Ashton walked with Lance all the way to the place to meet up with his friend group. Ashton wasn't sure what to do. So he just stayed silent with Lance. Ashton didn't know what to say or what to do.
"Ashton?" Lance's voice shook Ashton out of his thoughts again. Lance looked concerned again.
"Huh?" Ashton turned to Lance. "What?"
"Are you okay?" Lance asked him. "You have seemed distracted for a while."
"Oh, uh, I think I'm just overthinking some things. You know what I mean, right?" Ashton tried to laugh it off. But it wasn't working in any way whatsoever. Lance did not look convinced in any way at all.
"Ashton," Lance said, grabbing Ashton's arm. Not harsh enough to hurt, but enough to stop Ashton from walking. Lance turned to stand in front of Ashton, facing him. Ashton was surprised, but stopped. Lance's expression was concerned as they faced each other. "Ashton. What is really going on with you?"
"It's nothing-"
"No!" Lance held Ashton's face, careful not to hurt him, but making sure Ashton would look at him and not avoid his eyes. "Please, for the love of whatever God there is, just tell me. It's bothering you, and you need to say it before it hurts you. I can see it."
"..." Ashton looked into his eyes, stunned by this. He wasn't expecting to see that look in his eyes. Worry, and the genuine need to hear what Ashton has to say, and to hear what is going on in his head. When Ashton thought back to Tyler, he never remembered him ever being worried like that in any way. "... Tyler never worries like that."
"..?!" Lance's eyes widened. Genuine fear flashed in his eyes before he schooled it into a barely controlled expression. Ashton froze when he realized he said that out loud. "So, you remember Tyler."
"I, um," Ashton tried to look away, but Lance's hands held his face to look into his eyes.
"Tell me, how much do you remember?" Lance didn't let him move or look away. One hand holding Ashton's face, the other holding Ashton's waist. "Just tell me honestly. I won't be upset about what you remember, and what you don't."
"..." Ashton took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment, and looked in his eyes, tense as he began to explain everything to Lance. "... I never lost my memory, and I, at first, did this as a prank to see everyone's reactions, then... Tyler didn't say he and I were dating, and he moved on with his girl best friend, and you said you were my partner, and I didn't know how to say I did it as a prank after everything."
"..." Lance's eyes went wide. He didn't say anything to Ashton at first. Then they both heard Makenzie crying.
"Ashton said it was a joke to cope!" Lance turned out of the way, and all of Ashton's friend group were there and relieved.
"You scared us there, dude," Alexander came over and gave a gentle shoulder punch to Ashton. To make things worse, it wasn't unexpected for his friends to hear him say something was a joke when Ashton fully recovered from something after getting hurt.
"No-"
"And the nerve of Tyler," Tanner said as he and Devon began to spitball Tyler. "Like, dude! Your boyfriend said he didn't remember, and the man just said he was just an acquaintance and immediately moved on. Like, bro!"
"I know! He is a shithead!" Devon agreed. Ashton was distraught. He was telling the truth, but his personality didn't help that he had used humour to get past recovering, and everyone in his friend group appreciated that he could do that and could make a joke when he recovered from going to the hospital for any reason.
Ashton's friend group took him and Lance to the movies so they could have a fun trip, while Ashton was still stuck with his friends, thinking he was joking and had just regained his memory. When they had picked a horror movie, titled Shriek, and gotten snacks and seats bought, Ashton tried to take his seat, but Lance yanked Ashton onto his lap.
"Wha-"
"Quiet," Lance said in Ashton's ear, making his full body shiver. "You remember everything, and I am not letting you go. I have a choice made, and it involves you."
"Uh, I-"
"Hush," Lance held Ashton firmly at the waist and whispered in his ear. "I'm not letting you get away tonight."
Ashton was stunned. He couldn't even argue. Lance's hands were firmly against Ashton's lower belly. He felt his neck and face heat up. Lance holding him like this, it made him burn up. This was all kinds of new for Ashton. Especially since this was the first time anyone had held him on their lap during a movie. Ashton was overwhelmed and didn't know what to do at that moment. He felt Lance pull him at the hips, flush against his chest. Ashton's heart started hammering in his chest. Lance started nibbling on Ashton's ear. Ashton stayed silent so that no one watching the movie would notice. Ashton bit his lower lip as Lance started licking his neck. Lance was feeling his body just enough to get a reaction from him, but just enough that no one would notice. Ashton was fighting not to make any noise.
"Enjoying the movie?" Lance teased Ashton, running his hands up Ashton's belly just under his shirt. Ashton had his hands clamped on the arms of the seat as the horror movie continued. Lance kept feeling along Ashton's thighs and lower belly, and Ashton could feel Lance's tongue teasing his ear and neck, just barely tracing the edge of his shirt's line on his shoulder. The makeup hiding the marks Lance left this morning began to show through after his advances. Ashton managed to muffle a squeak as he grabbed his ass and squeezed while holding Ashton on his lap.