Ashton is a problem child.

He stays out late, smokes, sasses back and swears at his parents, flunked out of school and hangs out with the wrong people and his parents have had enough.

They send him to a boarding school, where he meets Luke.

Luke is at the school too, and Ashton suddenly becomes his new best friend.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The door clicked shut behind him and Ashton silently kicked off his shoes, running up the stairs to his room.

Michael's party had been epic, but now he was going to throw up and one does not simply do that quietly.

The sound alerted his parents that their son was home, finally.

It was three in the morning, and this was the last straw for them.

"Where the hell have you been?" His father demanded, coming into the bathroom with his wife.

Ashton rolled his eyes and grabbed onto the sink to help pull himself up. "Out. Duh."

"Knock off the attitude." His dad warned.

"Knock off the attitude." Ashton mimicked. "I'm going to bed. Get out of my room."

"Ashton please," His mom sighed. "Let us help you, this isn't you."

"Oh sorry, did I mislead you all these years? This is the real me, you just don't want it to be." Ashton glared and stomped past them dizzily.

"Don't disrespect your mother that way." His dad growled. "You're grounded."

"And you're deaf." Ashton fell back onto his bed and reached for his pack of cigarettes. "I told you to get out so why haven't you?"

"You are setting a horrible example for your brother and sister." His mom hissed.

"You mean the people I didn't even want in the first place?" Ashton reminded. "Sorry." He said with an air of sarcasm as he pulled out his lighter and like the end of the cigarette.

"Don't smoke that! You're underage!" His dad snapped.

Ashton blew out a smoke ring and ignored him. "Still wondering why you're still here."

His mom sighed. "Let's just go to bed and deal with him in the morning."

His dad grabbed Ashton's phone and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Ashton flipped them off and rolled his eyes.

-

"Boarding school?!" Ashton screeched the next morning at the table. "Are you fucking insane?!"

"Watch your mouth." His dad warned.

"But PineHaven is such a lovely place!" His mom tried to put a positive spin on it. "You'll meet so many new friends, and have so much fun!"

"Has it ever crossed your mind that I don't want to make new friends? I have Michael and Calum. I don't need any new friends." Ashton slouched in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Those friends of yours got you arrested!" His dad shouted.

"Only twice!" Ashton yelled back.

"Shut up!" Mrs. Irwin screamed. "No fucking yelling in my house!"

"Don't swear!" Mr. Irwin shouted.

Ashton groaned and stood up. "I'm over this. I'm leaving. You can't make me go to stupid PineHaven, and you can't change me." He threw open the door, and gasped when he saw a bus waiting outside their driveway.

PineHaven Bus Service.

"Your bag is packed and at the top of the stairs." Mr. Irwin said behind him, sounding smug.

"I'm not getting on that bus." Ashton said slowly.

"You are, even if I have to carry you onto it." His dad threatened.

"I'll bite you." Ashton warned.

"It'll be worth it to get you out of my house." His dad said.

Mrs. Irwin came out of the house, holding a bag. "Here sweetie, I packed everything you need."

Ashton glared and slapped it out of her hands. "I'm not fucking going!"

"That's it." His dad grabbed Ashton by the waist and carried him over his shoulder.

"No!" Ashton screamed. "I'm not going! I don't want to go!"

Mrs. Irwin hurried after them, carrying the bag. "This is a good thing honey!"

"No!" Ashton pounded on his dads back as he boarded the bus. "I hate you!"

All the kids on the bus stared as Mr. Irwin pushed Ashton into a seat and handed him the bag.

The kid next to Ashton looked frightened.

"Don't come back until you've had a serious attitude change." And his dad left with those words.

The bus pulled away and Ashton jumped out of his seat and leaned over the kid, screaming and banging on the window at the fading view of his parents.

"I hate you!" He raged.

The blonde kid beside him watched him with wide eyes.

Finally Ashton calmed down. He sat back down and glared at the kid. "Can I help you?"

"Uh...no?" The kid squeaked.

"Then stop staring." Ashton growled and crossed his arms.

"Sorry." Luke was petrified. His first day and he gets stuck next to the freak.

This day definitely could have gone better.

-

When they pulled up to the school an hour later, the first thing Ashton noticed there were no girls.

He sunk lower in his seat. "Great."

Luke looked at him. "Oh, you found something good already? That is great!"

Ashton gave him a look. "Are you a fucking Teletubbe or something? There is nothing good about this place! Look around, it's a prison!"

