Chapter Text
“It’s one night out on the town, I don’t understand how that’s going to kill you.”
It wasn’t that Ashton didn’t want to go out. Because honestly, he did. It had been so long since he had gone out for a night with the lads, not having to worry about anything that was going on in his life.
Since work had picked up and he had been left swimming in contracts, meetings, and business calls that extended into his home life, he often found himself asleep on the couch before nine, a new record, even to his standards.
“It’s not going to kill me, I’m just exhausted. You don’t have endless meetings and contracts to go over and a tiny human to look after, Cal. You can have a lads night whenever you want.”
“Emmi is with a sitter for the night, you can come hang out after dinner. Michael said he met some guy at work who just moved here, he’s planning on bringing him to the pub to hang out with us for a bit, guess he wants to meet some people around here and get like a new friend group?” Calum had a knack of missing parts of conversations due to being distracted, just like he had in this moment, Ashton emitting a groan from his lips, his head falling into his hands.
“I’ll go, but just for tonight. No heavy drinking for me, I do still have the school run and work tomorrow morning.” Standing up from the table to set back off for work Calum couldn’t help but smile at his best friend, promising he’d be there at six to pick him up.
—
“You’re going to be good for Hayley, yes? No acting up, no throwing a fit when she tells you it’s bed time.” Standing in the bathroom of his Sydney condo Ashton worked on fixing his hair, his five year old daughter sat on the edge of the tub behind him, making up a story with her Barbies to pass the time.
“Yes, Daddy,” A groan escaped her lips, her head falling back.
“Ember Marie, I’m being serious. I don’t want to hear that you acted up.”
“Okay,” She nodded, walking over to him and stepping up on the stool she used to reach the sink, tugging on Ashton’s leather jacket to grab his attention.
“Are you going out with Uncle Calum?”
“I am, and a few of his friends. Remember Michael?” While Ashton had hung out with Michael fairly often Emmi hadn’t really gotten to know the man, instead meeting him briefly when they would come to pick Ashton up for dinner or a different event that he needed to be at with them.
A knock on the door swiftly interrupted the conversation the two of them were having, Emmi’s eyes widening as she ran down the hall, Ashton hearing the door open just a few seconds later.
“Ember, you know that we don’t open the door if we don’t know who it is.” Appearing in the family room where Emmi sat perched in Calum’s lap, she looked back, biting her lip.
“But it was Uncle Cal!”
“Yes, but you didn’t know that when you first opened the door.”
“Your dad is right, Emmi bear, just because it was me doesn’t mean it will be me every time.” Calum interjected, Emmi sighing in defeat as she nodded, muttering an apology as she fell against Calum’s chest.
—
“He told me he would be here by now. Should’ve known he was going to be late like normal.” Glancing at his phone again Calum took another swig of his beer, Ashton taking a much slower approach to the drink sat in front of him that Calum had insisted he had.
“Come on Ash, lighten up. You’re going to be such a buzzkill if you sit here and mope about, you know? It’s good to let loose once in a while, especially when you never really do it.” Calum had been the one friend that understood Ashton, the two of them having been friends from their grade school days.
“There they are!” Standing up to greet Michael and the boy he had brought along had caused Ashton to break out of his trance, turning to greet his mate as he caught a glance of the boy walking just behind him.
Ashton didn't believe in falling in love at first sight, but he was almost positive his heart was preparing to beat out of his chest.
“Cal, Ash, this is my mate Luke. He just started working down at the shop with me, figured I’d bring him on a night out, get him some more mates in Sydney.” Calum stepped forward first to shake his hand, Ashton forcing himself to do the same.
“Nice to meet you.” He stuttered out, praying that it was just the heat of the pub making him feel flushed, and his cheeks weren’t actually turning as red as they felt.
—
It had been three hours and a handful of drinks later before Ashton realized what time it was, his hazy eyes glancing at his phone.
“Oh my god, when did it get this late? I’ve got meetings in the morning that I’d prefer to not be hungover at.” Pressing his hands to the wood table Ashton made a slow effort to move, feeling the effects of the alcohol he had been putting in his system for the past few hours.
It wasn’t that things hadn’t been going well, because honestly, they had. He had managed to get his beating heart and his nerves under control fairly quickly, falling into a comfortable conversation with the lads, learning more about Luke and his life since he had moved to Sydney.
The goodbyes were quick and left with a promise from Ashton that he would do this again soon, although they all knew it was his drunken stupor talking. Ashton argued that he wasn’t drunk, because he definitely wasn’t. He was planning on calling it tipsy.
Taking a taxi home Ashton just barely managed to pay Hayley for babysitting that night, popping back an ibuprofen and bringing a bottle of water with him to bed, collapsing under the sheets with ease after plugging his phone in, realizing he was about to get five hours of sleep, if he was lucky.