golden boy ✩ mashton ☑️

Prologue: Pilot

*trigger warning* 

You see, Ashton Irwin came from a wealthy family. He came from a family who would always get what they wanted, no matter what. He came from a family that gave him whatever he wanted just to prove that they cared.

Ashton wasn't stupid.

The boy knew his parents only got him things so that they didn't have to listen to him complain. Ashton wasn't spoilt. At least, on the inside. He didn't want his parents buying his love and happiness.

He wanted real love.

Not just family love, he wanted someone to love him. He wanted a relationship where they could cuddle, watch movies, even whisper sweet nothings into the other's ear while they were drifting off to sleep.

To other people, Ashton was just the spoilt rich kid who got whatever he wanted. He didn't blame them for thinking that. He technically was, however, he didn't want to be. He wanted to be loved. Not the 'love' he already got at school. They didn't care about him, all's they cared about was his reputation.

Ashton was the golden boy.

_

Calum looked up, panting heavily and wiped a stray hair away from his sweaty forehead. He was one kick away from winning the soccer game and so he looked away from the crowd in the bleachers and kept his focus on the goal.

Titling his head each side to crack his neck, he squinted and finally kicked the ball as hard as he could. Next thing he knew, the crowd jumped up and roared. Calum's team mates rushed over to him, giving him 'manly' hugs and slapped him rather hard across the back.

The boy smiled, looking at his happy team mates until he saw something, or rather someone. Calum frowned, seeing a boy with curly brown hair in the distance looking upset and distressed as he shoved another boy away from him.

The other boy looked angry and Calum gasped as he saw him push the boy with curly hair against the metal at the back of one of the bleachers. The raven-haired boy pushed away from his team mates and ran over to the two boys.

"Is there a problem here?" Calum urged, crossing his arms. The boy instantly let go of the curly-haired boy and quickly rushed off. Calum's eyes softened when seeing the boy wipe a tear. As he began to walk off, Calum furrowed his eyebrows.

"Aren't you at least gonna thank me?" Calum pressed, causing the boy to turn around. He looked about the same age as Calum, maybe even older but he couldn't help but notice the bracelets that went all up and down both arms. When he caught Calum looking, he wrapped his arms around himself self consciously.

"Uh- sorry.. thanks.." When the boy turned around again to walk away, Calum couldn't help but feel the need to keep talking to him.

"Well- Uh- what's your name?" Calum stuttered out.

"Ashton Irwin." Calum thought back to a time he walked past him in the hallway at school.

"I'm Calum Hood. Um, I think I've seen you around at school before.." Ashton's eyes widened, instantly panicked.

"What?" Ashton yelped in shock, walking backwards slowly. "Y-you can't tell anyone that you saw me here, p-please- don't tell!"

"Hey, it's okay," Calum said soothingly. "I won't tell." Ashton nodded slowly, flinching when a clap of thunder was heard and started running off, leaving Calum standing there bewildered.

_

Ashton stared at the ceiling, lips trembling and hands shaking as he heard the sounds of shattering glass coming from down stairs. As his parents kept yelling and screaming at one another, Ashton rolled over, examining the fresh cuts he had made earlier that day.