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

24 [2/2]

"Luke likes Ashton."

The brunette read out loud, wearing his proudest smile. He couldn't be more happy, or so he thought.

"No, you idiot," Luke scolded, gently pushing his shoulder. "You're reading it wrong."

His voice softened and the teasing tone disappeared.

"It clearly says: Luke loves Ashton."

At a loss for words, Ashton lifted the boy up, careful not to drop him in the mud, and Luke wrapped his legs around his waist. Instead of kissing Luke, he nuzzled his head in the crook between his neck and his shoulder, accidentally smearing the mud all over his shirt.

"I can't believe it."

He muttered, shocked by the usually awfully shy lad's initiative. His smile seemed permanently glued to his face, but he couldn't care less.

Luke, the tight-lipped boy.

Luke, the boy who came and went.

Luke, the boy who had stayed and called him Ash, not Ashton, not sir Ashton. A nickname created in that pretty little head of his, something Ashton still didn't understand at all.

"I love you too."

His boyfriend crawled out of his arms, seized his hand and dragged him along further into the woods.

"Wait Luke, I think it's going to start raining again."

The clouds looked grey and there was no trace of the sun. Luke didn't seem to mind though, because he kept running even after almost tripping a few times.

"You're going to break something."

Ashton warned him, looking anything but stern with that stupid grin on his face. He was a fool for this boy and they both knew it.

"I love rain, Ashton. Will you stay with me?"

Of course he would.

He followed Luke deeper into the forest without any complaining and waited until he indicated that he was ready to stop. Luke loved it, he loved this feeling of freedom combined with the feeling of being with his favourite person in the world.

Eventually, he came to a halt under a huge tree. After covering the ground with some leaves, he sat down and gestured for Ashton to do the same. The older boy was a little reluctant, but he refused to show it. He didn't want to appear as spoilt.

His revulsion soon disappeared though, because as soon as his bum hit the ground, Luke leaned in to cuddle with him.

"Do you know what those are called?"

Luke asked while pointing at some plants growing near a different tree.

"No, I've never seen those before."

Truth was, Ashton had learned about nature safely hidden in the classroom. This was one of the first times he got to put his knowledge to good use.

"I have, but I don't know what they're called. Someone told me their poisonous. They'll make you throw up your guts."

Someone in Oxford had taught him that. He didn't know if it was true or not, but he didn't feel like trying it.

"What about those?"

Ashton asked and all of a sudden the roles had been reversed. Now Luke was the one who knew more, even if he was reluctant to admit it.

"If you use them to make tea, it'll soothe toothache."