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Ashton and Luke both busted through the front door, Luke's legs tightly around the older mans hips and finger nails digging into his broad shoulders, open mouths connected and messily kissing. Ashton kicked the door with his foot, letting it fall closed lightly; his neighbors on either side of the apartment were only old couples anyway. They wouldn't mind if Ashton's door was left open, they'd probably close it for him out of politeness. He kept his hands on Luke's ass, carrying him over to the sofa and letting them both fall over the arm rest so they lay down; he didn't want to have to maneuver around the the table next to the sofa. He pushed his tongue into Luke's mouth, taking the lead.
It had shamefully been going on a while, a 25 year old man having relations with his 17 year old male student. Since Luke was 16 and Ashton hadn't even meant for it to be a one time thing, never mind recurring. One day, after messing around for far longer than he'd like to admit, he woke up next to Luke and just asked him out properly. They were already in too deep by that point anyway. Luke was far from legal, still is, and Ashton is....well, 8 years older than him. It could've happened to anybody, maybe.
Not that he would admit it, but Ashton was in love. Very much in love with a blond boy he taught literature to on a daily basis and fucked every other. The world is a vicious place. Said boy curled his hand into Ashton's hair, pulling the older man's mouth onto his neck and stretching his head back. Ashton latched and began sucking. He was so content, constantly paranoid but content. Luke was everything to him, and nobody even knew it. Nobody even knew they talked to each other other than the odd 'you got a B+, well done.' Ashton knew Luke didn't need to tweak his grades, Luke was an amazing student, his smart boy and Ashton sometimes wondered why Luke kept coming back to him, kept texting him and showing up at his house with a charming smile and bright eyes. Fuck, Ashton was so gone, it was wrong. Literally wrong. Illegal.
Ashton was suddenly lying against the back of the sofa, Luke straddling him and nuzzling into his neck with a hot tongue. "You're thinking too much," Luke gasped out as an explanation. "What're you thinking about?" Luke's bright eyes locked with his own, the piercing blue captivating Ashton for a split second like usual before he found his voice.
"Your shirt being off." Luke's face broke out into a beaming smile and his eyes seemed to sparkle for a small amount of time before his arms were lifted, giving Ashton access to remove it himself. He didn't waste time, leaning up and immediately pulling the fabric over Luke's upper half. Luke pressed forward then, making Ashton's back hit the couch with a thud as their lips connected again. Ashton was still grasping the fabric of the shirt in his hand.
Luke still had months in school, 8 to be exact and Ashton still had his whole career ahead of him. Thousands of things could go wrong with the situation but Ashton was hopeful. They'd been doing it a year, 8 months was nothing. There was always that small paranoia in the back of his mind though, reminding him that his life could be taken away in seconds in anyone were to see this. He'd lose his job, go to jail for- for pedophilia, Ashton cringed at the thought of it, but with the blond grinding his hips down and kissing him all over, distorting his mind and his thoughts, Ashton just kissed harder and told himself that this was worth it. Worth the risk. He curled his muscled arms around Luke, squeezing the boy into him further and lifting his hips for the friction.
"Hey, Ash. The door- whoa!" Ashton panicked, throwing Luke off of him and hearing a loud, sharp thud followed by a cry of pain. He looked towards the door of his apartment in panic- why the fuck didn't he close the door, to see his younger best friend of a few years, Calum and his boyfriend, Michael Clifford; who by some sort of twisted fate also happened to be in one of Ashton's classes. The same one as Luke. Nothing was said for a few seconds, just gawping and judgmental looks.
"I'm bleeding- oh god, I'm bleeding." Ashton turned at the sound of his boyfriends voice, seeing his shirtless body sprawled across the wooden table next to the couch, hand full of blood and clutching his head. Luke was looking back at him and crying. "You threw me at a fucking table, Ashton! What the fuck?!"
"Shit, I am so-" Ashton cut himself off as Luke lifted his head to glare at him, a line of blood running down his forehead.
"That doesn't look good." Calum murmured finally, catching Luke's attention. Luke looked up at him blankly before his face paled when he caught sight of Michael standing next to him. "How old are you?" Calum finally asked Luke with furrowed eyebrows. Luke turned back to him, unable to lie because Michael knew the true answer anyway. He didn't say anything.
"That- Luke, I think I need to take you to a hospital." Ashton cut in, staring at Luke's blond hair that was quickly tangling with blood and turning red. Luke looked back at him, eyes wide and lips drawn into a thin line.
"You think? You think you need to take me to a hospital? You threw me at a table!"
