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“Who the fuck is at my door this early in the morning?” Ashton groans as he tiredly walks to the door. It’s the morning of his twenty-first birthday, and he’d plan on sleeping in, but someone else had other plans.
When Ashton opens the door, he stops when he sees a young male with nothing but a duffle bag.
Ashton blinks. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”
The boy doesn’t say anything, but he looks terrified, is the first thing Ashton notices.
Ashton is going to kill Calum and Michael. He knows they had something to do with this.
“Get inside,” Ashton orders, opening the door so the boy can hurry inside. He shuts the door and locks it. “Sit on the couch, please. I’ve got a phone call to make.”
Luke hesitates before sitting down on the couch. He still doesn’t say a word.
Ashton pulls out his phone and starts pacing as he waits for Michael to pick up his phone.
“Well good morning birthday boy! The big two-one!” Michael exclaims when he answers his phone finally.
“What the fuck, Michael?” Ashton hisses, glancing over at the boy sitting on the couch.
“Ah, did you get our present then?” Michael asks.
“Present?”
“Yeah, he’s an omega. Calum found him on some website, and we bought him,” Michael says.
“You bought him?” Ashton hisses. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Michael? The fact that those websites even exist are disgusting and I don’t even want to know how Calum found the bloody website. Calum of all people. He’s an omega himself. He should know better!”
“Look, I know, but-” Michael sighs. “You’re always complaining about how you don’t have an omega, and no one’s ever going to love you for who you are, and not because you’re Ashton fucking Irwin, the best Goddamn drummer in the world. Well, we found you an omega. It’s up to you if you want to keep him-”
“Keep him?” Ashton squeaks. “He’s not a bloody pet, Michael! He’s a human being.”
“You can punch me in the face later when we’re celebrating your birthday,” Michael says. “I’ve gotta go. Calum’s throwing up I think. I told him he shouldn’t have drank so much last night.”
“Idiots,” Ashton mumbles before hanging up. He takes a deep breath, before walking into the living room, and walking over to the omega. “Alright. So, I’m stuck with you now I guess. What’s your name?”
The boy blinks, and reaches over into the duffle bag and pulls out some paper, and hands it to Ashton.
“What’s this?” Ashton asks, gesturing to the paper.
“My information,” the boy replies, speaking for the first time. “It has my birth name in there.”
“Do you not know your own name?” Ashton asks, raising his eyebrows.
“I… can’t remember. They don’t refer to us as our birth names. They call us by our numbers,” he explains.
“Fucking disgusting,” Ashton mumbles. He doesn’t know where this boy is from, but he has a bad feeling, and maybe he’s a little glad Calum and Michael bought him and saved him from wherever he’s from. Ashton looks down at the paper and flips over a page.
Luke Robert Hemmings.
Age 18
Omega
Blonde hair
Blue eyes
“Luke.” Ashton looks up at the boy. “Your name is Luke.”
Luke slowly nods. “S- Sounds about right, sir.”
“Your name is Luke,” Ashton repeats sternly. “I don’t know what they called you, but that’s done with, you’ll be going by Luke now. And, don’t call me sir. I hate that. My name is Ashton.”
Luke winces. “Omega’s cannot call their alpha’s by their first name, sir.”
Ashton sighs, and he sits down on the coffee table in front of Luke, setting the paper down beside him. “Okay look, I’m not sure if this is going to be a long-term thing or not, but from now on, you listen to me. Forget about whatever they taught you. Whoever they are. I don’t even want to know.”
Luke swallows. “Yes sir.”
“My name is Ashton, and you’ll call me as such,” Ashton says.
“Yes s-” Luke stops himself. “Yes, Ashton.”
“Good.” Ashton nods. “Alright. What kind of stuff do you have in that bag of yours?”
“I don’t know. Assuming it’s clothes, but I could be wrong. We didn’t have any personal items,” Luke says.
Ashton reaches over and he pulls the duffle bag closer to him. He searches through it quickly, only finding a couple pairs of clothes and some necessity items like a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Ashton sighs, and sits back up. “Basic necessity items. You’ll need more than that, but it’s my birthday and I’ve got shit to do today, so that’s going to have to wait.” He stands up. “I’ve gotta get ready for today. You can watch TV if you’d like. Remotes over there. Don’t leave or go anywhere until I come back.”
Luke looks up at him. “Happy birthday, Ashton.”
Ashton stops, and looks down at Luke. “Thank you.” He turns and walks out of the living room.
A half an hour later, now cleaned and in a nice outfit, Ashton walks back into the living room, and frowns when he sees Luke just sitting on the couch. The TV is not on.
“What are you doing?”
Luke startles, and looks over to see Ashton standing there with raised eyebrows. “Sir?”
“You’re just sitting there. You must be bored. I told you that you can turn on the TV if you’d like.”
“I have not done anything good to earn TV rights,” Luke says, frowning.
“TV rights?” Ashton asks. He sighs, and walks over to where the remote is, and turns on the TV. “Man, you don’t need rights to watch TV. It’s not a privilege. It’s just a box with moving pictures.”
Luke blinks, and stares at the TV. “I like watching TV,” he admits quietly.
“Okay. That’s good to know. I’ve got plenty of TV you can watch. What kind of shows do you like watching?” Ashton asks, and looks over at Luke. He sighs when Luke just stares at him. “Right. Uh, here. I’ll just put on a movie, and you can watch that.” He decides to put on the first Captain America movie. Ashton walks over and hands Luke the remote. “So, uh- I’ve got to go for a couple of hours. I’d hate to leave you by yourself but I’ve got no other choice. You’ll be okay by yourself?”
“Yes, sir. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been left alone,” Luke says.
“That’s so fucking depressing, man, and I’m not going to be depressed on my birthday. I’ll be back in a few hours, I’ll pick you up so you can join us for my birthday dinner, alright? There’s food in the kitchen, so if you get hungry before then, help yourself. Seriously. I’ve got plenty of food. Please eat something.”
Luke nods in understanding. “Yes, sir.”
Ashton lets out a sigh. “For the love of God, please call me Ashton.”
“Sorry, sir. I mean, Ashton.” Luke looks down.
Ashton frowns as he watches Luke, before shaking his head. He grabs his phone and wallet, and heads out the door. He locks the door, and instantly feels guilty about leaving Luke alone. The poor omega is probably confused and scared. But, Ashton has plans for his birthday, and they can’t wait.
Ashton meets with Calum and Michael around lunchtime at a local coffee shop.
“I’m really fucking pissed at you guys right now,” Ashton says before taking a sip of his coffee.
“Mate, we really were just trying to help you out,” Calum tries to tell him.
“You couldn’t have told me that you were doing that so I could have been a little more prepared?”
“It was a birthday present,” Michael argues. “That would have ruined the surprise. So, how is he?”
Ashton sighs. “I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do with him. I don’t know where he came from, but it sounds like those people treat omega’s like slaves. Like- Like they’re robots or something. I mean, God, he didn’t even know his own name when I asked him. All he had was information on some paper.”
“Shit,” Calum says, instantly feeling guilty. “I- I didn’t know it was that bad.”
Ashton nods. “I want to help him though. I want to show him that not all alpha’s are bad.”
“If anyone can show him, then it’s you. You’re one of the few alpha’s out there fighting for omega’s rights. I mean, we feel the same way, obviously. Cal is the most important person to me and he’s an omega. Omega’s shouldn’t be treated like slaves. It’s fucked up.”
“You literally bought an omega from a website,” Ashton reminds him.
Michael puts his hands up in surrender. “I’m aware. But, he’s probably in a much better place than he was with those people.” He looks over at Calum, who nods in agreement.
“Whatever. We’ll talk about this later. It’s your birthday. What do you wanna do to celebrate?” Calum asks.
Ashton sighs as he stares at his two best friends, and shakes his head fondly.
Ashton spends a couple hours out for his birthday, treating himself to a shopping spree, visiting friends, and making sure to see his family. His mother demanded to see him at least once today.
Ashton didn’t mention Luke to his family, even when they ask if he’s found himself an omega already. They don’t need to know until Ashton knows if it’s going to be a permanent thing.
