EGL // lashton

five

"I don't know," Luke shrugged before slowly inching his hand closer to Ashton's hand on his leg. Luke hesitated before placing his hand over Ashton's lightly and he felt how Ashton very lightly moved his hand to get away, but relaxed soon after. "But I'd like for you to tell me"

Ashton wasn't afraid of Luke, he wasn't afraid of anyone. Luke was a blip in his system though. He had never had anyone so close to him and someone who tried to care about him this much.

He pushed away people as fast as he could so he would never get close to anyone. Ashton was so confused now when Luke had succeed to break through all the obstacles Ashton had put up and had gotten closer than anyone has ever done emotionally.

"There's nothing to tell more than that you're young and you staying around me will hurt you. The things that has happened since you first met me are nothing compared to what could happen" Ashton said, feeling his fingers twitch for touch under Luke's small hand.

"Why do you keep telling me that?" Luke asked, his eyes roaming Ashton's wounded face for an explanation.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt"

Luke frowned before moving slightly closer to the edge of his bed, making him move closer to Ashton as well. He moved his hands away from Ashton's and brought them up to the older boy's shoulders, playing with his shirt slightly.

"I won't get hurt"

"How are you so sure of that?" Ashton asked, raising one eyebrow in question.

"Because you will protect me" Luke said confidently, like he just knew Ashton would do that for him. Luke certainty surprised Ashton, making him sit quietly and only look at the blonde.

"You will protect me like you did by the harbor, when you stayed to find me and to keep me alive" Luke said. His voice made it sound like he adored the older boy, like he was some kind of hero and Ashton just wanted to shut Luke up.

Ashton was nothing like a hero. He was everything that a hero was not, but hearing Luke speak so highly of him made him feel proud. Ashton wanted to do and be everything Luke said but he couldn't.

With the life Ashton had, how would he be able to keep an eye out for his guys, Luke and himself? He knew the guys could easily take care of themselves, but they were a team, a family, and it was his duty to protect them. But he felt some kind of need to keep an eye out for Luke all the time, to always make sure he was smiling and living.

"Why are you fighting so hard to be close to me?" Ashton asked and slowly started caressing the younger boy's thighs up and down innocently.

"Because I like you" The words were so simple for Luke. He spoke them out loud and then shrugged, like the words were nothing, but to Ashton they were everything.

No one like Ashton. He's unsure if even the guys at home really like him. Ashton himself doesn't like him. He was an asshole, an idiot and a criminal, why would anyone like him?

Luke was too happy and positive for his own good. To know that the young boy had met a cold blooded murderer and started to take a liking to him was dangerous. Just because Luke was so positive, he had hidden all the bad things about Ashton far away and only kept to good ones close.

Problem was, there were thousands of bad things and only a few good, but Luke took good care of all the good he had seen so far and he knew that there would be so many more.

He hoped so anyway.

"No you don't Luke, you just like the thought of me. If you saw the real me and the life I live you wouldn't like me" Ashton argues though he just wanted to stay quiet.