Punks Meet Flower Crowns >> Lashton AU ✔️

95. ~ Cling

Note: Very important chapter. We see a huge chunk of what happened to Luke before Troye and Ashton, why he left home and Australia, and why he would not want to see his family.

Warning: Some events in this chapter might be triggering. If you feel threatened, scared or start having flashbacks, please breathe, close this story and take a step back. If you have to contact someone, please do. Contact me, if you feel the need to. I wouldn't want anyone feeling scared or attacked because of something I wrote.

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Time: 8:32 am (Sydney).

Setting: Kitchen, McDonald's Residence.

Luke: (walks slowly into the kitchen, sees Jane cooking) Y'know. I always loved your cooking.

Jane: (laughs) That's because I always make too much and your stomach is a black hole. (glances at him over her shoulder) Still hopeless in the kitchen, then?

Luke: (chuckles) Yeah. Boil water. That's about it. Don't trust me with anything that can, in some way, be set on fire.

Jane: Must be hard for you in Florida.

Luke: (shakes head) Not really. Ashton takes care of me. (realizes what he said) Took care of me. (fondly) He's a great cook. Makes my own coffee better than I can.

Jane: Sounds like a wonderful lad.

Luke: (low) Yeah.

Jane: (raises an eyebrow) You don't sound too happy, Luke. Something wrong? (kind) You can tell me. Whenever you're ready.

Luke: (smiles) You've always said that to me, y'know? 'Whenever you're ready'. Whenever you found me crying on your doorstep, you wouldn't demand to know what happened. You'd just ask me to tell you whenever I was ready.

Jane: You were already so fragile, at the time. You didn't need to be pushed.

Luke: I'm glad you were there.

Jane: (pauses) You could've stayed with us. (not angry) I would have taken you in when Andrew started running you out of the house. (emotional) I should've fought to take you in. Then you wouldn't have run away with that boy.

Luke: (walks over to her, hugging her from behind, rests his head on her shoulder) It's not your fault, y'know? What happened with me and Troye, what's happening with me and Ashton. You couldn't have prevented any of that. It was all me. I would have left, either way.

Jane: (voice breaking) You were so young. Sixteen. Sixteen-year-old boys should be getting their driver's license not living on the streets, trying to find a job to support themselves. I should've looked harder. (breaking down) I shouldn't have been called in the middle of the night to that damn hospital room and seen you after four years with those tubes stuck down your throat and I-I...(sobbing in damp hands)

Luke: (petting her head, shushing her) It's not your fault, mama. It's not. You didn't make me take those pills. You didn't break my heart. You weren't the weak one. You didn't give up like I did.

Jane: (crying) If I had made you stay, you would have been happy. You would have found a nice boy who loves you and cares for you. You would've been in college. (soft) You're only twenty. My boy, only twenty.

Luke: (kissing her head, petting her hair) Mama, stop. It's okay. I'm going to be okay. I'm better this time. I can handle it this time. I'm stronger. You won't lose me again. Never. You'll never lose me again.

Jane: (weak) But this boy-

Luke: (cuts her off) -is nothing but sweetheart. He's just scared, mama. He's scared like I was.

Jane: (voice cracking) I can't lose you, again.

Luke: (hugs her tighter) You won't. I promise. He loves me. I know it. He's just scared.

Jane: (sympathetic) Fear does things to people, Luke. It makes them angry and violent.

Luke: Or they can overcome it. Ashton is strong. Stronger than I ever was, I will ever be. He just needs time to figure things out.

Jane: (not a question) You love him.

Luke: Of course. (soft laugh) I'd be a fool not to.

QOTD: What makes Luke so sure of Ashton's feelings?