Behind The Limelight 22: Deal Breaker

“Oh fuck you,” Ashton muttered, looking away as his cheeks flushed a light shade of pink.

“Already? Come on, at least be a gentleman and buy me dinner first,” Ryker said.

Ashton rolled his eyes as he switched from one television channel to another, trying to find something decent to watch as he pretended like he wasn’t embarrassed enough to want to leave. If only his mother wasn’t back at his place…

“Shut up. You’re annoying me,” he mumbled, making Ryker chuckle.

“Is that so?” Ryker rose a questioning brow. “I wasn’t annoying you half an hour ago when you were cumming down my—”

“Oh god, can you not?” Ashton cut him off. “Stop being so…so crass!”

“Crass? Me?” Ryker spoke. “And what were you being when you were lying about having a hot and passionate threesome with strangers?”

“I wasn’t lying!” Ashton paused, before continuing in a much more mellow tone. “Not exactly, at least.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever,” Ryker chuckled. “You’re not the type to have threesomes. Or one night stands. You’re too… relationship-y”

“What is that even supposed to mean?” Ashton asked with a confused frown as he faced the other actor.

“It’s just not who you are.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I know you enough, Ash. We already established that.”

“Well,” Ashton shrugged, “isn’t this a one night stand too?”

“How so?”

“We’re hooking up today and we won’t be doing it again,” Ashton elaborated. “So it’s a one…day stand.”

“That just sounds stupid,” Ryker retorted.

“You’re stupid.”

“No, you.”

“Oh wow!” Ashton exclaimed. “Is your head hurting from the amount of brain power it must’ve taken you to think of this comeback?”

“No, but it sure is hurting from hearing your voice,” Ryker replied.

“Then wear earplugs.”

“Or you can just stop talking.”

“It’s a free country, honey,” Ashton said. “I’ll talk if I want to.”

“Honey? How old are you? Fifty? Even my mom doesn’t call people honey,” Ryker huffed.

“Good for you, you just sucked the dick of a fifty year old man, then!”

“What?”

“What?’

“Nothing,” Ryker sighed. “Pass me the remote.”

“No.”

“Why not?” Ryker asked.

“Because I know you’ll put on some stupid nature documentary,” Ashton muttered as he faced the television again.

“They’re fun to watch!” Ryker furrowed his brows. “Much better than the mindless reality shows you like.”

“Hey! The Bachelor is great entertainment and you know it! You used to watch it with me!” Ashton defended himself.

“I used to put up with it. For you,” Ryker corrected.

“Blah blah blah, all I’m hearing is stupid noise of a stupid man talking stupid shit,” Ashton said.

“Wow. So mature.” Ryker narrowed his eyes at his fellow actor.

“You just called me fifty so I’ve got to act my age, don’t I?”

“Do you never get tired of arguing with me for no reason whatsoever?” Ryker asked.

“You started it!” Ashton replied.

“I did not.”

“You did.”

“Nope,” Ryker stated.

“Yep.”

“Nope.”

“Yep.”

“Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“Just shut up now, will you?” Ryker said tiredly.

“What will I get if I shut up?” Ashton asked.

“You get to watch me maintain my sanity,” Ryker answered.

“Nah, not good enough,” Ashton replied making Ryker exhale loudly.

That was how the two men spent the next few hours— arguing and bickering about every little thing. They asked Ryker’s guard to get them some pizza, and that’s what they had for dinner as they watched random animated movies until the clock hit midnight.

Ashton laughed at Ryker’s face when the actor asked him if he would be sleeping on the same bed as him. He then proceeded to head to the guest room. Even though Ashton had been feeling sleepy before, now that he was under the sheets… he was wide awake.

Ashton sighed softly as he laid on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He had tried everything. From counting sheep to making scenarios in his head that would never come true. He kept twisting and turning, trying to get comfortable. But he simply was unable to catch some shut eye.

Finally, he gave up.

He went to the kitchen, hoping that maybe drinking some water would help. He was willing to try anything at this point, the last thing he wanted was to show up at work sleep deprived and with bags under his eyes.

“Can’t sleep?” Ryker asked, catching Ashton off-guard as he flinched, almost dropping the water bottle in his hands.

“I’m sleepwalking right now. Can’t you tell?” Ashton snapped. Ryker rolled his eyes as he leaned against the refrigerator, his arms folded in front of his chest. “Why are you here?”

