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Ashton was sixteen when he vowed he would wait until he was married – or at least twenty – until he actually had sex. It did not work out. He had a few girlfriends, and obviously the ones who lasted more than three months, he had sex with. He was all about respect, that was, until he was eighteen and joining a tour – as an opening act – with his bandmates, with one of the biggest boy bands in the world. Thus, they became more popular, which came along the popularity with women.
Ashton hated to admit it, but the reason his last relationship didn’t work was because he was unfaithful, and he spent six months sending flowers back home, various kinds, with cute lyrics he was working on, and even the occasional mix tape.
It never worked out, she was pissed, and he was pissed at himself, because he broke more of his promises to himself than he wanted to. His promise to stay a virgin. His promise not to cheat on his girlfriend. His promise not to sleep with someone after just meeting them (which became a promise after he broke his virginity promise). His promise to not be rude towards people (he broke that because the other person was seriously pissing him off, and he was not taking their shit anymore). His promise to never hit a girl – or even a boy (although, it was completely on accident and that is why he tries to make sure no one is around when he’s playing drums now). His promise to never fall in love with someone he’s friends with (that was a stupid promise, but he liked his friends, and he preferred feelings not to get in the way of that, but it did).
Not only were they his friends, but it was his very own band mate.
Ah, Luke Hemmings, the youngest, and only two years younger than Ashton. He was like Ashton, wanted to wait, but also like Ashton, found himself having sex with his past girlfriends (which was really only one). After touring with One Direction, Luke found himself trying to sleep with girls, but he couldn’t sleep with every girl who asked, only the occasional one, the ones he felt some of a connection with. Because he liked sharing a connection with the girl he was going to spend the night with – except they always left, and Luke hated it all.
Ashton loved the attention he got, not in an arrogant way – or at least, he tried not to make it seem that way – but because he loved when he could talk to someone. Even though it was mostly lazy, yet, quick sex. Sometimes, it was drunk, almost faulted sex, but he tried not to think of it as a mistake, but the fact they were not in a relationship was always the mistake.
“I hate this,” Was one night Ashton walked back onto the bus, somewhat between being drunk or looking tipsy. He obviously drank a lot, but he looked like he sobered up enough to walk straight enough. Luke looked up, startled, as he was trying to get a midnight snack – more like 2AM snack, but there is not much of a difference. “Girls come onto you, because you’re hot and famous, and leave like you’re some ugly nerd who you suddenly remembered wasn’t actually popular the next morning- scratch that, before the next morning.” Ashton was grumbling to himself, mostly venting out of frustration.
“Whoa, calm down there Ash,” Luke said, putting down his food, moving towards the, somewhat, angered nineteen-year-old. He was drinking, since his birthday was in a week, and it freaked him out he wasn’t going to be a teenager anymore. “Why are you so grumpy right now?” Luke asked, regretting when he saw that Ashton looked at him – anger in his eyes.
“Some girl fucking brought me to a hotel, ready to do whatever, I only had my boxers on, and she leaves, leaves for her fucking boyfriend. Correction, fiancé. Wow, wow, wow, I’m pissed off. Why would she lead me on, making me think she was single, and interested in me, until I find out she’s in love, in fucking love, with her perfect fiancé.” Ashton sounded furious, so furious that he could wake up everyone who was on the bus – also known as, Calum and Michael.
“Whoa,” Luke mumbled, too stunned to form a proper sentence, “I’m sorry, there’s other-,” Luke was saying, before Ashton interrupted.
Luke didn’t know what exactly happened, but he felt Ashton kissing him, and he could taste the alcohol in Ashton’s mouth. Luke hesitantly kissed back, not knowing why exactly Ashton was kissing him, but it felt good.
Luke could feel – somehow – the amount of horniness Ashton was, so he decided to pull back. Luke regretted it, because Ashton pouted, and he wanted to, really wanted to, kiss him, and make it all better. But hooking up with band mates was not on Luke’s list of things to do at two o’clock in the morning.
