"Ashton, where are you going?" Luke asked when I stood up and pulled my shirt on.

"Getting you food," I answered. I walked over to the door and opened it, but it was suddenly slammed shut. I jumped at that and when I looked to see the cause of it I saw Luke, his hand flat against the door and his other arm clutching his stomach. "Why'd you do that?! You're hurt!"

"I'm not hungry. Don't get food," he said as he looked up at me.

"You jumped out of bed even in your physical state just so I wouldn't get you food? And Aleisha said to. She knows you better than I do, and she told me to get you food even if you say you're not hungry."

"Forget her, will ya? I don't want food."

"But your stomach growled-"

"No, it didn't."

"Luke, move."

"Please, don't." He looked at me with puppy eyes, and I just... no, don't give in.

"I'm getting you food," I sighed, but then he pressed his back against the door

"I'm not moving," Luke huffed.

"You're being ridiculous. Please, move."

"I refuse." I released a sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Fine. I'm going back to bed," I told him, walking around. I lied down on the bed. Then Luke started making his way back onto the bed. Once he got on I jumped off and sprinted for the door.

"Ashton!" he yelled as I shut the door and darted for the kitchen.

Seriously, the guy's hungry, and he's refusing to eat? I don't know anyone like that.

I found that there was a box of pizza, most likely when I told Lauren and Harry to order it for dinner. I opened up the lid and saw that there were three slices in there. That was perfect.

I grabbed a pizza, put it on a plate, and put it in a microwave to heat it up. I set the time to a minute and sat at the island. I watched as the pizza spun slowly and the numbers counted down. My foot was bouncing on the stretcher. I'd occasionally stop, but then resume doing it again.

I don't know entirely why Luke doesn't want to eat. I mean, he's eaten before, hasn't he? He's perfectly capable of eating a slice of pizza. He had Harry's spaghetti, although he only finished about half of it. He also had the Chinese food yesterday. He's obviously hungry, so why does he not want to eat?

Once the microwave beeped indicating it was finished, I opened the it, touching the plate to see if it'd be hot. When it didn't burn my finger, I picked it up and carried it off to my room.

I opened my door and found that Luke was still lying shirtless on the bed. He must've gave up after I ran out. His arm was thrown lazily over his face. And I think he's mumbling to himself.

"I got the food," I announced. He removed his arm, looking at me, and then at the pizza. I brought it over to him, but then he scooted as far away as he could before he was against the wall.

"Keep that away from me," he ordered, but I wasn't having any of that. I set the plate on the nightstand and he just kept eyeing the food.

"Calm down, it's just pizza," I said.

"But I told you, I'm not hungry." Then his stomach growled.

"Your stomach disagrees with you." Luke pouted before going to the edge of the bed, throwing his legs over so they were dangling. He was moving slowly, because he was still in pain. Note that I need to give him more kisses to his bruises. "Are you going to move away again?"

He shook his head vigorously, but I still didn't believe him the slightest bit. I moved over to him and sat on his lap. Never have I ever sat on someone's lap at will, but I just had a sudden adrenaline of courage shoot through me to do it. Plus, I knew that everything below his waist wasn't hurt.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to process what was going on.

"Making sure you don't run," I simply stated. "It's just a pizza slice. You can eat it."

"But I told you already, I'm not hungry."

"Aleisha said to make sure you eat no matter what."

"But-"

"Eat."

Luke sighed and looked in between us. There's nothing to look at there except for my side, so he's probably thinking.

"If I eat," he began, "will you tell me what happened to Jasmine?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care about what happened to her?"

"Just tell me."

"You have to finish the entire slice of pizza. And swallow every piece down." He slowly nodded before looking at the slice. I picked up the plate with one hand and grabbed the crust with the other. "I don't understand why you don't want to eat. You've eaten before." When I brought the tip of the pizza to his mouth, he refused to bite. I frowned. "Open."

He looked at me with pleading eyes, but I wasn't going to fall for it. He has to satisfy his needs. "Ashton, I can't do it," Luke said. "I change my mind. You don't have to tell me."

"Yes, you can," I said. "Why are you being so stubborn? It's just pizza."

I think I heard him whimper before finally taking a small bite of the pizza. His face twisted into some expression, like he was not enjoying the food at all. Did he not like pizza? I should've gotten him something else.

When I saw Luke swallow I brought the pizza up to his lips, but then he pushed the pizza aside, grabbed my face, and brought his lips to mine. I was taken aback, and then he shoved his tongue in my mouth. Along with something else.

He pulled away, releasing my cheeks, and whatever he pushed into my mouth I spat it out into a trash can nearby. I looked into the bin and saw what it was. Then I glared at him.

"Did you just kiss me just so you could shove pizza into my mouth?" I quizzed him, even though I already knew he did. He shook his head strenuously. Now he's denying his actions.