“I heard your footsteps. Thought I’d check out why you’re roaming the house like a ghost at this time of the night,” Ryker answered.

“What if it was a burglar?” Ashton asked. “You’d just prance around defenseless in front of him dressed only in your underwear?”

“I have very good security,” Ryker said.

“Doesn’t hurt to still be careful.”

“Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

And that was how Ashton ended up in Ryker’s bed. Naked. That was where he woke up the next morning too, not even realizing how quickly he had fallen asleep after the two were done fooling around. Ashton did make sure to keep a pillow between them, enough. There was no way in hell that he would be caught dead cuddling with the other man.

Ashton glanced at the other man, who was still sleeping peacefully. He decided to take a shower while Ryker was passed out. Like Ryker had said, Ashton’s clothes were clean and neatly ironed. Ashton got dressed, and he had already texted his driver to pick him up. As he was wearing his shoes, Ryker finally woke up as well.

“You up already?” Ryker asked as he slowly sat up straight, rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah,” Ashton answered. “You should take a shower too. It’s not super professional to be late.”

“Right. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be out. I’ll whip us some breakfast real quick and then we can leave—”

“Don’t worry about it. My driver is already here. I’ll grab a bite on the way,” Ashton cut him off. Ryker frowned slightly, but nodded nonetheless.

“Cool.”

“Uh, well, see you at work then, I suppose,” Ashton said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Okay.”

Ashton couldn’t help but stare at Ryker. He gulped, hating the fact that a part of him wanted to close the distance between them so that he could kiss the other man again. But he remembered the deal that they had made. It was best for everyone involved if they simply kept to themselves.

Ashton nodded, before turning around and walking towards the door. Usually he could not wait to get away from Ryker. Then why was it so goddamn hard this time?

~~~

Somehow, Ryker managed to reach the set before Ashton. It was probably because Ashton stopped in the way to have breakfast, but he was shocked to see Ryker there nonetheless.

The two didn’t say a word to each other as their make-up artists started getting them ready. Tabitha was a little late, once again, as she cheerfully took her seat between the two.

“Good morning!” Tabitha greeted, her voice as chirpy as ever. “Ash! How are you now? I heard you weren’t feeling too well after dinner?”

“I’m good now, thanks,” Ashton replied with a smile.

“Great, great, even Lee fell sick. I think it had to do something with the sal—” Tabitha paused as she took in Ashton’s appearance. “Are you still wearing the same clothes?”

“Huh?” Ashton looked down at his shirt. Fuck, of course someone noticed that he hasn’t changed. “No?”

“I’m pretty sure that you—”

“Is Erick here? I wanted to ask him something about what we’re going to be shooting today,” Ryker interrupted, making Tabitha turn her attention towards him instead.

“I think he is, I saw his car in the parking,” Tabitha answered, before glancing at Ashton again. “Ash, are you—”

“Hey Tabby, did you check Twitter yesterday? Everyone’s blasting Drake Ridgewood,” Ryker spoke up.

“I did! Oh my God! Serves him right, though. He’s such a creep. Did I ever tell you I spoke to him after the Met Gala last year? He was like—”

Tabitha went on and on after that, talking shit about the said actor that was being cancelled online. Ryker kept nodding, adding a word here and there until they had to leave to get dressed for the shoot.

Even though Ashton wanted to be, he couldn’t be oblivious to the fact that Ryker had saved him from Tabitha’s interrogating. However, he was confused as to why. Was it to save his own face? So that nobody would suspect that anything went down between the two?

Ashton decided the best thing would be to ask Ryker. So once they were done with the shoot and had a short break, he went to the other man’s trailer. Ryker was a little surprised to see Ashton knock at his door, but he quickly let him in.

“Tabitha—”

“Don’t worry about her,” Ryker said. “She has the attention span of a goldfish. She’s not going to remember anything or question you again.”

“Right…”

Ashton shifted on his feet as he looked up at Ryker, who was staring back at Ashton. The air between them was tense, and there was only one thought repeating itself over and over again in Ashton’s head.

“So, uh, you did a good today with the—”

“Oh god, just shut up,” Ashton muttered as he closed the distance between them and connected their lips.

***

roan: i feel like someone just summoned me
kai: wut
roan: wut
kai: ur an idiot
roan: no u