Ashton stops back at his apartment when it’s near dinner time. He’s worried about how Luke’s been getting on by himself for the first time since arriving at Ashton’s. Ashton hopes that the boy actually listened to him and ate something if he got something, if he was able to entertain himself with the TV.
Ashton unlocks the door, and he walks into the apartment. He glances around nervously, before making his way into the living room. He smiles softly when he sees the boy sleeping on the sofa soundly.
Ashton quietly places his bags down on the floor, and then walks over to him, and bends down, gently shaking him awake. “Hi Luke.”
Luke blinks with confusion, and looks up at Ashton. He gasps, and sits up. “Where am I? Who are you?”
“Hey, relax, Luke. It’s just me. It’s Ashton,” Ashton quickly tries to assure him, gently rubbing his arm to calm him down. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone like that.”
Luke takes a deep breath, and groans as he rubs his eyes. “‘M sorry, sir. I shouldn’t have freaked out.”
“You don’t need to apologize for that. I didn’t want to wake you, but it’s dinner time. Let’s see if you have any nice clothes you can change into and we can head out. Are you hungry?” Luke slowly nods his head, and Ashton shakes his head. “You didn’t get anything to eat, did you?”
“I- I fell asleep. I’m sorry, si- I mean, Ashton. I’m sorry, Ashton,” Luke quickly apologizes.
“Luke, stop apologizing please. I’m not mad,” Ashton says calmly. He reaches over and grabs Luke's bag. He searches through it and finds nothing that Luke could wear out for dinner. “Stay right here. I might have some old clothes that you’ll be able to wear.” He hesitates before rushing up the stairs.
Ashton comes back down a couple moments later with an outfit in his hands.
Luke looks over and blinks when he sees Ashton walking back over to him.
“Here.” Ashton hands him the clothes. “Go change into these and freshen up a little if you need to do so. The bathroom is right upstairs to your right. I’ll be waiting down here for you.”
Luke hesitates before standing up. He looks at Ashton, who gives him an encouraging nod, and then Luke slowly makes his way up towards where Ashton said the bathroom is.
Ashton frowns as he watches the omega. The poor omega is so shy and timid, and Ashton just wants to protect him at all costs. No omega needs to go through all that Luke has been through.
As soon as Luke has disappeared upstairs, Ashton pulls out his phone and calls Michael. He should probably warn his friends that he’ll be bringing Luke with him.
“Hey, Ash. We’re heading to the restaurant right now,” Michael tells him when he answers the phone.
“Hey. I’ve just got back to my apartment. I forgot to mention earlier. I’m uh, I’m bringing Luke with me,” Ashton tells him. “I know it’s a little sudden but I’ve left him long enough already, and he hasn’t eaten yet, so I need to make sure he’s fed.”
“Ash, it’s your birthday dinner. You can bring whoever you’d like. Besides, we’d love to meet Luke!”
“Okay, but please be gentle around him, and tell Calum. He’s super shy and timid. I don’t think he’s ever been to like an actual restaurant before so this will all be new for him. I’ll need help encouraging him.”
Michael scoffs. “I highly doubt he’s been anywhere except for that place he was at before.”
“I know. I’m worried, but he’s got to get used to this new life if he’s going to be with me for a while,” Ashton says. “I’ve got so much shit to figure out.”
“Ash, you’re going to figure it out. You’re Ashton Irwin, after all. And, me and Calum can help you. I mean, since we did get you into this mess in the first place. It’s the least we can do.”
Ashton rolls his eyes. “You’re so kind, Mike. Look, I’ll be there soon. Luke should be done getting ready.” He hangs up on Michael, and lets out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.
Luke doesn’t come back down until ten minutes later, dressed in Ashton’s clothes.
Ashton smiles reassuringly when he sees him. “Hey, there you are. Wow, you look great.”
Luke blushes. “Thank you, Ashton. I- I-”
“What is it?” Ashton asks softly, walking over to Luke. “Feel free to speak your mind around me, love.”
Luke takes a deep breath, hoping not to upset his new alpha with what he has to say. “I feel weird in these clothes. They’re too nice.” He tugs at his shirt, and blinks when Ashton gently whacks at his hand.
“Don’t,” Ashton warns softly. “You look lovely. You have a lot to learn about me, but that will have to wait, because we’ve got my birthday dinner to get to, and Michael will get pissy if I’m late. Come on.”
Ashton is patient with Luke as they’re walking out of the apartment building. He instantly notices how Luke clings to Ashton’s side, so Ashton grabs a hold of Luke’s hand to comfort him.
“Thank you Howard,” Ashton thanks the doorman politely as he and Luke walk out of the building. “Oh. That’s Howard. You’ll be seeing him a lot since you live with me now. He’s a beta. He’s really nice.”
Luke blinks as he looks around. He’s trying to keep up with Ashton, but he’s getting distracted by everything surrounding him. He didn’t get a chance to take it in because he was rushed upstairs when he was being delivered to Ashton earlier. There’s so many people. It’s noisy. Luke doesn’t like it.
“Ashton! Ashton!”
Luke gasps and instantly hides behind Ashton when a teenage girl runs up to him excitedly. “Oh my gosh, it’s you! I’m- I’m so sorry to bother you. I just- can I have a picture with you?”
Ashton chuckles softly at the girl’s excitement. “Sure, darling. Let me see your phone.”
The girl squeals, causing Luke to flinch, and she pulls out her phone, handing it to Ashton.
“Sweetheart, let go of me for a second,” Ashton says to Luke, pulling his hand away from Luke so he can take the phone. He smiles as he takes a photo with the girl. “There you go, love. Have a lovely night, and go find your parents, please. It’s not safe for you to be alone this time of night.”
The girl nods. “Yes, sir! Thank you so much. Oh, happy birthday, Ashton!”
“Thank you!” Ashton watches as the girl runs back to her parents, making sure she’s safe, before turning to look at Luke, who’s staring at him with wide eyes.
“Sorry about that. I can never say no to a fan,” Ashton says. “Let’s get to the car.”
Luke follows Ashton. “Sir, how did she know who you were? You didn’t know who she was.”
“No, I didn’t know who she was, but she was obviously a fan of mine. I- uh, I have a band. We’re- ugh, God, I hate saying famous, but we’re famous. Our music is quite popular. You’ll be meeting my bandmates tonight at dinner,” Ashton explains, and opens the door for Luke once they get to his car. “Buckle up, please.” Ashton shuts the door.
Ashton walks around the car and gets into the driver’s seat. He looks over at Luke and frowns slightly, because the omega looks so anxious, and all Ashton wants to do is comfort him.
They finally get to the restaurant. Ashton spots Michael waiting for him outside the restaurant.
“We’re here,” Ashton says once the car is parked. He gets out of the car, waving to Michael, before walking around and opening the car door for Luke. He watches carefully as Luke gets out of the car, and nervously glances around. He knows Luke must be anxious, being in public like this, but Ashton is hoping this will help Luke come out of his shell. “Come on. Michael’s waiting for us over there.” He takes Luke’s hand and leads the way to where Michael is waiting for them. “Hey. Calum waiting inside?”
Michael nods. “Yeah, we’ve already got a table. A couple more should be joining us. Who’s this?”
Luke blinks, and looks over when Michael acknowledges him.
“This is Luke,” Ashton introduces. “He’ll be joining us tonight. Luke, this is Michael. He’s my bandmate, and one of my best friends. You’ll be seeing him a lot.”
“Nice to meet you Luke,” Michael says in a soft voice, holding his hand out to Luke.
Luke glances over at Ashton, who gives him a reassuring nod. Luke hesitates, before reaching over and shaking Michael’s hand. He’s instantly relieved when Michael lets go of his hand. He’s not used to meeting new people. He doesn’t know how to act, especially when there are other alpha’s around.
“Let’s get inside,” Michael suggests, and nods towards the door. He follows the way inside the building, and Luke makes sure to stay close to Ashton. Michael leads them to a table where someone is seated, looking through what Luke knows is a cell phone. There’s so much Luke needs to learn.
