A Dragon's Treasure

21. Luke's Broken Heart

*trigger warning: body horror*

LUKE

No one was giving anyone the silent treatment.

Cassian and Luke were talking.

Maybe Luke just wasn't starting any conversations. They talked plenty about the weather, the flight, and muttered little comments about their chosen in-flight movie. But Luke didn't want to dredge up any topics that could break skin, any conversations that might draw blood. Luke wasn't prepared for the hurt. Unfortunately for Luke, Lord Cassian Alwyn was never good with words. A man of action, Cassian would wait until Luke's defenses were down and he'd reach over, take Luke's hand, and give it a squeeze. That reassuring touch told Luke how much Cassian was worried about him.

Cassian's eyes admitted the rest.

This was terrible. Every bout of turbulence nearly stopped Luke's heart. He took extra heart pills on the trip back. A nauseating amount. Then, he'd look at Cassian and Luke felt like throwing up.

However, it was mostly silence between them, but Luke didn't enjoy peace. It wasn't quiet in his mind. He was having a fight with Cassian over and over in his head as he prepared for any and every argument Cassian could make. This man would only be more convincing to Luke if he was a moth fluttering around Cassian's flame.

"Are you feeling alright?" Cassian asked so painfully close to the Whitlock Manor.

More than homesick, Luke ached for home. It was like his body was shutting down being gone from sunlight, clean air, and good sleep for too long. This house had become as important to Luke's well-being as anything else life-affirming. He was home sick.

Cassian turned the corner just as the gate doors slowly swung open. Luke sat up, itching with excitement to see the house again. It was one long road and sitting at the steps with his huge hairy legs tucked up to his chest, Harry's head snapped up. Turning, Harry snarled at the house and jumped up. As the car pulled up, the front door swung open, and Astrid rushed through the front door with her arms opened wide.

Luke didn't wait for the car to go into park when he climbed out. He dropped to his knees and wrapped Astrid up in his arms. "Your home!" she proclaimed, smiling and teary eyed all at once. "I've missed you so much! Oh my gosh!" She kissed every inch of his cheeks and forehead. "I've missed you! You're not allowed to be gone that long ever again!"

"I missed you too—" Luke's word caught in his throat as Harry scooped them both up too. Off the ground, Luke groaned as the sasquatch did his best not to squeeze the life out of them like toothpaste in a tube. "I missed you too, Harry."

The sasquatch purred, swinging Luke and Astrid back and forth. Luke dipped his head towards them, burying himself into their embrace, and rethinking the last six months of his life. All the plans that had fallen through the center of the world to melt into nothing inside its core. If things went differently, the way Luke planned, he wouldn't be risking so much. There wouldn't be so much he was going to miss. Luke held onto Astrid and Harry a little tighter.

"Luke," Cassian said, his voice louder than usual as if this wasn't the first time he called Luke's name. Harry as slow as possible set Luke on the ground and pinched the back of his jacket to stay close. He must've noticed because Cassian smirked and said, "I'll get the bags, if you want to grab The Mirror."

"Oh, right. Yes," Luke said and forced an awkward laugh. The air was full of thorns, pricking Luke on the way to grabs his bag with the Mirror stuffed inside. He just brushed Cassian's arm and he was ready to fall apart. "We uh, can't do this to him again."