. "Uh, Blink-182," he said quietly.
Michael and Calum exchanged a quick look, and then the latter asked, "Can Luke make good scrambled eggs?"
x
“Wait, why are you putting sour cream in there?” Calum asked, peering over Luke’s shoulder as he added ingredients into the mixing bowl.
“Trust me, it’s good.” Luke handed him an egg, saying, “Don’t get any shells in the mix.”
Sitting next to Ashton by the counter, Michael let out a whine. “Why does he get to crack the eggs?”
Luke smiled at Michael warmly. “You both can crack how ever many you want.”
Michael, like a little kid, jumped off the stool he’d been sitting on and raced over to Calum. He tried to grab for the egg in Calum’s hand, but the other boy pulled away, glaring at Michael. Luke was still smiling when he turned back to Ashton and walked towards him. Ashton let the younger boy step between his legs and lean his forehead against him for a moment. Closing his eyes, Luke asked, “Do you want to crack some eggs too?”
“I’m rotten at anything to do with cooking, honestly. Don’t ever expect homemade food from me.”
“You’re pretty good at some other things, though,” the younger boy added cheekily, a smirk spreading across his face.
“Really? Like what?” Ashton started to tilt his head up to kiss him, but Luke pulled back.
Ashton made grabby hands at Luke, but the boy turned and walked away. He leaned over the counter from the opposite side and kissed Ashton’s cheek. “I’ll tell you later. When we don’t have an audience.” He stepped back and went over to Calum and Michael, who had been unsuccessfully attempting to eavesdrop on Luke and Ashton’s conversation.
Luke took the egg carton away from Calum and one-handedly cracked five more eggs in the bowl. Calum stared at Luke in awe and asked, "How did you do that?"
Luke laughed and bumped Calum with his shoulder. "Lots and lots of practice."
Michael and Calum continued to fawn over Luke, watching him expertly make the eggs with his nimble fingers. Luke's shoulders were finally relaxed as he easily joked back with them, Ashton watching from over by the counter, his chin resting on his hands. With his eyes on his two best friends and someone he could hardly call a stranger anymore, Ashton decided that he would be all right. He already had all he needed.