“I’d love to help you,” Luke started, leaving Ashton frowning already, “But, we can’t do this. You’re pissed in more than one way, and I was only really up to eat a sandwich, not kiss you fiercely.” Luke mumbled, scratching his neck awkwardly, letting his feet, naturally, bend towards each other.
“I,” Ashton mumbled, “Thanks though…” Ashton added, quietly, “I just, I kind of needed to get rid of tension, and I don’t know, kissing always seemed like a good release.” Ashton was fiddling with his fingers, his cheeks red – either from the kiss that just happened, or his pure embarrassment.
“It’s fine,” Luke said, “How about I get you something to eat, or drink, you’re probably hungry or something…” Luke said, walking towards the bus’s small kitchen area. “We have…” Luke trailed off, trying to look thoroughly in the cupboards and the refrigerator. “Orange juice, milk, water, that’s about it for drinks,” Luke said, closing the fridge door, “And we have bread, and little bits of stuff for sandwiches – sorry, I made myself one, we can split that, if you want.” Luke said, closing one of the cupboard doors.
“Hmm, water’s fine for now,” Ashton mumbled, “And your sandwich looks yummy.” Ashton mumbled, his eyes directed towards the – almost – made sandwich.
“Here,” Luke said, handing Ashton the plate with the sandwich. Ashton did not hesitate eating, and dug into the sandwich right away. “You’re sure hungry,” Luke commented, walking back to grab a glass for the water Ashton requested.
Luke walked back, only to notice half the sandwich was gone, and frowned, because he wanted some, but he shrugged it off, because Ashton acted as if he hadn’t eaten in days. “Here’s your water,” Luke said, handing Ashton the glass of water. “I think I’m just going back to sleep, kind of tired.” Luke mumbled, walking towards the bunks.
“Wait,” Luke stopped when he heard Ashton’s voice, “Can I sleep with you tonight?” Ashton mumbled, blushing as he asked, trying to drink the water to act like he wasn’t, but the blush was evident behind the glass.
“Sure, just join me when you’re done.” Luke said, walking away to the bunks again, trying to pretend he wasn’t actually happy Ashton asked.
That’s how the two worked, Ashton would occasionally kiss Luke – not always when he was angered at his, almost, one night stand leaving him, but sometimes just when Ashton wanted to feel better. When he ignored fans that said rude things, and Luke would always tell him they probably aren’t true fans, and Ashton would shrug, before softly kissing Luke, almost as a thank you. Or they would get so close to having sex – or maybe just like a blow job, or hand job – but Ashton always stopped it, even when he was drunk, because his morals were different with Luke. Because, somehow, Luke was different.
Luke was not his girlfriend that he dated for three months and ad sex, and then they break up, or he cheats. He was not some one-night stand, groupie, or whatever. He was not just anyone. He was Luke Hemmings, his best friend since the band formed. He was supposed to be a brother, but brothers do not make-out – unless you are weird and kiss your brothers, but hey, whatever.
He was Lukey, he was special, not that he would mention it, or really think of it. He just knew it; he knew his feelings for him.
The first time he turned down Luke’s neediness to give Ashton a blow job, he noticed how sad Luke looked, and wanted to take it back, but, he wanted it right, it to be perfect. “No Lukey,” Ashton would say, taking his pants off still, but slowly cuddling into Luke, “We can’t do this, I’m sorry,” And he was, he was sorry, because he wanted to, so bad, but he wanted everything to be perfect. The timing at least.
“Okay,” Luke would reply, his voice sad, but he would smile, because it is as if he knew what Ashton was doing.
After that, things were more awkward, because when Luke would try to pull Ashton’s jeans down, Ashton would always stop him, and he would frown, but accept the cuddle.
“You two are weird,” Michael would comment, noticing how sometimes, Luke and Ashton were not together, but suddenly they were like LukeandAshton, and it all felt complicated. “Are you two…like a thing?” Michael questioned, curious why his two bandmates were sometimes too close, or not close enough.
“We’re not…exactly.” Luke answered, hesitating, because he wanted to be, but at the same time, he was okay with what they were.