Okay, that does it.

I made the pizza aim for his mouth, but his hands grabbed onto my wrists, making me a bit annoyed. "Just eat! I know you're hungry!"

"I'm fine, and lower your voice. Your sister and brother are asleep," he reminded, but waking them up was the least of my worries. Luke. Has. To. Eat.

I somehow managed to reposition myself Luke so I was straddling Luke. The next part I didn't want to do in fear of hurting him, but I did anyway. I used my knee to poke his side. He tried to shift away from it, his hold releasing me and going for his side. I took this chance to push the pizza towards his mouth, getting some sauce onto his face. He grabbed my wrist again, pulling himself away as far from me as possible.

"Oh, my God, Luke, just cooperate here! At least take one more bite. A big one!" I struggled to break free from his hand, and he was still being a stubborn kid.

He covered his mouth with his hand and began to speak. "Please, Ashton, I can't."

"Yes, you can! Eat one large bite! Do it for me!"

"The pizza is going to ruin me!" he yelled. I stopped, moving and just stared at Luke who was now hanging his head low. When I tried to release my hand, his grip tightened.

"Let go," I ordered. "I'm going to put the pizza down." His fingers slowly unwrapped from my wrist, and I did exactly what I told him I was going to do. When I turned back to Luke he rested his head on my chest. I winced a bit, because he got a spot where I was punched, but I pushed that aside.

"Food is evil," Luke said. "Why do we need it?"

"I don't know, Luke, but you need to eat. Will you please eat?" He shook his head. "Not even for me?"

"I can't."

"Can't eat?" He nodded. "Why not?"

Luke took in a deep breath before releasing it. "Food hates me."

As ridiculous as that sounded, I kept on a straight face. "What do you mean?"

"It- food makes-" He never finished his sentence. Instead he pulled himself away and put his hands over his stomach.

I raised an eyebrow. "You're worried about getting fat? Wait, are you... anorexic?" 

His breathing hitched, and that's when I knew I hit the nail right on the head.

That would explain why he didn't finish his dinner, why he doesn't eat at lunch, why he'd always excuse himself to the restroom after dinner, why he stays in the restroom for such a long time, why he had minty breath yesterday...

Oh, God. Purging. He was purging. Why didn't I realize that?

"I was always told I was skinny, but then over the summer someone told me that I was fat, and then they squeezed my stomach. I don't know why, but ever since then I've been conscious about my horizontal size. That very moment made me realize just how fat I really was, and I thought, 'What if all those people who said I was skinny were just telling me that so I wouldn't feel fat?'"

"You're not fat, Luke. I swear."

"That's because I'm doing the same routine after every meal. But I get scared of eating, because I don't like having to throw up after."

"Then don't."

"I have to or else I'll get fat."

"Luke, I promise you won't get fat. Throwing everything up isn't the way to go. It's unhealthy, okay? There's a better way." Luke lifted his head and wiped at his eyes. "Does Aleisha know? Is that why she told me to make sure you eat?"

"Yeah. Other than you, she's the only one who knows. Not even Calum knows about it. She found out over the summer. She caught me purging when we were at a party. She's been trying to help me, but I rarely listened to her. I never buy lunch, so Aleisha gives me hers. I didn't want to, but I have to eat it, because I didn't want anyone else to know about it. But if I ate, then I'd have an unsettling feeling in my stomach. I would have to beg Aleisha to let me go outside. She tells me to fight the urge, but I wouldn't try, so then she'd give up and take me outside." Well, that explains where he goes during lunch. A rumbling sound was heard, and we both looked down at his stomach.

"Luke, you have to eat," I informed him. "You will finish the pizza, right?"

"Ashton-"

"Do it for Aleisha. She's been trying her best to help you. Do it for me, because I'm going to help you."

His eyes widened. "You will?"

"Yes, but you have to do your part as well. All you have to do is eat. I'll make sure you don't eat too much or too little."

"... Okay." I grabbed the pizza and handed it to Luke. At first he was hesitant, because he's changing his eating habits. He looked at the pizza, and then at me. I nodded for him to continue, and he finally took hold of the plate. He poked at the pizza and then took a small bite out of it. His expression showed discomfort, but I knew he could do it.

"It's just pizza. It won't hurt you, and one slice won't make you fat." I just noticed that I was sitting on his lap, so I got up, but then Luke whined.

"Don't go," he said. I let my hand rub over his hair.

"I wasn't going to," I reassured him.

"Then sit back down. This way's more comforting for me. Plus, what if I get up and run to the restroom to purge?"