Luke looked out the window. "The architecture could be a little more homey." He admitted and Ashton groaned.  "Why are there no girls here?"

"Because PineHaven is a all boys reformatory school." Luke answered, grabbing his bag. "Sunset Woods is the girl's."

"Why do you know all this?" Ashton asked as the bus pulled to a halt and everyone stood up and grabbed their bags.

"I did my research." Luke shrugged. "You didn't?"

"Why would I?" Ashton rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag.

They exited the bus and Ashton stared up and the huge brick building. It had narrow windows and a large fence surrounding the perimeter.

"I hate it already." He muttered.

Luke came up beside him. He beamed and took a deep breath. "The air is so fresh up here!"

Ashton glared at him and walked away.

Luke looked around and hurried after him. "Hey wait up! What's your name?"

Ashton sighed and faced him. "What do you want from me, blonde?"

"Nothing...just, to be friends?" Luke squeaked nervously.

"No." Ashton said, turning away from him.

"Do you at least want to be roommates? I think everyone else has teamed up for rooms." Luke said, scanning the rest of the crowd.

"Uuuugh." Ashton threw his head back. "Just because we sat beside each other on the bus doesn't mean we're friends. Go find someone else to annoy."

Luke looked at the ground. "Oh...okay. Sorry."

He walked off, his bag dragging in the dirt.

Ashton watched him and sighed. "Hey, blonde!" He whistled to get Luke's attention and the boy stopped and turned around.

Ashton groaned internally. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but everyone else had a partner already.

"We're not friends, but...we can share a room." He mumbled and Luke's face broke out in a huge smile.

"Really? Great! Do you want the top or bottom bunk? I'm good with either, so you can choose. I used to have bunk beds with my older brothers but they moved out a while ago so this will be just like back then!" He rambled happily and Ashton rolled his eyes.

"Yeah okay, all this talking you're doing, it's got to stop." Ashton said as they got their room keys and walked into the building with everyone else.

Luke clung to Ashton so he wouldn't get lost.

"Move, get out of the way, excuse you." Ashton shoved the people out of his way and Luke gave them apologetic smiles.

He stopped in front of a room and unlocked it.

Luke hurriedly followed him in with their bags.

The room was small and beige. It had one window in the middle of the wall that was opposite to the door.

A bunk bed was to the left, a table sat under the window, two small chairs sat around it. There was a tiny bathroom to the left.

The other wall had a closet for their bags, and Luke placed them there.

"So, do you want the top bunk or the bottom?" He asked cheerfully.

Ashton climbed onto the top and didn't reply.

Luke got onto the bottom bunk. "Oki dokey. I used to have the bottom bunk at home too, so I'm-"

"Shut up." Ashton whined. "Please, just stop talking."

"Sorry." Luke sat criss cross apple sauce and leaned against the wall.

He looked around the room.

He picked at the blanket on the bed.

He admired the scenery out the window.

He got bored.

He looked above him at Ashton's bunk. It was too quiet in here.

"So, how old are you?" Luke asked and Ashton groaned.

"I thought I told you to shut up."

"I'm fifteen." Luke said, leaning over the edge of his bed to look up at Ashton. "In fact, my birthday was just a few months ago."

"I didn't ask."

"You should have been there, it was amazing! We played laser tag and went to the water park and there was a huge-"

"Let me put this in the clearest way possible so you can understand." Ashton rolled over and peered over the edge of his bed to look down at Luke. "I. Do not. Give a shit. About your damn party. M'kay? We clear?" He narrowed his eyes and Luke gulped and nodded.

"Good." Ashton rolled back over.

Luke stared after him for a moment be for crawling out of his bed.

He stood on his tip toes and peered into Ashton's bed. "So...how old are you? You can just tell me your birthday and I can figure it out instead."

"For fucks sake." Ashton groaned. "I'm seventeen, almost eighteen, okay? Now can I take a nap without you barging into the silent with your stupid questions?"

"Oh yes, sorry." Luke climbed back into his bunk and stayed as quiet as he possibly could.

-

A few hours later, Luke could sit still no longer and he jumped up, stretching his legs and arms.

The door opened and a worker poked his head in. "Dinner!"

"Thank you." Luke smiled at him.

He climbed up to Ashton's bunk and sat on top of the sleeping boy.

He poked Ashton's cheek. "Pst. Hey. Pst. Dinner. Pst." He poked him with every word and Ashton slowly blinked his eyes open.

