Pictures of You [Completed]

Thirty. Too Soon

Seoul sank below them the higher up they went. The cable car was packed full of their group. Or as many as it would allow.

Luke had Ashton by his side so he didn't really care about the rest. He heard Jack and Calum joking about something in the background. Luke just focused on how separated he felt from himself from this moment in time as he watched the trees shrink from overhead.

Ashton hugged him from behind. "You're not afraid of heights are you?" His voice was low and sweet.

"Only sometimes," Luke cooed. "Only when I don't feel safe."

"Are you?"

Luke considered it for a moment. It was hard to give Ashton what he wanted, a signal that everything was okay. And even though it was okay between them, sometimes he struggled to say the things that would comfort Ashton. "I am now."

But that seemed to please him, so Luke would be content with that. At least he'd been honest.

"Please stop teasing me about that," Calum voice called over the giggles. Luke turned to see Jack and Alex ganging up on him. All had smiles on their faces. "Talk about the cable snapping after we're on land?"

"Yeah that's so mean, stop picking on us!" Michael clung close to Calum.

Alex giggled and bounced on the balls of his feet a little and the whole car shook. Causing Calum to cling to Michael. "Fucking stop!"

Both Jack and Alex burst out in a guffaw of laughter.

Ashton just held Luke tighter. "You're not losin it are you?"

"Not even a little," Luke cooed.

"You know, I used to be afraid of heights, and then I turned six and suddenly it was better," Alex hummed coming over to Calum and Michael and wrapping each arm around their shoulders.

Calum held up a middle finger at Alex, then Jack. "You can both fuck off."

"You know it won't break. Trust me, we are not the last group of people to ride this thing today," Jack comforted them. "And if we are, then at least try to enjoy the last few minutes of your life, man."

"This is a really shitty pep talk, Jack," Michael groaned.

"You're too stressed." Jack hummed. "Loosen up. What the fuck are you gonna do if this thing falls out of the sky? Nothing. Worry about your vacation, and the things you have control over."

"Oh yeah, my anxiety is cured," Michael rolled his eyes playfully, but his grip on Calum loosened. Any progress is good progress, Luke presumed.

"Think of it like a trial by fire. And then think of that for your whole life."

"Just fight or flight the whole time," Michael said sarcastically.

"No. You gotta get in the mindset of: I'll do what I can, and let everything else go."

"That is literally the least helpful thing I've ever heard," Michael scoffed. It was lighthearted like he was giggling, but it was true. At least Luke thought it was true.

"It's valuable stuff!" Jack cooed. "I should charge. How much do you think it pays to be a life coach now-a-days?"

"Probably a lot," Alex chimed in without hesitation. "Probably in the hundreds of thousands. If not millions."

"I joined the wrong career," Jack scoffed in disbelief.

"Giving people fucking advice like they're the protagonist of a book?" Michael laughed at him.