“Hey Cal,” Ashton greets as they walk to the table.
The boy looks up and grins when he sees Ashton and Michael. “Hey! There’s the man of the hour.”
“Ugh, please don’t. I swear to God I will walk out of here if people start singing happy birthday to me,” Ashton warns jokingly. “Uh, Cal, this is-” He looks over, and rolls his eyes when he sees Luke hiding behind him. He gently pulls Luke closer. “This is Luke. The one I was telling you about earlier.”
The boy waves. “Hi, Luke. Nice to meet you. I’m Calum. Ashton’s best friend.”
“Yeah fucking right. We all know who Ashton’s real best friend is,” Michael argues, sitting next to the boy.
“Ugh. Neither of you are my best friend. You’re both fucking annoying,” Ashton says, and gestures Luke to sit down in the booth, and then Ashton sits beside him.
The waitress eventually comes over to greet them. “Hello. I’m Kaitlyn, and I’ll be your waitress tonight. What can I get you boys to drink?” She looks at each of them.
“I’ll take a Coke please,” Michael says.
“Me too,” Calum agrees.
“Boring,” Ashton mumbles. “Can I get a sweet tea?”
“And you call us boring,” Calum retorts, earning a snort from Michael and a smile from the waitress.
“And you, sweetheart?” She asks, looking at Luke.
Luke’s eyes widen when all eyes are suddenly on him, and he looks over at Ashton, pleading for help. Ashton clears his throat and looks over at the waitress. “He’ll just have water. Thank you.”
“Alright. I’ll be right back with your drinks. Here are the menus for you.” She hands them each a menu.
Luke blinks as he looks down at the menu. All he can see is blurred words, and it makes him want to cry, because Ashton doesn’t know that he can’t read. They never taught the omega’s how to read, because omega’s don’t need education when all they’re needed is for pleasure.
When Ashton knows what he wants, he puts his menu down and looks over at Luke, and frowns when he sees Luke staring at the menu with a blank expression, looking confused. “Hey.” Ashton reaches over and gently taps on Luke’s arm, slightly startling him. “You know what you want?”
Luke looks up at Ashton. “I-” He really doesn’t want to have to say it, especially in front of other people.
“Luke?” Ashton presses for more.
“I-” Luke takes a deep breath. “I can’t… read.”
Ashton blinks as he stares at Luke. “Christ,” he mumbles, before grabbing Luke’s menu. “Alright.”
Luke desperately wants the ground to swallow him up and spit him out away from here. He knows that he’s already embarrassed his new alpha. Ashton isn’t going to want an omega as useless as him.
“Why don’t you just get what I’m getting, alright?” Ashton suggests, looking over at Luke.
“Okay, sir.”
Ashton blinks, and he looks up at Calum and Michael, who both look worried as they stare at Luke.
Ashton starts relaxing once a couple more of his friends arrive for dinner, while Luke gets more anxious. He wants to run away, but he knows he can’t because his alpha will not be happy if he did that, and Luke’s already embarrassed him enough tonight.
Luke is quiet for most of dinner. Observing for the most part, and listening to Ashton when he speaks.
It isn’t until about an hour in when his leg starts shaking, and suddenly Ashton touches his hand.
“Luke. If you need to use the bathroom you can. The bathroom is right down there,” Ashton says, nodding to where the bathrooms are. Ashton is giving him so much freedom that Luke doesn’t know what to do with, especially when he comes from a place where he had no freedom at all.
“You’re- You’re letting me go by myself?” Luke asks, blinking.
“Yeah, of course. I think you’re old enough to use the bathroom by yourself,” Ashton chuckles softly.
Luke looks over when he hears someone snort. An alpha with brown hair. “Nah, he’s an omega, Ash. They want you to hold their hands for everything.”
“Shut your mouth, Louis. Don’t be fucking rude,” it’s Calum who says it, which surprises Luke. Calum looks over at Luke, and nods towards the bathroom. “Come on. I’ll go with you. Is that alright, Ash?”
“Yeah.” Ashton nods. “That would be fine. Thanks.”
Luke hesitates before standing from the booth, walking over to Calum.
“Come on, Ash. Where the hell did you even find that omega?”
Luke looks back, frowning. Luke really doesn’t like that alpha. “Come on.” Calum grabs Luke’s arm, leading him to the bathroom. “Don’t listen to Ashton’s friends. Some of them are jerks. They think that just because they’re famous they can say whatever they want. It’s not true.”
“Famous?” Luke asks, looking at Calum. He likes Calum. Calum seems nice enough.
Calum nods. “Yeah. Everybody at that table, including me. We’re all… ugh, famous. I hate that word. But, it’s our jobs. We’re all musicians. Louis is part of a band called One Direction. He’s an alpha, and a prick. Well, not all of the time. He’s my friend. He’s mostly rude to omega’s, unless your name is Harry Styles. Trust me. I’ve been putting up with his shit for years. “
“You’re in Ashton’s uh- band?” Luke asks. He knows of music. He remembers listening to it as a kid before his parents shipped him away. It’s been a long time since he’s listened to music.
“Yup.” Calum grins. “I play bass and sing vocals with Michael. You’ll have to listen to our music sometime. We have some really good shit out there. I’m not gonna lie.”
Luke can’t help the giggle that escapes from his mouth.
Calum laughs. “Come on. I’ll go in with you.” He leads the way into the bathroom.
Luke is relieved when Calum stays and even waits for him. He didn’t have to. But, Calum’s an omega, so he understands. Luke would like to think that maybe one day he and Calum can be friends.
“Ready?” Calum asks when Luke is finished washing his hands.
Luke turns to look at Calum and nods. “Yes, sir. I’m ready.”
Calum cringes. “Please don’t call me sir. Just call me Calum,” he says.
Luke wants to kick himself. Calum’s an omega. Of course he doesn’t want to be called sir. “I’m sorry. I-”
“It’s okay, Luke. I totally understand. None of us really like to be called sir. Except for maybe Louis, but he’s Louis, so… he doesn’t count,” Calum says. He leads the way out of the bathroom. He leads the way back to the table. Calum instantly slides into the booth beside Michael, reaching over to kiss his cheek.
Michael is Calum’s alpha, so Michael must be nice. Luke will have to keep that in mind.
“Finally, you’re back,” Michael says, wrapping his arm around Calum.
Calum rolls his eyes. “Shut up, Mikey. We weren’t even gone that long.”
Luke walks over and sits in his spot beside Ashton in the booth.
Ashton leans closer to Luke. “Don’t worry. We’ll be leaving soon,” he whispers in his ear.
Luke slowly nods, and he remains quiet.
Finally, Ashton announces they’re leaving. Everybody gathers all of their things. Luke slowly stands, and watches as Ashton says goodbye to everybody, hugging his friends. Luke stands back, out of the way.
Calum walks over to Luke. “Hey. It was nice to meet you tonight, Luke.”
Luke blinks and looks over at Calum, surprised someone is actually speaking to him. But, it’s Calum.
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again soon. Uhm, I know you don’t have a phone yet, but here-” Calum hands Luke a small piece of paper. “It’s my number. When you do get an actual phone, you can call me anytime you want.” Calum gives him a reassuring smile. “Michael already said that it’s okay, and I’m sure Ashton would be more than fine with us hanging out.”
“Thank you,” Luke whispers, holding onto the piece of paper tightly.
“Cal! Come on, babe! We gotta get going!” Michael shouts.
“Sorry. I gotta get going. And hey, Ashton’s a really good alpha. Consider yourself lucky you have him.” Calum gives him one last smile before hurrying over to Michae, giggling when Michael throws an arm around him. Luke instantly feels jealous. He desperately wishes he could have something like they have.
“Luke.”
Luke’s shaken out of his thoughts when he hears Ashton calling for him.
“Come on. It’s getting late. We’ve got a big day ahead of ourselves tomorrow,” Ashton says. He grabs Luke’s hand, and starts leading the way out of the restaurant. Luke keeps his head down as he fellows the alpha. He’s more than ready to get back home. Away from all the loud noises and strange people.