"...or did you fall down the stairs?" Ashton asked him with a hopeful smile. The side of Luke's lips turned up for the smallest of moments, Ashton only catching it in the corner of his eye before it was gone again and the nasty scowl was back in its place.
"Get your keys, asshole. You're fucking carrying me to the car." Ashton scrambled up from the couch, jumping over the back and running down the hallway, disappearing. Luke looked at the new face and Michael in the doorway and groaned, laying back against the wood. "Fuck." He whispered to himself. "Who the fuck doesn't close their own door?!" He called out to Ashton, a snarl in his tone of voice. He cupped his head again, scrunching his eyes closed when feeling a shooting pain and the mild buzz of a headache.
"Should we... like go to the hospital with them?" Luke heard Michael ask quietly.
"Yeah." Calum deadpanned and Luke wanted to just pass out already. This was bad, very very bad.
Ashton ran back into the room, his black jumper in hand; the one that he knew Luke loved and his keys and phone in the other.
"Ash?" Luke asked timidly. Ashton turned to him, obviously in a state of panic. "Will you get my phone and earphones?" Luke could sense the question of their whereabouts already coming. "Charging in the kitchen." Ashton nodded and ran off to get them again, throwing the jumper at Luke before he left. Luke caught it in one hand, squeezing his eyes shut as he sat up and tried to pull it over his head. He sighed and dropped it next to him, looking at the kitchen as Ashton walked out. Michael and the other boy were still staring and Luke could feel it. Ashton shrugged on his own jacket as he walked over to Luke and knelt down in front of him. Luke rolled his eyes, holding his hands above his head and letting Ashton softly pull the jumper over him. "I fucking- can't right now." Luke whispered to him, out of earshot of the other two boys. Ashton locked eyes with him as he straightened out the piece of clothing onto Luke.
"It'll be okay, yeah? Let's just get your pretty little head sorted and then we'll deal with the bigger issues." Ashton whispered back. Luke nodded, pathetically wiping his eyes and putting his arms around Ashton's neck. Ashton grabbed his legs as he stood up, letting Luke cling to him. "I'm guessing you're coming to the hospital?" Ashton asked Calum, feeling Luke's head tuck into his neck and blood start to run down his collarbone. Luke was bleeding bad and Ashton was freaking out. He grabbed Luke's phone, earphones wrapped around it and his own before juggling his keys in the same hand and walking out of the apartment door. Calum and Michael followed him, waiting as he locked the door to the apartment. "Luke?" Ashton whispered quietly, not feeling him move.
"What dickhead?" Luke's voice was murmured and restless. Ashton smiled slightly despite wanting to cry. He'd done this.
"Don't fall asleep on me, yeah?" Ashton nudged his head into Luke's, checking his door was locked before speed walking down the hallway and then reaching the stairs, Calum and Michael still behind him and practically breathing down his neck. "You still awake?" He asked Luke, making his way down the first flight.
Luke hummed.
"Words, Luke." Ashton demanded, speeding up slightly.
"Fuck, off." Ashton giggled. That was his boy. "You're so lucky." Ashton didn't even know what Luke meant but he was nodding his head anyway. Lucky to have Luke. Lucky Luke didn't seem to be bleeding as much. Lucky he was in love with someone so amazing.
"I know I am."
They got outside of the apartment complex, Ashton running straight over to his car, a range rover and clicking it unlocked. He didn't need to tell Calum and Michael to get in the back as he pulled open the passenger seat and carefully placed Luke in, buckling him up.
Luke blinked back at him sleepily, a small smile on his lips. Ashton couldn't help but smile back before he was closing Luke's door and going over to his own side, slamming the door closed behind him and starting up the car.
"Put your seatbelt on." Luke told him groggily and Ashton happily obliged, pulling it around his body and clicking it into place. He glanced in the mirror at Calum and Michael, making sure they were strapped in before putting the car in reverse and pulling out of his parking space. Luke shuffled, turning so his head so resting against the chair but he was facing Ashton, a small smile on his face at Ashton's frantic expression. "Chill."
Ashton glanced at the blond before looking back to the road and continuing to drive. Luke hummed in acceptance of his ignorance, staring at Ashton's side profile before feeling his eyes get heavy and letting them drift closed.
"Luke?" He forced his eyes open again, looking at Ashton. He was frowning, trying to focus on the road but trying to keep Luke's attention so he wouldn't go to sleep. "Talk to me."
"Stop worrying," Luke yawned, fluttering his eyes to try and keep them open. "Worry too much."
"You worry too little." Ashton replied without looking away from the road. Thank god there wasn't any traffic.
