EGL // lashton

fifty two

"Fine" Michael mumbled, standing up to walk away, but Ashton stood up quickly to stop him. Michael turned and looked at him with an exasperated look on his face, making Ashton grow irritated once again.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? I get that you're bitter about the fact that I'm leaving, but I guessed you'd be at least a bit fucking happy about the fact that I'm alive and Luke is as well"

"I am. It's just really fucking depressing to know that at age 5 I couldn't stop my own mother from leaving, and at age 17 I still fucking can't stop my best friend from leaving me as well" Michael mumbled, causing Ashton's grip around his wrist to tighten.

"You're so fucking unfair, Michael" Ashton said and shook his head in frustration. "What am I supposed to do? Choose?"

Michael breathed out a chuckle. "I'm not stupid. Why would I let you choose when I already know what you're going to do?"

Ashton breathed harshly in and out through his nose, his grip around Michael's wrist dropping as he shoved the boy away. "Then if you know, why are you trying to prevent it? If it's so fucking obvious I want to leave, why are you trying to keep me here?"

"Are you really asking me that question?" Michael snapped, shoving Ashton as well until the older boy's back met the wall. "Is it that unbelievable to you that a friend can actually care about you? Even though you don't give a shit about me doesn't mean I don't give a shit about you!"

"If you care so fucking much why are you trying to keep me from a place where I will actually live and be happy for once in my life?" Ashton argued back, jabbing a finger in Michael's scarred chest.

"I'm not keeping you away!"

"You were digging through my stuff to hide all these things!" Ashton yelled, pointing at the envelope and note lying on the bed.

"No! I was digging through your stuff to find your pill!"

It grew quiet after Michael's words, their loud argument leaving heavy breaths as Ashton looked at Michael with furrowed eyebrows while the younger boy was looking down at the floor. Michael huffed out a broken laugh before turning around to leave once again. Ashton caught his arm just like the last time, keeping him in place while not saying a word.

Ashton's grip on Michael was tight to make sure the boy would not walk away from him. As soon as Michael gave up the struggle and slumped his shoulders, Ashton released his hold on him and slowly turned Michael around.

"You what?" Ashton asked, his quiet voice the opposite compared to how it had been only seconds before.

Michael shrugged, a careless look on his face as he slowly walked over and sat down on Ashton's bed. He picked up the note with Luke's scribbles on it and let his fingertips play with the edges of it.

"I honestly didn't know about any of this stuff. I didn't know about Luke, none of us did. When I read it I was really fucking shocked, I swear," he started, his tongue running over his bottom lip as he furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "I was never out to get these things, I'm sure Ty had a plan about it all for you. Though, he wasn't there to stop me, he never will be now, and I was the one having to break this shit to you"

Ashton stood still against the wall, listening to Michael intently while letting his eyes study him as carefully as he could. He slowly crossed his arms over his chest, still feeling Michael's aggravated touch after shoving him before.