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Michael's in the crowd like usual, waiting for the signal to start playing. He feels good about tonight, the energy on stage had been intense, in a way he could only describe as electric. Somehow, off of the stage, everything felt overwhelming. The energy of the crowd, the number of people, the way they reached out for him. He supposed the anxious and overwhelming feeling came with the job, that he felt incredibly lucky to have, so he pushed it to the back of his head and continued on.
It wasn't an obvious thing at first, how hyper this crowd was compared to the others. It's just, the more he moved around, the less safe it seemed. Michael knew he had several security guards around him, and the rest of the boys, that would defend him in a heartbeat. Yet, he couldn't help the uneasy feeling turning in his gut, as if warning him that something wasn't right about this part of the show tonight.
Sighing softly, Michael looked towards the stage, at Luke. The younger boy gave him the smile, the one he used when he knew Michael was feeling anxious. It calmed Michael slightly, even left a warm feeling in his chest, and refocused him enough to start playing. Michael thinks he got halfway through it before he was being pushed back by one of the guards, on accident as they tried to control the crowd.
The fear he felt a few moments ago quickly returned at being surrounded by fans, instead of his security protection. He takes a deep breath, this could be worse, he reasons. As he tries to make an escape, he stumbles into a rather big dude. The type of guy he wouldn't expect to see at their show, the shock on his face shows, despite his efforts to control it.
Smiling apologetically, he goes to keep moving, without noticing when the man's demeanor changed from amusement to anger. Before he could blink, he was being pulled back, the man gripping onto him tightly. He could have fought his way ought of the man's grip, or attempted to at least. He left it happen, though, he didn't want to injure any of the thousands of fans that were grouped closely in. Deep down he thought how how pathetic he was, easily giving up like he did.
Unaware of what was happening on stage, which was the band yelling at security to get him out, he felt the first punch. Gasping as he felt his nose crack, and blood begin to pour out, he barely had time to recover before the man struck another blow beside his ear. His in-ears still being in helped protect him slightly, but the hit was still powerful enough to leave his hearing ringing. He could feel more punches being landed, on his cheekbones, his eyes, his stomach, his chest. The pain he felt couldn't be described, everything burned, his muscles clenched tightly, and all he could try and do was stay oriented.
Michael could hear someone begging for it to stop, pleading for the pain to just go away. He wondered if it was himself, god what a sight he must be, bloodied, bruised, and tears streaming down his blood soaked face. Taking as big of a breath as he could have, given the pain in his ribs and chest, he readied himself for another punch.
Instead, it never came. The ringing in his ears still present, making it hard to understand what was being said, but he had a feeling it was Luke. It was a sixth sense they both seemed to have, always knowing where the other was and being able to feel them in the same room. In and out of coherence, he felt the familiar arms that he's called home for the last few years, picking him up with a sense of urgency, yet somehow gently at the same time.
Weakly wrapping his arms around Luke's neck, he felt something wet on his face, and he wasn't sure if it was more blood or tears. He doesn't protest when Luke hands him to Ashton, who holds onto him with so much protection, that it makes him feel safe, now that he's out of the crowd. Ashton's asking him something, Michael thinks, but his vision is blurred and his heading is killing him, and the pain is just becoming too much to deal with, so he lets himself drop into unconsciousness.
-
Luke was pissed, god, he was radiating anger off him more then anyone's ever seen. He couldn't believe how stupid he was for not stepping in sooner, for thinking that security would get Michael. From where he stood on the edge of the stage, he could still see Michael's bright pink hair. Luke could also see the blood running down his face. Normally, it would have been the red color would have been from the hair dye that Michael absolutely loved. Luke could barely breathe, looking at Michael being beat and not one of the people meant to protect this from happening doing anything to stop it.
He saw the final punch being directed to Michael's ribcage, and just like that, every ounce of Luke's self control went out the window. His brain flashing red and he word "Michael" over and over again, he feels himself jump off stage and start pushing through the crowd, ignoring the way the fans try and get his attention.
Somehow, after shoving roughly past the first few rows , the fans seemed to sense his urgency, letting him get by without being pulled, and he grabbed Michael before the bloke could land another strike. He quickly checks Michael over, seeing his boy looking at him through wild and unfocused eyes. His heart shatters at how Michael looks confused, like he doesn't know what's happened, and then he's grabbing Michael under his thighs and pulling him into his chest.
Luke can feel Michael's body relax in his hold, and he can feel his shirt being drenched in blood. Michael can't do anything but sob and whimper, trying to cuddle himself closer to Luke.