"One of us has to be the immature one. Got the age part down." Luke joked and Ashton glanced at Luke and shook his head before focusing back on the road. Luke always said Ashton's age didn't bother him, but he was insecure about being too young for Ashton, too immature. Ashton just loved him."Oh, lighten up. Joking." Luke let his eyes close, taking deep breaths and trying not to fall asleep.
"Keep talking. Almost there." Ashton told him. Luke hummed.
"You have pretty hair," Ashton laughed. "Yeah, funny now. If they shave mine off, yours goes too." Ashton turned to glare at Luke, seeing his eyes closed.
"Open your eyes." Luke whined loudly. "Do it, Luke." Luke did, looking around but only seeing blurriness.
"Can't." He choked. "Phone Jack."
"Jack?" Ashton asked. Jack, Luke's brother who had moved hundreds of miles away. "Who- you mean Ben. Ben. Oh my god. Ben's going to kill me." Luke's other brother, otherwise known as one of Ashton's closest friends and the reason Ashton and Luke are even together in the first place. Ben was going to gauge Ashton eyes out the second Ashton had the word 'Luke' out of his mouth. "Okay." Ashton pulled into the hospital car park, skidding into the first free space and jumping out of the car, forgetting about Calum and Michael until he saw them getting out too. He pulled the keys out of the ignition, slamming his door and rushing to get Luke. As soon as Ashton undid Luke's seatbelt, the blond was making weak grabby arms for him, mumbling. Ashton wrapped Luke's legs around his waist and let Luke drape his arms over his shoulders. "Stay awake for me, baby." Ashton whispered to him and Lukes eyes fluttered open for a brief second before shutting again.
Ashton locked his car, letting Michael and Calum fall into step next to him and he speedily walked towards the Accidents and Emergency department.
"I love you, Ash." Ashton faltered in his step, not sure if he heard the mumble against his neck right. "Like, a lot." Ashton started to walk again, faster.
"I love you too." He whispered to him, hoping Calum couldn't here being so close to them. Probably wishful thinking. "I'm so sorry." Ashton felt Luke gently kiss his neck innocently. He finally got to the department, a doctor rushing up to them after seeing the blood covering Luke's head.
"What happened?" He put his hand on Luke's head, the blond lifting up slightly to talk before Ashton could.
"Fell down the stairs." Luke muttered. "Hurts." Ashton's eyes widened at his blatant lie. He wasn't actually serious about telling them that, he was willing to face the consequences. The doctor was already pulling on Ashton's arms though, leading them all to a room.
"It looks like it's all drying now but we'll still have to do some minor tests. You can all stay in the room. He's probably just a little drowsy from blood loss. What's his name?"
"Luke Hemmings." Ashton answered immediately.
"Birthday?"
"July 16th, 96." Ashton answered just as quickly.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Relation?"
"Close friend." He nodded, seemingly not caring and instead motioned for Ashton to lay Luke on the bed. Ashton did so, grimacing when Luke's hair brushed blood against his chin. Ashton watched in silence as the doctor started to maul with Luke, twisting his head and pulling his hair in different directions.
"Yeah, it's already clotting. He's going to be fine, he'll have headaches for a few days and probably feel lightheaded but he's fine. Nasty fall." he doctor told Ashton. "I'll prescribe some pain medication. He can leave in a few hours just to make sure it isn't still bleeding." The doctor walked out of the room and Ashton pulled out his phone, sending Ben a quick text instead of phoning him.
"See," Luke groggily stated, half asleep. "Worrying over nothing."
"Go to sleep." Ashton told him, smiling at his tired frame before frowning at the floor. Luke hummed and turned so he could face his boyfriend. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the buzz of his headache.
"He's seventeen." Calum stated, looking at Luke and then back at Ashton with wide eyes. He held up seven fingers in front of him, showing everyone that he'd obviously just worked out Luke's age from his birthday. "He's practically a child!"
"No he isn't!" Ashton defended immediately because he was not a pedophile. No. Ashton would never do anything like that, Luke was only a few months shy of the legal age.
"It's still illegal." Calum retorted.
"You have no idea." Michael whispered as an agreement and Ashton wanted to fucking strangle him. Calum didn't need to know all of the highly illegal details.
"What?" Calum asked Michael softly. "There's more?"
"Luke's in my class." The one that Ashton teaches, didn't need to be added. Calum knew that. Calum stood up quickly, stalking over to Ashton and painfully digging a hand into his shoulder.
"Can I talk to you outside?" Ashton stood up before a voice was stopping him.
"No," Luke muttered, eyebrows scrunched and a frown on his face. "Stay." Ashton was fucking whipped. He sat back down, dropping into his seat like a sack of potatoes and shrugging Calum's hand from his shoulder, putting all his attention back onto the blond.
