Work Text:
Luke's body was bubbling with anticipation. It flooded his mind and pumped through his veins. Every single cell forming his brain was full of excitement. He wasn't really sure of how much more he was able to wait for anything. It was his favourite time of the year. Luke was rather anxious and pretty thrilled. And it drove him crazy at some certain point. Not becasue he felt princessy mean. Not because he loved presents and bows. There were three louder reasons he knew about.
He liked summer February in Australia.
He loved Saturdays more than his brothers.
And he completely, undeniably adored Valentine's Day.
It was like a time bomb, creepily ticking at the back of his head, itching with every thought of an upcoming magical evening. It was special to him. It has always been, but now he couldn't get the image of finally spending Valentine's Day with someone he thought he loved to death and with who he was more than sure felt the same and maybe even more towards him, too. He was in that elementary perfect relationship everyone was jealous of. They has always been said they were meant to be together. Like they were the exact soul mates girls read about in their love books and boys silently dreamt of at nights. Luke and Ashton were those people you loved at highschool at the first sight. Always so friendly. Smiley. And completely, adorably, impossibly in love.
So Luke obviously couldn't resist planing everything for the evening of 14th of February. He wanted a cute romantic date. Nothing more. Nothing less. He needed to feel loved. His whole life was spinning, stumbling over loving and receiving given affection back. He was just too breathless, too expecting and too much of a perfectionist asking for the best night of his life. His heart was pounding loud in his chest, when the clock on his not-so-manly-lavender wall moved too slow to let him stay sane. He wanted the evening more than flawless. However, when Ashton suggested setting a date by himself, Luke couldn't really resist those unique, somehow green and beautifully hazel puppy eyes. So he waited in his room, leaning in his old cracked chair, fingers impatiently tapping against the c
oddly warm wooden table just straight under his window.
It was five minute until six o'clock. Luke was fully prepared, dressed casually fancy, hair styled to the last strand of blonde softness, a nicely wrapped box with a little navy blue bow on the top burning in his palms, eyes of a colour of an ocean during dusk and dawn, bright and sparkling. He tried, he tried hard, to keep calm. He drank a glass of cold water, he sat on his bed for a minute, too, but he just couldn't think straight when there were so many things they could've done that day. Only if it was him who planned the whole occasion. Unfortunately, he didn't and he was going crazy about what could possibly go wrong. He was a little dizzy and a bit nauseous when the doorbell rang, not even the slightest minute after the afire time. Luke double checked himself in the mirror for what felt like the millionth time and stepped out of his room. He was descending the stairs from the upper floor. He looked like a princess coming down to the ball room, Ashton thought when talking to Liz Hemmings, Luke's mother.
"-- don't be out later than midnight, Ashton. I trust you," the blonde woman smiled and placed a hand on Ashton's shoulder in a mother-son-relationship kind of way. Luke immediately thought that that was what he's always wanted. His boyfriend was an accepted, legitimate part of his family. He was almost two years older so he naturally clearly got on really well with Jack and Ben, older brothers, known to Luke also as "dicks". He's always dreamt about family picnics and a family vacation. Him, his mother, father, annoying brothers and someone who'd take care of his heart in exchange of his own. The one he'd be truly, madly and so deeply in love that even his swimming abilities wouldn't let him find a direction to the surface and save him from drowning in such pleasurable affection.
Luke and Ashton were both on a local Sydney swimming team. And that was literally the greatest and the cheesiest thing that ever happened. They spent so much time together it was almost ridiculously unbelievable. Despite studying different universities they met up every single day, at least during practice. They acted like a married couple, finishing sentences for each other, laughing at the same things, swimming the same sets even though Ashton was more into butterfly and medley, when Luke was into crawl and breaststroke with his whole soul. They were matching and fitting together like puzzle pieces. And everyone knew.
"You look beautiful," Ashton said when Luke showed up at the door next to his mother, shyly half smiling with one of his mouth corners up. That was the moment Luke spotted a bouquet of carmine roses in his boyfriend's hands. He was aware of how much cliché roses on Valentine's Day were, but he loved them anyway, because they were his favourite flowers and the realization that Ashton actually really took time and listened when the blond talked about his loves and passions warmed his heart up and left a wide smile full of never ending adoration spreading across his features.
"Thank you," he simply answered, but the words held so much emotion, more than any other syllables. Those two words said even more than Ferrero Rocher.
"These are for you, Luke," curly almost whispered like he was suddenly, nonsensely timid, hands shaking, palms sweating.
"They are perfect. Almost like a moonlight. Almost like you." he said and then Luke leaned in and connected their lips in a kiss which felt like fireworks and butterflies in one. They never noticed Liz leaving, giving them privacy with a shake of her head and stupidly proud smile on her face, wrinkles forming around her blue eyes, when walking to the living room, thinking about her and her husband when they were younger.
"I have something for you, too, love," Luke extended his right arm and handed Ashton as little blue box with violet hearts on the wrapping paper.