"That's a horrible way of telling me to sit down." He pouted, and I sighed. I wasn't going to question him. I just did as he said, except I wasn't straddling him this time. I did wrap an arm around his neck to keep me in place. I watched as he took another reluctant piece from the pizza.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. He nodded and rested his head on my shoulder.

"This is going to take some getting used to," he faintly laughed. "I don't know, I feel like if you're going to help me, then I might as well try to put some effort into ending this thing I've been doing." My fingers brushed through his hair as he set the food down.

"You can do it, Lukey. Just take it slowly. I believe in you." He nodded to show he understood and went for another bite. They were small, his bites. But as long as it all goes down his throat, it's okay. Take little steps.

Luke managed to finish the pizza, but stopped when he reached the crust. He told me he really did have the urge to run to the restroom and throw up, but I stayed where I was on his lap so he couldn't do that, because what he said earlier about up and running off opened my eyes up a bit.

So I guess whenever he eats I have to sit on his lap, right? I don't mind. Not at all.

He tried to eat the crust, but didn't feel like eating it. I told him to set it aside and I'll take it to the kitchen.

We were quiet for a while, his head still on my shoulder. I rested mine on top of his, and then I began to think.

We shared our first kiss together. And we kissed four times. I could almost die happily. Almost. If it meant something to him, then I could definitely die from happiness. I'm literally on cloud nine right now. Never did I ever think that we'd even meet, let alone sit here together in comfortable silence.

But... the sports policy. Damn, if it didn't exist, Luke and I wouldn't be here. He'd just apologize and then we'd be going our separate paths. And at first I thought this was all an act of his, to take extra care of me, but it seems his actions are genuine, which I am very grateful about. In a way I'm glad that it exists, but why did it have to be a week? I wouldn't mind it being forever. I just really love having Luke around.

It all started off with a simple crush, but within mere days he's already got me head over heels in love with him. Damn, just... please, never let Wednesday come. That's when Luke and I will no longer be like this. It's like we'll pretend nothing happened. But how can I do that when I feel this way?

Speaking of feelings, I'm a bit glad that I know the relationship between Luke and Aleisha now. I can live in peace, knowing they really aren't a thing and that they don't have any romantic feelings towards each other. Aleisha's just looking out for Luke, helping him with his anorexia. Now that I'm helping him, too, I think he'll be able to end his anorexic ways in no time. I hope.

All I can do now is enjoy everything while it all lasts. And I hope that everything goes slowly, because I really don't want this to end. I want to stay with Luke forever. I just hope that the feeling's mutual.

I had both my arms around Luke's neck. They tightened slightly, not enough to choke him, but enough for me to feel like he won't disappear from my hold. "Thank you, Luke," I whispered.

"Elaborate," he simply said.

"Just for everything. I know you're stuck with me all the way until Wednesday, and I just thought you'd be reluctant to deal with me, but you didn't just do that. You protected me and everything. You made sure I didn't get hurt and you cared for me, even though the policy only applies at school."

"It was my fault that you got hit. I should've kept my kicking under control. Speaking of that, how's your head?" His fingers touched the back of my head, and then they brushed through my hair. "Did that guy hurt you there?"

"Um..."

"He did." He pulled his hand away and then I dropped my arms from his neck. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let himself fall backwards so he was on lying on his back. I slowly got off his lap so he'd be more comfortable. "The next time I see that guy he's not getting off easy."

"He was just looking out for Harry, okay? He was just super jealous how we were... doing that. I guess I shouldn't have kissed back or anything." Luke got onto his elbows and looked at me.

"You kissed back? Why?"

I didn't realize what I said until Luke repeated my words.

Shit, am I really going to answer that? I don't want to lie to him, but I don't want to tell him that I was thinking of him. Damn it, what do I do?

"I..." I am screwed.

"I thought he's your best friend? Do you like him? Are you gay?"

"No, I can't like Haz! He likes Louis, and we're just best friends. Besides, I like someone else."

"Whom?" Shit, why did I say that?!

"I've said too much already. I'll take this plate away." I reached for the plate, but Luke smacked my hand away and then pulled me down onto the bed by my waist. "Hey-!"

"You're not going anywhere without telling me."

"You're really a persistent one, aren't you?"

"Tell me." Luke really wasn't going to let me off the hook of this one. Well, I obviously wasn't going to tell that it was him. I'll just tell him this:

"It's just this person I've been crushing on for a while," I began. "No big deal. I don't know if they have feelings for me, but it doesn't matter if they do or don't. The person makes me happy just by being present. Unless they return my feelings, I wouldn't ask for anything to change between us.

"It was pure fate that brought us together, and I didn't believe we'd ever cross paths, but we did. It almost seemed unbelievable. But our time together is fading, and I want to make the best of every moment between us..." I trailed off from there, because I was almost telling Luke everything. If he knew it was him whom I was talking about... God, have mercy on me.