"Oh my god," Calum said, staring at Ashton. "You're going to be in jail for the rest of your life. What are you doing?" Ashton shrugged, dejectedly looking at floor. Calum sort of looked like a parent scolding his child. "Ash, I'm not standing by this, it's wrong on so many levels."
"Michael's seventeen." Ashton whispered, glancing at Calum's boyfriend, Luke's classmate. Michael had no idea what to do. He was still processing the idea of the shy blond who sat next to him in class hooking up with their teacher.
"I'm twenty! You're twenty-five. Are you seeing the issue?!" Calum yelled. "This could literally destroy your entire life."
"I know that." Ashton stated. He'd known the consequences when he first saw Luke in his classroom a few weeks after they'd first slept together. It started off so innocently.
"How the fuck-" Calum started but he was cut off when a man slammed open the door, rushing into the room and grabbing Ashton's cheeks.
"I have arrived." Ben stated, looking into Ashton's eyes. Luke's family could be a little full on. Ben looked over to Luke, taking in the sight of the blood. "What happened?"
"Fell down the stairs." Luke croaked urgently, apparently still awake. Ben looked at Luke and back at Ashton, raising one eyebrow.
"I accidentally threw him at a table." Ashton admitted softly. Everyone who knew Luke knew that he wasn't at all accident prone so Ashton didn't have any room to lie.
"That's a lot more believable." Ben walked over to Luke, kneeling beside him and watching his eyes softly flutter open. "I warned you about his clumsiness."
"I'm not that bad-" Ashton protested only to be cut off.
"When we were in college, you accidentally stapled your finger to a door." Ben reminded him. Ashton's cheeks started to go red.
"I was having a stressful day."
"You also had a criminal record because you accidentally threw your shoe at an armed police officer." Ben argued.
"Leave 'im alone, Benji. You're no better." Luke argued softly, a yawn following the statement. Ashton stared at him fondly, a small smile of his face.
"Ew. Love." Ben scrunched his face up. Ben, despite knowing Ashton's age, had set the two up over a year ago. A year and four months, if Ashton's math is correct, and Ben had insisted that despite the age difference they would be perfect for each other. He wasn't wrong.
"You're just sad and alone." Ashton muttered, looking at Luke's weak smile before glancing back at Ben.
"Anyway, why did I walk in on yelling?" Ben asked Calum pointedly.
"I'm Ashton's best friend and he didn't tell me he was dating a 17 year old student of his." Calum scuffed his shoe against the floor, looking angry still. Michael sat timidly behind him, arms folded in his lap. Ashton knew the situation must've been a little weird for him. Ben snorted.
"Ashton doesn't tell anybody anything." Ashton also hated that living with Ben in a dorm for 4 years gave Ben the privilege of reading Ashton like a book. "How long have you guys been friends?"
"Like three years?" Calum answered, unsure of why that was being asked. Ben snorted again.
"I've known him seven, lived with him for the first four and he's been dating my brother for-"
"Don't tell him that." Ashton cut in pointedly. Ben smiled at him, respecting his wishes. What Ashton and Luke wanted to keep to themselves was their business and Ben respected that. Luke was still his baby brother and Ashton was practically already a brother-in-law.
"Point is, he still doesn't tell me shit." Ben declared. He looked at Luke, seeing the boys pursed lips and tightly shut eyes. He was still awake.
"How long have you been dating Luke?" Calum asked him, eyebrows furrowed in the middle as if all of this was some sort of alien concept to him.
"Long enough to know that I can throw him at a table and he won't leave me." Ashton smiled and it was one of those true, charming smiles with dimples that had everyone in the room pausing for a second. Ashton was so bloody whipped, it was unreal.
"I could totally leave you." Luke muttered.
"Course you could, sweetheart." Ashton teased with a degrading tone. Luke was just as whipped as Ashton, they both knew that. Ben knew it more than anyone. Having your brother date your best friend can lead to walking in on conversations, kissing and...well, you can guess. Ben's heard a lot and seen too much.
"Could totally leave you," Luke whispered. "I won't because that'd be fucking moronic but I totally could... I think. Ugh, why do I love you." Luke turned his head into the bed, closing his eyes and trying to sleep again. All he wanted to do in the car was sleep but now the pain has set in and Luke's too involved in listening to the conversation around him.
"So you're in love with a seventeen year old. That's... I'll slowly come to terms with it. Mikey won't tell anyone. Jesus, does this make me an accomplice to this crime?" Calum ranted.
"Probably." Ashton shrugged and he was back to staring at Luke. His lovely, little Luke. God, Ashton was whipped.