“Oh,” Michael replied, dumbly, “Sounds complicated, “Michael would add, also dumbly. “Hey, so what if I was like…dating Calum, would that be too weird?” Michael asked, after a few seconds of silence, shocking the two boys.
“You’re dating Calum?” Luke asked, confused at what he was hearing. “Since when?” Luke added.
“Uh, a few months, three, um,” Michael stammered, confused why he even said that aloud. “We’re taking it slow, like, not doing things… Ya know…” Michael mumbled, his pale skin turning more red by the word.
“Oh, so you’re just like dating… Not like dating.” Ashton said, wiggling his eyebrows on the second dating.
“Yeah, we’ve really just been discussing it all, and kissing occasionally.” Michael replied, his cheeks still red. “He’s really cute about it.” Michael added, blushing more now.
“Aww, you two are cute.” Luke cooed, subconsciously cuddling more into Ashton.
“Yeah, we are.”
After that, there was a new tension in Luke and Ashton’s friendship-relationship-thing. If their two band mates were dating, why couldn’t they try?
Oh right, Ashton had problems with trying actual relationships. Because he always ruined them. He wasn’t romantic enough – he’s not going to lie, he wasn’t very romantic sometimes. He was too romantic – on his defense, she was not very romantic, like, at all. He was too cocky – he did not know how that was, because he thought he was very modest, but he was cocky for her. He was too flirty – he was always nice with other people, people he liked enough to talk to longer than two words. He was too quiet – what was she going on, he is loud. He laughed too much – excuse me, it was in his blood, not really, but whatever. He cheated – he would admit it was his worst of all break-ups, cheating.
His final one, he had more hook-ups than relationships, not that he had a long extensive list of relationships. He just had many different complaints after break-ups.
“Will you be my boyfriend?” Luke’s asked that question so many times, that Ashton lost count, and Ashton has said no in too many different ways to hate that Luke continued asking him anyway. Luke wasn’t giving up, especially now.
“Hi, so we’re new to this area, or this stage at least.” Luke said, introducing the gig of the night. “We’re 5 Seconds of Summer, if you didn’t know that.” Luke said, loving the sounds of laughter coming from the crowd now, and obviously, screams. “I’m Luke.” Luke said, moving away from the microphone, letting one of the other boys to talk.
But, before they could, Luke decided he wasn’t done.
“I’m sorry, I forgot to say something,” Luke said, “Sorry for interrupting your almost introduction Michael,” Luke apologized, as Michael moved away from his microphone now. “So you know our drummer, Ashton, right?” Luke asked, and waited for the loud screams of responses. “Okay, so I just wanted to ask him something before I forget,” Luke said, walking towards the drum set, where Ashton was sitting, and moved close to Ashton’s microphone so everyone could hear properly.
“Will you please be my boyfriend, now.” Luke asked, it did not sound very romantic, but he already asked ten different romantic ways before he got tired of how it sounded. He was impatient now. ”Please, I’m asking you in front of our fans, and I really hope this worked.” Luke ignored the boos from people who obviously hated the idea of romantic 5sos – ha, wait until you find out Malum’s real too.
“Hmm,” Ashton hummed, his face near Luke’s now, talking into the microphone, “I think you’ve waited long enough,” Ashton added, smiling more as he spoke, “So…yes.” And if Luke’s ever ran faster than he ran around the drum set to kiss Ashton, quickly, but passionately, he wouldn’t believe it.
“Thank god,” Luke said, pulling away, smiling brightly, and letting out a sigh. “I thought I was going to have to wait until you were married with kids to stop asking,” Luke teased.
“Hey, I wouldn’t let you keep asking me if I dated other people,” Ashton said, hitting Luke with one of his drumsticks.
Later that night, after the gig, Luke was cuddled against Ashton, smiling happily.
“So, Ash,” Luke mumbled, as he continued talking, he could feel Ashton’s gaze on him, “When are we going to do it?” Luke asked, a cheeky smile, as he hugged Ashton more.
“Soon.”