"I hope you'll like it," It was silly. It was cheesy. Luke knew too well to be pleased with himself. But it was also sort of coupley adorable. Yet it was so girly that blondie pondered for a while about not really giving Ashton the present and buying something more appropriate, something better. Unfortunately, it was too late when the box was in Ashton's hands. A dark shade pink blush creeped into Luke's cheeks when Ashton finally opened the paper box and picked a silver necklace with an L shaped pendant up. It was sparkling in Ashton's fingers while he had an unreadable expression on his face, brows furrowed a bit, bottom lip stiff like if he was British.
"Turn it around," an anxious, scared, boy, who woke up in Luke's chest, added.
Fly, was scraped at the surface. It meant everything. They both wanted then word tattooed. And Ashton just looked up with watery eyes, and it was just laughably serious because Ashton never cried.
"Thank you. I love you so much you can't even imagine."
Oh you don't even know how well I know such feeling, darling.
***
"Where are we going, Ash?" The taller lad genuinely curiously asked, voice a bit higher than usually, obviously excited to the point it was better than unwrapping Christmas presents. And nothing ever was better than Christmas in Ashton's eyes.
"You'll see, don't be impatient, babe," Ashton giggled and it was kind of like an angel's singing. Luke would listen to Ashton laughing forever and he would still never have enough of such adorably perfect sound. But then everything about his lover was perfect so it was no surprise that his laugh was like an ode. It was just the lightness which took him higher and higher.
"But that's--" Luke trailed off, not being able to finish what he meant to say. He was so confused.
"Yes, it is." and Ashton laughed again when parking in front of a large building with tsunami wave shaped roof most people found weird but Luke admired from the very first day he stepped in. It was his second favourite place in the world. It was right after being in Ashton's arms, but swimming was more than everything to him, he would shyly admit when anyone asked about his passions. But Ashton was in the same position. They loved each other, desperately and infinitely, but if they had to choose between them and swimming, they both knew what would win. They both were perfectly fine with the choice, because they were just so same.
"But what are we-"
"Wait and see, please."
They held hands, fingers entwined, when coming through the glass back door Ashton miraculously had keys of and then they were in lockers in the oh so well known place. Their (technically not, but just theirs) swimming centre.
"Take this off and put on these," honey haired lad pointed to his boyfriend's clothes when handing him a plastic bag with some swimwear. Luke's black and green, Arena swimwear if we were talking about details.
"How did you get my-?"
"Luke, just don't ask and enjoy. Please. You think about everything too much." Ashton smiled and pecked Luke's lips before going further to the building, dressing himself as well.
Luke was confused. Literally torturingly confused. It twisted his mind in a ridiculous angle, because why were they going swimming when they had practice like three hours ago? And why weren't there any people? Too many questions and no answers. Luke was going insane.
"Ready to go, my princess?"
"Oh stop it, Shrek."
"Thanks, anyway."
They both laughed and grabbed each other's hand in a familiar, natural habit. Their hands felt simply right when holding each other.
The whole building was silent. Only the ocasional splashing of the water, breaking the clear surface of quietness of the moment. But when they went out the changing rooms, Luke froze in place. It was just too much to process in a movement. He stood there, lips slightly parted in awe, breathing uneven.
It was beautiful.
There were candles all over the edges of the 50 meters pool. Little lambent fires lighting up the area, contrasting the turquoise blue water. More red roses were on each start block. Ashton was next to him proudly grinning like a fool. Looking over the place he worked so hard on.
"Do you like it?" he asked even though he thought, he was sure, he knew the answer rather well.
"Oh my god, Ashton. It's perfect. You're the most amazing boyfriend anyone could wish for. I love you. I love you so much it even hurts thinking about such strong feeling. You do things to me I've never even though anyone would be capable of. You're like a safe guard, like a safe lighthouse when I feel like drowning and I just can't really help myself to the point I'm rambling. God, I love you so much." Luke breathlessly said, not more than a whisper. He felt like he'd crush the mesmerizing atmosphere of the moment if he spoke louder. And then he turned to the left and curled his fingers in Ashton's hair, kissing him so passionately it almost surprised the proud creator of such intense impacting atmosphere. They stood there long, hugging or kissing, enjoying each other's company in the most innocent way.
It felt like ages of loving.
"There's one other thing..." Ashton spoke up, squeezing Luke's sides, brushing their lips and leaving him to dig something out of his bag. One of his mirror goggles actually. Luke smiled and took them from him without asking, taking Ashton's advice about thinking to heart.
"Just jump in and look."
So Luke did what he was told to and when he saw it, he almost choked and breathed in water, drowning himself in the most ridiculous circumstances. There was a big I love you, Luke created with pucks used for small children to play with on the light blue tiles.
And when he swam to the surface, he saw Ashton sitting on the edge of the pool, legs in water mindlessly kicking, smiling like a lovesick mad man. Luke immediately knew he was falling in love again. It was just their hearts. Chlorine. And two Valentine Lovers.