Lovesick Lullaby(A Lashton Short Story)

Ashton's wish.

A Lovesick lullaby.

Ashton was dying. There was no avoiding the inevitable. He had wished for this, in a literal sense. He wished upon a shooting star one late night, hoping that maybe, just maybe, this wish would finally come true.

For the young australian boy, his life was coming to a close. Slowly, but surely. Day by day the colours began to fade. Sounds started to be muffled and his vision blurred.

Ashton was not scared. He was ready to accept his fate. Dying this way was much easier than him trying to kill himself. There was one problem however, he was in love.

The gods have a code of sorts for death wishes like Ashton's.

The person cannot be in love, for true love bonds two souls and to kill one would kill the other.

Ashton was oblivious to this rule and his own feelings. He didn't know he was in love with someone. Sure, he had his fair share of crushes and small one night stands. But never once had he felt love. Until one day. The last day if his life.

The day had started off worse than any other day Ashton had been through. He awoke feeling lethargic and numb but there was something buried deep within the young boys' soul yearning to escape. Love.

It burned through his core. Ripped through his veins. Clouded his thoughts. The boy frantically ran around his small apartment desperately trying to find a cure for whatever it was he was feeling. But everywhere he looked there was a name written. Luke.

Written in bold red cursive writing, those four letters. At first, Ashton thought that at some point during the night, his bandmate Michael had vandalized his home and slipped some sort of drug into his system. But his theory was quickly tossed aside when he realized how neat and precise the calligraphy was.

'None of the boys can write that perfect' thought Ashton to himself. 'Maybe this is only just a dream. Maybe I'm imagining things. Maybe I'm just going crazy' The thoughts kept coming, invading the boys' brain.

He pinched himself on the arm hopping the small sharp pain would be enough to bring him to consciousness. It didn't work. Oddly enough, Ashton felt nothing. He did it over and over again, desperately trying to free himself from this, this nightmare.

"I wish I was beside you." A voice whispered in his ear. Ashton recognized the voice. Just barely. It belonged to one of his best friends; Luke Hemmings.

Suddenly, the pieces began to fit together. The burning desire, the writing and the whirlwind of thoughts.

They were all connected to Luke.

As if on cue, something invaded Ashton's mind taking control of every possible thought. "To die, you must first love. To die you must first realize your unreachable destiny. To die, you must kill."

The voice rang out in the boys' mind. It held such authority, as if, the mysterious voice dared Ashton to question the words that had been spoken.

In a quick stride, Ashton glided over to his phone that was resting on the small wooden table in his living room. He tried to pick it up. His hands ghosted right through it. The young boy began to panic.

He couldn't feel pain and he couldn't pick up his phone. What was going on?

"Y...you can't leave me my love. Please don't. If you die, I don't know what I would do." A small voice whispered in the air.

The sentence tore Ashton apart, it was Luke's voice again. He longed to reach out and comfort the fragile blond, but he couldn't.

'My love? What the hell is he talking about?' Ashton thought, a small puzzled expression sliding onto his face.

Then. He remembered. He remembered everything.

The fight. The kiss. The sex. The hate.

Everything he was trying to forget.

It came flooding back into his mind invading the space and taking control.

Ashton remembered the wish he made. The wish he had made to die. And now, he was regretting it. He yearned to hold Luke's small warm hand. Longed for the feeling of Luke's soft pink lips on his own.

He wanted it.

But he couldn't have it. Not anymore.

It was too late.

Too late for anyone to save Ashton. Even too late for Luke.

Ashton began feeling dizzy. He collapsed to the floor as a bright white light began to crowd his vision. The pressure growing on his lungs and the ability to take a breath stolen.

He heard crying as he flew into the light. He heard screams of pain and agony. The flat lining of a hospital monitor. In that moment, Ashton knew what happened.

His wish came true. He was dying.

But the one person who loved him was suffering.

'I'm sorry that I can't love you Luke. It's just not possible. You deserve more than I can give you. So much more. I promise that I would have loved you though. If things were different, we could have made everything work. I'm sorry.'

And with that final thought, he was gone. The sound of terror replaced with the sweet sound of the man he could have loved singing softly.

"How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
But watching you stand alone,
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.

One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more"

And as Ashton died he couldn't help but feel at peace knowing that Luke had loved him.