"You have two seconds to get off me before I strangle you." He said in a deep voice and Luke almost pissed himself.

He scrambled off and apologized repeatedly.

"Sorry, it's just, sorry, dinners ready, sorry, I just didn't want you to miss it sorry." He stuttered quickly as Ashton jumped out of bed.

"Okay I get it, stop with the sorrys." Ashton muttered. He grabbed the key and walked out.

Luke followed.

Ashton sighed. "There are other people in here for you to hang out with you know."

"I know." Luke tried grabbing onto Ashton, but the older boy was having none of that. "But I like to hang out with you."

Ashton shoved Luke off him again as they entered the cafeteria. "Well I don't like you, so stop touching me."

He pushed Luke off him and Luke crashed into another boy.

The boy glared at him. "Watch where you're going, blonde."

"S-sorry." Luke stuttered.

"Hey." Ashton grabbed Luke and pulled him behind him. "Only I can call him blonde, so back off."

"Well aren't we possessive?" The boy asked and Ashton held up a fist. "Say that again."

"Whatever." The boy rolled his eyes and walked off.

Luke stared up at Ashton in amazement. "Wow, you stood up for me! No ones ever done that before! Thank you!" He hugged Ashton and the older boy blushed angrily and pried him off. "Yeah well...don't get used to it. And get off me."

Luke smiled and followed him around for the rest of dinner, talking about this and that. Ashton gritted his teeth and tried to ignore him.

Later that night, Luke changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth before climbing into his bunk with a stuffed penguin.

"Ashton?" He called up softly, clicking his toes together underneath the blanket. "Will you come tuck me in?"

"Are you serious?" Ashton asked him. "You're fifteen! You're...wait what's your name? And how did you know mine?"

"I'm Luke. And it says 'Ashton' on your bag so I just assumed." Luke said, playing with his penguin. "Please tuck me in, I can't sleep if I'm not."

Ashton groaned and facepalmed. "Jesus..." He sighed and leaned over Luke, tucking the younger boy in. "Don't expect a kiss and a story too." He warned as he pulled back. "And I'm never doing that again."

But Luke just smiled up at him, playing with his lip ring. "Thank you. Good night Ashton."

"Whatever."

Ashton climbed into his bed and was silent.

A moment later, he peered over the edge of his bed.

"Hey, what did you do to get put in here? You seem like a good, law abiding citizen. What happened?"

"Oh...that. Well, long story short, I took the blame for a friend of mine who did something bad. And I think my parents just needed a break from me for a while."

"Oh..." Ashton was silent again and they both slowly drifted off to sleep as rain pattered against the window.

-

Luke whimpered and woke up.

Lightning cracked against the window and violent winds slammed rain against the window so hard, Luke was sure it would shatter.

He jumped when thunder boomed overhead and fell out of bed.

He held his penguin to his chest and hugged it tightly.

He scrambled up and looked over at Ashton, who was sleeping peacefully.

He bit his lip, wondering if he should or not. Another clap of thunder startled him into a decision.

He climbed up the ladder to Ashton's bunk and hesitantly sat at the end of it.

"Ashton?" He whispered loudly. "Ashton,  I-I'm scared....can I sleep with you tonight?"

Ashton rolled over and slowly blinked his eyes open. "Lee? What are you doing?"

"Luke." Luke corrected, crawling closer. "T-there's a storm out, and I was just wondering, if like...I could sleep up here."

Ashton groaned. "Fine. I'll sleep in the bottom bunk." He made to get up but Luke stopped him. "No...I meant...sleep up here...with you." He bit his lip nervously as Ashton stared at him.

"What?"

"Please?" Luke begged. "I hate storms and I promise it's just for tonight! No one has to know! Please?"

Ashton swore and punched his pillow. "Fine! Ugh, but stay on your side." He laid back down and rolled over, expecting Lee to lay down on the other side of him, but instead the boy got in next to him on the side Ashton was facing.

Luke happily snuggled down beside Ashton, burying his face in the older boys warm chest. "Thank you." He whispered.

Ashton blinked.

Hesitantly, he leaned down, and pressed a soft kiss to Luke's forehead. "Good night Luke."

A warm feeling spread through his body as Luke fell asleep against him and he slowly drifted back to sleep, a faint smile was on both of their faces.

-------------------------------------------------------------

NO TIME TO EXPLAIN, EVERYONE GO FOLLOW JOOOONASMANUEL. NO QUESTIONS PLEASE.