"Go on," Luke said. I looked at him as a smile crept onto my face.

"And they've got the most amazing eyes I've ever seen." I stared into his eyes as I said that, because they were so captivating, and I just can't look away. "Beautiful..."

"Their eyes sure are pretty then," Luke chuckled.

"What I love most about them is their hair. I just want to let my fingers comb through their hair every day for the rest of my life. It's so soft, and I really love it."

"That's intriguing." I glared at him playfully.

"Okay, now you're just making fun of me."

"No, you just seem to be really smitten with this person. They must be really pretty.'

I nodded, looking down at my feet. "Yeah."

"So... boy or girl?"

I glanced up at him. "What?"

"Are you crushing on a boy or a girl? Their gender wasn't specified."

Shit, I didn't think he'd catch that. Am I really ready to out myself to Luke? Well, it's him, and he doesn't judge people by looks, but I never know. He might be a huge homophobe for all I know.

No, wait, he can't be. Yesterday he literally gave me a lecture about chances, how it was a possibility he and I would end up together. Plus, he kissed me. He can't be a homophobe, but he isn't gay either. Remember what he said to me earlier?

If you were a girl, I'd date you.

So I told him what I had to tell him.

"A girl." As if I'd ever get with a girl. If I needed someone to pretend to be my partner, I'd use one of my friends. Usually it's either Harry, Michael, or Niall who volunteer. They're just so passionate about being my 'boyfriend', those dorks.

"Well, that girl is very lucky," Luke simply said. My heart sort of broke at that, because something inside me was really hoping that Luke would get jealous, but why would he? He's into girls. He wouldn't get jealous over me. Well, there was that one time with- "Is it Jasmine?"

I was pulled out of my thoughts. "Huh?"

"Do you like Jasmine?"

"No, but she apparently likes me. She was hitting on me before the concert, so Liam kicked her out, which is why she wasn't with me at the after concert party. Plus, she's not my type."

"I didn't think so either. I mean, you could do so much better than she can. You need someone who'd always be there for you. Someone who's willing to give up everything just to be with you. Someone who understands you. Someone who... loves you for who you are."

And I really hope it's you, Luke.

Yeah, right. As if Luke Hemmings would like a guy.

"I'm going to, uh, put the plate in the sink." Luke's arms loosened around my waist and I got up from the bed and left the room to the kitchen.

The dishes were piling up, and I really needed to get them done tomorrow before I head over to Harry's house tomorrow for his birthday celebration. Oh, I should invite Luke. I hope he doesn't have plans. And Calum. I feel like he's being left out of everything, that poor guy.

I returned to the room and saw that Luke was now wearing his shirt again. He was lying completely on my bed, his head on my pillow. I quietly walked over to him, and I saw that his breathing was evened out, meaning he must've fell asleep. Well, that was quite fast. But he's taken up my entire bed, so I have no place to sleep. I guess I should go sleep on the mattress that I use for whenever my friends sleep over, mainly Harry.

Once I got the extra bed set up, I decided that I was tired. I'll shower tomorrow. It's not a school night, so I can do that. And I don't feel like brushing my teeth. Oh, hush. It's just one night. I missed the one for Wednesday night, but it's okay. I brushed extra hard yesterday.

I covered myself in the sheets and closed my eyes. Then I heard a noise. I opened my eyes slowly,  and looked to see Luke peering down at me.

"Sleep next to me," Luke whispered.

"Too tired to move," I groaned, closing my eyes again. I heard some shuffling and then a body was lying next to me. My eyes shot open and I sat upright, looking at Luke who was now snuggling to my side.

"Then I shall move to you." I hesitantly laid back down, and Luke wrapped his arms around me. Our legs were tangled with one another, and his chin was rested on top of my head. I was staring directly at his collar bone, even though it was covered by his shirt. "If you don't mind, may I stay for the night?"

"... Don't mind at all," I told him.

"Great. Good night, Ash." Then he pulled himself away just a bit so he could kiss the top of my head. This guy's kiss happy or something, but I don't mind. He can kiss me anytime, anywhere.

Well, anytime.

"Good night, Lukey." I whispered as quietly as possible, my words probably unnoticed by the younger boy. He soon fast asleep, soft snores escaping his lips. Luke's arms never left me, and I felt safe. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll wake up tomorrow morning and find that his arms are still wrapped around me. Please, don't let us move around too much in our sleep.

Oh, and another thing. I'm proud of Luke right now. He didn't run to the restroom to throw up. He's making progress, that boy. Maybe things are getting better for the both of us. Luke's trying to end his unhealthy eating style, and I'm trying to make sure that every moment between me and Luke is worth it and well spent.

It already is.

------

AN: Anorexic. Luke is anorexic. Not bulimic.