They finally get home. Luke is exhausted.
Ashton looks over and chuckles when he sees Luke yawning. “Tired, Luke?”
Luke looks over at Ashton and blushes. “A little.”
“S’alright. Let’s get you to bed.” Ashton leads the way upstairs.
Luke instantly knows that this is Ashton’s room. He shakes his head as he looks over at Ashton. “I can’t-”
“Yes you can, Luke, because I’m allowing you to. Besides, I’m not going to bed yet. I’ve still got a couple things left to do tonight,” Ashton says. “Let’s get you into some pajamas.”
Ashton manages to find Luke some pajamas, and Luke crawls into the big bed.
As soon as Luke’s head hits the pillow, he falls asleep.
ashton:
i hate you both so much
calum:
luke’s fucking adorable ash
you can’t give him up
i won’t allow you to
michael:
lmao now you really have to keep luke
ashton:
he’s not a fucking pet so stop talking like that
and obviously he’s staying with me
i want to protect him with everything i have
calum:
so do that
we’ll back you 100% ash
luke deserves an alpha like you
michael:
and if you don’t want him
cal and i will be more than happy to take him in :)
ashton:
god dammit michael
When Luke wakes up the next morning, he feels warmth. His eyes slowly open, and he startles slowly when he sees an arm wrapped around his waist. He pushes himself up and looks over to see Ashton sleeping beside him. He takes a deep breath, remembering the events of last night.
Luke’s not there anymore. He’s in a safe place. Ashton is safe.
“Good morning.”
Luke looks down, and sees Ashton slowly waking up. “I’m sorry if I woke you, sir.”
“Ashton.”
“Ashton.” Luke repeats. “I- I freaked out a little. I’m sorry.”
Ashton rubs his eyes tiredly. “What did we talk about?” He pushes himself up, and looks at Luke. “Luke, I’m sorry. I know this is all new to you, and it’s going to take you a while to get used to this new life. But, you don’t have to call me sir or apologize for every little thing. I’m here to protect you, and help you.”
“I- I know. I’m sorry. I just-” Luke stops, and blushes. “I’m sorry. I did it again.”
Ashton chuckles softly. “Calum’s right. You really are adorable. Alright. It’s too fucking early to have any serious conversations yet, so let’s get up and go get some breakfast. I can’t cook for shit, so get dressed. We’re going out.” Ashton pushes the blanket off of himself, and gets out of bed.
Luke pulls an outfit out of his bag. Regular jeans and a plain white shirt.
When Luke gets downstairs, Ashton is waiting for him.
Ashton looks up and scowls when he sees the outfit Luke is waiting for him. “We’ve seriously got to do something about your wardrobe,” he says. “We’re going to be making a lot of shopping trips today.”
Luke blinks. “This is all I have.”
“I know, sweetheart. But don’t worry, I’m going to fix that in no time.” Ashton gives him a reassuring smile. “Come on. Let’s get going.” Ashton makes sure he has everything before leading the way outside. They make their way down to the lobby. “Good morning, Howard. Thank you.”
“Have a good day, Mr. Irwin,” Howard says as he holds the two for the two. “And who are you, Mr…?”
Ashton stops, and looks over at Luke, who’s frozen in place. Ashton gently pulls him closer. “Oh, Howard. How silly of me. I didn’t even think to introduce you. This is Luke. We’re, uh-” Ashton clears his throat.
“Of course. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Luke.”
“You too,” Luke replies in a quiet whisper. His cheeks turn bright red.
“He’s shy, don’t mind him,” Ashton tells Howard. “But, I’ll have him out of his shell in no time.”
“With friends like yours, I’m sure,” Howard agrees, nodding at Ashton with a smile.
Ashton grins, and then he grabs Luke’s hand and leads the way out. “I can’t start my day without coffee, so I hope you don’t mind going to a coffee shop for breakfast.”
Luke shakes his head. “But, I’m not that-”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” Ashton says as they walk to his car. He walks over and opens the door for Luke. He smiles fondly as he watches the omega, and shuts the door once Luke is in safely.
Luke takes them to a local coffee shop. They walk up to the counter, and Ashton is greeted by a squeal.
“Oh my gosh! You’re Ashton Irwin!” She exclaims excitedly. “I’m- I’m sorry. That was unprofessional. I just- I didn’t think I’d be serving Ashton Irwin this morning.”
Ashton shakes his head, a smile on his face. “S’alright, love.”
“I, uh- what can I get for you today?”
Ashton looks over at Luke, who’s staring at the menu with confusion. Ashton remembers Luke telling him last night that he can’t read. Ashton gently nudges him. “Hey, don’t worry about it. What do you want?”
“I don’t-” Luke blinks, and really hates that he can’t read.
“Right. You haven’t been here before. That’s alright. I’ll just surprise you, okay?” Ashton tells him, smiling reassuringly when Luke looks over at him gratefully. Ashton orders them both coffees, as well as some muffins and bagels for breakfast. When they get their coffee and food, Ashton takes Luke outside to eat.
“S- Ashton, does everybody know who you are?” Luke asks curiously as they sit down.
Ashton chuckles, and nods. “Most people around here do, yeah. The band is pretty locally known. So, we’re probably going to be stopped a lot by some of our fans.”
“Oh,” Luke breathes. He watches as Ashton hands him a bagel and a muffin. “Thank you, sir.”
“Ashton,” Ashton corrects him.
“Ashton,” Luke repeats. He looks up and blushes when he sees Ashton staring at him.
“Adorable,” Ashton says to himself. “Anyways, so- the game plan today is to get you some clothes, some necessities you’ll need for the apartment, and a phone. You’re going to need a phone.”
Luke looks up at Ashton, remembering Calum gave him his phone number. “So I can call Calum?”
Ashton blinks as he looks at Luke. “I guess so? Did Calum give you his number or something?”
Luke nods shyly. “He- He said Michael said that it was okay, and that you’d be okay with it. I like Calum.”
Ashton grins. “It’s pretty impossible to not like Calum. He’s very likable. But, yeah… you can call Calum whenever you’d like,” he says, which makes Luke smile. “I’m glad you and Calum got on well last night. He’s probably going to be pretty protective of you, fair warning. Especially after what Louis said last night. Sorry about him, by the way. Louis doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut sometimes.”
Luke shrugs his shoulders. “It’s okay. It’s not the worst thing I’ve heard,” he admits.
Ashton scoffs. “Well, no one is going to get away with it if I have anything to do with it,” he says sternly. “Eat your food, Luke. It’s going to be a long day.”
Luke grabs his coffee. He’s never had coffee before. They didn’t let omega’s have these kinds of luxuries. There’s a lot of things Luke hasn’t had before. Luke takes a drink of his coffee, and makes a face, trying to decide if he likes it or not. Luke sets his coffee down.
Ashton laughs as he watches Luke. “Come on, it’s not that bad.”
Ashton and Luke spend most of their day shopping around for Luke. Luke feels bad that Ashton is spending so much money on him, but Ashton assures him that he has plenty of money to spend.
Luke enjoys getting to spend time with Ashton as they shop. He’s still shy and anxious in public, and he hides behind Ashton every time a fan runs up to say hi to Ashton, which is quite often.
Ashton already knows that their fans are talking about Luke on Twitter, but Ashton hasn’t said anything or confirmed that Luke is his omega. It’s only Luke’s second day, and he’s already overwhelmed, so Ashton doesn’t want Luke to have to deal with their fans. He knows they can be a bit much sometimes.
“Alright, Luke. Your phones all set up now,” Ashton says as he walks into the living room. Luke is sitting on the couch, watching TV. Ashton walks over to the couch and sits beside Luke, handing him his phone. “Everything should be working. I haven’t downloaded any apps yet. I figured I’d let you explore it all.”
“Apps?” Luke asks, blinking a few times as he stares at the phone.
