Souvenir [Complete]

Thirty-three. Really Knowing

By early September, Luke was used to being alone all the time. He'd wake up to Ashton coming home, have sex, leave for work—someone was always dying in New York—come home, help the kids with homework, eat dinner, and get in bed alone.

This was not his idea of the perfect life.

Weekends were sometimes okay, except Ashton would sleep during the day like normal. It was rare that he didn't. And it was rare that he had a day off.

That was fine, except Luke was lonely. He missed Ashton. And he couldn't find a similarly scheduled job. Ashton had told him that the kids couldn't be left overnight, but Luke smelled bullshit cause they were left overnight before Luke got here. Unless Calum was constantly helping out...

Luke watched his soap operas and cartoons, and called Michael and cooked food. It was amazing how Luke could live with someone and have them be as distant as they were before.

He wondered if this was what Brian was talking about with him.

No. No, Luke wasn't comparing the two. He told himself he wouldn't do that. He just wanted to spend time with Ashton. He just wanted to hold him and kiss him and get the temporary joy of being around another person so he wouldn't feel so alone in this huge city.

Luke woke up early on a Thursday and made breakfast. For everyone in the house. He served it in a little apron he'd found. Eggs and toast and orange juice. Sure it wasn't a delicacy, but it was more than he did most mornings.

Ashton came home around the same time as normal and smiled. "Oh bunny, is this all for us?" He purred wrapping his arms around Luke's waist.

"Mhmm!" Luke smiled proudly. "Now sit down and eat your breakfast, mister."

"As you wish," Ashton purred sitting in his chair

Luke poured him some orange juice and rubbed his back when he sat down.

"Thank you for breakfast, Luke," Harry said through a yawn.

"Yeah, angel, no problem, wanna make sure you guys are well taken care of," Luke cooed and winked at him.

Things were still a little weird between him and the kids, cause they didn't really see each other that often, and even when they were off school they mostly stayed in their rooms, or went to the park. They were teenagers—well almost in Harry's case—and they did teenager things.

Luke, at the latter end of his teenage years now, was just hopeful for interaction. From anyone his age or older. Except he rarely found that. A city with millions of people, and Luke only knew four.

Keeping the circle small wasn't really his forté.

Luke looked up at Ashton after the kids left. He was still camped beside Luke, chewing his buttered toast with the most exhausted expression. "Everything okay?" Luke rubbed his hand.

Ashton nodded and took Luke's hand softly, thumbing over the soft skin of his fingers. "Long day," Ashton cooed

"It's okay, daddy, you're home now," Luke gushed. "I called in sick today, so I could spend time with you."

"Oh, bunny, why did you do that?" Ashton looked at him with soft eyes. "I'm just gonna be asleep."

"But I'll be here when you wake up. Plus I know it's lonely not to hold me."

Ashton nodded. "Okay. Thank you, darlin."

"Don't you worry about anything, angel-baby," Luke baby talked him. "Lu-Lu's got you taken care of."

Ashton leaned into Luke's touches as Luke scoot his chair closer to embrace his exhausted boyfriend. Ashton fell into it.

"Are you upset with me?" Ashton asked after a second. It was so strange to hear him ask things like this. Every time he did, Luke almost didn't know what to say.