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They were wide-eyed primary school children, their view of the world still very much like a vast, wondrous playground rather than an actual space to function as human beings with responsibilities they much later came to discover they had to carry on their shoulders, just like their boring parents and uncles and aunts and everyone else.
They were also two boys destined to meet and form a strong mutual bond over their enthusiasm for superheroes.
The story of how they’d met was relatively easy to narrate - Luke had been that quiet new kid doodling away in the secluded corner of the turmoil that was their school playground and Ashton was the self-elected head of the non-existent welcoming committee, approaching the former with a display of blinding white teeth and a jolly voice that would have put Santa Claus to shame.
"Hi, Luke!" Ashton plopped down next to the tiny boy, whose hair was blonde and wispy, the look on his face somewhat intimidated by Ashton’s huge presence.
"Hello," Luke replied, barely heard over the hum-drum of the incredibly noisy playground. A smash of glass could he heard and whilst Luke started turning around to see what had happened in panic, Ashton didn’t even bat an eyelash at the piercing sound.
"Happens all the time," Ashton shrugged. His wide brown eyes peered down on the colouring book open on Luke’s lap, and his mouth dropped open. "Wooow, you like the Justice League, too?" His hands were itching to reach for the book to get a closer look, but he restrained himself because he’d just learned that day that snatching things is rude.
Luke nodded, smiling shyly up at Ashton. “I like Batman.”
"I like everything," Ashton gushed, "I have a garage full of boxes with costumes for me and my friends to play in. Would you like to come over after school and join us?" The look on his face is earnest, and Luke’s almost bewildered that he’d wound up with a friend at this new place so soon. His mother would be thrilled at his apparent progress in the social spectrum.
"Okay," Luke said, and on that day he met Calum and Michael, two of Ashton’s boisterous group of friends, played away till his little feet were sore and later crashed into bed thinking he’d had the best day of his life ever, smile still ghosted on his face even as he slept off.
It is only today that Luke remembers that very special day.
Ashton’s sitting opposite of him, tapping out a consistent cadence with a pen on the table as they wait for the inspiration to drive in for their new song. Since it appears that two of them have hit the writing wall, Luke forms an idea in his head, having remembered how happy he’d felt on that day when they’d ran around as careless children in mini-sized costumes of DC and Marvel characters alike.
"Hey, Ashton?"
The tapping stops and Ashton’s pulled out of his stupor. “Yeah?”
"I have an idea."
And that is how it starts - a few days later Luke, Ashton, Calum and Michael end up in their superhero costumes (Batman, Robin, Captain America and Spiderman respectively), doing a spectacular job at reliving their childhood memories as they walk around town and have eyes trailed onto them in their ridiculous outfits, but it is the very feeling of pretending that runs their imagination wild again. After a long day out, they feel a little better and decide to head back into the studio the very next day to write more potential songs for their new and upcoming album.
"I think it sort of fits all of us, though?" Ashton remarks over dinner that night, "Michael would be a good spiderman, I reckon."
"But Calum’s hardly American," Michael laughs, fiddling with the chopsticks that come with the chinese takeaway they’d ordered.
"Heroic citizen, looks to die for, what more do you want?" Calum says, wiggling his eyebrows, "I fit the criteria very well, if i say so myself."
The other boys snort with laughter and after a long argument over Calum’s questionable qualities as a superhero, they head off to their rooms, ready to sleep away till noon the next day.
Luke lies in bed, scrolling through his twitter feed through half-lidded eyes and there’s a knock on his door, which he doesn’t respond to. He’s used to the boys barging in without his permission, so he expects whoever it is behind that door to come in even without his acknowledgment.
The door indeed then opens, and Ashton’s head pops out tentatively, calling out, “Lukey?”
"Mhmm?" Luke answers lazily, still leaning against the headboard of the bed and eyes locked on his screen.
"I just…" Ashton trails off, "I just want to thank you for today. like, you know, it was your idea, so." He’s now fully standing in the doorway, awkwardly fumbling with his hands.
"I was thinking about that day when you asked me over, actually," Luke puts down his phone and stares at Ashton being unusually coy.
"I remembered that, too," Ashton admits. "I think I had a mini crush on you back then, to be honest." He’s laughing nervously, and Luke’s smiling back.
"You should be Robin all the time," Luke says, yawning and patting the spot on the bed next to him as an invitation. He figures he could use a cuddle buddy for tonight.
Ashton closes the door behind him, and crawls onto the bed like a toddler. He sidles up next to Luke and rests his head on his shoulder.
"Only if you’re Batman."