The Big Apple / 5SOS AU

1.5

Everyday, after Ashton finished his shift, he made his way to Elsa's record store so he could play the drums. He had learned many songs ever since he realized he had a talent. Elsa loved listening to Ashton while she worked. Sometimes she caught herself staring at his facial expressions while he banged the hell out of his kit.

"Is that your boyfriend?" A customer asked Elsa as she scanned items while watching Ashton. A small smile made its way on to her face. She softly shook her head.

"No. He's just an amazing friend." She responded. The question made her head spin a little. Her thoughts entered an undiscovered path.

"My shift is over, Ash." Elsa was always disappointed when she had to tell Ash that she had finished her work time for the day.

"Okay..." He stood up, placed the sticks back on the shelf and followed Elsa out of the store.

"We should meet up with Cal at Toys R Us and go out for dinner." Elsa suggested. Ashton agreed so they made their way into the five-story Toys R Us in Times Square.

"Cal!" Ashton waved at Calum who was hard at work in Scoops R Us on the lowest level of the store. Once Calum quickly finished up his shift, he walked over to the pair.

"Dinner?"

"Let's do it." The three of them headed over to the Shake Shack where they grabbed six burgers, six black & white milkshakes and eight loads of fries to bring back to the apartment. They bought six burgers just in case Mary Kate was at the apartment. Each of them held two bags and at least one drink when they left Shake Shack. They raced the few blocks to their apartment and walked up the six sets of stairs to reach the correct floor. Calum grabbed his key from his back pocket and shoved it in the door.

Luke and Mary Kate were cuddled on the sofa watching TV while Michael was probably still working. Elsa put Michael's shake in the freezer and left his burger and some fries on the counter. She found it odd that on every Monday, Michael would take the late shift.

Mary Kate left after she and Luke fed each other by ripping off pieces of their burger and putting it in the other's mouth. Calum and Elsa found it extremely disgusting. Ashton was jealous. He wanted a relationship like that. Not necessarily that cheesy but a relationship.

Elsa, Luke, Calum, and Ashton were sitting in the living room watching Friends.

"Why do you think Michael is always taking the late shift on Mondays? He doesn't take it any other day of the week." Elsa brought up randomly.

"I was wondering the same thing actually. I just didn't want to be the one to bring it up." Calum was the only one to reply. "Do you guys know?"

Both Ashton and Luke shook their heads, too engrossed in the show to have a conversation.

"Maybe there's more customers on Mondays?"

"Why don't you just ask him when he gets back?"

"I don't know. It'll seem like I'm snooping."

"No, it won't. Just ask him why he takes the late shift on Mondays. It's only an hour and a half later."

"Okay."

Elsa got off work at around seven in the afternoon. Michael's shift usually ends at eight at night. When he takes the late shift, he comes home at around ten to ten-thirty at night. Elsa thought about bringing Michael's food to him.

"I'm going to go to the video game store and bring Michael his food so he doesn't have to wait until ten." Elsa announced as she left the apartment. She walked the short few blocks to reach the video game store. When she stood in front of the pitch-black store, she wondered where Michael actually was.

She tried to shake the handle but she knew it wouldn't help. The sign on the door read "Closed" instead of what she was hoping to see.

She called Michael on his cell and it went to voicemail. She gave up, knowing that he would come home eventually. She would grill him then.

Elsa walked back to the apartment and continued watching Friends with Ashton and Calum. Luke had gone off to work. Calum went to bed half an hour later with the excuse that his 'guns' needed to rest because he had tons of ice cream to scoop tomorrow.

Ashton and Elsa stayed up until around ten. She decided that she was tired and crawled into bed waiting for Michael to come home.

Ashton was waiting for Elsa to come into his room since she didn't enjoy sleeping alone.

Elsa tried her best to fall asleep without Michael by her side but it was impossible. She padded over to Ashton's room and gently knocked on the door.

"Ashton?"

"Come in." Elsa opened the door to see Ashton sitting up in bed with pillows supporting his back. "What's up?" Elsa didn't know what to say, but she knew that Ashton was aware of her sleeping state. "I know. Come here." He pulled back the covers and made room for Elsa. She silently climbed into bed with him. She didn't have to say anything. Ashton understood.

After Ashton and Elsa fell asleep, Michael walked into the apartment at eleven-thirty. He immediately headed to his room, expecting to see Elsa waiting for him so they could cuddle. When he walked into the room, his demeanor dropped when he stood before an empty bed. He wondered if she even came home.

He decided to ask one of the other boys if they had seen her. He knew that Elsa was close to Ashton but he didn't want to believe that she would replace his cuddles with Ashton's cuddles. He tried Calum first.

"Cal?"

"What?" He groaned obviously annoyed that Michael had woken him up. Michael carefully opened the door and stood in the doorway.

"Have you seen Elsa?"

"She was here when I went to bed." He paused before interrogating. "Where were you, man? Elsa went to bring you food during your 'late shift' but you weren't there." He put quotes around 'Late Shift' since he knew Michael had been lying about it.

"I...I was working at another video game store since they needed extra help."

"Jesus Christ, man. Do you ever stop lying? Can't you see what your lying did to us in the first place?" Calum was growing frustrated with Michael's nonsense.

"I'm sorry. Will you just tell me where she is?"

"Ask Ashton." Cal spoke harshly then ducked under the covers hoping to get some sleep. Michael left the room and figured he could work things out with Cal tomorrow. He paced over to Ashton's room and knocked lightly.

"Come in." Michael was waking everyone up since Ashton also groaned in response. Michael opened the door, hoping to see Elsa in there but also hoping that she wouldn't be in there.

"Have you seen Elsa?" Michael whispered. Ashton was lying closer to the door, so Elsa was hidden behind him.

"She's right here." Ash gestured to his side. Michael felt a pang of jealousy hit his insides. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Yea, let me just grab her." Michael began walking over to the bed but Ashton quickly stopped him.

"Are you serious?! You pissed her off. I'm not letting her leave this room until you explain where the hell you were." Ashton yelled in a  very low tone so he wouldn't wake Elsa up.