(F)lawless [lashton] ✔️

Fifty Three

Both Ashton and Luke stood up from their waiting chairs in the reception of the police station, relieved when Michael walked out.

"Ay, there's my man!" Ashton grinned, grabbing Michael's hand and pulling him in for a quick half hug. "How'd it go?" He stepped back, taking Luke's hand and leading the way out of the station.

"He let me go."

"Seriously?" Ashton was shocked. "You don't have a second interview?"

"Kevin let me free." Michael shrugged, fiddling with the bracelets on his wrist; adjusting them to sit better. "Weird but whatever."

"Definitely weird, but hey at least you're free." Ashton chose to look on the brighter side.

Ashton waited until they had gotten back into his car to say anything further, starting the engine as he spoke against the sounds of buckling seat belts.

"Reckon our stories are straight?" He asked, pulling out onto the road.

"I didn't say much." Luke admitted, sitting in the front passenger seat with one of Ashton's hands casually rested on his thigh.

How did he get so lucky? How did he manage to finally have Ashton to call his own?
It was so simple, just a tattooed hand rested on his thigh, but it made him swell with love and maybe it was a bit scary; but hopefully everything would be okay.

"I said you got a text." Michael explained. "Didn't say who from."

"You know, strangely enough-" Ashton began, "-they didn't even ask me how I knew where Luke was. So I'll take that story, thanks Mike."

"Yeah cool." Michael dismissed, he really wasn't in any mood to be out and about today.

He wanted to go home and cease to exist for a while, he didn't want to be out. He didn't want to have to talk and communicate and act like everything was okay when it wasn't.
He felt like absolute shit, he felt alone—and being the third wheel to one of the most loved-up couples he's seen in a while wasn't helping. He missed Calum so much. His queen. His friend. His lover.
And it hurt. It hurt so fucking bad.

"I'm gonna get us some food, because I'm starving like mad." Ashton announced, driving easily with one hand. "Wanna chuck a beachy or eat inside?" He asked.

"Beach." Luke picked. "It's a nice day."

"Mike, you in?" Ashton glanced into his rear view mirror, eyebrows slightly creasing when he caught his friend's empty expression gazing bored out the window.

"Yeah sure." Michael muttered a response that sounded fine but it didn't match his appearance.

"Drive-thru it is." Ashton concluded.

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Michael had been silent for the past ten minutes, all three having gotten out of the car Ashton parked by the beach.
Luke was peacefully sitting on a bench that overlooked the beach a few metres below the wall that had been set up; a pathway along the edge of the sand. Ashton had put his own food on the front hood of his car and leaned back against it, eating chips from his fry packet, whilst Michael stood on the opposite side of him; slowly—almost begrudgingly—eating his own food.