Coming Up For Air

1.3

"Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel,
This love is difficult but it's real"
-Taylor Swift, 'Love Story'

☂Ashton☂

"Hello?" Ashton answered without looking at the caller id. He was feeling like he imagined the color mauve did; a little bedraggled and a lot confused.

"Look out your window."A familiar voice greeted him through the phone line.

Ashton did, trying to quell the something rising in maybe his
(heart?)

And even though he obviously knew Luke was going to be there, he was there, really was, and it was shocking and wonderful and he was sword fighting a smile because Luke was so real so present so
(beautiful?)

"Hi." Luke said, smiling up at him.

"My window doesn't open." Ashton told him through the microphone, giving up his fencing match to smile, simply smile, no metaphor included because sometimes things just are.

"Okay." Luke said, still on the street, still staring, still looking stunning in the stonewashed sunshine. "I wanted to go all Shakespeare, though."

"Modern adaption?" Ashton weakly suggested, pressing his hand against the glass to steady himself and pressing the phone against his ear just to be sure he didn't miss anything. Luke nodded and took a visibly deep breath.

"The truth is I lied this morning, Ash." Luke said, looking at Ashton with those icy-hot eyes and lord, everything about his was just an exquisite oxymoron. "I said I did it because I was tired and that was...complete bullshit. Literally total bullshit. Like, I don't think I'll ever be able to communicate to you the absolute depth of bullshit contained within that statement."

Ashton was a bit at a loss so he just let shock play out over his features while Luke steeled himself before he continued.

"I lied because I was...scared...that you might not like me the way I...like you. Because I do. Like you. Like, a lot. That's the truth, too. This morning I kissed you because I was kind of worried I might die if I didn't, and I totally wish I was being dramatic right now so don't even laugh because I'm really bad at this already and that's just going me make me even worse." Luke was blushing bright red and he looked at the ground and the silence ran laps around their brains.

"I wasn't laughing, Luke." Ashton said softly into his phone and Luke glanced up, nervously sucking on his lip ring.

"Okay." Luke breathed, his voice full of tin and diamonds by the time it reached Ashton's ear but it still sounded as lovely as the sunrise to him. "I like it when you say my name."

Ashton almost giggled.

"Luke."

Luke smiled.

"Luke."

Luke laughed.

"Luuuuke."

Luke blushed. "I said say my name, not groan it, you animal."

Ashton contemplated groaning it again just to see Luke's dimples pop.

"Why do you like when I say your name?" He asked instead, left hand flush against the window like he wanted to reach out and grab Luke, which he kind of did, to be honest.

"Because you make it sound like it's worth saying." Luke said, casually baring his soul and Ashton was experiencing moderate whiplash from this wonderful turn of events. "Luke is such a boring name but you make it...not boring."