“Yeah, you know, like games and stuff. You’ll get the hang of it in no time. I don’t care if you buy things. Just, try not to go overboard, okay? I may have money, but I try to be responsible with it,” Ashton says. “Oh, and I’ve already added Calum and Michael’s number in there too. Let me show you-”
Ashton gently takes the phone from Luke, and he shows him how to get to the contacts, and goes to Calum’s name, and hits the message button.
luke:
hey it’s ashton this is luke’s new phone
i’m showing him how to work it
calum:
sick i knew you’d get him a phone soon enough lmao
luke:
luke can’t read i guess so we’re going to have to teach him how to read first before he can message you so try calling him instead whenever you want to talk to him :p
calum:
shit, he really can’t read? i really hate those people who he was with before
luke:
you and me both
Ashton looks over and frowns when he sees Luke staring at the phone with frustration, and he knows exactly why. “Hey, it’s okay, Luke-” Ashton reaches over and he gently places his hand on Luke’s arm. “We’re going to help you. You’ll be a pro reader in no time. I bet Calum will be willing to help as well.”
“I’m eighteen. I should know how to read,” Luke argues, and he would never argue like this, but he’s so frustrated and it’s unfair that he can’t read. “But, it’s because I’m an omega. I don’t need education.”
“Calum’s an omega. He knows how to read perfectly fine,” Ashton tries to assure him.
Luke looks over at Ashton. “Calum’s parents didn’t ship him away when they realized he was going to be an omega,” he says, and his eyes instantly widen as soon as he realizes how he just spoke to Ashton. Omega’s aren’t supposed to talk to their alpha’s like that. “I’m- I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t talk to you like that. You’re just trying to help me, and I was rude. I’m so sorry.”
“Luke, I’m not mad. I just want to help.”
“Why?” Luke asks. “You- You don’t know me. You’re not obligated to help me. You can send me back.”
Ashton scoffs angrily. “That’s not going to happen. There’s no way in hell I’m sending you back there, and I promise as soon as I find out where your parents sent you, I’m shutting that shit down.”
“I don’t know what they’re called,” Luke mumbles.
Ashton shakes his head. “I’m really busy preparing for tour with the guys, but as soon as I have free time, then I’m going to look into it. Don’t worry about anything. I’ve got it all under control.”
Luke is quiet for a moment as he fiddles with his phone, but there’s not really much he can do since he can’t really read anything on the phone, before he looks up at Ashton. “Are you going to bond with me?”
Ashton blinks, and looks over at Luke, clearly surprised by the question. “What?”
“I-” Luke hesitates. “I was just curious. Don’t alpha’s and omega’s bond with each other?”
“I haven’t gotten that far, if I’m being honest. I mean, you just got here yesterday. There’s so many things we need to figure out before we talk about bonding,” Ashton says, and he hates the disappointed look on Luke’s face. “But, I’d like to think… that if we do work out, that we’ll be bonded one day.”
“You do?” Luke asks hopefully. “I- I’ve always dreamed of being bonded. To a nice alpha.”
“Well, am I a nice alpha?” Ashton asks softly.
Luke blushes. “Yes. You’re very nice, Ashton. One of the nicest alpha’s I’ve ever met.”
“Well, then good. See? You’re halfway there to make your dream come true,” Ashton says, and smiles at Luke, before scooting closer to him. He reaches forward and gently cups Luke’s jaw with his hand. “But, I’d also like to take this thing slow with you, Luke. There’s a whole lot we need to learn about each other. Trust me. We’ll get there, and it will be worth it when we do get there.”
“I trust you.”
“Good. That’s what I like to hear,” Ashton says, and then he pulls his hand away from Luke, and Luke whines slightly at the loss of contact from Ashton. Ashton smiles softly at Luke. “You are my omega, Luke. I don’t care what anyone says. You’re mine.”
Luke belongs to Ashton. He’s Ashton’s omega. Ashton is safe.
****
Ashton becomes extremely busy over the next couple months. Luke doesn’t know what “tour” is, but it’s all Ashton or Calum or Michael can talk about, but they’re excited, and Luke is excited the more they talk. Luke has been told that he’ll be joining them on tour. He just knows that they’ll be traveling, and Ashton will be performing on a stage almost every night. He’s a drummer.
Luke finally got to hear some of the music from Ashton’s band after he begged Ashton to let him listen, and now it’s all he listens to when Ashton is away for work. He absolutely loves their music. Even though there’s tons of other music out there, Luke only listens to 5 Seconds Of Summer.
It’s the afternoon on Friday when Luke and Ashton are in the living room. Ashton is on his laptop while Luke is curled up on the couch, watching Jurassic Park. Ashton has been slowly making him watch all of the big movies, his favorite movies. Luke doesn’t mind. He usually ends up enjoying them.
Ashton’s head snaps up as soon as he hears someone knocking at the door, and groans. “Shit. Uh- Luke, babe, can you get that? I’m really busy right now.”
Luke hesitates, before getting up from the couch and making his way to the front door. He opens the door, and looks up to see none other than Louis, who Luke remembers very well from Ashton’s birthday dinner. There’s a blonde boy with him as well. Luke doesn’t know who he is though.
“Ugh, you’re here,” Louis grumbles as soon as he sees Luke.
Luke frowns. Louis remembers who he is then.
“Louis, can you not be rude for a second?” The blonde boy says, rolling his eyes. He looks at Luke. “Hi, uhm… I’m Niall. We’re here to see Ashton. Is he here? He wasn’t answering our calls.”
Luke nods, and hesitates, before stepping aside and letting the two inside. He shuts the door, and then he leads the way to the living room, where Ashton is still at. “Uhm, Ashton?”
Ashton looks up worriedly at Luke’s tone, but then he relaxes as soon as he sees who Luke is with. “Oh, hey guys. Shit. We had plans tonight, didn’t we?”
“Well, you did promise we could hang out before you left for tour,” Niall says, pouting.
Ashton laughs. “Yeah, alright. We’ll go out. Let me save this shit and then we’ll head out, alright?”
“Sure,” Louis shrugs his shoulders. “Don’t take too long though. Harry wants me home early tonight.”
Ashton rolls his eyes. “God, Lou. You’re such a party pooper. Yeah, whatever. It’ll only take a few minutes. Make yourselves at home.” He waves them off as he continues to work on his laptop.
Luke hesitates before walking over and sitting on the couch. Niall sits next to him.
“So, you’re Ashton’s new omega. I’ve heard a lot about you Luke. I’m Niall. I know I already said that, but… I’m one of Louis’ bandmates. We’re in One Direction together. Oh, and I’m an omega too.” He holds his hand out for Luke to shake, which he does. “You’re awfully quiet, aren’t you?”
Luke blushes, and looks down. “S- Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Niall says, shaking his head. “I know how that can be.”
“Yeah, we’re working on that,” Ashton says, not looking up from his laptop. He glances up at Niall, who’s looking at him curiously. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain later.”
“Mm,” Niall says. He turns to look at Luke. “Are you excited about touring with Ashton?”
“I- I guess so,” Luke says shyly. “I’ve never traveled before.”
“It’s loads of fun. You get to travel everyday and hang out with your best mates,” Niall says, grinning.
“You’re taking him with you?” Louis asks, looking at Ashton.
Ashton looks up at Louis, frowning slightly. “Yes. What else am I gonna do? Leave him here by himself? Hell no. I’m not that stupid. Besides, Cal and Mike are cool with Luke joining us on the road. And, I want Luke to experience traveling on the road. He’s going to experience a lot of firsts with us.”
“I know that look, Louis. Don’t say whatever it is you’re about to say, especially if it’s offensive. Honestly, how does Harry put up with your close-minded self?” Niall asks.
“Hey, don’t you dare bring Harry into this,” Louis warns, glaring at Niall.
Luke looks down at his hands, not wanting to be the cause of an argument.
When Ashton finally finishes, he closes his laptop and sets it aside, and leaves to go get ready. He finally comes back ten minutes later. “Hey, you guys wanna wait for me by the door? I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Sure.” Niall nods, and he and Louis leave the living room.
Ashton watches them, and then he bites his lip and looks down at Luke. “Luke?” He asks, walking over to the couch. “I’d- I’d hate to do this, but… I kind of promised the boys a night out before we leave for tour. Will you be okay by yourself for a couple of hours?” Ashton asks.
