If You Don't Know || Lashton ✓

nineteen

This was such a long chapter and it's so cute I

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Luke was wearing a button down that the first few buttons were undone. He was wearing a pair of Michael's skinny jeans and was wearing his shoes too. Michael had begged him to show up and he wasn't going to originally but his curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to see what Ashton had done with the exhibit.

He and the curly-haired boy hadn't talked in a month and he was so scared to run into the boy today. He just wanted to see the art and go.

Luke pulled open the door to the art gallery and walked in, seeing quite a few people looking around at the things hung on the wall. He knew that Ashton would be talking to the college professors so Luke knew to avoid the area of the men wearing expensive-looking suits.

He grabbed one of the glasses of champagne that was on the entrance table and started going to his left, following the crowd.

Luke was surprised by seeing the name of the exhibit. He had picked up the pamphlet and he definitely did not expect to read the title that he did. Love: The Stages.

Luke was so confused, Ashton had literally rejected him and was now claiming that it was love. He decided to set those thoughts aside and decided to continue through the gallery. The first picture was one Luke's lower half, his suit pants hanging loosely around his legs. He was coming in to Ashton's apartment and he didn't remember seeing this picture. It didn't surprise him though. Ashton was always good at taking hidden pictures. This one was labeled Friends.

There was more pictures, some of them at the burger joint they went to a few times and there was pictures of them at the park. Luke liked the one he had gotten of Ashton laying in a pile of leaves and the copper tint of the leaf the brunette was holding matched his eyes.

The next section was called Falling. There were pictures of the two boys cuddling. Luke saw the one that Ashton had taken of him under the blue quilt. He remembered that day really well. There was pictures of Ashton kissing Luke's cheek. There was pictures of the two holding hands. There was pictures of the two holding each other. It all hurt Luke so much. He missed Ashton and Ashton didn't care. This was all nostalgic to him. The art ranged from pictures to paintings to sketches. Luke definitely recognized the sketch of his eyes from the time they laid in bed until two in the afternoon.

Luke thought like he was going to cry when he saw the second to last section. It was called Fucking. The first one was a sketch and it was of Luke's lips around Ashton. There was no saying who it was but Luke knew it was him. There was pictures of Ashton's ass after Luke had spanked him and there was the picture that Luke took of their two dicks together. He knew it was the one he took since it was blurry. The pictures made him feel nauseous. This was the only reason Ashton had wanted him in the first place. It wasn't fair.

Luke got to the final section and it was worse than the one before. This section was mainly painted and drawn. Only one picture was there and it was the first one. It was completely different to the ones that followed. It was a picture of Luke and Ashton having a pillow fight the same day that Luke hid under the blue quilt. The section was Fighting.

Luke walked down in awe. He saw many drawings of two people and they were turning away. Both looked horrendous and they were crying and they were distraught. They looked so upset and Luke knew it was supposed to be him and Ashton. They were drawn and painted in harsh reds and sad blues and reminded Luke of how he felt the past month.

He got to the final image and his heart stopped. It wasn't a picture and it wasn't a painting. It was a handwritten note, by Ashton himself.

Dear Luke,

I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I never meant to do it. I was so scared. You've never been in love and I've fallen in love as many times as you have bought a new company. (That was a stupid metaphor. I'm sorry again.) You will probably never talk to me again but I want you to forgive me. I wanted to reach out to you but I knew I broke your heart and I didn't want to make you suffer more by me coming into your life again. I'm so sorry.

I wish you could see the gallery. I think it's going to do really well. Michael helped me finish it and I know you'd love to see your face plastered on the walls. (Except you'd actually probably be most terrified.) I know you will never read this but it gives me satisfaction.

I love you so much. There I said it. My hands are shaking while writing this and I'm crying so much. I wish I had never pushed you away. I always told myself I wouldn't hurt you and now I did. I'm so sorry Luke.

Love,

Ashton

Luke was crying at the end of the letter, for maybe the third time in his life, and he wasn't really sure on how to react. He just felt awful. Ashton had managed to rip his heart out and then put it back in.

He started frantically looking around the giant exhibit room so that he could find the person he had become so crazy about. Luke saw Michael and Calum making out, against one of the pillars and decided to avoid them and just find the boy himself.

He decided to go to the one section that he figured Ashton would be at the start of the exhibit. Luke made his way to where the professors were and immediately spotted Ashton laughing along with them as they talked.

"Ashton," Luke said softly, his voice cracked. He was so scared Ashton hadn't heard him but he definitely did.

Ashton immediately got up from the table and walked to Luke, not saying anything to the people he had been talking to. He tugged Luke down to him and pressed his lips to him quickly. The kiss was feverish as their tongues entered the others mouth. It was as if the month they had been gone made them miss each other horribly.

"Fuck, I love you so much Luke. I'm so sorry," Ashton panted, taking breaks from Luke's mouth to say so.

"I love you too. So fucking much," Luke said, his voice just as hoarse as Ashton's. Both were holding on to each other as if it had been years.