Take My Hand - Lashton

Chapter Twenty-eight

Chapter Twenty-eight

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As their eyes met through the glass, Luke quickly stood up. Ashton rounded the corner and entered the room, a wide grin on his face. Without thinking, Luke ran to the older man and hugged him tightly. Ashton wrapped his arms around the smaller man and took in the scent of his body — a scent he had longed for over the past three weeks.

"I've missed you so much," he mumbled into Luke's hair, his voice being absorbed by the soft curls.

Luke grinned and pulled away. As Ashton brought his hands back around to his front Luke stared at the flowers. Ashton smiled sweetly and pushed them towards him.

Luke cautiously took them into his hands and stared at them in adoration. He'd never received flowers before. He felt butterflies flutter in his stomach as a butterfly would around the pollen of the flowers. "Aaron didn't bring flowers," Luke said quietly to himself, wondering what this meant about their relationship.

"Did he bring anything?" Ashton asked, pulling off his coat and placing it on the chair behind him. As he sat down, Luke sat down opposite him. The bouquet never leaving his hands. A physical reminder of the love and presence of Ashton that he would keep next to his bed until they wilted. Once extracted from their roots they could no longer survive. Luke wondered why he didn't feel like that after being away from a flat he had not left for more than a day since he first moved in.

"Just his words of wisdom—" the blonde shrugged, running his finger over a light yellow tulip that had yet to open to reveal its true beauty

"Which were?" Ashton knew Aaron had recently visited. Luke had phoned him after, asking when he could visit. He apologised that it had taken him so long to ask, but he felt Aaron should come first otherwise it would raise suspicions.

Luke choose carefully. "He thinks I should come home, that I'm already doing a lot better. And I am, but I think I want to stay a little longer. I need to be careful and I think I can only do that alone. Do you understand?"

Ashton moved his chair closer to Luke's. He wanted to hold his hand like he had done when they were younger but they were occupied by petals. He knew Luke needed something to fiddle with in intense conversations. Instead, he placed his hand reassuringly on Luke's small knee. "Don't worry about me. As long as you think it's what best for you, I can wait. Do you think anyone will tell him that I'm here?"

Luke shook his head. "I suppose he'll have his ways of finding out, but I asked Daniel not to tell him. He thinks we're friends but that you don't get along."

Ashton nodded with understanding. Being in the profession he understood confidentiality but he also knew people could be easily bribed. "You feel comfortable here?" he asked sincerely.

He didn't expect Luke to nod straight away but he did with certainty. "It's weird. I thought I might feel suffocated but I feel free. They do give me a lot of space."

Ashton didn't want to make the conversation about Aaron, but he knew that anywhere would seem liberating in comparison to the space he occupied with his boyfriend. "And do you talk about Aaron?"

"I didn't want to. But he's just everywhere and Daniel saw that. I'm starting to see things—"

"Things?" Ashton prompted encouragingly when the younger man stopped mid-sentence.

"Things," Luke concluded. The room went silent and the pair sat and enjoyed each others company.

"I was thinking the other day about something you might now know about Aaron and me," Luke said after a while of silence, placing the flowers on the table beside him. The plastic making an awkward sound as he moved them.