Luke takes a deep breath, because he really doesn’t want Ashton to leave. Luke’s been by himself, usually only when Ashton has to leave for something that has to do with work. “I’ll be fine.”
“You can say no, and I won’t go,” Ashton says. “I don’t mind staying home with you.”
“No,” Luke argues, looking up at Ashton. “You go. I can handle being alone for a couple of hours.”
Ashton sighs. “I’m calling Calum. He’ll be more than happy to come over to keep you company,” he says, and then he walks over and leans down to gently kiss Luke’s cheek. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Yes, Ashton,” Luke says, looking up at the alpha. “I will.”
“Alright. I’ll be back soon,” Ashton says. He grabs his things from the coffee table. He looks at Luke one last time before turning to walk to Louis and Niall. He scowls when he sees Louis looking at him with a look of amusement on his face. “Don’t say anything. I know what you’re thinking.”
“I may not be his biggest fan, but even I can see that he’s got you wrapped around his finger,” Louis says.
Ashton rolls his eyes. “He’s my omega, Louis. What did you expect?” He scoffs. “I’ve got to call Calum, but I can do that while we’re walking down.” He leads the way out of the apartment. Ashton calls Calum as the three of them are walking down to the lobby.
“Hey Ash.”
“Cal, hey. So, I need you to do me a favor,” Ashton says.
Calum groans. “Jesus Christ. What do you want now?”
Ashton snorts. “Wow. Thanks for sounding so enthusiastic, Calum,” he says. “No, it’s nothing bad, okay? I’m hanging out with some of the boys tonight because I promised them a night out, and I’m a little bit worried about Luke being alone for so long. I don’t know when I’ll be back home. I’m- uh- just asking if you can come over to keep him company? At least for a few hours if not the whole night.”
“Mate, that’s it? I thought it was going to be something horrible. Yeah, I can keep Luke company.”
“Make sure it’s okay with Michael. I don’t want you to get in trouble or anything,” Ashton says.
Calum scoffs. “I don’t need permission from Michael to hang out with a friend, Ash. I’ll be over soon.”
Ashton sighs in relief. “Thanks, Cal. I owe you one.”
“No you don’t. Luke’s my friend too, and I feel just as protective of him as you do,” Calum says.
“Well, I’ve already left. You’ve got a key, so just let yourself in. Luke knows that you should be coming,” Ashton says. “Thanks again, Cal. I gotta go, but I’ll talk to you soon?”
“Obviously. See ya.” Calum hangs up on him.
Ashton blinks as he stares at his phone before letting out a laugh, shaking his head fondly.
Calum makes it to Ashton’s apartment building a half an hour later. Michael had offered to go with him, but Calum didn’t know what state Luke would be in, and he didn’t want Luke to panic if he saw Michael. Besides, Calum has been looking forward to spending some alone time with Luke. Quality omega time.
“Luke?” Calum calls as he walks into the apartment. It’s slightly dark in the apartment, which worries Calum slightly. Calum checks the living room, but Luke isn’t there for once, so he goes straight up to Ashton’s room. He knocks on the door before walking into the room. He sighs when he sees Luke curled up in a ball on the bed. Calum walks over to him, and sees that he’s awake. “Hi. What are you doing?”
“Ashton left,” Luke mumbles.
“He’s coming back, you know that, right? He just went out to hang out with his friends,” Calum says.
“But, why didn’t he take me with him? He- He always takes me with him,” Luke mumbles.
Calum chuckles softly, and then he sits on the bed beside Luke. “He’s probably going to get drunk, and he didn’t want you to deal with his drunk ass. Which is fair, he’s an annoying drunk.”
“I- I don’t like when he’s gone,” Luke admits.
“That’s okay. It’s perfectly normal to miss your alpha when they’re gone. Even if it’s for a couple of hours. When Michael’s away, I miss him too. But, I know he has other important shit to do too,” Calum says.
Luke sighs and pushes himself up. “I’m- I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”
“Why do you say that?” Calum asks, frowning at Luke.
“I told Ashton that I could handle being by myself, and here I am crying like a baby about it.” Luke groans. “I am pathetic. It’s no wonder no alpha wanted me before now.”
“Hey, that’s not true,” Calum warns. “You’re an amazing person, Luke.”
“Then why was I stuck in that place for so long?” Luke asks, his voice cracking slightly. “I had to watch all of my omega friends leave with their shiny new alpha’s, and I got stuck there. That’s why I was so excited when they told me that I was finally leaving that horrible place. Someone finally wanted me.”
Calum instantly feels guilty, because Ashton isn’t the one who bought him, Ashton didn’t even know who Luke was. He and Michael bought Luke when they were drunk and trying to figure out what to buy Ashton as a birthday present. He knows he should tell Luke the truth, but he can’t without talking to Ashton first.
“Maybe it was fate,” Calum says.
“What?” Luke asks, looking up at Calum.
“Fate,” Calum repeats, nodding. “You had to wait so long because you were meant to be with Ashton. He’s supposed to be your true mate. I’m sorry that you had to wait so long, and you were stuck in that horrible place for so many years, but now you’re here, and you’re not going anywhere.”
Luke takes a deep breath. “I- I told Ashton that he wasn’t obligated to keep me,” he admits.
“Luke-”
“Because he isn’t. He could easily send me back. But, Ashton laughed and told me that he wasn’t sending me back there, that I was stuck here with him. He promised he’d take that place down.”
Calum chuckles. “Yeah, sounds like something Ashton would promise. Alright, now that we got that out of the way. How about I go make some tea? We’ll put in a movie, and cuddle, until Ashton gets home.”
“Okay. Can we watch TV up here? I’m comfy.”
“Yes, we can watch TV up here,” Calum says, and ruffles Luke’s hair before standing up.
Calum heads downstairs to the kitchen to start making tea for him and Luke, and popcorn as well. Calum calls Michael while he’s making the tea. He puts him on speaker.
“Hey, I made it to Ashton’s safely,” Calum says when Michael picks up.
“Finally. What took you so long to call me?” Michael asks.
Calum huffs. “Sue me. I needed to make sure Luke was okay first.”
“And?”
“He was having a bit of a meltdown over Ashton leaving. I talked to him,” Calum says. “I’m making tea, and then we’re going to cuddle and watch a movie.”
“Dammit. I want to join the cuddle fest.” MIchael whines.
“No alpha’s,” Calum warns playfully. “Us omega’s need our quality cuddle time.”
“Fine,” Michael grumbles. “But you owe me some cuddles when you come back home.”
Calum snorts. “If you say so, babe,” he says, and then he pauses for a moment. “Mike, we need to talk to Ashton about telling Luke the truth.”
“Tell him the truth?” Michael asks.
“Yes,” Calum hisses, looking at the phone even though Michael can’t see him. “Ashton didn’t buy Luke. We did, because we were drunk and being stupid, and Luke doesn’t know that. And I-” He looks over when he hears a noise, and freezes when he sees Luke standing in the kitchen doorway, and Calum knows that Luke’s heard everything. Ashton is going to kill him. “Shit. Luke-”
Luke stumbles backwards, and runs towards the door.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck-!”
“Calum-” Michael begins, but Calum abandons his phone, and runs after Luke, but Luke is already gone. Calum runs out the door, and looks around with wide eyes. There’s no sign of Luke anywhere.
“Fuck!” Calum shouts, and runs back into the kitchen. Luckily, Michael’s still on the phone. “He’s gone!”
“Shit,” Michael curses. “Did you see where he went?”
“No. I’m going to go after him,” Calum says, grabbing his phone.
“Calum, no. Don’t you dare leave that building,” Michael orders, and Calum shivers at the demand, but he can’t leave Luke by himself. “You’re not leaving that building. i’m calling Ashton. We’ll look for him.”
Calum scoffs. “I’m sorry, Mike, but I have to go look for him myself.” He hangs up on MIchael. He’s never disobeyed an order from Michael before, and Calum knows he’s going to be in big trouble, but Calum can’t wait any longer. Luke is in danger, and he needs to find him now before someone else finds him.
