inevitable entanglements » a.i. + l.h.

10

Gabriel hated seeing the two brothers like this. 

Yes, brothers.

According to him, these two half-brother were much more brothers than most people who had two mutual parents, instead of just one. 

But now, they were just sitting at their desk, one of them with a math book, the other with an astrology one. They looked rather subdued, something that didn't happen that often when they were together. 

As awful as seeing them like this was, Gabriel preferred it to the screaming match that had took place only minutes prior. At one point, Michael had yelled at Ashton that he had fucked up and that he had to try to control himself for once. To which Ashton had replied that he had no idea how hard it was to deal with people like him.

For Ashton to throw a fit wasn't unusual, al though he had only seem him this hurt twice before. 

Once when his mum had died. 

Once when his dad had neglected his bastard son and had forced him to live with the servants. 

Though the most surprising thing was that Michael got along with it. He wasn't the screaming type.

But then again, neither of them had ever said such hurtful things to one another. 

Gabriel didn't know what to do. 

He was about the speak up when he heard footsteps in the corridor that belonged to someone with an unsteady pace. They were accompanied by uneven breathing, sobbing really, and a heartbreaking mantra of one name. 

Ashton.

It was only a matter of seconds before Luke burst through the door. There were tears streaming down his face and he was wobbling on his knees. 

He looked awful. 

Even if you looked passed the obvious distress, the sobbing and the shaking, he was in a horrible state. 

He had bags under his eyes and hollow cheeks. His clawed at skin was too pale to be healthy and the way he had his arms curled around his body gave away that something was seriously wrong.

"Please, Ashton."

He pleaded, as he fell to his knees, unable to keep himself up any longer. 

"I-I'll tell you ever-everything. Everything y-you wanna know."

Ashton jumped up, almost throwing his book off of the table while doing so, and ran towards him.

"B-but p-please, please don't give up on me. D-don't let me go."

Luke barely seemed to notice Ashton, too captivated by his own words while he clawed at the skin on his stomach, until Ashton pressed him against his chest.

"Don't worry, Luke. You don't have to tell me anything, okay? I shouldn't have pushed you to do things you weren't ready for."

He calmly said to the sobbing boy, whispering comforting things in his ear and rubbing his back.

"I-m s-so sorry."

Luke hiccuped, his grip on Ashton as tight as he could manage, which wasn't all that tight, need I say. 

"I'm the one who's sorry, Lukey. This is my fault. I won't give up on you."

Gabriel had never seen Ashton like this before. Nor had he seen Luke like this before, but he didn't know him that well, for all he knew this could be a normal thing, al though it would surprise him.