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"Ashton," it's soft and whispered, carefully spoken in the dark of the morning while others sleep in the rooms next door. There's still a smell of new paint thick in the air, and everything is so new and unfamiliar and the London rain is pouring heavily down on the house.
Luke's been tossing and turning the entire night and clear into the early hours of the morning. He's watched Ashton sleep for a while, but he's feeling restless. His skin is crawling and no matter how hard he scratches that itch just won't go away.
He's been trying to sleep for hours on end, but every time he looks out the window all he sees is scenery that's new and unexplored. They just moved in, and Luke doesn't want to be the one to spoil it, but he's homesick and out of his element here in London. Ashton told him he's just edgy because it's a new house, that he just has to get used to it and make it home. It's only been a week so he's been trying by hanging up posters and breaking in the kitchen even though he can barely make toast.
But for right now he can't sleep, and he knows that Michael is still awake across the hall, but Michael is bound to be feeling moody this early in the morning, and besides, Luke just wants to feel Ashton beside him. Ashton has always been that constant presence in his life, and he's the only familiar thing to Luke right now.
"Ash," he says again and lightly prods at Ashton's shoulder, finally getting a grumbled response from the sleepy boy next to him.
"What?" Ashton breathed out and turned onto his side to look at Luke through half lidded eyes.
"I can't sleep," Luke muttered sheepishly, guilty for waking Ashton up.
"What's wrong?" Ashton asked and scooped Luke into his arms, cuddling him closely and nosing at his neck, brushing just across the right places.
"It's just so unfamiliar here and I can't get comfortable," Luke sighed and dropped his head back onto his pillow and draped his legs across Ashton, giggling softly when Ashton turned his head up to look at him and his hair tickled across Luke's collarbone. Ashton is just looking up at Luke with eyes nearly golden from the moonlight shining in through the gap between the curtains. His hair is all over the place and it looks knotty but Luke knows it's as soft as silk. His dimples are peeking out on his cheeks and the moonlight casts a shadow over them and makes them look like actual craters on the moon.
"Do you want me to make you some tea?" Ashton asks sweetly and brushed the hair off Luke's forehead and pressed a tender kiss there.
"Yes please," Luke nodded slightly and shifted deeper into the bed and watched Ashton carefully make his way around the few unpacked boxes around the room and disappear out the door.
It's eerie now that he can't feel Ashton next to him, hear his slow breathing. It's dark and cold and all Luke wants is Ashton, to feel his arms around him, holding him tight.
The walls are dark with blue paint and the curtains are doing very little to keep the moonlight out. He can hear the quiet sounds of Ashton downstairs, and he slowly slipped out of bed and plodded towards the door.
Ashton's just put the kettle to boil when he hears a soft exhale of his name and he spins around to see Luke clutching the bottom of Ashton's favorite sweater, though Luke's practically smuggled it over the years and all Ashton ever sees of it, is when it's on Luke. He's not complaining though, it became his favorite the first time he saw Luke in it, because it's loose and tight in all the right places and makes him look adorable.
"I told you I'd bring it up to you," Ashton reminded gently. He'd never really been one for silence, which he supposes is because he's constantly on his drums, making new sounds every single day. The radio resting just beside the fridge is playing music softly through the speakers and Ashton's watching Luke subconsciously sway to the music. It's not the type of music Ashton would normally listen to, he's into the louder kind, but the sounds coming from the radio are soft and soothing, romantic.
"I know but I missed you," Luke smiled one of his small smiles and took a step towards Ashton and wrapped his arms around his waist, drawing him in. Ashton just smiles and drapes his arms over Luke's shoulders and stepped in closer when he heard The Way You Look Tonight come through the speakers.
Luke dropped his head onto Ashton's shoulder and swayed them back and forth as the lyrics quietly rang out through the kitchen, just loud enough for them to hear.
Luke's bones are creaking with happiness and love is rushing through his veins so quickly he feels lightheaded. He breathes in slowly and his throat is coated with Ashton, his senses burning with him.
He feels him everywhere, in his heart, on his skin, in his soul.
Ashton's fingers are buried in Luke's hair and he's playing with the soft hairs at the bottom of his neck while they moved in time with the slow rhythm of the music.
The air around them is so light and worry free and Luke feels like he's floating, but Ashton is keeping him on the ground so he knows he's not going to float away.
His brain is always rendered to complete idiocy whenever he's around Ashton. Everything he thinks is corny and cringeworthy, sometimes it doesn't even make sense but that's the thing about loving someone. If you do truly love them, you can't describe how they make you feel, and Luke's never been able to find the right words, knows he won't ever.
They're only interrupted when the kettle let out a loud whistle and they're forced apart so Ashton can take the kettle off before it wakes up the boys. He knows how Luke wants it so he sets off to find everything he needs and finally hands it to Luke just moments later. Ashton flips the lights off and cups a hand around Luke's hip and guides him up the stairs, helping him back into bed while he sips at his tea.
"Thank you Ash," Luke croaked out once he's finished. He set it aside on the nightstand and smiles lovingly at Ashton, just bright and happy, but tired.
So Ashton climbs into bed and pulls Luke into his side and closes his eyes when Luke tucked his nose into the crook of Ashton's neck.
"I love you," Luke breathed out and Ashton smiled happily and pressed a gentle kiss to Luke's hair. He can feel love and happiness practically oozing from his very being, can feel it warming him from the inside and wrapping around his heart like the sweater on Luke's back.
"I love you, too," And he really does. He's known Luke since he was a scrawny kid with thick glasses and tragic hair. Ashton had been struggling with his sexuality when he met Luke, never really let people define him because he didn't think it mattered. But when he saw kids making fun of Luke, he didn't even notice himself speak and defend the boy, but looking back on that night he knew it was the best thing he ever did. Coming to Luke's aid like he had, had given him the best friend he could ever ask for, and it gave him a life partner.
Luke's a grown up now and people don't pick fights with him anymore, but it probably has something to do with Ashton being glued to his side and Michael and Calum acting as guard dogs. Ashton has been taking care of Luke since day one, and will continue until he's dead, and a week after just to make sure he's dead. He wants Luke to live the best life he can, wants him to be happy until he takes his last breath. Luke is Ashton's world, he means everything to him, and Ashton would rather chew off his own tongue before he lets someone hurt Luke.
They've only been together for three years, but it seems like ten, and Ashton knows that he's never going to find someone as perfect for him as Luke.