Calum looks for a whole hour for Luke, looking all over the city for the younger omega. Calum’s now starting to panic, and he’s worried that Luke could have gotten kidnapped by a psycho alpha, or ended up in the wrong hands. Luke doesn’t know the city. He’s fresh out of the prison he was in before.
Calum sighs as he leans against a brick wall, closing his eyes as tears begin to form in his eyes.
This is it. Ashton’s going to kill him. He’s never going to let him be alone with Luke again. Calum finally meets another omega to be friends with, and he’s ruined everything.
Calum’s eyes snap open as soon as he hears whimpering.
Luke!
Calum walks down the alleyway that he’s found himself in. “Luke?” There’s another whimper, louder. Calum walks to the end, and gasps as soon as he sees Luke curled up in the corner, sobbing. “Luke!” Calum hurries over to him, crouching down beside him. “My God, Luke. You scared me to death!”
“Go’way!” Luke cries. “You- You lied-”
“I’m sorry,” Calum apologizes, panicked. “I’m so sorry, Luke. We should have told you the truth. It just never crossed our minds about how you would feel. We were complete idiots. Mikey and I. I feel terrible. You have no idea how badly I feel about this whole thing. I mean, I’m an omega for freaking out loud.”
Luke looks up at Calum, tears in his eyes. “Does- Does Ashton want me?”
“Yes,” Calum chokes out. “Ashton wants you, Luke. It doesn’t matter how you came to him. He wants you, and he cares about you so much. He might even love you, but it’s still early to tell. I promise you.”
“I don’t want to go back,” Luke cries, and Calum immediately pulls Luke into a hug.
They hug for a long moment, Calum letting Luke cry into his shoulder.
Eventually, Calum pulls away, and wipes his own tears away. “We should- We should get back. Fuck, Mikey’s going to be so pissed at me. I disobeyed an alpha’s order for you.”
Luke’s eyes widen. “Why did you do that?”
“Because you’re my friend, and I was worried that an alpha would find you and hurt you!” Calum exclaims.
“You’re stupid.”
Calum lets out a wet laugh. “You know what? I can’t argue with you on that one. I’m pretty stupid sometimes. Can we go back now? It’s getting dark, and I’m sure Mikey and Ashton are both worried.”
“O- Okay.”
Calum pulls Luke up from the ground, and holds onto his hand tightly as they walk down the alleyway.
Finally, they make it back to Ashton’s apartment. When they walk inside, they can see Ashton pacing in the living room while Mikey is on the phone, talking to someone.
Ashton looks over and he gasps as soon as he sees Luke standing there. “Thank God!” He hurries over to him, and then he grabs him and pulls him into a tight hug. “Don’t you ever fucking do that again, Luke, do you hear me? I was so worried about you.”
Michael looks over and sighs in relief when he sees Luke. “Oh, nevermind. Thank you for your time, sir.” He hangs up the phone. He looks over at Calum and growls.
Luke whimpers in Ashton’s arms upon hearing the growl, but Ashton keeps his arms around him.
“You-” Michael begins as he points at Calum. “You’re in so much fucking trouble, Calum.”
Calum crosses his arms against his chest as he glares at Michael. “I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
Michael scoffs. “Are you- Are you fucking serious right now? You-!”
“Guys,” Ashton hisses, glaring at the two. “If you’re going to argue, then take it home. You’re both more than welcome to stay, but there won’t be any arguing going on right now.” He gently presses a kiss to Luke’s forehead. “I’m so sorry, Luke. I should have never left earlier.”
Calum takes a deep breath. “Ash?” He asks, and winces slightly when Ashton glares at him. “I’m sorry. You had me come over to keep Luke company, and I just fucked up everything up. I- I didn’t mean to, swear it. I was just feeling so bad after Luke and I talked. I was trying to make things right.”
Ashton sighs, and finally pulls away from Luke, but keeps him close. “I know, Cal. I’m not mad at you.”
“That’s it?” Michael asks angrily, blinking as he stares at Ashton. “That’s all you’re going to say to him? Calum disobeyed me, and he could have gotten Luke in so much danger!”
“Michael,” Ashton warns. “What did I say?” He shakes his head. “Besides, I know Calum didn’t mean to. He would never purposefully put Luke in danger. I believe him. Luke’s safe. Calum’s safe.”
Calum looks over at Michael. “You can punish me when we get home. I just want to stay here right now.”
“Get all your yah-yah’s out soon or whatever, because we’re about to go on tour and I’m not going to be dealing with the two of you being mad at each other,” Ashton warns.
“We’re not going to be fighting on tour,” Michael tells him.
“Good, then you two can get the tea finished. I’m getting a bath started for Luke. We’ll be down shortly,” Ashton says, and gently leads Luke up the stairs.
Calum stares at Michael for a moment once they’re gone, before turning and walking into the kitchen.
Michael lets out a sigh. He knows this is far from over, and he and Calum have a lot to talk about, but that’s going to have to wait. Their friends need them, and they’re going to be there for them.
****
“This is fucking sick, man,” Ashton says as they step onto the tour bus. He grins as he looks around.
“This is nice. Bigger than our last tour bus,” Calum points out.
“Babe, we have a whole upstairs. It’s huge,” Michael adds, walking behind Calum and kissing his neck.
“It’s our first tour in three years. Nothing but the best for us,” Calum says, looking up at Michael. He glances over and frowns slightly when he sees Luke hovering slightly in the doorway, looking nervous. Calum looks back over at Ash. “Ash.” He nods towards Luke when Ashton looks up at him.
Ashton takes a deep breath. “Can you give me a few minutes alone with him?”
“Of course,” Michael says. “Come on, let’s go check upstairs. I heard the bed is huge!”
Ashton chuckles as he watches Michael drag Calum up the stairs, grateful the two managed to make up before they left for the tour. They can never stay mad at each other. “No having sex on the tour bus, boys!” He rolls his eyes when he hears both Calum and Michael groaning.
Ashton walks over to Luke, and gently pulls him further onto the bed.
“Ashton?”
“What are you so nervous about?” Ashton asks. “This is supposed to be fun. We’re on tour, Luke!”
“I’ve never been on a tour before. What- What am I supposed to do?” Luke asks, frowning.
“You don’t have to do anything. Just have fun, sweetheart. I want you to have fun,” Ashton says, and gently pulls Luke into a comforting hug. He smiles when he feels Luke relax in his arms.
Later on, when they’re finally heading to their first stop, and cuddling on the couches in the lounge area. Ashton pulls out his phone to check Twitter, to interact with the fans for a little bit. He instantly notices pictures floating around of them at the airport. There’s a couple of Luke. Luckily the fans left him alone when they were greeting him and the guys. Luke minded his business, being used to the fans now.
Of course, Luke still gets scared when someone randomly runs up to Ashton, begging for a picture.
Ashton smiles as he reads some of the tweets about Luke, his fans gushing over how cute he is, which Ashton has to agree with. Luke is pretty cute. Entirely adorable.
@irwinsgirl:
@Ashton5SOS your omega is so cute!!! can’t you share him with the rest of us :(
@Ashton5SOS:
@irwinsgirl he is pretty cute, isn’t he? and sorry but no, i think i’ll keep him to myself :) nice try!
“Ashton?” Luke asks, startling Ashton out of his focus.
“Sorry, uh… yes, sweetheart?” Ashton asks, looking over at Luke, and melting at how adorable Luke looks all snuggled up next to him, wrapped up in a warm blanket.
“I- I still want to learn how to read,” Luke mumbles.
“Oh,” Ashton says. “I’m so sorry, Luke. I completely forgot once we started rehearsing for the tour. Shit. Hey, we’ll help you, alright? Maybe on our next day off we can get started on that until I can find someone to help you learn to read. We’re going to be so busy the next couple months. But, you’re right. You still haven’t been able to use your phone much, and I’m going to need you to answer your messages.”
“Calum wanted to help.”
“I know, baby. But, Calum’s going to be just as busy as me. I’ll find someone good, okay? Don’t worry.”