Luke's anger grows even more at how broken his boyfriend sounds, and then he's promising the prick that made this happen, that he's coming back. Without waiting for a reply, Luke starts walking with Michael, still tucked into his chest, back to the stage. Luke transfers him to Ashton, and looks one last time, which shows his boy laying exhausted, not yet unconscious, in Ashton's arms. Forcing himself to look away, knowing Michael's going to get the care he needs, his forcing his way back into the crowd again.
Not to rescue Michael, but to beat the fuck out of the prick who did this to him. The guy didn't get very far since Luke last left him, thousands of angry fans stopping him from leaving. The closer Luke gets, the more the guy smirks, like he's proud of what he's done. The only thing Luke can see is Michael being hit, and then his vision is going red. Luke feels himself losing control, and he doesn't care, or try to control it. Finally, stopping in front of him, chest heaving in anger, Luke puts all 6'4 of his height to use. Easily towering over the guy, he leans in until he's breathing into the guys ear, and he's promising to make him pay. With that, he quickly brings his knee into the guys stomach, and then he's throwing the first of many punches.
He doesn't know how long he's there, all he knows is his knuckles are begging him to stop, but he can't. He doesn't see the guy passing out, he doesnt hear fans gasping as he gets continues his assault. He doesn't register the arms of Calum, trying to pull him off, to get him to stop before he beats him to death. He doesn't feel Ashton using all his strength to restrain him, to push him to the ground until he calms down. He doesn't know how long Ashton is telling him to calm down, that Michael is okay, that he's being treated.
Slowly, as if coming out of a haze, Luke realizes that his knuckles feel broken, and there's a knee jabbing keeping him on the ground. Luke's breathing started to become less erratic, and he stopped fighting out of Ashton's hold. Ashton, noticing this, loosened his grip slightly, so not to injure Luke further. They stayed like that for awhile longer, until all the fight had left Luke's body. It was only then that Ashton helped Luke up, mindful of his broken knuckles.
Luke steadied himself, swallowing dryly, opening his mouth to ask where Michael was. Before he could utter the first word, Ashton was just shaking his head and grabbing Luke's hand to guide him to Michael. If it had been in a different circumstance, Luke would have laughed and joked about how well Ashton knew them.
The second Ashton shouted that Luke needed to see Michael, hundreds of glares landed on him. Luke scoffed, of course management would only be concerned about their reputation, not about the fact that their lead guitarist was just assaulted and that Luke almost killed the guy who did it. A man with glasses, and a Bluetooth headset, stepped forward and motioned for them to follow him. If Luke thought his heart broke earlier, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw when he finally saw Michael.
Michael, being surrounded by medics, looking worse than he did before. The sight made Luke want to vomit, all he could see was red everywhere he looked on Michael. Luke took a deep breath, needing to calm himself down again, before a medic noticed his hands and rushed over to him.
Ashton, bless his soul, answered all the questions directed at Luke, who was only focused on what was happening with Michael. Tunnel visioned on his boyfriend being lifted onto a stretcher, and being prepared for the ambulance ride, he gasped when Ashton harshly pinched him to get his attention. The medic, who had been content with Ashton answering for Luke, wanted to let them know what was about to happen, and where Michael would be.
Luke, at hearing out loud the extent of Michael's injuries, couldn't breathe. No matter how exaggerated Ashton made his breathing, he couldn't follow it, and then something was being pricked into his skin, and he was unconscious.
—
Calum, who had been in the background, watched everything happen. How Michael got assaulted, how security did nothing, how Luke snapped, how Ashton had to force Luke into the ground, how heartless their management was, how bad Michael cried for Luke, and how Luke couldn't calm down after hearing about the seriousness of Michael's injuries.
Calum rode silently in Michael's ambulance, gently holding his hand for reassurance, while Ashton rode in Luke's, since he could calm the youngest down if he got worked up again.
Calum sat in the waiting room with Ashton, while Michael was being worked on and Luke was still sedated. Wondering how this would end, how Michael would be able to handle crowds, how Luke would learn to use his hands again, how fans would spread the videos, how management would try and blame it on them somehow, and not the security. Calum worried about how everything would work out, but he never once worried if Luke and Michael would be okay, because they had each other. He had watched them go from hating each other, to fooling around, to finally admitting their feelings. He had watched how they had created a home, and he knew, no matter what, that this would only make them stronger. With that final thought, Calum took Ashton's hand in his and waited for what would happen next.