“Okay,” Luke mumbles, and snuggles closer to Ashton. He glances at Ashton’s phone and spots a picture of himself. “That’s me.” He points at the picture on Ashton’s phone.
Ashton chuckles. “Yeah, babe. That’s you. My fans love you.”
Luke blinks, and looks up at Ashton. “How can they love me? They don’t know me.”
“They know that you’re cute, and that’s enough for them. Hey, do you want to take a picture? I’ll post it, and the fans will really freak out over that.”
Luke blushes, and slowly nods. “Okay.” He sits up slightly.
Ashton grins at Luke, and takes his camera out, and takes a picture of him and Luke snuggled up. He posts it on his Instagram with the caption ‘finally heading back out on tour, it’s a good thing i have this guy for snuggles on the road :)’. This will be the first time that Ashton has posted a photo of Luke on Instagram, and it will be the first time in years he’s confirmed with being with somebody.
Ashton watches as the comments roll in instantly, and reads some of the comments to Luke, which makes Luke giggle. From what Ashton has told him, his fans can be a bit dramatic, and Luke finds it funny.
“They like me?” Luke asks hopefully.
“What? Of course. Luke, it’s impossible not to like you,” Ashton says, leaning over to press a kiss to Luke’s forehead. He wraps his arm around the younger boy and pulls him closer.
The first show of the new tour, and everybody is stressed. Luke stays back on the tour bus, ordered by Ashton. Ashton has a bodyguard outside their tour bus so nothing happens to Luke. He doesn’t want Luke to be overwhelmed with how stressed everyone is.
But, Luke finally gets to come out of the bus an hour before the show. He brings Ashton and the guys tea.
“You are an absolute sweetheart,” Michael says as he takes the tea from Luke. “Thanks, Luke.”
Luke smiles as he looks up at Michael. “You’re welcome, sir. It’s the least I could do.”
“Ugh, don’t call me sir. It’s Michael,” Michael says before taking a sip of his tea.
“Get used to it. He’s been with me for how long? And I still have to correct him to call me Ashton whenever he calls me sir,” Ashton says from the couch.
Luke blushes, and then he walks over and hands Ashton his tea.
“Hey, sorry about earlier. I don’t want you to think we didn’t want you around, because we do. We were all just stressed about the first show going well tonight. It’s always like this the beginning of a new tour,” Ashton says, looking up at Luke. “I’m excited for you to see our show.”
Luke smiles. “Me too. I love your music.”
Ashton smiles at Luke, and then he pats the spot next to him on the couch. “Sit.”
Luke does as he’s told instantly, and sits beside Ashton, happy to be near his alpha again.
Finally, the boys go on stage. Luke watches from backstage, cheering and singing along to every word, and filming videos on his phone. He can’t believe that’s his alpha up there, in front of so many people.
When Ashton comes off stage, he’s got so much energy, and Luke has never seen his alpha so happy.
“What a fucking show!” Ashton exclaims, and beams as soon as he sees Luke. He hurries over to him, throwing his arm around his neck, and pulling him in for a hug.
Luke giggles, and wraps his arms around Ashton, hugging him tightly.
“So, what did you think?” Ashton asks, looking down at Luke.
“You- You were incredible!” Luke exclaims, his eyes lighting up, which causes Ashton to laugh.
“Glad you think so,” Ashton says. He stares at Luke, before leaning down and kissing him on the lips, for the first time since Luke arrived. Ashton has always been careful about not putting any pressure on Luke. It’s barely been a few months, and Luke is still timid and learning how to trust alpha’s.
Luke gasps when Ashton pulls away from the kiss. He looks up at Ashton with wide eyes. “Ash-” He stops when Ashton kisses him again, and this time Luke kisses him back.
“Ew, get a room.”
Ashton finally pulls away and looks over to see Calum and Michael, both smirking. “Shut up.”
“It’s about time,” Calum says, leaning against Michael. He looks over at Luke. “Did you like the show?”
Luke blushes, and he nods his head. “It was amazing. I enjoyed it a lot.”
“Good.” Michael grins. “That’s what we like to hear.”
“Can we get back to the bus and celebrate? I feel like we deserve to celebrate after a kickass show!” Michael exclaims, throwing his arm around Calum’s neck. “I’ve got way too much energy right now.”
Ashton snorts, and then he looks down when his phone starts ringing. He fishes it out of his pocket, and sees it’s the detective he started talking to about the place where Luke came from. He’s been working on this since Luke arrived at his apartment. He wanted to surprise Luke with it. Ashton’s heart stops a moment, and he excuses himself for a moment before answering the phone.
“Hello?” Ashton asks, his heart pounding against his chest.
“Ashton. Hello. It’s Detective Williams. We’ve spoken before about Luke’s case,” she says.
“Yes,” Ashton breathes. “I assume you have some news for me?”
“Yes, very good news in fact.”
“Oh my God. Did you actually find the damn place?”
“Yes, we found it. It was an underground operation run by a group of alpha’s, literally underground, and there were nearly fifty omega’s imprisoned. We got every omega out. We wouldn’t have been able to find the place without your help Ashton. Thanks to you those omega’s will have a better life.”
Ashton wants to throw up upon hearing just how many omega’s were imprisoned, and Luke was one of those omega’s. He can’t imagine what those omega’s had to go through. Luke doesn’t talk about it, and Ashton’s not going to force him to talk about it either if he doesn’t want to.
“Thank you,” Ashton finally says. “I promised Luke we would take that place down.”
“I knew it was going to be much bigger when you were telling me about where Luke came from, but I had no idea it was going to be this big. We’ve still got a lot of work to do, starting with helping those omega’s. How’s Luke doing, by the way? If you don’t mind me asking. It must be overwhelming for him to be out of that place after spending his whole life there. I can’t even imagine.”
“Yes,” Ashton confirms. “He’s still shy, and very timid when it comes to meeting new people. But, I’m just trying my best to show him that not all alpha’s are bad.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. Luke sounds like a sweetheart. I just wanted to tell you the good news, and I’m sure you’ll be seeing it on the news soon. I’ll talk to you soon, I’m sure.”
“Of course. Thank you. Thank you again for everything you’ve done,” Ashton says, before hanging up. He takes a deep breath, and looks over to see Calum and Luke chatting excitedly about the show. He smiles. Ashton puts his phone away, and walks back over to the boys.
“What was that about?” Michael asks, looking up at Ashton.
Ashton grins. “We definitely have a reason to be celebrating tonight.” Luke stops, and looks over at Ashton curiously. Ashton turns to look at Luke, taking one of his hands, squeezing it gently. “You know how I promised you that we would get that place you come from taken down?” Luke slowly nods, silently. “Well, I’ve- I’ve been working with a detective the past few months. They found them. The alpha’s that ran the place. It’s going to be shut down permanently. They rescued fifty omega’s.”
Luke gasps. “Fifty?”
“No omega is going to have to endure that place ever again,” Ashton promises.
Luke throws his arms around Ashton, hugging him tightly. “Thank you. Thank you, thank you!”
Ashton chuckles, hugging Luke back. “I promised you we’d shut that shit down, didn’t I?”
“Damn,” Michael says, shocked. “That’s amazing, Ash. You helped save so many omega’s.”
“Fifty omega’s?” Calum chokes out. “That- That makes me sick to my stomach!” He allows Michael to pull him into a hug. “I wish we had known that when we got on that stupid website, but at the same time, that stupid website brought us Luke. Maybe it’s a good thing we got drunk that night.”
“Even though I’m still pissed at you for doing that, I’m also grateful. Luke is one of the best things that have happened to me in a long while,” Ashton says. He looks down at Luke, smiling softly.
Luke looks up at Ashton. There’s tears in his eyes.
“Oh, sweetheart, don’t- don’t cry,” Ashton says, gently wiping away Luke’s tears with his thumbs.
Luke shakes his head. “They’re happy tears,” he assures Ashton, and Ashton sighs in relief.
Ashton has seen Luke cry far too many times, but as long as they’re happy tears, then Ashton’s happy. Luke deserves all the happiness in the world, and Ashton will do everything to give Luke his happiness.